#and if I can do a handful of lectures while I’m at home that’ll be a useful step no matter what

[exopelagic]

i will not panic abt my exams

[crackingheart]

Loser Megumi x Popular y/n

You already know this is gonna be an angst muheheh ;) (normal highschool au)

People are the worst. And what’s even more worst is how you let them control you. See, falling in love is bound to happen. You just didn’t expect it to be him. Megumi, the “loser.”

It all started when one day you forgot you had homework due. You searched desperately for answers and megumi noticed your worried face.

Your eyes connected with his and in that moment it felt like heaven.

“I have the answers, need them?” Megumi said while slightly smiling at you. Did he feel it too? Whenever your eyes and his met, did he feel it too?

“Y-yes please! Thank you so much.” Fumbling your words makes you feel even more embarrassed. You copy down his notes in a heartbeat.

The bell dismissed us and we were going to part ways but you grabbed his shirt out of instinct. He looked back at you shocked.

“Can I have your number… just in case I forget my homework again?..” your voice sounding nervous. His gaze never left your eyes and he grabbed a marker and paper. His number, then he gave it to you and smiled.

After that your mind was a mess, you were sweating a little too. Your friends pull you aside. Mai and Momo lecture you about what they witnessed.

“I can’t believe you even wasted your breath on that loser! You know you deserve so much better.” Momo said, Mai nodding her head. We were the trio on our cheer team. You were the cheer captain of course.

“Deserve better? Like who?” You put your hand on your chin.

“Gojo, duh! He’s the best football player and he’s a total cutie!!!” They both squeal. You roll your eyes. Of course they would say Gojo.

Once the school day was over and after practice you went home. You grab the piece of paper from your pocket and text megumi.

Heyyy you up? - you

Hi, yes.

He was dryer than you expected but whenever you and him talked and texted more he became comfortable. A few weeks went by and you and him were still talking.

Omg we should see this movie together! - you

Sure I’m down. When? - gumi

This weekend??? - you

Okay that’ll doo! - gumi

That day whenever you and him when to the movies. He surprised you with flowers.

“Flowers? For me!” You look at him with pure happiness in your eyes. He nods his head agreeably. You jump up and hug him tightly. You feel him tense up and turn red. “You’re so sweet gumi!!” Gumi was the nickname you always called him.

That day he asked you to be his and you said yes. You and him were dating secretly but people at school still made it a rumor. This rumor brought down your reputation so you had to do something. That’s when it clicked. Gojo is popular, so if you show everyone Gojo and you are friends. Maybe that’ll bring your reputation up, right?

That’s when everything went downhill.

Megumi watched y/n across the hallway. He watched as her friends surrounded her talking and laughing.

He always felt this pit in his stomach when he saw you surrounded like that. How Gojo would walk up to you obviously flirting. And you flirted back.

You saw megumi from across the hallway. Feeling a pinch on your heart when you see him. Gojo grabs your chin moving your eyes away from him.

“Hey gojo. Not now, I’ll be back, promise.” Gojo lets go of your chin. His eyes follow you as you chase after megumi.

“Megumi! Wait please!” You say while slowing your pace when you reach him. His eyes were cold and digging into your skull.

“Wait and watch you flirt with Gojo?” His voice is soft but you feel his anger.

“He means nothing to me I swear. This is just an act. We don’t even talk to each other outside of school.” Your voice fumbles some trying to admit you have zero feelings for the blue eyes man. Megumi just stands there staring at you. Your hands attempt to grab his hand but he snatches his hand back.

“I can’t do this anymore y/n.” His words struck a cord in your heart.

“What…what do you mean. Please don’t leave. Don’t give up on me, I love you I swear I do!” Your eyes widen and you feel a tear ruining your makeup. Megumi looks away once you start tearing. He grinds his teeth together.

“I can’t stand seeing what’s mine being touched by another man.” His voice trembled with anger. You felt guilt in your stomach but before you could talk, he interrupted.

“And I can’t even do anything about it! Because of this stupid reputation thing that you have!” He pulled you and him into the janitors empty closet. “I’m losing my mind here y/n!” Megumi holds your face with his hands. His eyebrows curl and he looks like he’s on the edge of crying. This breaks your heart. Maybe this all isn’t worth hurting someone else.

“Megumi I..” megumi interrupted again.

“What’s more important? Me or your reputation?..” his hands squeezed you jaw slightly tight. You’ve never thought about that.

“Look, I can stop talking to gojo, just please don’t go.” Your hands brush against his on your face.

“Not enough. I can’t handle being a secret anymore… it’s not just gojo. I can feel so many lustful eyes on you it drives me insane.” He says then breaks eye contact. You hands leave from his and you have trouble deciding.

“I can’t decide Gumi! Don’t make me decide please!…” you say begging him. You feel tears come out your eyes. He presses his lips together and starts to leave out the door. But before he leaves he stops.

“I wouldn’t have gotten with you if I knew this is what it’ll be like.” Then megumi leaves leaving you alone in the bitter cold closet. He’s right. He didn’t sign up for this. But you couldn’t afford to lose it all.

Being alone makes you realize a lot of things you wouldn’t with distractions. You really are a terrible vulnerable person. You let what people think and what they say control you so…easily. More tears streamed down your face not caring if it ruined your makeup. You had no one to talk to and no one who would understand you.

Before you could clean yourself up you see the door opening. White hair and blue eyes stare at you.

“Are you okay y/n? I saw you come in here with megumi.” He picks up your body from the cold floor. “Let’s go get you cleaned up.” He grabbed you and carried you to the bathroom. No one was in the halls because class started. Luckily no one was in the bathroom too. Gojo stood outside while you fixed your makeup.

Once you were done you left the bathroom to find Gojo. He grabs you jaw and looks at you. But not the way megumi looks at you. No, he looks at you lustfully.

“So, you know how I just helped you? Can I get something in return?” He says closing the gap between you and him. His lips part and a huge smile appears on his face.

“What, no!” Quickly you pull away from him and run off to your next class. You didn’t care whether you felt something for Gojo or not. You just wanted to be left alone, at least for one day.

This is the class you have with megumi. The class where it all started. You walk in and everyone stares.

“Why are you late Y/N L/N?” The teacher says while eyeing me.

“I lost track of time..” you say avoiding any kind of eye contact and you take a seat next to megumi.

Megumi doesn’t say anything to you, he doesn’t even acknowledge you. His eyes are lost in thought. You tap his shoulder.

“Hey?.. I’m sorry about earlier..” your voice is still trembling from the janitors closet.

“It’s whatever.” Megumi says not even looking at you. His voice was cold and he was dry like whenever you and him first talked. This made your heart squeeze. Fuck you can’t take it today.

After the bell rang he didn’t even wait for you. The entire class period he didn’t look at you. It was like you and him were strangers again. Mai and Momo were there waiting for you, but you couldn’t handle them today.

“Sorry Mai and Momo, I’m not feeling good. I’m gonna have to leave early today.” You said not looking at them while you all walk and talk. They both look at each other confused but decided to brush it off.

“That’s okay let us know when you feel better. Bye I hope you get better girl.” Mai said and momo waved. You called your mom to come pick you up and within two minutes she came.

The whole day went by and it was night. You texted megumi so many times. No response.

Megumi im sorry - you, 3:45 pm

Gumi??? - you, 4:02 pm

Ignoring me won’t solve anything please talk to me. - you, 4:56 pm

I’m so worried. Are you okay? - you, 5:34 pm

Is this cause what happened in the janitors closet today? - you, 5:51 pm

I love you… - you, 6:37 pm

Goodnight I’ll see you tomorrow - you, 9:55 pm

You thought everything would be okay right? You never walk in the hallways alone, you always have someone by your side. This time it was Gojo. He would make me forget about megumi even if it was just for a second.

Walking into the classroom you share with megumi, you don’t see him? In fact you don’t see him anywhere during the day.

Once you got home you texted megumi more.

Gumi where were you today?

Just to find out you’ve been blocked. You went on every social media platform that had megumi on it. “No user found..” your curled your body into a ball and cradled yourself. Each sob being louder than the next. Were you really a bad person?

You stayed up wondering what would have changed if you had just cared a little more. Once the dreadful morning came, you got ready.

You walked into the classroom again. Your eyes shooting at the shared seat hoping to see him there. But to your surprise he wasn’t…

The next day, to the next. Everyday was dreadful without megumi. If you had noticed how much you loved him you wouldn’t have let him go.

One day you heard a rumor. And you walked up to the man spreading the rumor. Gojo.

“What did you say about megumi?” You ask stabbing daggers into his eyes.

“I said he transferred schools. You would know that if you just looked at his insta.” Gojo said so carelessly. No idea how much this crushes me. Did he transfer cause of me?.. You couldn’t take it anymore. All the nights without hearing his voice. The dead basically gone flowers he gave you. You not feeling his heavy presence when he sits beside you.

A tear drops down your cheek in front of Gojo. Oh no. Quickly you run into a bathroom stall. You let all the tears flow out like the janitors closet incident. Ever since that day you lost him, life has been hard.

You pray that one day he’ll come back. And whenever he does you’ll never let him go. You’ll do anything just to have him back. But he’s never coming back.

Once you cleaned yourself up. Some thinking made you come to a conclusion. You might as well work with what you have now. So you walk up to gojo.

He looks at you confused whenever you wrap your hands around his arm.

“Hey gojo. What am I to you?” You say looking up to meet his blue ocean eyes.

“Just a cute girl why?” Gojo says looking back at you. Of course he would say that. You let go of his arm and walk away. The tears coming back.

Megumi would’ve said something about your personality then as a bonus your looks. Megumi loved you on the inside first then outside. But you were too blinded by other peoples opinions to notice that.

You walk into the same janitors closet, the last time you saw megumi. You sit in there reminiscing and skipping class.

“I just want to keep on loving you megumi. I’m sorry just please come back.” You say into the empty closet. Hoping that megumi would appear out of thin air. But of course he doesn’t. He’s gone forever and it’s your fault.

You never know how much you love someone until you see them go.

[writingtraumaforever]

Uncontrolled Chaos: Chapter 23

Notes: Kinda short. Sorryyyy! My weeks are getting busier as the holidays approach. But I'm trying!

Summary: The alt. gang comes up with a plan, and Shadow tries to reach out more.

UC Masterpost!

Link to my AO3!

Start:

One of the many perks of Sonic moving in with Shadow is he isn’t home to lecture Tails about sleep anymore.

Well. To Tails it’s a perk, to Sonic it’s an absolute problem and worry.

Either way, the kid worked his little ass off on his chaos studies and applied it to some adjustments he made to his communicator. He’s gotten pretty far on it, and is confident it could work. He just needs to manage to make the connection with their Shadow’s own wrist communicator he was given when he became a part of the team. And connecting across dimensions is easier said than done.. especially when one of said wrist communicators hasn’t been adjusted to do that.

It’ll be a one-way communication for a bit, but he’s hoping their Shadow will find a way to have his own wrist com updated to communicate back. Surely he can get in contact with the other world’s Tails and have him help.

This has all been buzzing in his head nonstop, sleep being a far away thought despite how he nods off at his workbench now and then. He tries to make up for it by playing loud music here and there or drinking some coffee. He doesn’t really like the stuff, but it’s effective.

He’s currently screwing in a micro screw when he hears the familiar rumble of the Dark Flyer from outside. Ears perking at the sound, he stands to look out the window and see Sonic and Shadow arriving with Knuckles gliding down to a landing beside them. He’s instantly excited to show them the work he’s done so far, eager to see their reaction to how impressive it all is. That, and he maybe craves Shadow and Sonic’s approval a little too much..

Quickly rushing to his workshop’s door, he swings it open and waves them in as they shut off the bike, “Hey guys! Come on in!!”

Sonic smiles upon seeing his brother, but there’s a slant to his smile when he also sees the dark bags under his eyes and the way his two tails droop with exhaustion..

“Hey buddy,” he greets, walking over with the other two, “you get any sleep last night??”

“Not important,” Tails quickly dodges the question by waving it off, turning to run over to his workbench, “What’s important is I think I may have found a way to communicate with our Shadow through dimensions.”

Shadow speaks now, “Already??”

“Yup! I told you I could do it. I’m very efficient,” he assures with a nod.

Shadow just nods in an impressed way, not questioning the kid after seeing all the modifications the Dark Rider has. 

“I see you guys brought Knuckles,” Tails smiles eagerly, “Good. I think he may be able to help us with the last link I need to completing my multi-dimensional communicator. ’MDC’ for short.”

Sonic whistles at the sight of the fancy gizmo Tails has whipped up sitting on his workbench, “That thing looks pretty cool, Tails. How’s it work??”

“Well— it doesn’t.”

Shadow frowns. Sonic just smirks, confident his brother has a solution in mind already.

He’s right.

“But it will. It just needs a power source that’ll manipulate time and space.”

“You need a chaos emerald,” Knuckles adds simply, arms crossed as he looks the little machine Tails has made over.

“Exactly,” Tails nods, “At least one. And seeing as they were all recently scattered around the world again..”

“We need to go on a good ole fashion treasure hunt,” Knuckles smirks now, excited about finding the emeralds again. This is what he was best at! 

“Do we have any leads on where any could be??” Shadow asks with a quirk of his brow.

“Well, we have my chaos tracker,” Tails says, gesturing to the X Tornado parked off to the side of the large garage, “It’s always done us well before.. but I’ve also heard a certain National Organization may have already gotten their hands on one..”

“GUN?” Sonic frowns.

“Exactly,” Tails nods, “Figure while we take the Tornado hunting for the emeralds, we can contact some extra help to infiltrate the place and swipe it.”

“I can,” Shadow says confidently, “I know how to handle GUN.”

“Too risky,” Tails shakes his head, “Can’t have them picking up on what we’re doing or the fact you’re an alternate Shadow. They’ve been trying to get their hands on our Shadow for years, they’d go nuts to get their hands on one from another dimension.”

Shadow hums at this, wanting to argue but unable to. The kid has a point.

Knuckles frowns, “Then who..?”

“Weeeelll…,” Tails smiles slow and nervous, knowing Knuckles isn’t gonna like the answer.

“Nope..,” Knuckles immediately shakes his head, “No. Not her. Anyone but her.”

“She’s one of the best jewel thieves on the planet, Knuckles! And she works for them, so she already knows the place inside and out.”

“But how do we know we can trust her??” Sonic points out, “She hasn’t exactly been shy about double-crossing us before..”

“She’ll want payment,” Knuckles huffs, rolling his eyes and already hating the idea of working with that bat, “She won’t risk her job for nothing.”

“We don’t even know if she’ll agree to then,” Sonic points out with a shrug, “And whose to say she won’t just keep it for herself once she has it??”

“I’ll talk to her,” Shadow inputs, knowing good and well the only person they could be talking about is his partner. All three of the others looking at him now.

He shrugs, “I may not know her in this dimension, but I know Rouge. I can get her to cooperate.” He’s confident in this. “She’s certainly mischievous and conniving, but she’s not unreasonable. If she knows it’s a matter of life or death, she’ll come to our aid.”

“Right..,” Sonic says quietly, eyeing Shadow, “You’re friends with her in your world..”

“I am so sorry,” Knuckles apologizes sympathetically as though the thought of being friends with Rouge is absolutely tragic for anyone.

Shadow just rolls his eyes and huffs, “We’re partners. Not friends.”

Okay, maybe they’re friends. But he isn’t gonna just say that.

“Well, that sounds pretty solid to me,” Tails nods with a shrug, looking at the other two now, “Sonic and I will take the Tornado. Knuckles and Shadow can contact Rouge.”

“Why me?!” Knuckles protests with wide eyes.

Tails just deadpans him, “Because you have her number, and we all know it.”

Sonic bites his lips together, looking at Knuckles and trying not to laugh at his face. Not every day you get called out by a thirteen year old. 

Shadow just smirks, raising a brow at the blushing echidna.

Knuckles flounders a moment, trying to think of some comeback or defense. But he eventually settles on jerking his phone out instead and marching outside while grumbling, “I have to make a call..”

Sonic snorts and Tails just shakes his head with a sigh.

Shadow watches with slight amusement. Just another one of those constants in the multiverse it seems. No matter what world, Rouge seems to have her claws hooked in that echidna.

“Welp. I’ll ready the Tornado,” Tails concludes as he makes his way to the plane.

“That kid so doesn’t need to be driving that tired,” Sonic sighs with a fond shake of his head.

When he turns to look at the blue hedgehog, Shadow finds a slightly nervous look on Sonic’s face..

He ponders this a moment, his mind going back to what he overheard on Angel Island..

He’s worried about Shadow. Both Shadows. Him included. And he likely isn’t fond of the idea of being separated from him..

Eyeing the hedgehog for a pause, he eventually reaches out and places a hand awkwardly on Sonic’s shoulder. Sonic tenses a bit, obviously not expecting any form of touch to have been engaged by the hybrid.

He wants to tell Sonic to be careful. Show he cares, that he’s not a total asshole.. maybe the familiarity of Shadow showing concern will comfort him??

Instead, what comes out is:

“Don’t be stupid.”

Welp.

That was something at least.

Sonic snorts a bit at that, looking at Shadow now with a raised brow, “Kinda random. And I hate to break it to you, but stupid is how I roll.”

“I know,” Shadow deadpans before adding, “But you need to be.. safe.”

Sonic blinks at this. This painfully awkward attempt at showing concern. It’s endearing as hell and extremely nostalgic for Sonic’s first few months with his own Shadow.

He would tease him.. except, he doesn’t want to discourage good behavior.

So instead, he settles on a little smile and, “Yeah. I will be, no worries.”

Shadow nods, removing his hand from Sonic’s shoulder a bit tensely— like a robot, “Good.”

Sonic nods in return, “You too, by the way. Be safe.”

Shadow nods, crossing his arms again as his gaze shifts to the fox preparing the plane, “I’m always safe.”

“You literally got all of us into this mess in the first place by not being safe!” Sonic points out with a chuckle. Shadow can’t help but sheepishly smile in return, “Fair.. but my track record is pretty safe.”

Sonic snickers at that, Shadow giving an amused hum in response.

It’s progress.

And it’s.. not so bad, Shadow finds. Initiating contact with the hedgehog. Initiating physical contact with the hedgehog. It’s not as near impossible as he thought it to be. Nor is the hedgehog as insufferable about it as he expected him to be.

There’s the vague sound of yelling from outside, muffled by the workshop walls. Sonic and Shadow both glancing to the door Knuckles had stepped out through, the blue hedgehog chuckling with an eye roll, 

“Must’ve contacted Rouge.”

“Must’ve.”

“They like that in your world, too?”

“Constantly,” Shadow sighs with an exhausted shake of his head at the thought of one of Rouge’s endless rants about the red echidna, “Can’t hardly go on a mission without her rambling on and on about their latest interaction. Whether it be an argument or a date. Most the time it’s both.”

Sonic hums at this, “So they see each other then?”

“They’re complicated, but it’s pretty common knowledge that if anyone dared to hit on either one of them, the other would show up to kick ass.”

Sonic snorts a bit, “Cool. Cool.. so when you said you and Rouge were partners and not friends..”

Shadow blinks at this, turning his head to look at Sonic who is trying to look nonchalant about it but failing miserably. 

Does he— does he think Shadow and Rouge are—

“No,” he states firmly, “Not like that. I meant we work together. On a team.”

“Oh,” Sonic smiles a bit more at that, seeming slightly more at ease with this information, “A team, huh??”

“Yes, Team Dark.”

The hedgehog chokes out a laugh at that, Shadow’s eyes narrowing at him.

“Team Dark??? That’s so fuckin’ on the nose, dude—“

“Team Hero..?”

Sonic’s laughing stops immediately.

“Touché.”

[biscuitblinkeu]

The Things We Hate [2]

Park Chaeyoung x Fem!reader

Word Count: 4017

A/n: I will forever be a clown. When I say I’ll post on so and so, take it with a grain of salt.

………………………………………………………………………….

“Roseanne?” Her professor calls, and she pauses just before the door. She was the only one still left in the lecture hall, always packing up slower than everyone else because she was in no rush.

Readjusting her backpack, she turns around, locking eyes with charcoal ones. “Yes?”

Ms. Mayfield was on the older side of the spectrum of teachers in the college. Old enough to be someone’s grandma or great grandma. She was an African woman, the age of sixty-seven, plump with jet black hair usually styled beautifully, her eyebrows plucked, and her lips, today, painted a deep plum. Despite her age she looked awfully young and energetic. She was very kind.

“Could you do me a favor?” Her professor looks awfully apologetic when the words leave her mouth. But Roseanne would be willing to do any favor for her. Ms. Mayfield was her favorite professor, afterall. She was like the parental figure she never had.

She smiled, “Sure. What is it?” 

“Really? Thank you, you're a lifesaver. I’m too old t’be walking down to the old building, it’s bad for my knees— Hold on, you still willing t’go if it’s way down there?” She raised an eyebrow at Roseanne in question.

The old building was an eight minute walk if you were fast and knew a few shortcuts. Not to mention it was dark and spine-chilling with all the creaks of the foundation and whirs of wind. There were definitely a few animals taking home there too.)

“It's not a problem. I go down there all the time, remember?” 

Ms. Mayfield snaps her finger, “Oh yes, forgot about that for a moment.”

“So what am I looking for?”

“It’s a yellow box in the old English composition room’s storage closet filled with old media magazines. I recall the box sitting on one of the shelves. It should still be there,” she affirms.

“I know where that room is, I’ll…” Roseanne trails off. A thud and thump followed by a pained hiss interrupt her, and they look to the noise with confusion.

Higher up in the seating rows, a man stands up from behind the tables rubbing his elbow. He— Avocaté— proceeds to pick up his fallen textbooks and papers as he grumbles under his breath. He zips up his backpack, completely unaware they’re is still people in the room. He realizes this when he looks up and sees them, letting out a loud screech.

“Fuck!” He shouted, hand on his heart. “You both were just going to stare at me the whole time and not say anything??”

Ignoring Avacaté’s question, Ms. Mayfield spoke, “What’d I tell you about sleeping in my class boy? Everyone was dismissed ten minutes ago.” 

He throws his backpack over his shoulder, responding with a huff, walking down the steps.

“I know something that’ll fully wake you up. Why don’t you accompany Roseanne to the old building to get something for me?”  

Roseanne couldn’t hide the opposition on her face if she was wearing a mask. Her eyes bug-out, wide and very dismayed. Her lips undeniably have fallen into a frown that starts to sag the longer Ms. Mayfield doesn’t pay attention to her body language.

She can go alone!

She hopes he declines and goes on about his day. She wasn’t interested in spending twenty-five or so minutes alone with him at all. They barely exchanged more than four dozen words altogether during the two years.  And if they did interact other than talking school, it was his lingering perverted gaze following her when they crossed paths in the hallway. Or the intense flirtatious remarks or “accidental'' fleeting touches when they have to move past each other around the research lab. 

Avacaté purses his lips like a duck and a few moments of silence pass. Roseanne thinks that he looks incredibly dense when he does that. “Fine,” he says after a while. “Lead the way Park.” 

“Hey, why don’t we stop at Subway? I could go for a bite.” 

Roseanne finds herself internally sighing once again. She didn’t sign up to play twenty questions. They’ve been walking for about five minutes now, crossing the grassy courtyard to the other side: the old buildings.

“I’m sure she wants us to get the box to her before the next professor takes the room.”

“Right.” he spoke flatly, slouching over with his hands shoved in his jean pockets. They finally made it to the entrance of the old Arts building and Roseanne pulled the door open, jerking her head to tell him to walk in first. He walks in reluctantly, squinting through the dark.

“This place is creepy man.” He says sullenly, looking around wearily. It was a long hallway before them, ill-lit and desolate. Old papers and trash were strewn across the hall carelessly, posters ripped from the walls, chairs stacked up outside the classrooms. The only light coming in was from the door they entered and the occasional flicker of the overhead light. 

“Are you scared?” She teases. “There’s no boogeyman in here, I assure you.” 

His lips tighten into a thin line and he kicks the air. “No. Let’s just hurry up alright? Where is the light switch for the hallway?” Do the lights even work, is the question.)

“Oh, don’t tell me you believe in the ghost rumors.” She laughs, walking down the hallway with ease, leaving him behind. He scrambles to follow her faintly illuminated figure, footsteps slowing their pace when he reaches her side. 

“The Ghost rumors?” He squeaks and Roseanne eyes him judgmentally. Avacaté clears his throat, “I don’t. Jesus Christ.” 

They don’t talk, just the sound of their footsteps and the building’s occasional creak or whir are heard. Although desperate for a distraction, Avacaté starts up his question game again. “Do you have a boyfriend?” 

Roseanne sighs, “I don’t.”

“That’s unbelievable! You’re so… I don’t understand how you’re not taken. Or maybe you broke up with someone recently?”

“Nope. I don’t prioritize relationships right now. I’m the one rejecting the advances.” 

Avacaté hums, glancing at her. 

“Haven’t found the right guy?” He voiced cheekily as he stepped closer to her side, all sly and sanguine, like the space between them before was the Roseanne-rejecting-advances bubble and that invading it would make him different. 

“No,” she remarked, dodging the arm that was inevitably going to wrap itself around her shoulders and speeding up her walking pace to leave him behind, “I haven't found the right girl.”

“You like chicks…?” She hears him wonder aloud as he pauses in his steps. His shoes slap against the dusty marbling as he joins her side again and he shrugs, throwing her a mischievous grin. “I like chicks too.”

Fantastic.

They approached the door, the sticker on it reading “Music” barely legible. The door opened without needing to be unlocked, creaking as it swung inwardly. Roseanne stepped in first, and immediately after passing through the doorway she felt a sticky, cloth-like bundle of strings lay itself over her face. She let out a yelp, hands furiously swatting the air around her, fingers pinching where she felt the web was stuck.

Avacaté chuckled as he slipped past her into the room. After she was sure there wasn’t anything left stuck to her face, she was met with his amused expression. She rolled her eyes and looked around, lips pursed as her eyes scanned the metal shelves.

“It’s up there,” Roseanne says when she spots it. Tucked between a few files and pushed to the back, it rested on the highest shelf.

“How are we going to get it from up there?” Avacaté was tall, but even on his tippy-toes he wouldn’t be able to reach it.

“Look for a stool or something?” She looked around only to find there was no type of chair present.

“You could sit on my shoulders?” He suggested casually, grinning wolfishly.

Roseanne shook her head with a deep frown. She switches the light switch on, now able to see clearly. There was another door in the room, where she assumed it was the storage closet. Careful not to slip on stray papers she opened the door, and there was a ladder resting against the wall. She drags the ladder out and he takes it from her and unfolds it in front of the shelves. 

Roseanne grabs the sides, fully intending to get the box herself to make this go quicker but he stops her with an arm.

“I'll do it. A pretty girl like you shouldn’t do the hard work.” He winks at her. (Roseanne thinks she just threw up in her mouth.)  

She drags the ladder out of the room’s storage closet and he takes it from her and unfolds it in front of the shelves. 

Roseanne notices the ladder is not sturdy at all. The wood was practically rotted, the metal rusted, and the bolts were on the verge of falling out. She takes a step closer, pointing to the top shelf. “The box should be that yellow one to your left once you climb up.”

“Got it.” He climbs up three steps and pauses as the ladder wobbles and the wood slabs feel weak under his weight. “Er…why don’t you hold the ladder for me?” 

