#anyway i hope people enjoy the boys trying to enjoy the summer festival at the very least!

[yukiire]

obey me! the boys are enjoying the summer festival!! It's another one of my favourite costume design that I really wanted to draw!!

(the sticker was the side project, but wanting to draw the yukata design has always been something i super wanted to do FDSFDS) makes me wonder if Nightbringer would ever bring the old designs back... or at least update the OG game- many food for thought!

[nightmyst14-blog]

Snippet for a fic I'm writing

Thanks to the discussion I had with @sammywolfgirl , and the ideas I got from @queen-rainy-love and @eclipsewarrior101 .... I'm writing a fic for Shine Muscat.

"Its gonna be called, "A secret date"

Here's a snippet!! Its a human Au, human names used.

Also for @sammywolfgirl , a special cowgirl makes an appearance.

Hope you enjoy!!

Shine Muscat Cookie- Marylin

Potato Cookie- Jedidiah

Potato Cookie's siblings- Ruphert, Yuki, Lil' Ruby, and Blanche

Rye Cookie- Rachel

---------------------------------

Her phone began to ring, looking up from her pillow. She groaned, praying it wasn't another photo shoot. With all of the events and meetups she had to do all week, she just wanted some alone time in bed.

She glanced at the screen, soon sitting up in excitement. It was Jedidiah, that kind potato farmer from the Healthy Hamlet. She had met him during the Giant Veggie festival and had become great friends. She always made sure to visit his farm whenever she stayed at her family’s farmhouse during the summer. 

She quickly made herself look presentable before answering the video call.

The farmer was sitting at his family table, looking to be cutting up potatoes and putting them in a bowl. The sound of his little siblings playing could be heard in the background along with the TV.. 

“ Howdy, Marylin!!” Jedidiah said, one of his iconic smiles on his face. Marylin felt a bit giddy. It made her heart flutter whenever he said her name. “My apologies if I am calling ya at a bad time.”

“ Hi, Jed. No, I’m not busy. “Marylin replied, brushing some of her hair back from her face. “I just got off work earlier. Ugh…I'm tired..”

“ Long day?” He asked.

“Yeah, I had 3 modeling sessions back to back right after I had practice for a scene in an upcoming movie.” She said, soon laying back down on her side. “ I truly do love my job, but I need a break sometimes.”

“ Can’t imagine being in your shoes, Marylin. I guess that makes sense why you like spending time here in the Hamlet, then. Be away from all of those city folk.”

Marlyin laughed a bit, looking at her phone. It was true. It was a blessing she was able to get her great aunt’s farmhouse under her name. Pretty sure her parents would rather forget about it, but she didn’t. Not focusing on being an actress and being able to wind down was amazing. Well, it was the only reason either. 

“I guess that’s true. Plus, its nice and quiet there.” Marylin said. “ How are your little siblings?”

Jedidiah chuckled a bit himself, leaning back in his seat. “ Rowdy as ever. Hey guys, come say to Marylin!!” He shouted into the living room.

Marylin laughed as she heard the pitter-patter of feet come closer, seeing 4 children try to fit into the camera. All tried to talk at once.

“ HI, Ms. Marylin!!!” Rupert said with a toothy grin.

“Are you sleeping? “ Asked little Blanche.

“When are you coming back to the farm?” Asked Yuki, sitting in Jedidiah’s lap.

“Yeah, big brother is showing us how to drive the tractor. Its fun riding around in it!” Said Lil' Ruby, patting the table.

“Hehe, hello you all. Are you all behaving for your big brother?” Marylin asked, getting a collective ‘yes” for the little ones.

“ When are you visiting??” Asked Yuki again, getting excited.

“ Maybe in the summer. I have to finish some work up here in the city.”

“ Maybe Big bro can help you!!!’ Said Lil’ Ruby. “ 

“Yeah!! He has to visit the city anyways!” Said Ruphert. “ Maybe he could help your with your acting job. Jedidiah is always helping people!!”

Jedidiah chuckled and shook his head, setting the Yuki down. “Now, I know who’s been snoopin’ on my phone calls.” He said, tickling the boy to make him giggle. “You all run along now.”

The 4 kids soon left as they came, leaving Marylin and Jedidiah alone to talk.

“Is that true?” Marylin asked.

“Hehe,yeah.. I got to drive up there to pick up some part for the tractor” He explain, rubbing the back of his neck.. Apparently some squirrel dropped some of their acorns in and messed up the engine. I tired looking for it here, but apparently they don't have what I need in stock at the moment. I already made the order, so now I just got to drive up to where you are to get it.”

“Sounds like an adventure.” Marylin replied.

“It’s definitely gonna be, gonna take me about 3 days roundtrip.. I don’t visit the city much. I prefer it here at home. “

She nodded, understanding what he meant. 

“W-well..” She spoke up. “ Do you want to meet up while you're up here? I can set you up a room in one of the hotels near me.”

Jedidiah looked a bit surprised. “ R-really?” He asked. “ Aw shucks, you don’t have to do all that ,Marylin..”

“No no , I insist.” The actress said, sitting up again in bed. “Jed, you and your family have always been so nice to me since I began to visit the Hamlet again. Helping me with chores, fixing that loud boiler once,  allowing me to come over for dinner sometimes… At least let me do this for you..”

She saw that the farmer looked a bit nervous, rubbing the back of his neck. Maybe she was being a bit forward? I mean, they were only friends. At least she thinks so?

“ Are.. Are you really sure about Marylin?” Jedidiah asked her, looking back at the screen. “ You mean it?”

Marylin nodded, giving him a smile. “ I’m sure of it. Consider it payment for all of the times you help me out.”

Jedidiah soon chuckled. “Well, it would be rude to deny a lady’s offer huh?” He joked, making Marylin laugh again.

“Hehe, I think so. What time are you coming in? “

“Should take me most of the day to get there. “

“Sounds good.” Marylin soon heard a knock in Jedidiah��s background, seeing him turn to look.

“ Cousin Rachel is here!!!” Said Ruby, running past Jedidiah to hug a person offscreen.

“Rachel?” Asked Marylin. 

“ My cousin on my Ma’s side. She's going to be babysitting my little sibling while I'm gone. " Jedidiah said, soon headlocked by a blonde haired woman with freckles.

“ Ay!! You talkin’ about me??” The woman said with a grin, ruffling the farmer’s hat and hair.

“Rach, I’m on call with someone!!” Jedidiah protested, wenching himself out of her grip..

“Oh! You talkin’ to your girlfriend??” Rachel said, looking at the screen. "Hi, the name's Rachel. So, my cousin proposed yet?? He talks about ya a lot, you know-"

" RACHEL!!!

[lawscorazon]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐟𝐭. 𝐝. 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞 & 𝐭. 𝐥𝐚𝐰

“Marisol. You wanna do something fun…?”

cast: rosinante, law & o/c’s sunny & marisol

content warning: none! just pure, wholesome mischief

word count: 1.7k

ᥫ᭡. written for @rosiinante as summer trade! Sunny, my dear, I hope you enjoy it. You’re absolutely lovely and I was excited (an equally nervous) to capture your family for you and I hope I did it justice.

the cool winds wafted the rainbow scent of florals through the air. the sun welcomed you, wrapping its warm arms around your skin and kissed your cheeks pink. the newfound families of birds and bunnies trotted around together enjoying the opportunity to begin again.

it was summertime. the schools were out and laughter filled the air. the children were playing outside with their friends enjoying the euphoria of a lazy sun that refused to set on their jubilee. teens rushed to the bazaar, pockets jingling with their allowance and families were gathering to venture off to the sandy paradise that honed the pure essence of summer. the cool water, the sand, the festivities. i mean, who didn’t love the beach?

law.

law didn’t love the beach.

he hated it actually. it was hot and muggy; there was sand everywhere; there were people everywhere, loud people, blasting their music and laughing and screaming; warm food and drinks that were supposed to be cold. it was law‘s personal overstimulation hell. and plus he couldn’t even swim, not that he wanted to anyway, but if he couldn’t then what was the point?

and so the moody teen sat under the shadiest tree in protest of the whole situation, hood thrown over his head and pulled tight, goddamn the weather.

“law, baby, are you sure you don’t want to swim? we've got floaties!” sunny chimed sporting their heart spotted pin-up style bikini, excitedly holding the extra arm floaties and pool floats in a desperate attempt to coax their brooding son.

rosinante pulled his best vanna white, modeling his beach outfit. bright pink floaties fitted on his arms and legs to match his white swim trunks dotted with red hearts similar to his wife. the opaque white sunscreen on his nose was tinted blue from the goggles that covered the upper half of his face. he boasted the best smile that he could given the snorkel in his mouth, no eyes, lots of teeth, and a peace sign.

“no,” law snipped, “it looks stupid. i’m not going.”

‘a floatie? a floatie??’ he griped to himself. he didn’t need a floatie. he wasn’t five. sunny had embarrassed the poor boy when they lathered sunscreen on his body to protect his scars from burning and now they wanted him to wear floaties???

sensing that there was no winning this battle, sunny admitted defeat with a heavy sigh.

“well, if you change your mind you know where to find us. there’s food in the cooler if you get hungry. try to have some fun, okay? and keep an eye on your sister.” they cooed, ruffling what would’ve been law’s hair if he wasn’t so bundled up. they then retreated to the water, dragging along their husband and his briefly deflated morale.

“do i really look stupid?” he whispered, now just out of earshot.

“don’t listen to him, sweetheart, you look great,” they consoled, rubbing his back.

law continued to brood under the summer heat, busying himself by rereading his favorite volumes of the sora comics finding comfort in the familiarity.

he was gnawing on his hoodie string, eagerly (but not too eagerly as to not properly appreciate the art) flipping through the pages watching the warrior of the sea fight his sworn enemy, stealth black, when he was interrupted by a tiny finger tapping on his shoulder.

already aware of the identity of the intruder, he let out a deep sigh without looking up from his book.

“what do you want?”

“law, can you come build a sandcastle with me?” marisol asked, gently gripping onto his hoodie.

“no,” he responded, trying his best to ignore the little angel.

“please?” she whined, shaking her brother in an attempt to gain his attention.

law set down his book with an irritated huff, prepared to flash her an icy scowl only to be met with a pout and the glassiest of puppy dog eyes peeking through fluffy pink locs.

they engaged in a brief stare down, neither of them willing to concede. as marisol's eyes twinkled, law’s eyes darkened, but the younger girl's warm and honied gaze was quickly melting away law’s cold stare. as soon as her bottom lip began to wobble he cracked, rolling his eyes and slamming his book shut. how could he say no to that? it was rare that he ever did.

taking his sister's hand, he ushered her further along the beach to find a nice foundation for their sandcastle as she laughed cheerfully, enjoying getting her way once again.

once settled in the perfect spot they began gathering their materials making sure not to stray too far from home base. law used his devil fruit to “room” some wet sand from the shore while marisol collected the seashells, sticks, and other miscellaneous materials for decoration and structure.

before long they had a decent size pile of materials and began working on their sand castle.

initially, law hadn’t planned on helping much but he found himself becoming very involved in building the castle with his sister even going as far as giving input on the design.

together they mixed the wet and dry sand to ensure the sand sticks to itself without falling apart, before packing it down to form the base layer. law supervised marisol as she scooped the mixture into her pale, reminding her to pack it down as she filled it.

confident that the first tower will turn out well, marisol flipped the bucket onto the base and lifted it to reveal…

a mess.

she didn’t understand. was the sand too dry? did she not press hard enough? she was sure that she did.

“law, it’s not working,” she whined, crossing her arms over her chest.

“maybe you should try again,” he advised absentmindedly, as he was too focused on his own task at hand.

while his sister was building her castle, he had been searching for sand crabs, ”room”-ing away chunks of sand to reveal the panicked crustaceans. he was sort of amused by the way they scurried away from him, burying themselves deeper into the sand. he smiled briefly to himself before placing the sand back where he found it.

it was then that he got an idea. he turned to his sister with his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“marisol, you wanna do something fun?”

meanwhile, sunny and rosinante were enjoying their time in the ocean. sunny was waist high in the salty water holding their husband’s legs while he laid over his float to peer under the water with his snorkel. they had spent the afternoon looking for seashells and other marine life together.

so far they had found a small pile of iridescent shells and sea glass to clean up and take home. they were absolutely gorgeous and would be perfect to do some crafting with. they even saw a few crustaceans and small fish.

as they laughed and celebrated with rosi over their new finds, sunny’s eyes swept the shore to check on their kids but as they darted across the sand law and marisol were nowhere in sight.

they began to panic, heartbeat pounding and breath quicken to a dizzying pace. did they get lost? could they have fallen in the water??? what if they’d been kidnapped???

“rosi…” they called, tapping on his leg. “rosi, sweetheart.”

he popped up from the water and removed his snorkel.

“yes, what’s the matter, dear?”

“where are the kids?” they asked, already beginning to hyperventilate.

“the kids? well, they should be right…” he started, glancing towards their spot only to find it empty.

“WHERE ARE THE KIDS???”

together they rushed out of the water as fast as they can, water sloshing around with every step. sunny tried their best to drag along the raft without tipping over rosinante as he paddled doggy style with his hands.

they made it to the shore, now full blown sprinting around calling for their kids.

“LAW!” rosinante called.

“MARISOL!” sunny shrieked.

“WHERE ARE YOU?” they yelled in unison.

the world seemed to be spinning around them as they desperately called for their kids, nearing closer to the empty towels laid out as their home base.

“marisol, now!” law called.

law and marisol, hiding behind two nearby bushes, pulled a string fishing line taught, tripping the two clumsy parents who fell into towels that camouflaged two shallow holes that were dug in the sand. law quickly jumped from his post raising a hand to conjure a “room” transporting two piles of sand coming from the beach and onto sunny and rosinante.

the sand clouds wafted through the air sending sunny in rosi in a coughing fit, closing their eyes and shaking their heads in an attempt to escape it.

law and marisol took their place and top of their sand thrones triumphantly beaming with the adrenaline of their success.

“w-w-wha?” rosi and sunny stammered trying to find words through the mix of emotions they just experienced, unsure of whether to reprimand their mischievous children or be glad the two were working together.

“we got you, daddy!” marisol giggled, smiling down at her father with cheeks so high her eyes were barely visible.

“alright, don’t forget to pat it down just like i showed you,” law advised, arms crossed and a small smirk bending the corner of his lip as he took his place on top of sunny.

he took a moment to gaze across the beach as the sun began to dip further in the sky, casting golden hues along the view. the wind tousled his hair now that he’d finally removed his hood. he felt content.

“you know, sunny, i think the beach is finally growing on me.”

[vs-redemption]

Soft Sunday’s: How ya meet. That’s all I got enjoy🥰

Osamu

Believe it or not you didn’t meet him at his restaurant, he always noticed you in your yellow dress,or you are wearing something yellow whenever you pass by his store window. He catches a rare moment of you walking by him outside his store front. Your bright smile and your yellow dress, and that delicious perfume you always wore. You smell like summer freckles and sunflowers. He asks you out when you order at his vendor setup at local festival.

Atsumu

You meet in the rain. You forgot your umbrella in your rush to get home. You thought you were going to be soaked by the time you got to subway terminal. Yet a handsome stranger offered to escort you to your destination under his umbrella. Soft honey brown eyes and soft smile got you. You ask how to repay his kindness and he asks you out. No pressure of course.You was going to say yes anyway.

Mattsun

Lol at the grocery store…on the personal hygiene aisle. You couldn’t reach the top shelf to get your pads/tampons. You asked if he could help you out. He does without being awkward about it. He so nice that he pays for groceries and asks you out at the same time.

Sakusa

He noticed you every Sunday either sketching or painting while out on his weekend jog. He noticed that some people would stop to see you what you were sketching or painting. It never bothered you, you were friendly and that smile of yours pretty much hook him in. He stops one Sunday to see what you were working on. He was rather surprised that you managed to sketch him along with others in your scene. You pointed out that he often stopped right in front of your view. Before he could ask anymore questions you ask him to join you for some lunch. He officially asks you out before lunch is over.

Kuroo

At the office… the company hired you as a freelance graphic designer to take on a number of projects. Of course he notices you with your cool and quirky red cat eye shaped glasses. You’re the only one in the office that can match his sarcasm and put up with corny jokes. Somehow he asked you out with cheesy v-day card, with a couple of borderline dad jokes. He is a endearing dork and you say yes when he asks you out.

Bokuto

At the bakery/cafe. There’s a window in front of the store where you can see the decorator decorate cakes and other desserts. He notices you since you always smile at him whenever he comes in. You don’t mind cause at least he pretty eye candy for you to enjoy as well. It’s a Sunday evening so it barely anyone in the bakery. He happy that it you that’s working only so he has most of your attention. The next day he asks you out so he can give you his Full attention.

I really do love your brain ♥ You always send in the best stuff for Soft Sunday!!!

Soft Sunday Headcanons: How you meet Haikyuu Boys (Osamu, Atsumu, Mattsun, Sakusa, Kuroo, Bokuto)

Aw, Osamu! Every time you walk by he hopes you'll come in, but you never do. During lulls between customers, he zones out with his cheek in his hand, trying to imagine where you're going or who you're meeting up with in those cute yellow dresses.

The way I know Atsumu would try to be as charming as possible during your walk, trying to sound clever and make you laugh, only to fumble for words at the very end when you ask him how to repay him. He cringes at himself a little when the date offer blurts out of his mouth, but he sighs in relief when you say yes.

Guys that are chill about period stuff get extra respect. Mattsun creates that safe and comfortable atmosphere around him even though a random interaction in a grocery store. It would be a wasted chance not to agree to a date with him.

I feel like a need a whole fic about this. The way Sakusa can't shake his interest in you and slowly builds up the courage to stop and talk to you only to find himself in your painting ♥ He can't even get over the shock of that before you are asking him out. I don't know, just the idea of him having a partner that always takes him by surprise and keeps him on his toes. I love that.

As soon as Kuroo meets someone who can keep up with his banter he is hooked. There's no way he can resist someone who can both impress him with clever comments and make him cackle over corny jokes. The person who can do that is going to have Kuroo wrapped around their finger.

One way to Bokuto's heart is through his stomach for sure. Your lovely and soft smiles from the window definitely catch his attention. But then he comes inside and finds that your desserts taste as amazing as they look. He wants to know more about you and resolves to ask you out and is only encouraged by the kindness you show him by slipping extra snacks in his order from time to time.

Send in your Soft Sunday Headcanons

[peachtree-dish]

A Te Che Sei Il Mío Grande Amore

Chapter 3: Senza che tu mi dica niente tutto si fa chiaro

Luglio 01, 1969

Luca’s birthday rolled around faster than anyone expected, the day arriving with clear skies and high temperatures. Luca awoke to his mother’s voice echoing through their home as she prepared breakfast. Stretching, the fifteen-year-old shook his nonna as gently as he could to wake her. She grumbled at his attempts and swatted at his claws.

“Nonna,” he sighed, shrugging with a smile and swimming into the kitchen to greet his parents. During his time in Porto Rosso, Luca enjoyed every moment he could swimming and spending as much time in the water since he couldn’t do as much in Genoa. He, along with Giulia and Signora Mia, had snuck to the shoreline in the early hours of the morning every few weeks or so just so Luca could refresh his scales and get the nutrients he needed. It was especially necessary when the temperature had become too cold and made him lethargic and ill. Luca shook his head softly, sending bubbles rippling above him in search of the surface. Signora Mia had been just as kind as Massimo, and just as headstrong in a lot of ways. He made a silent promise to call her with Giulia to make sure she was doing well, even if he were sure nothing could fell the infamous Mia Berni.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Daniella kissed Luca’s cheek and handed him a plate full of seaweed and fish flank on his way to the table. Returning the sentiment, the youth sat beside his father and informed his parents that grandma had decided to sleep in a little longer.

“Ugh, she does this every time. MA!” Daniella shouted in frustration, only to be startled by her own mother swimming around the corner.

“You’re being dramatic, dear. I only do it when I think it will annoy you.” The elderly sea monster smiled toothily at her disgruntled daughter who muttered, “Which is every day,” and finished setting the table.

