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alba1221141 · 2 days ago

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Mary Janes

.˳·˖✶𓆩𓁺𓆪✶˖·˳.☁︎

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Y/N

Parties don’t tend to be my forte. The music’s always a beat too fast, the air’s sticky with perfume and sweat, and someone, more often than not, intoxicated beyond belief, is screaming something utterly incomprehensible.

But, despite my distaste for these kinds of events, I’m a supportive friend. Cait’s always had a certain aversion to her parents’ rules, and tonight, her defiance has manifested in a party at their lakehouse.

The lakehouse, like the rest of the Kiramman estates, is, simply put, stunning. There's these massive arches open out onto the lake, which is dotted with groups of teenagers, all holding some kind of beer like it’s a rite of passage. The bar has been commandeered by a group of four boys, all laughing so hard they can barely catch their breath, completely lost in their own world.

Ultimately, my dislike for the event has me curled up on the deck, my heels tossed aside, and my feet dangling in the lake. The noise from inside feels like it belongs to another world now. I crack open Wuthering Heights—my escape for the night—and lose myself in the pages. It’s just me, the quiet night, and my book, away from all the noise and chaos that I’m definitely not in the mood for.

The soft ripples of the lake reflect the moonlight, shimmering like liquid silver. I let my toes skim the surface, the cool water a soothing balm against the buzz of the evening I left behind. The book rests open on my lap, but my eyes linger on the lake, lost in its quiet rhythm.

Out here, away from the noise and the people, the world feels gentler—like it’s finally giving me room to breathe. Wuthering Heights is only half my escape; the other half is the stillness, the way the night wraps around me like a comforting cloak.

But even in the solitude, there’s an itch in the back of my mind, a weight I can’t quite shake. Maybe it’s guilt—leaving the others behind when they’d begged me to come in the first place. Maybe it’s something else. Either way, the lake offers no answers, only silence.

My mind can't help drifting to her. Jinx.

Class was so peculiar the other day, i haven't heard from her about the assignment since, no surprise there, but it was bizzare. She made me smile, laugh even and - oh my gosh! Was that flirting?

I slam my book shut, full attention now on the lake.

Her laugh echoes in my mind, the way it did in class. It wasn’t loud or unhinged, like she often is—it was softer, more personal, like we were ten again and she’d let me in on some secret.

I pull my knees tightly to my chest, my gaze fixed on the shimmering lake. The motion tugs at my tights, tiny runs spidering through the fabric, but I don’t care. My heart flutters unevenly, like it’s stumbling over something fragile—something it doesn’t know how to hold.

Something I don’t know how to hold.

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Jinx

It’s not like I usually grace these exclusive parties thrown by Caitlyn Kiramman, the classist bitch, with my loving presence.

But of course, Y/N was guaranteed to be there—because, you know, her Piltie friend, sorry, fiend, was throwing the thing.

And I just had to drop by after our absolutely delightful chat in class.

Wouldn’t miss it for the world.

And had to swing by to check in on dear old sis too.

Can’t believe TWO people I know are somehow tangled up with the Kirammans. Ugh, seriously? Bleh.

Last time I talked to Vi, she actually referred to Caitlyn as cupcake. Are you kidding me?

A cupcake full of cyanide, maybe.

Anyway, now I’m crouched behind Y/N, like a total creep.

She’s got her feet in the lake, all zen and shit, but I can see her back. It’s all stiff, like she’s trying not to break or something.

I must've made some kind of noise because suddenly—boom—Miss Perfect jumps, spins around, all quick like she’s been caught.

And there it is on her face—annoyance? Shock?

It’s cute.

She probably wants to say something, but I can tell she’s not sure if she should yell at me or pretend like she didn’t just nearly lose her shit.

Instead, her voice goes all soft. Like in class. Like she thinks I’ll bolt.

“Jinx?” she breathes.

And it’s so weird. Like, what? Why? Soft? With me? Is this a joke? Did I miss the punchline?

I just stare at her, head tilted like, What the hell are you doing, Y/N? Say something else, scream, anything.

This soft crap? It’s messing with me.

Her eyes are wide, and she’s got this look, like she’s staring at a wild animal that might bite.

“Why are you here?” she whispers, still in that soft, careful voice.

I laugh—short, sharp, more like a bark.

“Why am I here? Hell, why are you here? What, did your Piltie conscience drag you to this classy dumpster fire?” I grin, sharp and mocking.

She doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t even blink. Just stares at me with those big, stupid doe eyes, like I’m some puzzle she can solve.

Fucking whatever.

I drop down, two feet away, cross-legged like a little kid at story-time, and pull a pre-rolled joint from my bra.

Because, yeah, I’m classy like that.

“Don’t mind me,” I say, holding it up like it’s the Holy Grail. “Just here to elevate the vibe.”

But she doesn’t give me that usual Y/N reaction.

No scolding look, no narrowing of her eyes, no I can't believe you're doing this.

Instead, she looks… almost curious. Like she’s actually thinking about it.

I catch that look. The way her gaze flickers to the joint in my hand, then back to me.

Huh.

I know she’s wondering. Should I? Should she just try it? One little drag, that’s all.

I hold it out to her, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“What? Never had one?” I say, dragging it out like it’s some big reveal.

“It’s not that bad.”

She doesn’t say anything. She’s just staring at the joint like it might bite her.

But I see it. I see the hesitation, the way her fingers twitch like she wants to take it, just to see what it feels like.

I blow out a puff of smoke, letting it hang between us. “You’re curious, aren’t you?” I almost dare her to say no.

And for a second? She almost does. But she doesn’t.

And then, she does it. She takes the joint.

It’s like everything slows down for a second.

Her fingers brush mine, and I almost can’t believe it.

She just took it.

I can’t help it. I laugh, soft, like I won. “Didn’t think you had it in you, Y/N.”

That fucking small smile.

It appears again, just like it did yesterday in class.

It’s barely there.

Just a little twitch of her lips, but I see it.

"Shut up Jinx,"

The joint hovers in her hand, her fingers gripping it a little tighter now.

She breathes in, and I swear the air feels different.

She’s never looked so fucking real before.

She hesitates.

Just a second.

Her fingers twitch, like she doesn't really know what to do with the damn thing.

I watch her, leaning in a little, waiting for the moment—and then, she does it.

She takes a hit.

But it's messy, wrong.

Her hand’s too stiff, her grip awkward.

She’s never done this before.

I can see it.

It’s in the way she doesn't know how to pull it in, like she’s holding her breath, waiting for something bad to happen.

She sucks in. Her face scrunches up. She holds it.

Then there's the typical first timer reaction, coughing, hacking, eyes watering, and I can’t hold back the laugh that bursts out.

"Real smooth toots,"

And fuck the weed must've hit her hard and fast because she giggles.

Fucking giggles at me.

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Y/N

I don’t know what makes me take it. Curiosity, maybe? Or the lingering weight of our encounter in class. The joint feels strange in my hand, almost alien. I’ve held pens, pencils, and books a thousand times, but this—this is unfamiliar. I don't feel myself with it in-between my fingers, i feel freer?

The first inhale is awful. I cough so hard I think I might throw up, my eyes watering as smoke claws its way out of my lungs. Jinx, of course, laughs.

“Real smooth, toots,” she says, her grin practically dripping with amusement.

The sound catches me off guard—light, breathy, like it’s coming from someone else entirely. Jinx’s grin widens, like she’s just won some unspoken bet.

“See? Told you it’s not all bad,” she says, leaning back on her elbows, watching me like I’m her personal entertainment for the night. I glance at the joint again, still smoldering between my fingers. The smoke curls upward in delicate tendrils, twisting into shapes that disappear before I can name them.

Curiosity wins out, or maybe it’s the lingering haze already softening the edges of my thoughts. I bring it to my lips again, slower this time, trying to mimic what I’ve read. The second inhale isn’t as harsh. The burn in my throat is still there, but it’s manageable now, almost... warm. And then it hits me.

It’s like a switch flips in my brain. My limbs feel heavy, like they’re sinking into the earth, but my mind feels lighter than air. Thoughts drift in and out, unbound by the usual rules.

“You’re the worst influence,” I giggle, holding the joint like it’s a fragile artifact. “What even is this?”

“Magic,” she says, wiggling her fingers dramatically. “Welcome to the dark side, toots.”

I snort, the sound louder and less composed than I’d ever let slip normally. The lake ripples in front of us, and I swear it looks like it’s shimmering just for me.

“This feels... weird,” I say, biting my lip to keep from laughing again. “Like… everything’s in slow motion, but also, like, my brain is bouncing.”

“Congrats, nerd. You’re high,” Jinx says, taking the joint from me like she’s proud of her work. She takes a drag and exhales, the smoke curling around her like a halo. “And you’re, like, giggle high. This is great.”

“I am not!” I protest, even as another laugh escapes me. “I’m... perfectly composed. Completely in control.”

“Yeah, sure, and I’m a model citizen,” she fires back, smirking.

The stars above us seem closer, like I could reach out and grab one. I tilt my head back, giggling again at the thought of catching a star and keeping it in my pocket.

“Why are the stars so… shiny?” I ask, my voice dreamy and distracted.

“Because they’re stars, genius,” Jinx says, but her tone is lighter, almost fond.

It’s quiet between us for a moment, the kind of quiet that feels heavy, like the air is waiting for something to fill it. The stars above blur slightly, soft pinpricks of light swimming in the haze of my vision. Everything feels loose and strange, my thoughts slipping out before I can catch them.

“I’m sorry,” I say, the words surprising even me as they tumble out, unfiltered and raw. “For abandoning you. After… everything.”

The silence that follows feels like a held breath, like the universe is leaning in to hear what comes next. I focus on the rippling surface of the lake instead of looking at her. My chest tightens, that familiar pang of guilt twisting sharply.

“You’re high,” she says finally, her voice cutting through the stillness like a blade, though it’s not as sharp as it could be.

A giggle escapes me—high-pitched and ridiculous—and I immediately want to take it back. “I am. But I mean it,” I say, my words spilling out in a rush, like I need her to believe me before the moment dissolves. “I really do.”

Her knee bounces slightly, and I can feel her gaze flicking toward me and then away again, restless.

“You didn’t abandon me,” she mutters, her tone light, but there’s something heavy beneath it, something that doesn’t quite fit. “You just… did what you thought you had to.”

“That doesn’t make it okay,” I counter, my voice wobbling. “I should have stayed. Tried harder. Done… something.”

Her laugh is sharp, almost bitter, but not entirely unkind. “What were you gonna do, Y/N? Save me? Fix me?” She waves the joint vaguely in the air, the ember glowing faintly. “That’s not how it works.”

“I could’ve tried,” I whisper, and the words feel small, fragile, as if they might shatter the moment.

She exhales a long plume of smoke, her shoulders slumping slightly. “You would’ve drowned,” she says, her tone even, like she’s stating a fact instead of something that makes my stomach twist.

I look at her then, her face bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. There’s no mocking grin, no sharp retort. Just something tired, something that looks far too old for her.

“But I didn’t even jump in,” I say softly, almost to myself.

Her lips twitch into a wry smile, though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, you’re here now, aren’t you?”

The words settle between us, not exactly forgiveness, but not rejection either. Something tentative, a thread stretched thin but not yet breaking.

The lake ripples, the stars shimmer, and for the first time in years, it feels like we’re both sitting still.

.˳·˖✶𓆩𓁺𓆪✶˖·˳.☁︎

authors note: hope you enjoyed the slight reconciliation:) but theres more heartbreak coming!

please like and reblog!

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letaliabane · 2 days ago

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Saving the Butler! - Valet!SimonRiley and Maid!Reader (heavily centred on our Butler Mr Kyle Garrick)

You were sitting beneath the oak tree, taking in the early morning sun while the ladies of the house had their breakfast trays in bed when suddenly the shrill ring of the bike bell rang. Turning to the gate you saw the postman who handed in a singular letter before disappearing out of site.

Glancing at the aged parchment you noticed it was directly addressed to Mr Garrick himself.

Kyle Garrick was a young butler, younger than any you had met anyway. But you could say he was a bit of an old soul. Another of Lord John's close comrades from the war. Probably one of the very few he put all his trust in, especially making him the man to oversee the running of Downton Abbey.

He was a closed off man, by the book and firm when needed. Though sometimes you saw a tiny smile on his face when a joke was particularly funny in the servant's hall.

Making your way inside, you walked down the corridor and knocked on his office door.

'Enter,' you heard behind the closed door. You gave the butler a smile, 'Morning Mr Garrick, this just arrived at the back for you.'

'Thank you Y/N,' He said, giving you a tight-lipped smile as he took the letter.

When you had disappeared out of sight and the door shut, he slipped his paper knife through the envelope, letting it fall to the desk as he unravelled the letter.

Reading the words upon the page it felt like his heart had stopped. Lunging to his feet, he grabbed his coat and was out of his office, and out the back door.

A week later

As the kitchen staff were preparing to serve tea, the rest of the servants gathered from their jobs upstairs for a brief respite. You found yourself thirsty and decided to get yourself a glass of water.

Going into the now-empty kitchen, you were quick to grab a glass from the cupboard reserved for the staff. But as you went to turn the tap at the sink, a loud 'CRASH' had you gasping in shock, nearly dropping the glass in your hand.

Turning towards the sound, you saw the pantry doors wide open, within the threshold various vegetables and fruit rolled by and gathering them into a satchel was—Mr Garrick?!

He was out of breath, a red warmth to his cheeks as if he'd been in a hurry, his usual smart and presentable attire in disarray. Mr Garrick got to his feet only to freeze at the sight of you, mouth agape, unable to speak.

'Um,' You started, taking in the satchel he tried to hide terribly at his side, 'Can I help Mr Garrick?'

'No, not at all Y/N, not at all,' He said, giving you a nod before hurrying out towards the back door, leaving you quite dumbfounded.

You soon found your wits, returning your glass to its place before returning to the hall where the staff were all seated. Mr Riley was writing in his journal, Gwen going on about her lack of confidence in Matthew Crawley because of his 'class.'

As you took your seat, Mr Riley looked to you, eyes softening. 'You alrigh' Miss?'

'I've just seen something ever so odd—' You started, only to be spoken over by Gwen.

'I'm sorry but I have standards! If you expect me to bow and courtesy to this nobody from bloody nowhere-'

'Gwen?'

The voice had you all on your feet immediately. There standing at the door dressed in a beautiful yet simple lavender day dress, curled hair done in an updo with makeup light, was the Lady of the house Liliana Montel.

Though American, she had been one of the kindest women you had served, and probably the youngest. You could see why his Lordship had fallen for her. Beauty, kindness, and smarts are all in one package. Though rumour through the country was that he married her just for her father's money, you highly doubted it by the way they doted on each other and their three girls.

In this instance, however, her usual kindness was overshadowed by shock and sternness.

'Were you just discussing Mr Crawley?' She asked, staring directly at Gwen.

'Yes, Milady I was,' The woman in question choked out in her shock.

Liliana raised her eyebrow. 'Is it your place to do so?'

Gwen gulped heavily, gathering herself before saying, 'I've got my opinions milady, same as anybody else!'

The sharp clicking of heels caught your attention as Ms Laswell came from around the corner, going to her Ladyship's side. 'May I help you in any way Milday?'

'I just came down to pass on this button from my new evening coat, seems to have come undone,' Liliana says, putting the little black button into the head housekeeper's hand, eyes quickly moving to Gwen again. 'However I was ... quite shocked by the chatter I heard as I came in. Mr Crawley is his Lordship's distant cousin and heir. You therefore should please show him the respect he is entitled to.

Gwen puffed her chest, saying with a chortle, 'You don't like him yourself! Milday I overheard you say it, you never wanted him to—'

'Enough!' Liliana silenced her, expression now sour.

You had to hold back your shock. Every maid, let alone ladies maid knew there was a strict code to be followed. Of course, being able to assist the women of the house was a privilege, but hearing the gossip and secrets behind closed doors was an even bigger one. It was never to be shared or repeated elsewhere.

'You are sailing perilously close to a line that should not be crossed! If you are to remain a ladies' maid you will not speak in that way again about the Crawleys or any of my husband's family again.'

She was quick to take her leave, leaving the servant's hall in an awkward silence as you all took your seats again.

A embarrassed and red faced Gwen remained standing in shock before stating to the room, 'A real Lady of the house would've rang for me not come down herself.'

Without another word, she plucked the button from Ms Laswell and disappeared out of sight.

Glancing towards Johnny, his face bright red as he tried but failed to hold back his laughter. Quickly turning your body towards Mr Riley you couldn't help but giggle against his shoulder, his own laughter muffled behind his mask.