She nods, positioning herself at its side and gripping on to it tightly. 

“Thanks,” he says before searching the shelves, moving things around. “Ah, there it is…”

“Your name reminds me of Avocados,” she breaks the silence.

“Oh you think so? Do you like avocados? You look like you’d be an avocado type of girl.”

“I hate them, actually,” she quipped. A shiver passes through her as she remembers her unpleasant encounters with the vegetable. “The texture and taste is troubling to me, and even after washing your hands they still smell faintly,” she eyes him as he climbs higher up. “They’re disgusting.”

He hummed in response. Having finally reached the box, he grabbed it and climbed down the ladder carefully.

“We have it now, let's go back.”

“Wait,” He sets the box on the ground, taking a step near her. “You still have some spider web in your hair.” He says, reaching out to remove it but she backs up instinctively. Roseanne gives him a look, “No It’s alright, I’ll get it myself.” 

His brows furrow at her actions, and he defensively holds his hands up. “Why are you so jumpy? I was just trying to help. So let me, I got it.”

He reaches out again to touch her hair, having no regard to her personal space despite her previous reaction. Like before, she backs up again, one foot behind the other onto the scattered papers. “I said no.” She says again, yet he insists and ignores her words, still reaching out towards her. She takes another step back and stumbles because of a stray box.

“Careful!” He yells, reaching for her wrists. A mocking smile rests on his lips. “You’ll trip if you keep backing up…” His grip is brusingly strong and he pulls her towards him with little effort. The feeling of his cold and calloused fingertips against her skin made her tense. The touch was so brief, so fleeting, but uneasiness made itself apparent instantly. And the aggressive feeling of disgust boiled from within. It’s traveling, crawling and pricking along her skin like tiny needles and she feels absolutely repulsed. Perspiration forms on her forehead and upper lip and ragged breaths escape her. She’s stiff as a board and she looks at him with a withering gaze.

For Roseanne, it’s all too much.

Something tells her the sensory overload she’s experiencing inside is rearing itself on the outside when Avacaté backs away from her cautiously, letting go of her wrists. His hand goes to his neck and rubs nervously, “I'm sorry. It was all in good fun, I didn’t mean to—“

“Shut up." She snaps, stepping back as he takes a small step closer. "Don't ever— don't ever fucking touch me again without my permission.” With a scowl painted on her features, Roseanne marches to the box and picks it up by the cut-out handles and leaves the room. She walks all the way back to the lecture hall and hands Ms. Mayfield the box, receiving a ‘thank you’ as she does so.

“Where’s Avacaté?” She asks, prompting Roseanne to scowl. 

“Right here,” He breathes out, leaning in the doorway as his chest rises up and down, seemingly tired. Roseanne inwardly grins knowing he had to find his way back all alone.

She raises a brow at him but doesn’t comment on why he looks like he’s been running. “Thank you for the box,” she says and he gives her a thumbs up, walking out. Roseanne leaves shortly after exchanging a few more words with Ms. Mayfield.

…

“I had to go to the old building with him.” Roseanne almost growls. She walks in step with her other best friends, Jisoo and Jennie. They ran into each other (literally) in the hallways and were walking to the dormitory building.

“Oh? How’d that go? I heard he was a bit notorious for flirting with the girl population of the campus,” Jennie muses.

“For starters the rumors aren’t wrong.” Bitterly, she adds, “he’s brasher than I thought.”

“I can agree that he’s good-looking, but I think he’s using the charm in all the wrong ways if you ask me.” Jennie shrugs, and Jisoo and Roseanne hum in agreement.

“He’s too touchy is all.” Roseanne reasons, eyebrows knitted as she rubs her arms with an absent look. 

“Yeah, we can see that. He already has his arm around another random girl.” Jennie laughs, but throws Roseanne a concerned look over Jisoo’s shoulders.

Jisoo scoffs, her eyes burning a hole into Avacaté. To her, it was obvious he made Roseanne uncomfortable. Even as they turn the corner her eyes linger on him till he’s out of view. Jennie sulks as she watches Jisoo, who is stuck in her headspace once again worrying about Roseanne. So much so that she almost runs into a pole.

“Get your head out of the gutter Jisoo!” Jennie scolds.

…

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” an out of breath Roseanne startles you. She sets her backpack on the floor and takes the chair across from you, features apologetic. “I was waiting for my clothes to get done.” You guess she didn’t want anyone taking her clothes out of the machine because she took too long to take them out.

“It’s okay, no worries,” you respond. (She was only six minutes late and if she’s stressing over something like that you can tell she likes to be punctual and that this is unordinary for her.) She smiles at you and you take in her appearance.

Roseanne was a lean girl, she was on the taller side, broad shouldered and small waisted, toned all around and curvy at the hips; her physique was on par with a model, you thought. Her eyes were almond shaped, the color a shade somewhere between an umber-brown and olive-green. And, like her nose, her jaw was sculpted. She had pouty lips, the color of them a deep pink ( ,almost popsicle stained). Her honey-blonde hair was tied up with a simple ribbon and two strands were left out in the front. And due to the warming weather she’s wearing jean shorts and an old oversized band t-shirt halfway tucked into the side. 

“You look comfy,” she comments with a smile, taking note of your college sweatshirt and sweatpants. You look down at your attire and smile shyly. “I definitely am. And I know it’s not the best choice with the temperature outside, but I don’t plan on going anywhere anyways.” 

“Neither do I, well, except my other classes.” She crosses her arms over her chest, “So, Lisa told me you were looking for a new dorm?”

“That’s right.” You reply, nodding. “There’s tension between me and my current roommate that’ll probably last forever, honestly,  because I stopped being friends with her and a few others and that didn’t go so well,” you grimace. “So I’d like to get out of there as soon as possible.”

“Okay, I’m not against letting you move in as I haven’t used that room for anything but storage, but I want to discuss a few things first?”

You lean back in your chair, “Ask away.”

It was like an interrogation. It was normal questions mostly, like pet peeves, daily schedules, cleaning and chores. You were given a having-guest-over lecture that sounded undeniably like Lisa’s. (You wouldn’t be surprised if she told you some things about you.) You told her you wouldn’t bring anyone over, and if you do you’d let her no beforehand. Roseanne reluctantly informed you that she was a bit of a clean freak, which you believe you could deal with. You figured out she was a night owl, contrasting your early-bird nature. 

“Since the dorm is more like a small apartment than the one-room dorms, we'll have to come up with a chore chart or something. But other than that I can’t think of anything else to ask.” 

“That's fine. When will I be able to move in?”

“I think the weekend would be best, so I’ll have time to take my things out of the room.” 

You nod. “Thank you so much.” 

She smiles. “Of course.”

You and Roseanne part ways when the time for your afternoon classes start. 

You have Painting, where most of the time you’re given a subject and are supposed to paint it within constants or using your own creativity. It was one of your funner classes.

The room itself had different levels of elevation, where each row 10 easels and stools were placed. There were only two rows because some preferred using desks. 

Always the earliest one to arrive, you say hello to your Painting professor and move to the back rows, one seat away from the window. You get up and walk to the bins that hold new canvases of all sizes, grabbing a 15 x 15 inch one. The paint was the next thing you grabbed, and you picked your colors while occasionally glancing at the assortment of objects your tracer laid out. 

Apon walking back to your seat you noticed the twins were here. You befriended them at a party last year, where you caught them drunk out of their mind stuffing Cheeto puffs into a disposal, laughing like maniacs. You called them an Uber home and since then, after realizing you shared a class this year, you became friends.

“Hey guys,” you greet as you maneuver around one of them. One had chosen the seat closest to the window, and the other the one beside you. 

“Hello,” they say simultaneously. Definitely twins, you think, shaking your head.

Cooper and Curtis— their dad is obsessed with names that start with C, they told you— are identical twins who transferred from Paris. You are only able to tell them apart because Cooper keeps his face shaven, free of facial hair and looks younger because of it, while Curtis has a styled beard or noticeable stubble. 

“What’s been going on with you?” Curtis questions after he’s finished getting his supplies. 

“I left my friend group finally, and good news, I’m moving dorms with Roseanne.”

“About time you did!” He inputs and you kick his shin. 

“We know. I bet you’re super excited to be around some pretty girl.” Cooper winked and made an obscene gesture.

“No,” you dismiss flatly and he pouts. You blink, suddenly quizzical. “Pause. How did you guys know I was moving dorms?” 

“Word spreads fast,” is all he says, glancing at Krystal who sits a few rows in front of you. (You don’t have to worry about her hearing anything because she has her headphones on, surely blasting music.)

“Well what’s spreading this time? Bet she made herself the victim and went on about how bad a roommate I am and how happy she is that I’m switching.”

“Right on, unfortunately. I don’t think anyone…well, anyone who knows you would believe all that.” 

“I call bullshit man.” Curt inputs, muttering under his breath when his paint squirted all over his palette. 

“BS, Curt, BS. You know how Professor Woods is about profanity,” you scold.

He rolls his eyes at you. “N'agis pas comme si tu ne maudissais pas chaque instant qui passe.”

“What?”

“Rien.”

You shrug, knowing what he said had to be some witty response. One day, you swear, you’ll be able to understand what he says in French.

“So, who is your new roommate?” Cooper asks and you turn to him.

“You remember Roseanne? Lisa’s friend?”

“Oh her? You’ve hit the jackpot my friend.”

“I think I did too. She’s really nice and funny. She’s gorgeous too. But I’ll have to try to not disturb her…” You have to follow Roseanne’s rules and not bring people over. (Which you did in the past because Krystal and Jackson loved being loud in the bedroom. It was just a little payback.)

“Someone as nice as that has to turn out to be a real demon, I mean come on, don’t you watch thriller movies?” Curt retorted.

You snort and Cooper nudges you in the side with a boyish grin on his face. “He’s right though! As dreamy as she looks and as you make her sound,” he teased as he mixed blue paint with his brush. “She could secretly be a sadist— like, has a room full of leather whips and sharp objects and kinky stuff.” 

You roll your eyes in response, looking at him like he was hopeless. “I bet you’d totally be into that wouldn’t you.”

A flush rose to his cheeks and he coughed, “No! But my point still stands.”

“Yeah yeah.”

…

Roseanne hears you before she sees you.

You’re a menace in the hallways, being as loud as possible as you greet almost every person you walk by (that is, if you’re not hungover). It's a talent of yours— shoving your image in someone’s face until they drown underneath your confidence. She wonders how you do it. How are you not discouraged and shamefaced at the unhappy drowsy looks thrown your way, the scoffs and rolling of eyes, the wolf whistles? She does not know; you’re a feat on your own.

Even so, she was no exception to this rule, with you stopping by her locker and throwing a mischievous smile her way. “Morning, Roseanne.” You greet casually, leaning against the wall next to her. Yet the way your eyes do a sweep of her figure isn’t so casual. You make it your daily routine to, as you say, make her mornings a tad more interesting. She doesn’t believe it’s out of the good will of your heart though. She knows you want something.

“Good morning, (Y/n).” You smile at her simple response. And she expects you to walk off and do whatever it is you do, but you stay leaning against the lockers, watching her do her thing. You’re lingering, and she can feel your stare. “Did you need anything, or did you just pop up for fun?” You detect bitter annoyance in her tone, a faint trace of amusement. 

Roseanne Park isn’t a nice morning person. Noted.

“Oh, uh…” Recoiling from her tone, you straighten up and off the wall. “I thought we could go grab coffee? Or lunch? Whatever’s open. I thought since we’re going to be roommates and all soon I’d like to get to know you some more.” You look hopeful when she faces you, but she can see part of you is expecting a flat refusal with the way you chew on your bottom lip anxiously. 

Roseanne’s answer is quick. It’s a tempting offer, she’s in desperate need of something to fully wake her up. She supposes it wouldn’t be terrible to accompany you instead of going alone herself later in the day. Saves her early-day professors from suspecting she has an attitude because of her crankiness. It wouldn’t hurt to get to know you more either.

 “Sure, let’s go?”

Would you like to continue?

[handelplayssims]

Oye. How many more days left with these vampires? 4 it seems. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Well, let’s look at Roxana’s whims. Prank and be mean to someone. As usual. Welp, pranking is easily done. Hey, Omar! Here’s this hand buzzer trick! Next is Omar who wants to have child, or get disliked by someone. Mm. They already dislike each other though. I’m going to refresh those whims and then have him focus on Harrison. ...the whims were to leave a note on the family bulliten board and become enemies with the person he disliked. -shrug- Emilie is up and at em and needs food, and it’s an hour until work and school. Let’s just wait out the time until we head back into work with Omar.

And here we go! Perhaps today, we might get that final surgery requirement. ...if I was mean, I would perform surgery on a patient that might not need it...but eh, let’s try to be a good doctor. WOAH, there we go! We got a guy who collapsed right at the front door. And he needs emergency surgery! There we go! And hey, the patient we’ve been working on also needed surgery. Nice! Finally! He’s got that promotion! And is now a specialist! Good for Omar.

Oooh, Roxana, while I did manage to queue and get her the plasma fruit salad she needed, she also just ran out and drank from a passing sim. Hee. Now she’s super-tense about drinking from others.  MAN. I keep forgetting about Emilie and the making-friends-at-school thing! Now it’s 8PM and I bet there would only be teens at the park at this time. Doing their teen hangout thing. Ah well, both parents have whims regarding kids so, I decided to have both of them lecture their kids about manners. They’re neat sims, they’d care about this sort of thing. And now the kids are asleep. I decide to have the parents chat about the struggles of parenting...and the struggles of being a vampire. But thankfully Omar has a very high logic and can logic away the stress of drinking from a random sim. And she has low fun so uh, let’s have a woohoo in the shower.

Harrison wants to meet someone new so lets see if any teens are hanging around the park at the moment. But if not, we’ll bring someone along because he needs to drink! Hmm. The Alluring Visage means he’s low on vampire energy now. Meaning he needs to sleep. But we just got here! But I guess we can go right back home.. because it’s pretty much time for-

Neighborhood Watch!

Devan Geiger in the Geiger household has died. No cliffhanger here; Devan slipped when rock climbing.

Hold on, let me check something…yep. This was the guy who just moved into a home. RIP!

Mack Newman in the Newman hosuehold has died. Mack tried to make cereal but it burst into flames.

Let’s see, it’s early in the morning, nothing much to do. The kids sleep schedule is all kinds of messed up but alas. Let’s make sure I actually remember to set Emile to make friends at school. Omar’s got work at 9 until 7pm. So that leaves Roxana alone to do her work. And we got a biography about a dude who very much wants someone to write about him. That’ll do. Huh, and evidently she’s excited about the project at least. So a drink break and then we head back to work. Annnd she’s sick. Stuffed up nose, it seems. Well, what is the recommendations, internet? Taking a steamy shower! Annd hey, it worked! Back to writing she goes! Kids are back from school and boy, are they tired! But Roxana wants them to volunteer with her and so what she wants, she gets!

Let’s see. Omar does want a promotion, again. Could think about just having him visit a library for a late-night study instead. Since hey, that does also work, in theory, for a doctor. You gotta research your medical stuff! Oh hey, we actually met a scientist, since we’re at Strangerville. There would be a scientist/doctor solidarity, wouldn’t there? Let’s play a game of chess, get the know the guy a little and then head home.

Home again, and Omar wants to eat some popcorn. It’ll go poorly but we can attempt to have some. Meanwhile Harrison wants another promotion. Which, fine and all but I guess let’s work on your charisma skill. Selena’s hungry and Emile, oof! Bladder failure! ...and Roxana’s whim didn’t clear because we left in the middle of it. Fair enough, I suppose! Also I am trying to have Omar mend his relationship with Selena but alas! She just thinks he’s creepy with that weird hissing all the time! Ah well. Anyway it’s time for-

Neighborhood Watch! Mizuki Maeda in the Maeda household has died. Mizuki was victim to a vicious chicken attack.

Ah man. She was one of my longest lived townies. Riiiiiip!

Akira Kibo in the Kibo household has died. Akira fell for a cowplant’s cake bait. He could not have his cake and eat it too.

Ha. I had a feeling this was going to happen to him sooner or later. RIP!

[peakyblindersxx]

whiskey buisness - john shelby x reader (part 2 of ?)

read part one here!

a/n: hey loves! i'm finishing up school rn, but i had to get this out and i'm about to start working on a tommy request immediately after i upload this. anyways, i'm so excited to post this series, it's incredible and i can't thank my bestie @stxdyblr-2k enough. she is a fucking genius :)

prompt: you can't get john out of your head. lo and behold, here he is.

warnings: fluff, mentions of smut, angsty af, soft john (ugh my heart)

Despite your best efforts, you'd been unable to stop yourself yearning for John Shelby. Your pokey flat now often lay empty; you were far too busy to mope at home due to your career as a personal assistant to a local solicitor who was allied with the Shelby's, attending rallies and lectures with Ada and the drunken nights you'd spend at various mansions, galleries and club openings with the "razor chasers" you'd become friendly with due to their refusal to leave Ada alone. Yet still, in those odd seconds of calm you seized over a cigarette, the first seconds after a bump of Tokyo, when you carefully applied your makeup, styled your hair or bathed, you'd think of him. The way the pads of his fingertips felt on your skin, how he’d muttered in your ear how pretty you looked.

But this was different to when you were dreaming about John at 15; he was no longer the allusive older brother of Ada who had a string of beautiful girls on rotation. He wasn’t a fantasy anymore. He was true flesh and blood, and for a moment he had wanted you.

It would be delicious if the whole situation hadn't left a bitter taste in your mouth. Of course you came back to Brum to only immediately fuck it up. The first night, and already you were so close to ruining everything? Looking back, now that you were so close with Ada once more, now that you knew who John had grown to be, that night was cringe inducing. Luckily, no one had seemed to catch on. Luckily, you thrived in the Small Heath rumour mill once again. All the gossip about you was mainly about your substance use, the lads you were seen curling up with outside nightclubs, your intelligence, your helpful nature, sometimes your questionable politics but that was all. John's was far darker, stories of blood, death and gasoline. Recently, the tales of his conquests had quietened, but only due to the lurid delight taken by the factory workers in talking about the recent blinding of some poor fucker who'd crossed the wrong person. Obviously, a lot of the detail had to be exaggerated for shock value and to boost the Shelby status, solidifying them as notorious throughout Birmingham city and its rural surroundings. There were murmurs everywhere about the violent John Shelby: ruthless, cocky, vengeful. It seemed impossible that the same man who cracked shit jokes just to see you smile, kissed you with so much desperation, and prioritised getting you off first could cause such harm without an ounce of guilt or shame to slow his swagger.

Whispers of war were far more constant, but then again, people would say anything for a reaction. You didn't bring it up with Ada. You refused to (openly) partake in mindless gossip on principle, yet you were hungry for information about him.

***********

You'd long forgotten whose wedding you were at. Some loyal blinder, a close friend of the Shelby's, the occasion calling for a large white marquee to be built onto one of Tommy's gardens, fully staffed with the best chef and service team money could buy (from a London restaurant at short notice; when Finn told you the extortionate figure Tommy had paid, your jaw had dropped). The cake, dress and decorations were stunning; you weren't sure exactly what the groom had done for the Shelby's but you could only assume the worst for what they'd splashed out on him.

However, thinking like that only spoilt your night: you'd realised at your fifth club takeover, now you repeated it like a mantra constantly. You'd quickly learnt every excess the Shelby's granted to those outside their circle were due to some perceived sacrifice for being associated with them. Well, that's what you chose to believe after John had sent a junior blinder to your office with a bouquet, the Monday morning after he turned you down. So, it was best to smile and take the shit, get paid, and get out as soon as possible. You were to keep your head down until then.

Yet, keeping your head down was difficult tonight. Ada had treated you to a shopping trip to London for the occasion this morning, Arthur forcing the junior blinders to tag along next to you on the train and trailing less than two metres behind you for hours. You missed the days when it was just you and Ada. It was far more simple without the stares whenever the two of you stepped out. Ada had gotten used to it, she'd devised her own methods of being completely alone; complex plans involving leaving a window open, knotting sheets into a rope and twisting her ankles. Not that she minded, she reckoned the suffocation of being a Shelby was much worse than a few bruised ankles.

You were wearing a clingy emerald green dress from some fancy French boutique you couldn't even pronounce, the diamond necklace sitting along your collarbone and the jewels dangling through your ears were on loan from Ada. You felt eyes unpicking you the moment you entered the after-party. Your arm was linked through Ada's as per usual, she looked equally stylish in a peacock blue number that set off her eyes, her delicate features perfected with makeup.

You'd quickly found your gaggle and began drinking and dancing the night away. Whispers about snow arose from your table, people disappearing to the toilets to rail a line on the bathroom counter, then to the dance floor or to the lap of the poor fucker who'd hold back their hair while they vomited in just a few hours. At least the Blinders were polite about it. Isaiah would kill them if they weren’t. You'd let your arm be tugged on various bathroom trips, treated among your group like secret missions although you weren't entirely subtle about it.

What you weren't aware of was across the marquee, you were being watched by the three men in your life who you'd never want to see you in this state: the Shelby's.

"Looks like Finn's taken your spot, John." Arthur yelled in John's ear over the loud music, gesturing to the youngest Shelby sat at the table next to you who was staring up at you in complete adoration as you chatted across him to Michael, seemingly arguing with him. By the looks of it, you were winning.

John pulled a face at Arthur. “Fuck off, old man. That'll never happen. Finn’s too young for her." He immediately regretted the words that had fallen out of his mouth, revealing far too much for his comfort.

"It's not impossible."

"He's just not right for her, yeah?"

"And you are?"

John didn't bother to bless him with a verbal response, instead flipping him off and downing the rest of his whiskey. "It's not like that."

"What's it like then? Because from where I'm sitting, it's pretty fucking clear, John." Arthur slurred, glass of whiskey sloshing onto his sleeve.

"You're too gone to even know you're chatting shit." John sneered, standing up, "I'm off for a smoke and some fresh air. Try not to fuck anything in my absence, both of you."

His brothers cursed him out as he left. John took a second to figure out his route, purposefully having to cross your path, gesturing for you to follow him subtly. He was surprised you came trailing after him, telling Michael that you weren’t done yelling at him and you’d be back. When you were both only metres from the marquee, he knew you were fucked. You were instantly bored, begging him for a cigarette, which he lit for you, shaking his head at your state.

"You're a fucking mess, love." He said, mouth sloping attractively to one side.

"Takes one to know one, John-boy. Where are we off to, then?"

"Somewhere fucking quiet, can barely hear myself think. Plus, you need to sober the fuck up, lass." He said, softly, as he walked across the dew soaked grass. You followed, heels in hand, holding your dress up as not to ruin it. He sighed, taking the shoes from your hands and wrapping his blazer around your shoulders, linking your arm through his for stability. He kept the distance respectful, but there wasn’t any denying the thick tension in the summer air between the two of you. Ahead, there was a small stone bench sat at the foot of one of Thomas' manicured gardens, and John offered his hand to help you sit. You made small talk and caught up on each other's lives, and you noted John only seemed to glow when you asked about his kids. He talked at length, the drink seemingly unhinging his jaw. There he was again, the John you knew and had admired for so many years. You could sit here forever, watching his blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight. Yet, it just wasn’t meant to be. You wished you could stop time just for a bit, give you enough moments to memorize the freckles on his skin.

"You know the night I first came home?" The alcohol and snow had loosened your lips. You were teetering on the edge of your boundaries, but you couldn't care enough to hold back.

"The night where absolutely nothing happened?" He joked, raising an eyebrow at you, cautious that you'd randomly brought it up in your state. "Sweetheart, this can wait."

He was warning you. For a second you managed to bite your tongue, but curiosity tipped you over the edge.

"But something nearly happened, right?"

"Y/N. Don't." He warned, his tone icy, suddenly distancing from you, hiding between an emotional boundary which he didn't wish to explore.

"John, it's just us. Can't we even talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about, though. You were off your face then, and now. That's fine. We know where we stand. It can't happen."

"I wanted to. I do want to."

"You don't. Trust me. You need a nice lad who'll marry you and look after you. Just need to keep your nose clean long enough yeah?" He teased, trying to lighten the mood, blue eyes begging you to move on.

Your head turned to face him, your face contorting in a mixture of confusion and irritation. "You don't get to tell me what I want or need. The last thing I want is to marry any lad, nice or not."

"I didn't mean it like that, right? Look, I just meant you deserve better than Shelby scum. You're going places you know? Don't settle for Small Heath." John responded with a pained sigh. He didn’t want to get into it with you; not here, not like this. He'd thought about it, naturally. You were constantly on his mind, yet only problems ever seemed to appear, never solutions. It was best for him to avoid you. Why the fuck did he drag you out here? Horrible idea.

"Your family isn't scum. Where the fuck did you get that from?" Your face was screwed up in genuine rage. "I-"

"Y/N, fuckin’ leave it."

His face had hardened completely now. He'd snapped at you. His voice hadn't raised, it was just the power he spat his order out with. You held up your hands in mock surrender, pointedly taking a cigarette from his front pocket and light it silently, not saying a word.

"Why are you so bothered, anyways?" He asked, breaking the silence like you knew he would. John always had to ask questions.

"Fuck off with that, John. I'm not in the mood."

"What do you mean?" He looked completely lost.

"We nearly had sex. Just sex, nothing else right?"

John remained silent.

"Would it be the worst thing in the world?" You asked, your voice wavering. It was hard enough to get the words out, let alone imagine the response.

"You're far too wasted to chat about this, love."

"John, I’m not-"

"I'm serious. You're fucking mashed like my brothers aren't you? Like all those other fuckers in there." He sounded genuinely angry. In the glow of the sunset he looked so much younger, so hurt and lonely. Why hadn't you noticed before?

He turned to you, eyes widened and shocked at his own outburst. "You're not the only one gone yeah? Ignore me, I'm fucked, sorry."

You reached out your hand and linked your fingers through his in silence, the warm evening wind ruffling your hair and dress, blocked from your skin by John's suit jacket which was wrapped around your shoulders. Not that anyone would notice or care. As long as Ada wasn't with you, you could disappear for hours without any alarm. There you sat in the tranquil last few moments of the day, your hand linked with John's, both beyond tipsy. You weren’t thinking properly but it felt right. You felt safe. You didn't want to have to return to the chaos of the party, to have to catch up on who your friends were currently trying to screw. None of that seemed to matter anymore.

Was it too much to ask for something to be simple? Maybe you didn't have to fuck him. Maybe just these small moments were enough. You laughed at the thought when it crossed your mind; neither you nor John were known for consistency or stability in relationships, you being admittedly rather inexperienced, only having been with a few men, and he had his fair share of escapades. But he was just so different. You wouldn't admit that he'd gotten your attention in any way than purely sexually (which surprised you to admit) and for fun, but you genuinely enjoyed his presence.

He was right though. It wasn't a good idea at all to hook up. There was far too much baggage for both of you to make it worth it.

Just once?

You glanced over at John. He rolled his eyes at you, but the edges of his lips were slightly upturned, his dimples faintly peeking through his defined cheeks.

Just once couldn't hurt.

***

The sky was streaked with shades of gold, amber and blood. John could feel the friction from your knee barely knocking against his, the pressure putting him on edge. In fairness, he had drunk heavily, and that's what happens when you let your guard down around beautiful women. He couldn't believe you had told him you wanted to have sex with him still. He'd chalked the whole situation down to a drunken mistake that would have progressed into a far more significant drunken mistake. Ada would never forgive him if he went for another of her mates. Especially Y/N. No matter if he said that Y/N could be different, that you wasn't just another conquest. But who'd believe him?

