#anyway this note wasn't needed i just didn't want anyone to think i was forgetting the bau's most forgotten best man

[bauresurrected]

characters you will bring to the cm fandom (i am hypnotizing you) (maybe some people write these that i follow and if that's you come at me)

rossi

morgan

gideon

luke

TARA. by god. please.

alex

kate

literally any of the bau i don't care if people are already writing them

stephen walker

barnes

strauss

JACK, HENRY, MICHAEL?

will

jordan

your ocs.

[wife-of-all-dilfs]

what friends do | f. odair

masterlist

summary: you were a simple town girl. finnick odair was the crown jewel of panem. both of you needed an escape and found it at a secluded beach just outside district four. these were three ingredients that created a year-long friendship. but were friends supposed to have… impure thoughts about one another? you weren’t so sure.

pairing: finnick odair x fem!reader

warnings: smut, wayyy too much detail, dirty thoughts, friends-to-lovers, mild angst, mostly readers pov, pre-rebellion, HEAVY dirty talk, fingering, unprotected p in v (big no no), multiple orgasms, so much pining, creampie, cock-warming

notes: i’m so sorry this took me so long. life has been up my ass lately and, as y’all know, i’m a slow writer. but thank you sm to everyone who patiently stuck around, i love y’all <3 this was supposed to be a short smut fic but um, apparently not. anyway, this has taken long enough to come out so imma stop rambling. ENJOY <3

word count: 11.7k

Mid-Autumn was closely approaching District Four.

Harvest in the fishing industry was at its peak and the docks were chock-full with boats bringing in their plentiful catches. The town centre was a bustling scene, crowded with people selling produce and trading for food to bring home to their family's kitchen table.

Last year's autumn harvest was the same picture—overflow, hustle, commotion; chaos like this was something you never came to enjoy. So, it was also around this time last year that you had decided to set off in search of the perfect location away from the rest of society. A place where you could be at peace, where you could forget the disastrous world you lived in.

District Four was home to many popular beaches, but the one you discovered was uninhabited, isolated, found after an hour-or-so-long trek through overgrown dirt pathways and a thicket of sea-grape and palm trees. A true paradise away from society. Or so you had thought in the first few weeks.

You weren't too sure when he had started showing up or how he had even discovered the beach.

However, one evening, as you were seated in the sand watching the sunset on the darkening horizon, you noticed a dark figure diving and surfacing in the flat, glimmering water. Their movements were so poised and fluid like the ocean was something they had conquered. You guessed it to be a dolphin or shark because there was no way a human being could move so gracefully.

But then the figure started wading to shore, and the next thing you knew, they were standing on two legs and exiting the water. You knew then that you had guessed wrong. The sun behind him obscured the bronze of his hair and the swirling lukewarm sea that pooled around his pupils. All you could see was the outline of his tall broad figure as he hiked through the sand toward you.

Fear had told you to bolt from the approaching stranger. You were in the middle of nowhere—it was the perfect place to be murdered or kidnapped. But something else, some deep and tangible instinct, also told you to stay.

"Didn't realise I had a captive audience," thestranger spoke, droplets of gleaming water sliding off his body and into the sand as he stood a few feet away.

Taken by surprise, you fumbled over your words trying to form a sentence in response. "I wasn't—I didn't—"

"Easy, honey," he chuckled. The sound was so warm and pleasant that it almost alleviated the slight chill in the air. "Just pulling your leg."

Your mouth formed a small circle. "Right," you said, gaze locked on the golden sand in embarrassment. "I, uh, didn't think anyone else knew about this place."

To be honest, you were pretty sure it was a restricted area. Probably the reason it was so isolated. If a Capitol official found you, the consequences would most likely involve your tongue, a scalpel, and a hell of a lot of pain. All for a wanting a little peace and quiet.

"Neither did I," the man said. "I only come every now and then. Need an escape from the constant buzz back home. Time for myself, you know?"

"Yeah." You smiled, feeling the stranger's words resonate in your soul. "Yeah, I do know."

You thought you saw the corners of his lips curve into a smile, but the shadows on his face were so prominent that you couldn't tell.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked.

Well... if he were going to murder you, he would have done it already. So, you nodded. Sometimes you questioned your survival instincts. Or lack thereof.

He didn't leave much space as he sat beside you. Only an inch or two, meaning you could feel the humidity of body heat and salt water emit from his skin. Even sitting down, he was still quite tall compared to you, but that wasn't what caused your heart to drop into your stomach.

The setting sun, which no longer disguised his face with shadows, now illuminated his entire figure and revealed his identity. His hair was a mess of wet wavy strands, the colour alight like a pale fire beneath the sun's orange radiance. His skin was sun-kissed, no doubt from days he had spent perfecting his swimming abilities. And those dimples... wow.

He was gorgeous. A man sculpted by the gods of beauty, just like everyone in Panem had depicted him to be. Even his sea-green eyes were as striking as everyone said.

Finnick Odair.

The man who was crowned victor of the sixty-fifth Hunger Games at fourteen. Who trapped multiple tributes at once in a net and killed them one by one with his famed trident. A killer.

The man whose reputation in the Capitol was known nationwide. A proud womanizer.

That was what everyone made him out to be.

Only, in the brief interaction you shared with him, he seemed like quite the opposite. He radiated effortless charm and warmth, but not in the arrogant way the media had portrayed him. Then again, did the media ever accurately portray the truth of anything?

It was then that you determined it didn't really matter who people said he was or what he had done. He was a human being—just like you. He deserved a chance.

His pink lips stretched into a knee-weakening smile; you were grateful that you were sitting down.

"I'm Finnick, by the way."

The both of you knew he didn't need to introduce himself. The whole of Panem knew his name and face. Though the fact that he humbly did so anyway made you like him the tiniest bit more.

You returned his smile with one of your own and introduced yourself.

Time passed and the sun had set; the moon had risen, but you both remained sitting side-by-side in the sand. Conversation flowed so naturally between the two of you that it was difficult for you to remember that stopping and getting some air into your lungs was an important factor in keeping a conversation going... as well as keeping you alive.

You told him about yourself as he did himself—some things that were meant to remain secrets, some things that seemed too strange to tell anyone else.

At some point, he had offered to walk you back to your house. The trek was over an hour long but neither of you seemed to care. The time flew by. 

When you were standing at your front door and he was gazing up at you from the bottom of the steps, you both promised to meet again the next day. And you did. 

As you did the day after that... and the day after that... and the day after that...

**********

As soon as the nights carried that familiar chill and the town congested with markets and fervent buyers, you knew mid-autumn had made its return. This meant most of your evenings were spent at a certain secret beach with a certain District Four victor.

Having already finished his pre-sunset swim, Finnick was sitting beside you, fingers weaving dried palm leaves into the mat beneath you. A couple of weeks after you had first met, he had shown up one day holding it all rolled up in hand.

"Made this for you to sit on," he had said with a proud smile. "Took nearly all night and earned me a few good finger cramps, but I think it was worth it."

Pinpointing the exact moment your attraction to him first formed was tricky. However, that gesture was one your mind returned to often. That little palm-leaf mat, the time and effort he put into making it, was scored on your heart.

Finnick was very much a gentleman.

He would always offer you a hand when standing up and whenever you walked back through the overgrown seaside forest. Sometimes he picked fruits for you such as sea grapes and mangos or would climb one of the palms and knock down a few coconuts. One thing he always, always did wasmake sure you got home safe; he never let you out of his sight until you were safe inside your front door.

All those gestures, big and small, added up. Soon enough, Finnick Odair had infiltrated your heart and consumed all your thoughts. You saw his sea-green eyes staring back at you whenever you gazed out at the ocean by your house. Felt the ghost of his hands on yours whenever you picked a grape from the kitchen fruit bowl. Heard his voice calling out your name in your most vivid of dreams.

But there was more to it than innocent adoration.

The guilt came when your gaze started lingering on his body a little too long whenever he left the water at the beach. Shimmering droplets would glide down his beautifully tanned skin; his arm muscles would flex as his fingers raked back his dripping wet hair. It wasn't yourfault he was the walking definition of perfection.

Unholy was the closest word to describe the filthy thoughts that had perverted your imagination. What started as endearing daydreams soon became fantasies that had you seeking relief between your thighs late at night. Your thoughts went wild whenever he dropped you off at your house. It took everything in you not to invite him inside and ask him to fuck you senseless against the front door.

All you had to do was ask. You knew he would say yes.

A year is a long time to know someone. A long time for feelings to grow. It also serves as a lot of time for things to happen between two people—things that linger in your mind even months after they have happened.

Like the times he would walk by you and teasingly whisper something provocative in your ear, then disappear for an hour of swimming, leaving you all hot and flustered in the sand. Neither of you would acknowledge it when he returned. Or when conversations took such a flirtatious turn, the tension only dissipated when houses were separating you at the end of the night.

But that's just what friends do, right? They tease and banter?

Maybe.

However, not all things could be chalked up to being just friends.

Another thing about Finnick's eyes was that they were transparent. You saw how helplessly they clung to you the days you stripped to your underwear and joined him in the water. He had this sort of reaction that turned his eyes into a dark violent sea, like you were some divine temptation planted to test the strength of his resolve.

Sometimes he could resist. Other days it was obvious he couldn't help but reach out and touch.

He would try to be subtle about it. Hands holding yours a little longer than necessary when he helped you stand up. Sitting too closely beside you so that your arms and legs would graze against each other. Brushing off pieces of seaweed that would stick to the dip of your waist and then constantly using the same excuse just to feel the heat of your soft skin.

There was one interaction, though, that you fell asleep to the thought of every night. It was a moment when things almost went too far; an interaction friends definitely did not share.

You could remember it clear a day. Hell, you could still feel it clear as day.

It was a hot summer evening. Both you and Finnick were at the beach and swimming in the water since being in the muggy coastal heat for more than five minutes was parallel to roasting in a thousand-degree sauna.

You were about twenty meters offshore, bobbing beside Finnick as he dived to collect various seashells. That boy could hold his breath for an unbelievable amount of time which meant sometimes you spent minutes alone on the surface, waiting, listening to the calm waves lap eerily around you.

This is exactly how people die in shark movies, said an unwarranted voice in your mind.

As usual, a minute went by. Nothing to worry about. Then a minute turned into two and you were starting to become a little concerned. And then it was two and a half minutes and you were now panicking.

"Finnick?!" you called out, hoping he could somehow hear you from the dark depths.

Three minutes had totalled, and you were pretty certain he had drowned. Just to add to the utter dread coursing through your veins, something slimy brushed against your foot. Most likely a piece of seaweed, but you didn't make that connection at the time.

That very same moment, Finnick burst through the water's surface, only mildly breathless and pinching a small iridescent shell between his fingers.

"Look at thi—"

Before the words could leave his mouth, he found himself enveloped in your distraught embrace. Your face was buried in the crook of his neck, crying tears of relief. 

Damn that stupid seashell.

He automatically secured you in his arms, concern palpable in his voice as he asked, "Are you okay?"

You pulled away, an indistinguishable combination of tears and saltwater rolling down your cheeks. Though it was hard to miss the look of distress found in your furrowed brows and trembling lips.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" you exclaimed, gripping his arms to emphasise your urgency. "You hear me?! Ever!"

Finnick's head tilted slightly, surprised by your emotional reaction. He hadn't realised he meant so much to you. The surprise faded into remorse, softening his features.

"I won't. I won't, I promise," he said sincerely. His eyes flickered over the worry lines etched on your forehead. He unconsciously brushed his thumb over the lines, hoping to draw out the anxiety with his touch, and then tucked away a strand of hair. "I'm sorry I scared you."

You took in a deep, shuddering breath in an attempt to compose yourself. A mess of emotions stirred inside you—worry, embarrassment, irritation. You were partially frustrated with Finnick for making you fear for his life. Mostly annoyed with yourself for showing such vulnerability in front of him.

"God, you're an idiot sometimes," you sighed, shaking your head.

He smirked. "Didn't think you cared so much about me."

"No, you just don't think, Finn."

He glanced off into the distance for a moment with furrowed brows. "Well, that's definitely not true," he countered, meeting your gaze again with a half-smirk. "I think about a lot of things, actually."

"Oh? Like what?" you asked, slightly annoyed. "Do tell me what the great Finnick Odair thinks about instead of his own safety."

Slowly, the smirk faded from his lips. Something new tinged the atmosphere and suddenly everything around you seemed hotter than it previously was. Not an uncomfortable or sweltering heat, but one that held an intensity that sparked the air with electricity.

You suddenly became very aware that Finnick was still holding you in his arms. You recognised the confined proximity between you and him and realised that, before this moment, your bodies had never been so close.

Your legs were curled around his hips, pelvis pressed firmly against his. The position of his hands, which were keeping you afloat, was bordering on inappropriate but would only be deemed as such if you cared. Which you didn't. You liked it—having his hands on you.

One thing you couldn't ignore was the flickering of his gaze. How his eyes kept dropping to your lips. How they blatantly revealed a long-awaited confession that words just couldn't capture. Still, you wanted to hear him say it. You wanted to hear the purr in his voice as he told you.

Then he was leaning in. You weren't sure whether it was on purpose or if the pure magnetism of the tension between you was drawing him closer. Regardless, you started to lean in closer too, eyes drooping as you focused on his mouth.

And before the short distance between your lips and his became immeasurable, you whispered, "Tell me, Finn."

The hands keeping you afloat trailed up and down your back restlessly as Finnick forced a tense exhale through his nose. He seemed to be wrestling with thoughts. You waited in anticipation, and right when it seemed like he was going to make a move—

"I think..."

—you were interrupted. By no less than a pod of dolphins as they leapt from the water, causing you and Finnick to jolt from each other's embrace.

The rest of that evening was not worth mentioning. Not because you had forgotten what happened, but because the sheer awkwardness between you and Finnick afterwards was so torturous that you wanted to keep the memory squashed in the recesses of your mind. Neither of you acknowledged what happened. Finnick still walked you home, but it was done so in agonising silence.

Surprisingly, you both returned to the beach the next day. You hadn't expected him to be his usual upbeat self, but he was. So, in turn, you too acted like the previous day was erased from history. But your friendship with him was never the same.

Flirty conversations no longer felt like a joke; they now had a deeper meaning. Fleeting touches caused full-body goosebumps that didn't happen before. There was so much unresolved tension, and it was painfully thick. Inescapable.

So, as Finnick sat beside you present-day, weaving dried palm leaves into the mat beneath your bodies, you couldn't help but notice the transparency of your body language and his. The gap between you both was comparable to the size of a pearl and even though neither of you acknowledged it, you kept catching each other stealing quick glances every half-minute or so.

When you were sure he wasn't looking, you found your gaze drawn to his fingers. They were sturdy, yet nimble; curling and manoeuvring in ways that had your face feeling hotter than the heat of any sunburn or warm summer's day. This heat was beneath your skin. Spreading through your limbs in little tendrils and wrapping around your nerves. A dip in the salty sea wouldn't cool you down nor would a gulp of cold fresh water.

As you stared at his hands, you knew only the source of the sensation could offer reprieve. But that wouldn't happen, so there you burned.

The fact that he was shirtless and that his hair was a gorgeous mess of damp bronze curls helped not one bit with taming the consuming desire inside you. God, you were a mess yourself.

You sighed.

The sun, glowing intensely with a divine orange, was beginning its descent on the horizon. Your feet were buried beneath the soft sand, trying to retain some warmth as a slight breeze blew against your exposed skin.

Wearing a short sundress probably wasn't the most practical idea. Embarrassing as it was to admit, practicality wasn't what was going through your mind when you decided to wear it... Someone—Something else was.

"Something on your mind?" Finnick asked suddenly.

Your heart fumbled in your chest, terrified that he had somehow heard your thoughts. "Sorry?"

"You sighed," he said, turning his head to look at you. "Or am I just getting so old that I'm already starting to hear things?"

With relief of his lack of mind-reading abilities, you laughed softly. "You're definitely getting a bit old, Finn," you teased. "Any nursing homes you've been considering?"

"I heard retirement by the sea has its perks," he quipped, subtle dimples present as he returned to his weaving. "Although, I will need someone to make sure I don't fall asleep while swimming and get carried out by the tide. What d'you say, sweetheart? Up for becoming my personal lifeguard?"

Absolutely. "Depends. Will you force me to wear one of those awful flowery swimming caps with a matching tankini?"

He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I'm thinking more like those little red bodysuits. You know, the ones that zip open down the front?"

You reprimanded him by pushing his shoulder, wearing a betraying smile. "Very charming."

"I just think red's your colour, that's all," he laughed.

Your stomach fluttered. You knew he was teasing you; teasing was basically the foundation of your... friendship. Deep down, you knew there was also some truth behind his words. A truth that was as electrifying as it was upsetting—how long were you both going to keep up with this whole 'friends' charade? Could you handle it if the answer was forever?

Best not to think about it. For your sanity's sake.

Finnick finally settled into a comfortable position with his forearms locked around his bent knees, apparently having decided to continue his mat-weaving another time. He had been extending it bit by bit ever since he first made it for you. At this point, you were sure he was attempting to cover the entire beach. For now, it was only big enough for two people to lie down on.

Sounds pretty convenient, came an abrupt thought.

And then you fell down yet another rabbit hole of depraved daydreams... A pair of hands interlocking your own above your head. Hot lips pressing kisses to your neck. Tongue gliding up the sensitive skin of your jugular. Your fingers tugging at bronze curls between your thighs.

You were sick. Diseased with immorality. Finnick was your friend. If not your best friend. You're not supposed to fantasise about fucking your best friend.

"Thinking about anyone in particular?"

You almost choked on your saliva. "W—What?" 

How did he keep doing that?

Finnick seemed to find joy in your perplexity. It was written all over his face. God, those fucking dimples. "You've been completely still for nearly five minutes and your legs are covered in goosebumps," he pointed out. "Hence the question: who are you thinking about?"

As you looked down, you found that your skin was in fact riddled with goosebumps. It didn't occur to you then that the only reason he could have noticed was if he was staring at your legs in the first place. It also didn't occur to you that Finnick obviously had the very same debauched thoughts running through his own mind.

Why did you have to wear such a revealing dress? He already struggled enough with resisting you at the best of times.

If you had been paying attention, a simple glance in his direction would have revealed how his ears were pink and his pupils were dilated. More importantly, you would have seen his legs constantly shifting to ease the discomfort tenting his pants. Fortunately, he had mastered the art of winding himself down in a short amount of time.

Unfortunately for you, that ability was not within your skill set.

You scoffed. "In case you haven't noticed, Finnick—it's autumn," you said, a quick snappy lilt in your tone. "I know you've got some weird internal space heater built into you, but normal people tend to have a reaction to the cold."

Well, it's a good thing you didn't sound defensive...

Finnick raised an eyebrow at you, displaying a puzzled half-smirk that spoke a thousand words.

