#but i thought the ONE thing that i could start now without having to wait to start the 'rest of my life' is therapy
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I loved this and therfore have many thoughts
Early September was brutal in southern California. Each day seemed hotter than the one before it, and even the smallest bit of yard work was enough to leave Bradley sweaty and miserable. He stood in the middle of his front yard, eyes closed, thinking about how beautiful autumn was in Virginia when he was a kid. He leaned against the handle of the rake, picturing a pumpkin patch, a corn maze and all the things he would never find in San Diego.
ļæ½ļæ½ļæ½ļ潚„ŗš„ŗ
What he didn't mention was the fact that he often still felt like a bit of an outsider in town, even though he attended all the neighborhood potlucks and still had some blond in his hair from hanging out on the local beaches all summer.
Poor Bradley š„ŗ
"And you like the neighborhood?" you asked, fully facing him now with a smirk on your face. He shrugged the best he could without moving too much. "I might like it better now."
Oh he is such a flirt š¤
Then there was the day you bumped into him coming out of the salon next to his barber, and he complimented your colorful nails at the same time you told him his haircut looked nice. He blushed, and you smiled before turning toward your car, glancing back at him a little expectantly.Ā
So cuteš
"Why's that?" you asked, placing your hand on your hip while you held up a head of cabbage. "You're a picky eater?" He shook his head and took a step closer to you. "The exact opposite. I love food.Ā I will eat literally anything that is edible." "I guess it makes sense that you love food," you told him with a smile. "You're a big boy." Your gaze drifted down along his shoulders and chest before you started to look a little embarrassed. "I... yeah... I think I'll just grab whatever looks good and take it from there. See you on Friday night?" "Yeah," he grunted as you walked toward an eggplant display. He would see you on Friday night. And he would be prepared ahead of time to ask you out.
He definitely is rehearsing, asking her out in front of the mirror as soon as he is home š¤
Once again, your laughter had him ready to drop what he was holding and reach for you. He had to ask you out tonight. It had been weeks already since you moved in, and you were definitelyĀ giving him a green light. He could think of a dozen different restaurants he wanted to take you to, and maybe you'd like the artsy little movie theater.
It's so cute that he has all these ideas already š„¹
He ran his hand over his face and groaned, parking in front of the restaurant and yanking his keys from the ignition. If he'd just asked you out that day, maybe he'd be picking up twice as much food and sharing it with you tonight.
Oh he is regretting all his life choices right then and there
The air was silent except for the muffled sound of food being prepared in the kitchen behind him. Your eyes looked so sad as you shook your head and pressed your lips together. "No. No, I'm sorry, Bradley."
Oh noooošš„ŗ
For the first time since he moved toĀ California, the air outside was too cold. There was an uncomfortable knot in his stomach as he glanced over at your car. He shivered miserably as he saw the shadow of someone waiting in your passenger seat. Then he drove home and ate alone in his kitchen before going to bed.
He is heartbroken before anything even happened š š„²
Today was Halloween, and he spent over an hour carving some of the pumpkins to look like soccer balls before dressing in his usual costume. Handing candy out to the neighborhood kids and trying to guess what they were dressed as sounded like fun. He was determined to have a good night, even if he did have to angle the folding chair on his porch so he was facing slightly away from your house. He would enjoy himself no matter what.
š„ŗš„ŗš„ŗ
"Where's Raphael?" he asked as they collected their candy.Ā Leonardo laughed and said, "Nobody wants to be Raphael. He's the lamest one." "I would have to agree," Bradley replied, about to help himself to a piece of candy as they started to run to the next house.
I feel like Rooster is good with kids because he has the same interests as kids it seems š
"Hi," you replied immediately, looking from his mustache to the whistle around his neck and back up to his visor. "Are you seriously dressed as Ted Lasso?" "I always dress as Ted Lasso," he told you, and he was rewarded with a smile that made him want to follow you around the neighborhood like a lost puppy.Ā
Oh he 100% would
TheĀ kid nodded but said, "You need to call it a football." Bradley found himself agreeing. "You're completely right. It's only proper."
Come on Bradley, get into your roleāš»
Your eyes were alert, scrutinizing his expression as you said, "His name is Max. He's almost ten." "He looks like you." You went silent for a few seconds, fiddling with the soccer ball in your hands. When you finally spoke, you were looking at Bradley's feet. "I knew you didn't know about him. I mean, youĀ didĀ ask me out after all." You laughed even though nothing was funny and finally looked up at his face. Then Max started to walk back the way you and he came, and you followed him.Ā Bradley called your name. When you turned back, he said, "To be clear, I would have still asked you out if I'd known." And then you looked so sad again.
š„ŗš„²š
"It's a spicy buffalo dip," you replied,Ā smileĀ growing. "I literally made it with chicken from a can. I'm pretty sure you could trick them into thinking it came from your kitchen. You can even take your tortilla chips, too."
She truly made it thinking about him š„¹
His fingers tightened on the handles when you took a small step closer to him. This was agony, being so close to you when he really wanted to touch you, but knew he couldn't. He whispered your name at the same time you looked up at him and started talking.Ā "Max isn't my son. He's my nephew. But I'm his legal guardian now." Bradley's lips parted, but you shook your head and quickly added. "The night of the last potluck, I got a phone call that my brother and his wife were in a car accident. They both died before they reached the hospital. I had to pick Max up from soccer practice that night, and he's been with me ever since." Tears were welling up in your eyes as Bradley tried to shuffle your crock pot to one hand. He knew how badly this kind of thing hurt from his own childhood. "Shit. I'm really sorry the two of you are going through this. But Max is lucky he has you." When you nodded and shrugged, you looked resigned to the way things were. "I'm also pretty sure Max prefers it when you call it football. Not soccer."
ššš
Almost a year later, Bradley was standing in his front yard, smiling at theĀ SOLDĀ sticker placed on a realty sign in front of your house. It made sense to have you and Max move into the white cottage with him, because the porch was bigger. It was the perfect size for an elaborate Halloween display.
It was over almost as quickly as it started, and Bradley was ready to drop to his knees and beg you for more. But you were rambling now, and he was trying his best to focus. "I wanted you to ask me out so badly. But then everything changed, and I had to tell you no. Max has a lot he still needs to process, and I don't really have time to date someone who just wants to mess around with me." For the first time in many weeks, Bradley felt lighter than air. He reached out with his free hand and let his knuckles trail gently along your cheek and down to your softly parted lips. "I'm forty years old. I'm kind of over the messing around stage," he promised. And then you were kissing him again.
Ahhhh this is perfect šš„°š„³š„¹š
I love it!! I feel like this is a role Bradley would thrive in, because of him loosing his parents young too, he would try the hardest and kinda knows what it can feel like or a person in a situation like that needs š„¹š«¶š»
California Autumn | Rooster x Reader
Summary:Ā Bradley was drawn to you the minute you moved onto his street. You seemed to bump into one another everywhere, and each time he saw your smile or heard your laugh, he knew he had to ask you out. He wasn't expecting the answer you gave him, just as you weren't expecting to wish he could be the man for you.
Warnings: angst, fluff, adult language, mentions of accident/death, guardianship of child
Length: 3500 words
Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader
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Early September was brutal in southern California. Each day seemed hotter than the one before it, and even the smallest bit of yard work was enough to leave Bradley sweaty and miserable. He stood in the middle of his front yard, eyes closed, thinking about how beautiful autumn was in Virginia when he was a kid. He leaned against the handle of the rake, picturing a pumpkin patch, a corn maze and all the things he would never find in San Diego.
The sound of something bigger than a car coming down his quiet side street had him cracking his eyes open against the Saturday afternoon sun. A U-Haul lumbered to a stop in front of the house across the street and one door down. The engine settled to silence, and he craned his neck to get a better look.Ā The property had been sitting there with a red and whiteĀ SOLDĀ sticker over the realty sign for what seemed like months, and now it would appear as though he finally had a new neighbor.
Bradley dropped the rake and had to lunge to grab the handle before it clattered against his stone pathway. The woman who climbed out of the truck, hopping down onto the street in some beat up sneakers, was beautiful. The sun seemed to illuminate her from the inside, and now Bradley was setting the rake down softly as she walked around the truck and slid the back open. It was filled with furniture and boxes, and he watched as an avalanche nearly flowed out as she tried to move one item.
"Shit," he grunted, running across the street as he wiped hisĀ dirty hands on the hem of his undershirt. "It looks like you could use a hand," he called out, hoping he wouldn't scare you when he came up behind you just in time to catch a dining chair that was teetering above your head. Then the neatly stacked boxes started to give out as well, and his left hand went to steady them.
You were ducking slightly, preparing for the worst when Bradley realized your back was pressed against his chest. If he moved, there would be a lot of broken furniture to contend with. But then you glanced at him over your shoulder as you stood to your full height, eyes wide and lips parted in surprise.
If you looked beautiful from across the street, then you looked stunning up close, trapped between his body and the truck. "Welcome to the neighborhood," he mumbled like an idiot, but he was rewarded by the smile that curled along your lips.
"Hey, you're pretty good at being neighborly," you replied, gesturing to his right hand holding the chair and his left securing the stack of boxes. His heartbeat quickened at the sound of your voice and how close you were as you told him your name and asked which house was his.
"I'm Bradley. The white cottage across the street." He nodded toward his mess of a front yard with his chin. "I moved in about six months ago."ļæ½ļæ½
What he didn't mention was the fact that he often still felt like a bit of an outsider in town, even though he attended all the neighborhood potlucks and still had some blond in his hair from hanging out on the local beaches all summer. At the moment, all he could do was fight the urge to tell you how pretty your eyes were.
"And you like the neighborhood?" you asked, fully facing him now with a smirk on your face.
He shrugged the best he could without moving too much. "I might like it better now."
Your eyes widened a bit before you ducked your head, looking up at him with a surprisedĀ smile like you couldn't quite believe what he'd just said. And that's when Bradley heard another vehicle pull up behind him. "That would be my friends. Here to help me unpack."
He wanted to joke that it looked like you needed all the help you could get with your furniture avalanche, but he heard several voices calling your name and rushing over to help. He was invited to stay, but when he was finally able to safely back away without anything falling, he realized four other people were there to help you out.
Your eyes were still focused on his as he started to back away. "I'll see you around?" you asked before chewing on your lip.
"I would count on it," he confirmed, turning back toward his house so you could get settled into yours.
But he did hear one of your friends ask, "Who isĀ he?"
"Bradley," you replied, just barely loud enough for him to hear. "From the white cottage."
--------------------------------
After that first encounter, he saw you everywhere. You were pulling into the parking spot next to his Bronco when he came out of the grocery store. When he asked how you liked your new house, it sparked a conversation about hardwood versus porcelain tile flooring, and Bradley's ice cream was completely melted by the time he got home.
Then there was the day you bumped into him coming out of the salon next to his barber, and he complimented your colorful nails at the same time you told him his haircut looked nice. He blushed, and you smiled before turning toward your car, glancing back at him a little expectantly.Ā
Then he ran into you at the farmer's market where you were buying vegetables for the upcoming neighborhood potluck. You asked him what he thought you should make.
"Well, I'm the wrong person to ask," he replied, feeling a little lightheaded as his brain begged him to ask you out on a date.
"Why's that?" you asked, placing your hand on your hip while you held up a head of cabbage. "You're a picky eater?"
He shook his head and took a step closer to you. "The exact opposite. I love food.Ā I will eat literally anything that is edible."
Your bright laughter cascaded across his skin as your head tipped back. The expanse of your neck looked smooth and perfect, and Bradley wanted to have your permission to put his lips there. And that was a startling thought since nobody had really caught his attention like this since he was first stationed in San Diego. Nobody made him feel like he was at home in his house before you started waving to him whenever you saw him outside.
"I guess it makes sense that you love food," you told him with a smile. "You're a big boy." Your gaze drifted down along his shoulders and chest before you started to look a little embarrassed. "I... yeah... I think I'll just grab whatever looks good and take it from there. See you on Friday night?"
"Yeah," he grunted as you walked toward an eggplant display. He would see you on Friday night. And he would be prepared ahead of time to ask you out.
----------------------------
"No," you gasped. Bradley recognized yourĀ voice and turned around to face you in Mrs. Diaz's kitchen. "That'sĀ what you brought to the potluck?" You sounded appalled, but you were clearly smiling as you looked at what he was holding.
"I told you I liked to eat food, not that I knew how to cook anything."
"Bradley," you groaned, shaking your head at the bag of chips and jar of salsa in his hands. "This is bad. Next time, I'll prepare two dishes so you can pretend you made one."
His heart skipped a beat at the idea of handing you things in his kitchen and watching you make something as nice as the lasagna you were holding. "It's useless," he replied with a frown. "After six months of bringing restaurant style tortilla chips and medium salsa, nobody would believe I cooked anything."
Once again, your laughter had him ready to drop what he was holding and reach for you. He had to ask you out tonight. It had been weeks already since you moved in, and you were definitelyĀ giving him a green light. He could think of a dozen different restaurants he wanted to take you to, and maybe you'd like the artsy little movie theater.
But he watched you get swept up in conversation after conversation, and then the opportunity slipped away when you ducked away from everyone to answer a call. You had a concerned look on your face with your phone pressed to your cheek, and then you were rushing out of Mrs. Diaz's house and along her front path before you disappeared from view.
Suddenly it was well into October, and he'd barely seen you at all. There were a few mornings that felt cool enough to coax him to buy some pumpkins for his front porch. He thought about taking one over to your house as an excuse to finally ask you out, but he figured you must be pretty busy right now. Maybe work got a little crazy. He tried not to imagine that someone else had asked you out and that was the reason why you were so scarce.
"Damn," he grunted when he drove his Bronco past your house on his way to get some takeout for dinner on a Saturday night. He just couldn't stop thinking about you. Why didn't he ask you out that first day when he saved you from your dining chair? He ran his hand over his face and groaned, parking in front of the restaurant and yanking his keys from the ignition. If he'd just asked you out that day, maybe he'd be picking up twice as much food and sharing it with you tonight.
A minute later, when he turned to leave the restaurant with his bag, he could not believe his luck. You were walking inside. "Hey."
You glanced up, and for the briefest second, you smiled at him like you always used to. "Bradley." But then your smile started to fade away slowly, and he would do anything to bring it back.
His heart was pounding, and his brain was screaming at him, so he squared his shoulders and did the only thing he could do. "Hey, if you're free tomorrow night, I was thinking maybe you and I could get dinner? Or hit up the movie theater on Pomona? The seats are uncomfortable, but they show some indie stuff which could be fun. Or maybe another night might work?"
The air was silent except for the muffled sound of food being prepared in the kitchen behind him. Your eyes looked so sad as you shook your head and pressed your lips together. "No. No, I'm sorry, Bradley."
Well, fuck.
He backed away from you until he bumped into the wall, and then he focused on getting to the door. "Right," he replied after he had a few more feet between your body and his. "Well, I'll see you around the neighborhood."
For the first time since he moved toĀ California, the air outside was too cold. There was an uncomfortable knot in his stomach as he glanced over at your car. He shivered miserably as he saw the shadow of someone waiting in your passenger seat. Then he drove home and ate alone in his kitchen before going to bed.
---------------------------------
Bradley tried his best not to think about you. One day last week, when he saw your front door swing open, he waited to step down from his porch so you wouldn't have to wave awkwardly to him. And yesterday, for lack of anything better to do, he bought more pumpkins, and he waited in his driveway to unload them until you carried all of your groceries inside your house.Ā
Today was Halloween, and he spent over an hour carving some of the pumpkins to look like soccer balls before dressing in his usual costume. Handing candy out to the neighborhood kids and trying to guess what they were dressed as sounded like fun. He was determined to have a good night, even if he did have to angle the folding chair on his porch so he was facing slightly away from your house. He would enjoy himself no matter what.
Bradley lit the candles inside his pumpkins and dropped down into the chair with a bowl of candy as the afternoon sky turned dusky. It didn't take long until a toddler dressed as a witch made an appearance with her dad, and Bradley had a good laugh when she reached for three pieces of candy.
"Trick or treat!" shouted three kids dressed as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
"Where's Raphael?" he asked as they collected their candy.Ā
Leonardo laughed and said, "Nobody wants to be Raphael. He's the lamest one."
"I would have to agree," Bradley replied, about to help himself to a piece of candy as they started to run to the next house.
But then he saw you. And you weren't alone. You were dressed as a soccer player, complete with knee socks and a soccer ball, and you were accompanied by an approximately ten year old kid who looked a lot like you. He was also dressed as a soccer player, and he smiled at Bradley as he said, "Trick or treat."
Bradley stood up, still holding onto the bowl of candy so the child could make his selection while he got a better look at you. "Hey."
"Hi," you replied immediately, looking from his mustache to the whistle around his neck and back up to his visor. "Are you seriously dressed as Ted Lasso?"
"I always dress as Ted Lasso," he told you, and he was rewarded with a smile that made him want to follow you around the neighborhood like a lost puppy.Ā
"Of course you do," you said, letting your gaze drift toward the child who was currently looking closely at the soccer ball pumpkins while holding onto a Snickers bar. "Somehow you match with us."
The boy looked up at Bradley and asked, "Did you carve these yourself? They look pretty good."
"Yeah," he replied, wishing he actually had taken the time to drop a pumpkin or two off on your porch. "I have perfected the soccer ball technique, kiddo."
TheĀ kid nodded but said, "You need to call it a football."
Bradley found himself agreeing. "You're completely right. It's only proper."
When the kid turned back to explore the rest of the pumpkin display a little more, Bradley took a step closer to you. "I didn't know you had a son," he said softly.
Your eyes were alert, scrutinizing his expression as you said, "His name is Max. He's almost ten."
"He looks like you."
You went silent for a few seconds, fiddling with the soccer ball in your hands. When you finally spoke, you were looking at Bradley's feet. "I knew you didn't know about him. I mean, youĀ didĀ ask me out after all." You laughed even though nothing was funny and finally looked up at his face. Then Max started to walk back the way you and he came, and you followed him.Ā
Bradley called your name. When you turned back, he said, "To be clear, I would have still asked you out if I'd known."
And then you looked so sad again.
