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congratulations on your graduation!!!! thatâs so impressive and I hope youâre incredibly proud of yourself đ have a lovely day and thank you for sharing that with us :)
thank you!! i really appreciate this message
#and thank you for your numerous kind words over the years#you're one of the urls that light up my day when i see them#i hope you're doing well!!!#baluega#đ¤đ¤#ari answers
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ᯠᰠCRAZY GOOD .á â itoshi sae
hold up, netizens. youâre in for a treat this time because guess what? out of all people, itâs time for itoshi sae to hard launch his girlfriend: you.
itoshi sae x female reader. content tags pro-player!sae, established relationship, profanity, kissing, kind of a tease here, he likes showing you off, oliver is the matchmaker. word count 1.5k
ᯠnotes .á hi guys i finally have some sae content for you all !!! >:) yes iâve missed him , and no i didnât abandon him :â) heh i hope all my sae lovers that are still here will like this mwah <3
there are many things that itoshi sae is good at.
soccer skills, one of them. snubbing people, the second. (thatâs how he got the reputation of being rudeâeven if itâs not really true!) and three, not last and not least (but still substantially), itâs causing a buzz.
he caused a buzz the moment he debuted on the soccer field. his first game and he already made a name for himself. people started asking where heâd been his whole life (even if he was introduced to the people very early on), equating him to soccer megastars like cristiano ronaldo.
ever since that day, heâd been caught in the spotlight numerous times. mostly related to soccer, but some due to his personal life. more specifically, the media loves to take a guess on who heâs dating.
yeah, heâs had more than his fair share of dating rumours. if it were up to the media, sae would have had about thirty-four girlfriends by now and heâs only twenty-six this year. (go fish!)
but as many people do, almost everyone who consumes media content about sae is particularly interested in one thing that is shrouded in mystery: his dating life.
because despite all the rumours and whatnot, thereâs never been any confirmation of any relationships at all. and no one in his circle has ever coughed anything up, so anything in that regard has been strictly hush-hush.
well, until tonight, when your boyfriend of six months invited you to one of his teammatesâ high-profile birthday party.
âwhat, are you nervous?â
your boyfriendâs ever unbothered tone is still the same as when you first heard it a year ago. somehow you find it funny that one year later youâre living with the same guy youâd first found to be somewhat intolerable.
sighing, you try and zip up the back of your dress, looking into the mirror, making sure you have your best face on. âsae, you have fans that number in the millions, of course iâm nervous,â you comment, watching from the reflection in the mirror as sae saunters over to you, taking his hands out of his pocket.
he smirks at you through the mirror, his body pressed against you as he helps you zip your dress the rest of the way up, his lips right next to your ear. âiâve never even seen you this nervous in front of me,â he says, poking a little fun at you as he gives you a light kiss on your temple.
a soft chuckle comes from him as you deadpan, obviously in much more distress than heâll ever know. not that heâll blame you; heâs used to the fame, youâre not. ârelax, theyâll love you.â
âsae, they wonât.â
he shrugs. âyeah, youâre probably right,â he agrees, earning a small slap on the armâand heâs laughing again, though this time he tilts your chin up and gives you a long, slow kiss. the kind that takes your breath away everytime he does it. âbut who cares? i love you.â
and there he goes, saying that as if itâs no big deal. making your heart beat so quickly itâs not funny. and before you know it, heâs whisking you away into the lobby where a personal towncar is ready and waiting, with the chauffeur and everything.
âgeez, oliver sure loves to go over the top, huh?â
sae gives a sharp exhale at your comment. âhey, thatâs your friend right there.â
you roll your eyes, getting in first and sticking your tongue out at him. âand you should be thanking him, without him weâd never have met.â
you look away from him right after saying that so you donât see it, but saeâs smiling to himself, already thanking his lucky stars.
he thinks meeting you and getting to love you is the luckiest heâll ever get in this lifetime.
by the time youâve arrived at the venueâa hotel in the heart of the cityâswarms of paparazzi already litter the streets outside. theyâve no doubt had their fill of the other soccer players and mega celebrities that have already arrived and are now ready for the real star of the night (aside from the birthday boy himself): itoshi sae.
of course, everyoneâs expecting to see sae all by himself because thatâs what usually happens; sae attending any and every event alone and unbothered by the scene. itâs never a surprise anymore, but saeâs a good payday and theyâd never miss a single shot.
the moment sae exits the car, it sounds like thereâs a million shutters pressed all at the same time, give or take a few milliseconds. (itâs nothing youâre used to.) he stands right where he got out for a few seconds, and even inside you can hear the amount of photographers just begging sae to look straight at them.
and if you think thatâs rowdy enough, oh boy youâre in for a treat. because the moment the paparazzi realise that saeâs not, in fact, headed for the hotel just yet, you can hear just a few confused noises before it turns into even more pleading the moment they realise heâs opening your side of the door.
when he opens it and holds his hand out for you, that ever handsome smile on his face (which you forget that he only ever shows to you), you feel like youâre nearly blinded by all the flashes. you brave through it though, taking his hand and getting out of the town car, being greeted by the mass of photographers yelling out to you and sae.
âsae, who is that!â
âhey, girl! look over here! yes right there!â
âwhatâs your relationship?â
âobviously thatâs his girlfriend! hey you!â
youâre a little wide-eyed, stunned at how chaotic this scene is. itâs easy to lose yourself in it, but as it always is, sae realises it whenever you are, and heâs quick to pull you back in.
in this case, he pulls you into his arms, a hand wrapped around your waist, pulling you close as he rests his forehead against yours.
âhey, focus on me, just me,â he whispers to you, eyes looking into yours, eyelashes fluttering against one anotherâs.
(the paparazzi are having a field day.)
âyouâre enjoying this, arenât you?â you ask him, chuckling because you only now realise what a fucking tease he is.
sae shrugs, pulling your hair away from your face. (heâs actually just really grateful to you for doing this for him when you donât need toâwhen youâre happy to just be able to support him behind the scenes but he really just wants the world to know that you exist, because itâs a blessing, really.) âmaybe i am.â
and this time your heartâs beating faster than you know it ever could, his teal blue eyes melting into your gaze, lips getting closer and closer to your own, his calloused hand on the back of your neck.
like clockwork, his lips sink into yours, his tongue snaking its way in. (and the crowd goes absolutely wild.) youâre both laughing at the panicked and hurried yells from the photographers, slowly pulling away from each other.
you reach your hand out to wipe your lipstick stain off his lips but he doesnât let you, winking at you and leaning in to whisper, âlet everyone know who i belong to.â
such a fucking tease.
not that youâre opposed, so you let him be, shaking your head and following him as he holds your hand and leads you in.
within the next hour, pictures of you and sae flood the internet. (notifications come flooding into your phone too.)
itoshi sae hard launches new relationship with mystery woman!
soccer world loses another bachelorâeverything we know about itoshi saeâs presumed girlfriend
most of them are pictures of your kiss, with a good chunk of it being his lipstick-stained lips.
as you scroll through some of the articles your friends texted to you, youâre probably never going to be used to it. youâre probably going to be anxious over everything you do in public now.
a slight panic bubbles up in your chest, but then sae comes over, pulling you backwards into his embrace, looking over your shoulder at your phone.
âthat quick, huh?â
and suddenly itâs like anxiety has never existed. because even if it may not seem like much, a year of knowing itoshi sae has made you feel safer than you ever did, knowing that heâs always there to catch you, to never make you feel alone.
you melt into his embrace, turning your head and giving him a kiss, your lipstick stain still on his lips.
âi fucking love you, itoshi sae.â
his eyes widen a little before they grow soft, arms pulling you even closer. âi love you too, stupid.â
(and while the two of you are getting all lovey-dovey at his party, oliverâs just slightlyâa lotâupset that sae upstaged him during his own birthday party.)
âi fucking hate the both of you,â oliver groans.
#bllk x reader#sae x reader#itoshi sae x reader#blue lock x reader#bllk x you#bllk x y/n#itoshi sae#bllk imagines#bllk sae x reader#blue lock sae x reader#sae fluff#itoshi sae fluff#bllk fluff#blue lock fluff#itoshi sae imagines#sae imagines#blue lock imagines#૪ aeriâs fics !
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âtoji doesnât know how to properly give aftercare â nor did he care to do so before. but, meeting you changed his ways of thinking.â
âď¸ď˝toji fushiguro x female reader. suggestive; fluff, comfort, angst. established relationship. hint of an age gap between toji and reader. mention of virgin!reader. mention of tojiâs previous / past wife. grumpy sad dilf toji who learns how to love again t_t. reader gets called âdoll, little girlâ. self indulgent? yessir.
toji grunts and his exhausted body collapses to the side, careful not to crush you underneath his burly figure. he drapes one arm over his eyes with the other resting near his side. his eyelids felt heavy â clearly needing some rest after hours of continuous bodily satisfaction.
he had gone a bit overboard this once. even toji himself was feeling the aftermath since his muscles were aching and his brain was telling him to go to sleep. the assassin was about to, however his ears picked up on a little muffled whimper sounding from beside him.
âmmph,â you sniff. your face was still buried in the pillow below you â your tears and drool staining the material. your limbs were trembling and you were completely and utterly spent. you couldnât even turn around to lay on your back; it was all just too much.
toji watches you with an unchanging expression for a second. normally for him this would be the part where heâd get the money, dress himself back up and leave through the front door with a small âthanks for your timeâ comment.
but, that was his past. that was after the death of his wife and before he had met you â that was a dark time where he sought money in any kind of way to ease the hidden guilt and pain in his body. heâd sleep with women for a pay check. and maybe also to simply forget about his miserable life.
toji thought that he wouldnât ever love himself nor another person again after his life went downhill. though, that thought was proven wrong by you.
you were a girl whom he had met on numerous occasions by accident to the point you decided to exchange phone numbers. you had also eventually started to help toji with his son - megumi - during tough times.
a sweet young woman: thatâs what you were and still are in his eyes. maybe you were the change toji needed. the miracle to heal from his past and get himself together.
âhey,â the dark-haired man speaks up in a gruff tone after taking in your weak state. he felt a faint twinge of guilt deep within him since he was the reason you ended up like that. perhaps he took it too far.
you looked up at toji through half-closed and watery eyes. all you could do was tiredly hum in response, âmhm?â
silence follows. itâs not really awkward, but there was a barely noticeable sense of insecurity radiating from the assassin. for the first time in a good while.
tojiâs eyes dart around the room in hopes of finding or seeing something that would remind him of what to do in such a situation. aftercare; he knew how important that is after sex, but had forgotten how to properly execute it. he hadnât done so in a good few years.
that could also be an excuse. maybe he was simply afraid to show any kind of affection to someone again. maybe.
despite all of it â despite all those complex thoughts and feelings â his body moved on its own command. toji shifted closer to your side, rough hand slowly reaching out to give you some head pats. thatâs the best he could do for now.
âheh.â you chuckle, yet felt extremely happy that toji had shown any type of affection toward you in such a vulnerable moment. his fingers massaging your scalp gently, over and over, was enough of a sign for you. a sign that he cares.
you knew all about his hard life; past and present. you accepted toji for who he was and what he has done and does. one of the only people whoâd stay by his side throughout it all.
âthanks, toji.â the words that left your lips made the older man silently nod. his touch grew a bit more confident after your positive reaction. his hand traveled down to the nape of your neck and over to your shoulder, turning you around so you could lay comfortably on your back.
toji couldnât help but let his eyes wander across your gorgeous skin. even if it was sweaty and covered in other bodily fluids, it still was one of the most beautiful sights he had seen in his entire life.
âyou okay?â he asks to which you give a weary nod. sheâs far from okay judging by the looks of it, toji thought to himself.
he hesitantly leans his head down to plant a quick kiss on your shoulder. that did feel a bit awkward, though it turned loving the more you positively reinforced him with your verbal reactions.
toji sighs as he tries his best to keep you as comfortable as possible around him. his hands grab you by your sides and he hoists you up onto his lap, gently pushing your head against his chest; âcâmere my little girl.â
you happily accept the affection toji gives you. it wasnât often that heâd do this after sex and you understand why. it takes a lot to heal from his previous wounds and you were there to support him throughout that journey. the fact that he was trying was enough.
âyouâre nice ân warm,â you murmur, eyes droopy as you snuggle against tojiâs bare chest. the older man chuckles at your comment and his big hands come to rest on your back to hold you in place â to give you a sense of security.
you didnât have any regrets about tonight nor about any other night spent in bed with him. toji was the only man whom you were content with showing your body to. heâd never judge nor hurt you in any way, unlike the other more immature men in your indirect environment.
plus, you remember how unexpectedly gentle the big and scary looking man was with you during your first time a few days back. he was the perfect man for you in your eyesâin his own way.
âyâr real pretty. like a doll.â
the sudden compliment forces you awake. you blink thrice, trying to make sense of what you had heard. was it your imagination? no, it definitely sounded like toji. that deep and now almost groggy voice.
you lift your head up and lock eyes with the assassin. he was looking right back at you whilst the pad of his thumb delicately wipes some drool off your right cheek. you quietly stared at him for a good while which makes toji raise an eyebrow in confusion.
âpfft.â you let out a short laugh. you were both embarrassed and amused at the loving words that the older man had told you out of the blue. it made you feel tingly all over in a good way.
âwhat? did i say somethinâ weird?â toji questions as his hands slowly roam all over your body like they usually would, squeezing and rubbing longer in some spots, âi jusâ said what i observed.â
there was no hiding that lopsided grin on tojiâs lips. the soft sound of your laughter was enough to make his entire body relax and give in to the warmth of the moment and the love that radiates between you two. you really were meant to be with him.
âno, no.â you shake your head after giggling. your lips find a spot on his chest to place a kiss upon in response, âit was cute.â
toji huffs at being called cute. no one had ever called him that. it didnât really hurt his pride or ego â you could call him anything you wanted to and he wouldnât mind. his rough hand does however give you a light smack on the ass after that.
âyâre lucky i love you, doll.â he grumbles and nuzzles his nose into your hair. the words left his lips before his brain had processed them. it was probably said subconsciously since toji doesnât realise that he uttered the three words. the three words he usually hesitates on saying now flowing off the tongue so naturally.
you werenât going to ruin the moment by teasing him about it. you were just happy that toji didnât think twice before telling you that he loved you this time. it was a huge step forward in your relationship.
you simply giggle some more before placing a kiss on his lips that he instantly reciprocates.
âi love you too, toji.â
#sttoru writes.#jjk x reader#toji fushiguro x reader#toji x reader#jjk fluff#jjk x y/n#jjk x you#toji x you#toji x y/n#toji fluff#toji fushiguro x you
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Howdy! Could I request a Theodore Nott, secret relationship, âdonât leave me⌠pleaseâ. â¤ď¸
here u go!! i actually really like this idea and kind of wanna recycle it for a longer fic maybe.. đ¤ thank u for the request! đ
theodore nott x reader + secret relationship + âdonât leave me⌠pleaseâ
âş part of my 2k milestone writing game
Youâre stressfully stirring sugar into your tea in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place when Mattheo and Theodore turn up, bruised and bloody in the hands of Alastor Moody.
The Auror had sent a message in advance through his Patronus, alerting members of the Order that he was heading to headquarters with two death eater defectors. An hour of hoping itâs who you think, and three cups of tea later, you breathe a sigh of relief when you realise Mattheo and Theo are alive.
The way Theo is leaning his weight on Mattheo doesnât slip past you, and as soon as he finds you among the others, you rush forward.
âHi,â Theo whispers, the greeting reserved only for you despite the numerous others in the dining room. His eyes are drooping slightly as he sways on his feet. Nonetheless, he gives you a weak smile. âIâm okay. I promise.â
You nod slowly, brows furrowed in concern despite his reassurance. Ignoring Moodyâs confused stares, along with the whispering happening behind you, you do a quick scan of Mattheo and find that heâs definitely had worse injuries from spontaneous fist fights during your years at Hogwarts.
âAre you okay?â you mouth at him, just in case. He winks at you in answer.
Moody, seemingly snapping out of his confusion, turns to you and raises a brow. âYou know these two, then?â he asks gruffly, a hint of suspicion creeping into his voice.
âWe all went to school together,â Dean Thomas pipes up, saving you from having to stumble over your words in an attempt to explain your relationship with Theo.
Thereâs no doubt in your mind that everyone in the room suspects you and Theo are more than just schoolmates, but you donât move to address anything. The implications of you being in love with an ex-death eater aside, itâs none of their business. Moody doesnât quite seem to accept this immediately.
âSchool,â he mutters, nodding begrudgingly. âAnd how well do you-â
âAlastor,â McGonagall cuts him off sharply. Peering at him over her spectacles, she purses her lips. âYou can get to interrogating them about being Transfiguration partners after theyâve recovered. These boys need a healer. Now.â
âYes, yes,â Moody replies grumpily, reluctantly letting them go to open the door to the hall. âWeâve got Poppy in the living room. Sheâll fix them up, nice and quick.â
You step back to give the two boys space to make their way to the Healer, but Theo catches your hand and grips it tightly. âNo. No, Y/N can do it. Just give her some of the medicine, Iâm not seeing anyone else.â
You open your mouth to object, wanting Madame Pomfrey to assess him properly, but the pleading in his eyes has you hesitating.
âDonât leave meâŚâ Theoâs voice becomes lower, quieter and earnest. âPlease.â
âOkay,â you exhale, cupping his face with your hand and stroking your thumb over his cheekbone. You look over at Professor McGonagall for confirmation and when she sighs and nods, you respond with a grateful smile before turning back to Theo. âI wonât leave you.â
Mattheo clears his throat, popping the little bubble you and Theo have found yourself in and making you look away, cheeks warm. Walking over to where Moody holds the door open, Mattheo gives you both a knowing look before speaking to the rest of the room. âI guess Iâll be seeing dear, old Poppy alone then. Nothing she hasnât fixed before.â
Taking this as your cue to leave, you wrap an arm around Theoâs waist to support him as you make your way out of the room and up the stairs to an empty room. You help him to sit on the bed and disentangle your hand from his, dropping a kiss to the inside of his palm. âI need to go get the stuff from Madame Promfrey, I wonât be a minute-â
âNot yet,â Theo pleads, hooking pinky finger around your own and tugging lightly. âIâm not that injured, just⌠come here for a second.â
Your resolve crumbles immediately due to not having seen Theo since school ended a month ago, during which he was trying to leave the other side of the war without getting himself killed. You sit next to him on the bed, but he immediately reaches over to manoeuvre you by the waist until your legs are wrapped around him in a straddling position. Theo presses a soft kiss to your lips and the pure love radiating from him makes your heart jump to your throat. When he pulls away, he looks more relaxed and content than he has in months.
âHi,â he says, a gentle smile playing about his lips while he fingers the hem of your shirt where it sits at your back. Tingles run down your spine where his cold fingers brush against your skin and you end up leaning into his chest even more, causing his smile to deepen. âI missed you, darling.â
âWhat, Crabbe and Goyle werenât good company?â you tease, tilting your head. Theo scoffs in disgust, lightly tugging on a lock of your hair and looking at you expectantly. âI missed you too, Theo. So, so much. Iâm glad you got out.â
âMe too,â he sighs, dropping his head to rest on your shoulder. You both stay in silence for a few minutes and you bask in the warmth of Theoâs breaths fanning over your collarbone. He nestles his face into your neck and seems perfectly happy just to stay there when he speaks. âIt was torture staying away, you know. Iâm never leaving your side again.â
You run your fingers through Theoâs hair, lightly scratching at his scalp and biting back a smile when he lets out a sound halfway between a sigh and a groan. âYou being glued to me is probably going to make it clear that weâre more than ex-Transfiguration partners, by the way.â
âI bet you anything they all already know,â Theo murmurs distractedly. You frown and sit up straighter to look at him, raising a curious brow in questioning. He looks at you like itâs obvious. âMattheo is downstairs, unsupervised. If he hasnât told everyone by nowâŚâ
You shake your head, shifting to move off Theoâs lap. A pout forms on his lips, but he reluctantly lets you stand. âI better go do some damage control while I go get the stuff from Pomfrey. Merlin knows what embarrassing things Mattheo is telling them right now.â
âI can think of a few things,â Theo says, his innocent voice contrasting with the devious smirk on his face. âLike the time we were in the Astronomy Tower and you were too loud, so-â
âRight, okay!â you interrupt loudly, screwing your eyes shut in embarrassment as you try your best not to relive that particular memory. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the way Theo is cracking up, you smile sweetly at him. âYou havenât had any injuries to the head, have you?â
âNo, love,â he replies, grinning. âWhy?â
You grab a pillow and swing it into Theoâs face, knocking him backwards on the bed. Crossing your arms in satisfaction, you falter when he stays laying down and moans in pain.
âWhatâs wrong? Did I hurt you?â you rush out, panicked as you move the pillow out of the way to climb onto the bed and hover over him. Theo cracks his eyes open slightly, his face scrunched up in discomfort and your stomach drops. âTheo, where does it hurt?â
âHere, come closer,â Theo winces, gesturing you forward, closer and closer and you furrow your brows in confusion. When youâre close enough, he snakes his hand around to the nape of your neck and pulls you into a deep kiss, burying his fingers in your hair. You donât bother admonishing him, your head getting dizzy from the feel of his lips moving against your own. You only pull away when you hear sudden laughter coming from downstairs. Theo doesnât look ashamed in the slightest when you do. âAll better.â
âNot yet, youâre not,â you say, rolling your eyes and sitting up again. You make sure you put all of your weight on the mattress to do so, just in case you actually do end up hurting him. âIâm actually going downstairs now, okay? The idea of Mattheo talking to McGonagall is driving me crazier by the minute.â
âCome back quickly?â he asks lightly, but thereâs a hint of pleading in the way his hand circles your wrist. You give him a reassuring smile and another quick peck on the lips.
âAlways.â
#theodore nott x reader#theodore nott#theodore nott x you#Theodore nott scenarios#theodore nott fanfiction#theodore nott x y/n#Theodore nott fluff#theodore nott smut#theo nott#Theodore nott imagines
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twin flame sex on fire chapter eleven
thank you all for being so patient and kind, and loving this story no matter how terribly long i take with it. anyway, here's wonderwall. (shout out to @bageldaddy who saved this on numerous occasions lmao)
pairing: ceo!joel x fem!reader
summary: doing it with a broken heart is harder than it looks.
warnings: age gap (reader is late 20s, joel late 40s), workplace relationship, imbalance of power dynamic, reader's a Real Tough Kid she can (not) Handle Her Shit, kale!!!!!!, alcohol consumption, cursing, soft!joel, fluff and angst. angst angst angst angst
word count: 7.7k
series masterlist | main masterlist | playlist | follow @macfroglets w notifs on to be the first to hear when i post đ
Five days lasts a year.
So it feels, anyway, when you spot Martha from the corner of your eye â pulling her coat on and hooking her purse over her shoulder. She tucks her peroxide blonde layers behind her ears, gives one last check of her makeup in a compact mirror, and looks up.
âYou coming?â
Itâs five thirty on Friday. You havenât said more than two words to Joel since you walked out on him, Monday morning.
She knows by now â Martha. Or at least, she has a pretty good idea.
You havenât told her, as if youâd even be able to begin explaining it all. But she pieced it together by herself, didnât she? Youâre hardly subtle. She figured you out less than five minutes after you stormed out of his office, fists balled and face tight with rage.
She says your name, and the sound is muffled. Distorted by the sour backwash of that feeling: the hot temper which dissipated so quickly into an ache behind your ribs all day.
You finally look up. âHuh?â
She fixes the collar on her trench coat. Flattens her thin, merlot lips and says, âLetâs go, kid. Itâs been a long week.â
And that, you think, might just be the understatement of the fucking year.
She slips her arm through yours in the elevator, and you donât protest. Itâs not like sheâd let you go even if you tried to shake her off â but thereâs a comfort to it. Something sweet; soft and motherly. Marthaâs not often this affectionate.
You want to slot your cheek on her shoulder. Ask her how long her worst heartbreak lasted. Ask if thatâs even what this is, if you can give a two-month hurricane of sex and secrets enough power to split you open this badly.
Ask her how long until the gnawing in your chest eases. How long until youâre finally able to look at him again, without wanting to cuss him out â or run into his arms.
But you stare ahead, swaying with the dropping elevator, wrap your arms tight around yourself and swallow shallow breaths of her rosy perfume.
Your reflection splits in two, pulled apart by the rumble of the doors. Something akin to a growl from between Marthaâs teeth.
The skeleton of the lobby sears behind your eyes, every surface bleeding gold. Silver arrows of rain pelt against the windows, slicing through the blazing sunlight. Dark figures shake umbrellas open at the doors; others yank their collars over their heads as they run to cars.
