#and we started flirting a bit while my friend bought her pastry and i was pretending not to freak out and to not realise who she was

[puzzledemigod]

Oh wow I dreamt that I had a couple of meet cutes with Hayley Kiyoko and we started dating. Guess my 16 year old self's crush isn't gone then huh

[kiss-inthekitchen]

of the jealous kind

summary: you and Harry are out at the local farmer’s market when a girl starts flirting with you and Harry gets jealous. only thing is, you don’t exactly realize she’s flirting with you. classic wlw vibes, am i right ladies? (please say yes)

my submission for @bopbopstyles and @harrysclementines bi-ficathon!

a/n: fun times with Harry calling you “his girl” and being just a bit pathetically jealous (his words!) also i might continue this...in a smut type of fashion... if y’all are interested

word count: 2.2k 

--

“Oh, let’s stop over there! I want to get one of those chocolate chip custard things,” you exclaimed, spotting your favorite bakery stand at the farmer’s market and dragging Harry along by your joined hands. 

“A’right, love, m’comin,” he laughed, trying to keep in step with your suddenly quickened pace. 

It was a Sunday morning, cloudy but not too cold, and you and Harry were visiting your favorite farmer’s market in town. You tried to come here at least twice a month if your schedules allowed it. Today, it just so happened, you both had the entire day free to spend with each other. 

Harry knew you had to look at everything the bakery had to offer before you inevitably bought the same items as usual (a good, crusty country loaf and the same danish you never remembered the name of). There was a produce stand across the way that immediately caught Harry’s eye, a “buy 2 get 1 free” sign atop a display of various berries calling out to him. You noticed his distraction, the two of you speaking at the same time.

“M’gonna-” 

“Go on, then.”

“Know me so well, don’t you?” He gave you a soft smile and pressed a kiss to your temple before heading off in pursuit of his beloved fruit. 

You took the last few steps over to the booth’s main table, which held a majority of the baked goods as well as this week’s free sample: a garlic rosemary bread, cut into bite size pieces. You picked one up, on instinct taking a sidelong glance at the basket of your favorite pastries by the register, when the woman behind the counter finished ringing up a customer and turned to you.   

“Can I help you with anything, hon?”

“Oh, um, I’m just looking,” you answered, looking up at her. She must’ve been new, you thought, not recognizing her from your previous visits. She had dark hair, twisted up into a bun at the back of her head, an oversized t-shirt with a phoenix decal on it. Her name tag informed you that her name was Allie. 

“Alright, well, I will say that’s the best flavor we’ve got,” she gestures to the small wedge still held between your fingers. 

“Really? That’s quite a bold statement,” you smile back at her, appreciating her friendliness.  

“You’re gonna want to trust me on this one,” she said, nodding at you to go ahead. 

You took a bite, blushing a bit at the knowledge you were being watched and that she was awaiting your response. “Mhm,” you agreed, around a mouthful of bread. “Okay, you’re right, that’s better.” 

“Thought so. I have been told I’ve got very good taste.” 

“Well, I’m not surprised.” 

She made eye contact with you, the hint of a smile playing on her lips. “So, will you be taking a loaf of the garlic rosemary then?” she asked. 

“Yes, please.” Why not try something new, you thought. And she was right, it was delicious. You’re sure Harry would like it too, and you could just imagine the playful ribbing he was going to give you when he noticed you’d deviated from your usual order. “Oh, could I also get that-” 

“The chocolate chip danish? I saw you eyeing it earlier,” she said, picking one up with a gloved hand and placing it in a small paper bag. “That one’s on the house.” 

“Oh, you’re so sweet! Thank you.” Allie was really on top of it with the customer service. 

“Anytime,” she said, “Anything else I can get you?” 

“No, that’s all for me! Thanks again.”

She rang up your order, handing you the bag before speaking. “You know, we also come out to the beachside farmer’s market on Wednesday’s, if you’re ever in the area. I’ll write it down for you,” she said, picking up a business card from a stack on the table and turning it over to write on the back. 

“Sounds great,” you replied, mostly to be polite. You probably wouldn’t make it out, Wednesdays being a busy day for you with classes. 

Just as she was handing it back to you, Harry appeared behind you, fruit in tow. 

“Thank you so much, have a good one!” you said cheerily, dropping the card into the bag with your goods. You’d look at it when you got home.

She waved back. “See you soon, hopefully.”

You smiled as you turned around to see Harry already standing there, startling a bit at his unexpected presence. He raised his eyebrows a bit, but didn’t say anything as he put his free arm around your shoulders. The two of you headed back to the main walkway, and he waited until your new friend was out of earshot before he spoke. 

“So, yeh just gonna let someone flirt with my girl like that?” 

“What?” That was not what you were expecting. “She wasn’t flirting with me, Harry.” 

“Oh, please, love. Saw the way she was lookin’ at you. Poor girl. I’m sure you led her on.” 

“Excuse me, I did no such thing,” you scoffed. “And she wasn’t even flirting with me, so I couldn’t have.” 

He breezed right past your denial, having already made up his mind. You weren’t going to be able to convince him otherwise, you knew that by now. “Told ya before love, you come off very flirtatious. Almost feel bad for her.” He was smirking down at you, the bastard. “Almost.” 

“Being a pest,” you grumbled, shoving against his shoulder with yours to throw him off balance. 

He stumbled a bit, but recovered quickly. “Oi! ‘S not very nice, is it?” 

You giggled in response, loving when he used that playful tone. He tried to keep a serious face on while looking back at you but failed almost immediately, looking at you with such adoration in his eyes that you forgot what you’d both been talking about. 

“Anyway,” you sang, reaching out for his free hand and threading your fingers through his. “What did you buy?” 

His face lights up at the memory of his purchase. “Got strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, plus some local clover honey.” 

“Such a sweet tooth, hm?” 

“S’pose I do,” he said with a slight smirk. “Ready to go home and eat, then?” 

“We’ve barely been here half an hour, H. Trying to get me home already?”

“Look too good today, love. Worried if we stick around I’ll have to beat the other vendors off with a stick.” 

“I thought we were done with this conversation,” you rolled your eyes at him playfully, but allowed him to steer you back toward the car park. You were getting kind of hungry anyway. 

--

You’re sat on your kitchen island at home, Harry placing the bags on the counter next to you. 

“Have a nice time, love?” He asks, moving over to you and situating his body between your knees at the edge of the counter. 

You drape your arms around his neck, thumb coming up to his cheek to rub back and forth as he leans into your touch. “Always have a good time when I’m with you,” you breathe. 

“That’s m’girl,” he speaks in a husky tone, before leaning in to press his lips to yours, slow and lazy at first. That is, until he lifts his hands to your thighs, sliding them around to your back and suddenly tugging you closer to the edge of the island, body flush with his. You gasp into his mouth at the action, and you can feel rather than see his resounding smirk. 

“Harry,” you pull back, attempting to admonish him but no one would know from the way your voice shakes. 

“Sorry, love. Know what they say, kitchen’s the most romantic room in the house.” 

“I don’t know anyone who says that.” 

“Y’do now,” he grins lopsidedly at you, and it’s all you can do to remember that the two of you still need to eat. 

You grin back at him. “You’re a dork, you know that?” 

“But you love me,” he responds, and you can’t argue with that. “A’right, I’ll take everything out and we can have a picnic in the backyard, how’s that sound?” 

Your smile nearly knocks him off his feet. “I’ll go get the picnic blanket!” 

He removes himself from between your legs and you slide off the counter and head towards the linen closet in the hallway. When you return, Harry’s taken out the loaf of bread and the danish, and is holding the business card in between two fingers. 

“What’s this, then?” He asks, holding up the bakery’s business card, logo facing you. 

“It’s just their card, the cashier told me they come out to another farmer’s market during the week and she was gonna write it down for me.” 

“Oh, she wrote it down, love.” In a second, he elegantly flips the card over in his fingers to show you the back. “But that’s not all she wrote.” Underneath the name of the other market is her name and, unmistakably, a phone number. 

“No!” you gasp, not believing he was right and you’d fucking missed it. 

“And you bought a new flavor bread?”

“Well, I-  Allie said it was the best one…” you trail off, trying to remember the details of your earlier interaction. Maybe Harry was right, you guess you did seem a bit flirtatious.

“Oh, Allie said, did she? That’s all it takes?” He’s kind of joking, kind of not, when it finally sinks in for you that you’ve, yet again, completely failed to notice when another woman was trying to flirt with you. 

“Oh, god damn it!” you exclaim, completely in your own head and you didn’t even hear what Harry had said to you. “I do this every time!” 

What’s left of Harry’s joking demeanor drops. “Every time? How often does this happen?!” 

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice again.” 

Your friends were gonna have a field day with this one. Three out of the four of you identified as bi or pan, though when you’d all become friends back in high school only one of you had actually been out. Now, you all joked that you had one “token straight” in the friend group. 

“Y/N?!”

“I know, H, can you give me just a moment, I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that I’m apparently a raging stereotype,” you reply, laughing at yourself a bit for being so predictable. 

“Oh, of course, don't mind me. I’ll just be here. Waiting. Very patiently.” It’s a wonder he doesn’t start tapping his foot, clearly the farthest thing from patient right now. 

You snap back to attention, realizing that if you don’t stop Harry he’s just going to keep spiraling. “You do know I’m dating you, right?”

“Do I?” 

“Oh, come on. You’re being such a baby about this!” 

“Oi! I am not!” He huffs, and you can just picture him as an indignant toddler, standing with his arms folded and a deep frown set on his face. 

You hold back a laugh at the image you’ve conjured, closing the distance between the two of you. “Baby, I love you,” you say, pressing a kiss to his cheek.“You know I do.” His jaw. “Why don’t we just throw that out, hm?” You kiss his lips this time, reaching for the card and plucking it from his fingers before tossing it away from you.  

“I guess,” he grumbles as you pull away, but you can tell he’s not quite over it. 

You rest your chin against his chest, looking up at him with your best puppy dog eyes. “You don’t believe me, gorgeous? Need me to prove it to you?” 

“Maybe,” he mumbles, and you know that you’ve brought him back from his little jealousy spiral at the mere suggestion, so you decide to make him wait for it. Just a little while.  

“More than happy to,” you murmur, tracing your fingertips over the back of his hand. “Only thing is, you’re gonna have to have this picnic with me first,” you reach behind him for the blanket, “and you have to stop pouting.” You step around him, laughing as you run toward the glass door that leads to the yard.

“M’not pouting,” he lies to the empty kitchen as he grabs the rest of the food and some utensils before following you outside. 

His mood is definitely lifted, though, when he comes outside to find you seated on the blanket already, grinning widely at him and holding your arms out for him to crawl into. 

Maybe he had been just a tad bit dramatic. 

--

About half the bread is gone now, a bowl of honeyed berries and a plate full of crumbs resting on the cloth-covered grass next to you. Harry’s shifted so he’s laying down with his head resting on your soft thighs, with you carding your fingers through his short curls, just enjoying each other’s company. 

“Wait a minute,” you break the comfortable silence, a thought suddenly popping into your mind. “Other people flirt with you all the time! Sometimes right in front of me!” 

“And?” he muses, reluctantly sitting up in order to face you. 

“And! I never get jealous like that!” 

“I know. Rather insulting, if you ask me. You can get possessive, love. I certainly won’t mind it.”

[minachuuu]

Itzy Reaction to their S/O being Covered in Tattoos

This was my first request for an Itzy reaction and I was so excited because I love those girls so much, I hope you enjoy it!💜✨

Yeji

There was something about you that didn't let her eyes leave your silhouette, sitting across her, all the way at the opposite side of the cafe. Dressed entirely in black, a leather jacket draping around you brought in the exact pinch of mystery that called Yeji's attention. 

But just exactly as she was taking a sip of her iced tea, you had the fantastic idea of taking the leather jacket off, revealing your arms and neckline to be covered with various tattoos, your black shirt hiding so much more. Let's say that Yeji's body forgot how to deal with liquids at that moment, spraying everything over Ryujin, Lia and herself, making the few people around turn around to face them, including you. If she was nervous to talk to you before, now the nerves had doubled adding embarrassment to the mix. 

Standing up to the bathroom to clean herself, Yeji didn't notice you entering a few seconds behind her. She jumped startled when she recognized you, but you approached her with a smile. 

"Ah bummer, your shirt isn't going to dry quickly," You pointed at the obvious, your voice trembling.  You extended your hand, offering her your leather jacket. "Here, use this." 

She nodded, shyly taking the jacket from you. She agreed if you allowed her to buy you a pastry and you accepted with a chuckle. Both of you also found the perfect excuse to ask for your phone numbers. You know, only to return your jacket later. 

Add time to the mixture, and Yeji still doesn't understand exactly how one of the most embarrassing moments in her life brought the most amazing person into her life. 

Now, in the private comfort of your nights together, sometimes when you take your shirt off, she'll embrace you from behind, losing herself watching all the amazing illustrations engraved in your skin, gently caressing her fingers through them. 

Lia

By Chaeryeong's recommendation, this was finally the day that Jisu decided to go and take a walk in the park. But her stroll was interrupted when she heard the soft sound of a guitar playing close to her. She followed the music and directed her to you, who was peacefully sitting on a park bench, playing with chords and strumming patterns. But what caught her attention even more, was the sun lighting up such a variety of colors and pictures all painted across what she was able to see from your body. 

Even if you looked kind of hard to approach, you still awaked a fair amount of interest in Jisu, so she breathed in enough courage to talk to you, approaching slowly. 

"That sounds beautiful!" She tucked one strand of hair in her ear as she fidgeted with her hands. Her eyes tenderly scanning every drawing all over your body, prompted your cheeks to turn bright red. "Is it your song?" 

"Thank you!" You smiled, suddenly awakening something new in Jisu's heart. "It is mine, but I still can't get the lyrics right."

Bingo. She latched from that to make a conversation, offering herself to help you write. You couldn't help but notice how she couldn't stop looking at your tattoos, sometimes completely ignoring what you were saying. A great friendship sparked between you two from that moment on, but day by day, Jisu couldn't keep ignoring the butterflies in her stomach everytime she lost herself in the colorful collage that was your skin. 

So now that you two finally stopped ignoring your feelings towards each other and started dating, don't be surprised if she begs you to use more sleeveless shirts, crop tops, or tries to keep you from putting a shirt on as much as she can when you're alone. Jisu can’t help it, she just finds you a walking work of art, one that makes her go *keyboard smash* all the time. 

Ryujin

Ryujin doesn't really like to be told what to do, so she wasn't really amused by the idea of having someone unknown review her own choreography. But then you walked through the door, and she couldn't understand exactly how to feel about it. Your dark makeup and clothing, covered in tons of tattoos made her heart do flips in all directions, and she couldn't settle on feeling afraid, excited, intimidated or amazed. 

All this confusion made the usually confident and witty Ryujin all flustered as she couldn't even focus on the notes that you gave to her because her eyes refused to leave the illustrations engraved in your body. She only nodded at all your words, convincing herself that it was just fear what you aroused inside of her. 

But she was quickly proved wrong by her own thoughts, as you didn't seem to leave her mind at all; your eyes, your lips, the way your body moved, and especially, every drawing that was painted across your skin.

The next day, Ryujin opened the door and her eyes landed on you, calling all those feelings back in her. You glanced at her reflection through the mirror, smiling at her dumbfounded expression. 

"Oh hey Ryujin! I'm glad you could make it." You turned around, grabbing a little paper bag and handling it to her. "I bought some cookies and a coffee for you, hope you like them!" 

Right there, she melted on the inside. The cute gesture helped get her confidence back, making this rehearsal a blatant back and forth of pure flirting. 

It all grew up to become an amazing relationship, were one of your hobbies is to combine Ryujin's audacious attitude and your threatening appearance to prank people (Mostly Ryujin's groupmates, who are we kidding), but behind closed doors, no one could imagine that the most intimidating couple was all lovey-dovey with each other. 

Chaeryeong 

Look, Chaeryeong isn't one to judge people based on their appearance. She didn't mind that you were covered in tattoos at all, but how can she help it when you're known as the stone cold, intimidating, serious and bossy member of your group? And most of all, how was she supposed to breath now that you were standing right in the same practice room as her? Could you two be friends? Would you like her? Maybe find her cute? But what if you weren't her type? 

Your group and Itzy were collabing for a special stage at a music award show and she couldn't stop staring at you through the mirror, your stoic expression as you reviewed the steps of the choreography. She found her eyes straying to the rest of your body over and over again, tracing your tattoos in her mind, wondering how it felt to touch them. 

The rehearsal came to a break and you dropped over the couch, your members surrounding you. Chaeryeong kept staring from the other side of the room, but was a bit taken aback when, amid conversation, you let out the most gentle chuckle she had ever seen. In general, it was the first time she had ever seen you smile. Impressed by how your amiable aura wasn't going down either, she convinced Ryujin to help her approach you. 

Turns out, your stoic personality was mostly just a concept that you acted for the cameras, but the softer, more real side of you was what cemented her crush over you, especially contrasted with your threatening, and frankly quite attractive looks. Luckily for her, you did find her really cute, and you kept in touch after the awards, allowing much more to flourish between you two. 

Now that you two are happily in a relationship, she doesn't throw away the chance to relish on your tougher side either, running to the safety of your decorated arms every time she needs to forget the world around her. 

Yuna

You first met Yuna in a queue in an amusement park, when you were waiting to get on a ride. You were chatting with your group of friends when she caught your attention, and apparently it was mutual, since she kept staring at you and your few visible tattoos in your arms and neck. You chuckled at her wide eyes, as she locked them with yours. But she wasn't shying away from you. She instantly waved at you with a wide smile, nearing you. Yuna introduced herself, along with Yeji and Ryujin who were going on the ride as well. 

She wasn't afraid to start asking about your tattoos and their meanings, and honestly you didn't mind answering them either. Most of them were new, and you proudly showed them off to someone willing to listen. After a good while chatting and your mutual crush being obvious to everyone around, you both agreed on going up the ride together, since both your groups were in the odd numbers. 

From that day on, an amazing friendship grew between you two, and Yuna never lost the habit of asking for a meaning everytime that you got a new tattoo. Except for one day, where she pointed out one that didn't have any particular explanations, you just had tattooed it because it looked pretty and cool. Yuna nodded silently at the answer, lost in her own thoughts for some minutes. 

"What do you think about tattooing my face?" She blurted out, staring lost at the horizon. 

"Wha-" You blinked, startled out at the sudden question. 

"I am pretty and cool too!" She turned around, not an ounce of a joke in her voice. 

You couldn't help but giggle in response, the way she wasn't afraid to be herself just allowed your crush on her to keep growing everyday. Always enjoying each other's company, you were both excited at the idea of being something more in the future. 

[winter-dayz]

F*ck. I’m so in Love with You | 36 - The Platonic Date

Minho takes Y/N for coffee. He gives her a hard wake-up call.

Pairing: Kim Namjoon x Idol!Reader Idol AU; Slice of Life; Textfic Genre: Angst; Fluff Warnings: strong language, suggestive content

“I call the last croissant.” Minho stated, while simultaneously reaching for the last of the pastries he’d bought for them. Y/N gave him a small smile before staring back down at her coffee. “Uh-uh. No. I did not bring you out today so you could be all sad.”

She looked up at her friend, brows furrowed, “Huh?”

“Listen, I know everyone else has been tip-toeing around with the sad eyes and the ‘are you okays?’ But you obviously aren’t, so vent.”

Y/N threw her head back with a loud groan. “I’m fine. I don’t need to vent, and you’re right, everyone does keep asking if I’m okay. Which, I am.”

“If you’re so ‘okay’ why did you just kill your tart.” Minho nodded down to the plate in front of her, where she had unknowingly crumbled her apple tart in her frustration.

The girl glanced down at her ruined food with a pout, eliciting a soft scoff from her friend as he slid the croissant to her instead. She beamed up at him and took a bite of the chocolate-filled pastry. When she finished, and took a sip of her iced coffee, she finally sighed, “Okay, so maybe I’m not totally over it. But do I have to be? I know we weren’t really serious or anything... and we only dated for a few months… But it’s still only been two weeks since the breakup. And like you said, everyone keeps bringing it up. It’s hard to even process my own thoughts and emotions when everyone else has an opinion to throw in too.”

“I never said you were supposed to be over it. Everyone processes things at different speeds…” Minho shrugged, “What would help you process though?”

“I don’t know.” Y/N huffed, feeling frustrated again. “I’ve never had a real relationship before so I’m not sure how to move on from it…” She added in a hush.

Minho choked a bit, “Never? Seriously?”

“Well, I mean, I had school girl crushes and valentine’s… That kind of thing. But when I started my trainee days, I took them very seriously. Then we debuted and… well, you know the backlash idols get for dating, so I avoided it.”

He nodded in understanding, “I get it… I’m just surprised because… honestly, look at you. Who wouldn’t want to date you?”

Y/N flipped her hair over her shoulder, laughing, “I never said I wasn’t pretty, Min! I just didn’t have time to date.”

“And what changed with him?”

She paused, “Nothing really… I guess I still didn’t have time for a relationship. I just finally wanted to make time.”

“Do you feel like he didn’t make time for you?”

Her eyes widened, “Oh, no! I wouldn’t say he didn’t… He just couldn’t.”

“Y/N…” Minho sighed, “Don’t bullshit with me. You can’t move on because you keep making excuses. It’s okay if he didn’t make time for you. It’s okay if you didn’t either. It doesn’t mean you didn’t like each other or shouldn’t have at least tried. It just means that you both have different priorities and it wasn’t the right time.”

“Thanks Min…” She smiled, genuinely, “The breakup wasn’t bad. Really. It was just confusing because for a long time, I didn’t even know where we stood with each other… I think I keep blaming myself. That if I liked him enough, I should’ve waited for him longer or cleared more of my schedule. But you’re right.”

“I often am.” Minho smirked, causing Y/N to giggle. “Now… Let’s talk about you and Lix…” He side-eyed her.

It was Y/N’s turn to sputter her coffee. “Why do we keep getting teased about that? We aren’t flirting!”

“Maybe not since you and Namjoon were official, but I have eyes. I’ve seen you all cuddly with him at the dorms.”

“I cuddle with you too!”

“Yeah, but you don’t stare lovingly into my eyes like you do with Felix,” Minho teased, leading Y/N out of the café. “Wait… who else noticed it?”

Y/N rolled her eyes, “Kaeo. She’s relentless in our crackhead chat. She keeps insisting we’re flirting, and we’re not.”

Minho scoffed and turned down the street, muttering under his breath so she wouldn’t hear, “Maybe you’re not…”

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Taglist:  @soobin-chois

[physicalturian]

[18+] Words of pleasure - Law x F!Reader - Part 6

[No spoilers] [Modern AU - College AU] [She/her pronouns used for the reader, no physical description; Everyone +18] Words : 6246 Archive of our own

Warning : Power play / Dom/sub Dynamics / Control / Stranger / Flirting / Fluff / Awkwardness / Mirrors / Anxiety … If you feel like I should add more warnings, send me a dm or and ask

– Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

There was a short silence, I let out a nervous chuckle before going for random sounds leaving my mouth as I tried to pick up my dignity off the floor. When I was about to cover up, Law hummed. “I’d say the neck, but it all depends on the situation…” He looked at me from the corner of his eyes and smirked, “Faces are very expressive and help understand what the person’s thinking about. But, so does the whole body language.” Drumming his fingers over the wheel, he made a pondering face and smirked as he continued.

“But the neck, very sensitive. Very fragile, and yet it has one of the most important roles. Protecting all those nerves, to send the information to the brain- to let one have access to the neck is to let yourself be vulnerable…” I listened to him intently, no knowing if it was hot or slightly threatening but which ever it was, it made me very aware of my neck and I had hard time not moving my hand there.

 Lightening the mood, he chuckled and asked me what mine was. “Oh, hm… I never really gave it a thought…” I lied, of course. I knew very well that the entire human body had so much appeal, but I also knew my preferences. Still, I was not going to answer that quickly to him, I had to make it look like I was giving it a thought. When it seemed appropriate, I answered, “Probably hands. Just like the body language, it says a lot about the person.” And it’s fucking hot. “If the person takes care of them, if they’re more into manual work, if they have bad habits… scars… The tattoos also…” I trailed off, biting the inside of my cheek in apprehension of what he’d say.

 With a scoff, I heard him softly ask. “And do tell me, what do my hands tell you?” I tried to think, but I was simply thinking they were pretty, and he was hot. So, I gave it a deeper thought, then opted for more of a flirty approach. I could fix that weird question, make it worth it, right?

 “I can barely see them from here, I’d have to get a closer look.” While I said it in a flirty manner, I tried to coat it with a bit of humor, just to give myself a chance to escape. Chuckling, he did not answer. Instead, he pulled up in my street before parking and maneuvering now to not do it when leaving. When we stopped moving, I was going to leave quickly to not die of embarrassment from his lack of response but couldn’t with all the food and drinks on my lap. “Are you in a rush?” He asked with a smug smile as he took his things from lap after unbuckling his seat belt.

 Giving him a side glance, I realized how close his face was from mine and couldn’t help but glance at his lips before forcing myself to lean back and open the car door. “Well I am hungry-“ I swore under by breath when I felt a pull from the belt when I leaned forward to leave, it was quickly released after I heard the unclasping. Law had done it for me, surprising me at the same time. Almost falling forward, I held onto the car door for a sec before stepping outside.

 I could hear his laugh echo when he left the car, and slammed the door shut, making sure to lock it. “Do you want me to hold your things while you take your keys-“ He stopped mid-sentence when he felt my bag nudge his side, “Take them, they’re in the back pocket. I would have done it myself, but you’ve bought me quite a lot, so it’s on you.” He made a confused sound and asked me if I was sure.

 “Are you scared you’ll find drugs? Or is it maybe pads and tampons that’d be the problem?” He was going to reply, but I continued, “There’s none of that, I think there are biscuits wrappers at best. And my wallet,” I shrugged before trying to nod his way, over my shoulder. “Give me your food, I’ll hold it while you open my bag.”

 “Your hands are full-“ He said, but I interrupted him, “My mouth isn’t, come on give me your stuff.” I closed my mouth for a second, taking in what I had said before feeling my face heat up. I shook my head as I sighed, hoping he’d ignore it, but as he handed me his small bag with probably pastries in it, he spoke. “I was going to say something,” He started, giving me his pack that I held between my teeth. It was almost weightless. “But you’re clearly doing such a good job at embarrassing yourself, I don’t think it’s necessary.”

 With the paper bag still in mouth, I spoke through my teeth, “Fuck you, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

He looked over his shoulder and quirked a brow before replying, “Do I? You’ve been pretty insistent on sharing how hot you think I am, I can almost imagine how bad you want to fuck me.” After unlocking the building, he grabbed the paper bag from my mouth and grinned in a cocky way. It made me want to slap him across the face, but also take him against the wall, maybe the latter more than the other one. But I did none of those and simply huffed.

 “I think you’re the one who’s whipped, you did stalk me through my friends to bring me food.” I said over my shoulder, stopping in front of the elevator and using my elbow to push the button.

The man hummed as if considering what I had said, then gave me a look I couldn’t describe. It seemed intense, but not sultry, maybe even confused, lost. “As I said, I am familiar with studying for a long period of time. It’s a boost, moral support. So, don’t be ungrateful like that, you sound like a brat.” It seemed I had ticked him off by saying that, I could see it by the frown decorating his forehead.

 But that frown was also accompanied but a delicate blush. I did not argue back, instead we stepped inside the elevator silently. Did I keep that silence? No. I could have kept the drowning, deafening silence that surrounded us, but I did not want him to feel uncomfortable. That is the reason I gave myself to talk more.

 “You’re right, thank you for the food and the company. How much do I owe you?”

Looking down at me, his frown dissipated as a small smile drew itself on his lips. “Do you ever accept gifts without questioning?” He scoffed before adding I didn’t owe him anything. I was going to speak up when he did, at the same time and I let him. “I have a better idea; you know what would make my day?” I believe it was rhetorical, but as we left the elevator, I answered jokingly. “Your day has been made since the moment you saw me.”

 He did not lose any time and replied with a smirk, “And yours, since I called you this morning, but who’s keeping track?”

A loud cackle left my mouth, it wasn’t elegant in any way. I had not expected him to be funny like that, though maybe he was just catching me by surprise more than being actually funny. I wasn’t sure yet, but there was this bubbly feeling my guts that assured me he was not a bad guy. “I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t not-enjoyable. But do tell me, what would make your day?” I asked before gesturing for him to open the door, telling him which key it was. I held his paper bag between my teeth once more, as he opened it before he grabbed it from me.

 “If you admitted you want to see me in my hospital coat-“

I cut him off once I had put everything on the dining table, and freed his hands, “At best, a hospital gown to see that ass, but I am never admitting having a ‘doctor kink’, alright?” With everything laid on the table, I turned around to look at him and made a grimace, “Actually I take it back, this is just a nice get together, I swear I don’t want to see your ass that desperately, ok? Take a seat, doc.” I blurted out, realizing what I had said was more something I’d say jokingly. But I meant some of it, I did want to see him in his full glory.

 This time, he did not make any witty comeback. Instead, he took a good look at me a moment, then grabbed my chin and turned it a bit before sliding his finger right under my jaw. He was checking my pulse, then said, “How about you take a deep breath and relax? You said it yourself, it’s just a nice get together, I’ll even sit at the opposite of you if I make you that nervous.” He suggested as he let go of me and pulled up a chair to sit on.

