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shuichi-sama · 1 year ago

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scoring a date

volleyball captain! sunghoon! x manager! reader!

description: if someone had told you that after becoming your high school's volleyball team manager, you would capture the attention of it’s captain, park sunghoon, you wouldn’t have believe them. but as he charm’s his way to your heart, you just might.

or in which, sunghoon attempts to woo-you, seem to be working in his favor.

warnings: fluff! overuse of the word cute! (i swear i wrote it like 6 times)

note: inspired after watching en o’clock episode 87! i couldn’t help but picture all of them as a volleyball team!!!! LOWER CASE INTENDED!!!

___________

honestly? if someone had told you, that you would have volleyball captain, park sunghoon wrapped around your finger you would laugh at their face and certainly not the cute and giggly kind.

but as you watch him come up to you for like the nth time today, similar to every other day, you would be the fool not to believe them at that point.

“hi, y/n.” he says a smile gracing his face.

“sunghoon, you do know this like the fifth time you’ve come up to me during practice just to say hi right? and that’s not counting the four other hand waves you’ve given me.”

sunghoon, cheeks burns pink, it was a force of habit at this point. no matter how much he tried to avoid you, not like he wanted to anyways, if it wasn’t his eyes, the boy would physically gravitate towards you every single time without even noticing.

“well, i have an excuse this time. i actually came up here to ask you something.” If the blushing of his cheeks weren’t a quick give away of his nervousness, the cute tremor in his voice surely was.

“oh, what is it then?” without looking up from your clipboard, sunghoon take it as an opportunity to ask you what’s he’s been dying to ask you for a couple of weeks now, if you looked him in the eye at that moment he wasn’t so sure he would be able to go through with it, no matter how confident he was.

“go on a date with me.”

what? you were not death so you were sure you heard him correctly, but still.

“uh, you want me to go on a date with you? but why?”

confusion and hurt etches on his face at your question, as you prance on realizing just how bad your words had sounded. “i mean, why me?” the tilt of his head encourages you to elaborate.

“i’m socially awkward, i don’t really get along well with people outside of my friend group, i have a bad attitude, and there is a line of pretty girls who would kill to go on a date with you.”

sunghoon finds your rambling rather cute, it’s not like he didn’t know any of this information already. the both of you coming from very different social status at school, while sunghoon was very social, popular and very much liked at school, girls lining up just to get a glimpse of him throughout the halls, you were quite opposite of him.

you were a loner aside from your two reoccurring friends he would see you at lunch with. you weren’t not like at school but nobody really knew who you were, always keeping to yourself. as for your bad monotonous attitude? he thought it was cute, knowing full well it was only because you weren’t the best at expressing yourself, always giving everybody the wrong impression or idea, which may have lead to some very offended students.

sunghoon likes you just the way you are, so it irks him just a bit to listen to you list all these, qualities you deem flaws, but he wouldn’t tell you that at least not yet, he rather tease you first. “well, i think you would be the prettiest girl in that line.”

even if it wasn’t the first time for sunghoon to call you “pretty,” or even “cute,” you could just never get used to it, he simply has a way of making you dig the sole of your right shoe into the glossy wooden floor of the gymnasium bashfully.

“i-i never said i was in that line.” sunghoon eyebrows quirk at that.

“i would like you to be though.” even as his confidence seems to deter, he presses on, wanting a proper answer from you, hopeful it was one that invoked a late night date, that ends with a stroll at the nearest park while eating ice cream, possibly holding your hand if you allow him to.

“is that a no to the date?” his question, has your down cast eyes shoot up suddenly just for them to look away just as quickly. sunghoon can’t seem to take his eyes off of you making you want to turn into a putty right in front of him.

“o-oh, i never said that either.” every time sunghoon ever held a conversation with you, it always seemed like a push and pull feeling. it left him confused many times but a part of him knew that’s just how you are, and honestly? he found it cute, you were cute, so he would willingly pull you as much as he could and would take as many pushes as you want to give.

“so, is that a yes then?” he grins at your lack of eye contact, cute.

“uh-maybe.” he chuckles at your response, it being so you. as much as he wants to press on for a definite answer, he doesn’t know the full extent of your limit. no matter just how much he would love to tease you to find out he doesn’t, as you pull a strand behind your hair, the red tips of your ear giving away your embarrassment.

he chuckles, reaching for the top of your head, before he could ruffle it into a mess, you flinch not used to the physical contact of a guy.

“oh, i’m sorry. i got a head of myself, i didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” sunghoon retracts his hand to his side. distress with the idea of making you uncomfortable unintentionally, he only wishes he could kick himself for his bad habit of not keeping his cool whenever you were around.

raising your clipboard to cover your tainted cheek, you shake your head, to make him understand he misunderstood your actions. the frown forming on his face, has you clearing your throat, and pulling down the clipboard to speak much more clearer than you have been doing this whole time.

“no, it’s not that-i guess you you can say-that perhaps you just make me just a bit nervous in a good way is all.”

sunghoon’s frown ebbs away, only to switch to a look of widen eyes, and disbelieve at your clear confession. “oh.”

“why are you smiling at me like that?” you ask his looked of disbelieve turns to another of happiness, as if he had hit the jackpot, and in his world he did.

“cause you just told me i make you nervous.” well not that he didn’t know, if he wasn’t so sure he would have thought you were either nervous all the time, or simply emotionless, but you confirming that his presence made you nervous in a “good way” as you said, he was first pumping the air in his head.

“is it that shocking?” you asked out loud, more to yourself really.

he didn’t respond to your question either way. opting out to make a deal with you instead, evident that this conversation would see no end. no matter that he just wants to talk to you for the remainder of the hour, he couldn’t. if coach catches him slacking, sunghoon would be running endless lap around the the school til he saw fit, especially as team captain.

“how about we make a deal? if my team wins the mock game by 5 points difference, you’ll let me take you on a date.”

you didn’t have to consider much, but you firmly believe in his capability to score more as team manager. “if you score a difference of 10 i’ll go on a date with you.”

“you must really not want to go on a date with me, uh?” he jokingly asks.

“no, i just have faith in your abilities to beat them with a 10 point difference.”

“okay, a 10 point difference, and i also get to hold your hand after practice, it’s only fair if we both add something, no?”

sure it was fair, but now you were blushing again. “okay, deal.”

“perfect,” just before he could turns to go back to his team, he speaks again, “just so you know, i’m not going easy on them.”

“well, as team manager i would be upset if you did.”

with a beaming smile he directs at you, he reaches over your head once again unconsciously, still out of bad habit thought this time you don’t flinch away as he ruffles your hair.

you were unsure who was more nervous leaving the gymnasium, but as you walk hand in hand with sunghoon, he blames practice for his sweaty palms even after he had taken his shower. Though truthfully, he thinks it might just be too early to tell you just how nervous you make him feel, he still has to take you on a date first!

SCOREBOARD: 30/15

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circledwithaheart · 4 months ago

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update: now posted to ao3

Buck is a few shots deep (when did he switch to shots?) with his new bar buddy. An attractive older guy who, as it turns out, also used to work at the 118 under Captain Nash.

"You worked with Bobby?" Buck lights up and rambles on before the guy can answer. "That means you must've worked with Hen and Chim, right?"

The guy mumbles a few things that Buck can't hear, and probably doesn't want to, before confirming he worked with Hen and Howie.

"Yeah, right. Howie. You know he married my sister? Gave me the cutest little niece." Buck beams and pulls out his phone to show off the album of Jee Yun photos. And then the other thought strikes again.

They look about the same age. It's possible, he thinks. Well, it's not impossible. Buck goes to pocket his phone again, only he misses his shirt entirely and it clatters on the table.

"Sorry 'bout that, uh, so if you worked with them- did you, uh, work with, uh, T-tommy? Tommy Kinard?"

Why is the name that used to slide off his tongue so easily now trip and stutter like it doesn't belong there?

The guy laughs, not seeming to notice Buck's elocution issues, and takes another shot. “Fuck, I’m getting too old for this shit.”

He spins the empty shot glass like a top. “Kinard? Yep, sure did. One of the best partners I could've asked for. At least he got to leave on his own terms.”

Buck furrows his brow, something familiar scratching at the back of his tequila addled brain. “What, uh, what did you say your name was again?”

“I didn’t,” the guy says matter of factly.

“But, you seem like a nice guy, so I'll tell you," he adds with a wink. "It’s Deluca. Sal Deluca.”

Buck's heard the name, a few stories here and there. Heard he moved to the 122, but doesn't know why.

"You transferred, right?" Buck asks cautiously.

The guy - Sal - shrugs his acknowledgement. "More or less. Anyway, I guess I better amend my introduction then. It's actually Captain Deluca. But Sal is fine. Or just Deluca."

"Buck."

Sal looks at him like he's got three heads. "Is that something new the kids are saying these days or...?"

"No, uh, 's m'name. Buck. Well, Evan Buckley, but you can call me Buck."

Sal studies him for a second before holding a hand out. "Nice to meet you, kid."

They shake hands and Buck thinks about the way Sal called him 'kid'. It's not like when Tommy said it. More like Bobby or Chim. Familial.

"Sorry to drink and run, but I gotta get home," Sal says, pushing out of his chair. "Wife's gonna kill me if I'm home too late."

