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petri808 · 3 years ago

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Pranks Are So Revealing Sometimes…

@itafushiweek One bed prompt

After everything had finally settled and damages were assessed to Tokyo jujutsu high following the Kamo incident, the faculty decided it was time for a full renovation. They would fix the damaged areas but also update other undamaged parts. Including the dorms according to their teacher. The students were given a schedule of when each of their rooms would be worked on and given boxes to pack their belongings for temporary storage.

“Don’t worry,” Gojo grinned. “Shouldn’t take more than a day or two per room.”

“Yeah, okay,” Megumi stared back up at his teacher after reading the information. “But where are we supposed to sleep if our room is being renovated?”

“Oh, well since the unoccupied rooms will also be renovated during this process…” the man tapped his chin. “Got it! You bunk with Yuuji, then switch when it’s his rooms turn.”

“Cool! A sleepover!” Yuuji pumped his fists in the air. “We can hang out and watch movies and eat junk food and just crash from a food coma.”

Megumi swallowed thickly with a groan. “I’d rather you give me your credit card,” directing his comment to Gojo, “so I can get a hotel room.”

“No, can do buddy. Come on, it won’t be that bad.”

Yuuji threw an arm over Megumi’s. “It’ll be fine,” his brilliant smile causing the man’s cheeks to redden. “Movies and food, we’ll have fun.”

Megumi looked away and crossed his arms over his chest. “Ugh! Fine!”

“Good.” Gojo patted his student on the shoulder. “Now that’s settled, get packing young Megumi. Tomorrow we’ll be starting with your room.”

With Yuuji’s help, it didn’t take long for Megumi to pack up his belongings. There really wasn’t much, fitting everything into 3 medium sized boxes. Mostly clothes, some books, and minor items. He packed a bag with just enough to be displaced a couple of days, and if the renovations took longer, he could probably just borrow clothes from Yuuji. They were roughly the same size anyway. The boxes were then taken to Yuuji’s room and stacked in a corner out of the way.

But the full toll of the situation didn’t really hit Megumi until the morning of the renovations. He was awoken around 7 am by Gojo, letting him know the construction workers would be there in 15 minutes. Great. So, he dragged himself out of bed and walked into Yuuji’s room planning to get a couple more hours of sleep. It should be fine considering Yuuji rarely got up early on a day off.

The problem was— ‘Only one bed…’ Megumi groaned internally as he swiped his hand down his face. Duh! How could he have missed this detail?! And there was no way to fit a second bed in the room since they were only designed for single occupancy.

“Ugh…” Megumi shuffled back out of the room in irritation. Guess he’ll just go get breakfast and figure out what to do next!

Look, he didn’t have a problem sharing a bed with another person. It’s just sleeping on a bed instead of the hardwood floor, what’s the issue with that? If it was anyone else, Nobara, Toge, Maki, Yuta, whatever— no problem. The PROBLEM is it’s Yuuji. Maybe one of them will let him stay with them? Megumi put his head down on the kitchen table with his arms over his head in frustration. No… that would be weird to ask. Gojo already made all the arrangements between everyone, so if he suddenly had an issue with it, they might find that suspicious and he really didn’t need them asking questions, or worse teasing him about it.

He could hear it all too. What’s wrong with Yuuji? You worried something might happen? Too afraid to confront your feelings. Wink, wink. Aww that’s so cute you’re embarrassed. But Yuuji’s a good catch. Yada, Yada. Maki’s monotone, “just man up” tone was not something Megumi wanted to hear. ‘It’s just a night or two… no big deal. He’ll sleep on one side; I’ll sleep on the other. What could go wrong?’

“Morning!”

Megumi’s body immediately went stiff at the sound of Yuuji voice. Damn guy was like a cat this morning, he never heard him come in! Or did he just miss it because he was too wrapped up in his mind?

“Yeah… morning,” Megumi responded as he sat up in his chair and pretended everything was fine. “Sorry, I didn’t make coffee or anything yet.”

“Nah, it’s fine. I can make breakfast. Want some?” Yuuji responded in his chipper way.

“Sure, since you’re offering.”

“I see they started working on your room. That’s what woke me up.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, That’s why I’m up too. Gojo kicked me out at 7.”

“Oh, if you were tired, you could’ve just gone back to sleep in my room.”

“Nah. I’m fine.”

