#and yet i learned all that music and got it stuck in my head for months(well years now lmao)

[skitskatdacat63]

The double-edged sword of enjoying Chicago and knowing basically all the songs by heart, but also can't stop crying every time I watch/listen to any of them bcs I can't stop thinking about how covid robbed me of getting the experience of ever performing it :(

[targaryenluvs]

OUR LITTLE DOVE

pairings: dark!lucy gray x fem!reader, dark!coriolanus snow x fem!reader, coriolanus snow x lucy gray

summary: you reunite with your dear songbird after the games, but it seems the capitol has followed her home, and taken an interest in the two of you. but it seems lucy gray is willing to share you with a certain peacekeeper, even if you aren’t.

warnings: crazy lucy n corio conspiring like evil doers, manipulation, chasing, primal play?? is that what is called idk corio enjoys hunting your ass down, kidnapping, drugging, forced into accepting a third partner?? nc touching, abuse of power (peacekeeper), power dynamics, kinda cheating (lucy n corio), guilt-trip, jealousy, threatening, self doubt and relationship problems, murder, betrayal

word count: 3.0k

a/n: lol i complain about wanting to write fluff but all my good ideas r so dark 😭 someone needs to give me tips on how to write girls cuz i have no experience would be easier if i was gay boooo!!

he was like a shadow, stuck to your back, always.

you’d complained to lucy numerous times that you didn’t feel comfortable around him when she played at the hob, knowing he’d be there, in the crowd. “sweetie, he was my mentor. he helped me so much in the games, i wouldn’t be here without him. you love me don’t you? so you need to learn to love him too, he’s a good friend a mine. i love you and i gotta get to the stage baby.” she explained as she ran around getting herself and the covey ready.

you were always front row. wanting to be as close to lucy as possible. she looked especially majestic tonight with flowers in her hair. as you listened to her sing you’d managed to forget about the certain blonde peacekeeper near the back. but he hadn’t forgotten about you, nor lucy.

you’d left to get a drink and you’d came back to an unfamiliar tune. you usually knew every song being played off by heart but this was new.

Everyone's born as clean as a whistle

As fresh as a daisy

And not a bit crazy

Staying that way's a hard row for hoeing

she sounded as angelic as usual and the crowd around you seemed entranced.

As rough as a briar

Like walking through fire

This world, it's dark

This world, it's scary

lucy smiled at you once, just once. which threw you off since you usually got a bunch. especially during new songs and songs about you. was this not also about you?

I've taken some hits, so

No wonder I'm wary It's why

I need you

so it is about me! you thought as you closed your eyes, allowing yourself to sway to the music and singing. you’d hoped you wouldn’t miss a smile headed your way.

You're as pure as the driven snow

your eyes flew open as you stared at lucy, she was looking past you and to the peacekeeper. to coriolanus snow. you’d always been a rational person, you prided yourself on restraint but that restraint was hanging on by a thread. you wanted to jam a beer bottle into his neck. lucy was your girlfriend not his. and yet he smiled stupidly towards her as she sang and you could feel your heart clawing its way up. best to leave now rather than stay and hear more of the ever so driven man.

your head was spinning as you slumped to the floor, in one of your finest dresses yet worst mental states. of course, something had formed between the two. she was in the goddamn hunger games and he was her mentor. trauma bonding? he quite literally saved her life, coached her and you did what? sat at home and hoped.

hope could only get you so far.

your hope and faith in lucy gray baird was dwindling as her lyrics swirled in your head. of course she loved him. who wouldn’t? the man was undeniably eye catching. a capitol man. but you’d always imagined lucy staying away from the capitol, despising them. but maybe it wasn’t the captiol part but the man part. maybe she wanted a true life, a home, marriage and children and everything she could wish for.

what on earth could you provide her with?

“y/n?” it sure as hell wasn’t lucy calling out for you and you knew that. coriolanus’s reflection was prominent in the puddle before you as he neared. great, you sneered, would love to get to know you mr peacekeeper. please tell me how you stole my lovely girlfriend from me!

your chest felt oh so heavy as you heard his footsteps in the gravel, determined and unwavering as he made his way to your slumped body. “what do you want? you wanna gloat?” coriolanus stopped in his tracks, gloat? “why would i gloat?” you looked up at him annoyed, “rub it in my face. you practically stole my girlfriend from me.” coriolanus laughed. actually laughed and it made you want to strangle him with his stupid dog tags.

“sweetheart.” vomit. you wanted to vomit. maybe choking and dying on your vomit would be less embarrassing then this. why on earth was this fuck head calling you his sweetheart. “fuck off.”

you didn’t see him coming. and you certainly didn’t expect his demeanour to snap. but the large hand tangled in your open hair was a big slap in the face to your unreadiness. “you of all people don’t get to talk to me like that. do you know who you’re talking to?” you could hear his perfect porcelain teeth grinding at your words. god this man couldn’t handle an insult. wuss.

“what the hell is your- ow! problem!” you yelped as he dragged you into an alleyway. “you need to learn how to respect your superiors. if you’re nice to me, i can make your life easier. doesn’t it hurt? not being able to fully provide for your family? seeing them struggle? do you really think disrespecting a peacekeeper is going to help? i suggest you straighten your act and thank me for even looking your way. there are plenty of other girls here.”

but he didn’t want those other girls. he wanted you. you with the teary eyes and messy hair. you who he’d been seeing in his dreams and during the day. you with the kind smile and curious eyes. you who were so sweet and pretty but mean when need be. the y/n who was stupid enough to spit such hateful words at a peacekeeper. but he’d teach you. whether it be with words and lessons or actions and bruises. you’d learn your place, by his side and lucy’s, and underneath. but with such fearful, brown doe eyes watering up infront of him, the girl he’d heard oh so much about from lucy. how could he refrain from indulging?

his hand reached out to wipe away the few stray tears that fell as his left extended towards your right, which was clutching your head, where he’d grabbed you. “shh, let me help you.” your hand slowly retracted as your heart ran a marathon. the man was obviously unstable, going from a deceptively caring man to violent. coriolanus smiled at your actions, and it freaked you out. he caressed your scalp in an attempt to soothe, “good girl.” he cooed as your apparent saviour approached.

“sweetie?” lucy called out to you as coriolanus withdrew from your personal space. he walked over to her and she let him. he held her hand and spoke with, love? his voice was soft and comforting, his thumb again caressing the back of her hand as they talked, whispered, plotted? god knows, all you wanted was to leave.

was this your chance?

you tested the waters, slow and calculated movements as lucy nodded in agreement with him. but by the time they were done speaking you’d bolted.

but you sure as hell weren’t getting far with these two on your tail, poor y/n l/n. a little dove trying to spread her wings but they were bound to be clipped.

your feet were throbbing and begging for you to slow down. but your brain was in charge for once, your heart which yearned for your dear songbird pushed to the side as your head screamed and urged you to go. she was in league with him apparently. her seeing him corner you and not even batting an eyelash. did she truly care for you so little? did she want to rid herself of you? she could’ve broken up with you and let that be it. maybe the games had twisted her head.

even as you believed yourself to be gaining distance from the two you could hear the not-so distant steps of determined pursuit, headed your way. how would they kill you? slow and intimate? hasty and brutal?

“if you stop running now we won’t be mad little dove!” lucy shouted in warning as you felt yourself momentarily slow at her words. traitor. you thought to yourself as your body involuntary listened, she still had an affect on you. “she’s right, we love you, we won’t hurt you. unless we have to, don’t give us our reasons.”

“shut up!” you screamed. god, i know we haven’t talked in a while. last minute efforts right? maybe he’d listen to you, save you from your tormentors. you should’ve kept your head clear, focused on running. focused on your surroundings and if you had, you would’ve noticed the nearing tree roots, thick and protruding from the ground, ready to knock you down.

you crawled behind the tree, trying to catch your breath as your hands worked tirelessly to provide some form of relief to your aching ankle.

crack.

you’d been found. you fucked up.

“our little dove, ever the sprinter.”

his words had you lurching forwards in an attempt of fleeing but lucy’s cold hand on your ankle dragged protests and cries from your throat as well as you, back to them. “you should’ve listened before, we would’ve been nice. given you some time to adjust, but you can’t sit and think for a second can you?” coriolanus mocked as his hand trailed up your un-injured leg, “that’s okay, you won’t be doing much thinking from now on. we’ll be taking care of you, since you obviously can’t take care a’ yourself baby.” lucy’s voice was saccharine, like honey, and her smile was even sweeter. the familiarity and comfort of her presence was intoxicating, you felt at peace on one side and the other wanted to jump off a cliff. she lowered your guard and coriolanus slithered right in.

the prick in the side of your neck wasn’t painful, but their words were. “you’re with us now, we’ll take care of you, we promise.” and you were stuck, stuck with them for god knows how long.

you blinked away the sleep in your eyes, adjusting to the room. maybe they had killed you? in their own twisted way they’d keep you forever, in their memories and soul. coriolanus and lucy’s voices swam around your head and blended together. you were wrong. yay.

“it’s a bit early for katniss, even if it’s one of her favourites.”

“she should eat something better.”

“better? don’t go all capitol on me now corio.”

he was smiling, you could tell.

“never lucy gray. but she’ll be weak for a few days, proper meals will help her regain some strength.”

you picked your head up and looked through the window, the lake was evident.

“alright, you go grab it and i’ll stay here.”

“why? so you can get more time with her? if anyone should get extra time it’s me.”

“now who was her partner first? oh that’s right, me. you’re acting as if i’m gonna pick her up and run away. if you’re that scared than we’ll both go. take her with us.”

coriolanus’s head whipped towards the cabin and you quickly flopped back down on the bed. you shut your eyes as you heard the door creak open. “gosh, doesn’t she look pretty?” lucy asked, knowing the answer already. “so calm, i liked her better when she was crying.” lucy hit him, “coriolanus snow!” he stroked the side of your face and you had to resist from turning your head and biting his fingers off.

“little dove.” your eyes opened again, turning your head his way tiredly. “we need to get some supplies okay?” you nodded as lucy went outside to gather the baskets she’d left out earlier on to dry. coriolanus’s hand dug into your cheeks as he forced you to look at him, “i told you i’d make you respect me. now listen, if you try anything when we’re in town i will never let you forget it. you’ll know who you belong to every single day. maybe i’ll pay your family a visit? an appointment with the hanging tree for being rebels? stealing?”

you shook your head violently as you began to cry, “you don’t want that? didn’t think so. you listen to me and everything will be fine. your family will get daily help and weekly groceries. they’ll never go hungry again. all thanks to their sweet little girl. lucy’s too nice, but don’t think for a second she’ll save you from me. you’re mine and if you try anything.” he leaned in to whisper, “i’ll strangle her with my bare hands infront of you.” his words were meant to scare you, and they did. but don’t you know? coriolanus snow doesn’t need a reason to do bad things.

coriolanus was wicked and ruthless when it came to what he wanted, if you had any hope of trying to get through this then you’d need lucy’s attention and help. so you nodded. “words sweetheart.” you swallowed your pride, your dignity, and you shook hands with the devil.

“yes, i’ll do what you say.” he straightened up, his white shirt a contrast to his dark thoughts.

“y’all ready to go?” lucy questioned as coriolanus grinned, “yes, yes we are.” he lifted you up and helped you dress, you hadn’t realised the fact that you were only dressed in his own white shirt, dress to you. he handled you like you were the most delicate object. as if he wasn’t hell bent on breaking you, over and over again. till you were fit to his standards. the captiol standards. the snow standards.

his, his, his.

with how obedient you were, he figured you’d do well in the capitol. which was exactly where he was meaning to bring you.

lucy walked in front of the two of you as you made your way through the woods. coriolanus’s hand was glued to your waist as he held you close, afraid to let go. you were at flight risk of course. his grip was tight and bruising. lucy’s humming distracted you at times, if you were delusional enough you could imagine it to be the two of you. your brothers far infront and the covey following. after an amazing afternoon at the lake, heading home for dinner, maybe a performance or the night shift.

your daydreaming was interrupted when you clocked coriolanus’s missing hand from your waist, and his arm now around lucy grays throat.

don’t you remember? you’d do well in the capitol! you were his! but not entirely, no.

not with her in the way.

you were frozen in place as lucy clawed at him before reaching out for you. a plea, a cry for help and aid yet you stood stuck in fear. a minute, two. she’d put up a strong fight, especially when you ran towards the two, pushing and shoving at coriolanus to let her go. but again, you fucked up.

here lies lucy gray baird, singer, victor, psycho.

obsessed? madly in love? you couldn’t think of another word, and as much as you wished to forget her, forget how she’d practically allowed another man into your relationship and let him kidnap you. her lifeless face and hollow eyes made your heart clench. but soon enough she was rolled over, thrown in a pre-made hole and buried. she’d survived the games but no one survived coriolanus snow.

“don’t forget what i said. don’t forget what you agreed to. you said you’d do as i say, i’m telling you to get up and follow me. we’re leaving district 12.” your face was painted with confusion as coriolanus clutched your face, “i’m going back, and you’re coming with me. don’t ask questions, just do as i say.”

and you did.

when he had you say goodbye to your family, a courtesy, a privilege he’d granted you. you kept it short and sweet, no questions just hugs and false promises of return.

when he ushered you onto the train and he wanted you to sit and be silent, you did.

through his time at the university, he wanted you close to him, living with him. and you did.

through his presidency campaign he wanted for you to charm sponsors and entice newcomers. you did.

when he wanted to marry you in a grand spectacle infront of the captiol and dress you up, you did as he asked.

when he held you down on your wedding night after tearing your dress off, biting and marking you down all over, pushing you down to your knees and took you all over the house, asking you to give yourself to him as if he didn’t take you anyways, you did.

you had no idea why at this point.

for your family? who hadn’t reached out in so long, even when they promised to talk to you every day? coriolanus had them all arrested, punished and hung for inciting riots and uprisings.

for your friends whom listened to your concerns of the capitol peacekeeper who hovered and didn’t make you feel crazy? each of them ended up dead in many different ways, hung, shot, a mugging gone wrong.

you didn’t know at this point and when you looked in the mirror you didn’t recognise the girl who stared back. a captiol sheep, dressed up in the finest silk dresses and slick heels yet the filth underneath the finery, jewels, and makeup weighed you down. each time he touched you, kissed you, fucked you, it felt like a peace of yourself was thrown away.

and as you clutched your swelling stomach, you couldn’t help but feel pity for baby number four.

maybe you’d grow up and find love.

maybe i’ll be able to take you all away from him.

maybe we’ll heal.

you thought, but in the back of your head, a little voice wouldn’t shut up.

you’ll always be his little dove.