Far better to keep his mouth shut.

Far better to play safe.

As you were called back to the party by the gaggle of girls John vaguely recognised from hanging off the arms of other blinders, he realised (despite his state) that you were right. Having sex with you wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. In fact, it might be one of the best.

Just once?

He watched your figure disappear back into the marquee, waiting for you to turn back and look for him. You do. He would have done the same if it was him.

Maybe just once wouldn't hurt.

***

to be continued!

[anime-academix]

Scars

Headcanon

Characters: Midoriya, Todoroki, Aizawa, Shigaraki, Dabi

Midoriya:

You know how hard he trains to become the number one hero and you’re his number one supporter!

But because of that, he usually ends up hurt as a result

You’ve lectured him several times that he needs to be more careful when training

He tries, he truly does, but he gets so into becoming stronger, a lot of the times he slips up

Whenever you’re made aware that he’s injured and in the infirmary, you almost always see a new scar forming on his body

Everytime he sees you, he can’t help but be ashamed of himself for getting himself hurt yet again

He gets kind of insecure of all the scars he’s accumulated over his time at UA already

It happens when you two are hanging out--after a major injury on his arm from the fight at the training camp--that you see the sleeve covering his right arm

You can’t help but trace the sleeve on his arm

He takes notice to where your eyes are and shifts uncomfortably, holding his arm with his opposite hand as he looks down

“Can I see it?” You question and he’s taken aback.

He hesitantly nods and lifts his arms up ever so slightly toward you.

Delicately, you pull off the sleeve only to reveal a huge scar, purple in colour, starting from the top of his shoulder to the bottom of his elbow

He will be on the verge of tears because he thinks his scars are ugly

You’ll put his hand in yours and plant kisses on the huge scar gently and work your way around to kiss the other scars on his arms

This boy will straight up start crying, which may even lead you to tear up a bit

You’ll ask him why he’s crying and attempt to wipe away a few of his tears

“My scars are so hideous...and I j-just have so many of them and--”

“Izu, listen to me. Sure, I don’t like the fact that you have scars because it’s a reminder of how much you get hurt. But that doesn’t mean they're hideous. They’re beautiful. Yeah, it’s a reminder of pain, but it’s an even bigger reminder of your strength and bravery. And I am so proud of how far you’ve come. I know I can’t heal them like Recovery Girl, but I will kiss every single one of them everyday if I have to. I love them and I love you.”

Hugs the life out of you while crying into your chest, repeatedly telling you how much he loves you

Todoroki:

Ever since you and Todoroki started dating, you knew he was insecure about the scar on his face

He’s only insecure about it because of the memory attached to the scar and it brings him great pain

You were the only person he could trust enough to talk about his past and this insecurity

Whenever the two of you are together, you can’t help but occasionally steal glances at it

You don't stare at it in disgust, it reminds you of the stories he’s told you of his past and you can’t help but feel a slight pain in your heart when you think of everything he’s gone through but also awe at how much strength and courage he has

He’s truly brilliant

He catches you staring at him

“What're you thinking about?”

He will immediately catch on that you’re looking at his scar and will subtly look away

“You...Shouto, will you look at me?”

He’s taken aback but hesitantly turns to you, exposing his scar again

“Can I touch it? Your scar?”

Doesn’t know how to respond to this unexpected question but nods his head slightly.

Trusts you with his whole entire heart

Your hand cups the side of his face as your thumb softly caresses the bottom of his scar

Instantly melts into your soft hand, finds comfort in your touch

Eventually you’ll find yourself sitting on his lap with his arms wrapped around you and your hand cupping his face

“You’re beautiful.”

A small smile appears on his lips as he looks up at you

“And your scar is beautiful” You added, pressing a soft kiss on his scar

The kiss will cause his cheeks to heat up which leads him to hug you tightly, his head against your chest.

“Thank you...I love you.”

“I love you too, Shouto.”

Aizawa:

It doesn’t bother him that much that he has an obvious scar under his right eye so he doesn’t think about it too much

He doesn’t think about it until he’s with you

But, it’s not a bad thing at all!

You’re a very affectionate person, especially when the two of you are alone

So when he comes home from doing hero work and/or teaching, he can almost always expect to come back to cuddles and kisses

It happens when the two of you are cuddling that you’re pressing kisses on him but stop when you get to his scar

Aizawa LOVES when you kiss his scar

No matter how many times you do, each time is always so special

You’ll trace his scar with the pads of your fingertips while his arms rest lazily around you

Your soft caresses are honestly enough to make him drowsy as his eyes close

You run your other hand through his long black hair, humming softly

A few soft kisses are placed on his scar

That’ll earn you a small smile from him as he opens his eyes

Will begin peppering soft kisses around your neck which will cause you to move your other hand and place it in his hair

He’ll remove his lips from your neck before passionately pressing them against your own lips

A hum of satisfaction will be heard from the two of you

You both adore these moments with each other. When the two of you are close, intimate, vulnerable but in each other’s arms. The moments where you both give and receive confirmation that you love and adore every single part of each other

Shigaraki:

Extremely shy when it comes to physical intimacy/affection

You're almost always the one to initiate it

Because you’re immune to his quirk, it’s a relief to him that he can touch you without having to worry about you turning into dust in his hands--that is WHEN he decides to be bold enough to touch you

Didn’t really care about his scars until you came into his life and he became self conscious about it

He honestly thought you’d think his scars were ugly so he would try to avoid moments of vulnerability with you

But you though the complete opposite

You can honestly see right through him

Happens when he gets severely injured after a failed mission that you have to patch him up

Kurogiri will bring him to your room where he’s in pretty bad shape

When it’s just the two of you, he’ll remove all of the hands from his body

Despite his injuries, he’s INSANELY nervous to be this vulnerable around you

No matter how many times you’ve seen him without the hands, he still gets anxious

Freaks out a little when you sit beside him to tend to his wounds

Becomes even more self conscious showing the scars on his face, especially the ones on his lips. He will shake his hair slightly to cover his face

At this point, you’re a little fed up with your own boyfriend avoiding you constantly

“Tenko…will you please look at me?”

The use of his real name will catch him COMPLETELY off guard 

Can’t help but turn to look at you, his head slightly tilted down

You’ll cup his face in your hands

“Will you stop hiding from me?”

“I have to...I need to.”

“No you don’t. Why are you saying that?”

“Because...I’m...not...I’m not attractive enough for you.”

“What? That’s bullshit. Why would you think that, my love? You’re beautiful, even more than that.”

Stares up at you, would honestly want to cry right then and there at your words

He was always so used to people calling him horrifying because of his skin and scars, therefore he became disinterested at what others thought of his looks because it was always the same. That is, until he met you

You’ll kiss the scar above and below his lips softly. You’ll brush the hair out of his face and place soft kisses on his cheek and below his eye

He didn’t mean for it to happen, but he’ll actually start crying. He will wrap his arms around your waist softly, moving his head to rest on your shoulder.

You'll wrap your arms around him, running your fingers through his hair softly as he sobs quietly

“Shh...I’m here. You’re safe.”

It was then he would know that no matter how many scars he had, you would love him and all of his imperfections

He would genuinely feel loved by you, a feeling he was not familiar with

Dabi:

I mean, Dabi’s scars are more than quite obvious (due to...A+ parenting, thank Endeavour!)

He honestly tries to act all tough, like his scars don’t bother him and pays no attention to it

Happens when he exits the bathroom from showering, shirtless and wearing a pair of sweatpants

He won’t say it aloud but you’ve observed that he’s more comfortable showing the entirety of his scars around you

You’ll wrap your arms around him from behind and begin kissing his scarred shoulder

Will genuinely think that you’re just being a little frisky, but that thought will be put to bed when you whisper that you think he’s beautiful

This will catch him entirely off guard

He’s never been called beautiful before

Turns around and looks down at you with soft eyes

“What are you talking about?” Will honestly try to laugh it off and pretend like it doesn’t mean everything to him that you just told him that

But you can read him almost too well so you know that actually has an affect on him

You’ll smile and gently cup the side of his face

You won’t say anything but kiss the scars on his face

He’ll roll his eyes, but you both know that he secretly loves your touches on his scars

[yeojaa]

( VELVETEEN RABBIT. )

What do you get when you mix Thumper and Bambi?  Answer:  Jeon Jungkook.

pairing.  french lop bunny!jjk x ragdoll cat f!reader.

genre + rating.   hybrid!au set in college.  super fluffy, a little angsty, with a dash of smut to balance it all out.  explicit towards the end because i just can’t help myself.  oops.

tags / warnings.  honestly, this jungkook should just come with his own warning.  but more realistically, mentions of kook using a scrunchie, kook being cute, kook railing his date after using the world’s worst puns...  the usual.

wc.  4.4k

beta reader(s).  @hobi-gif​ as always become, c’mon.  i’m me.  she’s her.  

author note.  this was written as part of @thebtswritersclub​‘s a hybrid fest and is gloriously late (i’m so sorry @ditttiii​​).  i’ve never written anything hybrid-related before so hopefully you enjoy.  feedback goes a long way!  xoxo

He orders the same thing every time he’s in.  Iced Americano, no room for cream, and a single almond croissant.  (Every once in a while, he switches it up for matcha but that’s exceedingly rare.)  He always pays with a tap of his wrist - a sleek black AppleWatch with rubber band - and flashes his trademark slightly too-big smile.  All the girls swoon.  So do the guys.  Everyone except for you.

He’s unnervingly handsome, with long dark ears that sometimes hang in front of his eyes.  You’ve caught him with them pulled back Lola Bunny-style, knotted with a loose silk scrunchie that looks nearly as soft as his fur.  His hair’s usually unkempt, tossed into a little sprout of a bun, overly long fringe falling all over his big round eyes.  He wears butterfly clips sometimes, though that’s usually on days where he isn’t freshly sweaty and carrying his gym bag.  They appear in his hair when it’s damp from a shower, the smell of papaya and honey clinging to every inch of him.  You know, because you have a great nose - one that’s sensitive to every smell under the sun but especially his.  (You try not to think about it much.)  

It’s a Wednesday morning when you notice the change.  It doesn’t register at first, acknowledgement coming in a curious sniff at the air.  Weird. 

“Thanks,” he says like clockwork, a well-oiled polite machine, deceptively slender hands receiving the exceedingly hot cup without a care in the world. He’s got his usual bag over his shoulder - overly big, black, almost tactical - and a pair of comfortable looking pants on that seem more like they belong on your beloved grandmother.  Somehow, he rocks it (but he always does).  “Have a nice day.”

Because of course he says that.  Of course he steals the words right out of your mouth, turns them back on you as easy as he makes your heart rattle around in your chest like it’s a Friday night bingo ball. 

He moves toward the bar - he only ever grabs three napkins, tucks them into the slot on the left side of his bag - but pauses halfway there.  Rooted to the same spot as always, sleek ears following the imposing line of his shoulders.  

One, two—

The thumping starts, so quiet it’s almost negligible.  But you catch it, because you always do and because you’re the reason for it. 

He turns then, levels you with a look from the corner of those pretty, pretty eyes and you can’t help but laugh, openly, unashamedly, with the back of your hand plastered to your mouth. A true ojou-sama. 

His mouth quirks - does that funny thing where he sucks in his cheek then rolls it back out with his tongue - and you think he might finally say something.  Call you out for writing his name wrong for the past five weeks, finding more and more creative ways to do so every time.  Even occasionally using nicknames - silly things you’d come up with while on the walk home, or during lunch, or in bed.

“Good one,”  he states, laugh lines threading over his face, prominent around his eyes.  His nose wiggles with the sound - another of his traits that comes out to play often.  Your favourite of them all, if you’re being honest.

“Anytime.”  

You don’t realise it’s him until it’s too late, until you’re practically running into him, bouncing off the broad expanse of his back with a startled squeak.  Lucky for you, you’re quick on your feet, catching yourself before your skull can become too well-acquainted with the red brick wall to your right.

“You okay?”  Though he asks, you have a sneaking suspicion he knows you’re not and an even stronger suspicion that he’d been waiting for you, hovering past the entrance of the cafe with his big university hoodie on.

“Barely,”  you manage around a laugh, straightening the backpack slung over your shoulders, packed to the brim with goodies you got to bring home at the end of the night and two of your textbooks.

“Should watch where you’re going.”  

This is the most conversation you’ve had - ever.  But it’s fun, easy, organic and natural.  You wonder why that is. 

“You should watch where you’re standing, actually.”

He’s so much bigger than you, imposingly tall (especially being part of the Leporidae family) and wide in the chest.  Not bulky by any means, but big.  Strong.  Threaded with a strength you don’t normally see in hybrids of his kind.  It probably has to do with how often you see him covered in sweat and panting, basketball hooked under his arm, soccer cleats tied to his bag.

When he speaks again, it’s full of mirth, squeezing his round eyes near shut.  “Got a problem with me standing here?”  

You nod, solemn as ever (which is really never, but that’s besides the point).  “It’s dangerous to block entryways, didn’t you know?”  You’re gesturing to the awning, the dark interior just past the window of the shop.  “You’re loitering, Jungkook.”

“So you do know my name.”  You can tell he’s not surprised - that he’s hamming it up for dramatics, softly pink lips rounded in a little ‘O’.  He’s cute like this, you think.  Playful in a way you’ve never seen before.  

“I do?” 

There’s that cheek thing again.  It’s even more attractive up close, the shape of his jaw thrown into prominent relief when he sucks in a breath.  

“You just said it.”

You nod, thoughtful, finger tapping upon your chin.  “I guess I did.”

��Say it again,”  he states, expression inscrutable, eyes bright.  They’re so glossy even under the dimmed streetlights, impossibly big and undeniable.  So easy to get lost in - if your attention weren’t caught by something else.

“What is that?”  

You’d noticed it earlier in the day, caught the scent in passing sometime during the early hours.  You’d been unable to place it then, too distracted by freshly ground coffee, a girl’s three too many spritzes of Daisy by Marc Jacobs, and baking banana loaves.

It’s heady, masculine.  A strong musk that sinks into your nose and makes it twitch, ears rotating as if that’ll help pin the smell down.  

“What’s what?”  You hadn’t realised how close you’d become, your face five seconds from planting directly into his chest.  (It’d probably be nice - you know how soft your school’s merchandise is.)  “Are you okay?”  He asks because you’re now, actually, planting your face right against the worn navy cotton.  It’s terribly nice, silk upon your cheek.  

You answer more to his clothes than to him, nosing into the fabric. “You smell different.”

You feel more than hear his laughter, the sound barreling past his teeth seconds later.  The vibrations running along his spine jostle you from your position face first upon him but you don’t mind.  It doesn’t send you far, dark eyes peering up into the face of the bunny hybrid.  True to his kind, his nose is twitching, puffs of laughter expanding his cheeks when he meets your stare. 

“No I don’t.”

“You do.”  Tone firm, a finger lands upon the neatly embroidered N on his hoodie.  The white stitching stands in stark contrast to your baby blue nails.  “You smell… off.”

Whether Jungkook’s offended or not, you can’t tell.  He’s got that same strange expression on his face - the one from this morning when he’d received his coffee.  It’s made up of too many moving parts:  the flutter of his lashes, the coil of his jaw, the minute tick of the corner of his mouth.  You can’t read him for shit, somehow more confused now than in your 300-level art history class.  (You’d taken it as one of your optional electives assuming it’d be an easy A.  You were wrong.)

“Sorry you think so,”  he hums, looking down at you.  You’ve seemed to fully forget the meaning of personal space, edged up beside him as if you’re best friends and not just two ships passing in the night. 

“It’s not bad.”  Really, it isn’t.  It’s strong and sensual, vegetal in a way, calming in another.  But it isn’t unwelcome. 

In fact, you think you might like this scent a little more - less sweet than what normally clings to his skin, natural honeycomb rather than processed sugar.  It zings across your teeth, pieces broken up and scattered behind your molars.  You can practically taste it.  Him.

“Is that so?”  

“Yep.”

You share a look - one that says more than all the words you’ve ever spoken, that threads together all the silly laughter, narrowed stares, (written) flirtations.  It settles between the two of you, filling the spaces with something akin to cotton, light and airy and soft.

The desire to speak lingers, hidden just beyond the cotton candy dusting.  Should you?  Shouldn’t you?  You still have no idea what he’s doing here, a street urchin making his rounds on the campus village.  

He beats you to it.  “Can I walk you back to your dorm?”  

You don’t think you could want anything more.  “Sure.”

Silence falls again but it’s comfortable, a caress rather than a crutch.  The grounds are surprisingly quiet - wayward students on their way to the library or heading home from lectures.  There are no picnic blankets spread across the grass, no gaggles of girls dressed in school colours.  It feels like the first day of fall, change sitting heavy in the air. 

“So—”  You start.

He finishes,  “do you wanna go on a date with me?” 

That’s surprising.  (Or is it?  You’re not really sure.)  You nearly trip over your own two feet in your haste to look at him, entire body swivelling on the spot because apparently you can’t just turn your head like a normal person.  Something something all or nothing. 

“What?”  

“Do.  You.  Want.  To—”  He’s being insufferable for the hell of it.  You can see it in his eyes, glossy things shining down at you like he’s got the entire fucking nightsky hung in them.  

“Not if you keep that up,”  you retort, though you both know you’re lying.  You’ve been waiting - wishing, wanting - for this moment since the day you laid eyes on him.  Since Yuri had elbowed you so hard in the ribs you’d thought you’d be bruised for days, since Jae had rambled on and on for his entire shift about the cute new bunny who’d come in that morning.  Since that very first wrongly spelt name on his plastic cup and every visit since.  

“Is that a challenge?”  

“You won’t get it in.”  

He scoffs, loud and drawn out, cheek rounding with disbelief at your disbelief.  How can you possibly doubt him - school basketball star and all-around athletic freak of nature? 

“What do I get if I do?”  The ball rests in his palm, poised to be shot through the hoop, sunk without making contact with the rim.  He’s confident - he’s done it a million times.  

“A pat on the back?”  As much as you tease him - loop mockery around nearly every syllable you speak, you’re endlessly supportive, already carrying the fruits of his labour under your arms.  A Pikachu shoved haphazardly into the purse slung across your body, a Snorlax tucked under your arm at an awkward angle that crushes his poor head, a Sylveon tucked into the side pocket of his joggers.  (The arcade was really into Pokemon, apparently.)  “Me saying thank you?”

“Not good enough.”  He leans in close - those big galaxy eyes practically swallowing you whole - and taps a single finger upon your nose.  It makes your nostrils flare, an itch blooming under his touch.  “Gotta sweeten the deal.”

You must look hilarious because Jungkook’s biting back a smile, smirking down at you.  Then, all at once, without breaking eye contact, he’s extending his arm, flicking his wrist, and— swish!  

In goes the ball, leaving him with a perfect score.  

“I want you to stay the night.”

You think he’s joking.  He must be joking.  This is your third date.  

But he’s staring at you like he’s completely serious, gaze expectant, lips pursed around something that reads like a smile but has your heart doing a strange little one-two step in your chest.  It soars for a moment, high above the clouds like the string orchestra of a choral work - Beethoven’s Ninth in D minor. 

“Are you propositioning me, Jeon Jungkook?”  It’s the same reaction he always has when you say his name: a twitch of his ear, the corner of his bottom lip quirking and then resetting, eyes so sparkly it’s almost absurd.

“No.  I’m just telling you what I want.”

“Huh.”  You should say no.  Guys like him - with charm that oozes out of every pore, whose offhanded smiles break more hearts than you ever have - are almost always bad news.  Too sweet, too funny, simply too much for your feeble heart to take.  

“Is that a yes?”  He’s got you in his clutches - a viper rather than a hare, with a smile so dangerous you’re paralysed by just the sight of it.  (Who needs venom?)

Your words catch in your throat, stick to one another like the deformed gummies at the bottom of the movie theatre bag.  What comes out isn’t what you expect.  “Okay.”

Damn you.  Damn him.  Damn how good he smells and the big dumb grin that spreads over his lips, sunshine in human form, undeniable and warm and cute enough to start a war over.  (That’s probably what’s happening - a vicious battle between your head and your heart.)  

Damn his stupid thumping foot that you can make out over the sound of the video games, the boisterous din.  It’s so cute you can’t help yourself from smiling, mouth pulling and pursing around the delight that begs to be freed.  

“Cool,”  he says, and you almost think that’s not very cool.  He’s so nonchalant, cavalier about it as if it means nothing.  You’d be bothered if you felt like you didn’t know him so well - hadn’t learnt his idiosyncrasies over the last two months.  

How he looks when he laughs really hard, his slightly too-big front teeth taking up all the real estate in his mouth.  How he sounds when he’s tired (groggy, with a lisp that rarely sees the light of day otherwise) or when he’s told he’s wrong (pouty, with his bottom lip jutted out so cutely you want to scream).  How he runs every morning, hits the gym every night, and eats double your protein because fitness, bro!  How his cheat meal of choice is soy garlic fried chicken from the place off-campus and he hates tangy, tart desserts (your lemonade lip gloss not included, he insists).  How he can’t sleep if he’s too hot - which he often is - and he spends way too long combing through his ears with a specialty brush he doesn’t let anyone touch.  How he’s secretly raindrops and gummy bears and hand holding in the car, so much more than his high school superlative of most likely to grace the cover of GQ.

You wonder, because you know those things, does that make you special?  Does it make you immune to the heartbreak that you swear you imagine whenever your mood drops (not often, but often enough)?  

You hope so.

“Let’s go shoot guns?”  He’s tearing you from your reverie, planting an open-mouthed kiss to your temple.  It’s sloppy and not very refined, much less suave than what you’d expect from your school’s soccer captain (and basketball small forward and swim team stand-in).  You suppose that’s why you like him so much - because he’s always surprising you, keeping you on your toes. 

“Let’s.”  You agree, letting your date drag you toward the Time Crisis machine.  It’s blissfully unoccupied, allowing the two of you to slide into place.  He takes the blue gun, you the red.  

He squeezes your hip when you take up position, one eye squeezed shut as you look down the barrel of the plastic weapon.  “Better not let me die.”

“Better not get shot,”  you return.  

He doesn’t listen - failing halfway through the helicopter scene, his shot missing and resulting in some sad miserable death in the form of Continue? blinking across the screen.  Neither of you mind that much though.  He occupies himself on his phone, free hand tucked into the back pocket of your jeans.  You play better when he’s not shouting terrible call-outs, nearly crashing into you because he gets so into it.

(How he’s never got a concussion on the basketball/soccer/etc. field before, you’re not sure.)

By the time you’re done - a good five minutes later, you think - Jungkook’s growing restless, tugging at your belt loops enough that you stumble with every shot, nearly knocking yourself out when you have to steady yourself on the centre console.  

“Kook!”  Your glare is barely that, too affectionate to dissuade him from his childish antics.  

He pulls you forward, traps you between his thick thighs, tattooed hands settling comfortably on your hips.  “Let’s go home.”

“Someone’s in a hurry.”

Of course, he doesn’t deny that.

It’s not the first time you’ve been over.  Not even your second or third.  You’ve met up with him before his games, thrown his jersey overtop and helped him wrap his fingers before hitting the court.  You’d even had to grab his cleats for him once, running across campus as he did drills in his socks as punishment.

This time feels different.  You know why but it doesn’t make it an easier pill to swallow.  It lodges somewhere in your throat, makes it hard to breathe when you kick off your shoes and tuck them neatly beside Jungkook’s.  

“Are you hungry?”  He’s already in the small kitchen, glancing over his shoulder at you as you linger in the adjoining hallway, bag halfway over your head.  

“I’m good.”  You are, really.  You’d eaten one donut too many at the arcade, indulged in a little too much disgusting nacho cheese goodness.  You don’t really understand how your date’s still hungry, a cucumber crunching between his teeth when he turns back to you. 

Standing there, vegetable devoured in quick, decisive bites, he looks every inch the French lop bunny he is.

You reach him in the same instant he finishes his midnight snack.  Arms fold around you like there’s nothing else he’d rather be doing, head dropping to rest comfortably upon yours.  Like this, his ears tickle your cheek - velveteen fur lost to the silk of your hair.  “Are you tired?”  

Another no comes - spoken into the fuzzy fabric of his sweater - and he hums above you, whole frame rattling with the noise.  

“No bed then?”  

At least he’s transparent, you think.

“One track mind much?”  You’re only teasing.  A part of you looks forward to… whatever it is that sits over the horizon, lost past the creaky bedroom door and somewhere beneath his surprisingly soft sheets.  (You’d asked about them once - he’d told you his mother liked to send him housewares to remind him of home.  He was a real mama’s boy that way.)

The monster only laughs, snuggles into your hair like it’s home.  “Can you blame me?”  

You can’t do much of anything when he’s like this - so utterly adorable and enticing and good for your heart that it feels as if you’ve taken a straight dose of morphine.

“Let’s go to bed, Wookie.”  Another nickname, recently coined after you’d spent an evening watching Star Wars for the first time.

“Yes, ma’am.”

You whack him on the way to his bedroom, smack a hand over the arm curled around your shoulders.  He pretends like it hurts, howls in a way he he thinks resembles a wounded animal but really just sounds stupid.  “Not a ma’am.”

“Sir?”  He asks, just to make you laugh. 

“If you don’t shut up—”  

He pushes you through the door of his bedroom while giggling to himself, sound puffing out of his cheeks.  “Don’t be mad, kitten.”  The two of you drop to the bed, a tangle of limbs and silken fur and squeaking laughter.  “You’re so purr-ty when you’re annoyed.”

He’s doing it again.  Dropping those stupid cat puns that make your nose wrinkle, ink-tipped ears folding back against your head.   

“I think I’m hiss-terical, don’t you?”  

Face adamantly buried into his sheets, you don’t give him the time of day.  You don’t even care that your mascara is probably rubbing off against the charcoal fabric, lipstick tint doing potentially irreversible damage.  He knows how unfunny you find these jokes, how you’ve heard them your whole life and roll your eyes so hard your optic nerve might sever every time you face another.  

What’s the point of sharing your pet peeves with him when all he does is lean into them?  Use them against you like it’s the cool thing to do.  Make you wonder what you’d seen in him when he was just another customer, another boy in Seoul National indigo and bedhead so dishevelled it begged to be managed.  

(You’re not sure why you’re so irritated suddenly, caught in the clutches of a moodswing as you curl into your side and ignore his bad jokes.)

Stupid Jeon Jungkook.  Annoying, silly, too-cool-for-his-own-good Jeon Jungkook.  

Jeon Jungkook who makes you second guess your choices, leaves you breathless and confused with just one dumb look.  Who has convinced you into his bed and teases you mercilessly, snickering to himself as his foot bounces against the floorboards because he finds himself that funny.

“Baby?”  The pet name comes, presses itself past your curtain of hair and invades your thoughts.  

You say nothing, adamantly faced away.

He doesn’t like that, sneaking his hands around you and cradling you into his chest as if that’ll lighten the mood.  (It does, a little bit, but you don’t tell him that.)  “Don’t ignore me,”  he mumbles, warmth breath tickling your ears, fingers dancing over the rungs of your ribs as if they’re ivory and not bone, playing a tune only he can hear.