 “No, no, don’t-“ I pulled up the one right next to him, maybe even scooting it a bit closer to him, our knees touching. My face was warming up slowly, remembering the interaction that happened seconds ago. “I’ll be honest, and you guessed it, I’m slightly nervous but maybe it’s because I’m into you. Not desperate, but you’re clearly a sight for sore eyes and you’re funny. You keep me on my toes, it’s fun.”

 I did not expect him to react like that, but the man in front of me seemed to have been flustered for a moment. He tried to hide it by focusing his gaze on the paper bag in front of him as he opened it to grab its content. “You make it so easy for me to make innuendos, but I’ll let you have your wholesome moment.”

 Nudging his knee with mine, I huffed and started checking all the food he had bought. While doing so, he continued talking, getting my attention by bumping his foot against mine. “I think there’s still something you need to tell me,” He started, earning a panicked look from me while I slowly put the food down, gulping. “Do I? I mean, fire way,”

 Delicately, he leaned on his hand, resting his elbow on the table, and grinned. “What do my hands tell you about me?” I never sighed so loudly, hoping he had dropped the topic. But he seemed keen on knowing that, or maybe simply tease me for saying I preferred hands. “First things first, you gotta stop teasing me about the hands- You said neck! And maybe it was a bit hot, but also threatening, you gave it a thought and a deep one at that.” When I was done, I placed my hand, palm up, on the table and made a grabbing motion. “Come on, give me your hand, let me take a look.”

 When he did, I realized how big his hands were but also how slender his fingers were. I could see it without needing them so close, but now that I took a good look… The thought of wearing it as a necklace crossed my mind, I ignored it. I then started observing his hand, turning it delicately in mine, brushing my thumb over some spots. “You have a little bump on your ring finger, so you either write a lot or draw,” I hummed a moment, “Your nails are probably cut so short for practicality, since you probably have to wear gloves and stuff…”

 “The tattoos, they confuse me. Maybe you were a bit of a rebel when you were younger, because clearly they’re not professional-“ I looked up at him with an apologetic look, hoping I hadn’t offended him, “But it’s pretty! I’m not judging, just-“ He huffed a laugh and tried to grab my hand gently, only for me to keep holding it as if it was the most precious thing I had seen. “I was indeed very shitty when I was younger.”

 Grinning mischievously, I jabbed, “Because that has changed? You still seem like a little shit to me,” Then I breathed out with a smile, “I’m not done though, your hands are slightly calloused but not a lot, so maybe you go to the gym or one of your hobby is more manual?” It was a rhetorical question, but he hummed to tell me to continue. I ate a bit and continued, “Also they are some very faint tan lines on your fingers…” Seemingly amazed, a smile drew itself on the corner of my mouth, “Do you wear rings? I mean, it’s faint, I can barely see it so maybe I’m wrong-“

 “I can’t really wear them when I work, but yes. Sometimes I do wear them, I believe you also noticed I wore earrings. Couldn’t get your eyes off those last night, could you?” It was my cue to let go of his hand and fully face the food in front of me instead of the beautiful, arrogant, man next to me. It made him laugh when I groaned and told him to eat in peace. Showing me his empty paper bag, he said, “I’m done, you’re the one who’s been distracted, dear.”

 “Right, then if you’re done, let me eat.” Glancing his way, he was staring right back at me with a smug smile, I made it my sole goal to avoid his gaze but after a moment he spoke up, “If you’re into me, you’ll have to look at me more than that, you know.” I almost choked on my food as I turned my head slowly towards him, “If you’re going to use everything I say, against me…” I trailed off and smirked, but rapidly discontinued my idea, “I was going to flirt back and say your name, you know… because you’ll use it against me and- but! I’m genuinely too tired for that- You know you’re exhausting?”

 He threw his head back and let out the prettiest laugh I’ve ever heard, while running his hands through his hair. “You really do say whatever crosses your mind, it’s endearing.” He grinned and crossed his arms over the table leaning forward, this time. It was like he was emphasizing that he was listening intently. “I’ll stop flirting for today if you’d like, do tell me more about yourself,” he then said my name in a low tone.

 “You start, I’m still eating Law- I thought you cared about my health and here you are, distracting me.” My tone was falsely dramatic, yet Law seemed taken aback, if not embarrassed, for a second. His gaze fleeting to the side before he leaned back on his chair and crossed his legs. “What would you like to know?” He grumbled, a hand moving to fidget with his earring, but since he wasn’t wearing any, he moved it back to his chest.

 “Well… you said you were a little shit when you were younger so… How does one go from troublemaker to doctor?” I resumed eating after asking him, there was a clear change in his attitude. His relaxed demeanor seemed to have suddenly tensed, but he hid it and huffed a laugh. “I studied. You know it does require a lot of years to become a doctor-“ he stopped mid-way through his sentence when he saw the look I was giving him. A deadpanned look, to tell him to not fuck around, I knew full well the number of years it took, and that was not my question.

 Sucking his teeth in, he sighed. “It’s not a fun story, but I’ll tell you about it one day,“ Interrupting him, I apologized, “Sorry, then how about I go entirely off topic? Here,” Pushing the paper bags away from me, I smiled at him kindly, “What’s your favourite book genre? If you read any, that is,” An almost-shy laugh escaped his lips and just like that he started talking about a certain comic series he was fan of. I listened intently as he passionately talked about, I would sometimes interrupt him to ask a few questions when I’d get confused and he’d clear things up.

 He had the most adorable look on his face the more he talked about it, almost like it was the first time someone let him rant about it. After a moment, we started talking about other things we each liked when we were younger. I learnt that he wanted to become a doctor since he was very young. He did not elaborate on the topic much, except that he would always try to sneak inside his parents’ consultation room to see what was going on.

 It’s only after a few attempts that his dad chose to give him books to read and focus on, instead of putting all his energy into trying to break inside the consultation room. That’s when little Law found his interest in medicine, at least part of it. There was an untold reason he had yet to share, but I was not going to prod. “You were pretty determined; I’d even say you were cute, but you were probably a demon.” Was what I said to him when he mentioned that short story.

 As if on cue, he smirked and started, “I am still pretty determined, I always get what I want,“ I completely ignored is start at a flirtatious exchange and said, “Good, then work for it, I think we were having  a very nice conversation here, my turn to talk about my past ok?” Then I resumed after he said to go on, and that he was very intrigued on what kind of kid I was.

 I told him the reason why I chose the studies I did, even mentioned my family, how I was raised and what I wanted to become when I was a child. Since it was only the first ‘date’ I had with the man, and maybe I was getting ahead of myself, I tried to keep off the more serious topics: the ones that needed more trust before being shared. The conversation still went on smoothly.

 I always liked listening to people’s story, so it felt weird when this time someone was listening to mine with as much interest as I did. When he kept asking questions, not nosy ones, or giving short but nice comments, I’d stutter. I’d feel my pulse quicken every time but ignored it. After all, he wasn’t going anything special, he was simply… invested.

 “Oh, I forgot the most important question, pardner. Are you ready?” He nodded, smiling behind the hand on which he was resting his chin. “It’ll say a lot about who you are, don’t know if you’re ready to bare yourself like that yet-“ “Just ask the question, I won’t answer if I don’t want to.”

 Placing my hands in front of me in a faux-defensive manner, perhaps even in a calming manner, I whispered “Easy there, cowboy” to which, Law rolled his eyes, asking me wordlessly to go on.

 “Right, do you have any pets?”

 There was a silence. He moved his hands from his lips to his cheeks, his eyes riveted on mine, not looking away. “That’s your one-million-dollar question?” He breathed out, his smile betraying his annoyance that was but an act. I started arguing on how having pets, or not, depending on the situation could say a lot about the person. “We usually have a cat here, but she’s always away. Or in Robin’s room, we called her Vagabonde.”

 Straightening himself on the chair, he pulled out his phone, careful not to show me his screen and started scrolling on it, while talking. “I do have a dog, his name is Bepo. And before you ask, I know I don’t have that much free time, so I let him stay with my neighbor who’s basically in love with him.” When he found the picture he wanted, he showed it to me, and there it was on the screen, a big white fluffy Samoyed. I couldn’t help but notice the most adorable smile on his face before he turned the screen around, he stared at the screen a bit longer before locking his phone. The man was clearly in love with his dog, and it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

 “He’s very energetic, and he sleeps with me. Since my neighbor has trouble sleeping, she does not mind when I come get him late. I pay her for it, even though she says she’d do it for free. What does it say about me?” Right when I was about to reply, the alarm on his phone went off, it was time for him to go. He helped me clean everything up in a hurry, then we made our way to the door.

 We both stopped at the entrance, perhaps wanting to say something more but not knowing what. I took the leap, and poked his arm, “I think it says that you’re a lot less intimidating, you like cute things, and I can’t wait for Thursday. I would also love to meet Bepo, maybe take a nap with him-“ I grinned widely when he frowned, laughing at his almost offended reaction, and continued, “and you, since clearly I won’t be able to separate the both of you.”

 He did not reply for a few second, then he smiled. “You’re right, I do love cute things. I can’t help but try to get them for myself,” The tension that had disappeared while talking about our lives, had suddenly return, I could hear my blood pumping in my ears. Law raised his hand to rest it on my jaw as he gazed down at me with the faintest smile, I did not know what to do. This was supposed to be a quick fuck with a pretty boy, but he clearly had charms and I couldn’t untangle myself from the effects he had on me.

 It’s when his nose brushed against mine that I realized how close he was, and where this was going. Our lips where ghosting over one another, I could almost feel his hair, brushing against my chin. I wanted to pull him close and finally break the tension that had installed between us. But when I was about to kiss him, he pulled back just enough so that our lips couldn’t meet and breathed, “See you on Thursday then.” Then he pressed a light kiss on my cheek before turning around and waving at me.

 I stood there, stunned. This asshole knew what he was doing, and he was having too much fun with it. But that moment made it clear I was not the only one interested, and it was like a win for me. At least I knew he’d keep is promises of a good fuck on Thursday, seeing how much he was into me.

 Shaking the daydreaming away, I got back inside and waited until he was downstairs to unlock the door with the intercom. When I saw his car drive away on the small screen, I let out a sigh of relief and moved back to my room where I slumped on my bed, exhausted. “Thursday can’t come any faster.” Rolling on my back, I grabbed my phone and considered sending a text to Law. But would I even say? ‘Nice kiss attempt, left me wanting more’? ‘Damn, you got me horny with just that, can’t wait to see what them hands do, cowboy’?

 Cringing, I opted not to text him. The man was probably busy, I hardly think doctors only fill in paperwork every day. Running my hands over my face, I groaned into my palms before sitting back up. “Sure, he’s hot, but maybe he’s not a good fuck.” I hummed in agreement with myself, “I did not have any feedback about his feats, maybe he’s single because he sucks.” I nodded to myself again, before remembering he told me he did fuck. A lot. I let myself fall back on the bed, closing my eyes as I pondered longer.

 I did not know where the date would take place, but as I gave it a deeper thought, I also started thinking more and more of what we’d do once we’d get to his place. I remembered he said we’d have to make a detour by his place anyway because he’d have to get changed… But he seemed like he had plans for us. Or maybe we’d just…

 Arrive at his place, it’d look minimalistic, he clearly was not one for sentimental stuff. He’d tell me to wait as he’d get changed in his room, leaving it ajar so that I could catch a glimpse of his body. He wouldn’t be in scrubs; those were taken way before leaving the hospital but… I like the idea of him wearing one anyway, it reminded me of HandSurgeon and for some reason it got me going.

 As he’d take off his shirt, he’d look over his shoulder and smile smugly at me, before asking if I was enjoying the show. If I were bold enough, I’d tell him I’d rather join the show to which he’d grin and tell me to join him. A heated make out session would ensue, then I’d push him to the bed, straddle his lap and unbuckle his belt.

 “I think we should keep it close by, for later use,” He said, mentioning the belt, before gripping me tightly under the thighs and flipping me around so that he was on top. Once there, he slid his hands from my side to my arms, that he lifted over my head before leaning over, a toothy grin on his lips. “You’re not even fighting it, so obedient.” His lithe fingers wrapped themselves around my wrists caressing them gently, then he reached behind me towards the bed headboard, and I heard a metallic sound. Suddenly, I was restrained. Around my wrists, comfortable, leather handcuffs, tied to the bed headboard by lengthy chains.

 “Belts aren’t the best restraints, but I am prepared…” He gripped his belt tightly, twisting it in his hands. “It’s however a great whip,” I was startled when the leather touched my stomach, my shirt had been removed, somehow, at some point. Law was now wearing black latex gloves, his sleeves rolled up while he was still fully dressed. I thought he had taken his shirt off earlier but… “Don’t start thinking, enjoy it. That’s what you want, right? To give up control, let yourself get loose,” I think I nodded.

 He let the belt travel all over my body, I was only in my undergarments. And he was taking his time to make sure to touch each and every inch of my body. Like a predator observing its pray, he was walking around the bed at a slow pace, the leather belt grazing my skin ever so lightly. But it was enough to make me want more, it was enough to make me contract my muscles in apprehension when he’d raised the belt. I did not know if he was going to strike, I don’t know what mood he was in, but I liked the thrill. “Look at you, all spread up and ready, quiet…”

 His gloved hand was now gripping my chin tightly, forcing me look up at him. “You’ve been tamed so well, you’re not talking until told to.” He breathed against my lips. I felt one of his hand traveled from my chest to between my legs, under my underwear and slowly, he pressed a finger against my clit. Then between my lower lips, only teasing my hole. Over and over again. Surprised, I only gasped and tried to look at him, but he moved to murmur right next to my ear, “But I think I want to hear you, loud and clear. Why don’t you be a good girl, and stop holding back, mmm?” I let out a breath I did not know I was holding and started panting.

 The nerves, the anticipation, the excitement, all of it was let out through shaky breathing as he’d touch me then-

 Startling awake, I heard my phone ring and scrambled to my senses, trying to find it. I heard a thud at my feet and bent over to look what it was, only to realize it was my phone. Quickly grabbing it, I picked it up and put it to my ear. “Yep?”

“So, how was your date with Law?” I heard Robin ask, I could also hear the grin on her face.

 “I don’t know if I should thank you or curse you, Rob. But for now… it was nice, I liked it… Although it was odd to see him on my campus at first, still is a bit weird when I think about it but, you know, it’s the thought that matters, right?”

Giggling, the black-haired woman on the other end of the line could be heard shooing someone away before answering, “Well, he did have to fight Nami. She was very much against the idea, but he said he wanted to make you feel comfortable for Thursday. So that it’s not a stressful first date, you know?”

 So, he did give it a thought, the fact that I was studying only gave him the opportunity to come by. I wonder what his excuse would have been if I hadn’t been studying the entire day. Focusing back on the conversation, I gave Robin more details of what happened. I considered not telling her about the almost kiss, but she was clearly in for the gossip. So, I told her, except I didn’t tell her I wish more would have happened. How I still wondered what his lips would feel like against mine, and how I’m curious of how they’d feel against my skin, barely grazing it, his stubble following each delicate touch. The latter being something I’d hopefully find out on Thursday.

 When everything had been said, and she had told me about her day, we hung up and I was left with the remnant of my hot dream.

 I stared at nothing for a moment, considering my options. I could work on some assignments, I could distract myself, or I could… Open discord and see if HandSurgeon was busy. Not for something too exhausting, no, but for a little bit of fun.

 So, I did.

 Edelweiss: fun game to suggest

Edelweiss: no one around me, but still, you get a picture of me

Edelweiss: you don’t have to send anything… although I wouldn’t mind much

Edelweiss: then, fun times?

Edelweiss: I’m bored and I don’t know… maybe we could do something

 Drumming my fingers on the back of my phone, smacking my lips a few times. I can’t believe I was growing impatient for such thing.

 Minutes passed, I started bouncing my leg with anticipation, forcing myself to not send more messages in case he was busy. I remembered he had said he’d be more busy this week, but I did not know his schedule, maybe he was free now.

 I felt my phone vibrate in my hand and saw a message on discord. I opened the app excitedly,

 HandSurgeon: I have to get going, I’ll be off for a few hours. Then, odds are that I’ll pass out when I get home, I’m sorry dear.

HandSurgeon: But, I am not refusing pictures of my girl. If that’s what you’re suggesting. If you are, I’ll give you a few instructions on how to take them.

Edelweiss: I am suggesting that yes… I have a mirror…

HandSurgeon: You’ve read my mind. On your knees in front of it, naked. One with legs spread, the other not. Don’t be shy and grab your breasts as you do so, feeling yourself as you’re doing a private photoshoot just for me. Your hand traveling down, caressing your stomach to stop just between your legs.

HandSurgeon: Your free hand gripping your beautifully stricken thighs, remembering how much of a disobedient girl you’ve been last night. How much you’ve learnt since, how good you’ll be for me.

HandSurgeon: So good you won’t touch yourself until I’m back and free to take care of you. And if I’m not back before Wednesday… well then, that someone better fuck you better than I can make you feel even though I’m not with you.

HandSurgeon: And if you don’t fuck by then, no touching.

HandSurgeon: Be good for me Edelweiss, see you. Let your creativity run wild.

Edelweiss: Yes sir, see you then.

 Closing the app, I saw my reflection in the, now, locked screen. It’s only then that I realized I was slightly pouting. I made a weird face and quickly got out of bed then took a good look at the long mirror next to my desk. “Well, it shows too much personal shit, I’ll have to move it.” I mumbled before rolling up my sleeves and using my strength the best I could I moving it to the side of my bed. The reflective part was facing my window, so I closed the blinds, and it was neutral enough to not give any information about me.

 “Can’t believe I’m doing this,” I panted, while coming back from the bathroom with a cleaning spray, “If I’m going to send proper nudes, I ain’t sending them with a dirty mirror…” I grumbled, tiring myself already from the wild movements I did to really get the glass clean. The squeaky sound of the towel against the glass was all that I could hear, along by long breathing as I thoroughly scrubbed it.

 Once it was done, and I was settled, naked in front of it, I felt a shiver ran down my spine. Being in this position and being able to see how I look… I felt utterly exposed, which made sense considering I was naked. But the idea that I was doing all of this, just for that stranger, it felt odd. I liked that feeling, but was I allowed to feel that pride, that joy, from making myself pretty for a stranger? Was that objectification? Huffing, I told myself that I didn’t care because I liked feeling god. I did follow his instructions and took the picture how he had asked, but then I took some liberties.

 I found one of my favourite sexy outfit and put it on, making sure it highlighted my assets.

 Giving myself a once over in the lengthy mirror, I made a thinking face. Since Law teased me earlier, I could perhaps tease him back? Show him what he’d get Thursday, what he’d have to wait for. But then again, was I willing to be the first one to send a text after the coffee date? And have that first text to be a daring picture of me?

 Licking my lips, I pondered a bit longer. Then thought I could make it just enough to have him want more. I moved to my desk and leaned against it, my butt resting on it. I then angled the phone to show my face where I gave my best flirtatious smile, the outfit I was wearing showed off my cleavage and my neck, so I made sure he could see the latter clearly, knowing he liked it.

 Taking the picture, I hesitated upon seeing the final result. The boldness I got from sending HandSurgeon naked pictures was starting to fade. I had to act fast if I didn’t want to chicken out, so I sent it to Law quickly, that way I couldn’t go back. It was followed by a message.

 You: Thursday, right? Not that your opinion matters, but how does this outfit sound for that research?

 I made a face at that text. “I wish I could take it back, it’s so bad, god it’s so bad.” I looked away and sighed, then looked back at my phone and sighed louder, and looked away again, “I’ll just leave it at that, I’ll put the phone down and wait for an answer. Yeah, yeah…”

 Having convinced myself to relax, I managed to not touch my phone for the rest of the evening. I did spend that evening working on some stuff, since there was no distraction to steer me away from actually getting shit done and ended up being productive.

 Since both the men I had started talking to recently were busy, and my friends away, I had the most boring night.

 I had forgotten about the text I had sent by submerging myself with work, but when all was done and I was alone in my bed with my thoughts, I remembered and cringed. When I checked if I had any reply, and saw nothing, I felt a knot form itself in my stomach but tried to rationalize. ‘It’s ok, it’s alright, he’s probably still at work, maybe he fell asleep, we’ll see tomorrow’ Was my last thought before falling asleep.

 When I woke up in the morning, the knot only tightened, and I felt more anxious than ever. Once again, I thought maybe I shouldn’t have done that.

[Part 7]

[spencers-renaissance]

baby, you’re my new years’ eve

Summary: You and Emily are hosting a New Years’ Eve party for all of your friends, but she’s acting a little weird. You finally find out why when the clock strikes midnight.

Tags: fluff, nye fic, proposal, getting engaged, domesticity, romance, flirting, day in the life 

Pairing: Emily x Reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Masterlist // Read on AO3

It’s almost 10am by the time you get back from your morning errands, laden with bags and a dusting of snow decorating your coat. You shrug out of your coat and scarf, peel off your gloves, and kick off your boots as you venture further into the house you share with your girlfriend, a warm safe haven from the frozen wind outside. All the Christmas lights the two of you had put up together a few weeks ago are turned on, and the warm and happy feeling settling in your chest only intensifies when you shoulder the kitchen door open to see Emily awake and drinking a cup of coffee at the table.

“You’re up,” you smile, knowing that Emily likes a lie-in on her days off, and she damn well deserves it, too.

“You’re back,” she echoes, a matching bright smile lighting up her face. She’s still in her pyjamas, a dressing gown thrown around her shoulders, and her hair has been let down from its bun, a slight curl to it after having slept with it up. She looks absolutely beautiful, naturally.

“I am.” You walk further into the room and put your bags down on the kitchen counter, beginning to unpack them. “I picked up some stuff for the party tonight, but I also got you breakfast.” You grab a plate from the cupboard and load it up with the pastries you’d bought from the local bakery, sold to you by the baker who knows both you and Emily by name.

“Oh,” she gasps in delight. “Have I told you lately I love you?” She reaches eagerly for the plate to place it on the table before reaching around for a kiss.

“You have,” you confirm, amused, “you tell me every day, Em.”

“Because it’s true,” she nods with wide eyes through a mouthful of almond croissant.

Laughing, you grab yourself a plate and a few pastries before joining Emily at the table. “Did you sleep alright?”

“Mm, it was a bit broken,” she admits, not quite meeting your eye for some reason. “But I made up for it with a little lie-in this morning.” Emily never sleeps badly at home. She’s always said that sleeping in her own bed with you wrapped around her is the best sleeping tablet she’s ever tried, but you don’t dwell on it too much.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” you say sympathetically. “You could always have a nap early this afternoon. Need to be in the best shape for partying the night away.”

“Yeah, I might do,” she says, looking back up at you. “If I start to feel tired I’ll try and sleep. Anyway, how did you sleep, Y/N?”

“Like a baby,” you smile. “Woke up early so I thought I’d beat the New Years’ Eve rush to buy up the rest of the snacks. Plus, pastries for breakfast… can’t beat that.”

“You definitely can’t,” Emily says, a smudge of icing on her lip. “Thank you for doing that, sweetheart.”

“Don’t worry about it,” you say, leaning over to wipe the icing off with your thumb, kissing her for good measure. “Icing,” you explain with a grin as you pull away.

“Ah,” she says knowingly, winking at you before leaning back in for another kiss. “Right, come on. Finish your breakfast and we’ll get on with the day.”

The rest of the morning is spent in the kitchen. You’d decided that as much of the food on offer at the New Years’ party the two of you had planned should be homemade as possible, which meant a fridge full of baked goods you’d already prepared but a short list of items that still needed to be made. It was a bit of an undertaking, but it kept you busy. Despite having known the rest of the BAU for years and having been fully incorporated into their family, you still get nervous before each gathering. Being surrounded by powerful, smart, successful FBI agents was always going to be intimidating, no matter how much you considered them your friends.

“Emily, please don’t stick your finger into the butter and then plunge it into the sugar,” you sigh, a little exasperated as your girlfriend shoves her greasy finger into her mouth for the third time.

“What?” she asks, pretending to be insulted. “It tastes good.”

“Yeah, it’s also not very hygienic,” you point out, rolling out the cookie dough.

“Oh, please, what’s a bit of my saliva when you kiss me everyday anyway?” she asks.

“Well, I might think that,” you reason, “but I’m not sure our guests will. Unless you’ve been running around kissing them, too?” You point your rolling pin at her accusatorily as you wait for her response.

“No!” she cries, kissing you in promise of her devotion. “I only have eyes for you, baby. By the way is it too early to have a glass of wine?”

You roll your eyes at that, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a fond laugh. “It’s 11am Emily,” you giggle. “What’s got into you this morning?”

“Nothing,” she says defensively. “I’m just… excited for the party later.”

“Hmm, okay,” you say dubiously, raising an amused eyebrow in her direction. “In that case, you get started on the samosas. Fry up the filling I prepared and roll out the pastry for me? Then all we need to do is put the chips in later on and set it all up.”

“Anything for you, baby,” she smiles, kissing your cheek before getting on with her assignment.

You work together with your ‘happy’ playlist playing over the kitchen speakers for the next hour and a bit to get all the food ready, and by the time the samosas are being fried, you’re both in desperate need of a sit down. “Right, let’s order something to eat and watch an episode or three of Parks and Rec before we need to get ready and set up, how does that sound?” Emily asks as you both begin the mammoth task of cleaning up the bombsite of a kitchen.

“I don’t know, Em, we have so much food in the fridge,” you say, worrying your lip at the decision.

“Yeah, but it’s all for the party tonight, you don’t want to eat it now,” she says, reaching for your hand and squeezing it comfortingly. “Come on, we’ll tidy up afterwards. I’ll order in some UberEats and we’ll relax for a little while. We deserve it after all this.”

“Okay,” you relent, offering her a grateful smile and letting yourself be guided to the sofa by Emily’s hand.

“You’ve done an amazing job at making all this food, sweetheart,” she says warmly, running a hand through your hair. “You should rest for a bit now so you can properly enjoy tonight, yeah?” She tucks a blanket around you and hands you the remote before she pulls out her phone to order you both some lunch.

Sandwiches eaten and two extra coffees polished off, you get started on setting up the house for the party. The leftover decorations from Christmas make the house bright and pretty enough, so it’s fairly easy to make the house look welcoming, but you still have to sort out the food and drink, move the furniture, and put away the valuables. Not to mention getting yourselves ready.

“Everyone’s arriving at 8, right babe?” Emily calls from the kitchen as you move the coffee table to the side in the living right.

“That’s right,” you call back. “But Spencer and Penelope will probably be here early.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Emily says, walking into the living room and leaning against the doorframe as you finish pushing the table aside to make the room more accessible.

“Does this look okay?” you ask, putting your hands on your hips as you survey your living room.

“It looks great, baby,” Emily reassures you, pushing off the door and pulling you into a side hug as you both look at the decorated room. “The Christmas tree is still up which makes the whole room look lovely, and the New Year banner is nice, too. It’s absolutely perfect for what we need it to do.”

“Okay,” you agree, turning to the side to press your face into her neck, kissing her briefly before pulling away again. “Let’s tidy away the expensive stuff and then go and get ready, yeah?”

“Y/N, there are like 15 people coming and nobody’s gonna get off their tits; we don’t really need to put this stuff away,” she promises, but it’s to no avail.

“Well, I’d rather be safe. Even tipsy people can do some damage,” you point out, putting Emily’s mother’s vase in the cabinet along with a few decorations from the mantle.

“Fair enough,” she agrees, heading into the kitchen to continue tidying up after your earlier cooking adventures. You join her a moment later and the two of you work quickly to do the washing up, tidy the counter, and put the dishwasher on. You’re soon looking at a spick and span kitchen, nearly party-ready, and you smile at your girlfriend in satisfaction. “Looks amazing, doesn’t it?” she smiles back at you.

“It does indeed,” you nod. “It’s only 4. You wanna sit down for a bit before getting ready?”

“Absolutely I do,” she says. “Wanna nap with me?”

“Please,” you sigh, grabbing her hand to lead her down to your bedroom. The two of you ditch the trousers and bury under the covers, setting a timer for an hour before promptly falling asleep.

“Want me to wash your hair?” Emily asks as you both stand under the hot jet of water. Your favourite part of moving in with Emily was definitely the shower; you’d moved from a flat with a from a tiny bath and shower combo unit to a beautiful house on the outskirts of DC with a large walk-in shower and the best water pressure you’d ever experienced; it was quite the upgrade.

“Only if I get to do yours afterwards,” you grin, leaning in for a rather wet and soapy kiss.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says, spinning you round and pouring a generous dollop of shampoo into her palm, lathering up your hair as she massages her fingers into your scalp in a delicious massage. You can’t help but lean into the touch, just as you always do with Emily, making her chuckle fondly. “Feel good?”

You just let out a happy moan in response, sighing as the water washes the shampoo away and Emily quickly applies some conditioner. “Your turn,” you say, doing the same for your girlfriend as she sighs appreciatively.

You both shave your legs and underarms quickly before finishing up in the shower and towelling off next to one another in the spacious bathroom. “Right, it’s 5.30,” you say, checking your phone while Emily wraps her hair up, “so we’ve got like… two hours, probably, until Pen and Spencer show up.”

“Plenty of time,” Emily says breezily, waving her hand in your direction as you open the bathroom window to air out the humidity.

“Still, better to be early rather than late,” you say pointedly, grabbing Emily’s hand and dragging her away from her perch by the radiator and into the bedroom.