[pitchsidestories]

know that you're not alone II Leah Williamson x Reader

Masterlist I word count: 2279

“You know, you can always tell me what’s going on in your mind…“ Leahs words made you look up in surprise. You hadn’t even noticed that you were lost in your own thoughts. With a sigh, you sat up a bit straighter on your team mates couch; “It’s just…“

“It’s what?“, Leah prompted you to continue. She was sitting on the opposite side of her living room on a piano stool. You also didn’t notice that she had stopped practicing.

“I’m not where I thought I would be with 26… and it seems like everyone else has got it all figured out with with marriage and kids…“, you explained truthfully. Leah smiled empathetically at you; “Trust me, no one’s got it all figured out yet.“

“Well, you do.“, you shrugged in response, taking in her perfectly tied pony tail. “I do? I have nothing figured out.“, the defender laughed. You pointed at the piano; “Your career is flying and I don’t know how you manage all the things you do at the moment.“

She was currently learning to play the piano for a performance with the BBC Concert Orchestra and you couldn’t help but be impressed by her eagerness. “I don’t have it either. I don’t manage all these things by myself.“, Leah replied, shaking her head.

A moment of silence passed between you two. “I’m so sick of it, Lee.“, you complained. “Okay, wait.“, Leah started, turning back to her piano but you interrupted her; “No, why don’t those things matter too? That we play for a great club? Have amazing friendships?“ “It does matter. We might not get measured by that but it does.“, Leah replied, before you could continue your rant.

As she played the first notes on her piano, you looked at her in confusion; “What are you doing?“ Your team mate remained silent and carried on playing. You recognized the song quickly and groaned; “Oh no. Not Cat Burns.“

“Hey, don’t complain about her music. She’s great.“, Leah scolded you with a laugh. “You’re obsessed with her.“, you rolled your eyes, amused. The defender gave you a death stare with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth; “Shut up and listen to this song.“

Thankfully, instead of singing the song for you, she turned it on and continued playing along. “Okay, fine.“, you gave in and had to admit that the lyrics of the song really resonated with you.

Still, you had to make a comment about the song text; “Wait, why is she singing about the troubles of being 26 when she’s just 23?“ Leah rolled her eyes at you; “It doesn’t matter what age. The twenties are always confusing and I have a feeling the thirties won’t be any better.“

“Kim and Jen seem pretty comfortable.”, you disagreed winking. The blonde gave you an amused look:” Yeah but I can tell you, they still don’t have a clue what they’re doing?” “Yes, I guess you’re right with that.”, you admitted chuckling.  

The softness in the defender’s features disappeared again and the usual stern expression returned when she demanded:” I am. Now listen to the rest of this song.”

With closed eyes you let the lyrics comfort you like a warm hug from a friend, by the end of the song you had to swallow hard: “Okay, I might still not like her music that much but the song hits right there it should be.” “You just have no taste.”, Leah shrugged.

As usual you couldn’t help but to tease your teammate a little bit: “Rude coming from someone who’s music taste is stuck in the 70s.” “Not my fault that they don’t make music like that anymore.”, the blonde responded with a dramatic sigh.

That didn’t stop you from adding:” But you’re not from the seventies, you’re a nineties girl.” “And? I can still appreciate that music.”, Leah replied unimpressed.

To appease her you took the place next to her, already placing your fingers on the keyboard:” Let’s play another song together.” “Which one?”, she curiously turned her head to face you directly.

Sheepishly you grinned at her starting to play the opening of North London forever:” What about this one?” “My favourite one.”, she answered laughing. You loved making your normally serious friend break out of her shell and hear her laughter fill the room.

Later that day Leah offered you to stay overnight, as usual you were sleeping in the same bed side by side but when you woke up the next morning you couldn’t believe your eyes. “Lee stop stealing my sweaters.”, you scolded her not quite as serious as you liked it to be.

In a sassy tone the defender remarked: Too late.”  “Also, it’s winter break you don’t even need to go to the gym.”, you told your teammate.

Stubbornly she packed the final things into her sports bag: ”And? I still have to get up at some point.” “But your bed is so cozy.”, you countered, wearing an innocent smile on your lips.

For a moment Leah paused in her movements: “You can stay in my bed if you want.”  “Thanks. When are we supposed to meet the girls again? So, I know when I have to get ready?”, you asked her as you were closing your eyes.  Promptly the defender reassured you before heading out of her home: “You have a few more hours.”

With a sigh, you snuggled back into the warm blankets, snoozing for a bit longer. Leah, on the other hand, was trying to focus on her exercises in the gym instead of Keiras video call. “Lee, you have to tell her how you really feel about her…“, Barcelonas midfielder was telling her.

“It’s not that easy, Kei.“, Leah replied between two sets of lunges. Keira sighed; “Why not? I think it’s pretty simple. Honestly, didn’t your self-help books teach you anything about that?“ “Actually, no. They don’t tell me how to tell my team mate that I might have a crush on her.“, the defender rolled her eyes.

“You’re lucky that football is my love language and I only have experience from dating other players, so here’s my advice. Are you listening?“ Instead of Leah, Keiras girlfriend Laura replied to her question; “Yeah, I’m listening.“ “She wasn’t talking to you!“, Leah laughed.

Laura grinned into the camera at the Arsenal player; “I know but I’m still curious.“ “You two need to shut up to hear my advice though.“, Keira reminded the two. Leah took her phone to see her friend better and patiently sat down on her mat; “Enlighten us.“ “Stop being afraid and go for it.“, Keira advised her.

The defender frowned; “Just a short question about that statement.“ “Sure, go on.“ “How many girls did you ask out again? And how many times were you asked?“ Keiras cheeks immediately turned red while Laura hysterically laughed in the background.

The Barcelona player grimaced and admitted; “They always ask me.“ “And now tell me why I should listen to you again?“, Leah asked with a smug smile. “Because I’m your best mate and I want you and her to be happy.“, Keira replied, making big innocent eyes at her friend.

Leah let a few seconds pass before she shrugged; “We’ll see.“ “Can’t wait to see you guys later.“, Keira smiled happily. “Me neither.“, Leah answered before resuming her strengthening and mobility exercises.

When Leah came back from the gym, you were wide awake, having showered and dressed yourself. When your guests showed up in the evening, Leah and you were just in the process of preparing dinner.

You left your team mate alone with the pizza dough and opened the door; “Kei and Lau, hi. You’re lucky we already prepared everything to do the pizzas!“ “And we’re starving!“, Leah yelled from the kitchen. “Same here.“, Keira laughed back and you stepped aside to let the couple into Leahs kitchen.

The Arsenal defender couldn’t help but to smirk at her comment: “I knew you would say that.” “Stop only talking and let’s start doing the pizzas.”, you reminded them why you four were in the kitchen. The mentioning of food made Lauras stomach growl:” Please.”

“Did Lee already told you?”, curiously the Barcelona midfielder turned to you. In confusion you lifted your eyebrows:” What do you mean with she told me.” “Keira shut up.”, Leah demanded while hitting her playfully on her arm.

With a soft chuckle Keira lifted her spoon so the Arsenal defender could see it: “Be careful I’m having the tomato sauce in my hands!” “I don’t care.”, the blonde replied cheerful. Clearing your throat, you intervened: “But I care about the pizzas.”  

“We have enough sauce, don’t worry.”, Leah reassured you. You could feel your muscles relaxing as she softly touched your shoulder. Optimistic the Roma player added:” Yes, they will turn out great.” “Ours yes.”, Leah grinned cheekily putting her free arm around your waist just as to underline who she meant with ours.

Eyerolling Keira countered: “Excuse me I have a Roma player in my team.” “Yeah, but she’s Austrian. Laura doesn’t know how to make a pizza.”, the defender interjected feisty.

Not too impressed by the blonde’s teasing Laura asked her interested:” So it’s a competition of who will make the better pizzas.” “Yes.”, you nodded.  Your teammate confirmed: “It’s now.” “The game is on.”, Keira answered, while throwing flower into your direction.

Surprised you looked down at your clothes who were covered in white now:“Keira what the hell?”  “Barca isn’t good for her. She would have never done that a few years ago.”, Leah sighed out loud. Laughing you continued:” Yeah, she’s getting too confident now.”

After you four put the pizzas into the oven you told them:” I’ll go to the bathroom now and get myself cleaned.”

While you were away the Barcelona midfielder whispered into her close friend’s ear:” Go after her Leah.” “To the bathroom?!”, the defender exclaimed. Winking Keira cheered on her: “Uhm you’re usually in the locker room with her, so there’s nothing you have not seen yet.”  

“There’s a difference between a locker and a bathroom, Keira.”, Leah shook her head. “Don’t be a coward, Leah.” “I’m not.”, she pouted.

A few minutes later you nearly walked into your teammate as you opened the door from the bathroom: Oh sorry, Lee.” “Oh, don’t worry.”, the blonde waved it off. You could sense that something was off with her, so you wanted to know:” Are you okay?” “Uh sure.”, Leah licked nervously her lips.

“You looked like you were about to say something…“, you prompted your team mate to speak. “I… uhm…“ Leah was never lost for words, you knew that.

You cocked your head, watching her closely, before trying to encourage her; “Remember the ‚You know you can always tell me what’s going on in your mind‘? That counts for you too.“

Finally, Leah sighed in defeat; “Are you sure you want to hear it?“ “Yes.“, you nodded determinedly. Another few seconds passed. “I like you.. not just like team mates or friends. You get me like no one else does.“, Leah revealed.

For a moment your breath stopped; “You mean…“ “Yes. But you don’t have to say anything right now. We can just continue the evening like nothing ever happened.“, Leah explained.

She was about to turn away from you and go back into the kitchen but you held her back; “No, I don’t want to forget it.“

With hopeful eyes, Leah looked back at you as you started to quietly sing live more & love more by Cat Burns under your breath; “'Cause if there's something you wanna do, just do it. Don’t let your head stop your heart from moving.If there's someone you wanna talk to, talk to ‘em. Who knows who we'd be if we just live more and love more.“

Biting her lip, the defender listened attentively. When you stopped, she lifted her eyebrow; “I thought you didn’t like her music!“

“Oh, I think our pizza is ready.“, you changed the topic, innocently blinking. Leah suppressed a laugh while you went back to the kitchen, where Keira and Laura had placed the pizzas on the table.

“Ours looks prettier“, Keira declared pointing at big smiley face on their pizza. “No, it doesn’t!“, Leah protested. “Yeah, it does!“ “Children!“, Laura interrupted them with a laugh. You sat down, taking a slice of your and Leahs pizza and happily biting into it; “As long as it tastes good. That’s how you actually recognize a good pizza.“

“Yours definitely looks like it was made with love.“, Laura commented, winking at the two of you. “Laura!“, Leah exclaimed but her face had turned a slightly pinkish colour. The Roma player shrugged; “Just saying.“

“You’re right though, Laura.“, you smiled and reached over the table for Leahs hand. Laura returned the smile; “I know.“ Leah shook her head about the girls on her kitchen table; “I hate you all.“

“No, you don’t.“, Keira countered. “Sadly. But I could need a kiss right now for all the bravery it took to say those things.“, Leah explained, looking at you with a slight pout. You raised your eyebrow, laughing; “From a team mate and friend?“

“Coming!“, Keira answered and stood up from her chair. “I didn’t mean you, Kei!“, Leah grimaced before leaning towards you and kissing you for the first time.

You were so caught up in the kiss that you didn’t even register Keira saying; “Rude. Do you have it on film, Laura.“ “Yes, I got it.“ When you two pulled apart, you saw the other couple happily looking down to the photos on Lauras camera.

[dreamsinmoonlight]

Angel Cocoon

(Blame the brain rot. I watched Hazbin and had a dream about pathetic Adam and found myself deeply in love with this asshole. I did not expect it and I feel if I don't write I will explode so have this. Probably not my best work but it was stuck in my head all day at work; I have ideas for other stuff, including a more indepth fic (might be x reader, might be x oc, haven't decided yet). Hopefully this isn't too bad though

Update: Now with a sequel, whaaaaa? Angel Massages up and running

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

Characters: Adam (damned pathetic man), angel!Reader

Pairing: Adam x Reader

Genre: Comfort, fluff (not smutty? For Adam? I'm impressed by myself sometimes)

Summary: Every morning this happens. You do not mind.)

Every morning you were thankful that heaven's temperature was always perfect. Because every morning you woke up in a state that could best be described as the Cocoon.

When you first started dating the egotistical, loud mouthed, foul mouthed, perverted asshole known as the leader of the exterminators, aka Adam the first man or “Dick Master” if he could ever get his way, you had expected a lot of things. Getting your ear talked off on a regular basis, all sorts of pet names running the gambit from honestly a bit sweet (what, you liked being called sugartits) to you're-lucky-i-don't-take-you-seriously-Adam (who calls their significant other a slut, really), being expected to go to most if not all of his music gigs, occasionally having your back blown out because damn could that man fuck, learning to find some of the stupidest things funny because he managed to make it so; these were things you expected or at least got better used to. It was sort of like dating a hyperactive teenager but nine feet tall and with the strength enough to swing around a guitar-axe like it was a pool noodle. You had not had a normal day since the moment you agreed to this and you had quickly realized that that was fine by you.

But this. This you did not expect. Every morning, every single morning because God forbid you be allowed to sleep alone, you woke up not to your room, not to the ceiling or the sunlight filtering through the window or even your blankets. No, instead you woke up to the first man, first of the human angels, curled around you like you were going to disappear if he didn't hold you as tight and completely as possible. To call what he did a koala hug would be a disservice and did nothing to describe this phenomena, which upon the first morning after you had fallen asleep in bed with him you had freaked out a little over. You still were startled every time you woke up to it since. It was more like what you coined it as: a cocoon, created by the combination of two factors.