A gaggle of square suits separates to let you pass, black material shining and soaked through. Nodding to both of you, your names dripping from their lips as they load into the elevator.
Under the canopy outside, Martha hoists her purse over her head.
âMonday then?â she yells over the drumming rain. And without waiting for an answer â because she isnât so much asking as she is telling â she totters off through the drizzle towards Alanâs Volvo.
One last glance over her shoulder, a wink as her six-inch heels swing into the car. Like a Bond girl, off to wrangle her preteen into eating his vegetables.
You call a cab, leaning against the building to watch the clouds roll overhead.
Two words. Thatâs all youâve managed to force over your tongue.
Sure and okay. Both uttered between teeth, as though your body might be trying to hold them back. Mundane and fucking meaningless; pushing by everything else you want so desperately for Joel to hear. How could you? Why would you? I think I hate you, you know that?
I hate you and I miss you so much that it makes me hate you all over again for it.
Heâs doing as you asked, at least. Heâs following your rules. No looking, no touching, no talking.
To a point.
He is still talking â saying a little more to you than you are to him. Youâre allowing it, given that he is still your boss and theyâre only ever boss things to say. Schedule this meeting, look out that old file. Pick up his drycleaning when itâs mid-afternoon and he spots your boredom from across the office.
But he never comes near.
Not anymore.
He doesnât brush by, stealing a giggle when his elbow nudges your waist. He doesnât order you lunch, then wait until youâre sat opposite him in his office to eat together.
He doesnât kiss you as soon as the elevator doors close. He doesnât perch on the edge of your desk to steal snacks and gossip with you and Martha. He doesnât play with your hand, he doesnât hold you by the hips, he doesnât whisper dirty jokes and sweet nothings in your ear.
He keeps his distance. He acts like your boss again.
And â Jesus. Youâve never wanted to hate him so much in your life.
âWaitinâ for a cab?â
âShit ââ You twirl, rain flicking from the tail of your coat.
Joel takes your arm steady. His grip is so familiar, so safe you feel yourself melting into it already. âEasy, easy,â he says, his voice much the same. âSorry. I didnât mean to sneak up on you there.â
âYou didnât, youâŚYeah,â you sigh, âI guess you did. What did you say?â
He smiles. Itâs weak, humored, but completely unsure. âI just asked if youâre waiting for a cab.
And goddamn it, just the sight of him this close thaws you from the inside out. Itâs like warmth against the wound, softening you like the creases by the corners of his eyes.
âYeah,â you start, âI just called one. Figure thereâs traffic.â You gesture to the bodies scurrying down towards yellow cabs.
Joel tosses his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the sleek Rolls by the curb. The rain bounces off its roof. âRand can take you, if you like. Save you waitinâ.â
âOh, no. No, Iâm good, thanks.â
âIâll take your cab,â he clarifies. âIâll take the cab; Rand can take you home.â
âReally, Joel,â you reply, hugging your purse. âItâs okay. Iâll be okay. Thank you.â
He nods, looking down. There was â there is â nothing he wants more than to look out for you. Thereâs probably nothing that stings more right now, than the fact you wonât let him.
He makes to leave, then hesitates. Hands in his pockets, he turns back and says, âYou ever need anything, just let me know. Alright?â
Your lips flatten. âMhm.â
âI mean it.â
âI know you do.â
âAlright,â he says. âOkay. Iâll see you Monday.â
He strides off towards the Rolls. So much cooler than the suits scrambling around him; dipping his head as he slides into the backseat, fixing his tie before he pulls the door closed.
The car doesnât move until yours arrives. Until heâs seen you run over, settle in the backseat. Rand pulls out behind as your driver sets off; turns in the opposite direction at the first set of traffic lights.
You watch as it shrinks into a speck from the back window, wondering if Joelâs watching you, too.
The driver tuts and shakes his head. He flicks his fingers to the windshield, some comment about this goddamn rain and ainât let up for five goddamn days.
You fish your phone from your pocket, turning the weight of it over in your hands like turning the dilemma in your mind. Thinking up something like, Hey, I was gonna order food in tonight. Wanna come over?
Something like, Or not, if you donât feel like it.
Sorry, I donât even know why Iâm â
The screen lights.
Your heart jumps to your throat.
The driver rambles on, ââŚsaid itâd dry by Wednesday â well, you canât trust a damn one of âemâŚâ
Your eyes are glued to the name onscreen.
Joel headers the first notification. And the second. A text, then an email.
Your thumbs hover over the messages for a few seconds, vision blurring around his name. Frantic circles while you decide whether or not you actually want to read them. But it gets the better of you â morbid curiosity â and you tap on the text.
As quickly as it leapt, your heart plummets.
Forwarded Jean-Marcâs email, in case you need it. Have a good weekend.
Three, four, five times. You read over it five fucking times before it sinks in. Switch to your emails, where Joel Miller sits proudly at the top of the list.
âWhy are youâŚ?â you mumble, blinking at the screen. Salt stings across your waterline. âYou â you fuckingâŚâ
It boils through your veins, pools in the pit of your stomach. That ache winds again, twisting around your ribcage.
Anger.
Anger, andâŚsomething much worse.
You bite hard on your lip, refusing to let the tears spill over. Your heart hammers against your chest. Your fist balls, like tightening around the leash of a misbehaving dog, pulling it back into place.
Your voice is barely a whisper.
âWhat the fuck are you doing?â
Steam slowly swallows your silhouette whole. In the mirror, you shake the shell of the office from your shoulders, watching as she disappears entirely behind the heated glass. Relieved just to see her go.
You sob under the scorching stream until your skin prunes and your head throbs. You order in food and burrow deep in your couch to pick at it.
Drowning in the same hoodie he once pulled over himself â his landscape of a body, strong as rock and soft as the earth. The material unwashed, still smelling of mint and menâs cologne.
You thumb through the chick flicks on offer: all perfect grins and power couples; the commercial dream that is a two-tone poster with a quirky, conversational title. And then, worse: the breakup movies.
Women flat-out in bed, picking from a tray of chocolates. Two-day pajamas and three-day bedhead. Slumber parties to burn love letters and gauge out their exesâ eyes in photographs, swear themselves off men and then down heavy cocktails until they puke.
Then â the epiphany. Right before some pop rock track from the noughties sends the heroine off into the sunset. The Iâm better off without him, or Maybe he wasnât so bad moment.
Love truly exists, after all. Roll end credits.
âOh, fuck off,â you mumble, chewing wetly on popcorn. âYouâre all bullshit, anyways.â
Maybe youâre just fucking miserable. You liked the bullshit, two weeks ago.
Blake Carter â he was chocolates in bed and feminist handshakes. He was one night at your momâs, one night at your best friendâs, then back in your old place before the week was out.
This is different. Itâs like a sickness.
Rotting from the inside out. Deep in your chest, a fierce fever spreading from the split, the empty cage of ribs. An anxiety which gathers and festers in the barren corners, like teetering along a wire with no idea how high the drop really is â only that youâre not going to make the landing.
How were you ever going to make the landing, letting go of his hand like that?
You manage three mouthfuls of a greasy hamburger, then shove the bags across the coffee table. Too sick and too unsettled to eat without feeling it roll around your stomach in a furious tide.
You ever need anything, just let me know.
Asking for help is not something you do. Not since you were sixteen, and even before then. There is nothing â nothing, you swore â a man could offer you that you couldnât go find yourself.
But then â then, you found someone who wasnât looking for you to ask. Didnât want or expect you to need him for anything, only wanted you to know that he was around if you ever did. Being near you was all he ever really gave a shit about.
You found someone who was on your tail every time you looked back. All your running, all the times you swore you wouldnât let him catch you. And there you were â turning to make sure he was still trying.
He was. He was always trying. Heâs the closest anyone ever came to proving you wrong.
And nowâŚheâs letting you go.
If you had the energy to laugh, youâd laugh. Youâd march back into the bathroom and wait for your reflection to clear again, just to point your finger right in her face.
The same woman who walked away from Blake Carter and his heirloom diamond ring; from Sundays forcing down quiche Lorraine at his parentsâ house, and pretending to enjoy bouncing his nephew on your knee.
The same woman who left that diamond ring on his bedside table, packed a bag full of clothes, and fled the apartment before he could plead anymore.
The same woman who had seen the entire thing as a bird breaking free from her cage, in the end.
You understand it now.
You spend long enough in that cage, long enough planted on your feet â you forget how to use your wings.
The weekend is slow and sleepless.
Your sheets wind up a twisted mess each night. Kicked to the foot of the bed, cocooned back around your shoulders, then whipped from your body again when you feel too hot, too smothered.
Heâs all over your apartment. Dozing in the reflection of the TV screen, bass voice reverberating off each wall, kisses in the clinking of mugs.
Each night, you stare blankly at the ceiling. Sleep becomes a tide you float on the surface of, pooling across your stomach and only ever wetting to your ears. Face skyward, bone dry. Desperately waiting for a wave that never intends on turning.
Come Monday, youâre running on something like four hours sleep and as many coffees.
Martha recognizes it instantly, the way she fawns. She hasnât let up all day. Not since you walked in this morning, looking like shit and avoiding Joelâs office at all costs. Sheâs spent more time staring, delivering snacks, making sickly-sweet conversation that hurts your teeth â than she has actually working.
And it was touching. Until ten oâclock.
Joel has two assistants for good fucking reason, it turns out.
âI do not understand a goddamn word Iâm readingâŚâ Martha flips the Cosmo she stole from you last week. âThe hell is a retrograde?â
Your head tilts. âDo you even know which sign you are?â
Her thin, penciled brows quirk. âTaurus, but I donât like the way this bullâs lookinâ at me.â
She wiggles her mouse before the monitor switches off, then prods a shard of cucumber with her fork. The rain scatters across the window at her back, dragging golden shadows down her blazer.
âDid you eat today?â she asks.
âMhm,â you lie, âThis morning. Before you came in.â
She chews suspiciously. âLiar.â She offers you the salad bowl. âEat.â
âMartha,â you push it away, âIâm not ââ
âI donât care whether youâre hungry.â
She thrusts the tub towards you, cherry tomatoes trembling.
âMartha.â
âEat.â
âIâm not gonna eat your salad, will you stop â?â
âOne bite. Just one.â
âI donât even like ââ
Sheâs holding out a forkful. âEat the damn ââ
âGet a drink with me.â
She halts, greens dangling in front of your face. Her expression twists, loosens, and then twists into bewilderment again. âPardon me?â
You sigh, deflating into the leather. âStop tryna force feed me salad, and get a drink with me.â
âOn a Monday?â She scoffs. âWhatâs the occasion?â
âI donât��I donât have one,â you groan, pushing to your feet. âAt least, not a good one. I just need something a little stronger than kale.â
An all too familiar click over your shoulder plucks her attention. Her eyes flash across the room.
She tracks Joel from his office over to the water cooler, a forced smile when he must glance up. Her eyes snap back to yours at the trickle of water into his mug.
Please? you mouth, and she grumbles.
âJoel?â
His voice is strained; heâs bending at the cooler. âYep?â
Martha links her arm through yours and forces you to turn. âYou mind if we take a long lunch? We were thinking of trying that wine bar up by the golf course.â
Joel lingers on the other side of the office, sipping from his mug. Heâs almost unrecognizable: no bear left in him. Declawed, toothless. Dark crescents like the shadows of a bruise beneath his eyes, the ghosts of smile lines on his cheeks.
âWine bar?â he asks. âDidnât even know there was one up that way.â
âItâs new,â Martha says, popping the lid back on her salad bowl. âAlan told me about it. Says it costs an arm and a leg, but apparently, itâs worth it.â
He wanders over â hesitant, like approaching the desk of a wild animal. You can feel the heat of his stare on you when he replies, ââs nice up that way. Take the afternoon. You need a ride?â
âAll good,â Martha chirps. She squeezes your arm. âIâll go call a cab.â
She drapes your coat over your shoulders, then twirls off in the direction of the elevator. A girlish little strut, quietly pleased with herself.
Sheâs deliberately leaving you stranded. Both of you.
Joel steps back when you move. His breath catches in his throat. He slips a hand in one pocket, and says, âBe nice to have a relaxing afternoon.â
âYep,â you choke, elbow brushing against his. âNice to have some girl time, I guess.â
âOh,â he sniffs, âI was talking about me. Empty office, two of you off my ass. Peace and quiet.â
You smile, feeling the weight of him rock gently against your side. âHilarious,â you murmur, glancing up at him.
He stares straight ahead, sunlight catching rare amber in his eyes. Smiling to himself, calm and content, he says, âHave a good night. Iâll see you tomorrow,â and turns back for his office.
Your chest twinges as he closes the door behind him. A tight fist around your vocal cords.
âSee you tomorrow, Joel.â
Oasis is a trendy little bar out west, which looks anything but its namesake. All exposed brick and smirk of silver pipework, industrially rustic and injected with the silky scent of wine and wealth.
Exactly the type of place youâd go to get over your millionaire ex.
Martha slinks in like sheâs made of the place. Coat loose over her arm, hips swaying and heels clicking. She hops onto a stool at the bar, drums her glossy nails on the varnished wood.
You settle awkwardly into the stool beside her, prodding at what turns out to be a very real cactus. You jump at the sharp prick.
A waiter behind the bar clocks you, and laughs to himself.
âNice, huh?â Martha asks, scanning the place. The low-hanging lights, the spill of foliage from the rafters. She seems to fit into it a whole lot better than you do.
âSure,â you mumble around your fingertip, âAre you buying?â
She rolls her eyes. âYou asked me out, remember?â
âI was thinking some two-for-one cocktails dive, not the fucking Ritz, Martha.â
âCall it a pick-me-up,â she says, accepting a menu from the waiter. âWeâre treating ourselves.â
You pinch your fingertip, watching a scarlet bead bloom from the wound. A satisfying sort of pain, a tender break your hands wonât stay away from. You squeeze until it balloons into a trembling bubble of blood, then swipe the cut clean. Squeeze, then swipe.
Martha orders some vino she says sheâs always wanted to try. Two glasses, because when the waiter looks to you to take your order, youâre still staring at your bloody finger.
He slides the drinks over and smiles politely, eyes daring to meet yours only twice. Heâs handsome: chiseled jawline and the smudge of a dimple on one cheek. Chin speckled with stubble, shorter and blonder than youâd like.
Your fingertip throbs, and you look down to find it closed in your fist. You take a gulp of wine.
Martha smacks her lips and hums. âNot half bad,â she says, and then slots her glass next to yours. âAlright,â she clasps her hands, âWhat is it? Whatâs been goinâ on?â
You spin the base of your glass, staring at the swirl of honeysuckle. âI just needed some air andâŚwine.â
She buys it about as much as you do.
âOnly one thing in the world that makes me need air and wine,â she says. âA man.â
A laugh flutters from your chest, as if by accident. As natural as the sun splitting the clouds. No thinking about it, no forcing it.
Either the expensive alcohol works fast â or Martha does.
She lifts her nose, like sniffing out the truth. âCome on, no bullshit. Whyâd you ask me to get a drink?â
It rolls from one shoulder to the other in a tired shrug. Youâve no fucking idea why you asked her to get a drink.
The office was becoming claustrophobic, bursting with the grief of it all. Joel was nowhere to be seen and yet everywhere you looked. Hereâs the wall heâd kissed you against, thereâs the spot youâd first shaken hands.
Hereâs all of it, really: the shame and the anger and the heartbreak all knotted together. Holding yourself back from doodling hearts on his sticky note messages, busying yourself with shredding instead of nosing around his office.
No bullshit, you were about to scream. Marthaâs just the first person you laid eyes on.
Her and her fucking kale.
âBecause,â you summarize, âI have no idea what the fuck Iâm doing anymore.â
Her eyes are wide, serious. Sheâs hooked already. âWith Joel?â she asks, sipping.
âWith any of it,â you reply. And then, hearing her properly: âWhat do you know about me and Joel?â
She swallows quickly. âHe hasnât told me a word, I swear,â she says, âbut I wasnât born yesterday. Paris was always a solo trip, darling.â
You massage your forehead, grumbling into your palms. âJesus Christ,â you whisper. Thereâs a heavy ache blooming behind your eyes.
Martha smiles. âI thought it was sweet. Heâs never been serious enough about anyone to take âem over there with him. But,â her eyes ladder down your figure, âIâm guessing it didnât work out.â
âSomething like that, yeah.â
âOkay,â she squints, reading you, âAnd are we relieved? Are we hurt? Angry?â
âWe are four and a half coffees Monday morning, and a wine bar Monday afternoon.â
âGot it,â she says, face stony. âThat little shit. You need me to yell at âim?â
You lift your wine, shake your head. âI did enough yelling at him last week,â you admit. âIt wasnât just him, anyways. He fucked up, but it was the both of us.â
Martha nods, and you both take a long drink.
She taps her nails against the swell of her glass. âI thought you two were really great together,â she says â polite, pensive.
The least Martha youâve ever heard her.
âYou did?â
She nods. âYou just always had this camaraderie. It was palpable. From the moment he met you, he was different. Better for it. I donât know when you wereâŚwhatever you were, but ââ she takes a deep breath, looking off past you, ââ I know I liked it when you were.â
Itâs not something you ever considered, even in the thick of it. What it might look like from outside, this little love affair: promises whispered into coffee mugs and glances stolen from behind paperwork.
It was never a secret â at least, not one either of you were trying to keep. It was justâŚyours. You and Joel. Two names etched at the bottom of a birthday card, no room for anyone elseâs.
And if anyone did find out â Martha, Rand, Jean-fucking-Marc â they felt more like collateral. Just the landscape, the backdrop for your fated meteoric crash down to Earth.
God, it felt good to fall.
Martha sighs, dabbing a knuckle at the corner of her lips. âIâm sorry, sweetheart,â she says, gently. âIâm sorry things didnât turn out the way you hoped.â
Your eyes drift across the room. The waiter pours a deep red wine for a silver-haired couple over by the window. The manâs thumb surfs back and forth across his wifeâs knuckles, dipping to circle the ring on her third finger.
The split in your skin opens again, your nail pressing clumsily into your finger. A tiny wave of pain rocks through the tip.
âYeah, well,â you sniff, âShit happens, right?â
âSure does,â she says, and holds her glass out.
You cheers, the clink piercing the bumbling jazz in the air. The wine thrashes against the side of the glass, and you gulp back a sour mouthful.
âHe sent me an offer for a job in Paris,â you confess into your drink. âThatâs what our fight was about â the fact he didnât want me to go. Then on Friday, he sent it anyway.â
âParis?â Martha straightens in her chair. Itâs easy to tell her, easy to pretend itâs some third-floor gossip when she reacts the same way. âThatâs big,â she says. âAre you gonna go for it?â
âNo,â you admit. âItâs with that guy Jean-Marc.â
Her upper lip curls, a bend of burgundy. âYou can do better.â
âI guess,â you frown, âif I were looking.â
âYouâre not looking?â
âNo.â
âWhy not?â
It twists in your throat. A million answers which fizzle into nothing at all on your tongue. Because because because â
âWho would read all of Joelâs boring emails?â It comes with a smirk, which drops as quickly as you realize Marthaâs expression isnât shifting.
âI would. And heâd find a replacement for you eventually. Not half as good, butâŚâ
âHa,â you stare at her, âFunny.â
âIâm not kidding. âIâm not,â she adds, when you roll your eyes. âItâs about damn time you realized youâre head and shoulders above all this.
âMaybe,â she continues, with an almost bloodthirsty interest, âJoel didnât let on about Paris because he thinks youâre better than that, too. You donât think he sees your potential? Hell, I do. Youâre too good to be making coffee and taking minutes.â
Tell me something I donât know, you think.
Joelâs never been quiet about how he feels about you â professionally or otherwise. He said as much in his office last week: I didnât want to lose you. Those exact words kept you up all weekend, for crying out loud.
Sure, Joel sees something in you. Assistant, colleague, friend, not-friend. Itâs not enough to stop the need you have â pinhole pupils hunting, blood jumping in your veins. Like itâd kill you to catch your breath, to shake your hackles and loosen your muscles.
Watch, watch. I can answer your questions before youâve even come up with them. Watch, watch. I can show up early and leave late, barely pause for breath in between.
Watch, watch. I can break your heart and make it look just like mine.
You squirm under Marthaâs glare.
âI donâtâŚI donât even know what else Iâd do,â you garble, playing with your hands. âI like this job. Iâm good at this job. ItâsâŚitâs ââ
ââ comfortable,â you say together.
âAnd thatâs exactly the problem,â Martha nods, âYouâve outgrown it. Youâre nothing but a monster in red bottoms now, baby â too scared to find something that fits you better in case it turns to shit. So what if it does? Is it the end of the world?â
âFeels like it right now,â you reply. Sheâs cloudy, blurred behind the ocean of tears teetering along your waterline. âAnd this is barely even a breakup, never mind failing at a career.â
She chuckles, shaking her head. âYou think youâd be the first? The last? People fail at things all the damn time. Better to do it now, young as you are â little elastic band of resilience and nerve.â
âPoetic,â you scoff.
She tilts her glass and her head follows.
âListen to me,â she says, leaning in. âDo not spend one more second paralyzed by fear. I know youâre scared. Youâre supposed to be. One day, youâre going to miss the time you gave enough of a shit to feel this fear.
âItâs like electricity in your veins. Everythingâs so intense, everything hurts ten times worse and feels ten times more exhilarating. You think something might bring about the end of the goddamn world, and then the sun comes up the next morning just to prove you wrong.
âAnd Lord almighty, you are going to get it wrong. Youâll say the wrong thing, trust the wrong feeling. Youâll make the same mistakes over and over again. But Jesus, Iâd rather you blew it all to hell and at least learned somethinâ, than never did it at all.
âYou know what my mom would say? Worldâs been waitinâ on you, kid. Grab a paddle.â
Another laugh spurts from your lips, tears spilling into your mouth, a crackly, wet sniffle. âWhat the hell does that even mean?â you giggle.
She smiles and wipes your cheek. âMeans dive in. Get your hands dirty. Fall in love, get hurt, grow the hell up. Stop standing in the way of yourself and the things you want. That electricity wonât be there forever â so use it.â
âUse itâŚâ you echo, taking the mascara-stained tissue from her.
âPromise me,â she implores, wrapping her hands around yours, âPromise me that you will.â
Itâs not just Martha asking, you know this. Sheâs the one staring at you like a madwoman, sure â but her plea is echoed by a littler, quieter voice.
Sheâs nervous, scared. A crumpled math paper in her backpack. Her whole world tipped upside down one Wednesday afternoon, soul cursed forever â or so she thought.
When you reply, itâs not Martha you see. Itâs the sixteen-year-old version of yourself.
So you look her dead in the eye, and say â
âI promise.â
The world is hazy by the time you leave the bar. Vignetted, a saffron sunset seeping across the sky. Mingling with the city skyline and losing herself over the horizon.
You totter up the steps to your building and wave Martha and Alan off, twirling inside. The weight of wine heavy in your veins, pulling you from one side to the other, and still â you feel lighter, somehow.
You spent all afternoon giggling, once the heartache thawed and the alcohol kicked in. It felt nice; bubbly and nostalgic, the peachy tint of girlhood.
Swapping stories about your old, ridiculous love lives â Marthaâs overall-donned boyfriend in high school, or the guy you went on two dates with last year before realizing he was the same dude one of your girlfriends had ghosted three months prior.
For a few hours on a Monday afternoon, you were fifteen again â and the worst thing that could happen was a pimple sprouting on your chin the night before picture day. All youâd ever know was the shiny film on magazine pages, reading two-week old horoscopes to see if they came true.
You slump against the side of the elevator, head spinning as it carries you home. Itâs something like seven. Youâre too buzzed to fall asleep, but too tipsy to do much more than roll around your apartment.
And by the time youâre back in your sweats, sunken into the couch, one very final nightcap in hand â youâre too tired to even move.
Promise me, sheâd said, wildfire behind her eyes. Marthaâs notorious for her talents in convincing anyone of anything, wriggling her own way out of any circumstance.
This felt different.
Sheâs just your colleague. At best, a passerby. Technically â going by her track record with almost everyone else in the company â she doesnât have to take any more interest in you than the parking attendants in the basement lot do.
But she took your hand and led you out of that office without thinking, the second she understood. She bought you drink after drink, and slapped your hand away when you tried to pay. She listened to you, dried your tears, and then kicked your ass into gear.
By all standards, she was the best first date youâve ever had.
And promise me, sheâd said.
It starts as a joke. Humoring her, humoring yourself. A dare whispered to you by the tinkling of ice in your glass. Innocent curiosity, mixed with a dash of Marthaâs good influence.
The perfect cocktail of chaos.
Your first online search brings up so many results that it dizzies you. Marketing executive and project coordinator, business support manager and production lead. They blur into a gray fog, a taunting swirl on your laptop screen.