She hums as she drops her towel and peruses her wardrobe. When she turns back around with the dress she plans on wearing, you don’t bother to hide your blatant appreciation. After all these years you’re still somehow blown away with how sexy Emily manages to be. “Naughty girl,” she gasps in mock admonishment. “We don’t have time for that. Your words not mine.”

“Life’s tough,” you sigh heavily, walking over and squeezing her ass lightly, taking great pleasure in making her jump as you pull out the dress you’d decided on earlier in the week. “What do you think?” you ask her.

“It will look absolutely gorgeous, Y/N,” she promises, kissing your cheek. She passes you your bathrobe and pulls her own on as you both head to your adjoining dressing tables to sort out your hair. “Straight or curly?”

“Hmm, straight, I think,” you reply, “you know I love your natural hair. I’m gonna go curly though, so we’ll compliment each other perfectly.”

You put on some music and get ready together in tandem, and it goes about as simply as it can when Emily’s involved. You only have three make-up brushes chucked at you and her desk isn’t a total disgrace by the time you’re finished, so you take it as a win. It’s just gone 7 by the time you’re both dressed up to the nines and ready for the party.

“You look… breathtaking,” Emily says dreamily as she drinks you in, kissing you gently so as not to smudge either of your lipsticks.

“Thanks, Em,” you say shyly. “You look absolutely beautiful, too.” She’s wearing a gorgeous full-length black dress with a deep v neck line and a slit in the right leg. She’s a vision next to your colourful outfit and bright makeup, always complementing one another in just the right ways.

“Right, well, if we both look amazing, it’s time to set out the food, isn’t it?” she asks, winking at you as she leads the way out to the kitchen, shutting and locking the door behind you to prevent any stray party guests from wandering in.

The next hour passes quickly and soon guests are spilling through the door, brightening the whole house with their chatter and laughter, getting started on the wine and party food. Emily is marginally quieter than usual, but you brush it up to her just being tired, especially when she’s roped into a conversation with Hotch and Rossi and immediately perks up.

The whole of the BAU team is here, along with your best friends and the few Couple Friends you and Emily had made over the last few years that made you both feel far too grown up and sophisticated. Your friends quickly mingle in with the rest of the guests, though, which was your biggest worry, so with that relief you let yourself relax and enjoy the party.

Spencer and Penelope snag you into a conversation, plying you with champagne and the samosas you’d made with Emily earlier until you properly let go and enjoy yourself. “Wait, Emily made these?” Spencer asks, slightly incredulous at the idea of his most chaotic friend being even somewhat capable in the kitchen.

“She was supervised, don’t worry,” you laugh, biting into one delicious samosa after another.

“I wish I could cook,” Spencer says as he accepts another one from Penelope’s proffered plate.

“Aw, I’ll teach you baby genius,” Penelope grins. “But I once watched you try and put a croissant in the toaster, so you may be a lost cause.”

“Hey, that was when I’d first joined the BAU,” Spencer protests. “It was the first time I had a salary and could afford such luxuries, you can’t blame me for not knowing what to do with it.” His defenses fall on deaf ears, though, as you and Penelope laugh loudly at his expense. “Derek will defend me,” he eventually mutters before running off to find his boyfriend.

You and Penelope chat easily for a while, introducing her to a few of your friends as you orbit around the downstairs of your house. Eventually, you cross paths with Emily again, who still looks a little tense and quiet. “Hey,” you say, catching her arm and subtly drawing her to the side. “Is everything okay, baby?”

“Yeah, of course,” she says, plastering on a smile you know is fake. “I’m fine, sweetheart. Just enjoy the party, okay? We’ll talk later.”

You can’t really enjoy the party when the back of your mind is continually worrying about your girlfriend, but you’re able to circle around the house a few more times, chatting with all of your guests as everyone tucks into the alcohol and food. Before you know it it’s nearing midnight and Emily’s in the corner of the kitchen having a serious-looking conversation with Hotch.

Tentatively approaching, you tap Emily on the shoulder. “Everyone’s gonna watch the ball drop in the living room,” you say. “You coming?” You try and smile as encouragingly as possible, taking her soft hand in yours.

“Yeah,” she says, looking a little flustered and you can see a little sheen of sweat on her forehead, “yeah, of course, baby. Let’s go.” She hands her glass of champagne to Hotch in a sort of weird gesture that has you furrowing her eyebrows, but nevertheless she grips your hand firmly and you swan into the living room which is already housing most of the guests, everyone chatting and laughing loudly. The sight of so many people you love and adore has you smiling warmly, and you press your arm up against Emily’s, resting your head on her shoulder as the 2 minute countdown begins.

“I love you so much, you know,” you whisper, just for her to hear in the loud, excited room. “I can’t wait to spend a whole other year together. I feel so lucky to have you.”

She moves her neck slightly causing you to lift your head and you’re met with a happy, excited smile, all traces of the nervous Emily that had been swanning around the party all night disappeared. “I feel even luckier to have you, sweetheart,” she murmurs. “You have no idea.”

You both lean in for a kiss which is quickly interrupted by Derek. “Bit early, ladies,” he calls across the room, “it’s not midnight yet.” He’s got Spencer curled up under his arm on the sofa, resting comfortably next to JJ and Penelope who have also cuddled up together. Hotch and Rossi are standing by the Christmas tree rolling their eyes fondly at their agents.

Emily responds with a purposeful middle finger and a well-practiced sneer, but Derek can’t reply because soon the room fills with a swell of noise as everyone starts to count down.

Everyone cheers as the new year is rung in, but as you turn to kiss Emily, you’re instead faced with her on one knee, offering an absolutely beautiful engagement ring. You gasp loudly, gaining everyone’s attention and everyone stops their celebration as a happy, expectant hush falls on the room, the TV’s celebration the only sound.

“Y/N, I can’t express how much I love you,” Emily starts, voice confident but you can hear the undercurrent of emotion written all over it. “All I want to do for the rest of my life is be with you. Ring in each new year with you, celebrate every Christmas with you, come home from every hard case to you, eat pastry for breakfast with you. You’re all I need to be happy, and you’d make me impossibly happier if you’d do me the honour of being my wife. So, Y/N, will you marry me?”

“Yes, oh my God,” you reply tearfully as soon as she’s finished, tears spilling down your face as she carefully pushes the ring onto your finger and stands up to hug you. Everyone around you is clapping and cheering and celebrating your love but your whole world is shrunk down to the two of you, Emily’s hands on your lower back, her ring on your finger, the press of her body up against yours.

Eventually though, you pull away and kiss her, turning to face your guests with the happiest smile on your face. Hotch is smiling proudly and all the events of the evening slip into place, so you turn to kiss Emily on the cheek fondly. Penelope is crying, naturally, as are most of your friends and everyone crowds round in excitement, congratulating the two of you.

When you finally get a bit of space later in the night, you ask Emily where she’d kept the ring all evening.

“In my bra,” she answers, grinning widely.

“God, how did I not guess that,” you smile fondly, rolling your eyes. You kiss her anyway, though, because she’s hot and you’re very much in love.

“I’m so fucking happy you said yes,” she whispers, keeping her head pressed closely to yours.

“Did you seriously think I would ever say anything else?” you ask, surprised that Emily could possibly think you’d say no.

“Well, I obviously had a feeling,” she admits. “But you can’t help but feel fearful of the tiny probability you’re wrong.”

“Well I didn’t,” you say happily, leaning forward slightly to kiss her softly on the nose.

“No, you didn’t,” Emily replies, gripping her hand. “I seriously love you so much, Y/N.”

“And I seriously love you so much, Emily,” you grin. “I can’t wait to call you my wife, but I’m dead happy with fiancée. That will definitely suffice for now.”

The guests slowly trickle out as the hours tick on, eager to leave the newly engaged couple to themselves. Penelope and Spencer make you promise to have a catch-up brunch in the next few weeks to which you eagerly agree, and Hotch and Rossi both congratulate you like they’re both you and Emily’s dads. Derek gives you both massive hugs and JJ follows up with much gentler hugs and congratulations.

“Tidy up in the morning?” you propose, making Emily’s eyebrows shoot up; you usually insist on tidying up there and then, but she quickly understands as you start to unzip your dress and walk backwards towards the bedroom.

“Tidy up in the morning, indeed,” she agrees, running after you.

“My fiancée,” you sigh happily as you enter your cosy bedroom, pausing to kiss Emily softly.

“Your fiancée,” Emily agrees with a wide grin gracing her lips, leading you to the bed as you both start off this next exciting chapter of your lives together in the most appropriate way you can imagine.

@strippersenseii @criminalmindsvibez

[sign-from-god-complex]

smitten

Summary: It had been a few months since Roman had fallen for Virgil. He’d come home to Patton that first day, waxing poetic, and come home much the same way every day since.

Pairing: Queerplatonic royality and romantic prinxiety!

A/N: I did create an entire AU around this with qpr sleepxiety and long-suffering-coworker-and-best-friend Logan Sanders but who knows if I’ll ever actually write anything else for it, hahah. Also this is a contribution to my aroace Patton agenda cause it’s a Good hc that we need more of, I think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, gosh, they were gorgeous again today, Pat!" Roman yelled upon flinging open the door to their apartment.

His qpp poked her head out of the kitchen, giving Roman a bright grin. They were donned in a bright blue apron, paw prints marked on the front with some fabric pens the two had bought a while back. "Oh?"

In an instant Roman was running up to her, pulling them into his arms and excitedly spinning her around the lounge to the sound of her giggles. Eventually, she was returned to solid ground, moving to pat down her apron with a sweet smile.

"What was it this time, then?" Patton asked, heading back into the kitchen with Roman trailing after them.

It had been a few months since Roman had fallen for Virgil, caught up in their snark and smirks and secret sweetness (and also a little bit in their iced-coffee-making skills). He'd come home that first day singing the praises of the cutest barista he'd ever seen and since then Roman had become a regular, always returning to their apartment after his classes with a lovesick smile and a pastry for Patton.

Roman sighed, the sound like the epitome of a daydream. "They had this lovely blouse on today, all black and sheer and delicate, like a spiderweb but infinitely more goth."

"More goth than a spiderweb, hmm?" Pat hummed, not really questioning Roman's words so much as prompting him to go on.

"Oh, and their eyes! How they lit up when their coworker made them laugh, I swear I have never beheld that level of beauty!" He paused for a moment, considering. "Except for you, of course, my dear."

In response, Patton just laughed, smacking Roman on the arm before turning back to the shopping list they'd been writing out.

"And the way they blush! Every time their cheeks darken I am overtaken."

Patton rolled her eyes fondly. "Overtaken, huh?"

Roman grinned at them, bright like jewels and other things nowhere near as precious. "Entirely, my love."

Things were quiet for a moment—but quiet in that way you can only be when you know each other so wholly and love each other just as much. Patton swung her way around the kitchen, pulling items from the cupboard as she checked what needed to be restocked while Roman watched with a look of utter adoration. Occasionally, Roman would grab their hand, pulling them into a spin before letting them carry on their way and each time Patton would laugh like it was the happiest day of their life.

Eventually, the list was completed and the two had wound down, taking up entwined positions on the couch. The TV was on in the background but neither were paying it much attention, focused instead on the way they fit together and the slow set of their breathing.

"Have you ever thought about asking them out?"

Roman spluttered for a moment, seemingly trying to come up with a reason for why he hadn't already that didn't simply boil down to "I'm excruciatingly afraid of rejection".

"You're not supposed to flirt with service workers while they're on the clock, Patton!" Roman declared loudly, "I wouldn't dream of putting them in the position of being unable to turn me down."

Patton rolled her eyes. "Love, that's a weak excuse and you know it. Logan has been trying to give you their number since the second you started going by the shop. Something about being sick of the pining, I think."

Roman mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Oh, as if he can talk," but Pat decided to ignore it.

"I know you're worried about being turned down but you know you're not gonna be alone. I'm never gonna stop loving you. Not as long as there are stars in the sky, darling." Roman flushed at the words, ducking his head, and Patton grinned teasingly. "Every day the sun rises is another day I get a chance to love you with all that I am and I could never be more grateful for that."

Roman made a sort of high pitched squealing noise before ducking his head to hide in Patton's lap. "You're being mean."

Pat giggled. "Maybe I am but that doesn't mean I'm not also right."

Roman lifted his head, gazing up at his partner with a look that spoke of years of trust and emotional vulnerability—another gift Patton would spend the rest of her life cherishing.

"I know that I don't technically have anything to lose except access to some really good iced coffee but I just... I don't know. I keep thinking of all the ways it could go wrong."

Pat hummed, brushing a hand through Roman's hair. The action seemed to soften Roman, the corners of his lips quirking up into a soft smile.

"Okay, let's think about it this way. You like Virgil, yeah?"

Roman gave a decisive nod, his cheeks tinged a faint pink.

"So, you think they're a good person?"

He nodded again.

"Therefore, if they're a good person, they won't react negatively to you asking them out, even if they don't feel the same, right?"

There was another nod, this one marginally more hesitant than the last.

"And," Patton continued, "if they do react negatively, then they probably aren't actually a good person and their opinion doesn't matter anyway."

Roman screwed up his face a bit, seemingly thinking about that. Finally, he smiled—the expression more of a mask of confidence than a real expression of it.

"Ten out of ten logicing there. Logan would be proud."

Patton huffed a laugh. "Look, I'm not gonna pressure you but I think you should go for it. You deserve to be happy."

"I am happy," Roman protested instantly, "You make me-"

"I know, I know," they replied fondly. She cupped his face in her palm, smiling so sweet she could almost taste caramel in her mouth. "Even happier then—happier than any human being thought they could be. That's what you deserve."

"You too," Roman whispered back. His eyes had fallen shut with the sound and Patton's smile turned to an outright grin as their chest warmed. 

"Oh, don't worry, honey. I'm already there."

taglist: @mutechild @super-magical-wizard @shadowsfromthesun @teadays @sandersships @camcam774 @autism-goblin @deadlyhuggles6 @romanthestarstruckqueer @whispers-stuff-in-your-ear @in-it-for-debussy @welpweregonnadie @hold-my-hat @koifishandcherryblossoms @stop-it-anxiety @figurative-falsehood @jadedfantasies231 @idosanderssidespromptssometimes @poisonedapples @sanders-screams @another-sandersidesblog @do-not-just-see-observe @harleyquinnamiright @localtransgrape @fandomsofrandom @gattonero17 @airiervessel @ollyollyoxinfree @tired-and-probably-crying .

[mymelodyheart]

All I Want For Christmas Is You Chapter 6 ~Christmas Treats~

 Picture Source

Previously in Rollover Rollo ...

"That's my dog!"

She let out a throaty laugh. "Oh, that's fine then! I'll keep him with me until I'm done with my bath. And then I'll bring him over to you."

"Why didn't ye tell me it's a dog ye're with?"

"Did I not? I'm sorry I was distracted feeding him croissant with butter. I hope that's alright with you."

"I thought you were having breakfast with another man in yer bathrobe!" His voice held a slightly accusatory tone.

"Well, you thought wrong. So, you're alright with Rollo having croissant with butter? He seems to love it."

He counted backwards, starting from ten, and when he was done, he almost laughed out loud. Knowing Claire didn't mind having his dog around her, made him like her even more. "Aye, that's alright, Sassenach. A wee treat once in a while, never did him harm. Speaking of treats, I could use one too actually."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I'm coming over to tell ye." And then he hung up before she could respond and made a dash out of the door.

If you wish to read this on AO3, here is the link.

If you wish to read this from the beginning:

AO3 link

Tumblr link

 Ah, son of a monkey! He's coming! Claire stepped away from the window and yanked the curtain back, her eyes darting here, there and everywhere in the living area of her B&B cottage.

Her gaze landed on Rollo. "Well, come on then. What are you waiting for? Daddy's coming to get you." She clapped both hands on her thighs. "There's a good boy. Come on ...come here." 

Rollo didn't budge. Instead, he let out a doggy whimper and lowered himself onto the rug, laying his head on his paws. He was looking at her as if to say, "No-uh. I'm staying."

Oh for the love of God! She didn't have time for this. Unsure what to do next, she walked back and forth on the same spot. The plan had been to slip Rollo through the door when Jamie came, so he didn't have to see her morning look. She probably still looked puffy from all the alcohol she drank last night and her skin blotchy as a result of over-indulgence. 

Digging deep into the pocket of her bathrobe, she pulled out a band and quickly tied her hair back. Without a mirror in sight, she knew already her untamed wisps of curls sprang in all directions. Fudge, fudge, fudge. Maybe she could quickly run to the bathroom and do something about her unruly locks.

There was a knock on the door. Claire stilled and groaned in exasperation. Too late! 

She glared at Rollo. "You think this is funny? Your daddy is going to run to the nearest hill when he sees me like this." But Rollo remained where he was and looked away. "Fine! Stay where you are, you ungrateful mutt! No more croissants for you. Ever. Do you hear me?"

Another knock ensued. "Sassenach?"

"I'm coming!"

"I can hear ye talking to Rollo."

"Give me a sec!" She smoothed back her hair and pulled the ties of her bathrobe tighter. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath, rolled her lips to plump them and opened the door.

"Hi!" Jamie greeted as soon as he saw her. With his hands shoved in the pocket of his sweatshirt, he was shifting on his feet to keep warm. His cheeks were ruddy from the cold, hair tousled by the wind, and a shadow of a day-old beard hugged his jaw. "G' morning!"

Her own greeting was stuck in her throat, as her heart leapt at the wide grin on his face.

He arched an eyebrow. "Are ye letting me in? It's bloody freezing out here, and ye're letting the cold into the house."

"Oops, sorry." She blew out a breath and took a step back. As soon as he walked in, she quickly shut the door. Rollo glanced at his master but barely moved his head. Ah, just great!  She tried to be casual as she wandered towards the kitchenette, grabbing the pastry paper wrappers, an empty mug and a used plate from the table. "If you're looking for croissants, you're out of luck. Rollo ate them all."

His mouth drew up at one side. "No, I'm fine. Dinnae want any."

"I thought you said you could use some treat."

"Aye."

She glanced over to him and noted he was looking at the clothes neatly stacked over the armchair, her white lace bra on top of the pile. She tamped down the urge to dive in and grab the garments. "I don't have anything else to offer besides coffee, tea and fruits," she said, waving a hand at the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, attempting to distract and prevent him from looking further into the female clutter scattered everywhere. "Annalise and I eat out."

He looked at her and took a step forward. "Dinnae want fruit, and I've had my coffee already."

"Well if that's the case, I really need to go and take a bath." She didn't feel comfortable standing there and conversing with this beautiful man in her bathrobe when he looked so well put together and at ease. She now wished she had taken the time to put mascara on or straightened her hair when she went to the bakery earlier.

His gaze settled on the table, and he picked up one of the postcards she bought in Inverness. "Dinnae fash, we'll go soon," he assured her. "Are ye sending these to yer friends?" he asked, waving a postcard.

She smiled. "No. It's for me. I collect them for my scrapbook."

He looked at her. "Scrapbook?"

"It's kind of my diary stroke travelogue with pictures of places I've been to."

"That's verra nice," he said quietly, his eyes lighting up when he spied Men's Health glossy magazine with a front cover picture of Gerard Butler headlining Hot Scots on the Rock. He grinned at her. "Ye like Gerard Butler? Isnae he a bit too old for ye?"

Her face heated. "It's just something I randomly picked up at the kiosk. We were in a hurry to catch the train and Annalise, and I were just grabbing anything we could get our hands on."

"I thought the magazine stands were predominantly women's magazine. Didnae realised Men's Health would be among the women's publications."

She let out a high-pitched neurotic laugh. "Who would've thought."

"Aye, who would've."

Claire glanced around trying to summon something else to say. The cottage wasn't spacious, and he filled the room with his presence. The fact that he stood nearby when she had nothing on underneath the bathrobe caused a delicate shudder to coast down her back, but she managed just about to maintain a veneer of composure. She was already regretting teasing him earlier, thinking flirting with him on the phone while in the safety of her cottage would be harmless fun. Now that he was here, she was one bumbling mess, not to mention probably looking deranged with her unkempt looks. "Jamie ...can we continue this later? I really need to get ready and ..." she trailed off and shrugged, fidgetting with her bathrobe ties.

He placed the postcard back on the table, drew himself up to full height, and slowly closed the distance between them, his gaze never leaving hers.

Her mouth opened, then closed on a nervous squeak, her eyes widening at his obvious intention. She cleared her throat. "It's just that Annalise would be here soon and I want to make sure I'm ready when she comes back. Tomorrow is Christmas eve, and I think she probably wants to do some last-minute Christmas shopping," she rambled, taking a few steps back until her back hit the fridge.

"This won't take long," he said softly. He moved slow and deliberate, reaching out to smoothly tuck a loose strand behind her ear, his deep voice wrapping her in a cosy blanket of security.

Like her legs, her tongue twisted in her mouth. "W-what won't take long?" she asked, even though she knew the answer already.

A flicker of heat lit his eyes. "I would like to kiss you. Again."

She gulped, her heart starting to gallop at a faster rate. "H-how about I take your word for it, and we resume this when I'm more presentable? Like after I've taken my bath?"

"I dinnae think I can wait any longer. May I? Please?"

"I look like a right mess," she croaked.

His lips quirked, and he stroke her cheek with gentle motions. "No. Not at all. Ye look beautiful just as ye are now, Sassenach. I can't get ye out of my head. I keep thinking about that kiss last night. Have ye thought about it?"

"Yes." Her admission was barely a whisper. 

He gently laid both hands on her arms, his eyes caressing her face. "And?"

"I just want you to know I don't do meaningless affairs," she blurted.

"Neither do I nor do I plan to."

"Jamie! I'm serious!"

"Good. So am I. Look, I dinnae care if there's supposed to be a particular order of doing things. All I ken is I like ye and ye like me, and I'm just going with my feelings and winging it. Right now, I would like verra much to kiss ye. If ye'll say no, I promise I will no' be offended, but I'm hoping with my unwavering persistence, that I will get that kiss one day. So, I'll ask again, may I kiss ye, Sassenach?"

She let out a tiny moan and tried to delay the inevitable, racking her brain for any valid reasons why she shouldn't take the plunge. When she couldn't muster any from her addled brain, she could only nod and lick her lips. 

His gorgeous blue eyes darkened, and a small smile played on his mouth. "Thank ye."

"Oh dear," she breathed as she placed her hands on his muscular chest.

He lowered his head, stopping inches from hers. "Oh, aye."

And then it happened. 

His lips descended upon hers, and logic and everything else fizzled away into obscurity. 

Opening for him without further hesitation, his tongue swept inside, drinking her in like a deprived, parched soul coming out of a desert. He nibbled her bottom lip, before soothing it with his tongue and delving back in deep to sup some more. He tasted of coffee, fudge and a hint of mint, and his soft, warm lips contradicted the hard planes beneath her hands. If the kiss last night had been sweet and made her think of fluffy clouds, falling leaves and angel wings, this kiss penetrated her soul and ripped her to the bare bones of staggering need, leaving her breathless and craving for something she was afraid to voice out. Although technically a virgin, she'd had her share of kisses, but never before had she been completely overwhelmed by a fierce need to take it further.

Claire gripped the material of his shirt as she shifted to get closer, extracting a deep groan to escape his lips. He pulled away and smiled, but not before he muttered a vicious curse.

He touched his forehead against hers, the intimacy and tenderness of the gesture surprising her, making her breath hitch. "Dinner tonight at my place?" he whispered.

She managed to find her voice, but the words came out a bit slurred as she stared at his lips. "I'd like that. What shall I bring?" she asked. She could feel the erratic beating of his heart, his laboured breathing fanning her face. 

"Bring something comfy to wear. Do ye like old movies?"

She nodded, smiling. Where has this man been hiding all her life? She imagined she'd like anything as long as they could do what they just did again. "What time shall I come?"

"Come as soon as possible."

"I'll be there."

He cupped her chin. "I cannae wait."

He gave her one last kiss before slowly easing away with a triumphant grin. The creasing at the corners of his eyes made her smile despite herself. He called Rollo to his side with a low whistle, and she watched as man and dog walked out of the living room with spring in their steps. And then just like that, they were gone. She hoped Annalise would come soon as she wanted to do some last-minute Christmas shopping of her own for her two new favourites in her life.

..........

Claire watched Annalise order their coffees from the counter. The village's only café was a popular place for afternoon tea, snacks and meeting up with friends. The radio hummed Christmas songs from the speakers, and scents of fresh scones and baked goods wafted in the air. The mismatched tables adorned with thistle flower arrangements cluttered the small space and gave it a homey and cosy feel. Decorated in purple and pale greens, the walls displayed colourfully painted arts on canvas made by local artists, making her vision blear a bit from the bright and unusual collection of hues. A group of four walked in, settled on the nearby table and greeted her with a smile like she was one of the locals. One thing she surmised -there were no outsiders in Broch Mordha because everyone belonged. She'd lived in London for five years, and in all that time, she didn't even know her neighbours' names nor did any of them said hello. Whereas Broch Mordha, although curious and inquisitive, its people embraced her and Annalise and encouraged them to mingle and participate in local activities. And in such a short time, the village and its people were already growing on her.

Annalise placed a cup of Americano in front of her and shrugged out of her peacoat and scarf. "So that's our Christmas shopping done. If we'd been in London that would have taken us the whole day."

Claire made a face as she sipped her coffee. "That's why we're never in London during the holidays. To escape the carnage. Even shopping in Inverness was a breeze."

"So you're all sorted then?"

"Uh-huh. I'll wrap the scented candle gift set for Mrs Fitz, and you can write the card."

"Deal." Annalise slipped onto the chair and rubbed her hands together. "I'm glad we're staying put until Three Kings. Saves me thinking about packing when we just got here. I was planning on suggesting it to you, but you beat me to it."

Claire laughed. "I can't believe you're actually happy missing Hogmanay in Edinburgh. You've always like to be in the middle of frenetic partying -Edinburgh style. What's changed?"

"We've seen it for two years in a row. Broch Mordha will be a refreshing variation. Anyway, change of subject. You haven't said much about your evening out with Jamie yesterday. So, spill! Does the carpet match the drapes?"

Claire narrowed her gaze at her friend's apparent glee in teasing her. "Don't start Annalise. Just because you're my best mate doesn't mean I'll kiss and tell. And to answer your question, how would I know?"

Annalise clucked her tongue. "I saw you sneaked into a lingerie shop while I was trying on some shoes. I'm pretty sure you weren't browsing unmentionables for Mrs Fitz."

"Flannel jammies!"

"What?"

"I bought a couple of flannel pyjamas!" Claire grabbed one of her shopping bags and flashed the red flannel pyjama set, leaving out the red lacy undies that she also bought at the bottom. It wasn't like she was lying to her friend, but Annalise didn't need to know everything. Besides, her friend hadn't told her much about what went on in Lallybroch last night with Willie. "It's movie night tonight. Jamie invited me for dinner at his place. I don't want to lounge in my jeans after eating. I thought I'd be more comfortable wearing these."

"Blimey! That Jamie is one sneaky Scot! That's really a really good set up for a romantic evening. "

Claire smiled. "I know, right?

Annalise leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "Jamie's really into you, you do know that don't you? It was all over his face last night, and he couldn't wait to get you alone. And you know what else? I like him, and he's nothing like those pretentious pricks you date in London."

Claire laughed. "You only like Jamie for me because you're nuts about Willie."

Her friend shrugged, her mouth twitching at the corner. "There's an element of that, I suppose, but I have a good sense for these things. You know, I do."

Claire rolled her eyes. "Yes, you're right. You do have a sense for these things."

Annalise shook her head and grinned. "Wow, Claire ...dinner with a man at his place in your jammies? And what ... you've only known him less than twenty-four hours? I hope Jamie realises he's making history here."

"He's different. And I really like him."

"Have you kissed?"

Claire nodded.

"Groped?"

"No!"

Her friend laughed when Claire's face went beet-red.

"What if he's the one?" Claire asked after a few seconds of silent contemplation.

Annalise's eyes softened. "If he's the one, we'll worry about it later. Baby steps, mind?"

Claire burst out laughing. "Good grief, look at me. I've just met Jamie, and already I'm thinking about the future! How pathetic is that? I'm acting like a schoolgirl."

"Claire, look at me." Claire looked at Annalise. "The age-old question ...how long does it take to fall in love? A day? A week? A year? A lifetime? Here's my take. When the stars align, the universe will conspire to make love happen, and there will be no warning signs, and there's nought you can do about it. You will fall into love like you're being pushed from a highrise building. There'll be no time to think about what's happening. None at all. It's inevitable. It's something you will have no control of. It's a crazy, heart-stopping, roller-coaster ride that just has to take its course, whether you chose to ignore it or not, fight it or not. So, take my advise and don't brace yourself too much for what's coming because some sharp turns might be jarring; otherwise, all you'll get out of it is a sore neck and probably a migraine to boot. Just let go and enjoy the ride and who knows, there might be a surprise waiting for you just around the corner. After all, it's the most wonderful time of the year." And then Annalise winked.

..........

After they'd arrived at their bed and breakfast cottage, Claire had floated into her bedroom, knowing there was a goofy smile plastered to her face. She'd wrapped up presents for Jamie and Rollo, written cards for some locals she'd come to know, and took her time shaving her legs, and washing her hair. Annalise had done the same, also lost in her own thoughts and occasionally saying a remark here and there. But Claire had been too preoccupied to listen.