“Stop with the shitty jokes,”  you retort.  You’re being difficult - can feel the vinegar turning your blood even as he tries to will it all away.

You feel the intake, the rise and fall of his broad chest.  You can only imagine how hard he’s biting his tongue, careful to keep his next errant pun at bay.  People don’t tell him no - only you.  Maybe that’s why you do it, to remind him you’re not just like everyone else.  

“Sorry.”  

You don’t tell him to show you how sorry— but he does anyway.

You’re astounded by him, utterly entranced by the way he moves.  How power runs the length of his frame, manoeuvres each of his limbs and turns your own to jelly.  

He’s got you face down, ass up, hands cradling your hips like they’re his home and he can’t bear to let go.  Every upward stroke feels like heaven - feels like a million lifetimes of pleasure you can barely wrap your thoughts around.  He’s impossibly big, thick and long.  The first thought you’d had when he’d stripped his black Calvin Kleins was pretty.  

You realise now there’s nothing pretty about him.  He’s filthy - the devil come to collect as he fucks you across his bed, nearly loses you to the pillows at the head with each snap of his hips.  (What they said about rabbits was true, you think.)

“B-Bunny,”  you sob, scratch over cotton that’s worn soft and smells exactly like your favourite sweater of his.  The linens are defenseless, tangled up and wrinkled with each flex of your fingers, bunched up within your palms every time he buries himself like he’s looking for the answer to life, thinks he might find it within the fluttering walls of your pussy.

“Not my name.”  When he sounds like this, he’s more predator than prey, a thousand volts of electricity shooting up your spine.  He’s demanding and unrelenting.  It makes your head spin.

“Wook—”  

“Not.”  Bunny teeth are just as painful as a feline’s, doing their job as they dig into the flushed skin over your back, marking his territory with two prominent indents right between your neck and shoulder.  “A.”  He ruts into you as if he’s got something to prove, snaps his hips to a beat you can’t keep up with.  “Wookie.”  Grips you so tight you might snap, red blooming beneath his hands.

You sob under him, drool against the pillows because you can’t seem to keep your mouth shut.  (You feel like Jungkook post-win, spewing nonsense as he prattles on about game winning plays with his teammates.)

“K-Kookie.”  It’s what he wants to hear - hits him right in the chest, a bull’s eye to the thing that beats wildly and in tandem with your own.  

His rhythm stutters.  The bed is shaking and not because he’s practically breaking the weak wooden frame.  No, his foot’s thumping, bouncing across the sheets even as he tries to regulate the roll of his hips, return it to the assured, teeth-numbingly good tempo it’d been at.  

It doesn’t work.  You love it anyway.  Like it more, because it means he’s just as affected by you as you are him. Your heart sings, leaps out of your chest on hummingbird wings, and dances around your head.  You’re a goddamn cartoon - Pepé Le Pew in ragdoll form - animated pink shapes circling like a crown.

You don’t care.  You can’t.  Not when he plasters himself to your back and asks you to say it again, begs you to tell him how good he is, tells you how he wants to make you his.  

Who cares if it’s three dates in, if your meeting was cliched and silly and he’s the campus heartthrob?  

You don’t - because he’s yours and when he flips you onto your back and you curl your fingers into his hair, it’s your name he stutters out.  It’s you who has him coming apart beneath your hands, the feel of his ears like velvet, the little whines he huffs growing louder each time you tug at the base.  It’s you who knows what he sounds like as he falls to pieces, throws himself against you as if gravity demands it.  It’s you who holds him to sleep, whose skin acts as a canvas for the doodles he traces as he drifts off.  

It’s you and it’s him and that’s enough.

tag list.  @neverthefirstchoice​ @youwannabelostandnotbefound​ @snackhobi​ @codeinebelle​​

[taephilia]

runaway

pairing: kim taehyung x fem!reader (feat. best friend jung hoseok)

genre: fluff, a tiny bit of angst, royalty au, enemies to something more? au

word count: 1,788

warnings: mentions of blood and murder, betrayal, alcohol consumption, profanity

a/n: for @heartsforbtsnet’s valentine’s day secret admirer’s event! this is dedicated to @pjmsdior​ because i’m her secret admirer hehe. sorry it’s so short, bella, but i’m slowly working on the original fic that i had planned for you so hopefully that’ll be out soon. i really loved talking to you and i’ll definitely be dropping by your inbox more often!! hope you enjoy!!

“Dear, at least try to look like you’re having fun,” your mother chastises you, poking at your back to get you to stand up straight. “This ball is for you, you know.”

“To announce my engagement to that buffoon of a prince,” you mutter while subtly rolling your eyes. They land on said buffoon who is currently chatting up a group of female courtiers, all of them in dresses that don’t leave much to the imagination paired with smiles and body language that suggest something a bit more sinister. The prince eats all of this up of course, giving them his most charismatic smile before it disappears behind the rim of the wine glass held delicately between his slender fingers.

For as long as you’ve known Taehyung, he has always had that same smile on his face, knowing that it will get him anything he wants and out of any sort of trouble he seems to have found himself in. On more than one occasion, you’ve seen him drink almost 3 days away, a third of his castle’s cellar demolished because of him. He’s missed out on council meetings, celebrations, royal announcements, appearances, and everything in between and nobody bats an eye. To them, His Royal Highness Kim Taehyung is the picture perfect prince. But you know better. You know that underneath that facade, underneath the mask and the costume that he puts on every day and night, you know just how cruel Taehyung can be. The scars on your best friend’s back and the feelings of powerlessness that you have to push down every single time you see him are a constant reminder.

Your eyes roam over to Hoseok who is standing with his back against the wall, eyes scanning over the entire ballroom until they meet yours. The hand gripping the handle of his sword relaxes before being raised up to wave at you. Beside him, his captain smacks him lightly on his side while shaking his head and even though you’re far away, you can practically hear Captain Namjoon’s quiet scolding to your best friend about not letting his guard down. Hobi nods along to whatever his captain is saying but you know that he isn’t listening since he’s heard the lecture from him practically every time the two of you are in the same room.

“How about a dance, love,” someone calls out to you and you look away to find none other than your soon-to-be-announced fiancé standing before you. His hand is stretched out towards you and although Taehyung looks like the picture of chivalry, the smirk on his face and teasing light in his eyes suggest otherwise. 

Your mother all but shoves you towards him and you have to fight the scowl that threatens to appear on your face the second you get within a foot of the prince. You place your hand in his and allow him to lead you to the dance floor, the slower song that was being played ending and giving way to a more lively waltz. Your other hand goes to his shoulder while his goes to your hip. As you begin dancing, you push his hand up to your waist with a pointed look while Taehyung just gives you an innocent smile.

“What?” he asks, head tilting a bit to the side. “Can’t get a little handsy with my fiancée? Or are you worried that your little boyfriend’s going to have a fit over there?”

Your eyebrows draw together at that. “Boyfriend?” you repeat. “What are you talking about?”

“That knight standing at the wall over there,” Taehyung replies, chin jutting out in the direction of Hoseok. “What’s his name? Hongjoong? You were practically eye fucking him before I asked you to dance.”

At that, your arms almost drop and your feet almost stop carrying you but Taehyung’s grip on you tightens and he practically drags you around like a ragdoll in the middle of the dance floor. “We were not-! Hoseok is my best friend,” you sputter out, looking at him incredulously while he just smiles down at you.

Taehyung shrugs without a word and spins you around, but when he turns you to face him once more, he’s no longer there. In fact, there’s no one around you at all. You stand alone on the dance floor, a single spotlight on you, and the sight in front of you makes your blood freeze in your veins. Your mother has thrown her body over your father’s, blood covering her dress while she screams and begs for him to wake up. Beside her, Taehyung’s father looks out at the dance floor with fear in his eyes as they meet yours. You’re torn between running up there and running away, but even if you were to make a decision, you don’t think your feet would be able to move anyways. So you’re stuck watching in horror as Hoseok steps out of the shadows from behind your parents with his face hardened and a look in his eyes that’s unfamiliar to you. 

The blood rushing in your ears is so loud that you can barely make out what he’s saying and even though you’re alone, there’s someone crying near you, Hoseok’s voice much quieter compared to theirs. The tremble in his voice matches the trembling of his hand as he draws his sword and faces the queen. “We no longer see the royal family as fit to rule our kingdom. We, the citizens, cannot stand to see you merging our beloved home with theirs, which many of us have escaped from during the war. You took us into your home, we swore loyalty to you, and now you expect me to forget the horrors I saw in the Hangsang kingdom?”

You hear a whimper and it’s only then that you realize it’s you that’s crying. You don’t fail to notice that Hoseok said “me” instead of “we”. Regardless of who suggested this coup, Hoseok has made it personal. His captain steps out of the shadows from behind Taehyung’s father and together they raise their swords and cut down both your mother and Taehyung’s father. A scream leaves your lips as you watch their bodies drop and a voice whispers in your ear, “Run.”

You’re gasping for air and you can feel your body shaking when you open your eyes but when you see Taehyung above you, you realize that he’s the one shaking you. “Finally,” he sighs as he stops, his hands lingering. “I was worried someone was going to come in here with you screaming bloody murder like that.”

When you sit up, it takes you a moment to realize where you are. Taehyung moves to sit on the edge of the bed, his hands leaving you, and you almost reach out to stop him as the chill in the air quickly settles over you. The room of the inn is small, housing only a bed that’s definitely too small for two people to sleep on and a dirty mirror hanging beside the door. What little of your belongings that you and Taehyung could bring or buy along the way are shoved in a corner and even with the full moon out tonight, the soot and grime covering the windows blocks out most of its light. When you look over at Taehyung, the bags under his eyes are most notable along with the stubble on his face. You’ve only been on the run for about a month now but you know that you look just as haggard and worn down as he does.

“Was it the same dream?” the prince asks, voice soft as he rubs at the scratchy fabric of the blanket between his fingers.

You rest your chin on one of your knees and wrap your arms around your legs. You’re still shaken and can’t even bring yourself to look him in the eye. “Isn’t it always?”

The two of you sit there in silence for a bit before you let out a huff and drag yourself out of the bed, taking the blanket and wrapping it around your shoulders. “I’m going outside for a bit.”

You know that you should stay inside, it’s safer especially with the amount of drunks that are probably still lingering in the inn’s tavern, but the silence is starting to feel a bit suffocating. No one pays you any notice as you walk down the stairs and out the door, the street quiet save for the occasional passerby. Leaning against the wall, you take a deep breath and allow the memories of the past few weeks to wash over you. It’s still hard for you to accept and you catch yourself having to do this more often than you’d like.

My best friend murdered my parents and my in-laws. Scenes of blood and swinging swords flash through your mind and you quickly shake your head. You don’t want to see that.

I’m on the run with the crown prince of Hangsang because people are trying to kill us. The weight of Taehyung’s hand in yours is something you’ve become all too familiar with, his long legs and fast stride always able to get the two of you out of whatever sort of trouble finds you nowadays. And out of everything that’s happened, from almost getting killed to stealing from markets, you think you’re most worried about the fact that you find comfort in Taehyung’s warmth now. You aren’t supposed to feel like this. He isn’t supposed to make your heart beat just a tiny bit faster whenever he smiles at you.

Taehyung isn’t as bad as I thought he-

“Come back to bed.”

Soft fingers trailing down your forearm bring you out of your thoughts and you know that the person standing beside you can’t be anyone other than the prince. Just as you have begrudgingly found comfort in him, he has also found solace in you. You don’t recoil when you feel his hand grip yours ever so gently, allowing him to do what he wants while he looks at you and you look up at the moon.

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” you mumble. Your eyes don’t leave the sky but you squeeze his hand, letting him know that he has your attention all the same. “I’ve stared at the moon for my entire life, ever since I was a little girl, but it feels different now. Everything feels different now.”

“The moon has always been beautiful,” is all Taehyung says. And that’s enough—enough to draw your attention to him, enough to follow him back to your shared room, and enough to let him sleep beside you tonight, if just for this one night. 

[nicknellie]

Anonymous requested: It would be really cool if you could do a library AU! Maybe one of them works at a library and they keep running into each other or something.

I have been unbelievably excited to write this one, I’m so happy I’ve finally got around to it! This is where my mind went as soon as I read the prompt, I really hope you enjoy it! (If anyone wants to suggest a prompt for a part 2 I’d be more than happy to do that once I reopen requests.)

Featuring he/they Willie because I really need to include that headcanon in my writing more often. Willie’s pronouns alternate throughout.

Books on Boards

Usually it was Reggie whose excuses began with “In my defence…”

“In my defence, I couldn’t see where I was going… In my defence, I forgot water and electricity don’t mix… In my defence, if Luke didn’t want to be shot with a Nerf gun then he shouldn’t have been standing in my way…”

Sometimes it was Luke.

“In my defence, no one told me not to… In my defence, I didn’t realise it could go this horribly wrong… In my defence, I did try to do it properly and I don’t know how it blew up…”

On rare occasion, it was Julie.

“In my defence, I was a little lost in my own head… In my defence, I’m terrible at comebacks… In my defence, I have an extremely annoying boyfriend and he was trying to talk to me about our new setlist the whole time which was very distracting…”

But it was never Alex.

Until now.

“In my defence,” Alex began, raising a hand and talking over Julie, Luke, and Reggie’s shouts, “I have to go to the library a lot. I’m an English major and it’s where all the books are!”

“But you don’t need to be at the library for five hours a day,” Luke countered.

Alex sighed. He had a point, and Alex had no excuse this time. Well, that wasn’t strictly true – his excuse was an adorable library assistant who just so happened to be very friendly to Alex and, by some miracle, worked whenever Alex needed to study. But he couldn’t just admit that to his friends, each of whom was staring at him with flat disbelief.

The assistant’s name was Willie and he was simply wonderful. The first time Alex had met him had been right at the start of his first semester – he had never been to the university’s library before and it was bigger than the one at Alexandria, so he was unbelievably lost. Alex had half-convinced himself that he would be stuck there forever, doomed to wander between the shelves looking for the section he needed, eventually becoming a ghost and haunting the place, still trying to locate his books.

Enter Willie. They had scared Alex half to death – in Alex’s defence, he hadn’t expected to be knocked off his feet by someone on a skateboard in the middle of a library the size of Buckingham Palace. And yet, he had landed on the floor, flat on his face and winded, understandably startled. As he scrambled to his feet, he heard his assailant exclaim, “Aw… you dinged my board!”

Alex had started to berate him but stopped in his tracks when he looked at the guy and realised that he had been knocked to the floor by a literal angel. His long dark hair was majestically swept to one side and tucked behind his ear, his soft eyes were sparkling, and he had a lopsided smile on his face despite the fact that Alex had been shouting at him just a second earlier (well, whisper-shouting at him – they were in a library, after all).

“Sorry,” they had said, picking up their board. “I didn’t see you there. Books were in the way.” He had pointed to a heap of books now strewn across the floor, some splayed open, some with ripped pages. Alex realised that he had been carrying the books stacked up in front of him, skating along with them.

“Oh!” Alex exclaimed, bending down to help pick the books up. “No, sorry, it’s fine. I was just stood there. I’m a little lost, no problem, my fault.”

Together they had stacked the books back up, and Willie heaved the stack onto a nearby table before introducing himself. Alex did the same, shaking Willie’s hand and trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach – he couldn’t let himself get distracted by a cute guy with a skateboard, not while he still had all his books to find in the labyrinthine library.

“So,” Willie had said conversationally, leaning back against the table. “You said you were lost? Anything specific you need to find?”

Alex dug around in his fanny pack before pulling out the list he’d scribbled down. “Yeah, all of these. Do you know where they are?”

“I’d be a pretty terrible librarian if I didn’t,” Willie chuckled. At Alex’s bewildered look, he had raised an eyebrow and said, “I’m not a terrible librarian. I’m actually really good at it. I mean, I don’t usually knock over customers, but these things happen.”

“Oh,” Alex said, clocking on too late. It made sense – of course that was why Willie had been carrying so many books, he was a librarian. Alex didn’t know how he hadn’t guessed before. “Right, I get it, because of the books and the… Right, okay. What about the, uh… the skateboard?”

Willie had picked up their board, smiled at it fondly. “It helps me get around faster. This place is huge, man, you don’t seriously expect me to walk around it all day? Anyway, come with me, I’ll take you to those books.”

That had been five weeks ago.

It wasn’t Alex’s fault that Willie was incredibly cute. It wasn’t Alex’s fault that Willie’s shifts happened to perfectly align with his studying time. But he couldn’t deny that it was his fault that he had stayed there for hours on end every day since, talking to Willie about everything and nothing. And it was also his fault that he had done that very same thing today, checked his watch and seen that he was an hour late for band practise, and kept talking to Willie anyway.

Usually, Alex thought about consequences, but he had been having so much fun talking to Willie that day that he hadn’t considered them. Now those consequences had caught up with him in the form of one very angry rock band.

“Alex,” Luke said imploringly, “you’ve got to get your head in the game! We have a load of gigs coming up, really important ones–”

“We do?” Reggie interrupted, looking baffled. “I thought we’ve got that one at the old folks’ home and then that’s it for, like, a month?”

Luke waved him away. “That’s not the point. These gigs are just as important as any big ones. Dude, we’ve got to build up our repertoire so that we can start playing bigger venues, but that’s not going to happen if our drummer is too caught up in his studies!”

Alex inwardly sighed with relief. At least Luke thought the reason he was staying at the library so often was because he was working hard, not because he was talking to Willie. He would have preferred his tiny little crush on Willie stayed secret for a little longer; whenever Luke found out that Alex or Reggie liked someone, he became unbearable.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if Julie had other ideas.

She huffed an incredulous laugh, saying, “You seriously think he’s staying late because he’s studying?”

Luke nodded, confused, as Reggie gestured to Alex and said, “Of course he is, what other reason could there be?”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, nodding. He knew that the hitch in his voice was unconvincing – in his defence, he’d never been a good liar. “What other reason could there be?”

Julie raised a challenging eyebrow, but the smirk on her face told Alex that she knew she had already won. “Alex, can I just ask, who was working at the library today?”

Alex cleared his throat and tried for nonchalance when he said, “Willie.”

“You mean the good-looking skater-boy history major, right?” Julie said slyly.

Alex shrugged. “Yeah. I guess he is those things.”

Julie nodded slowly. Luke and Reggie were watching the interaction carefully, though it didn’t seem like the realisation had dawned on either of them yet.

“And who was working last Friday when you didn’t arrive back here until almost ten p.m.?” Julie asked.

“Willie,” Alex said under his breath, avoiding eye contact.

“Right,” Julie replied. “And what about Tuesday when you missed three lectures and were smiling too much to even care about how much that’ll drop your grade?”

Alex scowled and didn’t say anything. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know the answer, and judging by the ‘O’ shape Reggie’s mouth was making and the wide grin that had made itself at home on Luke’s face, they had figured it out too.

“Bro,” Luke said excitedly, “you’ve got a crush on Willie!”

“No,” Alex spluttered, “no, I do not. We just happen to get on really well and he’s always working when I need to study.”

“But he is the reason you’re always there, isn’t he?” Reggie prompted.

Alex shrugged. “I guess,” he mumbled.

Luke leapt up, clamped his hands onto Alex’s shoulders and jumped up and down like an over-excited puppy. The ecstatic smile on Luke’s face didn’t quite make up for how annoying it was.

“Dude,” he said emphatically, “you’ve gotta ask him out!”

“Don’t be silly,” Alex said, shaking his head, “it’s not like that.”

“It’s like that,” Julie, Luke and Reggie chorused. Alex just rolled his eyes.

“Look, Alex,” Julie said. He looked past Luke to her, but only because in situations like this she tended to be the voice of reason. “I actually agree with Luke.”

Apparently, that day she was taking a break from being the voice of reason.

Alex opened his mouth to protest, but Julie interrupted him. “Hear me out. No matter what you say, you’re clearly head over heels for this guy. And it is distracting you – we’re two hours into rehearsal and you haven’t even set up your kit. If you ask him out and he says yes then you can hang out with him at other times as boyfriends, not when you’re meant to be spending time with us. If he says no, you can get him out of your mind and move on, getting your mind back on the band. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Again, Alex tried to respond, but this time Reggie and Luke both yelled over him.

“No!” Reggie shouted. “We agreed never to ask him that question again!”

“Have you forgotten last time?” Luke questioned furiously. “That was the longest three hours of my life!”

Julie held her hands up. “Sorry, sorry, it slipped my mind.”

“Okay,” Alex said, ignoring them and deciding to get the conversation back on track. “Even if I did do that, there’s so many things that could go wrong. I don’t know if he’s into guys, and if he says no for any reason at all then I can never go back to the library.”

Luke shook his head. “Dude, Willie’s the head of the university’s LGBTQ+ Society and he introduces himself as ‘Willie, he/they, gay’ at the start of each session.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve been a couple of times. Hey, wait, we should all go, it’s actually super chill and–”

“It sounds great, Luke, but we’ll talk about it later,” Julie said, easily calming him as he started getting over-excited again. “Right now we have other things to focus on. Alex, if Luke’s right then Willie is definitely into guys. And from the way you’ve gushed about him and your conversations without realising it, I’d say he definitely has a thing for you. And he seems cool – I’m sure even if he said no then he’d act completely normally around you.”

“Yeah,” Reggie agreed, “the guy doesn’t find anything awkward. Last week I was looking through a book for my psychology class and just as I flicked to a… questionable page, he came up behind me. He just laughed it off and then offered to sign it out for me once I was done looking through it.”

Alex thought about it for a moment. It sounded too good to be true. Luke said that Willie was into guys, Julie said they might like Alex, Reggie said that they’d be cool with it no matter what… Good things like this didn’t happen to Alex too often.

“I’ll think about it,” he said. The others sighed, Reggie throwing up his hands with exasperation. “I will! I’ll think. But we should get to rehearsing.”

Almost two and a half hours later than they should have, the band finally set up their instruments and Alex counted them in.

*

He was at the library. Again. He was always at the library these days, just this time he really did need to be working. He had a big assessment coming up and needed to cram some last-minute studying in.

It would have been a lot easier if he hadn’t been trying to avoid Willie the entire time.

In Alex’s defence, it felt like the most reasonable option. Sure, he could see Willie and ask him out, but if Willie rejected him then he wasn’t sure he’d ever live it down despite his friends’ reassurances. He could have seen Willie and not asked him out, but then he’d be living in constant wonder of what could happen. So he had elected to do the sensible thing and just not see them at all.

It had been going well for the most part. His legs were beginning to ache from springing himself behind bookcases whenever he caught a glimpse of Willie, but it was worth it. Besides – he needed to focus, and an angelic librarian wasn’t about to help him do that.

He made his fatal error when trying to exit the library.

He had been so caught up in scanning the surrounding area for Willie that he hadn’t been looking ahead, or down at the floor. He heard the shout of, “Watch out!” too late.

Alex stepped forward, his foot landed on a skateboard, and he was sent flying down to the ground, landing hard on his coccyx. Pain shot up his back and he let out an agonised groan which earned him a “Shhhh!” from a tired-looking student sat at the nearest table.

“Alex,” came the same voice who had shouted the warning, the voice Alex now recognised as Willie’s. So much for avoiding him. Willie came and crouched down beside Alex where he was still laying on the floor, leaning over him, looking concerned. “Hey, Alex, you alright? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left my board lying there, I was only restocking that shelf.”

Groaning, Alex eased himself into a sitting position. Willie sat back, still looking worried.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Alex lied. His coccyx was killing him. “It’s fine. I won’t sue or demand you get fired or anything.”

Willie chuckled lightly and then held out his hand. Alex took it automatically and was a little startled when Willie began pulling him to his feet – maybe it was the shock, but he had thought the hand holding was them simply having a moment. But no, of course it was too good to be true. Willie let go of his hand the moment they were both stood and then bent to pick up his board.

“I hadn’t seen you,” Willie said. “Where’ve you been hiding?”

Alex shrugged. “Oh, nowhere. Just… doing my English work. In the quiet area.”

Nodding, Willie replied with something that made Alex’s blood run cold.

“That’s cool. It’s just that I was just talking to Luke a minute ago and he said there was something you wanted to ask me?”

Eyes wide, jaw open in shock, Alex looked behind Willie to where they had pointed. Sure enough, standing by the end of a nearby bookcase with his nose in a book (which he was clearly not reading because it was upside down) was Luke. He gave Alex a nervous wave when he saw him looking.

Trying not to sound murderous, Alex said, “Yeah. There was something.”

He realised too late that hadn’t been what he was planning to say.

“Yeah? What is it?” Willie asked with a smile.

Alex’s eyes darted from Willie to Luke and back again, then up to the ceiling and around the library for inspiration, and then they landed on his own wrist and the rainbow bracelet wrapped around it.

“I – well, we, me and my friends – we were wondering if there would be any space for us to join the LGBTQ+ Society. Luke mentioned you’re the head so I figured there’s no one better to ask than you. Right?”

Willie blinked, face faltering for just a moment. Alex tried not to panic – had he said the wrong thing, had he somehow offended Willie? But the look was gone quick enough for Alex to convince himself he’d imagined it, replaced by his radiant smile.

“Yeah, the more the merrier,” he said. But then he cleared his throat and added, “You’re sure that’s it?”

Swallowing nervously, Alex cast another glance to Luke who had given up the pretence of reading and was now urgently gesturing at Willie, making kissy faces, and mouthing words Alex couldn’t understand – but he got the message.

“Okay, no, there was one more thing,” he said quietly.

Willie tucked his hair behind his ear and Alex’s eyes caught momentarily on his earring.

“I was wondering,” he began, slow but steady, “if you would… by any chance… And you can say no, I won’t be offended! It’s just, I would really like to go on a date with you. And if you would like to go on a date with me then I think we should. Do that. Go on a date. Together. If you want?”

As awkward as it felt, Alex maintained eye contact – he was glad he did, because a moment later Willie’s face split in a beautiful grin that didn’t look mocking or apologetic, it looked genuinely happy.

“Yes,” Willie said, laughing quietly. “Yes, I do want that.”

Alex sighed with relief. “Thank god. I’m going to kill Luke.”

“Don’t,” Willie said, shaking his head. “I can’t have you getting arrested before I get to go on a date with you.”

“What about after the date?” Alex joked.

“Yeah, man, that’s fine.” Willie laughed but after a moment their expression softened. “I’m really glad you asked. I was going to, but I wasn’t sure if you’d say yes.”

Alex scratched at the back of his head. “Yeah. That’s the same reason it took me so long to do the actual asking.”

“Well,” said Willie, “that doesn’t matter now. Does Friday work for you?”

Alex’s only form of a social life was hanging out with the band, and his plans for Friday consisted largely of sitting in his and Reggie’s shared dorm room, eating cold pizza and watching reruns of Friends.

“Yeah,” he said coolly, “I can probably make it work. Might have to reschedule some stuff, but it’ll be worth it.”

Clearly not believing him but polite enough not to call him out, Willie laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Great. My shift finishes at five that day, I’ll let you be a gentleman and pick me up. I’ve got to get back to work, but I’ll catch you then, Alex.”

“See you,” Alex said.

Willie walked away and was seamlessly replaced by Luke, who gripped Alex’s arms and shook him up and down. “Bro! You got a date with Willie! You can thank me later.”

Alex left the library, Luke trailing behind him. “I’m not thanking you,” he said, fighting a smile.