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Yeah, maybe." Then he's throwing some cash on the table and walking away.

~~~~~

As soon as he's out of sight, Sal taps on the camera app. It's probably a little unethical to surreptitiously be taking photos of the kid- Buck- but it's for a good cause.

Once upon a time he might have tried to pick him up, something about the kicked puppy look pulls at his heartstrings. Among other things. But now he's a happily married man with a whole brood to think about. Gina really would kill him, decorated fire captain or not.

He swipes over to messages and fires off a quick text.

Met your boy tonight. Christ Kinard he’s as bad as you. Should really put yourselves out of your collective misery.

It doesn't take long before the bubbles appear.

I did, remember? It's better this way.

Sal attaches the picture this time.

Better for who, exactly?

The bubbles appear and disappear again, until his screen eventually goes dark and no more responses come. Sal sighs and gets in the cab of his truck, contemplating another text, but ultimately decides against it. Tommy will talk when he's ready.

He steals another glance through the giant plate glass window where Buck is still sitting, sullen and lost, albeit with what looks like water this time.

"I hope it works out, kid, and he doesn't wait too long." Sal pushes aside the phantom acrid scent of a dinner forgotten in the oven while they fucked on the kitchen floor, the fear in Tommy's eyes when Sal asked when they could tell people about them. Because it had been months of sneaking around to each other's apartments. Of being more than just work partners- or so he thought. "Maybe he'll get his head out of his ass before it's too late this time."

#i saw that tweet about never knowing who you'll bump into in public and my brain took off running #911 speculation #mostly crack spec but… y’know #8x11 spec fic #evan buckley #sal deluca #tommy kinard #bucktommy #past saltommy #911 abc #from my brain to your dash #hippo writes #working title: tell me there are things you regret

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arxhafleu · 20 days ago

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# hiccup's worth by toothless

when everyone saw hiccup as useless — a walking disaster who only caused damage wherever he went — toothless was the first to think otherwise. the first one to see what his core was like. the first to recognize hiccup's worth.

i also like to add that toothless was also the first to receive hiccup's help — without even asking for it. this boy, who had been rejected and ridiculed by his own people, came back to help the very dragon he had shot down. he chose to spare what he caught, to fix what he broke. hiccup was so eager, so determined to make things right — to give toothless the ability to fly again, and toothless realized those behaviors and intentions too.

SO how could anyone ever say hiccup only brought Danger when he brought a delicious bucket of fish to feed toothless every day and accompany him throughout the afternoon?? how could anyone ever say hiccup only brought Danger when he chose to help toothless every time he went to the cove? how could anyone ever say hiccup only brought Danger, when the first time he held real power over someone — a dragon, no less, viking's mortal enemy — he used that power to help?

toothless didn't see the "useless hiccup" everyone else talked abt (in everyone's defense, he wasn't even aware that hiccup was deemed useless BUT ANYWAY — back to my ramblings) . he didn't see a human disaster — he saw a little gentle, curious, kind boy. a very same boy who cared enough to help him. someone who kept trying to make him fly again. and thru their bond and friendship, became someone who mattered VERY MUCH to toothless. he was the first one to believe in hiccup, the first one to trust him.

thus, toothless just wanted hiccup to see what he saw, that his human was capable of so much more than what others reduced him to. toothless wanted him to feel that he wasn't just a disappointment or a burden to be cast aside. toothless wanted him to know he was worthy and he wanted him to feel seen.

because if the truth were to be told — if the rest of the world decided to cast him out. toothless would always be the one who wanted hiccup to stay — to stay with him, by his side. if everyone else wanted to get rid of hiccup, toothless would be the one choosing him, every single time. he would rather stay with and by him, than ever be a part of a world that couldn't see hiccup's worth. if everyone else wanted to throw hiccup away, to cast him aside for being who he is — toothless would never let him go. that if the world turned its back on hiccup, toothless would turn toward him.

toothless was the first one to believe in hiccup. he was the first one to accept, acknowledge, and love hiccup for what and who he is. he loved hiccup when he was still "useless" or when he was "nothing" — because to him, hiccup was never those things. he never once looked at him and saw failure. he only saw a kind-hearted boy who has an instinct (a soul, rather) of a dragon. and that belief was what gave hiccup the confidence to grow into who he was always meant to be! not in spite of what everyone thought of him — but bec someone finally saw what was there all along.

#how to train your dragon #hiccup and toothless #httyd #hiccup horrendous haddock iii #toothless #httyd1 analysis #i love their bond so much i feel so normal thinking about them #platonic soulmates #i hold their bond so close to my heart #i want what they have #mi.yap #i love their friendship somuch

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somewhere-elena · 2 months ago

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Notes between the Noise

Frat boy!Lin Liè x fem reader

Part one -> part two

✧─── ･｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

No one ever said being a university student would be easy. Especially since you took your grades seriously, spending lots of your time studying, in class or just asleep.

Of course you had friends (little bit) but they were real friends, and that's what mattered. One of them bring your best friend and roommate, Luna.

One night, you were trying to study at your desk, elbow resting on the desk itself and your forehead in your hand as you tapped your pen against the textbook in frustration.

There, of course, was a loud frat party going on a block away, making it hard to concentrate. You were tempted to just file a noise complaint but you didn't wanna be a scrooge.

Huffing you shut your books up and lean back in your chair, running a hand through your hair in irritation.

"Every fucking Friday.." You grumble.

Luna snickered from her bed, setting her popstar magazine aside.

"They're just living the good old college lifestyle. You should try it." Luna encouraged.

"Who do you take me for?" You reply plainly.

"Why have fun now when I can work hard and have fun later in life?" You state.

Luna sighed, sitting up in her bed.

"Y/n... You gotta stop being a hermit crab." She said as you place your books away and then your desk lamp off.

You got up from your chair, pushing it in and walking over to your bed as she continued talking.

"Live a little. Get out there and who knows.. Maybe you'll find a boy~" She added with a wink.

"Shut up..." You whine in slight flusteredness, slight irritation, climbing under the covers.

"Goodnight Luna." You say.

"Night Y/n." She replied.

You tried getting sleep but the party and Luna's words kept you up for a bit.

Maybe she was right? Maybe you were too studious... Maybe you needed to let loose. At least once.

✧─── ･｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

You groggily made your way to the cafe you always study at.

You hardly got any good sleep at all last night and it made you feel like a zombie.

Literally because you slammed into someone as soon as you were about to enter, spilling coffee over the both of you.

"Jesus!-" his voice spoke up, startled.

You flinch, grimacing.

"Shit-! I am so sorry- I didn't get good sleep last night I just-" You ramble before looking at the guy.

He was clearly Asian with messy, short black hair, a white t shirt now covered in coffee and a light teal varsity jacket with lighter yellow and white accents. He furrowed his eyebrows at you, a small glare.

You then recognized him from your calculus class.

You since, pulling out $7 from your wallet.

"I'm really sorry-" You begin.

"Watch where you're going next time, eh sleeping beauty?" He replied, snatching the money from you and storming off.

You stood there a bit stunned. You hadn't expected that reaction but you couldn't blame him.

You huff, looking down at your own coffee soaked shirt. Damnit.

You began making your way back to campus to get to your dorm.

Staying inside was definitely the better option for you.

✧─── ･｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

"It was totally embarrassing, I just spilled his coffee all over him!" You groan, burying your face into your hands as you ranted to Luna.

She grimaced.

"Yeah, that's.. That's bad." She said.

"On the bright side, he didn't yell at you." She added.

"No! But he's in my calculus class! I'm gonna have to see him for the rest of the school year..!" You whine.

"Oh." Luna winced.

"What'd he look like anyways?" She asked.

"Why does it matter?" You replied.

She gave you a knowing look, to which you groan.

"Asian... Light teal varsity jacket with light yellow and white trim." You describe.

Her eyes widen a bit.

"Oh, you've met Liè." She said.

"I wouldn't say we 'met' but okay... Who?" You say.

She laughed softly.

"He's one of the many frat boys on campus. He's friends with Johnny Storm, the one that threw that rager the other night." She explained.

"He's friends with that ass? I lost sleep cause of that party." You grunted.

"Quit being a baby. You'll be okay, just.. Study for now? I got errands to run." Luna said, getting up and grabbing her purse and keys.

"See ya in a bit n/n! (Nickname) " She said before leaving the dorm.

You sigh deeply, falling back against your mattress. What a day. You were exhausted.

#x reader #fanfic #lin lie iron fist #lin lie x fem reader #lin lie #lin lie x reader #college au #frat boy lin lie #x fem reader #normal au #marvel rivals x reader #marvel #marvel x reader #somewhere elena

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atsumwah · 2 years ago

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"if you had to pick"

featuring : daichi, oikawa, kita

includes : fluff

notes : this has been in my drafts for way too long ahhh

☆ SAWAMURA DAICHI

practice was over and you guys still had some time left so why not play a game?

tanaka had roped everyone to sit in a circle and play truth or dare so here you were

it was your turn and obviously, not wanting to do some stupid dare by him, chose truth

"if you had to pick between all of us, who would be the best boyfriend?" tanaka asked

you didn't even hesitate on that. "daichi, for sure."

you had a little crush on him, sure, but then again maybe that was too fast

that earned a few hollers and mischievous looks coming from your friends, especially your trouble making juniors.

"oh and why's that?" noya asked with a wink.

you try your best to change the subject but everyone seemed interested in your answer

including daichi who was sporting a blush

"well he's already boyfriend material. a good brother, an even amazing captain, not to mention a real gentleman —" it was your turn to blush when you caught yourself rambling "—so yeah theoretically that's the most obvious answer. okay next"

thankfully it went to someone else and you sighed in relief when the spotlight was off you

after hanging out , you made your way home but you were stopped by daichi himself

"you know if you want, you could see if your theory was true," he said smoothly but you could see a hint of blush on his cheeks as he spoke

☆ OIKAWA TOORU

you knew something would happen when you hung out with the four of them

it was your monthly movie night with the boys so you're all at oikawa's house this time

you still made time for each other despite your schedule

iwaizumi claimed the single arm chair, makki and mattsun sat on the floor and you were seated next to oikawa on the couch

you didn't mind though, maybe some part of you was hoping you were seated next to your crush

you were watching a movie about these friends having a backup husband/wife and makki got really interested in the idea.

it's not a surprise when he stopped mid movie to ask you guys

well, technically, ask you

"say y/n if you had to pick one of us to be your backup, who would it be?"

you looked around them before answering. "oikawa"

said setter looked at you in surprise while makki had this mischievous look in his eyes.

"oh do tell us more."

"he's gonna go pro right?" was the first thing that came to your head aside from the obvious fact you had a crush on him. "might as well marry the rich."

"so you'd marry him for money?"

"and the good looks" you joked before continuing.

"KIDDING but he's actually sweet and I think he'd make a great backup husband"

cue awwing from makki and oikawa subtly hiding his blush

"okay but what makes you think he would want you as his backup" mattsun chipped in

and immediately all eyes were on the man of the hour

you knew it was a silly game but you'd hope he'd pick you

oikawa looked around and cleared his throat before answering.

"well obviously not y/n"

you rolled your eyes at that but deep down that kind of hurt

"why would I have you as my backup when I could have you now?"

say what

you whipped your head towards him and saw how he's blushing

"she's totally gonna reject you now, dude."

☆ KITA SHINSUKE

it is no secret that kita is the perfect gentleman

that is the only reason being inarizaki's manager is so bearable

and you know the humongous crush you had on him helped too

anyway

you were filling up some forms for the team and they were hanging out near you, literally just wasting time and suna decides to ask you questions

and suna just casually goes "y/n if you had to pick one of us to date who would it be?"

"kita."

he didn't stop there

"pick someone who'd you kiss?"

"pick someone you'd kill for?"

"pick someone who'd you cook and clean for"

"look, i'll save you some time. if kita is an option, i pick kita." you said, clearly distracted and not knowing said captain was just behind you blushing like hell

atsumu had other ideas cue evil laugh

"ah, so you have a crush on him huh?"

"isn't that obvious." you retorted.

"it wasn't obvious to me."

you froze. literally frozen on the spot as kita comes up from behind you.

earth please swallow me whole

"oh haha it was a dumb games anyways let's forget about it."

"ah, shame. because I'd do all those things only for you too."

cue sneaky teasing kita

also cue you short circuiting

safe to say this was just the beginning

reblogs are appreciated luvss <3

#haikyuu headcanons #daichi fluff #oikawa fluff #kita fluff #daichi x reader #oikawa x reader #kita x reader #daichi sawamura #oikawa tooru #kita shinsuke #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu x reader #daichi headcanons #oikawa headcanons #kita headcanons #hq headcanons #hq hcs

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5iyoomi · 1 year ago

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How The Haikyuu Boys Kiss You ━ Part 2

characters: Sugawara, Shirabu, Semi, Akaashi

warnings: all fluff with a touch of hurt/comfort in Sugawara's 🙏 gender neutral reader here as well

A/N: I'm totally not procrastinating making my masterlists (I don't have much on here yet so it's fine right? right.) but anyways I've had so many ideas lately which is crazy cuz almost all of what I usually write is like mlm x characters. I barely touch x readers myself but I love reading em'. Making a blog in the middle of a deep hyperfixation will do wonders like that cuz I've been writing smth practically every day LOL.... sorry if this one's shorter/sorta all over the place

Part 1 | Word Count: 1,170

‎

Sugawara Koushi

His kisses are definitely short and sweet (like Hinata) but they're passionate

He's probably the most experienced of the boys or at least comes off that way, he knows what to do and how to do it

He's pretty feather-light with his touches, so much so that you don't even register they're there half the time

But you like how they ground you in the moment

Sugawara's also the kind of guy to kiss your tears away, relishing in how your eyelashes flutter while he flashes you a comforting smile that he saves for you in your more vulnerable moments

"Everything's gonna be alright, okay? I'm here for you"

He'll usually kiss you when you least expect it, rambling on about something you're interested in or something before he leans in

Your words get caught in your throat when he does, but he doesn't let it linger, so you're just left blinking in surprise with a visible question mark floating over the top of your head

He must be able to tell cuz he laughs a little

It leaves you wanting more, so he never complains if you ask for another or take the initiative and give him one right back

He has a tendency to place his hand atop yours or on your knee/thigh when you kiss

He also likes when you kiss his cheek, right where his birthmark is. It tickles since it's by his eye, but it makes him feel closer to you

Sweet but super shameless, if somebody sees you and you get fidgety he'll tell you there's nothing to be embarrassed about

"So? It's fine if people talk. We're dating, aren't we?"

Needless to say you stopped caring so much after that

Shirabu Kenjirou

ANOTHER UNDERRATED KING

"He's mean/annoying" DON'T EVEN JOKE LAD

Anyways....

He's not allergic to PDA but he won't entertain it at first

Like at all

It's not cuz he doesn't want to, but he gets really shy about it

As his first partner, you're naturally his first kiss too, so he has no idea what he's doing

He's scared you'll make fun of him, so when the perfect moment arises and he turns his head at the last second, you have to face him and tell him that his inexperience doesn't matter to you

You won't laugh or poke fun at him, you respect his feelings and always will

He's less apprehensive if it's also your first, but it's still a hurdle you have to overcome

He's probably a little blunt especially when it comes to affection, he says the exact opposite of what he means 80% of the time

"I can do it myself" = he wants help but doesn't know how to ask for it

"I know that, idiot" = he's silently thankful you didn't brush him aside, that you looked past that composed facade he puts on sometimes and brought him out of it

Once that's out of the way and he feels like he can be more open with what he wants, he recloses the distance between you

It's messy and stilted, but neither of you mind. He just wants to be near you

He's so touch starved it's insane, you'll hold his hand or touch his face and he literally freezes up

If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was because he didn't like it, but you know he wants to, he's just really awkward. He has a lot of difficulty with asking for physical touch

Did I mention touch starved?

He pushes away from you if somebody sees, even if you guys aren't kissing

"You didn't see anything" he says to whoever it is, and you chuckle, ruffling his hair and pressing a kiss to his forehead

You can see his brain short-circuit in real time when you do :>

Semi Eita

Tendou would absolutely tease him for it but he has the biggest soft spot for you

You'd be at one of their games holding up a sign with his name on it or cheering the loudest for him and Tendou makes a mental note to mess with Semi later (much to the shorter boy's dismay)

Tendou's a MENACE

But anyway

His kisses are pretty similar to Sugawara's, but they last for longer

Light, passionate kisses with his hands on your lower back or two fingers gently tilting your chin up if you're shorter than him

They might get deeper, they might not. It just depends on how you react and how he's feeling (he never wants to accidentally push you into anything)

But once he's got you, he doesn't wanna let you go

He gives them out sparingly, more of a words of affirmation person, but he likes how much you smile against him when he does

He's surprisingly pretty doting on his partner, so if you grab his wrist when he moves to catch his breath, 9 times out of 10 he'll yield to your touch

"Not yet..." oh BOY he's whipped. He'd only say no if you both actually had to be somewhere or he starts to get sick of the stares thrown his way that are mostly from Tendou and Shirabu

He has you wrapped around his finger just as much as you've got him wrapped around yours

If he isn't kissing you on your lips, then he'll bring your hand to his mouth and kiss your knuckles/fingers

It reminds you of a prince from one of those old fairy tales <3

Akaashi Keiji

When it comes down to initiation with him, it's kinda 50/50

Akaashi's the kind of person to get explicit consent before doing anything and on top of that he can read people pretty easily, especially people he knows well

So if he senses any apprehension he'll stop or give you a quick peck on your cheek instead

But if you lean into him, lips puckered and a wordless plea in your eyes, he doesn't have any reason to refuse

(On the flip side, I don't think he minds random kisses or hugs from you, but he appreciates if you ask too)

His kisses are soft and loving, the kind that leave you feeling warm and floaty for a few minutes afterwards

They're always purposeful too, kisses after an accomplishment or during one of your dates

But sometimes he does just wanna kiss you cuz you look pretty/handsome

Your lips curl up, eyes lightly squinted in a display of happiness as you look at him like he's as beautiful as the stars

And it's then that he gets that urge

He's more embarrassed about being seen or walked in on. He probably wouldn't wanna keep going, so most of your kisses in public are short (but still equally sweet)

He keeps his hands above your shoulders, or he holds your own, giving them the occasional gentle squeeze