After Annalise had left for a night out of bowling and dinner with Willie, she'd put on her new pyjamas, a long coat so no one in the street would notice what she was wearing underneath when she walked to Jamie's cottage and a pair of Ugg boots. All the while, her stomach did a mad flip-flopped, and she continually found herself staring into space, almost tripping on the way to Jamie's house.

Obviously, she hadn't finished staring into space because when Jamie opened the door after she'd knocked, sending her hurtling back to the present, she was speechless. Rollo dashed out of the house and circled her happily, jumping on her.

Jamie grinned and opened the door wider. "Sassenach! Get in here! We have a guest."

"Oh!?" I thought we're alone.

She pulled the coat tighter and patted Rollo's head. She remembered Annalise's word not to brace herself too hard, took a deep breath, relaxed and stepped into Jamie's house.

What she saw next, took her by surprise.

Dear Readers,

Sorry to leave you hanging here. If I hadn't, you would have had to wait longer for the instalment. And I needed really to publish this so I could start wrapping presents. So far, so good, I'm up to date with writing this story, Christmas preparations and life in general. So fingers crossed, I remain on track. 😀

Will keep this short and sweet, as I have plenty of other things I need to do. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and looking forward to your thoughts. Sending you best wishes and love and hope you're keeping healthy and safe. Take care for now. x

[pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles]

Wicked Game (Part 3)

Word Count: 25K total The first part is about 5K, part 2 is 7K

Rating: 18+ Slash fic Strong language, alcohol and drug use, and a misogynistic and racist comment. Sexual scenes including masturbation, toys, voyeurism, oral, and anal sex.

Summary: Ashton is ready to move on with his life after his painful divorce from Luke and the demise of the restaurant they’d built together. With the help of his protegee and sous chef Hima Singh, Ashton is ready to take on opening weekend of his new restaurant Anne-Marie’s. Calum is a reporter filling in on an assignment and is surprised when his past comes back to haunt him. Hima arranges an interview that takes an unexpected turn between the two men.

Part 1

Part 2

Ashton jumped at the sound of the buzzer. Calum sent him a text telling Ash he was on his way so he knew he was coming, but he was so jittery it startled him anyway. He checked the time, 5:15 pm. 35 minutes to get here? That's good he doesn't live too far. Ashton held a bottle of cologne up and away from him, released three quick spritz into the air before walking through the cloud of fragrance. He made his way out of the bedroom, pausing for one final glance in the mirror. He brushed the soft brown curls off his forehead, his eyes reflexively checking his hairline. He silently thanked Hima for convincing him to get treatment. You could barely see the previously thin spots. Don't keep him waiting. You're ready for this.

Ashton opened the door and barely caught himself from gasping out loud. Hot Damn. His chest fluttered in a rush as his throat constricted. He didn't know where to look. Calum was holding a gift basket with three flavors of Ashton's favorite hot sauce but that wasn't what had his mouth watering. His eyes landed on Calum's hands holding the gift before trailing up to where his bronzed biceps disappeared into a crisp, red short-sleeve button up with one of those black tank tops he favored. His gaze lingered on the small gold necklace nestled against Calum's throat before dragging his eyes up to find the other man watching him with a shy smile. 

"Hima said this was your favorite," Calum blurted out, pushing the basket into Ashton's chest. 

"It is, thank you so much. Please come in," Ashton blushed hot pink as he gestured for Calum to follow him into the apartment. 

Calum got a whiff of Ashton's scent as he turned away from him, causing his spine to tingle at the memory of the missed opportunity that night in the club. His eyes followed Ashton's broad back, unable to resist a quick glance at his tight little butt. Hima mentioned her boss's daily yoga routine, and the black jeans he had on left very little to Cal's imagination. Pay attention Hood. You're here for an interview, not to get laid, he reminded himself. Por qué no los dos? a tiny voice asked that definitely wasn't from his brain. 

Ashton was equally grasping to get his thoughts together, but having Calum in his house made everything much more real.

"Go ahead and have a seat," he motioned for Calum to sit down at the bar while he entered the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink? I have pink lemonade, mango infused sweet tea,  and wine." 

"Sweet tea sounds good. I'll have that if you don't mind," Calum sat on one of the tall stools facing Ashton in the kitchen.

Ashton garnished the drink with a slice of fresh lime, and Calum grinned as he handed it to him. 

"Always the artist," Calum remarked. "Hima was going on about that. She's very observant, and you're lucky she loves her job because she'd make an excellent reporter. I might steal her away yet." 

"Good luck getting past her mom," Ashton giggled. "All of them really, she's got a twin brother who's crazy overprotective and more cousins than I can count. My family was just me, mom, and the kids so it's a bit much." 

"Where's your family from?" Calum asked.

Ashton leaned against the kitchen island, his eyes fixed just above Calum's head. 

"I was born in Sydney, Australia. My dad fucked off when I was a baby, and my mom moved us around a lot. She got remarried when I was ten and had my brother and sister. We moved to the US soon after, and when they moved back I was a junior in high school, I decided to stay here. That's when I got a job in a kitchen doing dishes and grunt work." 

"Did you know right away you wanted to be a chef?" 

"Hell no," Ashton laughed. "I was miserable and living with three guys in a grimy apartment. I was trying to go to school and worked till close most nights. I got into a really bad fight with one of my roommates. He was a big, ugly bastard, ignorant homophobic piece of shit. He accused me of stealing his weed and attacked me. I was in the hospital getting stitches when my boss showed up and dragged me home with him. They put me up in the basement, bought me a bus pass, and he gave me a raise. Did you ever get to eat at Bordeaux?" 

Calum shook his head. "Never had the money or the clout. Didn't they sell it?" 

Ashton stepped up to the sink to wash his hands, setting his rings in a crystal tray on the edge of the windowsill. "Yeah, after his heart attack, his wife Brigitte made him give it up. She's a force of nature, that woman. She taught me everything I know about baking and pastries. Baking is when science meets art. Cooking leaves wiggle room; you can improvise. But baking doesn't allow for carelessness or impatience." 

He dried his hands before he pulled an object out of the fridge and placed it on the counter, unwrapping the plastic wrap. 

"I made mushroom Wellington for dinner, and getting the puff pastry dough right takes time. It's an all-day process because every couple of hours you have to roll it out and fold it so the butter gets folded layer over layer. That's what makes it rich, fluffy, and delicious. There's no way to shortcut that." He placed the pastry in a shallow baking pan and pulled a small bowl out of the fridge. "I'm brushing it with egg wash so it'll get nice and golden brown in the oven." He pulled out a small knife from the block and twirled it between his fingers. He narrowed his eyes, the tip of his tongue peeking out from between his lips as he concentrated, making several small quick shallow cuts. He grabbed a couple of bottles and carefully sprinkled seeds and spices on the surface before looking back up at Calum. 

The intensity in the other man's eyes stopped him short. "Am I talking too much?" Ashton asked, feeling his face flush yet again. 

"No, not at all. I uh, almost forgot I'm supposed to be interviewing you," Calum stammered a bit, embarrassed to be caught staring. "So tell me, where did you go after you left Bordeaux?" 

As soon as the words left his mouth Calum wanted them back. That would be when he met Luke, you dumbass. Of course, his brain was a step behind his mouth. To his relief, Ashton shook his head with a sharp laugh.

"Yeah, that old story. Why don't you tell me a story I don't already know?" 

Ashton pulled another pan from the fridge and set it next to the oven. "Both of these have to bake for about thirty minutes. You can tell me a little about yourself while I make the salad. I don't like to talk while I'm using a knife, but I'm a great listener."

"Are those figs? I'm starting to think you're trying to impress me," Calum's eyes crinkled in a smile and Ashton's chest fluttered once again. 

"Maybe I am. Is it working?" Ashton spoke before he thought about it. Ooh, look at you flirting. 

"Oh it's working alright," Cal's voice took on a husky edge that gave Ashton a victorious little thrill, knowing he wasn't imagining the heat between them. "Do you need me to help with anything?" 

Ashton smirked, dirty thoughts racing through his brain. His dick twitched in his pants, eager for Calum's help, but then those dark eyes went wide as he realized what he said. The reporter nervously licked his lips and looked away while Ashton gripped the countertop to keep his knees from buckling. 

"I'm good, thanks," Ashton replied, needing to keep Calum at a distance if he wanted to have any concentration to make it through dinner. "Are you trying to get out of talking about yourself?"  He cut a thick slice off the largest fig, speared it, and offered it to Calum off the point of his knife.

Calum plucked it from the blade and popped it in his mouth, his eyes rolling back in pleasure as he chewed. Ashton had to cough to suppress a whimper at the sight, his jeans now uncomfortably tight.

"One of the best things about being a reporter is not having to talk about yourself. My mom taught me to choose my words and my friends carefully. However, to be a good journalist, I have to be able to completely open myself up to each experience while not making it about me. I want to be the reader's guide to the story, not the star of my own show. I leave the primadonna bullshit to my coworker Felipe, or someone like Kevin Mackie."

Ashton chuckled, "Did you see his review of Anne-Marie's? Ass-kissing prick, he's banned for life." 

"Did you really throw him out of your restaurant? What did he say?,” Calum leaned forward, eager for details. “Hima wouldn't tell me. I wish I could've seen that." 

"She doesn’t know it all. I didn’t want to tell her, but he insulted her personally. He even managed to be racist and condescending while doing it. He's a twat. I was willing to grit my teeth and endure it because it's Mackie, and we all have to deal with him, but you’re not going to insult my friends. I can't even think about it without getting angry again" Ashton spat out the words and Calum's eyebrows went up in surprise. Ashton continued, trying to steer the conversation away from having to repeat the vile things he'd said. "You already know he brought up all the past drama and even asked me if I'd gone to the Galway Grill." 

"You're kidding," Calum couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously, though, that place looks awful." 

"It really does. You can tell they rushed the opening. Those tacky plastic decorations, if you thought Lune Rouge was gaudy," Ashton had to stop working because he couldn't stop giggling, which only got Calum laughing harder. 

"Did you see the fucking menu? The Irish puns, it's so bad. The best part is that it's not supposed to be awful," Calum said. 

"No, yeah, exactly it's supposed to be clever and fun, but it just comes off like a pretentious  dickhead." 

A loud alarm caught them off guard, and Ashton quickly silenced his phone and grabbed an oven mitt.  He checked the temperature of both dishes before turning them around and putting them back in the oven. Calum had the hiccups and asked for a glass of water between breaths. 

Calum hiccuped while trying to take a drink and began to sputter and cough. Ashton grabbed a towel as he came out of the kitchen and around to the other side of the bar. Calum covered his face and tried to catch his breath, but as he did, he became aware of Ashton's hand rubbing his back. His eyes still watering, he glanced over to see nothing but concern in the other man's face. Calum saw up close that Ashton's eyes seemed to shift color depending on how the light hit his face. He noticed the dimple on Ashton's chin and the rough patches of skin bearing faint scars from his teenage acne, the little bit of stubble under his bottom lip he'd missed when he shaved that morning, lips that were almost irresistibly close. Calum remembered he probably looked a hot mess and needed a minute to himself. 

"Can I use your bathroom?" He asked from behind the towel. 

"Sure, it's the first door down that hall," Ashton stepped back and let him pass. 

Calum closed the door behind him and took a quick look in the mirror. His face was still red but it was slowly fading. He took a piss and blew his nose before washing his hands and splashing some water on his face. The towel hanging on the rack was super soft and Calum could tell it was expensive even if he didn't recognize the brand. He took a second to look around, and while the rug looked as soft as the towels, everything else seemed to be made of bamboo. In fact, the only plastic Calum saw was a bottle of mouthwash on the sink. It was rude to look in the medicine cabinet, but he peeked in the shower. He smelled sandalwood and citrus, noticing they not only used the same brand of shampoo bar, but the shower enema attachment was identical to the one in Calum’s shower.  He began to worry he was taking too long, so he took another look in the mirror before opening the door. 

Ashton was setting Calum's salad up on the bar next to a fresh glass of tea when he sat back down. 

"Ooh thank you so much. This looks fantastic, is that feta?" Calum asked, suddenly realizing he was hungry. 

"It's actually honey-basted goat cheese. The dressing is a turmeric and honey vinaigrette. I like the extra touch of sweetness. I grew the lettuce in my little balcony garden out back, along with most of my fresh herbs." He stopped talking and watched Calum eat. He'd never seen anyone go through such a range of expressions while eating. He was clearly enjoying himself. Ashton felt like he was being intrusive for staring,  nevermind the thrill he got watching the other man's bliss. If he makes these faces while eating, I'm dying to see what he looks like when he's cumming, he thought.

Calum opened his eyes and caught Ashton blatantly staring. He met his gaze as Calum ran his finger along the underside of his bottom lip to catch a tiny drop off dressing from spilling down his chin and slowly licked it clean. He smirked when he saw Ashton blush and look away. Aren't you supposed to be working? A little voice reminded him, but he ignored it. "That was delicious, I can't wait to taste what's next."

Ashton smirked and started to reply when his phone rang. He started to hit ignore until he saw it was his mother. 

"Sorry, it's my mom. I have to answer this," Ashton swiped up to answer. "Hey Mom, hold on one second. I'm sorry about this," he said, covering the mouthpiece.

"Thanks, and don't apologize. It's your mom, I get it," Calum told him. 

"Yeah Mom, I've got company. Yes the interview, mmm-hmm, yeah. No, I'm home, but he's here. Yes, right now. No Mom it's not like that. I'll call you later. Love you too, bye." Ashton hung up and turned back to Calum. "Sorry about that." 

"Please, it's no big deal. I talk to my mom every day, too, and it's not like I didn't know you were a Mama's boy," Calum grinned. "Hima told me, and you did name your restaurant after her." 

"Hima talks too much," Ashton rolled his eyes with a laugh. "Yeah, my mom is my lucky star. We've been through a lot together, and she's the only one who's always had my back. I rely quite a bit on the women in my life, honestly. Lauren, my sister, is one of my best friends, along with my cousin Sophie. You've met Hima; Mom calls her my work wife." 

"I could see that," Calum teased, "until she opens her own place." 

"That's why I gave them a stake in the business. My mom suggested it. Hopefully, they'll want to stick around, maybe take over someday, who knows?" Ashton shrugged. 

"Mom knows best right?" Calum smiled, pulling out his wallet. He pulled out an old picture of a woman who could be his twin with a chubby-cheeked toddler on her lap. "This is my mom, Joy. She lives on the east coast now, and every morning my alarm goes off at 5 AM so I can text her good morning as she's having her morning coffee." 

"That's so sweet. You must be her favorite child," Ashton had the warm fuzzies watching Calum talk about his mom. The way his entire face lit up when he smiled melted him into a puddle. 

"My sister would agree with you, except she has Vanessa now, so she cares fuck all what I do," Calum said unlocking his phone. As soon as he did multiple messages popped up from his editor/best friend/total pain in his ass asking how his date was going. 

"Go away Sham," he mumbled, and Ashton looked at him and then his phone

Calum quickly hid the messages. "My editor, Sham. She's my work wife and constantly in my business." 

"Didn't Hima tell me she sets you up on dates? Like the pocket-sized lawyer from the club?" Ashton asked, suddenly jealous. 

"Hima talks too much," Calum grumbled, and Ashton lost it which set Calum off again. 

It took several minutes to regain control until Calum had tears on his face, and Ashton was about to piss himself. He excused himself, and when he returned, Cal showed him a picture of the same woman from the first photo only older in this photo, her dark hair streaked through with silver. Standing next to her was a young girl who was obviously Calum's daughter. They were both dressed in Polynesian-style floral dresses. She had the same dark flashing eyes, broad nose, and strong jawline as her father, but her face had a more heart-shaped appearance. 

Calum swiped to the next picture. "My sister, Mali, she's older and my best friend in the world." He pointed to the woman standing next to Vanessa, wearing a similar dress and tying a scarf around the little girl’s cloud of curly hair., The scarf was open a bit at the top, allowing her hair to work free of the silk forming a halo of curls for added effect. Whereas Mali had a bit of a sunburn causing her shoulders and cheeks to look pink against her warm golden tan, the sun had only added an extra glow to Vanessa's deep copper skin tone which was only highlighted by the vibrant blue and yellow pattern of her dress. 

"Your family is gorgeous. You definitely take after your mother. Your daughter is a real cutie, were you guys in Hawaii?" Ashton asked, curious about the outfits. 

Calum shook his head. "New Zealand, actually. Mom's whole family is from there. We went for a family reunion of sorts and so Vanessa could get to know her Maori heritage. She had a blast. We all did. Nicole came with us, and so did her husband. Well, he was her boyfriend then."

"Sounds like y'all have a good relationship," Ashton could tell Calum put his family above everything just as much as he did.

He swiped to the next picture and Ashton's jaw dropped. 

"Wow, that's your daughter's mother?" He looked up at Calum and he nodded. "She's beautiful and that bone structure, my God. The camera loves her, and you can tell she knows her angles too. Damn, you're gorgeous, but you leveled up there," Ashton didn't realize what he'd said until it was too late. He looked back at the picture to avoid looking at Calum. When you put Vanessa next to her mom you could see a strong resemblance there as well. 

Calum's ears burned with the compliment, and he was at a complete loss for words when the timer went off again, saving them both from the awkward silence. Ashton pulled the pastry out of the oven, flooding the room with a heavenly aroma that had Calum practically drooling. He grinned when he caught sight of the mushroom design Ashton had crafted out of paprika, coriander and sea salt. The mac and cheese was next, producing an insane cheese stretch from the pan to the plate as Ashton served it up. He finished the plate with a pile of oven-roasted celery and leeks topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and cracked black pepper. 

Ashton sat at the edge of the bar, at an angle from Calum so they could easily converse while keeping him steps away from the kitchen. At first, they were quiet, the food demanding their full attention, although Ashton had already decided watching Calum's expressions was his new favorite thing. The obscene amount of pleasure he took from his food had Ashton so distracted that he poked himself in the face with his fork. 

Calum was in heaven. He didn't know what cheese blend Ashton concocted, but he'd never had anything like this pasta dish in his life. The vegetables were still firm to the bite, and the fresh citrus was a nice contrast to the creamy, heavy cheese sauce. However, the mushroom Wellington was the real stand out, and Calum had never had anything like it. He opened his eyes and caught Ashton staring again. When he looked away quickly and his ears turned red, Calum was hopelessly smitten. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had cooked for him, and never, ever anything like this. He can cook, and he's handsome as hell, with a big dick and his own money?? He's definitely getting his dick sucked tonight. Calum almost burst out laughing hearing Sham's voice in his head. This time it was Ashton's turn to catch Calum staring, but Cal didn't look away. Instead, he gave the chef a wink and a smile before taking another bite. 

When dinner was finished, Ashton shooed Calum out onto the balcony so he could pick up a bit. He offered Calum an after-dinner smoke from his case of pre-rolled Raw cones. Ashton used to smoke weed all day long when he was a teenager before quitting cold turkey. The past couple of months, Rafi got him into a couple of decent blends to help him relax in the evening that didn't get him too wasted.

He made sure Calum was out of sight before quickly brushing his teeth in the kitchen sink. Ashton wanted to be prepared in case he got the chance to make a move. He'd even made a peppermint sorbet for dessert to cleanse the palate. He scooped out two small cups and topped them with freshly grated dark chocolate before heading out onto the balcony. 

Calum was sitting with his back towards the door, a small cloud of smoke wafting above his head. Ashton opened the door, and the cloud dissipated in the rush of cold air that followed him outside. Calum glanced back over his shoulder and offered the joint to Ashton as he took the icy treat from him. Ashton inhaled deeply one time before gently stubbing it out in the ashtray as he sat across from Calum. Overcome by nerves Ashton began to point out the various herbs and flowers in his little balcony garden. He could tell he was talking too fast, and his palms were sweaty but watching Calum eat ice cream might was obscene, 

The peppermint was stronger than Calum expected but left a lingering cool sweetness accentuated by the bittersweet chocolate. He scraped the cup, and ran his finger along the edge before licking it clean.  He shivered, and he wasn't sure if it was the chill from the sorbet or nerves as he tried to plan how to ask Ashton out on a date, a real one. 

Ashton abruptly stood up and walked to the far end of the balcony looking out at the city. Calum, sensing something was off, hesitated until he saw Ashton kept glancing at him and then looking away. He pushed himself up out of the chair and made his way over to Ashton and stood next to him looking out into the distance. 

"You ok? I can go if you want me to. I don't want you to be uncomfortable," Calum didn't know why he said it, but he suddenly panicked. 

Ashton looked up, stunned. "No, no, I'm fine. I'm just," he rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at the sky. "I-uh I got nervous."

"Oh?" Calum asked, his pulse picking up. 

"Yeah, I don't know how to do this anymore," Ashton mumbled looking at his shoes. "Kissing you is all I've thought about since the moment we met. And wow I said that out loud. Ok so maybe.." Ashton's sentence ended in a squeak as Calum's fingers brushed along his jaw and tipped his chin upwards to find Calum's face inches from his. He leaned forward as Calum's lips found his. The kiss was soft and slow, Calum's hands cupping his face as they melted into each other. Ashton's hands slid up Calum's chest before snaking around his neck and pulling him closer. 

Ashton felt as if he were suspended in mid-air, floating and flying as the heat grew in his chest. He had butterflies in his stomach as he pressed himself closer. He felt Calum's strong arms wrap around him, giving him a cheeky squeeze on his ass. They both giggled and pulled away for a moment to breathe. This time Ashton went in first, he'd been dreaming about this moment, and it was better than he'd imagined. He was relieved Calum wasn't trying to rush. Still, he couldn't resist pulling back to nibble on Calum's jaw before scraping his teeth along the hollow of his throat. The whine that escaped Calum's lips, as a result, was almost enough to make him cum in his pants.

"Let's go inside," Ashton took his hand, and Calum followed him into the living room. Calum sat on the couch and tugged Ashton's belt loop to get him to sit down. Ash started to sit next to him, but Calum shook his head and grabbed his thigh, guiding him down so Ashton was straddling him.

Ashton's head was swimming as Calum's gently bit his earlobe and ran his tongue along the curve of his jaw. He moaned and Calum growled in response, grinding his hips into Ashton's where his bulge strained against the fabric of his tight trousers. He reached up and began to unbutton Ashton's shirt, his fingers brushing against the cool steel of the chain he wore around his neck then dropped down, leaving a trail of fire in the wake of each touch. Ashton's breath caught in his throat as Calum began to ease his shirt off of his shoulders while peppering his skin with kisses.

"I should've shaved," he mumbled. 

"No," Calum assured him. "I like the chest hair," he whispered before scraping his teeth across his skin. 

Ashton moaned, his head rolling back as he concentrated on Calum's mouth and hands, his own fingers grasping the other man's messy black curls. He pushed Calum back against the couch, finding his mouth again and sucking on his bottom lip, electricity coursing between them. Music started playing out of nowhere and he was puzzled when Calum stopped kissing him and wrapped one arm around his waist to hold him in place while he fished his phone out of his pocket. 

Ashton frowned at the interruption and shifted his weight, sliding off his lap as Calum looked at him apologetically. "I'm really sorry, but it's Nicole. I think something's wrong." 

Ashton's annoyance was immediately replaced by concern. Calum reached over and squeezed his hand, giving him a smile as he answered the call. It was brief, and Ashton heard every word. Nicole wouldn't give details over the phone but Vanessa's school had called and there was to be a teacher-parent meeting the very next day. 

"I need you here. You need to be a part of this," she told him.

"I'm on my way," Calum replied without hesitation. He hung up, and Ashton could tell he was pissed and very worried.

"I hope everything is ok," he stood up and headed for the kitchen. 

"She's been having a problem with a girl at school. We thought putting her in private school would make her life easier, but these rich kids are nasty little shits. Where did you go?" Calum stood up and straightened his clothes. When he looked up, he was confused by Ashton's sudden disappearance. 

"I wanted to send you home with a doggy bag," Ashton replied, coming out of the kitchen with a paper bag in his hand. 

"I thought we ate most of it." Now Calum was really perplexed. 

He walked Calum to the door. "We did, but these are smaller versions I made for you to take home and cook yourself. I wrote instructions on a card that's in the bag, and there's a piece of flourless chocolate cake I made for dessert." He had to stop for a second and look away, suddenly shy at the way Calum was smiling at him. He took a breath and kept going. "I hate that you have to go, but it's sweet how much you care about your family. I had a really good time tonight, not just because of," he waved towards the couch, "you know, that. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. So maybe, I mean if you want to hang out sometime..." 

Calum reached out and brushed his thumb across Ashton's bottom lip. "You're so damn cute when you're nervous." Calum leaned down and gave him a soft kiss goodbye. "I want to take you on a date, a real one. I have to go, but I'll text you. Goodnight." Another kiss and he was gone. 

********

They were slow for lunch inside the restaurant. Daniel and Gloria were handling takeout, so Rafi and Hima were doing some extra prep for the weekend. She was helping make challah bread for brunch on Sunday when she spotted her boss gliding into work. She burst into laughter at Ashton's goofy grin despite the dark circles and bags under his eyes. Rafi saw him too and whistled and hooted until Ash flipped them both off and disappeared into his office. 

Twenty minutes later, Hima set a plate of cookies down on his desk. 

"We want you to try these. We're working on expanding catering to boxed lunches," she told him, sitting across from him. 

"We've been open less than a month," he told her, trying not to spit cookie crumbs everywhere.

"We're already doing decent business on takeout, so we're just floating ideas for new revenue streams as word of mouth gets going. The reviews have been glowing, and I've been monitoring social media. We've been getting good exposure so far. I've had some offers to trade a free meal for exposure, but nobody has been worth our time." 

Ashton nodded, as he'd learned long ago to trust her instincts. The cookies were perfect, absolutely delicious, but he knew that's not why she was in his office.

"How's my new stepfather? I've never seen you look so joyful, it's almost disturbing." Hima teased, but she was thrilled for him. Ashton deserved to be happy, and if she couldn't snuggle up to Calum “tall, dark, and handsome” Hood, having him as an in-law would work. Ashton took another big bite, chewing intently as if deep in thought. However, the blush creeping up his neck, not to mention the little hickey she spotted under his ear.

“So I take it the dinner went well. How was breakfast?" She asked, batting her eyes innocently.

"You're incorrigible, I swear," he laughed and leaned back in his chair. "He didn't stay the night. We kissed, but he got a phone call and had to leave." 

"That fucking sucks," Hima pouted.

"Tell me about it. It was just getting good when the phone rang," Ashton felt himself getting hard thinking about it.

"Oh God, your face right now. You're so lost. Were you in the kitchen? All Hallmark-movies-of-the-week style?" 

"No, I was straddling him on my couch if you may know," he told her just as she took a drink of water. 

She tried not to choke and succeeded in dribbling water down her chin as she sputtered. "The mental image I just got. I hate you, you know that right?" She wiped her face with a towel she pulled from her apron and then threw it at Ashton.

"He's really a great guy," Ashton giggled. "Have you watched him eat though?" 

"I know right, the faces," Hima almost yelled, catching herself and taking it down a notch. "I've never seen anything like it. Makes you wonder eh?" She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Seriously though, I'm really happy it worked out. You guys are gonna make such a cute couple. Now we have to find someone for me." 

"Why? Is Dakota not working out?" It was Ashton's turn to look innocent as he watched the comment land. 

Hima blinked rapidly before looking him straight in the eye. "I was not expecting that. How did you know?" She asked, but the answer came to her at the same time. "The cameras are on your phone. Am I fired?"

"Are you kidding? No, I'm just teasing, but yeah that caught me by surprise the other night," Ashton felt awful when she burst into tears. "You're not in trouble. Hima, look at me, we're friends. I'm not mad. I'm not going to tell your family." He came around the desk and pulled her out of her chair and into a hug.

Hima started to laugh, and he could feel her shaking in his arms. "Oh shit, sorry," she wiped away tears, as she eased away from him.. "I don't know why I reacted like that. I felt like my dad caught me lying and there was this rush of blind panic."

"I'm sorry, I was just fucking with you," Ashton didn't know what to say.

"I shouldn’t have done it, but I’m wanting to try things. But if I’m feeling guilty I can’t enjoy it.  Can I tell you?" Ashton nodded and she continued. "I met him on FetLife, more on that in a second. He's got a girlfriend, but he wanted to try something new. Maisie won't let me use her place to meet up when her roommate is there. I had fun, but I didn't feel good about it after so it's a one and done. Anyway, I'm pretty sure Calum is on FetLife. He has a pain kink, nipple clamps, and light bondage from what I saw on his profile.  I checked this morning and his profile was deleted. I'll send you the screenshot I took the first time. I don't know his tattoos, but you might." 

There was a loud knock at the door, and they both jumped. Rafi opened the door before Ashton could answer, and Hima was taken aback by how angry he looked. 

"You're not gonna believe this boss," Rafi said, a flush creeping up his neck. "Luke's here, he wants to see you." 

Ashton jumped up followed by Hima hot on his heels. Gloria stopped them in the kitchen, blocking Ashton's path as they began to go back and forth arguing in Spanish with Rafi and Daniel cutting into the conversation.

Hima was the only person in the room who hadn't come over from Lune Rouge and wasn't included in the conversation. She took advantage of the distraction to slip past them and out through the prep area to the bar. She was looking towards the hostess podium, not expecting him to be sitting two feet from her looking straight at her as she came through the swinging doors. She'd seen enough pictures to recognize him right away, but he was even better looking in person. His blue eyes were sad, and for a second she thought he’d been crying. He turned on the charm instantly, giving her his best smile and extending his hand. 