'Oh I haven't had a goo' laugh like tha' in a long time,' Johnny gasped, wiping the tear from his eye.

Mr Riley shook his head. 'Gwen had it coming to her. Regret to say it but I savoured it.'

You tilted your head with your eyebrow raised, smirking. 'You don't though do you?'

There was a particular glint in his eye which told you he did not regret it. He put his journal down, turning his attention to you. 'Now tell me about this odd thing you saw Miss.'

A week later

You sat in the servants hall, this time all alone, patching up the jewels on a pair of heels for Lady Edith. In the solitude, it was easier to get the work done without any distractions.

'Where is everyone?'

The rumble of Mr Riley's familiar voice had her turning to see him walking to your side, a coat over his arm, pulling out a chair beside you.

'They've gone down to the village, some travelling salesman has arrived and settled in a pub for the night. They all wanted to see him,' You said.

He raised his eyebrow, settling into his chair. 'Alone at last it seems.'

Chuckling, you continued cleaning the shoes. Just as he looked over his lordship's coat he muttered, 'Shouldn't be without both footmen, wonder if Mr Garrick knows?'

'Ms Laswell does! She went down with the others. They probably won't be long.'

A comfortable silence fell over you both, you working on the shoes while Mr Riley cleaned up the coat. His arm grazed yours every so often but you didn't mind. It was almost comforting. It reminded you of how he had raised your hand to his cold mask's lips. You imagined what his real lips were like. Were they warm? Gentle? Chapped—'

He piped up once, distracting you from your thoughts.

'So you see to all three girls, AND you are supposed to be head housemaid? You should put in for a raise?'

You couldn't help but scoff, sending him a cheeky smile. 'What do you mean 'supposed to be'?'

He chuckled but his reply was interrupted by the shrill ring of a bell. Your smile fell. Upon the opposite wall were all bells for every room in the house when service was required. This particular one was for the front door.

Mr Riley glanced up, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, shaking his head. 'Didn't I say we should have had at least a single footmen left behind?'

'You'll have to answer it,' You say nervously, 'Mr Garrick won't like a lady's maid answering the front door.'

Assisting him up the stairs, you stood a ways away as Mr Riley answered the door. You couldn't hear very clearly, but there seemed to be a man asking for his Lordship. When Mr Riley refused, he said he knew Mr Garrick to be the butler.

Turning away from the door he came to your side, whispering frantically near your ear, 'Go and find Mr Garrick as fast as you can.'

You nodded and just as you turned away, the double doors were pushed open by the visitor. Tanned skin, black hair, he was dressed in a plaid suit, bowler hat in hand as he waltzed in.

Mr Riley looked to you once more, squeezing your hand, 'Go through the front door. Trust me.'

Giving him a nod, ignoring the man who looked you up and down you rushed out the door. Glancing around, you saw a distant figure walking down the garden path towards the house who vaguely looked like the butler.

Your heels clicked against the pebbled path, running as fast as you could towards him. 'Mr Garrick?'

The man looked up, revealing it was indeed, Mr Garrick, eyes wide in shock at the sight of you. You stopped in front of him and tried to catch your breath.

'Good God Y/N, are you—'

'No time!' You gasped, 'You're needed at the house at once. A man is asking for you!'

Mr Garrick's expression morphed into fear. With him at your side, you both rushed back towards the house. Following behind him into the library, you found the man in question, a perplexed Lord John and Mr Riley.

'Beg pardon your lordship!' Mr Garrick said as he rushed into the room.

Mr Riley glanced towards him then turned at your arrival, coming to your side as you tried to quietly catch your breath, pressing a firm hand to your back as if to steady you.

'You two can go—'

'No!' John bellowed over the butler, stopping you and Mr Riley in your tracks, 'No one is going anywhere! Do I take it you know this man Garrick?'

The unknown man grinned, but it wasn't in a friendly way. More like to tease. 'You gonna tell 'em or shall I?'

'I'm going to!' Mr Garrick said, rather angrily. 'This is Thomas Grig. We grew up together.'

Thomas scoffed, stepping up towards Mr Garrick. 'That's an understatement. We were brothers—'

'We were not!' The butler opposed, shoving his hand off when he went to embrace him. His smile no longer remained, stepping away from Mr Garrick.

Mr Garrick's eyes jumped nervously from each person in the room, head hanging low. 'This was long before I was taken in by an orphanage. But we grew up in a poor part of Manchester. And that led to us ... to steal to survive.'

You angrily stared at Thomas who looked around in glee as if proud of his act. You couldn't believe he would try to shame Mr Garrick for only trying to survive.

'He turned up in the village a week or so ago with no warning. On the run of course. Wanting a place to hide, and of course, for money!' Mr Garrick explained, 'He was wanted for some petty crime that he is obviously guilty of—'

'Hey steady on!' Thomas growled, shoving the butler. You felt Mr Riley stiffen beside you, fist tight as he glowered at the man. Quietly, you reached for his hand, and his eyes were quick towards you, briefly taking your hand into his.

Mr Garrick sighed, 'He blackmailed me, saying if I didn't help he would expose my past. I put him up in one of the empty cottages. I couldn't buy food from the village. Would've raised too many questions. So I stole, from the kitchens here. Y/N saw me,' He sighed, pointing towards you.

You shook your head. 'I wouldn't 'ave said anything Mr—'

'My Lord,' Mr Garrick said over you, looking to his lordship guiltily, 'I understand if my resignation is needed.'

John, who had remained silent this whole time taking in the encounter, cleared his throat, turning to Thomas.

'So why have you come here today? Especially if he has done everything you have asked of him?'

Thomas scoffed, glaring towards Mr Garrick, before, with absolute gall, he sat down on one of the great sofas. 'Because he hasn't! He didn't give me any money!''

'If I did you would've just come back for more. You are nothing but greedy!' Mr Garrick muttered, Thomas laughing.

John glanced between the two before smiling. 'Mr Grigg I'll tell you what's going to happen. When I've given you twenty pounds you will leave Downton immediately and we will never see you again.'

Though he brightened at the mention of money, Thomas grimaced. 'I'll will have to see?'

'If you return I will ensure you are convicted for theft and blackmail,' John continued, even as Thomas jumped to his feet in a bumbling mess, pulling a couple of noted of money out of his wallet, 'You will serve five to ten years in His Majesty's custody.'

The man eyed the money, grabbing the money with a huff. 'One day your lot will fall, you'll have to toe the line like the rest of us.'

John smiled brightly. 'Thankfully for Kyle Garrick, that day has not come.'

Thomas glared at Mr Garrick before turning on his heel and stomping out of the room. Mr Riley pulled you behind him as the man stomped past, quickly following him, probably to ensure he had left.

'I'll take it my resignation has not been accepted sir?' You heard Mr Garrick ask quietly. It was the least confident you had ever seen him. It almost made your heart break a little at the fear in his voice.

John turned to him, gripping the man's shoulder. 'We all have chapters we would rather keep unpublished Kyle.'

'You and I are gonna have to treat Mr Garrick like a God for a month to calm his nerves! He'll be afraid it'll change the way we think of him,' Mr Riley said from a corner of the garden. Once again, night had fallen, Mr Riley's mask was off as he smoked in the shadows, while you turned your back as you sat beneath the oak tree.

You giggled, 'Well we mustn't let it! We should admire him more because of it!'

'Either way, it will change the way we think of him somehow. It always does.'

You couldn't help but frown at his words, shaking your head. 'I don't see why. I shouldn't care what I found out about you, whatever it was. It wouldn't alter my opinion one bit!'

There was a long pause after you spoke you almost thought Mr Riley had gone inside. It was the crushing of cigarette beneath boot heel that brought you back into the moment, Mr Riley grumbling, as if to himself.

'But it would. It certainly would.'

Call of Duty Masterlist Happy New Year all!~ New chapter is here! Thought I'd make this one about Kyle, but also put a bit of angst at the end. What could Mr Riley be referring to ;) Taglist @lostintransist @teapartydreams @darkangel4121

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llively-12 · 3 days ago

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School sucks!

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Minatozaki Sana x female reader

Warnings: Loser reader, popular girl Sana, awkward talks, history class (if that's a warning for anyone), reader is like super nerdy, some self-doubt, mentions of presentation anxiety

Story: Reader and Sana are paired together for group work. Sana flirts, reader blushes.

Authors note: This was quite fun as someone who has history advanced class. Sometimes, I feel like an absolute nerdy loser during school. Anyways, enjoy the read♥︎

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The school bell rings as the clock strikes eight o'clock. School has started, and the students of the eleventh grade wait patiently for their history teacher. Monday first period was always reserved for history. A few students quickly shove some snacks into their mouths, and others spend the time on their phone for as long as they still could.

The door slides open, and the teacher walks inside. Measured steps walk towards the front of the class.

"Good morning, class." Greets the history teacher. Everyone gets up and bows down while mumbling a 'Good morning'.

"I've planned a class project for the week. The project will include a presentation, a handout, and a test on all of the presented topics. The timeline for preparation as well as presenting will take about two and a half weeks. I will choose the groups. Every group includes two students."

Groans and complaints roar through the classroom. Nobody seems to be in the mood for such a time-consuming project. The mentions of a test seemed to wrap it up nicely.

One student, though, was all excited for the project. Y/n. Her love for history was indescribable. Always top of the class with a perfect score. Her love for history started at a very young age. Most of her free time was reserved for researching historic events. On top of that, she is also class president. A trustful student at that.

Y/n smiled brightly while already planning out the structure of this project.

There is another person in this classroom. Her excitement was on the bare minimum. Minatozaki Sana. She is one of the most popular girls at school. Everyone is head over heels for either her or one of her friends. Hirai Momo and Myoui Mina are always on her side, the Japanese girls never seen separate.

Sana groans and glances out of the window. She wasn't exactly stupid or not good in history. The subject just didn't matter to her that much. There were better things she could spend her free time with. Such as shopping.

The teacher had already started putting together the pairs. Some students are happy while some others try to hide their frustrations. Y/n patiently waited for her turn.

"Y/n, you will be in a group with Sana."

Y/n smiles and turns to glance at Sana. The two never spoke much. The class president waves joyfully and nicely greets Sana. The Japanese girl, on the other hand, did not react that excitedly. She almost rolled her eyes and turned her head away.

♡

After class, Y/n makes her way to Sana.

"Hello, Sana. Since we're in one group, I wanted to discuss some things for the start. When do you have time for meeting up after school? I already planned some things for the presentation and hand out-"

"First of all, I don't have any time for this project. I really need some new clothes, so I'll be spending my free time shopping. Secondly, I think you can handle this perfectly on your own for now. I'll tell you when I'm free, just get started and I'll help you later on. What's even our topic?"

"Oh, um, our topic is Napoleon and him taking over Europe. Please text me when you're free. Here's my number."

You hand her your phone and watch her type in your number into her contacts. She smiles and hands you back your phone.

"Thanks, Sana, I'll be looking forward to our work together."

You smile back and leave the classroom to get to your other class.

♡

A week has passed. Sana hasn't texted you yet, and the project is due in three days. You did most of the research yourself as expected. People mostly let you do the work since you're the class best. Sana isn't an exception there.

You thought she would have messaged you by now, but the contact between the two of you stays silent. Sana doesn't even talk to you at school. You feel really frustrated about this. She didn't even talk to you in history class.

You never minded being the nerdy outcast, but sometimes it was just lonely. Nobody would want to pair up with you. Many would just use you for good grades. You didn't think Sana would be the same. She actually looked so sweet.

A notification from your phone interrupts your train of thoughts. It's a text message from Sana.

'Send me your address, I'm coming over wince I have some free time. Can't leave you all alone with the project ;)'

You sit up and look at the message for a few seconds. That was quick. You didn't think the odds would change this fast, but here you are. You type in your address and see her reply with thumbs up. She's quite silly if you think about it.

♡

The wait for Sana is uncomfortable and embarrassingly long. You get a light stomach ache, which is quite normal in stressful situations. Everything related to the topic is laid out on your desk, sorted neatly. Your right leg bounces on the stop to relieve some stress.

Your parents aren't home for the night. They went out for dinner. You often told them that you wouldn't be eating with them since you were so caught up in studying. School is something very important to you, and you take it very seriously.

The door rings, and your body almost explodes with nervousness. She's here, at your house. This is weird. Nobody's ever been at your house. You apparently take too long for her liking, so Sana rings the doorbell again.

The sounds of your footsteps are muffled due to the carpet. You carefully open the door and glance at Sana. She looks nice, maybe a bit overdressed. You, on the other hand, are dressed in casual clothes.

Sana smiles at you and moves past you inside of your house without even asking for permission. You look after her in confusion, but quickly close the door to catch up with her.

"Where's your bedroom?"

Sana asks. You lead her to your room and close the door after the two of you enter. Sana takes a good look at your room. She grins at the decor and the posters.

"Kpop? Really? Didn't think you'd be this nerdy."

You blush and look down at your feet.

"It's actually really nice to listen to. You should give it a chance."

Sana shrugs and picks up some other items. She often giggles to herself. You can't really do anything else other than watching her inspect everything in your room. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"How about we start on the project? It's due in three days, and there are still some things we need to do."

Sana nods and looks at the already gathered papers on your desk.

"Did you already start with the hand out?"

You shake your head and walk over to your desk.

"No, I focused on the presentation first. It's the most important thing about our project. All of the information I gathered should be helpful for the handout, though."

Sana nods and takes some of the papers. She reads through the information and nods to herself.

"Wait, wasn't Napoleon like active during the first world war?"

You stop with what you're doing and slowly turn to look at Sana. This question was not expected.

"No. Napoleon's era was during the late eighteen century up to the early nineteen century. World War One happened in 1914 until 1918. Why did you think Napoleon ruled during world war one?"

"I don't know. My concept of time is not that great."

You nod and get back to the information. Sana grabs a paper and starts with the handout.

"I can start on the handout. After I'm done, we can copy this and print it out a few times. What do you want on the handout?"

"Uhm, maybe Napoleon's way of taking over Europe, and we should definitely bring in the code civil."

Sana just nods and raises her eyebrows at what you said. Her knowledge of history could be compared to the intelligence of a potato. This was just not her strong suit.

"Wow, you're really into the topic. It's a shame that you're this nerdy. You're actually kinda cute."

Sana winks at you, and you blush. Why is she acting like this? At first she didn't want to talk to you, and now she is flirting with you? What is this behaviour?

The evening goes on with the two of you working on the project. Sana is surprisingly very good at making handouts. Her questions on Napoleon, on the other hand, have you in a state of shock.

During the work, Sana makes some flirty comments towards you. It's weird since she doesn't really talk to you, like ever, but this seems to be different. You don't know what has gotten into her.

Sana leaves after two hours. She winks at you and then walks off into the night. Your face is beet red. Nobody has ever acted like this with you before.

♡

You sit down in the cafeteria to eat some food. While munching on some rice, you finish some English homework. You're so deep in thoughts that you don't notice three girls walking over to you.

They put down their trays and sit down at your table. You lift your head to see who it's is. It's Sana and her friends Mina and Momo. Sana sat down next to you while the other girls obtained the seats across from you. Sana smiles and clings onto your arm.

"Hi, I hope you don't mind us sitting here. We just thought you were a bit lonely, all by yourself. What are you working on, honey?"

You stop in your tracks and look at Sana. Your face heats up, and you stammer for words. Momo and Mina are suddenly very interested in the food, but you can see the smile on their faces.

"Uh, uh, I'm working on English homework."

"Cute."

Sana coes and presses herself against your body. You side eye her and get back to your homework.

It is really hard trying to concentrate, while Sana distracts you from homework. She would squeeze your arm and whisper flirty stuff in your ear. Momo is too interested in her food to even notice the commotion between Sana and yourself. You sometimes think she's in a different universe, deeply engaged in her thoughts. Mina, on the other hand, did notice the little situation between Sana and you, yet she did not comment on it.

You really ask yourself why this is happening. Yesterday, you were a lonesome loser with nerdy interests, and now you're apparently the hottest thing in school, according to Sana. This didn't make much sense.

Though you had the idea that this would hold on until the final test on all of the projects was written. Many people feigned a friendship before, only to leave you after they got a good grade. It was sad that no one was really interested in your personality and rather your intelligence. Maybe this was Sana's plan. Use you for good grades and then leave.

♡

Finally, presentation day arrived. You were quite nervous about your end result. There was always a certain fear inside your body when it came to presentations. The thought of people laughing over your mistakes hunt you in every nightmare.