One: Adam. He was of course much bigger than you, a giant among angels and that was how you liked it. After all who didn't daydream of climbing a tree once in a while? Except this tree loved to talk and could make you feel things you were pretty sure was very much not pure. You were a good, solid four feet shorter than him, almost half his size; this worked in your favor when you wanted to hide behind him because of some stupid prank or when you again decided to climb onto him or honestly generally being picked up by the troublemaking angel which he certainly liked to do. The other side was that when he curled up his body enough it could surround you with little effort at all. Those arms of his wrapped easily around you and you could feel the fraction of true strength with which he held you, still more than enough to hold you where you were. His legs were folded up just enough to cut off escape from below, leaving you cradled against his body. His head tucked down, buried in your hair, he was warm and hairy in multiple places, and if you were absolutely honest a little overweight for someone who lived in heaven of all places. But none of these things bothered you and in the position you were in, your head pressed against his bare chest, you could hear the ever surprising existence of a heartbeat within a long dead man's chest. You felt your own calm hearing it; you couldn't help but love it.

Two: his wings. Oh those beautiful golden appendages, almost as beautiful as those golden eyes of your idiot boyfriend's. The feathers shimmered and shone near enough to rival the sun and you could see them past your prison of Adam flesh. How he could sleep so peacefully with them wrapped around you both was a mystery you spend every morning contemplating; it could not possibly be comfortable. Your own shuddered lightly on your back in sympathy but trying to stretch yours only brushed them against his and his, as they always did when this happened, quaked but did not open. He slept with them wrapped around you two like an eggshell, encasing you both and leaving no escape all around.

You reached out by instinct, running your fingers lightly along the feathers. They too were warm and soft as down yet you knew how strong they truly were, how strong his wings were like all other parts of him.

Save maybe his psyche. You felt the feathers shiver under your touch and he made a noise in his sleep, nuzzling his face further into your hair, his arms holding tighter to you. You woke like this every morning, since the first time you'd fallen into bed with him, and at first it was a mystery why, like so many things about him. How could he be so loud, how could he be so crude, how could he be so rude. But bit by bit you'd learned and you had come to understand.

He held onto you like you might disappear. Somewhere deep down that's exactly what he feared would happen. You knew about Lilith, you knew about Eve, and you knew how to read subconscious messages. He encased you like he was afraid otherwise you'd slip away, that you'd leave, that you'd go too. You woke to your head against his chest; how often had he fallen asleep with his on yours? Adam was many things, and truthful about what was really going on in his head and heart was definitely not one of them, but it didn't take a genius to know why he hated letting you out of his sight. Why he always held you like this in his sleep. Why he got enraged whenever the idea of you ever meeting Lucifer Morningstar came up.

Could you blame him? You couldn't and nor could you resist a smile as you wrapped your arms around him, closing your eyes and snuggling close to your ever-so-troublesome lover.

Sure you probably should get up soon but honestly it was hard to want to when you felt comfy right where you were. Besides it wasn't like you really minded all that much what would happen next after you both woke; he'd whine and you'd massage his sore wings. But you'd long since stopped trying to convince him to not sleep like that.

It was hard not to love being loved so deeply after all.

[hana-no-seiiki]

YANDERE ! BATFAM W/ MILES MORALES (BUT GENDER NEUTRAL) ! READER

Just an outline for a potential full on fic to come.

First of all, I’d like to put credit where credit is due and thank Kden (from Quotev) for creating Straight Venomous and inspiring me to start this. And thank you firefly-graphics and galacticgrafitti for the dividers.

Damian and Reader are of legal age in this fic but there will still be an age gap between them and Bruce (I mean he literally fathered the former so it can’t be helped)

This is my first fic in Tumblr so forgive me if it isn’t up to par for quality and format wise as I’m still learning.

CW/TW: Reader is POC coded as in Latino/Black like Miles although you can kinda have to squint since it’s only from the dialogue with their mother in future chapters. Reader is described to have gained “muscles” and height. Spoilers for Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. NO NSFW YET BUT WILL COME IN LATER CHAPTERS.

current status: unedited

summary: damian meets and gets attracted to wrinkly brained reader. mostly follows the into the spiderverse plot.

Reply if you’d like to be added to this series’s taglist.

[ PART TWO ] [ PART THREE ]

WHAT’S UP DANGER (PART ONE)

“If I sound lazy just ignore my tone, cause I’m always gonna answer when you call my phone

like what’s up danger?”

You most likely met Damian first.

He was astonished by how much of a failure you were. Really, he wouldn’t have noticed you in the first place if you weren’t such a catastrophe. He knew you only got to his school via raffle but even the worst students here didn’t get complete zeroes on all their scores.

He was probably assigned to be your tutor. Which you remember vehemently refusing. After all you wanted to be expunged from this god awful preppy school filled with elites of all kinds. But nope — you were forced to get along with the worst of them all. Damian Wayne. Perhaps you’ve gone too far and should have settled for a 20 or something on that paper instead . . . or all those quizzes and assignments you purposely got zeroes on.

In any case you now had the Damian Wayne inside your house (if you even call it that) and a paper to write about your ambitions or whatever.

You were basically complete opposites. He was rich, you were below average if not just straight up poor. You even bet he was a daddy’s boy or some shit. (But who were you to judge when your first day at the school literally consisted of your father forcing you to say you love him . . . with the loudest speakers known to man!) He was probably into classical music and while you did enjoy the genre as well you were more of a hip-hop, trap, pop music sorta guy. He was known as a snob that didn’t take bullshit from anyone while you were literally the definition of a pushover.

But surprisingly you two clicked really well. It started with you off-handedly correcting one of his mistakes. It wasn’t supposed to reach his ears really. But the realization that you, the bottom feeder of all bottom feeders corrected him flustered him entirely. That moment stuck within his head for the entire week that it even slipped into his vigilante activities.

Like, after single-handedly decimating a group of people trying to rob a bank he just yells, “How the hell did I get that wrong?!” while that one dude pretending to be unconscious in the background so he wouldn’t get beaten up harder just stares at him in confusion and shock.

After he cools down a bit, he starts wondering how you got it right. He looks into your scores and notices everything before his intervention were literally straight zeroes. Not just in the classes you two shared. It was either you were extremely (un)lucky or . . . you knew every answer from the start.

So he starts taunting you. Forcing you to display your prowess. Calling you an idiot, poor, nobody when you didn’t relent to his provocation.

And so you did. You showed him that you really didn’t need help from him. That you were a genius in your own right. Capable of doing advanced arithmetics within seconds in your head. You were fascinating to him.

And maybe the fact that only he got to know this side of you — not your classmates or teachers, even your parents now that you’ve secured a dorm room close to him (courtesy of the Wayne name) — knew about your intelligence inflated his ego. If only you didn’t have a roommate that bothered you two once in a while. He was quite the annoyance with how the music in his headphones could be heard even across the room. Like seriously, how was the boy not deaf yet?

It was around that time you got your powers.

You began avoiding him (and everyone really) but mostly him (he’d convinced himself). You’d only come to his desk once in a while to tell him that you weren’t available for tutoring that day, or even that entire week. Not to mention your sudden growth in height and muscles. Were you going through . . . puberty? No wait— you’re older than him by a year! Perhaps you were a late bloomer? You probably just started a gym membership. But he didn’t spot you in any gyms throughout Gotham out on his patrol. Not even at your room at night…

That and your already sus scores and attitude prompted him to instigate an entire investigation.

Who was [Y/N] [L/N]?

He knew some facts about you just from your room, the fact that you enjoyed music of all sorts and art, more specifically the graphic - pop look. He even started noticing your name-tags that you’d put everywhere both in his civilian and vigilante life. Seriously, how were you able to put it atop this streetlamp of all places?

Then he started noticing how alike you two actually are. Aside from enjoying art and all, you were incredibly rebellious. You had a relationship with your dad that could only remind him of his with Bruce. He knew you probably get reprimanded for all the vandalism you’ve gotten up to all the time. A small smile graced his lips at the thought.

However this only made him question your avoidance even more. So he decided to take a step further and trail you as robin (even harder).

You were getting really close with this Gwen girl in class. He quipped in his head as he noticed you two walking together.

Were you . . . going to the gym to impress her?

You didn’t seem like the type to change yourself for the sake of others. Despite your downtrodden attitude about academics. He can see the hidden potential, that confidence he wanted out for him to witness and bask in. He wanted to see all sides of you he realized.

He wanted to be the only one who did.

But just as he was about to follow you two into a dark alleyway he gets called by Dick of all people to investigate something else. Something about a man trying to cross realities and universes? Pah, as if that was more important than this. Nightwing can handle himself. He couldn’t have his competence questioned though. So with a reluctant sigh, he takes off into the night sky. Wondering what the pair he followed could be doing.

[ PART TWO ] [ PART THREE ]

[sage-green-matcha]

MIRRORBALL - ETHAN LANDRY 🪩

“I want you to know, I’m a mirrorball. I’ll show you every version of yourself tonight.” - Taylor Swift

Content includes: fluff, awkward singing at the end, kissing, low key awkward, light smut! Lots of Taylor Swift references ;)

Swiftie Reader x Ethan Landry!

<3

<3

<3

You stood uncomfortably at the side of the party, your heels were wet with alcohol, the shining silver being hit by the artificial rainbow lights. You took off your headband, playing with the disco balls that stuck out the top. The light reflected onto you and you wondered why no one talked to you, or came up to you to dance. It was always you that had to do it.

You were shining, glistening. And Ethan was one of the only people that noticed. The way you shined pulled his eyes in like a deer with headlights. He couldn't stop looking at you, and he wondered why others didn't look at you at all.

You decided to suck it up, looking for anyone to pull out to dance. Your eyes lit up when you spotted Ethan, you knew he was chads roommate and he was also in your Econ class, you also may or may not have a small, flourishing crush on him. "Hey, Ethan" The music got quieter as you approached him, your dress making a tassel sound as you walked. "Hi...what are you?" "Oh, I'm a mirrorball...well I'm a disco ball...It's a Taylor Swift thing" "Oh, I don't know that much about her but cool, you...you look pretty" he could get a closer look at your face. Your eyes were gently patted with silver and white eyeshadow, small gems around your eyes.

"Thanks...I mean thank you, you wanna dance?" You hid your face, blushing at his words "I'm not very good at it" You smiled, your eyes creasing up when you did. "Me either" you shrugged. "Uh, alright then" you took him by the hand, pulling him into the living room. A new song started up, a smile on your face as soon as you recognized the melody. "This is Taylor isn't it?" He'd seen you get excited about a song once or twice before, going home and looking up the songs. He actually enjoyed them, learning the lyrics just for you.

You spun him around, a laugh escaping your mouth since he spun the wrong way. "I think you can do the spinning" he blushed. You stood on your tiptoes, heels gliding you on the wooden floor. The light hit your dress and the shatters of silver light hit Ethan's skin. He was mesmerized by you. You were more than underrated. He didn't understand how no one took you into consideration. It upset him, almost making him mad.

You were such a good person, yet you were always dragged around or left behind. It's like the two of you were tied together with an Invisible string. You were like him, and you didn't make him feel bad about it, unlike Mindy or Sam. "You're shining" You'd never seen someone look at you like that before. It made you feel special. "Just for you" he paused at your words, pulling you closer.

You pressed your hand against his chest, looking up to meet eyes."It's rude to stare, Landry" You barely had time to think before you felt his lips pressed onto yours. He was fearless as he kissed you, making you melt deep into him, closing your eyes. The cherry alcohol seeped from your mouth into his, the taste addicting just like the soft feel of his lips.

His hands were placed on your hips as you pulled away, going back for air. You rested your arms on his shoulders, pulling him back in for another, deeper kiss. "What is happening here? Uhm are we just gonna ignore the fact that these two are practically fucking each other right now?" Mindy's eyes were wide, Chad with a smile on his face.

"Ethan! And that's how you get the girl!! My man!" Chad smiled excitedly. You pulled away, looking at them confused."Mindy shut up, you and Anika are always all up on each other" Chad patted Ethan on the back, standing awkwardly. "Uhm, I think we're gonna head out but I'll see you newlyweds later" Anika joined Mindy's side, waving at you with a small smile.

"Should uhm, we also go?" "We can go to my apartment" his eyes beamed and he nodded, following you out. The walk to your apartment was quiet, small chatter from time to time. You were both too nervous thinking about what might happen tonight to talk. "Do you live far from here?" You shook your head. "I rent a place on Cornelia Street, so only about a 10-minute walk" You were wonderstruck as you walked alongside him, blushing with each step.

You felt your heart race as you unlocked the door, closing it behind him. It smelled just like you, the sweet vanilla chai fragrance filling his nose. He noticed you taking your shoes off, leaving them by the door. "Oh uh, do you want me to take them off?" "If you want" you shrugged. You wrapped around your kitchen, going over to the fridge. "You want something to drink?" "I'm fine. Thank you" he smiled sweetly before looking back down, your cat sitting down on his feet.

"That's Toby, he can be a bit dumb sometimes but he's really friendly" You took a drink of your water, Toby scurrying over to you in a hurry. You picked up the kitten, throwing him over your shoulder as Ethan followed you into your bedroom.

He was in awe, the room was covered in string lights, vines, and curtails hanging from your ceilings. The posters on your wall were messy but also organized, and a record shelf in the corner of your room. Your room smelled different than the rest of your house, the incense on your shelf creating a deep, burned scent. "I don't think I've ever seen one of these" he spun the side of your record gently. He glanced to another corner of your room, noticing a small piano with books piled up on the side. Two guitars hung on the wall.

You came up behind him, wrapping your arm around his waist, taking his hand in the direction of the needle. "Pick it up...and place it on the disc" You guided his hand as he let it drop carefully, the first track from the vinyl playing. "You have all her albums?" "Yea..." you sat on the bed, taking him with you.

The soft sound of "My Tears ricochet" spilled into your room, your head on his shoulder as your kitten sat in his lap. "He likes you" you giggled, Ethan's hand gently petting him. You liked that about Ethan, he was shy and gentle, with you and your friends, with classmates and teachers. He could do no harm.

He was the kind of boy that would bring you flowers, handing one to your little sister to make her feel special too. He took everyone into thought, he wasn't like the regulars, and he didn't engage in revelry or try to go out of his way to impress girls. His grades and perfect hundreds didn't impress you, they kinda intimidated you. He reminded you so much of yourself if you hadn't been curved and bent under the pressure of your parents and teachers.

"You know...I listened to all of Taylor's albums because I wanted to bring it up with you. But I've been too shy to say anything...I've actually grown to really like her...her music is a bit too relatable" Your face was flooded in a maroon color. "You did that for me?" His smile began to look like a smirk, making you roll your eyes.