âJesus,â you mutter, mouthful of wine. âWhat the fuck do IâŚ?â
Business and art. Thatâs what you know. One youâve been in long enough that you reckon you could do it with your eyes closed â and the otherâŚyour little pipedream.
âs not stupid, Joel had said, that night by the river. Not a pipedream, either.
And â fuck it, maybe you ought to listen for once. Stop standing in the way of yourself and the things you want, and all that.
You dig your knuckles into your eyes, letting the spatter of stars clear your vision, and start again.
A second search threads together a list which feels a little cleaner. A little more you. Sophisticated websites with sleek designs, smooth wording which makes it feel like youâre being sold something.
And so what, if you are? Maybe youâre looking to buy.
You click through image after image of bright offices and beaming staff, sipping sharply through your straw. Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, unsure whether the lightheaded feeling is from the rosĂŠ, or the promise of a successful career and competitive salary. Memorizing brand manifestos, learning company values like prayers passing through your hands.
Itâs manic. Crazed. Like youâre stood on the brink of an abyss, thick fog kissing your ankles.
You laugh to yourself. This must be the fucking electricity.
Promise me. And what can it hurt, anyway, turning in an application form? Who says itâll even go anywhere? They might take one look at your resume and laugh you all the way into the trashcan.
Or â they might see what Joel sees. What Martha sees. For the love of God, what you see.
Your resume looks much the same as it did four years ago â still molded into the shape of the kind of girl you thought Joel Miller, CEO might like to meet. And he did, very much so. Itâs just â he met all shapes of her. Even the ones she tried to hide.
He found them all out, eventually.
Your thumb pauses, hovering over the mousepad. A slow guilt slithering over your shoulders, coiling deep in your gut. You think of Paris; those streets you walked down with Joel on your arm. Talking, laughing, spilling secrets and keeping them, too.
Your shadows are probably still on those avenues. Your reflections still bobbing in the Seine. Kisses hidden behind steam-coated mirrors, bodies joining in a darkened hotel room.
It twinges some, deep in your chest. A little numbed, what with all the alcohol and â well, Martha. But itâs still there. The same wound youâve had for twelve years now.
Itâs there. It will probably always be there.
So â fuck it.
Youâre grabbing a goddamn paddle.
Itâs been a quiet, fruitless week. No calls, no emails, no messages written in the stars.
Which is probably a good thing, given you were more than a few glasses of wine deep â and still on some kind of high from Marthaâs speech. God only knows what kind of shit you were filling those applications with.
Nothing quite like liquid courage and a broken heart, right?
The light from the Xerox flickers, swiping memories from that afternoon back and forth. Marthaâs hand locked around yours, the perfumed wine she kept buying. The waiter with the dimples, Joelâs Have a good night Iâll see you tomorrow, the pine air freshener in Alanâs car.
Things have mellowed, settled in your stomach. The world is back to beige â as plain as it always was before that night of tequila and AC/DC. Youâve made peace with it, this idea of letting go. Letting him go.
Martha â soapbox queen, microphone in one hand and glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the other â has checked in every day since. Expectant eyes from across the room, treasure chest emails full of job ads sheâs collected.
Anything? she texted this morning, with six praying emojis. One more since yesterday, two since the day before that.
But no â nothing, for almost eight days now.
Maybe thatâs for the best.
Maybe you can swallow back the knot of misplaced disappointment, slip back into your heels and forget any of it ever happened. That fire Martha struck so effortlessly, snuffed by a cruel, cold wind.
His knuckles on the door scatter your thoughts.
âHey,â Joel says, leant against the frame. âEverything okay?â
âAll good,â you reply. âWhatâs up?â
He looksâŚfrustratingly good. Like heâs pieced himself back together. Sharp and smart, brand new. And yet â warm, homey, in all the places only you know to look.
Your fingers flinch by your side, as though theyâre seeking him out. You want to run them through his hair, through his beard. Want to straighten his tie, smooth the shirt over his chest. Breathe him in and feel him melt under your touch.
Feel him change, feel him soften â just for you.
Only for you.
He floats over, hands in his pockets, and perches on the desk by the copier. âExciting stuff,â he muses, tapping the machine twice.
âHm,â you nod, âYouâre an exciting man.â
âHow was the wine bar?â
âIt was good,â you reply. âLittle above my price range, but â it got us drunk, so.â
âDid the job.â
âDid the job,â you agree.
âGood,â Joel says, crossing his ankles. âIâm glad to see you a little more your old self.â
Your lips flatten into a smile. âWell, Martha has a way with words.â
He snorts. âDonât I know it.â
He lingers, then. An awkward air about him. He scratches his nose, stuffs his hands back in his pockets. Sucks in a deep breath, swallows what seems to be a soliloquy of sentiment, or secrets, or something else.
Whatever it is, his nerves rub off on you.
You cross your arms, twist your toe into the carpet. Stare at the paper churning out of the machine, stare at your nails, stare at anything that isnât the man sitting right in front of you.
But then â he murmurs, as though the words splinter from his tongue, âI had an interesting email this morning.â
The copier shudders at his side.
Your eyebrows lift. âOh, yeah?â
Joel clears his throat. âYeah. Pertaining to you.â
And you realize.
You look up at him, the tight knit of his brows. His fixed jaw, the way it flexes as he chews on the words.
âPertaining to me,â you echo â a nudge.
The light from the machine catches a wet glint in his eye. He blinks it away.
âRequest for a reference,â he says.
And â shit.
âShit,â you hiss.
Fuck.
âOh, fuck,â louder.
His expression sharpens into a perplexed smirk. âSurprised?â
âYes,â you start, âI mean â no. No, I just â Shit, I didnât think theyâdâŚI thought theyâd talk to me first. Why didnât they talk to me first?â
He shrugs. âI know of the company, met the CEO once at a gala. From what I know, she runs a pretty tight ship. Probably just wanted to gauge you before reaching out. Itâs okay,â his voice is kind, hushed, âDoesnât mean you wonât still hear.â
âOh, Jesus, Joel,â you pull on your cheeks, âIâm so sorry. I didnât mean ââ
âWoah, woah,â he pats the air, moves so close you worry he might hear the thud of your heart, âNo apologies, alright? That ainât why I brought it up.â
âI just didnât mean for you to find out that way. I wanted to be the one to â to tell you.â
He stands, hands finding your elbows. Gentle, a little timid. Barely brushing the sleeves of your shirt, and yet your whole body ignites.
âDarlinâ,â his voice is serious, âI donât care. I donât give a shit, I promise. I meanâŚâ he shakes his head, ââŚI give a shit. I give a lotta shits. Iâm not â I donât mean that, I meant ââ
âI know what you meant,â you whisper.
âYeah,â he sighs, âyou always do.â
You pick a speck of fluff from his tie. He watches your hand, then takes it in both of his. Two big paws wrapped around one of yours, swallowing it whole.
Itâs a familiar feeling, staring at the shape of your fingers tangled in his. Two in the morning at your first sleepover, praying Mom will pick up the phone. The first night alone in a new apartment, the babble of reality television for company right until sunrise.
Youâre homesick.
Homesick for a man whoâs standing right in front of you.
âI just wanted you to know,â Joel says, âthat I sent it off just now. Just in case somethinâ goes wrong with the email, it doesnât go through, I sent it to the wrong goddamn place â I donât know. I just wanted you to know that itâs done.â
He holds your hand to his chest, his heartbeat against your knuckles. When you donât reply, throttled by the threat of tears, he gives your wrist a little shake.
âOkay? You in there?â
âIâm here,â you breathe, and your hand slips from his grasp. âThank you. Iâm still sorry. You musta felt a little blindsided.â
His head bobs, considering. âWas a surprise, but a good one. Junior art director, huh? That sounds pretty damn exciting.â
âYeah,â you reply, relaxing as he settles back on the desk. âReally exciting. Flex those creative muscles again.â
He grins. âYou plan on working your way up?â
âYup. Earn my stripes.â
âAlright, little tiger,â he says, and your heart leaps. âProud of you.â
A silly smirk on your lips, you give him a tiny curtsy. âHereâs hoping your reference seals the deal.â
Joel laughs. âI donât know about that, darlinâ. Itâs pretty shitty.â
âIs that so?â
âOh, yeah. Talked all about how sarcastic you are, how you forgot the charger for your toothbrush â and then stole mine. Told âem about the Bart Simpson socks, force-feeding me Patrick Swayze. The lot.â
âThe Bart socks,â you snicker, âThey really stuck with you, huh?â
âSure did.â
You slide onto the desk beside him. âWhat did you really write?â you ask, leaning in.
Joel glances to you. It should be obvious, with the way heâs looking at you, exactly what he wrote.
âTell me,â you say, elbowing him.
âI told themâŚâ he sighs, ââŚI told them not even to think about it, just hire you. Theyâd be outta their goddamn minds not to. Told them I wouldnât be anywhere without you â or your Bart socks.
âTold them youâre the best thing that ever happened to this place. The best thing that ever happened to me. And you think â you think you never know what you have until you lose it, whatever that saying is, but I did. I knew from the second I met you. And they will, too. So â I told âem.â
The photocopier cuts, huffs, and falls silent. The room is plunged into a suffocating silence. Youâre not sure youâre even breathing.
Joelâs arms are crossed protectively over his chest. You want so badly, more than anything, to burrow under them. To wriggle your way into his grasp â because you know heâd let you â cling to his chest, let his heartbeat regulate yours.
Let his entire body become yours; forget which parts are you, and which are him. Crawl into his skin, envelop yourself in him.
You want to cry into him. Hand him back all those mangled shapes of yourself you tried so hard to hoard â realizing now, that he knew what he was doing all along.
He was never trying to break them. He was never trying to hurt them. He only ever wanted to love them.
He only ever wanted to love you.
âAnyway,â Joel says, dusting his thighs, âWhy donât you finish that up, head on home for the day?â
âUh ââ you swipe the tears from your cheeks, ââ no, itâs okay. I got a to-do list as long as my arm, and I still owe you, like, three hours from last week.â
Joel watches as you leap back over to the copier, swing the documents under one arm.
âIâm sure the to-do list will keep,â he assures, taking the ream from your clutches. âGo home, clear your head. Wait for that invite to interview to come through.â
âJoel ââ
âLook at me,â he towers over you, âAnything urgent is Marthaâs job now. Sheâll love the drama of it. You want me to email that company back ân have them add Doesnât follow orders to your reference?â
You breathe a laugh. âNo.â
âNo,â he repeats, brushing by.
All the times youâve missed him before â landing back home after Paris, sat with some lovestruck financier in a golf club, fighting like kids in his office â and none of them compare to right now. Stood in the copy room, mere inches and yet entire worlds between you.
And Joel seems to know, like he knows everything youâre thinking. He glances over his shoulder, flame in his eyes, and he smiles. All sweet and charming, the real kind that softens him, lightens him.
Everything that makes him yours.
âGo on, git,â he says, heading for the door. ââfore I change my mind.â
âHey, wait. Joel?â
He turns back.
Your voice trembles. âHow are you so calm about all this?â
His jaw flicks uncomfortably. He considers it for a moment, then says, âIf you love something, you let it go.â
You repeat his own words back to him, whispered to you while you lay intertwined on his childhood bed. When they leave your mouth, they sound more like a plea. Fight back.
âBut then youâd be losing something,â you say.
Joel shrugs. Earnestly. âCanât lose somethinâ I never had.â
He doesnât get it. He must get it. Heâs twenty years older, twenty years wiser. He must know, by now. Christ, he had you to a tee two weeks ago.
How doesnât he get it?
Your chest heaves. Your head shakes.
âYou had it. You had me the second we walked into that dive bar.â
#joel miller#joel miller fic#joel miller x reader#ceo!joel miller#ceo!joel#sugardaddy!joel miller#the last of us#the last of us fic#fic: sex on fire
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some efforts
FEATURING. GOJO SATORU & GETO SUGURU
CONTENT WARNINGS. mentions of past abuse.
NOTES. got sidetracked by requests and i didn't really put up with this chap. apologies. i swear i only update when someone asks if i'm still continuing this fic.
SYNOPSIS. the awaited date and some memories ruins it for you.
chapters one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven | twelve
the bistro was filled with numerous chatters. coming from patrons and customers alike. conversations over good food and the small laughter coming from them. surrounded by the warm glow of the lights like sun rays but more subdued. hitting the wooden interior with its soft light. creating a more laid-back atmosphere where everyone can wine and dine.
you were still on guard. geto sees how you scanned the room more than twice. avoiding eye contact at him and twiddling your fingers in the smallest of manner. he knows you were still wary of him. a bully or a former bully. it sets a bitter taste to his tongue. the knowledge of being one of your tormentors and realizing it later in life how he deeply regretted for hurting you.
he's not his former self anymore. he tells to himself. this date where you reluctantly accepted after many times of convincing you. saying that he'll make up all the years of the misery he caused. proving to you that he's no longer that person who causes you tears and pain but is it when he sees you. sitting across from each other with your gaze who couldn't even look at him and your withdrawn hands not making it nearer to where his rests.
âlook at me.â there's tinge of authority in his voice but gentle when he spoke to you. it was like coaxing you to go outside of your box. âcan't we unless talk?â rich coming from him who can make you say the filthiest of words while he used to torment you.
âi guess.â you briefly muttered. gathering every nerve to your body to look at him and you die a little bit inside how similar his eyes to his. a complete copy of him but you shake the thoughts. it was just you and him. âthank you for taking me out here.â your eyes briefly landing at the small frame pinned at the door.
a bit distracted and intimidated. gripping your cup filled with tea to prevent from squirming to much. it's not like everyday your former bully would invite least asks you for date. you were reluctant of course but geto is persistent to get what he wants and it earned you.
he picks good. the place didn't scream high-end or some posh place that their menus didn't have a price and the bill ending up as a month's worth of salary.
a ghost of a smile etched in his face at your response. there it is. what he has been waiting for. geto can't help but to admire you. the same round face that used to look at him. there's the softness in it and something new. perhaps determination? he can guess but nonetheless it isn't the time to guess what you're made of now. you've changed just like he is.
before any of you can continue, the waiter arrived with the food you both ordered. placing the plates in front of you and bids you both to have a nice meal.
you began to eat. taking a spoonful of the food and chewing softly. surprised that you managed to work an appetite despite how guarded you feel around him. âyou and gojo fucked me up, literally and metaphorically.â you paused in between bites before continuing. âbut you two never made me feel bad about eating. i'm kind of glad for that.â
shrugging as you placed your utensils down. taking sip of your beverage. your relationship with food was kind of rocky around in the edges. you never ate in public. afraid of the stares and judgement that strangers give to you when eating and never in front of someone. let alone as cruel as gojo and geto. surprisingly they never made you feel bad about it and encouraged you to eat with them when they're particularly in a good mood. often going as far hand feeding you.
you didn't beat around the bush and geto applauded you for that. it often got you in trouble when you talked back and defy them when you won't do a particular thing they want you to. they were such an asshole to you. âyou look happy when you eat. simple gestures like that is hard to come by.â
pouring the creamer in his cup of coffee and adding two sugar cubes. geto stirs it with a spoon. he finds you looking at it. his large hand dwarfing the cup and it was like a teacup rather than a coffee cup.
âis it?â pausing and trying to sink in what he said. somehow your lips curved into a smile. it was rather a pained one. âand you, gojo would take pleasure in hurting me afterwards.â now, you killed the mood. the food gone bland in your mouth. feeling like your eating nails. the memories came flooding and it just made you ache in places. a phantom pain.
putting down your utensils down. your appetite's lost. everything's heavy now just like it was in the first time.
geto freezes at your words. it was like a punch in his gut. you were still stuck at that time but you never made it seem like it affected you and you were doing it just to make thing seems right. for his own comfort.
a pang of guilt hits in his chest. seeing you hung your head low and blinking back the tears threatening to fall from your eyes. he hears you mutter an apology.
he stands up. grabbing the back of his chair and placing it besides you. âhey, it's fine. it was never your fault.â he says, holding your cheek in his hand and forcing you to look at him. âit's been years, sugu. why does it still hurt?â you asked him. peering through your blurred vision of tears pooling at the corner of your eyes. you could have pushed him. recoiled at his touch and when you leaned in. giving up to his touch â you asked yourself why? and you understand it. why some people come back even though they were hurt by the same person and you weren't any different from them cause the best comfort will always come to the one who had hurt you the most.
a stray tear rolls down your cheek. suguru was quick to wipe it with his thumb gentle. cradling your face in his one hand. he looks at you and there wasn't any emotion shown in his face except for the conflicting emotions inside him. pain? guilt? and new emotions he never felt mixes with it and the more he stays with you, the more he feels all of it.
geto wasn't anything remorseful for what he had done. he and gojo had their fun playing around with you and what happened after that night â you disappearing without a trace and shoko's warnings that they shouldn't interfere with your life anymore despite the circumstances that you were working for both of them.
he did fucked you up and reduced you to this mess. the younger him would relish over it but seeing your tear-stained face. he felt worst. everything since you came back is forced. always driving you to a corner and if he really wants to build his relationship with you again. he have to change and he's willing to make it.
the weather's warm. with the slight breeze of wind sweeping throughout the park. the scent of the sakura blossoms wafts in the open air. after that little breakdown of yours earlier. geto decided that you need a breath of fresh air and the park is where he took you.
both of you remained silent. you in the most part. embarrassed at the sudden burst of emotions and thinking that you ruined the supposed date. âi'm sorry.â you softly muttered. glancing at the man besides you.
strands of his hair danced along the rhythm of the wind. he only hums. slowly inching his hands towards you. holding your hands in his. âdon't apologize.â reveling in the softness of your hands in his and suguru's mind drifts for a minute. marveling at the sight of your hand in his. if things were just normal and he pursued you in a much kinder approach â is this how you two will be? except for the part where he's the reason why you suffered at his hands.
âi shouldn't have said that.â meeting his gaze and you suddenly felt bothered. âyou were making it up to me and i ruined it.â blinking and biting your lower lip in guilt. you should have never brought it up.
geto sighs. he swipes his thumb in your knuckles. the gesture sweet and intimate with gentleness in their touch. âyou didn't ruin it. i should thank you for accepting that date. it was pleasant to talk to you about things.....â his words trailed off. referring to what happened three years ago.
you only nod.
âcan we start again?â your former bully eyes widened at your suggestion. âno talks of the past and all? just us two adults as friends?â and you have that effect on him. geto isn't easily swayed. it was the opposite he's the one that should be doing this and here you are.
there is no need to know what was his answer. it was a yes. without hesitation.
it was hard to tear his gaze off away from you. despite the earlier dilemma of your sudden outburst everything was going fine after that. you were just eating but why do you look so alluring. your cheeks puffing up in a manner while you ate.
âis something the matter, sugu?â pausing to glance at him and he reached to wipe the cream in the corner of your lip before licking it off with his tongue. your face burns in embarrassment at what he had done before looking away. clutching the hem of your sweater and ignoring the sudden rise of your heartbeat. face warming at the gesture.
geto chuckles at your reaction. his eyes narrowing and his pupils dilating. it is known that there is still the attraction lingering in your body after all the years you're away from them. too used to their touch that your own responds without the will coming from you.
it's going to be sweeter this time pursuing you.
gojo was running impatient.
he has been waiting all day. wondering what happened to the date suguru had scored with you and he did get the full detail of it. geto smirks triumphantly in front of him and gojo felt an annoyance towards him.
âshe won't even glance at me, suguru.â he sighs exasperated. running his hand in his hair out of frustration.
âshe knows you're in a committed relationship. you're engaged and to sayuri. don't compare (y/n) to your ex-flings and sayuri. she won't do anything that would jeopardize a relationship because of her.â geto explains. he knows all of it. girls didn't care about the others when they really liked someone and when he got the gist of you working under satoru. he quite abandoned the thought of other women. fully commiting to you. trying to get back to your life and make you his.
gojo scoffs. âwhat's your plan, suguru?â his blue eyes glinting behind his glasses. there's been change of plans. he's not going to woo you anymore. he's going to pursue you.
ânothing really.â he lied. âi know (y/n)'s going to give in to me. anytime if i played my cards right. you should know we're not the only men in her life. we don't know what really happened to her life the last three years.â he didn't lie on that part. geto knows someone in your life is trying to also pursue you. one that you owed deeply.
his friend remained silent. taking a long sigh before going back to his desk. he can hear the cogs running in his brain right now. he's out of it and he just can focus to you and only you. he didn't need to drag his ass to gojo even it was planned from the start that they would have you.
guess he's not sharing you to him.
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Gordon meeting the 1st Robin
Batman: Commissioner Gordon, I'm here.
Gordon: Finallyâ
Gordon noticed the young black-haired boy next to Batman, dressed in a bright and colorful hero suit.
Gordon (pointing at the kid): Who's that?
Batman: The child next to me?
Gordon: No, the Bat-Signal. Yes, I mean the kid!
Batman looked down at his Robin, who is mesmerized by the bright lights of the Bat-Signal. Batman turned his to face Gordon.
Robin (waving): Hi!
Gordon (slightly concerned): Hey, little kid. Oh, you're so cute. I'm just going to talk to your guardian for a second.
Gordon looked directly into Batman's eyes with a judgmental stare.
Batman (unaware how odd this looks): What? Is it the costume I gave him because that was his idea.
Gordon: Oddly enough, that's not my issue; he looks adorable in it.
Robin smiled while swaying back and forth.
Robin: Awww, thank you!
Gordon (frowning): Batman, I can forgive you for many things. The numerous parking tickets that you haven't paid for your Batmobile, the fact that I had to install a giant Bat-Signal on the building and you have not paid me the rest of the money for that yet, and even the time that you hit a fire hydrant and left a note saying âsorry'.
Batman (interrupting): I am sorry about that, by the way.
Gordon: Doesn't fix the fact that you haven't paid me for that either! Not the point, why is there a precious child next to you?
Batman: Well... I have a sidekick now.
Gordon: You have a seven-year-old!
Robin (offended): Hey, I am 8!
Robin held up both hands with four fingers on each of them.
Batman: He's 8 and an orphan. Not as weird.
Gordon took a deep breath, trying to accept that this is reality.
Gordon: I should not have to explain to you how that is not better! That's infinitely weirder, not going to lie.
Batman (hiding his embarrassment over his bad wording): I am now becoming aware of how this looks, but he is legally adopted by me. That is all you need to know.
Gordon (taking a deep breath): I have so many follow-up questions, and as a cop, I need you to answer a few of them. I won't be mad if they don't lead me to arresting you because I do kind of like you.
Batman (taken back): Oh... Thanks. Do I have to tell you, though?
Gordon (sternly): Yes.
Batman (relenting): I didn't kidnap him. I legally adopted him after his parents died, through no fault of my ownâI realize how weird that sounds, but it's true. I took the kid in, and he's my... sonâchâwa-sidekick! Yes. It's not weird! It's not. He just needed a home. He's a good fighter too. Right, Robin?
Robin (confidently): I can do flips and tricks!
Batman: Yes, he can do flips and tricks. I like him so far; heâs... heâs neat.
Batman patted Robin on the head. Robin smiled giggling.
Gordon (smiling softly): Aww... Dang it, that is cute. Just don't get him hurt, okay?
Batman (sheepishly): Mm hm... Definitely did not have to deal with him getting eaten by a Venus flytrap. Twice. Yeah, we dealt with Poison Ivy earlier this week.
Gordon removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes in frustration.
Gordon: Right... He's walking across the edge of the building, by the way.
Batman (not turning around): Yep, he has a lot of energy.
Robin: This is awesome!
Batman spotted the child flipping on the ledge effortlessly. The new father groaned.
Batman (monotone): I'll go get him.
Batman reached out to grab Robin, but the lively young boy leaped off the ledge and darted away, laughter trailing behind him. Gordon observed the scene in confusion as the normally reserved Batman sprinted after his mischievous youthful partner.
Gordon (wistful): My kid is hyper like that... I hope she got her milk tonight.
Gordon wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.
Batman (trying to grab his son): Robin, stop running!
Robin: No!
Batman: Dang it, child! Stop!
Robin: No! I want to play!
Batman: The night of patrolling isn't over yet.
Robin: I'm hungry!
Batman: I got you McDonald's earlier!
Robin (demanding): I want more McDonald's!
Gordon (chuckling): You get used to it. Tell him you'll punish him if he doesn't listen.
Batman stopped running, realizing that this could work.
Batman (sternly): Robin, if you don't stop running, I will make sure you have no cookies for dessert at dinner tomorrow!
Robin stopped running, huffed, and went back to Batman's side. The little hero crossed his arms, pouting.
Batman: Thank you, kiddo.