He swipes a thumb across your cheek and presses a parting kiss to the corner of your mouth, bright eyes saying more than he ever could

He loves you, he really does

#🌙 ── 5iyoworks #sugawara koushi #koushi sugawara #shirabu kenjirou #kenjirou shirabu #semi eita #eita semi #akaashi keiji #keiji akaashi #sugawara x reader #shirabu x reader #semi x reader #akaashi x reader #haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu hcs #hq hcs #hq fluff

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kalied0skull · 2 months ago

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something about tragic background characters that are known by nothing but name and two sentences you are SO dear to me

which is why i drew my sandy design under the request!!! of my dearest silly @stewdoesthings !

now playing: Cry to Me — Solomon Burke ♪

when I was drawing her, i kind of pieced together the lore i have for her in my head as i went on, sooo...

★ ramble under the cut !

Sandy's design to me is probably the most OUT THERE compared to all of the other outsiders girls I've got designs for (and also not finished, sandy is the first! (aside from angela))

I've always envisioned her as a beachy girl, having family out in florida and being a natural blonde. dunno why those pieced together beach girl to me.

whenever i think of sandy, i think of three characters combined: jenny from forrest gump, lily from the book we'll fly away, and sophie from mamma mia.

in my envisionary of absolutely bullshitting, sandy is a girl who lives for the islands and the sea. she's a girl looking for love, and constantly on the search for something. her father is a priest who's constantly away for weeks on end, her mother dead. she lives alone with only greasers and hoods to keep her company in their dingy neighborhood.

people whisper "well of course she's a teenage mom, have you seen her situation? she's just gone downhill since." and it tears at her. she knows what the people think. she can make guesses of what soda would think. she ruins herself over those thoughts.

i just never see a good future for her unfortunately. but like jenny, I'd also imagine she'd way later in the future reconnect with soda. send him love, ask him out to a party, they talk, he realizes how badly she changed, he tries to talk her into going home with him, she... runs away again.

sandy is impulsive, she's what I'd say be a hippie before hippies were even hippies. she's a peace-for-all and love-for-all kind of girl. she's patriotic in the sense of loving the lands, not the people. she doesn't care for people, not anymore at least. she lives for the breeze in her hair, the grass between her toes in fields that reach up to her waist. she's obsessed with sheep and cats, she drinks herbal tea in the mornings.

i do like to imagine that sandy did become an actual hippie once the late 60s really picked up on protesting. and i do also unfortunately believe she left her daughter in the process. her family all despised her, they kept the baby anyways though. sandy gets hooked on drugs, comes back every so often to see her daughter, maybe even takes the girl with her only to have her taken away.

with no daughter and the scared idea of running back to Tulsa with the boy of her teenage dreams, she just leaves. gone, without a trace. sandy probably goes missing. she ends up somewhere, in some place, with people she doesn't know, on a bad high. she should've left with soda honestly

i can't help but imagine the most tragic of endings for that girl :( getting constantly hurt in her life by the men around her, but yet they're the only people she knows and isn't scared of. she's just a really sad girl in my eyes

i do love her so so much though and arghhh she's such a casual favorite of mine.. .

anyways i hope people enjoy poc sandy, she's my lightskinned daughter and i adore her dearly

#wowaahhhh check out the beach babe!#sandy my darling how i love you so #I'll probably get to drawing the other girls way later i have a MAJOR headache rn #but this was fun nonetheless:D #sandy the outsiders #the outsiders #the outsiders fanart #the outsiders sandy #i would've added sandy from grease as the song but it felt too on the nose #and cry to me was playing in the background and it fit her vibes so i ran with it

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kikyoupdates · 6 months ago

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Bloodthirst ⭑˚💋⭑ 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑚 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒

bnha x vampire!reader

reverse harem, my hero academia x fem!reader, my vampire!reader, slowburn

As punishment for your sins, you, a young vampire, are banished — not just from your home, but to a different world entirely. Now, you find yourself in a foreign place where Quirks and heroes are the norm. In addition to coming to terms with your new life, you must also face your greatest challenge: controlling your massive thirst for blood.

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“Only a bit more. My house is that one, just up ahead.”

Izuku smiled awkwardly, eventually stopping in front of the house he’d been pointing to. So, this was where he lived. And for the time being, it was also going to be where you lived.

It was certainly much smaller than you were used to, that was for sure. Then again, you’d grown up in a literal castle, which wasn’t the norm. And it wasn’t like you could afford to be picky. Izuku had already saved your life once and even offered you refuge. The debt you owed him was nothing short of massive.

You walked up to the front door, but Izuku hastily pulled you back by the arm. “W-Wait!” he spluttered. “I just, um... I-I need a few moments. To prepare myself...”

“For what?” you asked, giving him a quizzical look.

“Well...” He glanced around, looking everywhere but in your eyes. “I’ve never had a g-girl over before. It’s just me and my mom, so I’m sure she might have some questions. Actually, I don’t bring anyone over, not just girls. I don’t really have any friends...”

Your jaw dropped open. How could that possibly be? He was the sweetest person you’d ever met. There was no way someone wouldn’t want to be his friend.

“Are you joking?” you frowned.

Izuku shrunk in on himself. “I-I really wish I was.”

“Gosh!” you fumed, squaring your hands on your hips. “What’s the matter with this world? You deserve tens of friends—no, hundreds of them! Clearly, the people who’ve met you must be a bunch of idiots.”

“T-There’s no need to go that far,” he protested. “It’s probably because I’m so plain and boring. I don’t blame them for not wanting to talk to me. The only thing I can really work up the nerve to bring is up heroes, and then I start rambling, and everyone gets annoyed because I won’t shut up...”

“Stupid idiots. They’re not even giving you a chance.”

Izuku let out a nervous chuckle, then cleared his throat. “Well... that’s beside the point. Anyways, I guess we can’t stall for much longer. Are you ready? D-Don't be nervous. My mom is really nice to everyone, and you’re nice too, so I’m sure you’ll get along.”

“Okay!” you beamed. “I’m ready.”

After a brief pause, Izuku used his key to unlock the door, then opened it up. “Come in,” he said shyly, stepping aside to give you room.

You glanced around. It was a cute, homely place. Again, very much different from what you were used to, but it wasn’t stuffy like the castle you’d grown up in. Even though you were nothing more than a stranger here, somehow, it felt comfortable. Warm.

“Your home is beautiful,” you smiled.

Izuku blushed. “M-My mom does her best to keep things looking nice. Actually, I should help out with the chores more often. I feel bad that she does so much of the work herself.”

Speaking of, you could hear some movement coming from further inside. There was also a fragrant aroma wafting through the air. It smelled like someone was cooking.

“Izuku?” came the gentle, feminine voice. “Are you home?”

Hardly five seconds later, a kind-looking woman turned the corner and greeted you in the hallway. She was pretty much a carbon copy of Izuku, with her big green eyes and dark green hair, which was pulled into a half-up style. Her smile was friendly too, just like Izuku’s. The only thing she was missing was the sprinkling of freckles that dusted the boy’s cheeks.

You could tell that Izuku hadn’t been lying to you. She certainly gave off the impression of being gentle and welcoming, and this was just from looking at her. She smelled sweet as well, just like Izuku did. At first, she was smiling, probably eager to greet her son, but that smile faded a bit when her gaze fell onto you.

And then her eyes widened.

“W-Who is this?” she blinked repeatedly.

Izuku parted his lips to answer, but you were quicker on the uptake. “I’m [Name], Izuku’s friend!” you grinned. “It’s very nice to meet you!”

“Oh my!” Her eyes somehow went even wider, and then her smile was back, much brighter than before. “It’s been so long since you’ve had a friend over, Izuku! The last time must have been back when you and Katsuki were still kids!”

“Mom, please,” Izuku groaned.

“Sorry, sorry! I’m Midoriya Inko,” she introduced, even bowing a bit. “It’s lovely to have you here, [Name]. I’m just making some food right now. It should be ready soon if you’d like to have some. Is there anything else I can get you in the meantime?”

“She’s fine, mom,” Izuku sighed. He was red as a beet again. You’d quickly come to the conclusion that it wasn’t very difficult to make him blush, which you found awfully endearing.

Inko kept on smiling happily. “Okay! Then, I’ll leave you two be.”

That was what she said, but right before she turned to head back to the kitchen, her gaze shifted slightly, and she finally seemed to take note of the injury on your shoulder.

“[N-Name]!” she gasped, rushing towards you right away. “You’re hurt! Oh no... how long ago did this happen? Izuku! Help me get out the first aid, quick!”

Oh. Right.

To be honest, you’d totally forgotten about that. After drinking Izuku’s blood, all of your strength had returned. You could hardly even feel the gash you’d acquired earlier. It was probably already healing up, anyways.

“This is no big deal,” you reassured, smiling for good measure. “I fell a little while ago and got kind of scraped up. It looks worse than it is, I promise.”

“Still! You need to clean the wound and bandage it up so it doesn’t get infected!”

“That’s okay. I can do it myself. But I appreciate the concern.”

Clearly, worrying seemed to run in the family. She was just as frantic as Izuku had been when he’d first noticed you were hurt. Thankfully, Izuku stepped in before his mom could work herself up into a full-blown panic attack.

“I’ll help [Name] treat her injury,” he insisted. “But, um... there was actually something I wanted to ask you, mom. Would it be okay... if she stayed with us for a little while?”

“Stayed with us?” Inko blinked. “As in...”

“Like, overnight and stuff. For a few days. Maybe? Please?”

Inko’s initial excitement was steadily turning to horror. You supposed that as a parent, having your kid suddenly bring over a complete stranger and ask to welcome your home up to them was a lot to take in.

She leaned closer to Izuku and lowered her voice, although you could still hear her. Your senses were a lot sharper than a human’s, after all.

“I-Izuku. Is she... your girlfriend or something? I didn’t even know you had one...”

“Girlfriend?!” Izuku squeaked, looking just about ready to pass out. “N-No! It’s nothing like that! She just needs a place to stay for a little while, so I’d like to do her a favor, that’s all!”

“My parents kicked me out of the house,” you added—perhaps a bit too chipperly, at that.

Inko looked even more horrified now. “What?! But... you’re so young! That’s so irresponsible of them! They can’t leave a child all on her own! Police... I need to call the police! This is obvious neglect!”

Calling the police wouldn’t fix your problems. If anything, it would only cause more of them, especially once they found out that you had no background information whatsoever. Drawing that much suspicion wasn’t something you wanted to deal with.

“Mom, please don’t do that!” Izuku pleaded. “[Name] has a complicated relationship with her parents. L-Let's just try to be understanding... okay? You’re an adult, so she’ll be fine as long as you’re here to supervise her. Right? She’ll be safe here. Please?”

Inko was nibbling on her bottom lip. “I suppose everyone has different family dynamics... but still. I can’t help but be worried.” She glanced over at you, brows creasing. “[Name], honey, are you safe? You didn’t get that injury from your parents... did you?”

She was suspecting abuse, which was fair enough. It was a valid concern.

“No, this was seriously an accident,” you reassured. “My parents don’t hit me.” You remembered the way your mother had slapped you across the face, but that was done in order to prevent you from quite literally killing someone, so you figured it was an exception.

“[Name] has a lot going on already,” Izuku said, making puppy eyes and everything. “Her family just needs a bit of time to calm down. I want to help her.”

“Well... alright,” Inko eventually sighed out.

Hooray!

“Izuku was right,” you beamed. “You are super nice. Thank you so much for opening up your home to me. I promise to repay you somehow. I can’t even express how appreciative I am.”

Inko chuckled softly. “I’m more than happy to help. I just want to make sure you’re safe, that’s all. But you seem like an honest, well-spoken girl, and it’s the first time in a long while Izuku has been so close to someone. Just promise you’ll tell me if your parents are crossing the line. Your wellbeing should always come first, okay?”

Your parents had already more than crossed the line, what with banishing you to a different world altogether, but for now, she was probably better off not knowing that. Perhaps eventually, you’d reveal your secret to her as well. You couldn’t be certain that she’d believe you the way Izuku did, but you were choosing to remain optimistic.

“Thanks so much, mom.” Izuku smiled, then wrapped his mother in a hug. He pulled away quickly enough, looking back at you sheepishly. “Right... the first aid kit. I’m just going to go help [Name] clean out her cut, alright? We’ll come back later once the food is ready.”

“Alright, sweetie. You two have fun.” Inko paused once last time to look you over. “But... if you’re going to be staying the night, don’t you have a bag with some belongings and pajamas? It doesn’t look like you’ve brought anything.”

“My parents kicked me out before I could collect my things,” you replied.

The poor thing looked she was about to cry. You’d probably stressed her out so much she was on the verge of collapsing.

“I-I’ll find some old clothes of mine for you to wear, from back when I was younger,” she said tiredly.

“That sounds great!”

Having officially received approval to stay here for a little while, it felt like a weight had been lifted off your chest. Izuku seemed quite giddy about the fact as well, if his broad smile was any indication. He quickly rummaged through one of the cabinets, pulled out a little box, which you assumed was the first aid kit, then pointed you down the hall.

“My room’s that way,” he said. “Ah, but—!”

Too late. You’d entered the room before he had a chance to finish his train of thought, and... it was certainly much more impactful than you’d been expecting. It was completely decked out, with posters and what appeared to be countless figurines as far as the eye could see. The colors were rather vibrant, you noted, and if you weren’t mistaken, almost all of the items had the same theme.

“Who’s this guy?” you asked, picking up one of the figurines to get a closer look.

“C-Careful!” Izuku yelped. He was practically pulling at his hair while you held the figurine, and sweating bullets, to boot.

You carefully set the figurine down and chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have just gone around touching things without asking. It seems like this stuff is important to you. But I keep seeing this same guy everywhere I look. Who is he?”

“Oh,” Izuku blinked. “Right. You’re not from here, so you wouldn’t know. That’s All Might. He’s the Number One hero, and I’m pretty much his biggest fan. It’s a little embarrassing to say out loud... but he’s kind of my role model. I want to be just like him when I grow up.”

“He’s one of those heroes you mentioned before?”

“Yeah! He’s the strongest hero in the whole world!”

Izuku’s exuberant smile was back. This topic certainly seemed to make him excited, although you supposed the concept of heroes was pretty cool. You didn’t really have anything like that back home. A bunch of different intelligent species, sure, but you’d never once come across someone with that sort of title.

“So, heroes are people that save others, right?” you clarified.

“Mhm!” Izuku nodded. “They put their lives on the line to fight off villains or rescue people from natural disasters. They’re just incredible! Since I was little, I always knew I wanted to become one of them, no matter what. But...”

Suddenly, his expression dropped.

“It’s going to be harder for me than for most people,” he begrudgingly admitted. “Because I don’t have a Quirk.”

You frowned. “What’s a Quirk?”

“They’re like powers,” he explained. “Humans didn’t used to have special powers before, but at some point, a mutation allowed us to change and develop over time. Now that several generations have passed, it’s rarer to not have a Quirk then it is to have one. The reason heroes are so strong and cool is because they have all sorts of different powers. But me... I’m just Quirkless. It makes me weaker than most, so I know it’ll be a challenge if I want to turn my dream into reality.”

Interesting. The more you found out about this world, the more intrigued you were.

“The humans here appear to be stronger than the ones in my world,” you hummed. “That explains why that criminal—er, villain I ran into was able to actually hurt me. His nails transformed into knives right in front of my eyes. That must’ve been his power. His Quirk. Right?”

Izuku nodded. “Yeah. There are all kinds of Quirks out there. Some of them allow you to change your body briefly, like how that guy did. Some of them allow you to create things out of nothing or even shoot lasers and stuff. And some of them permanently alter the way you look, and you can’t turn them off even if you want to.”

Ah. That explains why so many of the people I saw didn’t look like, well... people .

“Put simply, they’re amazing,” Izuku chuckled, looking more dejected by the second. “I really wish I had one. It would make everything so much easier...”

“Maybe you’ll get yours one day,” you encouraged.

“Ah... it doesn’t really work that way. By the age of four, your Quirk has to have manifested, and there are no exceptions. I know this because my mom and I even consulted a doctor back when I was a kid. He told me there was no hope.”

His head drooped after that last comment, which had your heart clenching uncomfortably. What awful luck. He wanted to be a hero, and you could clearly tell that he was passionate about saving people after everything he’d done for you, but fate had been cruel to him.

Back where you were from, strength varied quite significantly depending on the species. Vampires were notoriously strong—one of the very strongest, as a matter of fact. Oftentimes, this strength came in handy, since it could be used to settle disputes over land or end wars. Thankfully, you hadn’t lived through any wars in your lifetime, but you’d heard from your grandparents that things used to be quite rough a while back. Strength was a means to an end, and it made countless things easier to obtain.

Unfortunately, this seemed to be the case here as well.

A bit hesitant, you couldn’t help but ask, “Do you need a Quirk to become a hero?”

Izuku seemed taken aback by your question. You hoped you hadn’t come across as insensitive. It was just that he was yearning to be a hero so bad, you couldn’t help but wish there was some way that he actually could.

“Technically... no,” Izuku breathed, a wobbly smile rising to his lips. “And even though I’m sure my case is unusual, I don’t plan on giving up. I’m going to become a hero, no matter what it takes. I’ll work as hard as I have to.”

You clapped your hands. “Wow! That’s so admirable! You’re super cool, Izuku! That’s right. There’s no reason to give up before you’ve even tried, right?”

“Y-Yeah. I feel the same way. Thank you for being so supportive.” He blushed a bit, then cleared his throat. “Um... anyways. W-We should clean up your wound now that we have a chance. My mom’s right. It’d be bad if it got infected.”

“Oh, there’s really no need for that.”

“We have to! I wouldn’t want you to start feeling unwell again,” he added, looking concerned.

It was hard to say no to that face.

“Well... alright,” you shrugged. You didn’t even bother being gracious about it; you grabbed onto the fabric of your dress sleeve and fully ripped it apart, exposing the bloody gash on your shoulder.

Izuku flinched before opening up the first aid kit. “Yikes. T-That looks like it hurts a lot. How have you been coping with something like that?”

“Honestly, I can hardly even feel it anymore,” you admitted. “After I drank your blood, I went right back to normal.”

“But still. Hold on a second. I’m going to wipe the cut down, then maybe disinfect it a bit.”

He used a bit of water to wet a cloth, then gave you a reassuring smile before carefully patting your injury to soak up the blood. You didn’t wince a single time, because you really didn’t feel any lingering pain. His blood had done a great job of fixing you up.

Izuku’s amazing, in more ways than one. Normally I have to consume a lot more blood to recover as quickly as I did. We might just be especially compatible.

Clearly, running into him had been no mere stroke of luck. There must have been some higher power guiding you. Fate, or something like that.

“Huh?”