------------------------------
To Bradley's amazement, the weather finally cooled to the perfect temperature in November, but he found he didn't want to be outside as much. It was a shame, because if he stood in the middle of his yard and closed his eyes, he could almost imagine he was in Virginia.Ā
One Friday after work, he cleaned the slightly rotten pumpkins from his porch and dragged his trash bin to the curb. Your front door was open, and he paused to see if you or Max happened to walk past it before heading back inside his empty house.
There was another potluck tonight, but he just didn't even feel like going. He had the usual chips and salsa on his kitchen counter, but he had no desire to socialize with the neighbors. He was about to change into gym shorts and surrender to a cold beer and a basketball game on TV when there was a knock on his door.
When he glanced through the front window, he saw that it was you, and his heart seemed to drag him toward the door. He was turning the knob before he thought better of it, and he was met with your wide eyes and a crock pot in your hands.
"Hi. Bradley."
"Hey." He swallowed hard before he said your name, and your lips turned up into a soft smile. "Is that for the potluck?"
"Yeah," you said, reaching out to hand the crock pot to him. "Well, I actually made it for you to take. Max and I will be bringing lasagna again."
Whatever Bradley was holding smelled so good, his stomach started to growl. "I can't take this. Nobody will believe I made it," he murmured, nudging at the lid with his thumb.
"It's a spicy buffalo dip," you replied,Ā smileĀ growing. "I literally made it with chicken from a can. I'm pretty sure you could trick them into thinking it came from your kitchen. You can even take your tortilla chips, too."
His fingers tightened on the handles when you took a small step closer to him. This was agony, being so close to you when he really wanted to touch you, but knew he couldn't. He whispered your name at the same time you looked up at him and started talking.Ā
"Max isn't my son. He's my nephew. But I'm his legal guardian now." Bradley's lips parted, but you shook your head and quickly added. "The night of the last potluck, I got a phone call that my brother and his wife were in a car accident. They both died before they reached the hospital. I had to pick Max up from soccer practice that night, and he's been with me ever since."
Tears were welling up in your eyes as Bradley tried to shuffle your crock pot to one hand. He knew how badly this kind of thing hurt from his own childhood. "Shit. I'm really sorry the two of you are going through this. But Max is lucky he has you." When you nodded and shrugged, you looked resigned to the way things were. "I'm also pretty sure Max prefers it when you call it football. Not soccer."
You laughed, maybe in spite of yourself, but Bradley still loved how it sounded. You briefly glanced over your shoulder toward your house and swiped at your tears as you said, "He absolutely does. He also keeps asking me about Ted Lasso across the street and hisĀ footballĀ pumpkins. I told him you're nice."
Bradley's heart had him dragging his feet closer to you, holding onto the warm pot of buffalo chicken dip for dear life. "Is that so?"
You nodded and stared at Bradley's chest for a few seconds before meeting his eyes again. Your lips parted several times before you whispered his name, and he leaned in a bit closer. After a few seconds, he started to step back, but your hand settled lightly on his shoulder, stopping him. Before he could react, you closed the remaining space, pressing your lips to his in a tentative kiss.
It was over almost as quickly as it started, and Bradley was ready to drop to his knees and beg you for more. But you were rambling now, and he was trying his best to focus. "I wanted you to ask me out so badly. But then everything changed, and I had to tell you no. Max has a lot he still needs to process, and I don't really have time to date someone who just wants to mess around with me."
For the first time in many weeks, Bradley felt lighter than air. He reached out with his free hand and let his knuckles trail gently along your cheek and down to your softly parted lips. "I'm forty years old. I'm kind of over the messing around stage," he promised. And then you were kissing him again.
The three of you walked to Mrs. Diaz's house together that evening. Bradley carried the crock pot, you carried the lasagna, and Max carried the tortilla chips. The conversation was mainly focused on how badly Max wanted to learn how to carve a football pumpkin.
Almost a year later, Bradley was standing in his front yard, smiling at theĀ SOLDĀ sticker placed on a realty sign in front of your house. It made sense to have you and Max move into the white cottage with him, because the porch was bigger. It was the perfect size for an elaborate Halloween display.
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Thanks for reading this angsty yet fuzzy little fic. I hope your Halloween is sweeter than Bradley Bradshaw. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls and @thedroneranger
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I Can't Sit Still
The lads men noticing that youāre fighting yourself to just sit still. [Requested by: luxis-journal]
Zayne
Zayne was being awarded tonight and all you needed to do was say a few hellos and sit pretty for the night. Why did your anxiety jitters have to kick in now? Those few hellos had turned into half an hour small talks with one too many people. Zayne was quite the hot topic amongst the healthcare community; it almost seemed like he was a celebrity. You being the beautiful woman on his arm it was only natural that people were curious about you as well. The night seemed to drag on as the mingling continued. Finally when everyone was seated at their respective tables for the showcase you thought this would help you relax. However the damage had already been done.
Your leg bounced furiously under the table while your fingers moved your silverware aimlessly. āAre you alright my love?ā Zayne whispered in your ear pulling you back to reality. āIām fine why?ā You responded snapping your spine straight. You felt him place a hand on your thigh calming your ever bouncing leg. His palm was warm and you could feel your self relaxing into his touch. āYouāve been eerily quiet and you canāt seem to sit stillā Zayne studied your face as you glanced over your shoulder at the many people in the room. āI'm not good in social settingsā You sighed ļæ½ļæ½ļæ½It gives me anxiety as a matter of fact I think I may be sweating my deodorant off right nowā You wrung your hands as your eyes continued to ping pong around the room.
Your gaze landed back on Zayne who couldnāt help, but look at you with concern āIf youād like to leave I can have them send my award to the hospitalā That was just like him willing you drop everything for you, but you couldnāt let him do that. āThis is a big night for you I'll be fine Dr. Zayneā You smiled and kissed his cheek.
You were not fine.
Which is why Zayne did not stop worrying about you. The second he was called to receive his award, he gave a brief thank you speech and next thing you knew his fingers were intertwined with yours and you were quietly slipping out the room without a single goodbye or explanation.
He held the car door open as you folded yourself into the seat. You watched him circle the car and waste no time getting in and pulling out of the parking lot. āZayne you didnāt have to do that we could have at least stayed for dinnerā You tried to talk some sense into him as he glanced down and placed his hand on your thigh. āLook at that itās no longer bouncingā
Rafayel
Attending these art exhibits with Rafayel was nothing new except tonight you two had to travel outside of the country for this one. Rafayel acted as a translator for you since he was fluent in many languages, but it did nothing to calm the rising anxiety in you. With the language barrier and the unfamiliar environment your anxiety was reaching its peak. You'd gone deathly quiet after an hour and found yourself hanging onto Rafayels arm while subtly hiding behind him.
You mindlessly thrummed your fingers on your leg and constantly fought the urge to keep adjusting your dress and rubbing your neck. You were about as slick as sandpaper though of course Rafayel noticed your fidgeting immediately.
āWhat's wrong?ā He questioned, cupping your face. āThis is a lotā You whispered, gesturing to the crowd. He scanned your face for anything else that you might be hiding. āThen letās leaveā He didnāt give you a chance to object before he was puling you by the wrist towards the nearest exit.
By the time you reached the street Rafayelsā driver was already there waiting. He promptly guided you into the car and climbed in behind you. āRaf you have got to stop disappearing during your own exhibitsā You said, pushing his shoulder when he started chuckling to himself. āThose snobs arenāt worried about me as a person theyāre more occupied with who can buy my work for the highest priceā
āStill you didnāt have to leave just because I canāt sit stillā You pouted. Rafayel leaned in close almost touching his nose to yours āYou keep me sane through these if youāre uncomfortable then Iām uncomfortableā
Xavier
Xavier loved to read and eat hotpot with you and since today was chilly it was the perfect weather to stay in and do just that. The plan was to stop in Barnes & Noble, buy a few books and head back home quick and easy. Too bad you ran into a group of people you know and you hadnāt mentally prepared yourself for any kind of small talk.
Xavier noticed you constantly pulling on your sleeves and wringing you hands. He could tell you were hanging on by a thread trying to be nice and keep the conversation going.
āI don't mean to interrupt, but I'm not feeling well baby can we go home?ā Xavier calmly grabbed your hand and stared deep into your eyes hoping he did the right thing. A subtle smile curved on your lips as a silent thank you for getting you out of this conversation. āMy bad Xav letās get you homeā You quickly dismiss yourself from the conversation, grabbed your books and headed home. A wave of relief washed over you when you slumped against the passanger seat.
āThank you so much I was about to start speaking nonsense if that conversation went on any longerā You kissed Xaviers cheek making him blush. āIm glad I could helpā He muttered while rubbing his neck. Heās so cute when heās flustered.
Sylus
Sylus couldnāt stand seeing those puppy dog eyes you gave him whenever he had to leave for something. Your tactic of keeping him occupied in bed wasnāt working either apparently this meeting he needed to get to couldnāt be rescheduled. So here you were sitting at the head of a long table with all eyes on you and Sylus.
Why did he have to sit you on his lap?
Many men brought different jewels and business prospects to Sylus as you fiddled with the hem of your shirt. As one of the men in the room rambled on about ā¦. whatever the fuck ā¦. you mindlessly shook your foot and constantly adjusted on his lap only for him to move you back to your original position. Sylus leaned in to whisper in your ear after yet again readjusting you on his lap. āSweetie I canāt have you sitting at that angle you're crushing my ballsā You felt a wave of embarrassment wash over you. Here you thought he was just trying to whisper sweet nothings in your ear like the smooth talker he is. āYouāre shaking like a puppy in the rain what's the matter, tell meā
You drop your head to stare at your hands as you whispered āI donāt like how much attention is on meā Sylus nods as he takes in your words. āCan you sit still for an hour or would you like to leave?ā You knew how important this meeting was for Onychinus so you tried to suck it up and stay still.
That just made it worse.
Sylus noticed your movements becoming more frequent and jerky. āLetās goā He said under his breath. He stood abruptly from his seat cradling you in his arms. He ordered Luke & Kieran to stand in for him as he disappeared from the room with you. āIm so sorry I canāt control itā You hid your face in his chest feeling like you ruined his entire meeting. āNo worries Princess I saw all I needed to see and I wasn't impressedā He readjusted to hold you a little higher. āBesides your anxiety seems to be winning this internal battleā
Your head snapped up at his accusations āI donāt-ā He cut you off with a stern look āDonāt lieā
You bury your face in his chest again āDonāt judge meā Your words were muffled. āIām not judging youā You looked up to find him staring down at you with a tender gaze. āLetās get you back in bedā
#love and deepspace#sylus love and deepspace#sylus#lnds sylus#love and deepspace sylus#lads#lads rafayel#lads xavier#lads zayne#lads sylus#lnds rafayel#lnds zayne#lnds xavier#zayne love and deepspace#rafayel love and deepspace#xavier love and deepspace#nikaaaaimagine
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And then i go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like i love you.Ā
Part 7 of 12
Synopsis: Kissing butt and moving forward
Pairing: unrequited JJ x Reader, Eventual Rafe x Reader
Warnings: sleazy old men being creepy, mild mentions of SA
Before you start this chapter, please listen to this song, this is pivotal to understanding y/nās thoughts during the last scene. https://open.spotify.com/track/4zXuYQNDmw3dlauyc8q3Kd?si=646c78b4897948b6Ā
masterlist
ā------
The country club was alive with the usual hum of polished interactions: the soft clinking of glasses, the shuffle of wait staff in black and white uniforms, and the low murmur of conversation filling the grand, gilded ballroom. Y/N moved through the space, her tray steady in her hands as she refilled water glasses and delivered drinks with practiced ease. Her eyes darted from task to task, trying to stay focused, but something gnawed at her.
She could feel the weight of JJās breath on her lips, the sting of his casual response when sheād told him how she felt. The memory of his pity-kiss made her stomach turn even now. It was hard to escape the feeling that something had irrevocably shifted between them. She didnāt want to think about itānot today. Today, she wanted answers, or at least a sign that things hadnāt fallen apart entirely.
She caught sight of him across the room, missing the usual smirk as he wiped down a table, leaning over to clear away dirty glasses. She walked toward him with a steadiness she didnāt feel. A few steps from his table, she hesitated, unsure what to say, but the chance to confront him felt too important to waste. Her heart was already racing before she even spoke his name.
"JJ."
He looked up, his blue eyes meeting hers for the briefest moment, but something in his expression shifted immediately. There was no warmth, no recognition of the awkwardness between them. He glanced over her shoulder, then back at her. āNot now, Y/N. Iām busy.ā
The dismissal was swift, practiced. He didnāt even try to hide the way his gaze flitted away, settling on the next table with a customerās request. As if she wasnāt there at all.
Y/N stood still for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. His back was already turned before she could say anything more. She swallowed hard, forcing her feet to move, the space between them suddenly feeling vast.
Before she could retreat further into herself, her manager appeared in her line of sight, his face set in the familiar, detached mask he wore when he had work for her.
āY/N,ā he called sharply, already holding out a clipboard. āYouāre on for the private event tonight. Bikini server.ā
The words hit her like a punch in the gut. She didnāt need to hear anything else. She knew exactly what that meant. A private partyāone of those parties. The kind that everyone whispered about in the break room, and which most staff avoided at all costs. But there was no avoiding it when it was assigned.
Her stomach sank, and her mouth went dry as she reached for the clipboard without a word.
āGet dressed and head to the back. The eventās starting soon.ā
She nodded mechanically, but inside, her pulse was already hammering. She had never done this before, however she heard about it from the other servers. the uncomfortable leers, the condescending smiles, the silent assessment of her in a bikini by a room full of men who didnāt care who she was as long as she was serving drinks. It was part of the job. She didnāt have a choice.
As the manager walked away, a memory crept into her mind. The last time sheād been assigned to a private event like this, JJ had intervened. She remembered him, laughing loudly and knocking over a tray of glasses in a clumsy but deliberate mess. His excuse to their boss had been thin, but it had workedāheād saved her from being part of that atmosphere.
āIf it ever happens again, just call me,ā his words echoed in her mind. āIāll have your back.ā
She was grateful then. Grateful for the distraction, the sudden sense of safety, the way heād made sure she didnāt have to endure the sleazy men and their eyes. But now, as she stood in the hallway, her phone gripped tightly in her hand, she couldnāt shake the feeling that she was on her own this time.
Y/Nās fingers trembled as she pulled out her phone and unlocked it. She scrolled through her contacts until JJās name appeared. The hope that maybeājust maybeāhe would come through for her again flashed in her chest. He promised she thought, swallowing hard.
She hit the call button, and the phone rang once. Then again.
With every passing second, her heart beat harder against her chest. The ringing seemed to stretch on forever, her breath quickening as the screen flashed with each new ring.
"Come on, JJ," she whispered, tapping the phone to her ear again.
The voicemail kicked in before she could brace herself. The robotic voice was the final blow.
She let out a shaky breath, her thumb hovering over the screen. Then, without thinking, she recorded a message, her voice quieter than she meant it to be.
āHey, JJā¦ itās Y/N. I, uh, I just wanted to remind you of what you said last time. You know, if something like this happens again, youād have my back? Well, Iām going to that party tonight. And I could really use you here. But, you know, whatever. If youāre busy...ā
Her voice cracked as she tried to finish, but the words stopped. She felt ridiculous, desperate. It wasnāt supposed to sound like this.
She cleared her throat and ended the message, but the silence afterward felt deafening. She hit āsendā and stared at the screen, willing him to call her back.
When it went to voicemail, she just stood there for a moment, her heart sinking deeper. Her thumb hovered over the phone, but she didnāt press anything.
He's not coming.
She shoved the phone back into her pocket, the weight of it dragging her down. A last, fleeting sense of hope ebbed away, and she squared her shoulders. She wasnāt going to let it stop her. She couldnāt.
Her mind whirled, her thoughts a whirlwind of frustration and disappointment. She stuffed the phone into her pocket, straightened her shoulders, and forced her feet to move.
She passed by the staff locker rooms, the faint chatter of colleagues filtering out as they prepped for their own assignments. She moved past them with her head down, barely noticing the stares, her mind consumed by the scene ahead.
The ballroom loomed before her, its golden chandeliers gleaming in the dim light, the sound of clinking glasses and muted conversations pressing against her. She could already feel itāthe weight of the menās eyes, the way they would look at her like she was nothing more than the drinks she was about to serve.
But she kept walking, one foot in front of the other. It was just another job. She had to do this.
She could almost feel the eyes on her as she entered the ballroom. The air felt thick, heavy with expectation. She could already imagine the looks she would get, the comments they would make, the way her stomach would twist every time a man would glance at her with that knowing look.
Just get through it, she told herself. Just get through it.
ā
The sound of clinking glasses and low conversation buzzed around Y/N as she awkwardly navigated through the crowd of older men in dark suits, her tray trembling slightly in her hands. She hated the smell of expensive cologne mixing with the stale air of the country clubās ballroom, and even more, she hated the way they looked at herālike she was nothing more than a decoration in a bikini, a piece of scenery for their business deals.
Y/N had been coerced into working this private event by her boss, who couldnāt care less that she was underage and shouldn't be serving drinks to these men. It was a way to make quick cash, and as usual, she had little choice. The job wasnāt worth the pit in her stomach, though. She could feel the eyes on her, too many stares lingering longer than they should. The glances from the men made her skin crawl.
Then, a hand gripped her wrist.
Y/Nās head snapped around to see a man, probably in his sixties, staring at her with a smug grin. The warmth of his hand made her skin crawl as he tugged her closer.Ā
"Hey, sweetheart," he slurred, his breath smelling of whiskey. "Can I get another drink over here?" His eyes lingered too long, the leer obvious.
She tried to pull away, her heart racing. "Please, let go," she said firmly, but he didnāt budge.Ā
The manās grip tightened as his eyes roved over her body. "You donāt need to be shy, darling."
Without warning, he slapped her hardāhis hand making a sickening smack as it landed on her bare skin. Y/Nās breath caught in her throat as the shock rippled through her, and she stumbled back, barely managing to steady herself. A sting bloomed across her backside, where his hand had landed.