Batman patted the boy on the head again. Robin giggled and hugged the man's waist, surprising the adult hero.
Gordon (smiling): Okay... I'm not too worried about this anymore.
Second Robin
Third Robin
#batman#dick grayson#batman & robin#batfamily chronicles#batfamily headcanons#batfam shenanigans#batfamily#bruce wayne#batfamily shenanigans#jim gordon#jim gordon thought he saw it all with batman#aww he's so precious#dick grayson is a ray of sunshine#bruce wayne is trying#bruce wayne is a good dad#bruce wayne is annoyed#batfamily wholesome#batman and robin#batfamily funny#batfamily comedy#commissioner gordon#robin!dick#batfamily fanfiction#batfamily fluff#first robin#microfiction#script fic#dc fanfiction#headcanon batfamily#flash fiction
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Top 10 Anime Betrayal | K.Mg
Genre: fluff, est. Relationship
Summary: It's hot news, and you can't help but share it with your boyfriend because Mingyu always loves your storiesâtop 10 anime betrayal level.
Author note: literally based on a recent experience of mine. I'm done with themĺ¸( â˘Ě_â˘Ě )ĺ¸
âI swear this one takes the top spot on my list,â Mingyu giggled, recalling your earlier struggle to articulate what had left you so speechless. You had been fuming, your voice caught somewhere between disbelief and anger, too stunned to say anything coherent when he first asked you what was going on.
âSo, now youâre ready?â he teased, leaning back as he observed you intently. He noted that your breaths were steadier, your flushed cheeks had regained their normal color, and the fire in your tone had simmered down, if only just a little.
You nodded, taking a deep breath before starting. Mingyu tightened his hold around your waist, drawing you closer. The two of you were sitting on the couch, your legs draped over his as you straddled his lap, his face inches away from yours. The proximity between you revealed just how eager and passionate you were to share this news.
âI told you about Yunji last night, right?â
Mingyuâs eyes lit up with recognition. Of course, he remembered Yunjiâone of your closest friends. She was a sweet girl, full of kindness and patience, but she had unfortunately ended up with a very toxic and manipulative man. Yunji had been dating this guy for five years, and you and your other friend, Dain, had tried numerous times to show her what kind of person he really wasâa cheater, a liar, and emotionally abusive.
Mingyuâs jaw had dropped when you first told him about the time Yunjiâs boyfriend almost slapped her, and how he always tried to undermine her achievements, belittling her and making her feel small. You had recounted how you confronted Yunji with all the things youâd uncovered about him, only for Yunji to respond with words that had left you devastated. âI donât know who to believe.â
âShe didnât believe me, babe. It broke my heart,â youâd confided in Mingyu that night, tears of frustration and hurt streaming down your face. Mingyu had held you in his arms for hours, whispering comforting words and stroking your hair until you finally drifted off to sleep, both of you still aching from Yunjiâs refusal to see the truth.
Last night, Yunji had texted the group chat in a frenzy, saying sheâd finally caught him cheating. Sheâd found messages on his smartwatch, which heâd accidentally left at her house. Youâd been beside yourself with joy and relief. âI canât believe the time has finally come! Oh my God, Iâm so happy!â youâd exclaimed, clutching Mingyuâs arm as you read out the messages. Yunji had said she was going to break up with him for good, and Mingyu, despite being half-asleep, had listened patiently to your excited ramblings, smiling softly as you kissed him goodnight. âI always knew he was a cheater. Iâm just glad sheâs finally aware now. Thank God youâre not like him, love.â
But now, here you were, with an entirely different expression on your face.
âIt was a misunderstanding,â you muttered, the words tasting bitter as they left your mouth.
Mingyuâs brow furrowed in confusion. âWhat do you mean, honey?â
You let out a frustrated sigh. âThe messages werenât his. They were his brotherâs. Apparently, his brother had been using the smartwatch until just yesterday, and the messages got left behind when they switched.â
Mingyu still didnât get it. âBut⌠theyâre still breaking up, right?â
You scoffed, bitterness seeping into your tone. âI wish.â
Mingyuâs eyes widened. âNo? Really? Sheâs staying with him?â
âAnd you know what she said after all of this?â You paused, glancing at your phone, as if reading her words would make them any less painful. âShe said, âIt was a misunderstanding, and I have to settle everything. Letâs not talk about this for now.ââ
Mingyu blinked, sharing your expression of betrayal. âThatâs it? After everything you and Dain did for her?â
You shrugged, showing him the last text youâd sent in the group chat. âI told her Iâm done with this shit.â Your voice shook as you remembered the sleepless nights and the hours youâd spent worrying about her, all gone to waste. âI told her Iâm here for her if she needs company, but if she wants to vent about her sad life with that shitty boyfriend, Iâm out.â
Mingyu scanned the message youâd sent, his gaze softening as he looked back up at you. âYou did the right thing,â he murmured, pulling you into his chest and wrapping his arms around you. âI know sheâs your best friend, but she really discredited you and Dain by saying that.â
âI know,â you mumbled into his neck, fighting back the urge to cry. âI didnât lose sleep for nothing!â Your voice wavered, your exhaustion seeping through.
Mingyu chuckled softly, rubbing small circles on your back. âLetâs go to sleep, baby. You need to rest. No more thinking about them.â
You lifted your head, nodding with a resigned smile. âRight?! I donât need to think about them. I donât have to care anymore. Screw them both. If she needs me, Iâll be there, but Iâm not wasting any more energy on this drama.â
With a soft grunt, Mingyu stood up, carefully cradling your body that still clung to his. âAlright, baby girl. Now itâs time for you to get some real rest.â
You hummed contentedly, nuzzling into his neck as he carried you to bed. âI love youâŚâ you whispered.
Mingyu smiled, his heart swelling with warmth as he gazed down at you. âI love you more, love. Now sleep.â
With him holding you close, the weight of betrayal and heartache slowly began to melt away, leaving you cocooned in the safety and comfort of his embrace. And for the first time in days, you felt like you could finally breathe again.
#seventeen imagines#seventeen fanfic#seventeen angst#densworldđź#seventeen scenarios#seventeen series#seventeen drabbles#seventeen fanfiction#seventeen imagine#mingyu imagines#mingyu oneshot#mingyu fanfic#mingyu fluff#mingyu angst#mingyu scenarios
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Sending you "Glasses" for the writing prompt with a side of fluffy!
Thank you for the cute prompt đŠś
****
The thing is, Tommy wasnât that much older than Buckâit was only 7 years numerically. Itâs just that he seemed older. His sense of self, his confidence and how level headed he was gave him the air of somebody who was older.
Buck liked to tease him about it sometimes. Heâd refer to him and âold manâ, or when heâd fall asleep watching a movie, justifiablyâyou try staying awake after a gruelling 48 shift, thank you very much!â Buck would call him grandpa.
It was playful teasing and Tommy didnât mind.
But really, his older mentality was a comfort to Buck; made him feel stable when he was getting all up in his own head. Again.
Buck had tried, really REALLY tried, over the last 5 months to not get ahead of himself with Tommy. It had been an incredible five months, for both of them, but Buck was determined to not rush into things like he had with previous relationships.
But he couldnât deny his feelings for Tommy were deep. He was half convinced that if you cut him open, âproperly of Tommy Kinardâ would be stamped on each and every organ he possessed.
He hadnât said those precious three words yetâneither of them hadâbut each day it was getting harder and harder to resist blurting them out. If he was completely honest with himself heâd felt it about a month in, but was terrified heâd be seen as his usual impulsive self and Tommy would run a mile.
It was getting truly difficult to not picture a future with Tommy when he did things that drove Bucks heart crazy. Little things, mostly, like changing his laundry detergent because Buck didnât like the smell of the one he used to use. Or taking the time to learn how to make Bobbys famous lasagne because he knew Buck loved it. Even when he was texting Buck to chastise him for not eating breakfast before his shift because â..your health is important and you canât save lives if youâre not taking care of your own.â
What tipped Buck across the line from âI love this manâ to âoh my god I want to spend the rest of my life with him and have his babiesâ, however, was something so small; so unimportant and unintentional on Tommys part that he could have missed it.
Heâd had a long shiftâcall after call after callâ and was three hours later to Tommyâs house than he had planned to be there. He let himself in with the key that Tommy had given him two months in and walked into the living room after dumping his bag by the door.
âHey, Tommy, Iâm-â
He stopped at the sight in front of him. His mouth curved into a smile as his entire stomach and chest filled with butterflies, and his heart grew three sizes.
Tommy, fast asleep, head fallen back against the back of the sofa, book in his lap and reading glasses resting on the edge of his nose. Suddenly, Buck had a glimpse of their future.
He looked like a dad.
He could picture Tommy âresting his eyesâ exhausted from lack of sleep and their newborn daughter resting softly on his chest. Tears welled in his eyes at the prospect of that kind of future with him.
He walked over and gently sat down, running his hand down Tommy face softly and cupping his cheek, pressing a delicate kiss onto his temple. Tommy stirred with a hum and his eyes fluttered open to be met with Bucks.
He slid his arms around Bucks waist and nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck.
Buck didnât even had to think about it. The words were in his throat and on his tongue and ready to be let out into the world.
âI love you.â He whispered into Tommys hair.
Tommy squeezed Buck a little harder. âI love you, too
#tommy kinard#911 abc#bucktommy#911#911onabc#buck x tommy#911 buck#evan buckley#evan buck buckely#bucktommy fic#bucktommy prompts#bucktommy prompt#cvo prompts#tevan fic#tevan prompt#911 prompt
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hi!!! could i please request prompts l17 & r20 for theo nott? đ¤
good ones never wait
theo nott x fem!hufflepuff!reader
yesss!!
L17 - His hands around a cold glass make me wanna know that body like it's mine
R20 - Only bought this dress so you could take it off
05.30.2024
T Swift Lyrics Prompts
suggestive at the end but no smut!
theodore aurelius nott the man that you are đ
works slytherin boys masterlist
your heart was pounding in your chest as you watched the scene unfold in front of you. theodore nott, your best friend, and also the man you were irreversibly in love with, had just finished the first quidditch practice of the season. despite his teammates insistence that you were only there to spy for your house team, theo had invited you to watch for some reason you had yet to figure out.
still, watching him wipe sweat, dirt, and god knows whatever else from his perfect face while he grinned with his mates did something to your insides. couldnât your heart just be still for once?
after being friends with theo for nearly five years, youâd learned to tune out the butterflies for the most part. but crushing on theodore nott isnât something that one just gets over. heâs the kind of guy that youâd spend your whole life helplessly in love with.
âsweet little puff. if youâre so infatuated, ask nott out.â
the voice of pansy parkinson in your ear made you jump.
after gathering yourself once more, you shrugged thoughtlessly at the idea. of course youâd like to think heâd say yes. but with theo there was no telling. heâd never had a girlfriend his entire time at hogwarts. in fact, now that you really thought about it, you couldnât remember him ever even giving any of the numerous girls that asked him out a chance.
he was so well known for instant rejections that eventually even his most committed fan girls had simply given up.
âpfh.â
you made a noise of disbelief in pansyâs direction.
âsure, and ruin a five year friendship with my best friend. no thanks.â
âno, youâd much rather wallow in your feelings and never say a word about it to anyone except me apparently.â
she stood up from next to you and held out a hand. a silent invitation.
âthe worst he could say is no, y/n. and at least if he does, you can start moving on.â
you grasped her hand and allowed her to pull you up, but inside you knew that there was no moving on from theodore nott. he would always have a place in your heart. youâd resigned yourself to that a long time ago.
it was a stiff silence as the pair of you made your way to where the boys were all shoving each other and rolling around in the quidditch pitch. you watched with amusement as theo shoved mattheoâs face into the grass with a playful grip on his dark curls.
as he noticed your approach, he looked up from his entanglement with a broad smile. ây/n!â
his temporary distraction gave mattheo the few vital seconds he needed, and a few moments later, heâd wrapped his arms around the taller boyâs waist and maneuvered himself to pin him.
âtoo slow, aurelius. distracted by your little girlfriend like usual.â
whatever theo said next was drowned out by mattheoâs rather unmanly shriek as enzo wriggled free of blaiseâs grasp and flung himself at mattheoâs head.
pansy leaned over to you.
âat least come to our little gathering tonight. nothing big, just slytherin house. and of course, our little badger.â
âwhere theo is, i am.â
â
there was a part of you that wished that statement could be untrue for at least once in your life. you werenât typically much of a party person, but since you were nearly joined at the hip with the nott boy, where theo went, you followed. and vice versa.
after forcing him into countless bookstores with you, it was really only fair that you join him for the occasional night of uninterrupted revelry.
especially since so many bodies in one room meant that theo would be practically on top of you the entire time.
you tugged at the green sundress in hopes that it was straight. youâd only bought it because theo said it would look good on you when youâd gone shopping together this past summer. but you hadnât had an occasion to wear it yet and figured tonight was as good a night as any. softly clearing your throat, you spoke the password and watched in amazement as a snake seemed to appear out of nowhere, slithering to form the door to the slytherin common room.
the moment you stepped foot inside, music thrummed through your body. after a quick scan of the room, you found your serpents as they lounged across some furniture in a corner. yet, upon approaching, you noticed theoâs absence.
âyour boy is getting you a drink.â
draco nodded to the drink table where sure enough, theo was pouring up some sort of concoction. you softly excused yourself and started your way towards him.
theoâs friends watched on as the boy completely lit up when he saw you. mattheo felt a plan began to hatch.
enzo, who apparently recognized the look on mattheoâs face, immediately began to shake his head violently.
âno. whatever youâre thinking of doing, donât.â
immediately, mattheoâs face twisted into a look equal parts disbelief and exasperation.
âoh come on, donât tell me you arenât tired of those two dancing circles around each other.â he took a swig of his drink and then stood dramatically. âwe all know thereâs only one way to fix this.â
midway through a rather animated conversation with theo, you felt a large hand in your own. out of the corner of your eye you could see mattheo with his signature smirk.
âdonât hog her all night, aurelius. câmon sweetheart letâs dance.â
before you could reject him, the boy had dragged you onto the dance floor and was yanking you in various directions while âdancingâ with you. of course, mattheo was respectful of you and theodoreâs albeit odd relationship and simply held your hands while dancing with you.
still, he knew that it wouldnât take much to rile up his friend when it came to you. and having you ripped away from him while he was in the middle of admiring you would be frustrating no doubt.
and thus, no longer than ten seconds into your dance, mattheo was ripped away from you by his collar and dragged off by a rather irritated theo.
well, anyways.
pansy grinned knowingly as you made your way back to where she and the others were sitting. she clearly knew something. you pulled her from the couch by her wrist and out of ear shot of the boys.
âwhat the hell pansy?â
âmattheo has a brilliant plan to get dear little theodore to confess his feelings for you.â
âoh yeah. brilliant.â you say sarcastically. âone problem though. theodore doesnât have feelings for me.â
she rolled her eyes at you, then fixed you with a stare so intense you were suddenly reminded of why she was in slytherin.
âyes he does. honestly, you like him too right? cause it doesnât really seem like it anymore.â
you blushed at the thoughts that entered your head. you really shouldnât be thinking these things about your best friend but there you were.
âhis hands around a cold glass make me wanna know that body like itâs mine.â
pansy wriggled her eyebrows suggestively at you.
âwell then you better go get him before he blows a blood vessel in his neck.â
she motioned behind you lazily. when you turned, theo was standing a few feet away from you and sure enough was glaring intensely at a grinning mattheo on the couch, looking as though he may kill the boy any second now.
deciding that mattheoâs death would be annoying for everyone to deal with, you approached theo timidly. yet, when his gaze met yours, you felt at peace.
your muscles relaxed involuntarily under his stare, and the closer you got to him, the more your mind seemed to clear. every thought jumped soundlessly from your brain to make room for the only thing that mattered: theodore.
"why do you let him rile you up theo?"
âhe knows all the right buttons to press.â
âjust ignore him.â
the brunette shook his head.
âi canât do that. not when itâs you.â
your mouth fell open at his confession. thoughts raced through your brain but none of them actually tumbled off your tongue.
âyou donât have to say anything, bella. itâs okay that you donât feel the same, i just needed you to know.â
your arms snaked up to wrap around his neck. electricity surged through the air and a grin spread across your face as you pulled the boy into a kiss.
âyouâre so cute when youâre all dumb.â
theoâs thick brows sunk in confusion.
âi only bought this dress so you could take it off.â
â
@moonlightreader649 @thatdammchickennugget @helendeath @fandom-life-12 @bouquetolegoflowers @maryvibess @nighttimemoonlover
#slytherin boys#theodore nott#slytherin#theo nott#theo nott x reader#theodore nott x reader#slytherin boys x reader
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I Run to You
Summary:
After a fight with Pedro, you two go your separate ways for the holidays. However after receiving a phone call that Pedro got hurt, you rush to him in the hopes that you can salvage your relationship and nurse him back to health.
Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Reader (no use of Y/N)
Rating: T
Word Count: 9155
Pedro Pascal Masterlist
Author's Notes: Thank you all for your support. This one was a little scary to write because I have never written a Pedro non character fic. Please be kind and let me know what you think!
****italics means flashbacks
This was not how you expected your Christmas Eve to go. You were supposed to be in the kitchen helping your mother bake her famous Christmas cookies. Instead, here you were on a plane rushing to see your boyfriend of three years, Pedro. You felt a surge of guilt in your chest as you realized that you should have never agreed to spend the holidays apart after having one of the biggest fights in your life.
You had spent the last few days at your parentsâ house moping around debating whether or not to call him and apologize first. Then you got a call from Pedroâs sister Lux, letting you know that they had to take him to the hospital. When you heard those words, it felt like your whole world stopped. The fight that you had with him no longer mattered. All of that went out the window and you knew that you had to get to him as soon as you could. However, getting a flight out to Chile on a holiday weekend was going to be nearly impossible. Thankfully, after numerous calls and by a Christmas miracle, your dad got you on the first flight out to Santiago.
As you sat there looking out the plane window, you couldnât help but think back to the fight that you and Pedro had. Now it seemed so senseless, but back then, it became intense quickly. Sure, you had small fights before, but nothing like this. You both said some things that you regret and neither one had yet to apologize or even check in on each other.
You remembered that it all started over a picture you saw on X. You had already gotten cozy under the covers while Pedro got ready for bed in the bathroom. After scrolling through tik Tok for a while, you switched over to X and thatâs when you saw it. It was a picture of your boyfriend walking out of a restaurant. The caption read, âNew Couple Alert! Pedro Pascal and former costar seen getting cozy at prominent LA restaurant Friday night. The pair was spotted having drinks and left in smiles as Pedro walked the actress to her car. Could this be the start of a new power couple?â
Normally these types of rumors didnât bother you. You could care less, because you had seen for fair share of them, and you knew that every single one of them was a stretch. You also knew that was something that you were going to have to get used to if you were going to date a celebrity. However, to you, Pedro wasnât a celebrity. He never acted like it and was very down to earth. If fact, that was what drew you to him when you first met.
You remembered like it was yesterday when he stepped out of his house and saw you outside of your own home struggling to change the tire on your car. For whatever reason, you just couldnât seem to get the last nut off of the rim.
To be honest, Pedro had noticed you way before that, but he had been chickening out. He first took notice of you when you moved into the neighborhood over a week ago. He was hesitant even then to come over and introduce himself. He was instantly taken back by your beauty as soon as he laid eyes on you for the first time. You looked absolutely stunning in that black polka dot dress. Your smooth legs glistened in the hot summer sun. Much to his luck, it looked like you were moving into the single story alone. He did spot two other people helping you, but it looked like they were your parents. Little did he know, but that was the first time that you saw him too.
After that the only interaction that you two had was a quick wave here and there when one of you left. Neither one of you had mustered up the courage to go over and introduce yourselves to each other. Pedro almost chickened out that day as well, but after giving himself a pep talk, he decided that it was finally time to go over and say hi.
Quickly doing his best to look presentable and that meant in his favorite Lakers shirt and a pair of gray shorts, Pedro casually walked out of his house like he was going to go check his mail. Then when he was hidden by a couple of cars, he crossed the street and began walking up your side of the street making a B line straight to you. You didnât even see him come up from behind.
âHi there neighbor!â he called out to you. âI was just walking by and noticed you struggling there. Do you need any help?â
âOh my, you scared me,â you chuckled. âYes, if you wouldnât mind. I have been struggling to get this damn nut off. I think itâs stuck, or I did something wrong.â
âIâm sure itâs fine. You just need a little more muscle. May I?â he asked holding out his hand.
You nodded appreciating the help and handed him the tire iron, âOf course, knock yourself out.â
Like nothing, as soon as Pedro tried to turn the tire iron, the nut came loose with ease. âSee there, easy as pie!â He smiled up at you with his dimple on full display.
You almost melted right there and then. It took all that you had to not lose your shit. âHey thatâs not fair. Iâve be trying to get that off for the past fifteen minutes!â
âWhat can I say, you just needed little more muscle,â he teased again before helping you swap out the flat tire for the spare. âThere you go, all done.â
âThank you so much! You are such a life saver. I was so sure that I was going to have to call a tow company. Iâm...â you introduced yourself.
He hesitated for a second with shaking your hand. He didnât want to get you dirty, but when he saw your hands were equally covered in grime, he graciously shook it, âHello, itâs very nice to meet you. Iâm Pedro, I live across the street.â
You let out a cute giggle that melted his heart, âYes, I know exactly who you are Mr. Pascal. I... may have seen a movie or two of yours. Also Mrs. Walker next door seems to be very smitten for you too. She came over with some cookies and told me all about the famous movie star that lives in the neighborhood.â Mrs. Walker was their 85-year-old widow that took care of the neighborhood.
Pedroâs face grew red with embarrassment, âumm...yeah, she may or may not have a crush on me. Listen umm...I was going to grab a coffee or something. You-you wouldnât want to join me, would you? I-I mean if you are not busy or anything. If you are then no big deal maybe next time. I can-I can just go by myself.â
You thought the way he nervously rambled on was adorable. You had never met a celebrity before, and he was completely different from what you thought it would be like. From your very brief experience with him, Pedro was just a normal guy, older, but normal guy. You werenât going to lie to yourself when you thought that he was pretty attractive too. That dimpled smile of his, the soft brown curls, and those broad shoulders of his, ugh all of him got your blood going. Not to mention that he towered over you. That was one of your turn ons. You could almost imagine yourself wrapped in his embrace.
âUm...yeah, I think I can do that. I was going to go get groceries, but I think that can wait till tomorrow. Besides, itâs not every day that Oberyn Martel asks you to get a cup of coffee. Did you know that Mrs. Walker has a few photos of you up on her wall in that ugly mustard robe?â
âOkay first off, that robe is freaking amazing, super comfortable. Next, I did not need to know that. Do you know how awkward itâs going to be now when she brings me over one of her famous apple pies? Iâm not going to be able to look at her in the eyes now,â he groaned causing you to giggle again. âWell, Iâm glad that you find that funny. You know if I was a smart guy, I would revoke my coffee offer to you.â
âAwe did the little celebrity get all embarrassed,â you said like you were talking to a baby. âWell, Iâm sorry Pedro, I apologize. If I buy you a cup of coffee, will that make you feel better.â
Pedro playfully pouted his lips with a frown, âIt might, but I wouldnât be a gentleman if I didnât buy you the first cup. So about I buy us coffee time, then next time, you can buy that round.â
Your heart about nearly skipped a beat at the thought of possibly getting to hang out with him at a later point in time. You felt like a giddy schoolgirl whoâs crush finally gave you the time of day. But at the same time, you knew that you had to play it cool, âNext time huh? Who said anything about a next time Mr. Pascal.â
âYeah, yeah, I know you are right and stop calling me Mr. Pascal. Thatâs my father,â he pouted again. âBut ummâŚ, do you think I can come in for a second and wash my hands. It beats having to go all the way home.â
You couldnât help but roll your eyes at his dramatics. âOh yes because itâs such a long walk. Well follow me then Mr. Pascalâ you winked at him before leading him up the driveway. âAnd I do apologize for all the boxes everywhere. Nursing school has been taking up the majority of my time and itâs been a little hard finding the energy to unpack.â
You didnât realize it, but as he followed you, Pedro couldnât help but stare at your ass. He didnât mean to stare like a dirty old man, but he couldnât help it. It would end up being one of his favorite things about you.
As you both made your way inside your house, you werenât lying. Boxes littered the kitchen and living room. Thankfully Pedro didnât seem to mind though as he made his way through the maze behind you. Taking turns at the sink, both of you scrubbed the grime off of your hands the best that you could.
However just as Pedro went to dry his hands, his large frame accidentally knocked over an open box that was full of VHS and DVDs. âShit, Iâm so sorry,â he apologized as he quickly bent down and started to pick them up.