Amidst your daydreaming, Izuku let out a confused gasp, so you turned towards him with a frown. “What’s wrong?” you asked. “Sorry. It’s probably a bit gross having to clean my wound up. We’re pretty much strangers, after all.”

“N-No, it’s not that. It’s just...” He swallowed thickly. “I can’t... see a cut. There was all that blood, but it doesn’t look like there’s a cut anywhere to be found.”

“Oh.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?!”

You laughed. “Like I said, there was really no need to bother with any of this. I heal quick. Vampires have much stronger constitutions than humans. We’re stronger physically, we have sharper senses, and we heal faster too. Though it looks like I healed up perfectly even faster than I was expecting. It must be because your blood is so amazing, Izuku!”

“I-Incredible,” was all he could manage to say in return. You supposed from his standpoint, it was pretty awesome. You hated to admit it, but you couldn’t help but feel a bit smug as you proudly stuck up your nose towards the ceiling.

“Even for a vampire, I’m really strong,” you said boastfully. “I’m the strongest out of my entire family. My parents told me I’m even stronger than they were at my age.”

Now, if only I could get my blood-drinking habits under control...

“So cool,” Izuku marveled. “It’s not a Quirk... but if it was, it would definitely be one of the strongest ones out there. [Name], you’re just awesome. It kind of makes me feel even more lame by comparison... haha.”

“Don’t say that,” you chided. “I would’ve been a goner if not for you. And like I said earlier, you were so brave, just letting me suck your blood without question. You’re awesome too, Izuku. You’re probably even more awesome than I am.”

“You’re exaggerating,” he said sheepishly, but his awkward smile told you he was happy to be receiving your praise.

You crossed your legs and leaned back on your palms. “Well, I’m expected to be strong. My power is the whole reason my parents were considering naming me their heir, even though I’m not the oldest of my siblings. But after how bad I screwed up, that’s definitely not going to be happening anymore...”

“Heir?” Izuku blinked. “Were you supposed to inherit their company or something?”

“No, their throne.”

Izuku went dead silent for a while.

“...their what?” he eventually gaped.

“Oh. Didn’t I mention this already? My parents are the king and queen of our land. I’m technically a princess by blood.”

“P-Princess?!” he practically exploded, leaping halfway across the room. His big eyes proceeded to scour his surroundings, and his palms flew up to his face in horror. “Oh my god! I brought you back to my modest house without even knowing that! This place must look like a dumpster compared to what you’re used to! W-What do I even call you? Your Highness? Princess [Name]?!”

“Just [Name] is fine,” you mused. “Your reaction is so funny. Nothing’s changed. I’m still the same person. Besides, I was kicked out by my family, so I probably shouldn’t even call myself royalty anymore. It’s just how I was raised, that’s all.”

Izuku let out a heavy sigh. “Just when I thought I’d heard it all, you find new ways to surprise me...”

“Haha. Sorry about that.”

“No, I’m probably just being overdramatic. Anyways, um...” He seemed to be averting your gaze for some reason, and once again, his cheeks were flushed bright red. You noticed his eyes occasionally wandering towards your arm and shoulder, both of which were completely bare. “I-I should’ve brought you a change of clothes first before trying to clean your wound. You’ll get cold like that. Let me go talk to my mom real quick, and we’ll see what she has for you to wear. And maybe tomorrow, we can go shopping for some new clothes?”

“Okay!” you chirped. “That would be great. Thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem,” he smiled back, hastily exiting the room.

Once you were left alone, you stood up and began pacing around again, just taking everything in. Then, you spotted it. One of those handheld devices that everyone had been walking around with earlier—the one that lit up and had tiny little people trapped inside of it.

“What kind of sorcery is this?” you huffed, leaning closer to get a better look. The screen was completely blank, for some reason. Was this one broken? But what use would a broken device be? You knew you shouldn’t go poking around Izuku’s things again, so for the time being, you just kept on staring at it, very much on guard.

Out of nowhere, the device started vibrating, and you nearly crapped yourself from the fright.

“Holy fuck!”

Needless to say, Izuku came running back into the room a second later. “[Name]!” he cried out. “What’s wrong? Did you hurt yourself?”

“Y-Your device,” you pointed, shaking like a leaf in the wind. “I think it might be possessed.”

Izuku furrowed his brows. “Um. You mean my cellphone?”

“I’ve never heard that term before. What does it mean?”

“Oh boy,” he sighed. “It seems like I’ve got a lot more to explain...”

Yesterday had been a lot of fun. Well, glossing over the fact that you’d been abandoned by your family and whatnot.

Still, you were extremely thankful to have met Izuku. You had a good feeling about him. At the risk of sounding a bit full of yourself, it felt like you belonged by his side. Last night, Inko had given you some clothes to lounge around in as a temporary measure. You’d eaten dinner together, and you didn’t miss the way Izuku had been looking at you in bewilderment from across the table. You’d later explained that just because you needed to consume blood didn’t mean that you didn’t consume other food as well.

You’d slept in the guest room, although you’d initially been quite giddy about sharing a room with Izuku. But he nearly exploded when you suggested doing such a thing, so for the sake of his poor heart, you decided it was best to sleep apart.

And now, it was the next day. Izuku had apparently been in his school uniform when you’d encountered him, but he was off from classes today, which gave him time to take you shopping. You were excited to see more of this world and all the novelties it had to offer.

Currently, you were heading towards what Izuku had called a ‘shopping district’.

“There are all sorts of stores there,” he explained. “Hopefully you’ll be able to find some clothes you like. My mom’s stuff is okay, but it’s not super stylish... and I’m sure you’d like to pick out something that fits you better.”

It was true. Inko’s old clothes were comfortable, but they certainly weren’t a perfect fit for your body.

Besides, shopping with Izuku sounded fun. From what else he’d told you, there were places to try out different kinds of food too, and plenty of other things to do as recreation. Given the life you’d lived, nearly all of your clothing had come as a result of fittings and were tailor-made. They were beautiful, there was no doubt about it, but you couldn’t say you had much experience picking them out for yourself, since your servants and family were usually involved in the whole process.

All of this was so new to you. Hey, maybe being banished wasn’t such a bad thing after all. You were trying to look on the bright side.

“Shopping mall, shopping mall,” you hummed happily, practically skipping as you made your way towards the destination.

Regretfully, you never actually made it to the shopping mall.

“Huh? Is that shitty Deku I see? What the... he’s got a chick with him.”

The source of the remark was a teenage boy with spiky ash blonde hair, narrowed crimson eyes, and a husky voice. There were two other guys with him, and they were snickering for some reason.

“Deku?” you frowned. “No, you got his name wrong. It’s actually Izuku.”

“[N-Name]!” Izuku hissed into your ear. He was even jabbing his elbow into your ribs, having broken out into a cold sweat. “That’s his nickname for me! Don’t question it, let’s just go!”

“Nickname? Oh, so you must be friends! Hello, Izuku’s friend,” you beamed, waving towards the blonde guy.

It wasn’t until after you’d already said the words that you remembered what Izuku had mentioned before, about not having any friends.

You realized this as you watched the blonde guy’s expression turn to rage.

“Friends?” he glowered. “Did you just call me and that piece of shit friends? Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“Oh. I guess I was wrong,” you blinked. Izuku had stopped jabbing you in the ribs, but it was only because he’d gone completely stiff. You were starting to put two and two together.

Izuku didn’t like this guy. This guy was bad news.

“Hey, Deku,” blondie grimaced. “Who is this bitch? Don’t tell me you actually nabbed yourself a girlfriend. Nah, there’s no way. What lies did you tell her to somehow convince her into hanging out with your sorry ass?”

“K-Kacchan,” Izuku swallowed, taking several steps back. He motioned for you to do the same, but now it was your turn to go still. And it was for a different reason entirely.

Your gaze turned icy. “Why do you keep speaking about Izuku that way? It’s a crappy thing to do, so please stop it. He’s a really nice guy. Take it back.”

The boy—Kacchan, or whatever his name was—seemed to be getting angrier by the second.

“Ha,” he chuckled humorlessly. “Would you look at that? This bitch actually has a backbone. Okay, then. Try me. I’ll kick your ass,” he seethed, already cracking his knuckles for good measure.

“Not unless I kick yours first,” you answered sweetly.

“The fuck did you just—”

Before he could even process what was happening, you had already rushed towards him and landed a punch square to his jaw. It knocked him back, most likely because he’d been unprepared, but not all the way to the ground, even though you were quite confident that you’d used enough force.

He then swiped a hand across his lip, eyes nothing short of murderous.

“Alright. That’s it. You’re fucking dead.”

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linaslore · 4 months ago

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r.a. | you can hear it in the silence (one-shot)

a/n: not sure how many fans of the oc are left here, but i've been watching it recently and i became obsessed with this cutie (if you haven't watched the show, wtf are you waiting for????). anyways i started writing this as something entirely different, but then it didn't convince me so i rewrote it. i also think this is the longest piece i've written so far.

warnings: mature themes: mentions of assault, death, anxiety; language, credits to the gif owner! not really proofread.

summary: you had moved to newport recently and after a horrible situation with your ex-boyfriend, ryan swooped in and saved the day. you can imagine the rest.

ryan atwood x f!reader [strangers to friends to lovers]

🚫do NOT copy, translate or put my work thru an AI.

Ryan sighed to himself as he exited the pool house. He needed some silence to study for upcoming tests and, unfortunately he wasn’t going to get it with Seth right there talking his ears off about his latest drama. Although his quirky, talkative, and awkward personality had weirded him out at first, he learned to appreciate his friendship – but sometimes, like now, he could get insufferable. So, he grabbed his bike and headed to the school library.

He didn’t really feel like listening to Seth rambling about the new chapter of the Summer/Anna novel. He had a lot on his plate already, especially regarding his relationship with Marissa. It’s been a couple of days, but he still hasn’t recovered from all the chaos that Oliver brought into their lives. Thinking back about it all – how many times he had warned her (and everyone) that there was something off about that guy, only to have his concerns brushed aside – was enough to stir anger and frustration deep inside of him. He still couldn’t believe that Luke, of all people, had been the only one to back him up and had seen through Oliver’s web of lies almost as quickly as he did. And that was why he couldn’t date Marissa again – not yet, at least. Every time he looked at her, that pang of betrayal and resentment flared in his chest, refusing to go away.

Once he arrived at the library, he remembered he had to grab a history book for an assignment on World War II, so he rummaged through the shelves until he found it. However, he encountered something else. Or rather, he heard something that called his attention. He followed the track of voices until, in a secluded corner of the library, he saw a boy and a girl talking far too close for a casual conversation. At first, he thought about leaving the two of you alone – it was common knowledge that lots of couples used this library as a secret make-out spot, but, as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat, so he ended up hanging around, hidden by one of the bookshelves. The girl turned her face over where he was standing, and he recognized her from school. You two had never actively exchanged words, but you had shared a few classes at Harbor School.

“Come on, doll”, the guy sneered, trapping your body between his and the wall of books behind you. You took a deep breath, wishing this interaction would end as soon as possible. “I missed you. I couldn’t believe you left without telling me.” His hands landed on the bookshelves, one on either side of your head, boxing you in.

“Jake, please, go away”, you pleaded in a defeated whispering tone but he didn’t seem to care at all.

“Now that I found you, I was thinking we could go to a motel. I saw one on the way out of the city”, he said leaning his lips closer to yours. “And, you know…”, the smile he gave you made your stomach churn. You felt you could throw up right there – not only because of the situation, but also because his breath smelled terribly. Before you could shove him away, he started kissing your neck with roughness.

That was Ryan’s cue to leave the two of you alone. Even though he couldn’t make out what you were saying, he had no interest in sticking around for what was about to happen.

That was until he heard you scream and froze on his tracks.

“No! Get off me, you prick!” you yelled, struggling against him. Sadly, he didn’t even move an inch because he was stronger than you. Time seemed to stop at that moment and all you could manage to do was screaming. “Stop, please! Let me go!”

“The less you resist, the better, baby”, he grabbed you by your chin and you closed your eyes and your mouth into a thin line, imploring the ground to swallow you whole. “You might end up enjoying it.”

And just when you were about to give in, you felt a strong force yank Jake away from you. You opened your eyes slowly, too scared to move any other inch of your body and there he was.. your savior. Ryan Atwood. You knew him from school; you have crossed paths once or twice. Turning your head to the other side, you saw Jake sprawled on the floor.

“She said no”, he spoke slowly, but with a steady and threatening tone. If looks could kill, Jake would be burning alive. Ryan was slightly shorter than Jake but his toned physique made him look unshakable.

The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating – like the humid air on a rainy summer day in Newport. You stood frozen in your place, unsure whether to move or speak, but Jake beat you to it.

“Who the hell are you, dude?” Jake retorted, getting back up on his feet. Ryan didn’t even flinch. “She’s MY girl and I can do whatever I want with her.” Most girls read these types of lines in books and think they’re sexy, but this was so not the case. Jake said it in the most disgustingly creepy and possessive way. “Besides, she has been begging for it… I mean, have you seen that skirt?”, he pointed his index finger at your bare legs, causing you to look down at your outfit and feel very self-conscious. “It’s basically screaming ‘Fuck me, I’m a slut’ all over this fucking place.”

“All right.”, Ryan nodded and clenched his fists. He wasted no time in delivering one single powerful punch to Jake’s face. The latter walked backwards, letting out a groan and grabbed his now bleeding nose. The blond jabbed his index finger at him. “Don’t even think of saying or doing anything to her ever again, you heard me? Or next time I won’t be so nice and I’ll kick your ass until you can’t walk. You understand?”

You were afraid that Jake was going to hit Ryan back – you could practically see the idea flash across his mind for a split second. However, he decided against it and then his eyes darted between you and Ryan before storming off the library.

You let out a deep breath, not realizing you have been holding it all along.

Ryan turned his frame towards you and for the first time your eyes locked. You hadn’t imagined they would be this blue – just as pretty as the ocean.

“You ok? Did he hurt you?”, he asked while scanning you with a hint of concern.

“I’m good now”, you gave him a weak smile. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, sure. Anytime”, he replied and started looking anywhere but your face as his regular awkwardness started to creep in. “Well…”, he cleared his throat. “Guess I’ll see you around", the right side of his mouth quirked up in a half smile and then he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

But as he began to walk away from you, an inner voice urged you not to let him go so easily. “Ryan?…Wait!”

He stopped on his tracks and turned around slowly, with a confused look on his face.

“I don’t wanna take up much more of your time but thank you… really”, you said the first thing that came to your brain. “You didn’t have to step in, you know? But I’m glad you did. So, yeah, thank you for saving me. That’s it”, you concluded your small rambling. It’s one of the things you did when you got nervous.

Ryan shrugged his shoulders with a carefree expression. “No worries really”. You noticed how his usual tough demeanor softened just a bit and how he gave you a faint grin. “Apparently, this is becoming my specialty these days.”

You let out a rather loud laugh at his comment because you weren’t expecting Ryan Atwood to crack a joke around you. You have heard stuff around school about what happened with Marissa, Oliver and him, so you had a feeling that it had to do with that. His lips curved into a toothless but sweet smile and then he made a goodbye gesture with his right hand and exited the library.

You stood there for a couple of more seconds, not fully believing what had happened. Then, you shook your head, grabbed your backpack and left this place as well.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Next Monday, you spotted Ryan sitting at the school cafeteria, focused on reading a book and scribbling notes. You debated whether you should approach him or not. You wanted to thank him once again and, if you were being honest, you wouldn’t mind getting to know him. He seemed really nice despite his tough and mysterious demeanor and also, he had recently joined the Newport community just like you, so you felt you had a bonding point there. You decided your next move was to buy two black coffees and made your way to where he was sitting.

“Hi”, you greeted him as you placed the drink on the table, careful not to spill anything on his stuff.

“Oh, hi”, he recognized you from the other day at the library, but you could see a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“I brought you coffee… as a thank you gift”, you pointed to the cup in front of him. “Hope you like black coffee, or americano, as people like to call it here”, you frowned your eyebrows.

“Yeah, I do”, he let out a small laugh. “You shouldn’t have, you know?”

You shrugged your shoulders, telling him it was the least you could do.

“Thanks”, he grabbed the cup and brought it to his lips, sipping slowly in case it was hot.

“Uhm, do you mind if I sit here? I've got a free period now.”

“No, of course not”, he gestured to you to take the seat in front of him and you gladly did so.

After taking everything you needed from your backpack and setting it on the table so you could review for your biology class, you started reading your notes. However, the minutes were passing by and your attention kept diverting to the boy in front of you. While finishing your own coffee cup, you found yourself stealing subtle glances at him, not wanting him to notice you were staring – and if he did notice, he was good at pretending he didn’t. He kept his eyes focused on the book and his notes, apparently not interested in making any conversation.

You knew he wasn’t the talkative type. You have seen him once or twice in the school corridors with Seth Cohen and it was obvious who wore the pants, conversation-wise at least. Seth would be animated, gesturing wildly, jumping from a topic to the other. Ryan, on the other hand, would simply listen quietly and at times, he would look confused, as if trying to follow Seth’s train of thoughts, but failing miserably. Other times, he would slightly narrow down his eyes, silently questioning himself whether Seth’s stories were worth the effort to untangle. And yet, there was a flicker of patience in his expression and always managed to find a witty remark, which resulted in Cohen scoffing.

Just as you were thinking of a question to ask him to break the ice, the school bell rang and he looked up, closing his book and grabbing the rest of his stuff.

“Sorry, I gotta go to class now, but thanks for the coffee”, he smiled at you one last time, not really waiting for your response, and got up to exit the cafeteria.

You stared at the empty spot where he had been sitting, feeling a mix of confusion and disappointment settled over you. So much for wanting to get to know him… You let out a deep breath and grabbed your pen, forcing yourself to continue working on the summary of types of cells of the human body.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

In the days that followed, your interactions with Ryan remained minimal: a casual ‘Good morning’ when you entered the same classroom or a faint smile you’d give him from the opposite cafeteria table in those rare occasions when his eyes would meet yours. He was always looking down, focused on a book or playing with his food; or even when talking to Seth, he was always lost in his own world. Some days, you’d seen him exchange a few words with Marissa Cooper, but that was it.