She couldnāt stop the hot wave of humiliation that flooded over her. Her mind screamed for escape, and she bolted, running away from the man and the crowd of leering faces.Ā
Y/N didnāt even know where she was going until she found herself outside, standing in the dark, hands shaking. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she wiped them away quickly. She needed to get out.Ā
"Hey!" A voice called out from behind her, and she turned, startled.
Rafe Cameron stood in the doorway, looking out of place in his designer clothes amidst the worn-out, sea-washed buildings of the country clubās back lot. He mustāve been checking out his yacht nearby. His eyes softened when they landed on her, and it was the first time she noticed how different he looked, how much the usually cocky and aloof guy seemed almostā¦ concerned.
"What happened?" Rafe asked, his voice low and serious, and it took her a moment to realize he wasnāt mocking her.
Y/Nās heart pounded. "Iām fine. Justājust go back inside." She tried to sound confident, but it came out more like a plea.
Rafe stepped closer, his gaze flicking over her. "Donāt bullshit me. Youāre not fine." His eyes flickered to her side, where the imprint of the slap was already beginning to show a bruise that would likely darken by morning.
Without thinking, Rafe reached out, his thumb brushing over the mark. His touch was gentle, almost tender, and the contrast between his usual arrogant demeanor and this softness caught her off guard. He leaned down slowly, pressing a kiss to the bruiseājust the slightest brush of his lips against her skin.
It wasnāt anything like what the men had done. It was nothing like the way they touched her.
Y/N froze. It wasnāt just the kiss. It was the kindness, the way he seemed to care, the way he wasnāt treating her like an object. For the first time in forever, she felt like someone actually saw her.
Rafe pulled back, his eyes searching hers. There was a moment of silence where neither of them knew quite what to say. His eyes softened, but then, Y/Nās voice cracked the tension in the air.
āYou kissed my butt.ā Y/N blinked, her brows knitting in confusion as she looked at him.
āIāI kissed your bruise. Not yourāyour butt!ā Rafe stammered, his face flushing an almost comical shade of red. āLook, it was an accident, okay? I just saw the bruise, and I wanted toā¦ you know, I donāt knowā¦ make it better?ā
She fought a smile as she crossed her arms, feeling a mix of disbelief and amusement. āYou kissed my butt.ā
āNo! Iāwell, I didnātāokay, I did, but it wasnāt like that,ā Rafe blurted out, his hands flying up in a panic as if he could somehow reverse the ridiculousness of the situation. āIt was just a reflex, alright? You looked like you were in pain, and Iāugh, God, this is coming out so wrong.ā
Y/N couldnāt help it. A laugh bubbled up, escaping before she could even stop it. The sheer awkwardness of the moment was too much, and she felt the tension break in a way she hadnāt expected.
āYou kissed my butt,ā she said again, this time with a grin that reached her eyes.
Rafe groaned, his hands rubbing his face in frustration. āPlease, donāt tell anyone about this. I swear, Iāve never been this embarrassed in my life.ā
But Y/N wasnāt listening to his rambling. She was still laughing, and somehow, it made her feel lighter, like the weight of the world inside her chest wasnāt so suffocating anymore.
Rafe stood there, frozen and awkward, clearly unsure if he should laugh along or hide from the humiliation. But as the moment stretched on, his gaze softened. He stepped closer, his fingers brushing against hers.
"Youāre not alone, Y/N," he murmured, his voice dropping lower, his usual bravado gone for a second. āIāve got you.ā
Y/N looked at him, really looked at him. She didnāt feel like a piece of the scenery anymore, didnāt feel like she was something to be discarded or objectified. Rafe had done something stupid, sure, but it was more than that. He hadnāt treated her like a thing; heād treated her like a person. And despite the chaos, despite the awkward kiss on her backside, for the first time in a long while, she felt seen.
And in that quiet, vulnerable moment, she didnāt hold back. Her heart thumped in her chest as she reached up, pulling him toward her and pressing her lips to his. It was desperate and unguarded, the kind of kiss that said everything they hadnāt said yet.
Rafeās hands found her waist instantly, his grip firm but gentle, pulling her closer. It wasnāt about the kiss anymore. It wasnāt about the confusion or the embarrassment. For once, Y/N didnāt feel like she was something to be pitied or tolerated. She felt wanted. She felt enough.
When they finally pulled apart, the world felt different, as if everything had shifted on its axis.
Rafe was still watching her, his gaze full of something she couldnāt quite place. But there was one thing she knew for sure now.
āIāve got you,ā he whispered again, his voice soft but sure.
And in that moment, she knew she wasnāt alone anymore.
---
Bonus
---
A week passed, and life seemed to go back to normalāsort of. Y/N tried to bury the memory of the country club party, but it lingered in the back of her mind, along with Rafeās unexpected tenderness. The days since have been nothing but amazing. It wasnāt just the kissāit was everything heād done. It was like he saw her, really saw her, for the first time.
She was walking to the market when she passed by the country club, feeling the familiar weight of the place she had hoped to forget. Her steps faltered when she saw the manager standing outside, suitcase in hand, looking disgraced.
She blinked, then did a double take. The manager was leaving. Wasnāt he supposed to be working tonight? And wasnāt it just a few days ago that sheād overheard him muttering about having another event to handle?
Curiosity gnawed at her. She approached one of the other servers, trying to sound casual. "Hey, what happened to the manager? He looks... well, he looks like heās not coming back."
The server looked around nervously before shrugging. āYou didnāt hear? He got fired, like, out of nowhere. No one knows why. They said itās something to do with his behavior at the last event. Real bad stuff.ā
Y/Nās heart skipped a beat. She felt the adrenaline start to pump through her veins as the pieces began to click together.
---
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and Rafe showed up at her house unannounced, she felt the need to ask. They were sitting on the porch, sharing a silence that felt strangely comfortable, the air still warm from the dayās heat.
She finally broke the quiet. āRafeā¦ about the manager at the country club.ā
He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into that cocky grin that always made her stomach flip. āYeah?ā
Y/N hesitated, watching him closely. āDid you have anything to do with him getting fired?ā
Rafe didnāt flinch. He didnāt even look at her, just took a slow sip of his drink, exhaling with a lazy grin, fully relaxed. āWhat, you think I got him fired?ā
Y/N studied him, her pulse quickening. She could read him well enough nowāhe was hiding something, but whether it was guilt or pride, she couldnāt tell. āDid you?ā
Rafe's eyes locked onto hers, the usual playful spark in his gaze replaced with something deeper. He shrugged like he was too cool to care, but there was a quiet intensity in his gaze. āMaybe. Maybe not. Doesnāt really matter, does it?ā
Y/Nās stomach did a flip. There was no regret in his voiceājust that casual, confident air that made her feel both at ease and a little... nervous. But it wasnāt just the words; it was the way he said them. Rafe didnāt do things by half-measures, especially not when it came to her.
āI donāt want to be your charity case, Rafe,ā she said, her voice steady despite the tightening in her chest. āI donāt want you doing things like that for me.ā
Rafe leaned back in his chair, the air around him thick with the kind of confidence that made everything else fade into the background. His eyes never left hers. āYouāre not a charity case, Y/N.ā He set his drink down slowly, his voice dropping an octave, and she felt it in her bones. āIām not doing anything for you that I wouldnāt do for anyone I care about. But if you think this is me doing you some big favor, youāve got it all wrong, it's just how I handle things.ā
He let the words hang there for a moment, like he was giving her space to process, but the message was clear. He wasnāt some guy looking for recognition, and he wasnāt going to apologize for taking care of things in his own way.
āYouāre not weak,ā he continued, his voice dropping lower, more serious. āYou donāt need anyone to fix things for you, but that doesnāt mean Iām just gonna sit back and let people treat you like shit.ā
His gaze softened, his tone just a little more intense, and Y/N felt a rush of somethingārelief? Gratitude? Maybe a little something else she wasnāt ready to admit.
Rafe wasnāt looking for credit. He wasnāt trying to be her knight in shining armor. He was just doing what came naturally to him: protecting the people he cared about, even if it meant taking down someone whoād crossed the line.
He didnāt say more, but the quiet confidence in his words was enough to make Y/N realize that he had her backāwhether she liked it or not. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.
-----
Next up: happy times
-----
Taglist:
@hockeybabe87 , @idiotussupremus , @certifiedhaters , @oatmealisweird, @sluggmuffin , @maybankslover , @ren-ni, @wh0reforbucknasty
-----
a/n :)
#obx4#obx#outer banks rafe#rafe cameron#rafe x reader#rafe outer banks#rafe fanfiction#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron imagine#rafe cameron x y/n#jj maybank x reader#jj maybank#jj x reader
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Cat claws
Day 2: Scarred.
Summary: Maybe he can forgive Nuts.
ā¢āāā¦āāā¢
Word Count: 1177
Warnings: cat being mean to hazel :(
A/n: azzie just loses his mind in tis lmao nd you cant blame him hazel's the most adorable little thing ever š„¹ yall just wait till she begins talking azs going to sob his eyes out (subtle foreshadowing š)
@azrielappreciationweek
ANYWAY ENJOYYYY š„³
Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢āšāā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°
Azriel watched, amused, as Hazel attempted to crawl towards the black furry creature that sat in the corner licking its paw.
Hazel had only started crawling a week or so ago, and Azriel absolutely loved watching her drag herself around. It was often amusing to see her get angry when the carpet slowed down her movements when it caught on her clothes, or when she bumped into the couch and glared at it.
She would always turn to search for Azriel when that happened, letting out the loudest yell her tiny body could muster as if ordering him to get rid of the offending item.
Even barely eight months old, Y/n always said Hazel had her fatherās ability to glare and grumble.
Azriel always scoffed in return to that statement before forcing himself to stop and realise him being grumpy only proved his mateās words to be true.
Hazel was currently looking at her father with her brows furrowed, and Azriel blinked, coming back to the present as he realised she was trying to move over the carpet. He grinned at the anger on her face and stood, bending down once he was close enough to pick her up.
He set her down closer to the cat Y/n had insisted on getting after Hazelās birth, her reasoning being that their daughter needed a friend and then named him Nuts.
Hazel and her best friend Nuts.
āGet it? Hazel-Nutsā She had giggled.
It made Azriel laugh back when she had suggested it, but soon enough heād realised she was not joking. At all.
Azriel watched on with a smile as Hazel reached Nuts and tried to grab his fur. Nuts walked away without a look in her direction, which always pissed Azriel off. Who did the creature think it was?
"Azriel, thatās a cat. He does not understand how to act with a baby-" Y/n called out from the kitchen, having peeked into the living room to see what had caused her mate to get so mad that his emotions reached her through the bond.
"Well how long does it take to learn? I swear to the mother one day I'm kicking him out if he continues to bully my daughter."
Azriel heard Y/n sigh and walk closer to him as Hazel crawled towards Nut again. He now sat closer to the hearth, where a fire burned red to ward off the winter chill that was beginning to set over Velaris.
"Az-"
But Azriel did not hear the rest of Y/nās sentence.
His ears began ringing as he stepped forward as if in a daze, eyes sharp on the raised paw of Nuts, who, having seen Hazel get close to him again, tried to hit her.
The firelight glinted off his claws.
And then Hazelās loud cries filled the room as her head reared back, eyes clenched shut in pain.
She had a habit of flopping on her back when she was mad. Azriel had never really worried too much about that particular habit of Hazelās until now, when she was too close to the fire and the tiniest movement would end up with her-
No, Azriel did not want to complete the thought.
In that moment of panic, Azriel did not care that there was a glass covering separating the fire from the room, and that no matter what Hazel did, she would not be able to be burned.
In that moment all that mattered to Azriel was that the fucking cat living in his house had the audacity to hurt his daughter.
Azriel grabbed Hazel, frantically looking over her to check for her injuries. There werenāt any big claw marks, but the tiny scratch on the chubby flesh of her upper arm connecting it to her shoulder made Azriel see red.
He turned to glare at Y/n as he pulled Haze close.
"I am telling you Y/n. If by the time I return, that bastard is not out of this house, I will drop him into the sidra myself."
Y/nās eyes were helpless, but Azriel did not wait for a moment longer as he walked out of the main door and took flight, his only mission to find Madja and get his daughter healed.
He did not want her to be scarred like the hands cradling her.
Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢āšāā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°
Flying back home, Azriel decided that he needed some time alone to figure out why he had reacted so harshly.
He knew Y/n had been right. Nuts was an animal. He did not understand how to treat babies. But Azriel did not want to admit that.
The stars were out, so clearly visible as Azriel flew his daughter back home. It had been over an hour since heād left the house in such a hurry, wishing he could strangle the cat.
He had taken to the skies after Madja had assured him that Hazel would be fine, and had his emotions not been so high and panicked, maybe Hazel wouldnāt have cried at all. After long moments of being assured by Madja, Azrie finally calmed down and left.
"Iām sorry baby. Did I scare you?" Azriel mumbled, glancing down at his daughter who stared up at the sky with wide eyes. She only giggled back in answer.
The innocence in the sound made Azriel smile.
The smile faded just as quick as it had come when his eyes fell on his hands cradling her head and back.
They once were soft and smooth like Hazelās. They once had grabbed his own parents hand with as much love as he now grasped his daughters. Only now, they were uglier.
If Y/n heard his thoughts, she would have yelled at him and forced him to say they were beautiful. But Azriel knew better. They werenāt, and they never would be.
The only thing he liked even a little about his hands was the fact that their texture was so different from otherās hands, Hazel always immediately figured out she was in her fatherās arms.
Y/n always talked about how the same scarred hands he despised were the reason she and Hazel felt safe. Those words echoed back to Azriel when he began doubting himself. It always made him feel better.
Hazel squealed loudly when Azriel dipped lower, air pushing gently against her back.
She was so pure, so innocent. She did not even know of the cruel world she was born in.
And Azriel swore to keep it that way. He had hoped the world outside his fatherās dungeon would be better, once, and quickly realised that there were people in the world that would pounce at the chance to scar innocent souls just for the sadistic pleasure of ruining their lives.
He did not want her soul to turn out as scarred as his too.
As he finally landed on the front porch of his home and heard loud meowās coming from inside, he contemplated letting the cat stay.
Maybe a catās claw scratch was not that bad.
Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢āšāā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°ā¢Ā°
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A Teachers Crush
Pairing ā Yoon Jeonghan x afab!Reader
Summary ā Falling for your coworker was never a good idea and it was no surprise that at one point things couldn't go on the way it was anymore...
Genre ā fluff, angst, kindergarten!au
Warnings ā kisses, some cursing
Word Count ā 3.1k
Rating ā pg-13
A/N ā I got it done @tusswrites ! Have fun with teacher!hannie my luvāØļø
Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by Ā©soo0hee on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!
Working with Yoon Jeonghan was delightful and a nightmare all at the same time.
For one, he was an amazing coworker. Reliable, loyal, funny, kind, helpful and so many more things you could name that would probably tale ages if you had to list them all.
He was wonderful with the kids you and him taught together and he was definitely one of their favorite teachers in the entire kindergarten! Watching him play with them left you feeling warm and fuzzy. Butterflies were flying wildly inside youāre your stomach every single time without fail.
On the other hand, you felt like your heart would explode if you stayed in his proximity for to longā¦ What could you say? You were crushing hard on your coworker and there was nothing you could do to stop it.
Handing you your favorite mug with little blue snowflakes covering the porcelain surface early in the morning send a small tired smile on your lips.
āThank you.ā You yawned, flipping mindlessly through the book you planned on reading with the kids later in the day.
āIs it time for The Gruffalo again, hm?ā Jeonghan snickered at your sighes.
āWell unless you got something better planned for todays morning circle, then yes. Itās time for The Gruffalo.ā You shrugged.
It was only 7:24 am, meaning the only teachers who were around were you and Jeonghan, at least for another half an hour and you were sure that the first kid would arrive soon. In fact, you could hear the happy babbling of the first boy with his mom in the hallway while hanging up his jacket and putting on his indoor shoes.
A little did you dread the encounter with the kids mom. Not because she was a rude person, no! But you knew that when this woman started talking, there was no way she would stop soon. Sometimes you really wondered how she got to work on timeā¦
āGood morniiing, Miss y/n!ā You almost jumped at the sudden voice of in front of you. You hadnāt even notice that the boy appeared in the group room until he stood right in front of you, waiting to greet you.
It was custom for you that once the kids were inside, they would greet you one by one so you knew that the child arrived and the child in return felt seen by you. It didnāt mean that it always worked, especially if there are a lot of kids arriving at the same time and someone slips past you into the room. But now you did notice.
āGood Morning, Chan! How do you want to say hello? Do you want to shake my hand, fist bump or high five?ā you asked the boy who thought for a second about his options.
āHigh Five please!ā
Holding up your hand so he could easily reach it you gave him a High Five and let him go to decide what he wanted to do next.
Chan walked to the small couch you had tucked away in a more quiet corner of the room where there were books on a shelf on the side and a well loved TonieBox with itās storytime figurines. Soon the theme track of PawPatrol was heard as he calmly flipped through a book about the fire department. He did this every morning without fail, rather choosing to play by himself while waiting for the next kid to come that he could play with instead of playing a game with you or Jeonghan. Some kids simply had their routines they needed to follow to feel comfortable and that was fine with you. After all, you, Jeonghan and the other teachers did the same thing when arriving.
āDoes he have his lunch in a box today, or will he be eating with us?ā Jeonghan asked, standing behind you, now with his hand resting on your shoulder. It took a lot from you not to flinch in surprise, especially when you felt his thumb gently caressing the skin that wasnāt covered by your sweater.
Feeling significantly warmer by the second at his touch, you shut the book that was still open and set it aside for later.
āChannie has his lunch in his bagpack today and would it be possible to pick him up a bit eralier today? I know you have your pick up times bit we have a doctors appointment later today and it would be really stressful to be on time for that if I come later.ā
You nodded. āOf course! Just ring the bell and someone will let you in then.ā
The mother put her hands together as a thankful gesture and said goodbye to her son once more. Chan barely registered his mother talking to him as he was absorbed in the adventure of the firemen on his pages. He muttered a quiet, āBye mommy!ā without looking up and his mother was out the door just when as the next girl arrived and the entire spiel started anew.