"I recognize you," he told her. "You're Hima, Ash's girl wonder. I've heard so many good things about you. I went to Johnson and Wales for a bit myself. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Hima instantly saw how Ashton had been so thoroughly bewitched by this man, and it amazed her that Luke had the balls to walk into their restaurant. She opened her mouth to tell him so when Ashton came out of the kitchen on the other side of the bar. Rafi came out and stood next to her behind the bar until Ashton glared at them and they ducked back inside.

"What do you want?" Ashton asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Listen, I didn't know how else to reach you," Like started.

"There's a reason for that. What do you want?" Ashton repeated the question.

"Can we sit down and talk, somewhere private? It's been so long" Luke whined, the sound grating on Ashton's nerves.

"Nope, I'm busy and I don't want you here. Please leave, don't contact me again," Ashton turned to go. 

"Wait its Mom," Luke played his ace card. "She had surgery. I'm worried about her." 

Ashton turned back around slowly, looking at Luke, who couldn't quite hide the triumphant smirk knowing he still had leverage over his ex. Ashton’s anger felt hollow now, not the gut-wrenching agonizing pain that once was there every day since he caught Luke cheating. It was gone, all of it. The realization was liberating. Knowing the seething hatred didn't follow him like a storm cloud, and the spell of attraction was irrefutably broken.  Ashton knew right then that he didn't love Luke anymore, and he couldn't ever get it back even if he wanted to. 

"Luke, your mom had her thyroid removed last Thursday. She's fine, we're having lunch next week. Get the fuck out of my restaurant," Ashton hissed.

Luke looked like he was going to start something, but Ashton stared him down, watching as he left the restaurant, got in his car, and drove away. He then pushed back through the kitchen doors, past everyone without a word, locked himself in his office, sat in his chair, and wept for almost an hour. The adrenaline rush of seeing Luke, the relief of knowing it was done, needed a release. When he was finished, he cleaned up a bit and finished the cookies Hima had left on his desk. There were a couple of text messages on his phone. The first was from Hima 

You ok boss? 

Never been better, I'll be out in a bit

Under that was Calum

Can't wait to see you again but I have to go out of town tomorrow. There's an event at the observatory for the meteor shower so I'll be up in the mountains. Let me pick you up Monday afternoon if you don't have to work

He did have to work, but Hima was off and she'd switch with him for this. 

Sounds good, let me know what time

I can't wait 😉 I wanna pick up where we left off before we were interrupted. I'm almost at school. I have to go to the principal's office, some things never change. Looking forward to Monday

Ashton read the message, not knowing how he was going to stand the anticipation. He got up to find Hima. e could not work Monday. This was too important. 

*********

Calum pulled into the parking spot, looking up at Ashton's building. He sent a text letting him know he was outside. As he waited, Calum glanced into the backseat at the picnic basket full of goodies Hima had helped him select. He'd sent her an email on his way out of town headed to where he would have little to no cell service. There was a little park that, if you knew how to wind through a subdivision full of dead-end and one-way streets, was about twenty minutes away from Calum's house. There was a duck pond next to a jacaranda tree that he'd always thought would be perfect for a date. He glanced up at the cloudy sky praying the weather held throughout the day. 

Calum wiped his palms on his jeans and took a deep breath. He'd been looking forward to this all weekend, even sitting in the observatory atop Mt Hamilton watching shooting stars streak across the sky. He'd been impatient to get back to Ashton. Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered.  The lyrics to a song he hadn't heard in over a decade bubbled up into his brain, taking him back to his grandmother in Scotland cleaning her kitchen and singing along to the FM radio above her sink. 

I'm wild again, beguiled again. Gran always told his sister to "find a brawny lad who can make you laugh and works hard." Calum grinned, watching Ashton emerge from his building wearing a green, long-sleeved Henley shirt and black skinny jeans that clung to his physique. Brawny lad indeed.

Calum turned the music down when Ashton opened the car door and climbed in. He was completely caught off guard when the other man handed him a small bundle from behind his back. Calum looked at the small bunch of plants tied together with kitchen twine and a small ribbon. 

"You brought me flowers?" He asked, feeling his face get warm. "That's so thoughtful." Calum's throat was tight, and he knew he was blushing crimson. He smiled at Ashton, trying not to get too emotional. He focused on the bouquet which allowed him to take a second to regain his composure. As he did, he realized this was unlike any bouquet he'd seen before. "Are these from your garden?" 

"Yeah," Ashton giggled, giddy and nervous. He shifted in his seat. He pointed to the small purple flowers on one. "These are chive blossoms, sage, and thyme." His fingers brushed the delicate white bell shaped blossoms. "Sweet marjoram, and this is borage, both great additions to a salad or stew. I added some daisies and rosemary for color and fragrance. I'm glad you like them." Calum looked up and Ashton looked away, shy again. 

"If you're trying to impress me, it's working. I love them, thank you," he said brushing his fingers along the back of Ashton's hand. He reached behind his seat and grabbed a handful of napkins and a cup out of the picnic supplies. He carefully wrapped up the little bundle and placed it in the cup. "We should get going before the weather turns on us." 

"Where are we going?" Ashton asked, buckling his seatbelt.

"It's a surprise," Calum winked at him. 

"How was the meteor shower?" Ashton asked.

"Out of this world," Calum shot back and they both erupted into laughter.

Ashton leaned back in his seat, watching Calum's face as he concentrated on getting through a construction zone. His eyes landed on a small faint bruise on Calum's neck. He felt his cock twitch in his pants at the memory of leaving the mark, knowing he had every intention of leaving more later tonight. 

 Calum glanced over, and this time Ashton didn't look away, instead giving him a wink and a sly smile before Calum had to tear his eyes away to focus on the road. He gasped when Ashton reached over and put a hand on his knee. Ashton jerked his hand back at the sound, but Calum caught it. He gave him a squeeze then placed Ashton's hand on his leg again, slightly higher than before. 

"Almost there, this place is a maze, but it's a nice quiet park," Calum made a series of turns and Ashton spotted the park up ahead. They passed the first parking lot near a playground where several kids were running around before making another turn and parking in a smaller lot. 

Calum got out and walked to the back of the Rover. Ashton came around right as he was opening the hatch. 

"What can I carry?" Ashton asked. 

Calum frowned and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He had his phone set to only allow for two numbers to ring through.

 Ashton's heart sank watching Calum's expression. Please not another family emergency.  He felt guilty, but he wanted Calum all to himself today. 

"It's my mom, she's probably calling to chat but I have to answer. Give me just a second, I'm so sorry," Calum apologized. 

Ashton nodded and smiled, hoping it was nothing serious. "I'm a Mama's boy too," he reminded him. "I'll look around a bit." 

Ashton wandered off towards a lovely pond where he spotted a family of ducks swimming together. There was a tree overlooking the pond giving off shade and a little privacy.  He heard Calum laugh and say his goodbyes to his mom, and he was relieved to see everything was fine. The ducks quacked out a warning before turning and swimming in the other direction. He started to turn back to go help Calum unload the car when the first raindrop hit his nose. Ashton looked up as it started to sprinkle. As he headed back towards the parking lot the drizzle increased to a soft steady rain.  Then a streak of lightning split the sky with a deafening crack causing Ashton to almost jump out of his skin at the incredible noise. Unfortunately, this caused him to lose his footing and slip on the wet grass. He crashed hard into the ground and fell again when he tried to get up. Calum hurried over and reached Ashton just as he struggled to his feet, his left side streaked with mud and grass clippings sticking to his skin and hair. 

"Are you ok?" Calum reached out to steady him. 

"Yeah let's get out of here," Ashton snapped. "Sorry, I'm not mad at you." 

"It's fine, really," Calum opened his door for him before going to his side and getting in. "We'll go to my house, I live ten minutes from here." 

Ashton hesitated, not wanting to dirty up Calum's car, getting soaked standing there. 

"It's fine," Calum reassured him. 

Ashton thought for a second and then pulled his shirt, which got the worst of the mud, off over his head, wrung it out as best he could, tossed it on the rubber floor mat, and got in. 

Calum turned the car on and flipped the heat on low so Ashton wouldn't get chilled. He wanted to say something, make small talk, anything as they drove in silence. 

"I'm sorry about that," he began.

"Why? Rain is rain, it's not your fault. I might need to borrow your shower though. The grass is starting to itch," Ashton reached over and put his hand on Calum's knee again. Calum pulled it a little higher, and Ashton responded by sliding his hand all the way up Calum's thigh as far as he could go without actually touching his dick. Calum didn't say a word but Ashton smiled as he heard the sharp intake of breath and felt the car accelerate in response. 

They pulled up to a small bungalow at the end of a winding road as the rain started to pick up. Calum grabbed the basket and handed Ashton a bag and they both made a dash for the front door. They were greeted by Brutus barking and bouncing on his back legs at the sight of Ashton. Calum was stunned when the little dog launched himself at the newcomer’s ankles, immediately flipping over for a belly rub. 

"Somebody's friendly," Ashton cooed, leaning down to pet him.

"Not usually," Calum told him. "I'll get set up in here. Follow me, I'll show you where the shower is." He walked down the hall, Ashton and Brutus trailing behind him. He stopped at a closet and grabbed a couple of towels before opening another door. "This is the bathroom. I've got a couple different kinds of body wash, use whatever you need and I'll find you something dry to change into. You want a t-shirt or button up? Pants or shorts?" Calum asked trying not to gawk at Ashton's bare chest. 

Ashton shrugged. "Something that's comfortable and easy to take off sounds good. It won't take long. It's not safe but I've gotta rinse off."  The lights flickered and they both looked up. 

"You'd better hurry. I'll leave the clothes outside the door," Calum told him before leaning in for a quick kiss. 

Ashton frowned when he pulled back but Calum winked and disappeared into his bedroom across the hall. Ashton was tempted to follow but he needed to stop itching first.

*******

Ashton was halfway down the hall when the lights went out. He'd changed into the pajama pants and t-shirt Calum left hanging on the doorknob. He followed a soft glow until he found himself in the living room. Calum had set up some food in a spread on the coffee table, but he was nowhere to be seen. Ashton sat down on the couch and began to nibble on some strawberries when he heard a door slam and Calum came out wearing similar drawstring pants and a black shirt fully unbuttoned so the candlelight reflected off his bare chest making him look like a golden god. 

"Oh hey, that was quick. I didn't know how hungry you were so I put the cold stuff in the fridge. I thought you might want to have a drink first. I have wine." 

"Sounds good, we can eat later. I'm not really thinking about food right now," Ashton replied, food the furthest thing from his mind. 

Calum sat down next to him, handing him a glass of red wine. Ashton took a sip and recognized it as a German ice wine he loved that was not easy to come by. 

"How did you know? How did you find it so quickly?" Ashton looked up in disbelief. 

"My wife called your wife about the feature and next thing I know I've got a box on my doorstep with this wine and some salami I've never heard of. There was also a caramel brownie cake that looks like it's gonna go straight to my hips. I did my own research for the rest of it.  I know this date isn't going exactly how I wanted it to, but I wanted to make things special. At least the food will be good," Calum sighed.

"You didn't have to do all that," Ashton told him.

"Yeah I did," Calum responded. "You really went all out the other day. Everyone I’ve talked to while writing this feature has gone on and on about how kind and generous you are. You’re always put so much effort into other people and you deserve to have someone make that kind of effort for you. You're so warm and caring, and funny too. Anyone who doesn't see how special you are is an idiot," Calum stopped talking, afraid he'd said too much. He took a big gulp of wine only looking up when Ashton reached over to take the glass from his hand. He set both their glasses on the table and turned back to Calum. 

Without a word, Calum reached for him pulling him onto his lap, Ashton's knees on either side of his hips. Ashton slid Calum's shirt off his shoulders as their lips met with a heated urgency. Calum nipped Ashton's bottom lip before their tongues tangled. Ashton pulled back and grazed his teeth and tongue down Calum's throat. His long fingers traced around Cal's dark nipples before giving them a sharp tug. Calum grunted and bucked underneath him in response making Ashton try it again. Leaving slow sucking kisses down his neck pinching the stiff rosy buds after each one as Calum began to grind his erection up against Ashton. Breathy cries escaped his lips as he got more aroused, more desperate. 

Calum was tugging at the drawstring on Ashton's pants and slipping past the waistband. His hand closed around Ashton's length and he moaned in anticipation.  It was bigger than he expected and thicker than anything Calum had imagined outside of porn and his wildest dreams.

"Let me suck you off," Calum begged as Ashton continued to mark up his neck. 

Ashton shook his head, his soft curls brushing against Calum's jaw. 

"Can't let that happen, sweetheart," Ashton answered, barely lifting his lips from the patchwork of red welts and slight purple bruises. "I'll cum too fast if I let you put those pretty lips around my cock. I've thought about it so many times." 

Calum shivered as much from the heat of the other man's breath on his skin as the words he'd said. 

"Mmmm I like that," Calum hissed. He arched his back as Ashton's head dipped lower, sucking a trail down his chest and latching onto his nipple. "I've wanted this, need you, Ash." 

Ashton pushed hard against Calum's chest and stood up. Calum whined at the sudden lack of contact,  his kiss swollen lips pursing into a pout. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking up at Ashton who was peeling off his shirt revealing his lean physique, chest heaving with a sheen of sweat, tattooed flames peeking out underneath his ribs. Calum started to get up but Ashton stopped him. 

"Nothing's wrong, everything is perfect," Ashton told him, bending down for a quick kiss. "I wanted to take my time but hearing you moan my name like that is too much. Slide your pants down, let me taste you."  Ashton carefully moved the table back far enough they wouldn't bump anything as things got crazy. 

"Oh God," Calum gasped as Ashton kneeled between his thighs, tugging impatiently as he raised his hips and kicked his shorts off.

Ashton licked around the tip of Calum's cock feeling it twitch seeking his mouth. Calum reached for him but Ashton pinned his hands beside him on the couch. "Not yet," Ashton teased, fluttering the tip of his tongue along the ridge. 

"Oh fuck Ashton, please," Calum's eyes rolled back and his jaw dropped open as Ashton took him all the way down his throat. He had to concentrate to keep himself from exploding right then.  Calum tried to squirm away but there was nowhere to go. Ashton let up instantly.

"Are you ok? Do you want me to stop?" Ashton's hazel eyes were searching Calum's face.

Calum grabbed Ashton's hand and placed it in his inner thigh. "I don't want you to ever stop. I'm just trying not to bust too soon." 

Ashton grinned and leaned forward. His mouth hovered just above Calum's shaft, close enough he could reach out with the tip of his tongue, if he wanted to. 

"Don't want that to happen do we?" Ashton smirked, grasping the base of Calum's shaft applying pressure just above the balls and pulling it back away from Calum's stomach. 

"Keep doing that," Calum moaned, waiting until the pressure turned to slight pain. "Let go, let go," he cried and Ashton released his grip letting his dick spring back, slapping against his stomach. "Fuck babe, do that again," Calum whined, pulling his nipples his dark eyes intensely focused on Ashton.

Ashton flushed under Calum's stare feeling the knot in his stomach twist with desire as Calum moaned with each stroke, each release. They were both sweating now, the dim light giving Calum's broad chest as Ashton pushed up and met Calum's lips for a kiss. 

Ashton stood up looking down at Calum seated on the couch. Reaching down he cupped his hand around the massive bulge straining against his pants before pushing his hips towards Calum's face. His dark bushy eyebrows raised in a smirk Calum began to tease Ashton with nips and sucking kisses.  Ashton hissed at the feeling of teeth grazing his shaft through the flannel. Calum groaned against him as Ashton impatiently slithered the waistband down past his hips. Calum's mouth was on him in a flash, lips parted and taking him down past the back of his throat resisting the urge to gag around his length. Ashton cried out as his hands tangled in Calum's soft curls leaning his weight against Calum to keep his knees from shaking. 

Calum looked up at the man hovering over him, their eyes met and the need intensified. Ashton bent down for a kiss as Calum's hands reached up pulling his hips down once more. In between the flurry of passionate kisses and hands roaming and grasping desperately to feel as much of the other’s skin against their own Calum could barely gasp out the words.

"How do you want me?" 

Ashton's head spun at the sound of the words. He'd imagined this so many times, gotten himself off so many times thinking about this moment. Now that it was here he didn't hesitate to answer.

"I wanna ride you until you cum for me," Ashton told him.

Calum looked shocked and Ashton started to explain, "normally I'm a top but with you I thought-" 

He couldn't finish the sentence before Calum stopped him with a kiss. "Don't have to explain. I wanna try everything you wanna try. Let me grab something really quickly," Calum helped Ashton shift so he could get up. He grabbed a towel and pulled open the drawer on the coffee table where he'd stashed lube and condoms just in case. Ashton chuckled but his breath caught in his throat as Calum turned back towards him. Fully nude, the candlelight cast a golden glow across Calum's chest and thighs as he walked back towards the couch, sliding the condom on with a stroke and Ashton couldn't remember anything sexier.  They settled back on the couch with Ashton straddling Calum his knees on either side of his hips. Calum moved his hand down as Ashton raised his hips as Cal's fingers moved past Ashton's balls to tease his tight hole. 

Ashton sighed and relaxed back against Calum feeling himself being spread open as he worked another couple of fingers in. When Ashton had gotten used to the stretch he began to rock his hips impatiently and wanting more. Calum chuckled against Ashton's chest as Ashton took the lube from him and made sure Calum's cock was nice and slick before easing the head of it into his eager entrance. Calum held his breath, clenching his stomach and thighs to hold still while Ashton carefully worked Calum's length inside him. The pain gave way to a throbbing ache as Ashton began to rock his hips. Calum was thick, so he felt the most delicious stretch. Calum's hands roamed everywhere. He ran his nails along Ashton's thighs, stroking over the phoenix tattoo on his ribcage, and grazed through Ashton's chest hair before tugging at his necklace. Ashton's hips moved faster as he leaned back to balance his hands on Calum's thighs. Calum wrapped his hand around Ashton's cock matching thrust in time. There were no words needed as they moved together moans and groans punctuated with the occasional soft little sigh because it just felt so good. 

Calum's hips bucked and he knew he couldn't hold back much longer. Not with the way Ashton was bouncing on him now, his thighs pumping as he sought his own climax. Ashton leaned forward whimpering into Calum's neck, nuzzling and nibbling. His tempo increased, his nails dug into Calum's scalp and his long fingers pulled his curls. Calum kept one hand on Ashton's shaft while the other clutched Ashton's hip spurring him on. 

A growl ripped from Ashton's chest as his orgasm exploded from his core shooting electricity through every nerve ending in his body. Calum felt him erupt between their bodies spilling through his fingers and onto his chest. Ashton clenched around Calum's cock sending him crashing into ecstasy as Ashton's hips stuttered and jerked, milking every drop from Calum as he thrust up into Ashton, his eyes rolling back in his head. Ashton sat up pulling Calum's head into his chest, Calum's arms wrapped around Ashton's waist as they traded breaths and their heartbeats slowed back down. Ashton eased himself off Calum causing both of them to groan a little at the lack of contact.

Calum got up and staggered into the kitchen to throw the condom away and wash his hands.  He came back with a bottle of water for each of them, flipping the spout up before handing it over.  Ashton sat up and guzzled the entire bottle as Calum grabbed the towel wiping himself off quickly and tossing it on the couch.  Ashton excused himself to clean up and when he came back Calum had moved the table back by the couch and was munching on a cluster of grapes. 

"Sorry, but I'm always hungry after sex," Calum looked sheepish and Ashton noticed he hadn't bothered to get dressed yet. Not that I'm complaining.  Ashton ran his hand up Calum's thigh as he settled next to him on the couch. 

"Don't apologize," Ashton gave him a wink. "You need to get your strength back for round two." 

"Oh yeah?" Calum raised his eyebrows and bit into the fruit, letting the juices dribble down his chin. 

"Keep looking at me like that and see what happens," Ashton smirked but he was hungry too. 

Calum pulled a throw blanket and some cushions on to the floor so they could stretch out.  Ashton poured more wine while Calum grabbed the food out of the fridge. Ashton's mouth watered when he saw the espresso baked brie and the spinach croquettes. Calum had done his homework and Ashton was incredibly touched by the effort. 

Calum sat down with his back against the couch and Ashton propped himself up at a slight angle to him, close enough to touch, with the food places between them, their legs stretched out and tangled together. They ate in comfortable silence exchanging smiles and glances between bites. They found little ways to touch each other, unable to keep their hands off each other. Calum fed Ashton a bite of chocolate only to find the other man's lips pressed to the inside of his wrist. Ashton wiping crumbs off Calum's bottom lip before finding his thumb captured between Cal's teeth.  Calum laughed and started to say something but Ashton had spaced out on him. 

"What's on your mind?" Calum cringed when he realized he'd spoken out loud. 

"I'm trying not to think about things too much, it's never a good idea," Ashton admitted. He was already in too deep, whether he said it out loud or not.

Calum pulled Ashton in close,  folding the other man into his arms so his head was resting just above Calum's heart. Ashton closed his eyes, listened to the rhythm, and the rise and fall of Calum's chest. 

"I know what you mean. This is going to sound corny but I feel like I should be nervous, I'm not though. I really like you and I'm not going to try to find something wrong. I'm too excited to see what happens next." Calum finished his thought with a string of kisses along Ashton's hairline before adding," I have to Venmo Hima  $100 before I forget." 

Ashton pulled back laughing, he grabbed his phone off the table. "I can't say shit, she pulled the same scam on me." 

Calum laughed and leaned forward to get his phone as well. Ashton eyed Calum's bare ass noticing the slight tan line just above his hips. Calum saw his expression and wiggled his hips. "Like what you see?" Calum's tone was playful but Ashton could see his dick getting hard again. 

"I will take you right here Hood," Ashton growled reaching for a condom. 

Calum's phone rang, it was Hima on FaceTime. 

"Answer it, I dare you," Ashton pulled Calum onto his back and placed his hands on the back of Calum's thighs. 

"Hima, what's up?" As soon as Calum answered the call he felt Ashton's tongue teasing between his cheeks. He fought to keep a straight face as he told Hima about the disaster in the park despite Ashton probing and licking against his hole. Aston buried his tongue and Calum ended the call without saying goodbye and tossed his phone to the side. 

Ashton made Calum beg to be fucked before he finally relented and replaced his tongue with the head of his dick. Ashton kept Calum's knees to his chest as he took his time easing his cock into Calum's ass, adding lube as he went. Calum had never been with anyone this big and he pulled his own nipples as Ashton stretched him as far as he could go. The thrill of the pain was unlike anything Calum had experienced and Ashton made him beg before he pushed further. Calum gasped as Ashton bottomed out, seeing his arms flex as he held himself in place, the light reflecting off the red blood moon tattoos and bold black star. Ashton moved his hips, barely pulling out and rocking against his ass to hit a spot deep inside him that Calum never knew existed. The surprised moan that filled the room spurred Ashton to maintain that control, giving long slow deep strokes, and hitting that spot each time. 

Calum's hand closed around his dick, trying to keep from cumming before he was ready. Ashton switched positions, biceps curling around Calum's thick thighs as they moved together, chasing their climax together. 

Calum arched his back, his spine contracting and releasing slamming his hips against the floor. Ashton rutted his hips, pushing deeper into Calum. His vision blurred as Calum's name fell from his lips. Calum cried out underneath him and Ashton watched Calum's release spattering his chest and stomach with white streaks. Ashton collapsed on top of him shaking uncontrollably as he came undone. 

"Oh my God Ashton, that was incredible," Calum whispered when he found his voice again. They untangled from each other, both sticky and sleepy, overheated from exertion. 

Calum made sure the candles were blown up and there was nothing left out that could hurt Brutus before he led Ashton into the bathroom where they fumbled around in the shadows taking turns rinsing each other off and exchanging clumsy kisses.  Calum took them into his bedroom, pulling the covers down on the bed as the electric came back on. The AC started with a whoosh turning the room chilly very quickly. They scrambled under the covers quickly, fighting for the covers and giggling like little kids. There was a bit of awkward positioning before they ended up laying face to face unable to stop staring at each other, chatting for what seemed like hours, hands, and legs intertwined before they finally dozed off.

**********

When Ashton woke up he was alone in a strange bed. The smell of Calum tickled his senses and the bed was still warm. There was a light shining from the hallway. He listened and heard tiny scraping sounds coming towards him before a small dog burst into the room and launched himself on the bed. Brutus attacked Ashton with doggy kisses as Calum followed him into the room. 

"Brutus, get down," Calum scolded him. "Sorry about that. He needed to go out and I was trying not to wake you." 

"What time is it?" Ashton looked around for his phone. 

"It's a little after midnight, I can drive you home if you need to go," Calum offered, unable to hide his sudden disappointment.

"There's nowhere else I want to be, come back to bed," Ashton yawned and stretched out. 

Calum slid under the covers, cuddling into Ashton's body heat, Brutus curled up on the duvet between them. Calum rested his head against his shoulder and Ashton's fingers aimlessly snaked through Calum's soft dark curls. The rain began again as they drifted off to dream together.

@sublimehood​​​ @tea4sykes​​​ @be-ready-when-i-say-go​​ @scribblesos​​​ @kiiiimberlyriiiicker1995​​​ @wildmichaelflower​​​ @castaway-cashton​​​ @damselindistressanu​​​ @notinthesameguey​​​ @cashtonasfuck​​ @irwinkitten​​ @mermaidcashton​​​ @malumsmermaid​​​

[dakotacrisis]

Bright Beginnings

This is a spin-off chapter of my other fic: Transferred. If you haven’t read it then this may not make a lot of sense. At some point while writing Transferred Kagami and Marinette went from friends to awkward flirting dorks and I do not regret it one bit.

---

It was the morning after the fundraiser and Marinette was among one of the first awake. Marinette and Kagami were still cuddled together on the couch. Chloe was curled up in bed and Aurore was spread starfish on the floor. Sabrina was the only other one awake. They made eye-contact and Sabrina waved before returning to her phone.

Marinette’s leg was asleep and she wanted to brush her teeth and get something to eat but she also had a very warm and adorable fencer using her as a pillow. So suffice to say Marinette wasn’t moving. She did free one of her arms to brush the hair away from Kagami’s face.

“Hm?” Kagami’s face scrunched up as she awoke. She looked up at Marinette and gave her a sleepy smile.

“Good morning,” Marinette whispered so not to wake Aurore or Chloe.

“Mornin,” Kagami yawned, “Sorry for falling asleep on you.”

“Don’t be.” Marinette said. Kagami’s face went pink and Marinette suddenly became aware of just how intimate a position they were in. Kagami nestled on Marinette’s chest with their legs woven together and arms wrapped around one another.

“Marinette?” Kagami asked, “Are you doing anything today?”

“Not anything I couldn’t put off till tomorrow.” Marinette was hoping Kagami couldn’t feel how fast her heart was beating. “Why?”

“I was thinking that, if you wanted to, we could--”

“Sweet jeebs,” Aurore stretched awake, “Who let me fall asleep on the floor? My back is killing me.”

“Hey! Some of us were still trying to sleep!” Chloe snapped. “Whatever, everyone up. Let’s get some breakfast up in here.”

With a sigh Marinette and Kagami untangled themselves and ordered breakfast. Housekeeping came by to clean up their junk food mess from the night before while the girls ate breakfast. Marinette herself nibbled on some strawberries while most of the others slathered croissants and toasted baguettes in jams. Honestly, if they weren’t fresh from her parent’s bakery she couldn’t eat them. Having bakers for parents had spoiled her for store bought pastries.

“Kagami, you got a little jam right there.” Marinette pointed out a spot at the corner of her mouth.

Kagami wiped the opposite side. “Did I get it?”

“No. I got it,” Marinette grabbed a napkin and wiped the jam away, “There, all better.”

“Thanks.” Kagami smiled softly.

“Oh, what was it you were asking me earlier?” Marinette asked.

“Right,” Kagami shifted in her seat, “I was wondering that if you weren’t doing anything today if maybe you wanted to hang out. I know we spent all last night together but my mother let me have the entire weekend off so I was hoping we could go out. Just the two of us.”

“I’d like that. I’ll have to stop by my house to change and drop off my dress but after that I’m all yours.” No way was Marinette going to parade around the city with a case of slept in hairspray head. Not if she was going to be spending the entire time with Kagami.

“I need to stop at my house too. How about we meet at the park near your house around noon?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

After breakfast wrapped up the girls changed out of their pajamas and collected their outfits from the night before. Marinette raced back to her house so she had time to get a shower and pick a cute outfit. Trying to run while carrying a garment bag holding a huge ballgown wasn’t easy but she made it work.

She barely said hello to her parents before she was upstairs. She tossed the dress across her chaise and hopped in the shower to get rid of the post-party grime. When she was done she went immediately to her closet and rifled through what she had. She wanted to look cute but also casual. It was a shame it was too cold for sundresses now.

Wait! She had a sweater dress that would be perfect for a chilly autumn day on the town. She grabbed the comfy red dress and slid it on. To make sure she was warm throughout Marinette also put on some fleece lined black leggings and black boots. There. Casual and cute.

She grabbed her purse and went to go meet Kagami.

Why was she so nervous all of the sudden hanging out with Kagami? They were friends. They put aside their feelings for Adrien to get to this point. There was virtually nothing to worry about. If that were true though then why was her heart beating so fast when she thought of being alone with her? It felt like when Marinette got sat next to her on her first day at Lycee Carnot. Except it wasn’t out of awkward jealousy. It felt like a lot more was on the line.