“You still look tired.”

“I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” Yuuji placed a plate of food in front of his friend, then sat down across from him with his own. “So, got any plans for today?”

“Not really.”

“I was thinking of grabbing some snacks from the store for tonight.”

“Something happening tonight?”

“Movie night! Remember?”

“You were serious about that?!”

“Of course! We rarely have time to relax, so this is a perfect opportunity.”

“Well, since I’m stuck in your room… what movie are you picking?”

“You can choose. I don’t really care. How about I’m in charge of snacks and you grab the movies.”

“Fine. I’ll dig something up.”

The pair part ways for the rest of the day. Megumi felt it best to keep himself occupied so he wouldn’t think about that night. So, after breakfast he got some training in with Yuta and Maki who between the two really kept him on his toes. The construction work on his room sounded a lot more extensive than Gojo had relayed based on all the noise coming from within. Someone had placed a “do not enter” sign on the door, and so when Megumi walked past it, he didn’t bother peeking. By the time he returned from shopping around 5pm, it was silent. ‘Guess they’re done for the day.’ But since the sign was still up, it wasn’t finished. ‘Ugh, it better be done by tomorrow night.’

“Hey, Megumi!”

Megumi froze in place. Damn it with Yuuji sneaking up on him! He turned around. “Yeah?”

“I got food!” Yuuji held up two plastic bags stuffed full. “Dinner, snacks, drinks. Did you grab the movies?”

Megumi pulled three DVD cases out of his shopping bag and showed it to his friend. Three movies would kill about six hours, which meant sleeping right after they were finished, equaled less dead time to worry about.

“Sweet! Let’s get started!”

The moment of dread was upon Megumi the instant he walked into Yuuji’s room and laid eyes on that single bed. And as the dorm mate puttered around oblivious to his nervousness, he just watched quietly as the man plopped the bags onto the bed and grabbed a laptop from the desk. This was it, no turning back now.

“Why are you just standing there?” Yuuji questioned with laughter in his tone and patted the bed. “Come on, before the food gets cold.”

Megumi rolled his eyes as if nothing was wrong, but his heartbeat picked up the pace with each step towards the bed. He should be happy that Yuuji was so oblivious to emotions, and yet a part of him was annoyed… maybe disappointed… Megumi quickly shut those thoughts down as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“So, just to get it out of the way. How is this gonna work? Like which side do I sleep on?” Megumi questioned.

Yuuji stopped fusing with a food container and looked over. “Oh, hmm, doesn’t matter to me. I can sleep on either side.”

Well since he was already on one side. “I’ll just take this side I’m on then.”

Yuuji gave him a thumbs up. “Pass me the first movie.”

The first movie… all the movies he’d chosen were just action types. Megumi wanted something with as little romance as possible and knew Yuuji didn’t mind action or horror. Frankly, he thought it was funny his friend still loved horror after becoming a jujutsu sorcerer. Don’t they see enough of it in real life? Between the movies and the eating, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Yuuji became so engrossed in what was on the screen, it helped his anxieties stay lowered.

Megumi had taken up a position with his back against the wall sitting upright, and legs stretched out in front of him, while Yuuji was next to him with about a foot of space between them. Mid-way through the third movie, Megumi was genuinely paying attention since he’d never seen it before, when he felt a pressure against his shoulder. His eyes flared, cheeks heated up, and adrenaline spiked his heart rate. Yuuji had fallen asleep against his shoulder. No kidding this guy could fall asleep anywhere! Versus him who was too wide awake now to even think about it.

The last thing he wanted to do was awaken the sleeping man and make things even more awkward. So, Megumi tried to gently push his friend away to simply rest against the wall. His first several tries failed, but on the fourth, success… briefly.

“Mmm,” Yuuji stirred without waking and shifted on his own to curl up in Megumi’s lap instead!

‘Fuck, my life!’ Megumi screamed in his head. Things just went from bad to a disaster!

Again, Megumi tried to shift the man away, but every time he tried Yuuji would whine.

“Stop moving…” Yuuji mumbled and wrapped his arms around Megumi’s waist, snuggling his face deeper into the man’s leg.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Megumi gritted out in a muffled anger. By now, his whole body felt like it’d been stuck in a furnace and was being roasted alive. Ugh! Yuuji had turned into a damn octopus clinging to its meal! And yet… Megumi had to admit the man was cute as he slept. Geez, he even smiled in his sleep!