However seeing the tears spill from Lilyās eyes at the prospect of having to let go of her dad you got up, missing the warmth of Jeonghans hand on you almost immediately, to approach them.
You wiped her tears with a tissue from the box to your left and held out your arms which she willingly fell into while hiding her face in your shoulder.
āShe didnāt sleep that well tonight, so sheās a bit grouchy.ā Her father sighed sadly.
āOh, thatās okay. We all have nights like that, donāt we?ā you coed at the girl in your arms while running your hand over her back to sooth her little sobs.
Lily nodded hesitantly but evidently calmer then just a moment before.
Knowing that his daughter was okay with you, he said goodbye eliciting a little whimper from the girl.
āWanna waveā¦ā She sniffeled loud enough so you and her father could hear her.
The famous āWaving Windowā was something the kids loved to go to in the morning. It was a window that they could see their parents once more and wave to them while they walked out to their cars.
āWant me to come with you? Or do you want to wave alone?ā
āWith you...ā
Her father nodded in understanding, told her goodbye and left you and Lily to go to the Waving Window.
Together you watched a woman walk by with her dogs, before pointing to the man waiting for his child to wave goodbye.
Leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest Jeonghan couldnāt help but smile at the sight on the window. Lily was still snuggled into your side but now much calmer and conversing with you and another girl that had just come in about the dogs you had seen.
Ever since you had come to work with him few years ago, he had slowly gotten to know more about you and how you ticked.
To those you didnāt know and who didnāt know you, you could seem standoffish, quiet and desinterested in others, but not long into your partnership he found out just how delightful you really were. Soft, kind, funny, determined, loving. All words he would use to describe you and in quiet moments like this, it showed the most.
Free from the stress of the day you were able to take the time you needed with the girl to bond. Something that sometimes fell through with 25 kids per class who all needed or wanted your attention at the same time.
āAdmiring your work wife again, huh?ā Soyeon, the teacher from a different class came in and teased at witnessing his star struck face and the male felt his cheeks heat up.
āWhat? No! I was not-ā
The woman raised her eyebrow and Jeonghan fell silent with a huff.
āOh shut it.ā
-----------
The day was surprisingly calm if you were being honest. With the cold weather the season brought with it, quite a few kids were sick and stayed at home and around lunch time, your group of 25 was reduced to 14 in total.
Calm.
While the kids ate their food with Jeonghan helping where he was needed, you went to the other room besides yours where you had a small library to put the book back where it belonged. The giant box on top of the shelf containing some paper you needed to prepare an activity for the next few days mocking you as it was to high for you to reach on your own.
āJeonghan? Can you come over here?ā You called and his face promptly appeared in view.
āDo you need something?ā
āYeah can you get the box down from there?ā You pointed to the shelf, pouting that you couldnāt do it yourself.
The man laughed quietly and came in, dogging your weak slap to his shoulder.
āStop laughing!ā
āIām not, I promise!ā
Unimpressed you tilted your head.
āJust help me, you idiot.ā You couldnāt stop the smile at his antics and stuck your tongue out at him.
Jeonghan came to a stop and your heart faltered when you realized that he was merely inches away from you, grabbing the box and took it down just to lean even closer.
āHereā¦ā
The words suddenly seemed to be stuck in your throat and for a moment you were frozen as you felt the warmth of his breath fanning over your skin until-
āAre you going to kiss now?ā
You jumped in shock. Riki, one of the older boys stood in the door giggling at the sight of his teachers being face to face like this.
Neither of you had noticed the door slowly closing behind the male teacher just like neither of you had noticed the boy opening it again.
āNo!ā you squeaked while Jeonghan almost dropped the box in his hands.
āGo back to your seat and eat, Riki Nishimura!ļæ½ļæ½ļæ½ Your coworker rushed out, looking every bit as embarrassed as you felt.
Situations like this werenāt new, for neither of you. They happened all the time and at this point you should be used to it.
After all, for months your kids thought you and Jeonghan were married and it took a lot to convince them otherwise.
āBut why arenāt you married?ā Mari, one of the younger girls wanted to know, not understanding why you werenāt. You had stammered out a half hearted explanation which didnāt leave them satisfied but they also didnāt ask any further.
The worst however was when even the parents started making little comments here and there.
āYou okay?ā
āYeah! Y-yeah, Iām good.ā You swallowed and quickly left him standing there. Jeonghan stood there for a few moments longer. Rikis words had shifted something in him, something he had tried to bury deep down within him.
They echoed in his mind over and over again.
āAre you going to kiss now?ā
No, but he wanted to.
And he had wanted to for so long already, he wasnāt quite sure when it had started.
Was it when he hot to know you? Or when he saw how much you loved what you did?
Or maybe when he realized just how much your eyes sparkled when he talked to youā¦ how his heart sped up when he heard you laugh about something.
He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts and back to reality. A reality where you had run from himā¦
---------
You felt awfull.
After having run out on Jeonghan you had done everything you could so you didnāt have to talk with. Way to embarrassed by the realizations that had been kick started. So much so, that you didnāt know how to act around him going forward.
You fell silent every time Jeonghan stepped into the room, avoided looking at him and only spoke to him when you absolutely had too.
It irked the man to no end to see you so quiet. Dull almost.
Want to meet up tonight? Go out for drinks with me, Soyeon, Nayeon and Shua? ā received 5:34 pm
Staring down your phone you considered not answering his text. You had done so before and if you had then with short answers only.
The prospect of meeting in private after having avoided him for almost 2 weeks and you missed him. Kind of.
Iāll be there ā sent 5:46 pm
The bar was just a few minutes away from your apartment by bus and you were determent to have some fun tonight even if you had to play the game of faces and after a few to many drinks you were sure you could get through the night without to much drama.
It was a fun evening, laughing at what Joshua said, Soyeons dad jokes and Nayeons playful flirting with the waiter. That was until you watched Jeonghan chat with the barkeeper a little to smiley when getting their drinks.
Your eyes were glued to the scene at the bar, not able to look away as you suddenly felt tears filling your eyes.
āI have to go.ā You suddenly said, cutting of the conversations your fellow teachers had been having, still staring.
āWhat? Why? Canāt you stay a bit longer?ā Nayeon whined at the prospect of having to let you go already. Joshua on the other hand followed your eyes and understood why you wanted to leave. They werenāt blind. None of the were and all of the had seen the switch in you flip to what ever was happening.
āWill you be safe?ā he asked ever the gentleman to which you just nodded.
āYeah, Iāll text you when Iām home.ā
āPromise?ā
āPromise.ā
Joshua helped you up, catching you when you stumbled a bit before wrapping his arms around you for a quick hug.
āTell him, I promise I wonāt go bad.ā
āGoodbye Shuaā¦ā
With that you were out, walking to the bus station closest to the bar just as Jeonghan came back to the table.
It was cold, only wearing a thin leather jacket over your dress and shivering when you saw the little 11 on the display next to your bus number. You took a deep breath, filling your lung with the cold air cleared your mind and made it fuzzy all at once.
Having seen the barkeeper you knew you couldnāt compare to that. She was pretty, thin, big boobs and a beautiful face and if Jeonghan was as attracted to her as it had seemed like, then you were no match with someone like that.
You didnāt know if you could keep working like that if you had to watch Jeonghan be happy.
Happy with someone that wasnāt you.
āYouāre leaving already?ā Jeonghans voice startled you out of your thoughts.
āYes, Iām tired. Ready for bed and allā¦ā you hummed out, looking down at your feet and tightening the hold around yourself.
He slowly came to stand by your side. You could feel his eyes burning into the side of your head.
āY/n, please talk to meā¦ what happened to us?ā
You swallowed harshly, continuing to avoid his stares.
āNothing happened. We just didnāt have time to talk much recently.ā
The man scoffed.
āWe did have time, you just chose not have any and I want- no, I need to know why!ā
Turning around to face him you found him staring right into your eyes. Your knees threatened to buckle underneath you.
āJust let it go, Jeonghan. I just want to go home!ā you sighed. You werenāt in the mood to talk and you sure as hell werenāt in the mood t look at his soft eyes longer then you had to.
āNot until we talk. Your bus as still a few minutes away and I need to knowā¦ Is this about what Riki said? If what he said made you uncomfortable, then Iām sorry. Heās a kid, Iām sure he didnāt mean it.ā
āItās not about that!ā you said now a bit louder, catching the attention of the people around.
āThen what is it about? Because ei donāt get it! One day we could talk about every thing and the next you wouldnāt look at me. Is the though of kissing me that disgusting to you? Is that it?ā
āNo! Itās not and that is the problem!ā
Shocked by your admission you stepped back, trying to get away as fast as possible.
āWhat?ā Jeonghan stood there, eyes blown wide and looking every bit as beautiful as always.
āJust go back inside. Iām sure the others are waiting for you.ā
āI wonāt, because when if I heard that right- if I understand what you just said, rightā¦ then that would mean that-ā
ā-I would actually love to kiss youā¦ā
Jeonghan bridged the distance with a few quick steps, cupped your face with his hands and huffed, āGood.ā Before his lips crashed into yourās. He knocked the breath out of your lungs and you pulled back only an inch before staring back up at him and surging forward to meet him again.
His soft lips moved smoothly against yours desperate and loving all at once and you knew you didnāt want this moment to end. Hands around his neck, you pressed your body against his, felt his right hand wander to the back of your neck to firmly rest there and his left falling to your waist.
The bus arrived, let passenger in and drove off again.
You couldnāt care less.
You were in absolute bliss at the moment. Kissing the man you had longed for so long like your life depended on it until you had to stop to gasp for air. His nose brushing against yours and his lips merely an inch away from your own.
āI hope what ever doubt has been manifesting in your mind is now gone.ā Jeonghan whispered earnestly and all you could do was stare.
āAnd I want you to know that I would love to kiss you againā¦ until youāre so tired of it that you really will run from me.ā The smile he gave you made your heart beat 3 times faster.
āBrave of you to think that will be the case.ā You teased back followed by a wink.
#the diamond life network#k-library#k-labels#k-vanity#seventeen#yoon jeonghan#yoon jeonghan x reader#yoon jeonghan x you#yoon jeonghan x y/n#yoon jeonghan imagines#seventeen x reader#seventeen x y/n#seventeen x you#yoon jeonghan fluff#seventeen fluff#divider by cafekitsune
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a simple favor | stiles x reader
masterlist
pairing: stiles stilinski x f!reader (enemy/witch)
word count: 7,120
warnings: language, banter, minor blood, allusions to sex *gasp* but no smut (sorry!)
summary: despite being self-proclaimed "enemies", you manage to drag stiles to your house for help with a spell...and maybe more.
author's note: hi friends! hope everyone is doing as well as they can be, and hope i can offer up a small distraction. i'm back with another witch!reader x stiles fic but this exists in a universe in which you are a "bad guy" and stiles can't stand you...for now ;) more deets at the end! also please just roll with me on any witch stuff idk if anything is accurate to witch lore, i feel as if with magic the rules are made up anyway so i'm doing what i want :)
āHi!ā
āAH- Jesus, what the hell are you doing here?ā Stiles jumps before his face contorted in annoyance.Ā
He was on his way to pick up Scott. For some god forsaken reason his best friend wanted to get a tattoo before they started junior year and Stiles was meant to āsuperviseā. However, just as Stiles hops into the driverās seat of his jeep, heās greeted in the passenger seat by you.Ā
And you may or may not be Stilesās least favorite person in the world.Ā
āI was waiting for you,ā you state, point blankly like it was normal for you to have broken into his car.Ā
Stiles rolls his eyes, āGod, do I want to know why?ā
āDoubtful,ā you sigh, turning in the seat to start putting on the seatbelt, āYou should probably start driving.ā
Stiles slowly narrows his eyes, āWhy?ā
āI need your help with a spell.ā
āMy help? What makes you think Iām going to help you?ā
āBecause you know I could kill you with the snap of my fingers.ā you roll your head in his direction with a pointed look, āBesides, you owe me.ā
Oh yeah. Because you saved his life this past spring when Gerard Argent kidnapped him after his lacrosse game.Ā
Stiles inwardly groans. You had a point. He had a feeling though no matter how many favors he paid you, youād never let that go.Ā
You may have saved his life, but the thing was, to him and his friends you were still the ābad guyā. You were still the same witch that pretended to befriend him and Scott when Scott first became a werewolf, just for them to find out you were playing them to help Peter, who had enlisted your help to regain his strength and heal from the Hale fire. Stiles had barely tolerated you since the day you met, but after that, any ounce of trust and respect he had for you vanished.Ā
From that point on, Stiles decided he hated you. And despite defeating Peter, your presence loomed. For some reason, Derek leaned on you when he was building his pack of betas, giving Stiles more reason to despise you. But shortly after that, out of nowhere, Scott sought your help to try to stop Jackson as the Kanima and figure out who was controlling him. There was a brief moment where Stiles thought you could become an ally but admittedly he fucked that up when Peter came back from the dead and he jumped to the conclusion that you, once again, aided and abetted him. Turns out, in fact, he was wrong, and it was actually Lydia - his hopeless crush for nearly a decade - and he had accused and berated you for nothing. So any shot at you guys finding common ground was dead in the water. And you had decided to be petty and align yourself with the Argents just to piss him off.Ā
He hadnāt seen you since that night. Heād heard off hand from Isaac whoād heard from Derek you were spending the summer on the East Coast, doing some witch training or coven bonding shit with your family.Ā
That was until right now, in the front seat of his jeep.
āScott is waiting for me.ā Stiles finally responds; a half-hearted attempt to get you to go away.
You make a face, āScott can go one night without being codependent.ā
Stiles rolls his eyes, but he finds himself starting the engine. āWhere are we going?ā
āMy house.āĀ
āYouāre taking me to your lair?ā
āHa ha.ā
āI donāt even know where you live.āĀ
āIāll give you directions as we go. It's just right on the outskirts of the preserve.āĀ
āYou live in the woods?ā
āJust drive.ā
Stiles should question how quickly he concedes but there is in fact the possibility of you hexing him or something. Which youāve yet to do in any serious or fatal way. But another part of him is admittedly curious; to know what exactly you want, to see how you actually live.Ā
From the little information heās learned about you the past year, he knows you live with your aunt and were home schooled up until recently when you enrolled in Beacon Hills High during the winter semester. But other than that, you were just the mysterious witch he hardly knew anything about. Aside from knowing you were a pain in his ass and someone heās hesitant to trust.Ā
But he thinks he can survive one evening with you.Ā
The drive is quiet with just you providing simple directions. At one point he tries to make a feeble attempt at small talk, but you instantly lunge forward to turn on the radio.Ā
You turn to look at him in disbelief when the channel thatās on is the police scanner he rigged up. He shrugs sheepishly before you shake your head and turn the dial to some indie station.Ā
Stiles puckers his lips and nods as soft music fills the car. āArctic Monkeys, nice-ā
āTurn left at the stop sign.ā
āRight.ā
You turn to him with an amused look. āYou donāt know how to act when weāre not at each otherās throats.ā
Stiles scoffs, āCan you blame me? I barely think of you as a real person half the time, I donāt know what to say to you.ā
You chuckle as you stare out the window, āWell weāre almost there.ā
āWhat kind of spell do you need my help with anyway? And why me?ā
āBecause youāre a human.ā
āOkayā¦?ā
āAnd I need your blood.ā
āOh great.ā
āItās a spell to make a protection amulet. So I can wear it and not be found by other witches.āĀ
āAnd why do you need that?ā
āNow that is none of your business.ā You sigh, unbuckling your seatbelt, āAnd weāre here.ā
Stiles observes the road theyāre coming to the end of. Your house is indeed at the edge of the woods: a modest victorian-gothic style home hidden by trees.Ā
āI didnāt even know there were houses out here.ā
āNot many,ā you reply as the two of you hop out of the jeep.Ā
Stiles glances between you and his phone as you lead him to the front door, also texting Scott that heāll need a raincheck on the tattoo adventure and heāll explain later.Ā
āIs your aunt home?ā
āNope, sheāll be gone until late.ā You answer, unlocking the door for you both to enter.Ā
Stiles takes in what he can from the foyer. He canāt get a full view of the space but he can definitely tell witches live here. The living room is lined with wooden bookshelves and candles and trinkets. He doesnāt have much time to observe when he watches you head for the staircase.Ā
āUm, where are we going exactly?ā
āMy room,ā You call without turning around.
āWoah,ā Stiles huffs nervously, āWeāre doing this in your bedroom?ā
āDonāt get too excited Stilinski, youāre here for business not pleasure.ā
Stiles is grateful you still havenāt bothered turning around to look at him, because he feels his face heat up as he finally follows you up the stairs.
No surprise, your room also fits right in with the aesthetic of the house. Moody colors, wooden bed posts, and candles on every surface. He watches you flick your wrist and every candle lights up, casting a warm glow around the room. It's the first time heās thought your powers were cool, but heād never admit that out loud.
āIs this the lair you were expecting?ā you ask, turning around to face him while standing in front of your desk, which is littered with books, potion bottles, and a large pot.Ā
Stiles shrugs, āItās a little underwhelming.ā
āWere you expecting me to live in an underground dungeon?ā
āSomething like that.ā
You hum and turn back to face your desk, taking stock of the potion ingredients on hand.