You looked over at the clock on your nightstand, it was already midnight. "I'm assuming I'm allowed to stay over?" You nodded. He knew you'd want him to stay, he had already made himself at home. You watched as Toby wobbled out of the room, a small adoring smile on both of your faces. "He's really cute, takes after his mom" "You're really cute too" You pressed your forehead against his, your thumb lightly swiping his bottom lip.

He placed his hand on your neck, thumb rubbing your jawline softly as he pulled you closer. It's like he was doing it on purpose, teasing you knowing you would break first. You didn't care, falling on top of him, the material of your dress falling on his skin. Your lips were desperate for more, your hand running up under his shirt. You were sure Ethan was just skinny and lanky, but with the way those collared shirts hugged his biceps, you should've known better.

He let out a small whimper, your thumb matching the same pattern he did on your jawline. His warm hands climbed up your back, lips continuing to kiss you, slowly pulling away to give attention to your neck. You were surprised about how good he was, it's like he already knew everything that would make you feel good. "Can I take it off?" He pulled away, waiting for your response. You nodded and he didn't hesitate, pulling down the zipper slowly.

You sat up, peeling the silver dress off of yourself. His eyes widened when he realized you didn't have a bra on underneath. You placed it gently to the side since it was kinda expensive. You bought it with this exact scenario in mind, you bought it so he could take it off of you. "I would've taken that off much sooner if I'd known you didn't have anything underneath" you chuckled, collapsing into him with another kiss. You became hungry for his lips, his skin. You wanted him so badly. Your stomach was overflowing with butterflies, you'd never had someone so close to you before.

His hand cupped one of your boobs, thumb lightly flicking your hard nipple. You frowned when he pulled away, instead his hands now grabbing your waist, pulling you onto his lap. You looked down at him, a smile on your lips. He looked so good from here. You ran your hands through his hair, sitting yourself on top of him as his hands roamed your body. He was addicted to the soft feel of your skin, the way it smelled, and the small marks that were sprinkled all over it. He wanted to make more on you, on your neck, your chest. He wanted everyone to know that you were his.

You felt him grow hard underneath you, a small gasp escaping your lips. He closed the space between you, kissing and licking at your neck. Sucking on your skin with just enough pressure to make it enjoyable but to also leave a mark. Boldness flooded him as he saw the first hickey he made. Now anyone that saw that would know you were his, only his.

☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆ ~ ☆

You cuddled up to the blanket, body bare beside the panties that you managed to get on. Your eyes were glued to Ethan's face, his soft breaths mixing in with the sound of the end of your record. It put the two of you to sleep, waking up to the repeating sound of static.

You watched as he fluttered his eyes open, smiling once he caught you staring. "Creep" "Don't act like you don't like it" You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling yourself into his chest. Your warmth mixed, bare boobs on his chest as you played with his hair, Ethan's eyes never coming off of you.

You combed your hands through his brown curls, pulling out face-framing pieces that tickled his forehead. He smiled, closing his eyes. "Stop acting so sweet" you scoffed. "Acting? I'm so sweet Y/n, what do you mean?" He teased, pulling you into a kiss with his hands on your back.

He looked over you, eyes back on the corner of instruments he saw when he came in. "You can play all of those?" You turned to see what he was talking about, forgetting the own layout of your room. "Yea" you got out from under the covers, Ethan frowning at the loss of contact. He watched you as you walked to your closest, pulling an oversized tee over your body.

"You look better topless" you mocked his words, grabbing your guitar from off the wall. You tuned it up a little, Ethan watching you with curiosity. You plucked the first couple of strings and he was taken back. He didn't want to say he thought you'd suck...but he really thought you were gonna suck.  He watched as your fingers glided along the neck of the guitar, fingers on the strings as your other hand plucked them carefully.

"Yea I showed up at your party, will you have me? Will you love me?"

Your head rested on the guitar, smiling at Ethan as he watched you with awe. Your soft voice filled his ears, his heart melting with your voice.

"Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends?"

You exaggerated your expression, Ethan biting back his lip with his his hand on his jaw, holding up his head as you sang. You were really perfect at everything. He couldn’t think of anything better that he could be doing, well besides you. But he already did that. His admiration for you only grew with each second, a hot feeling in his stomach. He felt like a little schoolboy with a crush, except he actually had a chance.

"If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? Will it patch your broken wings?" I'm only 17, I don't know anything but I know I miss you"

[missmarveledsblog]

Lead me to you ( Eddie munson x reader )

summary: everyone thought they were dead but what happens when a ghost from the past brings hawkins metal head back from the so called dead or how their relationship stands three years after . 

warning : slight angst , some ptsd , mutual pinning  , strangers( sort of) to friends to lovers

The biggest universal epitome of cruel joke in eddie munson life was dying in the upside down after finally stop running away. The heartbreaking pleading of dustin henderson and the wails of the boy are eddie felt his eyes close finally succumbing to the demo bat brutal attack on his body . Or so they thought , he groaned quietly like his voice was learning to work again as he let his eyes focus and confusion come in ten folds waiting for the pain to hit yet all he felt was a dull ache only well adding to the completely tripped out state. He was in his trailer he knew that for sure well the dreary , doom and gloom version of his trailer . He looked down he was attacked the scars show that but why scars not wounds.

Then it moved the figure in the kitchen darkness that completely covered them and yet he felt no danger , shouldn't he feel some form of danger being in the upside down with some unknown strange being looked human but he couldn't see them probably . the figure seemed not to notice he was awake muttering something he couldn't hear . Sitting up he knocked over the cup alerting the person he was conscious making them take unsure steps towards the small living area of the trailer candle light showing exactly who the mysterious stranger was. That face he'd seen it for month plastered all over the paper for month a couple of times from found to deceased in space of couple of years . He'd seen that face going around town too or in the halls of school .

" Holy shit your y/n hopper" he gasped .

" The one and only" she smiled sadly .

" Your suppose to be dead i mean you closed the gate , they said you died " he said completely freaking out .

" You know about this so that mean you know the gang ... harrington and henderson? Shit are they here i didn't see them out there" her eyes widened.

" No there not , you've been here for eight months this is crazy"he said .

" Guess least now i've company i was like across town and heard the music just my luck to get their too late" she laughed . "

how am i alive i am alive right?" he asked. "They didn't tell you what i can do ? When i found you it was faint pulse but i was able to heal you sort of took too much out of me so sorry ... scars" she nodded to his bare chest .

" Shit i don't care thanks like angel in this place" he joked still reeling over it all . " you know they talked about you all the time i mean like a god which from what really happened and well now , you are pretty metal" he winked.

" Yeah well see how metal i am when we're stuck down here" she huffed.

" What about the gate" he asked.

" What gate" she furrowed her brows only for him to point upwards . her eyes looked at slight light that was on the ceiling.

" Well it was a gate" he winced.

"It's a gate sort of , eddie this might kill me but if it does can you tell my dad something for me and my sister" she asked only for him to freeze she didn't know hopper was gone.

" Of course" he smiled weakly not wanting to break the new and hoping for a better outcome .

" Tell them i'm sorry i did it and i love them" she smiled as she looked up at the ceiling blood coming down her nose as the light got stronger and she weaker finally the gate was opening completely as she fell to the ground .

" I'll get you home" he sighed securing line slightly relieved to hear her breathing stil .

" What the hell is someone there" a gruff voice call .

" HELP PULL IT " he called as he began to see the light of the really world coming blinding him completely , he was home and he didn't run this time.

" Eddie" the voice gasped .

" Hey wayne" he smiled holding the girl in his arms .

......

"Hey you listening" steve harrington snapped his fingers across her face.

" sorry been in a daze" she smiled remembering three years ago when eddie pulled them from the gate with the help of his stunned uncle.  Their friends nearly passed out when they saw the car pulling up  with eddie hidden and her unconcious only for them to both nearly pass out at sight of the supposed dead sheriff.  now here she was standing working a shift in family video with steve since robin was in college and couldn't do  as many shifts as she did before.

" Shit angel i only realised you want to go i can hold the fort down" steve sighed seeing the date knowing why she was not with it . 

" Nah i got it down don't worry  fluff ball" she laughed heading over to stack the videos of returns . 

" Don't fear peasant i am here to save you from dreaded bored" the voice called .

" Hey who you calling a peasant" she glared.

" Oh my apologies dear princess sorceress " he bowed dramatically.

" Dear knight you are lucky or you would be a maiden" she joked back.

" Total nerds which is shame cause you are hot" steve scoffed .

" Thank big boy" eddie winked.

" I mean her asshole" he rolled his eyes.

" Thanks fluffy" she cooed.

" Remember i rescued you" .

" Ah yeah after i nearly killed myself to heal and free you" she asked .

"Ok fine we're both heroes" he waved .

" what am i" steve asked .

" The babysitter" the both called before laughing . 

" assholes" he muttered although he couldn't hide his smile at the two.

" I was actually here to get the movie for our  movie night so make yourself scarce it's a surprise" he ushered her off.

"I'll check the stock out back" she laughed.

" You two and your date night" he teased.

" Least one of us can get a date big boy" eddie smirked. 

" he's just jealous we're such good friends" she headed out the back .

" Just friends my ass you look at each like henderson does those dolls of his" steve scoffed.

" Collectables action figures actually get it right , that actually why i'm here i need advice man i think i might actually die.. this time" eddie hopped on the counter.   

"Wait shit really when did you grow the balls" steve quirked his brow .

" When henderson bragged about  confessing his love to his suzie poo whatever sick shit he calls her i cannot let henderson be ahead of me man" .

" Fair point what advice you need".

" All of it i mean what ever you have in that big hair of yours" .

" Well as cliche it is be yourself man just tell her its angel"

. " Have you met me" he deadpanned .

" Yeah i have and she still goes all giddy around you and that's saying something for a woman who spent most of her life in a lab and basically hell , you know billy hargrove nearly cried trying to get her to catch on he was flirty and she barely batted her lashes  , you do your nerd shit and she twirling her hair like a highschooler" steve bluntly explained .

  " Did you pick yet because keith left his bag out here and honestly i'd rather face vecna again than look to see what died in that thing" she called out.

" Movie me" he quickly said as steve grab closest pile and rang them up before handing the bag to eddie . " your free to leave princess" he called hiding the bag behind his back .

" Which place?" she asked.

" your since you live alone" he chuckled .

" Of course how silly of me i was hoping to see wayne is all" she pouted.

" You using me for my uncle  that hurts sweetheart" he placed his hand over his chest.

" I'm his young bride though true love" she sighed happily making steve snort at eddies horror struck face .

" I'm joking your my favourite munson ... sometimes" she sang heading to put more of video's on the shelves.

"Your a menace princess" .

" robin calls me a brat but she said it's a different kind ?" her head tilted making eddie gulp .

" Well i'll see you later" he called. " if i survive" he whispered heading out the shop. 

She spent most of the day messing around the store with steve only to head home . An apartment five minutes from town and work something she loved about her new little home . Living in the byers home was good but it was too cramped up for her . She must of checked herself over twenty time  a usual before eddie arrived or before she met him . In the three years of being back in the real world she found herself feeling something new which nancy and robin explained were feeling of romantic kind for eddie . It wasn't like she was a virgin she hooked up couple of times with date but this feeling was different , stronger beyond the bounds of what she felt before . it was getting  more strong as time went by too like it was becoming heavy whenever she was around the brown eyes metal head.  Yet it was worse when they were apart even if they had just left each other it was like she instantly missed him . In all the new and  exciting feelings she was feeling old feeling . nightmare that was keeping her awake , the flashes of  being in the upside down.  Hopper could see the signs but she kept telling he was fine . she would hear a bang or a ring and she could remember as if she in there in real time like she never escaped .  she could smell it  , taste it all her senses where locked in a memory as if it was reality.  she felt her breath quicken and her palms sweating til the buzz of her doorbell snapped her back . Shaking herself making sure she was feeling somewhat normal a fake smile plastered on her lips she opened it seeing eddie standing with a pizza beer and the movies in his hands.

" Ready" he asked nervously .

" Always" she shakily replied. 

part two

[studentbyday]

week 2: she lives! she breathes! she’s beautifully unconventional (aka getting my mojo back)

Real courage is in trying to stay calm despite the chaos happening around and within you.

I have to keep swimming even if I don't know if my efforts will bear the fruits I expect (so far, since leaving high school, nothing about my life path has gone the way I expected. and that's just what real life is sometimes). There is meaning and purpose in the process (the fact that I keep taking baby steps towards my goals is already an achievement worth taking pride in! 👣).

Academics:

Read course announcements

Signed up for global health group

Wrote down meeting dates

Finished M1 global health (so...remember how i said some of it felt kind of "woo-woo" to me? well. we're past that now. things just got real. it might be a bs course aimed at ticking that "is empathetic and cares about humanity" checkbox for premed students applying to med school, but! global health is genuinely important and dammit if i don't treat it like the serious and important issue it is, then who am i? [context: the discussion post assignments i had to do for this week reminded me of why i'm taking this course...beyond the fact that it's required for health sci and supposedly birdy 😅])

Finished M1 immunology by Tuesday

Finished M2 immunology by Thursday

Started M2 microbiology

Reviewed some immunology flashcards

Completed microbiology quiz

Finished first pathology assignment but still have to check the last question and send tmr 🙈

Completed first two global health assignments

Completed immunology quiz

Dropped cell phys course

the amount of content i have to remember in each course is insane so i've resorted to using screenshots of the slides in my flashcards which in theory should allow me to focus more on actually reviewing the flashcards. sometimes i forget tho. and that's annoying because (a) it slows me down and (b) because my keyboard keys keep getting stuck and it hasn't been given a proper clean in ages and every time i use it it's a reminder of yet another thing i haven't done yet 😅

Health:

Pilates x3

Yoga x1

Journal x3

Meditate x4

Other life things:

Changed bedding

Laundry

Reading (designing your life / the secret adversary)

Morning nature walk and sniff 🌲 (i have been taking for granted the little pleasures i'm lucky to have in my life in the busy-ness of school. i'm glad i made a good morning bingo i can look back on to remind me of some of them. 🥺😌)

Cleaned house

Met up with some family friends

Music in My Head:

Unravel

Show

Changes (i always forget the name of this song even tho it never changes lol 😅 but i love it and the frogs sm)

Watashi wa saikyou

Träumerei

Things I'm looking forward to:

Waking up without feeling sleepy ✨

Learning stuff I need for the lab-hopeful 🤓

More pilates 💓 (the slow kind because i get to notice to how alive i feel instead of how i feel like i'm dying because it's too fast and difficult for my level 😂 and yet when i go slow, i'm still getting stronger! 💪🏻😃)

Learning the pathology of leukemia 🔬

Applying my newfound immunology knowledge to the first assignment on covid 👩🏻‍🔬

Being done with all my work for the week 😌

My not-bingo bingo so far this September:

[hischierswhore]

jealous!mason!! going to the club with y/n who is his fwb but of course they are both madly in love. He introduces her to his friends as his mate, and she’s like fuming because like what the hell, she thought he felt the same so she is flirting with a guy the entire night and when she gets ready to go home with him Mason is like hey get your hands off my fucking girl before you’re on a t-shirt

just mates

pairing: Mason Mount x Reader

TW: cursing // if i missed anything pls let me know

You knew having a "friends with benefits" situation with Mason would never work. At first things were fine, but then, as expected, you caught feelings for the man. You really tried not to, but it was honestly quite impossible when Mason was probably the most beautiful man in your eyes.