“So, how does it feel to be another year older, son?” Lorenzo floated a piece of fish to his mouth and chewed animatedly, his gaze never leaving Luca’s. Luca shrugged in response and picked at the seafood drifting across the coral table.

“Not any different than last year, honestly. I still feel like I’m fourteen, so nothing special.” He slurped the seaweed into his mouth, much to his mother’s chagrin, and instantly missed the taste of pasta.

“Fifteen is a pretty big deal, though, you’re becoming a young man and that means changes and more responsibility.”

“I hardly think now is the time to discuss any of that at the table.” Luca’s grandmother scoffed before he could reply.

“What, it’s just the basics; Longer tail and fins, not to mention attracting the pretty lady gills, eh?” Lorenzo nudged Luca in the side who nearly choked on his food and spluttered white bubbles over the table, his scales flushing darkly.

“Lorenzo!” Danielle cried, her claws slapping the table in mortification.

“What? We were around his age when we met. If I remember correctly, you thought I was quite the catch.” He batted his eyes at her, pursing his lips teasingly.

“I was young and silly; I didn’t know any better.” Try as she might, Daniella couldn’t stop the smile that threatened to break her scowl. She busied herself by shredding the fish flank and wrapping it in seaweed. Undeterred, Lorenzo lifted from his chair and leaned in closer, trying to further fluster his wife.

“Yeah, maybe, but you still accepted my courting pearl after the Spring Swim Festival.” Lorenzo pulled a reluctant Daniella out of her chair and began to lead her around the room in spins and pivots, grinning madly as she shrieked with laughter. Luca watched with a mixture of amusement and confusion, his discomfort fading as he pushed the idea of ‘lady gills’ far from his mind. When he peered at his grandma, she appeared nonplussed and continued munching on her food although a genuine smile lifted her aging scales.

“You were skinnier and more handsome then, of course, she fell for you.” Lorenzo pouted at his mother-in-law and led both he and Daniella back to the table.

“I simply grew into my man body,” He emphasized his point by sticking his gut out even farther and patted it proudly. The table burst into laughter and Luca quickly finished eating after, his stomach nearly as full as his heart.

After he finished, he turned to his mother and asked, “Is it ok if I go visit Alberto and Giulia for the afternoon?”

Daniella conceded with a content nod, “Just don’t forget about our dinner tonight at Massimo’s, we don’t want you kids to be late.” Luca agreed cheerfully and kissed each family member on the cheek before swimming out the entrance.

“Hey!” Luca turned mid swim to see Daniella at the entrance. “I love you.”

“I love you too, ma!” Grinning, Luca took off, the water gliding past him as he made his way to the surface and his friends. As he leaped through the blue waves, he imagined he was like the superhero from the newspaper comics that Giulia and Mia both read. Pointing both fists forwards, Luca broke the surface with a whoop, water streaming behind him like a cape.

When he arrived at the Marcovaldo residence, the only beings there to greet them were Machiavelli and a few of his kits, each of whom wanted his attention and brief affection. Finding some of his spare clothes in the drawers of Alberto and Giulia's shared room, Luca quickly left the house and wandered the streets, eager to find his friends. Judging from the sun, he knew the morning fishing trip had come to an end not too long before which should mean Giulia, and Alberto was out delivering. Walking through the town square, Luca waved to a few of the patrons he recognized, mentally wincing as he remembered his first attempts at greeting Porto Rosso’s patrons. If anyone had been the stupidi, it had been them.

Chuckling as he went up the city’s hill, Luca caught sight of two familiar heads of curls along with two faces he was not expecting. Tensing at the sight of Guido and Ciccio, Luca prepared himself for a fight and made to run the rest of the way before he heard laughter. Guido was laughing at something Alberto had said and lightly touched his shoulder. Somehow, the movement was worse than if he had punched Alberto instead. A dark and ugly feeling reared its head within Luca’s belly, causing his face to burn and his hands to clench. Clenching his teeth, the young sea monster marched up the cobblestone pathways, intent on not showing his discomfort.

“Ciao,” he muttered shortly, arriving beside Alberto, and instantly causing Guido to lift his hand from Alberto’s shoulder. Giulia nodded hello from her seat on the bike as Alberto wrapped an arm around Luca’s shoulder.

“Oh, hey Luca,” Alberto cheered even more so upon seeing Luca. “You remember Guido and Ciccio, vero? I helped their families in the off-season while you were away.” Luca looked at the two teens who stood abashedly in front of him and offered his hand after a moment of hesitation.

“It’s good to see you both again,” Not, he thought as he shook the brunette’s hand. Ciccio spoke up, his round features coloring.

“We realize we never officially apologized to you before you left, si? We’re really sorry about last summer, Luca.”

“Si, Ciccio, and I were very foolish and ignoranti, we hope you can forgive us, and we can start again.” Guido smiled warmly, his gaze sincere. Taking a deep breath, Luca felt his earlier feeling of… whatever it was, fading away. If Alberto and Giulia both felt they could trust these boys again, then he could follow their lead.

“Lo apprezzo. I know being around Ercole wasn’t the easiest either, it’s all water under the bridge now anyway.” He smiled genuinely this time, heartened when the two ex-henchmen immediately relaxed.

“Bah, no lie, I’m so happy to be rid of that jerk,” Guido nodded at Ciccio who nodded and twisted his hands anxiously.

“He ate so much of my family’s bread,” Ciccio whispered horrified, his gaze wide. Giulia shared a weirded-out expression with Alberto who only shook his head.

“I didn’t know your family baked,” Luca interceded, ignoring his friends’ lack of subtlety Snapping back to the present, Ciccio grinned widely showing his perfectly white teeth.

“Oh, si, Pasticcini al sale Marino is the pride and joy of Porto Rosso and my family. Our baked goods bring customers from miles around; you should see the line of people who want to buy my mother’s Sfogliatella.” He leaned in conspiratorially to whisper, “My siblings and I have been helping since we were little, so only we know the recipe.” He puffed his round chest out proudly, only to be poked by both Alberto and Guido.

“Knowing a recipe and following it correctly are two different things, Ciccio. Your batter was not very good the last time you tried to make Bombolini.” Guido teased and Alberto nodded knowingly.

“I still don’t know how you mixed up salt and sugar,” the older sea monster screwed his face in disgust, remembering how the supposedly sweet treats and mistakenly been made with copious amounts of salt. “Seriously, Ciccio, even the ocean’s not as salty as those things were.” Ciccio pouted good-naturedly as the group laughed.

“It’s still not as bad as the time Guido set the auto garage on fire,” the blond argued mildly to which said boy grimaced.

“I thought we agreed to never speak of that again; I thought my papa was going to skin me alive.”

The teens chatted a bit more and Luca began to warm up to the two boys who had hurt him so much the past year. Perhaps, he reasoned, they had been good all along and had simply needed the chance to prove themselves.

Bidding Guido and Ciccio farewell, Luca joined Alberto and Giulia as they made the rounds. Luca asked a question that had been on his mind since arriving in Porto Rosso.

“So, whatever happened to Ercole? I haven’t seen him since we’ve been in town.” Alberto placed the cash from his previous sale into the leather pouch of the cart before answering.

“Honestly, the guy kind of disappeared after the race. I think he was embarrassed enough to keep his head low for a while, but other than that, I’m not sure. Maybe he left?” Giulia thought for a moment, her gaze focused on the road ahead.

“Maybe, I don’t think he went away to university, but he could have. His family is really wealthy, so they could afford it no matter the grades he got.”

Luca kicked a pebble, his thoughts skipping back to that one word: university.

“What’s the point of grades anyway, doesn’t that, like, stress you out more?” Alberto mused.

“It certainly does for me,” Giulia huffed. She bid Buongiorno to a young mother who bought the last of their fish and both Luca and Alberto filled the empty space as they headed back down the hill.

“I think it’s mostly competition, to see who really wants to be an academico or no,” she contemplated. “Sometimes if you have really good grades, the universities will pay you to study in their schools. That happened to mama when she moved to Genoa.” Alberto winced slightly at the mention of Giulia’s mother, the story of her separation from Massimo fresh in his memory.

“I wonder if I was good enough, they’d do that for me?” Luca hummed, his eyes following the drains that spread across each building they passed.

“Well, duh, they’d be stupid not to; you’re better than good enough right now,” Alberto bumped his shoulder with a smile. Luca blushed and tossed his friend a grin.

“Hey, happy birthday by the way. It’s about time you got to my age,” the older boy winked and wrapped his arm around Luca again, causing Luca’s skin to hum with energy.

“Oh, yeah! Are you excited for tonight?” Giulia asked over her shoulder.

“Thanks, you guys, really,” Luca felt warmer with Alberto’s arm around him, and he was sure it had nothing to do with the afternoon sun. He wondered briefly if said boy could feel how hard his heart was pounding. “Should I be excited, I thought we were just having dinner?” Luca asked, brow furrowing in confusion. He twisted around to face Giulia as she pulled into the plaza and made her way towards the small coastal home. Alberto lifted his arm when Luca turned away, causing him to feel its loss.

Giulia glanced at him and grinned excitedly. “Papa saved some fireworks from the Festa Della Repubblica since we were in Genoa, and he wants to set them off for tonight.” Luca gasped and jumped in his seat.

“Santa mozzarella! Are you serious?!” He shared an animated glance with Alberto who smiled as he hopped off the cart.

“Of course! I mentioned to him how much you had enjoyed the fireworks during Vigilia di Capodanno last December. He decided that would be his gift to you this year.” Giulia locked the bike and carried their bag of earnings inside, the two boys following after her.

Inside they found Massimo at his stove, his presence filling up the majority of the room. He turned to greet them as they entered, placing a kiss upon Giulia’s curly head.

“Buon cumpleanno, Luca. May you live to see many more,” Massimo rumbled fondly, patting Luca on his checkered shoulder. Luca returned the sentiment and wrapped a short hug around the large man, his arms too small to wrap fully around him.

“Grazie, Massimo. For your wishes and for your surprise gift,” Luca pulled away while Massimo smiled happily, his eyes disappearing behind his bushy eyebrows.

“Giulia,” Massimo chided lightly, turning to his daughter who was counting out money, “I thought we agreed to keep it a secret until after dinner?” Giulia smiled apologetically.

“Scusa, papa, we were just too excited,” She and Alberto began counting the coins on the table while Massimo ushered Luca over to the stove.

“Come, Luca, you will help me prepare dinner,” Massimo handed him a bag of clams and ordered him to wash them thoroughly in the sink. Luca would be the first to admit he was not a cook, but Massimo was gentle in his orders and easily guided Luca in making a perfect pasta dinner.

Once the Paguro family arrived along with Ciccio and Guido, once again to Luca’s surprise, the night was filled with much laughter and filling food. The linguine pasta alle vongole was instantly a hit and paired nicely with the red wine Ciccio had brought on behalf of his family. To the teens’ disappointment, the adults were adamant that they were still too young for alcohol. At one moment, Lorenzo laughed so hard, he inhaled his pasta and sent part of it into his nose much to the delight of the children. After dinner, the group trouped outside with fireworks and dessert in hand. While Massimo and Lorenzo set up the fireworks near the edge of the waterline, Daniella, Giulia, and Ciccio helped serve gelato and watermelon.

With a happy sigh, Alberto nestled himself into the sand alongside Luca, happily chewing on the red-fleshed fruit. Luca’s eyelids were drooping as his body felt full and warm, accompanied by his own friend’s radiating heat. His gaze lingered as Alberto licked gelato from his lips, the cream dripping from the corner of his mouth. Forcing his eyes to look anywhere else, Luca shifted closer to Alberto. Instead, his gaze landed on his father asking animatedly about the fireworks in Massimo’s hand, the larger man looking both confused and entertained by Lorenzo’s energy.

“I know I already said it, but happy birthday,” Luca dragged his eyes back to the tanned boy next to him and smiled. He jumped slightly at the first explosion, watching in delight as the light of the fireworks made his friend’s skin glisten with multicolored hues.

“Thank you for sharing it with me,” He replied easily. Neither made comment as their arms brushed or as their hands splayed out behind them with barely any space between. Up above the merry group, bright color after bright color bloomed across a starlit sky, the stars twinkling their own delight.

[sweetsubharry]

Do you know any Larry fics with relationship during or post the band

yes I do! ^-^ (As a forewarning, under the read more is 47 fics! So this is quite a long post! I just couldn’t narrow them down!) I’ve split them into three sections; x factor, during the band, and ‘hiatus’ :) 

In case no one gets to the bottom of the page I’ll say it again here too! Please make sure to stay safe and read the tags!!

X factor era 

I'd give up forever to touch you by blankiehxrry

just your typical xfactor fic with a bit of a twist

Just Ask Me To by TellMeThisIsNotLove

“You’re telling the truth,” Louis whispers.

“Of course I’m telling the truth!” Harry doesn’t even care that he sounds exasperated.

“Oh my god.” Louis grabs the wall behind him as if looking for support. His body slides down against it until he’s sitting crouched on the floor.

He mumbles something but Harry can’t really figure out what it is. He crouches down, and looks desperately at the breaking boy in front of him.

“You’re telling the truth,” Louis whispers. “You were not supposed to–”

“I was not supposed to do what? Tell me please,” Harry urges, taking Louis’ hands gently in his.

Or the X Factor era canon fic where they learn how to be a couple and that not everyone is going to be on their sides especially those with plain white t-shirts and saccharine smiles.

horizontal like a quarter to three by orphan_account

The worst part is that Louis just wants to get really rough with him. He's wanted it right from the start, and it doesn't make sense, because Harry's always been so gentle and understanding and sweet, and yet all Louis wants to do is fuck him up.

nonstop earthquake dreams of you by lumineres

And there's heat behind it, blazing, plasmatic, like stars crashing together, like an explosion in space, like a supernova, like a black hole--everything else sucked out of existence. There's no bed and there's no pillow and they're not lying down, just floating somewhere, somehow, and there's no room and there's no X Factor house and there's no Niall snuffling or Liam's deep, even breathing and there's no wind or traffic outside and there's no hum of the heating unit and it's all just Louis. All encompassingly Louis.

or, harry falls hard and finds louis already at the bottom

Could you love me anyway by SadaVeniren

Dear Mistress Lorin: I’ve been reading your blog for a couple weeks now and was hoping you’d give me some advice for something that happened with me and my boyfriend. I’m really worried that I hurt him.

aka Harry and Louis begin playing ping pong during the X-Factor Tour. It quickly gets out of hand.

no we're not friends, nor have we ever been by blankiehxrry

louis and harry get frisky in the xfactor house

give you my fever by beautlouis

And he’s wanted it even more since he met Louis, it's driven him insane, he spends 90% of his life turned on because of Louis and he’s had no relief at all. He’ll wake up at night too hot and itchy, with Louis warm and sweet smelling next to him, and unable to do anything but wank unsuccessfully, with no release. “I can try,” Louis says, close enough that Harry’s eyes cross a little trying to look at him. “I want to, I’ve never been with anybody, like, I’ve snogged people, lots of people, but I’ve never—touched anyone.” He clears his throat. “I’d touch you, Hazza.”

Harry’s breathing picks up. “Yes.” He doesn’t think there was a question but he’s a little overwhelmed. “Yes,” he repeats, dizzy.

*x-factor era. harry's never had an orgasm before, louis gives him his first

During the band

Sweet Baby by jishler

“Haz,” he said, “do you like being held down?”

Drawing a shaky breath, Harry finally looked Louis in the eyes. “I think so.”

Nothing You Can Do (But You Can Learn How To Be You In Time) by Teumessian

A Canon Compliant Semi-AU. Louis braids Harry’s hair. There are good times, bad times, fancy houses, supportive bandmates, secret boyfriends, small rebellions, bigger revolutions, some nail varnish, ribbons, cute clothing, and a Pinterest.

make me feel like i am breathing by crybaby

His eyes are already looking a hint distant as Louis gets comfortable on his knees, running a hand up the hairless expanse of Harry's milky thigh. Harry always starts dipping at the sight of his vibrator, bubblegum plastic with flecks of glitter in the pink. His cheeks pink to match the colour and his eyes go wide, his lips chewing.

(Prompt: how about louis fucking harry with a vibrator backstage before they go on?)

take me into your loving arms by blankiehxrry

twas the night of the brit awards

Just Give Me a Reason by Mr_Stylinson

"Why do people hate me?" is a question Harry is more than desperate to figure out the answer to after reading through negative comments on Twitter about his "What Makes You Beautiful" performance on Red or Black. But this new addiction could potentially decide his fate as a part of One Direction unless the other boys are able to convince their youngest member that his value is defined by far more than a bunch of dumb online comments.

The Pedal's Down, My Eyes are Closed by dancingontheceiling

Louis and Harry bang it out in the dressing room after performing "18" and "No Control" for the first time at OTRA Brussels.

i'm missing half of me when we're apart by orphan_account

Louis can just picture what he looks like right now. Curled up on the big bed in their LA house, wrapped up in one of Louis' sweatshirts, crying his heart out, face red and blotchy, eyes sore, fingers twisted in the blankets as his chest tightens up.

Fallingforyou by gayilystrong

Harry's sick on Tour, which leads to naps in Louis' bunk. Louis of course needs to take care of his baby.

vocal rest remedy by tippytoetomlinstyles

Harry is sick and sad and on vocal rest. Louis helps him get over his sadness by cheering him up the only way he knows how.

Push You Over The Edge (So I Can Pull You Back) by orphan_account

It’s after a long two weeks of interviews and non-stop appearances that have got Harry stressed to the limit of yanking his hair out and throwing a fit and crying that Louis shows it to him, walks in the door with a sleek black bag in his left hand and inconspicuous brown one in his right.

It Feels Right When The Pink Matches His Lips by orphan_account

He adores pink, and pretty colors. He likes deciding what color his nails should be and whether or not this lipstick matches his shirt. He likes rummaging through Jade or Leigh's closets to try on the pretty clothes they have or their make-up drawer out of curiosity.

But the media doesn't. They call him awful names, spewing out article after article. So, he stops. He stops wearing pink, stops painting his nails, stops experimenting with make-up, and Louis notices.

[Featuring Harry as the unconfident member of the biggest boy band in the world and Louis as his very supportive boyfriend.]

Every Move You Make by sunniskies

After the debacle at the Brits, Louis decides he needs to keep better track of Harry.

Obligatory Sickfic by WhoopsImASinner

Harry gets off stage after the Live Lounge and is more than a little upset about how sick he is. Louis takes it upon himself to get his boy home and cheer him up.

Do Not Disturb (kiss me beneath the milky twilight) by SadaVeniren

“I was talking with Nick a couple months back and he was saying how our sex life seemed boring and we’d need to keep doing new and interesting things to keep it exciting or else we’d become boring and heterosexual and I defended us of course but then work picked up and we started living off of studio handjobs and missionary position sex in the dark and so I panicked. I googled BDSM and after looking into it I really want to try some of it because I think we’d enjoy it but we just don’t have the time.”

aka Harry doesn't want to become a boring old married couple a year into their relationship and tries to spice up their sex life.

But I'm Only Human (And I Bleed When I Fall Down). by brooklynbis

Harry wasn't an idiot. He wasn't gullible enough to believe that everyone was going to love him, hell, he was expecting for people to not like him. But a few tweets from Twitter really can be enough to trigger a whole bucket load of emotions.

_______________________

AKA Harry has a lot of emotions, management (particularly Simon) are pieces of shit, Louis is an amazing boyfriend as per, and Liam, Niall and Zayn are all very protective over the youngest member of the group.

You Like Playing Games by orphan_account

Louis knows Harry likes to flirt and tease. Louis knows that he doesn’t particularly like when Harry flirts and teases. Louis knows that Harry knows that Louis doesn’t particularly like it.

But what Louis doesn’t quite know is why, despite that, Harry’s decided to grind against 5 Seconds of Summer’s Luke Hemmings during “Teenage Dirtbag” in the last show in Melbourne.

Basically pure smut.