Stiles wanders over to stand beside you, his hands in his pockets. āSo explain to me what you mean by needing my blood.ā
You pick up a necklace from your desk: a silver chain with an empty vial hanging on it. āIām essentially making a potion to put in here. And if I wear it, it will make it harder for witches searching for me to track me or my magic. And human blood is on the recipe.ā
āBut why me?ā
āI told you, because youāre human. Not a werewolf or a witch; a human. And humans have the purest form of blood. It's basically the secret ingredient.ā
Stiles rolls his eyes at your nonchalance. āOkay I get that I guess, but why me? Couldnāt you have found some other schmuck to help you? Or have you scared off every other person in Beacon Hills with your shining personality.ā
You turn to Stiles with a tight smirk, āAs you may know, not many people are even aware that the supernatural is real. I know you do, and unfortunately youāre my best option. Allison is still in France from what Iāve gathered, Lydia is something but I havenāt quite figured that out yet, and using my aunt would require me having to explain what Iām doing and why. So youāre it buddy.ā
āOh so Iām literally your last choice. Boy am I honored.ā
āYou should be.ā
āWait, do you mean your aunt isnāt a witch like you?ā
āNope,ā you shake your head, focusing back on the bottles on your desk, starting to add ingredients to the pot. āSheās not even technically my aunt. She was a family friend that took me in when I was young.ā
āWhy? What happened to your parents?ā
You swallow, āYouāre nosy.ā
āFine donāt tell me, but I think it's fair I get a little information since Iām the one helping you.ā
āYouāre the one who owes me, remember?ā
āYeah but it sounds like you canāt complete this spell without me and it seems pretty important soā¦thinking that gives me some leverage.ā
You glance over at him with a glare and Stiles shoots you an innocent smile that makes you want to wipe it off his face.Ā
You let out a deep breath, āMy parents fled to god knows where when I was five. Apparently, my family has a centuries long feud with another coven and theyād evaded them for years until then. They decided leaving me with Jules was better for my safety. So Iāve been in Beacon Hills ever since. I actually didnāt know most of that until this summer. I sort ofā¦had a run in with a member of that coven without realizing and now Iām afraid theyāre going to find me here. Hence the protection amulet weāre making. Is that enough background information for you?ā
Stiles raises his eyebrows as he absorbs everything. āWow thatāsā¦heavy. Thereās some witch coven out there that's been trying to kill your family for centuries. No wonder youāre the way that you are.ā
I let out an unamused huff as I add the last of the pre-prepared ingredients.Ā
āWait, is that unicorn dust- are unicorns real?ā
I smirk as I pour it in, āLike Iād give away that information to you for free.ā
I bite back a laugh as Stiles mutters dammit.Ā
Turning back to him, I hold up a tiny needle. āYour turn.ā
Stilesā eyes widen briefly, holding up his hands as he steps back from you, āWoah, woah, be careful with that thing.ā
You scoff, āStiles, it's a sewing needle.ā
āWell, I still havenāt completely agreed to this. How do I know youāre not tricking me into draining all of my blood?ā
You roll your eyes, āStiles I just need one drop. And then youāre free to go off on your date with Scott.ā
Stiles rolls his eyes this time.
I try to fix him with a genuine look for the first time in the months weāve known each other. āCome on. Havenāt I made it clear enough that this is important to me? I seriously would not have brought you here if it wasnāt. Donāt make me beg.ā
āIād kind of like to see-ā
āReminder, I can kill you.ā
āAlright,ā he groans, āLetās just get this over with. Did I mention I hate needles?ā
āAw poor babyās scared of a tiny needle,ā you fake pout.
āOh my god shut up, like youāre not afraid of anything.ā
āYeah, Iām afraid of admitting something embarrassing like that.ā
āOkay, just stab me already.ā
You chuckle and take another step closer to him, holding out your left hand. Stiles takes a deep breath and apprehensively places his hand upwards into yours, and you gently hold the tip of his pointer finger. Stiles glances around the room, wanting to look anywhere but you pricking him with the needle, as minor as it is.Ā
āJesus, I can feel your pulse, you need to calm down.ā you comment.Ā
āSorry that Iām a generally anxious person.ā
āYeah I gathered that over the last year from the fact that you literally never stop talking,ā you snicker, āHave you always been like this?ā
āAs long as I can remember.ā
āAnd it doesnāt drive Scott crazy?ā
āWell, I think Scott, like most sane people, finds it endearing.āĀ
āOh. Does Lydia find your constant yammering endearing?āĀ
āWoah, okay, thereās no need to bring her into this,ā Stiles sighs rubbing his head, āCan you just prick me?ā
āI already did,ā I reply, making Stiles whip his head back, staring at his finger between yours, and sure enough, a red drop of blood was already forming.Ā
āWhen did youā¦ā Stiles whispers.
I shrug, dropping the needle into a bin beside my desk. āI kept you distracted.ā
Stiles watches you quietly, his lips slightly parted in disbelief, while you guide his hand over the pot and gently squeeze his finger so three drops of his blood fall into the potion with a hiss. Stiles grimaces at the pressure but it's not as bad as he thought. Heās trying to get over the fact that you tried to make this a little less painful for him by pricking him with the needle while he wasnāt thinking about it. It was surprisinglyā¦thoughtful?
āThere, the final touch,ā you murmur. You turn back to face him, his hand still in yours.
āGreat. Do you happen to have a bandaid for the patient?ā He asks.Ā
āNo need,ā I reply, grabbing a small piece of gauze from the table and placing it over his finger to stop the blood.Ā
Stiles once again watches you carefully. As you apply the pressure to his finger, he takes note of the way you bite your lip while you concentrate. After a few more quiet moments, you toss the piece of gauze away and gently press your thumb into his pointer finger and close your eyes, murmuring something under your breath. Once you open your eyes, you look back down at his finger and suddenly there is no puncture wound.Ā
āThere, good as new.āĀ
You finally look back up at him - his face closer to yours than you remember - and heās still staring at you silently.Ā
āWhat? Were you expecting me to kiss it better?ā
Stiles shakes his head, snapping out of his stupor. āWha- no! No. Justā¦not used to you using your powers for good.ā
I shake my head and finally release his hand, turning back to the pot and start mixing it all together.Ā
Stiles clears his throat and glances over your shoulder. āSo what now? You mix everything together in the pot and boom, youāre good to go?ā
āCauldron,ā you correct, āAnd I also have to pour it into the vial and cast an incantation to activate it.ā
Stiles nods, genuinely intrigued by the process. He watches you quietly mix everything for another minute or so, before you reach for the tiny vial, and then you basically ladle an ounce of it into the small tube.ā
āWow, thatās a lot of potion youāre not using. Do witches care about waste?ā
I fix Stiles with a hard look and he holds up his hands in surrender. He continues watching you close your hand around the vial tightly and hold it to your chest, once again quietly reciting an incantation. Stiles is almost certain the words you are saying are in Latin, and again, heād never admit it to anyone, but he was kind of impressed.Ā
When you are finished, you open your hand and look down to study the vial. From over your shoulder, Stiles sees the vial now has a slight green glow to it.Ā
āAssuming it worked?ā Stiles comments.
You shrug, āI guess the only way to truly find out if it didnāt is if one of those witches show up here.ā
Stiles nods and then proceeds to stand there and watch you struggle to get the chain clasped around your neck.Ā
He snorts, āWhat, is there no spell to put on a necklace?ā
You roll your eyes, āShut up.ā
He canāt help but chuckle as he stands up straighter. āLook, do you- I mean, would you wantā¦I could..ā
You groan, tired of listening to him ramble, āWhat?ā
āI could help you, you know!ā Stiles exclaims in annoyance. āGod I donāt even know why I offer.ā
You frown, too stubborn to stop trying but also too frustrated to keep going. Sighing, you remove your hands from around your neck and forcefully place it in his hands, āIt's one of those stupid, teeny tiny clasps that arenāt meant for human sized fingers.ā
Stiles chuckles as he takes each end of the necklace into his hands, while you turn around and move your hair out of the way. āAre you saying you know of non-human fingers that handle necklaces because if so Iām crossing my fingers for a tiny mouse because that would be adorable.ā
You bite back a smile, thankful youāre not facing him, āShut up.ā
Stiles keeps chuckling to himself as he brings the necklace around your neck, and carefully works to clasp it. He definitely also doesnāt use the time to inhale your scent and start to wonder if you use some kind of fragrance or if witches have a naturally alluring smell.Ā
As you impatiently hold your hair and try not to think about the cramp forming in your arm, you also definitely arenāt thinking about the feeling of his warm breath on the back of your neck and praying he doesnāt see any goosebumps form on your skin.Ā
āThere,ā Stiles whispers unintentionally soft, making him clear his throat in surprise, taking a steep step back, āAll done.ā
You let out a quiet sigh of relief, dropping your hair and turning around. āThanks. For the assist and the blood donation.ā
Stiles snorts with a nod, āYeah.ā
I look down at the amulet I created and gently hold it in my hands, āSeriously though. You know I wouldnāt ask if it wasnāt important. Soā¦thank you.ā
Stiles swallows and nods firmly, a little unsettled by the sincerity of the last few minutes, ā...Youāre welcome.ā
You nod as well, unsure of where to go from here. āWell, I guess now your services are no longer needed and you are free to go, and we are free to proceed with business as usual; only speaking when we see each other against our will.ā
Stiles huffs, crossing his arms, āWhat if I want to stay a little longer?ā
You raise your eyebrows, āWhy?ā
āI have a few more questions.ā
āHavenāt I told you enough?ā
āI think Iām entitled to some more information,ā Before you retort, he barrels on, āLook if some evil coven could potentially be invading Beacon Hills - ideally not since that spell should prevent that from happening, so you say - I think I have the right to know more about what's going on so I can be prepared for it.ā
āAnd how exactly will you, Stiles Stilinski, prepare for that?ā
āByā¦telling Scottā¦ā
You snort and nod. Well fair enough I guess. āWhat else do you want to know?ā
āHow dangerous are we talking? Like, how badly do these people want you dead?āĀ
You shrug, āIāve only heard stories about how the feud originated. Supposedly, my family at some point in time, did something to steal powers from this other family.ā
āWell it sounds like you guys are the bad guys in this scenario. Which tracks knowing you.ā
āWell Iām pretty sure they did it in retaliation to them killing someone in my family in cold blood.ā
āOh.ā
āYeah, oh. So this thing goes back generations but Iām pretty sure something must have happened between my mom and this woman from that coven. I donāt know what, but she in particular has a vendetta against her and our family.ā
āIs she the witch you had a run in with this summer?ā
āNo,ā you frown looking down, āIt was her son.āĀ
Stilesās eyebrows raise, āOh. And did he immediately try to kill you with some spell at first sight?ā
I shake my head, āNope. He justā¦pretended to be someone else to gain my trust and subsequently asked me out just for me to find out none of it was real and he was trying to get to my magic the whole time.ā
Stiles widens his eyes with each new piece of information, his stomach dropping as he learns that this guy used and manipulated you. Yeah you definitely werenāt the bad guy in this scenario.Ā
āSo, fun summer for me. How was yours?ā You ask looking back up at him with a blank look on your face.
Stiles ignores your attempt to diffuse the conversation. āSo you were seeing this guy all summer thinking he was some innocentā¦flingā¦and the whole time he was actually plotting to, what, kill you? Take your powers?ā
āSomething like that,ā You shrug, āI didnāt stick around long enough to find out the end game with that one.ā
āHow did he even track you down in the first place if youāve been hiding away here your whole life.ā
āApparently theyāve been biding time in Salem, hoping one day Iād find my way there to train with other witches. And I didnāt even know there were people to look out for until a few days ago, when I was talking to another witch I had met, who recognized his mom in a picture. I left on the spot and havenāt seen him since.ā
āDid you tell him where you were from?ā
āNope, was trying to go for the whole, casual, mysterious summer fling thing.ā you chuckle humorlessly. āThat worked out so well for me.ā
Stiles sighs, āSo he has no idea where to look for you, and that amulet should keep him from getting any hints.ā
āYup.ā
āAnd after all thisā¦your parents are still out there hiding from them, too?āĀ
You nod, looking down again, āYeahā¦sometimes I wonder if theyāre even still alive.ā
Stiles frowns, āJesusā¦now Iām almost sorry forā¦ā
āNo, no,ā You shake your head, your face twisting in discomfort. āDonāt do that. This isn't what we do. You donāt feel sorry for me. You despise me. And honestly I prefer that version of us, I canāt stand the thought of you sympathizing with me.ā
āOkay, okay,ā Stiles holds his hands up, āI get it. You know maybe Iām not sorry, because a fucked up childhood doesnāt excuse the shit you did to us last year with Peter, and the generally annoying shit youāve done since.ā
You make a face but donāt argue with him.
Stiles continues staring you down, with an unfamiliar look on his face. āButā¦that shit that guy pulled on you this summerā¦even you donāt deserve to be taken advantage of like that.ā
Your eyes slowly revert back to looking at his face, trying not to give away how vulnerable you felt sharing that information; not to mention how vulnerable you were this summer just to have that blow up in your face. You shift slightly, still uncomfortable with the atmosphere surrounding you two right now. You cross your arms tightly across your chest.Ā
āThanksā¦ā
The two of you let the moment hang in the air for another few seconds before you clear your throat, not being able to stand the sincerity any longer.
āWell I guess next time I try to have a casual fling, I shouldnāt do it with a stranger I knew for all of a day before going out with him.ā
Stiles chuckles dryly, āGuess not. Maybe youād be better off getting to know a guy for a while first. If you can keep one around long enough without driving them up the wall.ā
āHa ha. Because youāre the picture of a guy with a successful love life. Remind me of the last time Lydia gave you a second look?ā
Stiles glares at you, as he starts to sputter, āSheļæ½ļæ½ļæ½was looking at me when I was playing in that lacrosse game.ā
āOh so over three months ago? Wow youāre making huge strides.ā
āLook, Iām playing the long game alright?āĀ
I shake my head, āGod, I donāt know why you even bother.ā
Stiles' jaw teeters open and closed, āWhat? Is it that out of the realm of possibility that she could ever like me?ā
āNo, I just meant you could do better.ā
Stiles stutters but no words immediately form in response to that. He stares at you blankly for a few beats. āI can do better? Me? Can do better than Lydia Martin?ā
You roll your eyes, āYou say that like sheās God's gift to this Earth.ā
āYeah, wellā¦sheās still nice - sometimes - and highly intelligent, not to mention gorgeous.ā
āStiles, Iām not trying to disparage your precious Lydia, I just think you could do better than someone who doesnāt give you the time of day.ā
āWhatā¦What do you mean?ā
āWell for one it's kind of pathetic youāve been hung up on her for so long with no reciprocation whatsoever.ā
āOkay, I wouldnāt say-ā
āAnd second, I donāt understand why a guy like you canāt find a girl who actually likes him back.ā
āWell you say that like Iāve got a parade of girls waiting in line to date me.ā
You shrug, āTrust me, there are some.ā
Stiles scoffs, āYeah right.ā
āI think you're underestimating how many girls just want a sweet guy who will treat them well with a moderately nice face.āĀ
Stiles shifts awkwardly, āIs that your type?ā
āMy tastes are a little more refined than that.ā
āWell how do you know most girls see me that way?ā
āBecause objectively speaking, you do have a moderately nice face. Maybe even a step above that. And look at you, you grew your hair out this summer. Do that to impress Lydia?ā
Stiles flushes, āWell not justā¦ā
āBecause Iām sure it will work on plenty of other girls when they see you at school next week.ā
Stiles lets out a deep breath, looking at you curiously, āWhy are you saying all this?ā
You uncross your arms and sigh, taking a step towards him, āLook Iām just stating facts, and maybe I can spare you a compliment since you helped me out tonight. You deserve better than waiting for someone who may never come around. And maybe, who knows, Iām wrong and one day Lydia will come to her senses and see what's right there in front of her. But donāt waste all your time doing nothing. You could at least have fun in the meantime. And Iām sure there are plenty of girls who would jump at the chance.ā
You give Stilesā shoulder what should be a supportive squeeze, but because it's the two of you it feels wrong. You awkwardly lift your hand and pat him a couple times before retracting your arm all together.
Stiles stares at you, once again in awe, confused why youāre being so civil with himā¦let aloneā¦kind? His eyes hone in on the way your nose scrunches up when you instantly regret touching his shoulder, and the way your lip curves up in amusement as you look back up at him. Your eyes have a warm glow amidst the candles lighting up your room. And heās once again in close enough proximity to you to inhale your scent; a mix of vanilla, berries, and amber.Ā
Yeah it definitely must be a witch thing, because he somehow finds himself being drawn closer to you. And before he knows it, heās leaning completely in and kissing you.Ā
It's a rare occurrence for you to be taken by surprise, but you do jump slightly when his lips touch yours. He did it so fast you didnāt even have a chance to process it, let alone prevent it from happening. You donāt immediately kiss back but you donāt immediately pull away either, chalking it up to the shock.Ā
Stiles very quickly realizes what heās doing and the fact that youāre not reciprocating as he pulls away slightly to take in your full reaction.
You narrow your eyes at him slightly, āI didnāt mean me.āĀ
Stilesā eyes widen and his lips part, once again struggling to form words as he starts to pull back.
For some reason youāll probably never understand, you instinctively reach out to hold his arms to keep him in place. He looks at your hands and then back to your face curiously.Ā
You quietly breathe out, āI also didnāt say to stop.ā
Stiles breath hitches, his lips curving up just slightly before he dives towards your lips again.Ā
This time you instantly kiss back, pulling him closer by cupping either side of his face, as his arms come to snake around your waist.Ā
As the kiss becomes more intense, Stiles reluctantly pulls away for oxygen.Ā
āWe shouldnāt be doing this,ā he murmurs breathlessly, pressing his forehead against yours.
āYou started it,ā you muse, chasing after his lips.
He laughs softly, letting you kiss him deeply another few minutes before he gently caresses your face, pulling away.
āAnd I donāt hate what weāre doing but it's also very out of character. For both of us.ā
āTo make out with a hot person?ā
āNo,ā Stiles sighs, but canāt fight the blood rushing to his cheeks, āI mean making out with each other. Honestly, this whole night has been out of character. We normally canāt stomach being in each otherās vicinity for more than five minutes.ā
āWell if you havenāt noticed, this activity doesnāt require a whole lot of talking so Iām finding it easier to tolerate you.āĀ
You watch Stiles roll his eyes, trying to rationalize whatās happening between you two. So you take a deep breath.
āLook, weāre not going to suddenly stop despising each other but thereās nothing wrong with two consenting people having a little fun. And you knowā¦probably never speaking about it again.ā
Stiles shifts the weight between his feet, becoming overwhelmed by the situation and the possibilities of where it could go; possibilities that both scare and excite him. And he canāt figure out what emotion is winning out.Ā
āThis probably wonāt come as a shock to you,ā Stiles speaks up again quietly, not meeting your eyes, āBut Iāve never reallyā¦been with a girlā¦like this.ā
The corner of your lips curl up. It wasnāt new information, but there was something about seeing this boy who usually goes toe to toe in insults with you be so open and honest with you.