You lowered your head in embarrassment, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry," you murmured. "I just, uh, don't really like the cold."

"Who could've guessed."

Despite serving as an excuse, it wasn't entirely untrue. You really did dislike the cold. And it was now that you seriously regretted your choice of sparse attire. The breeze kept blowing up the dress's skirt, threatening to expose your dignity to the world. Or more accurately, to Finnick. Thankfully, you had decided to wear a pair of delicate lace underwear that morning instead of old granny panties.

Nevertheless, now that it was on your mind, you couldn't think about anything but the cold gusts of wind blowing against you. Chills ran over your skin and you were shaking like a leaf.

Finnick, being the gentleman that he was, scanned the surrounding area for anything he could use to keep you warm. He would've given you his shirt had it not been crumpled in a ball of wet sand on the ground.

There was nothing else of use. Nothing except a single apprehensive idea sitting in the forefront of his mind. It was all he had. He bit the inside of his cheek as he contemplated the potentially disastrous idea.

Then, after taking a silent deep breath, he finally said, "Come here then." Your eyes snapped to his. You must've looked like you had seen a ghost because his brows knitted together in confusion. "What?" he breathed out a chuckle. "I'd prefer not having to carry you home as a block of ice."

You thought about it for a moment. Was it really such a good idea after the thoughts that were just swarming in your mind? Another gust of wind blew by and you instinctively wrapped your arms around yourself.

"I won't bite, sweetheart. Not unless you want me to," he added.

You rolled your eyes. "Oh, shut up."

With that, you slid across the mat, positioning your body, which was still facing the sunset, in front of his legs. There was a moment of hesitation. Anxiety. But before you could reconsider, Finnick wrapped a strong arm around your middle and pulled you back against his chest, situating your body between his legs.

The exhale that left your lips was instantaneous and you couldn't help but shudder at the warmth of his skin. "God," you sighed, overwhelmed by the sudden change in temperature. "How are you so warm all the time?"

"Oh, you know. Weird internal space heater."

You laughed softly, then felt Finnick's chest vibrate against your back as he joined you. His bare arms wound tighter around you, motivated by the affectionate atmosphere. Your body seemed to melt into the cocoon of warmth he provided, and a soft smile graced your lips.

"Better?" he asked.

You nodded, responding with a whisper, "Thank you."

"Anytime."

You could hear the smile in his voice and how intently he was trying to hide it. You wished you could have seen it. To see the sense of peace you shared. However, feeling it in the way he held you was enough.

Instead of blood, your heart now seemed to be pumping out rather odd alternatives—waves of sea-green salted ocean, iridescent seashells, smiles paired with heart-stopping dimples. How could he? How could Finnick condemn you to loving him like this? So unwaveringly; so without a hope of ever being able to return to life without him in it.

He made a mess of you. A ruin. And even with wholesome affection running through your veins, you still couldn't ignore the hazy images conjuring in your mind from the way his body was pressed firmly behind you.

How could he?

The sun had just touched the horizon, granting the sky a few more minutes of light, meaning it was almost time to head home—an upsetting reality. You weren't sure how much time had passed before your body started to ache from lack of movement.

You wiggled your toes which were buzzing like television static. The feeling started moving up your legs and you knew if you didn't stretch, you would later embarrass yourself trying to stand on dead legs. So that is what you did. You started moving.

First, you stretched out the muscles in your legs and then moved onto straightening your back against Finnick's chest, feeling the faint pops of your spine offer you relief. And then you started readjusting your position and wriggling your hips to fit more comfortably between Finnick's toned thighs. That was your first mistake.

"Stop moving."

You were taken aback by the rigid inflection in his tone. "What?" you asked, ignoring his warning and continuing your restless movements.

"Stop. Moving," Finnick repeated, sounding more strained.

His hold on you became stiff. Completely frozen.

You were confused. Everything was perfect a moment ago, and all you were doing was stretching—why was he being so weird and snappy?

In response, you exhaled sharply. "I'm just trying to get comf—"

"Fuck," he breathed out.

Your eyes widened and it was safe to say your stomach had flipped inside out.

That was the moment you finally realised your second mistake. The rigidness in his voice wasn't him being snappy with you at all. Not even close. He was just trying to prevent the pleasure he felt below from reaching his vocal cords.

But it was too late. It wouldn't have mattered if he managed to keep quiet because you could feel it now. The achingly hard length that was pressed against your backside, reaching all the way up to your tailbone.

"...Oh," you whispered.

"Yeah," Finnick said. "Oh."

Now it was your turn to freeze. Fear consumed you, similar to what you imagined having to remain motionless in front of tyrannosaurus rex to prevent from being eaten alive was like. Thanks to the damning wind, strands of your hair blew behind your shoulders, undoubtedly tickling the exposed skin of Finnick's chest. Even that minuscule movement had your heart threatening to explode with anxiety.

As per usual, panic wreaked havoc in your mind.

What do I do? Do I get up? How will we come back from this? Does he—

Finnick cleared his throat. "Uh, you still alive in there?" he chuckled nervously.

You felt minor relief enter your bloodstream upon hearing the normality in his voice. At least one of you was composed enough to act normally. Well, as normal as one could act after becoming hard due to their best friend sitting in their lap.

"Is it—" You swallowed the nerves rattling your voice "—is it because there's a girl sitting on your lap, or is it because it's me?"

That was the million-dollar question. Was his reaction simply biological? A natural response to stimulation? Or was it deeper than that? More personal.

Finnick was silent.

The rapid thumping in your chest moved to your ears, like a drumroll leading up to some grand reveal. You felt dizzy; both filled with dreadful anticipation and exhilaration. Your senses were so heightened, fuelled by an inane bout of adrenaline. You swore you could almost hear the gears turning in Finnick's mind, smell the smoke as they rotated over and over, trying to make sense of your question and form a suitable response.

Religion never played a factor in your life, but, oh, how you were zealously praying his answer would be the one you spent all your nights fantasising about. But still, he was silent.

And right when you believed he wasn't going to respond at all, his lips finally uttered that single life-changing word. "You."

Fireworks seemed to light up every nerve in your body. You.

You weren't sure what to make of your thoughts at first. The overwhelming abundance of emotion caused by a singular word was difficult to fathom. Only one sentiment stood out from the rest—and that was the fact that Finnick felt the same as you did for him.

It was no longer a speculation. It was a fact. A truth. An undeniable reality. You had both verbal and physicalproof, literally digging into your backside.

Finnick slowly, very slowly, unwound an arm from your torso, and you held your breath. His hand slid across your waist and then plastered itself over your hipbone, careful not to apply too much pressure to make you feel uncomfortable. When you felt the slight movement of his thumb gliding across your clothed skin, you exhaled the burning air in your lungs with a shaky sigh.

"Do you want me to get up?" you asked softly while staring at the sunset, although you were focused on anything but.

"Not a chance." And then he unwound the other arm, now cupping both sides of your hips with two large hands. The heat from his palm sank into your skin, sinking deeper layer by layer until it reached the rapid flow of your bloodstream. "Do you want to get up?"

You felt a pulsing sensation between your thighs that had your parted lips inhaling slow deep breaths, and you knew the only logical answer was no. So, you shook your head.

Finnick reached up to skilfully tuck a lock of hair behind your ear before placing his hand back on your hip. He then leaned down beside your ear, voice a hot, velvety whisper, "What next then, sweetheart?"

A wave of chills ran down your entire body.

What next? Another question for the ages. You had dreamt of this moment a million times over. You had pictured the unholiest, most vivid of scenarios, and yet here you were, mind blank as an empty void.

Then it hit you. Rather than acting from a pre-planned script, wouldn't it be better to just let your body act on what it naturally desired? On instinct? You took in a deep, stabilising breath and gave yourself into moment.

You slowly began turning your head to the side until, for the first time since he pulled you into his arms, your eyes flickered up and found Finnick's. His lips quirked with the ghost of a smile at the exchange, but he held it back. His jaw clenched and unclenched, muscles ticking with tension.

He was looking at you in a way you had never seen before. Or perhaps, you were just never close enough to notice, and he had always looked at you this way. There was a blazing intensity in his eyes, dark and penetrative, a bridge between yearning and total reverence. It was so enticing that you could feel your hands itching to undress yourself in front of him.

Finnick murmured your name.

"Yes?" you managed to whisper.

"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this?"

Those words—he had stolen them from the tip of your tongue.

You couldn't find the strength to muster any profound response. So instead, you found your head tilting back and the crook of your elbow winding up and around the nape of his neck. You didn't need to guide him down; he came willingly.

His lips caught yours in a soft, warm exchange. Singular yet prolonged. Then there was a brief pause of disconnection, a calm before the storm. And with Finnick, when it rained, it poured. Suddenly, a hand was cupping the area where your jaw and neck connected, and his lips were on yours again.

There was so much more heat in this kiss. A depth that kept growing with each connection of your lips. You could hear the fervour in the breathless exhales that exited his nose, the quiet groans that slipped into your mouth. Though the same could be said for you.

You couldn't subdue the moans and meek whimpers that leaked out. Especially when his tongue slipped into your mouth and took control over your own. At this point, you couldn't even be called putty in his arms; you were pure liquid, totally and completely submissive in his embrace.

It was impossible to tell who was throbbing beneath you anymore. All you were sure of was that the pretty lace panties you had put on that morning were now soaked. Though even if he never touched you, you wouldn't have cared. Having his lips on yours, his tongue on yours, was enough. And if he kept at it long enough, you were sure it would even be enough to get you off. That's how much power Finnick had over you.

Apparently, he felt the same too. Because when you leaned further back into him and your ass pushed against the length of his erection, his fist scrunched the fabric of your dress by your hip and his lips left yours to let out a shuddering breath.

"Fuck, sweetheart," he huffed, half chuckling.

Technically, it was a suppressed moan. Either way, you swear you almost came then and there.

With one last gentle kiss, you opened your eyes, pulling away to replenish your lungs with air. Finnick's eyes were already locked on yours in a drunken haze from the taste of your lips. Your arm unwound from his neck, grazing down his broad shoulders and bicep. During so, your eyes caught on the tiny bumps and raised hair scattered across his arm.

"You've got goosebumps," you smiled, trailing your fingertips across his skin.

His gaze moved to follow your hand, wearing a boyish grin. "Would you believe me if I said I was cold?"

Your throat buzzed with a suppressed giggle. Seeing the way his body reacted to yours was incredibly motivating. Someone telling you they lusted after you could easily be spoken with deception. But having visual confirmation, witnessing a reaction that couldn't possibly be forced, was a whole different story. Finnick's body craved you.

Given that incentive, the slight trepidation still holding you back now disappeared into the back of your mind. Your fingers curled around his wrist, dragging the hand beneath your jaw down to your neck, and then down to your chest. It didn't take him too long to figure out your intentions. He overtook your influence and autonomously moved his hand to cup your breast.

You were essentially caged in his embrace. Exactly how you wanted it.

You stared ahead with relaxed eyes, watching as the sun slipped into the dark water. Night had officially blanketed District Four and, now being shielded by darkness, the stars were your only witness. Strangely enough, you felt a new sense of shamelessness.

So as Finnick kneaded your breast in his warm hand and pinched the sensitive peak of your nipple between his thumb and forefinger through the lace of your bra, you allowed a soft moan to escape your lips.

It was almost as if you could actually feel the smirk growing across Finnick's lips behind you. One thing you actually could feel was the twitch of his achingly hard cock beneath you.

"You like that?" he asked, definitely smirking.

"Yes," you sighed almost immediately.

If only he knew how truly euphoric you felt. If only he knew how many times you had imagined being in this exact situation. Having him touching you like this. The guilt of imagining him in such a way used to eat you up. But now that you were past the guilt, there was no shame connected to the thought of Finnick eating you up.

Fuck, he would look so perfect between your thighs—bronze curls all messed up from your pulling and tugging; sea green eyes squeezed shut as he dedicated his attention to dragging you down to the pits of hell with his tongue.

Your head fell back against his collarbone. He took this as a signal to move your hair aside and start planting hot kisses onto the curve of your shoulder. Then he trailed further across, brushing his lips across your skin until he reached the side of your neck and started sucking gently, though enough to leave behind pretty little red marks of possession.

"What about this?" he murmured against the delicate skin.

The faint taste of sea-salted air sat in the back of your throat as your breaths deepened. You felt his tongue glide partially up the length of your carotid artery, and your entire nervous system seemed to short-circuit.

"Yes,"you practically whined.

He must have found this amusing because you could feel the vibrations of his chuckle against your neck. But he wasn't finished yet. Hell, the finish line was a lifetime away regarding the things he planned on doing to you. They probably couldn't all be done in one night though, unfortunately.

You had completely forgotten about the hand still splayed on your hip. Why would you pay it any attention when it was sitting idle? Only it wasn't simply resting on your hip anymore. No. Now it was moving. Moving down.

His lips were still on your neck and he was still cupping your breast, but all you could focus on was the carnal descent of his hand. He found the hem of your dress, fingers toying with the flimsy material as one did when deciding whether or not to go through with something potentially consequential. Ultimately, he began to drag the fabric up your thighs, knuckles grazing over your soft skin until the skirt of your dress was ruched around your hips.

You sucked in a sharp breath. The vulnerability of suddenly being exposed in such a manner hit you like a tonne of bricks. This was really happening. Finnick, the Capitol's darling, District Four's golden boy, and more significant;y, your best friend, was touching you. He was kissing you. He was seeing and feeling parts of your body you had never let him see or feel before.

Naturally, this unfurling web of thoughts produced a surge of insecurity.

But, when his hand curled around your inner thigh and spread a wildfire of warmth across your skin, every thought that was previously passing through your mind disintegrated and was replaced with unadulterated yearning.

Finnick's mouth finally detached from your neck to hover beside your ear. "And this?"

He lightly kneaded your thigh to emphasise his question, dangerously close to the place that undoubtedly crossed the boundary between friend and lover.

You were speechless. The desire running through your veins was paralysing. All you could do was look, see, feel, and hope to god you didn't pass out from the shallowness of your breathing.

"Come on, sweetheart," he roused in that low, seductive purr. "Don't go quiet on me now. Use your words."

And how could you ever disobey a voice like that? It took every ounce of strength and concentration you had in you, but eventually, you managed to find your voice.

"I—" You cut yourself off with a gasp as his thumb purposefully wandered up to the edge of your underwear. Asshole. "I lie awake every night imagining us like this, Finn. You don't need permission to touch me. You've already had it for months."

Suddenly, a gentle finger was turning your chin, compelling you to meet Finnick's gaze. His eyes lacked the intensity from before and were now brimming with awe, brows knitted as if he was asking for confirmation if what you had said was truthful. And it was, painfully so.

To answer his wordless question, you leaned forward and connected your lips with his. He responded with ardency, and not long after, you could feel his hand wander up to the waistband of your panties. 

He wasted not a second before dipping his hand beneath the lace material and finding that sensitive spot that had been begging for his attention.

Your lips separated from his to let out a breathy moan. "Finnick."

He simply smiled, two fingers rubbing circles around your clit. He pressed gentle coaxing kisses to your lips, and you really did try to respond, but you were never one for multitasking. Especially when the man you had fallen in love with was touching you so.

His other hand wandered across your torso, holding your waist, grazing over your stomach, tracing the length of your sternum. All very loving adorations compared to what his other hand was doing.

"I think I'm going to hell because of you," he murmured, millimetres away from your lips. Such a disconcerting thing for someone to admit, but all you could manage was a hum in response. "Every time I see you, I can feel myself getting closer and closer. You derange my thoughts, sweetheart. You corrupt them.

How am I supposed to be around you if I want to fuck you every time you say my name? And what makes it so much more impossible is that you don't even mean to make me feel this way; you just do. God, you're maddening. So sweet and maddening," he cooed, fingers picking up in pace which caused you to melt back into his chest and let out a pretty little moan. "Drives me crazy."

"And to think," you managed, "I thought you had your hands between my legs because you hated me."

Your hips were rolling lightly along with the rhythm of his fingers.

At the very same time Finnick's thighs tensed around your hips from the friction against his cock, he abruptly plunged two fingers inside you. Punishment.

The moan you let out was positively filthy.

"Such an attitude you have," he said. "Anyone would think you're completely innocent in a dress like this. But I know better than that." His fingers slid in and out, curling every time the base of his fingers bottomed out inside of you. "I know exactly why you wore it. Just like I know exactly why you wore those lace panties you pretend that I can't see whenever you bend over."

Heat crept up into your cheeks from hearing his words. You wanted to provoke him by saying 'And look where it got me'but who knew how his fingers would respond to your attitude.

"You can't do that to a man," he continued. "It's criminal."

"It's only fair, Finn," you breathed out, struggling to keep your voice level. "You ruined me."

A deep moan rumbled in his chest, though it never escaped. He couldn't break that easily. He needed to remain in control. This moment, to him, seemed like an eternity forthcoming. He needed to make the most of this moment with you, needed to show you what it was like to receive earth-shattering pleasure so that you only ever wanted to receive it from him. No one else.

Despite his obvious attempts at keeping himself in check, you could still feel his thick impatient cock twitch beneath your ass. Even through the layers of clothing between you, you could tell that he was incredibly big. So much so that it worried you a little. Only, when his fingers curled again, you forgot all about it.

The pads of his fingertips buried into your inner walls with every curl. The heel of his palm struck your clit with every thrust of his fingers and you could feel your stomach start tightening. Fuck, he was amazing at this.

It had been so long since someone had touched you like this. Well, someone that was actually good at it. Just a few minutes and Finnick was already about to make you come.

"Feels so good, so—ah—good!" you moaned, eyes fluttering shut.

He reached a free hand up to your breast, lightly pinching your nipple between his fingers until you let out a gasp. At least one of you was good at multitasking.

"You gonna come?" he asked, not that he even needed an answer. He could feel the way your walls were contracting around his fingers, feel the sticky warmth of your slick leaking onto his knuckles.

You nodded fervently.

"Say please first."

"Finn," you whined in frustration.

You could hear him chuckle self-satisfyingly behind you. "Come on, baby. Sweet girls are supposed to have manners, aren't they?"

His low, husky voice almost threw you over the edge. Oh, how you would love to listen to the sound of him talking you through your orgasm. That is if he ever even let you get to that point.

Never had you ever thought you would be pleading with a man for anything, yet here you were. Though, Finnick Odair could hardly be called a man. He was so much more than that; he was bordering on divinity. And you weren't going to miss the chance of being unravelled at the hands of a divine being.

"Please, Finnick," you begged, your body literally buzzing with desperation. "Please make me come."

He pressed a kiss below your earlobe. "Since you asked so nicely."

His fingers picked up in pace. They weren't even plunging in and out anymore but were rather curling, over and over again in that electrifying spot inside you. He went hard and fast, working to bring you to your high as quickly as possible. Your moans were so unrestrained, so breathless and shallow that you started to feel the world spin around you.