Make Tea, Not War by adventuring, howdoyouwhisk (popsongdelusional)

"Is he the messiest?"

"Yes."

"Does he do the washing up?"

"Never."

"Does he make his bed?"

"Never."

"Hopeless, hopeless flatmate. Would you rather be with one of these guys?"

"Nope!"

Or: Louis attempts to become a better flatmate, much to Harry's dismay.

Are We In The Clear Yet? by highlinson

The thing is, it’s not anything new. He’s gone through it a dozen times, at least. It shouldn’t scare him, still. Should never have scared him in the first place. Yet he’s trembling as he makes his way through the crowds.

You and Me by louisgrindsonharry

Harry and Louis have dabbled in the idea of BDSM but Harry finally wants to take it farther and Louis has to figure out how to take care of his boy.

We'll All Float On Alright by dancingbean

Harry has a really bad day. Louis is there with cuddles and kisses and scented candles.

You live in my heart by styleztomlinson

As soon as they’re done with their set, Louis only has one thing on his mind and that’s to get out of there as soon as possible.

or,

Harry is sick during their performance at the iHeartRadio festival. Afterwards, Louis takes cares of his baby, and dotes on his husband.

Cause If You Let Me, Here's What I'll Do by stylesforstiles

Five times where Harry is Louis' baby

When the Points Add Up by iwillpaintasongforlou

Louis is physically incapable of following the rules, and Management is smart enough to know his weak spot: Harry. One stunt too many leaves Harry exiled to a room by himself all night and Louis rallies the others to devise a plan to get Harry his cuddles tonight no matter what Management says.

There's a Hole In My Soul, Can You Fill It? by stylesforstiles

Sometimes Harry is so tired. Louis always wants to fix it.

Susceptible to Getting Hurt by page394

"I've always wanted to be one of those people who didn't really care that much about what people thought about them... But I just don't think I am." - Harry

Just What The Doctor Ordered by everyroad

A short little thing about a sick Harry who really just needs his Louis.

Baby, I'm perfect for you by nancy01

Harry broke down in tears. Like loud, ugly, fat tears that made his shoulders shake and his hands come up to hide his face. He made Louis worry, he made Louis scared, he made Louis angry and worst of all now Louis' going to be disappointed in him and think he's being childish and pathetic. well done, have you made yourself proud?. now even louis isn't going to like you, you've pushed him away to.

Louis sighed."Sweetheart, come here." He called with wide opening arms.

Harry doesn't think he's ever moved faster in his entire life. Louis arms wrap around Harry's shoulders, pulling him in close, as Harry buries his neck into Louis' shoulder to try and source maximum comfort.

Or

Paps become to much for Haz, cue protective boyfriend Louis

Never Let You Fall by iwillpaintasongforlou

Harry slips on stage and gets a minor concussion, and Louis insists that he spend the night in the hospital just in case. He then turns into a protective baby lion because that is his Harry and he'll be damned if anything happens to him on Louis' watch. Harry rolls his eyes a lot but doesn't really mind.

Breathe by dontlietomehoney

Harry has an asthma attack and Louis is scared to death. What follows after though, scares both boys, pulling them apart and bringing them together.

Your Reason To Be by KellanCougar

The X Factor was only the start. With their management willing to do anything for headlines, including manipulation that could threaten Harry's very life, Louis fears he will lose everything he loves and be powerless to stop it.

And We Linger On by stylesforstiles

Harry is pouting. Louis takes care of him

don't let nobody touch it (unless that somebody's me) by stylescantstop

written for this prompt:

"louis knows Harry gets handsy when he's drunk, but that doesn't stop him from showing harry who he belongs to."

or the one where harry dances with other men and a jealous louis reminds him he's the only one who can make him come completely apart.

that boy's got my heart in a silver cage by orphan_account

The whole thing is addictive somehow, and not just because of the way that it makes Louis feel, like Harry is his and he'll do anything he says—but because of the way Harry reacts to it, even in public, twisting in his seat and tripping over his words and once even briefly hiding his face in Louis's shoulder because he's so flustered, causing the girls in the audience to squeal and shout.

if we got nothing, we got us by tumsa

Harry is Louis' baby and he's sick as well.

Okay by JustAnotherShadow503

Harry is frustrated.

It's been almost two years since he and Louis got back together, and nothing has changed. Well, they have changed, and their situation has gotten a lot better, but their sex life? Vanilla. Completely and utterly vanilla.

Harry really thought that after Louis' dirty talk when they got back together, they would get into some kinkier shit, but nope. Louis still makes love to him and calls him sweet names, and that's nice, Harry absolutely loves it, but sometimes, he gets this itch that making love can't scratch.

Or, the one where Harry and Louis try to start a dom/sub BDSM relationship, and nothing goes according to plan.

Gentle Sin by userkant

Harry gasps. He gasps at what must be a sudden pain, or maybe at his sudden orgasm that has him tightening around Louis, forcing Louis’ own release, or maybe all of these things are connected.

Or, Louis discovers a few things about Harry.

A fic about kink exploration and pleasure-pain featuring baby boyfriends, tenderness, and gentle dom Louis.

I'll Look After You by stylesforstiles, TrynaGetStylinson

Harry's had enough with the mobs. He just needs someone to tell him it will all be ok.

Let Me Be Good For You by onlyhuman

His distress over the bun is nothing compared to the thrill Louis feels shoot up his spine at the outfit Harry’s donned. He’s changed into leather jeans that cling to his legs, hugging his thighs snugly. On top of it, a floaty, black sheer shirt is contouring his frame, doing absolutely nothing to hide his puffy nipples or the endless array of tattoos scattered across his torso. It’s Louis’ favourite outfit in the entire world.

Or, Niall's only birthday wish is to go clubbing with his boys in Vegas. Harry ruins it all by wearing that god forsaken black sheer shirt.

leave you drowning until you reach for my hand by orphan_account

If Louis told him to do something that he really didn't want to do, it would be different, but Louis's never done that, never asked anything of Harry that he couldn't handle. Except—except maybe this; to obey him without praise, reward, approval, or even mere acknowledgement.

Beneath the Suits by someonethatsfunny

Harry and Louis had a bit of a ritual when it came to award shows. And that ritual didn’t lend itself very well to after parties or being around other people in general. Nope. They were much better off alone where they could have their own private celebration. So what happened after the AMAs then when Niall and Liam head to an after party and Harry and Louis were nowhere to be found? Well, obviously we can't be sure, but it was probably something along the lines of ....

During ‘hiatus’

Mon Petit by coffinofachimera

Harry wears the 'Mon Petit' sweater while Louis records them on their private plane.

Things Are Pretty Good From Here by ItIsWhatItIs9194, Teddy1008

Harry's just released "Sign of the Times," and of course, Louis can't help but want to let his sub know how proud he is of him with more than just words.

They basically fuck.

head head heart by turnyourankle

After Dunkirk has wrapped filming, Harry struggles with his inability to reach subspace. He tries taking the matter in his own hands before Louis intervenes with a plan of his own.

Model's Own by Domeaspreadsheet

Harry hadn’t wanted him to see the Another Man shoot until it dropped, wanted it to be a surprise. He’d already come home with his hair chopped off, how many surprises could there be?

Louis pulls up Harry’s instagram, the notifications for three posts coming through right after the other. Harry was off at a spin class, and here Louis sits, staring at Harry’s face, the three covers forming a neat line, all so different, yet all so very Harry. He zooms in on one, knows he must be seeing it wrong, but no. Harry is wearing a collar. On the cover of a fucking magazine.

Beside Me Like a Silhouette by Domeaspreadsheet

“Quite the ruckus from someone who thought they were coming home to a sleeping household,” Louis says on an exhale of smoke.

Oh. Harry has been set up.

“Well, maybe if I hadn’t thought you were bailing on me I would have tried harder to be quiet,” he huffs.

Louis levels his gaze at him. “Is that so?”

Harry nods.

“Very well. You have fifteen minutes to shower and put in the plug I left on the bathroom counter. No need to dress afterward. When you come back, kneel next to the chair on my right. You may go.”

redder than the devil by mercutionotromeo

It's half past 9, and all Harry wants is for Louis to touch him. Preferably after a good spanking.

If you combine a lazy Saturday afternoon with a distracting, pouty Harry, you'll end up with Louis spanking his baby over his knee in the middle of a paused FIFA match.

i'll be your sunflower by scagnetism

“What do you think’s gonna stop us now?” Harry says cheekily, laughter in his voice as he looks up at Louis. “Something’s gotta get in our way like always, doesn’t it?”

“Ha,” Louis grins, kissing his cheek and holding open the door for him as they make their way toward the car. “Nothing’s gonna interrupt us this time. ‘S gonna be perfect, just like Pumpkin.”

Or, a few interruptions aren't going to stop Harry from having a perfect pregnancy and having the family he and Louis have always dreamed of.

Take Me for a Spin by QuickedWeen

The night of the Pride of Britain Awards 2016. Louis goes to the ceremony and out to the club afterwards, but what is Harry up to?

Baby, Honey by lovelarry10

Harry's been talking about sex and babies on stage too much for Louis' liking, so he decides to give him what he wants...

Or the one with the aftermath of Harry's Detroit concert...

Half Fragment by coffinofachimera

Louis and Harry share a night together through the phone.

As always I hope you enjoy these! Make sure you read the tags and stay safe lovelies ❤

[theodora3022]

Party Sickness(Tamaki x F!reader)

Pairing: Tamaki Amajiki x F!Reader

Summary: Tamaki? Party? No one in their right minds would put those two words the same sentence. But a career as a pro hero requires certain amount of socialising, which includes attending events such as celebration parties. “Social training” has many draw backs, but it also made him realize how wonderful it can be to be by your side.

Notes: The reader is single, and they are both in third year of UA. This is for this collab by @ilikemaruchan​ .I never participated in one before, so I am kind of nervous...Anyway this is inspired by a song! There might be a little Fire emblem three houses reference, but nothing major. I started doing work counts because it gives me a sense of accomplishment haha--

Special thanks to @drownedbytears​ for proof reading this!

Word count:1.5k

Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! 

I don’t care by Ed Sheeran

Warnings: Social anxiety, fluff. May or may not be self-indulgent.

I am to blame. Tamaki silently cursed himself for being so easily convinced. Should have just stayed at home and have regular dinner, instead of this. So many people, so many things unknown...Why are they so loud? Would it hurt to enjoy each other’s presence quietly? And why is the room so cold?!

He should have never said yes to Mirio and Nejire. But Tamaki always got a damned soft spot for his friends ‘pleading puppy eyes.

“Just this once...please Tamaki? You would need to go to events as a pro hero, you know.”

Nejire’s periwinkle eyes.

“Think of this as a special training session! It can be social training for the future.”

Mirio’s ocean blue eyes.

Those incidents resulted him trailing behind Mirio in a crowded party room at eight p.m., unsure how to behave or even where to look. Tamaki was never the one for casual conversations, let alone a situation such as this. He is sure that Mirio has the best intentions, trying to transform his secluded caterpillar-cocoon shy friend into a social butterfly. That courage alone deserves admiration. However, there is no hope for him. Tamaki learned that lesson long ago. He thought being one of the big three would make socialising easier, oh was he so wrong. No matter how hard he tries, he can never find the right thing to say. A problem Mirio or Nejire never seem to have nor understand. As the two shining social stars of third year, they are known for their approachable, cheerful personalities.

“Man, you alright?” Snapping his attention back to reality from the butterfly encyclopedia in his memory, Tamaki was greeted by Mirio’s concerned eyes. “Are you feeling unwell? Did you eat something upsetting your stomach?” It is very kind of Mirio to express worries, but Tamaki prefer to be alone right now. All this noise and people are taking tolls on his frail energy. Quick, think of a reasonable exit strategy Amajiki. You can at least do this, and this thirty-minute suffering can end temporarily.

Excusing himself to the washroom, Tamaki finally got some tranquil alone time beside the sink. Why? Why can’t I do this? Why can’t I be as lively as Nejire or Mirio? They made it seem so easy, just walk up to strangers with their big smiles. Bam they are friends after fifteen minutes. Splashing some cold tap water onto his face, to hopefully clear his mind, Tamaki sighed. Why he cannot spit out a sentence without stuttering? Maybe there is indeed something wrong with him, there is no other explanation.

After five minutes of inner struggle, Tamaki decides to give this special training a try. He would leave Mirio and strike up conversations with some of the friendly people he knew from classes. Certainly one or two of them would want to talk to him, right?

Mirio seems surprised, but he is happy for Tamaki’s bold decisions, nevertheless. “Man, you’re going to do great! Remember to look into their eyes, most of them won’t bite.” Eye contact?? So they can see any emotion you have? Why would he expose himself like that?

I want to go home...No, Tamaki, you are going to give this your all. This once you are not going to flee like a coward. There must be someone who is willing to talk.

That is when he notices you, in a corner chair, sipping on juice, zoning out. You do not seem happy to be here, at least you two have that in common? He has seen you in varies school activities before. Although you are in a different class of hero course, Tamaki recalls you being quite strong.

“Amajiki? What brings you here? I never saw you at any social event before.”

You talked to him, that is a good start. That means he do not have to imitate any conversation. “Mirio brought me here, he said this is part of being a hero.”

When your eyes widen with surprise, Tamaki started to panic. What-what did he do wrong? Is it because he was staring at the ground all the time? Or is it because he stuttered? Oh wait he did not even stutter, that is a first. Or is he just being a nuisance? Readying himself to apologize and leave, Tamaki is prepared to go bury himself under blankets once he escapes this situation.

What almost startled him to death is how you extended your hand to him, smiling so warmly. “Well, need some help? I imagine Togata wants you to have some other friends.” Setting the juice glass aside, you stood up and stretched. Unknown to Tamaki, you actually had been noticing him for a while. But he always seems so timid, as if he would faint any moment. You never imagined, even in your wildest dreams, that the ravenette would be the one to initiate anything, let it be friendship or otherwise.

Conveniently, a song suited for slow dancing has started to play. “Care to join me in a dance, Amajiki?” How he fervently blushes and tries to look away is so endearing, you could not help but be amused. Keeping your chuckles quiet, you offered him your palm again.

A girl asking him to dance. It was usually Mirio who receives this kind of offers, while Tamaki envies beside. It is not that he WANTS attention desperately, sometimes you just want a bit of admiration to remind your self-worth.

So when the opportunity presents itself, Tamaki knows he got to take it. He had never seen you humiliate anyone before, nor did he hear any rumors about you bullying anyone, so what is the harm in placing a little faith? It is a risk he is willing to take. Just like trying new food for his quirk, no risk no gain.

So he nods, slowly placing his long fingers on top of yours.

Your hands are so warm...have they always been? Such a nice contrast to this freezing room. “Are you cold? Here, you can have my jacket.” (color) cloth wrapped around him tightly, chasing the chilliness away. Tamaki has never...been this close to a girl before (besides Nejire and his family members).

“(y/n)?” “Yes, Amajiki?” You let out a gleeful giggle, placing your hands back into his.

“I-I cannot dance. I got two left feet, I would only step on your toes.” Call me Tamaki, please. That he did not have the courage to say out loud.

“That’s fine! We do not have to. As a matter of fact, I am not a skilled dancer myself. Thank you for sparing me the trouble.” You let out a relived sigh, still holding onto his hand, not that he minds, but Tamaki knows he is going to get more then an earful from Mirio if he saw this.

Strangely, Tamaki do not feel intimidated by the packed room anymore. As if you are a wonderful filter for those awful noises, he cannot hear them if he does not pay full attention.

“Call me Tamaki.” Whispering under his breath, the shy boy gripped your hands a bit tighter. “What was that? Why is your face so red? Are you feeling sick?” Your innocent eyes, like two pools of clear lake in the summer, makes him feel this urge, to jump in and soak himself well.

Clenching his teeth, he almost screamed out the words: “Call me Tamaki please!” Several other of your fellow students turned because the sudden sharp sounds, but you just smiled, waving signaling nothing is off. Leading him to a relatively secluded corner of the room, you noticed how he is trembling. Poor boy, you thought. So nervous about talking to me. “There is nothing to be afraid of. I won’t get mad at anything you say.” You were never a judgemental person; all you want to do seeing him so afraid is wanting to cherish him like the treasure boy he is.

Settling Tamaki on a couch, you sit down beside his shivering form with worries in your eyes. This adjacent room is nearly empty, yet he is still like this...How to fix this?

You are so kind, so warm-hearted, why hasn’t he found you sooner? Now he knows you will never judge him for his stutters or bad questions, Tamaki can finally let loose, to let his true feelings run wild.

Tamaki is drawn to you. This strange new feeling left him feeling both frightened and excited, not sure which is more dominant. When you are near him, he can ignore the rest of the room, even if they are one of the things that scares him the most- strangers.

To be perfectly honest, Tamaki never noticed you before. He hopes you do not take offense since he never really notices anyone besides the professors and his two friends. But he knows you are modest and hardworking from the sport festivals.

So...why can’t he accept you as another friend? Surely these social events would be more bearable with you around. But first.

“Would you like to get out of here? I’ll text Mirio that I am feeling ill.”

“I would love that, Tamaki-san.”

[mintchocolatechipnut]

the boys in a haunted house

ft. shinsou hitoshi, todoroki shouto & kirishima eijirou

Note: This came to me in a vision... okay not really but SEVENTEEN’s GoSe episode on the ghost really inspired me to write this. Hope you enjoy!

Tags: fluff, real comedic geniuses here, vague understanding of haunted houses

Word count: 2.3k

SHINSOU HITOSHI

Now Shinsou isn’t really afraid of anything in particular, as in he’s not rattled by jump scares in movies

Instead, he has a penchant for psychological thrillers, because as much as he doesn’t use his quirk for villainous motives, he does like to fuck with people in general

So when you ask to go to a haunted house with him, he’s pretty indifferent, only letting out a non-committal hum as you tell him how this new set has been getting rave reviews from your friends

When you get there, Shinsou’s reminded of the time his class set up a haunted house for the cultural festival, and wonders if he could glean more ideas from this experience should they decide to hold it again this year lmao

As you enter, you’re relieved to know that Shinsou’s interested to at least a certain extent (but for the wrong reasons lol)

When the first jumpscare appears, Shinsou doesn’t so much as flinch, even as he feels your fingernails dig into his arm where you clutch him

He just stares, as if memorising the appearance of the zombie/mummy/ghost and wondering how he could replicate the look with the limited budget his class had for the festival

You didn’t hear this from me, but some of the haunted house actors were creeped out by Shinsou himself

I mean, his purple hair sticking up all ways like that of a mad scientist, coupled with his piercing unnerving stare, while the bags under his eyes carry even more bags and stand out against the pallor of his skin? Boy is setting himself up to look like a real zombie or vampire here

Anyway, if his s/o is more on the timid side, he doesn’t mind letting them hold onto him in any way as they walk through the set

Clutching his arm so tight he wonders if his skin will break under their hold, or the hem of his sleeve being tugged so hard it might tear, Shinsou just likes that you can depend on him and that he makes you feel safe

Though do not put it past him to mess with you even though you’re afraid

He won’t be pushing you toward the ghosts despite your shrieks and wails, or giving you a jumpscare of his own while in the house, but since he likes psychological thrillers so much, he’ll play a prank once the experience is over

‘Gee, Y/N, did you see that guy? He wouldn’t leave you alone at all’

‘... wait what do you mean’

‘You know, the one who followed you around with a knife in his hand? Don’t tell me you didn’t notice. Oh wait, you didn’t? Could’ve been my imagination then. Just it was so vivid...’

You’re scared shitless when you talk to the owner and there’s no such ghost, while Shinsou stands a ways behind you and winks conspiratorially at the owner

Cue you hanging onto his arm even on the way home, but Shinsou doesn’t mind one bit

Seems like he’s up for a night of suffocation where you’ll be holding onto him like your life depended on it

Maybe then he’ll tell you it was all a joke. Or that the man with the knife seemed to have followed you home...