You place your hands over his where they still rest on either side of your face. āWe donāt have to do anything you donāt want to do. We can go as far as you want. Or we can stop now and pretend like this never happened. You are more than welcome to go.ā
āI donāt think I want to go,ā Stiles whispers hoarsely.
āThen donāt go,ā You whisper back, leaning closer again.
āYouād really want to do this too?ā
āYes-ā
āBecause I know why I want to but why do you want to? After the guy you were with this summer I would have thought youād be moreā¦selective.ā
āOh that's exactly what Iām doing.ā
āAnd you want to be with me? Why?ā
āBecause unlike the last guy, I know what Iām getting with you Stiles,ā You state simply, āYouāre a good guy. This has no chance of going anywhere. Absolutely no feelings whatsoever to get in the way. Itās perfect.ā
Stiles stares at you, taking in your expression for any sign of uneasiness or lies. But he can tell youāre dead serious. His skin starts to burn in anticipation.Ā
āSo weāre doing this,ā He says softly, somewhere between a question or a statement.Ā
āIām in if youāre in.ā
āWe do this once and we never talk about it again.ā
āSounds like a plan.ā
āAnd no one, and I mean no one finds out about this. I mean it, you canāt tell anyone.ā
You scoff, āTrust me, I plan to take this to the grave. You should be more concerned with yourself. I canāt see you going five minutes without squealing to Scott that youāve finally seen a girl naked.ā
Stiles closes his eyes and groans, praying you canāt see him blush again. He also canāt even process the fact that he is indeed about to see a girl naked.
After a moment, Stiles finally says, āI donāt have to tell Scott everything.ā
āOkay, if you really believe that.ā He rolls his eyes, making you chuckle. āSo are you game, Stilinski?ā
Stilesā eyes flit across your face, before settling back on your lips. āFuck it.ā
He kisses you deeply and the two of you tug at each other like your bodies are never close enough. Your hands wander over his body until they end up at the buttons of his flannel, and you haphazardly start to undo them before he pulls away briefly to help you get it off of him. He shivers as your cold fingertips trace the contours of his chest and stomach, but he doesnāt get a chance to linger on the feeling as you kiss him again. He takes his turn to pull off your jacket, before sliding his fingers under the hem of your shirt, which you help him maneuver over your head. You once again only let him have a few seconds to take in your exposed skin, only your bra separating you two from complete skin to skin contact, before youāre pulling him back to you again.
āDo you haveā¦ā you mutter against his skin as you start to kiss down his jaw and neck, āProtection?ā
Stilesā stomach twists with nerves and excitement as he nods. āYeah, I have a condom in my wallet.ā
You smile against his skin, trailing down to his collarbone, āBeen hoping one day Lydia would want to jump your bones?ā
Stiles groans, tangling his fingers into your hair, āGod, shut up.ā
You chuckle darkly before gently pushing against his chest so you can move onto your bed.Ā
Time passes in a hazy blur as you and Stiles finish undressing each other between sloppy and heated kisses. You try to go at a moderate pace with him, despite your own eagerness. To your pleasant surprise, Stiles is a quick learner as you talk him through how to touch you and make you feel good. And he makes you feel very good. And despite his own timidness and learning curve, he is very attentive to your needs as well as your comfort levels, constantly checking in and making sure youāre okay.Ā
Youāre more than okay by the time youāre done, the two of you collapsing back onto the bed, sweaty and panting.
āHoly shit,ā he breathes out staring at the ceiling.Ā
You smirk, pulling the sheet up to cover yourself, āYup.ā
You lay in silence for a few moments as you catch your breaths before Stiles speaks again.
āI hope tonight makes us even, because I think that counts as two additional favors,ā He says teasingly, but when you donāt immediately respond, his head turns to you quickly, āYou finished both times right?ā
You chuckle softly and nod, turning your head towards him as well, āI did.ā
āGood,ā he sighs in relief, āI did, too.ā
āI know you did.ā
Stiles rolls his eyes but laughs softly, āRight.ā
āAnd Iād say I was the one doing the favor,ā You muse, āNow the next time you find a girl willing to sleep with you, youāve got some tricks up your sleeve.ā
He huffs with a nod, āI guess youāre right.ā Another few moments of silence pass between you when Stiles looks at you again, and asks softly, āBut seriously, it was good for you?ā
You roll your eyes, āYes.ā
āLike, youāre not just saying that to make me feel better?ā
āWhen have I ever worried about preserving your feelings? Trust me, if it was bad or you were doing something wrong I would have told you.ā
āYeah I guess thatās true,ā he sighs. Another beat. āBut like on a scale of one to ten?ā
āStiles!ā
āI know, I know.ā he regresses. āCan I ask for real though - and full permission to punch me if this is insensitive - but compared to the last guyā¦was I better?ā
He watches you stare at him blankly for a few seconds before he starts to back pedal. āProbably not right? He was probably way more experienced even if he..ā
āThis was better.āĀ
He turns to you again in surprise.Ā
āYou were better.ā
Stiles stutters, āR-really?ā
You nod, āYouāre not an asshole who only thinks about himself. Donāt ever lose that quality.ā
Stiles smiles softly, his cheeks warming up again.Ā
āSeriously, it was good. Great even,ā You continue, āIf thatās what youāre like with me, I canāt imagine how good it would be with a girl you actually like.ā
That last statement was like a bucket of cold water splashing over him. Right. You guys hated each other. And you were still the same girl who made his life inexplicably harder this year. But those things were easy to forget while he stared at you, your messy hair splayed across your pillow, your bare skin lit by the soft glow of the candles in your room, with a few noticeable marks across your collarbone that he was responsible for.Ā
But this would be the first and last time this ever happened. And he will probably have complicated feelings about it for the foreseeable future, knowing the memory of his first time will always connect him to you. But he surprisingly feels less guilty than he would have thought.
āI should probably go,ā He whispers after another few seconds of taking her and the moment in. Part of him wishes he didnāt have to leave at all and continue living in this bubble of false reality and denial. But he thinks his brain takes over in an act of self preservation to get out of there before he gets in too deep.Ā
āYeah, you probably should,ā You whisper back, taking a deep breath.Ā
He watches you sit up, dragging the sheet covering you up with you. He sucks in a breath as you grab a dark purple robe off of your bedpost and slip it on, covering the rest of your body and taking the image away from him. With that, he also forces himself up, locating his boxers and jeans on the floor and pulling them on.Ā
You circle your bed as he starts to pull on his flannel again. He feels nervous under your gaze, and about how to act right now, making him fumble with the buttons. Without a word, you reach out and slowly and quietly help him finish buttoning it. He takes this one last opportunity to watch your face at this level of proximity, knowing heāll probably never have the chance to do that again.Ā
As you finish the top button, you look up at his gaze still laser focused on you, and for some reason he doesnāt feel compelled to look away.Ā
āThank you for tonight,ā You say softly with a small smirk playing at your lips, āThought I just needed a protection spell after the summer I had, but I guess I needed that as well.ā
Stiles feels himself smirk too, āHappy to be of service to both.ā
You slide your hands across his chest, smoothing out his shirt before taking a deep breath and step back.Ā
āSo, business as usual? Iām sure weāll run into each other again once Scott gets himself into some more supernatural shit, and weāll be back at each otherās throats in no time.ā
Stiles chuckles, āI look forward to it.ā
You give him your version of a tiny genuine smile. āDo you need me to walk you out?ā
He shakes his head, āIām sure I can find my way.ā
You nod, also taking in his appearance under the glow of the candles while you can. You decide to take the opportunity to close the distance between the two of you and kissing him chastely one last time.Ā
Stiles closes his eyes and reciprocates automatically, but the kiss is over before its even begun. He watches you pull away from him, unable to tear his eyes away from yours.
āGoodnight, Stiles,ā you whisper before stepping away and walking around him towards your desk again to clean up.
With his back towards you now, he smiles to himself, huffing in disbelief at the night heās had.Ā
āGoodnight,ā He says back softly as he takes steps towards your door. He glances back at you one last time, before leaving and finding his way back downstairs and out your front door.Ā
Once he shut the door after sliding into the driver's seat, he lets out a long deep breath and rubs his face. Losing his virginity to his self-proclaimed mortal enemy was not on his bingo card for the night - or ever. But the more he sits with it, the more heās weirdly pleased that it happened. Honestly, it was like best case scenario. Figuring out sex with someone heās not trying to impress - well, to a certain degree - took some of the pressure off. And now he doesn't have to think about it anymore. Unfortunately, it was really good. Extremely good. Too good to just have been a one time thing, and part of him is disappointed thereās no chance of ever experiencing it again.Ā
It was for the best. The moment hell freezes over is when heād have actual feelings past irritation and mild rage when it came to you. So he shakes his head, putting their night together behind him as he pulls out of your driveway.
Still in your bedroom, you lean against the wall watching him drive away from the window. You smile to yourself, having a sneaking feeling this wouldnāt be the last time the two of you do this. Stiles just didnāt know it yet.
author's note: dying to know what people think of this, not the type of stuff i usually write. firstly, sorry for the lack of steam, i've never written smut and not sure i ever will but hope it alluded to enough for yall. also again, took my witch idea and flipped it into an alternate universe where the reader is a lil evil. there are elements of the other pieces i'm writing that assumes similar lore/backstory for the witch, but in this version, you don't grow up as stiles & scott's bff, you're isolated leading to some villianous tendancies. i also know i hinted at a lot of back story with some pieces from seasons 1-2, with this ultimately taking place right before season 3. so i have some ideas of writing other parts that dive into some of those moments, plus more parts that come after this of course. so let me know what kind of stuff you're interested in seeing from evil!witch x stiles (evil being used pretty loosely) THANK YOU FOR READING!
#stiles stilinski fanfiction#stiles stilinski fanfic#stiles stilinski imagine#stiles stilinski x reader#stiles x witch!reader#cursed from the start#mine#my writing#teen wolf imagine#teen wolf fanfiction#teen wolf fanfic
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[CCCC FIC] Contains: Platonic Soul, Heart and Mind, Pet regression, [~4,000 words]
Stressed petre!Mind + Caregivers Soul & Heart! From the request "s.so. so puppy mind after a stressful day with heart and soul as caregivers,," Mind can't complete its normal nightly schedule, and gets super stressed because of that... Luckily, Soul and later Heart help him relax :]
Fic under cut! or on AO3
It was hard to understate how much of Mind's, and really all three of their, mental state was linked to their physicality. Sometimes, this worked in his favor. Indeed, today was one of those days, at least, he'd thought it was.
If it tried to ignore all the strife and focus entirely on getting things done, it could set aside... most of the annoyances. His body was more machine than flesh at this point, and any phantom pains could easily be ignored for the Whole. He didn't want to disappoint his Soul [or his Heart], after all.
It wasn't thinking today was a good day now, curled up in bed, an hour before it'd regularly turn in for the night. He had started lagging earlier in the day, but had decided against slowing down his usual schedule; if he was feeling bad, that just meant the whole was having more intensive thoughts and needed him more than ever. Rest was not an option.
This had gotten him only though most of his routine, but, annoyingly, he couldn't get done with his last step. Every night, he'd read for about an hour before bed. This usually helped him wind-down and get relaxed and into the proper headspace, but his head was too scattered. That really was the last nail in the coffin.
He could stand an increased workload, the impending dread that something was Wrong, but his schedule... God, he didn't even know why he was so stressed out. He'd finished everything actually important, had finished everything that would actually help the three of them. The only thing he couldn't get to was some frivolous wind-down time, truly pathetic that that was what had done him in.
To add to this horrible mess, he couldn't even get to sleep. There was a buzzing under his skin, a restlessness he couldn't shake. He wanted to move. He also very much Didn't want to move.
A knock at his door startled him out of his curled up ball on his bed. He grunted an acknowledgement, hoping they wouldn't come in. He was... not presentable. He knew he'd probably be mean and unsociable, and that would just get so tiresome when it made the other, whoever it was on the other side of the door, inevitably got annoyed with him.
Apparently that wasn't enough for them, [figures, he was never enough.] because the door creaked open. It was Soul.
"Mind...?"
He turned away with a growl, hoping Soul would get the message. It was not in the mood.
"You okay man?"
Clearly, it didn't. Figures, Soul could never mind his own business.
"Yes. I'm... Fine." The words were slow and stilted, like it was pulling teeth.
Even without looking, he could tell his host was narrowing its eyes at him. The bed dipped with extra weight; Soul had sat down at the bed's foot. He was just getting ready to tell him to fuck off when he felt a hand reach over and settle on his forehead. Oh. Soul was in a touchy mood today. [Those were always nice days.] Maybe it could... wait a little bit, before kicking him out. Just a few moments, of course.
"Not too warm or hot... I guess, if you're sure you're fine, I could leave." Soul had become a bit of a worrywart in concord, caught up in attempting to make sure everything was running smoothly. Still, it backed off if one of them started getting snappy. a good call, because usually, Mind found the mother-henning kind of annoying [it was, after all, the one supposed to be keeping things in order. Any more than the base worry started feeling suffocating.]
Today, however... the idea didn't seem too bad. It was selfish to consider, because it knew it was liable to lash out like this. That wouldn't be a good ending for any of them, for Mind to snap at Soul only trying to help. Still, the temptation.
"No."
"You want me to leave?"
"No." It growled, frustrated with its inability to talk clear and the fact Soul misunderstood. God this was already getting it angry; this was definitely a bad idea.
It rolled over until it was back to facing Soul, squinting a bit at how light it was; his dear host had left the door open, and the hallway light was on. Annoying. Worth it though, because he could push against Soul's side, making it very clear he didn't want him to leave.
"Okay, okay, I get the message." Soul giggled. His hand gently carded through Mind's hair, "Think you could tell me what's wrong? Sick, tired, stressed-"
Mind nodded at the last one, careful not to dislodge Soul's hand, before contemplating for a second and holding up two fingers for the second option: he was also pretty tired. Soul's eyes softened a bit at that, drooping in the corners [reminding it of the portraits of Him Soul hadn't covered up].
"Want some help relaxing?" the words were a tad hesitant, and they were paired with gentle hands sliding behind his ears [something it leaned into easily. Again, touchy days were Always the best.] It didn't sound like it knew if it should be offering and it took Mind a moment to realize, exactly, what it was suggesting; usually he was the one asking, albeit awkwardly, if Soul could look after him while regressed. Even then, Mind hadn't really done it much...
It nodded, after a few silent moments weighing the pros and cons. It didn't have to talk, or make any decisions, or do any work, and it could just have Soul dote over it... it figured it had done enough productive work to earn itself some pampering. Probably. Maybe. Anyway, Soul was offering; to not take the opportunity would be... illogical.
Seeming satisfied with the confirmation, Soul pulled away. Before Mind could get snippy and whiney about it, he quickly explained himself, "just getting your stuff... unless you want to do it without it?"
That was logical enough, still a bummer though. It just huffed, "Fine."
His host rolled its eyes at him, but made quick work of sorting through Mind's drawers and pulling out its collar, along with its dog themed socks and gloves. He made a quick detour to the door to close it as well. [Much to Mind's gratitude. The room was now lit by a slightly dimmed light: pleasant.]
Mind didn't really have much he did with regression, so new to it; Soul easily kept track of everything it did, usually the one with him during. He was back in moments. Still, the sun took each item from its host to put on itself; it had already submitted itself to enough vulnerability, it could put on its own socks.
Now finally ready, and already feeling the tiniest bit better, it felt all the antsy-ness and over-energy come back with force. The buzzing underneath its skin was getting hard to ignore. He hoped Soul would be fine with a more playful session than usual.
"Now who's my good puppy?" Soul cooed hands reaching out to cup its face, like, well, one would do with a puppy. It wasn't really a puppy just yet, but the sweet words usually let it fall into it more easily. While definitely a tad embarrassed, it relaxed almost instantly into him. It knew it would feel great once the first little bump was gotten over. Just needed to let go a little [a Lot].
"Good boy!"
It shifted a little further into him, letting itself fall almost into his lap, nodding. Talking always got a bit hard like this, and it was already having a difficult time beforehand. That was fine though, his Soul was definitely expecting it.
"Want to play, or nap, Apollo?"
Oh the nickname was definitely the last straw; he was wholly in puppy-space now. It wanted to play, and it let him know with a playful yip and pushing its full weight into him; wrestling was always its favorite.
Not expecting the switch to such loud enthusiasm, Soul staggered a bit and nearly fell over when Mind bowled into him. He chuckled a little, hands gently pushing at its shoulders to get it off of him.
"Sorry puppy, I'm not the most into contact sports," he summonsed a chew-toy, characterized like all his summoned objects by a solid red color, "Wanna tug-a-war instead?"
Well, it wanted to wrestle, but... whatever; tug-a-war could probably be just as fun. Grabbing onto the toy, it gave a harsh tug.
With that, the game was on; Soul made sure not to pull too hard, not wanting to hurt Mind's jaw or teeth, but Mind had no such reservations. It growled around the toy, teeth sinking in further than it probably should let them. It could let out way more of that nervous energy it had had throughout the day like that though.
Soul didn't seem that happy with its disregard for propper safety, "Hey! Drop it boy, drop it."
Normally it would heed the call, it always adored the way Soul would coo soft praises when it did as he asked, but today it needed to get out these feelings. Shaking his head like a dog, it gave another sharp jerk at the toy. Its teeth hurt for a moment, probably why Soul let go.
Later it would recognize letting go as not an unsound decision, [Mind's jaw Had hurt for just a moment before Soul released the pressure, and it definitely would have hurt more if Soul Hadn't let go.] but in the moment it just went flying backwards and off the bed, hitting the floor with a loud thump and whine. The fall was onto carpet, and didn't even hurt that much, but the betrayal certainly did.
He heard a muffled "shit" overhead, but that was quickly ignored in favor of whining as loudly and pathetically as possible. This sucked, its back Kind of hurt, and Soul had just been incredibly horribly mean to it. That was such a mean way to win tug-a-war, cruel and unusual! Everyone in a fifty-foot radius Needed to know that. Immediately.