You sit beside Sana while watching another group present. Your leg bounces up and down in a fast rhythm. The pressure of presenting in front of the entire class presses down on you. Anxiety fills your mind and body. Your hands start shaking too.

Sana is focused on drawing a cute little figure into her notebook. She barely pays attention to the group that's currently presenting. What does catch her attention is the way you're behaving. The fast-paced leg bouncing and the shaky hands as you try to take notes on what the other students are saying. She glances at you for a few seconds before she gently puts a hand on your knee. She presses down onto your leg so it doesn't bounce anymore.

You look at Sana. Shock and confusion spread across your face. Sana smiles and caresses your knee with her thumb.

"It's fine, Y/n. Try to focus on something else. It's just a presentation. The others won't throw rotten tomatoes when you make a mistake."

You nod and try to calm down. Sana's gentle gestures helped a lot during the process. The group came to an end, and you raised your hand to give some feedback. Everything felt more at ease now that Sana was silently comforting you.

It's now your turn to present. You get up and walk to the front of the class. The PowerPoint starts, and you go over the agenda and explain the different topics. Sana notices a slight shake in your voice. She grabs your hand and holds it while you're presenting. The action is hidden so other classmates don't notice the affectionate gesture.

The presentation goes smoothly with no mistakes. The feedback is good, and the teacher seems pleased with the final product of your research. You give the teacher as well as some classmates the handout.

After class, you stop Sana and thank her for the help. She smiles and gives your hand a gentle kiss before disappearing into the crowded hallway.

♡

Sana asked you to study with her for the upcoming history test. To you, the topics and different timelines were easily understandable, yet to her, it was a disaster. Sana had not made any notes on the presentation, so you both decided to research the different presented topics.

You would give Sana a topic, and she should research about it and write down notes. At the end of your study session, she should present everything she researched. You did this four days in a row. Between researching, you also asked her questions about the different historic events. It helped her memorising everything, from dates to persons active during the historic eras.

Also, Momo and Mina started getting closer to you. The trio overall warmed up and took you in, almost like they adopted you. Momo was hesitant at first. She was always a bit introverted, so she got to know you at a slow pace. Mina was about the same. After a few days of sharing a table at lunch, the two of them started talking to you like you've been friends for a long time.

Sana kept her clingy energy with you. She used every opportunity to be close to you and seek your company. She even asked to be seated next to you in most classes.

All of this did not make sense to you. Yes, you enjoyed the company and the maybe promising friendships that could evolve, but on the other hand, you knew what happened. After the test, Sana would disappear with her friends and leave you alone.

The days went by quickly, and the ache in your stomach grew bigger with every passing hour. You did not want them to leave you. The time you had with these three girls was awesome. You have never met people like that before.

After the test was done, you thought Sana wouldn't even talk to you. To your surprise, she still hung out with you. Why's that?

♡

You open your history textbook, and a note falls onto your lap. Your name is written on one side in neat handwriting. Nobody usually got access to your books, so this is weird. How did anyone manage to slip a note in there?

You take the note and open it up. Inside, there is a small text.

Dear Y/n, I've been admiring you over the last month. I was so happy when our history teacher paired us together for the project. You are such a caring and fantastic person. I really like you. Would you meet me after school for more clarity? Yours sincerely, Sana.

Your eyes widen. Sana wrote a confession letter to you? How is this possible?! You always thought she was annoyed when you were around. Well, she did get closer to you over the last two weeks, but you never expected this.

You carefully fold the letter and put it into your pocket. One thing was clear. You definitely needed clarity on this. Everything is so confusing right now. How long has she liked you? Or is this only a trap? The anticipation for the meet-up after school grows with every second.

♡

Sana leans against the school wall while waiting for you. You take small but firm steps into her direction. She looks up and meets your gaze. A shy smile spreads across her face. You have never seen Sana this unsure in your life. Usually, she is always this confident girl, but right now, it seems like she's scared for your reaction.

You smile back and still in front of Sana. Silence fills up the space. Neither of you is sure how to start this conversation. You don't know what to say or how to open up this topic. Sana, let's out a deep breath.

"So you've read the letter?"

You nod and pull it out of your pocket as proof. Sana nods and looks at you curiously.

"Well, what do you have to say?"

"I, uhm, I honestly don't know. All of this is new to me. I've never had anyone confess to me. If I'm honest, I don't know why you're into me. I mean, there's not much to like about me."

Sana stares at you in disbelief. She steps closer and takes your hand. Her eyes meet yours. Her brown orbs sparkle a little.

"Are you kidding me? You're such a wonderful person, I don't get how people don't like you. There should be people standing in a line to date you. Even if you're nerdy or if you're not that popular. I think you're perfect. You're just right the way you are."

Your eyes fill up with adoration. Sana has just the right words to swoon you. Butterflies errupt in your stomach and spread a tingly feeling in your body. You giggle and hide your face in your hands.

Sana grins and takes your hands from your face again.

"So what do you say? Are you up for a date?"

You take a moment to think about it. After some consideration, you nod slowly. Sana excitedly jumps around and laughs happily.

"I honestly thought you would dump me after the project. Most people did that, so I was unsure about you and your friends staying."

Sana stops and frowns.

"I would've never done that. That's just low. Anyone who did that should be ashamed of themselves."

You smile. Sana takes your hand. The two of you start walking. Sana chats about all kinds of things while you listen carefully. It's a nice combo. You notice after some time that Sana is walking you home. The path, too engraved in your mind to not notice.

You stop at your house and turn to Sana.

"Thank you."

You shyly smile again. Sana grins and looks at you.

"For asking you out or walking you home?"

"Both."

You giggle and glance at her. Sana leans in and kisses your cheek. The kiss is gentle and soft. It could also be mistaken for a peck with how delicate it is. Your cheeks heat up and turn into a rose pink colour. Sana steps away from you and winks before walking off. She waves one last time before rounding the corner.

You step inside your house and hold the cheek she just kissed. Your other hand reaches for the letter. A smile spreads across your face as you soak up the lovely feeling of Sana's adoration for you.

♡

#twice #twice imagines #twice x y/n #twice x you #fluff #twice fluff #sana #minatozaki sana #minatozaki sana x reader #sana x reader

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cheriden · 2 days ago

Text

˙ . ˚ ₊ 「 HOW TO FIND OUT IF YOUR ROOMMATE IS A VAMPIRE 」 ꜝꜝ

── your new roommate has been acting weird, and you've taken it upon yourself to get to the bottom of it

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ 。。。

pairings 。best friend!yeonjun x reader x friend!soobin

.ᐟ genre 。suggestive at most? crack & fluff

.ᐟ tags 。vampire au, blood sucking?? feeding?? idk, they're both kind of dumb but not really just kind of, erm nothing else i think

.ᐟ status 。oneshot | masterlist

✎ ๋࣭ ⭑ kind of corny and cheesy but idgaf it’s my blog!!! i totally forgot about this but it was at a point where i said yeah sure what the hell and decided to post it. another roommate hyuka au bc my schedules never go as planned so i just cut it short...i'll post an nsfw addition if people want it though

You tap your pen against the counter as you watch your roommate do his “work,” typing away at his remote job on his laptop. You narrow your eyes at him with a pout, drumming the writing material faster on the surface. Kai sighs and looks up at you, mirroring your investigative expression. “Are you alright?”

You narrow your eyes further, nodding slowly. “Yeah, just finishing the points for my project.” He turns back to the screen, humming absentmindedly. “What’s it about?” You freeze, stuttering over yourself. “It’s—uh, about…Global warming.” He doesn’t seem convinced, raising an arched brow at you, but he lets it pass anyway. “Well, good luck on that.”

It’s been a few months since the boy had moved in with you, and fewer when you began to realize his strange patterns.

You look down at your notes—and in bold, underlined writing are the words “HUENING KAI IS A VAMPIRE (proof).” If anyone were to ever see this pad, they’d call you comically insane. However as previously mentioned, you have proof. First, he never goes out during the day. Granted, he has a job and takes night classes—but other than that, he’s never gone on a grocery run with you or exited his room on the weekends unless the sun sets. Second, he always drinks from an insulated tumbler. It even stays by his side at the dinner table, opting for it rather than the rest of the glasses. Third, he never cooks with garlic. He’s pretty much the cook out of the two of you, recalling the incident of you somehow setting fire on the stove. Who cooks without garlic? A vampire, that’s who. Third, he always disappears at dawn. You’re not insane enough (yet) to follow him, especially when you can barely keep your eyes open after midnight. Sometimes you hear the front door and peek at his silhouette, a large duffel bag in his grasp—but your conscience (your laziness) forbids you from leaving the place unattended for the sole purpose of following him. Lastly, he’s unbelievably pretty. This point has a really large question mark on it in red ink, but you’ve never seen someone look so angelic, as if he would glimmer in the sunlight. Not that you would know, he mostly wears baggy clothes that are long in sleeves and pants. Like what? A vampire!

What would you even get out of this? He would’ve sucked your blood to death by now—but maybe splitting rent was just easier for him. If he was a vampire and he had no intention to murder you in cold blood, then you suppose you would let him stay.

What? He’s a great roommate, great cook, tidy, and fun to be around. Every time you think about it, it comes to a point where you realize he would make a great significant other. But that’s ridiculous, he's a vampire after all, so you conclude that you were just curious about him and his weird habits.

──

For step one, you decide to check for his reflection. Throughout your five second internet search along with your film viewing, you know for a fact that vampires do not have reflections. “Kai! Grab me a towel please!” You plead, voice shrill and loud as you patiently wait in the shower. Truthfully, you forgot your towel. But why not take this opportunity to test your hypothesis? Kai fumbles with the door knob as you peek through the corner of the curtain. “A-are you naked? My eyes are closed!” You turn to the mirror, fogged up by the steam. You tut in disapproval, wiping it away to reveal Kai’s apprehensive form. You pout, snatching the towel from him and wrapping it around yourself. “You can look now.” He peeks through his fingers and gasps at your still half-naked self as you sulk out of the bathroom.

Admittedly, you almost quit after that encounter altogether. But one evening, Kai worked an odd shift, rendering him unable to cook dinner and leaving the meal up to you. He walks out of his room to a suspiciously clean and hazard free area, with food set on the table. “This looks… Edible.” He says shocked, earning an eye roll from you. “Do you not trust me to make dinner?” The other looks down, scratching his head. “Well, the last time you cooked I had to replace my nonstick pan. That thing’s been with me since elementary.” You huff, taking your seat across from him. “Whatever. I ordered it and put it on one of our plates. Happy?” He sits down as well, taking a serving for himself. “I'd be happier if you learned how to cook without burning the apartment down. It’s a very important life skill, you know.” You make a sound of annoyance, picking at your food. “I do other things—like cleaning. Besides, if I had skill, we wouldn’t be having garlic soy chicken.” The other freezes for a while and slowly looks up at you from his plate. “Does this have garlic?” You nod, pointing at the box over by the trash can. “Yup, it’s their most popular flavor. Honestly I like their other ones better—”

Kai spits the foot out and wraps his hands around his neck, dropping to the ground. “Holy shit!” You chant over and over, flailing around in circles as he lays on the floor. “In my room—desk drawer!” He hisses, and you frantically run across the place. You aren't even sure what you’re getting, but once you see a stack of epinephrine injections, you grab one and stab him with it.

You kind of feel guilty for a moment, because you thought he was actually a vampire who couldn’t eat garlic. Turns out he just had an allergic reaction to garlic, which was rare but apparently not impossible.

──

The following morning, you meekly knock at the door to his room. Today is his free day, and you wanted to make it up to him. You bring him flowers and a new EpiPen injection, smiling at him when he opens the door. “I’m sorry for poisoning you yesterday.” And for trying to prove you were a bloodsucking supernatural immortal. “We can go out today if you want? My treat.” His smile forms the shape of a box with his eyebrows upturned, and you know he’s about to reject you. “That’s fine, but I’m really not in the mood for—” — “Come on, Kai! We can do anything you want, please?” You plead, leaning over and pouting at him. He sighs in defeat, straightening his posture once he realizes your words. “Anything?” You nod fervently. “Anything.”

“Then,” he starts, fidgeting with the ends of his hoodie, “it’s a date.” You blink up at him, thinking for a moment. Oh like a friendly date, bonding together! You nod again, grin wide and bright. “Okay!”

It was after the park walk and arcade that you realized it may be more than a friendly date. You’re shifting uncomfortably in your seat, watching Kai order something in French you won’t even try to pronounce. “Kai, I don’t think I can afford any of these.” You whisper, to which he shakes his head. “It’s alright, I got it. You must be sick of my home cooking by now.” — “That’s not true!” You exclaim rather loudly, “I love your cooking.” He giggles at you, and you’re not sure if it’s the warm lighting against the other’s complexion or seeing him in something other than sweats that makes you anxious all of a sudden. “I’ll pay you for this, I swear.” Kai pushes his hair back and rests his face in his palm. “You can pay me back with another date.” Another date?!

Your thoughts are cut by the smell of the food set in front of you, and you spare no time in stuffing as much as you can into your mouth as the other watches you in endearment.

──

When you get home, he stops at the front door and stops you from pulling out your keys. You raise an eyebrow in question, while he laughs awkwardly to himself. “Today was really fun. I’m almost entirely glad that you decided to almost kill me yesterday.” You grin sheepishly at his words, “Again, I’m so sorry.” You’re about to continue rambling, but the other is staring at you so intensely you quiet down. “...What is it?”

“Can I kiss you?”

It’s embarrassing how quickly you answer yes, and you cup your cheeks in your palms in an attempt to hide the blush forming underneath—but it’s no use. He grabs the end of your fingers and replaces your hands with his, inching his face closer to yours. His lips move slow and calculated, rhythm steady as you let him work his way through your mouth. Just as you reciprocate his movements, your tongue is nicked by something sharp, making you jolt upright. But Kai doesn’t let you go, instead he crashes himself deeper into you, sucking at the surface of your tongue and separating with a resounding pop. The both of you take heavy breaths for a while, your hair disheveled and his bottom lip coated in crimson sheen. “I knew it!” You exclaim, before shrinking within yourself. “You’re—uh, you’re a…” You trail off, body pressed against the wooden panel. “I’m a vampire.” He breathes out, “Wait, you knew?”

You’re trembling, panic-stricken as you nudge the doorknob over and over. “That’s not gonna turn without the key.” He mumbles, and you point your key at him in an ill attempt at self-defense. “Are you gonna eat me?!”

“Eat—what? No.” He says, using his own key to unlock the place. You squeak as he maneuvers you into the apartment, and he settles you down on the couch across from him. “But how?” You start, “I can see your reflection?” — “Uh, yeah? I’m a vampire, not a figment of your imagination.” You deflate at his words, leaning forward. “But all the novels say—” He cuts you off with laughter. “All the novels? Do you read supernatural romance?” Defensive, you raise your arms. “It’s more drama than romance! They say vampires can’t see their reflection because they have no souls.” The other raises a brow, “Ouch. What does that even mean?” You shrug, completely lost.

“So what’s true? About like, myths about you?” Pursing his lips in thought, Kai settles against the cushions. “The mirror thing is just stupid. I guess the garlic thing is true.” You blink, dumbfounded. “That’s real?” The other nods. “If convulsing on the floor was any indicator, then yeah.” You furrow your brows, “What kind of old vampire ailment gets cured via EpiPen?” — “I mean—it kind of works like an allergy anyway. Contact dermatitis and whatnot.” You scoff. “And whatnot,” you mock, “what about going out at night and wearing baggy clothes outside? What about sneaking off at dawn?” Tilting his head, he replies calmly. “I told you, I have work during the day and I work out at night—what are you doing?” You reach for the notepad stored in one of the drawers, twirling your pen as you go through every item on your list. “What about the tumbler?” Narrowing his eyes, he asks, “The tumbler?”

“What’s in your tumbler? You have it with you at all times, hell you even took it out today! Is it blood?” You ask as if it were scandalous, voice low and in a whisper. “It’s really just water.” He replies, “I feed through a network of fully consenting humans.”

You put the pad down, crossing your arms at him with a glare. “You’ve never asked me to help you. Is my blood not good enough for your bourgeois taste buds?” Confusion paints his face, quick to dispute your statement. “No, and believe me, your blood has been really tempting. It’s just that, well, I like you—and I thought maybe you would hate me or something.”