Whatever he’ll do, he knows he’ll have fun as long as it’s with you (and as long as you don’t get too mad and kick him out of your room)

Now, if his s/o isn’t easily scared and is more of the playful sort, he’d like doing gag commentary with you as the ghosts show up one by one

Whether your laughter is a coping mechanism, or just the result of plain unadulterated fun, Shinsou’s having fun nonetheless

If you’re really playful, and Shinsou’s feeling it too, you two cook up a plan to scare the ghosts together

While it’s only semi-successful (in which you scare one or two of them and actually earn some human-like screams from them), the both of you can’t stop cackling on the way home

Overall, Shinsou has fun, and he isn’t afraid to tell you so

‘Maybe we should do it again next time, and make a record of how many we can scare individually’

You: ‘BET’

TODOROKI SHOUTO

Given his upbringing, it’s no secret that Todoroki has never had the chance to do things normal teenagers do

So naturally his first reaction to you suggesting a visit to a haunted house is pure curiosity

He knows they exist when class 1-C did it for the cultural festival but he didn’t get the chance to visit it the last time, so why not now?

As you tell him about it, Todoroki’s already whipping his phone out to do some research beforehand, but he relented when you tell him it’s better if it’s a surprise

He doesn’t show it on his face but he’s infinitely excited to be there, in a ‘I have no idea what to expect’ kind of way as he watches you buy tickets

Cue him thinking the whole thing is like the simulations in class and actually creates flames in his hands so you can see clearer in the dark

You have to tell him amidst your laughter that he’s not supposed to do that, and he’s bewildered alright, but he complies

Now Todoroki isn’t a big reactor by any means but since you know him so well, you can tell how the haunted house affects him

Like, he’ll pretty much react the same way he did during the test of courage during summer camp last time in that he’ll flinch silently, but you can see in the dim light how his eyes widen a minuscule fraction and how his shoulders tense up during jumpscares

It’s weird, because as a future hero nothing should faze him, but even when he’s expecting to be scared it does nothing to stop him from actually being scared

Halfway through his hand would automatically reach for yours,  and when more jumpscares occur he’ll tighten his grip on it

His grip varies; when he senses a jumpscare his fingers will curl around yours a little more but when he’s actually frightened expect a violent squeeze of your hand, but nothing too painful

If you’re the timid sort, Todoroki’s glad that you feel the same way in some sorts, and feels reassured that it’s the normal way to react to such things as haunted houses (poor baby doesn’t have a clue about social norms, so he’s always questioning whether he’s weird for being the way he is and not being typical in his reactions—the answer is, of course, that he’s loved either way)

If you’re the unfazed sort, Todoroki will admire you as you march through the haunted house hand in hand, his gaze on your small but strong back as you move towards the exit. How you don’t react to anything, and instead even exchange pleasantries with some of the ghosts makes him see you in a whole new light

And then when you’re finally out in the open, where you return to your usual caring self and ask if he’s okay, Todoroki thinks that he couldn’t fall in love with you more than he already has

Spoiler alert: he’s wrong

When you cheekily tell him you’ll protect the next time you visit a haunted house, he buries his face in your shoulders while he hugs you to him tight

‘Thank you.’ You can hear him whisper beside your ear, ‘but let’s not do that again for a while.’

If you’re an absolute horror junkie, you’ll try to convince Todoroki to visit with you again

If he’s still hesitant, you opt to getting him used to jumpscares by watching horror movies together

Sometimes Todoroki can’t help but question what you find so fun about them when you yourself squeal in half-horror and half-delight when you get scared by something on the screen

But if the way you cling to his side is any indication, he likes it anyway

Pretty soon he does get used to jumpscares, in that his heightened senses from all his hero training lead him to predict the right moments where jumpscares occur

Cue him telling you ‘There’s a jumpscare at this part’ and two seconds later a monstrous face appears on screen

At first you’re in awe at his sudden ability only after watching like three films, but pretty soon it gets old and you have to break it to him that it ruins the show for you

Your heart nearly melts when he murmurs in a low voice, ‘I thought I’d just warn you in advance so you wouldn’t be scared.’

In that moment you’re eternally grateful to have someone as awkward and kind as Todoroki as your boyfriend who constantly looks out for your well-being and does his best in making you happy

You kindly explain to him what makes horror movies so good and why jumpscares are supposed to be unpredictable, but not before leaning in to whisper a ‘thank you’ and plant a kiss to his cheek

KIRISHIMA EIJIROU

Now Kirishima’s usually game for anything you want to try, but just so you know, he wouldn’t exactly consider a haunted house as an ideal date spot

What’s so romantic about getting scared by a bunch of ghosts who are also paid actors in a small dark space? But hey, if it’s for fun and you want to, why not

But just because he’s the glue of class 1-A, he’ll ask if he can bring some of his friends along since ‘it’ll be more fun that way’

The thing with Kirishima is if he sees other people enjoying this kind of thing he’d like to invite them, and when he can’t picture something being just between the two of you he’s likely to call other people to join

You might be a little disappointed and exasperated about it, but knowing where he’s coming from you can’t really get mad at him

Though if you’re truly bothered about it, just say the word and he’ll change

Sweetie will do anything for you as long as it’s within reason and he knows where you’re coming from

But anyway, you’re not against the idea of having the rest of the Bakusquad join you, since they’re a fun-loving bunch and having them at a haunted house is bound to be ten times funnier

So there’s Bakugou in his usual black skull shirt and Sero and Kaminari, while Mina’s ready to snap away with her camera so she can get some funny reaction pics out of the boys

While lining up for tickets you’re surprised by Kirishima learning in from behind you and whispering into your ear: ‘Don’t worry babe, I’ll protect you from anything you find scary in there!’

Heat immediately rises to your cheeks when you think about the utter cheeseball he is, and when you turn around to face him Kirishima has his trademark toothy grin on his face as he looks at you

How could you even be disappointed about this not being a date when Kirishima is still being his caring, romantic self?

Mina, who’s behind the both of you in line, immediately scrunches up her face in mock disgust. ‘Ew, you two,’ she says in mock disgust and you know she’d heard Kirishima. ‘Get out of here and get a room.’ The three of you end up laughing it off anyway.

When you step into the haunted house, Kirishima naturally takes your hand in his, and an immediate sense of safety washes over you when you feel his hand encapsulating yours

Going through the haunted house with Kirishima is an absolute hitch, as he knows just how to react and still have fun with you

Kirishima isn’t the kind to be scared easily, but he always acts scared alongside you because he doesn’t want you to feel alone in your fear

Jokes on him because you can tell exactly when he’s scared or not, because laughing is his coping mechanism for these things

The louder he laughs, the more scared he is, and he laughs a fair bit while you’re walking through the haunted house

When he really gets frightened though, he accidentally activates his quirk so you feel his skin harden a little in your hand

Just as quickly he retracts his hand and forgets his fear in favour of worrying over whether he hurt you, the sweetheart that he is

But the highlight of the night is really when Bakugou nearly blasted Kaminari to smithereens when he appeared behind him wrapped in Sero’s tape like a mummy, but not without Mina’s acid melting through the tape so he looked like he’d just escaped from his ancient sarcophagus

The only reason Bakugou stopped himself from yelling ‘die!’ is when he hears a ‘whey~’ escape from the mummy’s mouth, which is when he drags the ‘mummy’ by the collar out through the exit while the rest of you rush after him in hysterical laughter

Whether it’s because Kaminari instantly sobered up when Bakugou threatens to blow him up, or that Kirishima notices that Bakugou’s palms and forehead are tinged with cold sweat, you all have a great time nonetheless

When you confront Kirishima about purposely faking his fear in front of you, an embarrassed blush immediately overtakes his face

‘I just thought it’d cheer you up, so you wouldn’t focus on your own fear too much,’ he says, and his face turns even redder when you laughingly point out his own tells

‘I guess I really can’t hide anything from you,’ he then smiles after looping his arm with yours on the way back, the Bakusquad squabbling a ways in front of you so they can’t hear his next words that make you swoon. ‘But I wouldn’t have it any other way.’

[omniswords]

Chronicles of a Parisian Dumbass 15

new year, new chapter c: it's been a while since i've worked on Chronicles—December Mood dips are Not Delicious, plus i started streaming regularly, which has been fun! ((i’m omnistruck on Twitch if you want to check it out 🥰) but rest assured i intend to see it through to the end. i hope you've been well <3 take care, and enjoy!

From: itsdjbubbles

My dude, if your stage presence is anything like this flyer, y’all are absolutely gonna kill it at La Tortue.

Well. Luka doesn’t know about that.

It’s not like Kitty Section is totally obscure. They’ve had a stage in Paris’s annual pop-up music festival or more than one occasion. And sometimes Juleka’s tagged along to street corners with him so they could duet in hopes of more than just pocket change. And, of course, there was that whole music contest with Bob Ross and XY, but that had only ended in fiasco: their music was stolen, Rose’s vocals ripped right off the track. Luka argued up and down over the phone until he was red in the face, nearly biked down to the studio and let them have it, but he could hardly prove it. And he cared too much about it jeopardizing Juleka’s happiness to follow through.

Total corporate bullshit. He didn’t know how Jagged Stone did it. When he said so at dinner the night he gave up, his Ma only tousled his hair and said, “You’re my boy, aren’t you?”

Sometimes he thinks that’s the strongest, bravest, he’s ever been. That all his audacity peaked years ago, and he’s only gotten worse since then.

Bubbles isn’t corporate bullshit. Luka feels like he’d be able to figure out something like that from conversation alone. But their talks have been friendly—and more than that, supportive. He’s even shown a few messages to the band, just to check that he wasn’t losing his mind. And he saw how their faces softened in approval, or lit up with excitement. Even Juleka’s.

Besides, Bubbles makes music. And when he samples something, he actually credits it. He knows how to play the game. And it feels like they’re on the same side of the board.

Bubbles has that stage presence; the fact that he only needs that one shadowy picture on his profile is more than enough of an indicator. And Bubbles has a reputation that precedes him. So even if they’re on the same side of the board, it feels like Bubbles is always just a couple of steps ahead.

At least his bandmates are on the same side, and at the same step. All it took was a casual mention, during a late-night band practice, of “the bakery he keeps getting their snacks from” being all in on getting them even more exposure. They didn’t exactly do a good job of hiding their excitement, but he wouldn’t have wanted them to, anyway. Even Juleka, after practice ended, had to admit, “You did good.” And then, with perhaps a bit more snark, “Maybe she’s the one trying to impress you. “

“Stop,” Luka said with a roll of his eyes, but he couldn’t help thinking about it once the partition between their beds was up. There was no way Marinette Dupain-Cheng was trying to impress him.

…Was there?

By now, nearly a day later, Luka’s still asking himself that. Still hemming and hawing like they have more than just two weeks to get their act together. Pacing below deck with his phone in his hand, thinking about pear tarts and pretty faces instead of going to see them in person, and staring at Marinette’s phone numbers until he thinks he’s accidentally memorized both of them.

He doesn’t recognize the pattern or the area code of one of them, so he can only assume that it's an American number. But he still hasn’t mucked up the courage to text or even save the French one in his phone. Why does he need to be scared in the first place? It’s a phone number, and this is strictly business, and everything between them has been strictly business.

Well. Nearly everything. Nearly strictly.

He thinks.

Okay. Okay. All he has to do is say… what? Hi? Who just starts texting someone for the first time with “Hi?” But he can’t go writing a whole essay either, even though at least now he has the power to edit his words instead of just saying them and hoping for the best.

This is harder than it needs to be. And yeah, maybe he’s just making it harder than it needs to be, but it’s not like his brain and the shake in his hands are giving him much of a choice in the matter.

Luka switches back over to his message thread with Bubbles and shoots off a quick reply—flatterer—because maybe answering something easy will make the hard stuff more tolerable. He finds himself looking toward his guitar as though it might lend him strength… well, what the hell. It couldn’t hurt. He plays a doodle or two, idle notes, and catches himself before his fingers can drift toward the beginning of the ocean-blue song. At this point, it’s neither perfect nor good, and he can’t tell if it’s personal dissatisfaction or the numbers that the latest draft has been doing online.

Both. It’s probably both.

Messaging Marinette ends up being just as hard after his attempts at centering as it was before—because as it turns out, the whole music-giving-him-unbridled-confidence thing really only works while he’s playing it. So now he’s left still staring at the blank NEW MESSAGE screen, the cursor blinking almost tauntingly at him because of course it is. Because somehow, he can write a note telling a girl her eyes are pretty and survive long enough to see her smile about it, but he can’t send that same girl a text. It’s not like he can even see her reaction this time, anyway; that just gives him even more of an advantage.

Okay. Okay. He can actually do this. Maybe. He thinks—no, no, he has to.

With a deep breath that he holds longer than he releases, Luka opens a new message.

To: Marinette hey. it’s luka.

And like an idiot, he hits SEND before he’s even put the rest of his message together. So now he has to make a mad dash to come up with something so he doesn’t seem like a total creep for messaging her out of the blue.

For fuck’s sake. This is exactly why he writes his messages in the notes first.

To: Marinette sorry, hit send before i could finish. anyway, just wanted to tell you the band is cool with the postcard idea. i can pay you next time i come to the bakery, if that’s cool.

To: Marinette anyway, it’s really cool of you to offer your help like this. sorry if i didn’t say so yesterday, it’s kind of been... a wild time.

Luka locks his phone before he can agonize too much over what he’s sent, stuffs it away and starts pacing again. It’s not a frantic, shaky thing; no, he’s learned to keep the shakes on the inside until no one’s around to see them. He jumps when his back pocket vibrates, and he nearly drops his phone trying to fish it out. It’s only Bubbles, and he can’t tell whether he’s relieved or disappointed until his phone buzzes again. Twice. And this time, it actually is from Marinette.

From: itsdjbubbles Sorry, I was getting some stuff ready for my next project. Listen, I’m just saying. Don’t sell yourself short as this stuff. Paris is gonna hear you up there, and it’s gonna lose its collective fucking mind.

From: Marinette hi luka ☺️ no worries, i do that too sometimes. here’s the mockup for the postcard. let me know what your band thinks, i’ll do some tweaks and send it to print. sound good?

Luka balks, both at the tone of the message and at the picture she sent. It looks almost exactly like the flyer, same color scheme and everything. The only difference seems to be in the composition, which makes sense; she’s got more of the eye for this stuff, even for someone who only “dabbles.”

To: Marinette wow, this is... thank you? that was fast. and this is really well put-together. i think they’re gonna love it.

you really weren’t kidding, huh.

Luka finds himself sinking onto his bed and staring at the message thread instead of actually doing something productive. And strangely, he’s fine with that. The more time passes, the less scary it is to see her typing back, again and again and again.

From: Marinette course i wasn’t kidding. “help” is practically my middle name to the people who matter.

and i mean, there’s only a little bit of time until your show, right? so, gotta get movin.

anyway, i gotta run. my friend needs help for his summer class and i promised i’d go visit today.

Keep me posted about your band!

♥️

There is far too much in that message for Luka to need to process. “People who matter?” “Keep me posted?” The literal heart emoji at the end? He reads their messages over and over, mostly to confirm that this really, actually just happened, but he’s not going to push his luck. Maybe she just talks to everyone like that, and more importantly, the two of them haven’t been much more than a series of transactions anyway.

A... lot of transactions.

That she’s been doing a lot of giving for.

Luka tries and at least sort of succeeds at shaking the thought from his mind; he can’t read hers, and he shouldn’t try to. He sends her one last text—cool, have a good one—and switches back to Bubbles before he can worry if his words were too casual.

To: itsdjbubbles Thanks for the vote of confidence. I guess you’re not the only one? the bakery I go to, they’re offering to help too.

or, I mean, CBG is offering to help.

Bubbles’s reply doesn’t come until a few hours later. It’s presumably after that project work he mentioned, and definitely after Luka’s had some time to play out the rest of the shakes before he goes busking. His phone buzzes with the notification just as he’s about to leave, and what Bubbles has to say makes his stomach churn and his blood run both hot and cold.

From: itsdjbubbles wait. wait wait wait. hold on i just scrolled your posts.

CBG is *Marinette Dupain-Cheng?*

ohhhhhhh my dude you are in for it now.

[uwu-shinsou]

bro ur shinsou imagine was .. *chefs kiss* .. ur writing is REALLY MF GOOD !! :) if you are taking requests u should do a shinsou x reader with a glowy/energy quirk that activates when she gets wound up and he finds her ab to throw hands at someone calling him a villain. If not don't worry about it and have a great day :)

Title: Sweetheart, You’re Glowing

Pairing: Shinsou Hitoshi x Reader

Genre: Fluff, comfort, Shinsou being soft

Word Count: 1900+

Warning(s): Mild language, some rude background characters

A/N: Bro I’m SOFT that’s so sweet :’))) I’m so happy you liked it! And this request is so cute omg my heart🥺❤️ Anyone tryna call bby Shinsou a villain better be ready to catch these HANDS (ง'̀-'́)ง Also I was thinking about this story like right before going to bed and AS I was falling asleep I came up with how to write it and had to get up and write an outline LMAO. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!!

You made your way through the warm summer night, talking and laughing with friends as you aimed towards the distant sound of loud, fast music. One of the third year classes had decided to throw a party in their building, and it had been so long since you’d let loose that the second you heard about it you had decided to go. Some of your friends and classmates had decided to tag along with you, looking for a fun escape for the night. You walked along with Mina, Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima, Jirou, and Shinsou.

“Y/n, I really like your dress!” Jirou says. You look down at your outfit, smoothing out the fabric.

“Thanks Jirou! Look,” You say, fiddling with the fabric, finding what you’re looking for. “It even has pockets!” Her mouth opens in awe, taking in that indeed, the dress has two pockets.

“You’re right, Jirou,” Mina says, leaning over to cling to your arm, twirling you around in a dizzying circle. “Y/n/n looks suuuper cute, right boys?” She asks innocently. Even with the question being directed to all of them, you see her wiggle her eyebrows at Shinsou.

“Mina,” you hiss through your teeth. Ugh, she literally couldn’t be any more obvious. The truth is, you had started with a tiny crush on the purple haired boy, that only grew larger the more you hung out with him. While you definitely know that the two of you are friends, Shinsou hasn’t really shown any signs that he might like you any more than that. So you’d kept those feelings pushed back, trying your best to not let them possibly spoil your friendship. Although now I see telling Mina might have not been a good idea. At least Jirou knows to keep it to herself. 

Or maybe not. Jirou bumps you with her hip as she passes. “Don’t you mean she always looks cute?” You start to feel a little flustered as the boys give nods and smiles at the comments of your friends.

And then you feel really frazzled when you see Shinsou looking at you, his gaze traveling languidly over your body. Finally he says, “You’re right, y/n does always look pretty cute.”

Your breath stumbles, and you feel your cheeks start to heat up. Did Shinsou just call me cute?! “Aww look you guys,” Mina coos. “We made her glow!”

It was true, your skin was producing a pale, radiant glow. This was thanks to your quirk: the stronger of an emotion you felt, the more physically stronger, faster, and agile you became. But this power also manifested with a physical sign. As any emotion built up, your body would begin to glow with light. The stronger the emotion, the more your power grew and the stronger you’d  glow. 

While your quirk was useful, it was sometimes also the bane of your existence. You scoff, wrapping your arms around your body. “Glowing? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Shinsou hums in thought, the corners of his mouth turning up. “Well this gorgeous lighting must be coming from somewhere.” At his words you let out a small squeak, glowing just the tiniest bit brighter. Shinsou’s smile turns into a full on grin. Oh god, does he even know what he’s doing to me!?

You let out a forced laugh, skipping slightly ahead of your group to the doors of the building. You look back at them over your shoulder. “Well, who’s ready to party?”

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

You had been at the party for a grand total of an hour and a half, and you still hadn’t decided whether or not you were having fun. There were a lot of students who came, and the room felt just a bit too small to hold that many people. While you had talked to some new people, seen some familiar faces, in the end your little group mostly stuck together.

Currently you were leaning against a wall with Jirou and Kirishima, part of the group of party-goers watching Mina, Kamimari, Sero, and Shinsou play an intense game of ping-pong.