You started believing he didn’t really care about making new friends. You didn’t take it personally though; he came from Chino and that wasn’t a great place to grow up. He seemed like the type who learned the hard way not to trust people so easily. And you had a doctorate on that topic, coming from a similar town. You were too familiar with building up invisible walls around yourself as a coping mechanism to avoid getting hurt.

And then, there was the world of Newport itself – so polished, so privileged, so alien to all your previous life experiences. Therefore, you couldn’t really blame him for not wanting to make a connection with people that made you feel out of place, whether they wanted it or not. Still, you wanted to show him you were not one of those people. You saw pieces of yourself in the way he carried himself and perhaps that’s why there was something inside of you saying you couldn’t give up that easily.

So, against all odds, you found yourself seeking out opportunities to spend time with him, hoping to break through his quiet and lonely demeanor. Every time you approached him at the cafeteria to spend your lunch break together and try to spark some casual conversation, he wouldn’t brush you off but his responses were politely short and hurried, no matter how much effort you put into finding topics you might have in common. In class, he didn’t seem to mind if you sat next to him. Some other times, you’d accidentally meet him at the library with the pretext of needing something that you actually didn’t.

However, after all the silent looks, shrugs, or the one-word responses, you started questioning if your attempts to befriend him were a mistake. Perhaps you were in the wrong. Maybe you had read too much into the day he saved you from Jake – maybe he just did that out of common courtesy.

So eventually, you started letting him go slowly; you didn’t wanna be a bother to him. You stopped seeking him out at lunch as often: you chose instead to sit with other people or sometimes you’d eat on your own. Whenever you did sit together in the classroom or at the library, you adopted a more reserved demeanor, not engaging much in conversations or just giving him a faint smile as a response.

And Ryan.. at first he felt indifferent at your change of attitude. He was used to being alone, to mind his own business. It was a lot simpler that way. He already had Seth, Marissa, Luke and even Summer and that was enough friendships for a lifetime in his books.

Or that’s what he thought…

After a couple of days, he started acknowledging the gaps you had left behind. He’d find himself scanning the school cafeteria, his food tray in his hands, trying to spot you. He couldn’t actually explain the pang of something he felt on his chest whenever he saw you talking or laughing with your other classmates. Or the smile you evoked on him whenever he came across at your cute concentration pout while reading a book or writing something on your notebook. Even the library seemed too quiet and empty.

It wasn’t until the following weeks that he finally realized he missed you – even if he would never admit that outloud. It happened while he was hanging out with Seth in his room; he was rambling on about a comic he’d just finished reading, but Ryan’s thoughts kept diverting to you for some reason. He found himself thinking about what you could be doing at that moment and he kinda looked forward to the next day so he could see you at school. And that was when the truth hit him. However, you weren’t giving much more than the time of the day, so he had to do something to get you to talk to him or at least acknowledge his existence.

The next day, in an effort to make amends for his past behaviour, he sought you out after the science class. He found you at your locker carefully tucking some notebooks, pens and your algebra manual inside your backpack. He didn’t put much more thought into his plan and walked towards you before he could get second thoughts.

You, on the other hand, were pretty much into your own head so the gentle tap on your shoulder made you jump slightly. But then, fear was replaced by surprise when you saw who it was. A rush of energy ran through your body. What was he doing here?

“Hi, Y/N”, Ryan started talking, as awkward as ever, and cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Uhm, I’m struggling with the analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird that Mr. Brown asked… would you mind helping me?”

It was a flat-out lie. Ryan had finished the assignment this weekend, but he needed an excuse to talk to you so that’s the best he could come up with. He distinctly remembered you mentioning once that Literature was your favorite subject, and although he hadn’t gone out of his way to interact with you before, he actually had listened to everything you’ve said to him. It’s just dawned on him now how much he did.

The surprise still lingered on your face for a couple of seconds, but almost instinctively, a smile formed on your lips. “Of course.”, the warmth in your voice caught him off guard. “Let’s meet at the library after school”, you gave him a quick wink and then gently closed your locker before heading off to your Maths class. Ryan was left standing in the middle of the corridor with a wide smile plastered on his face and a sense of relief rushed through him, assuring him that everything would be all right.

And that was the day where your friendship with Ryan Atwood finally began.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

It was safe to say that Ryan and you became attached by the hip. You spent every chance you’d get together, but it wasn’t forced or anything like that – you simply gravitated towards each other naturally. No excuses or plans were needed.

Some afternoons when the weather was nicely warm, you’d go to the beach and share some sandwiches while you chatted about whatever came to your minds. You learned a lot about him, his life in Chino, his rough childhood, his early days in Newport, as well as his relationship with the Cohens and with Marissa. And, then, of course, he asked about you. You used to live in a town called Riverside with your mom but then she died in a car accident, and given that your dad has been MIA since you were born, your aunt Rachel became your legal guardian so you ended up moving to Newport with her. You also shared the story of Jake and you: long story short, at first you liked him because he was ‘a bit older and cooler’ but as you started hanging out with him, you realized he was bad news. Ryan gave you an apologetic smile, and you said it was ok, that you couldn’t really complain about your life here and that the quality of your friendships has clearly improved. He turned his head to the side and laughed but actually he wanted to hide the fact that his cheeks grew redder.

Some mornings, you’d join Ryan and his group of friends for breakfast at the Pier Diner. The first time oyu did so, you were worried that you were going to intrude, but Ryan assured you they were going to love you. Naturally, Seth did most of the talking, and that helped take some pressure off your shoulders. Watching him and Summer bickering was pretty amusing as well. You did receive some weird looks from Marissa but you decided to ignore her and keep enjoying the best pancakes you’ve ever tasted so far. Besides, Ryan had intertwined his hand with yours under the table to secretly show his support. You could say without a doubt that your heart stopped for a few seconds.

Some evenings, you’d wander aimlessly through the centric lanes, lost in your own little world. What seemed funny to you about your bond with Ryan was that although you shared really interesting conversations, you also found comfort in silence; you just simply enjoyed each other’s company. His presence soothed you in ways you could not explain – he made you feel peaceful and protected like you haven’t felt in a long time. One particular night, you were walking side by side while eating ice cream and you started feeling colder because the weather had dropped a few degrees compared to the warm afternoon so obviously you didn’t think it was necessary to bring a jacket but at that moment you cursed yourself mentally for not checking the forecast before going out. Ryan seemed to notice how you began to rub your arm with your free hand to get some warmth and how your lips adopted a purplish shade. (Not that he had already looked at your lips before. Or perhaps yes he did) So, he decided to take off his leather jacket and put it around your shoulders, causing you to sigh from relief. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt under it, so he would be fine. Without hesitation, you gave him a quick peck on his cheek to thank him and continued walking while you finished your ice cream cone. You probably did this without even realizing it, but Ryan had thought about that interaction for the days that followed and it never failed to make him smile.

The next day was a Saturday so you didn’t have school but you still had to run some errands for your aunt. You took advantage of the fact that you had to go out of your house and you stopped by at the Cohen’s house to return Ryan’s jacket. The previous night, you were so comfortable on it that you forgot to take it off when he walked you to your front door. And you figured he didn’t mind you having it either, but still. He wasn’t at home, but Seth was more than happy to pass the message along.

So, when Ryan came back, he was already waiting for him at the pool house.

“So, your new BFF dropped this off earlier”, Seth said, lifting the jacked with his index finger. “Care to explain what’s happening?”

“What’s happening with what?”, Ryan retorted, taking the jacket from Seth’s hand and putting it away in his wardrobe.

“Oh, come on, dude! What’s the deal with Y/N?”, he gestured widely, his movements too exaggerated.

“There is no deal. We’re just... hanging out”, Ryan sat on the armchair opposite the bed.

“Oh, yeah, sure”, he continued and rolled his eyes “Because ‘just hanging out' involves spending every minute together, eating meals together, holding hands under the table – yeah, I saw that at the Diner – and emotionally charged silences”, he made a dramatic short pause. “That, my brother, is dating in my books”, he opened his arms as if he had just dropped a microphone. “I’m sure Romeo and Juliet’s epic love story started just like that.”

“Pretty sure that’s not how it went”, Ryan muttered slowly and then shook his head. “And we’re not dating. We haven’t even kissed yet.

“Aha!”, Seth exclaimed and got up quickly, pointing at his friend. “So you admit you want a kiss to happen…”

“I didn’t say…”, Ryan started, but he stopped himself, letting out a heavy sigh. He realized there was no escaping this conversation “I don’t know, she’s just someone I like hanging out with, She’s... easy to be around.”

“Someone hand me a tissue please. This is the most heartfelt declaration of love I’ve heard”, Seth quipped, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. Ryan frowned and threw a pillow right on Seth’s forehead. “Easy there, Chino boy; no need to get violent… Look, I get it…”, he added, his tone softening, and sat right back on the bed. “She’s different from you-know-who.”

“And your point is?”, Ryan asked. Although he already knew who he was talking about, he just wasn’t following the connection between you and Marissa.

He earned another eye roll from the youngest Cohen.

“That you don’t have anything to prove around her. She’s not some test or some impossible standard you feel like you need to live up to. You can just be yourself freely around her."

Ryan would never say it out loud, but what Seth said made sense. When he dated Marissa, he truly loved her, but it felt like he was constantly walking a tightrope—proving he wasn’t the bad guy, trying to win over her family, playing with fire just to get her out of any kind of trouble. And in the end, where did that get him? Absolutely nowhere except Pain and Heartbreak city.

"And as unbelievable as this sounds, because, trust me, I’m just as shocked as anyone else, she likes you for you".

“And how exactly do you know she likes me? Were you bitten by a radioactive spider and developed psychic abilities when I wasn’t looking?”

"Okay, first off, if I had superpowers, I’d definitely use them to swing my way back into Summer’s good graces. Second, I don’t need any arachnid senses, Ryan. It’s called observation. Trust me, the signs are about as subtle as the flashing neon billboards in Times Square."

Ryan frowned. "Oh, yeah? Well, enlighten me, Sherlock."

Seth straightened up, clearly relishing the moment. "Exhibit A: the way she lights up like a Chrismukkah tree every time you walk into a room? Very telling. Exhibit B: she’ll find literally any excuse to touch you—like that time at the diner when she ‘accidentally’ brushed your arm while reaching for the salt. Like, come on, dude, that’s textbook flirting. And Exhibit C: the other day when we were all hanging out at the pier, you cracked a joke that wasn’t even remotely funny, no offense, but she laughed like it was straight out of a Seinfeld episode. Meanwhile, I’m out here delivering comedic gold on a daily basis, and do I get that kind of reaction from Summer? Of course not. That woman has the emotional range of a brick wall when it comes to humor."

“Ok, yeah, enough irrefutable evidence and references to you and Summer”, he lifted his eyebrows in a sarcastic manner.

"And don't even get me started about you. I never thought I'd live to see the day where the Ryan Atwood gave someone the puppy eyes every time said person entered his field of vision. Honestly, dude, it’s both adorable and mildly terrifying." Ryan scoffed and Seth laughed victoriously. "Accept it, Ryan. I can read you like a comic book. It's all over the place; you two are in loooooove."

“You’re impossible…”, The blond got up from the chair and exited the beach house, leaving Seth alone with his own rambling.

The youngest Cohen watched his friend leave and let out a laugh. “Ah, denial”, he muttered aloud to the empty room. “Stage one of the Ryan Atwood romantic process.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

One not-so-random Saturday, you found yourself at home, pacing the floors with restless energy. Your aunt Rachel, a doctor at the Newport Hospital, had been called to work for an emergency surgery, leaving you alone with the daunting task of keeping yourself occupied. As usual, you had woken up feeling anxious, so you threw yourself into activities to avoid overthinking what day it was.

First, you caught up on your latest homework, then finished the book you'd started a month ago. You even cooked dinner and baked a chocolate loaf cake, despite not having much of an appetite. For a while, it seemed to work. But as the sun set and your body longed for sleep, you lay wide awake in bed, unable to quiet your racing thoughts. No matter how hard you tried, your mind kept circling back to that night — the one when your mum had been taken away from you. The monthly anniversary loomed over you like a shadow, heavy and inescapable. But before letting your emotions drive you to do something you might regret later, you got up from the bed and reached for your phone to call the only person who could truly comfort you in a moment like this. Of course Ryan wasn’t surprised about you calling him; you would talk on the phone quite regularly (Seth would grill him over this as well), but when you invited him over with a hint of sadness in your voice, an alarm triggered inside of him, so he said he would be at your house in a heartbeat.

And as promised, not even 10 minutes after your call, you heard him park the car outside your house. You’d been waiting for him sitting on the sofa so you opened the front door pretty quickly. He took an extra second to take in your outfit. Were you wearing a sweatshirt of his? When have you taken it? And not to mention, the pair of pijama shorts that barely covered your legs. Something stirred inside of him. You brought him back to reality when you greeted him with a hug. It was some seconds longer than those you’d shared in the past. And he also noticed how your eyes lacked their usual spark. This confirmed something was off with you. However, he decided to wait for the right moment to pop the question, or maybe, to wait for you to mention it.

You led him to the living room and picked up the TV remote so you could turn it on and check if there was anything interesting to watch. You dropped onto the sofa and glanced up at him, patting the spot next to you in silent invitation. Ryan couldn’t help feeling thrown off by your strangely composed demeanor, especially after the odd tone of your earlier call. However, he brushed his doubts aside and sat down where you had indicated him. You took the opportunity to scoot closer against him so your side was fully pressed against his and your head rested on his shoulder. Ryan tensed for half a second, unsure of what to do. It’s not like you two haven’t shared hugs or fleeting touches, but this was different. Cuddling was unknown territory. He stole a quick glance at you and, seeing that you didn’t seem troubled by the closeness, he relaxed. A soft breath escaped him as he wrapped an arm around your back. You’d caught him off guard, but the moment felt strangely comforting—like something he hadn’t realized he’d been needing.

However, in that glance he also noticed your eyes were fixed on the TV, but your head was visibly elsewhere. He could practically see the thoughts race in and out of your mind.

“Penny for your thoughts?”, he asked softly, tapping on your leg with his free hand.

“Nothing really… I was just thinking”, you replied almost whispering, with the same expression.

“Yeah, I can see the thoughts race in and out of your mind”, he meant to say that as a joke, but when you turned your face in his direction, your eyes screamed with anxiety and sadness. “Y/N, are you ok?”

Your heart skipped a beat at his question. This was the moment you’ve been dreading – having to explain what was wrong. You had it coming, though. You weren’t doing an amazing job at being your usual cheerful self. You were just secretly hoping Ryan would mistake your behaviour for tiredness. But no, he read you like an open book.

“Uhm, yeah”, you bit the inside of your cheek hesitantly, unsure if you wanted to unload all the weight you’ve been carrying on your shoulders. Needless to say, he had become your person, your safe place. You knew you could trust him with whatever you wanted and he would still be there for you without judging.. But this… was not a happy conversation.. A knot tightened on your chest. You struggled with talking about your mom’s death because you felt that it made it feel more real… So, you put all the memories and feelings in a box and stored them in the basement of your brain.

Ryan knew you zoomed out again, so he decided to keep talking to you to keep you grounded. “Hey, you don’t have to tell me anything until you’re OK? Just know I’m here for you.”

You nodded at him, thanking him silently. But before doing anything else, you felt his hand wipe something off your cheek. A tear? You hadn’t even realized they were threatening to come out.

“Hey… come here”, he whispered softly and now he used his two arms to wrap you in a comforting hug. All the emotions you’d been suppressing the whole day came out to the surface and hit you like a trainwreck. “Shh, it’s ok”, he whispered repeatedly while gently stroking your back. Your fingers clutched at the fabric of his typical white shirt as he let you pour your heart out.

After some minutes in the same position and now with your cries having subsided, you broke the hug and quickly wiped the remaining tears. He frowned his eyebrows at you, implicitly asking if you were feeling better. You nodded softly.

“Thank you”, you finally spoke, your voice coming out hoarse. “I’m sorry for spoiling your favorite t-shirt”, he looked down and saw how your crying had taken a toll on this piece of clothing but then he made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

“Don’t worry. You know I have lots of these”, he joked and you couldn’t help but laugh. It was true. You rarely see him wear anything besides white sleeveless tank top and dark pants. If the weather was colder, he’d take a grey shirt or his signature leather jacket.

Ryan stayed there in front of you, studying your expression, and removed a loose strand of hair that had fallen before your face. He couldn’t ignore how beautiful you looked, even after crying your eyes out. His hand lingered on your face longer than it should, caressing your left cheek. You could feel your heartbeat quicken under his touch and the fears of showing him your vulnerability seemed to dissolve in the warmth of his gestures. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but hesitated, as nothing felt good enough.

Instead, he looked at you, searching in your eyes for permission he wasn’t sure he needed. The silence between you felt charged but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. He saw how your eyes looked down at his lips and, unconsciously, you licked yours subtly. His breath hitched slightly.

His hand, near your face, grabbed your chin this time and he slowly leaned in, as if testing the waters. You gave him a small nod and didn’t take long for his mouth to meet yours in a tender slow kiss. The world around you seemed to stop and all the things that have been troubling you seemed to fade in the distance. Your hand instinctively reached up, threading softly through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. The kiss then deepened just slightly, enough for both of you to feel the unspoken emotions behind it. When it ended, his forehead lingered against yours, eyes still closed, as if cursing to himself that he had to stop to breathe. It seemed your lips were custom-made for his, fitting together in a way that felt both effortless and electric.

He gave you another quick peck before his thumb started to gently trace the curve of your cheek.

“I have to admit,” you said with a playful smirk, “I like this method of comforting.”