“Oh.” Your palms turn clammy as you shut them on each other, thinking of more questions. “So how long were you—like were you always a vampire?” He shakes his head in disagreement, answering, “I turned a few years back actually.” You gaze at him empathetically. “I’m sorry.” He laughs, indifferent. “Sorry for what?” You return the laugh nervously, “I… Don’t know.” A few beats of silence pass before you speak up again. “Well! At least now your skin is glowing and—” “Oh that’s not a myth…” He admits, “I’ve always looked like this.” Clearing your throat, you reply: “Well, you’re very pretty.” This coaxes a genuine smile from him. “Thanks, you’re very pretty too.” The both of you stay completely still again, though this time Kai breaks the silence. “Was all this an attempt to find out if I was a vampire?” You chuckle lightly, half humiliated. “No… I kind of gave up when I saw your reflection. I promise I didn’t mean to give you an allergic reaction.” He disregards your apologies lightly with a raised hand, still in thought. “About the date…” You’re quick to explain, “Honestly I didn’t think it was going to be a date date.” His frown and the dent between his brows deepen. “So you don’t like me?” Picking at the fabric of the couch, you stammer through your words.“I don’t—not like you? I just haven’t thought about you like that until recently, I guess.”

“So what do you think now?” You gaze up to see him staring at you, an unreadable expression on his face. “As long as you don’t kill me I’m fine—I think.” He follows up immediately, “Does that mean you’ll feed me? I’ll just take a little, I swear.” You wince at his eagerness, rubbing the skin of your nape. “Does it hurt?” Kai draws back at your reluctance, feigning nonchalance with a dismissive wave of hand. “A bit, yeah. But! I heard it makes some people feel good.” — “Good how?” The other shrugs, lips forming into a line. “Not sure.” Your curiosity has always led you to uncomfortable positions, this being the most life threatening one so far. Honestly, you should just drop this whole thing altogether.

“You’ll stop when I tell you to, right?” His face lights up again, jumping over to your side of the sofa. “Of course.”

Hesitant, you move away the hair behind your neck and Kai takes it as a sign to move even closer. He grabs your waist and hoists you up to straddle him, cheeks flushed when he looks into your eyes and realizes he’s gotten ahead of himself. After you reassure him with a peck on the lips, he dips his head over to the junction between your shoulder and face, looking up at you for a signal. Milliseconds after you nod, he sinks his teeth in slowly, rupturing the barrier of flesh. He halts for a minute before taking, as if the slightest movement would set you off. He can feel a squeak vibrate through your throat and your thighs tense against his hips, slightly trembling.

True to his word, he lets you go once he feels your grip tighten at his arms. He licks over the wound he created and kisses it, meeting your eyes again. You’re stunned in place, the only movement coming from rapid blinking and taking in breaths.

“Woah.”

He cups the sides of your face, searching your expression for discontent. “Woah? Woah bad or woah good?” You lean your head back and stare into the ceiling, lightly gripping the collar of his shirt. “As in I feel lightheaded—and weird. Feels super weird. Like I’m tipsy.” Gasping, the other fidgets in place, your weight keeping him down. “Oh no.” He starts to panic, but you shut it down by smiling at him, albeit loopy. “Don’t worry, I’m fine—great even.” You assure him, covering his face in short kisses before resting your cheek against his chest. Sighing in relief, Kai plays with the top of your head for a moment, before you grab both his wrists and look at him with sparkles in your eyes. “Can we do that again?”

halloooo i took a long break and this is kind of a warm-up back hehe i have like 3 fics in active development (plus one of the two/three part-ers i started last year, but it iz what it iz!

tag .ᐟ @hyunj00

54 notes · View notes

cupidbedsy · 2 days ago

Text

▷ we'll be okay ; the film effect

➪ summary: two weeks after their fight, gabe and will still aren't talking which leaves everyone around them worried and annoyed. with molly's help, gabe finds a way to apologize to will and he knows they'll be okay, or at least he hopes

➪ warnings: gabe and will's fight, gabe being insecure and self-conscious of his feelings, will being mad still... i think that's it

➪ word count: 6.0k

➪ file type: au (the film effect) fic

➪ cupid's notes: yay they made up ! anyway, this is probably one of my favorite things i've written and i really hope you guys like it <3

Gabe had all but thrown himself into hockey these past few weeks. If he wasn’t in class, he was at the rink, if he wasn’t doing homework, he was at the rink, if he wasn’t eating, he was at the rink. It had seemed like the only thing in his life that he could control right now and he was going to take advantage of that.

This had been the longest time he had ever gone without talking to Will, two weeks. It had been two weeks since he had blown up at Mack with his boyfriend and girlfriend watching, two weeks since he’s fucked up the most important thing in his life, and two weeks since he’s felt like he’s lost two of the most important people in his life. Two weeks of nonstop hockey and nights that consisted of 3-4 hours of sleep if he was lucky.

Will himself couldn’t think straight even when he was at the rink. The words he said were engraved in his mind, closely followed by words he had heard. It was all beginning to overwhelm him. Which made ignoring people seem like the safest choice, he wouldn’t fuck up any more than he already had and nobody could get mad at him for doing something, so that’s what he did.

He felt guilty each time he swiped away a text from Molly, each time he declined an invitation to hang out with Mack, each time he had said no to a team dinner or celebrating a win. Still, that guilt slowly just became another numb feeling he had, one that he shoved into the back of his mind.

Molly, on the other hand, has had two weeks of nonstop worrying and annoyance. If it wasn’t Will she was worried about it was Gabe, if it wasn’t Gabe it was her grades, if it wasn’t her grades… well it was legit anything else that the universe had decided to throw at her just to fuck with her. And she, quite frankly was over it.

She had spent a great deal of time sending text messages to her boyfriends, most of which went either unseen or unreturned. And if she was lucky enough that they had replied, it was a short and to-the-point text that consisted of ‘I’m fine. Have practice in an hour, talk later’ to which, they never really did talk later.

She was starting to lose her mind at this point, if the two of them couldn’t figure this out on their own and wouldn’t accept help to figure this out, she wasn’t sure what that meant for the three of them. She wasn’t sure if this would be the end of them. Maybe she was being dramatic, but she had a right to be when Gabe and Will stuck her in the middle of their drama. She wasn’t about to pick sides, but it sure was a hell of a lot easier to get Gabe into shape when he was just down the street.

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

The rink was colder than she had remembered, she hadn’t stepped foot in one since the fight, too many memories that she didn’t want to recall. She wrapped her jacket tighter around her, navigating through Conte Forum like it was her second home.

The sound of skates on ice and sticks against pucks welcomed her as she got closer to where Gabe was in the middle of the ice, shooting pucks relentlessly at the net. When she found out he had been here, she hadn’t really been shocked, it was the same answer she had been getting any time she texted one of his teammates or stopped by his place.

After the tenth shot at the net, she called out his name, halting his movements. She could see the way his body went rigid when he heard her voice, watching as he shook his head before going back to shooting as if he had only imagined it.

“Gabe, please. Talk to me.”

He ignored her, continuing his movements. Despite knowing she could get in trouble by walking with her street shoes over the ice, she did it anyway, making her way towards him with slow movements, trying not to fall. It took her a minute to reach him, stopping him just as he lined up to take another shot, hand resting on his shoulder, “Baby.”

Her touch, or the nickname, caused him to stop completely, resting his stick by his side and head dropping down to look at his feet. The way he turned around to face her was like he was physically restraining himself from doing so, but her gentle touch and soft coaxing voice made him cave quickly.

He still avoided her gaze as he came to a stop after turning around, looking quite literally anywhere but her face. He let her take his hand in hers, let her press a kiss to his cheek, let her eyes wander over his body searching for any signs of injury or exhaustion (which he knew she found plenty of), but when her fingers gripped his jaw, he did not let her turn his head.

“Don’t,” He tried to make his voice sound stern and forceful, but it came out weak and cracked like he was gasping for another breath of air.

“Look at me, Gabe.”

He had to admit, she had done a much better job of making her voice sound stronger than he had. His eyes finally trailed over to her, crumbling as soon as their gazes met. She watched as tears brimmed in his eyes, reaching up to rub her thumb across the dark circle underneath one of them. He hadn’t allowed himself to cry since that night, and her bringing him into a hug made him break down fully, stick clattering to ice as he practically went limp in her arms.

They stayed like that for a while, Molly’s hand in his hair and his arms wrapped around her waist as best as he could. The hoodie he was wearing felt so baggy on him that he was sure he had lost some weight over the past weeks, but that was just another thing he would worry about later.

When he finally calmed down enough to pull away and wipe his tears, he could feel the cold seeping into his bones, shivering slightly as he removed himself from her warmth. She gave him a small smile, bending down to grab his stick, “Let’s go back to mine, yeah?”

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

A nice hot shower and a change of clothes later only made Gabe feel marginally better, but it was progress. That was what he told himself as sat on her bed, feet dangling off while watching her ruffle through draws until she found two Wii remotes and turned to him with a grin, “For old times sake?”

“Yeah.” He reached for one of them, moving over so she could sit next to him as he watched the Mario Kart screen load, clicking buttons until the character selection screen popped up. His cursor hovered between Mario and Luigi before he finally clicked on Luigi.

The hesitation caused a slight crack in Molly’s heart, maybe she was expecting him to pick Mario, he always argued with Will over whether or not who was who until he gave in at one glance at Will’s puppy dog eyes and let him pick Mario.

She clicked Donkey Kong, her favorite character for some unknown reason but she played as him every time and she had no intentions of stopping now. She let him pick the first course, and she wasn’t surprised when the familiar opening to DK Summit popped up. No matter how many times they played, they would always do the same order; DK Summit, Luigi Circuit, Mario Circuit, and then Rainbow Road, which they can all confidently say that they haven’t gotten first place yet, but it’ll happen… one day.

They played for the next hour, doing the same four courses over and over again, as they sat in silence beside the music and sounds of the game. When Molly crossed the finish line of Rainbow Road for the fifth time, she set the remote aside, looking over at him, “Ready to talk?”

Everything in Gabe’s mind screamed no, but for the first time in a while, he felt like he could breathe without sending himself into a panic attack. While one small step at a time was good for some people, he just wanted to get it all out of the way as quickly as possible. Why stop when he had so much motivation?

He gave her a small nod because even though he was ready to talk, he wasn’t sure how to start. She took his controller from him, setting them both on her desk before climbing back up on the bed. She smiled when his hand reached for hers, letting out a sigh of relief that went unnoticed by him.

“What did you say?”

He closed his eyes for a minute, a little piece of him still trying to figure out if there was a way out of this but he quickly realized that there was no turning back. So taking a deep breath, he started talking, “Told him that I was annoyed with Mack being around all the time and that I thought he was trying to steal-”

He cut himself off, just the thought of Will’s name made his stomach churn. She nodded, “And what did he say?”

“Told me I was a child, was acting like a spoiled kid who wasn’t getting his way, and that I wasn’t trying to be friends with Mack, but he’s right I wasn’t.”

“You weren’t, yeah. But that doesn’t mean he also had to discredit your feelings.”

“But-”

“Gabe, let me tell you something. You have every right to feel how you feel, how you feel is appropriate to feel, I am a strong believer in that. But that also means that Will does too, and maybe it’s time that both of you start seeing it from each other’s point of view. This is not just a one-sided thing, both of you were wrong and both of you were right. Both of you said harsh and mean things, and both of you didn’t say a lot of things you wanted to say.

“There is more to this than just you being jealous and Will being frustrated. There are many layers and it is going to take time to go through every single emotion you and him are feeling, but I know you love him and I know he loves you, and I know both of you would take the time to talk it out.”

Her words raced through his head, trying to cling to every single piece of information she was saying. It made sense, he knew that. He knew that there were things he could’ve said, maybe should’ve said but didn’t. He knew that Will’s words were right but also harsh.

“He won’t even talk to me.”

“And how do you know that? Have you tried texting him?”

“No.” He mumbled, pink coating his cheeks as he lied. He had reached out to him but didn’t want to voice that Will hadn’t responded out loud. It would make the rejection all too real.

“That’s what I thought. I am not saying that you have to put more effort in than he does or vice versa, but maybe that’s what he needs to know you’re serious about this.”

Gabe bit his lip, that sounded like a good idea, but what could he do to make it up to him? He wasn’t about to send him a shit ton of flowers or gifts or fly to California with a script of words he wants to say, for two reasons. 1. He wasn’t the type of person to do that and 2. Will deserved more.

“Maybe you could… I don’t know, talk to Mack? Apologize, tell him you want to be friends, and move past this.”

He did feel bad for what he said, that was never okay and he knew it as soon as the words left his mouth but anger clouded any form of judgment he might’ve had in the moment. The past two weeks had given him time to reflect and he knew every negative feeling towards Mack had felt wrong and unjustified.

Will had never given Gabe a reason not to trust him, so the moment he said Mack wasn’t trying to get with him he should’ve believed him. And he should’ve seen the blatant attempt of approval Mack was seeking every time he would talk, or try to talk to him. He knew he was a jerk, a dick, every single synonym on this planet for ‘dumbass’ and ‘asshole’ was what he would use to classify himself right now.

He would apologize to Mack, he would make it up to Will and Molly, and he would make it up to himself. Well, the first two were objectively more important, he could get around to making it up to himself.

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

The next day Gabe sat with Molly in the student center, Gabe anxiously fiddling with his phone as he deleted and added words to his ongoing apology to Mack and Molly sat with her knees tucked into her chest, planning out a new film idea for class.

She looked up at him, eyes growing fond as she saw him, “It doesn’t have to be perfect, baby. Why don’t you just start by texting him hi, I don’t think Mack really wants to get out of practice to see over 200 words of you rambling.”

“Oh ha ha, you’re so funny. You should be a comedian if being behind the camera doesn’t work out for you.”

“Actually, I think I’ll make it my part-time job, but I have two years to figure that out. Plus why would I need to be a comedian when I’d have two rich NHL boyfriends?”

He stared at her, looking back down at his phone, “Yeah if I haven’t scared one of them off already.”

Her smile had turned downwards, a frown across her face now as she reached out to hold his hand, “He still loves you.”

“I know I just-” He fiddled with his phone case, pulling the corner off before putting it back on. He wasn’t sure how to express the doubt in his mind, if that was even what he could call it. Maybe if he denied the feeling long enough it would just go away and he wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore.

“That’s another thing you have to stop doing.” It was like Molly could read him from the inside out and he didn’t know if he was supposed to be grateful or terrified about it.

He glanced up at her, “Doing what?”

“Shoving everything to the back of your mind. I know you don’t always want to share what’s going in that head of yours, but that’s what we’re here for.”

We’re. She said it so casually that it dug into him the slightest bit, he didn’t deserve Will’s obsessive worrying and him caring about him, not after everything he said to him.

He looked back at his phone, swiping into his text messages to send Mack a ‘hi’ like she had told him to. She was right, she always was, but he wouldn’t tell her that in fear of her ego inflating more than it already was.

When he clicked send, he placed his phone down on the table, watching her as she continued going between writing things down and editing footage on her laptop. He had missed being in her presence, he shouldn’t have shut her out, she did nothing wrong to deserve it and he and Will had placed her in the middle of them, again.

“I’m sorry.”

She looked up, pushing her glasses onto her head as she fully abandoned her work now, “I already told you you didn’t need to apologize-”

“Not for the fight, I mean yes but- fuck. I’m sorry we put you in the middle of us, you shouldn’t have to deal with us both being grade-A assholes and shouldn’t have to choose between us. We’re your boyfriends, not your friends who are fighting over you. And for shutting you out these past couple weeks, I should’ve come to you and talked to you but I just- I felt like I wasn’t allowed to, or at least that’s what my brain was telling me.”

He trailed off, unsure of how to continue his apology. When he looked back at her, he saw the soft expression on her face and knew that he said enough, or at least enough for her to grasp what he was trying to say, and at that moment, he knew at least the two of them would be okay.

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

It wasn’t until Gabe and Molly were at lunch that Mack responded to him. His phone lit up with the notification and Molly was the first to notice it, nodding her head towards the device. He opened the phone to see the text, it was just as short as he had been, a simple ‘Hey’. He was surprised when another text came through quickly after, ‘Everything okay?’

He should’ve expected it, he had never texted Mack on his own accord. Scratch that, he had never texted Mack, period. If he needed something from Will and he wasn’t responding he would make Molly text Mack and ask if he was asleep.

Molly watched as her boyfriend’s face went through the five stages of grief before she talked, “What did he say?”

“Asked if everything was okay,” Gabe murmured, setting his fork down and taking his phone into both hands, staring down at his lap.

“Just send your mini essay. It’s going to be fine, Gabe. I promise. Mack understands already, trust me, he would want nothing more than to put this all behind him and actually be friends with you.”

He nodded, but that was it. She went back to eating as he copied and pasted his rant from his notes into the message bar. After rereading it 10 times, he thought it was decent enough to send, it wouldn’t make up for the countless times he had ignored him and what he had said the other day, but it bridged the gap in their soon-to-be friendship.