After another minute of watching the game, the crowd cheering as Sero and Mina’s team score a point, you decide you need to take a walk around. 

You push up from the wall, turning to your friends. “Hey I’m gonna go grab a drink, I’ll be back in a bit.” 

“Have fun!” Kirishima calls after you as you weave your way through the crowd, unaware of how Shinsou’s eyes stray from the game and trail after you. 

You reach the kitchen, filling a cup with punch before turning back to survey the room in front of you. It is really too crowded in here, you think, taking a big drink and fanning yourself with your hand. You take in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. Is it too early to want to leave already? You wonder, drifting slowly back towards your friends. 

You stop at the edge of the crowd around the ping-pong table, tuning in to a nearby conversation. 

“...people from 1-A?” You hear the tail-end of the person’s question.

“Yeah, the ones who’ve had to deal with all of those villains already,” his friend answers. 

“And that other guy he’s from the sports festival, right?” They ask, pointing a finger towards Shinsou. 

“Yeah yeah, that’s him,” Their friend answers. “He’s the one with that crazy power that makes people obey him without question. It makes more sense for him to be a villain than a hero if you ask me.” Your vision starts to blur at the hateful words. 

The person adds on, “Why does he even bother fighting it? Obviously he’s supposed to be evil when you’re born with a power like that. He should leave so another student can take his place, someone who deserves to be at this school more.” 

You involuntarily crush the cup in your hand with a resounding crunch, dropping it to the ground as you face the pair of trash-talkers.

“How dare you talk about him like that,” You seethe stalking up to the offenders. The two turn towards you and their eyes grow wide. Then begin to back away as you continue to advance. “You don’t even know him or what he’s actually like. He’s more of a hero than the two of you combined!” The pair seem to try to shrink into the floor, shielding their eyes as if the room was now too bright. “I think it’s more evil to stand there and shit talk a fellow student. If you’re going to act like that, then why are you even at U.A.?!” 

One of them starts to stammer. “W-well, when you think about it, his quirk really is better suited for a villain-”

“Oh yeah? Well I think your face might be better suited to catch these hands if you don’t shut the hell up!” You hiss at them, hands gripped into fists at your side.

You feel a hand land on your shoulder, and you whip around, prepared to have to defend yourself only to recognize who it was that interrupted you.

Shinsou squeezes your shoulder, leaning in close. “Sweetheart you’re glowing,” he says softly in your ear, pulling away as you lift your hands up in front of you. A shining, radiant light leaped off of your skin, becoming even brighter now that you noticed it was happening. You glance around the room, seeing that you’ve become the center of attention. 

You pull your hands into your chest, feeling the thrum of power flowing through you at your intense, conflicted emotions. Your breathing quickens and you backup a step, wanting nothing more than to not be here. 

Then you feel the weight of Shinsou’s jacket being slung over your shoulders, hiding some of the glow. He wraps his arm around your waist and guides you through the front door, out into the late night and away from all of the gawking people.

For a minute you walk in silence, putting some much needed distance between yourself and the building. It isn’t until the sounds of the party have faded that you slow to a stop, the light of your quirk fading down to a dim glow. Shinsou removes his arm, turning to face you as you stare down at your shoes.

“Sorry for making a scene,” You say quietly, gripping the edges of Shinsou’s jacket still wrapped around your shoulders. “And thanks for pulling me out of there.”

 Shinsou stays quiet for a few beats, long enough that you glance up at him. He’s standing still, staring at you. Slowly he lifts a hand up, slightly reaching towards you.

“Shinsou? Are you-” You’re cut off mid-sentence as he almost stumbles forward, wrapping his arms tightly around you, enfolding you against his body. Your face is smooshed against his chest and he brings a hand up to the back of your head, nestling his face in the side of your neck. After a moment you gently wrap your arms around him, hands bunching up in the back of his shirt.

“Y/n/n, I should be thanking you,” he says, voice muffled, holding you a little bit tighter. “I’ve heard people say those things about me all my life, I’m used to it. But people don’t- they don’t stick up for me, not like that. It made me so happy- to see you do that.” He huffs out a laugh, his breath warm against your neck. “I still can’t believe you were about to get into a fight to defend my honor.” 

You wiggle a little bit and pull away just enough to be able to look at him, moving your hands to rest against his chest. You give him an embarrassed, bashful smile. “To be fair, you’re the only one who I’d get into a fight for.” He smiles back at you, leaning down to rest his forehead against yours. His grip on your hips tightens slightly, and you feel your heart start to speed up, heat blossoming on your cheeks. God I’m so whipped for this boy, you think closing your eyes in bliss at the feeling of being held, warm happiness flooding through your veins.

“Y/n,” He says, your name little more than a breath against your lips. You look at him with a lidded gaze, seeing your bright, gleaming form in the reflection of his eyes. “You look like starlight,” Shinsou whispers, his hand moving up to trace a finger along your jaw. You shudder at his gentle touch, clinging tighter to him. He leans down, his lips almost touching yours. “Can I kiss you?” 

“Yes,” you breathe, before crashing your mouth against his. One of your hands slides up Shinsou’s chest and behind his head, burying into his hair. His lips move passionately against yours, and you wish that you could live right here in this moment. You only pull away to catch your breath, breathing heavily as you open your eyes to the sight of Shinsou; his hair messy, lips startlingly pink, eyes slightly glazed.

“I like you, Shinsou,” you say, unable to contain the words any longer. “I really, really like you.” Shinsou moves his hands to cradle your face and leans down to kiss you again, this time short and sweet. Then he moves to your cheeks, your nose, your forehead, peppering your whole face with kisses.

You giggle at the littering of kisses, glowing even a shade brighter from the giddiness in your heart. Shinsou stops his kisses, releasing your face and grasping your hands. He brings them up to his face, placing a final, soft kiss on the back of your hand. “And I adore you, Y/n.”

[lov3nerdstuff]

Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 6.11}

*Severus Snape x OC*

Summary: It is the year 1983 when the ordinary life of Robin Mitchell takes a drastic turn: she is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the struggles of being a muggle-born in Slytherin, she soon discovers her passion for Potions, and even manages the impossible: gaining the favor of Severus Snape. Throughout the years, Robin finds that the not quite so ordinary Potions Professor goes from being a brooding stranger to being more than she had ever deemed possible. An ally, a mentor, a friend... and eventually, the person she loves the most. Through adventure, prophecies and the little struggles of daily life in a castle full of mysteries, Robin chooses a path for herself, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, and two people abandoned by the world can finally find a home.

General warnings: professor x student, blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing

Words: 4.5k

Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!

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It was that time of the year again before Robin knew. As always, christmas had approached fast and suddenly rather than steadily, but the festive spirit had been long evident throughout the entire month of December. The holidays this year looked a little different than usual though; Cas had been asked by a fifth year student to attend the new year's ball with him, upon which she spontaneously had decided to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays. Robin had offered to take Jorien to the ball as her plus one, but the girl had decided to just go home as planned. So it was just Cas and Robin who would attend the ball this year.

Honestly, Robin felt weary of the boy who had asked Cas out. He seemed nice enough at the first glance, but something about him was ringing an alarm bell in the back of her mind. Cas obviously didn't care about Robin's words of warning, saying how she at least had a date for the ball, which probably should've hurt Robin more than it did. After this rather uncomfortable conversation however, she had decided to keep her concerns to herself, but an eye on Cas nonetheless. She didn't want her to get hurt, not even by something that, to her, was so ridiculously irrelevant as teenage drama. Because she knew that to Cas, it wasn't irrelevant at all.

The last day of the year came, and before long Robin thanked herself for actually bothering to invest in a dress this year. And she foremost thanked herself for having the endurance last summer to actually make an effort and not just get the first best one in Diagon Alley, which would've merely been a differently coloured version of what pretty much all of the other girls wore (with a few honorable exceptions, of course). No, Robin had made the decision to go with her own taste rather than the attempt to fit in, and she still stood behind it to the fullest.

Cas on the other hand had about five different dresses lying on her bed and was desperate to pick one, which did not even come as a surprise to Robin. The girl's love for fashion had exploded rather than faded, and while Robin had no idea why Cas had packed so many pretty dresses unaware that she would be attending the ball, it also didn't particularly surprise her.

"You should wear the dark blue one." Robin commented from her seat on her own bed, while she unsuccessfully tried to untangle her hair. "It reminds me of the nightsky. And who doesn't love the night?"

"Most people don't, actually." Cas sighed in exaggerated despair. "I was thinking about the peach coloured one with the ruffles."

"You're the fashion guru." Robin shrugged. "But I think darker colours are more classy. And the ball is very classy, most of the time. Or trying to be anyway."

"Classy or stuffy?"

"A bit of both, perhaps. Foremost, it is entirely what you make of it."

"In that case, I'll wear the peach coloured one." Cas decided with a more or less determined expression. "What about you? We're gonna be late if you don't get started at once!"

"Well, I don't have an entire wardrobe of dresses to pick between. I showered and sorted out my hair; I'll literally be done within five minutes from this point on."

"What about makeup? What about hairstyles?! What about shoes?!" Cas asked in return, incredulous about Robin's lack of enthusiasm about these things. "Seriously, aren't you gonna make any effort at all?"

"As you said, I don't have a date anyway. Nobody expects me to make an effort." Robin shrugged in return, unbothered by her roommate's comments. "And since you obviously didn't see me for the last few years, I will kindly let you know that putting on an actual dress this year IS me making an effort."

"I cannot believe you. I just cannot believe you…" Cas rolled her eyes as she muttered to herself, but then went ahead to get ready herself and leave Robin reading on her bed in peace for the next hour and a half. That's how long it took Cas to go through all of her extensive preparations and procedures, and Robin thought it was admirable how much effort she put into this indeed.

Finally, twenty minutes before the ball would begin and while Cas was still in the bathroom making 'last minute' adjustments to her colorful eye makeup, Robin got up from her bed with a sigh, put her book down and dug her dress out of her trunk at last. Like most things she bought these days, it was almost entirely black, but for the silver ornamentations and spiky flowers sewed onto the shoulders. Everything from the waist down was flowing black fabric, as was the long pieces that attached to the shoulders instead of sleeves, billowing down the arms like a backless cape. That precisely was also what made it difficult to put on, without stepping onto the piles of fabric that however barely brushed the ground once she pulled it up. The neckline came in high at the sides, almost high enough to cover up her scar, while the front was curved into a low V shape, that had always reminded Robin of spades. The solid black of the simple corset made up for the detailing on the shoulders and the heavy billowing fabrics of the skirt, and its snug fit and the thick fabric were comforting rather than confining to her. For once, Robin actually felt powerful through wearing a mere piece of clothing. And while perhaps she might not fit in with the other students, she definitely would with the professors.

"Bloody hell!" Cas suddenly exclaimed, and Robin jumped in return, twirling around to face the girl who spoke on in the meanwhile. "How dare you looking that gorgeous?!"

Robin's face heated up in an instant, and even though it was Cas she was talking to, she couldn't help being flustered. "Uh, thanks, I guess."

"I mean, I still stand with my statement that you shouldn't wear so much black, but good gracious… that dress is a piece of art. And it just screams 'Robin' to me, so you actually did pick well for once!"

"Don't sound so surprised." Robin rolled her eyes, while she had to smile nonetheless. "But thank you anyway. I wanted to look like myself tonight, and not like I dressed up as someone I'm not."

"But dressing up as someone you're not for one night is the entire point of it!" Cas replied with a grin, then dimmed it down to a smile. "But I understand you, and I think you look exactly like yourself. Just more beautiful than usual."

"Thanks…" Robin scoffed in humour, torn between sarcasm and honesty, and thus settled for both. "Again."

"So tell me, who do you wanna impress with that dress?" Cas quirked an eyebrow at Robin, smirking while she observed her closely. "And don't tell me no one, because I know you, and you wouldn't have made an effort just for yourself."

"Everyone." Robin answered instead, deeming it just as not-saying as 'no one'. Meanwhile, she tried to find a place to store her wand, which was turning out to be an actual problem now. No sleeves, no real sleeves at least, and no hemlines or pockets. Great. Then however an idea struck her, and in no time she had twisted her hair up into a bun, which she could easily fixate with her wand indeed. Two problems solved with one action, wonderful.

"I cannot believe you just did that." Cas commented on Robin's action in an instant. "And I cannot believe that it actually looks good! I spent an hour doing my hair, and you just… use your wand like a hair accessory within two bloody seconds."

Robin sighed in return, but she had to smile once again at Cas and her view of the world. "Your hair looks a million times better, believe me. I'm not trying to look good, I'm only trying to look acceptable while being functional. That's a difference."

"If you say so…" Cas sighed, and the two girls finally started making their way up to the great hall. "Coming back to my question though; who do you really want to impress? Is it that boy who's sitting next to you in Professor Morgan's class since recently?"

"Alexander? God no!" Robin snorted, shaking her head to herself while she actually enjoyed striding through the hallways quite so elegantly for once. "If you must know, I'm not trying to impress someone, but to prove a point to someone."

"Uuh!" Cas squealed quietly, skipping in her steps next to Robin in glee. "To whom? And which point?"

"You would do well to focus on your own date for now. Where did he want to meet you again?"

"Just outside the hall. You won't scare him off, Robin, will you? I know you don't like him, but he's really cool and so are his friends, and I don't wanna be the stupid third year whose big sister has to watch over her."

"You won't even notice me tonight, unless you need me. Good?"

"Yes. Thank you." Cas smiled, then took a deep breath while her smile widened even more. "I'm actually going to the ball! With a cute boy! Can you believe it?! I've waited for this moment for months!!!"

"I hope tonight is everything you dreamt of." Robin replied with a small smile, but it was tainted by concern no less. Just shortly before they reached the last crossing before the great hall, she turned to Cas once more. "Don't get into trouble, and don't do anything stupid. I don't want to find you drunk in our bathroom later or anything of that sort."

"Yes, professor." Cas rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, but gave Robin a small hug nonetheless, before she skipped ahead and towards wherever she would meet her date.

Robin decided to give Cas a little while at least, to spare her the embarrassment of arriving with her watchdog indeed. When she finally did make her way into the great hall, she was barely still on time, with two more minutes to go until the festivities would begin. The very moment she entered the hall, a few more eyes were drawn to her than in the last years, but not enough to make her feel observed. At least Robin didn't notice enough eyes on her to feel like people were actually paying attention to her. In an instant, she moved to stand off to the side and let her eyes trail over the crowds in the search for her own company.

"Looking for something?" Snape's voice was so close behind her that Robin jumped for the second time this evening, but then turned around to him with a smile. The very moment she did, she believed to see a glimpse of sincere awe flashing through his eyes, but she might as well be mistaken. She probably was, unfortunately. It might just be the candles and some wishful thinking.

"Looking for someone." She smiled up at him in amusement. "But it seems that someone found me first."

"How very fortunate for you." He replied with a not-smirk, as much of it as he would show in public at least, and his gaze flickered over her garments for just a second before returning to her eyes. "Did you have to choose black?"

"Obviously." She smirked, feeling highly amused by his difficulty to show a suitable reaction to her choice of outfit.

"It suits you."

Now, that she hadn't expected, but she appreciated it nonetheless as her smirk turned into a smile. "Thank you."

"How… came the change in your choice of attire for tonight's event?"

"You complained last year that I was wearing the same thing I wore to the conference the summer before." Robin shrugged, observing his almost uncertain expression. "Thought I'd prove to you that I can look nice too, when I actually try."

"You didn't need to." He mused, but before Robin could give a reply, both their attention was drawn to the front of the room where Dumbledore was getting started with his welcoming speech.

Robin turned towards the front to at least pretend to listen, and a few seconds later she noticed the gentle hand that came to rest on the small of her back. She had to smile in an instant, glancing up at Snape out of the corners of her eyes, but he was looking towards the front as neutrally and indifferently as always, always the contrast to his lingering touch. Oh, how she had missed this.

… … …

As soon as the possibility had come up, Snape and Robin had moved back into their usual corner and to their usual table. For a good two hours they stayed sitting there like always, in their usual habit of gossiping and teasing, until at last the inevitable happened, the one thing Robin had indeed seen coming all along.

With the saddest face in history, Cas came approaching them with an expression showing precisely that she was barely able to keep her tears from spilling over. Robin's immediate line of thought went along the path of 'told you so', but she frowned it away and out of her mind, and instead jumped to her feet in honest concern.

"I'll be back in a second." She said to Snape, who nodded in return, then she went to meet Cas a few steps further down the wall. They weren't technically out of sight, but out of earshot at least. "What happened?"

"As if that would be so hard to guess." Cas replied with a scoff, crossing her arms over her chest but making herself so small at the same time that it appeared more as a gesture of holding herself together than defiance. Robin simply went ahead and hugged her then, out of an impulse, and Cas immediately clung onto her in return. "You were right… He's an asshole."

"What did he do?" Robin asked softly, drawing reassuring circles on her friend's back, while on the inside however, she felt furious. Whatever that boy had done, he would pay for making Cas cry. Even if it was just teenage drama, Robin wasn't having it tonight. Or perhaps she just needed a deserving victim for her own annoyance at Cas for not listening to her any earlier.

"He and his two stupid friends wanted to go and hang out somewhere else, somewhere more interesting than here and 'have a little fun'. I said I didn't want to, so they just made fun of me for being such a prudish child and dreadfully boring. Then they just laughed at me and Jos said he should never have asked me to the ball." She mumbled into Robin's shoulder, and only a few seconds later she looked up at her again. "I'm not boring, am I?"

"Not at all." Robin replied with a small smile. "I'm very proud of you for not letting them drag you into something you didn't want to do."

"It's not even that I'm scared to do something forbidden… I couldn't care less, honestly, unless it's something really bad. But I just want to stay here for a while, you know… to enjoy the ball. I like the ball." Cas shrugged, still looking sad about it. "No need to insult me for that, right?"

"Nothing gives them the right to insult you at all." Robin replied pointedly, then let her eyes trail over the room for a second before turning back to Cas. "Did they leave already?"

"No… they wanted to find some other people first who would actually be willing to go with them for their private party." The girl scoffed, pushing her hair behind her ear with a bit more confidence already. "Why?"

"I should have a little talk with Jos, and with his friends as well if needed." Robin stated in a dangerous calm, then started pulling Cas along, back towards her table. Without making much fuss about it, she sat Cas down next to Snape. "Wait here, yes? I'll be right back."

"You don't have to, Robin, really, it's-..."

"Yes, I do have to." She replied calmly, ignoring both Cas' insecure look and Snape's mildly irritated one, and then turned on her heel to find the boy in question. They really needed to have a talk; no one mistreated or ridiculed her friends.

Jos really wasn't too difficult to find, his group of friends practically entertained the entire section of the room. 'Cool and popular' Cas had said… more like 'jocks and jerks'. Robin approached him without slowing down, and even though the boy was only a fifth year, he was a good head taller than her. That didn't intimidate her in the least however, and while being surrounded by so many people, so many strangers, would've made her nervous in any other situation, it did not do so now. She was on a mission, and somehow her body seemed to understand that.

"Jos?" She merely asked in a cold calm tone once she stood facing the boy.

"Uh, yeah? That would be me." He quirked an eyebrow down at her in amusement, while his pals nudged him in the sides with utterly pathetic grins. "The one and only."

"I thought so." Robin returned, then didn't waste a second to follow her impulses once again. The thing about physically strong people was that they usually spent ridiculously little time guarding their minds. Thus it was but an effortless thought on Robin's part, and she was in his mind, staring him down at the same time while he stumbled backwards against a table, then slumped down on the bench behind his legs. She felt his mind trying to lock her out, but it was a pathetic attempt at the most, and thus she went ahead to give him a very clear visual of what would happen to him should he ever dare to say a single bad word about Cas again, in her presence or not. After half a minute of this the boy was a terrified mess, half sitting and half sprawled out on the bench, looking up at Robin with teary eyes while she withdrew from his mind at last. Then she turned to his gawking friends, who hadn't even tried to help their pal.

"Would anyone else like to know what happens when you mess with the wrong people?" She asked politely, and five people shook their heads immediately. As much as she wanted to smirk at that, she kept her face neutral. "Great. Have a nice evening."