You never asked, but you had a feeling that Mason felt the same as you.

You entered the club with Mason, as he had invited you along to a party his mates were having. You wore a nice black dress that hugged your body perfectly. It clung to every curve and made your eyes sparkle even more than they already did.

As you walked through the club, you found his mates.

"Ben! Reece! Christian!" Mason bro-hugged each of them before introducing you.

"Boys, this is Y/n. She's a mate of mine" Your smile faltered at his words. His mate? Is that all you were to him? You smiled at the guys in front of you.

"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you all" You stuck your hand out and shook each of their hands before excusing yourself. You needed to get away from Mason before you burst into tears.

You grabbed a glass of champagne from the bar and sat in a booth, chatting with some guy that sat down across from you. He seemed very keen on getting closer to you. He began to flirt with you, though you weren't interested, and yet somehow he even convinced you to dance. You set your glass down carefully on the table before heading to the dance floor.

The room filled up as people flooded the place. The music echoed around you, making the whole room vibrate. The guy, whose name you learned to be Jacob, put an arm around your waist and pulled you close, making you uncomfortable. As soon as you were against him, you felt an arm wrap itself around your waist and pull you away from Jacob.

"What the hell are you doing touching my girl?" Mason screamed at Jacob.

"Your girl? Please" Jacob reached out and grabbed your hand once again, in attempt to pull you into him.

"Get your fucking hands off my girl before you on a t-shirt" Mason was seething at this point. You pulled your hand out of Jacob's hold and signaled to Mason to take you home.

When you both got outside, Mason made sure to check that you were okay.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He said as he searched all over your arms for any bruises before you yanked your arm away.

"I'm fine Mason. Just take me home please" You were being dry with him. Maybe it was you being petty for what he had said earlier. He let out a sigh before following through with his promise.

The drive back to your flat was quiet until Mason decided to speak up.

"What's wrong with you? You seem pissy" You scoffed at his allegation.

"I'm just upset. That's all, Mase"

"Why are you upset though, sweetheart?" You sighed, not being able to keep your frustration in any longer.

"Because of you, Mason! I've felt like a fucking idiot all night long because I thought that maybe you felt the same way that I do, but of course I'm 'just a mate' to you" You let all of your emotions out.

In one sentence, you had everything and nothing all wrapped into one.

"What do you mean 'maybe you felt the same way I do?' I don't understand" You looked away from him as he spoke, only hearing a few parts of what he said.

"I'm in love with you. I have been for a while now, and I was under the impression that you were too, but we're just mates" You replied, still avoiding eye contact with him.

It was quiet for a while after that. Finally, Mason broke the silence.

"I panicked, okay?" Your head turned to look at him.

"Panicked about what?" You questioned. Mason gave you a serious look.

"Y/n, you know I love you right? I have been in love with you for the longest. I didn't know if you wanted anything serious, so to avoid any unwanted awkwardness, I said you were just my mate, even if you're so much more than that to me" He ran a hand through his hair, sighing loudly as he pulled the car into your driveway.

You could see how bad he felt. He felt guilty for making you believe that he didn't love you, even though neither of you had come out and said you were in love with each other.

You couldn't bare to see that sad, guilt-ridden look on his face any longer, so you leaned over the center console and kissed him, and he pulled you closer, deepening the kiss.

It was soft and tender, something you would expect from two lovers who weren't yet intimate. It was perfect. Moments later, you both pulled away for some air.

"That was-"

"Fucking amazing" Mason finished the sentence for you.

"Yeah" You agreed.

"So…do you want a proper relationship?" You continued.

"We can do whatever you want, sweetheart" Mason smiled. You nodded your head yes, causing him to lean over and kiss you once more.

"My perfect girlfriend" He said as he peppered kisses all over your face

"My perfect boyfriend" You giggled as you tried to hide your face from his little attack.

"Did I mention how gorgeous you look tonight, love?" You blushed at his words.

"Enough of the sappy shit, Mase" You playfully rolled your eyes at him. He smacked your shoulder lightly.

You both spent the rest of the night cuddling and kissing, laughing and talking. Neither of you wanted to sleep alone anymore. Not now that you'd both finally gotten what you both always wanted.

[huckleberrykai]

choi soobin ~ fight for you

pairing: knight!soobin x princess!reader summary: on your 21st birthday coronation day, you finally get to meet the knight you've been admiring for so long. genre: royal au warnings: uhm. swords? weapons in general, creepy men, girlboss princess Y/N hell yeah word count: 2.4k click here for my masterlist!

the night was cold. the bitter air nipped at your nose, exposed arms growing goosebumps as you ran out of the heavy wooden doors and away from the warm castle. you were headed to the rose gardens - hoping the sweet smells and beautiful blooms would distract you from the hustle and bustle of the loud party inside.

you loved the music and the pretty decorations, banners hung in your favourite colours to celebrate the occasion. it was your 21st birthday, and as princess of your kingdom that also meant official coronation day - initiating you into your full royal duties. "no more lounging around as a child, princess!" your father had told you in jest.

you never were one to just lounge around though, quietly training with your father's old second-in-command for years. your bedroom faced out onto the knight's training grounds, and so from being a young girl stuck in your room you learned to admire the knights - aspiring to fight just like them. you were very strong, and once you finally got your title you convinced your father to leave the army to you. being his only heir, he didn't have much choice. you had fought before, but only with the rank three knights which you quickly came to realise were better equipped than even rank one.

the king was kind, yet irresponsible to say the least. you knew some of the knights - most having been sent to guard you at least a few times - and the top rank was filled with only his friends. he wanted to reward the people he trusted, which wouldn't have been so bad if they weren't such horrible fighters with huge egos - most being old unreliable drunkards.

they weren't a fan of the idea of you taking over either, spewing the odd, "that little girl? head knight?" and "pretty princess should stick to her day job." you knew better than to take it to heart. besides, once tomorrow comes they'll be back to rank three where they started.

the coronation on the morning of your birthday went well. you received your official sparkling crown - heavy on your head but still delicate, as well as receiving the ancient sword - bestowed upon only the royal army leader. you watched with a smug smirk as the knights laughed at you, but you knew you could take them all to the ground in one swing. no sweat.

the day of celebrations and good cheer continued on, leading you to the party in the evening. dinner was eaten and drinks were flowing, melodic classical music flowing throughout the palace filling it with a magical feeling. you just wished it would have been easier to bask in your celebrations.

all throughout the night you'd been chased by creepy knights, princes and court officials who were desperate for your hand in marriage - seeing you as nothing but a naive girl who needed a husband. you knew they had no interest in you, only seeing you as a piece of meat with money.

your mother was concerned for you, trying to find a suitable husband to help you rule when you become queen one day. she kept pestering until you snapped, feeling unable to enjoy your own party with all of these people she invited.

"mother i am perfectly capable of ruling myself. you'll see. and if i do marry it will be to someone who i choose. not for money, not for land, my choice." you spat. and that was how you ended up in the rose gardens.

you ran to the musicians, thanking them for their beautiful work, and bowed to the maids kindly on your way out, strapping your sword to your waist and running. the cool night air was less of a bother than the sleazy old men trying to woo you. wandering through the gardens and sniffing the petals you finally felt peace seep into your bones, the faint music from the castle wandering into the gardens and echoing around you.

holding a rose between your fingers that had fallen to the floor, you noticed a figure standing at the garden gates. he was clearly a knight, dressed in the royal uniform, so you risked a peek to see if you recognised him. he was one of the rank threes you had fought with before. he was around your age, and you recalled seeing him from your window - always spending extra hours training and becoming stronger. he had excellent form and strength, physique perfect. you had to admit, he was cute too. you honestly didn't understand why he wasn't in rank one already.

"good evening!" you called out to him, walking forwards to see the blank expression on his face. hm, he truly is a professional.

"hello?" you asked, softly but sternly. still no response. you could see he seemed flustered, eyes pointing straight forwards and avoiding your own. "hello." you tried again, clicking your fingers in his face.

"you dare disrespect your princess?" you teased, causing his panicked eyes to meet yours finally. "no! i- i'm sorry but i uh.. i really don't think i'm allowed to talk to you your highness." he rushed, posture still rigid in place. you let out a giggle, your sweet smile making the man in front of you very flustered.

"says who? i'm your ruler~"

his heart was thumping now, but he didn't let it show. his posture was still straight, but you noticed his broad shoulders loosen up a little as he nodded.

"i- uh.. yeah. yeah that's right. forgive me, princess. my sincere apologies." he bowed deeply to you, returning to his stance and meeting your eyes once more. "ah that's all right. you can call me Y/N."

his eyes blew wide at your casual tone. "follow me will you? i'd like someone to talk to." you commented, pointing him to a bench overlooking the gardens.

"but- my duty-" you cut him off quickly. "is to follow the orders of your commander. correct?" he swallowed thickly at your quirked eyebrow and pretty smirk, intimidated yet entranced by your demeanour. he nodded wordlessly, following you to the bench and sitting beside you, albeit not too close.

"i don't mean to impose but shouldn't you be inside princess? oh! congratulations on your coronation, i look forward to you leading our troops." he rambled quickly. you smiled softly at his charm. you'd never have expected a knight as strong as him to be so shy.

"thank you soobin."

he felt like his heart was going to fall out when you addressed him by name. he found himself stuttering over his words. "you- you know my name?"

truth be told, soobin had always admired you. when he first became a knight he was inspired by you - so put down by other people, belittled and called weak - but you got right back up after every blow. strength, beauty, knowledge, skills, he was completely enthralled by you. he never thought he'd even have the chance to speak to you, this surprise encounter rendering him overwhelmed and enchanted.

the moonlight shone on the gems of your crown, but he thought nothing of those compared to the way your eyes sparkled. not even a thousand rubies and diamonds could rival your beauty to him.

"of course i do!" you beamed, pulling him back to reality. "i've seen you around the castle before.. i saw you sneaking sweets to the village children last week," you commented with a giggle. "you have a kind heart soobin."

he smiled warmly, cheeks hot and blushing furiously at the thought of you noticing him. "i'm glad you think so princ- uh Y/N."

a comfortable silence washed over you as the song the musicians were playing came to an end. the next song started, smooth notes relaxing you - causing you to let out a breath you didn't realise you were holding.

"so.. why are you out here? the celebrations are in your honour," soobin wondered, breaking the calm silence with his smooth deep voice, lingering on your mind like honey.

"nobody in there truly cares for me. only my mother's friends and disgusting perverts begging for my hand." you admitted. "i was tired of being chased around like a toy between a pack of dogs." soobin nodded from beside you. he'd noticed your struggle to get your mother off your back, but he was only a knight. he wasn't supposed to interfere with royal business. "all i want to do is train and lead the knights well. it's been my dream for so long... and now i can finally do it so long as my mother doesn't marry me off to some old man across the country."

"if you need help with anything.. i'm here for you princess. i'll do my best to protect you!" he exclaimed. "not that you need my protection. you're a warrior. but- but if you need me i'm here to serve you."

another smile tugged at your lips as you played with the rose between your fingers, still holding it from earlier. "your kindness and loyalty mean a lot to me soobin. and to this kingdom. thank you." your eyes turned away from the delicate pink rose to look at the man beside you. his cheeks were the same colour as the cute flower.

"i admire your strength and skills. my father is a fool." his heart-shaped lips formed a pout and his brows furrowed. gosh he was cute. "how so?" he asked politely.

"when i say i've seen you before, i mean it." you began. "whenever i'm training you're always there at the grounds too. my bedroom window overlooks the area and whenever i look out.. there you are. you work so hard... you're incredible soobin." you told him sincerely. "i truly don't understand how you're only rank three while my father keeps the top ranks for his pigs." you turned back to the flower, twirling it restlessly. "excuse me if i sound like a creep.. but it's a pleasure to watch you train. you're much stronger than you let on. my father is ignorant to knights when they aren't his friends or descendants of his friends, all the rank one soldiers are imbeciles and drunks. you could take them down in one go and look great while doing it. ~"

soobin's jaw hung open at your rant, heart beating even faster and cheeks burning even hotter. his neck was warm and he shuffled in his seat. "th- that's.. thank you- i-" he swallowed nervously.

his brain short-circuited when you reached out to hold the back of his hand which rested atop his knee. "thank you for speaking with me. i should return before my parents send out a search party." you squeezed his hand gently before letting go and standing up, him following quickly. "here." you held out the rose to him.

he searched your face confused, but reached out for it anyway - long slender fingers wrapping around the stem and brushing against your own, sending your heart fluttering. he really was charming.

"i hope to see you again soon Y/N." he muttered quietly, bringing the rose to his cute button nose to inhale the scent. you grinned at his precious bunny-like appearance.