Stop it, Marinette! She chided herself. You need to get out of your head. You are just hanging out with Kagami. You’ve done this a plenty of times before now.

“Marinette, over here!” Kagami waved from the fountain.

Marinette was stopped in her tracks when she saw Kagami waving. She looked so pretty! She had on a white turtleneck and dusty rose peacoat, blue jeans, and tan ankle booties.

Marinette didn’t even know Kagami owned anything pink. She was sure that she wasn’t a big pastel kinda girl. Regardless, it looked great on her.

“Hey,” Marinette found her tongue as she approached Kagami which was hard since upon closer inspection she could see Kagami had also done her make-up before coming out. Just some tinted lipgloss and mascara but now Marinette was kicking herself for only putting on eyeliner. She could have gotten away with some color on her lips at least!

“You look good,” Kagami said.

“Thanks. You look perfect.” Again Marinette wanted to bury her face in the neckhole of her sweater. What kind of a response was that?

“Thank you,” Kagami fidgeted with the buttons on her coat. “So, um, what did you want to do?”

“Whatever you want to do.”

“How about we take a walk and see if anything else comes to mind while we do.” Kagami suggested.

“Good. Yeah. Let’s do that.”

The girls left the park and started to walk around the city not talking about anything in particular. Mainly they reminisced funny moments from the party and sleepover last night. Kagami didn’t know it since she was the first to fall asleep but Marinette had kept the others from writing on her face afterwards. It was traditional sleepover antics but Marinette fought back the girls’ permanent marker attack.

“My hero,” Kagami laughed.

“All in a day’s work, madame.” Marinette gave a mock bow.

“Watch out!” Kagami pulled Marinette out of the way as a couple of kids on scooters rocketed past them. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Marinette had been so caught up in her little bow she hadn’t noticed the scooterers. Kagami had pulled Marinette toward her to keep her from getting run over and had yet to let go. The proximity sent a ripple up of warmth up her spine. “Guess you were my hero this time.”

“We all have our moments.” Kagami let her go. Her gaze lost again to the ground. “That being said you should probably stick close. Don’t want you accidentally getting run over by a rogue biker next.”

“I think that would be for the best.” Marinette wasn’t going to miss an excuse to stay even closer to her.

They continued on their walk. Their hands kept bumping together as they walked before Marinette had enough and grabbed Kagami’s. When Kagami looked at her Marinette gave a tiny shrug. “I thought that if someone was going to try running me over you could pull me to safety easier this way.”

“Good idea.” Kagami relaxed a touch as she wove their fingers together.

A thought from last night dug its way back from Marinette’s memory and poked at her brain as if to say, ‘Hey! Remember me? Remember how beautiful you thought Kagami looked last night?’

Can you not do this right now? Marinette shot back at the voice in her head.

‘Afraid not!’ If voices in Marinette’s head had facial expressions she’d be a hundred percent sure it was smirking right now. ‘Remember how you thought her lips looked good enough to kiss? They still look pretty kissable now too, huh?’

Please stop. I’m just trying to have a nice day out with my friend.

‘You are really going to try and say she’s just a friend? You’re holding her hand. You can’t stop looking at her. You woke up this morning cuddled with her. This is not typical friend behaviour!’

Not necessarily…

‘You can’t procrastinate on this, Dupain-Cheng! You like Kagami! Admit it!’

Of course I like Kagami. She’s talented, passionate, smart, brave…

She’s also really cute and kind. She has a great sense of humor and always makes time for her friends even if it may be hard to do. When she was thinking she made little humming noises and had a habit of fidgeting and tapping her foot when she was anxious. She also always seemed to smell like green tea and fabric softener. It made Marinette want to curl up in her warm arms and take a nap.

Oh...oh no.

‘Finally figure it out? You big bi-disaster.’

We are not putting a definitive label on this right now but disaster-bi will suffice for this freak out. Do not panic, Marinette! You have a crush on Kagami. A realization that was thrown into the blinding light of day with warm morning snuggles. Keep calm. Do not let your freak out show on your face or else Kagami might start asking questions. Smile and continue walking.

They stayed out all day walking around the city and talking. They stopped for lunch at a little cafe and stopped in the used bookshop next door to see if they had any interesting titles. “You find anything?” Marinette found Kagami sitting on the floor in a little nook of the bookshop. A stainglassed window sent hazy sunbeams of yellow, orange and green around the cozy corner.

Kagami snapped her book shut when she saw Marinette sending dust dancing through the air. “Achoo!” Kagami sneezed.

“Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Marinette sat down next to her. “What were you reading?”

“I think I know where Nanette’s moms got the name for their cafe.” Kagami handed her the small purple book. The gold lettering on the front read: Winking Violets by Nanette Sabot.

“And who they named Nanette after.” Marinette opened it. “What’s it about?”

“I had to look it up on my phone since it doesn’t have a description in the book. But apparently it is about these two women that grew up together as friends. One had to be taken far away to a warmer town during the winters because of her weak constitution but always promised her friend that she would return in time for the violets to bloom. So throughout the years the girls became closer and closer and their field of violets grew with them. Until--do you mind if I spoil it?”

“I don’t mind.” Marinette assured her. “I have a feeling I’m gonna end up sad.”

“Oh yeah,” Kagami sighed, “The day before the weak girl was supposed to return home after the winter a harsh frost covered their field of violets killing all the blooms in one day. The next morning the other girl received a letter telling her that her friend had died. Overcome with grief the girl wandered the now barren field until she found one small violet still clinging to life amongst the frost. She dug it up and carried it home where she kept it warm and watered. When it was strong enough the girl took the bloom and brought it to her friend’s grave where she planted it. That way her friend would never miss the violets blooming again.”

“That is so sad!”

“But still very sweet. It’s the kind of love you dream of having with someone.”

“I guess so,” It might have been the light playing tricks on her eyes but she could have sworn Kagami was blushing.

“So,” Marinette handed her the book back, “Are you gonna buy it?”

“I think I’ll regret it if I don’t.” Kagami looked back at Marinette. Her big brown eyes sparkling in the light. “Amongst other things.”

“Meaning?”

“I am not an indecisive person.”

“I know.”

“Which is why the fact that I’m hesitating right now is very unlike me.”

“I thought you just said you were gonna get the book.”

“Oh Marinette,” Kagami cupped Marinette’s face in her hands, “You silly scatterbrain. I’m not talking about buying the book.”

Her hands were so warm and her face was so close. What was happening? Scatterbrained was right. Marinette couldn’t keep two thoughts together right now.

“Oh?” Marinette finally murmured. Truly a stimulating and literate response.

Kagami giggled which sent another wave of butterflies loose in Marinette’s stomach. “I know this might seem sudden and I might be making a huge fool of myself but I need to say this. I really like you. Not just as a friend. Is that okay?”

“Mhm!” Marinette nodded. “Very okay?”

“You’re sure? I know you tend to overthink things--”

“All I’ve thought about doing since yesterday is kissing you.” Marinette confessed in a rush of words.

Kagami stared back at her wide eyed. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have just blurted that out like I did. It’s just that you’re really pretty today, you’re really pretty everyday, but today even more so. You looked gorgeous last night too. I like being around you and find myself looking for more and more excuses to be next to you. You’re one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met and I would gladly do most anything to make you smile cause I love seeing you happy. Now I’m scared that the second I stop talking you’re gonna freak out and walk away and I--”

Kagami silenced her with a quick kiss.

“I really wanted to kiss you too.” Kagami said.

Marinette could only smile before she went in for another kiss. This one longer and sweeter than the first. She could taste the faint sweetness of the creampuff they had ordered at the cafe on her lips.

“I guess this means neither of us have to worry about competing over Adrien anymore.” Marinette chuckled. Her forehead resting against Kagami’s.

“I’d say so.” Kagami laughed too.

“Ahem,” the bookshop owner peeked their head around the corner, “You girls find what you were looking for?”

“Yes,” Kagami and Marinette stood up, hands holding tightly to one another, “I think we have.”

---

Transferred:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15)

---

@ladylb @immatureidiot101 @lady-flora-of-slytherin @shamefullove @zazzlejazzle @heredemaquam @kristycocopops @schrodingers25 @sublimemagazinestarlight @crazylittlemunchkin @daydream-wannabewriter @trainflavor @never-neverland @mochinek0 @persephonebutkore

[takaraphoenix]

“I didn’t want to tell my friend who my real date last night was so I just pointed at a random stranger (you) but now they’re storming over to interrogate you and you’re playing along??? Okay” AU - Apollo/Percy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, E. I hope you’re having a great day!

--

"Hey there. Are you alright? Can you tell me where you are?"

"...Heaven. There's an angel carrying me around. Definitely heaven."

"Not exactly. You inhaled a lot of smoke and you were unconscious, so, seriously, do you know where you are and who you are?", asked Percy amused. "Fire-fighter, not angel."

"I'm Apollo. This is... was... my studio. You're still an angel though."

"Ap... Apollo", sputtered Percy, stumbling just a little bit.

Apollo was like... the most listened-to musician these days. He was on the radio all the time. And he was really good. Still, that out of anyone who could have been at the studio when it burned down, it had to be Apollo. And now Percy was carrying him out into safety.

"The one and only, cutie", grinned the singer with a wink.

Despite being the one carrying Apollo bridal-style, Percy blushed brightly. Did the billionaire musician just flirt with him? Once outside, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

"What do we got here, Percy?", asked their medic – Annabeth Chase.

"Smoke inhalation, he was passed out when I found him", offered Percy. "Take care of him."

"No—o, come back, angel", gasped Apollo dramatically as Percy walked away.

"There, there. Another case of SPCS", sighed Annabeth, gaining Apollo's attention.

"W... What...? What is that? Is it bad?", asked Apollo concerned.

"Savior Percy Crush Syndrome", applied the other medic. "I'm Grover, that's Annabeth and the 'angel' who just walked away is Percy. Don't worry, developing a crush on the fire-fighter who saves them. Completely normal, especially with Percy, hence us having a name for it. Now, let's get you to the hospital and thoroughly checked out, okay?"

"...Okay", whispered Apollo, eyes on the retreating fire-fighter.

/break\

"You've been sighing miserably for days now, brother. It's time to change that."

"And you think cakes can do that?", huffed Apollo with a glower.

Admittedly, he was pining and thus sighing a lot, but in his defense? This time was different! The fire-fighter had saved his life. And looked insanely hot and cute and what was Apollo supposed to do? He had sent flowers and chocolate and also an entire barbecue to the fire house. The barbecue for the entire house, though the flowers and chocolate specifically for Percy to thank him.

"When have sweets ever failed to cheer you up, brother?"

Apollo smiled thinly and looked gratefully at his sister. Among his siblings, Persephone was the one he was closest to – it also helped that her husband owned the record-label that had signed him on and given him his great break-through. She owned a flower-shop, where Apollo had gotten all the flowers he had sent Percy to (and all the flowers he had sent to past crushes. He tended to fall in love quite easily, it was his biggest weakness and his biggest strength – his biggest hits were love-songs, ballads, songs about broken hearts, these kind of things).

"Very well, something sweet surely can't hu-", started Apollo just to pause.

He was in disguise, wearing a hoodie, hood up to cover his golden hair, sunglasses over his eyes. He looked just like a regular guy, not the suave charming musician, because he didn't want to immediately be recognized by everyone. However, it took him a moment to recognize the man behind the counter too. Without the fire-fighter uniform and instead in soft blue pastel...

"That's him", hissed Apollo, tugging hard on his sister's hand.

"Who's what?", asked Persephone confused, looking at him.

"The cutie behind the counter!", exclaimed Apollo, pointing. "That's the fire-fighter!"

Persephone blinked a couple of times and turned from Apollo over toward the baker behind the counter. "Percy? Wait. You mean Percy is the fire-fighter you're obsessed with? Percy?"

"Why do you say his name like that?", hissed Apollo confused.

"He's friends with my step-children", explained Persephone. "That's how I know the store. Bianca showed me, she's been bringing pastries home every Sunday for family dinners. And Nico used to have the hugest crush on him, back before he met Jason."

"...Huh", whispered Apollo. "Well. Yes. That's the Percy. The fire-fighter, I mean. The angel."

Persephone hummed, a smile on her lips as she tugged Apollo along toward the counter. "Percy, dear. How are you doing and what special thing did you make today?"

"Hey, Phone", greeted Percy with a smile on his lips. "Today's special is mango-quark cake."

"Perfect. That and your chocolate cake for my brother here. Polly, say something."

"Why would you do this to me, Phone?", complained Apollo distressed, slowly lifting his hood.

"Oh. Oh", whispered Percy surprised, looking between Apollo and Persephone. "How have you never mentioned that your brother is a famous singer?"

"It never came up in conversation", chimed Persephone with a shrug. "Come along, Polly."

She tugged Apollo along to sit and wait for their food and drinks to arrive. Apollo continued glaring and throwing longing glances at Percy. He looked so soft in his pastel clothes. Apollo was weak...

/break\

"How did the Apollo become a regular at my bakery?", whispered Percy distressed.

"First of all, our bakery. Second of all, because he has a giant crush on you", replied Grover.

Being a fire-fighter was fun and made money, but... not that much money. Two years ago, Percy and Grover had, with some silent partners from their fire-house, bought a coffee-shop. They sold a variety of sweets – including vegan treats, thanks to Grover's cunning abilities.

"He... He's a billionaire superstar, he is most definitely not crushing on me", laughed Percy amused.

Annabeth, who occasionally helped out as a barista, simply gave him the most scorching look at that. "I know for a fact that you aren't stupid, Jackson. Why would a billionaire come to a small bakery like that every week, multiple times. He tips you a fifty usually. He still brings you flowers."

"Because I saved his life", argued Percy confused and turned to look over at Apollo.

"Go on and ask him then if you know better than us", huffed Annabeth. "Go. Ask him."

She pushed the large coffee at Percy and raised her eyebrows at him. Sighing, Percy took it and the piece of cake Apollo had ordered and went to bring both to the superstar. Apollo looked up with a blinding smile, putting down his pen. He was always writing when he was here.

"What... are you writing, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Songs. This place is ideal for song-writing", stated Apollo. "Very... inspiring."

Percy smiled and nodded at that. So that was why Apollo came here, to write songs. Not whatever Annabeth and Grover were imagining. He put the food and drink down and returned to work.

/break\

Apollo came in with a stunning blonde. A model. Percy was pretty sure he had seen her on a cover or something. The two talked loudly, but suddenly after a little while, the beautiful woman ran up to Percy, excitement sparkling in her eyes as she pressed her hands against the glass and leaned in.

"You are so gorgeous. What a handsome face and those eyes are brilliant."

"Uhm... thank you", muttered Percy confused, blinking a couple times.

"Aphrodite, no. Please stop it, leave him alone", groaned Apollo as he came up behind her.

"Shush it, Polly. He is so pretty. I have a right to meet your new sweetheart."

"Why don't you uh order coffee and give me a moment with him?", pleaded Apollo.

Aphrodite sighed and obeyed with a pout, while Percy continued staring in confusion. "What?"

"Aphrodite is very obsessed with romance. She just asked me who my last date was and I got... flustered and just... pointed at you because I didn't want to tell her the truth. Please play along."

"Only if you tell me the truth", argued Percy, one eyebrow raised and blush on his cheeks.

Apollo glowered, his own cheeks dark-red. "I haven't had a date in months, that's it. Okay?"

"You... But... You literally just got this amazing new love-song out?", asked Percy confused.

"That's exactly why she is bugging me too", sighed Apollo, rubbing his forehead.

"C'mo—on. You've been a regular here for... for months now", offered Percy, at first teasingly but then slowly growing doubtful. "You come in... like... trice a day... to... write... your songs... oh."

Apollo bit his lip and glared at little at a doughnut to not look at Percy. "So I may have a slight... crush... on you. That's it, okay? But if I tell her that, she's just going to get pushy and try to set us up and... I wanted to spare both of us this embarrassment..."

"Huh", whispered Percy, blinking a few times and tilting his head. "So... Annie and Grover are right? You... really have... feelings for me. And here I thought they were imagining things."

"How could I not?", asked Apollo bewildered, pointing at Percy. "Look at you. Strong, cunning fire-fighter and soft, gentle baker at the same time!"

Percy could feel his cheeks heating up again and he ruffled his own hair awkwardly. "Uhm... so... you... fine just watching from a distance, or do you wanna take me out on a date, huh?"

Apollo stared wide-eyed and unmoved before he blinked a couple of times. "I... I... what?"

"I mean, you told your friend there that we are already dating, so how about we... date for real and you won't have to lie to her anymore?", suggested Percy with a cheeky grin.

Again, Apollo simply stared at him. Like he was trying to figure out if this was an awful or a brilliant idea. Percy simply continued smiling and waited, even as Aphrodite returned to them.

"Your cakes re amazing, Percy", pointed Aphrodite out. "But don't you spoil Polly too much. His personal trainer would torture him for it. Well, it was nice meeting you. Next time I come over, I demand details but for now I'll have to rush, I guess."

"No worries, next time you come over, I'll be able to tell you everything about our first date!", chimed Percy with a bright smile, flustering Apollo in the process.

Apollo sputtered, but he was definitely not going to argue with this. He... had a date.

[lycorogue]

ML Secret Santa Story: The Great Debate

Holy smokes, it’s 2am! Uh, I wanted to have this done by Christmas Eve, but I guess an official Merry Christmas to my @mlsecretsanta giftee @mouserzwuzhere is now in order. So... Merry Christmas!

Sorry for the delay, it actually kept me most of this month to lock down what I wanted to write. In the end, I ended up going with something inspired by a Tumblr post. Of course, I can’t find the post now to link it, but it talked about the logistical fallacy of most Christmas movies where Santa is canonically real, but adults still don’t believe in him.

I went with mouserz preferences of fluff, friendship/family bonding, and LadyNoir. I hope this ends up being a pleasant surprise for you under your digital Christmas tree this morning. :D

UPDATE (12/25/19): You can now find the story on AO3, on FFN, and on DA as well as below.

The Great Debate

Summary: When Ladybug agreed to meet up later with Chat Noir, she never imagined they would end up discussing the validity of Santa being real. It’s funny the things you do for your loved ones.

Rating: General Audiences

Words: 4032

Status: Completed one-shot

Disclaimer: I’m ignoring the two-part season 3 finale with regards to Master Fu; pretend this takes place before that....

Ladybug breathed in the chilled, crisp night air. Her breath escaped in a thin fog. Her supersuit kept her warm, but her cheeks still flushed with the bite of wind as she swung through the city. Thankfully, the snow recently ceased, and the air was calm. Once she was at her destination she would be warmer.

Looking down the long roofs of the office buildings, she spotted a figure already perched six buildings down the street. He was there. He was waiting for her. She shifted the weight of the package nestled in the crook of her left arm, and sprinted towards her meet-up.

Chat Noir lazily kicked his legs as he leaned back on the tower roof's ledge, staring up at the sky; looking for stars he couldn't see. He hummed “Silent Night” to himself, and was on the third verse when Ladybug landed behind him.

“You're late, Bugaboo.”

“Don't-” It was on reflex, but there was no akuma around now. She simply sighed, and shook her head. “Sorry. I wanted to get something for you first.” She held out her package: a box of Tom & Sabine Bakery macarons. It was risky to bring them to Chat Noir, but it was also a bit of an impromptu meet-up.

Earlier that day, for the second Christmas Eve in a row, Hawk Moth decided to not take a vacation, and akumatized a poor distraught person. As they were fighting, Chat Noir seemed more distracted than usual, exchanging his usual ill-timed flirting for requests that they hang out again later. The more the battle wore on, the more Ladybug picked up that perhaps this get-together was something Chat Noir truly needed.

Then they defeated the villain. Ladybug purified the akuma, and used her ultimate power to restore Paris. The duo fist-bumped in front of the rush of reporters capturing the latest attack on their beloved city. Ladybug's earrings chimed that she only had two minutes remaining, and soon after Chat Noir's ring beeped for the second time. She couldn't say anything to him in front of the reporters; couldn't let Hawk Moth potentially know where they would be. Instead, she gave him a silent plead to forgive her abruptness, and swung away. Once out of sight, she used the last few precious seconds of her transformation to text Chat Noir where to meet up. She prayed that he would get the message before de-transforming.

It seemed he did.

She didn't have much time to plan a Christmas gift for Chat Noir. She didn't imagine an opportunity to gift him anything. It would be far too inappropriate while they were actively attempting to protect Paris, and she didn't want Chat Noir to get the wrong idea if she asked him for a meet-up for a gift exchange. She didn't have the time to make anything, and she barely had the time to purchase anything; most stores were already closed for the holiday. She lucked out that her parents had anything left in their bakery.

“Huh. Great minds, it seems, M'lady.” Chat Noir smirked as he grabbed a matching pastry box he had hidden beside his right hip. His contained a pair of over-stuffed cream puffs. He brushed the snow off the ledge beside him and patted the now-bare roof.

Ladybug studied Chat Noir. She sprinted through the list of patrons she saw in her parents' bakery that day, trying to remember any young men with blonde hair. None came to mind. Perhaps he had bought the cream puffs while she was in her room. Maybe that was why he was so persistent with wanting a meet-up.

“Great minds indeed.” Ladybug hummed inquisitively, but still accepted the cleared-off seat. Holding out her box to Chat Noir, she traded peppermint macarons for her puff.

“Mmm.” Chat Noir popped the macaron in his mouth in one bite. “I guess it makes sense that we'd both pick pastries from the Tom & Sabine. It is the best bakery in all of Paris, after all.”

Ladybug lightly blushed, and hoped her cheeks were already red enough from the cold for Chat Noir to not notice. “I'm sure they'd appreciate hearing that, especially from a superhero.”

“You should tell them too, then.”

She had never thought of that. “Perhaps I'll take the time to do so.” She bit into her cream puff, and quickly licked up the filling oozing out of the opposite side.

Chat Noir popped another macaron in his mouth. “Thank you for meeting up with me tonight.”

Ladybug stilled, looking deeply at Chat Noir. “You sounded like you needed it. Is everything alright?”

“It is now.” He gave her a sad little smile, and then scraped some cream out of the center of his puff.

“It's Christmas Eve, Kitty. Wouldn't you rather spend it with loved ones?”

“I thought I was.”

“Come on, be serious, Chat Noir.”

He put down his treats, and instead scooped up Ladybug's right hand, keeping her gaze. “I am serious. Please tell me that you know by now that I'm always serious with every love confession.”

“Chat Noir-”

He dropped her hand and scooted further away from her. “I know, I know. You're in love with someone else. I understand that, but it doesn't lessen my feelings for you, and how dear you are to me.”

“Kitty.”

Clearing his throat, he tossed another macaron in the air, and caught it in his mouth. “Sorry I'm keeping you from your loved ones, though.”

Ladybug rested a hand on his shoulder. “You're not. You're dear to me too, remember?”

They finished their treats with small, simple, stupid conversation. They talked about nothing in particular, for fear of giving something away that would reveal themselves, and yet they said a lot with the way they each talked about being a superhero, or how they felt about the past year, or even about the weather.

“How could you not love the snow?” Ladybug gathered the empty pastry boxes, and tucked them beside her.

“It's lonely.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Most people stay inside; isolated in their homes. Paris isn't as bustling as normal. It's quiet.”

“See, that's one of the things I like about the snow.” Ladybug scooped some off the roof, and started packing it into a ball. “It absorbs sound, you know. That's why Paris seems so quiet and serene when it snows. The lights then reflect off the crisp white, and the city just seems clean and new. It seems safe.”

“It is safe, with you as its savior.”

“Yeah, well you're not too bad yourself there, Kitty.” They shared a smile. “Besides, snow isn't lonely. It's inviting. Families huddle together to drink cocoa as they watch the snow. Friends play together making snow angels or snowmen, or race on sleds, or build forts together, or have snowball fights.”

Chat Noir's face fell, so Ladybug threw her freshly formed snowball at his shoulder.

“Hey!” He quickly packed his own snowball, but Ladybug was faster and hit him with another one. “Okay! Okay, I submit!” He dropped his snowball, and held his hands over his head.

“Haven't you ever just played in the snow? How could you not feel the magic of it while you dance under a soft snow fall, or catch flakes on your tongue, or simply lay in the cold silence, just feeling at peace with the world?”

“I'll have to keep all of those in mind the next time it snows.”

“Good.”

Another soft, shared look as they each offered the other a gentle smile.

Church bells softly rang in the distance; breaking the spell as Chat Noir turned to the sound.

“It's getting late. Should we head home? Don't want to chance Santa passing us up since we aren't asleep.”

“Wait, Santa?”

“Yeah. You think he's in the area already? I mean, I really couldn't ask for a better gift than to spend time with you, M'lady, but I wouldn't want to push my luck with the Big Guy in Red.”

“Chat Noir, do you still believe in Santa Claus?” She quirked an eyebrow at him, and playfully smirked.

“I mean, are you telling me you don't?” His face scrunched up as he stared incredulously at her. “We literally saw him! Twice!”

“First of all, those were both during akuma attacks, so who truly knows what is and isn't real during those? Secondly, Santa Claws seemed to just be a friendly old man who dressed up as Santa; not Jolly Old Saint Nick himself, and his 'Santa' powers were because of the akumatization. So he doesn't count. Finally, I'd hate to break it to you, but the Santa we met when Paris was overwhelmed by giant attacking toys wasn't real. It was Chris Master's powers manifesting his interpretation of Santa: the Santa in his snow globe.” Ladybug rested a comforting hand on Chat Noir's arm.

“How do you know that wasn't the real Santa? He said he'd see us next Christmas Eve; tonight!”

“He said that because it was what Chris wanted Santa to say.”

“How do you know that, though?”

Ladybug's breath hitched, and she simply shrugged. “What? You can have Cat Intuition about how the Agreste mansion security works or the fact that Volpina had an illusion instead of the actual Adrien Agreste, but I can't have Ladybug Intuition about whether or not that was the real Santa?”

Chat Noir studied her for a tell, but eventually caved. “Okay, you got me on that second meet-up with Santa; that probably wasn't the real one. Although, you were the top of his Nice list, so maybe you should hope that your Ladybug Intuition was off, and that was really him.” He winked. She groaned. “Either way, he looked a lot like the man who got akumatized into Santa Claws, which means it could be possible that the man last Christmas was in fact the true Santa, but was posing as a regular citizen.”

“Why? Especially on Christmas Eve itself? Wouldn't he be too busy delivering gifts?” Ladybug tried to keep the smug look off her face, but Chat Noir's lips kept puckering more and more with each question. She could tell that he was trying to build up a rebuttal.

Chat Noir opened his mouth to respond, pointing at her in stunned silence. A second later he relented, shrugging in defeat instead. “Alright, so maybe we haven't met the actual Santa, but that doesn't mean he's not real.”

“He might have been, once. There could have been someone who spent Christmas Eve delivering gifts to the children of a very large area – so that it felt like it was the whole world to those people – and the legend of Santa came from that, but I don't know if I trust that he's still real.”

“Well, why not? I knew you could be pragmatic, but even this seems a bit much for you.”

“He'd be well over a millennium old, for starters.”

“Yeah, but what about Master Fu?”

“There's a bit of a difference between two-hundred and two-thousand years, Chat Noir.”

“Still, Master is as old as he is largely because of the magic of the Miraculouses, isn't he?”

“Possibly.”

“So why is it such a stretch that Santa has magic of his own, and part of it is the long life, or even immortality? The Miraculouses can't be the only form of magic within the whole world, can they?”

She gave it thought. “Alright, valid point. What about the gifts, though?”

Chat Noir lounged across the roof and dismissively waved his hand. “I already told you: magic. He probably has a bag with access to a pocket dimension or some-”

“No.”

Chat Noir rocked his head to the side. Ladybug pivoted to face him, folding her legs in front of her as she anchored her hands to her ankles.

“No,” she repeated, “I'm not even talking about the plausibility of him carrying all the gifts with him or getting in and out of people's homes. If I'm going to agree with him nearing two-thousand years old because of magic, I'll concede on those other magical parts.”

“Okay, so what's wrong with the presents then?”

Ladybug scooted closer to Chat Noir and leaned a little towards him, energy buzzing off of her. “If Santa Claus truly delivers presents every Christmas Eve, then why is it that most adults don't believe in him? Wouldn't him delivering gifts to their children convince the parents that he's real? Since a large portion – probably even a majority – of adults are also parents, wouldn't someone somewhere have factual evidence of his existence by now? Or, at least, wouldn't it be a much more widespread belief, even among adults, that he's alive?”

Chat Noir sat up, hugging one leg to his chest. His eyebrows furrowed, and he wouldn't look at Ladybug.

“I mean, think about it,” Ladybug continued, rolling onto her knees as she began to gesture wildly. “You and your wife wake up Christmas morning, and gather around the tree with your kid- You're picturing me as your wife, and imagining what our kid would look like, aren't you?”

Chat Noir sheepishly smiled and shrugged.

“Never mind that. Not the point.” Ladybug waved the thought away. “So your kid is opening up gifts, finds one that is labeled 'from Santa,' and unwraps it. You don't recognize this gift. You haven't purchased it for your kid. You may just think your wife must have gotten it and not told you, so you let it go. But this keeps happening every year, so you finally ask your wife, and she tells you she always thought you were the one who bought those gifts, because she certainly didn't. Isn't that suspicious? A random present from neither of you managed to make its way under your tree? Every year? Wouldn't you want to figure out who put it there? And you hear your friends – who are also parents – saying the same thing happened for each of their kids. Wouldn't that alone be enough evidence for most parents to believe that Santa must be real, because what other explanation is there for the mystery gifts?”