A soft chuckle escaped him, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked at you with nothing else but adoration.

“You really are something else, aren’t you?”

you made it to the end, congrats! 💜 I really hope you enjoyed it and that it wasn't too long for a one shot. I have to admit I had fun writing it and trying to replicate the characters' personalities, especially when seth appeared.

this maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay have a part 2, depending on if it flops, lol.

and as I usually say, i'd love to read some comments with your feedback :) and i'm also taking requests, so there's your chance to leave one 💗

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oneirataxia-haechan · 8 months ago

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They find out they weren't your original bias

Boynextdoor maknae line x reader (established relationship) (taesan and woonhak's might be long sorry)

requests open :)

ultimate masterlist & boynextdoor masterlist

Taesan

gets kind of annoyed when Jaehyun tells him you biased Leehan first.

laughs in his face.

thinks he is 1000% pranking him.

chooses not to believe Jaehyun and live blissfully unaware.

will raise an eyebrow at you when you mention Leehan's talents or looks.

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

You and the boys decided to make a shared playlist that everyone adds songs of their choice to. This way when all of you are hanging out theres an easy way to decide on music choice. While playing a board game with the boys one day a song, new to the playlist, started playing. You began singing along.

“I love this song! Who added this?” Expecting Taesan to fess up, your attention was grabbed from in front of you, rather than next to you, where your boyfriend resided. As you looked at who began to speak, it happened to be Leehan.

“This is one of my new favorite songs actually, I didn’t know you liked it as well.” He said with a sweet smile.

“I knew you had great taste in fish, but I didn’t know you had such similar and great taste in music.” You flashed a big smile at him as you moved your game piece on the board. Taesan raised an eyebrow as you said this, not noticing his furrowed expression. He was a little jealous knowing that song was one of your favorites, but not being the one to add it. Although you missed it, Jaehyun noticed Taesan's eyebrows, making him giggle. Everyone thought he was giggling at what you said but Taesan knew he had been caught by him. You were a little confused as to why he laughed but brushed it off.

Around half an hour later all of you were just sitting around and talking. Taesan finally felt this was a good time to pull you aside. You were a little worried you had missed something, but it’s not the first time he’s pulled you aside while the boys were around.

“Tae?” You looked at him as he looked at the ground. Seeming as if he was trying to write out the right sentence in his mind.

“Dongmin.” You said sharp but sweetly. His head shot up, meetig your gaze. He sighed and began.

“Was Leehan your original bias?” As you were about to answer he cut you off and started to ramble a bit.

“It doesn’t bother me but Jaehyun told me and I just want to know if it’s true or if he was pranking me but it doesn’t bother me at all I understand. I was going to ignore it but when you complimented him actually no when you complimented his music taste specifically, that’s what bothered me. But it doesn’t bother me I just-“

“Minnie breathe.” You whispered, as you put your hand over his mouth, knowing he would’ve kept going if you didn’t. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Then he opened them as you took your hand off of his face, staring into your eyes.

“Sorry.” He whispered, still keeping eye contact. You sighed.

“No, Jaehyun wasn’t pranking you but it’s nothing. He found some old old texts between my friend and I from when I first became a onedoor.” He nodded in response.

“I originally did bias Leehan but I never told you because I didn’t see it as important. I eventually met you and you were all that was on my mind.” He smiled widely which turned into a smirk.

“Ah my rizz worked. Not surprised. Good thing I didn’t care anyways.” You lifted his hand up to your mouth, placing a delicate kiss.

“Sure Dongmin, sure.”

Leehan

most nonchalant about it about it.

doesn’t get jealous. he think’s it cute that you biased his room mate at first.

teases you about it occasionally. especially when they are having a comeback.

you still have no idea how he found out, not like it was a secret or anything. but how?

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

You were cooking dinner for you and your boyfriend. Leehan was doing his usual like any other day, watching his fish and talking to himself. He loved to keep his fish, and you, company while you cooked. You only really heard 75% of what he mumbled about, but if it was important he made sure he got your attention first. He went through so many random topics and thoughts while watching them swim around. Ocassionily he would glance over at you to check on you as well.

“Y/n is so cute.” He would occasionally bring you up, not talking directly to you though. He continued his thought and what he said sent alarms off in your head.

“Y/n’s bias used to be Riwoo hyung. I can’t blame Y/n though, I love him too.” Raising an eyebrow at this comment you spun around, meeting Leehan’s gaze.

“Where’d you hear that from, hm?” You scoffed.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He joked with a smirk plastered on his face.

Woonhak

laughs it off when Taesan tells him he overheard you talking about biasing him first instead of Woonhak.

gets a strong ping of jealousy in his heart and tries to hide his pout as Taesan goes back to what he was origianlly doing.

will ask you indirectly until you catch on and explain.

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

“Sweetie, what’s the pout for?” You asked gently, sitting down next to Woonhak. He thought for a few seconds and you put your hand in his, rubbing circles on the back of his hand, with your thumb.

“How long were you a onedoor before we met?” He asked, not looking at you.

“Around 7 or 8 months I believe, why?” You said, raising a brow.

“Who did you notice first? Be honest.” As he finished asking you stopped your circular motions.

“Woonie… Why are you asking me this?” He took his hand out of your grip, not satisfied with your continuing questions. He began to repeat his question but you cut him off before he could finish.

“Kim Woonhak. I’m not going to answer another one of your questions until you tell me what’s going on and why you’re upset.” You just wanted him to stop pouting and actually talk to you. He took a deep breath, looking into your eyes. Not a great sign for you because as soon as your eyes met his, you folded.

“Okay fine I’ll be honest but then you have to explain what’s going on.” He nodded in agreement, his pout fading into a curious yet focused expression, as you began.

“The first person I noticed was you. Honestly.” His pout returned as he looked away. You put your hand on his thigh, reassuring him yet begging for an explination.

“Taesan said he overheard you talking about how he was your original bias, not me.” He said, crossing his arms, looking in your direction to try and read your body language.

“Woon-“Cutting you off, he then questioned, “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

You scoffed a little, “You never asked me who my original bias was, sweetie.” His cheeks grew pink in color realizing you were right. He hid his face in his hands, feeling embarrassed about not only his child like behavior, but especially embarrassed about his jealousy. He isn’t usually so jealous over silly things like this, but today was different. You lightly moved his hands off his face and settled them inbetween you both, interlocking your fingers with his.

“You were the first person I noticed, yes, but Taesan ended up as my bias. I’m not in love with him or anything like that just who I seemed to like most. You were always my bias wrecker.” He tried to inturrupt you but you cut him off, continuing your thought.

“Until I became yours and the boys' friend. Once I met you I changed my bias. That’s why when you guys eventually asked about the topic, of course you were my answer.” Sitting up with excitment and blushing a shade of almost red now.

“Taesan heard correctly but that doesn’t matter. I don’t pinch Taesan’s cheeks.” You said while smiling and pinching Woonhak’s cheek.

“I don’t kiss Taesan.” Placing kisses around his face. “And I definitley don’t do this to Taesan.” You stated, getting louder toward the end of the sentence. You leaned into him and began tickling him. Your mixed laughter could be heard by the other boys, causing smiles and giggles from them.

hyung line here

#kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop #boynextdoor #bnd #bnd imagines #bnd fluff #bnd x reader #boynextdoor imagines #boynextdoor x reader #leehan #bnd leehan #boynextdoor leehan #taesan #bnd taesan #boynextdoor taesan #woonhak #bnd woonhak #boynextdoor woonhak

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autumnbaguette · 2 months ago

Text

Toska

Part 3

Tos-Kah

Russian (noun)

An immense ache for nothing and everything all at once. An anguish from the bottom of the heart.

——

Brussel, Belgium.

The Past.

Snow fell like whispered secrets from the sky, blanketing the world in quiet wonder. You stood at the window, hands wrapped around a chipped ceramic mug, watching flakes swirl and dance with a kind of reckless grace of hot chocolate. What a boring day you thought.

You’ve been undercover for 1.5 years now, in fact you managed to get inside Konni Group. One hell of an operation as they say. The higher up thought that this operation was soup sandwich. It takes too much time and too much resources. But Laswell refused to back down and support the operation so here you are.

“Is that hot chocolate really that good? You’ve been staring at it for a while now.” his voice thick with russian accent broke the silence.

You look at him, his hair is kinda messy, he wear his favorite light blue shirt, he looked somehow tired, which is strange. Makarov is a smart, well calculated and cold man. He is the brain, practically borderline sociopath. At least that was your first impression of him. But now? He’s like different version when he is with you, attentive, well, he is kinda good at reading people anyway. He’s warm, he loves to listen to your ramblings. Not much of a talker. Basically a good lover. Sometimes you can’t believe how can a person have a very different side of personality. Not like a different side of a coin, more like a person who enjoy wearing different mask now and then. Like he can switch off his personality in a flick of a fingers.

“It is good, you want to try it?” Smiling, You offering your hot chocolate to him, knowing well he wont have it.

“I’m good my love.” He answer walking towards you. He stops right in front of you, his hand taking your mug and put it aside on the table.

“Did something happened?” You ask him worry because he just silently hugging you tight, like he’s afraid that you are going to disappear at any moment.

“You are going to stand by me forever yes? I don’t give a fuck about anyone else, but with you, it’s different my love.” His voice steady, you knew, this is not a request or his plead to you. This is an order. Your breath stop for a moment, a pang of sadness hitting your chest. You inhale his scent, your hands wrapped around his neck hugging him tight. I could kill him, right here, right now and finish the mission you thought.

“Of course, I’m not going anywhere. You have me now and forever.”

What a lie.

Breaking the hug, your eyes tracing his face line, drinking the sight of him. Your fingers curls into the fabric of his shirt holding on, not to keep him from going but to remember how it felt to have him close like this. You kiss his lips in a slow and in tenderness, there was no urgency. His hands holding your back, he deepened the kiss, you let him consume you.

——

Task force 141 Base

Interrogation Room

1920

“Fucking hell Laswell, you could’ve give me heads up about this!”

Have you ever got into trouble during school days and they made your parents go to the principal office and now you just sit there awkwardly while your mum and your day fighting about you and you got this guilty feelings but also denial at the same time? Yup, it feels like that now.

“Calm down, Boys. Listen all of you,” Laswell made her way to the table, putting several files related to the mission, “Sergeant Adler was involved in a highly classified undercover ops for CIA called Operation Black Water. The objective was to get hold of financial records called The Book related to Konni Group, follow the money and shut down their operation . Three agents assigned for this mission, Agent James White code name Bear, Agent Daniel Storm code name Badger, and Agent Adler code name Juliet.” Everyone looking at you now, you’re not sure whether its because the code name or because they finally hearing the truth. You just shrug your shoulders, let them judge you thought.

Laswell proceed to explain the details of the mission. You just nod your head here and there, not bothered to give additional details or comment related to it. You just want it all to end, you literally have no energy left now. But you noticed, Ghost is staring at you. He made no comment, only once he nod his head. You take a deep breath, trying to stay calm, you’re overstimulated now.

“Umm, Boss, can i go to the bathroom now? I really need to go.” You ask both Laswell and Price. When they give their permission, you just bolt yourself out from the interrogation room. Made your way to the bathroom nearby and basically throw up but nothing comes out.

Panic attack, right now? Wow great timing.

Your body is thinking way ahead of your brain now, maybe its because you’ve been trying so hard to keep it together, maybe its the flashbacks, maybe its the room. Who knows? Who cares?

You walk to the sink, trying to wash up your face. Then you feel a presence behind you and the moment you open your eyes, there he is. Ghost. Silently standing leaning to the wall watching you.

“Go away please, i will talk to you later, I promise.”

You pay no attention to him, because right now you’re trying so hard to maintain your breathing. Your ears ringing, your eyes cant even focus now, it’s all blurry. The room felt smaller, the walls closing in, your skin prickling with heat and cold at once. A surge of dread rose in your throat, thick and choking, even though you couldn’t name what you were afraid of.

Then you feel it, Ghost’s hand wrapped around waist turning your body facing him. You melted into his arms, and he pulled you close with the kind of tenderness that made the rest of the world disappear.

“Breath, slowly.” His words are quiet. "Breath."

Ghost hands settled gently on your back, anchoring you, pulling you back to the reality. No words passed between you and Ghost—just the hush of shared breath, the steady beat of his heart beneath your ear. In his embrace, you found warmth, safety, and something deeper: the quiet promise that he was yours , and you are home. Finally.

“Comeback to me Adler.”

to be continued

A/n: thank you for waiting for the update guys, life been getting quite busy. Also what kind of ending we shall have? Happy or angst ? Also let me know if anyone wants to get tagged

Tag list :

@bimboreader @quiet-loser @niazurzolo @rafaelacallinybbay @meepcow @letaliabane

#call of duty modern warfare #call of duty x reader #cod x reader #ghost x reader #john price x reader #makarov x reader #simon riley x reader #vladimir makarov #kate laswell

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tomorins · 6 months ago

Note

HIIII I SAW UR BDAY BULLETS so um could u do it with Toya?? If possible, with a male reader... if it's better for you, maybe do the prsk boys so more ppl can read it? It's ok if it's only Toya tho

PARTY CANDLES ! ii – prod. filomiya

characters – akito s. , toya a.

THEM, when its your birthday ( bullet headcanons )

VERSIONS – i. ii. ( both genshin and pjsk )

notes : didnt expect to get requests related to my first ever time writing for genshin but!!!!!!!!!!!! MY BIRTHDAY WAS AMAZING i went to the mall with my friends mmmmmrrrrrrrewwwwwwowowow ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE NOTES ON MY RECENT POST its not that amazing now looking back at it but hey i was radio silent for like what. . .. . . 1 yearr??????? its my epic comeback guys . . . . . also i did g/n reader because im still unfamiliar with male reader but you can also view this as male reader if you want ++ unfortunately didnt do the wondasho boys because i am not familiar with their characters AT ALL so theres that

AKITO S.

is he big on gifts? maybe. only with you.

while he wouldnt go really overboard on his usual gifts, akito would prepare a bigger significant amount for your birthday. from the flower bouquets and accessories via the old boutique he previously worked at, to other things based on your interests and feelings expressed in letters that he couldnt voice out.

but if you both have the same clothing? oh boy. oooh boy. aside the new articles of clothing he would buy from his pocket money, he would also gift you one of his hoodies (after giving it a bath in his cologne.)

and after all this? you guys could go to the new cafe that opened downtown, or your favourite one, even weekend garage, or at home! it all depends on what you really want. because as much as he could try to come up with a specific place for this date, he would rather have you guys do something you want.

infatuation? also maybe. youre one lucky individual.

TOYA A.

unlike akito, he would prefer giving something small but meaningful.

the usual flower bouquet wouldnt go missing, ofcourse! but i feel like toya would gift things for your own interests, like books or jewelry that remind him of you, or that you rambled about in the past. considers it the best opportunity!

but with only a little of his self control slipping out, he would buy more than anticipated. but if its all for you, he didnt mind, not at all!

would take you to either one of vivid bad squads performances (all free of charge) or a stroll to your favourite locations. let it be the city or beach, he loves these moments more than anyone. toya would try to think out of the box for today, and not just go to the cafe. you do that every week anyway!

reward him with a kiss after.

filomiya : any acts of plagiarism of my works are strictly prohibited. credits to the divider creators.

#written : surpassed angelic #pjsk #project sekai #pjsk x reader #project sekai x reader #akito shinonome #toya aoyagi #akito shinonome x reader #toya aoyagi x reader #vivid bad squad

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heartsandstars46 · 7 months ago

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Thank you to everyone who voted! I guess I need to start doing one-day polls (why are there so few options, Tumblr? 😩😩) because this poll is now tied. But, in my mind, I closed it on 12/17, when Prequel was winning, so that is what we have this week! Hope you enjoy a continuation of this pre-bf tasm!Peter x fem reader fluff! 🩷🩷

Part 1

Word count: 1k

Be Nice to Spiders part 2

You always had a hard time sleeping when you were sick—it was impossible to get comfortable, hard to breathe… and that was without your cute office crush sitting inches away! So tonight was a lost cause. But when you woke up in the 2 o’clock hour, the desk chair was empty and you were alone. Okay, so he had left. Well, you had told him to. You hadn’t wanted him to waste his whole night here anyway.

So why did you feel so sad?

As you lay awake, every muscle and joint in your body aching, you began to hear a faint noise coming from the living room. Was that… coughing?

You crept out of your bedroom wearing a blanket like a superhero cape and found Peter sitting on the couch trying really hard to cough silently.

“Oh god, sorry, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“I can see that. Are you okay? Hey, are you shivering?”

He obviously was, even though he didn’t answer, so you took off the blanket and wrapped it around him.

“No, no,” he motioned for you to sit down next to him and then he draped the blanket back over your shoulders.

“Can’t we share?” You asked with a smile. “We’re already sharing germs, apparently. I’m sorry I got you sick.”

Peter shook his head. “No, it’s not you, it’s that Daily Bugle office. It’s like a Petri dish. Did you get any sleep? You tossed and turned a lot.”

You slid closer so the blanket could drape over both of you. “Eh, some.”

Peter smiled.

“What?”

“Even tossing and turning, you held on to my hand for a long time. It was pretty impressive.”

The heat of your fever was overtaken by the heat of embarrassment, and you wished you were still high on cold medicine. “I am so sorry you were trapped in there with me.”

“Who said I was trapped? I got some sleep too… until I started going downhill.”

“Sorry,” you mouthed, cringing.

“It’s okay, really—but would you mind if I laid down here? It’s just taking a lot of energy to sit up at the moment.”

“Oh my gosh, yes, please, lay down!” You jumped up so fast, your head throbbed. “Ah!”

“Boy, we’re a sad pair,” he mused, stretching out on the couch.

“Seriously. I'm sure this is your normal Friday night!” You said as you tucked the blanket around him and slid one of the throw pillows behind his head.

He smiled, but he wouldn’t quite look at you. Oh lord, was did that mean?

“Thank you. But you’re sick too. You should lie down. Here.” He scooted over, making room for you on the couch. “I mean, we’re both sick already, right?”

You giggled and nervously slid in next to him.

Peter repositioned the pillow and blanket so you were both comfy. The left side of your body was pressed into his right side, and though it was hard to focus on anything else, you managed to ask, “Do you want me to read to you too?”

“Yeah, you know, somebody fell asleep during Be Nice to Spiders—“

“How rude!”