Your hand flew back to hold onto his arm, nails digging into the hard muscles of his bicep. Your hips were writhing in Finnick's lap and you could hear him groan out a string of curses. He held you down by the hip to try and keep you still, then moved across to the bottom of your abdomen where he pressed down.

That is what did it for you.

You cried out as tightness spread down your stomach and pure ecstasy took control. Finnick murmured words of praise and reassurance as you rode through your high, though a lot of it didn't register in your mind. You heard only a few bits and pieces which were enough to prolong the feeling that was overwhelming your entire body.

"Taking it so well."

"That's it, sweetheart. That's it."

"Such a good girl."

As the waves of pleasure slowly began to subside, you returned to reality. The heat that had been building up inside you started melting away, leaving you in a state of relaxation. Your fingers, which previously clung onto Finnick's arm, now grazed absentmindedly across his skin. It felt like you had been sucked into a dream—a little hazy and surreal, but incredibly tranquil.

"You okay?" Finnick asked softly.

You hadn't even noticed that his fingers had left your body. He had pulled down the hem of your dress— not that your dignity really needed saving anymore—and was holding your melted figure in his arms.

"Mm," you hummed contently, eyes fixed on the view in front of you. "Warmed up."

If only you were able to see his face, his smile. Those dimples. A powerful longing to be able to see every expression known to man morph his facial features washed over you. It was a little ridiculous how attracted to him you were. Nonetheless, you indulged the desire.

You pushed yourself from his lap and pivoted to face him

You were straddling his lap before any ounce of hesitation could hold you back. Finnick circled his arms around your waist, pulling you closer into his chest. He was smiling. He was smiling and it was even more beautiful than any sunset you had ever witnessed. You concluded that you had definitely made the right choice in deciding to face him.

"Hi," you whispered.

He smiled. "Hey, stranger."

He brushed back a few pieces of hair from your face, observing the blown size of your pupils and the sultry colour of your lips. He did that—he could not get over the fact that he did that to you. Finally.

You shrunk away from his gaze, a timid smile on your lips.

Finnick tilted his head slightly. "Shy thing."

You buried your face into the side of his neck, groaning quietly in embarrassment. You could hear the perfect sound of him laughing above you. He stroked the length of your spine, somehow managing to ease the nerves from your body with a simple touch. You left a quick kiss on the warm skin of his neck and rose back up to meet his gaze.

"Feeling better?"

"Much," you replied, sheepishly. Your eyes flickered across Finnick's, hesitated, and then gestured downwards. "But... you're not." His head tilted as though he were confused as to what you were suggesting, so you leaned in closer until your lips ghosted over his. "Still need to take care of you."

A breath of warm air fanned across your face as he chuckled. He shook his head. "It's alright. I can hold off for another time."

And although the prospect of doing this again another time was downright exhilarating, you couldn't ignore the palpable heat still lingering in your lower stomach, throbbing between your thighs. You could only imagine how he must have been feeling—cock throbbing with a need for relief, though ready to deny himself the same amount of pleasure he just gave you.

You suddenly curled a hand around the back of his neck and brought him into a slow kiss. To show him he was allowed to indulge himself. That you wanted him to. You ground your hips down on his lap and felt his lips falter against yours.

You pulled back and echoed your previous words, "It's only fair, Finn."

Time seemed to pause for a moment. Your breath and his mixed with one another in a sort of hot whirlwind of anticipation. Your bodies were still. Finnick's eyes were half-lidded staring at your mouth.

Then came the explosion.

His hands were hastily tugging your sundress over your head; his lips were on yours as he reached down between your bodies to unbutton his pants. It felt like a race against time. Like if you didn't do this now, the chance would never come by again. Hell, his pants hadn't even made it off his legs before he was holding himself in his hand and you were rising to your knees, positioning yourself directly above his length.

Your lips never left his, strenuous as it was, meaning the only gauge you got of how big he was wasn't from seeing it, but from feeling it as you pulled your panties aside, guided his cock to your entrance with one hand, and felt the entire veiny length of him fill you completely as you lowered yourself onto him.

A quiet, synchronised gasp left both your lips as you enveloped him completely in wet velvety warmth. His pelvis was connected with yours and his cock was pressed right up against your cervix. So incredibly deep, you could almost feel him in your stomach.

You stayed like this for a few seconds.

"So big," you gasped against his lips.

His hands were on your back, dragging up and down. "Want to stop?"

"Never."

This was so not what friends did.

He trailed kisses from your mouth, to your jaw, and down to your neck. You were grinding sinuously back and forth, Finnick's hands now on your hips as a guide, feeling his tip bury into the sensitive walls inside you. Your head fell back with a gratified moan as he nipped your neck unforgivingly, only to soothe the spots he marked with the glide of his tongue.

At that moment, the past and future were of no significance. The idea that doing this might ruin your relationship with him afterwards didn't concern you. You didn't bother recollecting a time when you and Finnick were merely friends, nor did you ponder how you even managed to reach this point.

All you could focus on was how fucking perfect his cock felt inside of you.

The cold, which was previously a nuisance, now served as a stimulant to your nipples which were only covered by the thin unpadded material of your lace bra. They were bouncing with every movement you made, the hard peaks rubbing against Finnick's chest and creating a triangle of pleasure between them and the depravity that was happening further below.

He was so hungry in the way he kissed you. His lips were soft, but they moved with heat and determination. His tongue was supple as it pushed against yours, moving masterfully in a way you could only compare to how he swam in the ocean. A conqueror—able to bring you into submission with ease.

You pushed yourself upwards, the muscles in your thighs slightly burning as you did so, and felt his cock glide through you. He inhaled harshly through his nose when his tip almost left your wet heat, and then groaned into your mouth when your hips sunk back down, engulfing him once again.

"Shit," he almost whined as your walls clenched around him. "I fuckinglove you."

You pulled away to look him in the eyes. It was incredibly difficult for you to contemplate his words—his confession—when he was, what, eight or so inches deep inside you?

He didn't look like he regretted saying it. He was simply staring at you with raised brows pinched together in pleasure, awaiting your response as you continued your sequence of rising and sinking to fill yourself up with his cock.

"You love me?" you asked in a laboured breath. He only nodded in response. You sank fully down onto his lap, discontinuing your movements, willing him to prove his so-declared devotion. "Then show me."

He was breathing heavily and watching you through strands of sea-salted hair messily splayed across his forehead. He was so beautiful it actually kind of hurt to look at him. His eyes fell to your mouth during this brief amnesty, a decision prominent in his mind. Then he was rushing forward, crushing his lips to yours and forcing your body to lay back on the mat beneath you.

Finnick somehow managed to remain inside you as he switched your positions—him now above you as your legs were wrapped around his waist. His body pinned you down with a comfortable weight, skin warm and flush against yours.

He was overpowering and dominating, and his thrusts were laced with a sense of appropriation like he was making you his. The slow grinds of his hips were hard yet measured and so breathtakingly deep, and the gentle upwards curve of his cock made sure his tip was prodding against that swollen pleasure-inducing spot every single time.

His kisses were sensual and slow; his tongue slipping languidly into your mouth, swirling and massaging your tongue like it was made of pure silk.

You had told him what to do—now he was showing you. Finnick Odair wasn't fucking you. He was making love to you.

Your hands were on his back, fingertips leaving red marks on the curves of his shoulder blades. You moved up to his hair, scratching your nails softly into his scalp, which earned you a soft moan in your mouth. Even you could feel yourself pulsing around his cock. Everything he did, every sound and action he made, had your body yielding to him.

His hand pulled you up into him by the waist, arching your back off the palm-leaf mat so that he was thrusting more profoundly into that blissful spot inside you. He never sped up his pace. He didn't need to. He was savouring the moment as much as he could, memorising each warm ripple of your walls his cock glided over inside you, every intoxicating moan your soft lips released, the pressure of your warm supple thighs hugging his waist.

He was committing every aspect of you to memory. Inside and out.

Having that knowledge only made the moment so much more pleasurable. Knowing that he wasn't just thinking about you with his cock, but was thinking about you with his heart too.

That feeling started creeping up inside you—the blissful burn of heat pooling in your lower stomach. It made your walls flutter around him. Made you whine and moan uncontrollably into his mouth until you couldn't focus on kissing him anymore and had to pull away.

Your head fell back onto the mat, hair strewn out around you. The sounds coming out of you were pure sin. Desperate, greedy sin.

Finnick chuckled adoringly above you. "Too fucked out, sweetheart?"

He couldn't exactly talk. The second you clenched around him again, he groaned out a curse and you—the parts of your mind that were still relatively comprehensible—were sure you could feel the warmth of pre-cum ooze inside you.

"Finnick," you mewled, and he caressed the baby hairs framing your face. "Feels so good. Should—should've done this sooner."

Through your half-lidded eyes, you watched as he nodded and then descended to your forehead, pressing his lips tenderly against your skin. I know, the gesture said. You felt a rush of affection flood through your body, ultimately accelerating the build-up happening inside you.

You could feel yourself teetering so impossibly close to the brink of your orgasm. The tightness inside you was so hot and overwhelming; it was a struggle for you to keep your eyes from fluttering shut and rolling back, though you willed yourself to keep them open. You had to.

Watching Finnick's face contort with pleasure as he's thrown into his own high from feeling your walls contract around him would probably be the highlight of your entire life.

"So beautiful," he cooed as he thrusted into you. "My sweet girl's gonna come, isn't she? Can feel it."

The words flew out of your mouth. "Come inside me."

"Come inside you?"

You were pretty sure he was mocking you from the devilish curve of his lips and furrow of his brows. But your lust-drunk brain didn't really care.

"Please. Wanna feel you—" Your chest heaved with each breath "—everywhere."

Finnick was so obviously trying to keep himself from giving in before you. But you could see how delirious his eyes were as they stared down at you and you heard how every low, gratified—frustratingly sexy—sound he made betrayed him. He was so close.

"Anything for you, sweetheart," he said, finally.

He managed to unhook your hands from around his back and guided them upwards, holding your wrists together above your head with one hand before he brought his other back to your waist. It was oddly romantic how he held you, given that he was fucking you like life after that night wasn't guaranteed.

And then, without warning, he was pounding into you, bottoming out completely with each thrust.

It was almost animalistic now—how you were both unable to control yourselves anymore. You were writhing beneath him, impulsively fighting against the grip he had on your wrists. And Finnick, well, he was fucking you so hard, you weren't sure if walking home that night would be a possibility.

He was a disaster of pleasured vocals, deep moans, and heavy breaths. You thanked the absolute heavens he was because it was the most beautiful sound you had ever heard in your entire life.

When your own moans started to rise in pitch, you knew you were done for. You felt so full. Stretched out to the max. Blinded by the heat that was drowning you. But your eyes managed to remain clear and locked on Finnick's the entire time, just as his were on yours.

With a fleeting glance downward, he once again placed a large hand over your abdomen and pushed down, and your back arched off the ground.

You were gone.

"Oh fuck!"

The heat, white and fiery, had consumed you. Your thighs tensed uncontrollably around Finnick, your body shaking beneath him as your insides pulsed all the way down to your stuffed entrance. White, sticky sweetness covered Finnick's cock as he continued to thrust into you, the wet sounds overpowering the waves cresting on the sands. It felt like fucking heaven.

He let out a moan, broken and breathless, and released the grip he had on your hands. In that short moment, you instantly gripped onto him, feeling his body shudder beneath your hands as his throbbing cock spurted out ropes of warmth deep inside you, the essence of both of you mixing inside your body, making you one.

You pulled him down and crushed your lips to his with a sudden intense urge to be as close to him as you could, if it were even possible to be any closer to him at that point. It felt a little spiritual, the way you practically wanted to merge your body with his. That's what having sex with someone you truly loved was like, you supposed.

The kiss was sloppy and messy, but it never lacked heat or affection. Lacking heat was impossible between you and Finnick.

A lot of time passed before either of you even contemplated pulling away from one another. Finnick was inside you for what must have been a good half hour after you had both finished. It felt close. Deeply intimate. He held you in his arms, his hands mapping out various parts of your body with unhurried measure as you lay beneath him, lazily yet affectionately making out with warm, reddened lips.

There were quiet giggles and heated words whispered between you that would have prompted another session had either of you been graced with the energy.

But it was late. The remnants of the sun had long since disappeared beneath the horizon, dimming the sky to a deep dark blue, the world's only source of illumination being the stars casting their sparkling light on the rippling water.

It was a new moon.

Eventually, you ended up laying over his chest, legs strewn across his as you both faced the ocean. Your head rose and fell with each breath Finnick took and it felt unreal. 

You were momentarily worried your infatuation with him had grown too out of hand and you had imagined the whole day, or perhaps, the entire time you had known him. That it was all a figment of your vivid imagination.

Then, his warm hand slid into your own, which was draped across his stomach, and you knew that this, the newfound relationship between you and Finnick, was undeniably and rapturously real.

He slowly lifted them together above your bodies, palms flat against one another. There was a notable size difference between them—his palm was large and calloused with long fingers that squared off at the tips, meanwhile, your own fist could probably fit into his palm.

Your fingers danced delicately together as you both watched from below. He traced the length of your fingers with his fingertips; followed the etches in your palm, and turned your hand to explore the protrusions of your knuckles. There was a certain gentle curiosity in his touch, similar to that of someone who was discovering the act of human connection for the first time.

"I don't know if I can walk home," you whispered.

Finnick lowered your interlocked hands to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to your knuckles before placing them back on his stomach. "I'll carry you."

"For an entire hour?"

"I'll manage," he said, "I've got muscles."

You scoffed quietly to yourself, smiling. "Ok, big strong man."

"Says the girl who needs to be carried home."

"Well, you are kind of the one to blame for that."

You tilted your head to glance up at him and found exactly what you were expecting to see. He was wearing a proud grin, all apple cheeks and crinkled eyes. It was something you had come to adore, even though sometimes it was out of arrogance.

Your head turned to rest back on his chest. You watched as his thumb caressed slow circles over your knuckle.

"What you said before," you began, "is it true? Do you really... love me?"

The heart beating beneath your ear genuinely sounded like it skipped a beat. You imagined that was a good sign, though your nerves were still a little frayed. What if he had only said it because of the heat of the moment?

A beat went by. "I've been trying to tell you ever since I first wove the mat for you," he confessed, his voice quiet yet holding the weight of the history that made up your friendship.

There it was—the truth laid bare. Despite hearing the words, it didn't really change anything. You suspected deep down you knew the entire time; you were just too self-doubting to accept it. To accept that Finnick Odair, the crown jewel of Panem, had fallen in love with you, an ordinary girl from District Four who just so happened to meet him at a secret beach.

Although, there was a sensation you remember upon first meeting him. That instinct that had told you to stay instead of running away, as any logical human being would do upon being approached by a stranger in the middle of nowhere. That instinct, despite sounding utterly ridiculous, caused you to believe that perhaps it was fate.

Maybe you were destined to meet. Maybe it didn't matter that he was a nationwide celebrity, nor you a simple town girl. Maybe your souls were entwined from the start and, one way or another, you would have met anyway.

Maybe.

"That's a long time," you said.

He laughed. "Yeah, well, I thought you would've gotten the hint by now."

And you couldn't help but join him. You thought you were the one who was deranged out of their mind. Here Finnick was telling you he had spent an entire year trying to confess his love without you even realising.

"I'm sorry it took me so long."

"It's alright," he said, earnestly. "I'd say it worked out pretty well. I mean, look where your obliviousness got us."

You smiled. Your legs were tangled with Finnick's; his arm was holding you tightly against his bare upper body, and his fingers were lovingly tracing over yours. Yeah, you were pretty grateful for your obliviousness sometimes. A new pair of underwear might have been something to consider, though.

A silence settled between you, comfortable, peaceful. Being in Finnick's embrace almost made you forget entirely about the reality of your existence—the Games, the dominion over Panem, the chaotic environment back home. It was the reason you had set off last year in search of a place away from society.

You had now found that the escape you were looking for wasn't a place or a hidden paradise, but a person. It was Finnick.

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

The trees and palm leaves danced in the light breeze. Waves lapped on the shore.

You angled your head back to look at Finnick and felt him pull you closer. His expression was a picture of relaxation and contentment. His eyes gazed down at you, glimmering with the reflection of scattered stars in the night sky, just like the sea in front of you.

He seemed to already know what you were going to say. Always the mind reader.

"Say it, sweetheart." The corners of his lips twitched expectantly.

Sweetheart. Oh, how could you have ever felt for him in any other way?

"I love you too."

His face broke into one of the happiest smiles you had ever seen.

...roll credits

[dawndelion-winery]

Thanks for the Flowers

You send them a little prank thank you text with flowers they never sent

Ft: Alhaitham, Arlechinno, Childe, Scaramouche, Wriothesley

Alhaitham:

You thought it would be a funny prank to send him a stock image of flowers and a small thank you

"Glad you like them."

He smiles to himself, but then immediately deleted his message when he sees the attached image

That wasn't the bouquet he sent

His smile drops so fast because who exactly is sending you flowers apart from him?

"Throw those out, they aren't from me. Don't you like the one I sent more? I got your favourites, my love."

He gives the house a cursory scan the moment he steps in through the front door

It's only after you've given him his welcome home kiss and a hug that he starts looking for the bouquet for some trace of who the sender might be

At first he doesn't believe you when you say it's a prank because he wouldn't put it past you to just want to allay his worries

He'll come around though, and then he's annoyed

"That's childish and you know it, you can have my attention if you just ask for it."

Arlechinno:

This is her sign to publicly announce that you're with her because this sort of idiocy wouldn't be an issue if people knew you were spoken for

Initially chuckles to herself as she glares at the offending image

"Do you like them?"

Of course she's not telling you the weren't from her if you like them

The poor sucker who sent them to you deserves no credit anyway

If anything, they deserve her personal thanks for helping her gift you something!

Of course she needs to know their name and face to express her gratitude in person <33

In a totally genuine and non-threatening way (lie)

She ends up coming home late that day, having scared off any of your potential suitors just to be safe

"Had some unsavoury business come up, dearest, sorry to keep you waiting. Have you had dinner yet? No? Shall we dine together?"

She never brings it up though, so you sorta forget to ever tell her it was a joke

Childe:

At first he doesn't process that he didn't send you the flowers

It's not like he doesn't pay attention, but he has his subordinates send you so much stuff as he comes across it that it's really hard to keep track

For all he knows it might have been something he came across and spontaneously thought of you liking it

And your likes were pretty much needs to him

"Love you, my pookie <33"

And then he stows his phone away

Only to remember he hasn't gotten you any flowers that day

"My honey drumlet darling-kins, there doesn't happen to be a note attached to the flowers, is there?"

When you insist that no, there isn't, and you've checked thoroughly, he makes a mental note to look into anyone who's ever had a crush on you

For a friendly spar, of course!