"you will. i promise." your smile was cheeky, and he thought you looked adorable. you reached out to grab his hand properly, giving it a firm squeeze before you ran back to the castle. "goodnight soobin!" you yelled behind you, bolting off through the rose gardens on the trail back up to the castle, leaving behind a very flustered and red knight holding the rose. "goodnight princess!" he yelled back with a wave, praying you heard before returning to his position at the gates.

you had him wrapped around your finger already.

so much so, that when he returned to his chambers that night, he pressed the petals of the rose you'd given him between the pages of his diary for safekeeping.

you spent the night in your room after returning to your parents, excusing yourself for the night quickly. you decided to reorganise the ranks, since tomorrow would be your first official day as commander.

your thoughts of soobin lingered while you drafted up lists of the new ranks - safe to say his name made the number one spot, as well as some other great fighters who'd been disregarded right alongside him. he seemed to remain in your thoughts the whole night, even as you brushed your teeth. sure, he was attractive and a great warrior, but it was his shy demeanour that you weren't expecting. you had seen his kindness, especially towards the children and elderly around the town - and you couldn't help but coo at the thoughts of his sweet personality. hopping into your smooth silk sheets, you drifted off thinking about his confused pout, slender hands and kind words. oh how you'd like to know him more~

the morning came quickly, and you finally got to face your troops. some did not look pleased at the changes you'd made overnight, groaning about how horrible your decisions were, but you knew you were right to demote them. your knights formed into lines, and your eyes wandered - subconsciously looking for soobin. his breath hitched the second your eyes met.

you stood there looking so powerful - heavy armour and bright sword in hand, yet your delicate tiara still sat atop your meticulously styled hair. the contrast between your sweet innocence and powerful strength awakened something inside him in that moment.

yeah, he was done for.

he zoned out a little while you were making your announcements, assigning leaders to each rank and explaining how things would be working from then on.

"now for rank one. your commander is me, of course," you grinned. "and for my second in command.. choi soobin. he'll also be in command when i'm away on royal duties." you explained, staring straight at him. he felt like a deer in the headlights. him? commander? he swallowed nervously and stepped forwards with the other rank leaders. "thank you your highness." he bowed, making you smile softly. "serve me well hm?" you whispered, only for him to hear, resting a hand on his shoulder while you continued your speech.

yeah, he really was done for.

sfw taglist: @fairy-of-sugar @subbyjvnnie @mazeinthemoon @n0-thisispatrick @strawberry-kirby @majestyjun @bibibinnie @beom-pyu

[httpiastri]

devil in disguise – cn21

clement got into a fight.

genre: angsty??

pairing: female reader x boyfriend!clement novalak

warnings: mentions of blood, alcohol, fighting. basically describing an anxiety/panic attack so stay away if that might trigger you!

requested?: no

author's note: two pieces of writing in one day? who am i??? 😵 jk jk, this has just been sitting in my drafts for so long (since halloween-) and i just got tired of not posting it, so i just wrote an ending and here we are. welp. not super happy with this one, esp not the end, and im not sure how accurately i described the panic/anxiety (like. i just experience, i don't remember it after it happens. 😐), but i hope u enjoy!!

f2/f3 masterlist

"i can't believe you, clem."

the anger is still bubbling inside of you, yet your actions tell a different story. you've got one of his hands in yours, pressing an ice pack against the back of it gently to hopefully stop some of the swelling and bleeding.

"hey, baby-"

"no, don't you 'baby' me right now. bloody hell, what were you thinking?!"

to say that clement's halloween party had been a failure would be an understatement. you aren't exactly an avid party-goer, most often preferring to stay at home with a good book or a favorite show playing on the tv. in fact, you couldn't even recall when you last attended a party before this one. but, knowing that you're a big fan of halloween, clement invited you to his theme party. your boyfriend had promised to stay by your side and make sure you were comfortable, knowing how you sometimes get intimidated by large crowds, and it all went smoothly for most of the night. until it didn't anymore.

it all happened so quickly. one moment, there was a hand on your waist – one you assumed belonged to your boyfriend – and you leaned into his touch. the next, the hand was ripped off you and you spun around to see what was going on. and then, all you could see was clement's fist flying towards the stranger's face.

silence washed over the apartment momentarily, only to soon be shattered as screams and the thuds of fists against skin consumed the room.

but to you, it all went quiet. it felt like the world slowed down, and you were stuck watching as your boyfriend punched some dude you'd never seen before. you couldn't move, frozen in place as more people started getting involved, pulling the two apart or throwing punches of their own.

you felt yet another hand land on your shoulder, but this time it belonged to marcus. he pulled you back, away from the commotion, tucking your face into his chest to hide you from the ongoing fight. your lungs felt tight, your vision growing blurry.

the crowd scattered moments later, everyone but clement's closest friends leaving hurriedly. marcus guided you to the bedroom, ensuring that you weren't panicking completely before going out again to help out.

your relationship with clement is still relatively new, and you're both experimenting to find your dynamics and get to know each other. you know that you have a lot to learn about him – you just never thought that this was what was hiding behind his cheerful exterior.

clement's apartment is completely empty by now, with scattered plastic cups filling the floor and the pop music turned off. you make it out of his room once you know the coast is clear, tiptoeing into the living room to find him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. his knuckles are still bleeding, just like a few bruises on his face.

"i wasn't thinking, i guess," he mumbles, eyes strictly focused down on his lap. he leans back slightly against the couch cushions. "i know you're too innocent for these kinds of things... i shouldn't have told you to come here in the first place."

you shake your head lightly, removing the ice pack and instead reaching for the box of wound cleansing wipes you'd gotten from his bathroom. "it's my own fault for asking if i could come."

clement smiles as he looks at you. he's come to learn how soft-spoken, shy, and timid you are; how you have a way of calming those around you. it's one of the many things making him fall for you. he's never been with anyone like you before, and it's different in such a refreshing way. "don't be sorry," he hums. "you had no idea what was going to happen."

"does this happen often?" you ask, beginning to rub a wipe against the bruises on his knuckles. "do you get into a lot of fights at parties?"

he pauses for a moment. "well... stuff like this does happen at times." he sighs. "i know it's bad, but... sometimes, you can't control it. i'm just sorry you got caught in the middle of it." your wipe is quickly filled up with dried blood and other dirt, and when you bend over to the couch table to put it away, clement's free hand reaches your hip. his gaze is on you when you lean back, his hand giving you a quick squeeze as a slight grin makes its way onto his lips. "do you find it attractive?" he raises his eyebrows teasingly. "having a guy who knows how to throw a punch?"

"honestly?" your eyes meet his for a quick moment before you stare at his wounded hand again. your voice is lower than before when you start speaking again. "you're... it's a bit... scary..."

clement is shocked. he hasn't realized the effect this has on you – surely, he understands that you could be afraid of a fight, but being scared of him? it breaks his heart. the novelty of your relationship makes him a bit unsure of how to act around you, but he's worked so hard to build up your trust and to make you feel comfortable around him. to have it all be broken down in just one night makes his heart drop.

"oh, love..." he says. "you have nothing to fear. you mean too much to me," his hand moves from your hip to your cheek. "and i would never ever lay a finger on you."

you can't find it in yourself to look at him or say anything, but you manage to nod your head and take a breath before you start cleaning his hand again. he leans forward to press a sweet kiss to your cheek, your skin heating up where his lips had touched you. he smiles at you – until he looks down at your hands again.

"hey, you're shaking." a frown reaches his face, eyes flickering up and down between your hands and your face.

"oh, i am?" you ask, trying to focus on continuing to wipe his knuckles so you don't have to think too much about your feelings and the reality of the situation. "i didn't realize..."

"darling, you need to relax. it's been a long night." his hands wrap around yours, thumbs grazing over the skin of the back of your hands. "you don't need to clean my hands, i'll be fine."

"but-"

"no buts. i'm sorry for..." he stops for a moment, eyes studying you closely. "hey hey hey, you need to breathe properly. take a deep breath."

you hear his words, but you can't do what he tells you to do. your throat feels like it's closing up and your breaths get shorter as your head grows dizzy. it's all a downward spiral; your anxiety increases when you can't breathe, and breathing gets even more challenging as you get more stressed.

clement almost panics himself when he sees your state, but he must stay calm for you at this moment. he places a hand right below your collarbone while you shut your eyes. "big breaths, lift my hand," he says, voice low and tone soothing. his other hand reaches for the back of your neck, tilting your head back slightly to free your airways.

you concentrate on his touch, your short breaths through your nose only making your chest rise slightly. his thumb strokes the side of your neck as he breathes with you, demonstrating and guiding you in the hope you'll copy him.

"good girl," he whispers. his hand lifts and lowers with your breaths, quickly at first but the speed decreases as you calm down bit for bit. "you're doing so good. just a little more now..."

your thoughts are still clouded with anxiety but as more oxygen enters your system, your body relaxes a little. you focus on your breathing as clement's hand leaves your chest and moves down to your side again, moving up and down your ribs. the tears have been rolling down your cheeks for a while, though you haven't noticed until now, and the coldness of the tears brings you back to reality somehow, and you realize;

you're crying in front of clement for the first time ever.

you feel so exposed, naked, vulnerable. sobs begin to escape past your lips once you lean forward to hide your face in the crook of his neck, and he wraps his arms around you. "hey, it's okay," he starts. "everything is going to be okay. i'm here."

he presses a soft peck to your temple as a hand strokes the back of your head. your hair is still bundled up in your fancy hairdo but the halo headband you'd worn for the party is removed, the rest of your cute little white outfit covered up by the oversized hoodie you'd picked up from clement's bedroom floor. his devil's horns, ironic, are a bit crooked but still clipped to his locks.

"sweets, what happened here?" he asks, shuffling around to pull you onto his lap so that it's easier for you to hug him.

your head is still buried in his skin, his mild scent soothing as you sniffle. "i- i-" you groan at the way you aren't able to get any proper words out, the frustration blending with the panic and mixing into one big soup of despair. "i don't know-"

he rubs up and down your back, sighing. "okay, we don't need to talk about this right now. but," clement leans back slightly, taking your face into his hands and tilting your head up towards his. "if my fighting affects you like this, i'll stop it." his eyes are staring straight into your soul, and it feels like he's trying to prove that he really means his words. "you're the most important thing for me right now, i'm not going to lose you over something like this."

clement is shocked by not only his own words, but also his feelings. the two of you haven't been a couple for a long time, and yet, his heart aches at the mere thought of you ever feeling this bad again. he knows he can't let this happen again.

"i promise you that. okay?"

you nod, unable to get any words out, but it's more than enough for clement. he gives your forehead a kiss, and one on your nose, and one on both of your cheeks. then, he makes sure to press a quick one to your mouth so it doesn't feel jealous.

"how about this," he starts and you raise your eyebrows. "i go make us some tea, we drink it, and then we go get some sleep. how does that sound?"

"perfect."

he picks you up and puts you down on the sofa, tucking you in with a blanket before giving you one last peck and disappearing into the kitchen. you can hear his soft humming of a song you'd danced to earlier today, and you relax into the soft cushions.

clement's awareness of his actions, along with his promise to get better, makes a sense of calm wash over you; you allow yourself to believe that maybe, just maybe, everything will turn out alright after all.

[aisclosed]

Match Found ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ - 16 . La Raison

Synopsis: Jungwon is sick of his friends' constant teasing over his lack of gaming skills. Determined to secretly improve and prove enha wrong, Jungwon sets out to learn to play, except he has no clue where to begin. Luckily for him, y/n is a girl with too much time on her hands, a desperate need for distraction and is more than happy to indulge him. Only, things are never that simple and Jungwon soon finds it difficult to explain exactly what the pair have become. college Student! Jungwon x gamer! Reader

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(1.8k) written work + SMAU :: warnings: cursing

“You don’t like it?” Jaemin asks gently, breaking you out of your trance and you stop pushing your food around with your fork, facing him with a guilty smile. 

“No, it's really good Jaemin. I love it,” you take an enthusiastic bite as he watches in amusement. There really wasn’t anything to complain about, you knew that. Jaemin had selected a really nice restaurant if the Michelin stars were anything to go by, but it didn’t have the pretentious ambience that your Dad’s choices usually favored. 

The head chef had come out to greet the pair of you upon arrival, granting Jaemin a warm hug and you an equally enthusiastic welcome. The restaurant was comfortable, with dim lighting and soft music playing to accompany the quiet chatter of the other diners. The food was perfect, the restaurant was perfect, and Jaemin was the perfect date, pulling out your chair for you and making polite conversation despite your clear absentmindedness. 

Everything was perfect, yet your mind can’t help but wander to nights filled with shitty convenience store snacks and dimpled smiles. Nights consumed by the bright lights of monitor screens, playful taunts and shoves, and limbs tangled together. Nights accompanied by quiet conversation underneath the covers, the comfort of broad shoulders under your head and the gentle tremors of affectionate laughter. 

Nights that had been absent for weeks, and each time another day ended with you staring blankly at the ceiling with only your thoughts as company, it seemed those nights would never return. The thought makes your heart thud painfully against its confines, your lungs constricting tighter with each breath. 

“Y/N?” Jaemin prods softly, once again pulling your consciousness from your memories into reality. 

“Fuck” you whisper, rubbing at your temples briefly before looking back up at Jaemin ruefully, “Sorry Jaemin, I’m being the worst date ever. I’m sorry for roping you into this whole thing just to make you sit through my moping. I’ll stop, I promise, how’s your family? It’s been a while since I saw your mom.” 

“My family’s fine but Y/N maybe we should talk? Properly? I was more than happy to take you out because I thought you might need a bit of a distraction but I don’t think I’m being much help.” Jaemin waves off your hurried denials, continuing with a kind smile, “It might be better if you got the whole thing off your chest? No one understands what you’re going through more than me,” he chuckles. 

“ I guess I owe you that much,” you sigh glumly, setting down your fork, letting your eyes fall to your half-eaten plate. You search for the right words to describe exactly how Jungwon had cemented himself into your life, to describe the labeless relationship you shared. 

“So, Jungwon, we uh- met at a PC bang actually. I was running away from my problems, as usual, and he was there. And at first he was like the perfect distraction, someone who knew nothing about my past or my family, didn’t see me with all my baggage and responsibilities attached you know?” 

“And then, I don’t know, we clicked I guess? It was really easy with him, easy to smile, easy to laugh, easy to fall,” you laugh bitterly and Jaemin gives you a sympathetic smile. 

“Anyways, he became a lot more than a distraction to say the least, and now I’m stuck searching for something to distract myself from him,” you snort sardonically at the irony, “He occupies every corner of my mind, I can’t stop looking for him in the smallest things and the biggest moments. He’s everywhere.”

“So what happened? From what I could see from your interactions online and what Chenle told me, he sounded equally whipped for you?” Jaemin asks quizzically, taking another bite of his food, giving you an encouraging nod when you hesitate to continue. 

“I don’t know. Maybe I just deluded myself into thinking so but I thought he liked me too. I guess it wasn’t enough though,” you pause, eyeing Jaemin carefully, “to be honest, Yunjin has another theory as to why he’s avoiding me, and it may or may not involve you.”