“I know, and I never got to hear how it ended. Helen really seemed to be doing a great job at the zoo.”

It was such an adorable thing to say, you couldn’t help but smile. “This is why you’ve gotta be nice to spiders, man. They’ll look out for you.”

“Yes, they will.” And then he started coughing again, poor thing.

“Peter, I am so sorry.”

When he could talk again, he said, “Don’t be. Dizziness, coughing, and feeling like death aside, I'm pretty lucky.”

“Why's that?” You asked laughing.

“Well, I get to spend the night with you.“

You had expected some witty barb, so you hoped your jaw hadn’t visibly dropped. Your face got so hot it might as well have been on fire.

Peter saw the look on your face and the rambling began.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean ‘spend the night together’ like that or anything. That is not my intention or expectation or anything. I just said it because we seem to be… literally… spending the night together.”

“Peter,” you said softly, touching his arm. “Peter, it’s okay. I knew what you meant, I guess I just didn’t expect to hear it… or, really, that you would be happy about being stuck here all night with me, err, with a sick person. While also sick."

“I’m not stuck here. Honestly. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Your stomach fluttered. “Same. You know, when I woke up and thought you’d left, I….” Oh dear, how earnest were you willing to let yourself be?

“You…?”

“I was glad to hear you coughing, because it meant you were still here. I was really glad you were still here, okay?"

“Huh.” Peter looked like he could breathe again. He grinned at you. “Well, how about that? Hope you still feel that way after I spend all night coughing in your ear!"

It all happened so fast. Before you fully knew what you were doing (so as to stop yourself), you kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Ha.” You said sheepishly. “Hope that’s okay. Not that I wouldn’t want to, like, actually kiss you for real, but I think we should be sure we’re not going to give each other mono first.”

“Uh, yeah, no complaints here,” he chuckled. Then you felt a soft kiss on your cheek. Immediately, a smile spread across your face. “Oh and hey, forget reading, I want to make a different request.”

You laughed. “Okay…?”

“I think it would be nice to hold someone’s hand. I mean, I heard a rumor….”

You felt yourself smiling again. “I heard that rumor too. And I think I can help you out.” You slid your hand into his under the blanket. He gave it the sweetest little squeeze, then started coughing again.

“Oh boy, here we go,” he wheezed.

“Guess it’s good that we ended up keeping an eye on each other, huh?”

#tasm peter parker #tasm!peter imagine #tasm!peter fluff #tasm peter fluff #tasm!peter x reader #tasm peter imagine #tasm peter x reader #andrew garfield fluff #andrew garfield imagine #tasm fic #heartsandstars46 fic

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darlingkaveh · 3 months ago

Text

synopsis: a short story, based on my take on Caleb’s childhood & the mysteries involving it

tw: death, major violence.

other: in third person, and mc has a name and is described as “pale” once or twice (ain’t my name or looks tho, this is not self-indulgent of me haha 🙅 i still consider it x reader bc it’s lads’s mc but i kind of had to give her a name for story purposes, sorry 😞)

( caleb x f!reader , both children. 21 pages )

————————

CALEB loved his family. Each and every one of them, from his mom to his dad, to the little black lab that he had found in a park as a boy. His family was small. Condensed, like four atoms bonded together. He had always wanted a sibling, but his parents were always oh so busy — they were researchers, see; scientists, to be exact. So they left him home with the pup, or, sometimes, if he got lucky, Grandma Josephine, until the sun sank below the horizon, and they trudged home in their rumpled white coats.

Today was no different. He had been playing with his newest science kit, sticking red and blue bulbs onto the ends of black sticks to construct a double helix, when his parents stumbled inside. He could hear their frantic footsteps all the way from the kitchen, and could imagine them scurrying about, like a pair of bespectacled mice, squeaking to do this and that, put this here and tidy that there. Oh, and not to forget to push Caleb (a smaller mouse, kept in a different cage) a little bit of cheese now and then, so he’d shut his squeaking while they chatter away. He was no brilliant mind, no quantum physicist or astronautics expert, not like his parents.

“Sometimes I’m glad I’m no genius.” Caleb popped a grape into his mouth. “Mom and dad are always so busy. Seems like a lot of work, huh, Snoopy?” He looked at the black lab sitting on his bed, who was quite a bit bigger now — the mattress sunk more under his weight than Caleb’s — and he barked in response. Caleb grinned.

“Well, at least I do more than you.” He plucked a cucumber from his fruit salad and tossed it Snoopy’s way. It was gone in an instant. “Hah,” he muttered. “All you do is eat, sleep and play. Though, I guess that’s all I do, too.”

The lab set his head down on his paws, and looked up at him with sad, wet eyes. Caleb scrunched up his nose. “Okay, you’re cute, I’ll give you that.” He sacrificed another cucumber.

“Caleb!” His mother hollered his name. “Come on out! We want you to meet someone!”

Caleb frowned. “Oh, man, don’t tell me…” he set his bowl aside, cramming the last few grapes into his mouth before stepping out, Snoopy hot on his heels. “Yes, mom?”

“Oh, there you are, sweetie, we were starting to think you had fallen asleep.” His mother raced past him even as she spoke, checking her purse, clipboard, coat, and maybe a hundred other places.

“Mom, your glasses are on your head,” said Caleb.

”Oh! Yes, yes.” Her hands instantly started to pat down her face, and she fixed her glasses. “Thank you, dear. Thank goodness. What might I do without you?“

“Certainly nothing at all!”

His father burst through the front door, glasses askew, though with how much he was beaming, Caleb doubted he could see much, anyway. “He’s our little genius, isn’t he, Amelia? Quite the bright boy, he is.” His father laughed and went about his usual ramblings; the effect of the humidity on his hair, the neighbor’s cat digging through the trash cans again. Caleb noticed a little girl standing in the doorway. He didn’t mean to stare, but she was most odd. She had skinny, knobby knees, and the thinnest hair he’s ever seen.

A feeling of dread crept over him like a cloud. He knew what was coming.

“Are you listening, boy?” His father ruffled up his hair. “Guess not, hm?”

“Is anyone surprised?” His mother gave her husband a pointed look. “You talk too much for your own good.”

“Dreadfully true, dear, though I’m afraid you knew that when you married me, didn’t you?”

Caleb crossed his arms and didn’t say anything, hoping that’d somehow catch their attention. It didn’t.

“Mom?” He said irritably. “Dad?”

They both looked at him.

“Who’s that?” He pointed at the little girl. She raised her head at that, and took a couple steps closer. She walked like she did not quite know how to walk, knees knocking together and toes pointed in.

“Toes out, Leslie,” his father scolded. “No walking pigeon-toed, that’s bad for you.” Leslie fixed her toes, but Caleb wasn’t sure if it really helped. “There you go.”

“Brilliant, darling.” Amelia took Leslie’s hand and smiled as she kneeled to her level. “Well done. Now, Leslie, I’d like you to meet someone.” She gestured at Caleb. “Leslie, this is your new brother, Caleb. Caleb, this is your new sister.”

Caleb’s mouth dropped open.

“Sister?” He spluttered. “Sister? She’s the third one this year, mom! You can’t be serious!”

“It’s just for the time being, dear, we’re fostering her.” His mother hushed him as she stood. “You’ve always wanted a sibling, so here we are. Be polite, won’t you? We raised you better than that.”

“Where is she going to sleep?!”

“In your room, dear, your father will set it all up, it’ll be quite nice, really.”

“Mom! You can’t—“

“Caleb, I advise you to be careful with your next words.”

He fell silent, feeling the tips of his ears heat up.

“Don’t fret, chap, it isn’t so bad.” His father tried to pat his shoulder, but he dodged. “Oh, don’t be like that, now.

“I don’t want to talk to any of you!” Caleb ran back into his room, slamming the door behind him. He stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, before looking at Snoopy, who had stuck his head into the bowl of fruit.

“…Oh, Snoopy.” Caleb sighed, half-heartedly petting the lab. “Get your nose out of there.“

Snoopy licked his hand a few times and whined as Caleb sat down next to him. A slice of cucumber sat on his snout.

“Gross.” Caleb plucked it off, and Snoopy ate it in one fell swoop. “You’re like a trash compactor.”

He flopped onto his back, staring up at the ceiling — his ceiling — decorated with paper planes and planets, twirling around on strings. His mother had bought the craft, and his father had helped him hang them up. He had spent a good few hours playing with the hole puncher alone. Now, he had to share it, with an odd, pigeon-toed girl with skin too pale and funny brown eyes. She was like an opossum.

He had plenty of brothers and sisters before her, sure — it had started a few years back, when his mother and father suddenly seemed to take interest in fostering — but he was different now than then. He knew how this went, how it was going to go. His new sibling would stay for a little while, but they still left in the end. It had happened to the one before, the one after, and it’d happen to this one, too. His siblings had all been odd, yes, but odd on its own was fine; one might argue he was odd, his parents were odd, his family was odd, and he’d hardly care. But family who left was hardly family at all.

Caleb shut his eyes. There was whispering outside his door. He couldn’t stand it. Eventually, it stopped. Ten minutes later, his door crept open. Leslie stood there. Her hair was wet and stuck to her face, and she was in new clothes and shoes. She blinked owlishly at him.

“Hi.” Her voice was raspy. “My name’s…Leslie.”

Caleb rolled over and pressed his face into the pillow.

“You’re…Caleb, right?” He could hear her shuffle closer, with her odd legs and steps and walk. Snoopy barked. “You have a dog?” She brightened. “She’s cute.”

“…He’s a guy.” He sat up and heaved Snoopy into his arms. “His name’s Snoopy.”

“Snoopy?”

Caleb grumbled. “That’s what I said.”

The dog wriggled in his arms, and he eventually released him. Snoopy made his way over to Leslie and sniffed her hand.

“Snoopy’s a cute name. A cute name for a cute dog.” Leslie rubbed Snoopy’s neck. His tail thumped against the floor.

“…It’s ‘cause I found him in a bush.” He looked away. “A blackberry bush,” he continued, slowly, “in a park nearby. He got all pricked by the thorns, so me and my parents took him home and helped him.”

“Your parents…like to pick up strays?”

“No,” he said. She stared at him. “Well…” Caleb thought about it. “I guess. They’re kind of strays themselves. But the good kind. They’re scientists.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Yeah.”

Curiosity pricked at him. Eventually, he caved. “How?”

Leslie nearly poked Snoopy’s eye out trying to pet him. Caleb stood up.

“Don’t pet him like that. Use your palm, not your fingers.”

“Like this?” She tried again.

“Yeah.” He smiled a little. “Good job.“

She looked surprised, but soon smiled back. “Thanks.” She looked around. “I like your room.” His walls were decorated in a variety of posters. His favorite one was of the solar system. Sometimes he’d go up on the roof with his father and watch the sky.

“Thanks. My parents helped me decorate it. What stuff do you like?”

“Hm?”

“Stuff. What stuff do you like?” He repeated.

“Like…my clothes?” She picked up the edges of her yellow skirt and did an awkward spin that wasn’t really a spin, but Caleb clapped for her anyway. “I do like these clothes, they’re certainly nicer than my older ones. I wore those nearly every day.”

“Um…not really, but that works, I guess. My clothes are ok, I guess.” He tried to think of something better to ask. “Hey, wait, you didn’t tell me how you know.”

“Know what?”

“What you said before. That my parents are strays. Or, scientists, or whatever.”

“Oh.”

“You can sit down, by the way.” He patted the space next to him. Leslie’s smile grew, and she obliged.

“Well,” she said, “I just thought they look like scientists.” She flicked one of the paper planes hanging from the ceiling. “You know. White coat, glasses, always carrying a clipboard and pen.”

“That does sound like them.” He pushed one of the planes, too, laughing when it swung through the air and bumped into the one Leslie had nudged.

“Time for bed!” The door opened, and his mother stuck her head inside. She smiled when she saw them sitting together. “I’m glad you two are getting along. You can play more tomorrow.”

“Okay. Good night, mom,” he said.

“Good night, miss,” said Leslie.

“Good night, kids.” She set up a mattress for Leslie on the floor before she shut the lights, guided Snoopy out, and closed the door.

Moonlight filtered in through the blinds, illuminating strips of the room.

“Isn’t that mattress uncomfortable?” He said.

“Not really. The bed’s too soft. I feel like I’m sinking.” He could just barely make out the outline of her body, curled up by the foot of his bed.

“Are…you sure?”

“Yep. This is the type of thing I’d sleep on back home.”

He shifted. “Home?”

“Where I met your mom and dad.”

“Oh.” He figured she must be talking about the orphanage. “How is it, there?”

“Cold, mostly. But fine. The people are nice.”

“Nice?”

“Yeah. Most of the time they do things I don’t like. But that’s just how it is in the world.” She pulled her blanket snug around her. “They’re my family. They…they have my best interests at heart, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“…Do you think we could be family?”

Caleb looked at her smiling face. “Maybe.” He propped himself up with his elbows. “If you can promise me something.”

“What is it?”

Don’t leave. The words were heavy on his tongue. He swallowed them.

“Actually, nevermind.”

Promises meant nothing.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. It’s silly, anyway. We can be friends.“

“Huh.” Her breathing slowed. “Friends. That’s good, too. I don’t have any friends. Didn’t, I mean.”

“Well, I’m happy to be your first friend.”

“Thanks. Do you have a lot of friends?”

“I guess. I don’t know them very well, but yeah.”

“That must be nice.”

He rolled around, facing the window. “Something like that.”

He could hear the last of the lights in the house being shut, and the last of the doors being closed.

“…I’m sorry. For earlier.”

He laid there, listening to the sound of his own breathing. Waiting. A response never came.

She had fallen asleep.

——

There was a room in the house that Caleb had never seen. It was an ugly thing, grey and withered, tucked away in a little nook that never saw the sun. Its wooden door hung on rusty hinges; Caleb could hear it squeal from his bedroom every time his father went in. Though he had never seen what laid inside, he could guess: failed prototypes, spare parts, and dusty textbooks from his parents’ school days.

“I bet there’s a monster in there,” said Leslie. She sat cross-legged on his bed, flipping through an old science magazine as Caleb peered into the hallway, staring at the grey room.

“Maybe,” he mumbled. “I wish they’d just tell me. I tried to open the door once, too, but it was locked, and my dad got mad.” He shut the door when his mom rounded the corner.

“So, either a monster, or some top secret work things.” She grinned. “What do your parents do, anyway?”

“They work for some bigshot company called Ever. They’ve been a big deal since the Deepspace Tunnel appeared.” He leaned over, closing her magazine. On the cover page was a swirling, blue-purple mass, inhaling the sky and stars.

Her eyes went wide. “Oh, I’ve seen that somewhere! What’s it called? A w…”

“Wormhole?”

“Yes!” She beamed. “That.”

“Yeah, Ever does research on it and stuff. Most of my classmates think it’s scary,” he said. “Since a lot of people think it made Wanderers — do you know what Wanderers are? — appear.”

“Nope, never heard of that.”

“Well, they’re these really weird looking monsters. Some of them look kind of cool, but most just look…I don’t know, mutated? Abnormal. They don’t look like animals or anything.“

“Do your parents study them?”

He thought about this. “Not Wanderers. Just wormholes, I think. I’ll ask. Anyway, a lot of my classmates think the wormhole is scary, but I don’t think so. I think it’s really pretty, actually.”

“Like space?”

He smiled a little. “Yeah. Maybe space is just pretty to me.”

Leslie looked at the wormhole again. “It’s nice,” she agreed. “I think I’d still be a little scared of it, though. I mean, there’s nothing we could do if it suddenly decided to suck us all up.“

“I don’t think wormholes do that…”

“Still!”

“Okay, okay, yeah, that’s true.” He leaned back, staring up at his ceiling. “So what could we even do?”

“Build a secret shelter?” She suggested. “An underground bunker?”

Caleb hummed in response, thinking. Leslie set the magazine aside and reached out and pushed a dangling paper plane, knocking it into the moon.

“Well, I’m going to be a pilot, anyway,” he huffed. “So I’ll just fly us far away!”

“That’s silly.” She giggled. “You’re not gonna have your own plane!”

“I will if I’m important! I’m not gonna fly an airplane. Something cool, like a jet.“

Leslie made a face. “What if you crash-land and die?”

“What? I’m not gonna die!”

“I’m just saying!”

“Well, it’s not gonna happen.” He crossed his arms and huffed. “You’ll see.”

“I guess I will…”

“Don’t look at me like that!”

She dodged his attempt to hit her, laughing.

“Okay, I’m sorry!”

He pouted. “Look!” He reached under his bed and pulled out a large white box. Inside was a colorful assortment of origami cranes. “If I fold a thousand of these, I get one wish. If I wish to be a pilot, it’ll be sure to come true.”

“Whoa, really? How do you fold them?”

“I can teach you!”

By now, Caleb had forgotten all about the grey room, and whatever mysterious things that laid within.

——

“Look, Leslie! Watch what I can do!”

Caleb took out a piece of orange paper, and made it into an airplane with a few clean folds. Then, he set it in his palm, and it began to hover. He guided it through the air, swishing up, down, left, right, until it perched atop her head, making her laugh. She was stretched out, sunbathing under an oak tree. She looked better under the sun, more full and happy and sated. It made her face less gaunt and her smile more clear.

“Wow, Caleb! That’s amazing.” She cradled the plane in her hands. “Is that your Evol?”

“Yeah! I awakened just yesterday.” His smile faded slightly. “While you were at the doctor’s.”

She made a face and prodded his foot with one of her crutches. “Caleb, don’t get all soppy on me now. I’m okay.“

“Right.” She had never been as fast or strong as him, sure, but he hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with her. His shoulders squared. “Okay.”

“It’s not your fault.” She sighed. “Maybe they’ll get these things off me some day.”

“Maybe,” he agreed sadly. He didn’t like seeing her like this.

She patted his shoulder. “So, what is your Evol? Telekinesis?”

“Gravity, actually,” he said. “That’s what mom said, anyway. Apparently there’s a difference.”

“Gravity sounds a lot cooler.”

“I don’t know, telekinesis makes me sound like a superhero. Gravity is whatever.”

She laughed. “If you say so.” She leaned back, looking up at the cloudless sky, and Caleb followed her gaze.

“…Think you’ll get an Evol, too?” He glanced at her.

“Who knows?” She shrugged. “It’d be nice, but I don’t need it. Like you.” She grinned. “Your Evol is nice, but you don’t need it to be Caleb.”

“Huh.” He smiled. “Guess that’s true. But, it is part of me now.” He kicked a pebble. “Caleb prefers the version of him with cool powers.”

“Yeah, of course he does,” she snorted.

A collective groan from the other side of the school yard drew their attention. A group of boys and girls were huddled around a tree, pointing up at a kite stuck in its foliage.

Leslie nudged him with her crutches again. “Looks like it’s your turn to shine.”

He pouted. “But I don’t wanna! Gym’s almost over. I wanna talk to you.”

“Oh, it won’t take long. Go and help them.”

He whined, but her expression didn’t change.

“Fine…”

He ran over to join his classmates, who were making a half-hearted attempt at climbing the tree. Others had left to get the teacher.

“Hey, guys,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, Caleb!” One of the boys, Timothy, waved. “My kite got stuck in the tree.”

Caleb craned his head back, up at the kite, which had twisted itself into the tree’s foliage. “I’ve got this.” He raised his hands up and started to untangle the kite, willing gravity to tug and pull it around until it broke out of the tree. He made it soar above the school courtyard, swishing through the air with a few loop-de-loops, before it fluttered to the ground, landing in Timothy’s hands.

“Whoa!” Timothy held his kite up, beaming. “Wow, Caleb! Your parents work for Ever, and you’ve got an awesome Evol. How cool is that?”

“It was nothing.” Caleb smiled. “I can do it anytime, if you want.”

“Really? Thanks!” Timothy rushed off, kite back in the air. A few kids lingered, asking Caleb if he wanted to play basketball or could help them with their science homework.

“I can’t play right now, but maybe later,” he said. “And if you need help, I tutor after school. Two to three.” He patted their shoulders as they groaned in unison.

“But Caleb! You’re our best player!”

“Ah, you’ll be alright without me,” he waved his hand. “I’ll be at practice tomorrow, anyway. Get some sleep in before then, don’t overwork yourself.”

They reluctantly accepted that answer and dispersed, returning to the court. Caleb looked back at where Leslie was, and waved at her as the teacher blew a whistle, calling the end of the period. She waved back.