He just needs to make sure his competition is even worth noting (they aren't)

He comes home, thoroughly disappointed that none of them could even hold their own against him - few even dared to try, scared shitless by the sudden appearance of a harbinger demanding they fight

Sweaty and tired, he's all over you, whining about his day and how everyone wants you and can't take a hint that you're so happy with him ("You are, aren't you? I'm your favourite.")

Of course you cave and tell him it was only a prank

He scowls at first, but then breaks out giggling as he buried his face in the crook of your neck

"It doesn't really matter because I think they're all scared of me anyway. Some of them took one look at me and blanched. Unlike you, of course; the sight of me excites you, doesn't it?"

Ah. There's your bastard ginger.

Scaramouche:

"Wrong number, I think you meant to text your side hoe."

Sends you the most unbothered replies

Is actually overthinking

He knows logically this is most likely a joke because he swears he has seen that bouquet somewhere on the internet when looking for flower arrangement inspiration

But what if it's just a really similar layout and someone actually did send it to you?

Horrible. He doesn't want to think about it

But of course he does anyway

Brings you flowers because he planned to sneakily replace the stranger's bouquet

Wriothesley:

"Honey, please tell me this is a joke."

Seething inside

Who in their right mind dared to covet you while you were happily dating him??

Don't even try evade his interrogation, he needs to know every detail

From the exact time the flowers were sent to the arrangement and paper quality

Don't mind him, it's just a small investigation he'll carry out in his free time

The sooner you come clean the better

Not that you'll go unpunished...but hey, confessing to your crimes must at least lighten the sentence, yeah?

Taglist: @ryuryuryuyurboat @yinyinggie @mx-kamisato @chaosinanutshell @haliyarobin @irethepotato @boundedbyfate @favonius-captain @aqui-soba @tiredsleep @sadlonelybagel @mastering-procrastinating @lemeowade

[thefallennightmare]

Miracle-one

(gif created by me, the fallen nightmare. feel free to use, simply give credit)

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Reader

Warnings/Tropes: forced proximity, slight enemies to lovers, slow burn, smut, angst, fluff, mentions of death, and swearing.

Summary: Reader is the merch girl for Bad Omens. It wasn't what she wanted to do with her life but when her mother got sick with Alzheimer's, reader took a job where she could to help with the costs. She thought it would be a one-time gig but the longer she was on the road with them, the harder she fell for Noah Sebastian; even if he wanted nothing to do with her. She needed a miracle to save her mom and her future.

Authors Note: Here we go! Tags are open if anyone is interested!

Tags:

"Mom, do you need anything before I leave?" I asked my mom, who was sitting on the couch in our living room.

Her eyes were cold and vacant as she watched the television, well tried to anyway. It didn't matter if she paid attention to whatever was on, she would forget in a while. When she didn't respond, I sighed and brushed the graying hair out of her face which caused her to look up at me, finally.

No hint of recognition in those vacant eyes.

"Who are you?"

Her words chipped away at the stone wall I had around my heart as I blew out a shaky breath.

"Y/N. I'm your daughter," I said while kneeling in front of her.

Even with my name spoken, my mother didn't recognize me.

It's been like this for the last six months since she first received her Alzheimer's diagnosis. It was farther than we would have liked and the doctor said that her health would decline fast. She forgot who I was one month after her diagnosis and the bad days were more so than the good days. From the second I woke up till the very moment I lay in bed for the night I spent the day taking care of her until recently. My job was going to pick up again which meant I would leave her for about five weeks.

I was terrified to leave her alone especially for that long. There was this great company that I can have a live in nurse take care of her while I'm gone but when I looked into pricing, I nearly had a heart attack. We did okay money wise. After my dad passed away a few years ago, he left us a decent cushion. The house was paid off a very long time ago which helped on the bills; except the medical bills.

Every drug, every trial, and every visit burned deeper into my pockets and now the overdue bill's kept pilling up on our kitchen table. My job paid good enough where I could fill our fridge with groceries and take care of the smaller things but even that couldn't help with the bigger things. I thought about asking for a small raise but the fear of having to tell one of my boss' why was daunting so I never did.

Which is where I was headed now. I had to help get everything ready before we hit the road for the tour. My heart fluttered knowing I would see him tonight.

"Y/N," my mom raised a brow. "I'm sorry, I don't know a Y/N."

I swallowed the lump in my throat then gave her knee a squeeze. "I should only be gone for a few hours. My phone number is writing on the piece of paper next to the house phone."

I pointed to the table next to her where said phone and paper was. My mom tracked it with her vacant eyes and nodded.

"Just watch your show and before you know it, I'll be back. Alright?"

She said nothing, merely watched the television, so I stood straight, giving her shoulder a squeeze and left the house. I wasn't the one to pray so instead I whispered out into the world my words repeatedly.

"She will be fine. She can handle herself for a few hours."

I walked into the large warehouse hearing laugher and voices carry which eased my worries of leaving my mom alone. No one I worked with knew about my mom and I planned to keep it that way. Davis smiled at me when I walked over to the large table he was standing in front of, a large array of shirts, hats, and sweaters lay on top of it.

"Think it'll be enough?" I asked as I started helping him fold everything into sections.

Davis shrugged. "It's always good to have extra than not enough."

"The new designs look sick," I said.

"Thanks," Davis smiled while bumping his shoulder with me.

While Davis and everyone else who worked for the band had important jobs, mine wasn't anything even close to important. The only reason I got the job was because Davis and I went to high school together. We weren't best friends but stayed in touch. He's also the only one who knows something is going on back home but never knew exactly what; which is why he recommended the job for me. He knew I was desperate for money.

I was the merch girl for Bad Omens and the vocalist absolutely despised it.

Maybe it was because I never asked him for the job or the slack that merch girls always get. They only have the job so they can hook up with members of the band. Which was the absolute last thing I wanted to do; even if he was breathtakingly handsome.

As if her could sense my thoughts about him, his ethereal voice echoed throughout the warehouse and my breath caught in my throat. I looked over my shoulder and saw him standing at the back of a large truck, the one where the merch and other things for the new tour will go.

The smile that graced Noah Sebastian's face brightened everything dark and scary in my mind for a few moments and I reveled in the way my heart skipped a beat whenever he was near.

"You're staring."

Turning back to Davis, I scoffed and went back to work of stuffing the boxes. "I am not."

"Are you actually going to talk to him this tour? Last one you barley said three words to him," he said.

"I would if he wasn't such an asshole towards me. I didn't even do anything to deserve the cold shoulder."

Davis sighed while letting a large pile fall into the box at our feet, a lot messier than the ones I had been packing. I gave him a narrowed gaze of annoyance, one he ignored.

"Don't take it personal. Noah is quiet. I'm sure if you tried to talk to him, you'd find out he's a great guy," Davis suggested.

"I'd rather chew broken glass," I muttered.

I'd work with Bad Omens and crew for about almost a year now and in that time, Noah and I spoke less than ten words to each other. While on the last tour, I kept to myself not knowing anyone besides Davis which might have put me off to Noah. He probably thought I didn't care about getting to know anyone else here; which wasn't true. I had other things on my mind.

Like wondering how I was going to pay my mom's medical bills.

"New designs look sick, Davis."

My shoulders stiffened at the deep voice, his scent filling all of my senses. I could see Noah out of the corner of my eye while I continued to fold the shirts and sweaters. His gaze burned into the side of my head before falling to the messy pile of clothes in the box.

"You're not going to leave it like that, are you?" Noah raised a brow.

I audibly choked on my spit at him blaming me for that mess.

"No, I was planning on leaving it like that. I mean what's the point of folding everything perfect when it's just going to be packed in a box," I replied dryly while holding up the pile of clothes I had been folding.

Something flashed in his dark eyes, the corner of his lips pulling up slightly.

"She does speak."

"Oh, fuck off Noah. I'm not in the mood," I snapped while giving him my back.

Davis let out a low whistle before taking the now full box of merch to the truck, leaving Noah and I alone. It might have been a bad idea snapping at him like that but it was true. I was dealing with a lot at home so the last thing I needed was bullshit from him.

"Did you break up with your boyfriend?"

The shirt I was folding fell onto the table at his words. Boyfriend? I didn't have one; I never did.

"I don't have a boyfriend," I muttered, fingers toying with the fabric of the shirt.

Noah hummed while leaning against the table next to me. He sat facing everything behind me while I stood facing the wall behind him.

"Davis didn't want to go out with you?" He pressed with a sly smirk.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my growing anger at bay. I already snapped at him once, I couldn't risk my job my doing it again.

"Davis and I are just friends. I don't think of him like that and I'm sure the feelings are mutual."

"Good," Noah nodded. "Because the last thing I need is you distracting someone on the crew because of a little crush."

My eyes snapped over to him, flaring with fury. "What is your problem with me, Noah? If you don't want me here, just fire me so you can stop wasting my time and yours."

With how much taller he was than me, even sitting on the edge of the table Noah towered over me as he leaned closer. His warm breath fanned across my face as I peered up at him. Even with my fury, my heart hammered hard against my chest with our proximity, something I hope Noah couldn't hear.

"Trust me, angel. You'd know if I was wasting my time with you."

He watched me for a few moments before walking away; him taking the warmth that cocooned around me away with him. I blinked long after he left, trying to let his words process in my mind. What the hell did he mean by that?

But suddenly, his pet name for me was the only thing at the forefront of my mind and I wasn't sure if I liked the way my body reacted to it; heat spreading from my heart straight down between my legs, core aching with need.

For the next little while, I worked alone finishing up folding all the merch and when I had four boxes stuffed full; I began bringing them over to the truck. On my way back with my third box, I saw Noah and Nick Folio standing at the back of the truck, laughing about something I didn't know. I ignored the way my stomach warmed at seeing the large smile on Noah's face as I walked past him up the ramp of the truck.

Folio noticed how I could barley see over the box and reached out for it.

"Hey, Y/N. Need some help?" He asked.

I let him take it with a small smile. "Thanks, Folio."

Unlike Noah, I spoke to the other members of the band and crew. I wouldn't say we were close but more than strangers.

"How many more do you have?" He asked as he set down the box next to the others.

"Just one. I can get it though, I don't want to distract you."

As the last few words came from lips, I made sure to lock my eyes with Noah, who was watching me with bright eyes, arms crossed over his chest. The way his eyes glinted with the setting sun almost made a smile break out on my face.

Almost.

Folio looked between Noah and I before letting out a low chuckle. "If you guys go the whole tour with this tension, something is going to explode before it ends."

I shook my head. "There's no tension."

"Right," Folio clicked his tongue. "And I play guitar for Bad Omens."

The sarcasm in his voice wasn't missed and with a sigh, I left the two of them back to whatever they were doing before I interpreted. The only tension, if there was any, between Noah and me was hate. He never liked me even from my first day. So why would I bother being nice to him when he didn't give a shit about me?

After the last box was loaded into the truck, I began walking back into the warehouse to see if Davis needed me for anything else when my phone rang.

"Mom?" I spoke when I saw the caller I.D.

Noah was walking inside the warehouse with Nick Ruffilo, laughing that beautiful laugh, so not wanting him to hear my conversation I held back away from them.

"Who is this?"

I sighed while pinching my eyes shut. "Mom, it's Y/N. You called me. Is everything alright?"

"Oh." There was a long beat of silence on the other line before some rustling came through. "I was hungry and wanted to make something to eat."

"NO!" I yelled into the phone.

Noah turned to look at my sudden outburst but I didn't bother to look at him, the fear of wondering if my mom turning on the stove filled me.

"Did you turn on the stove?" I asked.

"No, there's a note saying not too. Which is why I called."

I swallowed the sob that almost crawled out of my throat.

"Okay, good." I nodded. "I'm almost done at work. I'll pick up some pizza on the way home. You like pizza."

Another long beat of silence.

"Alright. I'll go back to watching my show."

"Good, I'll be home soon. Love you mom."

The line clicked off before I even finished speaking and I stared at my phone with a long breath. If she had turned on the stove, things would have been a lot worse. A few weeks ago while I was taking a nap, my mom tried to cook something and forgot about it, letting it blaze up in flames and when she tried to extinguish it, she burned her hand pretty bad. So since that day, I had a large note tapped to the front panel of the oven saying not to use it.

Thank goodness I did.

"Everything alright?"

I jumped slightly at the deep voice and quickly wiped away the stress tears that burned at the corners of my eyes before turning on my heels. Noah stood in front of me with his hands buried deep into the pocket of his black hoodie. My hands itched to run through the messy strands of his face but I held back.

"Uh, yeah. I loaded all the boxes up in the truck. Is there anything else you want me to do?"

His gaze took over my chest rising and falling rapidly with each deep breath I took and I knew he noticed the tears that gathered in the edge of my eyes.

"If you could-."

My phone rang again, interrupting Noah, and I apologized with a sheepish frown. When I saw the unknown number, I excused myself from him and answered.

"Hello?"

"Is this Ms. Y/L/N?"

"Yeah, who is this?"

"This is Chief Reynolds with the Los Angeles fire department."

My heart fell out of my ass and I stumbled out an incoherent sentence, forgetting that Noah was still standing behind me.

"What happened?" I finally managed out.

"We have a Mrs. Y/L/N here at your residence."

I rapidly nodded even though the Chief couldn't see. "That's my mom. Is she alright?"

"Well, it seems as if she tried to cook something on your stove and let the gas burn. A neighbor called in a strong smell of gas. It seems as if she had it burning for a while."

"Oh fuck," I groaned while running a hand through my hair. "Is she alright?"

"Yes, we tested her for any effects of the gas but she seems fine. We opened some windows to air it out. You shouldn't have any issues."

I spoke to him for a few more seconds before thanking him and hanging up. Fucking hell, she tried to cook something and damn near exposed herself to gas. I left her for two hours, how the fuck was I supposed to leave her for five weeks?

"Do you need to leave?"

I jumped, hand over my chest when I suddenly remembered Noah was still standing behind me. For the first time in almost a year of knowing him, I saw concern in his eyes as he looked at me.

"Uh, a small emergency at home. I have to go take care of it," I said.

Noah nodded. "Yeah, go ahead. Did you have a ride set up for Saturday?"

I cursed, almost forgetting that in two days we were leaving for tour. I needed the money but also couldn't bear the idea of leaving my mom alone.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I was going to ride on the crews bus."

"I hope things are alright," he said while motioning to my car in the parking lot.

"Thanks," I grumbled before jogging over to the car, not wanting to leave my mom alone for a second longer.

[incarnadin3]

How Obey Me Brothers realized they were in love with MC: Part Two, Mammon

A/N: Omg thank you so much for so many notes on Part One! I literally am so happy! Thank you so so much! Anyways, I got this idea from another creator who made a story of how MC favored Mammon because I think she also faced that back home, and when Mammon scores well but everyone continues to bully him, they live with Diavolo until the brothers apologized. I forget their username so if anyone knows do let me know!

Mammon: The Scummy Secondborn

Being known as the Avatar of Greed meant that nobody trusted you, even if you has good intentions.

Mammon was quite used to this, to be the punching bag of the family, the one who's intentions were always judged.

Mammon wasn't dumb, in fact he was quite smart, but he just didn't really focus on his academics too much.

But that didn't mean that he didn't score well every once in a while.

It was just that everybody, especially Lucifer, assumed he for 1. Cheated, and 2. Only scored well because he must've fucked something up.

Today, the results for a very important exam had come out, and Mammon was one of the top students, just under Lucifer and Satan.

But recently, Lucifer had frozen Goldie yet again, so everybody assumed that was the reason why.

"96? 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘥…𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 96 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴! 𝘚𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯, 𝘥𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳…"

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴…𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘦! 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘺𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸? 𝘈𝘯𝘥…𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵?"

Mammon's shoulders slumped. He really had tried really hard, and this is what Lucifer was saying to him?

"Appreciate? For What? You Proving That You're Not Useless And Dumb?" "Shut Up, Belphegor!"

Mammon's head instantly shot up at the angry tone of MC. Belphie's pact mark, which was on their arm, glowed brightly, as his mouth instantly clamped shut, while his eyes glowed with anger. All the demon brothers stared at them in shock, as they flowered back, fists clenched.

Clearly sensing that sooner or later one of them were going to turn into their demon form, Mammon quickly grabbed MC and shakes them into his room.

The second they were inside he slammed the door shut and asked them why they did that.

"MC why would ya do that?! ya don't need to stand up for me!"

"Mammon did you see how they were treating you?! it's wrong and you don't deserve it! you did so good and they should appreciate it instead of acting like children! you're amazing and you deserve to be recognized, Mammon!"

Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he listened to MC rant about his mistreatment. Sure, he hated how his brothers treated him, but he never stood up for himself. But to see MC do that, zero fucks given? It made him wanted to wrap them in the fattest and tightest hug possible and never let go.

And that's exactly what he did.

Being the Avatar of Greed meant that not many trusted him, and were willing to stand up or even just be kind to him. But for you to go against several of the most powerful demons just for him? It made him want to protect you from everything and anything. This feeling was so new, he hadn't felt it ever since Lilith died. But maybe, just maybe with MC, he could explore this feeling again.

"Thank you MC. i love ya so much."

[bingbongsupremacy]

My Little Secret

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Warnings: Teenage pregnancy, use of Y/N

Summary: You're scared to tell Eddie you're pregnant.

*Not Proof Read*

Note: Eddie and reader are the same age. Pretend he wasn't held back. Whole thing with Chrissy hasn't happened. Doesn't specify gender.

Stranger Things Masterlist

*****

Well this is perfect.

I stare down at the little while bar in my hands. Two thin likes stare back, mocking my mixed emotions.

What the fuck am I going to do? I shouldn't have let things go so far at Steve's party. I knew the fucking risk. How could this happen? I didn't think this would happen. What am I going to do?

What am I going to tell Eddie?

He doesn't want a kid...not now anyway. Fuck, this messes up everything. We can't afford a baby. How are we going to take care of it?

I begin to pace in the cramped bathroom. With every moment that passes, the room begins to feel more and more cramped, claustrophobic.

A thumping sound bounces off the walls from outside. Eddie's home.

Eddie's van shuts off with one last whine, the door shutting shortly after. I hear the keys jingle as he tries to open the front door of his trailer. " Babe? Ya here? "

I don't respond. I quickly grab the box the pregnancy came in and hide it at the bottom of the garbage can. I need to figure something out. I can't tell Eddie.

A knock breaks me out of my thoughts. I turn on the water, quickly washing my hands, hoping to relieve some of the nerves.

" Y/N? Why didn't you answer, babe. I thought you were still at work or something. " Eddie asks. " You feelin' okay? "

I swing open the door, pulling a smile onto my face. " Yeah, perfect. Just...lost in thought. " I push past Eddie, doing my best to act normal.

I'll figure this out. I have to.

Eddie raises an eyebrow, not completely believing me. " Okay...Do you want to watch a movie? I can order a pizza. " He offers, trailing after me.