Without waiting for their reactions, she turned around once more and made her way through the hall and back towards her own table, feeling her confidence fade the moment she was out of their sight. Geez… she really shouldn't have done that. All those years she'd been doing her best to stand above such impulsive behaviour, and here she was now, mildly torturing a lower year. Letting off steam on other people. Great job, idiot. Perhaps it was the dress that gave her the illusion of too much power. Perhaps it was Snape's company.

"And? How did it go?" Cas asked the very second Robin approached them, and the girl luckily looked a lot more like herself already. Not sad and small anymore, but excited and almost happy again, and Robin found that this was what had made her own uncharacteristic behavior worth it in the end. To see her friends happy, she would gladly go against her higher standards.

"I made him cry." Robin sighed in resignation, and sat down on the bench in between Cas and Snape. "It was a very wrong thing to do though, so don't take it as an example. A negative one, perhaps."

"I don't care if it was wrong, you made him cry for me and that's awesome." Cas grinned, then almost knocked Robin off the bench with a tight hug. "Thank you! I really should have listened to you earlier…"

"It's nothing, really. But yes, you should have." Robin huffed in amusement, even though she still felt mildly concerned about the entire 'revenge leads to more revenge' thing. But she hadn't seen any speckle of that in Jos' mind, so perhaps it really wasn't an issue for once. Not when it was about something so minor, with somebody so imbecilic.

"Uhm, sorry to, uh… to interrupt…" A foreign voice drew Robin's attention to a blond curly haired boy she couldn't remember seeing before, and Cas followed suit while she let go of Robin. The boy obviously seemed unsettled either by Snape or Robin, perhaps by both of them, for he only glanced at them nervously from time to time and otherwise focused on Cas entirely. "I, uh… I couldn't help noticing what my idiot classmates said to you, and well… I just wanted to ask if you were alright?"

Cas blushed a deep crimson, and Robin had to subtly nudge her in the side eventually to remind her that she could speak. "Uh, yeah, I… Thank you. That's… very nice of you to ask."

Robin could practically feel how Snape rolled his eyes at the scene, but she was also very much aware of the fact that he was still here despite everything that had happened in the past minutes. She couldn't help nudging him in the side as well, smirking, and he gave her a glare in return. Robin smiled even more.

"Would you… uh, would you care for a dance perhaps? With me, I mean? I could try to cheer you up with my horrible dancing skills and ridiculous jokes." The blonde boy finally got out with a crooked smile, and Cas nodded immediately. Then she gave Robin a questioning look, but she just motioned for her to go ahead already. Thus, within seconds, Cas and the boy vanished in the crowd.

"I have never seen something more pathetic in my entire life." Snape finally remarked dryly, and Robin had to snort at the comment. It was absolutely only for show, and she knew that just as well as him.

"Oh come on, I think it was adorable." She replied with a smirk. "I feel a lot better about this one than that prick she came here with."

"You are aware that I missed the important bits of the conversation, yes?"

"I know." Robin sighed, then turned to him to explain. "Fifth year, straight brown hair, very tall, called Jos. Might be a nickname though. You know him?"

"Yes. I could've told you from the start that he is a complete dunderhead."

"I for my part knew that from the start as well, but Cas didn't want to believe me when I told her. Either way, he asked her to the ball, she had high hopes, but then he and his friends made fun of her, right before she came here. So much for the pre-story." Robin sighed again, her smile faltering. "Then I did something stupid and very much unlike me. I went over there and basically bashed him in the head with a few pictures strategically placed in his mind, of what I would do to him if he kept on being an arse."

"So that's what got him to shiver in fear at the mere sight of you." Snape mused with a not-smirk, and Robin was twice surprised in return.

"You saw that?" She asked first of all, frowning.

"I did indeed. Most of it, at least."

"And you're not disappointed? Not even telling me how idiotic that was? How imbecile and irresponsible and redundant?" She added the second question right on, and part of her hoped that he would do just what she'd said, and part of her hoped for the opposite. "You've been telling me since first year how stupid impulsive reactions like this are!"

"Why would I need to tell you something you are already well aware of?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, but upon her defeated expression, he finally sighed as well. "Sometimes we do a wrong thing for the right reasons. You defended someone you care about. I doubt that could even be considered wrong in the first place."

"And using legilimency on lower years? How are you going to justify that?"

"I won't, that certainly was wrong by any means. But I enjoyed watching it nonetheless." He said with another not-smirk, which finally got Robin to smile as well. "You certainly know how to intimidate people. It's quite impressive."

"I learned from the very best." She replied with a smirk, and he rolled his eyes in return, while his own smile still lingered on his lips.

They just kept on chatting for a while then, the incident soon forgotten and insignificant, and before long things returned to normal. Almost normal, for they were left sitting closer together than ever after Cas had left, shoulders almost touching now, heat brushing against the bare skin of Robin's arms when her robe sleeves moved out of the way. She knew that he must take notice of the closeness as well, of her shoulder gently brushing against his arm from time to time whenever she moved, and yet he didn't move away at all. The thought made her smile.

They had been listening to the music for a while, merely enjoying each other's company like they did so very often, when Robin caught sight of Cas dancing with the blond boy again. It had been an hour at least since they had left to dance; obviously it was going quite well, and Robin couldn't help being curious.

"Who is the boy dancing with Cas anyway?" She asked Snape, while still keeping her eyes on the couple on the dancefloor.

"Curious, are we?" He mused in return, undoubtedly humoured. "His name is Simon Durrell, fifth year. Ravenclaw. He is quite horrible at potions, but smarter and therefore less of a nuisance than his peers. Wears his heart on his sleeves quite like your friend."

"Good." Robin smiled up at Snape at last. "I would've hated having to behead him if he was a jerk to Cas. She looks happy dancing with him."

"You should be dancing as well." Snape said in a sudden feigned neutrality that made Robin's smile fade in return. "One doesn't wear a gown like that only to hide in a corner all night."

"Why not?" She shrugged, focusing on her hands in her lap. Was he trying to get rid of her? Find a polite excuse to get away? No, that wouldn't be like him at all. He would just get up and leave if he wanted to. Robin didn’t know what he wanted to hear. "Nobody's ever asked me to dance anyway."

"Oh please... You are by far better than waiting for some dunderhead to ask you for a dance. Go and ask someone first, someone who deserves your company." His tone turned from neutral to grave in a broken second, as he turned to look away along with it. "Or at least someone who knows that they never will."

There was something ineffably sad about his words, his voice, his eyes when she looked up at him once more. He wasn't trying to get rid of her… He was giving her the chance to be happier elsewhere, without him. Robbin’s heart skipped a beat, then squeezed all air out of her lungs. If only he knew; if only she could make him understand. Then again… Perhaps she could.

"You know what? I will." Robin replied determinedly, and rose to her feet with one graceful move. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed out her dress with shaking hands, standing straight after sitting for so long, and then finally turned back around to Snape. Gods, he looked so sad under all those facades. She took another deep breath, then held out her hand to him. "Would you do me the honor and dance with me?"

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[retrievablememories]

date night | mark

title: date night pairing: mark x black!reader genre: fluff, non!idol au request: “I was wondering if you could do something about a first date with mark (and black reader). I don’t really care what the date is, you can choose” word count: 2.9k warnings: none that i can think of except some cursing a/n: iu’s “friday” is a very cute song and i think it could fit with this. on another note, tumblr & my computer hate me and erased the changes i made to this twice, so if there are errors bare with me...i’ll fix them later

“Do you think this outfit is okay?” you ask your friend over FaceTime, scanning the camera across your form so she can see what you’re wearing. “I don’t know. It’s just the fair, right? So it shouldn’t be anything too fancy...but…”

“Girl, it’s more than okay. Knowing Mark, he’ll like literally anything you wear. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

You hold the phone back up to your face again, giving your friend a skeptical look. “You better be telling the truth. You’re the one who arranged all this!”

“I didn’t arrange shit, I just gave Mark a little nudge in the right direction! You should thank me, he might've never asked you out on his own, the poor boy.” Your friend lies back on her bed and reminisces on her matchmaking skills, clearly pleased with her work this time—even though neither of you have any idea if the date will go well. Well, she already has her mind made up, but you can be a little harder to convince.

You hope it goes well, anyway. You really do like Mark, and you want things to work out with him tonight. You’ve never hung out with him alone before; it’s always been with a group of your friends, and your conversations with him were usually carried by the help of your friend’s interjections or Haechan’s jokes. 

For a while, you just figured that Mark was shy around new people, but he soon warmed up to your other friends who he hadn’t known before. But he still struggled to have a decent conversation with you. 

You didn’t understand any of it at first. You even thought that maybe he didn’t like you and was just terrible at hiding it. But after your friend got tired of seeing you angst over him, she let you in on what was really happening—he had a crush on you, too.

Now, you’re here—about to have your first date with Mark Lee and completely nervous about it, to say the least. You sigh at your friend’s smug expression.

“I’d hardly call what you did a nudge, but alright. Whatever you say, best friend.”

You know Mark and Haechan’s apartment complex is not far from yours, and yet it still catches you by surprise when you hear the knock on your front door. “Oh Lord, that’s probably him, I have to go!!” Your friend barely gets to say goodbye before you’ve ended the call. You scramble to grab your things and give yourself another once-over in your mirror before hurrying down the hall to open the door.

You stop at the door for a few moments and try to relax, attempting to make it seem like you weren’t rushing. Then you open the door to Mark standing on the other side.

“Hi Mark,” you say as naturally as possible, even though you’re practically jumping on the inside. He’s so handsome and cute that it’s unbelievable, even just standing there with his hands in his pockets, looking bashful and equally eager.

“Hi Y/N. You look really pretty today...I mean, you look pretty everyday, but today you’re especially, uh—a-adorable.”

“Thank you.” Your face is hot from his compliments, and you’re glad that he can’t tell past your brown skin. You step outside and lock the apartment door after you, turning to him with your heart beating wildly in your chest. “Are you ready?”

“Born ready,” he replies.

The place where the fair is being held is only a couple of streets over from where you live, so you both had already decided to walk there while planning the details of the date. You’re thankful it’s a nice summer night, not too hot or cold, though you’re both wearing jackets; it’s at the point of the season where the night starts getting chilly.

You and Mark make small talk on the way there, talking about casual stuff like what you did this week and what TV shows you watched the other night. He seems less nervous about talking to you than he is when you’re in a group with the others, but you can tell there is still some anxious energy around him.

Which doesn't really bother you, because you feel the same way and would rather be nervous together than anxious alone.

You can tell you’ve reached the fairgrounds when you start seeing more people gathered around and hear the loud festival music and screams of excitement; there’s already a considerable line to get in.

“Looks like we’ll be here for a minute,” you say, turning to Mark, though you aren’t really upset about it.

“That’s okay, I can be your entertainment until we get in.”

“Oh really? What are you gonna do, The Amazing Mark?”

“Whoa! That actually has a nice ring to it.”

“I know, right? Maybe you could use it as your performer name...so, Mr. Lee, how are you gonna impress me tonight?”

Mark decides to come up with a little freestyle rap on the spot, and you giggle at his enthusiasm. When he’s done, you give him a round of applause.

“Maybe you should be a rapper, you’re actually really good, you know.”

Mark feigns shock, pretending to be offended, and you laugh more. “Did you think I wouldn’t be?”

“Well, you—” You’re interrupted when someone behind you clears their throat loudly—the line has already moved up and you didn’t notice it. You grab Mark’s arm and pull him along with you. You decide to keep your hand there, looping your arms together. Mark blushes at that, a bashful smile on his face though he tries to hide it, not wanting to seem inexperienced.

When you finally get your tickets and go in, you and Mark debate over which rides to try first. You convince him to ride the huge looping rollercoaster, though he’s more than a little apprehensive about it. You can practically see the sweatdrops gathering on his forehead.

“Are you sure? If we get on the most exciting ride right away, the rest will seem boring…” He chuckles, scratching the back of his neck.

“I’m sure! But, you don’t have to get on if you’re too scared.” You tease him, letting go of his arm and walking towards the ride by yourself. “You can stay here!”

“No way—I-I’m not scared! You’re not leaving me behind,” Mark catches up with you as you go over to the ride and you smirk to yourself, glad that your reverse psychology worked.

You and Mark end up going on most of the rides the fair has to offer. You laugh at him once you both get off the rollercoaster, his hair windswept and sticking up in different directions. The ferris wheel makes you a bit dizzy, especially when you reach the very top, but Mark distracts you from the height by pointing out how pink the sky looks from this angle. The sun is close to setting, and its shining rays make Mark’s hair and eyes look like they’ve been set ablaze with warm, brown light. He looks back at you, and you abruptly bring your gaze up to the pink sky, pretending as if you weren’t staring at him the whole time.

Even the merry-go-round is fun with Mark pretending like he’s in the middle of a classic Western, riding his noble steed and playing the part of a brave, handsome cowboy.

You eventually take a food break when you get hungry, and you’re secretly thankful for the pause; your head’s spinning with how many rides you’ve been on. You don’t know the last time you’ve had this much fun at a fair, though, and you’re grateful for the change in your usual routine.

While you’re walking around the fairgrounds, you spot one of those ring toss games where you have to hit a certain number of bottles to win a prize. Mark notices your interest.

“Do you wanna play?” he asks.

“Hmm, maybe…” you say, your eyes drifting along the wall of prizes they have. One of them is an adorable stuffed dog with its little red tongue hanging out, and you immediately fall for it. You turn to Mark with your eyes shining. “Hey, Mark…”

He laughs, already one step ahead of you. “I’ll try it, then.”

In the end, Mark only gets the ring around 2 bottles. You giggle all the while, watching him give his best throws and still miss. 

“Hmm, that was just a warm-up round,” Mark insists once the game ends and he still hasn’t made any more wins. He cracks his knuckles and does an exaggerated stretch. “Check this out.”

“Oh, if you say so…” You smile as you watch him go for another round. The employee manning the game gives him a half skeptical, half amused look but lets him have another try. Unfortunately, the results are the same—he manages to get rings around two of the bottles while the rest remain untouched.

You walk up to Mark and pat him on the back once the game is over, and he gives you a sheepish smile in return. “Sorry, Y/N...I tried.” He turns back to the employee. “What kind of prize can I get with that?”

They pick a small keychain off the wall and hold it up. It’s a tiny replica of your city, with the name of it written in blocky, fun letters. “Pretty much this.”

“I’ll take it.” You hold your hand out for it and the employee passes it over. You give them a smile in return and look back at Mark, holding the keychain safely in your palm. “Let’s go! I don’t think we’ve tried the Tilt-a-Whirl yet...”

You and Mark don’t leave the festival until well after dark, and it’s a half hour to 10 when you check your phone. Even though it’s so late already, you’re still buzzing with energy and ready to hop to the next best thing. Mark seems to feel the same way, talking excitedly about all the things you saw and did at the fair.

His eyes sparkle with excitement, and it’s like his sheer elation transfers to you. Sometimes you wonder how he can manage to still be so childlike, but it’s endearing. The keychain sits safely in your purse, attached to your key ring where you clipped it immediately after getting it.

“I hope you enjoyed yourself today...even though I couldn’t get the stuffed dog you wanted.” Mark bites his lip.

You shake your head. “No, I had so much fun, that doesn’t matter! Really. Anyway, it’s not everyday you can go on a million rides in a night.”

“Forreal. Actually, I think might have permanent vertigo after this...”

You pause as a few drops of water hit your skin. They seemingly come out of nowhere, and it’s hard to tell if the sky is cloudy or not from the cover of night. But as more start hitting your skin, there’s no doubt about it—it’s rain. 

“It’s raining,” you gasp, and you barely have time to say anything else before the droplets start coming down harder. “Shit, my hair!”

To your surprise, Mark sheds his jacket and holds it over your head, pulling you closer. “We should make a run for it before it gets worse.”

“Where are we gonna go? Everything’s closed at this time of night,” you ask, but Mark is already pulling you along with him, and you can only speed up your pace to catch up.

“Whatever shelter we can find!”

Just like he predicted, the rain turns into a downpour and the water quickly permeates into your clothes, making you sticky and a little cold. You scream but keep running, not wanting the alternative of standing there and getting even more drenched.

You and Mark find a nearby coffee shop that’s still open and duck into it, shaking off as much rain as you can. You’re a little too soaked for it to be effective, but you’ll dry off eventually. One of the workers gives you both a weary look from behind the counter, and you know they’ll probably have a time cleaning the water up later.

You and Mark stand at the front counter and order your drinks, then take turns laughing at each other’s reflections in the counter’s metal surface. Your hair managed to avoid the worst of the water thanks to Mark’s noble move, but his own strands are plastered to his head. You nervously brush a few of them away from his forehead, saving him from the slow drips of water that keep falling in his eyes.

“You good?” you ask. You want to feel sorry for him, but you can’t stop yourself from cracking a grin at how cute and disheveled he looks. Like a soggy puppy.

“I’m fine,” he says, taking your hand that was just in his hair. “It’s just a little water...we can stay here until it stops raining, anyway. Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m alright.” You nod in agreement, not knowing quite what to say—you’re a little distracted by his hand holding yours. When you get your drinks, he lets go of you to take both cups, and you’re momentarily disappointed by the lack of contact.

You go to sit down at a small table near the window. It offers a clear view of the rain still pattering on the roads, and you watch cars kick up puddles of water as they drive past.

“That was kinda fun,” you say after taking a sip of your drink. You give a pleasant sigh at the feeling of the drink warming you up on the inside. “I mean, not so much the ‘getting soaked’ part...but the whole thing sorta reminds me of those romcoms.”

Mark cringes and laughs. “Are you into those kinda movies?

“It’s not a crime! They’re cute sometimes.”

“Is that a roundabout way of saying you want to be kissed in the rain? ‘Cause like, I-I’m up for it if you are,” Mark’s attempt at flirting is made unintentionally hilarious by him stammering midway, and you hide your face in your hands.

“Oh my God,” you groan. “You are really something else.”

Thankfully, the rain lets up just as the coffee shop starts closing up. You and Mark dispose of your cups and walk back outside, heading towards your apartment complex. You’re surprised at how much rain came down in such a small amount of time—the sidewalks and streets are completely waterlogged, and some of the water soaks into your shoes as you walk through the puddles. It’s still sprinkling a bit, but that’s better than being drenched.

The walk back is pleasantly quiet, the both of you finally having burned off the last of your remaining energy. You’re soon back at your apartment—maybe more quickly than you wanted to be—and standing in front of your door. You step away to look at Mark, pressing your back against the apartment door.

“So, I guess this is it?” You’re suddenly nervous again, unsure how the date is going to end—or how it should end. Will there be a kiss? Will he want to see you again? You’re sure he had a good time with you, but self-doubt can be a cruel mistress.

“I guess so,” Mark echoes. “Um, I—well, uh…” He seems like he wants to say something, but he gets a little stuck on the words.

“Maybe we should stop being so nervous around each other,” you blurt out, feeling your skin warm with embarrassment. Mark nods, scuffing his shoes along the floor.

“It’d probably be less awkward,” he admits, throwing you a nervous glance. 

You shrug, trying to seem more nonchalant than you feel. “I enjoyed myself, though. And, y-you know, I definitely wouldn’t mind going on another one…if you’re up for it?” You look at Mark from below your eyelashes, and he meets your eyes too, a cute grin spreading across his lips.

“Of course! Y-yeah, absolutely, we can text each other about it.”

“Great!” You clasp your hands together, racking your brain for something else to say. Lucky for you, Mark helps you out by asking,

“Can I....kiss you?”

Your breath hitches and you look at him with wide eyes. “Y-yes.”

Mark steps closer to you and his hand goes to your waist. You’re almost afraid you’re going to melt from all the different emotions you’re feeling, but you try to keep a steady expression as his face moves closer to yours. When he kisses you, his lips are gentle and sweet, like him.

You both smile shyly when you pull away, until you finally remember you’re standing outside your apartment door and need to unlock it. “Ah, right…” You unlock the door and step inside, looking back at Mark once you do. “I’ll see you later, okay?” You give him a small wave, and he returns it.