“Why not? I got him to come talk to you!”

“You didn’t ask him out, I did that. There’s nothing to thank you for.”

“That is where you’re very much wrong because…”

As Luke went on for a solid ten minutes about why Alex and Willie finally agreeing to go on a date was actually all down to him, Alex zoned out and let himself be happy. He had a date with Willie, the angelic librarian, the good-looking skater-boy history major. He couldn’t believe his luck.

When they arrived back at the studio, Julie smirked and said, “You’re grinning like an idiot, Alex.”

“In my defence,” he returned, “I'm going on a date with Willie.”

[whenihaveyouromione]

When I Have You - Chapter 59

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---

Chapter 59

“Oh, you two,” Molly said, wrapping her arms around Ron’s neck to give him a hug. “It’s been so long since you’ve managed to get yourselves over here.”

“We were here two weeks ago, Mum,” Ron said as Molly let him go to hug Hermione as well. “Twice in that week, too.”

“Well, you don’t come by as often as you once did,” Molly replied, stepping away from Hermione to look them both over.

“That’s because we have a house, and believe it or not we can cook for ourselves,” Ron told her, smirking.

“I know that,” Molly said sharply. “It’s just good to see you. My children don’t stop by nearly as often as they did.”

“Could always visit us,” Ron said with a shrug. He took Hermione’s hand and guided her into the kitchen where Harry, Ginny and Arthur were. Ginny leant with her back against a bench, nibbling on some raw carrot, while Harry and Arthur sat at the table, apparently midway through a conversation about something.

“Did you get the lecture too about not coming by enough?” Ginny murmured to them as they passed her.

“Did you get time off work?” Ron asked in response. It was rare that he saw his sister these days, who had become a permanent Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies this season. The team was doing well — close to the top of the ladder — and a few weeks ago they had slaughtered the Chudley Cannons four hundred and sixty to one hundred.

Ron had almost packed up and left the match after the first twenty minutes when Ginny had scored three goals, and would have left had Hermione not insisted he stay put.

Ginny shrugged. “We don’t play for another week, so I thought I’d drop by. Apparently travelling the country with a Quidditch team is no excuse for not visiting here, though. I can barely get home, but I’m expected to use what little time I have to come back here.”

“Here is your home, too. Don’t forget that.” Ginny jumped out of the way as Molly made to get a saucepan from the cupboard Ginny was standing in front of.

“I’m sure our children remember where they grew up, dear,” Arthur said mildly, getting up from the table. “They have just grown and are leading their own lives now. How’s your new job treating you, Hermione?”

“Great!” Hermione said cheerfully, apparently relieved that the conversation had turned from guilt tripping them into visiting more and into something she was happy to talk to them about. “It’s really good. We started taking cases just last week, which has been interesting.”

“I think it’s great,” Arthur said. “The Wizengamot needed an overhaul. It’s left a fair few disgruntled people, but the system Kingsley has put in place is as fair as it can be.” He paused then, thinking for a moment. “I also hear you’ve got Draco Malfoy working with you.”

“For,” Ron corrected. “He works for her, not with her.”

Hermione nudged him gently. He’d spent the last two months reminding everyone that just because Hermione and Kingsley had ended up picking Draco Malfoy — ignoring all of Ron’s protests — as the senior lawyer in the new office, it didn’t mean he was on a level playing field with Hermione. She was his boss, and even though Ron thought the decision had not been one of Hermione’s greatest, he at least took comfort in knowing that Malfoy had to do everything she told him to.

“He’s on a constant probation,” Hermione said to Arthur. “And he can’t progress further than the position he holds now.” She glanced at Ron for a moment and then added, “It’s really not ideal, but he had the most knowledge by far and we were looking for people who were knowledgeable to help get the office up and running. Had we had to train people from scratch, it would have delayed the introduction by a month or so.”

“He’s still a git,” Ron said. “That’ll never change, and he’s made your life difficult in your first two months, Hermione.”

“Yes… well… I don’t think we’ll ever get along, but as long as we can work together in a professional manner, then I think it’ll be okay.”

“The other one you’ve got — the junior — she’s nice, though,” Ron said. “I like her.”

“Maia,” Hermione said, looking at Ron in amusement. “Yes, she’s decent. Pretty, too, isn’t she, Ron?”

“I remember her,” Harry said. “Yes, she was good.”

“Pretty, too, Harry?” Ginny asked.

“Much too young,” Ron said, joining Harry at the table. “She’s just out of Hogwarts.”

“Now,” Molly said, her head poking up from another cupboard as she guided some pans to the bench with her wand, “I’m not sure exactly who’s coming. I think George is, and Percy and Audrey will be walking from the village. I think they stayed the night there just for this. Charlie replied and said he’d let me know and then never did, but Bill and Fleur are currently in France visiting Fleur’s parents. So there’s maybe four more coming.”

“Almost a full house then,” Ron said, tugging on Hermione’s hand and dragging her onto his lap. “One day you’ll have us all here again, Mum.”

“Oh, Ron,” Molly sighed, “I’ll never have you all here again in the same house. It’s impossible. But I do appreciate the effort my living children go to, taking time out of their busy lives to come back home when they can.”

Ron looked over at Ginny and then at Harry, and they all smiled.

“We’ll try and make more of an effort,” Ron assured her. “I’m a terrible cook, anyway.”

“No you’re not,” Hermione said. “I like what you cook.”

“Not Mum-level, though.”

“Is anyone?” Ginny asked, and Molly beamed, though she tried to hide it behind the food preparation she was now doing.

“Do you need any help, Molly?” Hermione asked, as she always did when they came over.

“No, dear,” Molly replied, as she also always did. “You’re family. I’ve told you this many times.”

There was a whoosh from the living room, and a moment later, George stepped into the kitchen, brushing the soot off himself. “Hope I’m not too late to the party,” he said by way of greeting. He looked around the room, eyes resting on everyone. “One of the first ones, I see.” He smiled.

“So good to see you, George,” Molly said, abandoning the food in favour of hugging her son.

“How come George doesn’t get a lecture about not visiting enough?” Ginny demanded.

“Because I visit plenty more than you, Ginny,” George replied. “I’m not off gallivanting the world with a broomstick, am I?”

Ginny made a mock movement to draw out her wand, but joke or not, Molly scolded her and she dropped her hand by her side again, picking up another carrot.

George laughed. “You mind making room, Hermione? I don’t think there’s enough seats around here.”

Hermione actually did make to move off Ron’s lap, but he didn’t let her and she relented, relaxing against him again.

“You two disgust me.” George shook his head, sitting at one of the three empty kitchen chairs. “Who else is coming, Mum?”

“Everyone but Bill, Fleur and the kids, I hope,” Molly answered. “You know what Charlie’s like though — it’s always a mystery with him. Percy and Audrey shouldn’t be too far away. They stayed in the village for the night.”

“One day he will surprise us all by using the Floo with her,” George said.

“He can’t, though,” Ginny said. “Rules and all.”

“The bloke married a Muggle and he’s fussed about rules?” George asked.

“It’s not even a rule anymore,” Hermione interrupted. “I mean, it won’t be soon, and Kingsley is fairly lax about it at the moment. Anyone who is married to a Muggle is now able to perform basic spells and charms and travel with them via the Floo Network so long as they are aware of everything that is being performed in front of them — which Audrey would qualify with that alone.”

“When’s this coming into effect, Hermione?” Arthur asked curiously. “I’ve not heard of it.”

“It will be one of the first things discussed once the new Wizengamot has been established,” Hermione said. “There’s so many people out there who are married to Muggles, who have children with Muggles, who are children of Muggles, and there’s no clear and cut rule regarding the use of magic around them. Strictly speaking, it’s always been against wizarding law to perform any kind of magic in front of a Muggle, but for the most part when it involved marital or family issues, the Ministry turned a blind eye with the assumption the Muggle would not reveal anything that could expose us.

“However, that has led to many loopholes and unfair punishments in the past, so these new rules, so long as they are approved, should clarify anything like that. Wizards and witches should not be forced to deny who they are just because they choose to enter a relationship with, or are born to, people who cannot perform magic.”

There was a long pause in the kitchen as everyone digested that information. After a moment, Ron grinned and hugged Hermione tightly. “Isn’t she amazing?” he said.

Everyone else agreed, albeit not as enthusiastically as Ron sounded, and the conversation drifted into smaller ones.

Soon after, Percy and Audrey showed up, puffing from the long walk from the village up to the Burrow.

“Sorry we’re late,” Percy said between breaths. He placed his arm across Audrey’s shoulder and drew her towards him.

“Not to worry, dears,” Molly said, hugging them both in turn. Neither of them got told to visit more either, to which Ginny scoffed at.

“Favouritism at its finest,” she said to Harry, Ron and Hermione. “I have a career that means I hardly see my husband let alone anyone else outside of my team, Hermione’s the Head of an office, and you two are Aurors and work odd hours… but we get lectured. George, who makes his own hours, and Percy… they get off with just a hug.”

“I think she’s just finding it difficult,” Hermione said. “The youngest of her children is in her twenties, is married, has long since moved out… I think we should make more of an effort to get over here more. At least once a week.”

“I can’t do that, though,” Ginny said, though she now looked a little guilty as she watched Molly busy herself with the food.

“The rest of us can,” Hermione said.

Ron and Harry nodded in agreement, Ron unexpectedly feeling a rush of affection for his mother. She’d done so much for them all growing up — always offering a welcoming and loving home, and most of them had repaid her by leaving and coming by less and less as they got older. Yes, they had their own lives and families now, their own homes, and Ron was happiest when he was with Hermione, but this was still his family, she was still his mother, and it occurred to him in that moment that she wasn’t going to be around forever. There’d be a time one day where there’d be no one at the Burrow to come and visit anymore.

He kissed Hermione’s shoulder, breathing in the scent of her freshly washed hair. He toyed with the idea that one day this might be them, in their Nottingham home. Preparing meals and begging their children — however many they had — to come and visit them more. Ron hoped that was the case, anyway. The thought of he and Hermione living happily, well into old age, brought him a lot of joy. He couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone else.

“Okay,” Molly said, distracting them all from their thoughts, “it doesn’t look like Charlie is coming, so dinner is ready. It’s a beautiful evening outside. How about we eat out there?”

Everyone agreed and stood up.

“Percy and Arthur, could you please move the table?” Molly said. “Ron, Hermione, George and Harry, please take all the food out once they’ve set it up. Ginny and Audrey, you can do the cutlery and plates, if you please.”

Everyone moved to do what was asked of them. Ron picked up a tray of vegetables and a tray of meat and carried it into the garden where Percy and Arthur had just Summoned the table from the kitchen. Arthur flourished his wand and the table extended to fit more people around it. Ron placed the food on top.

Hermione appeared beside him with a bowl of salad while Harry and George carried the last little bits.

“Looks great, Mum,” George said as Molly came out after Ginny and Audrey carrying the plates and cutlery.

“Thank you, George,” Molly said, and she peered over her shoulder as if to double check that Charlie hadn’t shown up.

Git, Ron thought. He never comes unless it’s for a special occasion.

“I can go to Romania and get him if you’d like,” George said. “Is your fireplace connected?”

“No, it’s not,” Molly said softly.

“Well, I’ll Apparate, send a Howler, whatever you want, Mum,” George continued.

“It’s okay,” Molly said, taking a seat at the table. “He never made any promises, and he did come back a month ago. He’s very busy with his work…”

“More like obsessed,” George said. “Worse than you, Perce.”

Percy turned red and pushed his glasses up his nose. He still didn’t like to acknowledge that he was a workaholic.

“Eat up,” Molly said, smiling at them. “I’m glad for those of you who could make it. I’m always glad.”

Everyone began piling food onto their plates, and for a while, conversation died while everyone ate.

Ron’s mind trailed to nothing in particular, thinking about the work he’d have to do next week and wondering if they’d get to go anywhere. If that week would be the week he'd finally actually be an Auror.

He was just picturing himself bringing in a large group of stray Death Eaters when a glass falling over caused everyone to jump. All eyes flickered to Percy, whose wine glass had fallen, its contents spilling onto the table.

Hermione quickly reached across the table to pick it up and used her wand to get rid of the spilled wine.

Percy flushed, once again pushing his glasses up his nose. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Ron saw that Audrey nudged him in the ribs, a meaningful look on her face.

Percy went even redder now and glanced nervously up at everyone. He cleared his throat. “Ah, yes, so I suppose now’s the right time — while all of your attention is on me — to tell you that next January, Audrey and I will be having a baby.”

“What?” Molly said, and she jumped to her feet.

“No way,” George said. “You, Percy, having a baby? That poor kid.”

“Wow, that’s such exciting news!” Hermione said. “Congratulations!”

“Another grandchild?” Molly said, all concern about Charlie gone in the event of this exciting revelation. “I don’t know how I didn’t work this out,” she then said. “Audrey, you look wonderful.”

“No sickness so far,” Audrey said, beaming. “I’m grateful for that. I saw how Fleur suffered during her pregnancies.”

Within moments, the silent garden was filled with chatter and congratulations and a lot of laughter and smiles.

“A cousin for Victoire and Dominique,” Molly said joyfully. “They’ll be so excited when we tell them. Do you know what you’re having? A girl or boy?”

“We don’t know yet,” Audrey said. “With… er… Muggle technology, you can’t really tell until twenty weeks, but I think we’ll keep it a surprise.”

“Fascinating,” Arthur said. “How do Muggles deal with birth and pregnancy? It’s not something I’ve ever thought about before.” And he leaned forward, as if expecting a long-winded story from the pair about Muggle births.

“They’re called…” Percy hesitated, turning to Audrey. “Um… ult-ero-sinds.”

“Ultrasounds,” Audrey corrected. “It’s where you can see the baby.” She laughed. “Percy almost fainted when he saw it.”

“Wait,” Ginny said, “you can see the baby? Like… inside of you?” She looked mildly revolted by the concept.

Audrey nodded.

“That’s so…”

“Weird?” Ron offered.

“I think it’s amazing,” Hermione said, and Ron looked at her.

“Really? They go inside of you and —”

“It’s beautiful,” Hermione said. “You get to see your baby before they’re even born. And they don’t go inside of you, Ron.”

“How else then, Hermione?” Ginny asked, and Harry laughed. She rounded on Harry. “When we have kids, don’t you go thinking we’re doing that ultromusic thing, alright?”

Harry held up his arms in defence, but was still grinning.

Ron had to agree with Ginny here. He didn’t like the sound of seeing a baby before it was born. That was just too much.

“It’s like a device,” Audrey said, looking thrilled to have everyone’s attention on her, being able to teach them something. “They place it on your tummy and they can see the baby. It appears on a screen…”

“Like a television?” Arthur asked.

“Exactly like a television,” Audrey said, nodding.

Arthur smiled. “Fascinating what Muggles can come up with. What purpose is there to see your baby before they’re born?”

“To make sure everything’s okay. To check for any abnormalities, to hear the heartbeat —”

“We have a spell for that,” Molly said. “The heartbeat. But the seeing through you is… well, I can’t quite describe that.”

“It’s amazing,” Audrey said. “It truly is.” She smiled around at everyone, once again acting as if being surrounded by a group of witches and wizards was perfectly normal for her and something she’d done her whole life.

Ron supposed it’d have to be, especially if she was going to be birthing one soon.

The talk of the baby continued as everyone helped clear the table and take it back inside. Percy had remained very quiet on the subject matter, looking a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. But Audrey shared all the unnecessary details that Ron really didn’t want to hear about, including sharing how long it had taken them to get pregnant.

Which was, no time at all.

“It just happened straight away,” she told the living room, where they all now sat or stood.

Percy shifted uncomfortably, apparently not at all comfortable with the idea of his family talking about his sex life as if it was public business.

Ron chose not to participate in the conversation. He was standing by the wall, arms folded across his chest, nodding when spoken to, but not really saying anything. He was becoming tired of talking about it, like it bothered him, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint why that was. Maybe it was the fact that he’d never really considered Percy as the father type, and the fact that Percy didn’t even seem that excited about the prospect of becoming one.

Or, he thought as Audrey rattled on about what the baby’s bedroom would look like, maybe he was just bothered by the fact that another one of his siblings had once again done something before him.

But… it wasn’t like having a baby was something he and Hermione had ever discussed before. Not seriously, anyway. They’d talked about it as if it was some far-off, futuristic event that might happen to them one day, but it had never been a here and now type of conversation.

He frowned. Was what he was feeling… jealousy? Jealousy over the fact that his brother was having a baby and… he wasn’t? That made no sense to him, yet… he was pretty confident that was how he felt.

“I always did wonder who’d be next out of the lot of you,” Molly said brightly, drawing Ron back to the room.

“Won’t be me any time soon,” Ginny said. “Merlin, no.”

“Nor us,” Hermione said, who seemed more than happy to participate in this conversation about their new niece or nephew due next year. “We’ve got far too many things to do. Probably won’t be for another four or five years.”

Oh. They’d never discussed that either. So, Hermione had a time frame in mind. That would put them close to thirty.

“All in your own times,” Arthur said brightly. “Live a little before you think about that. But I truly am thrilled for the two of you,” he then added to Percy and Audrey. “Another small child running around will brighten this place up even more.”

And the conversation drew on. Before he realised, Ron found himself standing in the kitchen. Hermione’s words kept swirling around in his mind. Not for another four or five years.

That bothered him more than he wanted to admit. That was not by any means a poor estimation. They’d been together almost four years before they got married, so why wouldn’t they wait another four to have a baby? And it wasn’t like either of them had ever specified when they would do that. It had always just been a simple agreement of one day.

It felt stupid to be bothered by it. He felt almost ridiculous that the thought of having a baby seriously hadn’t once crossed his mind, and now all of a sudden he was feeling like Percy had taken something away from him. Percy hadn’t stolen anything. Percy was older, he’d been married longer… he had every right to make this next step.

He collapsed against a wall at the side of the Burrow. A few chickens roamed, plucking at the grass, and two gnomes scuttled past by the fence, apparently thinking they had gone unnoticed by Ron.

He didn’t know how long he was sitting there before he heard footsteps approach and Hermione slid down beside him. She didn’t say anything at first, and they just sat, her presence enough for the moment. Besides, what was he supposed to tell her? ‘Why is Percy having a baby before us when we haven’t even talked about it before?’ That would go down well.

After a while, she spoke, keeping her voice soft and gentle. “Are you okay?”

He nodded.

“People who are okay don’t come out here on their own and sit against a wall with a morbid expression on their face. It’s what I said, isn’t it? About waiting four or five years to have a baby.”

Ron had to admire her perceptiveness. A lot of words had been spoken during their time in the living room, and she had managed to get to the crunch of it on her first go. She was incredibly clever and he was incredibly obvious.

Still, he wasn’t quite sure he was ready to admit it. “What makes you say that?” He didn’t look at her, not really wanting to see what her face said.

“Just a guess,” she said.

It took him a while to find the words, but when he did, they poured out. “I don’t know why it bothered me so much. It’s not like we have ever discussed it before. We’ve never put a date on the idea. I didn’t even think about it until today, really. We’ve been happy with the way things are, but… maybe I just assumed it would be sooner than that. I don’t know.”

It was Hermione’s turn to contemplate her words. “You may not realise this, Ron, because I do think it’s been subconscious, but I think it’s been on your mind more than you think.”

Ron looked at her. “What do you mean?” He couldn’t think of a time he’d considered the idea of being a dad. Not fully. Not really.

She smiled. “It’s just things you say sometimes. ‘When we have kids…’, ‘when our kids…’. It’s become a lot more frequent in recent months to the point that I think you mention it a few times a week.”

“I didn’t know,” Ron said, averting his eyes to his hands. “Sorry.”

“It’s nothing to be sorry about,” Hermione laughed. “If anything, it’s quite nice to hear. But my point is, I think I kind of worked out that… we weren’t exactly on the same page anymore. Which is okay!” She added the last part quickly, seeming to sense the questions he suddenly had for her.

Ron hesitated. Today’s events had suddenly set some kind of clarity in where he wanted their future to lead. He hadn’t known before, but he knew now. “Hermione… I think… I think I’m ready for us to have a baby. I mean… I want us to talk about it. I don’t want it to just be a ‘one day’ thing anymore. I want it to be something more than that. I want us to seriously discuss it. To set a timeframe…”

He glanced across at her, surprised to see her smiling and nodding. “Okay,” she said. “We can talk about it.”

He watched her for a moment, waiting to see if she continued. But she didn’t, and the miniscule bit of hope he’d felt vanished with her lack of words.

“It’s not the right time for you, is it? I mean, now?”

“I don’t want to have a baby now, Ron.” She shook her head. “Aside from the fact that we’ve been married for only a year, I don’t think it’s the right time for us to be making that commitment. I’ve started a new job and I think it would be pretty unfair on everyone to suddenly have to step away from it for a year to raise a child.”

Ron nodded, returning his eyes to the chickens. He didn’t speak for a long time, trying to gather his thoughts. His mind felt jumbled — filled with so many thoughts and feelings that he couldn’t quite understand. He didn’t know why Percy saying he was having a baby upset him so much, nor did he fully understand the sudden burning desire within him to have his own baby. He was perfectly happy with Hermione — he loved it being just the two of them.

“I could do it, you know,” he said quietly.

“Do what?” Hermioned asked gently.

“Raise our child or children. You could do your thing, and I could look after them. I wouldn’t mind. I’d quite like it, I think.”

Hermione smiled again. “It should be something we do together, Ron. I’d want to do that, but I just don’t think I’m in that place just yet to do it. But it’s okay if you are. We can find some middle ground, come to a compromise…”

“We’re good at that, aren’t we?” Ron asked, offering a smile. “Finding compromises.”

“We’re the best.” Hermione reached out and covered his hand with hers. “I want us to have children, Ron. Please don’t think that I’m shutting down that part for us. I’m not. I just want to be the best mother that I could possibly be, and I don’t think that with our current situation that I could be. When we do have children, I want it to be a time when we are both able to just fall completely in love with them and they’ll become our world….”

“I get it,” Ron said, nodding. “I think… maybe you’re right. Maybe I have wanted this for a while and I just haven’t realised it. In my mind, I think I just thought we were getting close. It was stupid of me to assume —”

“It’s not stupid.”

“I just feel so old. Not in an aging kind of way, but… we’ve been through so much and it just feels like we’ve lived an extra ten years or something.”

“Is that what it feels like to be with me?” Hermione asked playfully.

Ron smiled. “With you, it feels like I’ll never have enough time. I’m happy to wait however long you need, Hermione. I mean it. I just think I thought it’d be sooner. In my mind, I mean.”

Hermione fell silent again, thinking. Ron watched her, waiting for her to say whatever it was she needed to. She looked at him. “I know I said four or five years, but how about we look at our situation again in January next year? That will have given me almost a whole year where I am and I’d expect things to be more settled by then. I’m not saying that we are going to be ready then — or I’m going to be — but we can talk about it properly then? Does that… is that okay for you?”

Ron nodded. “That sounds perfectly fine to me. We’ll have great kids, whenever we choose to. They’ll probably be rule breakers, because they’ve got us as parents, but they’ll be smart, too.”

Hermione leaned her head against the wall, still smiling. “I’d like to think that they won’t be like us.”

They fell silent once more. It was nearly completely dark now and Ron contemplated getting his wand from his pocket so they could see. Instead, he turned his head, taking in Hermione’s silhouette, and squeezed her hand still on his. “I love you,” he said.

She smiled. “I love you, too.”

“Should we go back inside? I’m sure they’re wondering where —”

“There you are!” Ginny’s figure appeared around the corner. “For a moment, I was worried you two had taken off together behind the shed or something.”

“At Mum and Dad’s place?” Ron asked, he and Hermione both climbing to their feet.

“Then why did you escape?” Ginny questioned, and she looked mildly concerned. “Everything alright? Was it Audrey banging on about her spawn? It’s enough to bore anyone, isn’t it? They’re going to have the world’s most boring kid.”

“Everything’s fine,” Hermione assured her gently. She looked at Ron and smiled. “We were just talking. All this baby talk is a little overwhelming at times, don’t you think?”

Ginny eyed them both curiously, and then her eyes widened. “You’re not pregnant, are you?” she said.

“Nope,” Hermione said. “As I said before, it’s not the right time for us.” She looked at Ron, who nodded, and they interlocked their fingers.

“Well, Mum’s asking for you, so you better go back inside before she comes looking.”

Ron placed his arm across Hermione’s shoulders and together, he, Hermione and Ginny walked silently back to the Burrow.

Everyone was still talking about the baby when they came inside, barely acknowledging their return. Ron took a place on the floor beside the couch, Hermione sitting down next to him.

Now that he’d talked to Hermione about it, now that she’d given a vague timeline, it was easier to sit there and listen to them all go on about everything.

Hermione rubbed his leg encouragingly and said so that only he could hear, “Just think,” she said, “you’re going to be an uncle for a third time. That’s exciting, isn’t it?”

Ron smiled and nodded and placed his arm around her again, drawing her close to him. He could do the uncle thing again. He just wanted to do the dad thing, too.

One day.

[hallowxiu]

A Chance Meeting

pairing: human!mammon/demon!gn!mc

word count: 5.6k

summary: Never one for fate, you run into Mammon for a second time, albeit in a less than ideal scenario.

a/n: tw: there are mentions of pocket knives and mugging in this one shot.

part two of the demon!mc and human!mammon series. 

part one

“Wow,” Satan comments as he steps into the kitchen, looking around at the disarray of all the dishes on the counters and in the sink. “This is the eighth day in a row you’ve been on cooking duty. And for all meals too, what did you do to piss off Lucifer so bad?” A sheepish smile formed on your lips and you can hear more footsteps coming towards the kitchen. 

“You’re on cooking duty again? I miss Lucifer’s cooking!” Asmodeus stomps his foot and there’s a pout on his lips. You roll your eyes in response, but you didn’t exactly blame your younger brother. Your cooking wasn’t… the best. It certainly wasn’t the worst by any means, but it also wasn’t something you’d want for a week straight. 

“Ah, well, you better get used to my cooking for the next several months. It’s my punishment.” You felt like crying on the spot. Too much cooking, way too much cooking. And to keep Beelzebub fed for so many days? That within itself was a punishment. Satan quirked an eyebrow at your news. 

“What in the Devildom did you possibly do?”

“I uh, well, you see…” You didn’t want to explain this to your brothers, especially the two of them. They were quite ruthless when it came to gossip. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be our role model? No wonder he’s stricter with the punishments.” There’s a cheeky grin on Asmodeus’ face and his eyes twinkle with amusement as he tries to piece together what you must’ve done. 

“Then again, he favors you most, so your punishments aren’t that bad in comparison to ours.” Satan chimes in where Asmodeus left off. With a sigh, you decide to tell them. You knew they’d never leave you alone if you didn’t.

“I snuck off to the human realm.” 

Silence.

Yeah, you should have expected that. In fact, you were. “Oh, well, yeah, that’ll do it.” Is all Asmodeus says before leaving the room. “Make something good tonight! I’m hungry, but don’t make it so oily this time! My skin is starting to suffer because of you!” You shake your head at Asmodeus, though you make the mental note anyway. One less person angry with you would be ideal, after all. You pause when you notice Satan still lingering by the entryway of the kitchen. 

“What’s up?” You ask while you open the fridge, your eyes scanning for potential ingredients. You had no idea what to make; you exhausted your options after the second day. It’s a miracle you’ve managed to make it this long already. 