I walk around the counter, picking my worn jacket and backpack up. " I actually, have to head out. My mom um needs help with the yard. " I lie.

A look of confusion flashes on Eddie's face. " Oh, okay...maybe another time? "

I nod stiffly. " Of course, Eds. You know how much I love our movie nights. "

I head towards the door.

" Do you want a ride? It's getting a little cold out. " Eddie offers, pulling on his jacket.

I shake my head. " I'm fine. A little fresh air never hurt anyone. " I attempt to joke.

I just need to get out of here. I feel like I'm suffocating.

Eddie looks unsure. " Are you sure? I really don't mind driving you. I don't want you to get hurt. "

" Eddie, I'm fine. " I insist. " It's only a few blocks away. Nothing is going to happen to me. "

Eddie follows me to the door. " Okay, okay. Just...call me when you get home, yeah? Just so I feel better. "

" Of course. " I pat his arm instead of our usual goodbye kiss. I don't hesitate to step outside. The chilly wind sends a shiver through my body, but I quickly ignore it. I need some time to think. I can't do that if Eddie's talking to me the entire ride home. Plus he'll see my mom's not home.

I feel Eddie's gaze follow me down the street, obviously worried about me. As soon as I turn the corner I feel a sigh of relief escape my lips.

I will be okay. I have to be.

______

I've been avoiding Eddie. I feel like he knows. Like he can read me. He hasn't said anything, but the more I'm with him the more tempted I am to tell him. I'm scared. I don't know how to do this. I haven't even told my mom.

Fuck, she'd kill me. She's warned me about this ever since I started dating Eddie years ago. Why didn't I listen?

All it takes is one time, she'd insist. One time.

She'd never let me forget this. I can already see the look of disappointment on her face. She already doesn't like Eddie. Knowing he's the father would definitely make things worse.

" Okay, what's going on with you. "

Eddie's voice asks sternly as he slides into an empty chair next to me.

The library is empty except for the older librarian shelving books in the corner. Everyone's gone home for the day, leaving the room absolutely quiet.

I raise my eyes to meet Eddie's concerned ones. " What? " I ask in surprise, not expecting him to be here. I thought he had a meeting right now.

" Why have you been avoiding me? " He asks. Desperation peaks through his steady voice. " What did I do? " He reaches to grab my pencil clad hand.

I tense slightly. " Nothing. You didn't do anything, Eddie. " I mutter, looking down at my science home work.

" Then why won't you look at me? You've blown me off all week, what's going on? Please, just tell me what I did and how I can fix it. I miss you. " His tone is genuine. Worry is laced through his features.

I clench my jaw, sadness clustering in my throat. " Eddie, I swear, you didn't do anything wrong. I've just been...busy. I have a lot of tests coming up. " Not a lie. The amount of tests this week on top of the news of the baby has been stressing me out. I hardly have time to sleep, I spend most of my time studying and stressing over what to do.

Eddie scans my face for a sign of a lie. " Look, I don't think I believe that's all. When you're ready to talk about it, you know where to find me. " Eddie pulls his hand away from mine, the warmth of his skin quickly being replaced by the the cold air. He stands up, ready to leave.

" Eddie..." I start, unsure what to say.

Eddie turns back to me, hope in his eyes. He waits for me to say something.

I don't.

" I'm sorry. " I whisper.

Eddie nods, turning back around. " I'm sorry too. For whatever I did. " With that he leaves. His steady footsteps disappear into the hallway. His expression burns into my mind. Sadness, slight frustration.

I didn't mean to make him feel this way. I just don't know what to do.

With a sigh I glance down at my stomach. I haven't begun to show yet, thankfully. I have no idea what I'm going to do when I start. I can only wear baggy clothing for so long. It's getting harder and harder to hide the morning sickness. With only one bathroom, my mom's bound to find out sometime.

I'm so scared.

______

A loud knock pulls me from the laundry. I leave my spot on the couch. Rain pounds on the front glass windows, blocking my view from outside.

Who the hell would be out here in weather like this?

I open the door, fully ready to tell the person to fuck off.

I'm met with the sight of a drenched Eddie. His eyebrows twisted in anger and frustration. He's soaked from head to door, water pooling at the bottom of his sneakers. In his hand is a familiar pink box, bold lettering smudged from the water.

The test.

" I can explain- " I begin, my heart pounding in fear.

He found it.

" Why the hell didn't you tell me. " Eddie cuts me off, his fist tightly around the now squished box. Water's soaked through the thin cardboard, turning it to near mush. He pushes past me, into the quiet house.

" Eddie...I...I'm so sorry. " Tears sting the back of my eyes. " I...I don't know what to say. "

Eddie's anger seems to twist into frustration. " Why didn't you tell me, y/n. " He repeats.

" I was scared. " I close the door, leaning against it for support. All the harbored stress and fear comes barreling out. My fluctuating hormones feed the fire, making everything fucking worse. " How did you find it? "

I know how he found it. I should've hid it fucking better.

" I was taking out the trash when I heard a rattle. I figured you might have dropped something in it and I pulled it out. That's beside the point, Y/N. You kept this from me. When were you planning of fucking telling me? " Eddie's voice is still strong with frustration as he paces around the hall.

" I was going to- " I begin.

" When?! You don't talk to me anymore, when the fuck were you going to tell me? I shouldn't have to find out like this. "

He's right. I should have told him.

Eddie's eyes snap towards me. His expression seems to soften when he realizes I'm crying. " Fuck. " He breathes out, putting his fingers tightly on the bridge of his nose. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. " I'm sorry. " He says slightly calmer. " I shouldn't have yelled at you. Fuck, I'm a horrible person. Who the fuck screams at their pregnant partner? " He clenches his jaw in frustration.

" No. " I shake my head, trying to push past my emotions. " You're not at fault here. I should've told you. You deserved to know. " I take a breath. " I was a coward. Eddie...I was scared of what would happen. To us, to the baby...with my mom. I was scared you wouldn't want the baby....wouldn't want me. "

Eddie's eyes open to look at me. " You were scared of me? Of us? Y/N, what did you think I was going to do? I love you, fuck you're the first person I've ever loved this much. " He admits. He takes a step towards me. Dripping strands of hair frame the sides of his face. " You couldn't do anything to make me stop loving you. I will always be there for you, no matter what. You didn't get pregnant alone, Y/N. In case you forgot, it takes two to make a baby. I'm as responsible for the baby as you are. You didn't need to keep this to yourself. "

I don't say anything.

He's right. Deep down I knew he'd still be there for me. I guess I was just afraid of what would happen if I wasn't right.

Eddie grabs my hand. " I love you and I love this baby. Nothing will ever stop that. I hate that you felt alone this entire time. That you where scared of what I would do. I never wanted you to feel like that. I'm so fucking sorry, Y/N. "

I hug him tightly, not caring about the water soaking in my pj's. " I'm sorry for not telling you. I...I shouldn't have doubted you. "

Eddie hugs me back. " We need to talk about this. "

" Yeah. " I nod, pulling my head away from his warm chest. " We do. "

--------

Eddie finishes drying the ends of his curly hair before speaking. " What should we do. "

" I have no idea. " I sigh. " My mom's going to kill me. " I begin to feel tears well in the back of my eyes. " She'll throw me out, I fucking know it. "

Eddie pulls me into his side. " Hey, hey. It's going to be okay. No matter what, I'll be right by your side when she finds out. We'll tell her together. You can...you can live with me. "

I shake my head. " I can't do that, Eddie. I can't do that to Wayne. He already sleeps on the couch. I don't want him to have to deal with a crying baby at all hours of the night. That's not fair to him. "

" Then we'll find a place to be together. I'm not letting you go homeless, Y/N. I'll-I'll get another job. The diner on Corner street is hiring. I can find a place for us before the baby...and Mrs. Thomas is selling her daughters' old crib, I'm sure she'll sell it to us for a decent price! I can sell my guitar and-"

" Eddie...no. " I put my hand on his arm. " That guitar means everything to you. You can't sell it. Plus, we're still in school. How the hell are you going to manage 2 jobs and school? "

Eddie's expression is serious. " YOU mean everything to me. This baby....it means everything to me. I'll do whatever I have to so you and this baby have a safe place to live. I can get my GED. We'll be okay. " Eddie's thumb traces circles on my thigh, an attempt to calm me down.

I know the argument is useless. Once he makes up his mind, it's set. " Don't do anything yet. We don't know what's going to happen. Let's just take this one day at a time. "

Eddie nods. " When are you going to tell your mom? "

" Tomorrow. I'll tell her tomorrow. " She's going to find out some day, and I'd rather it be from me.

Tomorrow it is.

[worukin]

╭୨୧︰ childhood friend yandere x male reader

・✦⇢ growing up together with him was certainly a gift. always kind and understanding, never leaving your side. he would always protect you from those who dared to cross you. and now that you're both all grown, he's ready to take protecting you to another level.

︰꒰1・ ( warnings ) — overprotective behaviour, manipulation, yandere themes, bullying, yan taking advantage of his reputation and y/n's shyness.

︰꒰2・ ( notes ) — HIII AFTER A LONG TIME IVE FINALLY POSTED!! Missed you all cant believe i hit 300 already <333 how would you guys feel about yan darling for the special? anyway enjoy!!

( if you are uncomfy with this type of content, kindly block me instead. anyway, hope you enjoy reading this aaa <3 )

You and Kian were attatched at the hip since kindergarten, him first approaching you during the first day of class to talk about how his parents told him about starfish swimming in the sky at night.

Eventually after a few playdates, you were finally ready to call the both of you best friends.

It wasn't much of a surprise to your parents that you didn't try to approach other kids as you were already content with Kian himself, and he took pride in that.

"See! Y/n doesn't need anyone else and so do I! We have each other, don't we?" Kian exclaimed, turning to look to you for confirmation. He beamed when you nodded.

The adults cooed, glad to see their kids getting along well and clinging to each other. "Awe, this is so cute! Smile!" Kian's father out his phone to snag a picture. Kian wasted no time to wrap his arms around you and smile, encouraging you to give a meeker one.

And then during middle school, Kian would always sit beside you during classes you had together. Claiming that having someone you know beside you helped with learning.

This was proven wrong when all you two did was whisper to each other about nonsense, paying no mind to the lesson.

And he'd always share his food with you, even if you didn't forget yours. "Well, mama says I'm a growing boy and need to eat. And since you're a boy you're growing too!"

You took the pieces of Kian's meal he placed into your lunchbox back to his, shaking your head. "I already have enough Kian, growing boys need their own food."

Kian pouted, and began to whine. "But both of our parents told me to take care of you at school! How am I supposed to do that if I don't at least try?" You whipped your head at him, embarassed at what your parents told him.

"They said what!?" Kian nodded at you, chewing. "Y'know because you're shy and can't talk to other people?"

A sigh left your lips. "What does that have anything to do with feeding me?" You shook your head. "Anyway stop it, I don't need to be fed like a baby!" You huffed, before angrily munching away.

Kian sat still for awhile, thinking. Before deciding to tease you. "Aww, why not? Little ol' Y/n only eating when he's fed properly?" He scooped up some of his lunch and went towards you.

"Here comes the airplane! Woooosh!" Kian snickered at your shocked face. "What!? That's even worse Kian!" Grabbing onto his arm to force it back, but Kian wanted to have fun.

"Oh I'm sorry, did you want the choochoo train?" He cackled, eventually placing the spoon back to let out his laughter.

Looking away to stop making it worse, you mumbled. "God that was embarassing..." but you were drowned out by your best friends's giggling. "It's fine Y/n, I don't mind!" He said.

"Well I do." You rolled your eyes at him. "Now eat your food if you wanna grow." Kian stiffled his laughter but eventually went back to eating.

And now you're in highschool, and puberty is making it the worse. People you knew in a small community became mean and targeted you for your shyness.

Well, it wasn't just them who changed. Kian did as well, and you think it's safe to say he's qualified to be your bodyguard.

Always walking you to your classes, fending you off from bullies, sending his harshest glare to those who even look at you wrong. He might be a little overkill but it did provide protection. Even if it did backfire on you.

"Who do you think you are? Using a guy like Kian to protect you? Do you pay him or something?" Being cornered by some other students was definitely not something you expected. Especially when you don't have a bad reputation.

"I don't think so, someone like him wouldn't have any money." One of them snickered. "Look, all we're asking is to leave him alone. It's sad enough he has to hang out with someone like you, jeez."

A girl sighed, "Oh poor Kian, star of the Basketball team having to deal with a loser nobody like you. It's pitifful."

Kian did grow a reputation. For being kind and charming, despite being a class clown he never really said anything degrading. And on top of that, he was athletic. Everything a teacher and a classmate could want.

Active participation, good sportsmanship, good grades, a great relationship among his peers and teachers? And what did you have? All you were was the kid that Kian stuck with, Kian's "friend".

Though none of this answered why they thought of you using Kian when you've been best friends since diapers.

"Aww look, he's too ashamed of himself to say anything. We caught you red handed didn't we?" One scoffed, stepping towards you and grabbing your collar. "Just scram."

And you did. Speedwalking then breaking into a run when you weren't in their sight anymore.

Then, the next day arrived. And as much as you didn't want to— you had to go to school. You already had everything planned out, talk to Kian about this and hopefully he can clear up whatever twisted misunderstanding this was.

But the heated stares you got from some students were enough for you to back out on your plan. Maybe they think I forced him to tell them I'm not bribing him. Ugh.

Nervous thoughts swarmed your head as you sat in your usual seat, and Kian beside you. "Hey Y/n! Wanna go eat out later?" He smiled, sitting down.

Though the prolonged silence confused him a little. Usually you'd nod at him or hum. "Y/n? Did you hear me?" His eyes met yours before you briefly look away. "Okay uhh, did I do... anything? Did something happen?" He suddenly got defensive.

Why is he ignoring me? Kian thought. Staring at you with hard focus. Well I know for a fact I haven't done anything out of line. Have I been to overbearing? Was I that obvious?

Kian hummed, lightly tapping his pencil against the desk. He's been careful for a long time now, managing to keep up the act of an affectionate friend. And it's not like you weren't used to it— cause apparently he's been like this ever since kindergarten, said by both of your parents. So what could be making you act like this?

Honestly, he was a little hurt. You were always such a sweetheart with him. He enjoyed playing the role of a dumb friend who you had to look out for and worry about. And Kian wasn't taking you getting "tired" of him as a reason.

Now you felt bad for ignoring him like this, but you panicked. You were unsure of how to deal with the situation. And now Kian's getting hurt because of it. Maybe I really am an asshole.

It was kind of obvious that something was going on, you had such a somber expression on your face it made Kian frown. The last thing he would want is you getting hurt.

He sighed. Deciding to talk to you about it after school. He wasn't really fond of the idea that you were falling out with him, after everything he's done for you? No way in hell.

Eventually school neared it's end and you tried your best to get out as soon as possible. To avoid Kian and both those guys who cornered you the other day.

With quickened steps and bated breath, you walked out of school as soon as the last bell rung. Kian would surely be swarmed by his teammates— allowing you time to escape.

Oh god, why am I even doing this? Your mind overflowed with anxious thoughts. What if the bullies caught you? What if Kian caught you? The look on his face would be a nightmare.

He'd probably laugh at you for being such a coward, running away from your problems.

Suddenly— an arm reached out to you once you passed by the same street on the way home. Heart beating at the speed of light before realizing it was just Kian.

Oh. It was Kian.

Quickly tensing once you made eye contact, and in a panicked state a bunch of incoherent words left your mouth.

"Kian! I... forgot we always walk this way home." Awkward chuckles filled the air. It made you uncomfortable how you could feel the sweat sliding from your temple.

"Y/n. I was looking for you! Or- waiting for you actually."

He stepped back to give you space. "You worried me man, I thought I did something! I didn't, did I?" He whispered at the end.

For some reason you were relieved to see he wasn't mad at you. I mean, Kian? The Kian who would take care of you when sick? No way.

"Uhm... hi." You whispered after atleast a minute. Kian's face softened. "Hi," he cooed. You were wrapped in a warm embrace once he spoke again. "Hi Love."

Kian wanted nothing more than to smother you in hugs once you were in the alleyway. But he didn't want to overwhelm you.

He missed your voice so much that when he said hi he couldn't help but hug you. Though he was able to restrain himself from squeezing you to death.

Shortly after that, Kian confronted you about why you were ignoring him. Obviously he found out why and let's just say they were dealt with.

Overtime Kian grew paranoid that people would hurt you when he isn't there so... his overprotectiveness kind of grew.

Always sitting beside you, having an arm wrapped around your shoulder, he even got his classes chanbed just for you!

And well... he started to make good use of your personality. Aww, too shy to speak? Don't worry, Kian will order for you!

You didn't mind when he would talk for you, if anything you were grateful. Minus the times he took the opportunity to put words in your mouth.

It's all good fun though! Kian doesn't mean any harm to tease you. (Even if it's on purpose just so he could make it up afterwards)

Give it a few more months and maybe he'll take it to the next level.

ʚ ﹒ ﹕ ̟乀 all works belong to @worukin, do not repost on anywhere else with or without credit, do not plagiarise. ty!

[thornsnvultures]

anywhere || eddie munson x plus size!reader

cw: angst, talking about drug usage, eddie's in the hospital post-vecna, your mom kinda fuckin sucks, best friend!eddie who likes you more than you realize

a/n: that one line in the muppet babies theme song fucks me up every time. literally every time I hear it I tear up. so thanks for that jim henson.

-----

"When your world looks kinda weird and you wish you weren't there," Eddie's terrible Kermit impression makes you laugh so hard you almost spill the bowl of cereal you're pouring. You hit him back with your equally terrible baby Miss Piggy voice.

"Just close your eyes and make believe that you could be anywhere!"

Eddie snorts at the way your voice cracks trying to hit notes your voice was not made to hit.

"Shut up, that was flawless and you know it," you hand Eddie his bowl with a grin and plop down on the couch next to him. Were you watching cartoons made for children? Yes, but who didn't love Kermit the Frog and his adorable little muppet friends?

You missed this, being here with Eddie. A lot had changed since you started going to college last year while Eddie stayed behind to be a senior for a third time, but not this. Your friendship never changed. It was something you treasured coming home to, when you could. School was starting to pile up and these visits were becoming few and far between, but Eddie would always be your Eddie. You were sure of it.

"So you're leading up Hellfire now, huh?," you asked Eddie as you finished your cereal. He took your bowl and put it on the coffee table with his, not meeting your eyes. Maybe you shouldn't have brought it up. The two of you didn't talk about it much, him still being in school. Like you didn't want to break the spell that everything was normal. The two of you hanging out like normal, like you did since you were kids. It was comfortable, you didn't want to ruin that.

"Yeah the, uh...yeah. It's up to me now I guess. The guys know they can't compete with my campaigns."