Jaemin nods, “Yeah you kind of mentioned it with the whole, ‘Jungwon thinks he can make my decisions for me’ thing.”

“Right,” you cringe at the memory of your anger fueled texts, “So basically, Yunjin thinks that Jungwon might just feel a bit insecure because of the whole us being wealthy thing. My dad might have made it worse by kind of making snide comments, and Jungwon definitely picked up on it. Jungwon isn’t just avoiding me, but he’s sort of pushing me towards you.”

“Y/N, Jungwon might not be going about it the right way but his feelings are definitely understandable,” Jaemin chides, his brows knitting. “Our world is a complicated and daunting one, even for us and we grew up in it. Jungwon seems like someone who has a lot of self respect and pride, and it’s difficult to hold onto that pride when he feels that he has nothing to offer you. He probably cares for you so much that he’s doing what he thinks is best.” 

“I know that!” You snap back defensively, huffing in exasperation. “I can’t fault Jungwon for feeling that way, I know we come from completely different backgrounds. What I can fault him for is giving up on me without even giving it a chance. At the very least he could’ve at least talked to me about how he felt instead of just blowing me off for weeks. You don’t get it Jaemin, Haechan left, Yunjin left, and even Chenle left. I had no one for months, and then Jungwon just walked into my life, spinning my entire world on its axis. I tried to keep my boundaries, Jungwon is the one who pushed through them.So no, he doesn’t get to just brush off my feelings for him without listening and he doesn’t get to make that decision for me.” 

Jaemin watches you with worried eyes, as you blink harshly, willing your eyes to stop stinging. He scoots his chair closer to yours, resting his hand comfortingly over yours, and you let your fingers slowly unfurl from where they had clenched over the cutlery. 

“Y/N, do you remember our violin lessons when we were younger? The ones with Instructor Choi?” Jaemin starts and you tilt your head in confusion. 

“Back then you were really diligent and honestly a bit intimidating, which is why none of us really approached you, we thought you were kind of stuck up honestly. But do you remember my friend Renjun? He was there on a merit grant on your father’s scholarship?” you nod slowly, recalling the Chinese boy with bright eyes and the snaggletooth that peeked out from his smile. 

“Honestly, Renjun was better than all of us back then, but he would never get the solos or first chair. Choi would just take turns sucking up to all our parents for a bonus, and all of us knew but we didn’t really bother doing anything because we didn’t think anything would change. Until the month that Choi tried giving the solo to you. You were only this tall maybe?” Jaemin reminisces fondly, bringing his hand to his torso.

“I still remember like it was yesterday, you know? Your hair pulled back into a big white bow, all dolled up in a matching blouse and skirt. The way your voice never wavered once as you said, in perhaps the most commanding tone to ever come from a little girl, ‘Instructor Choi I know that the Starlight group is doing well in the stock market this week, but I also know that Renjun’s Bariolage technique was much more proficient than mine. So I would suggest that the solo be rightfully given to him.’ All of us were absolutely gobsmacked,” Jaemin snickers at the memory. 

“The first time, little Y/N, the youngest in our group, spoke more than three words and you certainly left quite the impression,” Jaemin teases, “I think half of us walked out that day with a crush on you, myself included,”  he wiggles his brows at you cheekily. You shove him away from you with a roll of your eyes, ignoring the way your cheeks blaze at the confession. 

Jaemin laughs, sweeping his hair back handsomely, “Anyways, the point is, you’ve always been the one to speak up even if everyone else is too afraid to. If it’s important to you and what you believe in, you’ve never let anything stop you before. So, as much as I’d love to entertain the idea of making you Mrs. Na and running DRM with you, I think there’s another future that you’ve already set your sights on. And as idiotic as Jungwon may be acting, I think you’d regret it if you didn’t go and tell him just how much he means to you.” 

You’re frozen in your seat, unable to answer Jaemin’s expectant gaze. When you finally speak your voice comes out a shaky whisper, “What if I tell him, and it’s still not enough for him to want to try? I know Jungwon, if he believes something’s right, it’s nearly impossible to change his mind.”

Jaemin’s eyes soften at the uncertainty that rattles in your throat and he reaches out to squeeze your hand encouragingly, “Y/N do you know why I brought you to La Raison?” 

“Because the food is really good and the Chef gives really good hugs?” 

“No,” Jaemin grins with a shake of his head, “the restaurant is named after a quote I thought you needed to hear. ‘La Raison parle mais L’Amour chante’.” 

“Reason speaks but Love sings,” you laugh breathily and Jaemin smirks in satisfaction, leaning back into his seat. You push your chair back hastily, grabbing your phone and bag. When you turn to grab your coat Jaemin is already holding it out for you, a wide grin stretched across his face. 

You still for a second, pulling Jaemin into a tight hug. “In another life Na Jaemin, I would’ve loved to be yours. But in this one I hope we can at least be friends,” you murmur into his ears. 

Jaemin laughs heartily, returning your hug with an equally warm embrace, “Yeah yeah I guess I’m just your Paris, now go get your Romeo Y/N”. 

You give Jaemin one last grateful squeeze and a blinding smile before rushing out the door. Jaemin watches you leave in a flurry of hair, fur and satin, his beam fading to a wistful smile. In another life, maybe he would’ve been the one to fill the empty space in your life before Jungwon could. He snorts at his own thoughts, dismissing them quickly, Jaemin doubts that a world existed where you and Jungwon didn’t somehow gravitate towards each other, no matter how much time or distance that required. 

"Well, I’ve done as much as I can do. Let’s hope it was enough. I shouldn’t worry too much. En art comme en amour, l'instinct suffit.”

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a/n: Jaemin's last sentence means: "In an art like love, instinct suffices".

ANYWAYS !!!! what do we thinK???? HOW ARE WE FEELING??? if half of you are not in love w jaemin i've failed.

also its 5 AM so i'm srry if this was shit or has any errors lolz i am gts.

taglist: open! send me an ask to be added! <3

@woncloudie @itsactuallylina @ifearjwn @fadedluvv @mangowonyo @shinsou-rii @aki1e @makiswrld @jaehaki @criyiy @ilovewonyo @zeraaax @climbingmandevillas @pkjay @flower-lise @haodnd @beomgyusonlywife @dimplewonie @lacimolela @enhacatalog @llama-lyna @ahnneyong @coalalalinha @cupidsheqrts @curly-fr13s @jungwonsgfnameyukie @sserafimez @run2seob @luvlee1313 @strwberrydinosaur @sweetjaemss @kimipxl @simp4jakesim @chirokookie @astrae4 @mimisamisasa @w3bqrl @captivq @rindomo @aylauwon @positivelyinlovewithjungwon

[count-alucard-tepes]

To have his heart💕…part 2

Part 1

Part 3

Rosinantè had ordered all of Law’s and Doffy’s favorite meals before setting up the dining room table for them to all eat together once his arrived.

Law was in his bedroom, listening to some music while he read a book when all of a sudden his door was kicked in and a pink outline of a man stood there…menacingly!

“Law! I got you some books Rosi said you wanted! You nerd!”, Doffy said before placing on the desk near his bed.

Law almost had a heart attack and fell off the bed, “…ever heard of knocking before you enter someone’s bedroom…”, he grumbled as he walked over and looked at the books. He couldn’t help but blush a little! These books weren’t even out yet…and yet this shithead of an uncle got them for him.

Doffy grinned and laid on the bed like a starfish before looking at his nephew, “…yeah yeah, you’re welcome! Now come here and give me a hug…”.

“That never happened…nor will it ever…thank you though…”, Law said as he opened one of the books.

“I said come here, boy!?”, Doffy laughed before going to grab Law but the young man was quick to run out.

“Dad!? Help me! Your brother is trying to smother me!?”, Law said as he ran around trying to avoid Doffy.

Rosinantè was watching this all unfold in his house…and it pissed him off.

“You idiots!? You’re going to break something! Get your asses to the table and eat the food I got you!”, he snapped.

Doffy and Law immediately stilled as Rosinantè never got angry and when he did…it was better to just do whatever he said.

They quickly got to the table and began eating, “…so…what have you been up to, Doffy? Spare me all the nefarious parts that would traumatize both Law and myself…and nothing sexual either”, Rosinantè said as he ate some lobster.

“…well, that narrows what I’ve been up to to barely anything then…going for swimming lessons so I can use that big ass pool at my house…”, Doffy said thoughtfully.

“Oh? That’s good! Always good to learn how to swim even at your age…”, Rosinantè said teasingly which earned a laugh out of Law and glare from Doffy who them smacked him on the head with a baguette, “…don’t make me force feed you this, Law…you know I will”.

“…dad, he’s threatening me again”, Law said with a huff.

“It’s okay, we can throw him in the pool if he acts up too much and see how much he’s learned”, Rosinantè chuckled.

“Hey, hey…you’re my bro, you’re supposed to take my part!”, Doffy huffed as Law stuck out his tongue at him.

“What you been up to, Rosi?”, Doffy asked as he sipped some wine. Law giving a cheeky grin in response.

Rosinantè blushed in response, “…you know busy at work and getting Law an internship…also working on my dating life”.

“Dating life!? Well damn, I didn’t even know you were into that…you’re such a dad”, Doffy laughed as Rosinantè glared at him.

“Some of us can’t be man-whores all our lives, Doffy…some of us want to get married and have more kids”, he said with a pout.

“…glad someone finally said it”, Law said under his breath only to get hit on the head with a baguette again.

“…don’t make me visit your university one of these days and embarrass the shit out of you…because you know I will”, Doffy said with a grin.

Rosinantè sighed softly as he sipped his wine, “…hm…you know I have vacation days I need to take…we should plan a holiday together”.

Law sighed, “…dad, I have my exams to worry about…”.

“Nerd…I’m always on holiday so just let me know where you want to go”, Doffy grinned.

The afternoon was spent just watching soccer and relaxing the entire time until Doffy left.

“…I’m gonna sit outside for a bit…leftovers are in the fridge if you get hungry”, Rosinantè said as he grabbed his cigarettes and headed outside to sit by the pool.

He looked at his phone and saw a few messages from Y/N, he lit his cigarette and inhaled deeply before video calling with them.

“…hey, sorry I didn’t call earlier…my brother was here and we spent some time together”, he said with a little smile.

“Hi there, stranger…that sounds like fun…did you have dinner yet?”, they asked as they seemed to be lounging around their apartment.

“Yeah, my brother is pretty bougie so we had lobster…”, he said with a weak smile, “…what about you?”.

“I was just planning to cook right now…I was thinking salmon…”, Y/N said looking thoughtful.

“Pretty healthy…”, he replied with a wink.

“Yep, got to help my guns in shape”, they said before flexing their arms for him to see.

He whistled in response, “…thanks for the gun show…I feel like you should have shown me them last night or this morning…”.

“Well you’re always welcome to come over and I’ll show you them all you like”, they teased as they put down their phone in angle where he’d be able to watch them cooking.

He smiled as he watched them, “…you know our next date should be a home cooked meal date…what do you think?”, he asked curiously.

“I’d love that! What about next Friday?”, they asked gently, “…I mean I still want to see you during the week but on Friday I usually have more time to go to market after work and get the best ingredients”.

“It’s a date then…”, he said with a smile.

“Sounds good to me…hey is that a pool?”, Y/N asked excitedly.

“Oh yeah, you like swimming?”, he asked curiously as he flipped the camera for them to see the pool.

“Yeah I do!”, they beamed.

“Well then you should come over and use it…Law used to use it a lot when he was younger but not anymore”, he said gently.

“That’s a deal…”, they said with a smile.

“Alright, so I’ll leave you to dinner and I’ll call you in the morning…maybe we could go out and have coffee tomorrow?”, he asked gently.

“Yeah, sounds good…have good night, babe”, they said with a smile.

He blushed a little at the nickname, “…good night, love”.

He would cut the call and then finish smoking his cigarette before just relaxing for a bit outside, it wasn’t too cold at least.

Maybe this new chapter of his life would be a little more fun than usual…he had high hopes.

[sandybrett]

Here are my completely honest thoughts on a bunch of audio dramas I've checked out. (Don't worry, nothing scathing, they're all reasonably good. But please proceed with caution, or don't proceed, if you're involved in creating any of these shows.)

In the order I first listened:

The Storage Papers: Nine episodes in. A little slow paced, but I've heard it picks up in the later seasons. My only real concern is that it seems like a lot of the horror revolves around "this thing looks sort of like a human but it's Wrong somehow. also it kills people (or cats)." I hope at some point we meet a creature that looks and acts as unsettling as the Grinner but is nice, or at least complicated.

The Cellar Letters: Seven episodes in. I LOVE it. I love the natural-feeling messiness of it, the way Nate and Steve talk in circles and go back and forth on what to believe. It's made me laugh out loud multiple times. I can't wait to learn more about that weird little room full of letters with that one random word written on the wall (I forget what).

400 Words a Horror: Three episodes in. I had to re-listen to the first episode because I hadn't been paying enough attention, but I think that particular episode rewards re-listening anyway. Also it is the only show on this list that genuinely frightens me so I have to pace myself. Very good.

Tin Can Audio Presents: Middle:Below: Two episodes in. I won't say I'm hooked, but I am somewhat interested. It's a lot more relaxing than the other podcasts on this list, so I keep thinking I'll save it for listening closer to bedtime, then not getting around to it.

The Grotto: Six episodes in. Very much enjoying. I was SO proud of myself for correctly guessing the twist in the second episode. I love the characters and am extremely intrigued by the mysteries. My only criticism is that the musical interludes drag on too long. And I'm saying that as a WOE.BEGONE fan.

Soul Operator: Three episodes in. It's good but there isn't any particular element that's drawing me in just yet. There's a lot I don't know about the world yet, though, so there is still plenty of time for me to fall in love with this show. (Irrelevant note: I always get "Smooth Operator" by Sade stuck in my head when I think about this show.)

Shadows at the Door: Listened to half of the first episode. It was somewhat interesting, but I decided I had higher priorities for my listening time than disconnected hour-long episodes that are only *somewhat* interesting.

Archive 81: Five episodes in. Quite possibly going to become a major obsession. It's got everything: playing with point of view; the Power of Storytelling but in a menacing way; vivid character voices; probably a cult. I particularly love the way conversations play out on this show--I don't know exactly how to explain it but there's a certain... friction that happens in real conversations but rarely in fictional ones outside cringe comedy. I don't usually enjoy that sort of thing when it's played for laughs, but for realism or suspense? I eat that up. It does make me a little tense so this is another show I pace myself with and I'm glad the episodes are short.