“Why do you want to go to the human realm? To my understanding, you were never the type before that showed any particular interest in humans. I was told that it was Lilith and Belphegor’s route of interest.” Leave it to Satan to be the most curious. You were hardly surprised, after all, Satan was the only one who was never an angel, the only one who never met Lilith, and the only one who never experienced first hand the shit show that went down the day leading to everyone falling. You knew the other brothers rarely talked to him about their previous life, and you wondered if that ever upset him. However, being the doting older sibling, you didn’t like the idea of Satan feeling left out. If anything, he got all the details from you. 

“I wanted to know what Lilith liked about humans so much, why she was willing to put everything on the line for one.” You answer your brother honestly. “Belphegor as well, I was hoping maybe that’d help me get closer with him. I know you don’t know from experience, but he wasn’t always this hostile and bitter. I’m not sure if the others told you, but he also adored humans just as much as Lilith. The two of them frequented the human realm together all the time.”

Satan seems to be soaking in the information like a sponge. You’re sure he’s grateful for the new information and while you knew he’d never tell you, he hated feeling left out with everyone. Maybe this would help him feel closer with the others. “I did not know that, although I suppose that would make sense. Beelzebub tells me a bit about Lilith and Belphegor every now and then. He always looks a little depressed when talking about them, so I assumed Belphegor changed compared to before.” You nod your head to Satan’s conclusion. “Did you find what you were looking for?” Images of the white-haired man suddenly flood your brain and you fight off a creeping blush that threatens to spread on your face. Did you find what you were looking for? You found something, but that doesn’t exactly answer the question. 

“I don’t know.” You answer honestly once again. “I had only been down twice when Lucifer busted my ass. You know how he can be.” You sigh while putting containers of various ingredients on the counter. “Honestly, this is a pretty mild punishment for what I did.” Satan scoffs in response. You knew he’d disagree with anything having to do with the eldest brother. “That being said, I would like to go back.” Satan’s green eyes look at you in curiosity. You? The second eldest going against Lucifer? Now that’s something you don’t see every day. “I met a human there,” you try to tread carefully, “and we didn’t get off on the best foot.” 

“So?” The blond looks at you with a head tilt. “Why would you care whether or not you got off on the wrong foot with a human?” You supposed it was hard for a demon to understand why this would matter. Then again, you were a demon and you didn’t even understand why this mattered to you. “Please don’t tell me you don’t know again.” He groans from your silence. “This is hardly interesting at this point. If you’re going to get in trouble with Lucifer, you might as well make it something good.”

“Sorry my life is too boring for your standards.” You snort while prying off a lid. “But it’s the truth. He was nice enough for a human.” Cute too, but Satan didn’t need to know that. 

“Well.” a sigh leaves your brother, “keep me updated if you end up going back. Not that I find this interesting or anything. I just like pissing off Lucifer.” You chuckle to yourself once the other leaves. You thought his thinly veiled attempts of keeping track of your personal life was cute, even if he’d rather die than admit it. A sigh leaves you once you bring your attention back to the dilemma in front of you. Right, you’d have to get through this first. 

You’re on your bed, fingers drumming along the back of your D.D.D case. You were bored out of your mind and done with cooking duty for the day. It was late into the night and most of your brothers would be asleep by now, so why weren’t you? An annoyed breath of air escapes you and you turn on your side. You can’t get that damned kid out of your head. Had he put some kind of curse on you? You thought the thought was nothing but that at first, a silly thought, but now that you can’t even sleep because of this mere human, your sleep-deprived state thinks it might be a little more serious than a passing thought. 

You push yourself to sit up. You rub at your eyes groggily and you internally debate whether or not you should return to the human realm. The odds of Mammon being out and about were extremely slim, especially since the hour over there would also be ungodly. You were anxious for some reason, your body wanting to get up and start the day despite it being only a quarter past three in the morning. You were never one to believe in fate or get worked up over it, but your body was in panic mode and you had little to no idea why. You weren’t the type to get anxious over nothing either, and you thought you knew your body well enough as it was, but it seems you were mistaken. With a sigh, you close your eyes and prepare yourself for the future lecture you’d be sure to get. You already knew where you planned to go. 

The air was cold, biting at your skin as you found yourself standing in the middle of the empty streets. You were back in the city you had visited the last two times, though something seemed… off. You couldn’t place as to what, but it was enough to send alarms throughout your body. You walked down the streets, for once regretting that you didn’t bring a jacket. Did demons tend to become more sensitive with each time they traveled to the human realm? You never remembered being this cold before. 

Your eyes scanned over the closed stores, not a single soul out on the streets. You didn’t realize that even the city got this empty at night; you were expecting at least a few people here and there. It’s when you’d been walking for about ten minutes that you heard a commotion from one of the back alleys. Your eyebrow quirked and you paused in place. Should you get involved? As a demon, you didn’t want to meddle with humans too much, not if they weren’t Mammon or if you weren’t needed. Besides, what would your reputation turn to if you were caught helping humans in need whenever they were in trouble? Just keep going, that’s what you ended up telling yourself. 

“Oi, whaddya think you’re doin’? Get your dirty hands off me!”

Okay, fuck that. Scratch every single thought that was previously in your head; it’s up in flames now. You found yourself rushing towards the source of the noise with your eyes blown wide as you frantically searched for the human you hoped wasn’t the one in trouble. “Mammon?” You shouted into the night. Every nerve was going off and you were just barely keeping your demon form back. You heard Mammon calling out for you and it kicked you into overdrive. You’re by his side in a second, pulling him away from a group of three men. “What the hell is going on here?” 

“These annoyin’ assholes are tryna steal my money! A man can’t even walk home in peace without gettin’ mugged! Can ya believe that shit?” Still, you didn’t miss the way he inched closer to you as he anxiously glanced between the three of them. 

“I thought your job closed in the evening?” You asked incredulously as you managed to put space between Mammon and the strangers. 

“I have two jobs! Ya ever tried livin’ in a city? Do we even need to be discussin’ this right now?” Your eyes caught a glimpse of something shining and you abruptly moved in front of Mammon when noticing it was a pocket knife. 

“We only planned on roughing him up a bit.” The man with the weapon explained, a smirk on his lips as he took a step closer. “But since he got his friend involved to make things more complicated, I think we’ll have to do a bit more than that.” You weren’t the least bit scared, but you needed to keep in mind that Mammon was a human and that the boy could easily get hurt if things went wrong. 

“Get a job like him and you won’t need to mug people for the holidays.” You deadpan, Mammon gasping behind you.

“Are ya tryna get us killed? God, ya shoulda just kept walkin’!” Your eyebrow twitched in annoyance but you choose to ignore him for the time being. Did humans always have to be so ungrateful when they were in the middle of being aided? 

Realistically, there were a few ways to go about this. The obvious and easiest one involved you shifting into your demon form, but then you’d have to kill three humans and scar Mammon. The cons were outweighing the pros, no matter how fast the situation would be resolved. The second option would be to fight them in your current form, which wouldn’t be too much of a problem as your strength wasn’t in question, but you’d still more than likely end up killing the three humans and traumatizing Mammon. He’d also probably want to call the police. Too much of a hassle for you. 

Finally, you could just… scare them. They’d run away, Mammon would be safe, and no one would end up dead. The only con would be if Mammon ended up seeing how you planned on scaring them, but that was your last option and you didn’t have a ton of time to come up with any others on the spot. “Mammon,” you turned your head slightly so that you could see him, “stay where you are, okay? Don’t move and don’t get in front of me.” If you could do this with him standing behind you, that would be the ideal situation. When he nodded his head in confirmation, you closed your eyes and let out a sigh. The three men were advancing slowly, thrown off by your calm demeanor. It’s when you opened your eyes again that you could feel your face begin to shift and transform into something else, a form a demon only takes when their aim was, to put it bluntly, to scare the shit out of humans. 

Naturally, when seeing your face, the three men dropped their weapons and ran, yelling and screaming the entire way until you were sure they were gone. Just as fast as you had transformed your face, you averted it back to its original form, turning around to face Mammon. “Are you alright? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” Now that you could properly analyze him, you had noticed he was covered with dirt and scratches, but other than that he seemed to be free of any major injuries. The man’s dazed as you looked him over, your hands pulling at his clothes and running through his hair to make sure you didn’t accidentally miss anything fatal. 

“They just roughed me up a little, that’s all. Ya know, grabbin’ my hair and shit and throwin’ me on the ground. All that fun stuff.” You could tell he was shaken up, but other than that your human seemed to be in good health. 

Wait. Your human? Why did you think that? It’s fine, just ignore it, it was probably just a slip-up. You’re panicked, after all, there’s no need to worry-

“How’d ya scare them off like that anyway?” 

“Uh, I showed them a bigger pocket knife.” It was a lame excuse, but it’s what you had to work with. 

“Oh, okay.” You’re thanking everything in the universe that he didn’t question you further on that. At the same time though… 

“You really should question things more. Who knows what could gobble you up out here. How’d you even end up in this situation? Did they tell you to follow them?” You couldn’t help but mother hen him. Even though he admitted to being alright, and that it checked out, you were still worried over this fragile little human that needed your help and protection at all costs. Yes, that’s it. You were being generous with your time and helping a human out, that was all it was. He would owe you, that was for sure. 

“What-- are you seriously grillin’ me right now? What happened to not victim blamin’ and shit, huh? They didn’t say shit to me! They just came up on me like I was a plate of steak and they were all starved dogs!” Interesting comparison, you note duly. “Next thing I know, I’m gettin’ dragged into some shady ass alley and they’re tryna steal all my shit! The joke’s on them, I’m flat broke anyway. They would have killed me and still walked away with jackshit.” That did little to ease your concerns. It amplified them. 

“How are you still alive?” It was a question for yourself, but based on Mammon’s facial expression, you said it out loud. 

“I’ll have ya know I’m great at self-defense! I didn’t need ya runnin’ to my aid like I was some damsel in distress or somethin’.” There was a red tint to his cheeks, but you weren’t sure if that was because of what just happened. 

“Right.” You sighed and crossed your arms over your chest. You glanced at the time on your D.D.D, ignoring the fact that Mammon was sending your phone a glare. Right, probably because I made up that lie the other day. You needed to get back home; should Lucifer find out you left yet again, he would have your head on a stick. At the same time, however, you didn’t feel comfortable leaving Mammon alone after he nearly got mugged. “Where do you live?” Consequences be damned, you weren’t letting anything else happen to this human. 

“Huh?”

“Where do you live?” You repeated yourself as if it were a normal question to ask someone outside in an alley past three in the morning. “You don’t think I’m letting you walk home alone after all that, do you?” There’s a sly grin on your lips when Mammon begins to practically have a temper tantrum over your words. “Why are you so upset? I’m trying to make sure you don’t get mugged again. You could at least thank me.” Why were humans so ungrateful and complicated? “The quicker you stop throwing a complete fit, the sooner we get you back home.”

“I am not a child!” 

“I never said you were.”

“You’re implyin’ it!”

“I’m doing no such thing.” 

You decided to dial back the teasing in case he pops a blood vessel. With a sigh, you turned around on your heels. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you alone now. Just be careful and keep your guard up.” There was no way in hell you were going to leave him alone. If anything you’d just follow him in the shadows until you knew he was safe and sound. Stalkerish? Yes, possibly, but the right intentions were there.

As you began to walk away, a timid hand reached out and grabbed at your wrist. “Alright, fine. You can come with me, but don’t misunderstand. I’m not scared or nothin’, I’m just doin’ this simply so you’ll leave me alone.” A lopsided grin forms on your face when you look at his cute expression. Yeah, you were in trouble. 

The walk was mostly filled with silence, the two of you strolling along side-by-side as you kept an eye out for any more potential threats. Mammon seemed less anxious now that you were with him, and that put a part of you at ease. The walking came to an abrupt stop and you looked up from the ground to view an apartment complex that you assumed Mammon lived in. “This your place?” It looked like you’d be able to get home before Lucifer found anything out after all.

“Yeah.” He’s rubbing at his arms awkwardly as he lingers outside. “Uh, thanks for, uh, helpin’ me out and whatnot.” 

“Of course.” You knew there was something he was holding back based on his posture. “What’s wrong? Did someone follow us?” You turned around to quickly scan the area, though nothing came up. 

“What? No! I just, I was wonderin’, if-- look, it’s late out, yeah? And it’s cold as fuck and ya don’t have a jacket on, so, I don’t know, did ya maybe want to, possibly spend the night?” You froze in place, a look of pure shock on your face as you stared at the human. “It’s nothin’ sexual!” He practically cried out in embarrassment. “It’s just to repay ya for helpin’ me out! I swear!” 

You rub at the back of your neck shyly as you glanced around. “Yeah, sure, I don’t mind if you don’t mind.” So much for getting back home early. 

You slip your shoes off once you walked inside before awkwardly standing in the middle of his living room. What were you supposed to do now? You swore in all of your life you’ve never been so awkward before, and not around a human either. “Feel free to sit on the couch if you’d like.” Mammon offers as he quickly grabbed the trash from the coffee table. “I’ll get ya some blankets from the closet, pillows too.” You do as you're told and you sit down to avoid feeling awkward. You look around the room once he’s gone. It wasn’t… bad. Sure, it was nowhere near the size of the House of Lamentation, but it wasn’t awful, either. Pictures of him and his friends were framed on the walls, empty pizza boxes were stacked on the kitchen counter, and empty water bottles filled the recycling bin to the rim. He was a little messy, but then again he wasn’t expecting company, so you decided not to judge him for it. Not too much, anyway. There was a small television held up by a cardboard box across from the coffee table. You had to give him credit for creativity. 

“Sorry that the place is a dump.” Mammon reenters the room with blankets piled up in his arms, as well as a change of clothes for you. “I usually clean up when company comes over, but obviously…” His voice trails off as you take the blankets and clothes from him. 

“Thank you.” You smiled up at him and the red tint to his cheeks return. 

“You’re welcome.” He huffed under his breath before disappearing once again. “Let me find ya some pillows. I have a few extra ones around here somewhere.” He calls out from down the hall. You look down at the clothes he gave you. A baggy plain shirt and a pair of sweatpants. It was better than sleeping in your clothes you supposed. You began to pull your shirt over your head so that you could properly change before Mammon came stumbling back into the room. “I found some- oh god! Oh god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you’d be changin’-- I have a bathroom, ya know. What the fuck am I even apologizin’ for? Who changes in the middle of someone’s livin’ room anyway?” You blink and looked over at a beet red Mammon who’s gripping onto the pillows for dear life, his eyes looking anywhere but at you. You didn’t understand the big deal, but then again, humans tended to react strangely to others who were naked or in the process of changing. 

You slowly pulled your shirt back down and looked over at him again. “Sorry.” Is all you have to offer him. 

“I,” it took him a second to recollect his bearings, “ya really aren’t from here, are ya?” 

“No, I’m really not.” 

“Right then…” He shifts on his feet uncomfortably before stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants. “I brought you some pillows.” He dumps them into your lap before storming down the hall. “I’m goin’ to bed; don’t steal anythin’ or I’ll kick ya to the curb!” You rolled your eyes at his empty threat before grabbing your clothes and pillows. This would count as one of the strangest nights of your life.

You woke up to the sun shining in your face, something you weren’t accustomed to. You rubbed at your eyes sleepily before pausing. No, as odd as it may be to you, the sun was not the thing that woke you up. A sharp poke to your side makes you look over.

Yes, that’s what woke you up. 

You look over from where you were lying on the couch to see Mammon’s foot more or less kicking your side. He wasn’t putting any force behind the kick, but it nonetheless made you raise an eyebrow. “Are you kicking me?” The man paused his ministrations when realizing you were awake. 

“I thought you were dead.”

“What?”

“I don’t know; sometimes people die in their sleep. Was makin’ sure ya weren’t one of them? How would I explain that to the police?” You stared at Mammon in disbelief, the white-haired man growing red in response to your judgmental glare.

“Ya don’t need to be so rude.” He finally huffs out in response and turned around with his arms crossed over his chest. “Listen, I was just wakin’ ya up because I need to get goin’ to work soon and I can’t have ya stayin’ around unsupervised in case ya steal all of my shit and I come back to a cleaned out apartment.” Well, he was certainly blunt with what he was thinking. 

You slowly sit up and grab your D.D.D. You figured it was still early in the morning since Mammon had once mentioned that he worked at the crack of dawn. If you were lucky, you could make it back home before Lucifer would notice. 

And that’s when you remembered that you saw sunshine when you woke up.

With immediate panic, you unlock your phone to look at the time. To your horror, it was nearly eleven in the morning. Lucifer was awake and speaking of the devil himself, you had several missed calls and messages from your brothers, specifically from Lucifer. You bolted from where you were previously resting as Mammon watched before he stumbled back from your sudden movements. “What’s goin’ on?”

“I gotta go.” You quickly said as you scooped up your clothes and rushed towards the door. Clumsily slipping on your shoes, you turned back to him. “I’ll return your clothes to you another day. Make sure you don’t get mugged again on your way home. If you need to, buy some mace or pepper spray or something.” Before he could respond to your advice, you’re out his front door and running down the hall. You were so so screwed.

Screwed hadn’t even begun to cover it. You showed up in the clothes a human lent you, reeking of a human, still drowsy as you had just woken up not long ago, and just overall completely disheveled. On top of that, you knew Lucifer was awake, but you had hoped to arrive home at a time where he was out with Diavolo and you’d be able to shower and change before your inevitable lecture, which might have gotten you off a little easier.

Except that’s not what happened, as before you even unlocked the front door Lucifer swung it open. Now you were sitting in his office as Lucifer silently paced around his room. This had been going on for thirty minutes. You could tell your brothers were waiting on the other side of the door, trying to see if they could hear anything. You wanted to tell them not to hold their breath, but you were too nervous to move and unable to take your eyes off your eldest brother. 

“I thought I told you not to go back to the human realm.” You quickly looked away when Lucifer locked on to your gaze. “Look at me when I’m talking to you; I will not repeat myself.” Hesitantly, you found yourself looking back over at him. “Answer me.” His tone was that of a warning, and you knew at that moment you were on thin ice.

“You did.”

“And yet I found your room empty last night, and your D.D.D nearly unreachable.” You opened your mouth to speak, but Lucifer raises a hand to keep you silent. “And then I found myself thinking, that out of all my siblings, you couldn’t have been that stupid to return to the human realm after I told you to stop.” You shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, and you lean back against the couch you were sitting on. You tried to shrink yourself, but that didn’t make Lucifer any less intimidating. “And then I thought, ‘Lucifer, don’t be so hard on them, maybe they needed a fresh breath of air. You can’t accuse your siblings of being up to something whenever they’re out of your sight. Surely they aren’t that bad.’” He quickened his pace as he circled the room. “But then after two hours you didn’t return, and something told me you yet again disobeyed me and returned to the very place I warned you not to go. Tell me, was watching Lilith and Belphegor suffer because humans not good enough for you? You were never a sibling I had to worry about before. You always listened to me and you helped me keep everyone in line. Why is it that now I have to keep my eye on you?” He stopped abruptly and rubbed at his temples. 

You felt irritation stir deep inside you, though you bit back what you wanted to say. You knew Lucifer was getting worked up, and if you started an argument now, it wouldn’t end well for anyone involved. “I’m sorry.” Keeping the peace seemed like a better option for you at the moment. You knew what battles to pick, and this was not one of them. “I shouldn’t have lied to you and snuck out--”

“You came back in the clothes of a human.” Lucifer seethed. “You smelled like a human. Do you have a human lover? Are you seeing a human?” He looks at you with wide eyes, the demon looking like he was on the brink of insanity. “I will not watch someone I love fall because of humans. Not again. If you’re seeing a human then forget about it. It’s over.” 

“I’m not involved with a human, Lucifer.”

“Then why are you wearing their clothes? Why do you smell more human than a demon? You were gone for an entire night!” You flinch when he raised his voice and he noticed, the demon then trying to dial it back somewhat. He never liked arguing with you even when you were the one in the wrong. Perhaps it was one of the perks of being the favorite? “If you were hunting humans you wouldn’t be gone all night. If you were just looking around you wouldn’t be gone all night! Tell me, what were you doing? Who were you with?” You swallow nervously and averted your gaze. Getting Mammon in trouble, and with Lucifer of all people, was not what you wanted to do. “I will not repeat myself. Who--”

“I’m not telling you who I was with.” This wasn’t usual for you. You didn’t talk back to Lucifer, you didn’t tell him no, and you certainly didn’t argue with him. But you knew if you gave him Mammon’s information, the human that you tried so desperately to save last night might be put in danger once again, but this time by your brother. It wasn’t a situation you wanted to get involved in, so you’d try and prevent it as best as possible. 

“Pardon?” There’s a look of shock on his face, and you could almost hear one of your brother’s gasps from outside the door. 

“I’m not going to tell you who I was with last night. Why would I? So you can kill him?” If looks could kill, you’d be dead right now. 

“So it’s a man.” 

You groaned at your brother’s response. Typical Lucifer. “Lucifer, I already apologized for going without your permission, but I’m an adult, and I’m not going to give you every little detail of what I did when I was in the human realm.”

“It’s the way you think that that suffices as an apology.” He states in disbelief. “You need to learn to stay in your place.”

“And where’s my place?”

“If you were smart, you’d learn quickly.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not going to ask again. Who is he?”

“I’m still not going to tell you.” You knew Lucifer would go to any length to protect those closest to him, and if he deemed Mammon as a threat it would most likely end with the human getting wiped from existence. You could see the anger just barely restrained behind his eyes, the demon shifting into his demon form without even realizing it. 

“If that’s how you want to play, then we will play it your way. You are forbidden from ever attending the human realm again.” You blink several times before rising from your seat. 

“And who are you to make that decision?”

“Along with that, you are to stay in my sight until I decide you can be trusted on your own again. Lord Diavolo doesn’t approve of random trips to the human realm, and when he finds out that you’ve been making day trips there, you’ll suddenly find yourself with lots of free time on your hands.” You paused. You hadn’t thought of that. You knew, although Diavolo was pushing for realms to reach peace with one another, that he wouldn’t approve of a demon taking unauthorized trips to the human realm. 

“But--”

“No. We’re finished here; there’s nothing further to discuss.” You knew his words held truth by the expression on his face. You watch wordlessly as Lucifer leaves his study, leaving you alone in the room with just your thoughts.

[sevendeadlymorons]

Hey I’m that one anon from a while back that sent those long ass paragraphs about Lilith and Simeon, remember me? Anyway I know I’m very late to the party, but some of the boys are either getting to much hate or too much love over here (in my opinion) so I made a pros and cons list for all of them, I’m sorry- (I’m warning you now this will be long but I’ll put it in bullet points so it’s a bit easier to read, just read it whenever your mentally ready lol)

Lucifer (I hate this man.)

Pros

He’d help a lot with getting your life together wether that be finding a job, choosing the right college or other shit like that

He’d make sure your working hard and getting everything done, which is both a blessing and a curse tbh

He would be the one to take the most care of you whenever your ill psychically

Cons

He would probably overwork you

Doesnt have much time to spend on you and doesn’t make a effort to find more time unless your getting really sad about it

Probably wouldn’t be the best of help through issues with mental illness (he just doesn’t strike me as that type, feel free to disagree)

His pride would cause some serious problems in relationships :/

Mammon (I love this man.)

Pros

He’s the “if your sad, I’m sad” kind of guy so he does whatever he can to put a smile on your face

Makes his affection towards you known once he’s comfortable enough, mostly through things like hugs and head pats tho

He shows off anything you make, and I mean anything (you gave him a drawing? After showing it to everyone he puts it on the fridge. You wrote something? He reads it to everyone then puts it in his notebook to reread later, I think you get where I’m going with this)

Cons

There would probably be some communication issues due to his tsundere nature and habit of ignoring you when he’s mad

He’d get super mad at you when your trying to help him financially, maybe it’s a ego thing or maybe he’s just tired of hearing it

While his possessiveness is cute at times he’d definitely get way to overbearing if you don’t force him to cool it

Levi (I kin this man.)

Pros

He’d try to set up designated hangout times (like Friday is movie night, Tuesday is for RPGs etc)

Wanna spend time with him but aren’t very into what he’s into? While it will be harder to bond with him because of this I think if you REALLY wanted to hang with him he’d at least try to meet you in the middle (like if you like sports he’ll offer to play wii sports lol)

Insecurities getting you down again? Well never fear, levi is here! He’d find characters with flaws similar to those you see in yourself to prove that they don’t really matter (and since he struggles with insecurity himself he’d know how you feel and be one of the best at helping you through them)

Cons

Even if he makes an effort to meet you in the middle if you have different interests he’d refuse to get into “normie” stuff

He’ll guilt trip you constantly, even if it’s not on purpose (“Oh your hanging out with Asmo today? I get it, of course you’d wanna hang out with somebody cool and perfect like Asmo and not a gross yucky otaku like me”)

You have to initiate almost everything Hugs? You hug first. Handholding? You reach out to him. Confessions? You seriously thought he’d be the one to confess first??

Satan

Pros

Similar to Lucifer he’d be good at helping you get your life together and putting you on the right track

Unlike Lucifer, he’d actively make time for date nights and/or hangouts multiple times a week wether your going out for dinner or reading in front of the fireplace

While he himself might not be best at helping with comfort in the moment, he’d be great to turn to if you needed a long time treatment (you need a therapist? He’s got the best three in your area that you can afford and he found some helpful things you can do in this book)

Cons

As stated previously, he’s not the best with comfort, which can be an issue if you need a friend/partner who can be your biggest source of comfort (I’m not saying he’ll do nothing, it’ll just be kinda awkward ig)

If you vent to him about something he’ll always offer advice and while that can be good, sometimes all you want is someone to listen to you and getting advice can be annoying in the moment

I feel like hanging out with him you’d rarely ever get to talk about pointless things, everything would be serious you know? And while serious and deep conversations are good for bonding, some people (myself included) need to be able to talk about dumb things without having it turn philosophical

Asmo

Pros

He’s the best at boosting your confidence, there’s no competition

He’s more into spontaneous outings (he suddenly got the urge to go shopping, your coming with right?)

You can talk about just about anything with him, no judgment and he’ll never speak a word of it to anyone else if you don’t want him to (although he may brag to his brothers that you told him your secrets)

High emotional IQ

Cons

He has set things of things he’s interested in and his idea of trying the things your into is doing whatever it is for about 5 seconds then deciding it’s not for him

He cares a lot about looks, I don’t mean he’ll hate you or insult you cause he thinks your ugly, I mean he’ll constantly try to do your makeup, hair, and nails and he’ll always say things like “Your hair is a bit messy today, did you brush it? Yes? Well not good enough, let me do it” and “your wearing that out? There’s nothing wrong with it, I just think you’d look a lot cuter in this” and if your anything like me, that’ll get on your nerves a lot

While he’s great with emotional issues, if it’s a problem with anything like school or your job he’ll have no solution to offer, all you’ll get is a “You can do it!” and a good luck kiss

Narcissistic, need I say more?

Beel

Pros

He’s the best person to vent to, no judgment and tons of hugs and comfort food

He’s a mom friend, no explanation needed

Very supportive and always concerned for your health

Your in trouble? Call beel, he’ll help you and make sure your home safe before questioning you and will only lecture you out of love (unlike a certain older brother that will lecture you because “Your tarnishing Diavlo’s reputation by acting out like this. Your an exchange student, you must abide by the rules and behave yourself.”)