âItâs okay Pedro no worries. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Iâm surprised that I havenât done that myself already,â you really hoped that he didnât feel bad. It was just an accident.
âYou umm...you sure do have a lot of movies. You a bit of a movie buff?â He was amazed at the vast selection that you had. A lot of them were some of his favorites and some that he hadnât seen in a while. Then a certain VHS tape caught his eye, âNo way, you have this on VHS still? You donât look old enough to know what a VHS is.â
âHa ha very funny Pedro. I may be 24, but I sure do know what a VHS tape is. Thatâs all my grandmother watched when I was little. Gosh, I didnât think that I still had that one. I used to watch that at least twice a week in high school. See I umm... I was bullied a lot in school and my parents were too busy at the time dealing with their own shit. After school in order to just get away from everything, I would put this movie on or any movie really and get lost for hours,â you couldnât help but get teary eyed at the thought of how lonely those times were. Then you suddenly got embarrassed already crying in front of him, âIâm sorry Pedro, I didnât mean to unload on you like that.â
âHey itâs okay really, I donât mind. I want to know more about you,â he then sympathetically reached out and took your hand into his. âMovies also hold a special place in my heart. Seeing the different actors portray different characters, emotions, and storylines, all that appealed to me and is part of what made me want to become an actor.â He then got an idea and really hoped that she didnât mind if they switched things up, âSo umm..., would you be opposed if we instead of going to get coffee, we put this baby on, if you have a VCR that is, and I can help you unpack. Seems like you could use the help more.â
âYou know what that sounds like a wonderful idea. I still have my grandmotherâs VCR and itâs still like brand new. And if you donât mind, what if I order some pizza for some energy? I have a six pack of beer in the fridge as well if you drink. Otherwise, I have some water and juice.â
âBeer is perfectly fine by me and as for the pizza, since Iâm the one who offered coffee and came up with the new plan, please let me buy it. Itâs the least I can do. Think of it as a welcome to the neighborhood pizza.â
You nodded your head as you were too embarrassed to speak. You had never met someone so generous as Pedro. You could see the both of you becoming really good friends. It was like you instantly connected and were already comfortable with each other. âAlright fine, but remember Pedro, I get the next time. Now come on, everything is already set up in the living room.â
Once the movie was playing and the pizza was ordered. Both you and Pedro got to work unpacking the living room. You had made a lot of progress getting through a couple of boxes while making small talk. However as soon as the pizza came and you sat on the couch to eat, thatâs where the packing stopped. Between the movie and swapping stories with Pedro, all of it consumed all your attention.
Before you knew it, it was well past midnight. After helping you clean up and taking some boxes out to the dumpster for you, Pedro bid you a good night. However, before he left, he promised to come over and help you finish the rest, so he gave you his number and told you to text him when it was convenient for you. Much to his surprise, you texted him the next day asking him if he wanted to come over for some breakfast. Before you even had time to crack an egg, he was at your doorstep with two cups of coffee in his hand.
From that point on, you and Pedro had become inseparable. You spent every moment that you could together. Whether it be at your house or his, you two became super close. Both of you knew you had feelings for each other but neither one of you was brave enough to admit it out loud. Then after a month apart since Pedro had to go out of town for work, he showed up at your door with a bouquet of flowers. There on your door step, he admitted his true feelings for you. How he felt so strongly for you and missed you every day that he was gone. That he couldnât go another day without you being his. Before he could even finish expressing himself to you, you jumped into his arms and placed a deep kiss to his lips. You had never loved someone as much as you loved Pedro. It felt like you met your soulmate, and you werenât going to let him go.
The last three years had gone by in a blink of an eye for you as it did move faster than any other relationship that you had been in, especially in the early stages. By the time your one month anniversary came, you two were already sleeping together and saying I love you to each other. Heck by the time your six month anniversary came, you were practically living with him. From the outside, your friends and family thought you two were crazy for how fast you were moving, but you two didnât care. You were so in love that it just felt right to you.
That got you thinking though, maybe thatâs why this fight had turned out to be so bad. In the entire time of your relationship, you hardly argued. If you did, then within a few minutes after it ended, you both would come running back to each other apologizing profusely. You couldnât stand being mad at each other, so now whatâs changed? Â Were you getting fed up with each other? At one point you thought that you had the entire world, but now, you felt so unsure. It felt like everything was now up in the air. You hoped that this surprise trip to your injured boyfriend would be enough to salvage your relationship.
As the plane landed and the passengers began to deplane, you grabbed the only bag that you brought with you and followed the hoard of people. You then as quickly as you could headed straight for the exit where your ride was waiting for you. Thankfully it didnât take long to find her. It was Pedroâs sister Lux, the one that called you about his accident.
âOver here!â she called out to you. As soon as you got close enough to her, she ran straight into your arms, âOh, itâs so good to see you! Iâve missed you! Thank you for coming so quickly. My brother is going to be so happy to see you. He had been a grump since he got here.â
âI really hope so Lux and itâs so good to see you too. How is he?â
âHeâs hurting but thankfully itâs just his shoulder and nothing too serious. They released him from the hospital a few hours ago. He is at my fatherâs house sleeping,â she updated you as you walked to her car.
âSo, what exactly happened? All you said was that he fell.â
Lux just shook her head in disbelief, âI still canât believe it myself. We were talking in the kitchen and then the next thing we knew, we heard a big boom and Pedro was at the bottom of the stairs. He couldnât tell us what happened, and he couldnât move his arm.â
âAnd the doctorâs what did they say?â You really hoped that his injury wasnât going to be too bad.
Being a nurse, you had seen your fair share of shoulder injuries and had seen the range that they could vary. What you were really concerned with those was Pedroâs mental health. You knew that he would be beating himself up as this injury may affect his professional work. He had a busy schedule in the upcoming year with award shows and production on varies projects starting. You were so happy to see him finally get the recognition that he deserved. You just wished that you could be there to celebrate with him.
âWell, they think he may need to have surgery,â she sighed. âHe may want a second opinion though. He damn near almost choked the doctor when he heard them say that. I know seeing you is really going to brighten his day. I was really shocked when he showed up alone. I thought you were going to split the holidays again.â
For the first two years of your relationship, you and Pedro compromised and decided to spend Christmas with one family and then New Years, with the other. This year, it was Pedroâs family to host Christmas. âUmm...yeah well, I donât know if Pedro told you or not, but we decided that it would be best if we took some time apart away from each other. We umm...we had a pretty bad fight.â
You trusted Lux in telling her what was going on. Over the years, you two had gotten super closer to each other. You had been an only child, so she was closest thing to a sister that you had. In fact, you had grown close to all his family.
âI didnât know you two had a fight. All he said was that this year, something came up and you werenât able to come this year. Thatâs so strange though. You two never fight. In fact, I have never seen either of you even raise your voice at each other. What was the fight about?â
Tears began to fill your eyes as you recalled that night....
Pedro finally finished up in the bathroom and came to join you in bed. However, as he got under the covers and tried to pull you over to him, he was surprised to have you pull away from him. âHey what was that for? Whatâs going on mi vida.â
You said nothing. You just rolled over to your side facing away with tears starting to fill your eyes. âMi vida, whatâs going on? You know that you can tell me anything.â
âYou...you lied to me,â you said quietly that he could barely hear you.
âI... Iâm sorry what?â
âI said that you lied to me Pedro!â you shouted and got out of bed. âYou...are a liar Pedro Pascal and that is something that I thought I would never say.â
Pedroâs eyes grew wide. He had never seen an outburst like this from you before, âWhoa, what the actual fuck! What the hell are you talking about?â
He got out of bed and tried to get to you, but you didnât let him âNo, you just stay back,â you yelled. âI know about Friday night Pedro. Were you stupid enough to think that I wouldnât find out? The paparazzi follow you everywhere for crying out loud. I saw the pictures of you!â
Pedro just huffed and shook his head, âReally, this is what itâs about. So, what, I went out Friday to have some drinks with old friends. Whatâs the big deal?â
âWhatâs the big deal? The deal is Pedro Pascal, that you lied to me about it! When I was leaving for work, you told me that you had no plans that night. Now I find that you did go out and that you were hugging up on some chick!â
âYou...youâve got to be kidding me,â he groaned. âPlease donât tell me what I think you are inferring. Please tell me you donât think that Iâm cheating on you.â
âWell, what the hell am I supposed to think Pedro? Did you plan this? Did you plan on hiding this from me?â tears stung your eyes as you threw the phone at him.
Pedro managed to dodge the phone as it hit the wall behind him, âJesus what the hell! I didnât lie to you okay. I had every intension of staying home, but then one of my old costars called saying that they were having a get together. I figured that since you were working yet again, I would go. I also am not cheating on you. I fucking love you okay. Yes, I know there were rumors about me and her back in the day, but nothing ever happened. We were surrounded by our friends the entire time. We were never alone together!â
âOh, so now this is my fault, because I had to work. Well, Iâm sorry that the hospital is short staffed Pedro. Besides, werenât you the one encouraging me to work overtime?â
âYes, and that was when I was working!â Pedro shouted at you. âI told you that you should work some more when I am not home, so you wouldnât have to think about us being apart like you usually do. I donât get why after I have been gone for months filming, you all of a sudden want to work more hours now. Iâve hardly seen you in the past two weeks.â
You couldnât believe how selfish Pedro was acting right now. âAre you serious Pedro? So, you mean to tell me that when you leave to go work in another country, I have no choice but to be here all alone in this big empty house, but when you come home, I am not allowed to work. I have to be here with you, so you donât feel the same way that I do when you leave. So, you do not get bored. I know things were easier when I was in nursing school because I was able to be home and work on homework and stuff, but now that Iâm that working, I canât just drop it all as soon as you walk in the door. I work in an environment where peopleâs lives are at stake.â
âI know that and Iâm not asking you to give it all up. I know how hard you work and how much you love your job. All Iâm asking is just to have some uninterrupted time with you. No work, no commitment, nothing. Next year is going to be super busy and I want us to spend as much time as we can with each other,â he sighed.
âAnd if I do manage to stop working overtime Pedro, what are we going to do then? Stay home?â you asked. âStay cramped up in this house, door dashing date meals. Ever since this whole âInternet Daddyâ thing started, we donât even go out anymore. You donât let us go out together anymore.â
That was true. In the beginning of your relationship, you were able to sneak in dinner dates, coffee trips, and the occasional vacation without being noticed by the public. But now that Pedroâs popularity blew up, cameras constantly caught his every move. It was a miracle with social media being what it was, that no one had a clue that he was dating. He made sure that you always took the proper precautions if you needed to go out.
 âYes, you are right, and I still stand by that decision. There is no way in hell am I putting you in the public eye. No, I will not do that to you. They will tear you apart. I have a lot on my plate already and I do not need to be constantly worrying about you. No, things are much simpler and safer if people donât know about you,â he tried to convince you.
âBut at what cost Pedro? You canât keep us locked up in this house forever. Itâs not healthy. Someone at some point is going to find out and then what? We deny that we know each other? Deny that we love each other? No, I refuse to do that. There are tons of actresses and actors that keep their wives and families out of the public eye yet can maintain a normal life. They arenât afraid to go out and get seen. Why canât we be like them? If you are worried that I canât handle it, then I swear to you that I can. I can handle it Pedro,â you pleaded your case. You didnât understand where this sudden fear of his was coming from. It wasnât like him at all.
âOh, like you handled seeing that picture?â he snapped back. âYou really handle that like a champ.
You growled at the nerve of him trying to turn this around on you, âNo, no Pedro, you do not get to do that. You do not get to use that on me. I donât care that you went out. You can do as you please. What I am mad about is that I had to find out on the internet what my boyfriend has been up to. I would have never know that you went out if the pictures didnât get released Pedro. Iâm hurt that you didnât even bring it up the next morning. I even asked how your night went and you said that it was fine. You always, even on set, tell me when you are going out. So why not this time? Was it because she was there? You two looked pretty cozy as you walked out of the restaurant with your arm around her waist!â you gave him a look that could kill.
âIt was nothing! And I did not go there because she was going to be there. The reason why didnât tell you was because I didnât think that it was a big deal. I got the text at the last minute. I stayed for maybe an hour, two hours tops and thatâs it. I came right back home and spent the rest of the night upstairs reading scripts and emails. The only reason why I walked her out and to her car, was because she was telling us about a stalker that she had. I just wanted to make sure that she got to her car safely. You know that I would have done that with anyone,â he just couldnât understand how you couldnât see that. Nothing else happened after that and it would never. Pedro loved you with all his heart and would never disrespect you or your relationship like that.
âThe...the stalker thing, are...are you afraid that might happen to us? With me?â you asked shuddering at the thought of some stranger being completely obsessed with you.
Pedroâs face fell as the same thought came into his mind, âYes in a way. People are crazy Y/N. you can never know what can happen. Iâd rather keep you here safe, away from all of the craziness. Now can we please just forget about all this and go to bed. I donât like fighting with you.â he tried to take a step closer to you and for a second, you let him.
However as soon as he got close enough to try to reach out for your hand and pulled you to him, you placed your hand on his chest to prevent you from being pulled closer, âI...I... Iâm sorry Pedro, but I canât. I just...I canât get over how you are acting like this isnât a big deal. I feel betrayed right now Pedro. I...I donât think I can sweep this under the rug like that. Iâm sorry.â You then walked over to the bed and grabbed your pillow and the quilt that was at the foot of the bed.
âWhere...where do you think you are going?â
âIâm going to go sleep in the spare room Pedro. I...I just need time to think and calm down,â the pain and hurt that you were feeling was clear all over your face. You felt completely drained.
Pedro was right behind you hot on your heels as you made your way to the guest room, âSo this is how we are going to start off the holidays. Everything up in the air now because of one picture that made you feel insecure....â As soon as that word left his lips, both of his hands flew to his mouth shutting himself up. He knew that he messed up. âMi-mi vida, Iâm sorry I didnât mean...â
You didnât care if you hit him with it, but you slammed the door right in his face. You couldnât believe that he said that. You always thought of yourself as a strong woman, but for the first time, you felt so small, so little. Were you really being insecure? Were you really blowing this whole thing out of proportion, because of your sudden lack of self-esteem? You didnât know, but you didnât like what you feeling deep down inside you.
You both went to bed feeling angry and disappointed with how things played out. You both tossed and turned, plagued with nightmares and replaying the fight in your head. The next morning, you stayed locked away in the guest room. You were too scared and still annoyed with Pedro to face him. You only came out when you heard him leave. That gave you enough time to freshen up for the day, find your now cracked phone, and get something to eat. When you heard him come home, you rushed back to the guest bedroom and locked the door. You could hear him sigh on the other end of the door but couldnât find it in your heart to open it.
âI stayed locked up in there for the rest of the day. When I finally did come out, we could hardly look at each other. I donât know if it was anger, guilt or what, but we completely avoided each other. The next time we did speak, I told him a was going to my parents for Christmas and New Years and he said that was probably a good idea. We didnât even see each other off the airport, we just left,â You sighed. âI... I donât think we are going to make it Lux. Maybe we did rush into things like everyone said in the beginning. Maybe the honeymoon stage has finally come to an end, and we are as compatible as we thought.â
âNo, no, do not say that. You two are meant for each other. I can see it in your eyes. Having one big fight doesnât mean that itâs the end for you. Sometimes fights happen that you canât avoid. Both of you had very valid points. Pedro should have been honest with you. I know for a fact that my big brother would never, ever, cheat on you. I just think he honestly didnât see it as a big deal. I do agree that he should have mentioned something just in case you came home before he did or just to check in with you in case something happened, and you knew where he was. With that being said, he is an idiot for calling you insecure. I have half my mind to break his other shoulder. You are not insecure. You are entitled to your feelings, and he shouldnât have invalidated them. You just have to look at things from his perspective. After the loss of well...you know, he has closed himself off in a way from every really truly loving someone. That was, until he met you. The past three years I have seen my brother grow so much. He truly, madly, deeply, loves you. I think part of him feels like if the stress of you two going public is too much for you, he may lose you in more ways than one. I donât think he would survive that if that were to happen. I believe that you two can work this out. You just need to be completely honest with each other. We love you Y/N and we would really hate it if you and Pedro broke up. You just need to take things slow. I believe both of you will really grow from this.â
Thankfully at that point, you had pulled up to the Pascal family home. So as soon as the car was parked, you quickly undid your seatbelt and threw yourself into Luxâs arms, âThank you Lux, for everything. I owe you more than you know. Your words mean so much. I promise you I will do my absolute best to work out things with Pedro. So much of what you said makes total sense. We both let things get out of control. We should have really listened to each other and saw where each other was coming from. I think we both invalidated each other. I hate to say it, but maybe him getting hurt is what may help us put everything into perspective and work things out.â
âSee now thatâs the spirit. You just gotta go into this positively and have an open mind. Now come on, letâs go see that boyfriend of yours,â Lux smiled brightly.
Walking into the Pascal Family home, it was still warm and welcoming like you remember. When Pedro first brought you there, you could remember how nervous and scared you felt, but as soon as his family welcomed you with open arms, you felt like you had been part of the family for years.
Following Lux to the kitchen, you smelled wonderful cooking on the stove. Thatâs when you saw Pedroâs father Jose come around the corner, âOh sweetheart, you made it! So glad that you could make it. I wish it wasnât under these circumstances, but Iâm glad you are here.â
âYes, I came quickly as soon as I could Mr. Pascal. There is no other place that Iâd rather be. I am so thankful that Lux called me,â you said giving the older man a big hug.
âWell, Iâm sure that son of mine will be very happy to see you. Lord knows that he could use the company. And please for the thousandth time, call me Jose,â he chuckled.
âYou got it Jose. So how is he holding up?â
Jose frowned as he thought back at what happened, âHe is okay for now. Poor guy gave us all a scare. I feel so horrible. He is upstairs sleeping now. Why donât you go to him? Itâs the first door on the right.â
Nerves suddenly overtook you as you nodded and headed towards the stares. You couldnât help but have visions of Pedro lying at the bottom of them. Guilt then consumed you as you knew that you should have been here. Like he said, it was so dumb to pick a fight right before the holidays. You should have just calmly asked about the picture and the other stuff, well the other stuff should have waited.
Quietly opening the door, your heart broke as you saw the love of your life sound asleep. His poor arm being held closely to him by a sling. Walking over to the bed, you gently pulled the covers back, took off your shoes, and got in next to him. You carefully tucked yourself into the side of his good arm. His breathing was slow, and you could hear his heart beat under your ear as you rested your head on his chest.
Pedro must have sensed the pressure on his chest, because you felt him take a deep breath and let out a groan. Lifting your head, you saw those big brown eyes staring down at you. âMi vida...is...is that you?â he said hoarsely.
âYes baby, itâs me,â you smiled and cupped his bearded cheek. âLux called me and said that you took a spill. I took the first flight that I could get out here. You had me so worried.â
âI told no one to call you. I knew flights were going to be hard to come by. I wanted to call you myself when I was feeling better,â he pouted.
That damn pouty look of his was so adorable. You couldnât help but lean up and place a small kiss on his lips. âDonât be mad baby. Iâm happy that someone called. Now you have your own personal nurse to help get you back to help.â
His pout turned in to a big smile as he got an idea, âOh yeah huh? Do you think Santa will bring a naughty nurses outfit?â
âIf you play your cards right mister, I think I can make something happen,â you then captured his bottom lip between your teeth and gave it a little nibble.
âI love you too Pedro and thank you for apologizing. I need to apologize to you too,â you smiled through tear-soaked lashes. âAnd Iâm sorry for not seeing your side or reason. I was filled with so much anger and feeling betrayed that I just had tunnel vision. My mind was only seeing things one way. I just that all I could see was how happy you too looked together and a big part of me wishes that it was me with you. I couldnât help but feel like you are ashamed of being seen with me. Â I wished so badly that I was the one that you were parading around happily and the one that was making you smile that way. I know you are trying to protect me, Pedro. And I know that you have this fear of something really bad happening to me. As much as I still think we can and will be okay if we do make our relationship public, we can handle it. We would have each other to lean on. However, if you want to keep things quiet and keep things the way that they are, I am willing to do that. I know how important my safety and well-being are to you Pedro. Hell, we have been doing a pretty good job staying quiet the last three years, so why change it.â
When you pulled back, Pedro ran his hand through your hair and sighed, âI...I... Iâm sorry mi vida. Iâm so sorry for everything. I apologize for not telling you about going out and I am so fucking sorry for calling you insecure. That was my anger talking, not the real me.â When you went to open your mouth, he gently placed a finger to your lips, âPlease mi vida, just let me finish. I need to get all of this off my chest. I never meant for you to find out about the get together from the internet. I had every intention of telling you, but I forgot. Between packing, the holidays, and everything that I have to do next month, it really did slip my mind. I know I should have for peace of mind, should have sent a text letting you know whatâs going on. I know that if I saw you in that position, I would have lost my shit too. I swear to you nothing else happened that night. Me and her didnât even speak that much. She was completely on the opposite of the table. I only really talked to her when she told us about the stalker and as soon as I walked her to the car, I came straight home. I love you with all my heart. I would never cheat on you. I would never jeopardize our future like that. And you are not insecure. That was an asshole thing to say, and I will spend the rest of my days making it up to you. You are the strongest woman that I know. You are the backbone of our relationship and the reason I keep going every day.â
Pedro reached out with his good arm and wiped the tears from your puffy face, âAs much as I appreciate you doing that for me, mi vida, I had a lot of time to think things over and I realized that you are completely right. I have been being selfish and unfair to you. I have been putting my job and fears ahead of you and thatâs not right. You have never asked me for a thing and the first time that you asked me to do something for you, I completely shut you down. Itâs not that Iâm ashamed to be seen with you. Like I said, itâs all been my fears controlling my every move with you, especially now. It was my fears that kept me from almost introducing myself to you and now that I have you, itâs my fears that are making me extremely overprotective of you. Iâm just really scared that my fans or the media will come after you before they even have a chance to know you. I donât want to see you get hurt. You do not deserve that. I just canât shake this feeling that all the stress and negativity will become too much for you and something will happen. I canât let that happen and I refuse to let that happen. I would never forgive myself for that. I canât lose you mi vida.â
Now it was your turn to be the strong one and comfort him. You held his hand tightly, while running your other through his soft curls, âPedro Pascal, love of my life, my future baby daddy, thank you for being honest with me. Thatâs all I wanted. You donât know how much I appreciate that. You donât know how thankful that I am that I found someone like you. You are the greatest lover, friend, and protector that I have ever had. Not a day goes by where I donât feel safe where itâs in your arms or by the sound of your voice when you are away. Thatâs why I am not afraid to be seen in public with you. I know that no matter what may happen, good or bad, you will be right there with me to help guide me. I honestly think that it wonât be that bad. Sure, it may be chaotic in the beginning but at the same time, it may not. Your fans love you Pedro and while they might be a little sad that you are seeing someone, Iâm sure that they will be happy for you. Apart of me just keeps thinking of what happens if we do slip up and get seen together. Donât you think that it would be best if we get ahead of this ourselves versus having someone else do it and spread lies. Do this on our own terms?â
âButâŚbutâŚwould you really be okay with this though? I really need you to think. You would be giving up your privacy. These days people are going to find everything about you that they can on the internet. Are you ready to see every move we make, documented by social media? I need to know that you arenât going to run or shut down at the first sign of trouble. I need to know that how you reacted to the picture wonât happen again.â If you both agreed to this, he knew that this was going to be the ultimate test to your relationship.
âPedro, I promise you on everything that I am not going to run. I have thought this through, and this is what I want. I really donât care what people say. All that matters to me is your opinion and your opinion only Pedro. I will be the only one who knows the real you and you are the only one who will know the real me. I really want to take this next step with you Pedro. I want to be that proud girlfriend and hopefully wife who gets to brag about how amazingly talented their partner is. I want to be the first hug and kiss when you win an award. I want to show everyone how Iâm the lucky one to have you in my life. If you still arenât sure about this Pedro, then like I said, Iâm happy to keep things the way that they are. But what do you say baby, will you take this leap of faith with me?â
Fighting back his own tears, Pedro nodded his head. Still to this day, even three years later you still found a way to floor him, and he knew that you would continue to. You were so fucking incredible, and he got to call you his. He was still in disbelief that you gave him a shot. The thing that he loved about you and should have trusted in the beginning was how even after a fight, you found a way to be levelheaded and work things out. He never felt lost when you were with him. And even though you called to him to help guide you through the crazy waters that is the celebrity life, it was you that helped guide him though every life.
Every day you brought out the best in him. You gave him the inspiration to be the best man that he could be. Everything that he did, he did for you. He did everything that he could to make you proud. He tried to be that someone that you could proudly show off as the love of your life. He couldnât believe that he had the potential to be your husband and father of your kids. Two things he didnât think were ever going to be possible till he met you. You were everything that he could ever want, and you were everything that he could ever need. You were the one that he would take this leap with.