He's smiling, all cocky because it's true, they're always amazing. But his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.

Weren't your just saying nothing had changed? Maybe you a lot had changed and you just weren't paying attention.

"I miss adventuring with you," you sigh, snuggling into Eddie's side until he puts his arm over your shoulder. "And the guys."

"Yeah, they miss you too," Eddie's voice sounds strained. You try to move thinking you're laying on him in a weird way, but he just pulls you closer, tighter.

You spend the rest of the morning watching cartoons. Eventually you forget the weird tension, putting it aside to enjoy your day with your best friend before you have to leave again.

-----

It's a year before you see Eddie again.

School was tough, taking up so much of your free time you barely saw anyone besides the librarian and the two people you shared a dorm room with. You had tried to join a DnD club at school but your schedule didn't line up well with the rest of the group. And it wasn't the same. You missed Eddie's energy, his frantic dramatics. The guys were cool but sticklers for rules and, to put it nicely, boring.

You couldn't take being away from home any longer, you missed your friend.

So when your mom called one Friday afternoon and told you, in her own bizarre and nonchalant way, that Eddie had been in some trouble recently and, "I'm sure you saw the news about the earthquakes," you came straight home.

"You know, I always thought he was a nice boy. Did you know he was selling... grass," your mom whispered the last word like police officers would be knocking down her door if she spoke too loud.

"I didn't." You did. You also partook, but your mother didn't need to know that.

"Anyway, everyone got all upset when that little cheerleader died, but when they found him, like that, I guess they thought he was a victim too. Can't maul yourself like that, that's for sure."

"Oh my god, mom," you stand up, your chair harshly scraping against the linoleum. You can't sit here and listen to this any more.

"Where are you going? I have a pie in the oven."

Your mom follows you to the door, huffing like you're the one being ridiculous. She never liked Eddie much but the ease with which she talks about your childhood best friend being... mauled...

"I'll be back later."

You don't wait for her to respond, slamming the door as you go. You hop in the hand-me-down car your dad gave you before you left for school, peeling down the drive and heading straight for the hospital like you should've done when you got back. Tears cloud the edges of your vision until they spill over, you don't bother wiping them away.

-----

"Hey, you're Eddie's girl."

"Excuse me?"

A short, curly haired boy in a baseball cap appears next to you when you ask the receptionist where Eddie's room is located.

"It's okay, Brenda. She's with me." You snort out a laugh when the boy tips his hat to the woman behind the desk. Her smile and the wave of her hand tells you she is in fact used to this.

"I'm Dustin," the kid explains as you follow him through the maze of hallways and elevators. "Eddie's told me a lot about you. Recognized you from the picture he thinks I don't know about in his glove box. Not my fault he just shoves stuff in there. If he didn't want everything to spill out he should organize. Not that I'm great at organizing either-"

"I'm sorry," you stop Dustin's rambling, your head spinning from all that information, narrowing in on the one that stuck. "He keeps my picture in his van?"

"Yeah a few in his room too. He's just down here. You just missed the guys, Jeff had to go to work and he was their ride so they left. Wayne will be in later. He usually stops by after work."

Dustin kept talking and you tried to keep up but the closer you got to Eddie's room the more your ears rang and your chest felt tight. You knew it was bad, he'd been in for a few days and was still heavily sedated after a number of surgeries. Wayne told you the day before you came back on the phone that he might not be awake when you got here. The old man might've been trying to spare you the trip, but you were coming to see him no matter what. You should've come back a long time ago.

Standing outside his room now, the year you were away felt like an eternity now. How had your Eddie changed? Was he your Eddie anymore? Was he ever yours?

"Hey, you comin' in? He's still sleeping."

Steeling yourself with one deep breath, you enter Eddie's room. With one look at Eddie and you're asking Dustin for a minute alone, pulling up a chair by his side.

"Sorry I'm late, Eddie. Traffic coming out of the city is crazy." You laugh at your stupid joke because you'll cry if you do anything else. You don't think about the air tube in his nose or the beeping heart monitor, the bandages on his arms or how hollow, how fragile he looks.

"My mom said you've been selling 'grass'," you chuckle as you twist one of his curls around your finger. "Should I tell her how many times I snuck out to smoke with you? She's already mad at me for taking time off from school to be here."

Eddie lays there as you talk, sleeping softly as you compliment the cards and flowers on the window sill. You tell him how the past two semesters of school have been, how miserable you've been without him, how guilty you've felt for "missing" his calls, not reading his letters because you've been too exhausted to do anything that wasn't surviving and work.

You're holding his weirdly ring-less fingers, contemplating leaving instead of holding out hope that he'll wake up while you're here, when you hear a familiar theme song on the television.

"When your world looks kind of weird,"

Your gaze falls from the TV to your friend in his hospital bed.

"And you wish you weren't there,"

Your eyes close wishing you were back in Eddie's house, stoned out of your mind doing muppet impressions.

A tear falls down your cheek as you close your eyes and sing along with Miss Piggy, not caring how ridiculous you sound.

"Just close your eyes and make believe and you can be anywhere."

You choke on a sob, suddenly angry at this stupid kids show for making you lose it when you were holding yourself together so well.

"Still sounds awful."

You open your eyes, wiping your tears away with your hand not in Eddie's at the groggy sound of his voice. He's holding the other one tight, almost too tight, like you'll run if he lets go.

"That was a perfect impression," the words stutter on a heaving breath but you're smiling through it.

"I'm on so many drugs."

"I'll go get the nurse," you laugh, trying to pull yourself together.

"No," Eddie just barely tugs on your hand, not yet strong enough to pull you close. "Don't leave."

"I'm not, I won't. I'm here, Eddie. I'm sorry."

Eddie's eyes flutter shut, too tired yet for a full conversation, but he won't let your hand go. You find the call button next to the bed to call the nurse and wait.

"I'm not going anywhere."

---

--

-

🖤

[kellyvela]

So I’m sure you’ve seen the discourse between Dany and Sansa stans on the Twitter timeline … but I’ve just come across something new that I hadn’t seen before ??? From a Sansa anti ofc, but it was a blog post from GRRM where someone said Sansa isn’t a Stark anymore/less of a Stark since she lost her direwolf and GRRM responds with “that’s a very astute observation” with a coy smile (I didn’t look at it for long so I’m unsure of the exact wording). Anyway I find it hard to believe that THIS is what Sansa antis are clinging to when there is so much in text to connect Sansa to her indentity, not to mention him listing her amongst his main characters ? Do they just ignore all those interviews ? Do they not read her chapters?

Calm down! That's not from any GRRM Not A Blog, that's from a *FAN REPORT* that clearly isn't a fan of Sansa.

This is the *FAN REPORT* in question:

OCTOBER 05, 2001 ARCHON MEETING (OCTOBER 5-7) In regards to the conversation about the dire wolves and the Starks the point was made (I forget by whom) that Lady was dead and Sansa still alive to which I replied that Sansa wasn't really much of a Stark anymore. IIRC (this is a little hazy), at this point GRRM kind of leaned back in his chair, smiled and said something to the effect of "A very astute observation." (Note: I was hoping someone else would bring this up as I didn't want to do any hornblowing... since Terra brought it up, but didn't recall the wording I felt the need. If anyone remembers his words differently I'll gladly recant.) [Source]

The "IIRC (If I remember correctly)," "this is a bit lazy," and, "didn't recall the wording," should be enough to know that this is more like a wishful thinking, or another Alan Taylor case, and not what actually happened, not what GRRM actually said. In summary, this is not a reliable source.

Here's another *FAN REPORT* (the fan called Terra that the previous one mentioned) from the same event:

OCTOBER 05, 2001 ARCHON MEETING (OCTOBER 5-7) [Note: Edited for brevity,] (...) 7. Short discussion on the significance of the wolf to the Stark kids. Martin made a rather assertative comment about the significance of Lady's absence in Sansa's life. Though I can't recall the exact wording. (...) [Source]

Again, the "I can't recall the exact wording" should be enough to know that this is not a reliable source.

It is really curious that NO ONE that attended that event remember what GRRM exactly said regarding Sansa and her direwolf Lady . . . . Collective amnesia, maybe???

If you are interested in GRRM's quotes about Sansa Stark and the og sources (so you can decide how reliable they are), here's a compilation:

Hope this helps!

[l-in-the-light]

Why did Law break the heart of poor Chopper? 😭🥺

Did he tho? :D I assume you mean the infamous "shut up" scene at the end of Wano. Did you know this is actually not the first time Law tells Chopper to shut up? But let's start from the beginning!

"See you around, Torao!", "Shut up!". In the anime it comes off much harsher than in the manga, in which the flow is completely different, because it happens immediately after or even in same time as Law's conversation with Luffy:

Law is trying to draw the line here, they've been in an alliance, but now it's over, so they had to know this would be the result, now they're back to being enemies. But since Law kinda expects Strawhats to forget about that (he was with them in that alliance long enough to know how "uneccessarily emotional" they are most of the time, lol), he reminds them about that, making it a very "manly" and "cool" goodbye in the end.

Except, it would stay that way, if not for Chopper destroying it all with his affectionate "see you around, Torao!" because he understands they became friends, and you say that to friends when you're parting ways, right? Chopper isn't really known for being able to "read the room", so he totally missed the vibe Law was going for. In the end Law has to shut him up before Chopper goes on to say even worse emotional stuff.

(btw Kid is not having any of this, just look at his grossed out reaction there... "set sail", it's like he's trying to make them leave faster so he doesn't have to hear their sobby pretentious goodbye lol)

You might have missed it, but it wasn't the first time Law told Chopper to shut up. The very first time it happened was in Punk Hazard, on their duo mission in the lab. Law, slightly aware they might be heard or watched, insists on Chopper hiding already because they're almost at the door. He wouldn't say it in a nice way. Don't get me wrong, I believe he is rather tamely mannered, but I can't deny there are a few things he indeed is rather rude about (though definitely still tame in comparison to other pirates): never saying greetings, for example, and also never saying "please". Apparently he uses "shut up" instead now, lol. Anyway here he told Chopper to shut up because he is worried they will be spotted and he won't say "please stay in the bag" lol.

(Law doesn't say "please" anymore, not after his last request was to Vergo and he got betrayed and Cora-san suffered as the result. Law didn't say the word "please" not even once ever since.)

Chopper is actually the first out of Strawhats crew that Law kinda bonded with. Despite Law telling him to hide, they actually talk for a bit in this scene and Law is really open with him too (telling him he can't deal with Caesar on his own and that's why he needs the help of Strawhats - a rare moment of honesty and something he didn't tell anyone else, not even Luffy). In a way, you can look at their goodbye in Wano as a callback to Punk Hazard :D

We know already Law is bad with greetings (which means also saying goodbyes). The best you can get from him is silence instead of "hi" or "bye", the worst you can get is "shut up". In Law's novel we also could see Law saying goodbye to Wolf and he struggled soooo much with it. If you thought Sanji's goodbye with Zeff was awkward, Law's goodbye with Wolf is like ten times that, haha. I will use some quotes here from the end of the novel, so if you want to skip it, now would be your cue :D (you can skip to the next image from manga!)

*cough cough* yes, it's Law saying that line: "stop, you'll make me cry". Young Law is a mood, I swear. In a way you can take it as a clue, Chopper got silenced so he won't blabble out emotional monologue like Wolf up there, melting Law's heart and pretense of toughness away.

"I have to say goodbye to the locals, as well only to those who have treated me particularly well. I think that includes the doctor and Rad".

It's worth noting that he says that as well in the novel, despite the fact we never see Law saying goodbye to practically no one in the manga. Not to Strawhats, not to Kin, not to Bartolomeo, and he was indebted to them to various degrees as well (not counting Kin, that was actually reversed). Young Law could stand goodbyes slightly better than adult Law, it seems.

A tearful goodbye between Wolf and Hearts. This is how his goodbye with Strawhats could have looked like as well, I guess? But keep in mind, when Law said his goodbye to Wolf it was pretty much the same situation like when Sanji said it to Zeff. Both were indebted to their mentors and didn't know if they will ever see each other again (and if they will, then when). Novel's ending suggests Wolf and Hearts didn't meet again and after Law announced them leaving for the Grand Line, you can be sure they never had occassion to go back to North Blue ever since. This goodbye is pretty much definitive, they won't see each other for more than a decade. The casual goodbye with Strawhats might mean they will see each other sooner than not! Especially with Chopper's foreshadowing "see you around!". Though I still think Law doesn't plan on meeting them again.

Now, is Chopper's heart truly broken by Law's response? He got shocked because Chopper doesn't understand why Law told him to shut up instead of telling him "see you around" or "take care" back. But Chopper often misreads the situation and that happens even in the Strawhats crew. At Jaya, Nami told him to dig for gold, only to scold him for something she told him to do mere moments later:

Chopper is simply bad at picking up those hints or realizing when someone asks of something unreasonable that's better to be ignored. He's also quite silly and naive, and ends up taken advantage of as the result. But mostly, all those social cues are beyond his understanding, because he's a reindeer. Chopper is also very emotional, always easily touched by someone's sad story or when seeing people crying. You can say his empathy levels are really high. Perhaps, but take it with a grain of salt, Chopper thought Law is a bit sad, maybe he picked up on his emotions that Law wanted to hide so well, so he said "see you around" to make it sound like their seperation isn't going to last very long, to cheer him up, and since no one else said it, Chopper thought he should (besides he also simply likes Law, why wouldn't he like him? they're both doctors and spent quite a long time together).

It didn't end the way Chopper wanted it to end (he probably didn't cheer up Law nor did he get any nice reply back), but it's hardly the first or the last time it happened to Chopper in the story. He can handle it, he's a tough reindeer :) sadly he probably won't learn any time soon, if at all. Also, this...

Some goodbyes are harsh for the sake of the person left behind. Here Hiruruk kicks out Chopper so the reindeer won't have to watch him dying with his own eyes. He thinks it's better to part ways before Chopper gets even more attached, so it hurts him a bit less. Hiruruk knows how kind and caring Chopper is and doesn't want him to lose his heart again. Sadly the only alternative he had was to break his heart a little, hoping it will heal fast, but at least *he won't lose it* completely. Could this also be seen as a parallel to Law's goodbye with Chopper? It might be, because I think Law is totally the same type of guy who would push people away for their own sake.

(Still, the next time they meet, Law might need to apologize to Chopper, hehe. After all he must know by now that Chopper's rumble balls literally saved his life)

That's it about Chopper, but let's go back to Law for a moment. Where did he get his habit of saying "shut up"? He did not have it as a kid... well. I think the novel gives us the answer indirectly to that (no spoilers, just two short quotes):

Wonder no more, it seems he learned that from Wolf, lol. Quite fitting because Wolf taught him how to be a responsible leader/captain as well :) Wolf loved those kids, like we can see from his goodbye scene. He kept telling them "shut up" mostly because he was embarrassed and also because he didn't want to get too attached to them at first (he had some poor experiences in his life before), and he wasn't used to have people around his house all the time, living together, sharing meals etc. Last time he had it, he lost it and he became quite bitter as the result. But spending time with Law, Bepo, Penguin and Shachi changed him a bit, to the point he could tell them that heartfelt goodbye instead of harsh words.

Now, is it just a habit Law picked up from him? Or is there something more to it? For starters, he doesn't really say "shut up" to anyone besides Chopper (and once to Luffy in One Piece Red, but there is sounds almost affectionate lol). Not to Usopp who is panicking (even if it slightly irritates Law), not even to Luffy who is always noisy (he does call him idiot though, but it's always deserved lol). But he does say it to his lovely Heart Pirates when they kept nagging him about going to the New World and he tells them "to stop yapping, shut up and follow his lead". And we know how much Law loves his Hearts. If Chopper deserved to be said to "shut up" then it already shows Law puts him in same category as his Hearts and thinks fondly of him. Just like Wolf was fond of his "stupid brats" he constantly shouted at to shut up.

One last thing, because context matters a lot as well. It's possible that Law said that to Chopper in that moment because he was afraid to get too attached to the Strawhats. Is it stretching it too far? I will let you all decide that for yourselves :D

[cantgetworsethanthistbh]

YES YES YES I GO CRAZY ABOUT IT

there was a piece of analysis in the notes of a gen fic i read a while back where it basically said that (30s!)ford was fine putting their relationship on pause until ford was ready to reconcile or needed something from stan. there was never any consideration that stan wouldn’t “want to make it up to him” or even a passing thought that stan would reject him despite presumably never mentioning stan to fiddleford or anyone in the town he lived in, and not talking about him at all with family

anyways that piece of analysis still keeps me up at night.

God its actually so insane to think about. I was mostly joking in my post, but its pretty crazy how Ford is very much aware of Stan's loyalty to him and we've seen how far he's willing to stretch it for his own benefit without anything in return. Ford is so clearly aware of the fact Stan would literally do anything for him.

I think much of it boils down to his own belief that Stan is willing to do whatever it takes keep him around. I mean, didn't Stan ruin his future prospects at his dream school specifically so they can keep adventuring together? Why would Stan deny Ford anything at that point if he's willing to cost the family literal millions for his "selfish gains"? (and again, Ford is under the impression Stan destroyed the machine on purpose and is essentially trying to baby trap him with the Stan O War lmao)

He internalizes this, like some vault in his brain that assures him he would always have his brother, even when he doesn't want him at that moment. Or at least, believes he doesn't but he does, and that is even something he's very obviously ashamed of or else he wouldnt hide the literal decades worth of memorabilia of Stan from Fiddleford or would be writing his real feelings in secret code.

But back to the point: Ford has no qualms using this to his own benefit and he does it multiple times. He does it when begging Stan to come to Gravity Falls, he does it when he expects Stan to just shut up and take the book away even without sitting him down and explaining why these journals are so important and dangerous in the first place. It's something he even utilizes right after getting out of the portal, by telling Stan to shut down his thirty year long and successful business and leave after the summer is over and Stan agrees.