Cons

Food is his answer to everything (Sad?Food. Injured? Food. School’s stressful? Food plus a little help studying) and while food can be good for comfort, sometimes you need him to provide more than a snack

He’s the opposite of Satan in the sense that he’ll almost never offer advice when you rant to him, he just assumes getting it all out is help enough and won’t offer much more then a hug and food

Not getting along with one of his brothers? “They can be a handful, but they’re great people once you learn to handle the chaos” yeah he rarely thinks what his brothers did is a big deal so he gives you advice on how to apologize and get past it and he’ll give you food

Belphie (he really does attract the mentally ill people huh-)

Cons

I feel like he’d be good for certain people with social anxiety and people who have issues with always being scared about being a bad person (“you think your a bad person and are becoming more and more toxic by the day? Well your a better person than Lucifer that’s for sure, wether or not your toxic were going to cuddle now get in bed” or “your worried everyone is constantly staring and judging you for everything you do? Well I don’t really care about what your wearing or the way you walk so I doubt they do either, can we go home now?” ((Side note, I experience both of these issues and his uncaring personality would calm me, which is why I think this one of his pros))

He just wouldn’t care about whatever type of life style you lead and as someone who’s constantly scared of being judged for their lifestyle this would be amazing (“you sleep all the time? Same let’s nap together” “You don’t eat very healthy? Whatever, it’s fine, can we sleep now?” ((although it is a double edged sword))

He gets a burst of energy and just does the most random things (you see that tree? He’s already climbed half way up it. That petting zoo? He’s already feeding the lambs. That store? He’s already spent 30 grim)

Cons

Just like his twin he thinks every problem has one solution, but instead of food he thinks the solution is sleep (your sick? Sleep is the best medicine. A lot of homework? If you sleep you don’t have to think about it.)

At some point he just doesn’t care enough, if you come to him with a serious issue he’ll half listen to you rant then pull you down to sleep

He teases you a lot, which is fine teasing is fun, but he takes it too far. Maybe he touched on something your insecure about or he was too merciless, whatever it was, he won’t apologize for it, he just thinks your being sensitive. If he brought up some bad memories he’ll consider it, but his way of apologizing is cuddling

He doesn’t wanna do something? You guys aren’t gonna do it. You don’t wanna do something? Too bad, he wants to so your gonna.

I’m sorry this is so long- I tried to shorten it I swear- but anyway if you disagree I’m with anything, I wanna hear what you think

And even tho Beel doesn’t get much screen time and more serious moments, I think his character is way more then hunger

Random but I wanna add that other then Levi I kin Tamaki from mha and Ranpo from bsd

Dude do you just like torturing poor college students? This is so much to read, I’m about to cry 😭

I agree with the Lucifer part actually! Tho I do kinda thing he’s be good emotion support in some ways, for me, anyway. I feel like he may lack empathy that is needed in a stable relationship. Yes, he may be able to tell you with shit and honestly, he’d book my doctors appointments when I’m too anxious too so yknow. But yeah

Also agree with mammon. He’s a jackass when he wants to be, and I know he may not mean it, but his words are still hurtful in a lot of ways and he just can’t convey those emotions that’re needed in a loving relationship. But he’s so sweet and will show you off so it’s all good~

As much as I love Levi, I agree. He manipulates and guilt trips you throughout the entire game. It can’t be healthy in relationships but that don’t stop me from loving that sweet otaku boy 😔🖤

I agree with Satan too. I don’t have much to say but he’s avatar of wrath for a reason, for a start, and he honestly looks like he’d prefer talking about books than that funny thing that happened in class that made you laugh earlier

Agreed with Asmo too. Sometimes he may just get overbearing and the narcissism and the constant need to make you look better and improve you may get irritating

I agree with Beel. I don’t think he can comprehend that food isn’t an answer to everything and as a person who doesn’t cope with food and relatively hates it, he won’t be any help to me emotionally. He’s so sweet but he just won’t give you that proper support

I love Belphie so so much but I absolutely agree. He’s one of the most unbothered brothers who won’t care what you look like, yes, but that also means compliments may come rarely and like his twin, “sleep is the answer to everything” I can admit I like to sleep but I have a manic side that comes with insomnia and if he’s dragging me down and not letting me move and I just cannot sleep, I’m gonna get irritated and pissed off.

This got a bit long on my end too. I just really liked how you worded this and it was fun to see pros and cons of the ‘perfect’ brothers

I think Beel is more than food too, but I just don’t particularly like him either way cuz I’m not really a foodie so I can’t relate with him lmao

[heylookafanfic]

Title: What Could Go Wrong?

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x daughter!Reader, 

brief summary: With your dad, Aaron Hotchner, being the BAU unit chief, he did whatever he could to protect you. When you get invited to a party for the first time, sneaking out doesn’t sound so bad. What could go wrong?

word count: 3,706 words

requested: Nope, original! (send in those requests!) 

warnings: cursing, getting roofied, getting yelled at, predatory men

Your dad, Aaron Hotchner, was extremely protective over you not only because his job can put you and your brother, Jack, in danger but he already lost a family member and refused to lose another. Having an overprotective father meant you had a list of rules.

The door was to remain completely open when your significant other came over and no sitting/laying on the bed

No leaving the house after sundown

You can’t sleep over at anyone's house, they had to sleep over at your house

You have to ask to go somewhere

If your dad wasn’t home and the doorbell rang, you couldn’t answer it

And that is just the surface. You understood why your dad was so strict but you never got to have a life. To make things worse, your friends always post pictures from parties on Instagram and all you could do is sigh and keep scrolling knowing you’ll never get to go to one.

One day, you were in communications class listening to the professor lecturing about the upcoming semester project. Luckily, you got to pick your group for it and when they dismissed the class to find partners, you quickly turned to your best friend,Vanessa.

“I guess we’re partners, huh?” you chuckled

“Of course!” she said

“So, what do you want to make our project about?”

“I have no idea. I barely paid attention this chapter”

“Try to think out of the box a bit. What’s gonna make ours stand out?”

“Since the class is about communications, how about human interaction?”

“What about it?”

“Like how you haven't had any human interaction lately” she said with a smirk

“You know my dads strict. I can’t even breathe without him being on edge” you said

“You need to live a little Y/N. You’re in college and you’re still being treated like a kid.”

“I know, I know but I don’t know how to convince him to let up a bit”

“Here’s the thing, I’m going to a friend's kickback tomorrow night. This is your chance to finally hang out with someone who isn’t me, Jack or your dad ”

“He’s gonna say no regardless even if I tell him that you’re going with me.” you said

“I’m not saying to sneak out but...” she said with a shrug

“You know he has cameras around the entire perimeter of the house, right?”

“Just say you’re sleeping over at my house”

“Can’t do that either, remember? All sleepovers have to happen at my house”

“I understand having to be cautious because your dads in the FBI but doesn’t he realize that you’re in college?”

You thought about it for a second.

“That’s it! How about you sleep over but I’ll say that you forgot your meds. That’ll give us an excuse to leave”

“Won’t he be suspicious though?”

“Probably not. He trusts you out of all of my friends”

“You’ve got a point. What time am I coming over?”

“What time does the kickback start?”

“9 pm”

“Come over at 7. We’ll be finishing up dinner and it’ll give us time to get ready”

“Awesome”

The both of you packed your backpacks and went home. This would be the first time you’d be sneaking out and you were pretty nervous because so many things could go wrong but you’re with your best friend so, what could possibly go wrong?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Hotchner Household- The next day*

You were in your room finishing up your psychology homework when your dad called you and Jack down for dinner

“Y/N and Jack, come down for dinner” he yelled from the kitchen

“I’m almost done! Give me two more minutes!” you shouted

“Come down now before it gets cold”

You sighed and closed your laptop. As you were walking out of your room, you saw Jack coming down the hall.

“I’ll race you to the dinner table. Loser has to wash dishes tonight” you challenged

“You’re gonna lose like you did last time” he said

“That’s only because you pushed me, short stuff” you chuckled

“I won fair and square though, didn’t I?”

“Anyway…ready, set, go!”

The both of you raced down the hallway and downstairs. Your dad heard all the stomping and already knew what was up. You lightly pushed Jack and he tumbled towards the couch by the living room. Your dad had his hands out by his sides, waiting to see who would finish 1st. You ran and tagged in, winning.

“You pushed me!” Jack complained

“I won fair and square though, didn’t I?” you chuckled

“Dad, Y/N cheated and they said that I’d have to wash dishes after dinner”

“Karmas a bit-” you were cut off

“Enough you two. Go wash your hands and make your plate” your dad said

*During dinner*

“So, how was everybody’s day?” he asked

“I found out that we’re dissecting a frog in class next week” Jack said

“They still do that?” he asked

“Yeah, everyone in my class thinks it’s cool but I’m not looking forward to it”

“Why is that?”

“Because, it’s gross. I asked if I could do an extra credit project instead but my teacher said no”

“Sorry bud. How about you Y/N? How was your day?”

“It was okay. We were assigned a group project yesterday so Vanessas coming over later to study. Is that cool?”

“Which Vanessa?”

“Dad. You’re kidding, right? The same Vanessa I’ve been best friends with since kindergarten?”

“Oh, her. Yeah, she can come over. What’s your project about?”

“It’s a research slideshow about human interaction”

“If you have time, you should drop by the office and ask your aunts and uncles for help. Especially your uncle Spencer. He’ll tell you everything you need to know; easy A” he said

Suddenly, his phone chimed.

“Work?” you and Jack ask

Your dad shook his head and took one last sip of his drink before getting up from the table. He was running around the house grabbing his go bag and work essentials.

“I don’t know when I’ll be back but if I’m not back later tonight, Y/N you know the drill” he said

“Close and lock all doors and windows, don’t answer the door, Jack is to be in bed by 9:30 and lights out at 11” you recited

“And Jack?”

“No video games or TV until homework is done and Y/N is in charge” he groaned

“Good. Y/N?”

“Yes?”

“Vanessa is the only one permitted in the house. Understood?”

“Yes sir”

“Alright, bye! I love you two!” he said

Your dad rushed out the door, hopped in the car and sped off to work. Your dad pretty much being on call can be annoying sometimes because he’s usually away for a few days and misses out on family time. Usually, it’s a bummer but tonight, it was working in your favor.

“Now what?” Jack asked

“How about we finish up dinner and I’ll help you with your homework so you can have the rest of the night to yourself?”

“Sweet!” he responded

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Later that night*

Vanessa had already been at your house for 2 hours and while Jack was getting ready for bed, you were about to leave for the kickback.

“What time did you say your little brother goes to bed?” Vanessa asked

“9:30”

She sighed

“We’re going to be late by then. Can’t we leave earlier?”

“We can’t. If I’m not here to make sure he’s asleep, he’ll be up all night”

“Jacks like what, 10? He’ll be fine. Plus, it’s a Friday night. It’s not like he has school tomorrow.”

You gave it a second thought. Jack is old enough to put himself to bed and the party wasn’t going to be worth going to if you were late.

“Fine. Give me a second and then we can go” you said

You walked down the hall to Jack’s room and knocked.

“Come in” he answered

“Hey bud, are you almost ready for bed?” you asked

“Yeah, I gotta brush my teeth though.”

“Listen, Vanessa and I are going out for a bit tonight. Would you be okay if you were by yourself for a few hours?”

“You can’t leave! Remember what Dad said? ‘No leaving the house after sundown’ ?”

“I know, I know but it’s only for tonight and since Dad’s out at work, I’ll let you stay up and play video games until I get back”

“Won’t we get in trouble? If he finds out, we’re gonna be grounded”

“He won’t find out unless we tell him….which we won’t. Right?”

Jack thought the situation through for a second.

“Right” he said

“Cool. Vanessa and I are leaving in about 5 minutes. Rules still apply to you though. I don’t care who rings the doorbell. If it’s not me or Dad, don’t answer it. Understood?”

“Yeah”

“Alright, all the doors and windows are locked so you’re safe here as long as they stay closed. I’ll be back in a few hours. Love you!” you said

“Love you too!” Jack responded

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*At the kickback*

This was your first time sneaking out of the house and honestly, you didn’t think your plan would work. You thought that by now you’d be at home getting an earful from your dad because you got caught but, what perfect timing?! Your dad getting called into work the same night?! It’s actually kind of funny how things work out. What could go wrong?

You and Vanessa pulled up to the party and parked in the driveway

“You ready Y/N?” she asked

“Yeah. I just can't believe our plan actually worked”

“I know right? You’re old man needs to let you live a little. You deserve to enjoy your youth. Now c’mon”

As you two walk in, loud music blares from the speaker and there’s people everywhere. Beer cans on the floor and furniture, red solo cups spewed about the floor, the smell of weed in the air and you can tell every guy is wearing cheap cologne because of how musky it is. You thought parties like this only existed in movies.

You knew a few people but due to not being the biggest social butterfly, you decided to cling to Vanessa all night.

“Y/N, this is my old theatre buddy, Vaughn. Vaughn, this is my best friend Y/N!”

“Hey, nice to meet you!” he welcomed

“Nice to meet you too!”

“Vanessas told me all about you”

“She has?”

“Yeah! Best friends since kindergarten?! You two go way back”

“Definitely!”

“This is actually Y/N’s first kickback!” Vanessa chimed in

“Your first? You’ve never been to a party?”

“Not really, my dad’s very overprotective so I never get the chance to really hang out”

“What changed his mind?”

“Actually, he’s out of town at the moment so, he doesn’t even know”

“Ahhh, sneaky you!” he chuckled

“Hey, I’m gonna go get a drink really quick. You guys want anything?” Vanessa asked

“I’m good but thanks” you said

“I’ll go with you” Vaughn said

“Y/N, I’ll be right back but in the meanwhile, go get out of your comfort zone a bit” she said

“Nice meeting you….”

“Y/N” you said

“Y/N! Right. I’ll see you later” Vaughn said

Vanessa and Vaughn made off into the kitchen and that left you to your own devices. You still weren’t comfortable enough to go and be social so you made your way to the couch. Luckily, you spotted the host’s dog and whistled at it. It trotted over to you and jumped up into your lap. This would be your comfort zone for the rest of the night.

*An hour later*

The host's dog had surprisingly fallen asleep while you scrolled through your phone. You weren’t gonna lie. You were sort of envious that it could sleep through all the noise. As you continued scrolling you noticed someone heading your way.

“Is anyone sitting here?” a voice asked

You looked up to see a tall figure with broad shoulders.

“Uh, no. You’re good to sit”

“Thanks” he said

You resumed scrolling on your phone

“Nice dog” he said making small talk

“I’d say thanks but it’s not mine. It just curled up next to me and fell asleep” you spoke

“With all this noise?”

“Exactly what I’m saying!” you chuckled

“I’d kill to be a heavy sleeper” he said

“If only, right?!”

You two sat in silence for a second

“I’m Brady”

“Y/N”

“Nice to meet you. So, how’d you find out about the kickback?”

“My friend is friends with the host so she invited me”

“That’s a good friend!”

“Yeah, this is my first party actually”

“Really? How?”

“Overprotective parent”

“Ah, I know your struggle. Well, if you don’t mind, how ‘bout we drink to that?”

“Uh- okay. Thanks!”

“What’s your poison?” he asked

“I’ll take a beer please”

“A beer? Ooh, so you like to play it safe huh? I’ll be right back”

Brady got up and walked into the kitchen. You were actually excited because not only is this your first party but someone came up to you instead of the other way around.

“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” a voice said

You turned your head and it was Vanessa

“What took you so long?”

“I was getting a drink, remember?”

“It took you a whole hour, 60 MINUTES, to get a drink and find me?!” you joked

“This place is huge”

“It’s a condo ‘Nessa”

“Anyway, you’ve been sitting by yourself this whole time? I thought I told you to go and socialize!”

“I did! I met this guy, Brady, and he’s getting us drinks”

“Oooo! I know you had a little game in that beautiful brain somewhere. Well, let me go before I ruin your moment. I’ll be in the living room if you need me” she said

Vanessa ran off again. Just as she left, Brady came back with drinks.

“Una cerveza for the party virgin” he said

“What?” you chuckled

“One beer like you asked” he chuckled

“Oh, thank you!”

“To your first party and to many more” he toasted

You two clanked your cups together and took a swig

“For someone who seems to be so sheltered, you sure downed it with no problem” he said

“Well, my Uncle Dave is italian so everytime we go to his house, he cohearses my dad into letting me have a little wine. He says the drinking age in Italy is 16 so, why not?” you chuckled

“Lemme guess, he’s the crazy relative in the family?”

“No, that’d be my aunt Penelope but he’s a close second”

The two of you talked about family, your dream career and your taste in music for about an hour. You were starting to think that maybe it was a good idea to sneak out. You would have never met Brady and the more you found out about him, the more you started catching feelings for him. Or maybe that was the beer talking. Speaking of beer, you were starting to think that that beer didn’t sit right with you. You started feeling dizzy and sick to your stomach.

“Hey Brady, I gotta go talk to my friend really quick but I promise I’ll be right back”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just not feeling the best”

“Do you want some water?” he asked

“I’m fine. I need to find Vanessa though”

You stood up and immediately sat back down

“Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to lay down?” he asked

“I’m fine” you said

You didn’t notice but you started slurring your words. Things were going downhill and fast. Brady didn’t….no, he couldn’t have. Things were going so well with him and you thought you could trust him. He couldn’t have possibly done that to you. You couldn’t yell for Vanessa over the loud music let alone stand up without falling over. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all.

“Come on. I’ll take you to one of the bedrooms and you can lay down there until you feel better” Brady said

Fuck. You knew what you wanted to say but you couldn’t speak without slurring your words. Everything you said came out as incoherent. Brady stood up and helped you stand up, using him as a support. He started walking you towards the back until you felt a hand yank your hand

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” a voice yelled

Vanessa. Wait.. the voice was masculine.

Vaughn.

“I’m just helping them lay down. They’re tired” Brady said

“Leave them the fuck alone” Vaughn said sternly

“Mind your business dude” Brady retorted

“I know them so it is my business. I’m not going to tell you again. Leave them the fuck alone”

Brady dropped you but Vaughn quickly caught the rest of your body.

“Have fun with them, douchebag” Brady stormed off

Vaughn fireman carried you into the living room and sat you down

“Hey Y/N. It’s Vaughn. Are you okay?” he asked caringly

“Mmmrrmgh” you slurred

Shit.

“I’m gonna get Vanessa. I promise I’ll be right back, okay?” he said

Your head lulled around and you couldn’t move your limbs. All your energy was draining. This made him panic. As he tried to get you to squeeze his hand to get a response out of you, everything faded to black.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*45 minutes later*

You woke up but everything was blurry and everything sounded muffled. You were laying down but your sickness was worse because you were being jostled around.

“There they are. Hey sweetheart. Sir-” a voice said

You looked up and saw a dark figure. Your head was on someone's lap.

“Y/N? Come on sweetheart, keep your eyes open for me” the voice said

You took a few shallow breaths before attempting to sit up

“No no, stay still, okay?”

That voice was way too familiar and it made you feel at ease. There was only one person that could clear the clouds out on a rainy day with just their voice

“Aunt Penelope?” you softly spoke

“At your service!” she said

“Y/N?” another voice said

“Dad” you cried

“How’re they doing?”

“They opened their eyes a bit and heart rate is still pretty high but they’re stable” Penelope sighed with relief

“Dad? What’s happening?”

“Y/N? Can you hear me?”

You nodded your head.

“That’s an affirmative” Penelope relayed

”Listen, we’re heading to the hospital right now. You were drugged and you stopped breathing. We’re almost there so just hold on for me, okay?” he said

His voice was borderline quivering. He was scared but wanted to stay strong for you and the team. He already lost Hailey and lord forbid he was going to lose you too

Penelope rolled the window down a bit  so you could get some air but right before she could touch the button, your eyes closed again.

“Sir-”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*At the hospital*

You opened your eyes and saw a handful of blobs that got clearer as your eyes adjusted to the light.

“There they are!” said Rossi

“It’s about time” said JJ

“You were scared us for a second there, kid” said Morgan

Your whole family was there, excited for you to finally pull through

“Y/N!” Jack said excited

He hugged you and you had no choice but to hug him tighter. On any other day you’d be wrestling him for the remote but considering what happened to you tonight, you needed a hug from him

“For the record, I didn’t tell dad” he stated

Everyone laughed

“I got you lavender and chamomile tea, your favorite” Reid said popping his head in

“Uncle Spence!” you said

As you grabbed your tea, you saw your dad out the corner of your eye. Uh oh.

“Can we have a moment, please?” your dad asked

Everyone filed out and the door closed. He walked over to the blinds to close them.

“How’d you find out?” you softly asked

“Vanessa called me practically screaming that you were dead! You’re lucky that the case we’re working is local! What were you thinking?! You lied to me, waited until I left the house to sneak out to a party and thought ‘what could go wrong?’ ?!” he raised his voice

“Dad, I’m-”

“What? You’re sorry?! Y/N, before we got there, you died in Vanessa’s arms! How do you think I felt? I couldn’t get to you fast enough. I had to push my way through a bunch of teens just to find my kid dead”

“What do you want me to say dad? I’m sorry that you’re still dealing with trauma from mom dying, so much so that you’ve become a helicopter parent over Jack and I? If that’s what you’re looking for, it’s not my fault that she’s dead. ”

The room went so silent you could hear a pin drop.

“I didn’t mean-”

“I know”

Your dad started tearing up

“When I saw your body laying there, all I could see is your mom all over again. I was afraid that I’d have to tell Jack that his only sibling is gone, plan another funeral, and spend a lifetime beating myself up for not being there quick enough.”

“Dad, it wasn’t your fault though. It’s Foyet’s. He’s long gone now and you did what you could. This? This was my fault. I never should have snuck out. I never should have lied to you. Had I listened, none of this would have happened”

“None of this is your fault. It’s whoever did this to you’s fault.  The sneaking out part, I would have found out eventually and you would’ve been grounded until eternity but to find out this way? I could care less about punishment right now, all I care about is that the Hotchner kids are safe. The BAU might be my job but being a dad comes before anything”

He hugged you and squeezed you tightly.

“I love you more than you’ll ever know Y/N. Don’t you ever scare me like that again”

“Yes sir and I love you too”

A knock came from the door before being slightly opened

“Garcia wanted me to let you know that Quantico PD has the perp in custody and he’s being processed at the station” Prentiss softly said

“You hear that?” your dad said

You smiled

“I get to have a field day with him tomorrow. He has no idea what he has coming to him”

[winterwolf0916]

𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿

Jason Todd x Tamaran! Reader

Requested by anon: Hiya! I love your blog so much, and I just was wondering, if you're taking requests right now, could I request some Jason Todd x a Tamaranean reader? Like maybe she stowed away to earth when Kory made a trip to Tamaran and she's really cute and sweet and enthusiastic and fun and she had no family back home so Kory's like yeah alright you can be my sidekick and she has to get used to life on earth and meets Jason as Robin and they become friends to lovers to oh no he fuckin dead to lovers again?

Warning: Fluff, Angst, Language, Mentions of Death, Slow Burn & oh! did I mention fluff?

A/n: My heart... Also, I pray and hope you enjoy this one, love. This took me a while to finish but I got it done and I got carried away it. I wont lie, my writing isn’t the best but I hope this is something you what wanted or close to it.

Word Count: 3K 

Kori loves your company

You were like the little sister she never had

A better sister than Blackfire of course 

When she brought you to earth you were so amazed at everything

It looks so lively and green.

Flying around and feeling the cool waters from the ocean, the beautiful smell of the flowers and pines from the trees, and the shiny reflection on the buildings.

As Kori was going to take a visit to the cave to see Dick for a mission, she brought you along for an introduction.

He looked scary once you were brought inside.

“Kori! So nice to see you again. Oh, who’s this?” Dick glanced at your direction as you hid behind her like a scared kitten. 

“Ah, this is Y/n L/n. A Tamaranean like me.”

“Hello y/n. I’m Nightwing.” You were mostly afraid of the masks because you haven’t seen anyone like him with that sort. 

Dick noticed your fear then he took it off, causing you to relax a little, and shook your hand. “It’s so nice to have you on Earth.” You only nodded your head with a small smile. But there was a large slam of a door and stomping onto the stairs.

“Son of a bitch! Son a crusty no good bitch!” 

“Jason. We have guests.” This… ‘Jason’ took a glance at their direction before giving a frown. Once again, you hid your figure behind Kori’s, scared onto the boy

Dick apologized to the two of you and went off to lecture his younger brother. 

Kori only sighed and notified you that this was normal of him before Dick came back.

“Don’t worry about him, he’s just having another rough day with our dad. Jason please come greet them!” He rounded a corner with his mask on and his suit with an imprinted R. 

“Robin. Pleased to meet you.” He sounded so irritated that he wanted this introduction to be over with.

Still in uneasiness with the mask, Dick quickly nudged his younger brother urging him to take it off.

Jason didn’t. 

He just walked past you guys and left the cave on his motorbike.

Oh how much ass whopping he’s gonna get from Dick.

The second encounter happened at the Titans tower.

You finally learned how to control your powers and perform such combat ability that you never knew you could do.

Dick and Kori were like parents in the Tower.

You really loved the Titans

Raven may be dark but you both have such a strong friendship due to your trauma back in Tamaran and hers with her father

You suffered from a torturous experiment that left you with very similar yet slightly different powers than Kori. 

Also you both love books

Garth always makes you laugh. 

When training he turns into a gorilla to lift a good 3000 pounds while you could lift a good 70 tons making him go EEK!

He would make very disappointing puns but it always amuses you while everyone cringes at the dinner table.

Cyborg is like an older brother to you. 

You would sometimes help him with the mechanics and lift heavy parts around while he rants about his day and he would also cheer for you when you’re sparring

They were the closest friends while the rest of the members adore you and your sweet personality

But when Jason came along with Dick for a small mission for a few weeks, you immediately locked yourself in your room.

The Titans were concerned 

You were so marvelous and bubbly to all guests. Even to the infamous Batman!

Did the small bastard do something to make you like this?

Planning murder

But Dick and Kori knew why

After a lecture with the boy, Jason came by your dorm at night, still in uniform, knocking on your door, you didn’t open up, only listened from the inside

“I’m sorry.” It wasn’t sincere really. “I know we started off on the wrong foot, um…” his hand went through his hair in frustration that he needed to do this. “Since we're working together, we’re going to need to become trusting of one another….I’ll...see you tomorrow I guess.” That was awkward of him.

As footsteps faded down the hallway, you started to give a small smile.

You start to warm up to him.

But when he starts doing the little things, the two of you grew a bond. 

By little things, I mean correcting your moves when sparring, telling you stories of his previous missions, listening to you, exposing embarrassing stories about Dick, bringing you your favorite meals in a large amount because you’re a big eater, and lots of others.

When you first saw him without his mask, you were floating above him, pulling his face closer to yours while admiring the beautiful color of his eyes. 

“Your eyes are the most gorgeous color I’ve seen here on Earth.” 

Oh how your face fell when he had to leave. 

Don’t get me started with Jason, he began to be more hostile when sparring with others

There was a time when he took out his feelings on a sand bag while Garth and Cyborg were questioning what that bag ever did to him.

Of course the ‘parents’ took notice of this and Dick would purposely bring you to the cave or Jason to the tower.