Soul was on the floor with him in an instant, cooing soft words and shushing gently, like that would earn him forgiveness for what he'd done. [It Did forgave him, but Soul didn't need to know that!] Its tantrum was definitely stressing Soul out more than the fall hurt it, but that serves him right! Being mean to a puppy is crime punished ten-fold.
It seems itās wailing had gained it more than just Soulās frantic attention; loud footsteps echoed from the hallway. Heart, probably, but in the minuscule off chance it wasnāt, it shoved itself right into Soulās unprepared lap. He could make up for being so mean to it by protecting it from any monsters that may or may not exist. [That was definitely why he went into its lap, and not because Soul was very comfortable.]
The door creaked open yet again, and Heart peaked in. āEverything okay in here? I heard a thud and ah, a lot of noise.ā
Soul was quick to answer, āah, yes. Everything is fine. Mind just took a bit of a tumble.ā
As if to accentuate this Mind let out a little whimper, needing Heart to know he was having the worst time in the world [or well- it was actually having a rather nice time, but it was ignoring that]. The moon would have sympathy, wouldn't he?
Heart seemed to need a second to realize what that sound was, and when he did he let out a little giggle. āDo we have a puppy in here?ā
They didnāt wait for Soulās āyeahā before going on, closing the door behind them. With a few directions from their host, he settled down on the floor beside the two of them. āMind if I join you two?ā The question seemed mostly in jest, Heart had already sat down next to the two of them, but there was an underlining genuinity.
Mind heard none of this, and was warring between two decisions: one, stay in Soulās lap [rather awkward, because it hadnāt been prepared for him to just crawl on,] or jump at Heart and see if he wanted to play wrestle. Soul was very warm, and past a bit of squiring, pretty comfortable, and had even started giving it pets, but Heart would probably take him up on the offer of wrestlingā¦
The two had moved on in conversation while it considered its options. Soul was answering a question it didnāt catch: āI really donāt know why heās being so loudā¦ the fall was pretty short. Do you think it might have landed wrong?ā
Heart was making considering noises, but Mind was fuming. The two having conversation overhead didnāt bother it at all [it rather liked that they didnāt expect or need it to contribute] but Soul didnāt even know why it was mad at him?
That was definitely the last straw, and it wriggled out of Soulās gentle hold to run into Heart. He didn't bowl them over, but that was only because Heart was a brick wall compared to Mind. There was a giggle, and large arms wrapped around it in a hug. It squirmed for a moment in the hold before leaning up to lick a stripe over Heart's cheek.
This very heartfelt show of affection earned him nothing but a few snickers and getting pushed back a little. Nobody here appreciated him as much as they should. Still, he stopped whining; Heart wasn't the one who let it fall off the bed, after all.
"I think Mind was just mad at you..." Heart said, shoulders shaking with silent laughter now that they'd figured Mind wasn't actually in any pain. "Was Soul being mean to you, puppy?"
"uhuh!" Mind agreed, easily. He wouldn't really say Soul was being Mean, per se. but he wanted to be mean back anyway. It usually didn't like talking like this, but it was going to make a small exception, just for this."B-bad at... playing."
It shoved its face right into Heart's chest now that it had spoken its piece, that was enough of that for now! His Heart didn't immediately react besides shift Mind into his lap more comfortably, face tucked into his neck. After a moment of adjustment, he was immediately on Mind's side; the way everyone Should be.
"Soul did you really fuck up playing so bad you made him mad at you? When he's like this?"
"Don't swear in front of it!" Soul, sidestepping the question, interjected.
There was a moment of silence, with the exception of the rhythmic thump of Mind's tail, before Heart burst out laughing. "You, my Soul-" He couldn't finish, giggling and wheezing way too hard. He tried again, "You censor yourself in front of Mind?"
[Mind knew Soul Tried, he was just very very bad at it. If he had any of the want to count he's sure its pretty high in the double digits, and they've only started doing this for a couple weeks at this point.]
"Yes! I do!"
"He's- He's still Mind. I don't think censoring swears will get it more into character either..." They considered it for a moment, like a thought had just occurred to them, "Unless you censor yourself in front of pets normally...?"
More silence, followed by breathless giggles. The sound made Mind want to laugh too, contagious. Soul didn't answer, turning away with a huff.
"Mind's not some delicate little thing like this, Soul." Heart said, turning his attention back to Mind. "isn't that right buddy? You're a big dog aren't you?"
Mind nodded against Heart's chest, giddy at the praise. It liked where this was going, quite a lot.
"Wanna show him how to really play?" His Heart gently shoved him off their lap and grinned down at it, sharp teeth on display. "Know you like wrestling, Apollo."
It lets out a happy yip, wasting no time in engaging in the fun. The two are grappling around the floor in moments, Soul's surprised yelp background noise.
Heart was always fun, never missing the opportunity to stress out Soul or let Mind have some more rough playtime. Not to say they were itās favoriteā¦ just that, sometimes, maybe Mind preferred their treatment to Soulās.
Like now! Tumbling about the carpet hit the exact itch Soul couldnāt. There was action, loud and aggressive, and it could really get its adrenaline pumping. Best yet, Mind could just let itself sink into it all without having to worry about things going south. The others would never hurt I a puppy, after all.
The thought brought on another wave of giddiness, and it threw its weight at Heart with rendered vigor, finally pinning him to the ground. Victory was his, at last!
Heart didnāt struggle much, a bit out of breath and mostly happy Mind seemed satisfied. At least, that's what it thought. āAhh how terrible, to be bested by this awful beastā¦ā
[Mind preened at that, for it Was an awe inspiring creature.]
His Hearts mouth turned into a sly little smile, before he was curling up with a lunge and grabbing Mind in a hug, warm and constricting, but not too tight. He laughed, big and loud and exaggeratedly evil, āor so you thought!ā
It squeaked and squirmed and made a big show of Not wanting to be caught, but didnāt actually struggle too badly. Playtime had tired it out a little, and it was definitely not at 100% beforehand. Not a good mix for a puppyā¦ Plus how awfully nice it was to be in Heart's arms? He didn't stand a chance.
Yawning, it let itās chin hook over Heartās shoulder, attempts to escape his arms short lived and abandoned. The moon was very very warm, one of the many things that made him such an appealing caretaker. How could it not adore someone so warm and snuggly.
There was a concerned noise behind it, and it could feel itās ears perking up, trying to figure who it was. Soul, [obviously [there were only the three of them here, after all] but it liked having to puzzle it out. Smooth and angelic, with a hint of static, of course that was his Soul.] tinged with only a hint of worry, āwas he too rough?ā It asked him, before quickly changing gears to address Heart, āIt looks tired.ā
āIt looked like it had too much energy when I got here, just tired it out enough for bed.ā Heartās easy response, self-assured. His grip tightened around Mind and he shifted it a little, like a man presenting a fish theyād caught, āworked like a charm!ā
Mind only struggled a little bit at the handling, but rather liked it. There was just something so pleasant about beingā¦ a prize. Observed and adored and pampered like a treasure, but any contributions it offered were incidental to it, the machinations of another. Mind could just doze off in Heartās arms and the soft cooing just came rolling in! It was living the dream.
Soul made a considering sound but didnāt fight him further. It tapped Mindās shoulder to gain his attention. It to glanced back, eyes already half-lidded and tired from the adrenaline rush of its game ending so quickly.
āMindā¦? Want to go to bed a puppy?ā His hand was already hooked under its collar, ready to take it off. Usually the sessions werenāt so close to the time it turned in for the night [Mind liked having its before-sleep reading time], and it usually liked to get out of puppy-space an hour or two before bed. Soul probably assumed it wanted out before getting to sleep.
Mind growled, the sound at odds with its earlier good mood. What would have been a squeaky puppy growl on anyone else came out deep and crackling from the sun.
Soul pulled his hand back, palms free, āeasy puppy! Was just a suggestion.ā Heart was laughing at him.
Satisfied its point came across, it nodded. Going to bed actually did sound pretty nice right nowā¦
Heart seemed to sense its thoughts, because he lifted it off the ground as he stood, gently setting it back on its bed. Like an evil creature that fed off of only suffering, however, he did Not crawl in bed with it.
Letting out a loud whine, it stared between Soul and Heart with a wide eye, glassy with what would be tears if it had any. It earned him a startled sound from Soul, āI thought you were enjoying cuddling with Heartā¦?ā And Heartās feigned resignation, āwellā¦ I guess I have too,ā
It turned away from Heart with an annoyed huff. He shouldāve been grateful and humble! Not resigned; Mind was a wonderful puppy, to cuddle with him was a gift, or a burden. Eyes drifting right over him to look at Soul instead, it gave a few paws at the air, tying to get him closer without Actually getting out of bed. He let out a laugh, a little indulgent, crawling in bed with it. "Fine, but only if you take off that collar. We don't want it poking you in your sleep, right?"
It huffed, annoyed at the fact Soul was right. Getting pricked in the neck by it's spiky, crown-shaped tag seemed like a recipe for discomfort though, so it presented its neck. Soul made quick work of removing the collar and it wasted no time in tucking itself into his side when he was done. Soul was still moving around a bit, putting the collar on the bedside table and getting comfortable in Mind's bed, but it was still nice.
"Am I still expected to join in?" Heart asked from behind, though he didn't sound too dejected anymore. "Or have I been rejected from the cuddle pile."
Mind considered shooing him away, but ultimately the idea of cuddling both its Heart and Soul sounded too nice. [And maybe.. it didn't like the idea of excluding its Heart from all the fun.] It made sure not to wriggle out of Soul's arms but it did wave him over with its free arm.
His Heart let out an amused sound, "Am I not even worth turning around for?" but crawled in bed beside it anyway, squishing it between themself and Soul. It arched its back a bit, so it could press against both its thirds, earning another amused noise and arms wrapping around it.
Its host didn't really cuddle back, but he did let it snuggle up against his side. His Heart, seeming to have discarded all his feigned reluctance, holding it close to his chest in a firm hug.
All in all, it was perfect. It almost forgot about what had stressed it out, tomorrow would probably be similarly difficult...It tucked itself closer, face shoved into the cook of Soul's neck.
This earned him a concerned coo from its host, "What's wrong buddy?"
Even after all that, it still wasn't in the mood for talking. It just shook its head, wanting to ignore the problem and focus on cuddling. Soul's hand lifted to its hair, lightly scratching its scalp. From behind, Heart cooed little comforts into its ear. The two working in tandem to distract it from its worry.
Soul could never leave well enough alone though, and asked anyway. "Was it what got you so stressed in the first place...?"
It nodded, hesitant. Soul probably wouldn't be dropping this unless it admitted that much, at least. His visible eye softened at that, "Don't worry about that. We can help you out with whatever it is tomorrow, okay?"
That actually sounded pretty nice... It didn't know how much help the two could actually be in the things it normally did, but even the knowledge that they would try was... appealing. Comforting. The thought of tomorrow didn't seem so stress inducing with the two of them around it.
It could feel itself relaxing back into their embrace, the stress lining its figure draining. Its eyes drooped further, the lack of worry and warm bodies around it making it difficult to stay awake. It tried to keep its eyes open though, it wanted to enjoy this. It wasn't common for the three of them to get together like this, warm and safe and without any argument.
One of them, and at this point it couldn't tell who, gently shushed it, "Go to sleep buddy, we'll be here tomorrow."
That was the last thing it heard before the world went dark, the need to rest winning out. Maybe... this wouldn't be the last time they did this.
#cccc#cj#chonny jash#chonnys charming chaos compendium#cj mind#cccc mind#cj heart#cccc heart#cj soul#cccc soul#petre#sfw petre#pet regression#sfw pet regression#jbird's art#jbird's fiction
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I want to mention before you start reading this, this isn't a hate post on Arcane or Jinx, so if you're gonna read it please read to the end, though it is a very long read, so you have been warned
look I know it's not a very popular opinion, but I really wasn't a fan of Jinx in the first season of Arcane, I just thought her whole madness arc was uncharacteristically generic and over exaggerated compared to the rest of the show's extremely competent writing, and her character felt very one dimensional and simple
(Arcane season 1 and 2 spoilers under the cut)
after she stopped going by Powder and became Jinx, she just kind of felt like the kooky crazy lunatic archetype with no other facets to her personality
there were moments that kind of made her seem more complex, like some of the early interactions she had with her sister Vi after the time skip, and her relationship with her father figure Silco, and the one scene on the bridge where she was fighting Ekko, but she seemed to only exist in the context of the other characters and wasn't really her own character, to me she seemed more like a plot device than a person
but then season 2 came, and Silco was gone, Vi didn't want anything to do with her, Ekko was off doing his own thing somewhere else, and for the first time ever she was truly alone
and it suddenly felt like Jinx could finally be alone and still be compelling and interesting and have her own growth and development outside of the context of other characters, she could be her own person
she went from over the top stereotypical movie crazy to a person struggling with genuine mental illness, a past filled with trauma, and complex feelings around her remaining relationships with the other characters, characters that she no longer depended on, as well as her self
like when she had the shot on Vi, but couldn't take it, there was a great deal of strife and contemplation on her face and ultimately it was her tear falling that alerted Vi to her presence, this is the first time she didn't seem to have one of those black and white demeanours of unbridled aggression or passive despair that she had often flipped between when interacting with other characters
and Jinx finally formed a real relationship with Sevika rather than just being outwardly jealous and petty but ultimately not behaving like she actually cared that much about her one way or the other, only using her to justify her new initiative, and while they still don't seem to like each other, now there is more complexity behind that unfriendly relationship that allows for nuances like the two working together in the wake of Silco's death, someone that they had both previously relied on for direction and purpose, which was really the only thing they had in common in season one
and the introduction of Isha gave Jinx another opportunity to form a relationship with a new character that required more than one word like "dad" or "sister" to adequately describe it
now Jinx had her own little sister that looked up to her, instead of her constantly looking up to Vi, she actually had to take the initiative and act on her own and allow Isha to follow
I of course hope to see Isha continue to develop as her own character as well, but for now I'm content with her helping Jinx to be her own person
now I said that this isn't a hate post on Arcane or Jinx, and that's because I actually fucking love this show, the writing is brilliant, and now I love Jinx's character too, Silco was my favourite character and I'll admit that I was apprehensive about how the story would unfold without him, but now I really can't wait to see what Jinx and Sevika do in the next two acts of the show
thanks for sitting through another one of my extremely amateur and even more extremely long characters analyses, hope it wasn't too wordy (even though I know it was) as usual I would love to hear the insight of others on the topic, so feel free to reblog or comment your own take and I would love to read it
#arcane#arcane s2#arcane season two#arcane s2 spoilers#arcane season 2 spoilers#arcane season 2#arcane s1#arcane season one#arcane spoilers#arcane jinx#arcane sevika#arcane isha#rose rambles
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here are three things about the baby:
he seems to visibly understand a couple of commonly repeated phrases now (???). I too thought this seemed insane (heās so little!!!) but the internet seems to think this is not that unusual at his age. when heās lying down on a flat surface I say āready? ready? ready?ā in an excited voice and he starts grinning hugely and lifts his hands up to mine and braces his neck so I can slowly pull him up into a sitting position (we call these baby sit-ups haha). and then the more devastating one is that my mom taught him to āgive a kiss.ā youāre either holding him or have him sitting up facing you and you say āowen, owen, can you give me a kiss?ā and he opens his mouth wide, leans forward, and puts his mouth very gently against your cheek. he will do this each time you ask him. ššššš itās too much!!!!! I donāt actually know how much of it is him recognizing phrases vs. recognizing body language and situationsā¦ I remember from my reading about dog training that dogs learn to recognize the environment first, then the body language cue/gesture, then the words last of all, so maybe heās just picking up on repeated situations. but itās still so amazing to me. like weāre not THAT far from him being able to talk and really understand. I canāt wait to hear his little speaking voice wahhhh
he is REALLY into his hands lately and loves watching them move around. before naps or bedtime Iāll cradle him against my chest and sing to him for a long time, and he will lift his little baby hands in front of his face and make them ādanceā ie do these slow graceful little gestures to the music. heās also just sooooo mesmerized by music. A gave him a little mandolin concert yesterday and he just stared at her without blinking the whole time she was playing.
itās so fun to watch him start to problem solve. he is absolutely obsessed with this toy thatās just a flat sheet of crinkly paper. BUT heās also obsessed with putting stuff in his mouth right now so he can chomp on it and itās hard to get a flat sheet of paper into his mouth in a way you can satisfyingly nom nom nom on. so this morning I watched him spend a solid five minutes (an eternity in baby time) experiment with different ways of crumpling up the paper so he could shape it into something he could really sink his teeth into. itās so funny because heāll work at a problem like this with total focus and then heāll get frustrated and start SHRIEKING and then heās like no no we must persist this paper isnāt going to nom nom nom itself!!! and resumes trying. itās so relatable ahaha I too often have to take shriek breaks in the middle of projects before I can continue.
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Albedo Headcanons
A/n: Since I don't have much to post rn, I decided to go back to some of my old headcanons that I didn't publish and expand on them. These ones are all the way back from 2022 even, but I'm still happy with my portrayal of Albedo lol. Hope you all enjoy them too! I did work on these a little more, but I didn't take in consideration all the new events with Albedo after 2022. Keep that in mind.
Contents: General platonic and romantic headcanons, Albedo x GN!Reader, fluff, dash of angst if you squint really hard, self indulgent, possible grammar mistakes
General headcanons:
- Albedo is not a person who really indulges much, or at all, in friendships and relationships. He can understand the appeal, but he simply does not care as much as an average individual. He has his work to get to and his research to keep going, and the continuously taxing process of keeping relationships in general are tiring for him
- He prefers his solitude much more than any other company. He may not be in love with people much, but he is in love with the trees, the branches, the snow falling and the frozen lakes of Dragonspine - every new day means a new love for him, and he cannot wait to do his homework on anything and everything, even things he understands fully now. One thing you can equate this love of his to is the snow of Dragonspine itself, countless snowflakes hugging the lands, buried deep in crevices and cracks, trying to get to the center of the world.