He put his phone back down, shoving it under his leg, knowing Mack would spend at least two minutes reading everything he had spilled to him made him anxious. He took a bite of his food, trying to continue his conversation with Molly in the meantime.

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

If Gabe had a dollar for every right thing Molly had said today he wouldn’t need to sign an NHL contract to be a millionaire. Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration but it was true, she had said so many right things today that he didn’t know why he didn’t listen to her in the first place.

He had spent that last hour texting Mack about random things and becoming friends after Mack had written an extensive text about how he wasn’t totally upset but was grateful for his apology. Maybe they were more alike than he thought they were.

However, the distraction Mack was providing slowly faded away when he got his newest text from him, ‘Have you talked to Will yet?’

Thankfully, Molly had been next to him when he got the text and gave him a comforting smile, “Would it be easier to talk about it out loud?”

He nodded, yeah she knew him too well. So Molly called Mack from her phone, propping it against her pillows as the two sat on her bed, waiting for him to answer. His face lit up the screen seconds later, and from the space behind him, he was in his apartment.

“Will’s not here,” his voice was soft as he got himself comfy on his bed. “He went out with some of the guys earlier.”

Molly’s hand wrapped around Gabe’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze that urged him to talk, “I sent him a few texts, sometime last week but he never responded and I haven’t tried since.”

“You did? I thought you said you didn’t.”

“I did, but- it’s not important right now, Molls.”

She gave him a hesitant nod before turning her attention to Mack, “I send him a couple a day, only replies with short answers, can’t get much out of him.”

“Yeah he doesn’t talk much but he acts like everything’s okay. I know the team knows something's wrong, Logan’s tried to get him to go out with them and this is the first time he accepted it.”

“I don’t know what to do.” Gabe’s voice was small, like a child who was admitting that they broke their parents' beloved vase. “If he won’t talk to me, and he’s barely talking to you and Molls…:

“I think you guys should come out here, this weekend. I know you got a game Friday so I guess after that or Saturday? You could come to the game and then you can talk it out, plus it’s our last game before Four Nations so then he could always go back with you guys.”

The two thought about it, it did sound like a good plan. But would it work out, the two had no clue. No risk, no reward. The thought echoed through Gabe’s mind. He knows he said he wasn’t the type of person to just fly out spontaneously, but that was before he apologized to Mack.

“We’ll be there.”

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

When they stepped into SAP Center, their nerves heightened. Even though Will was however many feet away from them they felt as if he just knew they were there, and that made unease flow through them naturally.

Gabe had spent the past few days preparing for what he was going to say tonight, and even now he still didn’t know what he was going to. But once again, that was a thought for later, all he wanted to do right now was enjoy watching the game and enjoy having Molly by his side as she had for the past week since she set him straight.

Despite what he told himself, he did think about what he was going to say almost the whole game, during play, during intermission, during timeouts, it was a constant battle of trying to watch the game as he typed away on his phone.

“You know, if you keep stressing about it, it’s only going to make it worse. It might not be as bad as you think it’s going to be.” Molly’s voice cut through all the screaming and cheering after Toffoli scored a goal.

He only answered when the crowd settled again, “I know. Kind of hard to convince my mind of that though.”

“Trust me, I know it is. But sometimes you have to override that thought, Gabe. It’s not going to get easier if you don’t stick up for yourself against yourself.”

“Are you sure you shouldn’t be a writer or some shit?”

“Yeah, almost failed English in high school. Which is why I just come up with the ideas and let my friends write them. Not my strong suit, I just work the camera.”

He gave her a half-smirk, “So you’re the behind-the-scenes guy?”

“Mhm. Always plotting.”

“M’sure you are.”

More cheers rang out and the two turned their attention to where a group of blue jerseys swarmed together on the ice, the clock had ticked down faster than they thought it would, faster than they wished it would.

They sat, watching as most of the fans made their way out of the arena and back to their cars. By the time they found the will to move, only half the arena’s seats were still filled and they were both sure it was just to watch the interview that was happening on the ice.

Will had gotten first star of the game after two goals and two assists, beaming as brightly as he could. The two could tell from where they sat that there was dimness in his eyes, tightness in his voice as he spoke to the interviewer, and stood with a tense figure as he tried to make it through.

It was nice to hear his voice, it was the first time they heard it in person since that day, strictly relying on old voice memos and videos if they wanted to hear it. They hadn’t realized how much they loved getting those from him until they stopped.

They got up out of their seats once he left the ice, making their way down to the tunnel to wait for him. Mack was the first to come out and both of them couldn’t help the disappointment that covered their face when they didn’t see the usual blond mop of curls trailing behind him.

He gave them a small smile once he saw them, bringing Molly into a hug and giving Gabe whatever weird handshake thing boys usually did. Molly let herself smile at the interaction, it was just a step closer to working everything out, and she was proud of him for it.

“It’ll probably be a few before he comes out, he’s just been sitting in there after games until he absolutely has to leave and then he’ll start getting ready to go.”

Gabe let out a low hum in acknowledgment, eyes fluttering back to where he knew his boyfriend could walk out at any minute. Then they fell into an easy conversation, mostly about what they had been doing the past few weeks and other random things that had come up.

“Mack didn’t know what a date was.”

“Like going on a date or…?”

“You two I swear to god. The fruit!”

“Oh. There’s a fruit?”

Will wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not as he turned the corner, stopping when he caught sight of the three who were laughing about something he couldn’t figure out. Blinking steadily, he pinched himself on the wrist and when the small burst of pain shot through him, he knew for a fact that his girlfriend, his best friend, and his boyfriend were all talking and having a good time like nothing had happened.

He was sure he was angry, but again he didn’t know what he had been feeling these two weeks, everything he felt would just turn numb in the hours after he acknowledged it. He gained the courage to walk the few steps towards them, closing the gap.

Molly saw him first, biting her lip and falling silent as she looked at him; dark circles, eyebags, exhaustion, everything was the same as when she saw Gabe earlier in the week. Gabe and Mack didn’t take long to recognize her silence, following her gaze to where Will stood, clad in his suit and hair wet from the quick shower he took.

“They flew out this morning,” Mack’s voice was soft, like every other time he had tried to speak to Will since everything had happened.

He gave a brief nod, letting his eyes go from Molly to Gabe and then back to Molly and back to Gabe, before settling on his friend again, “I’m ready to go.”

Both Molly and Gabe’s hearts cracked at his cold tone, feeling as if he didn’t care that they were there. Mack placed a handout, stopping Will from walking any further away from them, “Hear him out please.”

“And you know what he has to say?” He kept his volume low, trying not to let the emotion that flooded his voice show.

“He texted me earlier this week, Tuesday,” Mack started, he hadn’t told him about his conversation with Gabe and Molly, or at least until now. “Apologized, for everything. And then we just talked. He really is sorry Will. I don’t think he would’ve reached out to me if he wasn’t.”

Will took in the information, trying to process it but it just floated around in his head like a fly he couldn’t catch. When he looked back over to the two, his tone had softened but he still kept his guard up, “You coming?”

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

The car ride to Mack and Will’s apartment was all quiet, no one spoke as turns were made and lights were passed. They pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, sitting in heavy silence for a few minutes before getting out of the car.

Molly and Gabe took the stairs while the other two rode the elevator up. They got two flights of stairs in when Molly murmured, “It’s going to be okay, we’re going to be okay.”

“Mhm, I know. Or at least I hope I do.”

They reached their floor a couple of minutes later, walking out of the stairwell to see Mack and Will deep in conversation with each other. It didn’t take long for them to notice the two, letting them follow them to their apartment.

Mack stuck his key in, turning and unlocking the door before pushing it open and letting the three step inside. The four kicked their shoes off and then just stood there awkwardly. Frustration grew in Mack’s head before he eventually was over Gabe being too scared to admit his wrongs and Will being too stubborn to let him speak, “Okay. I’m done with this.”

Eyes fell on him but he ignored their stares and wrapped a hand around both of their arms before leading them towards Will’s room and shoving them in there, “Do not come out until this shit is fixed. You two aren’t the only ones suffering because of this.”

Will and Gabe turned to Molly who stood there nervously, fiddling with her hands and rocking back and forth on her heels. They softened simultaneously, Mack was right, they had put her through enough and it was time they fixed that and made it up to her, but they couldn’t do it without talking it out with each other first.

The door closed and left the two alone in the confines of Will’s bedroom, hoodies and shirts were lying on the ground, takeout containers shoved in the overflowing trashcan, and a heavy, musty smell took over their senses.

“Sorry about the mess.” Will started picking up shirts and throwing them in his laundry basket, his need to stress clean overwhelming him.

Gabe’s hand grabbed ahold of his wrist, stopping him from moving, “Don’t do that, not now. Please.”

He didn’t face him, not yet, staring at his crumbled sheets from when he didn’t even attempt to make his bed this morning. He felt Gabe’s hand move down to his hand, lacing their fingers together. That was when he turned, looking over his face and seeing the tiredness that was written over it, he was sure it matched the tiredness on his own.

He gave him a nod, allowing him to go on, “I’m sorry- I know I’m sorry doesn’t fix anything, let me speak, please.”

Gabe knew that when Will opened his mouth he was going to let out something along the lines of ‘sorry isn’t going to cut it’, he always did. He guided him to sit on the bed before he sat next to them, keeping their fingers intertwined.

“I know what I said was wrong and hurtful, I never should’ve said what I said to Mack and I never should’ve said what I said to you, even though I did mean it, a little bit.” Gabe’s thumb started absentmindedly running over Will’s knuckles, a habit he had gained whenever he had started to become restless or anxious, “And while I am sorry about how I chose to… display my feelings, I’m not going to apologize for how I felt.

“For a while, it was easy to pass the feelings off as jealousy and whatnot but the more and more the two of you hung out and the more and more the two of you were in videos together, I think it made me realize how much I missed just having you as a teammate and how different it was not to have you around.

“You’ve never done anything to make me feel like you would cheat on me or whatever and I should’ve recognized that a lot earlier. I also should’ve acknowledged you’re point of view on this. I know Mack has been there for you since the beginning of the season and I know how much he means to you and I shouldn’t have let my feelings and insecurities get in the way of your friendship.”

He took a deep breath, unsure if he had said enough or if he should keep going. But before he could let his mind spiral into more thoughts and choices, he heard Will’s voice and the soft squeeze of his hand, “I’m sorry too.”

Will was overcome with emotions from Gabe’s apology and honestly, he didn’t even have to say all of it to know he meant it, from the moment he found out that he had reached out to Mack on his own accord he had forgiven him, maybe even before that.

“I know that no matter what I say is going to live up to that,” the two let out wet chuckles before he continued. “But I am sorry for saying that you were acting like a child. I also should’ve seen things from your perspective and I didn’t, and it probably would’ve made a lot more sense if I had.”

He let himself reach up to run a hand through Gabe’s hair which made him instantly melt into his touch. He listened as Will continued speaking but most of the words fell deaf upon his years. He should be listening, he knew that, but he was just so grateful to actually talk to them that the topic at hand didn’t really matter.

Meanwhile, Mack and Molly sat in the living room where Molly was critiquing a shitty movie he had put on, it was one of her favorite stress-relieving tactics.

“How’re you holding up?”

She sighed, nibbling on her bottom lip, “Okay.”

“You’re not.”

“I know.” She curled her knees into her chest, fidgeting with her earrings, “Do you know how hard it is to make two 19-year-olds speak to each other?”

Mack laughed, bringing her into a side hug, “Do you know how hard it is having to deal with a mopey and frustrated Will?”

“Probably the same as dealing with an insecure and guilt-ridden Gabe.”

They heard the click of the door, heads snapping towards it to see the two walk out of the bedroom still hand-in-hand. When she saw it, she smiled and let out a sigh of relief, making her way over to them. She brought them into a hug, her grasp firm, “Please tell me you two are okay.”

“We are sweetheart,” Gabe’s hand brushed the strands of hair that fell into her face behind her ear, pressing a kiss to her head, “We are.”

“I’m sorry we put you in the middle of this, we never should’ve done it and-”

“If one of you apologizes to me one more time, I’m seriously going to lose my fucking mind more than I already have. And if you two ever and I mean ever fight like that again, I’m breaking up with you.”

Will nodded, kissing her temple, “I don’t doubt it, sweet girl. I don’t.”

Mack stood from the couch, making his way to his room to give the three their privacy. He only made it halfway before a call of his voice stopped him in his tracks, turning to see Gabe staring at him. He raised his eyebrow in question, “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

He just nodded in response, continuing his trek to his room. Will watched the exchange before looking back down where Molly stood, bringing the two of them closer together. At that moment, for the first time in two weeks, all three of them knew that they were going to be okay.

꒰ THE FILM EFFECT TAGLIST ꒱

@winterbarnesblog @delilaahh9 @digitalhughes-jpg @rowdyluv @fantillisgirl @macklin-celebrini-71

THE FILM EFFECT MASTERLIST ; AU'S

TAGLIST ; NHL MASTERLIST ; NAVIGATION

#˚ ༘♡〚 cupids writing 〛ₓ｡#▹ the film effect !#▹ will + molly + gabe !#will smith #will smith hockey #will smith x oc #gabe perreault #gabe perreault x oc

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caramelc0rgi · 1 day ago

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nobody asked for this but I’m doing it anyway. I present to you: all the different kinds of pokemon Charles and Erik would own because why the fuck not‼️‼️ I’m a pokemon nerd leave me be

Charles would mostly be a psychic pokemon trainer (obviously) and I feel like Espeon would be his ‘partner’. Espeon is a very loyal psychic pokemon that forms strong bonds with its trainer. Its precognitive powers abilities tie into Charles’ ability to foresee challenges and guide his students. I like to think he owned an Eevee during First Class and evolved it into an Espeon around the start of Apocalypse. Another pokemon he would own is Gardevoir, which is known for its ability to create protective barriers and sense. I also like to think he owns a Noivern because why the hell not. I imagine Charles to be a strong trainer and Noivern would be a great addition to his team— given its sensitivity to sound waves, much like Charles’ telepathic ability. Additionally, a Lucario would fit well into his team. While it’s not a physic pokemon, it’s abilily to sense auras and its deep sense of justice would resonate with Charles.

anyway. now onto Erik. He’s obviously going to be a steel type trainer, considering his own abilities to control magnetism. His partner pokemon would 100% be a Metagross. It’s powerful and intelligent like Erik, and its design also kind of reflects Erik in a way. He would also own a Bisharp, which is a dark/steel type. It has an imposing design and it just looks badass. Additionally Erik would own an Aegislash, which represents power and authority. Aegislash is a pokemon who chooses those destined for leadership— just like Erik who sees himself as the leader of Mutantkind. And last but not least, Aggron. It’s a steel/rock type, known for defending its territory which symbolizes Erik’s protectiveness over Mutants.

#cherik #michael fassbender #james mcavoy #charles xavier #erik lehnsherr #x men #idk what I’m doing #pokemon #the brainrot was too strong #i may not be cooking #pokemon trainer #pokemon team

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perkypeony · 13 hours ago

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𝔹𝕌𝕊𝕋𝔼𝔻!

Umemiya Hajime x girlfriend reader ft. Sakura Haruka

“Y/N, a first-year needs some patching up. I told them we’d go to their class since we were about to head down anyway,” your boyfriend said after reading the message on his phone.

The first-years from the Tamon team were on patrol duty today, which probably meant they ran into trouble with some bad guys and got injured in the process.

“Alright, let me grab the first aid kit,” you replied.

The two of you left the rooftop and made your way to the first-year classroom. After knocking, you entered and were greeted by Sakura and his injured classmate.

You pulled up an empty chair, sitting in front of the boy to assess the scrapes on his elbow and face. With careful hands, you began tending to his injuries.

Breaking the silence, Umemiya asked, “Sakura, how was today’s patrol?”

“There was a group of guys causing trouble in front of the bakery, but we handled it,” Sakura replied, his voice casual.

Umemiya smiled. “You and your team did a great job.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Sakura said with a slight shrug, earning a quiet chuckle from you.

You finished wrapping up the boy’s injuries and packed the first aid kit. “There you go. Be more careful next time, alright?” you said with a kind smile.

The first-years nodded, murmured their thanks, and quickly left the classroom.

“Let’s go get dinner,” you began, turning toward Umemiya—only to find him watching you with an expression so soft that it made your heart skip a beat.

“What?” you asked, tilting your head in confusion.