But it's worth noting too that that's the last time you will ever catch Stan doing a total favor for Ford without something in return. Stan at that point is done doing things for Ford without the proper reciprication and its not like you can blame him. He has to be convinced by Mabel to save Ford again and he puts his foot down on getting that thanks he was owed over fixing the portal even though there was a literal apocalypse happening. Make no mistake though, because until then, Ford wasn't under any delusion that Stan wouldnt do anything he asks because Stan pretty much proved he would. This is also why Ford was pretty comfortable asking Stan to join the circle because other than "Who the hell would deny holding hands to save the world?" there's also a "How could Stan ever say no to me?" Having to swallow his pride for even half a second and actually reciprocate literally 1/100 of the things Stan was willing to do for him was how we got "Grammar, Stanley" lmao

and this is my own headcanon, but i suppose that other than essentially killing Stanley by erasing his mind, I think that's also a moment where the vault opens in Ford's head and he realizes he won't always have his brother like he believes he does. The same brother who travelled halfway across the country for a brother who he hadn't contacted for 10 years. The same brother who was willing to keep him fed and sheltered under a roof that legally technically is more Stan's than it is Ford's and rescind his one condition of staying away from the kids to give Dipper his blessing of hanging out with Ford. That same brother is going to forget all about that, forget his loyalty and unconditional love towards Ford and Ford realizes he loses the one person who was always willing to fight for him, more than anyone else in the world. Its really really good shit man

[riswippiesx]

Love & Care | Toji Fushiguro X Fem! Reader

🌷 Part two

•The confession and aftermath🌸 Part one(headcanons)

Theme: mild angst, fluff, slightly suggestive at the end(very mild, just some hint)

Warnings: ooc Toji, age gap(Toji is in his early 40s and reader is in her early 20s), suggestive jokes, nervousness, not proof read[I'm lazy asf😐]

Notes: Finally the part two is here. I'm sorry if Toji doesn't sound like Toji😭 I didn't want to make him a rude bratty guy here. also so sorry for the delay. This Toji has no filters and says suggestive jokes. I have portrayed Megumi's relation with Toji in a frank manner. They are like friends more than typical son and dad.

Also long stroy warning!!⚠️ I just love to write long fics! So don't mind. I hope you enjoy🦋

Oh the nervousness! It was ruling over your mind and you hated it. Once you even decided to ditch the evening meet up and put some excuses later on when Megumi would be furious at you. You could handle it, you were great at calming Megumi down all the time. It'd be piece a cake. But again, you knew you would regret in future thinking everything was already fallen in places except for one single piece, The confession.

The dilemma was draining but a faint possibility of getting together with a man whom you actually wanted, was keeping you up and thus you decided to shrug off all the thoughts of ditching the meet up and went to take a shower.

And the shower worked like charm for you. Your mind was finally working straight and you did all the routines you needed. You pampered your hairs and your body just the way it seemed right. After all, the evening might turn into something really special. Well there were chances, at least.

You dried yourself after shower and texted Megumi if the date was still on and he reassured you everything was fine. He didn't forget to warn you about the scary circumstances if you dared to back off in the last moment and the last thing you wanted was to offend determined Megumi. So you assured him that you won't back off.

You mothered Megumi, but sometimes he turned into a strict guide towards you and this time wasn't any exception. So you chose a outfit, suitable enough in your eyes. You decided to keep your look subtle. You were almost done when your phone ringed once. It was Megumi, who texted you the address of the beautiful cafe where he decided to bring his dad. You texted him back and left for an uncertain but exciting evening.

"Are you sure that you will be okay with me? I mean you said it was a hang out with your friend.. So..?", Toji asked, buttoned up with black shirt.

"Of course dad. Will you stop asking me the same question for like tenth time now?", Megumi looked at his dad's direction with a tired expression. He purposely didn't mention your name. He said that his friends wanted to meet his dad, since they thought his dad was so cool, which was quite a truth but Toji barely believed that. But Megumi somehow convinced him.

He felt like a dad, who was trying to set up two children. It was too much to deal with but if the whole thing turned out in the way he thought, it would be worthy enough. But he didn't have any plan about the opposite results at all.

He brushed off his thoughts soon after and hurried his dad, "C'mon, why are taking so long to get ready, dad? Hurry up already..or we will be late"

"Oh boy. Don't rush me up. I'm an old man. Spare me", Toji smirked at his son while fixing his waist belt. Megumi sighed in response.

"You? Old man? Yeah sure", Megumi mocked back. He wasn't as old as he claimed. After all, he was the one who was getting a girl, while Megumi barely had a talking phase with anyone. Anyway.

It took you 30 minutes to reach to that certain cafe but you were the one who reached first, actually. You stood outside and noticed the ambience inside. Being honest, it was really beautiful and eye catching. The dim lights added an extra charm to it. You smiled. Megumi did a great job in finding a proper place.

You waited for near 10 minutes when you heard a familiar voice calling for you.

"Y/n?"

Yoy looked back and found your dream man with a bouquet of your favorite flowers. And that was enough to melt your heart. Moreover, he looked extremely handsome in his all black look. His black shirt, black pants and that gorgeous black overcoat— oh he looked expensively glorious. You couldn't look away.

"T-Toji san..", a smile appeared on your lips as you stated his name.

"I didn't expect you...to be that friend...?"

"....what friend?"

"The one who said that I was cool and wanted to meet me..?"

Oh so that was Megumi's excuse huh.

"Yeah..I well..actually they will arrive soon.."

"Alright...is there any other female friend?"

"No...?!"

"I see...so here...." He offered the flowers to you. "Megumi told to give these flowers to the his female friend and since no other female friend of his is coming, I hope these are meant for you..?" He smiled and you died at pretty his smile.

"..thank you...these are my favorite.."

"Oh? Great. But Megumi couldn't give it to you..sorry for that..he said he left his phone at home and he needed it contact with that certain friend..so he went back to take it and I came here....that boy is so clumsy.." He laughed.

What a great actor you are, Gumi! You praised him in your mind and smiled. "That's okay.."

"Yeah let's wait here till he arrives."

"It's fine, let's.. Go inside if you don't mind..he will join us later..? Or...well the tables might get all booked..."

Toji was silent for while before he agreed and you two entered the cafe. If it looked great from outside, it looked heavenly once you entered. The light music in the background was putting everything together.

The two of you were guided to a pre-booked table and sat there. You had plenty of topics to chat about but this evening wasn't for chitchat. You needed to get to the point but it was scary. You couldn't bare rejection, not from your dream man. Toji was speaking to you but it was hard for you to focus when so much was going on in your head.

"Y/n..you are not responding.. Are you okay? Feeling alright?", he sounded worried and you realised that you were zoning out the entire time when he spoke.

"Well..sorry I was zoning out.."

"That's fine..you are okay right?"

"Yes", you smiled. He sounded so soft and caring. Was it real? Or were you being delusional? You couldn't tell. Then you forced yourself to engage in the conversation. You needed to divert your mind before actually confessing. It was just some basic chitchat when he mentioned.

"I can say some boys checking you out"

"Oh?"

"Yeah but let's ignore them. But you..do look pretty." A nervous giggle was the only thing you could do as a response. Your heart was pounding so hard that it might come out. Even Toji might hear it. Shit. You needed to get yourself together.

"Y/n are you really okay? Are you feeling uneasy? Want to go back? We can..."

"No..it's fine..no worries."

"You look like I need to worry. Your forehead is sweaty..it's kinda chilly today..you must feel sick.."

"No I..I am totally fine trust me..."

"Are you hiding something? Or you want to say something?"

You looked away. Your heart rate never became this fast. You knew it was the right time. You had to tell him your hearts content. Megumi worked hard to bring you two this far. You won't let him down. You won't let your future self regret. But you wasn't sure how to start.

At that moment of extreme nervousness, you felt Toji's hands on yours.

"It's okay Y/n..you can tell me pretty much whatever you want. I know I don't mind much. So calm down first and then say it."

Your eyes drifted back to his and his eyes hinted some care. Care for you. He was trying to comfort you. He was trying to help you. And it actually worked. Your extreme nervousness reduced a bit. You grabbed his hands back and closed your eyes. Yours eyes were shut untill you were again in control of your nerves.

You slowly opened your eyes. The peace you were feeling in your heart was so soothing. Your dilemmas weren't that much bold anymore. Your lips parted to form a few words.

"Toji san...I...like you...not as Megumi's dad..as..you..yourself.."

Toji took a moment to process the words you stated. You liked him? You? Such a gorgeous woman liked him? Was it a joke? You eyes didn't seem like one though.

Both of you stayed quiet and took your time. Your hands were still in his hold. But he took back his hands. And that was the last thing you wanted to happen but you imagined this a thousand time in your head. Rejection. Rejected by your dream man. Rejected by Toji Fushiguro. Was he refusing your feelings? Of course he was. Why would he ever be with a younger girl like you? He wasn't that fallen to consider his son's friend as his partner.

Your heart and mind was getting bitter.

"..excuse me..for a bit..y/n..I need to go check if Megumi is coming..."

Part of you wanted to yell ans say that he won't come. This evening was meant for you and him and him only. But another part kept your lips shut together. You just nodded in approval and with that Toji left the cafe.

You were certain that he partially rejected you. He didn't like you. Megumi was wrong, so wrong. You shouldn't have listened to him. You could have faced the longing but this..this wasn't something you could bare. All the times you spent with Toji, made you fall even further for him. His laugh, his jokes..you laughed a lot. His eyes, so deep to even drown you. His noticable scar, which he stated to be sign of his daring younger life's stunts- you adored that a lot. His face even looked better with it. You loved all of it but it was all for your own self. You didn't have to confess it. Dumb! Really dumb!

You looked down. The bitterness was consuming you. You wanted to cry but some strong determination in you didn't let you embarrass yourself any further in a public place. You just sat there with you head on your both hands.

Toji quickly came out. He really hoped that you didn't notice the faint blush on his face. He couldn't recall the last time he blushed like this. It was overwhelming. He wasn't sure when things turned into something more than just some chitchat about Megumi's well being. He ignored it all untill one day, when he found himself thinking about your pretty smile while working or making dinner or taking a pleasant shower.

He was ashamed of himself when he found that he had fallen for a girl half of his age, and she was literally his son's best friend. How could he? But he did and it was hard to sallow that fact. Everytime you stopped by to chat or met up to hang out, he was mesmerized by you. You brought a ray of sunshine in his dull days. His heart was filled with so much love after many years. Your memories, smell, words lingered around him for hours after you left each time.

But he thought it just one sided. Sometimes he felt you might like him back but he scolded him for thinking that far.

It was all proven actually right when you confessed. His heart stopped, ears perked up. You felt the same as he did? How could the world be so perfect. His heart told him to accept right away but a person appeared in his mind's mirror. Megumi. His son. How would he react if he found out his dad with his best friend?

And that was when a lot came in together. He got a faint clue about Megumi's consent in all this. Almost every time you two met up cause Megumi brought you two together. You two were all in meet ups while Megumi left each time with some weird excuses. He guessed something but certainly not this far. He needed to confirm if it was all in his brain or Megumi was actually involved in this. Thus he excused himself and came out of the restaurant. He knew that it was rude of him. He noticed how your face darkened when he excused himself but he couldn't afford to make a mistake in taking his further decision where you two were linked.

He brought out his mobile and dialled Megumi's number. He didn't pick up. Toji kept on calling and in the seventh attempt, Megumi finally picked up the call.

"Yeah I just got back and grabbed my phone, dad. Don't worry i'll be..." Megumi's fake statement was cut by Toji.

"Megumi be honest with me. Did you willingly set me up with Y/n?"

Megumi went silent. He had nothing to say as a reply to that.

"Megumi, I want an answer." Toji again spoke.

"Dad..."

"Yeah I'm listening"

Megumi sighed in disappointment, "...yes...I did..sorry..."

"How many times?"

"Pretty much all the time..."

"Wow"

"Are you upset?"

Toji didn't reply to that. He couldn't. He wasn't upset bur he was confused.

"Sorry...if you are...just don't blame her-"

"I'm not..just tell me one thing. Why did you do all these? Are you okay with... Your best friend being with your...dad?"

"I am always okay. Even I want you two to date"

"Why do you say so?"

"Why? You two literally talk about each other all the time. You have no idea how Y/n just keeps praising you all the time. And then at home, you do the same about her. You two didn't know how to keep things up, so I did the favour. Now tell me one thing. Did she confess?"

"She did."

"I hope you accepted"

"I came out of the restaurant without saying much"

"Dad...you are a game spoiler..."

"How on the earth would I know that you were this intrigued about us.."

"What?"

"I thought you would creep out if you get to know about I was dating your friend-"

"No I won't. When you two go so well with each other, why would I?"

"Right...so should I ...accept..?"

"You are asking? Yes you should! Geez!"

"Alright."

"You old people are so dramatic"

"Still your best friend liked me over you", Toji grinned over the call and Megumi could heard the sarcasm in his tone.

"Yeah yeah whatever. Just go back and accept."

"Sure, thanks"

"Go!"

And the hang up. Toji was sure about his next move. He would confess as well that he liked you, he loved you. You were the woman who made him gasp from time to time. You were the woman who fluttered his heart.

Thinking about you brought a smile to his face. He took a deep breath and turned to go back inside. That was when you came out. You looked tensed and upset. He knew he screwed up. He had to fix it.

"Y/n..."

"You were right.. I am actually not feeling well. Don't worry I talked with the manager. They cancelled the booking. You can go back. Sorry for wasting your time. Also, Toji san..forget what I said. Please. It was just a....well don't mind", you forced a smile.

"Y/n no..you're getting it wrong.."

"Please don't push yourself Toji san. I totally understand."

"No you don't. Y/n listen to what I want to say"

You were silent. He took that chance and spoke.

"Y/n.. I didn't mind. Not at all. Why would I..when I felt the same.."

You looked up at him. Your eyes were slightly widened.

"Yes..I like you too..and not just as Megumi's friend. As you. Y/n you amaze me. You're an wonderful woman. I just didn't accept right away because..I wasn't sure what Megumi would think of me..if I did..."

"Gumi knows about-"

"Yes I talked to him already. Actually I came outside to call him. Didn't expect my boy to go that far" he laughed a bit. "But I'm glad he did. Because I didn't have that courage to make a move on you. It felt so wrong to think about you as my partner at this age..I thought it was one sided. But your words cleared my thoughts and I'm really so glad that you feel the same for me."

"Are you...sure?"

"One hundred percent" he stated confidently which was enough to make you chuckle. Oh how pretty you looked with a smile on your face. "So ......is the proposal still valid?"

"It is always valid." You smiled. Toji's eyes softened a bit more as he grabbed your hand and kissed it.

"Great. Now let me ask you out this time..okay?"

"On a street side?"

"For now, yes."

"The people?"

"I don't really mind"

"Well..okay"

Toji got on his knees and hold your hands close to his heart. "Y/n..will you...will you do a favour to this old man and be his girlfriend?" You giggled at his goofy confession and replied, "I'd love to" and with that he kissed your hand once again.

Since you cancelled the booking, Toji decided to take you to his favorite bakery and you tried some of the cookies and desserts, so did he. You two were like two birds in love. And it was actually pure love. The adoration was so content in your relationship that you both felt at home in each other's presence.

After hanging for a bit more, Toji stopped at a flower shop and bought your favorite flowers for you, as you left the previous bouquet at the cafe. Also he didn't buy that with the intension of giving it to you in with his consciousness. So it was needed. You were delighted, so was him.

You walked as you talked. His car wasn't there since he told Megumi to drive back to take his phone. Well he didn't know things were all planned anyway. So you two decided to walk to your home.

It was a long walk yet that felt so less. Distance never seems enough when you are with your favorite person.

"Well, we are here..", Toji spoke with a smile.

"Yes..thank you..for today..Toji san.."

"Just Toji.."

"It'll take some time to adjust", you laughed.

"No problem"

"Good night. Let's meet another day, soon"

"Sure.." Smile never left his lips. You nodded and turned to get inside of your apartment but he again called you. You looked back while he stepped closer

"Forgive me for this but..." He didn't finish his sentence when you felt his lips on yours. That heavenly feeling, which you imagined so many times, was actually happening to you. Your soul jumped and shivered. You were quick to close your eyes aa you got lost in that one kiss. It hold so many emotions. After so many days, you were finally being kissed by the man you loved and adored a lot, by YOUR man.

He, on the other hand, found the peace of the world on your lips. His heart raced yet it bought peace to him. Your lips felt soft on his and his hands cupped your face. He just couldn't let your lips go.

Finally he let your lips go and looked at your face. You looked even more gorgeous up close. He admired you. Your eyes were closed yet he could tell your eyes would speak of happiness and excitement.

His breath fell on your face as you opened your eyes again. You eyes met his and his gaze brought the very common yet sweet factor of love to you, shyness. Your gaze drifted to the ground and your lips were slightly swollen from the kiss. He just wanted to kiss you again but he had to control himself. He didn't want to over do it. So he slowly let you go but stayed close to you.

"Did I cross the limit?" He smiled.

"No.."

"Glad to know" he kissed your cheeks and your heart just almost stopped. You wanted to hide your face. His direct gaze was piercing your through your soul. So you hugged him and hid your face in his embrace. Your action made him giggle softly and he hugged you back.

"There there..did I make you shy?"

"Didn't know you were such a tease"

"Well sweetheart, there's a lot you will learn from now on"

"..looking forward to it.."

"Yeah?" He slowly pulled you back and looked at you. "Sure?" and you nodded. A mischievous grin appeared on his features. "You will learn how far my teasing can go...soon" and he winked as he grabbed your waist. Your face was burning with shyness.

"Toji san! It's getting late...you should go back now..good night !" With that you made yourself free and ran inside your apartment with your racing heart.

The whole thing made him laugh hard. His phone rang and it was his son.

"Yeah..Hello"

"How did it go..?"

"Very well. She is now my girl"

"Thankfully."

"Yeah I even kissed her.."

"Well I didn't need to know that much dad....but yeah good for you two" Megumi smiled.

"I know. Just a show off"

"Old man!"

"Hey! Don't insult me like that..your mom won't like it.."

"Huh?"

"Y/n..she would certainly not like it if you insult her boyfriend and her possible future husband"

"I would never call her mom! No way"

"Someone else will..."

"Yikes. Can you please be careful about what are you saying and whom you are talking to! You are disgusting! Y/n would be so mad if she knew that you were saying such weird stuff to me about you two"

Toji laughed in response. "Sorry sorry..just kidding. Will be careful from now on don't worry.."

"Come back soon"

"Yeah"

Well...sorry for being so late omg💀 the college works are just..anyway..anyway...I hope it was okay? Cause I typed for so long lol☠️

Also, Requests are currently closed! I'll inform when they will open again. I'm keeping my chat box open but I would just delete all the requests if I get anything from today untill I open my request box again. sorry💗

Thanks a lot for reading!

Reblogs and comments are always appreciated ♡

[strwberri-milk]

helloo?? just found the best Kaeya fics I've ever read?? thank you!!?? may I request reader's first time with Kaeya? or if I may, Kaeya taking readers virginity? If you do end up writing this thank you!

hello this is my favourite trope idk if i think kaeya is like super duper experienced but i like to imagine that hes got enough exprience under his belt mainly bc?? it just works better w the way i go into this but i do not subscribe to manwhore mondays kaeya not to slam anyone who does i just!!! also love the idea of him being so shy w someone he loves anyway goodbye - also aefawfaw i went so overbard and thank you for the compliment and request!!

Kaeya's a sweetheart. When he asked you out he did it with a shy smile after an insane amount of deliberation that he hasn't even used to do his job. Clearly, he's got his priorities straight and you're dead center in his sights.