- Since he has researched so much, even the smallest of new discoveries are very exciting for him, itās those small joys that show his inner being through the smile that lights his eyes and makes the corners of them crinkle.
- Due to his drawn back nature, and his origins, he isn't so well met with emotions, so those are one of his many interests and curiosities.Ā He is well mannered, he knows how to maneuver a situation, but when he looks back at it, he can't help but feel distant and confused - why did they get so excited over such a small thing? Why did she blush so easily? Why did that boy get so scared by some wind? Why did he find himself observing the contours of someoneās face when he didnāt know them? Why did he wish to sketch them?..etcĀ
- He doesn't think he feels sorrow/regret like the others, he isn't like the others that much is certain. Sometimes when he is alone in some comfortable space he will just stare somewhere and wonder.... how would have he turned out if he just...felt more.. What does true happiness without limitations feel like? What is freedom? Does it come without regrets? In those moments he understands what sadness is. All these thoughts make him feel so heavy, his chest is heavy and tight and his heart feels lonely. At times he thinks what would happen if one of his close co workers were to suffer an injury or quit their work for greener pastures, the field of alchemy certainly wasnāt any easy one for everyone. He knows heād miss their presence.
- There are many more complex questions that plague him late at nights, only to shrug them off like a coat in the morning in favor of his Alchemist coatĀ
- This all being said, getting close to him is more on the difficult side. Unless you are willing to pull a little more work than him and frequently check in, he simply wouldn't know how to act. He does his best where he sees he can, though. He isnāt emotionless, just a bit clueless.
Ā - He would gladly help you, and guide you in the field of Alchemy in case you are curious about it, although he would much rather point you in the direction of a "starter mentor" first, before he offers himself as a mentor. It's not that he's underestimating you, but he feels as if giving you a good, solid start with a teacher of an "average" Alchemist would be a much easier way into the field of alchemy. In a way, you could say heās underestimating himself in handing you the knowledge he has in a way youāll understand.Ā
- Klee is one person he feels most close to. Sucrose is a capable lady, smart and close to Albedo, but Klee is someone who simply touches Albedo's heart in more ways than one. He wishes to keep her close and protect her, she feels familiar to him and gives him more sense of grounding to this world even if the responsibility of taking care of her wasnāt something he initially took on by choice
- That being mentioned he definitely has great patience with her, and slowly, even if she is not really able to understand, she is teaching him to feel
Romantic:
- Everyone knows the great Alchemist is also a great artist - everyone who has gazed upon his works would say so with 100 percent certainty paired with a couple more flattering words. Yet Albedo would shrug those compliments off and politely counter their words; a simple thank you does it
- He does not really see much of sentiment in those pieces of artwork as much as he does in the art he did of you
- Those are his favorite pieces. He loves to capture every detail of you whenever he can - the way your nose scrunches, the way your brow quirks, the way you lay down after a long day, the way the wind blows through your hair, the way your hands are after having them soaked in water for too long or when theyāre cold..
- He is still quite reluctant about initiating contact, especially the physical one due to his lack of proper experience on the topic. Most information he has was read from books or heard from his fellow Knights, but none worth mentioning or trying in practice in interactions with you
- So it takes much, much for him to warm up to the ideas, you will have to initiate things slowly, so he can warm up to those touches initiated by you as well but he does his own part in reciprocating and returning those small affections
- The best ways of bonding together is babysitting Klee honestly; drawing, searching nature for anything of interest..etc. So that being said his love languages are quality time, after that it would be acts of service and after that words of affirmation.Ā
āø n0tamused. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.
#Genshin Impact#genshin#genshin x reader#genshin x you#genshin headcanons#genshin impact x reader#genshin albedo#albedo x reader#albedo kreideprinz#albedo kreideprinz x reader#albedo headcanons#albedo fluff#yes i kin albedo how did you know#fluff#headcanons#romantic#platonic#gn reader#albedo imagine
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some brilliant minds 1x08 thoughts; spoilers within so proceed on your own judgement
those two nerds are so into each other and it's so loud also CAROL IMMEDIATELY CLOCKING THEM
josh like pls don't put me in the middle of your feud but then when oliver leaves he whips his head around like WAIT I DIDN'T MEAN GO THOUGH
"I am sorry to report that you have... a twinkle in your eyes" ANGEL
I know it's not the time or whatever but muriel is so hot
carol get behind me I will protect you
at this point their little last name thing is basically foreplay and the way we will get them saying each others first names in a moment of extreme intimacy I'm so ready
"when we're tog- when we're on a case together I need open channels of communication"
THESE NERDS ARE SO FUCKING HORNY FOR EACH OTHER
they are frantic in a way that tells me the sex is fucking feral
this lady's sons SUCK also yes jacob you stand up for that woman's sex positivity
this lunch date has everything. giggling. genuine admiration. nerding out together. roasting. flirting.
heartbeats being the romantic soundtrack to this episode is A Lot
carol get behind me and dana we will protect you
josh trying to impress oliver with his military man intimidation tactics AND IT WORKS?
also they are 100% that couple that just looks at each other a little too long or flirts a little too close to the sun and then suddenly they're trying to eat each other in a room full of people
CAROL GET BEHIND ME DANA AND OLIVER WE WILL PROTECT YOU
"I don't want that for you" with tears in his eyes my god i love them
"just don't hurt him" and you can see josh start to panic like oh god I will and I don't even think he cares about how awkward it would be professionally but he cares about oliver and he feels it in that moment that oliver's heart is something special, oliver is something special and for anyone else this could be casual but he knows for them it's not
josh DEVASTATED that oliver let it go without a fight. he wanted to walk in there and be told in no uncertain terms that he was being ridiculous. he wanted oliver to call him on his bullshit, to get under his skin the way only he can. and the one time he finally concedes, defers, even though it's obvious that he's just going along and josh hates it and he wants to take it all back so bad
CAROL NOOOOOOO
dana giving june a sex toy just incredible and I love her so much
old people throuple diversity win
I didn't need protection, I needed LOVE. and he's talking about after his dad died but he's also talking about now. he's also talking about how happy he is with josh and how they could love each other if they let themselves
I just know sex with van is INSANE imagine the giver that man is when he can also feel the pleasure his partner is feeling
our odds are 60/40 but you've proven me wrong before. and heartbeats fading in. and someone is choosing oliver even though it won't be easy, and pain is inevitable but so is joy and this could be it and they both know it
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ENIES LOBBY TIME!!!
Sanji's face here.... he Knows he is going to fuck him up
THAT IS SANJI??? šØ
Holding them in my hands again....
Sanji struck a nerve there akdjaoajkq
Increible trio btw.... look at the evidence
............ me next please šš»
That is love right there I can see it
What if we all killed ourselves (except usopp is telling her the opposite ajahkdhsakjd)
I need sanji to go insane like this more often.... after the timeskip it doesn't happen as much and I love to see him suffering
This is so funny.... there is no denying to her face card
"It's not like she actually wants to die" well yes she does, but no because you know she doesn't really. It is in a quantum state right now
Luffy is such a menace akdhaksjkaak
TELL EM!!!! THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!
Look at franky worrying about robin.... do not fret luffy is coming and he will NOT lose!!!!!
This is zoro remarking how usopps fear of being left behind makes no sense.... this is so good.....
This is so endearing but it also breaks my heart....
Who is that sultry binch... (I don't recall this attack AT ALL and i'm sure we never see it again)
They botched his bbl.... ššš
Luffy's face here... he was convinced she wanted to go with them but was compelled to do otherwise but no.... he thought wrong and he can't fight to her.... I've just been staring at this page for minutes like damn.
Nevermind.... this is something your mother would say "you want to die??? Just wash the dishes and you can do whatever you want later"
"If you wanna die, or whatever...." this is so good like he knows what he is doing.... he Knows.... look at her face. After knowing how luffy and ace were as kids this just makes more sense (oda didn't think about this i'm sure but damn does it fit) also the slight manipulation.... look at all of us we're already here and look how we all miss you already... you know that post about luffy being selfish but his selfishness is jusg kindness to others... yesh
Thinking about robin's cinderella lifestyle.... why did her mother leave her with that aunt and why didn't some archeologist take her in?? Because she doesn't complain about anything just like she doesn't respond when that mother accused her of hitting her child without reason... that's so fucked
Alright this is funny (and also true)... I'm sorry fellow women....
*Justin Bieber voice* I like your laugh... dereishi shishishi
SHE'S GONNA ASK HER MOM TO TAKE HER TO THE SEA WITH HER??? LIKE SHE DOES AFTER WITH LUFFY??? MY GOD!!! I just bursted into tears like I got punched in the nose I can't keep going ajdhakajk
I lied i can keep going... but head in my hands over this....
Find out how my emotional stability survives this arc in ennies lobby part 2. coming soon
#franky calling sanji brother eyebrows is too good akdbsksnsk also ily franky#captain t bone.... he got killed tecently.... i forgot who he was until now but he actually cared thats so fucked up.... cross guild come o#sanji going against cp9 by himself.... i shant say it... SLAY!!!! also the cook being mad about being pretty cause he has no individuality.#lucci talking about a little girl being born wrong and needing to die for it TO SANJI!!! OOF!!!#the frog stopped rocketman bc he thought they kidnapped kokoro just like they took tom ššš this fucking frog always gets me#chapter 377 and franky is in the headline with the strawhats ā¤ļøā¤ļø they recruit TWO thirty year olds in enies lobby ajdhaksjks#franky biting spandex head.... yeah... and he should do it more why did he stop biting heads... he got domesticated#luffy is such a menace here like damn.... he is charging thru EVERYTHING!! GET THEM BOY!!!!#also franky is so important in giving robin hope here... like she sees him fighting back no matter what and i KNOW that inspires her...#i am going to say it hina fullbody and jango have a challengers thing going on but without hina being involved physically iykwim#when in action panels the ink just becomes lines... OOF!!! CHEFS KISS!!! MWAH MWAH#completely forgot gear 2 used the shave technique.... thats so cool..... also iron body must be haki then... and finger pistol#i dont think i can do this... after this ends we got thriller bark and then marineford starts building up...#i can endure water 7 sad moments bc everything ends up well in the end but what am i gonna do with marineford.... my god#also dr clover and dr hyruluk and crocus all have smilar plant based hair designs is that bc they are doctors or just coincidence#also robins father is dead and for sure another archeologist or similar.... thats inch resting....#which also like damn olvia and dragon had to make the same choices with their children i am sure. thats so fucked. dragon backstory when#clover knew the name of the fallen kingdom (robonosuke lore??) and also olvia knew some important information the gov didnt know... āļøāļøāļø#SAKAZUKI SHOT THE EVACUATION SHIP???? HELLO??? I DIDNT REMEMBER IT WAS HIM!! (also olvia knew where saul was)#kuzan is sick in the head... he can't bring himsef to kill child robin but he will kill her as an adult... also his beef with akainu is OLD#like no wonder she was terrified when she saw him again. he said live like a recluse or i will end you and she fucking did. THE bogeyman#there are comments saying they hate akainu and he has just appeared šš JUST FUCKING WAIT#you guys think when luffy realised robin's enemy was the world gov he also realised it was sabo's enemy too.... bc as a child he didn't kno#also pluton was made as a countermeasure for the weapon robin could reactivate... could that be the one that was used in lulusia??#bc i thought that weapon was pluton but if pluton is just blueprints.... this makes more sense... which could also mean the ancient weapons#are a countermeasure for weapons the government already has. and thats why they're hunting them down. to have no opposition#so there must be two sides of the ancient weapons bc they call pluton that but also the unnamed one that robin could activate#so is pluton a countermeasure to uranus (the one used in lulusia i think) but neptune? trios dont make sene but a trio and their opposite d#reading one piece#enies lobby
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one thing i was not at all prepared for about having to go without glasses for a week is how the navigating my environment itself isn't a huge barrier--i have to be really slow and careful and it's annoying, but it hasn't actually stopped me from doing things including in the 'god this is going to be a hassle, i don't even want to start' way--but the major loss/change in sensory input as well as Oh God the HUD is Wrong is apparently a huge depression trigger. replacements cannot happen soon enough
#moogletalks#second half reminds me of when i tried contacts for a few weeks as a teenager and Dear Reader I Hated It#the contact care part aside it felt so SO bad to walk around places that aren't my bed without glasses on my face#and it turns out that feeling is the same whether i can or can't see while i'm wearing them!#i started wearing glasses full-time when i was eight and they're part of my brain and body map now#it used to throw me for a loop a lot when people talk about only wearing theirs part of the time; just because Wait but Your HUD#i thought maybe it was just a 'well i guess they must not need them as [often/heavily] as i to for daily life'#'i wouldn't be so freaked out by the idea of going about my day without mine if i weren't worried about not having them when i need them'#and tbh i think this kinda puts the kibosh on that because my vision *is* shitawful and things *are* more difficult without correction#My Life Would Not Be Unaffected on a Logistical Level#but i feel *considerably* less visceral OH SHIT FUCK THIS DERAILS EVERYTHING about it than many many many other smaller things#it's just kinda oh. well. alright then let's go#in fact i wish i could take a lot more things in stride like this one emotionally lmao#but the lack of the glasses themselves feels exactly as horribly wrong as it did over a decade ago#glasses can come with all sorts of fucking annoying problems and hassles to deal with!#but given the choice of affordable; sturdy; well-fitted glasses with the right prescription etc#i would 100% choose that over unassisted vision#including the increased peripheral vision i'd get from not wearing frames#braintag#adventures in mental illness
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#body dysmorphia is literally the worst thing ever omg#all my life i have been waiting to look like a certain beauty standard before i can start the 'rest of my life' whatever that means#EVEN THE SIMPLEST THINGS#like i want to buy a phone but it's expensive so im bargaining with myself that if i work towards looking a certain way then it's justified#and it is so fucking annoying god whenever i look back at my pictures im always like 'i wish i could look like that again'#BUT THEN ive never felt good about the way i looked maybe except that one year when i wasn't completely depressed ??????#and i want to start to exercise because i know it helps me calm the fuck down sometimes#but there's always this thought in the back of my mind that yeah maybe if i exercise it will also help me in looking a certain way#and then i feel so fucking ashamed of feeling that way so i never start?????#but i thought the ONE thing that i could start now without having to wait to start the 'rest of my life' is therapy#but it just ended with a subtle body shaming and i didn't think much of it but boy am i in a spiral now#and i hate it absolutely hate it this week has been so fucking awful i cant#anyways that's why ive been mia with my first world problems so i'll respond when i get back i guess#vi.txt
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the struggles of today proved to me that i might indeed be a little mentally unwell
#not enough to go to therapy but at least now i know what i should work on#correct me if i'm wrong but most people probably don't start to feel suicidal if there's like. a problem at work#i've been asked to support the back office and help with managing cases which is okay i guess. but i'm not a support team person so#i don't know how to do a lot of things despite using the learning resources provided by the workplace#and this one case i'm handling was rather easy on the surface. no info in sys so parcel can't move forward. ask origin to release data. eas#but then origin says that they can't because they get an error message when putting in receiver's acc number. ruh roh#if origin can't release data no one can. i've asked them to handle it with IT but had no response. in the meantime the other involved CS#started getting involved and now a production in a factory is stopped. and i know it's not my fault but i could've done better#acted faster. thought smarter. and i hate this kind of responsibility. and that i care too much#i've cried so much today i'm so tired. from the stress of this task i've been given and because of the IT issues popping in all the time no#i logged into work 45 minutes late because the VPN i've been using shit itself and i had to get a backup one#i should've gotten it installed ages ago but nooo let's do that laterrrrr you definitely won't regret that#i hate having to put up with this bitch (me) .#another thing is. it's currently summer vacation season so i'll have to brace myself for more support work to come. it's probably gonna go#just as bad if not worse. i'm so not cut out for this. i'll have to ask my boss if he can move me to a different service#so i can have an excuse like sorry i can't help i'm no longer associated with tnt~#but that's gonna have to wait until he;s back from his vacation in august . oh well#also all this stress might result in me getting something akin to an ED#my stress response other than crying and shaking is not feeling hunger. i ate something substantial at 5pm and had breakfast at 6am#between that i had two small pieces of candy and water#i'm already bad at feeding myself or at the very least eating nutritious food . this could make me worse#āoh but kav everyone makes mistakes and it's important to learn from them! keep fighting!ā bitch i don't want to i didn't sign up for this#if i wanted to work for Support Team i'd have applied there. i did not wish to get involved with them and their work#sorry i needed to get this out of my system. i'll probably complain to some irls too but i might be able to do that without crying now#laments#<- i think this is going to be my vent tag
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#it was all too much#you knew and you said the most perfect thing you could have said#but nothing ever happened#you got my hopes high when I was so so low#words didn't match actions#when I had the money to take myself away#I chose to stay with you#I could have given me a well needed timeout#sun and ocean therapy#but I wanted to share this experience WITH You#the thought of leaving for holidays without you crossed my mind but it felt so so wrong and was no option#you knew what I needed but everything was more important#why did you even talked about it?#giving someone high hopes who's barely alive and completely and utterly on their lowest and then not following through is just cruel#I waited and waited and waited for something that was never going to happen#it's painful knowing I had 'the last money' from my father and could have spent it visiting HIS FAVORITE COUNTRY#he would've totally approved he would have been proud#I will never forgive myself for that#I spent his last money during those months I waited for 'us' to DO SOMETHING#I literally didn't care what all I wanted was a tiny holiday and time out together - so we could get much needed distance peace and quiet#I stayed around because I thought we have to leave together so we could get closer again#I hoped for us get close again get that special one of a kind bond back while making new experiences and memories#just the two of us for once#and then you didn't look on your phone those days before new years eve you obviously didn't care at all if I wrote you or not#you didn't care if we would spend new years eve together#you didn't care about us starting together side by side in the new year#you didn't drove 5 to 10 minutes but had the decency of writing 'would love being on the tower together with you like last year right now'#the year started with a lie obviously you DIDN'T MEAN it otherwise everything would have been different#I can still not fully comprehend what happened few hours later you fucking broke my heart my trust our bond our relationship ALL IN ONE#you made me feel worthless (500 euro was worth breaking everything) you made me feel unloved and totally betrayed you gave a shit on my dad
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