“Nothing,” he replied, though the smirk playing on his lips betrayed him. Leaning against a desk with his arms crossed, he kept his gaze fixed on you. “I was just thinking about how cute you look in nurse mode.”

You rolled your eyes, feeling heat rise to your cheeks. “Stop it, Hajime.”

But he didn’t stop. Instead, he stepped closer, his smirk softening into something more affectionate. “Seriously, though. Watching you take care of our junior…makes me think you’d make an amazing mom someday.”

Your face grew impossibly warmer. “W-What kind of thought is that? Who even thinks like that?”

“Me, apparently,” he said with a casual shrug, now standing just inches away.

Before you could come up with a response, his hands gently cupped your face, and he leaned down, capturing your lips in a kiss that was sudden yet tender.

Your breath hitched, but the warmth of his kiss made your heart flutter.

“Hajime…” you murmured against his lips, melting into his hold.

One kiss turned into two, and then three. His hands moved to your waist, pulling you closer as your arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.

For a moment, the world outside seemed to disappear—until the sound of a loud gasp shattered the moment.

You broke apart instantly, turning to see Sakura standing in the doorway. His wide eyes and beet-red face told you he’d seen everything.

“W-What are you—why are you—” He pointed at both of you, his voice rising. “Here?! Doing that!?”

Umemiya sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Sakura, did you forget something?”

“I—THIS IS A CLASSROOM, NOT A MAKE-OUT SPOT!” Sakura stammered, his voice cracking as he avoided looking directly at you two.

Your face burned as you hid it in Umemiya’s chest, leaving him to handle the situation.

“Relax, Sakura. We’re leaving. You can have your precious classroom back,” Umemiya said, trying to stifle his laughter.

“D-Don’t bother! I’m traumatized now!” Sakura shouted, flailing his arms as the two of you walked out.

“Sorry about that,” Umemiya said casually, pulling you along with him.

Once you were out of the classroom, you couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into laughter. Umemiya joined in, his deep chuckles echoing through the empty corridor.

“Did you see his face?” you managed between giggles. “I thought he was going to pass out! Poor Sakura.”

“Eh, he’ll live,” Umemiya replied with a grin. “But I’m pretty sure he’ll never look at us the same again.”

“Well, it's his fault for barging in,” you teased, still smiling as your cheeks finally cooled down.

Umemiya wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer as you walked. “True, but I’ll admit—it was kind of funny. Totally worth it.”

Shaking your head with a fond smile, you couldn’t help but think that, despite the embarrassment, moments like this were what made being with him so special.

#wind breaker #wind breaker x reader #wind breaker fluff #umemiya hajime x reader #umemiya hajime #umemiya fluff #sakura haruka #haruka sakura

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hopetorun · 1 day ago

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it's always harder to start a personal post than it feels like it'll be when i'm drafting it in my head while i wash the dishes. pushing through to ramble and navel-gaze anyway, though—

i've been thinking as the new year gets its legs under it about the effort i put in last year toward the goal of not being single. i didn't call it that, obviously. the actual spelled out goal was to do one singles or speed dating event per month and one volunteering event per month, which to be clear i came nowhere close to (i went to three speed dating events and three volunteering events and did one month of weekly swing dance classes). but i did do more than last year. and out of those three speed dating events i ended up going on two dates (with the same person). overall it was, diplomatically, pretty disheartening.

i'm going to keep trying, though i haven't decided exactly what that's going to look like in 2025. going out and doing things is expensive, and putting yourself out there without much to show for it is draining. even trying to buy cute clothes as a fat person is draining. i like the idea of trying to cultivate a larger social circles of weak ties, but in practice i'm pretty reserved when i'm alone in a crowd of new people. i'm starting to get the sense that it's easier to meet someone when you're already dating someone, like getting a job is easier when you already have a job. is it worth trying the horrid apps again, because at least they're less expensive, even if they're more draining? is this just what it's like trying to not be single when you're fat? am i just emanating lack of confidence in my dating prospects from every pore?

i'm giving myself january off, to fortify myself emotionally and think about how i'm going to take aim at this this year and because i want to have a low spend month and this shit adds up quick. unfortunately, thinking about it means thinking about it. and thinking about it kind of sucks!

there's this big part of myself that i've never had the opportunity to know, and i've really felt it lately. i can only take a guess at what i'm like in a relationship, what i'm like when i share my life with someone to that degree. the older i get, the more keenly i feel having never known that, and the more i doubt that i can even find room in my life for it. where do i fall on the i don't want somebody in my house to there's someone in my house and they love me spectrum?

when i was home over christmas, mom said something about me having kids (not in a pushy way, it was fine) and i said that i don't want to undertake single parenting. she, not unfairly, pointed out that that's always a risk of it. and she's right, of course, there is always a risk of a partner dying or leaving or needing to be left. she didn't change my mind, or even particularly open the door to me changing my mind, but it did make me additionally sad for another part of myself i might never get to know.

i don't really know where i'm going with this. thinking about my gratitude to all the writers i've read over the years who've been so clear that there really are no guarantees. thinking that many people look for love for years and years and never find it. that others find it later in life. too late for some things, perhaps, but not never. that it's this huge, important thing that i can't really control much at all. i can make an effort (even though making an effort often feels worse than not) and ... that's basically it. i can work on my tendency to be reserved in a crowd and take myself out to places where people meet people and beyond that ... hope for the best? kinda sucks.

a dear friend texted me the other day asking for me to be there for some of her wedding day activities. she's older than me, and met her wife (who's my age) in fandom. it's both heartening and not, you know? most of my friends met their spouses in college (that ship has sailed) or in fandom (i'm open to it but it's probably a long shot). some fell for a friend. a lot of my friends are just as single as me (though many of them are more content to stay that way).

i want to wrap this around to some kind of conclusion, and i don't think there is one. i haven't even really learned anything from a year of this. feeling unwanted sucks (i knew that), meeting someone to fall in love with is a crapshoot (i knew that), going out and doing things is expensive (i knew that). i hope i can come back to this post someday and have a way to tie it all back together and mean something. it doesn't feel likely right now.

#from maggie

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dem-obscure-imagines · 3 days ago

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New Year's Eve Kisses 2024

Note: It is once again that magic time of year. As is tradition around these parts, I have written five drabbles of characters from different fandoms to celebrate the New Year, specifically, the tradition where people kiss the one they love as midnight strikes. Sorry I’ve been so inactive as of late. I’ve been working on some big things in the writing sphere (as far as my original fiction is concerned anyway), but I hope you all enjoyed the two big fics I did post this year. May the new year smile on all of you, and may your reading and writing endeavors be fruitful. Love ya!

For additional context, Poe’s is a continuation of I Know the End, my big Star Wars fic from earlier this year. You don’t need to read it to enjoy this, but if you’re confused, that’s why. A little gendered language in that one (Princess and such) but the other four are gender neutral.

Fandoms: Wicked (Movie), Star Wars, DCEU (rip, she will be missed), DC CW Universe, Bridgerton (Show)

Total Word Count: 4.2k words

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, kissin’, some language

Fiyero Tigelaar

Words: 0.6k

Fiyero Tigelaar, the Winkie prince, was no stranger to a party. Unsurprisingly, he was tearing up the dance floor, dressed in his finest, just before he was meant to be sent off to his next school. When he’d arrived, he’d warned you he wouldn’t last long. He’d been right. He was going to Shiz University. But tonight, he intended to make the most of it.

As always, he had a flock of followers around him, fawning at his every move. You smirked into your glass, trying to avert your eyes. He didn’t need any more attention.

That, of course, didn’t stop him from coming over to you with that intoxicating look in his eye. The guy was charming, you had to give him that.

“And what are you doing over here?” He asked, leaning against the bar where you were perched.

“Celebrating the New Year, Your Highness.”

He grinned. “What, all alone?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“You should be out there. On the floor. Dancing.” He said, motioning to the others, still lost in the rhythm of the song.

“Seems a little crowded.” You reasoned, smirking. “Don’t you have enough cronies?”

“I could use another.” He all but murmured, the tone of his voice making your heart shudder. “Besides, it’s my last night. I feel like I didn’t get to know you well enough.”

“Well, you did warn me not to get attached.”

He hummed at that, nodding. Still, he offered his hand and you hesitated for a long time before finally taking it. One final leap. It wouldn’t matter, in the long run. He was transferring schools, and you doubted you’d ever see him again. But you were kind of glad your paths had crossed.

And so you danced and danced and danced, twirling and laughing, not just with him, but with the others there, gathered on the dance floor while the Animal band played you off into the new year.

Then, at the end of the night, just before he could slip out unnoticed, you caught Fiyero leaving.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Told you not to get attached.” He said quietly, going through his satchel, that wry grin returning to that impossibly handsome face. “Came to see me off?”

“Didn’t mean to. I was making my escape, too.”

“Ah, I see. Well, it sounds like you’re missing the countdown in there.”

“That was kind of the point.”

He smirked. “Come here.”

“Why?”

“I never properly thanked you for your help in class. I’ve been told I’m quite…”

“You’re not stupid. I know you pretend to be.”

“Still, I was forgetful. Careless. You covered for me.” He smiled softly. “Thank you.”

Finally, you were right in front of him. He held something out. A token. A little, stitched seal from his home territory.

“I know it’s not much, but if you ever need anything, where I’m from, this is enough to get it for you.”

“Thank you, Fiyero. That’s really sweet.” You said softly.

“Happy New Year. Good luck with the rest of the year.” He said earnestly before that infamous smirk pulled at his lips again. “Try not to miss me too much.”

“No promises.” You said with a chuckle.

Then, something inexplicable happened. Fiyero took a step forward and pressed a long, soft kiss to your forehead. It was meaningful. Unlike the countless times he’d made out with countless members of the student body. Men and women alike. And yet, at the same time, you knew you were just a stepping stone. Passing ships.

Still, as you watched him ride off, you were glad you’d met.

Poe Dameron

Words: 0.9k

On base, no celebration was taken for granted. With all the constant fighting and battles, loss and destruction, you needed to spend some time celebrating when things went right. And for so long, so many years of your life, that had been the case.

But the war was over now. You were back on your home planet, Mariposas, ringing in the first new year as the princess of your people. The first new full year of peace in the galaxy. You dressed in one of your nicer gowns from the first war. One the Ewoks had made for you. It was hand-dyed with materials from their home moon, Endor.

You did your hair, setting a tiara on top. There was a knock on the doorframe, and suddenly, your fiancé was standing there, fiddling with the sash of some traditional Mariposan garb. It was a new thing, as he was not Mariposan. Instead, he was human. Very human. Now, an all-but-retired human pilot. A war veteran, and the soon-to-be prince of your home planet.

“Alright, give it to me straight. I look ridiculous.”

“You look handsome.” You reassured, walking closer, taking both of Poe’s hands in yours. Large and rough. Tan and calloused, both from the steering rod of his X-Wing as well as the blaster he fired for so many years. It hadn’t seen action in quite some time, thankfully. Still, it remained at his hip, much like your lightsaber remained on yours. “Princely, even.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“I’m not.” You insisted, shaking your head, gazing up at him. Your eyes glimmered with love. “Since when do I lie to you, Commander Dameron?”

“Hey, I thought we said no titles in private quarters, Your Highness.” He replied, lacing his fingers through your own, pulling one hand to his lips and beginning to kiss up your exposed arm. “You really think it suits me? I don’t want those dignitaries to laugh me out of the party.”

“I think everything suits you. But if you’re really that worried about it, I’ve still got that old flight suit of yours tucked into the back of the closet.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “You and that flight suit…”

Rey cleared her throat. “Ready?”

“Yeah, we’re good. Heading down in a second. You look lovely, Rey.”

“Thank you. So do you.”

“Looking sharp, Poe.” Finn agreed, following after her in his new and improved Jedi robes. Since he’d finally begun the last leg of his training, it only made sense that he looked the part. It suited him. It really, really suited him.

“Right back at ya, Finn.” Poe grinned, watching as your friends walked down the hall. He let go of your hands and offered his elbow instead. “Well, shall we?”

You looped your arm through his, following him down to the beginnings of your party. The ballroom was filled with people. Mostly, your war friends and allies. Leia was there, Lando, Wedge, Snap and the rest of Black Squadron, and of course, your sister and her husband and son. Finn, Rey, and Ben. They all chatted, mingling through the large, mostly reconstructed ballroom.

You and Poe melted into the crowd, catching up with the people you hadn’t seen in forever, congratulating them on weddings and new babies, while all of them asked about yours, your planned wedding to one Mr. Poe Dameron, your fiancé and the love of your life. Admittedly, wedding plans had taken the backseat in favor of building your home planet back up from the literal ashes, opening your doors to war refugees, victims of the First Order who now found themselves without homes. Many of them were now in the room with you, celebrating their new lives, however different they were from their old ones.

It was good. It felt right.

Finally, at the end of the night, after several glasses of Mariposan mead, Poe found his way back to you, grinning that tired, tipsy grin of his. His arms wrapped around your waist and he rested his forehead against yours.

“Heeeeey, Princess. There you are. You look stunning. You having fun?”

“Definitely. Looks like you are, too.”

He nodded, smiling. He pressed a kiss to your forehead, pulling you closer. “When’re we getting married, baby? The people wanna know.”

“Oh I know. They’ve been asking me, too.” You chuckle. “I’m sorry it’s been relegated so far back. It’s just been busy with the planet reconstruction and the new Jedi Temple and…”

“Nah, that’s okay. I knew what I was getting when I proposed to a princess. You’re a busy lady. I don’t care when we get married so long as it happens. But…I wouldn’t mind soon.”

You smiled softly, nodding. “I think soon sounds good.”

The droids let you all know the new year was approaching and people gathered to count it down.

“I love you, Princess. Thank you. For all of it. For coming into my life. For winning the war. For saving me. For letting me hang out here on this awesome planet even though I am totally overstaying my welcome.”

“Stoppppp.” You giggled, shaking your head. “Thank you for waking me up. Without you, I literally would not be standing here.”

“Alright, well, if we keep thanking each other for every little thing, we’ll be here all night and I don’t know about you, but I have some more pressing plans for the evening.”

“Like what?”

“Like this,” he replied, pulling you closer and pressing his lips to yours, movements languid and loving as the party around you rang in a fresh new year, the war long gone, and the peacetimes just getting started.

Digger Harkness

Words: 0.9k

Holed up in a dingy bar while chaos ran rampant through Metropolis was not the way you thought your New Year’s Eve would go. But being a member of the Justice League…stranger things had happened.

You, alongside a group known as Taskforce X to some, the Suicide Squad to most, had just, more or less saved the world. But due to the disarray, their envoy hadn’t yet been dispatched to pick them up. Hence the bar. And you, as the one trusted person that knew of their existence aside from Rick Flag and Bruce Wayne (because Bruce knows everything), were relegated to babysitting duty while Rick filed the paperwork. Standard stuff. Breakdowns of the battle, heroic acts by the group members, that kind of thing. Things that would reduce their prison sentences, in theory, if doing so many of these impossible missions didn’t kill them first.

You perched on a barstool, chin rested against your fist as you watched the clock tick, listened to the sounds of the sirens in the distance as things calmed down. Crisis averted. Another Tuesday in Metropolis.

Boomerang scooted some rubble aside with his elbow, motioning to the stool beside yours. “Anyone sittin’ here?”

“Nope. Knock yourself out.” You said, chuckling softly, shaking your head.

“Aw, come on now, (L/N)! Why the long face? We saved the world, again.” He said, bumping his elbow against yours playfully. “It’s worth celebratin’, ain’t it?”

“Definitely. Celebrate away.” You replied, managing a tired grin.

He hesitated, eyes scanning you. “You feelin’ alright? Didn’t use too much of that energy of yours kickin’ alien ass?”

Your smile grew and you shook your head. “No. Sometimes, Boomer, I’m just tired.”

He glanced at the clock, as the New Year neared, closer and closer every minute. “You had plans, didn’t you? Tonight?”

Bingo. “Yeah, it wasn’t anything major, just…a night in with some college friends. Watching the ball drop. Sipping cheap wine.”

He hummed, nodding. He glanced around the rundown bar, windows cracked in from the near-apocalypse that had just blown over. In the corner of the room, Deadshot and Killer Croc were tweaking the wiring of a slightly damaged TV. It flickered a few times and then, against all odds, the countdown came on.

“Well, there we go. There’s one down. Let me rummage around back here.” He walked around the side of the bar and dug through the supplies before pulling out a bottle of sweet, cheap wine. One of the brands you liked. He pulled out the least damaged wine glasses he could find and poured you each a glass, sliding one across the bartop to you.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” You said, trying to fight the smile on your face. Trying to keep your wall up. You were a hero. He was a criminal. A diamond thief. Your antithesis. And yet…his charms had been chipping away at the barrier around your heart since you first met. Even moreso since you’d been fighting on the same team.