Alice Isn't Dead: Two episodes in. I'm not going to make it a priority--it's got a similar sort of surrealism to Night Vale, but with higher stakes and less humor, and I had enough trouble getting immersed in Night Vale. I could probably enjoy it if I gave it enough time, but for now I'd rather focus on *gestures at some of the shows above*

The Silt Verses: Listened to the first ten minutes of the first episode and got bored, which I think says as much about me as it does about the show. It does get off to a bit of a slow start and leaves more space between lines of dialogue than most of these shows do, but I could probably get into it with adequate time and sleep. Not prioritizing it, for similar reasons to Alice.

[musings-ofthe-unamused]

As Fate Would Have It (BNHA)

Pairings: Dabi x Reader

Word Count: 1.1k

A/N: I do kinda wanna make this a series. I think it would be neato

The club was busy. You sat at the end of the bar, swirling the glass in your hands. You watched the pink liquid form a tiny little whirlpool before sloshing around. The bass of the music seemed to shake the whole bar, the flashing lights giving you a headache. You had no idea why people wanted to party on a Thursday night, yet here they were. It must have been nice to get so drunk that you had no worries, no thoughts. Only alcohol and having fun. Of course, everyone would face the consequences the next morning.

It was only 12 am, but you had already been hit on by three guys tonight. One was too drunk to even register what he was doing. That encounter lasted five seconds. The second one tried immediately grinding on you when you walked in the club. You had pushed him away in disgust, his girlfriend coming to fetch him. The last one just kept talking and talking…You had to politely tell him you weren't interested before he left. 

Now you were about to get hit on for a fourth time. He was sitting two seats away from you. His hair was black and spiked up with gel. He had piercings on his ears, eyebrow, and two on his lips, while his arms were covered by two large sleeves. The clothes he wore were simple; just a black shirt and some jeans. But the most interesting part of him was a dark purplish burn covering the lower left side of his face. You gave the man a sideways glance, emitting a smile from him. 

"You come here often?" He asked, getting up and sliding into the seat next to yours.

You snort, rolling your eyes. "Is that the best opening line you could come up with?"

"I"m Dabi. What's your name?"

"Why do you want to know?

He laughed, the sound low and gravelly as if he smoked a lot. It wasn't often you went to clubs, and it was even less often that you told random strangers your name. But he was making you curious for just one conversation. So you tell him your name. 

"But I have other nicknames."

"And what are those?"

"We haven't gotten there yet."

He flashed you a grin, leaning back. "Then how about I give you a nickname of my own?"

"What would that be?"

“Hmmm….we’ll have to see.” He gave you a wink. "We haven't gotten there yet. 

“Alright then, Dabi. What do you do?”

“I’m curious to know what you do. You don’t often see a person with an aversion to alcohol in a club.”

“So you’re deflecting?”

“Deflecting?”

“Yeah. It’s either a diversion from a part of your life you want to remain hidden. Something that you can’t control, even though you want to. Something that you’re not proud of. Or it’s because you’re so confident in your flirting skills that you believe it’s unnecessary to learn more about each other. It’ll end in a one night stand, after all."

Dabi raised an eyebrow. "I'm flattered that you think I sleep with people that often."

"Am I wrong?" 

"No." He leaned forward. "Do you want to be the next one night stand?"

"And get an STD? No, thank you." You crinkled your nose. 

"I don't have-" Dabi paused and then sighed. "You got a mouth on you. Is it because of that?"

He nodded his head toward your drink. You shrug and take a sip, the taste sending a shiver down your spine. Your face looked as if you just had something sour and your tongue stuck out. Dabi let out a loud laugh. You set your glass down. Dabi then took it, downing the whole thing in one gulp.

"Fruity."

"Gross."

He slid the glass back over to you. "You don't like alcohol? That was a pretty cute reaction."

"Nah," I shake my head. "It's not really my thing."

"Then why'd you drink it?"

"Because I wanted to try what's popular, and that's what he gave me."

Dabi looked over at the bartender. His eyes narrowed for just a second, as if recognizing him. You studied him while he was distracted. Like every other fuckboy, his flirting game was mediocre at best. The conversation was interesting, thankfully. He didn't seem to want to reveal anything about himself, but neither did you. It made it all the more fun to talk to him.

The night went on as the two of you conversed. Most of it was meaningless conversation, avoiding any topics that might reveal too much about each other. The only things you had found out about him was that he smoked, he enjoyed listening to music, and he lived with an acquaintance (he was adamant on not calling him a friend). In return, you revealed that you also enjoyed listening to music, you love the rain, and you hate clubs.

"Really?" Dabi leaned forward, his elbow resting against the bar. "Then why are you here?"

You hummed slightly. "First, I didn't know it would be so busy for a Thursday. Second, I like to feel like a normal young adult that goes out clubbing."

" That doesn't make you sound like a normal young adult." He snorted, rolling his eyes.

"And sleeping around does?"

"Again with the bite, little flame. Don't get too feisty." He gave you a wink and a smile.

"Is that my new nickname?"

"Sure is. What do you think?"

"No comment."

Dabi's smile grew wider. "Hey, are you doing anything else for the rest of the night?"

You narrowed your eyes. "Why?"

"Don't look so defensive! I just wanna know if you want to get out of here."

"Nope," You lifted your empty glass. "Gonna hang out here for a bit."

"Then, can I get your number?"

"That's a no as well."

"Oh really?" Dabi laughed, lowering his gaze to stare at you through his eyelashes. "Then how can I see you again?"

You shrugged. "I don't know."

"Don't you want to see me again?"

"I'd rather let fate decide."

"I see," Dabi stood, sticking his hand out. "Then I hope fate makes me lucky. See you later, little flame."

You shook his hand. "Bye bye, Dabi."

As Dabi left the club, you turned your attention back to your glass. A hand reached over and pulled it away from you. You looked up to see the bartender giving you a look full of disdain. You knew what was coming. It's the same look you got after you interacted with anyone in the club for more than five minutes. With a roll of your eyes, you leaned forward.

"Don't give me that look, Hawks."

The blond man shrugged, pouring your drink down a drain. "Should've told him you owned the place."

"No. Because then he'd come here looking for me."

"He does look like the type. I've seen him here several times. Caused a fight once or twice."

"See?" You grinned, resting your chin on your hand. "Dodged a bullet."

Hawks laughed, throwing his rag over his shoulder. "Yeah, unless fate says otherwise."

"I doubt it."

[steviesbicrisis]

Steddie - Percy Jackson AU

AKA the struggle of finding the perfect Valentines gift for a son of Aphrodite

Eddie keeps staring at the flowers on display, feeling more pathetic by the minute. He hears a voice inside his head telling him he should make the flowers himself, but he shakes that voice away fast, it sounded way too similar to his dad's. Pretty arrangements were never his forte anyways, and he needs the prettiest one.

What kind of flowers should he buy? is even flowers a good idea? should he go for chocolates? can he be more basic than this? probably not, but tomorrow will be valentine's day and he has no other ideas.

He snatches the bouquet with the most pink and yellow flowers, Steve always wears soft sweaters in either one of those colors so he thinks it should be fine.

💐🍫🎸💌

An hour later, Eddie stomps into another store, mumbling to himself. They aren't even dating yet, so why is this so complicated?

Why, of all the people at Half-Blood Camp, did he have to fall for a son of Aphrodite? how do you even attempt to romance someone who had the Goddess of Love as a mother?

He taps his fingers nervously on the glass counter, there are way too many options and he doesn't even know where to start.

He goes back to his cabin with a cheesy heart-shaped box filled with peanut butter chocolates - Steve would never admit it but he goes crazy for peanut butter - and places them next to the flowers.

🍫🎸💌 💐

Right before dinner and after hours of overthinking, the chocolate idea feels too lame in Eddie's eyes.

"So is this for Steve?" Robin asks. He's pretty sure she's smirking but they're talking just outside of her cabin, Apollo's, and the sunlight is just at the right place to make it shine too much for his poor eyes. He used to be jealous of Robin for having such a cool dad, but lately he feels much more content being stuck with Dionysus.

"It is not!" he replies, too quickly to be believable.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me" she pushes him inside the cabin, then picks up a piece of paper and a binder.

"This is a list of Steve's favorite songs. I know you don't like any of these so" she gestures at the binder "I've got all of my music sheets in here. No need to thank me, Munson. But remember to give them back, I have a great aim and your cabin is a weapon range from here."

Eddie passes most of the night learning Against all Odds by Phill Collins while looking nervously at Robin's cabin through his window.

🎸💌 💐 🍫

It's Valentine's day, and Eddie is absolutely fucked. The flowers aren't pretty enough, the chocolate is lame, the song is overused and he's out of ideas.

He finds himself at Athena's cabin with only a few hours of sleep and right before breakfast.

He waits for Nancy to get out.

"This is about Steve" she states, not even questioning it, and Eddie doesn't have the energy to deny it.

"I'm running out of ideas Nancy! this was supposed to be a casual thing, no pressure! but then I mentioned it to him and he got so excited about receiving something from me and now there's no casualty anymore! There's anxiety, and he's surrounded by romance on a daily basis how am I supposed to compete with that?" Nancy listens to his rant quietly, not showing any particular reaction.

"So, how can I help?" it might seem like a cold response but that's exactly what Eddie needs.

He gets out an hour later, his stomach grumbling, his body pleading for a few hours of sleep, but with a poem about Steve's sun-kissed freckles and soft hair. Nancy wasn't much help with that, but she re-read it and made sure there weren't any mistakes and that his writing was clear enough.

"Eddie wait" Nancy calls for him as he's going through the door "you know how it is on valentine's day... Steve is one of the most admired kids in Aphrodite's cabin. So, whatever happens, don't let it get into your head okay? he likes you a lot."

💌💐🍫🎸

It gets into Eddie's head. Big time.

He was never confident about the gifts he prepared but he thought at least one of them would've been fine.

That is until the parade of Steve's presents begins.

After the tenth bouquet of flowers he receives, Eddie stops counting.

At breakfast and lunch, he has a pile of chocolates on his table and it stands up even amongst his brothers and sisters who had received chocolates as well, just not as many.

The gift Eddie is most confident about, the poem, has to be ruled out as well since with most of the bouquets and chocolates Steve has also received white envelopes with his name written on them, in much nicer handwriting than Eddie's.

The song, Eddie's weakest gift since it isn’t his cup of tea and he had to learn it overnight, is the only thing he has left.

Despite it all, he gets ready for it. He doesn’t like the song but he loves a big gesture, so he goes to his cabin in the afternoon to grab his guitar, determined to surprise Steve with a romantic serenade.

When he comes back, he notices a big fuss around the amphitheater. Curious, he gets close just in time to see one of Robin's brothers guiding Steve at the arena's center, a guitar in his left hand.

Eddie rushes away, he doesn’t need to see anything more.

🪨🪨🪨🪨

His gloomy state guides him to the lake's shore. It's cold but quiet, plus Eddie's favorite pastime consists in picking up rocks that catch his attention.

He throws a couple of them in the lake, kicks a few big ones, then sighs. A part of him hopes Steve is so busy with all his admirers that he forgets about him and his promise.

He crouches to have a better look at the smaller rocks at his feet. One catches his eye almost immediately: it's round, smooth, and mostly dark brown with gold cracks. Eddie cannot explain it, but it makes him think of Steve.

He's getting up with the small stone in his hand when he hears footsteps behind him.

"I knew I would find you here" Steve's smile makes Eddie's knees go weak, even at that distance.

He stops once he's standing next to him, both facing the lake.

"I guess you know me pretty well" Eddie points out, his eyes fixed on the water.

"Oh, I do" Steve smirks, confidence radiating from every fiber of his being. Eddie supposes that anyone would feel great about themselves after a day spent accepting any sort of gifts.

"So, I came to collect something" Steve breaks the silence, sounding less confident than before, more nervous if anything.

Eddie can't tell him about all the lame gifts he got for him, let alone go back to his cabin and grab one of them.

Before he can think too much about it, he takes one of Steve's hands and drops the rock on his palm "Here, happy valentine's day".

He realizes what he has done only after Steve's hand closes into a fist around the gift.

Eddie's eyes grow wide, his gaze flickers nervously between the hand that was holding the stone - the right one which he mentally renames as the traitor - and Steve's.

He tries to come up with excuses, but no sound comes out of his mouth.

Finally, as he's ready to jump in front of him and say something like "ahah this is a joke! I got you", Eddie looks at him.

Steve is radiant.

Eddie has rarely seen him smile like this, never at a stupid rock he had randomly collected. He is pretty sure this isn't the first rock he has ever given him, either. It's just a thing that Eddie does.

But Steve is beaming at the rock in his hand like Eddie has given him a piece of jewelry or a gemstone.

"Thank you Eddie, I love it" only then Eddie notices that he is also blushing.

"Are you sure? It's just a rock" he replies, nervously.

Steve raises an eyebrow at the question "yeah, but it's very pretty. And you love rocks."

"Oh," Eddie says, dumbly.

He finally understands why Steve was so excited by the idea of Eddie gifting him something for Valentine's day, why both Robin and Nancy told him he was stressing too much over something Steve would've liked anyways.

Steve would've loved anything as long as it came from Eddie.

"Now I feel bad," Steve speaks, oblivious to Eddie's internal epiphany "my gift is very lame compared to yours."

"You got me something, pretty boy?" he leans closer to him, into Steve's personal space. He smirks when he notices Steve's blush reaching his ears.

"Of course I did" he huffs "but you have to close your eyes if you want it" Steve looks away as he says it, clearly embarrassed.

He'd love to tease him about his red face but he decides to play nice and close his eyes.

He flinches when he feels Steve's lips on his. He slides his arms on his shoulders and around his neck, to make sure Steve doesn't misinterpret his surprised reaction. Steve puts his arms around his waist, pulling him impossibly closer.

Someone might say that gifting a kiss for Valentine's Day is very lame but Eddie realizes that, as long as it came from Steve, he would've loved it anyways.

I wasn’t planning to write anything but then I had some free time and I got inspired! Please forgive me if I wrote something unrealistic for the Percy Jackson world but I’ve read the books years ago, I don’t remember much!Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone but especially to my mutuals, I hope you have an amazing day 💘