Chat Noir tapped his chin with two fingers, scanning the clouds for answers. “Yeah, I guess that's true.”

“On the flip-side, if Santa doesn't actually leave any presents - so that parents don't question where they came from - then why does it matter if he's real, because he still isn't going to be coming to everyone's houses unless it's to eat the cookies.”

“I got it!” Chat Noir snapped and turned back towards Ladybug, he was also up on his knees, waving excitedly. “Magic again.”

“How so?”

“Santa's magic is memory focused. He doesn't actually use chimneys – which really helps explain all those homes without fire places – instead, he arrives just before the parents lock up for the night, and he uses his magic to make them believe they already did. He then enters, leaves the present, and locks the door behind him as he goes on his merry way. His magic then makes the parents believe they had munched on the cookies to give the illusion of Santa, and that they were the ones who purchased the gift for little Julien. The question of 'who got him that present' never comes up, and Santa still remains a glorious holiday mystery.”

“What if the parents, still disbelieving of Santa, already bought little Mary a gift from 'Santa' and already ate the cookies before going to bed?”

“Then Santa saves on unneeded calories, and he switches up the 'Santa' for 'Mom and Dad'. Then his power works exactly the same way; except this time it also makes them think they didn't label the one gift as from 'Santa' at first.”

“It's still too many homes to leave presents for in one night.” Ladybug sat on her heels and crossed her arms.

“I thought you were going to concede on all of the 'other magic stuff'?”

Ladybug shrugged.

“Okay.” Chat Noir thought for a moment. “What if his powers also allows him to teleport? Or to slow time? Or to pause time? We have Miraculouses that could do some pretty crazy things, after all.” Chat Noir's ears perked and his belt-tail twitched as if it were real. “Wait a minute! What if Santa has a Miracle Box? That feast amuk was encased in stone before leaving Tibet, and we stopped it while it was still in Paris, so what if it didn't have a chance to make it to Santa to eat his Miraculous?”

“Master would have told me if Santa was one of the guardians.”

“What if he didn't know? What if there were Guardians secretly placed throughout the world, and for their safety, the monastery Master Fu trained at didn't have their names?”

“And he only uses the Miraculous once a year to provide extra Christmas gifts?”

Chat Noir started counting out his points on his fingers. “He's not using the Miraculous for his personal  gain, so it's not breaking any rules. He's providing joy and wonderment to the world. He's making sure every kid gets at least one gift they'll love, regardless of the parents' financial or emotional standing. We don't know what he does with the rest of the year, so maybe he's protecting the world just like us, but with his memory-altering Miraculous powers, the world just never figures it out.”

Ladybug simply stared at Chat Noir. He held his ground and kept her gaze.

“Alright.” Ladybug pivoted on the roof ledge, and dangled her legs below her. “I relent that there's a possibility that Santa is real.”

“And a Miraculous Guardian?”

“It's a stretch, but I guess I can't argue against it. Not right now, anyway.”

“So does that mean you'll wait up for him?”

“No, that means there's no point. If he is real, and he does have a way of altering memories, then I doubt he'd let either of us remember seeing him. He's been doing this for over seventeen-hundred years, after all.” She gave Chat Noir a side smile.

“I guess that's true.” Chat Noir deflated a little and sat beside her.

“Besides, I thought you wanted to go to bed so you didn't chance missing out on your gift from him,” she teased.

Chat Noir curled into himself and blushed, again unable to look at Ladybug. She instantly knew she went too far. She couldn't say goodbye to him like that.

Ladybug detached her yo-yo, and looked intently at it. Chat Noir followed her out of the corner of his eye.

“Ladybug?”

She gave him the tiniest hint of a devilish grin while pressing a finger to her lips and shushing him. “Don't tell on me, okay?”

“Tell?”

Ladybug threw her yo-yo straight up, calling out “Lucky Charm!”

“What are you doing?” Chat Noir again hopped up onto his knees as he studied her. “What about no personal gain?”

The charm landed in Ladybug's hand, and she closed her fist around it before Chat Noir could make out the small red object with black spots.

“I think this one can be allowed.” Ladybug re-attached her yo-yo to her hip, and stood on the main portion of the roof. With Chat Noir still seated on the ledge, they were about eye-level.

He tried to spy her charm, but she kept her hand hidden behind her back. “So, what convoluted plan do you have for that?” He stood to try to look over her shoulder, but she blocked him with a stiff arm.

“Nothing too bad. Now sit back down.” She pushed gently on his chest, and he plopped his butt back onto the roof ledge. “Perfect.”

She then placed her hand in between them and unfolded her fingers. Resting on her palm was a tiny sprig of mistletoe, although, with the red coloring and black spots, it looked more like holly. With her spare hand, Ladybug held the Lucky Charm mistletoe sprig over their heads, then leaned in to kiss Chat Noir. Giddily, he rose to meet her, his hands reaching out for her waist as he puckered up and eyes fluttered closed.

She giggled, and used a finger to turn his head so she could kiss him on the cheek instead.

Chat Noir pouted and sunk back onto the roof. “You're supposed to kiss on the lips under a mistletoe.”

“Sorry, Kitty, but I do still love someone else.” She flicked his bell, and placed the sprig of mistletoe beside them. “I will give you one more gift though.” She cupped a hand on either side of his face, and pulled it towards her. Angling his head down a bit, she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, and then rested hers against it. “Merry Christmas, Kitty.”

Chat Noir wrapped his arms around Ladybug and squeezed her close to him; breathing her in. “Thank you, Ladybug. Merry Christmas to you, too.”

She let him hold her for a moment, and she held him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. With their eyes closed, and the normally bustling city quiet with snow, it didn't feel like there was anyone else in all of Paris but the two of them. It only lasted a moment, but it was calming for them both.

He's right here, Ladybug thought, he's not Chat Blanc, and I'll stop him from ever feeling that desperate and alone.

She's here, Chat Noir thought, she loves someone else, but for right now she's here and I can pretend for a few seconds that I'm the one she's in love with.

The thought didn't make Chat Noir purr, as it usually did; instead, a small whimper escaped his throat.

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug leaned away from him, breaking the illusion.

“Sorry. I had a moment, but I'm fine. Thank you again for spending time with me tonight.”

“No problem, Kitty. As long as you don't want us to make a habit out of this.” She ruffled up his hair until he broke his hug in a giggling retreat. “You are a friend of mine, Chat Noir,” Ladybug continued in a serious tone. “I want to be here for you whenever you need me, and I do enjoy spending time with you, as long as you're not flirting.” She cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest.

Chat Noir meekly smiled back as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Is my flirting really that bad?”

She simply raised the second eyebrow and pursed her lips.

“In love with another guy,” Chat Noir sighed, “Right.”

She took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. “You'll find someone. I promise. She'll see the amazing Chat Noir that I do, but she'll get to know your actual name, and her heart will be only for you.”

Before Chat Noir could respond – and Ladybug knew he wanted to – she let go, and lassoed a nearby light post. “Merry Christmas again, Chat Noir.”

He gave her a genuine smile in return. “Merry Christmas, M'lady.” He said nothing else, and Ladybug was grateful. Her earrings started rapidly beeping. It had only been about three minutes, but Tikki always seemed to wear out faster if Ladybug used her Lucky Charm for personal reasons. She probably didn't have much time left.

“Let me know if you do catch Santa,” Ladybug teased. She then scooped up the empty pastry boxes,  and loosened the tension on her yo-yo, sling-shotting her through the Paris skyline.

Chat Noir looked at the discarded Lucky Charm sprig of mistletoe, and brought it up to his lips. The trinket cut their evening together short, but it was worth it for those kisses, and that hug. A couple of seconds later, the sprig burst into pink glitter that vanished in the air; like a miniature firework. Ladybug must have de-transformed, and the Lucky Charm vanished with her other superpowers.

Chat Noir no longer had his keepsake from the night, but he had his memories. Those were enough, and he trusted he'd make many more with Ladybug over the years.

Now he had to figure out how to capture Santa so he could prove to his lady that he was right.

[barnesthesarge]

Here For You (2)

Bucky X Enhanced!Reader

Summary: The Avengers have a new enhanced on their radar when they run into you during a HYDRA extraction mission.

Warnings: language, VIOLENCE, flirting

Instead of going to your friends house like you originally planned, you went to one of your safe houses, deciding against putting her in danger. When you unlocked the door, you found the house just as you left it.

“Safe house sweet safe house.” You said to absolutely no one. You turned the TV on and put on the news, making a warm cup of coffee to soothe the coldness currently in the house. You groaned at the lack of any milk of cream, and groaned louder at the thought of grocery shopping.

You turned the heat on, lighting candles on the way, and whined, seeing it was now raining. You went into your bedroom and grabbed clean clothes, taking a hot shower, and leaving the house to get groceries.

Your new phone buzzed, showing that Tony had texted. Hi Y/N, I hope your flight was well. I put the whole team’s numbers in your phone. Don’t hesitate to contact any of us if you need to.

You shut it off and went about shopping, deciding to just order food rather than cook. It wasn’t long until you were snuggled on your couch, paying attention to the news, and eating. A weeks worth of groceries stocked.

A story about HYDRA came on and you stopped eating to listen. “Witnesses say Iron Man saved a woman from the van, and when authorities arrived every member that was in the van was taken into custody. There’s speculation about who the woman kidnapped could be. However if she’s wanted by a terrorist group, it’s safe to say that she’s relevant with them. We reached out to Tony Stark but so far there’s been no answers. We’ll let you know when we find out more.”

You rolled your eyes, going back to eating and flicking through channels, leaving on a dramatic soap opera. You finished eating and cleaned up. Your phone buzzed again.

Hello Y/N, it’s Bucky. I’m not very good at using these things, but I’m here if you need anyone. I know how lonely it is to be on the run. I don’t know if you know anything about me, but I was holed up in Bucharest for a while until I was forced to come out of hiding. While it’s nice to be on your own and not have anyone to worry about, it’s also isolating and lonely. I remember hearing creaks and groans of the structure of my apartment and thinking it was my last day alive. It wasn’t until Steve helped me that I finally felt okay around other people. Make sure you keep your eyes open for anything suspicious and remember the SOS button Tony showed you. Again, I’m here if you need anyone.

You shut the phone off again and rubbed your temples, you hated that you found it endearing that he was worried about you.

You opened it back up, Thanks Bucky. All is well here, just cold.

Where are you? If I’m allowed to ask, Tony has access but I don’t.

Who’s to say these aren’t traceable by HYDRA (; I wouldn’t want them knowing I’m in London.

Ha-ha, very funny. Man if I was in hiding right now I’d want to be somewhere warmer than London. FRIDAY says it’s raining.

I have a safe house here. Otherwise I would’ve fucked off somewhere tropical, trust me.

Maybe if you start rain dancing it’ll go away. Think warm thoughts, maybe hula dance. You never know (-;

You grinned at the device, I’ll keep that in mind.

How long do you plan to stay in London?

You sighed now, closing the phone, that was enough of updating until the next destination, you peaked out the curtains to see it was already dark outside, and got ready for bed.

———————————————————————

“Barnes, she’s completely fine. She’s been in the same place for a week, and has shown no signs that she’s in danger. So what she hasn’t answered your text.” Tony was in the middle of finishing a 3D blue print.

“What’s that for?” Bucky asked, it looked like a bedroom.

“Well, if Y/N ever decides to stick around, I’m making a room for her. Or if she ever comes to visit of course. I offered that to her.” He shrugged and Bucky bit his lip to hold back a smile. “You like her, don’t you?” Tony turned around abruptly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I know nothing about her. I’m just being friendly.” Bucky lied, the truth was that he already knew he was whipped, you could kick his ass with just your attitude, and he found it endearing.

“Mmhmm, yeah okay Bucky. When you’re done drooling about her maybe you can convince her to stop traveling around the world and join us.” Tony paused, “if you score a date with her someday, I’m gonna be livid.” He chuckled and turned back to his work. Bucky took it as a hint to get lost.

His phone buzzed, Im leaving London today.

Bucky smiled proudly, he was finally getting a reply, Going anywhere fun? (-:

You ask too many questions.

His face fell, shit that was why she didn’t reply. I’m sorry.

Bucky felt dumb when he didn’t get an answer, and instead of thinking about it went to go workout. He was in the middle of starting a ten mile run when Tony appeared behind him.

“Barnes, since you seem to really care, Y/N is leaving and heading somewhere else.” He flashed him a smile that didn’t quite reach the eyes.

“I know she’s leaving London, where’s she going?” Tony cocked his head.

“How’d you know she’s in London? Are you snooping my office when I’m not around?” Bucky blushed.

“No, I-um, I asked her and she told me.” Bucky could feel heat radiating off his cheeks.

“So you know where she’s going then too?” Bucky shook his head.

“She told me I ask too many questions, and hasn’t spoken to me since.”

“Darn, I was gonna ask you to be on her security detail. She’s heading to Arizona, and she has a layover for two hours, but if you aggravate her I don’t want to send you.” He shrugged, “I’ll ask Steve.”

“What-no! Tony I was texting her days ago too! You said it yourself I actually show I care!”

“Maybe a little too much..” Tony trailed off, “I’ll ask her who she wants me to send. It’s not safe for her to be alone in New York.”

Bucky stepped off the treadmill and walked upstairs into his room, pulling his phone out. He had no new messages.

———————————————————————

I was to send a security detail to protect you during your two hour layover. Do you have any preferences on who I should send? I’m thinking Steve, Bucky, or Wanda. Your choice.

You stared down at the text, you wouldn’t be in New York for another 6 hours. Now you had to think about who you’d want to be there. Definitely not Wanda, you had a feeling you were off to a rough start with her. While you did collapse a roof on her, you felt it was fair since she prodded in your head. Steve was honest but you worried that maybe he was a bit too concerned, he always had his eyebrows knitted. And Bucky, he asked too many questions, he tried to get you to stay with the Avengers, he had his foot in your door. You couldn’t stand how much you almost liked talking to him. He was the only Avenger besides Tony to reach out and text you.

Send Bucky. You replied, shutting off your phone and deciding to sleep the rest of the way. When you woke up, the captain was telling everyone to fasten their seatbelts, as it was time to land.

Hey Y/N, I’ll be waiting at the gate for you (-:

You blushed, oh god Bucky was going to see you after you just woke up. You patted your hair down and within a couple minutes the plane was landed, and everyone was grabbing their bags and getting off. You grabbed your duffle and followed the slow pace of everyone exiting. You met Bucky’s bright blue eyes and he grinned, you forced yourself to watch your feet in order to disguise the butterflies you were getting.

“Hey, nice to see you in one piece.” You met his eyes again.

“I’m not in one piece yet, I could really use some coffee.” He barked a brief laugh and grabbed your bag.

“Here let me get that for you, I saw a Starbucks on my way here.” You followed him in silence, scanning the crowds of people for anyone suspicious.

You ordered a drink and sat across from him, he set his phone down and folded his hands together, “Arizona, huh? Are you taking my advice about warm weather?” He had a mischievous smile.

You finally cracked a smile, finding his to be much too contagious, “No it’s a bit too hot there for my liking. I’m meeting up with someone I haven’t seen in a while.” He raised his eyebrows.

“Oh—“ your order was calling and you hurried to grab your drink, sitting back down, and eating a pastry you bought. “Just so you know I’m scheduled for a mission tomorrow, I’ll be gone for a week. Sam, Steve, and Natasha will be with me. Anyone else is fair game to talk to.”

“Where are you going?” You asked, not knowing why exactly you cared.

He chuckled, “Afraid I can’t tell you.” You nodded, frowning, “how long are you staying in Arizona, do you have any plans on where you’re going next?”

You bit your cheek, “No, I plan on where I’m going based on who I feel like seeing, or rather if someone texts me. I have lots of friends around the world, and all of them always miss me.”

“So you use them for places to stay?” He teased, “Do’ya have a boyfriend or something?”

You raised your eyebrows, “I don’t have time for boys. I’m too busy saving the world every once in a while.” You blushed at the thought that he cared.

“That’s fair. I have a feeling even if you did you move too fast around the world for him to keep up. You seem like you sure know how to keep people on their toes.” He winked at you and You furrowed your eyebrows.

“That would be his problem.” He opened his mouth but you cut him off, “You’re asking too many questions already. Enough of those.”

“Yes, of course. I’m gonna go get a drink for myself.” He excused himself and got in line, metal hand gleaming in the sunlight.

You pulled out your phone and saw that Tony had texted, How’s everything with the Terminator?

Fine, you replied, putting it back in your pocket. Bucky sat back down, “Man this stuff is expensive. All I got was a black coffee and it’s still like $4..”

“Welcome to the 21st century.” You mumbled, staring around the cafe, “Say, you see that guy over there?” Bucky subtly turned his head and looked to the guy you were indicating. “He’s been hovering quite a bit, wouldn’t you say?”

“He was lingering at the gate too, but it doesn’t seem he followed us here alone.” He paused, “He has a comm in his ear, we have to go.” Bucky grabbed your duffle and the man stood up, whispering something to his earpiece.

“FRIDAY, cancel Y/N’s flight, and tell Tony we’re coming to the compound right away. There’s an agent following us.” Bucky grabbed your arm and rushed you.

“Bucky he has a—“ you quickly put up a purple shield between you and the man, who just tried to shoot Bucky. “Gun.” You growled, using the same powers to slice the mans hand clean off, “But he can’t use it.” Bucky looked to you in shock, and then smiled. You ignored the mans howls of pain and continued running, while more men appeared out of nowhere.

You lost track of who was an airport security agent, and who was a HYDRA agent. Bullets were flying now from all directions, and now you kept a shield all around you, taking the time to injure each HYDRA agent. Bucky pulled you into the parking garage, and everything got quieter. It wouldn’t be like this for long.

“It’s gonna be an awkward fit, but come on.” He dragged you in front of a big motorcycle, handing you your duffle bag. He opened the seat and handed you a helmet. You heard the door open and lots of footsteps. You put the helmet on and squished the dufflebag between the two of you, holding on tightly.

The engine roared to life and Bucky sped off, you blocked more bullets, Bucky veered out in traffic and swerved around people aggressively. You could feel your heart racing, as you held on to Bucky’s chest the best you could with the big stuffed dufflebag between the two of you. By the time you got to the compound, you were shaking from adrenaline, and holding Bucky so tight you were sure it hurt him.

Tony and Steve ran out of the compound to meet you, Bucky parked the bike and you stepped off, he caught you when he saw how wobbly your legs were.

“What the hell happened?” Tony barked, you pulled your helmet off and Bucky took it back.

“HYDRA agent, he seemed to be alone but when we noticed him he came after us and others came out too, some dressed as airport security.” Bucky kept a secure arm around your middle.

“Y/N, you need to stay here.” Steve said, “Come on I’ll take you to your room, Tony and Bucky need to talk about what happened.”

“No way, I’m not letting her out of my sight. I’ll bring her to her room and then we can talk.” Steve raised his eyebrows.

“Barnes, you’ve done enough. Y/N, follow Steve.” Steve grabbed your bag and you hesitantly stepped out of Bucky’s grasp, you hated that somehow Bucky was now in trouble.

You followed Steve inside, and he led you to the elevator, “All of our rooms are on floor five, there’s six above floors, and as you can see, several below. There’s a gym, rec room, track, pool, spa room..” he trailed off, “just about anything you could want. We have state of the art kitchens..” you stopped listening and grabbed the elevator railing, stabilizing yourself.

The doors opened and you realized Steve was still talking, “Oh and Tony has a nice party once a month, we do weekly movie nights, weekly training sessions together—“

“Steve please just take me to my room, I think I’m gonna be sick.” You pleaded, he nodded and brought you down a hall of many doors, down at the very end he opened a door and dropped your dufflebag on a king sized bed.

“That’s the bathroom, and the closet is over there. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. Just talk to FRIDAY if you need anything.” You nodded and went straight to the bathroom.

You stayed in the bathroom until you knew you weren’t gonna vomit, so instead you pulled out a pair of pajamas from your bag, changed, and crawled into bed. You sighed at how comfortable it was. You pulled your phone out and sent a text message to your friend saying you wouldn’t be there, that you had a family emergency.

You shut your eyes and just about fell asleep when a voice overhead piped up, “Hello Ms. Y/N. I’m FRIDAY. Mr. Barnes is at your door and is requesting enterance.”

“Let him in.” You commanded, sitting up. Bucky came in, looking weathered.

“Hey Y/N, I just wanted to see how you’re doing.” He stood at the doorway and you patted the bed, he came over and sat down to face you.

“I’m doing better, just tired from my flight and everything that happened.” He scratched the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry. I got distracted. I should’ve realized that the HYDRA agent was there before you pointed him out. I failed my duty to protect you.” His jaw was clenched, and now he bit his cheeks.

“Is that what Tony made you think?” You chuckled, “I don’t think either of us are hurt, are we?-“

“That’s because you put shields around us.”

“Bucky, you agreed he was suspicious, and that you noticed him beforehand. We wouldn’t have made it out alive if you hadn’t of driven so well.” You reached over and rubbed his metal arm reassuringly.

“I’m no longer going on that mission tomorrow, Tony thinks it’s a better idea if I hold down the fort and stay here. We can do something around here if you want.” Bucky stood up and sighed. “Thank you for not berating me.”

———————————————————————

Bucky didn’t sleep as well as he’d hope to. He felt dumb, dumb that he let Y/N distract him when you weren’t even trying to do that. You could’ve gotten hurt, or worse killed. He was too absorbed with how little time you guys would have together he didn’t even think to look around. You didn’t see it but he did.

Everyone had already left, and he was the first awake. He kept hearing Tony’s word in his head. “You can’t let your feelings get in the way of your job.” “She could’ve died and it would’ve been all your fault.” “This was a failure on your part, you’re lucky she’s a quick thinker.”

Bucky was just happy you didn’t feel the same way. Speaking of you, you came out of your room in your pajamas, wandering into the kitchen.

“Good morning.” Bucky tried super hard not to think about how cute you looked when you had just woken up. “Coffee?” He had brewed a whole pot in case you wanted some too.

“Mornin’, I wouldn’t mind a cup. Thanks.” He poured some into a mug and handed it to you.

“There’s sugar and creamer right here.” He pointed on the counter and you didn’t hesitate. Bucky made note of how you made your coffee, and watched you take a seat at the bar. “Are you hungry?”

You met his eye and grinned, “Are you always this chipper in the morning?”

Bucky’s cheeks turned red, “chipper?” He paused, “are you teasing me?”

“I wouldn’t be caught dead teasing you.” You shot him a wink.

Bucky readjusted his stance to seem taller, back straightening, “I would never let that happen.” He bit his lip to try and hide a smile, “although I would’ve never predicted you’d be so flirty in the morning.”

Your cheeks turned red this time, “Flirting? You think this is flirting?” You crossed your arms and stood up, leaving your coffee sitting and returning to your room.

You shut the door behind you and leaned against it, were you flirting with him? Why are you offended he called you out on it? Isn’t that good?

You opened the door and came back out, sitting back down, Bucky put his newspaper down. “Back so soon? Did you miss me too much?”

“No, I’m hungry. I would sell you for food.” Bucky flashed a beautiful smile, you felt your heart rate quicken, it dropped just as fast.

“And how much do you think I’m worth?” He stepped closer now, you could almost smell his cologne, you tried your hardest not to notice his stubble on his jawline. Or the way his shirt hugged his body, the way his hair was pulled back into a bun, just one stubborn strand you were dying to push back.

“At least enough for breakfast.” You concluded, “So about...French toast, bacon, and hash browns.”

He stood right in front of you now, “Of course doll, the metal arm itself could get you lots of that. I’m sure a couple of my super soldier organs could get you a lot on the black market.” Your heart rate was only climbing.

“Well get to it then. I won’t ask for your body parts again.” He grinned excitedly and walked back around to start making breakfast.

Did you really just flirt with Bucky, willingly?

———————————————————————

A/N: I hope you guys are liking this so far (: I’m really enjoying writing it! My inbox is always open!

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[thinkyoureholy]

A Woman Scorned [2]

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Pairing : Kim Jongin / Reader

Genre : Angst, Mature Language, Fluff, Smut

Words : 3.2k

Pt 1. Pt 2. Pt 3. Pt 4. Pt 5. Pt 6. Pt 7. Pt 8. Pt 9. Pt 10. Pt 11. Pt 12. Pt 13. Epilogue.

- Y/N’s P.O.V-

I pulled the tray out of the oven, carefully placing it on the hot rack and calling Minseok over. I looked down at the deformed pastries, frowning as I picked one up and tried it. The taste wasn’t that bad but why’d it turn out so bad appearance wise? The frown on my face deepened when Minseok laughed loudly as soon as he saw what was on the tray.

“They’re not that bad.” I mumbled out, defending my pastries.

Minseok let out another laugh, picking one up and examining it, “Why’s it look like a shrunken head? Hey, Halloween is coming up how about selling these?”

He grinned at the glare I gave him, taking a bite out of the pastry. I waited for his critique, hoping he wouldn’t be too harsh. Minseok wasn’t one to sugar coat things but that had never been much of a problem since I preferred people being straight forward than beating around the bush. His harsh criticism helped me better myself in the work area. I watched as he swallowed the piece he had been chewing on, letting me know that it wasn’t that bad. If it really was terrible he would’ve spit it out by now.

“Its...edible.”

I sighed out in relief, that meant I just had to add a little something else to enhance the flavor.

“How much baking soda did you use?”

“Two teaspoons.”

“Do it again with only one teaspoon, try adding some filling to it too. The taste isn’t bad but it’s a little dry so the filling should help out with that.” He said, listing off the things I needed to do.

I was so immersed in listening intently to his every word that I didn’t even notice the bell above the door ring, signalling someone’s arrival until I felt the cold breeze from outside. I looked up and smiled when my eyes met Jongin’s, a grin of his own spreading across his face.

“You’re late.” I said in a teasing tone.

“And I have no excuse.” He answered before leaning over the counter and placing a quick kiss on my cheek.

“Hey loverboy, look at what your girlfriend made. I say it looks like a shrunken head but what do you think?” Minseok asked with a smirk, receiving a light punch to the chest by me.

“It...looks...like a...mushroom...kinda but I’m sure it tastes better than it looks.” Jongin said, grabbing a piece and popping it into his mouth.

“Alright spit it out, I can tell you don’t like it. I’m not trying to give my boyfriend food poisoning.” I said when I noticed he only chewed it a few times, handing him a napkin.

He smiled sheepishly, turning away to spit it out, “Mind if I take her a bit early?” He suddenly asked Minseok, discarding the napkin.

Minseok leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest as if thinking it over until he broke out in a smile, “Go. Come in an hour early tomorrow to try and get your recipe right, I’ll clean up here.”

I grinned, taking off my apron, “You know you’re the best right?”

He nodded, taking the apron out of my hands before shooing me towards the break room. Before I could get to the door I heard the bell above the door ring, signalling someone’s entrance. I looked over quickly, seeing Bora walk in. Bora and I used to go to the same school until she transferred but we had managed to keep in contact with each other. She was one of my best friends but she had been so busy with her new job that we barely had time to see each other face to face, we had to settle with texting each other. Seeing that she was also here I hurriedly got changed into my long sleeved shirt slipping on my coat before stepping back out.

“Bora what’s up? It’s been awhile since you stopped by.” I asked with a smile, seeing her look over the nearly empty display case.

She looked up at the sound of my voice, a smile of her own forming on her face, “Work has been hell I need to destress with my best friend.”

I frowned at her words, my gaze flickering over to Jongin who was talking with Minseok, “I’m sorry Bora… I already have plans...I can cancel if you want hold on.”

I waved Jongin over, Jongin and Bora’s eyes meeting when I did. He hadn’t noticed her when she walked in but now that he had met her gaze her eyes seemed to widen. She turned to me quickly, somewhat panicked by seeing him.

“What the hell is he doing here?!”

I looked at her with a raised brow in confusion, “He’s my boyfriend. We’ve been together for almost a year but I haven’t been able to introduce you to him since I rarely see you.”

Her mouth hung open at my words, trying to hide her face as he made his way over but he had already seen her. I was confused as to why she was acting this way. Jongin was acting like his normal self so that just left me to question her behavior. Before I could even ask her anything Jongin spoke up.

“I didn’t know the two of you were friends.”

“O-Oh uh we’ve known each other for years.” She said a bit nervously before moving her gaze over to me, “I’ll call you later I suddenly remembered I had to do something important.”

She left before I could even say anything so I turned to Jongin instead, “How do you know her?”

“I’m her supervisor at work.”

“Really? Wow...small world huh?”

Jongin only smiled in return, grabbing my hand in his and waved to Minseok as he dragged me out of the shop. As soon as we stepped outside I stepped closer to him, snuggling up to his arm for warmth. A grin played at his lips when he noticed me do so, pulling my arm out of his grip and draping it over me instead. The day after he told me his real name he came in saying he wanted to buy me dinner. I was confused, thinking he had only offered for the sake of the bet but turns out he had been wanting to take me out to dinner for awhile he just hadn’t mustered up the courage to do so. Ever since then he had been taking me out to different places, it only took me until we shared our first kiss that I realized he had been taking me out on dates the whole time.

“What’s got you so smiley?” He asked, his voice interrupting his thoughts.

“I still can’t believe it had taken me so long to realize you actually liked me and all those times we went out were actually dates.”

He grinned at the thought, pulling me in closer, “Seriously what else did you think they were?”