He shook his head. “You deserve a nice New Year’s. Shouldn’t have to give it up to hang out with lowlifes like us.”

You wanted to retort, but you didn’t, instead sipping your wine as the anchors on the TV talked about the disaster in Metropolis, how this New Year’s Eve had very nearly been the last. “Well thank you anyway. You’re not bad company.”

He huffed at that, looking unconvinced.

“I mean it. I…don’t know what I expected when I signed up for this, but…it wasn’t you guys. I thought you would all kinda hate me. It’s nice to be tolerated, though.”

“And I thought you were gonna be some prissy buzzkill that looked at us like we were…” He shook his head, not finishing the thought. “But you’re not.”

You were quiet for a moment. “Thank you.”

“I already told you, this is nothin’—”

“Not for the wine. For earlier. You took a pretty bad blast for me. Blocked me so I could take the final shot. You saved the world.”

“You saved the world. I just gave ya a boost, love.” He murmured into his wine glass. The word curled around his tongue gently. You’d never heard him use it before. Not directed at you.

“You saved me.” You insisted, meeting his gaze.

His eyes softened. “I did my best.”

You reached over, gently taking his hand, like you were approaching a wild animal. He flinched, but his rough fingers curled around yours, giving your hand a squeeze.

“You have a resolution?” You asked.

“Yeah.”

“What is it.”

“Can’t tell ya or it won’t come true.” He replied, grinning.

“That’s birthday wishes. Not New Year’s Resolutions.”

He looked conflicted for a moment before saying. “Nah, it really won’t come true if I tell ya.”

“Why’s that?” You asked as Harley began to loudly count down from ten in the corner of the room.

“It’s so unrealistic, is all.” He explained with a shrug, eyes searching yours as the seconds melted away until finally, midnight struck and the others yelled out, celebrating the new year.

“Let me be the judge of that.” You murmured, leaning forward and capturing his lips.

He gasped into your mouth, squeezing your hand as he kissed you. His surprise evaporated into something much more solid and real. You could tell he’d been waiting for it just as long as you had. Maybe longer.

When it was over, he rested his forehead against yours. “I still have to go back to Belle Reve.”

“I know.”

“But…you’ll come visit?”

You chuckled, giving a wry grin. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Cisco Ramon

Words: 0.7k

A cute, sparkly New Year’s Eve fit? Check. More alcohol than any human could reasonably consume? Check. A metahuman headache from hell? Also, check. Unfortunately. After sending out a few texts, cancelling your plans, you gathered a stack of DVDs, some fuzzy pajamas, a pile of blankets, some tea, and some painkillers.

You let out a sigh, taking in your surroundings. Sure, you were cozy, but you really had been looking forward to spending time with your Star Labs coworkers. They’d welcomed you to Team Flash without so much as a hesitation, especially once they found out about your powers. They were some of the only people that understood you. Over the last few years, they had become everything to you.

Caitlyn sent you a text telling you to feel better, as did Barry. Nothing from Cisco. You expected him to send a Tiktok or something to cheer you up, but you didn’t beat yourself up over it. You were sure they were all out having fun at a karaoke club or something.

Until there was a knock on the door.

Eyebrows furrowing, you stood up and walked to answer it, pulling it open. Cisco was standing there, holding a pizza box, a scarf wrapped around his neck, snowflakes caught in his long black hair.

“Pizza Delivery for a (Y/N) (L/N)?” He asked, looking you up and down. “Is that you?”

“Thanks, Cisco.”

“Don’t mention it.” He grinned, stepping through your front door and kicking the snow off his boots before taking them off in the doorway and setting them down on your shoe shelf, as he had so many times.

“Whatcha doing? Don’t you have plans?”

“I did. And then one of my friends got a wicked headache from their awesome superpowers, so…plans changed. What are we watching?”

“Uhh, Howl’s Moving Castle right now. I was gonna switch to the countdown after, though.”

“Ooh, Howl’s! Classic. I got your usual. With that cream cheese dip you like. And, I stopped at the pharmacy on the corner and got you migraine meds.”

You smiled at that, heart swelling as he said it. “Cisco…”

“What?” He asked, taking off his coat and tossing you the bottle of pills. You caught them, reading the label on the bottle.

“You really didn’t have to do this.”

“Uhhhhh, yeah I did.” He shrugged, plopping himself down on the couch, setting the pizza on the coffee table, gently moving your mug aside. “Come on. Settle in. This castle isn’t gonna move itself.”

“Actually, it kinda does. That’s the whole point.” You chuckled, settling into the spot next to him, leg brushing his.

The two of you watched the end of the movie and your migraine meds started to kick in. You felt a lot better. Still, as you flipped the channel to the New Year’s Eve countdown, where some singer was on stage. You got up and carried the leftover pizza to the fridge, fetching a bottle of the beer Cisco liked, which you always kept stocked…just in case.

When you returned, he grinned, looking at the bottle. “See, you take care of everyone else. It’s about time someone took care of you.”

“Yeah, yeah, just drink it.” You chuckled, settling back in, sitting even closer to him this time, his arm perched on the back of the couch. One thing led to another, and somehow, your head wound up on his shoulder and his arm wound up around yours.

You sat in comfortable silence as the show played on, making comments and jokes every here and there. You laughed a lot. You always seemed to when he was around. Then, finally, they started counting down.

“Hey, uh…” Cisco started. “This is totally not the reason I came here, but…um…would it be alright with you if I…”

You smiled, lifting your head from his shoulder and turning to look at him, impossibly close. His warm brown eyes searched your features for any sign of hesitation. Of rejection. Instead, you reached up to touch his face, pulling him in for a kiss before the ball even reached the bottom.

He smiled against you, leaning into the kiss. You could tell he’d been wanting this. Waiting for it.

And when it was over, a few minutes after midnight, if you were honest, he rested his forehead against yours for a moment before pulling you back against his chest. “I’m glad I came. Best New Year’s Ever.”

“I’m glad you did, too. And if you want…I, uh…I’d like to keep kissing you. Into the new year.”

He grinned. “Fuck yeah.”

Penelope Featheringon

Words: 1.0k

The Queen was no stranger to a good party. She loved the drama, the intrigue, the young love blossoming all around her. Which was why it was no surprise to you when invitations to a grand New Year’s Eve Ball arrived in the post. All of London was buzzing with speculation of who would wear what, who would dance with whom, and most of all, if the infamous Lady Whistledown would be in attendance, hashing out all of the details in a special holiday edition of her newsletter.

You, for one, couldn’t wait to find out.

As the evening unfolded, you mingled a bit. Reconnected with old friends you hadn’t seen in months, since the majority of the Ton had retreated to their country estates for the colder months. You watched as the Bridgerton brothers controlled the room. Every eligible lady and then some had their eye on them, much, it would seem, to Benedict’s dismay.

Meanwhile, you turned your attention to Penelope, who stood at the corner of the room. Listening. Watching. She was good at that, it seemed.

“Hey, Pen. You look lovely this evening.”

Her cheeks flushed pink at the sudden attention. So used to being invisible, it was hard, being seen. “Thank you. You look g-great as well, (Y/N).”

You smiled. “Thanks.”

The silence grew in the space between you. Like weeds in the pavement.

“I can’t believe it’s the end of another one. I feel it’s gone so fast. These last months, especially.” You said.

She nodded. “Yes, since October, it’s been quite the blur. Any prospects?”

You laughed. “None. Yourself?”

“Oh, no. It does surprise me, though. That you don’t have any.”

“Haven’t been social enough, I suppose. Mother keeps trying to drag me to parties, but I’m completely content at home with a good book and a glass of wine.”

“The solitude is nice. Gives one time to think.” Penelope said quietly, looking around the room. “Although, I don’t mind a party.”

You raised an eyebrow at that. “Really?”

“Not in the slightest. I think they’re quite fun. I like people watching. Listening to the drama. Mr. Silver over there, for example, just spilled champagne all over his wife’s new silk gown. Mr. and Mrs. Rose married in a hurry, but seem to be on rocky ground, despite seemingly being a love match.”

“Lust match, is more like it.”

Penelope laughed at that, nodding in agreement, making a mental note to use that for later.

“I guess I’ve never seen it like that. I’d been so focused on my own loneliness at these things that I never realized there was so much going on.”

“Well, if you ever do find yourself alone and unhappy, we can be alone together, if you’d like.” She offered, eyes sparkling with sincerity. And perhaps something more, though you couldn’t be sure.

You smiled, nodding. “I’d like that.”

As midnight approached, you wandered out onto the terrace, snow falling from the starlit sky. It was cold out, but you didn’t mind. It had been getting rather warm inside, what with the roaring fireplaces and the room full of people. It was quiet. Not to mention gorgeous.

You took a long moment to think. Penelope Featherington. Penelope. Someone you’d been friends with for so long. Someone who, you’d thought until tonight, had never carried anything but friendship in her heart for you…now, you weren’t so sure. For the first time, you’d seen something more in those wide, gorgeous eyes of hers.

Your next breath floated off into the sky, a puff of steam in the cold winter air.

“You’ll catch your death out here.” A voice said, the door to the terrace opening. It was Penelope, dressed in her cloak, clearly getting ready to make her escape.

“Where are you going?”

“Home. It is nearing the stroke of twelve and I wish to get home and rest.” She said. “Why are you out here?”

“I was getting warm in there.” You confess, though now, you’re trembling.

“Aren’t you hoping someone might kiss you when the clock strikes twelve?” She asked softly. “There are plenty of options roaming the floor, on the search for their victims.”

“That would be the other reason I am out here, then. I have no desire to have my lips…entangled with some of those bachelors. I have never had a New Year’s Eve kiss, none of them will be my first.”

“Neither have I.” She confessed, footsteps crunching softly in the snow. “A New Year’s Eve kiss, or…any other.”

“I could kiss you.” You blurted suddenly. “If you like. If not…forget I ever—”

“You would?” She asked, almost too quickly. Silence hung between the two of you, as thick and sparkling as the snow.

You stepped closer, footsteps crunching impossibly loudly as the murmurs of the party drifted up into the cold winter air. Vaguely, you could hear them counting. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was you and her. “I would. If you want.”

“I would like that very much.” She whispered as you finally stood in front of her.

Slowly, gently, you leaned forward, a tender hand touching her face. Her breath hitched, eyes flicking from one of yours to the other before finally landing on your lips, just as you closed the distance between the two of you. It was sweet. It was slow. It was everything you expected it to be and more. Her floral scent drifted through your nostrils, that intoxicating scent that reminded you of spring, even in the dead of winter.

When you pulled apart, you brushed the vibrant red hairs from her forehead before pressing another kiss there, as well. “Happy New Year, Penelope. Thank you, for letting me get a head start on my resolution.”

She smiled softly, gazing at you. “To kiss as many eligible women of the Ton as you can?”

“No, to kiss you.”

And as soon as those words left your lips, you soon found hers on them again…

#new year's eve kisses #new year's eve #fiyero x reader #cisco ramon x reader #penelope featherington x reader #digger harkness x reader #poe dameron x reader #captain boomerang x reader

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ladylooch · 1 day ago

Text

Bones - Part 12 [ Mack x David]

A/N: This is completely unplanned... but there is a birthday celebration in here for David! On our real life Inspo, Jake's birthday! I love when things shake out this way.

Anyways, happy birthday to Jake. And to Davey. And enjoy a lil slice of heaven with our two love birds.

Word Count: 4.5k

October

Fall in New York is magical. Not as magical as the holiday season, but still gorgeous none the less. The weather finally gets cooler. The leaves begin to burst in gorgeous colors of orange, yellow and red. Then right around the corner, hockey season begins. Hockey has ruled Mack’s life in one way or another since before she was born. She wasn’t old enough to be resentful of that like Lucie by the time her dad retired, but there is something about being in this club of Rangers WAGs that has Mack excited for the upcoming season.

She loves getting to spend so much time with her sister and her nieces. After everything that happened this summer with Tommy, Mack has really craved being around her family. She loves their spirit and protectiveness. But also the way they’ve rallied around David to support him through this difficult loss.

Yes, there are many things about the fall and hockey season beginning that she loves. But there is still one thing she hates:

Having to go back to sharing her husband.

Mack hates the reality of hockey season and how many days apart the two of them will spend. Mack wants to pretend that she has found a balance in her fourth hockey season as a WAG but that would be complete bullshit. She still struggles with what to say yes versus what not to. She still yearns for David whether she is on assignment and he is gone or home. But she does think she is getting better at it.

Especially when her husband treats her to nights like this. Back where it all started in a place with checkered table clothes and outstanding pizza. They recently added a to die for tiramisu to the menu that has no business being in a place as small and hidden as theirs. But it’s there. Delectable and mouth watering, just like the man who holds her left hand.

The two of them are walking in content silence back to their place. David holds their leftover pizza in his other hand. They’re dressed in dark jeans and sweaters. Mack has brown, high heeled boots on that slap the sidewalk with each step. David has on his own brown boots, worn and loved, with thick tan soles.

“What time does everything start tomorrow?” Mack asks as they turn the corner onto their street.

“I’ve gotta be there by 9. But Woody and I want to go early to hit the weight room.” Mack gives him a look. He shrugs. “It’s tradition.”

“You two are like an old married couple. Can’t do anything without the other.”

“I love that man.”

“That’s why you actually married me, right? So you could be related in some way.”

“You caught me.” He nods solemnly before his face breaks out into a smirk. “You know why I married you.”

“Why?” Mack asks innocently.

“For that wet, ass pu-“

“David.” Mack slaps her hand over this mouth, shrieking.

He grabs her hand, pulling it away, and then yells out: “Pussy!”

“Oh my god.” Mack widens her eyes at the people who turn to look.

“This is New York. They’ve heard worse.” David assures her. His arm goes around her shoulders, pulling her into the side of him so he can kiss her head. Mack sighs, closing her eyes and trying to memorize this feeling for the nights their bed is too lonely without him.

“I’m sad.” She finally admits to him. “I’m trying hard not to be, but I am.” David’s lips shift into a sideways frown. “I already miss you.”

“I know these next few weeks will be tough, honey.” He acknowledges. He pauses as they head up the steps. Philip hands over the door for David, letting him hold it for his wife as always.

“Have a good night.” He salutes them.

“You too!” Mack calls back.

“Camp always seems so long. Once the season starts, its more normal. Less like, team activities and bonding and class or whatever you guys do.”

David delays his response until the doors shut. Then he puts his hand on her opposite hip, backing her up against the wall. He steps in front of her, cupping her face with his other hand. Mack’s breath disappears from her lungs, eyelashes fluttering as he hovers over her lips.

“I’ll make you forget about all that tonight.” His lips brush hers, but refuse to stay there long. Mack’s eyes screw shut as he kisses down her throat, then sucks the sensitive skin at the crook of her neck. She turns her face into his, fingers collapsing into his hair as he forces her legs apart with his thigh.

By the time the elevator stops at their floor, Mack buzzes everywhere. Her nipples poke against the lining of her bra. Her panties are soaked through from grinding her crotch on top of his thigh. David pulls her out and down to their apartment in record speed. He fumbles with the keys as Mack reaches around to cup his hard erection.

“Fuck, baby.” He leans his head back to the ceiling, pausing for a moment. Then he pokes after the key hole with more ferocity.

When the door opens, David shoves Mack inside unceremoniously. The door slams behind them, then David backs Mack up to the wall quickly. Mack reaches behind her, feeling for the entry way table as he locks their lips back together. David grinds his hard zipper into hers. It’s not enough for him though. He hooks her leg around his waist then slams her back harder into the table. Mack’s breath stutters as his bulge brushes her clit. Her head falls back, hitting the mirror above the table.

A daze falls over Mack as her husband pulls away. He works open the buttons of her Levi’s, then his big hands slide around to grip her bare ass.

“Fucking need you, honey.” He growls.

Once his hands get her jeans off her feet, he picks her up with one arm around her waist. The other blindly tries to move stuff off the table so he can set her on top. Mack reaches back with him too. Their lips stay connected as things clatter to floor. Then Mack is on top. David spreads her legs wide before dipping his face down to her pussy, taking a long, hard swipe with his tongue. A gurgled moan gets stuck in Mack’s throat. Her hand comes to the back of his hair, keeping him there as she grinds into his face.