“Did you see it?” Caleb grinned as he rushed over to her. “I got it out really quickly!”

“I know, I saw,” she laughed as she stood, leaning onto her crutches. “Good job.”

His smile widened. “Thanks.”

——

It was spring when Leslie’s birthday came around. His father had gone out to buy the cake, while his mother showed him how to stick two beady black eyes into the opossum plush they had crocheted. Caleb hadn’t ended up being very good at crocheting — the yarn got everywhere, and he’d much rather assemble one of his science kits — but the stuffed animal had turned out quite nicely.

Leslie herself, meanwhile, was at the doctor’s.

“Will Leslie be back soon, mom?” Caleb pressed the black eyes into the grey yarn. Push too hard and they’d sink into its face, but don’t push enough and they’d bulge. “What’s wrong with her legs?”

“Your father’s picking her up now, honey,” she said. “The doctor said the muscles in her legs have been deteriorating at a faster rate than before. Your father knows more about it than I do, but she should be alright.” She took the opossum once he was done. “Nicely done.”

“I still think we should’ve made the tail thicker. It looks like a rat.”

“I don’t think Leslie will mind, dear. And, opossums aren’t so different from rats.”

“Dad says opossums are marsupials.”

She laughed. “He’s probably right.” She set the plushie in a gift box, wrapped it, and set a neat yellow bow on top. “There we are.”

Caleb picked up the box and admired it. “Thanks, mom.”

The jangle of keys made him jump up. “Dad’s home!” He raced to the front door. The man behind it, however, looked scarcely like his father.

“…Dad?”

His father, who had worn many expressions but never one quite so grim, looked rather pale this evening. He held a crumpled white box. He stood there, staring blankly, as if in a daze, before he at last blinked and sight returned to his foggy eyes.

“Caleb.” He set a hand down on Caleb’s head, but it was hardly a touch at all; he might as well have been a ghost and passed through him. “Is your mother home?“

“Yeah?” Caleb stepped back. “She’s in the living room. I’ll go get her.” He turned. “But…where’s Leslie?”

He was met with a resounding silence.

He looked up at his father.

“She…needs to stay at the hospital for a while.” His father looked over the top of his head, peering inside. “So, we won’t get to celebrate her birthday.”

“Oh.” Caleb deflated. “But — but she’ll be back soon, right?”

“Well, it depends. But, hopefully.“

“Samael? Where’s Leslie?”

Caleb went back inside as his mother came up behind him. He took the yellow box and passed the grey room. It was shut, as always, and probably locked, too.

He gave the knob a jiggle.

Yep, definitely locked.

He walked straight to his room after that.

His bedroom walls had had some additions since Leslie’s arrival. A few robot posters were hung to the left side, where Leslie’s bed sat. It hadn’t taken her long to prefer a bed over a ratty mattress on the floor. He had less space, now, but he didn’t mind it as much anymore.

Caleb took out his origami paper folder, and chose the darkest color he had — a deep purple. He folded it into a little paper man, and set him on the paper moon.

He laid back and stared up at his ceiling, at the tiny universe that existed in his room. The darkening sky lulled him to sleep, and in his dreams, he saw Leslie, holding his hand in a garden of apple trees.

——

Leslie had visited Caleb, once or twice, since she started to get physical therapy for her legs. She couldn’t get very far without help, so his father always accompanied her to and from the hospital. But she was alive, and she was recovering.

And for a long while, he was alone again. His parents were more obsessed with work than ever before. Forget having dinner together, he hardly ever saw them at all. Most days, he was with Grandma Josephine. He slept in her guest bedroom. It had no stars on the walls, no planets hung from the ceiling, and no planes anywhere in sight.

When he was back home, it hardly felt like home at all. The grey room had grown teeth, and seemed to snap at his heels if he walked too close. He could make out two slit eyes on the door, gnarled knobs coming out of the wood. On their off days, his father would hurry in there, his mother close behind, and they’d stay in there and mutter to themselves until the sun sank below the horizon and painted his room gold. The little man on the paper moon had started to wrinkle from constant poking.

It wasn’t until one late autumn night did things begin to stir; his father burst through the front door as per usual, though this time with a small red wheelbarrow, muttering something about this and that, this and that, nearly knocking Caleb down as he bulldozed through the house. Snoopy was barking incessantly, pawing at his coat.

“Down, boy!” His father snapped. “Down!”

Snoopy whimpered, his tail stilling as he slinked into a corner.

“Dad—“

“Ah, hell.” His father cursed under his breath as he started to wipe some dog drool off his coat, but stopped when the wheelbarrow nearly tipped over. “Son!” He held his arm out expectantly.

Caleb quickly took his father’s coat and hung it on a rack. The ends were torn, like they had caught on something and ripped. He would’ve pointed this out, had the wheelbarrow his father was pushing around not have a bigger mystery: sitting in it was an odd lump, covered with a large sheet. It was driven through the kitchen, around a corner, and, to his horror, into the grey rooml

Just what was in there?

He brewed some tea for his mother; she was sure to arrive shortly. The buzz of the pot was comforting.

When his mother at last stumbled inside, she was panting, and her hair stuck up in curious directions. She kicked off her flats, breathlessly gesturing for him to step aside, so he did.

“Mom, what’s dad moving?”

His mother glanced at him and smiled. It was an odd thing, that smile, not unlike the lump sitting in that wheelbarrow. “Nothing of importance, dear!” She hurried to pat her hair down. “Simply something work-related. It’s rather boring, quite frankly, you’d find no interest in it.”

Now that was interesting.

“No interest?” said Caleb, as he handed her some tea. “But you always think work is interesting.”

“Interesting to me and your father, yes. And thank you, darling.” She sipped at the drink. “But to you? Not so much, sweetie. It’s a lot of…” she waved her hand around, like that was somehow helping her explain, “well, a lot of nonsense, really. Also,” she let out a pleased hum, “lemon, is it? The tea.”

He glanced at her cup. “Yes. Grandma Josephine gave it to me.”

“Ah.” Her eyes grew misty. Snoopy curled around her legs. “Josephine. Nice lady, isn’t she? I’d let her babysit you more, if she didn’t live so far away. Shame, really. Wonderful woman. She was a family friend, on — on your dad’s side. Was always like a mother to me, though.”

Caleb pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down wordlessly.

“My own mother passed away,” she added softly. “Years ago. Decades, even.”

The steam was starting to fog up her glasses, so he took them off and wiped them clean with a handkerchief. Her smile was starting to fray.

“…I know.” He glanced up at her as he handed back her glasses, her fingers barely registering his touch. “You’ve told me this before. Never how she died, though.”

“Huh.” She laughed a bit. “Is that so? Perhaps it’s silly of me to not.”

“I don’t mind,” he said. “You can tell me when you’re ready.”

Her eyes moved to him, and some of that mist cleared. “My darling boy…” she reached out and kissed the top of his head. “You’ll do amazing things. Brilliant. I just know it.” She put her glasses back on, and blinked some. Her eyes were blue again. She reached out and gave him a hug. She smelled like apples and cinnamon. He blinked away tears of his own.

”Thanks, mom.”

Amelia laughed some more. “I should be the thankful one, dear. Or, better yet, both of us. How about it?” She took his hand, small in hers, and squeezed. “Thank you, Lord, for letting me be with my son.”

”And husband!” Samael piped in. He had returned from the grey room. Caleb assessed him. “Your very charming, lovely husband, who—“ he pinched their cheeks, making them both grumble, “positively adores his family. Maybe even more than his exhilarating job, eh?“

“Honey!” She swatted at her husband. “I was just telling Caleb here about how dull our work as been as of late. Miserable, honestly.”

“Ah, codswallop. Listen here, son,” he ruffled up Caleb’s hair, “life is all about adventure. And, since you and I are both clever individuals, with enough brain in our heads to not go sideways,” he rapped his knuckles against his temple, grinning, “find the little adventures in your everyday life, and make them the greatest, most exhilarating things you’ve ever gone through. Even if it means you’re tricking yourself into enjoying filing data reports. Everything can be something enjoyable, as long as you don’t spoil it with your attitude, first.”

“Your father’s a hopeless romantic,” Amelia whispered. “Always going on about his idealistic ramblings. Don’t listen to a word he—“

Samael covered her mouth with his hand, hushing her. Caleb snorted.

“Oh, please, darling, I’m giving a speech, and you know how excited I get about those.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, now…”

There was a sort of swell in his chest as he listened to his parents bicker. How long had it been, since they last sat together? Saw each other?

He wrapped his arms around them, and squeezed. His parents stopped.

“Oh, Caleb…” they put their arms around him like they had when he was young, when their arms were loose and big and he barely reached their torso.

He hoped they’d never let go.

Eventually, they drew back, his father patting his head.

“We have to go out again, but we’ll be back soon, son.”

Caleb recoiled as if he had been slapped. “What? When? Now? Why?”

“It’s okay, honey. We’ll be back.” His mother kissed the top of his head. “We just need to grab some things.“

No! He wanted to scream the word, but only watched as his parents gathered their things, and stepped out the door. It all felt too fast. Too much like a show, a sequence he’d see on tv, where all the actors were clay dolls moved around with strings. He felt like he was being tugged in opposite directions, and eventually, a tug would be too strong, too much, and he’d split at the seams and burst, a mess of clay and wire, and he’d sit there, dead, until he was swept away and replaced.

The grey room growled.

It was a low, rumbling sound, like bits of glass and steel were ground in its throat. Caleb’s eyes snapped to where it hid, turned away from the sun, curtained by shadow. It seemed to smile at him, all teeth; rid itself of its lock with a snap, and creaked open.

He stood frozen for only a moment, before his legs moved all on their own, lunging forward, grabbing the cold steel of the doorknob before it could slam shut again.

He stumbled inside.

It looked just how he imagined. It was a cavern, dark and damp and desolate, and horribly, terribly grey. He had stepped in to the jaws of the beast, and now, he stood on its tongue, in its mouth, only a moment away from being swallowed down.

The red wheelbarrow caught his eye.

It was a splash of color in the room’s monotony, a delightful pop and fizz he could practically taste and see, sparking with red and orange embers. The sheet remained drawn over it, the tongue of a clam swaddling its pearl.

Caleb touched the sheet. His fingers were numb, but his heart sang. What wonderful surprise might lie behind? What genius innovation? He was thrilled, yes, but more than anything, simply glad to be rid of the suspense, the curiosity that haunted him at every turn, so it was with a magician’s flourish that he drew back the veil from his eyes, ripped open the mouth of the beast, and saw! Saw! Oh, how his flesh burned, how his mind raced! And yes, it was then, then, with a magnificent smile, that he saw Leslie’s corpse, limp and pale and dead!

The buzz slowly faded. His smile died. The walls twisted around him, laughing, mocking.

He screamed.

It was then his parents rushed in, in their slick white coats and blotchy, waxy faces, and their murderous hands flailing in the air. It was all a lie. It had always been. That meant — his past siblings — were they dead, too? Dead, like Leslie? Dead, because his parents had decided it would be delightful to murder them?

He thrashed in their arms as they tried to restrain him. “Let me go! LET ME GO!”

“Caleb, Caleb!” His parents cried. His hands flailed, legs kicking, shoving, pushing away their traitorous hands and evil red faces. “Please, just—“

There was a bang. She fell to the ground, dead. Another shot. His father, dead. Blood pooled from their heads; they really were red, now, and it was getting all over his shoes and legs and hands and face, and suddenly he didn’t feel so clean, either, was he a murderer too, now? He wondered if it could’ve been him, who killed his parents, perhaps with an ill-timed blow to the head, or had he been holding a gun and not known it? Had he pulled the trigger, hoping to get rid of their red faces and hands and stop their wild flailing? Well, they were dead now, dead and limp, like dolls, with the smoothest waxen faces, white, like the moon.

Two hands grabbed him. He screamed. A man shoved his arm around Caleb’s neck, making him gasp and choke and scream as tears ran down his cheeks as he kicked at the air; the man forced a pungent rag against his face, pressing it against his mouth and nose, until his eyes rolled back in his head and he wondered, briefly, if he were dead now, too.

“Caleb, dear, please stop thrashing…”

He awoke to a woman’s voice. He thought, perhaps, it was his mother! His mother, joining him, in his fate in the afterlife — but no. When he opened his eyes, and his vision returned to him, it was not his mother’s eyes who stared back.

“…Grandma Josephine?” He rubbed his face. “What…what are you doing here? What’s going…” the words died on his tongue as he looked around. He was in a white room, laying on a cotton mattress. In the hallway, he could see people in long white coats shuffling about, holding clipboards and mumbling nonsense like his parents once did.

“You’re in Ever’s research facility, dear. They were kind enough to lend us a spare room.” Grandma Josephine looked as she had before, but also not. It was as if someone had cast a veil over her, the same veil he had torn off when he looked in the wheelbarrow. He squinted at her, wondering if she, too, had murderous hands and a red face.

He laid back down. His head hurt.

“Where’s mom?” He blurted. “Dad? Leslie?”

Grandma Josephine didn’t quite look at him, like how his mother hadn’t quite smiled. He was starting to hate these little “not quite’s.”

“They’re not here,” she said at last. “Your parents…were doing a very bad, dangerous thing. And they died because of it.”

“What thing? And what about Leslie? You didn’t let her body sit there, did you? How are you here, anyway?”

“Maybe it’ll be best for me to show you.” She took Caleb’s hand, though he shook her off; as far as he knew, her hands were sticky and red, too. “Ah, older now, are you?” She chuckled. He didn’t find it so funny. “Follow close behind, then.”

She led him through the winding halls of Ever’s facility, past floating organs bobbing around in jars, past large machines that clicked and chittered, past zero gravity rooms where all the people were bobbing around like the organs in the jars. Past all the people in white coats, and past even the man that had forced a rag on his face!

Caleb pointed and nearly screamed, but Josephine put a hand over his mouth and hushed him. “That’s Pablo,” she said. “Very nice man, you’ll see, don’t worry too much, dear, it’ll all be alright.”

He quieted, but did not stop shaking. They seemed to have been walking for hours before she stopped in front of a room, produced a keycard from her pocket, and swiped. The door clicked open.

Inside was Leslie.

Caleb thought it was a trick of the light at first, just his mind playing tricks on him, like his ears had when he imagined his mother instead of Josephine. But no! Leslie was there, in the flesh, and though her body was gaunt, her face was flushed and touched by life. She was alive! Alive!

Now it was that Caleb began to take in the more minute details of his surroundings. Leslie was, certainly, alive, but she wasn’t moving — she laid on a little white bed, not unlike his, eyes shut. Silver clasps bound her to the bed. Next to her, a number of weapons sat on a cart. He eyed a gun warily.

Two people were in the room, and they both wore those long white coats.

“How’s her vitals, James?” One of them asked.

“Stable.” The one they called James was looking at a clipboard. His hair was tousled, but not frazzled, and he had very calm, serene eyes. They were blue, like his mother. “The Wanderer core works as usual.”

Caleb tugged on Josephine’s sleeve. “What are they talking about?”

“Ah, you must be Caleb!” James knelt down to his level. “You seem like a nice lad. Well, here at Ever, we do top notch work, by the best people, for the best people.” He patted Caleb’s head with his clipboard. “Your friend Leslie is helping us out with some of our work.“

“What are you doing to her?” He frowned.

“Doing to her? Many things. Many amazing things.” James smiled brilliantly. “Leslie here has a Wanderer Core in her heart. It was placed in her at a young age, ever since she was taken out of the orphanage and adopted by,” he gestured around, “us! Her family, at Ever. Now, the core brings her back anytime she dies. It’s a wonder of science, really, a marvel. You might even call me Leslie’s father, in some ways.”

“So she’s not dead?” Caleb moved his suspicious gaze from James to Leslie, who appeared to be in a very peaceful sleep. “But I saw her. Before. And she definitely was dead.”

“Again, that’s the core at work,” James laughed. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Sure. But why was she dead to begin with?”

James’s smile faded.

“…Josephine, you have a very curious child.” James stood, and patted Josephine’s shoulder, this time. “He’s got a sharp mind for such a young lad.”

“Thank you, James. I hope what Amelia and Samael did can be forgiven…”

“For you? Anything!” He laughed heartily. Caleb was getting antsy.

“What did my parents do?” Caleb demanded. “And why was Leslie dead? Why won’t you answer my questions?”

James was silent for a long moment, tapping his clipboard against Leslie’s bed. He slowly turned. “Your parents,” he began, softly, “were smart people. But smart people, can do bad things.” He touched Caleb’s shoulder. “They turned their backs on their family. They turned their backs on Ever. They put you in danger.“

He started to shake. “But why?

James pulled his hand away, and suddenly, he was smiling again. “For Leslie,” he said. “They took her from our facility, and, apparently,” he checked some papers, “were planning to go out of state!” He shook his head. “Hilarious. I should’ve known, really. Brilliant minds, your parents, but always so fussy. I suppose Leslie was the straw that broke the camel’s back. And now, those camels,” he chuckled at his own joke, “are dead.”

Caleb felt something well up in him, red hot. “You think that’s funny?”

“Well — not their deaths, that was unfortunate, but that had to happen.”

Caleb stared at this man, long and hard — looked into his eyes, which had been the nicest, bluest eyes he’d ever seen — and had a revelation.

“You killed her. You’ve been killing her.” His face contorted. “You’re a murderer. My parents weren’t the ones who were evil. You are. ALL OF YOU!”

James’s expression didn’t change. “We’re scientists.” He looked at Josephine. “I think you should guide him out.”

Caleb didn’t budge, even as Josephine took his hand and tried to tug him away. “You’re horrible!” He screamed. He could see it: the grey room, Leslie’s limp body, his parents’s lolling heads and crossed-eye expressions. He could see the way the shadows twisted to mock him, how these people, these maniacs, delighted in his suffering, and the thing he did next he did not regret.

He looked at that gun on the table, and in the next second, the cold steel was pressing into his burning skin, and he had pulled the trigger.

It was amazing, to delight in a moment so much that you take in every moment, every detail. Caleb could practically see James’s expression change, frame by frame, into something akin to horror, just before the bullet tore through his face and left him dead. Blood splattered onto the floor, the walls, and Caleb. James’s red face slowly turned white as blood pooled onto the floor. One of his eyes had been ripped out, and rolled to him. Caleb crushed it under his heel.

He never knew killing could be this much fun.

He was numb for the minutes after, body still abuzz. He hardly noticed when soldiers stormed into the room, and he hardly noticed when they strapped him to a device and aimed something at his head.

Had the delight faded a moment sooner, he might’ve panicked. Might’ve kicked, or screamed. But he only laid there, smiling, as they fired, and light swallowed his vision.

——

Caleb loved his family. Each and every one of them, from his Grandma Josephine, to a little girl named Leslie. He had lived with them all his life, and his life was good.

He’s never known his parents. They left him when he was young, but Grandma Josephine had taken him and Leslie from the orphanage and adopted them, because they were the best of friends, and Josephine had always wanted kids around.

They lived in a nice house, just big enough for the three of them. His room was filled with model planes, stars and planets. He would run around in the yard with Leslie and play frisbee.

Sometimes, odd people in long, white coats would visit to “check up” on him and Leslie. He didn’t know what that meant, exactly, but they were nice, and Grandma Josephine seemed to like them, so he liked them, too.

He had no responsibilities. No worries.

His life was good.

———————————

I know this probably won’t be that popular but oh well haha, hopefully those who read enjoyed 😞

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