I shrugged, wrapping my arms around his waist. He chuckled softly before suddenly stopping.

“Oh right before I forget. We’re having a company party at the end of the month and I need a date. I want you to meet my grandfather too.”

I thought this over. He had told me his grandfather was the CEO of the company he worked at. His grandfather had raised him since he was a child so he was quite close to him. It came as a shock to know that he wanted me to meet him, this told me he was starting to get serious about our relationship. It’s not like I wasn’t but I never once brought up my own parents and he never pushed the subject. Actually now that I think about it he had always been an open book with me but I kept myself closed off. I had only shared what I wanted to, thinking the rest wasn’t really necessary and like with the subject of my parents he never pushed me to tell him anything. I think that’s what really got me to stay. No matter how much I had flirted with others while I was single any relationship that came out of that flirting never lasted long. They always got frustrated with my lack of sharing, thinking they were the only ones putting any effort into the relationship but Jongin was different. I could tell a few months into the relationship that he’d wait for as long as he needed to until I was ready to open myself to him. In the end I think that’s what had me really fall for him. So with a smile I gave him my answer.

“What time will you be coming by to pick me up?”

-

I opened the doors of my closet, looking at the dresses I had.  I frowned at seeing them, thinking none of them were good enough for the party. Jongin had said it was nothing too fancy but I didn’t want to just show up in a plain and simple dress. Though I never really cared what others thought of my appearance but knowing that it’d be the first time I meet the man that practically raised Jongin I wanted to look my best. After staring at the dresses for a good few minutes I finally decided to grab a navy blue off the shoulder dress that had yet to be worn. It was one of those dresses that I bought on impulse, thinking I’d have the perfect event  to wear it to but that day never came so it was just sitting in my closet, waiting to be worn. I quickly slipped into it when I noticed the time on the clock, thankful that I had done my makeup and hair before hand. Though I picked the dress because I thought it was the best one I had I couldn't help but think there was something missing. I stared at my reflection for a few minutes until I finally thought of what it needed. I rummaged through my jewelry box, finding the gold necklace Jongin had gifted me for my birthday. With that on I was finally happy with how I looked and just in time too. I ran over to the door, grinning widely at seeing Jongin in his usual business attire but minus the tie and suit jacket, opting to only wear his coat.

He tilted his head to the side and took in a deep breath once he took on my appearance, “I don't think I can take you while you're dressed like that.”

I frowned, looking down at my attire, “Why? What's wrong with it?”

“You look too damn good. I'm gonna have to fend everyone off the whole night.”

I rolled my eyes at his words, punching his arm lightly before grabbing my coat. I slipped on the coat and my shoes, closing the door and grabbed his hand, ready to go. As we drove to the venue this party was going to be held my nerves were starting to get the better of me. I started fiddling with my fingers, fidgeting in my seat as Jongin drived. He must've noticed how nervous I was, reaching over to intertwine his fingers with mine.

“He'll love you babe, stop worrying about it.” He said, already knowing what I was thinking of.

I sighed heavily, slouching down in my seat, “What if he doesn’t?”

He let out a chuckle, leaning over to plant a kiss on my lips when he stopped at a red light, “He’ll love you because I love you. Even if he doesn’t we’re just gonna have to change his mind because I’m not planning on letting you go anywhere.”

…...

I looked around the venue, greeting the people Jongin introduced me to. Since I knew Bora also worked for the same company my eyes searched the place for her. It help ease my nerves a bit knowing I knew somebody here besides Jongin but as I couldn’t find her. She must’ve been running a little late. I was about to pull out my phone to text her when Jongin pulled at my arm gently to get my attention. I looked over at him expectantly, seeing the way he tilted his head to the right as if signalling me to look over. My eyes looked for whatever he wanted me to see, spotting an elderly man walking towards us. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the elderly man was Jongin’s grandfather, the way everyone stopped talking to bow to him as he walked by was enough for me to know that he was the owner of the company. Seeing that he was making his way towards us I tried to make myself look more presentable.

“Stop it you look great.” Jongin said under his breath before smiling widely, grinning at his grandfather.

He bowed deeply to his grandfather, the man smiling fondly as his grandson. I could tell he cared deeply about Jongin, a sort of warmth radiate off of his as he looked at Jongin. I smiled softly, ready to introduce myself but stopped when my eyes met his. The warmth they had when they looked at Jongin disappeared, in its place was a disinterested and cold look. I forced the smile to stay on my face as I gave him a bow, introducing myself. He said nothing in return, turning to Jongin almost immediately. I was left standing there by myself as his grandfather grabbed a hold of his arm, leading him away from me. I couldn’t help but let my mouth hang open in shock, Jongin turning back slightly to give me an apologetic smile, one I didn’t return. I didn’t think his grandfather would disregard me so openly, I was hoping for him to at least say a simple hello. What I was so nervous about happening actually happened. I sighed heavily, as I thought that I couldn’t make everyone like me. I turned to go get a drink but stopped at coming face to face with Bora who held two drinks in her hands.

“I take it the old man didn’t even acknowledge your presence?” She asked, handing me one of the drinks.

I grabbed the cup, taking a sip of the beverage, “I didn’t expect him to openly dislike me like that.”

Bora offered me a small smile, “Don’t take it too personally, he’s like that with almost everyone besides his pride and joy,” She said as she gestured over to Jongin.

I sighed once more, trying to not think about it and instead thought about how I could change how his grandfather thought of me.

-

“Minseok I need some help up here!” I yelled out, calling ow out from the kitchen to help me out with making coffee for the customers.

We had been swamped since early this morning since the other cafe down the street decided to close suddenly for the day. All their customers had no choice but to come to us for their daily coffee. This was really good for business but it was just Minseok and I since the coffee shop was so small so we were getting a little overwhelmed. Minseok quickly got to work on making the drinks while I got the customers orders. With Minseok’s help the two of us were able to minimize the time each customer had to wait for their orders, sending them out with their drinks as quickly as possible. It took about forty five minutes to get and make everyone’s orders before the shop was left completely empty. I slumped against the display case behind the counter, sliding down to the floor in exhaustion. Minseok chuckled at the way I over exaggerated, leaning against the counter himself. Just as I thought we had some free time the bell above the door rang, signalling the arrival of another customer. I groaned softly, letting Minseok take care of it as I stayed on the floor. Just as I closed my eyes I felt Minseok nudge my foot with his.

“They’re asking for you.”

I furrowed my brows in confusion, rising to my feet only to meet the eyes of Jongin’s grandfather. It had been months since I had seen him at the company party Jongin took me to and I sure as hell didn’t expect him to show up to my job. I stayed frozen in place as I stared at him in shock, catching the way his eyes scanned me from head to toe in a condescending manner. I shuffled on my feet uncomfortably, wiping my hands on my apron.

“I’m assuming you’re Y/N?” He asked, not even making eye contact as he looked around the place.

“Yes...is there something I can help you with?” I asked, very aware of the assistant he kept at his side.

“I want you to break up with my grandson.”

I felt my jaw go slack, my mouth hanging agape as my brain tried to process what he had said. He frowned at my lack of response, signalling to his assistant who place a briefcase on the counter before opening it. I stared at the bills inside the briefcase in surprise, Jongin’s grandfather speaking once more.

“It’s obvious to me that you’re only with him because of the money. You probably already know he’s set to inherit everything from me once I’m gone and you want to take advantage of him. I’m offering you a million dollars to leave him now.” He said in a calm voice almost as if he’s done this before but I just stared at him dumbfounded.

It took me awhile to get my mouth working but once I did I let him know exactly what my answer was, “No.”

He scoffed at my answer, repeating it, “No?”

“No. I’m not breaking up with him. I don’t know how many other girls you managed to convince to take the money and end things with Jongin but I’m not gonna leave him,” I said, reaching over to close the briefcase and pushed it towards him, “I could care less about the money. I didn’t even know he was the CEO’s grandson until he brought it up five months ago. I’m not with Jongin for the money.”

“Look just set aside your pride for a second and take the money, I’m only going to offer this to you once,” He said before he chuckled to himself, “I mean really, you and Jongin were bound to break up sometime why not just speed it up a little. Someone like you with my Jongin? It’s nothing but a pipe dream.”

“Alright I’ve heard enough,” Minseok mumbled under his breath from his place behind me.

He had been quiet this whole time so I forgot that he was even there. He took a step towards me, grabbing my wrist and moving me to stand behind him, “I’m going to have to ask the both of you to leave.”

Jongin’s grandfather scoffed before giving me one last glare, turning on his heel and leaving. I stayed behind Minseok until they left, not believing something like this just happened. I suddenly had the urge to laugh at how absurd this whole thing was. I mean this happens in dramas not in the real world yet here we are. Though I had found the urge to laugh at the situation I couldn’t help but worry. His grandfather had gone so far as to offer me money to break up with Jongin I couldn’t help but wonder what other things he’d do to get us to breakup.

A/N : Alright everyone....I’m warning you before next week’s update...prepare for more angst, the next chapter will be the start to all the angst.

[bananxjin]

Two Halves of a Whole Idiot // Kim Seokjin x Reader

|| List ||

Word Count: 3,018

Synopsis: All it takes is one phone call for Reader to realize her feelings might run a little deeper than she’d originally thought. AKA: “Hey, let’s date!”

//Heavily inspired by this video which every Jin stan needs to watch immediately. Its ruined me.

I don’t think I’ve ever cranked a fic out faster. Not spellchecked so there might be errors! Apologies!//

Fluff || Fluff || Heavy on the Fluff

☆

“No she didn’t.”

“She absolutely did!” Jin yells into the receiver, sounding completely baffled. “She was like, ‘I guess it’s just kind of weird? You’re nearly thirty years old, and you’re still collecting Pokemon cards?’.” You roll your eyes. “And then when I asked to see a dessert menu, she said she doesn’t do desserts because they aren’t healthy.” He sighed, “I mean yeah, devil’s food cake isn’t healthy, but it sure is fucking tasty after eating a big dinner!”

You frown and lean back further into your computer chair. ‘I’m really sorry she didn’t end up being what you wanted, Jinnie.” You coo. You knew Jin had had a crush on this girl for months now. Everytime Jin would flirt with her or make an attempt to ask her out, she’d brush him off or as Jin would say, ‘She’s playing hard to get!’ -- You recall the rare times where she’d flirt with him or how he’d turn to jelly anytime she brushed her fingertips along his shoulders while he was working.

It was all for naught though, and deep down, you knew. She’d only use his crush on her to her complete advantage anytime something was ‘Too hard’ or if she was leaving early and couldn’t be bothered to finish a project -- She’d run to Jin, butter him up, and leave him in her wake. You didn’t want to say Jin was foolish, but…

He’s a bit foolish.

But that’s what love does to ya, right? Jin sighs again, “It’s not your fault, (Y/n). I think it’s just going to suck seeing her at work again on Monday.” You hummed in response, “I mean the date was terrible! I can already see it, she’s going to tell everyone…”

“I’d say don’t worry about it.” You responded, sitting up a bit. “You know everybody in that building loves you; you’re a walking teddy bear, and say she does manage to change one or two people’s opinions of you, who gives a shit?” You’re voice trembled a bit. Jin doesn’t respond.

“The people who want to be your friends aren’t going to let some crappy date with a snobby, spoiled brat ruin that.” You continued, “I know if she says anything to me, I’ll tell her where she can shove her rumors.”

Jin chuckled, “That actually made me feel a little bit better; thank you, (Y/n).” His sweet laughter brings a smile to your face; it never fails to do so. Ever since you’ve met Jin, that’s always been the best part about him. His laughter paired with his beautiful smile and goofy sense of humor. He’s always been your brightest ray of sunshine.

Then you start thinking about it…

“Do you have plans next weekend? There’s a new restaurant that opened up on the dock, and I really want to try it! They have boba and red bean pastries!” He exclaims excitedly, but you barely hear him over your own thoughts.

You’d always look the other way anytime he’d flirt with her because “That’s gross.” and “I’ll never understand why you like her; she won’t even give you the time of day.”, or when she would flirt with him, it’d make your blood boil. Yes, it was because you knew she was taking advantage of your best friend, but deep down, it was something much bigger.

Even now, after sitting here for the past hour, listening to him complain about the date going horribly and how his idea of her just crumbled -- You’re kind of happy that the date didn’t work out. That sounds terrible, but at least you’re being honest with yourself.

“(Y/n)? Did I lose ya?” He coos. You clear your throat, blushing a bit.

All those times in college when the two of you would stay up late, insisting you’re gonna study, but you played video games together instead. Falling asleep, cuddled up together on the couch; in your bed; in his bed. Being cuddled up to him during movie nights with your friends, or sharing food and drinks when you went out to eat together.

These feelings.

They’ve always been there.

“Yeah, I’d love to go, Jin! Will Saturday afternoon work?” He giggles on the other end, “Saturday afternoon is perfect!” He exclaims. “Ugh, I’ve gotta go now, though. I’m pretty sure my laundry finished like half an hour ago, and I don’t want anybody stealing my clothes from the dryer.” He sighs, “Thank you so much for listening to me whine about last night.”

You smile, “It’s no problem!” You exclaim, hesitating a bit before adding, “You know I’d do anything for you.”

You can hear him smirk, “I’ll remember that next weekend when we get the bill.”

“Hey!” You yell, making him burst out into a full belly laugh. “I’ll talk to ya later, okay?”

The two of you say your farewells before hanging up. You toss your phone onto the bed and slump downwards until you slide out of your computer chair and onto your floor like a puddle of mushy goo.

“So we’re really doing this, huh?” You mumble to nobody in particular, staring up at you ceiling. “We’re just gonna suddenly fall in love with World Wide Cute Guy over here and call it a day, huh?” You continue a little louder this time.

The anxiety begins to bubble in your tummy. What if you tell him and he shoots you down? You two have only known each other for nearly a decade now, surely it wouldn’t ruin your friendship?

A thought suddenly hits you, and you gasp. Did you actually end the call?!

The speed at which you move from your floor to the bed would put Speedy Gonzales to shame. You’re relieved to find that the call had most definitely ended, but on your lockscreen was a text notification from Jin. All it said was, “Seriously, thanks for always being there for me! I don’t know what I’d do without you!” Followed by a spam of pink, sparkly heart emojis.

Your heart swelled ten times larger, cheeks turning a dusty pink and you couldn’t hold back the soft smile forming on your lips. You wouldn’t know what to do without Jin yourself. Your best friend Jin, who gave your forehead kisses. Jin, who held your hand during scary movies or while walking down the street. Jin, who will buy the largest bowl of orange sherbet that’s offered, and then spoon feed it to you even though he bought you your own cone. You can’t help but cover your face when you remember the first time he did that.

“Wow! You actually ate off my spoon!” He laughed. “Yeah! You hold a spoonful of ice cream up to my face, I’m going to take the bite!” You laughed in response.

His laughter slowly died down as he took his own bite, “You know when they do that during anime, they always joke about how they shared an indirect kiss.” He giggled. You didn’t think much about it as you worked your way through your cone. Then slowly, you put the puzzle pieces together in your mind, nearly forcing your heart to stop.

“So, (Y/n)... How was our first indirect kiss?”

You huff out and fall back onto your bed, body feeling all warm and tingly as you begin to wonder what it’d actually feel like to kiss Prince Pillow Lips. You rake your fingers through your hair and turn to your phone again.

“Okay, okay.” You breathe out, trying to calm yourself. You’re suddenly hyper aware of everything. Every aspect of your relationship; every word you’ve ever said to him; every interaction the two of you have ever had. What should you say to him? Do you even respond? There’s not really much you can say, “Yeah, my heart would probably crumble if I couldn’t see you anymore?” God, clingy much?

You swallow and scroll through some reaction images you could send to him. You find a goofy one of Hobi laughing really hard with hearts surrounding him. Would that be weird to send? Namjoon’s the one that made it look like that and you’ve sent it to him before, but what if…

You scroll back through your chat thread, re-reading old conversations. Nothing here to indicate any developing feelings; just a bunch of terrible jokes, “I’m here!” notifications, and a few serious messages about Coworker that let Jin down.

You could hear your heart thrumming in your ears ‘Just do it!’ your brain screams. You feel little beads of sweat building on your forehead as you stare down the little “Call” button in the corner of the screen. What’s your excuse? The two of you just got off the phone, what else could you possibly have to say other than, “Hey, I just missed your voice, and I realized a couple of things about you and me-”

Somewhere in your dissociation, you’ve already hit the call button, and Jin’s been on the line for the last fifteen seconds asking if you’re there. You swallow and put the phone up to your ear.

“(Y/n)?! Is everything okay?”

“Yeah…” You rasp. “Is something wrong? Did you need to-”

“Let’s go out.”

… … … Silence.

“What?” He asks in a hushed whisper.

“Let’s go out… On a date.”

Silence. Again.

“Is this a joke? Are… Are you messing with me right now? Because (Y/n), if you are, then that’s really mean, and I don’t-”

“No, I’m being completely serious.” You respond, surging with confidence as you sit up right, “I know I said next Saturday, but actually I want to go to that new restaurant today, and afterwards I want to get ice cream from that little shop near the ferries? And then maybe we can go to the observatory later and look at the stars or something, I don’t know! But what I do know is…”

You take a deep breath, “I want to be close to you right now.”

Again with that blasted silence except this time, you’re actually worried he might’ve hung up on you.

He didn’t.

But your worrying persists.

“Okay.”

“... What?”

“Let’s do that, then. I’ll be by to pick you up in a half hour, yeah?”

||

As promised, you went to that new restaurant. Despite how awkward you felt over the phone, Jin acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. He carried the conversation in the car, telling you all about this American video game that he could finally buy and play in Korea, or how his parents were back in town and his mom desperately wanted to see you again, “She thinks of you as like her own daughter; she loves you!” He laughed.

The waiter directed “The sweet couple” to one of the outside tables where you got a lovely view of the ocean and all the tourists coming in and out of the ferry boats. Jin insisted on taking a cute picture together with the ocean in the background. You smiled through the anxiety and Jin held up his fingers in a peace sign. You had to complain after seeing the picture because “I look terrible in that! Please delete it!” And of course Jin had to laugh at you, “You look as cute as you always do, (Y/n)~” He cooed, leaning in closer to your face as he said your name. It did nothing to settle the butterflies in your tummy.

Damn him.

After lunch, Jin immediately grabbed your hand and dragged you further down the docks so you could get ice cream from the little ice cream shop. Jin had to get his Extra Large bowl of orange sherbet, and you got your usual cookie dough cone. That lasted all of thirty seconds when a seagull swooped down and reached for your ice cream. He didn’t manage to grasp it, but the fear of him swooping you caused you to drop your cone on the ground.

Jin couldn’t hold back his squeaky laughter, keeping a hold on his ice cream bowl as he doubled over in his cute, dumb laughing fit. “Please don’t worry, (Y/n)! I’ll gladly share my ice cream with you!”

The two of you took a seat on one of the benches. As promised, Jin took turns spoon feeding you and taking bites of his own. “That couldn’t have worked out better, actually.” He mutters through mouthfuls of creamy sherbet, “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish this all on my own.”

You roll your eyes, instinctively opening your mouth so he can feed you, “Then why do you always order the biggest size dummy!” You demand, covering a hand over your mouth. He chipmunks the ice cream in his cheeks, smiling wide at you, “Because I know you’ll eat it with me!”

It wasn’t quite late enough to see the stars just yet, so the two of you took a stroll through one of the many shopping districts in the area. Jin pulled you into one of his favorite shops so you could look at CD’s and cute stationary. From the moment you two walked through the door, Jin always caught you glancing back at the gudetama stationary set. Despite your stubborn adamancy, Jin insisted he buy it for you. “It’s the least I could do since you took me out to that restaurant!”

“I took you-! You’re the one that insisted on paying for the meal!” You bit back. He snickered, “It’s the thought that counts, (Y/n).” You stubbornly walked away towards the beauty products while Jin took the stationary set up to the cashier.

You thanked Jin for the stationary once you left, but you still berated him for actually buying it, “You didn’t have to do that!” You whined cutely.

“But I wanted to!” He mocked you in the same whiny voice before promptly grabbing your hand. You could feel your cheeks heating up, but you refused to say anything. Jin smirked and laced his fingers through yours. “Let’s head back to the car. It’ll be dark enough by the time we get to the observatory.”

||

The observatory was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday night, mostly consisting of parents with younger children or older couples. The entire top floor was rounded, encasing telescopes that allowed you to look over the brightly lit city or up at the moon and stars. A little further down the hall was the gift shop where most of the kids would end up lingering.

You and Jin went through and looked through each telescope, wanting to get different views of the city and sky, but you kept lingering back towards a specific one that offered you a wonderful view of the ocean. “I love how the lights just reflect off the water.” You whisper, “The ocean looks beautiful at night.”

You’re startled as you feel Jin wrap his arms around your waist, resting his chin on the top of your head. “Hmm… I’ve seen way prettier.” He responds nonchalantly. You snort, “You talking about when you look in the mirror?” You ask somewhat jokingly. He smirks, “Sometimes, but even more beautiful than that…”

He gently pulls you back, turning you around to face him. He takes a good look at your face before a big dorky smile breaks out onto his own, “That,” He says, “Is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

You swallow thickly, tilting your head to the side, “What?”

“You.” He whispers, “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He says, sliding his hands down your arms and into your hands. You smirk at him, “I am sweaty and i’m sure my hair looks like a total mess right now, how can you joke like that? It’s mean.”

His large hands move down to cup your waist and pull you closer to him, “I’m not joking.” He says sternly, gazing into your eyes.

“(Y/n), I’ve liked you since our college days together.” He whispered leaning his forehead against yours. You ran your hands up his arms, and flattened your palms against his chest. “I thought that maybe if I get into a relationship with someone else, I’d be able to get over you, but…” His eyes search yours for a moment, “(Y/n), I need you. I need you and all of your affection and all of your baggage.” He chuckles a bit, “I’m a selfish man. I want all of it; everything... God, when you asked me out on the phone earlier, I thought... I didn't know what to think.” He huffs out.

Your eyes remain glued to him, unable to look away. He just laid it all out there for you in a complete state of vulnerability. Time to match his sincerity. “That’s wild because I’ve been trying to deny my feelings for you for years now.” You make a face immediately after saying that; way to ruin the moment, you think, but Jin doesn’t mind. He can’t help but laugh, “W-what I mean is…” You clear your throat, hoping Jin won’t notice your red cheeks, “I never thought you’d see me the same way I see you, so I thought… I’d rather preserve our friendship than take the risk.” You mutter, gaze flickering down to his lips. He smiles, “I don’t want you to deny your feelings anymore.” He whispers, “And I don’t ever want you to get over me.” You whisper back.

He finally leans forward, closing the gap between the two of you; finally gives you a taste of what you’ve been craving for so long. A soft, sweet, loving kiss that you want to pour all of your love into just for Jin. He inhales, smiling against your lips before wrapping his arms around your waist and dipping you. You squeal and wrap your arms around his neck. “I’m going to love on you so much tonight.” He mutters against your kiss swollen lips. You can’t help but giggle and lean in to kiss him again.

“But seriously… We’re both kinda dumb, aren’t we?” He laughs.

“Maybe just a little!”

[afteriwake]

A Good Day, A Better Night (A “Serenity Coffee & Tea Shoppe” Story)

So for the next installment in the Sherlolly coffee shop AU that @elliedilly inspired is a second meeting between Sherlock and Molly, written for @strangelock221b . Enjoy!

A Good Day, A Better Night - Sherlock has a second encounter with the coffee shop owner he hasn't been able to get off his mind.

READ @ AO3 | SERIES PAGE | HELP ME SURVIVE? | COMMISSION ME? | BUY ME A KOFI?

“Okay, you have to show me where this new shop of yours is,” John said, taking a bite of one of the muffins that Sherlock had bought especially for him. They had an extremely early morning a few days after his discovery of Serenity and he had hoped Molly would be at the counter, but Greg was there and said she’d had to step out to attend to some private business and he didn’t know how long she would be gone. He had been disappointed as he’d wanted to thank her for the return of his cuff link, but he had still bought two of the largest coffees and an assortment of the muffins and pastries. One of the coffees went to John and the pastries were shared among the advertising department. He had, however, gotten a blueberry muffin specifically because he knew they were John’s weakness, and it seemed it was up to snuff.

“We can go there for lunch,” Sherlock said. “I believe my calendar is free?”

John nodded, not speaking as his mouth was full of muffin. When he was done swallowing he spoke. “No meetings for the day as it’s off for you to whip advertising into shape. Something you seem to be doing a good job at, I may add.”

“It seems to be the only element of the business where I can put my assorted skills to use,” he said. “We’ll call a lunch early and then bring sandwiches back for everyone. I think they have the basics so just get meat types and if they want cheese. We can get an assortment of condiments sent to us.”

“Maybe I could, oh, I don’t know, call this fantastic shop and ask if they can handle an order of fifteen sandwiches and have it delivered?” John said in a teasing tone.

“Or you can do that,” Sherlock said. He thought for a moment and then tossed his pen on the desk. “Make it seventeen sandwiches and find out the department’s coffee orders, get everyone a fresh cup. If they’ll deliver we’ll tip at...half the order.” He paused. “See if they can have Mary make the delivery.”

“Right,” John said. He knew he was being extravagant with the tip but they were making progress on the current campaign and he didn’t want to break everyone’s stride, not even for the chance to see Molly. He would have asked if Molly herself could deliver it but perhaps it was the fact he knew John had been lonely since the end of his last relationship in Oxford and he thought Mary might interest him. Lord knew at least one of them should have some company other than each other here.

John came back forty minutes later and told him that yes, they could make the sandwiches and he had gotten their usual in the bunch, he now knew the entire advertising department’s orders and Mary had been the one who answered the phone, they had flirted a bit and he had been asked to come over at the end of the day and bring Cuff Link Bloke with him, since Molly should be closing that evening. That had all turned out better than he had expected.

It certainly made getting through the rest of the day better. Mary had had to change plans but John had gotten her mobile number and they had instantly hit it off, Mary staying a good ten minutes to “help sort out the order,” but in reality to flirt with John some more. She did tell Sherlock that Molly would still be in but she was off after this delivery as the shop had been slow and once she gave half the tip to Greg she was free for the day. Sherlock made sure he paid the tip in cash and added a little extra for the personal service. He knew it was hard work in a coffee shop; he had done his own time as a barista in Oxford while he had been a student.

At the end of the day John went out for some sort of date with Mary, saying to expect him back late, and he made his way to the coffee shop. It didn’t look barren, but the only regular he recognized in the group of people there was Dimmock. He nodded to the man and then went to wait for Molly to finish with her current customer before noticing he was there. “Oh!” she said, a warm smile on her face. “You came.”

“I was invited to, wasn’t I?” he asked, frowning slightly.

“I just thought with Mary not being here you and your friend would make other plans,” she said.

“The two of them did, but as I was invited, I thought it would be rude of me not to make an appearance.”

“I almost wish I hadn’t told Mary she could leave early. Then someone could watch the dinner and we could chat.”

“If I could get a sandwich and another Viennese roast with two sugars, I’m sure I’ll be quite comfortable at the counter.”

“I’d like the company a lot,” she said. “Dimmock is studying for the entrance exam to Scotland Yard so I’ve been quizzing him.”

“Not what I want to do, but it’s a start,” he replied. “I would rather be a barrister but I don’t have the time to pursue it. Family obligations.”

“I know the feeling,” Sherlock said with a nod as he made himself comfortable. The bell on the door rang and it looked like quite a large crowd, and he saw Molly’s enthusiasm dim just slightly. “Perhaps I could help? With the quizzing, so you can keep up a rhythm while Molly takes care of the customers. I was a professor at Oxford as well as a degree chaser...studying is my forte.”

“I would appreciate it,�� Dimmock said, and Sherlock moved down the counter closer to him and began to help Dimmock study while Molly took care of the customers. Most stayed in and used the chairs and tables to sit and talk, and it was nearly closing by the time most of them filed out, Molly having been kept too busy to really stop and chat with either of them.

“I think I’ve got it,” Dimmock said, closing his book. “Or at least most of it.”

“The office is closed tomorrow for the weekend. Perhaps I can come in the morning and help more if you’re free?”

“Not in the morning, but maybe the afternoon?” Dimmock said.

“Noon?”

“Done.” He stowed the book away in a messenger bag and then grinned. “He’s got my approval, Molls.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” she said with a laugh before he headed towards the door, leaving her and him alone. She turned the sign on the door to closed and then looked at Sherlock. “I’m sure that wasn’t how you wanted to spend your evening after a hard day at the office.”

“No, it was quite nice,” he admitted. “I’ve missed teaching.”

“What did you teach?” she asked.

“I was in the sciences. Chemistry, mostly, but I could fill in if needed in a few other disciplines if it didn’t interfere with some of my own classes and projects.” He nodded to behind the counter. “Do you need any help with dishes?”

“Tutor my customers and offer to do dishes?” she asked. “I do think I’ve found a potential regular here.”

“If you’d like,” he said.

“I would.” She went back behind the counter. “Let me count up the totals for the day, and if you can stand a quick walk to the bank, I’d like to replay you with a meal. I mean, a meal that isn’t one of my sandwiches. Do you like Thai?”

“I do,” he said.

“Great. Wait here and I’ll be back soon.” She opened the register and took the till out and then moved to the back, and he situated himself in one of the chairs and waited. It wasn’t quite how he’d planned his evening going, but honestly, he’d had far worse over the years. This was a good night, in his opinion. Hopefully a very good night.