“So fucking hot, baby. Keep doing that.” His mustache tickles her clit as his tongue swirls around her wet entrance. Her inner walls collapse around his tongue as he steadily fucks her with it. “So fuckin’ sweet, Mackenzie.” He groans. He gets on his knees in front of her, a look that has Mack melting into his mouth when he puts it back on her. Arms and legs become goo as she hangs on, enjoying the build of his tempo and her orgasm.

“Ah.” Mack’s blissed out moan spits out of her lips.

“Sounds so beautiful.” He praises her. “So gorgeous when you come on my face. Can you? Please?”

His lips wrap firmly around her clit then he sucks, lapping his tongue along the swollen bud until Mack shakes on the skinny table.

“David!” She yells out when he keeps sucking her through it. “Oh! Oh!” She tenses up, David grips her thighs with both hands to keep them open. Then Mack collapses against the wall and the table. She begins sliding off of it, but David stands, re-adjusting her limp body back onto the skinny wood.

“Hell yeah. You're a knock out, honey.” He husks at her through gritted teeth.

David makes sure she is steady, before he works on unbuckling his belt. He shoves his jeans down his hips and half his thighs. He strokes his cock in his hand, squeezing the tip and moaning. He keeps stroking, licking his lips and looking at Mack. Everything about it is searing hot. Then Mack works her feet around his hips, pulling him into her.

“You can do that on the road. Right now you have me.” David chuckles, then kisses her as he eases himself inside of her.

David collects her wrists in his hands, then pins them above her head. Her skins smears smudges across the mirror behind her. As David increase his tempo, they get worse. Mack’s legs begin to shake and her body arches into him for more.

“Please.” She begs when he slows down. “Harder.”

David complies. He rails hard into her, shaking the table beneath his force. Mack feels slightly unsteady on the table, gasping in surprise which makes David stop. He steps closer to her, letting her wrists go and wrapping his arms around her waist to stable her. Then he unleashes into her.

“Oh right there! Yeah!” Mack howls out. She should be quieter now that they are back in an apartment building and so close to the door. But she can’t hold back. Not when he strokes her just right. Or how his balls slap up hard into her ass as he drills her down good. Mack comes loudly, curses and his name sliding from her puffy lips as she lets herself go.

“I’m sure the neighbors don’t miss that when we were at the farm.” David murmurs into her hair as he pauses for a beat. Mack giggles softly in presumed agreement.

His cock gently glides in and out of her as David savors the wetness of her latest orgasm. Mack hums, uncurling her fingers from his chest to grip his shoulders. With an idea, David pulls her off of him then the table. When her feet hit the wood floor, he pulls her onto the balls of them and nudges his cock into her from behind. One of his hands holds on her breast and the other spreads across her stomach.

Mack’s palms press hard into the entry way table, feeling it groan and sway like she does with each of his hard pumps into her. The wooden legs begin to wiggle harder. Mack moans for more. Then suddenly all she is holding in her hands is air. The table collapses under his vigorous thrusts, shaking the screws loose until they snap away from the wood. David's arms support her in place before her body can fall from its position.

The couple both groans in pleasure, then laughs to each other. Without the unsteadiness of the table, David drills down even harder. His strong arms hold her flush to his hips so her upper body is suspended in the air.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll build you a new one. Keep watching me fuck you in that mirror.” He insists, cupping her chin and turning her face to watch them.

Mack is in awe of what he is doing to her. How he doesn’t stutter or falter his movements. Just catches her body and keeps that pace like a damn machine. He keeps advancing on her, nothing stopping or slowing him down unless its at her request. David hooks her knee through his left arm, then forces her face onto the mirror over the broken furniture. Her cheek smudges join below the ones from her wrists.

“Tell me who’s you are?” David demands right when she’s about to reach her high.

“Yours! I’m yours, David!” Her hot breath fogs the mirror beneath her red cheek, making everything hotter.

David’s groan is primal this time as her third orgasm tugs and collapses around him, pulling his seed from his swollen cock. With it comes a string of explicatives and greedy praises of her pussy.

Mack is spent after they are done. A limp noodle in his arms as David smugly pulls her back into him, both feet on the floor. His fingers roll through her wet slit, teasing her stimulated clit until she shivers. Somehow, he still has energy.

“You’re insane.” Mack murmurs as he stands to his full height, almost unaffected by the orgasms he gave both of them. He strokes at her clit again, deliberate about asking for more. Mack grips his wrist and squeezes. She’s already had three. A fourth will have her covering this entry way and she isn’t open to that experience tonight.

“Could never have enough of ya.” He says simply, but respectfully.

He picks her up into his hands by her bare ass. He carries her to the bathroom where he sets her on the counter. He puts her heels on it, then wipes her clean with a wash cloth. Mack loves this part with him. She’s never had a man so diligent about after care and she’s glad this is the one she gets for the rest of her life.

Afterwards, he sets her down in the walk-in closet, then disappears out to the main area. He comes back with a tumbler of water and fresh cut peaches from the farmer’s market, setting them on her side of the bed. Before he goes to clean himself, he pulls back the comforter for her to crawl under into bed.

Mack is happily snacking when he returns.

“Gonna get peach juice all over this bed like a lil mouse.” Mack grins, then exaggerates sucking up the peach juice into her mouth.

“That was you earlier.” She teases.

“That will be me tomorrow morning too.” Mack giggles, cheeks turning pink.

“No, you’ll have to leave so early to hit the weights with Connor.”

“I would never, ever choose weights with Woody over sucking on your sweet puss, honey.”

“Puss?!” Mack shakes her head, choking on a slice of fruit for a moment. “You’re so weird, babe.” She offers him a peach.

“What’s weird about enjoying eating my wife’s pussy?” He pops the slice into his mouth, chews once then swallows.

“Calling it a puss is weird.”

“Okay I won’t call it a puss. Can I have another peach, owner of my sweet pussy?” He asks her. Mack giggles through his little pussy speech, eyes squeezed shut in pure joy at her funny, loving man. She hands over the bowl to him, signaling she is done.

As he eats the rest, Mack lays back into her pillows. She shuts her eyes for a moment, realizing how tired she really is. Her body goes still, unable to even adjust the covers over her shoulders better. The sound of the bowl resting onto David’s nightstand greets her ears, then she feels her body being pulled into his. The comforter is adjusted exactly where she likes it immediately after he gets her settled into him.

“Night, baby.” David whispers into her hair.

His breath smells like peaches and that’s the last thing Mack remembers before she falls into a well earned sleep.

- - - & - - -

February

“Are we starting? What do we need? We have to finish before Uncle Davey comes home!” Stella exclaims next to her auntie where she scrolls through the webpage on her phone.

“One sec, Stell.” Mack murmurs, looking over the recipe again.

“He’s gonna see us!” Stella complains.

“Probably.” Mack nods. “We have to mix all this up, bake it, let it cool, then frost it. So yeah, he’s going see the cake before it’s done. Let’s allow that to be okay.” Stella stares at Mack, then rolls her bottom lip into her mouth. “The act of us making the cake is the surprise.” She soothes her niece.

“Okay.” Stella nods, coming down from her anxious worries.

“Chocolate?” Winnie asks.

“Uncle Davey prefers vanilla.” Mack reminds Winnie. Again. For the fourth time.

“Oh.” Winnie sighs, becoming a lil humpbacked with disappointment. “I chocolate cake?”

“No. How about you and Stella go grab me the measuring cups?”

“Okay!” Winnie yells, taking Stella's hand to the cabinet.

Mack reads off the ingredients and baking supplies to the girls as they rush their little legs around the kitchen to grab them. When everything is set out on the counter, the girls begin. Stella gets to crack the eggs because she has more patience than her sister. Then Winnie gets to put together the dry ingredients to be sifted together. The whole ordeal moves along swimmingly except for a few hiccups. It’s all for the girls’ favorite Uncle after all.

Their favorite uncle who would rather stay in New York and watch their nieces then jet away for another Allstar break.

Lucie and Connor headed to Mexico on their own. Savannah and Lio were going to join them, but then decided to head to California to see Liv and Luca instead. Mack and David had thought about joining those two in California, and bringing the Wood girls with them, but ultimately, they both wanted to be home. Mack has traveled to seemingly every continent since the season started. She needs a break and to rejuvenate at her home base.

“Slow…” Mack murmurs to the girls as they work together to pour the batter into the greased cake pan. Mack holds the bowl while the girls scrape yellow spatulas across the surface.

“Wait! This has peanuts in it!” Stella suddenly exclaims.

“No.” Mack assures her. Sometimes Stella gets confused with almonds and peanuts. “There is almond extract in it. You can have that.”

“Oh yeah.” She nods then brings the spatula up to her lips. She snickers as she takes a big lick across it with her tongue. Winnie watches, then imitates her older sister.

“Stinkers.” Mack chuckles.

Mack takes the bowl over to the sink and begins to rinse it off. She glances at the oven and sees it is ready to go at the correct temperature. Then the front door opens. The two Wood girls clatter off their step stools and run over to their uncle, dashing to wrap his legs up with their little arms.

“Whoa!” He exclaims, pretending to almost fall over.

This is good. David being back will keep the girls away from the oven while she puts the cake in. Stella would be fine, but Mack doesn’t entirely trust Winnie to not try to crawl on top of the open door. With that in mind, Mack makes quick work of tucking the cake in. When she turns, she laughs at David sliding across the floor with a child on each leg.

“Leg day got to me. So heavy.” He complains to her. The girls burst into giggles.

“It’s us! It’s us!” Stella cheers.

“Cake!” Winnie yells, running over and slapping her hands on the glass door of the oven.

“Win, that’s hot. Please don’t touch.” Mack reminds her. Winnie gasps, then pulls her hands back in a worried hurry.

“Ow!?”

“Let me see.” David murmurs, coming behind her. He crouches down, enclosing her in his arms to take a look. Winnie leans back into the safety of his chest, then gives her palms to him. “Should I kiss 'em?”

“Ya.” Winnie nods seriously, blue eyes big with tenderness. Mack closes her eyes, chuckling as David smooches across her completely fine hands.

“How is that?”

“Good.” Winnie nods, then she runs off into the living room. Stella has disappeared down the hall, probably flipping through the new book her and David picked up yesterday called “History of Bridges.” She has become completely fascinated with architecture, roads, bridges, and other structural landmarks.

“Hi.” David wraps an around around Mack’s waist. She gets on her tip toes, kissing him in greeting. “What’s that?”

“A cake. For a certain birthday boy.”

“It’s my birthday?” He asks, feigning surprise.

“Yeah, another year older.” Mack pats his chest.

“Another year full of loving you.”

“Nice. Way to make me look like an asshole.”

“That’s why you married me.” He chuckles.

Mack knocks her knuckles jokingly into his chin. He exaggerates like she punched him then spins and dips her in the kitchen. Mack laughs into their kiss, tilting her head back to look at Winnie who drops a slobbery kiss on her forehead.

“Oh thank you.” She sighs happily at her niece. “Should we watch some TV?” Mack asks Winnie.

“Yeah!” She cheers, jumping into the air with her fist high like Super Mario. She scuttles around the island with David chasing her then flies onto the couch. Mack follows after checking in on Stella, who wants to stay in her room rather than watch the movie.

The three of them snuggle up on the couch. Winnie is on one side of David and Mack on the other. By the time the final credits roll, Winnie is sprawled across David’s entire body, taking up as much residency as she can on him. The cake is almost completely cooled, so Mack calls Stella back out to the main area. David disappears to his and Mack’s place, so the girls can decorate without him peeking.

Stella and Winnie are each given a side of the cake to decorate to keep things as fair as possible. Mack pipes out the words, ‘Happy 60th Birthday, David!’ snickering the entire time. Then she steps back and lets the girls go at it. Winnie completely covers her side in huge piles of sprinkles. Literally piles like leaves in the fall. When Mack suggests she smooth them out, Winnie simply said “No.”

Stella took a more meticulous approach, pressing in mostly blue and red candy beads in a clear pattern. Mack grabs the candles, then gives David a call to come back to the Wood apartment. He pops in, smiling at the girls sitting on the counter, beaming at him.

He comes to the other side of the counter, soaking the girls in as they enthusiastically sing him happy birthday. He looks down at the cake, mouth dropping open in shock when he sees the number 60. He swipes a big finger across the frosting, then wipes it on Mack’s cheek.

“Funny.” He says as Mack laughs so hard tears form in her eyes. David isn’t mad at all. He lets her recover them licks the frosting off her face for her. “Now it’s my favorite flavor.”

“Ew.” Stella mutters. “That’s gross.”

“Wish!” Winnie yells, eyes wide at the amount of sugar just before her finger tips.

“Hmmmmm.” David contemplates, bringing Mack into his arms. He looks over at her, smiling, then he kisses her tenderly. “Help me girls?”

Winnie and Stella oblige, so the four of them blow his candles out with him.

“I hope you all made wishes!” He exclaims as Mack heads across the kitchen to grab plates. The girls are impatiently patient as she cuts out four slices. They all head to the dining room table to eat. David raves about the cake and the girls beam excitedly, nodding along with his praise. The second the girls are done, they run around the living room together playing.

“What did you wish for?” Mack asks as her and David hold each other in the kitchen after cleaning up.

“More birthdays like this.”

Mack loves that and agrees.

This birthday has been different than the other ones they have shared. The previous ones were either adult oriented activities or a full out fuck fest. It’s been nice to celebrate her man in a way that aligns more with who he is: soft, full of love, and cozy. Although Mack is still down for the fuck fest if he’s willing to risk it for the biscuit.

The group orders pizza for dinner, then David opens all of his presents with both Winnie and Stella in his lap. They do more of the opening, but every time it’s not a toy, the girls are bummed. After, it’s time for the girls to get to sleep. Mack and David split bed time. She goes with Stella and he helps Winnie. Stella doesn’t need much help these days, so it’s really just a tuck in and a goodnight. As she is walking back to the living room, Mack laughs at Winnie’s head getting stuck in her pajama shirt.

“Win, ya gotta stop moving.” David chuckles, trying to get her to stand still for a second. She stops moving then stumbles head first into David’s chin. “Ow.” He murmurs, chuckling at Mack in the doorway.

“I sorry.” Winnie pats his chin softly.

“It’s okay.” He assures her.

Winnie takes his hand as he stands, leading her over to her bed. She wiggles under the covers including her arms then begins to giggle as David forces the comforter under her body.

“Win ‘itto!” She yells. A Winnie burrito - her favorite part of the night.

David and Mack both laugh.

“Goodnight.” Mack says first, smoothing Winnie's hair back.

“Bye.” Winnie calls, a little yawn stretching her mouth.

“Goodnight, bug.” David murmurs.

Then together, him and Mack head out to the living room.

“I’m tired.” Mack says through a yawn.

“Yeah, me too.”

They both look at the clock, deciding it’s too early to really try to go to bed. Instead, David grabs them both a glass of red wine and they put on an adult focused show. They get interrupted about an hour later by a crying Winnie. She launches towards David on the couch, gripping at his shirt to keep herself as close as possible to him.

“It’s okay. You’re safe, Win.” He murmurs quietly, rubbing her back. She shivers in his arms. David wraps a blanket around her then clasps his hands around her back. “You can lay here with us for a bit.” He soothes her. She nods.

Within ten minutes, she’s out as hot puffs of air hit David’s neck. It’s not long before David is falling asleep too. His head falls back to the couch cushion, mouth open with soft snores. Mack smiles, running her hand through his hair after the movie finishes. On instinct, he flinches then pulls Winnie closer.

“Sorry.” He murmurs, then looks down at the sleeping child. “I’ll bring her back to bed.”

David sleepily moves through the apartment. Mack clicks off the TV then follows him down the hall. She waits for him as he untangles Winnie from his body. He yawns hugely afterwards, grabbing Mack's hand to lead her down the hall to the bedroom they're staying in.

As Mack changes into her pajamas, David strips down into shorts. They go through their night time routine- brushing teeth, washing faces, putting on night creams, before falling into bed together.

“Love you, honey.” David mumbles. Mack barely is able to respond before he is out again.

As David sleeps, Mack thinks over their fun day. There was something a lot more meaningful about this year. It leaves a happy glow in her chest as she replays it in her memories, wanting to remember every moment of it. She wasn’t sure what to expect about having Winnie and Stella for almost a week together, but it’s been a good surprise. They’ve found a comfortable routine. They’re handling any issues that come up in real time. Then they get to fall asleep together in happy, satisfied lumps at the end of another successful day completely in sync.

Mack's eyes slowly blink open, staring at the ceiling.

Maybe…

Mack isn’t sure how to complete that thought, but she can sense something beginning to shift inside of her. Something fundamental that began as a whisper and now is a gentle coo.

Maybe she could see herself with a life like this after all.