“See you.”

You allow yourself to let out the breath you were holding once you get to your bedroom. You want to throw yourself on the bed, but your clothes are still wet, so you opt for screaming into a nearby pillow. After dancing around the room for a moment or two, you dig into your purse so you can text your friend, and your hand bumps into your key ring.

You pull it out and look at the little keychain again, holding it carefully between your fingers and studying its design. It’s tiny, but it’s cute and wonderful and it reminds you of Mark, making little butterflies rise up in your stomach. It’s perfect.

[abraxos-is-toothless]

The Beauty That Is She

Part 3 is finally here!! Previous Updates Here:)

Before we get into this one, I want to say a quick thank you to those of you who have asked if I was alright and have been so, so patient for this update. I'm so sorry it's been so long, but this story was only meant to be a few chapters long and now, my ideas keep changing and there is so much I want to write for it. I can't thank you all enough for the kind words and the encouragement, I honestly didn't think people would enjoy this that much considering it's not one of the mains AND that I've paired him with an OC.

This one isn't my favourite but it is still important or you might get a little confused later on. The wedding/wedding night is in the editing process and I'm still deciding if it should be two small chapters or one big one!

Anyway, enough of my rambling and on with the show!

-------

It was the day before the wedding and Fenrys was terrified. Not because he didn't want this or he was having second thoughts, but because he was terrified Eva would say she didn't want this anymore, didn’t want him. But above all of that, he was terrified of the words about to come out of the trembling messenger boy’s mouth.

Rowan’s personal messenger, who had managed to secure his place when Rowan had found him trying to survive on the streets. His name, Fenrys remembered, was Kallias. He was just a year younger than Connall and abandoned by his family when he was spotted kissing one of the boys from the village. The family had up and moved not long after, the villagers saying they were too disgraced. Fenrys thought it was all fucking absurd. Your child was your child, regardless of who they chose to love and he would make sure his future children knew that too. The thought of those children, his and Eva’s, brought Fenrys back to Kallias.

 “What is it, Kal?” The boy shifted on his feet and Fenrys heard the way he took several deep breaths before he spoke.

 “The King wishes to see you out in the courtyard, My Lord.” He rolled his eyes at the title, trying to act as if those words weren’t scaring the fuck out of him.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that? It’s just Fenrys, kid.” Kallias nodded, but he still heard the muttered ‘yes, my lord’ before he turned to leave. Fenrys couldn’t help the way he tried to straighten his tunic and his hair before making his way to see Rowan. It’s not as if looking a bit cleaner would save him from the other male’s protectiveness. He understood though, because he would be the exact same way if his daughter was about to be married off. It would mean she was no longer his to protect, no longer his to care for. Although he would still do those things, every day, until his dying breath.

The halls of the castle were full of people bustling about, adding the last few touches of decorations here and there. Aelin could be heard before you even saw her, making sure everything was perfect. His Queen would like to think everything was done by her, but it was his Eva who led all of the wedding preparations. Fenrys was enraptured whilst watching Eva tell her mother exactly what she wanted, where it would all go and when it would happen. Aelin had tried to get her way only once, but Rowan had just given her a look, along with a light smile and she had kept silent and continued to make sure Eva wouldn’t have to worry about anything. He breathed deeply as he pushed through a large oak door and stepped out into the courtyard. Out of all of the places he’d seen, the places he’d lived, nowhere had ever felt like home as much as Terrasen did. Not even all of those years spent in Doranelle serving Maeve. Rowan wasn’t hard to find, all he had to do was follow the loud cursing and shouts of “You can get off of me now, Buzzard!”

When he reached them, he bit his lip trying not to laugh; lest he want to go a couple rounds with his Queen for making fun of her. Rowan had Aelin pinned to the ground, straddling her hips and a hand on each of her wrists, her blade knocked a few feet away. When Aelin noticed him, she twisted her head to look at him upside down, eyes narrowed. “What in the hell are you doing out here?” Rowan stood slowly, pulling his wife up beside him, placing a quick kiss to her temple.

“I sent for him,” he said, before Fenrys could even open his mouth. Aelin folded her arms across her chest and raised a brow.

“What could you possibly need him for? His wedding is tomorrow, he still has things to do.” He didn’t really have things to do, just to help set up tables outside for the festivities after the ceremony, but he thought his Queen might be trying to save his ass from Rowan’s ‘territorial fae bullshit’. Fenrys was grateful for the effort, though he doubted even she could save him.

“There’s something I want to show him. We’ll be back in time for when Lorcan and Elide get here, I promise.” Aelin stared at her husband for a few moments longer, having one of those silent conversations before she nodded, kissing Fenrys on the cheek before walking back to the castle, muttering about seeing if Connall wanted to read their newest book. Rowan looked to him when she was out of sight, an unreadable expression on his face before he said, “come and walk with me.” Not a question, nor a request, so he followed obediently as the silver haired man made his way to the tree line. They didn’t speak as they walked, the only sounds were of rabbits and birds that he wouldn’t know were there without his fae hearing, and the crunch of shrubbery underfoot. Studying the warrior a few paces in front of him, he noticed the male hadn’t actually brought any of his weapons with him. It made him feel better, knowing he wasn’t likely to get stabbed, but that didn’t mean Rowan couldn’t hurt him. There was no need for weapons considering how much power he had.

After what felt like hours in the silence, was merely a thirty minute walk to the hills within the grounds, but far behind the castle where Rowan halted them. “Where are we?” His King, his brother in arms, his friend looked at him with such softness in those stark green eyes; Fenrys couldn’t even find the will to look away.

“We’ll get to that, but first I have to say a few things.” He dipped his head for Rowan to go on. “When Aelin first told me she was carrying twins, I cried for hours. It was from overwhelming joy and excitement, but also from an underlying fear. Fae twins are rare, as you know, but childbirth for fae females is also a difficulty. I was so, so terrified something would go wrong, that I’d lose them, including Aelin and that it would be like Lyria all over again.” Fenrys pushed the thoughts from his mind, trying not to remember how cold and angry Rowan had once been. He knew that it would have been a lot worse this time, had the worst actually occurred. “But everything was fine. I watched as they grew, as they kicked their tiny little feet against my touch for the first time. And then suddenly, as if I had merely blinked, I was holding Evalin in my arms.” Images of the warm summer evening the twins were welcomed into the world bombarded him, and he could clearly see Rowan with a babe in each arm in his mind’s eye. It was a sight you simply couldn’t forget. “She may be grown up Fenrys, but she’s my little girl, as she always will be. But tomorrow, tomorrow she becomes yours to love, to cherish and protect and I’ll respect that of course I will, but she’ll never stop being my sweet little princess who used to whack me with wooden swords and put flowers in my hair.” There was a dampness to his cheeks and he realised with a start, as he brought his hand to his face, that he’d started crying somewhere along the way.

“Of course she’s yours Rowan. That will never change, but just so you know, I’ll spend every day of my life trying to be worthy of her, to be worthy of being loved by her.” It was true, he didn’t deserve someone such as Eva, but he’d do everything in his power to prove himself to her. Rowan brought him into a back-clapping hug and he could do nothing but return it.

“I know boyo, I know, I’m just feeling a bit emotional is all and Aelin probably would have told me I was being ridiculous. Also,” he pulled away and smiled wickedly, “even if you do fuck this up somehow, I think I would be lower down on your list of concerns.” Rowan started walking again, pushing between the low-hanging branches of two old willow trees.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I think Con would beat me to you. He may be younger than Lin and Mia, but he’s fiercely protective when it comes to his sisters.” The miniature version of Rowan Whitehorn was a hellion naturally, but it was worse when something had happened to the twins. Fenrys had seen a little bit of that protection show the day the mating bond had settled.

“Speaking of, have you noticed Con has been spending a lot of time with Kallias lately? I’ve found them together a few times in the library, though Connall usually catches me from the corner of his eye and darts away. Poor Kal is always left confused and I think a little hurt.” There was a low chuckle from Rowan, his head shaking.

“I’ve seen them. I’ve known about my son’s preference for males for years, but I think he’s scared to tell us. I think they might even get a little shock of their own in a couple of years, honestly.” Interesting. “Aelin is desperate to call him out on it, but I’ve told her this is something he needs to sort out within himself first. He’ll tell us when he’s ready, though I hope it’s soon, because all I want is for him to be who he wants.” He was about to retort when Rowan halted them abruptly, nodding his head to the right of them. When he turned in that direction, his breath caught a little in his throat. There, in amongst the trees, was a small little yellow cottage. It was dark inside and Fenrys could smell the stale scent of pine and snow, indicating Rowan had been he but not recently.

“Rowan?”

The male in question dug into one of the pockets on his breeches, and pulled a small, silver key that glinted in the few rays of sunlight that shone through the canopy. “I started building this when Aelin told me she was with child, and then started another one after she had announced it would be twins. I knew that when they were all grown up, my children would want to leave and live independently, to be their own person. I also knew it would be hard for us to let them out of our sight, so I wanted to give them somewhere that they were far enough away from us, but somewhere I knew they would be safe, protected.” He pressed the key into the palm of Fenrys’ hand and folded his fingers over it. The metal was cool in his palm, barely weighing anything at all. “You and Evalin don’t have to live here of course, but I wanted her to know there was a place for her to start this new adventure with you.”

“I don’t know what to say.” There were things Fenrys knew he should say, but the words got stuck in his throat.

“There’s no need to say anything.” Rowan’s eyes were lined with silver as he ran his eyes over the place he’d created for his child. It wasn’t hard to imagine being here with Eva, it wasn’t hard at all.

“You said you started another when you knew it was going to be twins, did you start another when Aelin told you about Connall?” His friend wiped at his eyes quickly before nodding in confirmation.

“Yes. Mia’s is to the west of here, barely any distance from here at all and closer to the lake. I built Con’s to the east side of the castle, actually. There’s a small cavern close to it that has a hot spring inside, which I thought would be good for practicing.”

The two of them stayed out there for a little while longer, occasionally letting a content silence between them, or talking about all sorts of topics and reminiscing on the past. Soon enough, they were on the move again, reaching the castle just in time for Elide and Lorcan’s arrival, Aelin waiting for them with a glare. It was possible that they were a little behind when they said they’d be back. Fenrys tried to greet his friend’s as they arrived, little ones in tow, but Rowan stopped him with a hand to his shoulder, telling him to go and rest because he had a big day tomorrow. He let out a breath and agreed, walking back to his room without stopping to say hello to anyone.

When he was washed and settled into bed, Fenrys let the darkness take him into the land of dreams with a smile on his face.

Tomorrow, he was getting married.

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Let me know what you thought! I’m sorry for being so behind on things:( If you’re not in the tags but you’ve asked to be, just give me a shout and I’ll fix it asap, I don’t think my lists are updating properly<3

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[marrys-dream-world]

I’m captivated by you (like a firework show)

AO3 Link 

Summary: It wasn't like Adrien was excited to go out with his friends for his one dream activity in the middle of a lonely summer break, no, not at all. Of course he wasn't upset when his father took back his permission for him to go, what gave you that idea? But being alone in his room during the most antecipated holiday of the summer hadn't been on his plans, he could admit to that. Fortunately for him, he not only had friends, but one very good one.

Notes:  I watched the fireworks scene from Kaguya-sama; Love is War and thought of Adrien. I was going to use this plot bunny for Ladrien month, but it's such an Adrinette one, I couldn't help it (and I already have too many prompst I'm working on for that moth). This is mostly self-indulgent angst/fluff. The title is from Taylor Swift's Sparks Fly (which is a Ladrien song, but the title fit this fic so much).

“Your father denied your request, Adrien.”

He wasn't surprised at Nathalie’s words, exactly, but he couldn’t stop the familiar pit of disappointment from settling in his stomach. Perhaps he had been too hopeful, spending so much time picking up a nice outfit to break out from his routine, trying to style his hair a bit differently (and inevitably giving up when it made him look a touch too much like Chat Noir) and texting Nino nonstop between his breaks from practicing piano. It seemed like everytime he got too excited by something, the universe got ready to cut him down again.

“But he had already said yes.” Adrien responded, his voice soft as to not break. “I told my friends that I would meet them there.”

“He changed his mind.” Nathalie said, like it was that simple. And it was to her, wasn’t it? Just another message she was delivering from his father, like it wasn’t breaking his heart. “There’ll be too many people there and your bodyguard could lose sight of you. It’s too dangerous.”

“But — “ He tried again, but stopped when his eyes met Nathalie’s bemused stare. “I understand, Nathalie. Thank you for telling me.”

As she left silently, he closed his bedroom’s door and dropped down on his bed. It was weird to be so careless about the outfit he cared so much about before, he thought as Plagg came out of his hiding place in his pocket, speaking words that weren’t registering in his mind. He felt like his head was underwater and that he could only faintly make out that there were words being said and touches given on his head, but it was like he wasn’t really feeling it. It was dumb, right? Being upset by something so common. How many times had his father denied him the right to go out with his friends or made him cancel plans last minute because of a sudden whim? It wasn’t any different this time. 

Except… it was. When Adrien was younger, he loved to watch the fireworks in the summer. There was one holiday, particularly, that had an impressive firework display that he absolutely adored. He begged his parents to watch it more closely, but his mother had taken him into her arms and explained that it was much too dangerous for a boy as small as him and set up a picnic in the gardens so him, her and his father watched it all. Together. It still ached, a little, that he wouldn’t be able to do it with her this year and that his father certainly wouldn’t join him, but that would all be okay because he had friends to watch it with, for once.

He hadn’t seen them since the beginning of summer break. Whereas all his classmates were incredibly excited about the summer, he couldn’t help but dread it. It just meant numerous beach-themed photoshoots and being unable to meet with his friends everyday. So he watched as they all made plans to go out in groups, pairs, host slumber parties and have picnics that he wasn’t allowed to go to. He missed his friend’s trip to the beach, their party at the Couffaine’s and make-shift Mecha Strike III tourney at the Dupain-Chengs in favor of extra chinese lessons and work. So imagine his surprise when he was allowed, after begging his father during the one dinner they had together in weeks, to go with his friends to a festival in the park near Marinette’s to watch the fireworks with his friends. But of course, it just looked like his father had a “temporary lapse in judgment”.

“Just go, Adrien.” Plagg said, his miraculous wielder finally making out what he was saying. “It’s not like he’ll notice.”

“You know I can’t, Plagg.” He said. “Nathalie will probably think I’ll try to sneak to go, anyways, after she found the room empty some days ago.”

All because of an akuma, of course, but it’s not like he can say that. That must have been one of the reasons he got his permission revoked. Joy.  He grasped his phone and opened the messaging app, already receiving texts from Nino asking him if he was on the way, since he had gone to pick up Alya and they would all be meeting Marinette there. He started at the screen for a moment, willing his fingers to stop trembling. It was alright, it was just an outing, his friends were already used to him cancelling last minute…

               #1 ladybugs fans (and marinette the chat noir fangirl)

[6:45 PM]

Adrien: Sorry, guys, I won’t be able to make it. 

Nino: dude what

Nino: didn’t ur dad let u come already

Adrien: Yes, but he changed his mind, said it’s too dangerous, so I won’t be going anymore.

Alya: what a bummer, Adrien, i’m sorry.

Nino: want us to break u out?

Adrien: No, I don’t want to upset him, everyone, but thanks for the offer. Hope you enjoy the fireworks.

…. so why wasn’t the lump in his throat going away? 

He stayed on his bed, watching his phone screen, willing for something to distract him. But all that appeared the “Marinette is typing…” only for it to disappear and reappear, no new message coming. Marinette did that, she was always a bit careful with her texts. It was a little adorable and never failed to bring warmth to his chest, no matter how upset he was. Adrien only noticed that time actually passed when he noticed the fireworks starting from his window, far away from his house.

[7:15 pm]

Adrien: I wish I was there with you guys. 

When he noticed how much the screen was blurring, tears were already spilling down his cheek. He laid the phone screen-down on his chest and sobbed, Plagg curled up against his neck and comforting him more than he could ever know. It was just another disappointment down the line, but it hurt so much more. He spent so much time telling himself that this summer would be worth it if he could at least do this with his friends, just one thing. Why couldn’t he do that? It wasn’t fair at all. He just wanted… He just wanted a lot of things he couldn't get. The phone in his hand lighted up, signaling another text.

[7:25 pm]

Marinette: I wish you were here, too.

He just missed his friends so much. He wanted, just for once...

“Looks like Pigtails wants you to go.” Plagg said, casually reading over his shoulder and with a tone that Adrien couldn't quite place, between nonchalant and smirking. “You should take her up to that.”

“Should I?” And it was a bad idea, Nathalie would probably show up at any moment, but…

“There’s still time.”

“... Plagg, claws out.”

[7:27 pm]

Adrien: I’m on my way. 

What could they do anyway? Lock him up in his room? Forbid him from seeing his friends? Nothing that wasn't happening to him already. So let Nathalie come to the empty room, alert his father and have the Gorilla look for him. Let them come embarrass him by forcing him back home from the park. As long as he could get this one moment with his friends, it would be worth it. So he ran through the rooftops, the lights from the fireworks coloring everything around him. He wanted to make it worth it, watch the display with his friends, watch Alya take videos for the 15th blog she created this year, listen to the playlist Nino made for the moment, listen to Marinette talk about her latest design.

He dropped from the rooftops, going in an alley to destransform before running in the direction of the park. His face was blotchy and his eyes were puffy, hair a little messy from lying on the bed and clothes all rumpled. It would have bothered him a few hours ago, but now he couldn’t care less. He ran to the park entrance, it was so close. 

I just want to be with my friends and watch the fireworks, just this once…

So it was inevitable that as soon as he got there, it was over.

It was alright. It was fine. Just minutes ago he didn’t expect to see his friends for the night the whole summer, but the festival was still going on. He would still see them and talk to them and eat with them. Who cared if he didn’t see the fireworks? It wasn’t why he was here. At least, not the only reason. If his friends watched the show and liked it, then it was enough for him. Then why was he shaking? It didn’t make sense at all.

“Kid…” Plagg whispered to him from his jacket pocket.

“I just…” Adrien started, voice cracking a little. “I just wanted to watch the fireworks with my friends…”

“Then we’ll see them.” He heard a voice say, before a hand grabbed his wrist and started to drag him away. Adrien tried to resist out of reflex, even though the person was surprisingly strong, before recognizing them. 

“Marinette?” He said as he let himself get pulled away from the entrance. “What do you mean? How did you find me?”

“Y-you said that you were on your way.” Marinette said, keeping a fast pace. Her face was incredibly red, but she only tightened her hold on his wrist. “So I-I knew you were probably at the entrance’s park. I mean park’s entrance.”

“What do you mean about watching the show, though? It 's over.” 

“A-Adrien…” She said as looked over her shoulder to him. Whatever she saw hardened her gaze, making her look more determined, like a woman on a mission. “Trust me on this, okay?

As she finished speaking, he caught sight of Nino and Alya leaning against a cab.

“Dude!” Nino exclaimed, smiling wide. “Escape from the cage?”

“Something like that.”

“Okay, okay, you two can talk in the car.” Alya said, her teasing scolding given away by her smile. “Everyone get in.”

Adrien didn’t question it, watching Alya get into the passenger's seat. He took the right window seat, while Marinette claimed the middle and Nino sat besides her. He watched as Alya leaned in to the drivers, giving him directions and shortcuts to an address he recognized. 

“We are going to the Le Grand Paris? Why?” Adrien asked.

“You know how everyone sets off their fireworks for today at the same time?” Alya asked, tapping away frantically at her phone.

“Yes?”

“Well, Chloe decided that her fireworks display was just going to be the best in town and made her father start it 20 minutes later than usual, so there would be no competition fro which one to watch.” She continued, taking her eyes away from her phone to look at him. “She talked about it for a week straight before summer break.”

“So if it was delayed 20 minutes…” He said, heart beating faster. Did he dare hope?

“It will go till eight.” Nino completed. “We’re going to show you some fireworks, dude.”