âI Pedro Pascal, would love nothing more than mi vida. You are right, no matter what happens, we will be in this together. You are remarkable and I think itâs time the world gets to know the woman that has captured by heart. Just at any point, please if things get too much, you need to tell me. All you have to do is say the word and I will do my best to shut it down. Can you promise me that mi vida? Iâll promise to be more open and understanding with you, if you promise to be open with me. This is the only way that it will work.â
âYes Pedro, I promise you. We will get through this baby. I know we can,â you then carefully wrapped your arm around his good side and buried yourself into that strong neck of his. âI love you, Pedro Pascal. I love you so much.â
âI love you too, mi vida, with all my heart. And I make another promise to you here, right now. I will marry you Y/N and we will have as many kids as you want. Just say the word and I will get down on my knees. You deserve the world and I want to give it to you,â he muttered into your hair before placing a kiss on your head.
You pulled back slightly enough to rest your head on his, âI do have the world, Pedro. I have everything that I want and need right here.â You then leaned forward and pressed your lips against his.
Both of you moaned as soon as your lips met. These past few days that you were apart were brutal. Going days without speaking, cuddling, or kissing, was something that you never wanted to experience again. It wasnât like when he was on set, and you couldnât see him. No, this was way worse and both of you hated it.
Pedro couldnât help but bring his hand up and run it down your side till he reached your backside. Giving it a rough squeeze, causing you to moan into his opened mouth, he pulled you close and deepened the kiss. But as he slipped his tongue in, he moved just enough to send a shot of pain running through his body, causing him to cry out in pain.
âShit baby, are you okay?â you gasped and pulled away quickly.
He groaned, gritting his teeth and hunching over. âJustâŚjust give me a minute.â
Never leaving his side, you sat there next to him making sure that you rubbed his back and peppered kisses on his good shoulder until the pain started to subside. âJust breathe baby, just breathe it out. Iâm here, Iâm here,â you whispered to him, running your hand through his sweaty hair.
âThâŚthank you mi vida. Forgot that I canât really move like it want to,â he sighed. âThe ummâŚthe doctors said that I fractured my shoulder. I may need to have surgery. I am such an idiot.â
âHey, look at me,â you said sternly and lifted his chin to look at you. âYou are not an idiot. Accidents happen Pedro. Do you remember what happened?â
âIâŚI just fell. I must have tripped and lost my footing. Next thing I know Iâm at the bottom of the stair and everyone is running to me. My dad and sister took me straight to the ER. I canât believe that I scared the shit out of everyone.â He could still see the petrified look on everyoneâs faces, including his nephews.
You shook your head disappointedly, but you had warned him countless times to slow down when it came to stairs especially at your own house. âJesus Pedro, you are so lucky that you didnât break your neck. Have you called your doctor back home? Lux said something about a second opinion.â
âNo, I havenât called anyone yet. I just want to sleep and do all of that tomorrow,â he sighed leaning back into his propped-up pillows.
Your heart broke at seeing how much pain he was in. For being such a big man, at that moment, he looked so small. If you had the ability to take his pain away, you would. Instead, you were going to help him anyway that you could and nurse him back to health. âYou sleep then baby. Iâll go downstairs and start getting everything sorted out. Do you need me to get you anything?â
Pedro nodded and looked up at you with his big brown puppy dog eyes, âStay with me, mi vida. I know that plane ride wasnât the most comfortable thing. You look exhausted. Take a nap with me?â
âOf course, baby, you donât even have to ask twice. Let me just get out of these jeans first,â you told him as you stood up to strip them off and your sweater.
âThatâs so not fair, mi vida. You just canât get naked in front of me like that while Iâm laid up here,â he pouted.
Rolling your eyes as you got back into bed, you couldnât help but softly slap his chest, âIâm not naked and if even if I were and you werenât hurt, we wouldnât be doing anything in your fatherâs house naughty boy. No sex for a while Iâm afraid. Last thing we need is for you to get more hurt because you couldnât keep it in your pants.â
âThat��s a chance I am willing to take mi vida,â he laughed and wrapped his arm around you as you cuddled into him. âI love you and thank you for coming to take care of your old man.â
âNo need to thank me baby. There is no other place that I would rather be. Letâs just promise not to fight anymore, okay. And absolutely no more falling downstairs.â
#pedro pascal#pedro pascal fanfiction#pedro x reader#pedro pascal fluff#pedro pascal fic#pedro pascal fanfic#pedro pascal x reader#hurt/comfort#injury#fluff#angst with a happy ending#romance
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hi! can i request child of apollo reader with a cold/is sick x percy jackson who takes care of her lovingly even though theyre just friends? kind of like that lyric in apple cider "even if we're just friends, we could be more than that." thank u hehe!!
percy jackson x reader summary: you get the flu and percy takes care of you wc: 613
You told yourself that you would not, no, could not get sick. The number of campers coming into the infirmary was increasing daily, and you weren't sure why. It happened every year around the beginning of summer. Probably due to the influx of new campers, you thought.
But of course, whenever you promise yourself something, the exact opposite happens, and now, here you were in the Apollo cabin with your best friend, Percy, taking care of you.
When you had first gotten sick, you thought it was just some common cold, and thought it would be a little weird to have gotten a cold during the beginning of summer, you figured it was just due to the changing of the weather and you would be fine within a couple of days, but of course with your luck you had gotten one of the worst cases of the flu that any of your siblings in the Apollo cabin had ever seen.
You'd begged Percy to not try to take care of you, since he'd most likely get sick too, and it would be worse than you, since he wasn't an Apollo kid, but of course he wouldn't listen, insisting that he needed to take care of his poor best friend who was suffering so deeply, his words not yours. You begrudgingly accepted his help, because honestly, who can resist Percy Jackson when he's giving you puppy eyes? Not you, apparently.
"You wanna know what I think?" Percy says, breaking the small moment of silent before you inevitably cough up a lung again.
"Not really."
"Too bad. I think that you're sick because you overwork yourself all the time."
"I said I didn't want to know what you think."
"And I said too bad. Seriously, you need to stop overworking yourself, or you're going to keep getting sick like this. It's like, scientifically proven or something."
"Okay, whatever. You're not a doctor, I am. I think I know what's good for me."
"You think. Emphasis on think."
You roll your eyes, and Percy goes back to laying his head on your shoulder, which you had told him numerous times not to do.
"Percy, seriously. Stop getting your face so close to mine, you're going to get sick."
"I don't care. I want to be near you, and maybe my charm and good looks can help you feel better."
"Not how that works, but sure, if you say so."
"I do say so."
You roll your eyes for what feels like the six hundredth time, and put your arm around his shoulder.
When you begin to cough again, Percy jolts up and runs over to the cabin in the corner, getting out a large bag of cough drops. He picks your favorite flavor out, and grabs your water bottle. He then hands both of them to you.
"Hey, I kinda like you being sick." You raise an eyebrow. "Okay, stop. That's not what I mean. I just mean that I can finally be your personal nurse, and not the other way around. 'Cause you're always healing me, but I've never been able to help you back, and now I feel like I can."
"Aw, Percy, that's actually really sweet. I'm glad my suffering is making you happy."
He rolls his eyes in response and sits back down on the bed next to you.
"I know I'm sweet. I'm also going to ignore the other thing you said," he says, putting his arms around you and bringing you to lay your head down on his chest.
It doesn't take long before you're deeply sleeping and using his chest as a pillow while he gently strokes your hair.
#pjo#pjo series#percy jackson x reader#pjo x reader#percy jackson#pjo x you#percy jackson fic#percy jackson x you#percy jackson imagine#book percy jackson#percy jackson fluff#percy pjo#percy jackon and the olympians#heroes of olympus#pjo books#pjo hoo toa
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Pairings- Black!OC x Abbott Elementary Cast, later Black!OC x Manny (Can be read as x Reader though!)
Summary- Pilot Episode Experience with Naoya Lovel
Warnings- Swearing, kids, mixed race reader( those arenât warnings really, just what to expect)
JazzieâsNotes!- let me know what you guys think!! Iâve been really obsessed with Abbott Elementary recently and Iâm contemplating if I want to write S1&S2 just to get to the Manny season. I want to get there fast but I know what wonât be possible with two seasons worth of writing. Let me know what you guys think I should do.
Word Count- 6,358
âOkay, so you wouldn't put the number on the bottom because that's what?â The older woman asked, drawing out her words as she stood in front of her fourth-grade class, pointing at the whiteboard behind her with her yardstick.
âThe denominator.â The class answered.
âCorrect, and what do we call the one on top?â
âThe numerator.â
âYes! You guys are killing this lesson.â She smiled as she placed her hands on her hips. She caught the camera crew in the corner of her eyes and then turned to them. âOr should I say Iâm killing this lesson?â She smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she posed. It was silent for a moment as they all watched her just smile.
âWouldnât you agree?â Sheâs asked, looking at one of the guys behind the camera. He nodded, moving the camera along with him, causing her to smile and adjust her glasses. âWhy, thank you.â
âHello! My name is Naoya Lovel. Pronounced Now-Ya, itâs Japanese because Iâm half Japanese. Donât ask why Iâm half Japanese in Philly, itâs a long story.â She sighed as she shook her head.
âWell, actually, let me tell you the story because itâs actually kind of crazy.â She chuckled, starting to explain, but it then cut to another clip of her in the class.
âMs.Lovel, we ran out of paper towels.â A student said, standing in front of her desk with paint on the palms of his hands. Noaya looked up, at him, a slight frown on her face. âOhh, okay, well I have some in my desk.â She started, pulling open her desk drawer. The camera angled down to catch the empty towel box staring back at her. She smirked up at them awkwardly and shrugged her shoulders. âWhat, I have a constant runny nose.â
âAs a teacher, you teach kids how to solve problems while solving your own. In your personal life and at school. And in this school, there are a lot.â
âMs.Lovel, I need paper towels too.â Another student said, showing her blue and pink palms to her teacher. Noaya then stood from her seat, looking around her room. âOkay, okay class. Give me one sec.â She said, nervously looking around her room to solve her paper towel problem. She the. Saw a stray beach towel near the window on her small bookshelf. âOh! Here we are, guys.â She said, rushing over to the towel and snatching it up.
âThis could be a lesson too.â She smiled excitedly and grabbed a pair of large scissors from her desk. âI probably shouldnât have these just sitting out.â She mumbled to herself, giving the camera a sideways glance. âSo class, this is going to be a hands-on moment. If there are almost thirty of you, how many pieces would I need to cut this into for you guys to share?â She asked, looking at all of them. There was a moment before anyone said anything, the kids thinking over their answer. Then, some of their hands shot up. Naoya flashed the cameras behind her a quick smile before turning back to the kids.
âNoaya, Jacob, and I came in last year with 20 other teachers. Weâre three of the four left soâŚtrauma bonding, I guess?â Janine said, in regards to the other girl.
âYeah, I taught for two years before I got here, I transferred from Addington to here because those people are a bunch of stuck-up freaks who are just in it for a little extra on their check.â She said with a smirk. âAnd thatâs not what Iâm here for, Iâm here to change lives.â She boated, folding her arms.
ďżź
âHey, Melissa, can you please tell âTa-Nehisi Quotesâ here that âwhite boyâ is a term of endearment from the corner store people?â Janie said as she walked into the break room on the second floor.
âOoh, cheese steaks?â Naoya questioned as she looked up from her papers, knowing the full situation after only hearing the words âwhite boyâ and âcorner storeâ.â
âFor Zach Ertz, yeah.â Melissa started, turning around with a fresh cup of coffee in her hands. âFor him. Itâs an insult.â She smirked, then paused at the sight of the cameras in her face.
âWell, you guys, I need a new rug. Mine is officially done.â Janie said.â Coming take a seat right next to the working woman.
âMhmm! Me too.â Jacob started, taking a seat on the other side of her. âI shook mine out and all the asthma kids had to go to the nurse's office.â This conversation caused her to raise her head, placing her work aside and adjusting her glasses as she listened.
âYeah, mineâs busted.â Melissa started. âAnd you canât class up a rug like you can a couch with a nice coat of plastic.â
âYou guys have rugs? All we have is a little mat.â Naoya started, looking between all of them. They all cringed at her words, but couldnât say more before someoneâs loud voice cut through the air.
âHey-yo! What it does, baby-boo?â Ava yelled as she walked into the break room and over to where they were sitting. âWhat yall think about this little film crew I bought in here.â
âDistracting makes our jobs harder,â Melissa said disinterestedly, shooting the crew a glare.
âI wish I would have known this was going to be a video thing, I would have made myself look better,â Naoya mumbled, causing the camera to turn her way. She smiled, making her face appear happier than usual.
âBut exciting. We about to be on TV.â Ava said, looking between them all.
âBecause they are covering underfunded, loosely managed, public schools in America.â Barbra interrupted in a matter-of-fact tone.
âNo press is bad press, Barb.â Ava practically disregarded the womanâs claim, continuing to smile at the camera. âLook at Mel Gibson. Still thriving.â She laughed. â âDaddyâs Home 2â? Hilarious!â She looked around the room, either expecting people to laugh with or or just so confined in her large ego that she didnât care if they laughed or not.
âAvaâs the worst person I know,â Noaya stated. âIâve never seen her show an ounce of care about anything other than money. Which is a terrible mindset to have as a principal because youâre literally in the brokeest position of power.â
âThere you are.â Ms.Schwartz sighed as she rushed into the room, spotting Ava. âAva, can I talk to you?â The woman was out of breath as she stood before the principal, and her attire was disheveled. âI-I need an aid. Iâm outnumbered there. The kids are crazy.â She ranted this wild look in her eyes. âOne of the kids told me to âmind my sixâ this morning, I donât know what that means! I need help!â She ranted. Ava placed and hand on her shoulder.
âCalm down.â The darker woman said, cutting Ms. Schwartz off. âTheyâre just kids. And, besides, aids cost money, and we donât have that.â She said before flashing a quick smile at the cameras. âRight, but I justââ Ms. Schwartz started again.
âDo you want to split your salary with somebody else?â Ava asked, leaning closer and angling both of them away from the cameras.
âNo.â The other woman said dejected.
âNo!â Ava cut her off before she could continue to rant. âNo, I didnât think so.â
âWell, if we canât get aides, maybe we can get new rugs?â Janine chimed up, standing from her seat.
âAll Iâm hearing is ânew, new, new, need, need, need,â Ava answered. âAnd yet, Barb, one of our best and most senior teachers here.â She continued, walking over to the older woman who sat at the table with Melissa and drank her coffee. âShe never complains. What is your secret, Barb?â
âKnowing thereâs not much you can do, Ava.â The woman said with a sarcastic smile. But Ava didnât care to hear her condescending tone.
âSo understanding.â The principal smiled, looking around the room. âBe like Ms.Howard, people.â That was all she said before she left the room.
Noaya shook her head as she started to collect her things, knowing the bell would be ringing anytime soon.
âBut, Iâm not Ms.Howard.â Ms.Schwartz cried from where she stood.
âOhh, Tina, look.â Janine started, walking over to the stressed woman. âTry some counting exercises, between one and forty the kids start to quiet down.â The other woman gave a slight nod before she exited the room, still in obvious distress. âYou, know, a little support might help make things happen, ladies,â Janie said, turning around to face the older two women in the room.
âMy support was gonna do about as much as that five-year-old bra youâve got on right there,â Barbra said as she pushed in her chair. The camera then cuts to Naoya staring at the camera, her jaw clenched. Janine looked down at her chest for a slip second, before covering it up with her sweater and deciding to ignore the womanâs bra statement. âHey, itâs not impossible to get things. Melissa asked for those new toy cash registers for her classroom and got them.â
âYeah, those arenât toys.â The Italian woman stared as she put on her coat. âI know a guy who wired a Walmart demolition. I got a guy for everything. I know a guy right now working on the stadium build. Need rebar?â She asked, looking around the room.
Noya just shook her head.
âNo,â Janine answered.
âMelissa is resourceful, capable.â Ms. Howard started, looking between all the younger teachers. Naoyaâshead jerked back at what she was insinuating but before she could say anything, Janine placed a hand on her shoulder and started talking.
âWell, I think the younger teachers are capable.â
âReally? Then why is it that Ms.Schwartzâs hair is falling out? Why does Jacob here need a smoking break every five minutes?â The woman sassed, gesturing over to the male beside her.
âI switched to an herbal vape.â He tried to defend himself.
âAnd why canât any of you stick it out longer than two years? More turnovers than a bakery.â She hissed before her and Melissa walked out of the door. Once it shut behind them, Naoya turned to her friends beside her.
âI almost lose my job every day dealing with the people here.â She shook her head, resting her butt on the table behind her, the other two following suit.
âYou know what? Hell, I think we should still try for rugs.â Jacobâs said.
âYeah.â Janine agreed.
âYou know, before I taught here, I was in Zimbabwe.â Jacob started, causing Noaya to stand up completely and begin to walk to the door. âI was going Teachers Without Boarders, and what I learnedâ.â
âJacob.â Noaya cut in, turning to face the two of them. âWhat did we say you about, like, not talking about your time in Africa?â She said, gesturing between her and Janine. The boy stuttered, trying to come up with an appropriate answer.
âWe told you to stop. Yeah, itâs weird.â Janine finished, looking over at the male.
âI have an immense amount of respect for my elders, including the ones I work with.â Naoya smiled at the cameras. âBut Mrs.Howard has a smart mouth on her. A mouth that has never been directed at me.â She continued to smile, although strained, and raised her hands in mock defense. âBut the day it is the day I got to prison.â And although she was finished, she was cut off by the sound of quick hurried footsteps making their way around the corner. She turned around just in time to catch Janine with a student.
âNoaya, come quick, thereâs a fight.â The older woman got out as best as she could, although out of breath. Naoya ran around the corner, practically leaving the child and shirt woman in the dust.
âDamn, sheâs fast,â Janine said, briefing glancing at the kids next to her before rushing to follow the running woman.
âWhat the hell is going on here?â Naoya yelled as she entered the hectic scene with a bat in her hands. She saw the crazed look the teachers were giving her and she shrugged. âI heard there was a fight, I brought it just in case.â
âWhere did you get that? I was right behind you.â Janie asked, out of breath with her hands on her knees.
âI didnât know she had it in her like that.â Melissa nodded a proud smirk on her lips. âI like her.â
âThatâs beside the point, what happened?â Naoya asked, looking at the older white woman standing in front of a child. âHe hit me first!â Ms.Schwartz said, pointing at the boy across from her.
âLiar!â The boy yelled back at her, being held back by Ms.Howard.
âIâm a liar? I'M A LIAR?â Ms.Schwartz asked a crazed look in her eyes, her gaze solely trained on the little boy.
âI canât believe she hit a kid,â Noaya said, shock written all over her face as she folded her arms. âI mean, I threaten that I will but I never actually do it.â She shrugged.
âOkay!â Ava yelled, interrupting the conversation between the small group of teachers. âSo, not good. Ms.Schwartz was out of line and clearly didnât know how to handle her class.â The woman sighed.
âYou hired her.â Melissa spat back.
âAnd fired her,â Ava responded. âThey give me a lot of power around here. Itâs crazy.â The woman smirked.
Melissa and Noaya both gave the camera a look of disbelief.
âIn the meantime, Mr.Johnson will be watching her class.��� Ava finished.
âMr.Johnson the janitor?â Naoya spoke up. âOur conspiracy theorist janitor? Teaching social studies? Do we not see the problem with this?â She asked, looking around at the group.
âI think maybe we should alert the school district to this,â Jacob spoke up, getting spins of approval from the rest. âI mean, a child was harmed.â He tried to finish before Ava cut in.
âHey! Harmed?â She questioned. âI handled this. No need to let them know that a child was harmed on my waââ She stopped, remembering that she was being recorded, and looked towards the camera. âOn the school's watch, to be clear.â She clarified.
âAva, this is not handled,â Janine spoke up. âThere is a 70-year-old custodian who voted for Kanye teaching social studies right now.â The woman stressed, pointing down the hall. âWe need help. Look, I know we donât have any moneyââ
âOkay!â Ava cut her off. âAlright. Iâll make a small emergency budget request to the district, and then you guys can get pencils and hire aides or whatever else you need.â
âSo, even rugs?â Janine asked her entire demeanor from earlier changing at the womanâs words.
âSure! Just email a request.â Ava replied.
âOkay! I can- I can write an email.â Janine smiled excitedly.â
âAnother day in principal life.â Ava smiled at the cameras before walking away, horribly singing some old song. âI believe the children are our future.â
âŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁ
âUmâŚHello?â An unfamiliar voice called out as she came into the school building, making their way to stand in front of the desk. âIâm looking for Ms.Coleman.â The man said. Melissa looked up at him. âOh, yeah sheâsââ She was cut off by Ava rushing up next to her.
âHello.â Again said flirtatiously, looking the man up and down.
âHi, Iâm Gregory Eddie. Iâm the sun for the teacher who, uhâŚâ He trailed off, looking down at the papers he pulled from his briefcase. âPinter a student.â The man said worriedly, looking back up at her.
âOh! Youâre the sub.â Ava said. âForgive me, I thought one of my colleagues here hired a stripper for me.â Ava laughed off, dismissing the looks Melissa and Barbra gave her. âOkay.â That was all Gregory could say to that, giving the woman obvious judgmental looks.
âNice to meet you, young man.â Barbra offered him a kind smile.
âYeah, nice to meet you, Ryan,â Melissa said, staring at the together papers.
âItâs Gregory.â
âEh, letâs see how long youâll be here.â She said, only flexing up after she was done stapling. âThen Iâll remember your name. Okay, Tim?â
Gregory didnât even have time to fully digest the interactions he just had with the women before him before Jacob came around the corner. âYes!â He smiled, stalking up to the man. âMy dude.â He said, arms open for some sort of hug but was cut short by Gregory putting his hand out. âOh, yeah,â Jacob said, placing his hand on the one offered out to him. âKeeping it profesh. I like that.â He smiled, leaning against the counter. âIâm Jacob. Itâs nice to see another male teacher in here. Itâs not a lot of us. Hey, now I got somebody to talk sports with. You like womenâs tennis?â The paler man asked, before shooting the camera a sideways glance. âOr, as I call it, you know, regular tennis.â
âŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁ
Naoya was walking the halls, whistling a tune with her bad over her shoulders when she came across a tall, good-looking man in a gray sweater. Hearing her, the man turned around to see a tall, light-skinned woman with a large, light brown puff ponytail at the back of her head. She had on specs that covered most of her face, enlarging her eyes. She was dressed in a slightly baggy pair of dark wash denim jeans with brown shoes that matched the brown in her green sweater, paired with a white shirt underneath. Seeing the mysterious man, she furrowed her brows at him from down the hall.
âUh, hello.â The man waved awkwardly from down the hall.
Naoya waved back as she made her way closer to the man. âUh, hi. Are you lost?â She asked, slowing down when she got in front of him. âIn a school building?âŚAnd smelling like pee and/or vomit. Iâm calling security.â She started to back up and pull out her phone, or even yell before she stopped and frowned. âOh wait, I am security.â She said, moving her bat to her good hand getting ready to swing.
âWait!â The man yelled, sticking out his hands in defense. âIâm a sub! Iâm here to fill in for the woman who kicked the kid.â He defended.
Naoya visibly relaxed as she looked the man up and down, taking in his formal attire. âOkay.â She said, dropping her defensive pose. âThat still doesnât explain the smell.â She said, giving the man a disgusted once over. Gregory stuttered to get an answer, embarrassed by the cameras and such an awkward situation in front of another beautiful woman.
âItâs a long story. A broken toilet, a student wet his pants, another one threw up.â The man shrugged, a look of disgust crossing his face as he thought it all over. At his words, Noaya nodded with a look of understanding.
âNo, yeah. I get it. Well, um, congratulations on being here consideringâŚâ She trailed off, gesturing around the school and then to him. âIf you need anything at all, Iâm at the very end of the hall. I'm Naoya Lovel, and I teach fourth grade. Iâll be here to help any way I can, I am known for having everything anyone might ever need, so.â She shrugged and began walking away, pat him, and to her class. The man nodded, a sliver of a smile on his face as his eyes stayed trained on the spot she just left. Catching the camera out of the corner of his eye, she quickly straightened up and then turned the opposite way to face her. âMay I ask why youâre carrying a bat?â He asked.
Naoya stopped walking, the bad still in her hand as she angled her body slightly to look back at him. âNo, you may not.â She said with a smile before continuing to walk away and into her classroom. Gregory just nodded and walked into his room as well.
âToday was utterly disgusting, but she and Janine seem nice.â He smiled slightly.
âŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁ
âI got a good feeling about this,â Jacob smirked at Naoya and Janine as they and the rest of the teachers gathered outside at the entrance of the school. It had something to do with Ava needing them to see the improvements she made to the school. âRight? Me too!â Janine said excitedly. Naoya rolled her eyes, stuffing her hands in her pockets due to the cold weather.
âI wish I could live in the blissful ignorance you guys call optimism.â She said, looking between her two friends. They only rolled their eyes at the girl, who was usually a pessimistic person, so they didnât take her words too seriously.
âGood morning!â Ava said to all the teachers before her, who were obviously in no good mood. âGood Morning!â Janine was the only one to respond.
âGregory.â Ava finished, giving the man a look. Noaya furrowed her brows slightly, throwing the man a sideways glance.
âThe district was so moved by my plea that they approved the emergency budget and sent us the money right away,â Ava said to the group. The crowd started clapping, Jacob and Janine were genuinely happy while most were in shock that the district pulled through.
âOkay, we could have hired aides, we could have got rugs.â Ava continued as the clapping died down. âBut then I thought, âNo. We need something more immediate.â She said, her words causing Naoya to nod her head as she began slowly making her way away from the group. She knew this wasnât going to end well, and this was her stopping herself from throwing her loafers at Avaâs head.
âOh, no, no. The rugs are immediate.â Janie spoke up. âTheyâre like instant Xanax for kids. I explained it all in my email.â She told the group as she made her way to extract her phone from her purse.
âGirl, who told you to send an email?â Ava asked, looking down the steps at the shorter woman. Jannie stopped what she was doing and glared at Ava. âYou did.â She hissed, looking at her confused.
âAnyways, I always feel better when I get my hair done.â Ava continued, not caring for what Janine had to say, as she showed off her new blonde number. âThus, I do better work, like Iâm doing now.â She smiled at them. âYou know, fix the outside, the inside takes care of itself.â She then gestured up to the giant tarp over the building, the man pulling it down to show a sign.
It was a giant Willard R. Abbott Elementary sign with Ava on it, leaning onto the letters. The teachers just stood there and looked up at the sign, no words were said between any of them. But they all had the same thought.
What the fuck?
âYall seeing this?â Ava asked, copying her pose that was on the sign.
âA plastic sign?â Janine asked, looking between the woman and the sign.
âThank God for the school district, because they gave us $3,000 and I had to spend all of it.â Ava said as if she didnât care about the severity of the words she just said.
âYou spent all of the money on this?!â Janie asked in disbelief.
âRush job, can you believe this quality?â The terrible principal continued.
âŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁ
âThis is fucking ridiculous, she has gone too far,â Naoya said as she, Jacob, Janine, and Gregory rushed back into the school.
âSomebody needs to do something before I get my bat back out. Actually, Forget the bat, Iâm gonna go get a guâ.â
âOkay! Yes.â Jacob cut her off, trying to ignore the scared look Noaya received from Janine and Gregory, while she just continued to sit in her anger, not even seeing them. âSomebody, anybody but you, should do something.â The man said to the angry woman.
âYou know what. Iâm gonna do something.â Janine said, as stored up and Naoya. Well, maybe not as much but still fired up.
âOkay, alright. Whatever you do, I will co-sign it.â Jacob encouraged. âYes!â Janine said. âThat is how change works. Someone does something and somebody co-signs it.â He finished.
âI want Jannie to succeed in what her plan is because Ava needs to be out in her place, âprofessionallyâ, or whatever Jacob said,â Naoya stated, rolling her eyes. âBut I also want her to prove something to Barb. For her sake. Because Janine really needs a mother figure in her life and the constant groveling for Barbâs praise is starting to make me want to choke.â She finished with a shrug. âThatâs my girl though, I love her.â
âHey, you two, wait up! Iâm going out to lunch too.â Janie called out to Melissa and Bard as they walked down the hall. The camera caught Naoya, who rolled her eyes at the situation she was just talking about making an appearance as she walked after Janine.
âOh yeah, where are you going for lunch pip-squeak? Bird feeder?â Melissa joked, putting her purse over her shoulder.
âThought youâd be working on your next miracle from Saint Ava.â Barbra pushed.
âHa ha, No.â The shorter woman defended herself. âI donât think Iâll need anything from Ava ever again.â Janine smiled, her words causing the other three women to look confused.
âWhat does that mean?â Naoya chimed in from behind them, ready to go out for lunch as well.
âWell, I emailed the superintendent and told him everything Ava has done today. No way she doesnât get fired.â Janie bragged.
âOh, for the lives of God.â Melissa groaned.
âJanine,â Noaya said in disappointment. âThis is why I told you to tell me.â
âWhat?â She asked, looking between the three women.
âThe superintendent never sees our emails,â Barbra told her. âHe has them bounced back to the person in charge of where they came from.â
âWait, Iâm sorry.â Janie stared. âPerson in charge? That means the emails go back toâŚâ She trailed off, the dots connecting. Just in time for said person to come in the intercom with an announcement.
âTeachers, itâs come to my attention that some of youâone of youâ.â Ava clarified, looking through the glass of her office at the group of women standing at the door, her eyes trained on one in particular. âThink itâs okay to go over my head. So, during lunch breakâthis lunch breakâweâll be having a trait workshop so that we can learn how to become a woke family.â The woman was clearly pissed off, glaring at Janine from where she sat. âItâs gonna be fun!â
âŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁ
âWe are at a crossroads, this is a crisis,â Ava stressed as she stood before the hired group of teachers.
âNo, a crisis is eating the cafeteria pizza for lunch.â Naoya chimed in from where she sat in the back.
âUh, why are we here, exactly?â Gregory asked his seat right in front of hers.
âWell, chocolate drop.â Ava started, causing Naoya to snicker at the name. âI learned that someone here doesnât respect me. But itâs not about me. Because if you donât respect me, how can you respect this school?â She continued, causing them all to look at her confused as such a stupid correlation. But, it looks like Ava took that as a look of confusion due to her question.
âYou canât. Itâs mathematically impossible.â She finished.
âW-Whoa. Who doesnât respect you, AvaâI mean, the school?â Jacob asked.
âMe,â Naoya said but seemed to be completely ignored.
âItâs not important. Weâre gonna make this a group matter so as too not to single any one person out.â The woman answered him. âLetâs try an excuse where we say whatever we want out loud to each other, no matter how critical. Itâll be fun, letâs start with Janine.â She said, looking over at the short woman who was practically shrinking in on herself.
âJanine?â She asked, smirking evilly.
âYes?â Janine asked dejectedly, knowing that this whole situation was her fault and knowing that Ava did the exact thing she said she didnât want to. Single her out.
âYouâre pushy, squeaky and annoying,â Ava stated.
Collective disagreement was heated around the room.
âExcuse me?â Melissa piped up.
âThaya justâŚâ Gregory said.
âWhen is it my turn?â Naoya asked, starting to take her earring out of her ear.
âNo, itâs not bad. No.â Ava defended. âWeâre shaking to make us all better. Constructive. Hershey kiss, why donât you try, start with Janine.â She pushed.
âI donât want to.â The man sighed.
âYouâre right, it should be someone who knows her better. Noaya, Jacob, Barbra?â She asked, looking between the two.
âWhen is it your turn? I wanna go when itâs your turn.â Naoya stated, folding her arms to keep herself at bay. Gregory glanced back, seeing the look of pure hatred on her face.
âWell, her hair isââ Jacob started before getting cut off.
âNot!â Noaya and Barba said at the same time, the younger more so talking to her friend next to Janine, who gave the man next to her a look of disbelief.
âAva, no oneâs doing this to anyone.â Melissa started, looking at the woman before her.
âHold on, I came prepared for this. Sheena, come on in.â Ava said, looking behind her to a student who was sitting behind the library desk.
âAva, that is my student, she should be at lunch right now,â Janine complained, as everyone in the room looked at the little girl, trying to see what Ava's plan was.
âI am kinda hungry.â The little girl sighed, begrudgingly walking closer to the woman.
âSheena, remember what we talked about? What was the thing that you wished was different about Ms.Teagues?â Ava asked the little girl. She just stood there, not knowing what to say as the whole room waited on her.
âShe got some big feet.â Mr.Johnson chimed in from the very back of the childrenâs library where he was sweeping.
âOkay.â Janine sighed before standing from her seat. âEveryone, thatâs enough. I am the person who disrespected Ava. I emailed the superintendent to tell him that she spent the school's money on a sign.â
âAnd got her hair done,â Naoya said, Janine, gesturing over to her in agreement.
âIâm sorry, Ava.â She continued. âAnd Iâm sorry everyone missed lunch, especially you, Sheena. But I didnât it because I care about the kids in this school, and that shouldnât be a bad thing.â She ranted. âIâOkay. You know what.â She sighed, done talking. She felt as if no one was listening anyway and just wanted to leave. She was on her way out before turning back around. âSheena, you should have this. Iâm sorry.â She said, handing the school pizza over to the girl.
âUh, no thank you.â The girl said, shaking her head. Janine just sighed again and turned to leave.
Ava chuckled as she watched the girl walk off, shaking her head. âNot a compelling speaker.â She smirked as she shook her head. âCharisma vacuum, am I right?â
Noaya cracked her neck as she stood up. The teachers in front of her filmed a little at the sound and her sudden movements. But she ignored that. âYou know what, Ava? I was going to whoop your ass in the parking lot, and as much satisfaction as that would bring me, I donât want to lose my job. Because I care about these kids. Just like Janine. And she may be a lot of things, like naive, a bit clingy and too cheerfulâ.â
âOoh, this is good stuff, let me call her back in here,â Ava smirked as if she didnât hear the first part of the girlsâ speech.
âBut she is also right.â Barba cut in, standing up with Naoya. âYou know, actually wanting to help the children at this school shouldnât be a bag thing.â The older woman finished for her. Afterwards, both her and Naoya walked out, letting Ava sit with their words.
They walked out to find the girl in front of her classroom, looking through the window. âJanine, ignore Ava. Big feet are a sign of fertility.â Barbra stated.
âIâm telling you to just give me the signal, I can have her framed for murâsomething.â The light skinned girl said, catching herself in front of the cameras.
âEvery lunch period, guys.â Was all Janine said before stepping out of their way to show the inside of her class. They both looked in seeing a little boy napping on his jacket, as the library door sounded again. âEvery single one, Amir comes and naps in the rug.â She said, informing the whole group as Melissa, Jacob and Gregory joined.
âMm-hmm. He was in my class.â Barbra said with a fond smile on her face. Momâs got a lot of kids. Dadâs not around and when she is, the parents fight.â
âRight, so he doesnât get much sleep. I told him to sleep at his desk, but she says that rug is softerâ.â The shirt woman paused, trying to get emotional over the whole situation. âSofter than his bed at home.â There was a moment of silence as all the adults sat with her words. Itâs hard hearing about the life of the kids you see everyday, knowing they live lives no one should. And knowing itâs on you to create a better life for them at school.
âYou know what? I donât care I you think Iâm good at this or not anymore. I care about whether or not I can make a change.â Janine told Barbra as sternly as she could, which wasnât a lot.
âJanine.â The woman started. âTeachers at a school like Abbottâ we have to be able to do it all. We are admin, we are social workers, we are therapists, we are second parents. Hell, sometimes weâre even first.â
âMm-hmm.â Melissa agreed.
âWhy?â Barbra continued. âIt sure ainât the money.â
âYup. I can make more working the street, easy.â Melissa chimed in. Causing Jacob and Naoya to look at each other in concern.
âProstitution?â She mouthed over to the man, who shrugged.
âLook, we do this âcause weâre supposed to.â Melissa said to Janine. âItâs a calling. You answered.â
They all looked at eachother fondly, before Jacob started.
âI believe it was Brother Cornel Westââ
âNo.â
âDonât.â
âNot right now, white boy.â
They all told him, causing the man to retreat back to his corner.
âYou want to know my secret?â Barbra asked, ringing the subject back to where it was. âDo everything you can for your kids.â She smiled. âWeâll help. Hey, I suggest we put our money together and buy Janine the rug.â The older woman encouraged. âWhat yall think?â
âAbsolutely.â Melissa said, pulling out her wallet.
âGuys, you canât.â Janine started, looking between them. âYou donât have it. I know because I have the same salary as you and I overdrafted on a doughnut hole this morning.â
âDonât tell me how much money I have.â Noaya stated, holding her hand out as a halt to the girl's words. âI do not claim that broke energy.â
âWell, why are you gonna do?â Barbra asked. âSteal a rug?â
âNot me, but I know a guy who knows a guy?â Janie trailed off, looking between Noaya and Melissa. The light skinned girl raised her hands. âI donât know a cute guy that can steal that many carpets that fast.â She shrugged, a hopeless look on her face as she glanced at Melissa.
âWay ahead of you.â The woman said as she started typing into her phone. âIâm gonna have to bake a ziti.â She said, holding the phone up to her ear. âHey, Tony, ya big strung, listen, you still working that stabiuk build?â She said into the device as she walked away from the group.
Sometime later, a guys pulled up in a truck around back with a bunch of rugs for them. They all celebrated, going one by one to grab a rug. âYay! I finally have one! My room was so depressing.â Naoya said as she waked down the hall with her rug.
âYouâre on a mission.â Gregory stated, looking at the shorter girl in between him and Noaya. âItâs cool to see.â
âThank you. Just a day in the life of being a teacher here. You get used to it.â Janine smiled.
âAnd that smell in the walls?â He asked, pointing.
âOh no, youâre never gonna get used to that. Sometimes I wish I had a bad nose like Naoya.â She joked, elbowing the girl next to her. The taller woman lightly groaned. âJanine, you know thatâs a big insecurity of mine. I have a fear of smelling bad.â The half Japanese girl tried to clarify to the male. âYouâre subbing to go full time right?â She asked, wanting to change the subject.
âUm, weâll see.â He said as they all briefly stopped in the hallway. âThis job definitely surprises me.â
âWell, I hope you stay.â Janine said. âFor the kids.â She clarified. Naoya shot a quick glacĂŠ to the camera, a small smirk on her face. She then decided to walk away. The camera caught Gregoryâs eyes jumping from both women walking away, a small smile on his face. He then looked in the camera and dropped his expression.
âIâll stick around for a while.â He said. âYou know, for the kids.â
âLook guys!â Naoya said as she rolled out her shakes rug for her students. They all celebrated, clapping excitedly at the fact that they had a rug now.
âMs.Lovel, I hate the egales.â One student said, standing next to the woman.
âYeah, me too, kid. But donât tell anyone I said that.â She said, patting the top of their head as Ava walked past her door. She paused at the sight of the rugs. Naoya placed her hands on her hips and cocked her neck, making Ava glare at the woman for a quick second before walking away.
âAnd that kids, is how you get rid of the enemy without fighting.â She said, pointing around the room to make sure they were watching. âNow that we have a rug, letâs watch that nature documentary!â She said excitedly, causing all the students to yell with excitement well.
#abbott elementary#abbott elementary fanfiction#abbott elementary fanfic#abbott elementary fic#abbott elementary x reader#janine teagues#gregory eddie#barbra howard#melissa schemmenti#jacob hill#mr. johnson#quinta brunson#tyler james williams#sheryl lee ralph#lisa ann walter#x black reader#x black fem reader#x black oc#x black!reader#x black!fem!reader
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Hopes And Fears - Part Two. (Wally Clark x Reader.)
Summary: Y/Nâs death is traumatic. So traumatic in fact, she canât even look at Wally without reliving what happened to her.
Word Count: 3.1k
Gif Not Mine. Requests Are Open!
Warnings: Death
Part One.
A/N: Itâs finally here!! I canât even begin to express how sorry I am that has it has taken me over a year to get part two out. Iâm sure most of you are probably over waiting for it anyway but if you do fancy giving it a read, I really appreciate it and hope it was worth the excessively long wait. Iâve tagged everybody that asked for a part two!! Once again, I am so deeply sorry! Please forgive me!!
âI would like to begin by thanking everybody that is here today and for those who have reached out to our family in this incredibly difficult time. Your thoughts and prayers have been so comforting and a reminder of the impact that our beautiful daughter had on so many people.
How would I even begin to describe Y/N? She was truly the most special girl and I am so thankful that I was able to bring her into this world, even if she did have to leave it early. The years I got to spend with her, were the best of my life and nothing will ever compare to the bond that her and I shared. She was so kind, so generous and so loving. Never declining the opportunity to spend time with her family, even if it may have been the embarrassing thing to do. I know what itâs like to be a teenager and for her to put us first consistently was just one of her many great qualities.
Y/N was an honour roll student, a successful gymnast and dancer, as well as being captain of the Split River Cheerleaders. As a child, she had so much energy, to the point where we didnât know what to do with her. After enrolling her in dance classes for the first time, she fell in love with the sport, gymnastics and cheerleading followed and I remember being so nervous that she would injure herself. However, when she stared up at me with those gleaming eyes, I couldnât bring it in myself to say no. These were just a few of her passions and it was evident that this was where she felt at home anytime we watched her at competitions or rehearsals. No longer the shy little girl that used to hide behind my legs before her first day of school.
Our daughter was also a keen activist and did a lot of charity work, though most of you probably wouldnât know that. She volunteered at the animal shelter on our block every weekend, which led to her rescuing countless animals over the years. Leaving us with not only a dog but three cats, a ferret, five rabbits, countless chickens and four rats. She also ran at least one marathon a year in order to raise money for numerous charities, and often donated supplies and food to womenâs shelters around the state.
Our daughter was the most selfless person I know, always putting other before herself. She taught us a lot and made us better people. For which Iâll be eternally grateful.
We wish we couldâve stopped this, and that we couldâve had more time with her. We wish we couldâve watched her grow and sent her off to college. We wish we couldâve moved her into her first apartment and seen her get married, maybe even had grandchildren.
The pain we are experiencing right now is unlike any other. To lose a child is the most gut wrenching thing, I wouldnât wish this on my worst enemy. I would give anything to hold her in my arms one last time. To be able to tell her I love her one last time.
So please, if anybody has any information as to who did this to our precious girl, all I ask is that you share this with the police department. Please help us find the person responsible and allow us some closure and for Y/N to get justice. She didnât deserve this. Thank you.â
My mother cries as she steps away from the podium, collapsing into the arms of my father. Tears silently roll down my face as I take in the scene, the heartbreak across their faces as they hold each other. Unable to contain the grief theyâre feeling.
As the principal speaks, I watch the crowd. My friends trying their best to hide their sadness, teachers hold their heads down, struggling to understand how this couldâve happened, even some students I only knew in passing look as though they could burst into tears at any moment.
Itâs a difficult thing to watch, your own memorial. I suppose I never thought about how other would react to my death before, it never crosses your mind as you assume you wonât be able to witness it. God, what I would give to be that naive again.
âHi Split River, for those of you that donât know me, Iâm Abby. Y/N was, well is my best friend. We met when we were in kindergarten and from that day forward weâve been inseparable.
Y/N was a very shy person, Iâm sure most of you would describe her as an introvert. Fortunately, I was one of the few people she let into her life, breaking down the invisible barriers she built around herself and it was the greatest pleasure of my life.
We were total opposites and enjoyed different things but that didnât matter. For example, Y/N hated theatre, she called it glorified pantomime, but she still attended every show I was in, she still helped me practice my lines and she still encouraged me to do what I loved even if she couldnât stand it.
We had so many things we wanted to do together, we were going to share a dorm together at Parsons, she would major in fashion design and I would do photography. Weâd take over the world as a duo, running our own magazine that I could star in, of course. All those dreams of ours have been ripped to shreds now and I donât know what to do without her. My life was intertwined with herâs and there was never a future that she wasnât apart of. Iâm completely lost without her.
I hope whoever did this rots in hell. You deserve nothing but suffering for taking such a pure soul out of this world.â
Abbyâs words leave a small smile on my face despite the tears that continue to fall. In all honesty, Iâm surprised her entire speech wasnât a rage fuelled rant directed at the perpetrator.
Despite my eyes being fixed on the service taking place in the gym below, I still feel the bench dip slightly. Alerting me of someoneâs presence. My eyes reluctantly drag themselves away and I realise itâs the footballer, he sits towards the other end of the bench, keeping his distance. Iâm quick to notice the lack of football jersey, wearing nothing but a white tank top that defines his arms nicely and his blue school assigned gym shorts.
His hands are clutching a bouquet of flowers, an array of sunflowers, dusty orange irises, blood red snapdragons and soft peach chrysanthemums. Theyâre arranged beautifully, held together by a small piece of string.
âThey were beautiful speeches.â He comments, soft smile gracing his features.
I nod, offering a small smile in return. The lack of football attire puts me at ease and Iâm appreciative of the distance between us. Guilt consumes me slightly at my judgement towards him, but I canât control it. After what happened, I donât want to put myself in that situation again. Iâm not taking any chances.
âThis is the hard part. My mom couldnât even finish her eulogy she was crying that much.â He tells me, eyes fixed on the girls from my cheerleading squad who are now doing their own speech. âItâs good to know you have so many people who care about you though.â
He doesnât look over at me once heâs finished speaking and I take my time to look at him properly. Soft brown eyes compliment his dark, almost black hair. Full lips and a youthful glow, it dawns on me that heâs been stuck in this state for decades, never aging, never changing.
âI feel bad.â I state, voice barely louder than a whisper as I allow myself to make eye contact with him when he turns to face me. âThey shouldnât have to go through this.â
âHey, itâs not your fault.â He goes to move towards me before stopping himself, though never taking his eyes off mine. âYou canât blame yourself, trust me I spent years doing that and no good comes of it. Youâll just end up tormenting yourself.â
Nodding as I take in his words, I let out a long sigh. Gazing down at my parents once again, I canât help but feel the tears welling up in my eyes once again and Iâm quick to wipe them away. Not wanting Wally to see me cry. Theyâre still clinging on to each other, though theyâve moved to sit down now, neither of them look as though theyâre paying much attention to those speaking. Focused solely on comforting one another.
Itâs in that moment that I notice who the next speaker is and my entire body tenses. Why is Spencer getting up to speak? Heâs dressed to the nines in a black suit, hands gripping a piece of paper that has evidently been crumpled up. If my heart still worked Iâm almost positive it wouldâve stopped beating right this second.
Is this some sort of sick joke? Parading around in front of my grieving loved ones, knowing full well that heâs potentially evaded justice. I feel sick to my stomach and canât bare to watch. What could he even have to say?
âWalk with me.â
Before Wally can even figure out what is happening, Iâm practically sprinting out of the gym. Hurrying down the hallway in an effort to get as far away from Spencer as physically possible. Itâs completely irrational, I know he canât see me. He canât hurt me again. Yet, I canât even bring myself to stay in the same room as him.
âHow did you die?â I ask Wally once he has caught up to me, walking beside me while making sure to keep a few feet between us. Iâm in need of a distraction and as long as heâs talking, I can keep my mind off the situation that just unfolded before me.
âOh, I um was tackled during the homecoming game of my senior year in â83. Snapped my neck and died on the pitch.â He tells me, one hand scratching the back of his neck as he does so, eyes unable to meet mine. âIâd already been benched but my mom pushed me to get back in the game and I just wanted to make her proud.â
Stopping in my tracks, I turn to face him properly. His face is full of guilt, and perhaps a little bit of shame. Afraid that he didnât do his best, that he didnât make his mom proud.
âShe still comes to every game. I mean they named the stadium after me so itâs nice that I get to see her once a year. Iâm lucky in that sense.â
Heâs rambling, trying to fill the silence with anything he can. Itâs something I often found myself down when I was still alive. Wanting to aid the embarrassment and nervousness I often felt.
âWally. Your mom will always be proud of you. A momâs pride for her child is unconditional.â I speak confidently, allowing him to feel reassured, something I can sense he needs right now.
âYouâre right. I just wish things ended differently, like if Iâd won the game, all those years of training wouldnât have gone to waste you know?â
The sadness in his voice is prevalent and I can tell he struggles with it even after all these years. Heâs still not making eye contact with me and I feel that pang of guilt once again, for assuming he would be like all the other stupid footballers I know. He has a good heart, I see that now.
âYou heard my momâs speech right? If weâre gonna play that game then all those years of dance training were for nothing.â I joke, hoping itâll ease his sullen mood slightly. âI danced because it was fun, besides, if all of those years were for nothing, would I still be able to do this?â
For the first time since we left the gym, Wally actually looks at me. Raising my arms, I judge the distance behind me before throwing myself into a back handspring. The boy laughs quietly, causing me to smile as he brings his hands together in a round of applause, muffled slightly due to the flowers heâs still holding. Bowing obnoxiously, I canât help but allow myself to enjoy the moment. Itâs the first bit of happiness Iâve felt this entire time and I intend to savour it.