You were worried that some of the less than savoury rumors about him were true. You two were close enough that you could determine such things about him were indeed just falsities but that didn't stop the voice in the back of your head trying to warn you about him.

But, thankfully the concern was unfounded with the way he was treating you. Kaeya was more than patient with you, not minding waiting at all. After all, as long as you were happy he was happy! And he's got an overactive imagination that can help him out when needed.

However, once you told him you were willing to move to the next step in your relationship physically he can't deny just how excited the prospect made him. He wasn't ready to do it right away, no, he wanted to make sure everything was perfect, meaning he's set up everything mentally to make sure you would have an amazing time period, forget the whole first thing.

Kaeya can feel his heart pound painfully in his chest at the way you look up at him. The haze of lust sits comfortably over both your shoulders, his hands gently resting against the hem of your shirt. You answer the unspoken question in his eye, hiding the urge to cover yourself as his gaze roams over your now fully nude body. His knee sits between your legs, keeping you in place as he leans down to kiss you again.

"You're still okay, right?" he asks when your lips part, checking in with you for what feels like the gajillionth time. It just makes you laugh, nodding as you rest your arms on his shoulders.

"Just be gentle, okay? I can't handle all of your pent-up libido at once," you tease, laugh dissolving into slight whines when he starts trailing kisses down your neck to your collar.

It takes him no time to work you to a whining mess, fingers working skillfully over you as your hips buck into him. You want him to press inside of you, craving him in a way you've never felt before but he only shushes you, wanting to prepare you first.

Kaeya takes note of every reaction you give him, making sure to focus his attentions on certain parts or motions when you keen especially loud or hard into his body. His cock bounces against his stomach just as eagerly, holding back his own desire to make the most out of this moment.

The way you spill over his fingers with your first orgasm makes him almost cum untouched, mind racing as he desperately tries to imagine what it'll feel like to have your body clenching over his cock. He kisses you hard as you cum, swallowing all of your moans eagerly as his hands hold your thighs apart to spread you wide for his girth.

"Kaeya!" you whine breathlessly, shoulders digging into the sheets as he begins to press into you.

You knew he was big, already unsure if you'd be able to take him when you saw him undress. He promised to make it as painless as possible, making sure to lubricate both of your bodies effectively to lessen the burden of the stretch. However, even just getting the bulbous head of his cock seemed to be too much for you right now, pain coursing through your body as he buries your face into his shoulder.

"Just be patient, okay?' he grunts into your ear, moaning loudly as he sinks inside of you a little deeper.

"It'll hurt right now but if you can bear it with me just a little it'll feel good, I swear. Just let me take care of you sweetheart."

You nod against him, nails that were once digging into his back from pain becoming marks of pleasure once the two of you adjust. His pace is steady, not too fast or harsh, but just enough that you can feel his heavy balls slapping against your ass in a way that's so lewd when mixed with his low moans in your ear. You struggle to move against him, the foreign intrusion and burn in your thighs almost distracting you from the numb pleasure burning in your mind and core.

His pace gets rougher when you begin to buck against him impatiently, finally finding a rhythm that the two of you can match together. It takes everything in him to not hold your hips down and ram into you the way he's been dreaming of, saving it in the back of his mind for another time. Now, he's more focused on the way you call out his name, words melting off when he hits a particular spot inside of you.

"Feels good, doesn't it? You're doing so good for me right now - you feel so much better than I thought you would," he praises, biting back his more filthy thoughts as you nod.

"I wanna cum, please, Kaeya, I want you so bad," you cry, hands moving to press against his chest as he obliges to your wish.

He brings a hand back down to where your bodies are joined, resisting his urge to cum when you clench over him from the touch of his fingers. It makes you so tight he can barely move, thrusts getting rougher to accommodate the adjustment.

Soon enough, the two of you are cumming together, your release something Kaeya thinks he'll never forget. He memorises the way your brows draw together, the way you sing for him, the tightening over his dick as he feels your walls milk him for all he's worth.

You've absolutely ruined him, his brain rotting at the reminder he's the only one that you've shown this lewd expression to. He can't wait to show you even more things.

[taurder]

Hello! Found your blog recently and it's just so good, I just wanted to leave a request for Miguel and a (ftm) reader who just started a relationship and someone finds out?

Their relationship being quite under the radar, but if someone knew what to look for, they'd notice? Perhaps being caught while being affectionate towards one another? If that's not your thing, it's alright, thank you anyway!

ftm!top!reader x miguel o'hara

contains: implied spider-person reader, nothing nsfw, just a little implying. ftm reader but very mild?

note: thank you so much! and i hope you like it, i thought the idea was cute but i realized too late that the reader being ftm isn't as obvious? maybe? still, first sfw thing here, so have at it.

Is it peter's idea or you and miguel seemed different? not in a bad or concerning kind of way, and you had changed this past year but he didn't meant that. he has seen miguel being relaxed, he probably is one out of five people who has actually witness a genuine smile plastered in the face of the headquarters' leader, and even so that didn't happened regularly enough. and still there he was: full on costume as always, towering over you and crossing his arms as he usually did when he was giving a lecture about a mission going wrong, smiling.

and usually peter would take a glance at the room and either step in to try to convince miguel to tone down his anger or he will continue on walking, just hearing the screams from afar, depending of the spider-person receiving the lecture. but now what made him suddenly stop was seeing the smile miguel was showing. his eyes went wild because it was clearly his you screwed up the mission pose, and still he was just rolling his eyes, smiling easy as you seemed to tease with your usual grin.

maybe miguel was just in a good mood (was that even possible?) or he has just finished lecturing another hero and so his pose was like that even though you didn't mess up anything. peter smiled not entirely convinced but continuing on his walk, more slower now. he was about to forget about the interaction he witness when you walked right pass him, a big smile on your face.

"hey, all good?" he asked in reflex, as he did to anyone who walk out of a conversation with miguel. "uhm? oh yeah, i got lectured because an anomaly made a big fuss in the containment room. kinda my fault, see you at lunch?" peter stopped again while you waved goodbye, already shooting webs and getting out of there. he opened his mouth and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. that upbeat attitude and smile wasn't the usual demeanor of someone who just got yelled at, right?

jessica then made a comment to peter while they were at the cafeteria, several days since the meeting. "wasn't that miguel's dinner?" you were sitting two tables away from them, having a conversation with another parker and a spider-robot while eating a sincronizada out of a disposable food container, the exact same one peter had give miguel half an hour ago, the letters MO written at the lid by the cafeteria man who always send out something he thought he would enjoy. but there you were, devouring the cheese, ham and avocado in-between the tortilla. "so? maybe he wasn't hungry and gave it away" peter answered back, but now his eyes wouldn't stop looking at you.

days passed without thinking of that whole interaction, but then they were all called to a quick briefing about new discovered universe and a warning to be careful there. he was just about to leave like the others when mayday made a cute hiccup sound and he needed to show miguel. he turned, holding her in arms already voicing out the spider-man's name when his eyes catch up something quick. miguel's hand pinching your side just as you were walking away, both of you sharing a look and a playful smile (again).

it was casual, almost friendly if people didn't paid attention to both you and miguel's expression. but peter did, even if he continued on his rambling, demanding the attention of the taller man as you walked away, the brown eyes of the man staying a little longer on your figure before paying attention to peter.

"what was the last time miguel offered you his food?" point taken. they didn't talk any more of it, but now that they both were on the same understanding that miguel was acting different it was like every single detail was suddenly cristal clear in their eyes, pointing to the same conclusion.

to the way you seemed to always be near the wing in the headquarters closer to miguel's control room, to the way his eyes would focus for more seconds than intended in you when there was another briefing. one day, and jessica wishes she hasn't but she saw you two leaving the bathroom almost at the same time, him with slightly swollen lips and not exactly put together hair, and you with a cocky and satisfied smile, if she had been suspicious now this was full confirmation. they both noticed miguel's much calmer attitude too, not quite bubbly all around but at least he was less intense and wasn't snapping at people left and right anymore.

"i know two dorks in love when i see them" stated jessica after some weeks, more and more details just piling up after the other, to the way you would smile whenever someone mentioned him, or how miguel would only calm down when his eyes found you after returning from a mission. now both jess and peter were walking to the control room after being called there, the subject being brought up as it always did when discussing o'hara nowadays "...and honestly good for them, at least miguel isn't acting like he has a stick in his ass and is now actually getting something up–" the two heroes stopped, about five meters far from the entrance, just watching as you fully kissed their leader.

he was sitting on top of a desk with you between his legs, and even like that he had to lean slightly down so your mouths could meet properly. it wasn't heated, but there was intimacy in the way your slim hands were on his neck, fingertips touching his hair as his own right hand was at the desk, his left grabbing your arm, caressing with his thumb and enjoying the kiss fully with his eyes closed. peter turned then, taking jessica's shoulders to do the same as they both walked away.

"he's going to hiss at us for not showing up" they both laughed wholeheartedly, having just been presented to the confirmation of their suspicions "let the grumpy vampire enjoy himself, pete, he has bigger concerns than us right now".

[doodle-do-wop]

Kotlc theory: spoilers for Stellarlune

I'm probably gonna slap this on discord cause I like rambling to my friends but it felt like a fun theory to drop here anyway

It's a very very VERY long plot point that I honestly kinda maybe somewhat thought about the first time it popped up but the missing star stone Gisela had commissioned into a hair thingy

Biana mentions her dad taking her to buy a comb once when she was young and that was that up until Stellarlune when the star stone is essential now for Elysian and Biana, brilliant girl that she is, has a theory about the stones and as per use, she's right. Whenever Biana has a theory there is like a 90% chance she's right or she was still right but just slightly missed the target. So it turns out Biana has had the star stone this whole damn time sitting in a box because little baby Biana didn't think it was pretty/it wasn't the one she wanted

But Cyrrah purposefully gave the star stone to Biana and yeah it could just be because no one would think twice about some little kid having what is essentially the government's biggest secret in a jewelry box for who knows how many years but could Biana have been essential to Elysian in some other way besides being the keeper of the place?

Had Alvar ever been ordered to snoop through his family's jewelry because Gisela heard they bought something from Cyrrah but everyone just shrugged her off because she's crazy and paranoid and none of Della's jewelry was special but womp womp Gisela uses her brain for something other than kicking kids and she right

I know Biana is Shannon's favorite plot device for moving things along and Dex is her favorite when she remembers he exists and needs to set a kid on fire (I really hope Dex doesn't die in the final battle because if anyone is going down to an exploding glittery rock it would be Dex but knowing him and fire Dex might survive this) but I genuinely think Biana might still have a foot in the door with this whole Elysian thing

And yeah, big shocker I'm talking about Stina again, but where the fuck did this kid get a book on BATTLE STRATEGY??? How did this 'cowardly' character who has only been in ONE FIGHT THAT WASNT EVEN GIVEN TO US IT WAS JUST SPARK NOTES NEVER TO BE TOUCHED UPON AGAIN( Shannon when I catch you Shannon) HOW DID SHE OF ALL THE CHARACTERS WHO HAVE NEARLY LOST THEIR LIVES USE THAT THING INSIDE HER SKULL CALLED A BRAIN AFTER ONE BATTLE AND THINK "hey i should learn battle strategy" WHEN NO ONE ELSE DID

Shannon hates me, it's true, she stuck a sticky note to my door that says 'I hate you Doodle-xoxo go piss girl (Shannon)' and I saw her in a Mazda waiting for me to read the note and then dramatically burn tires as she drove off, so I know this blonde woman will do SOMETHING that will make me wanna throw book 10 into the ocean. It will probably be the page count of the book for the number of 'last time on Shameless' filler paragraphs. But she'll do SOMETHING to piss me and only me straight off and it's gonna have something to do with Stina I feel it in me bones.

Cause where did she get a battle strategy book????? Who did Stina go up to and say 'hey does my library card work for goblin writings on battle strategy?'. Elves don't have those types on books they're allegedly peaceful but I mean if they made themselves forget about Nightfall and Elysian the elves might have a super secret dark history of battle strategy.

Biana, Fitz, Tam, Linh, Wylie, Stina, Dex, (I don't even remember if Keefe was there I just recall the Horse Girls and Sophie punching stained glass while Marella shows her support for the LGBT) and the rest of the adults who have so far been nerfed beyond nerffing

Unless Shannon decides she needs a book 11 book 10 is about to be the longest book I've ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes on or worse, broken into two book parts

Shannon can't drop cookie crumbs no more she can only drop the full fucking box of cookies so that battle strategy better come in clutch like the deus ex machina I know it's going to be but I also think it's hilarious that Sophie and the gang leave Stina to her own devices for maybe less than 24 hours and Stina managed to set up a full armada in that time.

Shannon had Stina do far too many things in Stellarlune that are never touched upon/mentioned after they're said and once again, she can't drop crumbs she can only drop the whole cookie. Stina in Stellarlune volunteered to 1) talk to a psychopath 2) search through Kenric's library for a crystal that still wasn't found and 3) read battle strategy while calling herself their strongest asset

Stina has to have something up her sleeves and it better be something big or I'm fighting Shannon in the park lot again. Stina could have gotten the book on battle strategy from Kenric's library tbh and asked to check it out or she was only allowed to read it in Kenric's library. Who knows. I think it's hilarious that Oralie might've had to report back to the council that Stina Heks is reading battle strategy books. Lord only knows how Timkin handled telling the Collective his daughter is reading those books.

Can't believe Stina might be a deus ex machina in book 10, I will go crazy if book 10 is too long and has to be broken up into two parts. I still feel like Biana plays a bigger part because she always does. And this has gone from theory to nonsensical rambling but that's just how this blog rolls

[anathemaloren]

Bewitched

Anthony Lockwood x f!reader - fluff

★ Summary: Lockwood is head over heels for his roomate. What will happen when they're alone for the night?

★ Word count: 1k (more or less)

★ Proofread: yes :)

★ Warnings: cheesy 2000's rom com stuff and also english is not my first language

★ Note: guess who's alive? me (barely)! but at least i'm writing. enjoy this teeth rotting fluff with a tint of pride and prejudice and a tad of lockwood being a simp (and yeah i changed AGAIN my posting style but because i forget how to post every time i stop for a while)

★ Anthony Lockwood was falling for a girl living in his house. And it wasn't Lucy, she was like a sister to him, plus she was already head over heels for Kipps. No - it was Y/n. She hadn't been living on Portland Row for too long, just for about a year or so, and she worked as a florist. Lockwood always pondered about how different they were. She was sweets, had no Talent and baked excellent desserts; he was a bit socially awkward around her, fighted ghosts for a living and burnt toasts if she was in the room. Still, the agent found himself liking her with every fiber of his being.

The girl had started living with Lockwood&Co. when George and Lucy convinced Lockwood that they needed someone with a stable income to keep the house afloat in low activity months. SO, after a few weeks interviewing candidates, Y/n was the chosen one. She had a stable income, knew how to cook and didn't mind cleaning, and she got along with all of them. And Anthony Lockwood started falling for her bright smile.

Now, almost a year later, Lockwood was most definitely in love with her. He was always trying to talk to her, he bought her favourite food and he starved for the small amounts of touch he could get from her. He didn't know if having his room in front of hers was a blessing or a curse. But then the boy remembered her smile when she got out of her room in the morning, the soft "good day"s and "goodnight"s, and the moments when they hanged out together in his room before going to sleep. But that wasn't nearly enough for him. However, there were two problems. First of all, he didn't even know if she liked him back and he didn't want to ruin their friendship if it turned out she didn't like him. And secondly, he had no clue how to tell her. Lucy had advised him to just say it, but he didn't think it was that easy. Or maybe it was. Anyway, he probably would never know, and he was absolutely fine with it.

But the uncertainty came to an end one of the nights were they didn't have a case, a miracle happened; Lucy went on a date with Kipps, and George was pulling an all-nighter at the archives. That meant that Y/n and Lockwood were alone for at least a few hours. Alone. Together. They had dinner together in the unusually quiet kitchen, with a calming atmosphere surrounding them, and then cleaned the dishes. Every time Y/n grazed Lockwood's arm, he shivered. Every time Lockwood placed his hand on Y/n's hip, she sighed a bit. And after that, they went to their favourite place. They both found the library a relaxing place, a place where to be reading books and basking in each other's presence. They arranged themselves in the position they were more comfortable in, one that Lucy and George found strange and were adamant to believe it was comfortable for anyone. The florist laid on the couch and the agent sat on the floor, resting his back on the couch near Y/n, at hand's reach, and usually she would rest her hand on his head and play with his hair, making him melt as like with everything she did.

That night he was engrossed in "The Brothers Karamazov", and she was finishing her lectures of the past weeks, "Pride and Prejudice". Lockwood had almost fainted when he saw her picking up the book from the shelves. He loved it and had read it at least 15 times, in part because it was his mother's favourite and was full of her notes and annotation here and there. Knowing Y/n was reading it now too made his stomach do funny figures. They read in silence as usual for around an hour, until she dramatically closed the book, dropped it on the coffee table near her, and dropped back down on the couch with a theatrical sigh. Lockwood closed his book and let it rest on the floor, turning to look at her, amused. 'What happened?' He gently asked, starting to play with her fingers. She sighed 'I finished it'. She had her eyes closed which gave Lockwood a free pass to look at her with heart eyes and smile fondly at her. 'Is that so bad?' He asked. 'Of course it's bad!' She answered, as if it was obvious 'Now my standards for love are ridiculously high! No one would say things like that to me!' she continued, gesticulating a lot with the hand that Lockwood was not holding. He smiled again 'I would' he blurted. And they both freezed. She opened her eyes and stood up, whereas he stooped smiling and let go of her hand.

'What?' she asked Lockwood, who knew there was no turning back now. So he decided to just go for it 'I said I would say those things to you'. The girl laughed nervously 'You say the weirdest things, Anthony'. Y/n was probably the only one who called him that, and he usually liked it, only now it sounded… strained. 'I'm not joking, Y/n' her name rolled down his tongue as it had always had, as if it was the most beautiful word in the world for him since the moment they met. Now he was nervous but also serious. The girl couldn't find it in her to move or breathe or react in any way. So Lockwood got on his knees, turning around to see her completely, held both of her hands and tried to remember "Pride and Prejudice" as best as he could. 'You have bewitched me, heart and soul' the girl's breath got caught in her throat as she recognized the words and Lockwood declared himself 'and I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on'. The agent was shaking a bit, not really sure that had been the right choice to make. Maybe now she hated him or thought he was weird or- Lockwood's train of thoughts got stopped by Y/n's lips on his. She tasted like cinnamon, and the kiss was gentle and long-awaited. When they parted, they both had a smile on their faces. 'You have also bewitched me' she whispered before kissing him again.

Having to explain the new relationship to Lucy and George took some time, but they were both thrilled about the developments in their relationship. Portland Row now felt more like a family than ever, and Y/n and Lockwood were absolutely in love and open about it. Who would guess that Jane Austen would still get couples together after such a long time?