“If we get there in time.” Marinette said, looking straight ahead. Her face was already flushed, probably from running so much, and he could feel her warmth from where their arms touched.

“If we get there in time.” Nino repeated, but he was still smiling too wide. 

“Y-you guys did it for me?” Adrien said, eyes watering. He was going to be really dehydrated after this night, huh. “I don’t even know what to say…”

“A thank you would be nice.” Nino teased, before bumping shoulders with Marinette. “But you should say especially to this dudette here, she’s the one that came up with the whole plan.”

“Marinette…?” Adrien whispered, watching as her face slowly changed between shades of red.

“I-I just… You were so excited for it.” She said, like it was a confession, barely looking at him. “I li-like the show too, but you were just… static to do it. H-how could could I watch it without you there? When you sa-said you were coming over and it was ending I…”

“She spent the whole show on her phone, texting you and then planning this.” Alya completed, when it seemed like Marinette wasn’t. “ So say ‘thank you, Marinette.’”

But how could he, when words wouldn’t be enough to express what he’s feeling?

“I hope we can make it.” Nino said as the car went through a tunnel, the only thing separating them from a close up on the fireworks show by the Le Grand Paris. 

“We will.” Marinette answered, her eyes glinting. She spoke like she wouldn’t accept anything less. “I know we will.”

The whole car was tense as they finally reached the end of the tunnel, looking out of the windows to the right side of the car. As soon as they came out of there, the dark sky lit up with the first colorful firework, followed by dozens of others. Adrien knew they were the main attraction, the reason why they came from so far across the city, why Marinette made this convoluted plan and that it was all for him. He was aware of all that, but he was so, so sorry that he wasn’t looking at them at all. How could he? All he could see was… that face. 

She was leaning over him to watch the show, face almost pressed on the glass in childlike wonder. Her hair was loose today, he noted almost absentmindedly, framing her face adorably and being the perfect dark canvas for the lights to play in. Her mouth wasn't smiling, glossy lips slightly opening as she stared at the display in awe, rosy cheeks glowing in the dark. But what captured him were her eyes, the most amazing blue he had ever seen, shining so much it overshadowed the show in front of them.

His heart was beating so loudly, he couldn’t even hear the sound of the fireworks. Could everyone in the car tell? Could they see he couldn’t take his eyes away from Marinette for even a second, that he didn’t want to do it for the rest of his life? Feeling warm around her wasn’t something new, it was expected by this point. But this familiar sensation wasn’t something he could brush aside at the moment like he often did, it wasn’t something he could ignore. It was all-consuming and amazing and— oh. Oh. That made sense. Of course that’s how he felt about Marinette, how could it be anything else?

And for the 20 minutes of the fireworks display, he didn’t take his eyes away from her even once. 

“Did you like?” Marinette asked him, after, mouth now smiling and cheeks still rosy.

“No.” Adrien admitted. “I loved it.”

[fantastic-rambles]

Fandom: Sk8 the Infinity

Characters: Sakurayashiki Kaoru (Cherry Blossom), Shindo Ainosuke (Adam), Nanjo Kojiro (Joe) (mentioned)

Warnings: Very brief/light angst

Word Count: 2k

Summary: In which (teen) Adam attends a summer festival with Kaoru, who hopes to use the opportunity to deepen their relationship. [LoveBlossom Week 2021 | Day 2: Festival]

Kaoru looked at his watch, ignoring the noise and bustle around him as he glanced down the stairs again. For each minute that ticked past their agreed-upon meeting time, he couldn't help wondering if his friend hadn't been able to make it, after all. Adam had mentioned that he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to come, but he'd urged Kaoru and Kojiro to go regardless of whether he'd be able to attend.

Except that Kojiro had agreed to go with a couple of girls from their class, because he was too nice to say no to them. They'd invited Kaoru, as well, but he'd declined since he wasn't sure how Adam would feel about being in a group with people he didn't know. Which was why he was the only one standing at the entrance, waiting. He didn't look forward to going around by himself, though: if Adam didn't show up, maybe he'd look for Kojiro. Or just go home.

A tap on his shoulder made him look back at someone in a dark blue yukata who stared back at him through a kitsune mask. Their hands were clutching a few treats: cotton candy, a chocolate banana, and a caramel apple.

"Sorry. I got here a little early and thought I'd take a look around first," a familiar, if slightly muffled, voice apologized. His companion pushed the cotton candy into Kaoru's hands before reaching up to push the mask aside. And then Adam's familiar face was looking back at him, smiling as he took his sweets back and took a bite. "So, where to first?"

"What have you seen already?" Kaoru retorted, walking toward the festival. Adam fell in beside him, shrugging expressively.

"I just looked around a bit," Adam replied, waving the cotton candy in Kaoru's face while he took a bite of his banana. "Picked up a mask and a few snacks, looked at the games, and then realized I was late. Sorry again."

Kaoru shook his head dismissively, but he took a bite of the candy anyways, feeling it melt in his mouth in a rush of sugar. He couldn't really fault his friend: Adam was always excitable, but something like this would definitely bring out that more. The crowds, the noise, and the general upbeat atmosphere were something that his friend thrived in, even if he couldn't show off here like he did when he was skating.

Even in the short time that they'd been together, Kaoru had realized that Adam was simply someone who loved life. There was almost a childlike air to the blue-haired boy, as well as a strange naivety that stood in stark contrast to Adam's more jaded attitude. He was a mix of contradictions that Kaoru didn't understand, but he was fine with waiting until Adam was willing to open up to him and Kojiro more. They'd been making some progress, at least, with Adam deciding to show them his face and agreeing to come here, but there was clearly much more that they didn't know about yet.

"What about the games? Did you see any that interested you?" Kaoru asked as they walked along the stalls. And he watched Adam's eyes light up as he nodded and took the lead, making a beeline to a stall with a small crowd crouching in front of it. As they approached, a child stood up and ran past them, holding a bag with two small goldfish inside, and Kaoru smiled wryly. He should have guessed as much.

It was a little too crowded, though, so Kaoru grabbed Adam's sleeve and tugged him aside to wait for some room to open up, explaining the game in an undertone as they watched people struggle to catch the fish.

"Okay, so this is 'goldfish scooping.' You pay for two paper nets and use them to try to pick up fish from the water and put them into a bowl. Any that you scoop up, you can keep," he began quietly. Adam's eyes were fixed on the players and their successes and frustrations, but Kaoru thought he was still listening, so he continued. "The trick is in how you use the net. Theories say that you should slowly submerge it entirely into the water around a 45 degree angle. Make sure that you do get it all the way inside: if it's still dry in places, it's easier to tear. After you get it in the water, you should turn it flat and move it slowly. Try to get it under a fish that's close to the surface, and gently cut through the surface tension to scoop it into your bowl. Smaller fish are easier to catch, since they're lighter. Did you get all that?"

"Yeah," Adam agreed readily, still watching avidly. Kaoru sighed, reaching up to tug his mask back down before collecting the sweets in his own hand, exchanging them with a 100-yen coin.

"Okay, go for it."

Adam approached the tub, sliding into a gap and handing the coin to the old man manning the booth and receiving two nets and a bowl of water in return.

"Gently," Kaoru reminded Adam as he slid the first net into the water. Adam had tilted his head almost parallel to the water--probably because the mask obscured his vision--and held the net still as he seemed to watch the fish dart around. Watching Adam, Kaoru thought he was doing pretty well… until he pulled the net through the water too quickly to try to scoop up one of the fish and the paper tore.

“Here, take these back,” Kaoru ordered, pushing the treats back at Adam. After he was sure that his friend had secured them, he dug around in his pocket for another coin, giving it to the vendor and receiving his own equipment. “Watch what I do.”

He waited for the mask to tilt toward him as he crouched down next to Adam, dipping his own net into the water. He waited with quiet patience that belied his more aggressive behavior when he was skating, holding the bowl close to the surface as he waited for a fish to come within reach. Watching it drift in the water, he carefully brought the net in toward its head, gently guiding it toward the wall of the tub before flicking it into his bowl. Looking over at his friend, he asked, “Did you get that?”

“Can you show me again?” Adam asked, his voice distorted through the plastic of the mask. Kaoru nodded, repeating the process to catch another fish, and then one more before his net tore. He had the stall owner put his fish in a bag before exchanging his remaining net for Adam's snacks and watching his friend try again.

Somehow, Adam managed to barely catch one with his second net, and then another two with the extra one Kaoru had given him. But as the old man reached out for his bowl, Adam seemed to hesitate, tugging his goldfish away and glancing over at Kaoru.

"I can't keep them," he whispered, and the way he sounded so disappointed made Kaoru frown. He should have considered that possibility: he didn't know much about his friend, but he went to a rich kids' school and probably had fairly strict parents. Rather than goldfish, they could have tried some other scooping game... but Adam probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much.

"Keep them. We can give them to Kojiro," Kaoru decided. He'd been planning to do that with his own, after all: his childhood friend was much better at taking care of living thing than he was. Even if it was something simple like a plant, Kaoru would sometimes forget to water it until it dried up completely; he certainly didn't want to deal with dead fish. He wished that he could see Adam's face as he offered the bowl to the vendor, sounding more cheerful.

"Bag these for me?" Adam requested, accepting the goldfish he'd won before standing up and looking at Kaoru. "What next?"

They wandered through the festival, grabbing food from stalls and playing other games--catching water yo-yos and a shooting game that Adam proved to be surprisingly good at--as night fell. The crowds grew livelier and more dense, annoying Kaoru, but Adam seemed to be having the time of his life as they wandered through the mass of humanity. Eventually, Kaoru checked his watch before he laid a hand on Adam's arm.

"Come on! The fireworks will start in a little while, so we should find a good place to watch them!" he called out over the sizzling of the yakisoba. Adam nodded, paying the stall owner and receiving a container of steaming noodles and two pairs of chopsticks before following Kaoru away from the press of people. It was a little quieter by the waterfront, and although there were a decent number of people there trying to secure a good view, they managed to get a spot by the railing, leaning against it and staring out at the darkly glittering water.

Together, they picked at the yakisoba in silence, neither of them really hungry but needing something to do. They hadn't managed to cross paths with Kojiro, but Kaoru thought that that was probably for the better. It would be awkward introducing Adam, who kept pulling down his mask before he had any substantial interactions with anyone... and frankly? He was handsome too. If they had run into Kojiro and the girls, they probably wouldn't let them go, and they'd likely keep harassing both Kaoru and Kojiro about their friend in school. Though there was another reason why he'd wanted to be alone with Adam tonight.

"Adam," Kaoru began, watching his friend's head turn toward him. "I--"

A piercing whistle split the air, interrupting him before the two of them turned to look at the streak of light climbing into the sky like reverse lightning. It exploded at its peak into a blooming flower of green and purple while people cheered. But as more fireworks flew into the air, filling the sky with illumination and thunder, Kaoru's eyes remained fixed on Adam's face. His friend's crimson eyes were wide with wonder, reflecting the colors above them, while his skin was lit by the bright glow. Around them, people's voices rose, calling out over the deafening noise that just continued to intensify, but Adam seemed oblivious to them, staring at the show with an expression of pure delight.

And all too soon, it was over, the final rumble of sound fading away as darkness settled around them again. Yet Adam continued to stand at the railing, staring up at the silent, deep blue sky while the crowds dispersed. In the faint light, he still looked awed, and Kaoru smiled a little as he reached out to lay a hand on Adam's.

"You've never seen fireworks before?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb Adam, and his friend glanced at him briefly before returning his gaze to the moon and stars.

"Not this close," Adam replied, a little too loudly. He'd dropped the yakisoba at some point--but not, Kaoru noticed with some relief, the goldfish--and after a few more minutes of silent contemplation, Adam finally sighed and returned to earth. His smile was as heart-stoppingly beautiful as it always was when he was at his most charming, and he turned his hand over to grab Kaoru's and squeeze it.

"Thank you, for tonight. It was amazing. I'll never forget it," his friend told him while his eyes sparkled with the enthusiasm of a much younger child. Looking into them, Kaoru couldn't bring himself to possibly shatter the mood: he'd been working up his courage all night for this moment, but it didn't seem right to lay it on Adam at this moment. Whether Adam accepted his confession because of his giddiness, or rejected it because he didn't feel the same way, Kaoru didn't want his friend's memory of tonight to be tarnished by more mundane concerns. So he just smiled back.

"Of course, Adam."

[burnedbyshoto]

I would love to have some more Todoroki stuff! Maybe childhood friends to lovers troupe? That would be awesome’ ☺️😊

oh gosh, let’s hope this works out, and that you like it @ashtheteenagewitch ​!!!

todoroki x childhood friend!reader

just fluff and tiny tiny sadness

A/N: this got really long super unintentionally. also sorry it’s late, I had to work last night

so you two first meet before your quirks manifest, and you two get along. totally typical children become friends scenario

“Why are your eyes two different colors?”

“I don’t know…”

“I wish I had two different eye colors! can you ask your parents how you have two so I can be like you?”

“…okay?”

“Okay, but are you a secret old man, because only my grandparents have white hair. Or are you like half old!?”

“no! I’m not old!”

you’d reach over and poke his eyes harder then you intended, and pull on his white hair through pure curiosity causing him to smack your hands away

“do you wanna be my friend?” he would ask shyly after you profusely apologized for making him cry a lot a little bit

“OF COURSE!”

when shotos quirk manifests, it occurs at school, but the thing is in his panic he manages to burn and freeze you when you try to soothe him

he cries for sure

you’re in pain but you convince him you’re alright

he stops showing up to school regularly after his quirk appeared

he missed your quirk manifestation

the next time you see him, he’s sad. so so sad.

you’re concerned so you ask why

he shrugs it off

your guys’ favorite game to play together was playing heroes All Might roleplay was the best, but soon he starts crying whenever he pretended to be a hero

“what’s wrong todoroki-chan?” you’d ask scared for you friend

“I don’t want to be a hero” he whispered, his eyes looking at you terrified “I don’t want to be a hero” he would repeat constantly

you would blink unsure of how to handle this situation, you were only five. so you embrace him tightly, head on top of his and whispered: “but you’re my hero.”

he hugs you back

pre-scar childhood is basically lots of hugs, curious questions, high stakes imaginative adventures, and secrets

then the burn happens

he appears at school once.

bindings over his face, you race over to him scared for him

“Are you okay?!” you asked trying to take a peek from under his bandages but he slaps your hand away and you can feel the pain, anger, frustration, and hatred radiating off his small body.

he stops showing up one day

with permission from your parents, you go knocking on his front door days later.

an older woman answers it and three older kids and teens are peering from behind her “yes?” she answers

you explain who you are, a bag of shotos favorite snacks clutched in your hands. they look at you crushed. someone explains that shoto can’t come out, but that they promise they’ll get your bag to him.

you won’t interact with him for ten years

during those ten years, you try desperately for five years to talk to him, but he won’t see you or talk to you, even when you see him outside his house

you’re accepted into u.a. through recommendations. your quirk is powerful, and your family was wealthy enough to train you to be the hero you wished to be

you go and sit in your assigned seat for class 1-a and introduce yourself to some of the students sitting around you. you have a bright and easy personality so talking to everyone isn’t hard.

your throat tightens as todoroki walks through the door and sits in the seat across from you.

“nice to see you here, todoroki-kun.” you greet him, and not to your surprise he ignores you.

he doesn’t even look at you

this makes you angry

after orientation, where you placed third overall, you’re storming down to the train station trying to find shoto because you guys literally take the same train!!!!

you find him

“TODOROKI, WHAT THE FUCK?!”

you can’t help yourself, you’re completely pissed off and hurt because even if it was years ago he was such a dear friend and you guys split on the worst of notes

he just sorts of stared at you for so long after your rant finished and he apologizes

even though you know he wasn’t entirely empathetic in his apology, you let it go and try your best at resuming your friendship

it’s actually going better than you expected, sure the abused boy is not even a speck of who he used to be, but that’s okay

you ride the train together every day to and from school and you talk to him the entire time even if he won’t respond, and that’s okay

battle training and the attack on USJ makes todoroki respect you as a hero, although he won’t say anything at the time

then it happens, at the sports festival, your heart is crushed yet again

“I’m not here to make friends.”

you’d stand up from where you were sitting, tears welling in your eyes, the attention of the class went from shoto and Deku over to you, but you don’t care

you leave crying

you’re so hurt by this your ass gets kicked in the tournament round

you watch Deku fight shoto and somehow Deku breaks through this internal strife todoroki had been having and that further makes you nauseous

you leave campus without shoto

you show up the next day of classes without shoto with you again

you’re avoiding him and you will continue avoiding him

then one day, he’s finally caught up to you

“Y/l/n, wait, please!”

you don’t wait, you’ve waited ten years after all

he yanks on your arm and you stop your crying but you refuse to look at him

“I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry, just had the worst time when I was younger, and I shut everybody out. I thought you were trying to be friends because of our past and I’ve just been blind with anger and me….” 

he’s trailed off and you’re both shocked because when had todoroki shoto ever talked that much?! never

you end up forgiving him, and even though his personality is completely different from when you were children, you still enjoy his company

soon, he’s taking part of your conversations and it’s no longer so one-sided

you visit him, Deku, and iida in the hospital during internships because your mentor was mad about missing out on that battle and the nomu battle so she went for clues on who was the mastermind

“I’m glad you’re okay…” you whispered as you hugged him tightly, a blush staining your cheeks

it isn’t until you guys are at the summer training camp do you realize that you may have a crush on shoto when mina and hagakure ask if it’s okay if they try snagging the “cutest boy in class 1-a”

which you agree with too anyways

you were paired up with midoriya for the scare contest and you end up going to help him fight muscular, it gets you hospitalized

shoto visits you. every. day.

whether you were awake or not, he was there.

you recover just fine; however, you have a scar from the back of your shoulder to the lower hip area.

you’re scar buddies, you tell shoto and he agrees with a smile

when the dorms come around, oh boy

at some point, you start spending the night in each other’s rooms because you hang out and study really late

one morning, yaoyorozu catches you sneaking out of his room at 7 a.m. on Sunday and the girls out you for your crush ((much to the horror of mina and hagakure who had been trying hard to get him to like them romantically))

soon the entire class knows

except for shoto

of course

everyone, except the obvious few, spies when the two of you are together

you’re basically blushing every second of every moment with shoto because you can feel at least four people staring at you two at all time

when shoto would get up to get you two drinks, you’d throw a pillow at the stalkers and hiss at them to leave you two alone because “shoto doesn’t like you back”

then you guys one day go get some soba, the cold kind of course

you’re quietly slurping your noodles when you see kaminari, jirou, mina, and midoriya in ridiculous wigs and mustaches taking pictures of you and shoto

shoto then paused after he finished his soba noodle and stared at you, his eyes calculating.

“I like you.” he simply stated. “in a romantic way.”

your jaw drops, and you’re choking on a noodle

oh my god, he confessed and you’re choking

on

a

noodle!!!!

one strong hit to your back and you’re fine

but now you’re embarrassed and blushing and your nose and throat burn

“I hope you weren’t trying to die to get out of my confession…” shoto jokes but there’s that small uncertainty you can read in his eyes

and although you can see the cameras form your friends flashing, and the attention of the restaurant on you two, you press your lips onto Shoto’s

“I like you, too,” you mumble after you break away suddenly super embarrassed by your actions

he smiles at you softly and you blush even more

“would you like to be my girlfriend?”

oh… uh, I think I may have gone a bit overboard. I think childhood friends to lovers troupe for todoroki is 100% fluff to angst to fluff because of his stupid anime main protagonist backstory. try to change my mind!

bonus!

“look at these pictures!” jirou laughed as they had printed out a series of pictures that involved you choking on a noodle, shoto saving you, and the first kiss

“they’re so cute, what the hell!” mina screeched as she grabbed the stack flipping through them all in no time

“I’ll take that.” shoto said taking the only picture of you and him kissing

“todoroki-kun, that was so embarrassing…” you muttered as you buried your face into his chest as he presented the picture to you

“it was.” he agreed with a smile before tilting your head so he could kiss you softly on the lips