âWow. Yeah, you would not catch me doing that.â He comments, matching my pace as we continue to walk again. âThank you, by the way.â
My eyebrows furrow in confusion, not entirely sure where his thanks are coming from. Staying silent as we sit opposite one another in the communal gardens towards the back of the school. Itâs quiet, not many students know itâs here, and the ones that do have no interest in being back here. Theyâd much rather be on the quad where they actually get phone service.
âFor cheering me up, I mean. The others can sometimes get a bit annoyed when I bring up what happened. They think I shouldâve got over it by now with it being almost forty odd years ago.â He states, the sunlight reflecting on him at just the right angle, it makes him look angelic. Beautiful really.
âCan anybody get over their death?â
âRhonda seems to think so, but I reckon she just doesnât like talking about what happened to her.â He replies, a fondness in his eyes as he talks about her, almost as if heâs remembering a past conversation.
Leaning back to take in the sun, I close my eyes, absorbing the light that hits my face. Being dead is strange to say the least, I thought I wouldnât feel anything. No emotions, no sensations, nothing. That couldnât be further from the truth. Since death, Iâve mostly felt sadness and anger, but spending this short amount of time with Wally has made me aware of the happiness iâm able to feel as well. Not to mention the warmth of the sun on my skin, I can pretend Iâm alive. Even if it is just for a second.
âThese are for you by the way.â Wallyâs voice bring me back to reality and I realise heâs holding the bouquet of flowers out to me. Heâs sat a good distance away and so I have to lean forward to take them from his grasp. Fingers brushing as I do so and Iâm quick to pull away, despite the warmth that rushed through my hand upon the momentary interaction. âI was going to give them to you earlier, but then it didnât seem right because we were watching the eulogies and all. I didnât wanna make it weird or awkward for you or anything. I also didnât know what kind of flowers you liked so I just picked a bunch from the flower gardens, Charlie helped me arrange them, I hope theyâre okay because my first attempt wasnât the best. Apparently the colours didnât match or something-â
âWally theyâre gorgeous.â I interrupt, unable to hide the grin that is beginning to spread across my face as I bring them to my nose to inhale the scent. âSnapdragons are my favourite.â
âOh thank god. I was really worried you would hate them, or that maybe you werenât a flower person.â He blurts out, following a quick sigh of relief. âNot that itâs a big deal or anything. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I mean no harm, and sort of welcome you the afterlife I guess.â
I must admit the nervous rambling is cute, I can feel the redness flushing my cheeks as I hide myself behind the flowers. Taking my time to admire the bouquet as much as I can. Itâs a beautiful gesture, and Iâm in disbelief that he spent the time to do this for me. A peace offering despite him doing nothing wrong.
âYouâre sweet Wally.â I admit, delicately stroking the petals on a couple of the flowers. âIâm really sorry about before. You just remind me of someone.â
âA footballer ex perhaps?â He questions, unable to get Rhondaâs previous comment out of his head. Whether it be down to jealousy or curiosity heâs unsure.
âNo, no ex.â I shake my head adamantly, eyes glued to the flowers as I try to come up with the words to describe why I acted the way I did. Itâs still too soon for me to talk about, I know that. However, I also know that Wally does deserve some sort of explanation. âI donât think Iâm ready to talk about it just yet, but if I have another moment like before I promise itâs not your fault.â
Wally nods, understanding and accepting my boundaries. We stay sat in silence for a moment longer, he doesnât push me to talk, nor does he change the subject. Instead, we just embrace the peace weâve created in the garden. Itâs the most relaxed Iâve felt for a while and Iâm able to sit with my own thoughts without sending myself into a spiral or a panic. Itâs nice.
The minutes pass as we listen to the gentle sounds of birds chirping and the occasional rustle of the trees in the wind. It feels as though weâre stuck in time, but I feel content. I wouldnât mind being stuck right here, right now. At least, if it wasnât for Charlie.
âY/N, your memorialâs ending, just thought youâd want to see your parents again before they leave!â
Wally and I both look towards the boy who stands awkwardly in the doorway. He sounds out of breath and I imagine heâs been sprinting around the school in search of me.
My hands grip the flowers tighter, veins popping and knuckles flexed as I squeeze tightly. Wallyâs the first to stand and when I finally look up at him, he offers me an encouraging nod. A reminder that I am strong enough to do this. To say my goodbyes.
While I walk besides the tall jock, with Charlie taking lead in front, I do feel strong. Wallyâs supportive and comforting nature radiates through the hallway and I feel confident. Although, I know this is the last time I could potentially see my parents, thereâs no sadness, just a readiness to take on this new stage of my life and it fills me with a sense of acceptance. Accepting death was difficult but finally, I feel ready to take on whatever comes next.
â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘
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#wally clark angst#wally clark fluff#wally clark fic#wally clark imagines#wally clark#wally clark x reader#school spirits imagines#school spirits fic#school spirits
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"Festering feelings"
Dragon! Albedo x reader
Ok this was written before the event with albedo "twin"
âĽď¸REQUEST ARE OPENâĽď¸ don't be shy, send request for any of the fandoms on my fandom list, you can even recommend shows/games if they aren't there. Or even if you just want to chat! Anon is also always open!
CW : no beta, not proofread, subtle yan!albedo but nothing explicit or too bad, corrupted!albedo, dragon! Albedo, albedo is corrupted by durins heart and turns more draconic- the reader is kind of scared but into it. Murder (it's a fatui) slight gore,
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You were close with albedo, helping him with the numerous experiments he evolved himself in, watching his ever diligent mind work through the process of alchemy like gears turning in a clock. Truly he was a genius, a wealth of knowledge accumulated over the years, countless tests and trials behind those blue eyes.Â
It would be a lie if you said you didn't admire the man, and an even bigger lie to say you didn't have a crush on the young alchemist. From the way his ash blond locks framed his face to the way his eyes lit up when a new discovery was made- everything seemed to make your heart flutter in your chest, beating rapidly as you tried to calm it. You wondered if he could feel the same, yet quickly dismissed the thought. They say that love is blind, and that seems to be the only explanation as to why you failed to notice the way his eyes lit up when you spoke, the way he latched onto your very word, never growing tired of your voice.Â
He loved you, the way you walked around his lab, lovely eyes darting around the shelves looking for what he needed, the way you listened to him and always asked questions, all of the endearing things you did for him, they all made his heart swoon and jump. The unfamiliar feeling of butterflies fluttering in his stomach often arose when you spoke to him, your voice a melody in his head.Â
However unlike you, albedo had suspicion that you felt the same. The way your eyes darted away from his, how eager you were to help him, how you rushed off when you caught him so shamelessly staring at you. He wouldn't make a move, no- not until he was certain he wouldn't be rejected.Â
At first he had tried doing much the same he did with everyone else, keeping his distance so as to not create a tedious relationship, yet it proved to only be the opposite. The more distance he tried to put between you the more his heart longed for yours, and the more his mind would scream at him to stop pushing you away. So he listened, if keeping distance wouldn't work then he might as well embrace the feelings that festered within him, he'd hold you as close as you'd let him.Â
That had been the normal routine, even in the small lab at dragonspine he still had you assist him. "Y/n, you get me three lamp grass? " He asked, eyes not leaving the desk in front of him as his slender hands delicately mixed and worked. "Of course albedo, top shelf right? " You were already walking towards the tall shelves, stacked to the brim with various ingredients. Albedo hummed in disagreement "I put them on the middle this time, it had more space" You chuckled and grabbed the lamp grass, placing them next to one of the many containers and beakers, "thank you y/n'' He flashed you a gentle smile, his eyes soft as he watched in silent amusement while you grew flustered.Â
"A-anything else you need albedo? " He humed, "no, get some rest, I'll manage on my own" He had already turned back to his work when you sighed and shook your head. You placed a hand gently on his shoulder, "don't overwork yourself alright? " You asked him. He didn't turn towards you on account of the red dusting his cheeks. "I won't. make sure to get a full night's rest, otherwise the physical experiments tomorrow may become botched" You nodded before heading off to where you slept.Â
It wasn't often that albedo became flustered, but recently it had become more difficult to keep his emotions in check around you. He wanted nothing more than to hold you close to him, to press his lips to yours and here you say his name oh so sweetly. But the emotions seemed to only grow in intensity, festering under lock and key. He'd noticed how they seemed to grow darker, he didn't like the stinging in the back of his throat when he saw you speak with others, nor did he enjoy the need to seal you away, to keep you to himself.Â
Weeks passed as it grew more and more difficult for him. You noticed the change in his behavior, how his mind seemed disorganized, how he spent longer and longer away, when he didn't sleep- his eyes growing paranoid and at times almost hostile. You were beyond worried, especially now that he had been gone for what seemed like hours. You drumed your fingers against the wooden desk in an attempt to distract yourself from the frantic paranoia. 'He would be alright' you told yourself, albedo was anything but weak, yet in his current state it made you worry.Â
Sighing to yourself you got up and grabbed your sword, quickly writing a note encase he came back before setting off. The fur of your heavy cloak already collecting the falling snowflakes. He had said he'd be in Wyrmrest valley, so that is where you will go first.Â
Deep in the heart of wyrmrest valley not a soul dared to make a sound, the warmth of the caver, bathed in a terrifying red glow made his skin feel like it was on fire. He felt an odd connection with the heart, veins drawing his to step closer as they always had. Derived from the earth, made from the same spotless soil and cut from the same cloth. Perhaps that's why it had drawn him in, the sense of connection and sameness giving way for the corruption to sink into his being.Â
Reaching out a gloved hand he was too late to draw himself away, his vision clouded over with a foggy red as he collapsed. It felt as though his gloves had fused to his skin, now turning to rigged scales, pitch black and hard as stone, cracks along his now scaled forearms glowed with a fuchsia red, his once blunt nails growing into sharp claws, two sets of horns sprouting on his head, the top set large and curving back and the bottom pair curved forward, the same glowing cracks adorned on both sets. His long tail thrashed back and forth, black scales and red spines shifting and he held his face in his claws.Â
His pupils dilated into red slits, teeth growing sharp and fanged. The star at the base of his throat now glowed the same fuchsia red, cracks spreading out from it and along his body.Â
For once in weeks he felt at ease, mind now riddled with an inky fog, clouded yet sharp as ever. His head turned to attention when he heard the heavy footsteps outside the cavern entrance. Eyes lighting up at the thought of it being you, so that he could finally hold you close to him without pesky interruption. Yet disappointment caused his stare to turn cold as he gazed upon the fatui skirmishers. Whatever the pests wanted he had already grown bored of it, opting to simply take care of them now lest they cause trouble later.Â
You really had come at the worst moment, albedo elbow deep in a skirmishers chest, his gaze as cold as the permafrost. You watched as the body dropped to the ground. "A-albedo" He snapped his head towards you with a grimace, he didn't like the way you said his name, the sweet tone you always called him with now gone, lost to the snow that whipped and swirled outside. A step back, a step forward, he matched your pace ten fold, standing over you with sad eyes.Â
His clawed hands took the sword that you losely gripped in your hands, Twirling it with skill before it was enveloped in a golden light, a Snapdragon soon taking its place as he tucked it behind your ear.Â
"Albedo? You-" He shushed you gently, claws caressing your cheek, careful not to press too hard. "I'm certain you feel the same y/n" He cupped your face, the gentle look in his eyes lacking the same warmth they once had, now replaced with a festering heat, a smoldering fire."So will you allow me to perform an experiment? " You swallowed the lump in your throat before nodding slowly, hesitance in your movement as a wicked grin spread across his features. And without wasting time he pressed his lips to yours. They were hot against yours, your skin cold from the outside as he used his other hand to press the back of your head. He didn't want to pull away, he wanted to deepen the kiss more, to hold you closer and longer. Alass you needed air, so he relented and pulled back, only for your lips to follow his.Â
You knew he was still in there, even if only a shred of his true self remained, even if it was a pointless endeavor, you wouldn't give up, you'd bring him back one way or another.Â
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#genshin x reader#genshin x you#genshin albedo x reader#albedo x y/n#genshin albedo#albedo genshin impact#albedo x reader#genshin impact#yandere genshin impact#yandere genshin x reader#yandere albedo#yandere albedo x reader#yandere x reader#x reader#genshin impact x reader#genshin impact x you
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moth. (e.w.)
Protected by the Crest. Guarded by light.Â
đđĄđđđđđ¤đ
SYNOPSIS: knights of the devil, you all are to be conquered.Â
WORD COUNT: 2.2k
WARNINGS: vampire!ellie, vampirekiller!oc, a lot to come FUCK, violence⌠so blood(drinking), death, murder, gore, suicide, religion briefly, cult-ish bindings, ellie's coven is so cunt, mentions of witchcraft, future tags: hypnosis, abducting, crazy smut
teaser.
1927
Dawn. Combat. Nightfall. Rest.Â
Dawn. Combat. Nightfall. Rest.Â
The cycle formed over the last decade has revolutionized you. It is all you know; the only remainder of solace you have in this dastard domain. The older you've grown, the more burials you attend. For strangers, for comrades. For children who have been brutalized and left to rot like swine. All enacted by the Devils that lurk in darkness. Radicalization overcame your senses; first writhed beneath your bones at the age of thirteen when intent to kill the Earthâs torturers flourished within you. Welcomed your stout standing with an offered, sharply angled wood. You have read. You have fought. You have been scarred and beaten bloody by the Overseers; suffered numerous nights of unrest due to the wails of your comrades under their scrutiny.Â
Another burial, another Overseer. A prime Hunter that controls your underground dominion, trapped trenches below civilization that beam with only candlelight and the creeping rays of the flaming sun.
Protected by the Crest. Guarded by light.Â
The lines you march alongside your comrades are congruous; heads covered with black hoods, dozens of silver-soled heels echoing against the tunnel walls. Not one Hunter out of place. Gruesome symmetry. The narrow halls of the tunnel spread into a perfect sphere near its end. Hunters due their promotion disperse along the widening space, encircling the flaming Crest in the center of the chamber. Both rows of teeth are inseparable; a dull ache in your jaw.Â
Your heartbeat is reminiscent of drums. Each step is calculated. A second of delay, and⌠your brain cannot fathom the consequences.Â
Rows of comrades enclose and tighten, standing strong before the risen floors where the Overseers inspect their battalion, hoods removed and insignia burning through their black capes. You sneak glances at them despite the rules of a downcast gaze in their presence; no longer than a second. Their years of battle have overtaken their appearance; gray drapes of wool that cascade their shoulders, creases by the eyes and mouth, hands that tremor.Â
âRise.âÂ
Necks crane until straightened. Palms raise for the Uncovering, hoods pushed until they lay flat at the peak of spines. The first time your heads have seen the unnatural light of the underground. Your Overseer from your recruitment has been replaced with anew; woman, tall and eyes as kind as a doe, but just as ruthless, just as conniving as he. Her lips spread around her white teeth, somehow more venomous than the ghouls that taunt the lands.Â
âWelcome to the commencement of our Prodigies.âÂ
Despite you being only three rows from the raised platform, the Overseer sounds miles away. The rushing in your ears; the thumping in your chest is intruding.Â
âYou are all here to be recognized for your efforts. You should be proud of choosing the path of righteousness. Your dedication does not go unnoticed, and today marks the finality of your attainment.âÂ
âWe bless you all with our thanks. For this night embarks societyâs next generation of Hunters. You have all accepted your duty as a protector. A leader. A virtuous soldier for our Lord.âÂ
âThe battle against Demons will be unkind⌠Many will be lost, but after years of sacrifice, use this night as a celebration of your braveryâŚâÂ
Silence. Then a seized breath. Faulting from an Overseer is unforeseen.Â
âIt may be your last chance to witness a night of peace⌠Of unity.âÂ
Her sudden somber timbre jostles your comrades, backs stiffened under their cloaks. Empathy: considered a display of weakness from your leaders.Â
The winds of the tunnel shifted, aimed to suffocate.Â
âLive as kings for this last night. Eat, drink⌠dance if you must. Because come dawn, you will abandon comfort, and return to the higher lands where anguish awaits.âÂ
One overseer, the man closest to the orator, extends a black, velvet pillow to her. A silver chain dangles from her wrinkled hands; a Hunters pendant, bordering a lit flame.Â
âAs the worldâs Hunters, you will be honored with our sanctuaryâs Crest. This will be your protection against the Lustful⌠They have demonstrated a great deal of power as they develop⌠Their spread is alarming⌠To even us.âÂ
âDo not fall victim to their allure. Their only desire is our demise. Deceit is their only weapon⌠But it will never compare to the light in your hearts.âÂ
Rumors have spread through the training grounds; ones of Hunters, Overseers, being blinded by their darkest desires. Controlled by the Devilâs knights to turn against each other. Entranced by pleasure, by riches. By immortality. Their desperation of becoming the rulers of society, tyrants of the land, past the seas⌠Brought them to their end. Many believed they were created to birth disarray â distrust between comrades. You, still, are not sure what to believe.Â
â⌠All of your souls are blessed⌠Even in death.âÂ
Your palm rests over your pounding heart in oath recitation, promising to die for the cause of freedom. For humanity. The remainder of the ceremony hazes as cloaked patrons emerge from the depths of the cave as the Overseers disperse, dressing prideful Hunters with their pendants. They hang perfectly at the center of the sternum, the flames roaring the closer it lays to the heart.Â
Your eyes do not wither from the ground, even with the silver shoes before you that penetrate the dirt. An Overseer is not often chosen to promote a Hunter, but she â the orator â blesses you. The heft of your pendant weighs heavy on your shoulders. You sigh a breath of relief at the glow behind metal.Â
âProtected by the Crest. Guarded by light.â You say, dismissing your shock with a hand on your chest.
âGuarded, you areâŚâÂ
Her declaration is barely a whisper. She pauses, trembling pupils entangled with the glow of your chain, hypnotized by its glimmer.Â
âChild.âÂ
You remain indifferent at her condemnation, against the gulp from your throat. She inspects your stance with the strength of a stalking lion before vanishing, cape gusting up dryness from below.Â
âSomeoneâs special.âÂ
A hushed snark airs from behind you. Made to be a laughingstock for your comrades once again. But you are not 13. All naivety has been torn from your consciousness, and your vacancies are filled with revenge.Â
The cave, for the first time since your recruitment, is undisciplined. Bass from the celebratory drums. Laughter⌠Laughter from your comrades, Overseers, patrons you recall from passing as they cheers with the finest wine. Intimidation and constraint are no longer. And still, you take no part in true fellowship. Jollity is forbidden. Leisure is forbidden. Benevolence is forbidden. You, and others amongst âchildrenâ were trained to hunt. To slain those who left the world in shatters. A morphed weapon of justice.
A laid hand on your shoulder makes you jolt, left frozen when you're met with the orator from the commencement.Â
Come, she whispers, and you follow her path through the tunnels of the cave. She retrieves a lantern from the cavity floors and leads you to its corners, deep and untouched. Never once have you seen an Overseer smile, but she is. A pitiful one.Â
âWhy do you worry, Child?âÂ
âI do not worry,â You bite more than needed, âAnd I am not a child.âÂ
She takes no offense, âPardon me. Why do you worry, Hunter?â Her tone is mocking, and your blood churns.Â
One slip of tongue could earn a blade in your chest. You self-soothe with the foggy air expanding in your lungs. Your agitation calms, only briefly.Â
âI do not worry,â Easier on the ears, âI am believed to be more than preparedââ
âThere is no preparation against the Devils.â The hiss of a viper, her mouth turned down in dissatisfaction of your attitude. Your brows pinch.Â
âWhy have you brought me here?âÂ
Her chest rises and falls and her hands interlock.Â
âDo you know your history, Hunter?âÂ
âIt is all Iâve ever known, Master.â You retort with similar irreverence.
âNot the history of the Devils, you imbecile. You. Do you know of your lineage?âÂ
Your head rattles, âSurely not⌠A-All outside knowledge of history is forbidden. That is all weâve ever been taughtââ
âShame on your mother for leaving you useless.âÂ
Her slander resonates through the tunnel and your conscience dissolves. The blade you always wield in your sheath presses against the throat of your superior, indented around the aged skin.
âI did not follow you to be defamed,â You rebuke with bared teeth, âDo not speak of my mother.âÂ
âWhat spiritâŚâ Others would not blink twice at the mention of their family, dead or alive.Â
âThe Devils starve, Child.â She whispers.Â
âWhat.âÂ
âThey starve⌠Desperation grows within them as they migrate. They kill anything they can.â Distress grows in her face as she blathers. âBlack magic. I have seen its bounds before my eyes. They have tormented and feasted on the blood of your ancestors! The controller of all Devils⌠She waits to enslave the last of your nameââ
âI HAVE NO NAME!âÂ
Why must she lie? Why are you only hearing of this now? She lies. A shout that cracks through the underground.Â
âYour lineage is most susceptible to the curse! YouâŚâÂ
Tears hang from your lashes before splintering your cheeks. Panic-struck heaves hit your leaderâs, her flyways brushing against her nose.
âTheyâll torture you, Child.â
Sympathy. Survival. There is no difference.Â
âWhat does it matter?â You whisper painfully, and your blade drops to your side, weeps unmasked. âSo many have died before me. I-I doââ
âYour mother was one of us.â
Her wails are quiet and urgent.
âAsk⌠pray for her guidance.âÂ
âMasââ
The Overseer advantages the weakness of your wrist; snags your blade from between your fingertips and glides the edge across her jugular, maroon coating her hands as she chokes on her own blood, her eyes glazing as she slides down the wall. You holler, knees weakening when her gargling form collapses into your arms. Life drains from her eyes with every exclamation you throw to the Heavens. You shout for help, but the depths are too narrow.Â
No one comes.Â
-
-
-
You, by the grace of your Lord, somehow managed to flee the concaves without being spotted by your commune, cloak submerged in blood that is masked by its darkness. Anxiety forged in the pit of your stomach; unable to return to your base for the last peaceful rest, you ran. You cowered. Just when you believed it was out of your nature.Â
An Overseer committed suicide, and you were the only witness.Â
You went to your chambers after the accidentâwarning? â stuffed what you could into your satchel, and escaped the iron gates of your former home. Scaled them like a rabid hyena until your bandaged soles combined with tall greenery. The scene of never-ending land doesnât ease your nerves, but you sprint until your lungs burn and your legs give out.Â
Your path is blind, but your end is near.Â
All fingers point at you.Â
The greatest form of betrayal.Â
The lifeblood of the wealthy always curdles: from concealed shame. From ego. From both; It always leaves a sour film over her tongue. Despairing times. The rosewood floors are bathed in red as the last breaths of her victim shake through her bedroom. A beautiful one, she was; dressed in skirts and stockings that ripped at the lightest touch.Â
Blood drips down from Ellieâs mouth to the collar of her unbuttoned shirt, stains seeping into the crew of her undershirt. Barely any effort was needed to lure them all in. Desperation makes obscenity much sweeter.Â
A knock erupts from the other side of her door before a sugary utterance echoes, âMay I come in?âÂ
Ellie scoffs at the pester.Â
âYou mayâŚâ She replies.
The door opens, and sheâs met with soft eyes twinkling with brown and burgundy.Â
Her brow arches, âNot.â She concludes.
The raven-haired girl squints playfully and shuts the door behind her, âHush, now,â Her strides are strong and assertive, puddles of red soaking the bottom of her heels.Â
âQuite the mess,â she mutters at the scene with an upturned nose, âIt smells.âÂ
âWho am I to complain?âÂ
âThe only one that complains,â Her soft hands land on Ellieâs shoulders, and she sighs, taking in the worn appearance of her partner: under eyes darkened and sunk in, dry lips, voice hoarse.
âI bare news.â Dina whispers.Â
Ellie curls a tweel of black hair around her finger, âHm?âÂ
Dina leans in close, arms locking around the back of her loverâs neck, lips brushing Ellieâs ear.Â
âOur little flower is on the loose.âÂ
Ellieâs body locks, and pressure grows in her fangs. âLiar.â She gasps.
âNuh uh,â A kiss is planted to the corner of her stained mouth, âWord is sheâs fled the sanctuary. Searches are apparently ongoing.âÂ
âWhere.â Ellie presses.Â
âNot sure⌠I came to ask if we should plan for her⌠arrival while the ladies are away.â Dina suggests with a conniving smirk.Â
Ellieâs lips curl dangerously around her sharp teeth, a blinding white. She lifts her darling off the ground, spinning her in celebration as she squeals, droplets of evidence seeping deeper into the floorboards.Â
âAbsolutely.âÂ
wittle taglist :3 HIII DEAR: @elliewilliamsblunt
#ellie williams au#ellie williams#ellie williams smut#ellie williams x reader#ellie williams tlou#vampire!ellie#lesbian#works đ§§ŕŁŞ#ellie x reader#ellie x fem reader#ellie williams angst
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