The two of you have such a friendship that you would sometimes prank one another yet enjoy each other's silence.

Carnivals or nights out in the city were always a blast.

Whenever the two of you would see each other, you would fly to him in a swift manner that he would sometimes stumble back to regain balance from the impact. 

Soon, a single touch from him exchanging a book to you, caused you to feel such an electric current.

His smile and laughter made your heart paced faster than the speed of light

His cocky attitude and sweet side made your nine stomachs filled with butterflies.

You panicked and told Kori about it while she was sitting on her couch smiling as you explained.

“You like him y/n.” “Well of course! He’s my friend isn’t he?” “Oh dear, you’ll need to sit down for this.”

Wait, there is a different emotion called attraction?

AND IT DOESN’T STOP?

The more time you’ve spent with Jason, the more your ‘attraction’ feels stronger.

You would sometimes daydream the two of you blossoming into a relationship like Dick and Kori.

“Did you hear that Kori and Dick broke up again?” Raven stated before taking a sip of her tea. “What is this, ‘breaking up’ ?” you asked with curiosity yet wonder about this new term

When Raven sighed and gave details about it, you were 100x more terrified about the idea of a relationship

What if you and Jason will experience the same if you both ever become a couple?

You tried to distract the feeling of disheartenment with your enthusiasm

But of course, the feeling always returns

Your legs were pressed to your chest as you gaze at the ocean and it’s crystal shimmers of the moonlight, still in thought about your feelings. Jason found you on the rooftop of the tower since he figured something was wrong for the past week

As he questioned it, you asked, “Jason have you ever liked a girl that is a friend?” His foot on the edge of the building nearly slipped once you asked.

“I mean...yeah, there are times when I really liked her.” 

“Do you still have feelings for one?”

“Very.” 

“Really!? Who?” You were excited but felt such pain in your heart.

This boy choked onto her request. But he spoke, spoke about this ‘mystery’ girl. How adorable she is and brightening everyone’s day when it has been horrid, including his own. How he admires her caring behavior whenever someone was hurt. He really likes her and would like to take her out one day. 

“Her name is Y/n.” 

“What a wonderful name she has.”

“You do know I was talking about you, right?” 

“Yes yes, she does have- wait what?” 

Dreamy sigh

Ah yes

Young love

Kori wasn’t all surprised as she and Dick saw the two of you were walking in the streets of the city, hand in hand. She was delighted.

Dick was thrilled to see the two together yet gave Jason, the talk, if he ever does something stupid to you

The Titans congratulated the two and some exchanged money with one another after losing a bet

After a couple of months, Jason had to leave for a classified mission that’ll last a couple of weeks. 

As he said his goodbyes, you gave a kiss to his cheek before rushing back inside and leaving him smiling to himself.

It was lonely for the past couple of weeks but the worst part was when it turned to a few months.

Dick headed to Gotham four weeks after Jason left.

You were frightened about your boyfriend’s well being

As Dick returns to the tower, he doesn’t look the same.

You thought he was acting in such a behavior to surprise you that Jason is back.

“Y/n...we need to talk.”

 “Ok?” Kori gave a concerned glance at Dick’s direction, clearly unsure of how you’ll take the announcements. “What? Why are you both so silent? Please tell me.” You have had such a glowing smile, ready to hear it. The prank.

“Look, I know you and Jason are in a relationship but I have some...news.” 

“I’m listening.” Your foot tapped in excitement while Dick grew uneasy.

“Four...four weeks ago, we located Jason in an abandoned warehouse. He was held captive there for God knows how long by the Joker. And, as Bruce headed to rescue him…” you wanted to laugh at how far Dick was taking this. 

Except, he wasn’t pretending

“...He was too late. The warehouse exploded and my... Jason...passed away. I’m so sorry Y/n.” He added. You clapped your hands and giggled

“Amazing job! Brava! What an incredible and creative prank Dick. Very impressive. Now where is he so I can finally owe him a real kiss.”

The adults were silent. You took their silence as part of the prank and rushed to the bottom of the tower to find him.

But he wasn’t there. 

“Ok I checked the 50 floors below us but don’t worry, I bet he’s on the roof. He’s always there.” You returned to the room where Kori and Dick sat you in.

“This isn’t made up.” Raven and a few others entered the room, you could see it in their eyes they weren’t faking but you still denied it. “He passed away y/n.”

“No he didn't...He isn’t...Jason! You can come out now! Jason?” You flew to the roof. 

As you searched and it was empty that was when your stomach dropped. 

“Jason!” You flew around the area. The more you searched, the heavier your heart became. As you landed on the roof and heard the doors open, you glided to Dick. “Where is he?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No…no no... this is a game, right? When I check the floors again he’ll be there, right?... Dick?” He pulled your hand and placed something on your palm.

“He’s gone Y/n. I’m so...so sorry.” Glancing to the object placed on your palm, your entire being froze at the sight. 

From what you’re told, the R emblem is one of the only parts that are the easiest to clean and the least damaged on Jason’s suit after all of his missions.

What Dick gave you was the exact emblem but it was badly dented, burnt marks covered the R, scratch marks on the front and back while most of the edges are chipped.

Your legs gave weight as you fell to the floor, holding his badge close to your chest, and screamed your lungs out. Your vocals were so powerful that they made half of the windows on the Tower shatter. Tears made their way down from your cheeks to the floor as your eyes turned in a y/f/c glow. 

You flew off, for time alone to grieve it all. When Kori found you, you broke down even harder in her arms

You weren’t going to turn to revenge.

Even though you saw it in Dick and a few others, you couldn’t.

Kori taught you revenge isn’t the answer along with the new Robin or better known as Tim drake

You weren’t happy Jason was replaced but continued with your bright personality.

But during the nights, you felt so empty and numb. 

Why 

Out of all people, why did Jason leave you

Your family and friends died due to the violence of the leaders that experimented on you.

But now the person you loved most?

More pain was placed on your shoulders.

You grieved and mourned whenever you’re alone or with Kori. 

Two months later, you decided to explore the world on your own. 

Saving Earth, countries, and other planets from danger. 

Yet discovering the beauty onto nearly every destination

This continued for four years before you were called to Gotham for a meeting.

You greeted the Titans, other heroes you’ve met during your travels, and the bat family before the meeting starts

When it was over, you felt someone’s eyes on you.

As you located the orbs burning on your figure, you found a man with extreme built, a red helmet covering his entire head, a scarlet colored bat emblem imprinted on his black suit, and a coffee leather jacket.

You were confused as to why his eyes were wide and his body leaned forward as if he had found gold.

“Kori, why is he staring over here? Do I have something in my hair?” As your beloved best friend glanced at the man you were referring to, she let out a pearly smile.

“I think he likes you.” She snickered as you rolled your eyes. 

In the past, some of your friends tried to set you up with many men. Key word: tried. It’s not that you didn’t want to, it just didn’t feel right. You did try to fall for them but it just doesn’t last. 

“Very funny.”

“I’m not joking. He’s looking at you like, in slang terms, a ‘snack’.” You chuckled at her before returning your gaze to the mystery man. But the color of his helmet was not present to your sight, instead, the sight of an exit door closing.

You saw him once again during a mission on a tropical island.

Someone was making hybrids based on DNA from different heroes around the world.

So here you were… 

Approaching the scene as the infamous Red Hood was getting choked by a 9 foot tall creature before you scared it off with a blast of your powers.

“Need a hand, big boy?” You reached out your arm, waiting for him to take it. He was hesitant.

“...Sure.” He took it and you couldn’t help but feel slightly surprised of how tall he was

As you found Kori and gave her a hug, you joined the team till the mission finished.

You really loved being in the group. 

But mostly enjoyed the company of Red Hood.

There was something about him that made you smile warmly as he progressed with his idiotic plan

Kori and Roy offered for you to be an Outlaw and you gladly accepted

But the third member wasn’t all too happy about it.

The four of you all reserved an Overwater Bungalow resort on the island

A week later, you heard arguing from Kori’s home while you and Roy brought food.

“I don’t understand you, why won’t you tell her already?” Her voice muffled by the walls of the hut.

“She’s not ready.” His voice in the room as well

“Y/n has been far too ready to know who you really are.” You haven’t heard Kori this angry in ages and what did they mean about you knowing?

“You don’t understand.”

“Oh I understand plenty,” You and the red head’s eyes widen at her sass. “How long can you keep this act up? This, I want to hide this because I want to protect her, act? Your brother used that on me a few times, hmph, always knows when to make a woman angry.”

Brother? But the only brother you know she dated was-

“Don’t compare me to Dick, Kori.”

Oh...Shit…

Roy put two and two together and oh shit! He remembered his best friend mentioning a girl before his sudden death. Roy glanced at you as your eyes were wide and glossy at the truth. He kicked the door open causing the two heads to turn while you were hidden outside of the hut with your head down.

How could you not notice it before… Red Hood not revealing himself under the helmet when he was in legit trunks, constantly putting distance between the two of you, displeased when you joined the outlaws, and the worried glances between him and Kori!

“Got the food!” As Roy set the meals down and you entered the room, the air was so intense you could cut it with a knife.

“I’m not that hungry so I’m going to my room.” Kori glared at the helmet man, causing him to release a sigh.

“Do you-”

“Perfect! Now take these,” Roy gave a bag of two take outs to him and led the unresolved pair outside. “Have a good night.” He shut the door closed leaving you and the vigilante in silence.

“I can take the bag.”

“You sure?” 

“Yes.”

It was so awkward the walk back to your huts.

He tries to make the situation lighter but it was no use.

All of that pain you felt years ago, returned and after realizing who he is...It felt so much worse.

“Hey y/n, do you want to know the story of my first kiss?” What is he trying to do now?

“That's pretty sweet! Random but sweet! Go on.” He paused in place under a shadow of a hut as a thick cloud covered the sun. His hand traveled to the back of his helmet and a sudden click was heard before steam escaped from the open cracks of his mask. It was dark and you couldn’t see his full features.

“It was a normal day, I was carrying some groceries with my butler but got lost in the crowd due to my sleep deprivation. And the craziest thing happened when I was struggling to find him, a cute y/h/c girl with bright y/e/c eyes came up to me and spoke a language I’ve never heard in my life. So I tried to understand her words but I was so clueless before she pulled my face and gave me a smooch.” Your stomach did a flip as you realized why the story was so familiar to you. “She apologized when she was done but spoke english. As she left me there completely bamboozled… I wondered, ‘I don’t know what the hell that was about but will I see her again?’ then my butler found me.”

It's a memory. Your memory and his. You dropped the bag.

“Jason.” As the darkness unsheathed and the sun’s light was visible, he took a couple of steps towards you and gosh… You didn’t realize how much you missed him when your eyes began to sting, shoulders dropped, and your bottom lip shaking.

You took flight and bolted in his arms. 

“It’s you… it's really...you asshole.” you shoved him lightly while Jason expected the worst. “Asshole. Asshole. Asshole!” Every curse is a light punch on his chest. 

“Easy...Easy!” He held your two hands by the wrists. “When did you learn how to curse?!”

“When you were dead!” Your eyes were covered by your signature y/f/c glow and tears streamed down your face.

“Calm down.”

“Calm down? I may be an alien and I may be nice, but I have feelings too. Feelings when we shared that first kiss, held hands, waiting for you to come back...hearing that awful news about you…” Your arms dropped and your head lowered. “And I’m feeling angry at you right now for not saying anything!” 

In all honesty, he really wanted to tell you. But he didn’t know how you would take it. He's not the exactly the same when he was a teenager and he’s been through so much as Red Hood that he doesn’t want the bad guys to target you and your superhuman abilities. But his feelings for you didn’t shrink a single centimeter. It grew. Grew that he was so close to return to you and kiss you like there is no tomorrow. 

“Didn’t...Haven’t you felt the same of how I felt for you, Jason? Did you hate me that much to leave me and start a new life? To get away from me?” You questioned as the glow in your eyes dimmed down to your y/c/e orbs but your water works didn’t stop. You were still shaking, thinking of how Jason never loved you. How he made you feel pain for years. 

He made you feel like a human. Being an alien on Earth was quite lonely. But Kori was there with you through it all. But when Jason, a human, made you feel like you’re a human… You didn’t care about the negativity as much, you focused onto the positives. You discovered things about yourself from a different perspective. You learned how to love.

A warm embrace and the sun falling behind the horizon made your entire being warmer than the heat of the light beams. Your fingers trailed under his jacket to feel his body heat.

“Not even close.” He pulled a little before resting his forehead on yours. “It was the opposite and more. I just didn’t want you to see me in my dark life. I died and came back from the dead, every minute feeling empty. But once I learned more about myself, I wanted to change for the better. But I made so many rough decisions, that I couldn’t come back to you yet until I fixed them. I didn’t want you to love a mistake.”

“Shhh.” You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, running your fingers through his hair. “You’re never a mistake, only a good man who tried his best. The only thing that matters now, is that you’re here.” His teal orbs flickered to yours, your heart skipping a beat by the sight of your favorite colored eyes once again.

The sun was engulfed, the light dimmed till the sky was navy, and the stars were sprinkled all around the two silhouettes under the moon. The lock of your lips to his were the answer to your reunion.

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Sweet Pea//the other one

Request: Where the reader is Josies sister, but best friends with Sweet Pea, Toni and Fangs and is secretly in love with Sweet Pea and well Josie does not know this and you can take it from here :)

hey! so this is angstyyyy, but it was fun to write! and just a warning, there is no happy ending, sorry! have a wonderful day/night! 

part 2!

Being a McCoy, you get used to knowing everybody’s business, whether by accident or on purpose (eavesdropping on your mom’s meetings), but something’s happened recently that neither you nor the rest of the serpents can figure out. 

Sweet Pea has changed, everyone has noticed it. Over the summer it was a relatively good change. Yeah, you didn’t really see him much because he was busy doing odd jobs at all times of the day, but when you did see him, he was the happiest he’d ever been. He actually smiled, and not just at you, Toni or Fangs, but to everyone...even Reggie. He was also chatty, and he’d never been chatty in the entire time you’d known him. 

It was like a whole new side to him and another side for you to fall for. 

His smile was as bright as the sun and made you feel just as warm, and you were so glad that other people were seeing it too. Because yes, the brooding bad boy act is very attractive on him...but a smile is just wonderful.  

But then as quickly as Summer was over, it just disappeared. School started again and he went back to being the same old Sweet Pea. He didn’t talk to anyone, didn’t smile. He just sat in the background, not really engaging in anyone’s conversations. 

If anything he seemed sad. He no longer smiled when Fangs told him a stupid joke, or laughed at Toni’s sometime’s questionable outfits she was only wearing to make Cheryl happy. He stopped hanging out at the the Wyrm on Friday nights and avoided going to the weekly bonfire’s at the Quarry. 

He was just existing. And to say you were worried was an understatement. For weeks you, Toni and Fangs had tried multiple times to try and get him to talk about what was happening. There was clearly something off and given Riverdale’s history, you were all worried he’d gotten himself into something he couldn’t get out of.

But whenever you asked he just seemed to shut down. He’d become cagey and short, dismissing whatever you’d said with a shrug and an annoyed ‘i’m fine’.

You asked around the other serpents, wondering if they’d seen anything odd happening but they were all as clueless as you were. And this time your problem couldn’t be solved by hanging outside of your mom’s meetings. 

Josie had told you multiple to just stay out of whatever was going on as he clearly didn’t want you to know. But she had never liked Sweet Pea anyway so she probably just didn’t care, and just wanted you to shut up about him. 

You’d been friends with the serpents for years. Even when everyone hated them you proudly called, Sweet Pea, Toni and Fangs your best friends. You sat with them at lunch, hung out with them after school, despite what your mom, sister and friends had to say. 

“Sweet Pea never showed up today. Did you see him?” Toni asks and you shake your head, despite her not being able to see. A cold breeze blows through your hair and you look around. 

Tent city looks far creepier at night that it does at day and you’re glad you can see Sweet Pea’s not so far away. 

“Nope.” You reply and rearrange the bags in your hand. “What about Fangs? He might have seen him.” 

“I already text him. He said he hasn’t seen him either.” She replies and you let out a disappointed huff. “Do you think he’s okay?” She asks after a few seconds of silence. 

“I dunno.” You say honestly. “There’s clearly something not right. But I’ve bought all of his favourite snacks, and I’ve brought my laptop so we can watch whatever he wants and hopefully that’ll cheer him up. Or maybe just get him to talk.” You smile down at the bags you’re holding, hope blooming in your chest. 

“Hopefully.” She mumbles and you hear her move around. “Did you get Fangs’ a snack too while you were shopping?” 

“What do you think?” 

“Hopefully yes? You know what he’s like.” She replies and the two of you laugh. 

“Yes, I got his favourite. And I got your favourite too.” 

“Aww. You really are the best friend a girl could have.” She teases. 

“I know.” You shrug. “It really is an honor to be my friend, I hope you know this.” 

“Of course I do.” She replies. “We all do. Wait, don’t you have an English project due tomorrow?” 

“Yeah? And?” 

“And have you started it yet?” She asks and you roll your eyes. 

“...no.” You mumble and she tuts down the phone. “Shut up...mom.” 

“Oh, if I was your mother you’d know about it. You wouldn’t be abandoning school projects for some boy.” She scolds, making you roll your eyes again. 

“Do you really think my mom knows where I am? She may have become indifferent towards the Southside but do you really think she’d approve of her daughter hanging out with a serpent instead of doing school work.” You ask and she hums in reply. 

“Fair enough.” She laughs. “Where does she think you are?” 

“She thinks I’m with Betty, having a study date.” 

“Clever.” She nods. “Y/n?” She asks, her voice becoming suddenly serious and anxiety rises in your chest. You hate that tone, no matter who’s using it. But Toni only ever uses it whenever she wants to talk about two things, your feelings or Sweet Pea. “Do you still like Sweet Pea?” She sounds almost like she’s forcing the words out and your mouth goes dry. 

Toni and Fangs weren’t ever meant to know just how hard you’d fallen for Sweet Pea. But apparently when you’re drunk you get sad and spill your guts about every feeling you’ve ever had for anyone. 

You told Fangs how you thought he was cute when you first met and how you thought Toni was very pretty when you first met her. By the next morning the could recite the names of all your crushes dating back to kindergarten and not even you knew their names, but apparently when you’re drunk you do. 

It ended in Toni and Fangs taking you back to hers and you telling them that you were in love with Sweet Pea before passing out on her bathroom floor. The next morning while you were hungover and dying, they made you have the most painful interaction you’d ever had with anybody ever. 

But through your liquified brain you told them the truth. 

Yes you did like Sweet Pea, you probably even loved him. 

Now there’s no probably about it. You know you love him. 

A part of you thinks you always have but you were just too afraid of what people would say. You’d never be allowed to date a serpent, especially because of who you were and what your family name meant to this town. You’d be the outcast, you already were because of the people you were friends with. 

Now though, the residents of Riverdale have been dragged to the 21st century and very slowly, they’re realizing that it doesn’t really matter what side of the town you’re from. 

Although you’re still not sure your mom would be very pleased if you came home and introduced Sweet Pea as your boyfriend...not that that would happen anytime soon anyway. 

“I er. Yeah.” You stutter.

“Okay.” She says awkwardly and both of you go quiet, not really sure what to say next. “I-” 

“Shhh.” You cut her off, the sound of twigs crunching makes you pause and look up. Your eyebrows furrow as you watch your sister walk towards Sweet Pea’s trailer. 

“Y/n? Are you okay?” Toni asks, panic rising in her voice with each word. 

“Yeah. I’ll er. I’ll call you back later.” You say, not taking your eyes away from Josie. You can hear Toni asking what’s wrong but you don’t answer, instead you hang up and can already hear the lecture you’re going to get from her the next time you see her. 

“Hey, Sweet Pea.” She smiles and disappears into the tent. You pick up your pace until you’re stood outside. You’re about to go in but something in you tells you to wait and see what happens. “Hope you don’t mind me dropping by like this?” 

“Always happy to see you, Josie.” Sweet Pea replies and you scrunch your face up in confusion. Since when has Sweet Pea and Josie ever hung out? They usually leave the room as soon as the other one turns up, even after the feud between the North and the Southside. 

You always assumed its just because they simply didn’t get along, that was fine. Not everyone is going to like each other, but something about this feels odd, you just can’t quite put your finger on it. “Especially if this is a...” He trails off, but there’s a playfulness in his tone that you thought was only reserved for you. You heart sinks and you look at the the brown leaves wet and rotting on the floor. 

“A booty call?” Josie replies and your eyes widen.

“Wouldn’t be the first one we’ve had since our Summer fling ended.” He laughs and the realisation sinks in. You’ve been so stupid. For years you’ve fawned over and followed Sweet Pea, constantly trying to cheer him up or make him laugh and get him to see the real you. 

And he has, he’s been looking at it all those years, he just didn’t like it. He preferred Josie instead. Smarter, prettier Josie who’s way more popular and talented and just better than you at everything, including liking Sweet Pea it seems. Tears prick at your eyes and you sniffle, wanting nothing more than to run away and hide, but you can’t. Your feet are stuck, despite the rest of your body screaming at you to run.

Run as far away from them as possible. Run until no one can find you. Just run.  

“Well, it’s not.” She says awkwardly. “Um...I don’t know if you’ve heard, but my mom is getting married, to Kevin’s dad. And I wanted to know if you would be my date to the wedding.”

“As your boyfriend?” He asks hopefully. 

“Does it have to be so official?” 

“Look, Josie...I like you. And I’d be all in with you in a second, but...but you sliding into my life whenever you don’t wanna be alone. I’m not built that way. Maybe that makes me needy, but I just, I gotta get off this merry-go-round with you.” He sighs and tears run down your cheeks. 

“Okay.” She agrees. “You are still invited to the wedding though...if you’d like to come.” 

“Yeah, I er. Y/n already invited me anyway.” He shrugs and anger fills your chest. You know you probably shouldn’t, but you just see red and the next thing you know you’re storming through the door, much to the surprise of them both. 

“Yeah I did.” You seethe.

“Y/n?” Josie asks, her eyes wide as she scrambles to think of an excuse. “I was jus-” 

“What are you doing here?” Sweet Pea jumps up from his bed and stands in front of you. 

“I came here to cheer you up, you ass.” You sob and throw the bags to the floor. “I brought all you’re favourite things and I thought we could hang out because you’ve been so sad recently and nobody knows why and we were all so worried about you. But now I do. It’s because of her. And you guys didn’t even tell me. Do you know how worried I’ve been about you?” 

“Sorry?” He asks and you shake your head at him, sending him a glare he’s only ever seen a handful of times and never directed at him.  

“All those jobs you said you were doing over the summer. It was just a cover wasn’t it?” You cry and he looks over at Josie before nodding slowly. 

“Unbelievable.” You laugh bitterly before turning your attention to Josie. She stands a little straighter when you look at her, trying her best to have the upper hand here, but she’s more worried that you’re going to go and tell your mom. 

“And you? Really Josie. You go for years hating his guts. You give me so much shit for even talking to him, and you’re screwing him?” 

“I er-I.” She stutters.

“I’m such an idiot.” You sigh. “You know a part of me thought you were happier because of me.” 

“Y/n.” Sweet Pea tries to reach you but you quickly move away from him. 

“Don’t.” You warn. 

“Wait, why are you so upset with us? We’ve been getting along, you’ve been wanting that to happen for ages.” Josie asks. 

“Because I am!” You shout. “Because you’re the worst sister in the world. You know when we were younger I could never have my own toys. If I had a doll, you had to have it. Even if mom got you one that was exactly the same. On my birthday you had to get your own present otherwise you would steal mine, and even then you’d still steal mine. And I thought, yeah that’s fine. That’s what sisters do and we were just kids then. But then we got older and we had to share friends and finally when I thought I would be able to be liked for being me. Everyone seemed to realize that you were the most interesting out of us. You had a band, and you’re so talented and pretty and just like-able and I’m none of those things.” 

“Y/n, that’s not true.” Josie starts, her voice remaining calm despite your loud cries. “It’s not true is it Sweet Pea?” She hisses and Sweet Pea jumps at the tone. 

“What, no of course not.” He says, also moving to stand in front of you. Each of them rest a hand on your shoulder but it does nothing to calm you down, if anything it makes you angrier. Years of resentment that’s been simmering under the surface has come to a boiling point. 

“Get off!” You shout and they quickly move away.

“And then I got my own friends, a group of people who liked me for who I was and who I could be myself with. I wasn’t just the other McCoy. You know, the mayor, the one in the band and the other one. But then nobody liked them and everyone told me I was horrible for wanting to be friends with them.” 

“Y/n. Please just breathe.” Sweet Pea tries again, resting a gentle hand on your upper arm and you suck in a breath. 

You’ve never seen him look so worried and you hate yourself for doing that to him, despite what’s just happened. Another set of tears roll down your cheeks and your shoulders slump. Sweet Pea wraps his arms around you, pulling you in for a proper hug and him and Josie share a confused expression. 

“Woah.” Fangs’ confused tone cuts through the awkward atmosphere and him and Toni glance at each other before looking and Sweet Pea and then Josie. “We thought you could do with some company. Plus Toni told me that Y/n bought me some Twizzlers and I couldn’t wait until tomorrow. ”

“Forget about the Twizzlers Fangs.” Toni rolls her eyes and he lets out a disappointed whine. “What’s she doing here?” Toni asks and Josie looks at the floor. 

“Leaving.” Josie nods at them. “I’ll see you around Sweet Pea.” 

“No you’re not.” You reply and move away from Sweet Pea to grab her wrist. “I know why Sweet Pea went from being so happy to being so depressed.” You fake a cheery tone. Sweet Pea and Josie sigh and look at the floor, while Toni and Fangs just look at you confused. 

“It’s because him and Josie were hooking up. But she’s dumped him and that’s what’s made him so sad.” 

“Wait really?” Fangs eyes widen. Toni grabs your hand and you send her a watery smile. 

“Okay.” You take a shaky breath. “I’ve had enough of chasing after things that clearly aren’t real. So, I’m the one leaving. I’ll see you at home Josie, and don’t worry, I won’t tell mom.” You watch as she lets out a relived sigh and gives you a thankful smile before quickly leaving. 

You turn to face Sweet Pea who’s already staring at you. His deep brown eyes scan over your body and it makes your face hot. He’s desperately trying to figure out what’s wrong and you have a feeling the tight feeling that’s settled in your chest, has a matching one sitting in his.  

“Goodbye Sweet Pea.” You say the three most painful words you can possibly think of. They taste like ash on your tongue but as soon as they’re out you feel the weight lift a little. 

Being in love is nothing like it is in movies. It’s not a secret language that only the two of you know, or spending the entire day with somebody and never wanting it to end. 

You thought it was, but it’s not. It’s far more painful than that, especially if the person you’re in love with looks at someone else the way you look at them. 

“Where are you going?” He laughs confused. 

“I really, really hope she changes her mind.” You smile through your tears and despite everything it’s a genuine wish. He’s still your best friend after all, and you want him to be happy even if it’s not with you. 

“What?” His voice breaks as he watches you leave. Toni follows after you and you force yourself to keep staring ahead. Focus on the run down sign up ahead that creaks in the wind and is one storm away from falling down.  

“Can someone tell me what I’ve done wrong.” Sweet Pea asks. 

“You went after the wrong sister, you idiot.”