Not much he could really do, Megumi exhaled in defeat. So, he did his best to turn off the laptop screen using his foot and shift it close enough to reach. He then grabbed it and placed it onto the nightstand next to the bed, leaving them in a darkened room with only the gentle breathing of Yuuji as any sound. Okay, fine! Megumi counseled himself. Just ignore the fact there’s someone attached to you and try to get some sleep. The faster he went to sleep, the faster the nightmare would end. So, he shifted his body to lie down, then turned over onto his side hoping Yuuji would also readjust.

And the man did, just not in a way Megumi wanted. Yuuji simply snuggled up to his back and weaved an arm around his torso like he was one of those giant stuffed animals you win at a fair! He pushed the arm away, but it sprang back into place.

Megumi screamed in his head. He was so tired… ‘just ignore it, ignore it, ignore it…’

The sound of birds chirping caused Megumi to rouse the next morning. Perfect, his torture was over, it was time to get up— ‘Why was the pillow so hard—’ his eyes opened in a panic as his hand felt the unmistakable sensation of muscle beneath clothing. Without moving an inch only his eyes shifted over and saw the outline of Yuuji’s body lying on his back and he was curled up against his side! ‘Oh, fuck!’

Fight or flight kicked into overdrive as Megumi sprang from the bed like a cat and bolted out of the room. Every nerve ending along his skin was on fire and his mind freaking out, praying Yuuji had slept through it all. ‘This is gonna be so awkward if— What the?!’

As soon as he made it out of the room, Megumi almost ran right smack into Gojo. The man had one hand on Megumi’s bedroom door and the other carried a cursed doll, like the one Yuuji had trained with to practice energy control. “What is that for?”

Realizing he was busted, Gojo slipped the doll behind his back. “Nothing. I was just gonna check on the progress.”

“Uh-huh…” Megumi’s eyebrow raised, instantly suspicious. “Well, let’s just check,” he opened the door himself and walked in. “What’s going on?!” He whipped around. “Are they finished?” Because his room looked exactly like he’d left it the morning before. And he meant exactly!

“Really?!” Gojo pretended to be surprised. “That was quick! Looks like you can move back in. Well, see you at breakfast.”

Gojo turned to leave but Megumi grabbed his shoulder.

“Oi! What the hell?! There was no construction was there you prick?!”

“Nonsense! They must’ve finished yesterday.”

Megumi narrowed a menacing glare at the teacher. “That damn doll was the one making all the noise, wasn’t it?”

“Um… no…”

“And you were about to plant it for a second day!”

“Of course, not! I’m just carrying it around…”

“You’re such a shit liar!”

“Careful Megumi, might wanna keep your voice down lest wake up Yuuji.”

“What do I care if he wakes up now?”

“He’ll find you missing and the bed empty and be sad.” Gojo grinned defiantly then took off in a sprint, cackling like a mad man down the hall.

Bastard pranked him! Megumi screamed as he took off after the man. “I’M GONNA KILL YOU!”

#itafushi week #itafushi #itafushi fan fiction #itafushi fan fic #itadori yuuji #megumi fushiguro #satoru gojo #one bed prompt #fushita

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kopikokun · 4 years ago

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Spilled Drinks & Study Sessions༄ mark l.

↳ When you’re forced into a study session with your next door neighbour Mark, who also happens to be your academic rival in school, things go south very quickly.

pairing; mark lee x reader

genre; fluff, slight angst, enemies to lovers (more like friends, but anyway)

wordcount; 2503 words

author’s note; how the hell do you guys write e2l and make the transition so smooth? bro i could never. also, the header pic is different than what i normally do :/ it’s kinda eh, but i liked the picture so i had to do something with all that empty space

Request 26: Mark + “Oh, are you ticklish?” (73) + “Why are you naked?” (109)

— 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧. | 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬.

The animosity between you and Mark is intense and painstakingly obvious to everyone around you. Well, everyone besides your parents, you suppose.

“Can you stop being so loud? You’re distracting me,” you grumble, angrily flipping through your homework.

“Well, I’m sorry for breathing.” Mark rolls his eyes at you. “Would you rather I stop entirely instead and drop dead right here, right now?”

“At least it would be quieter if you did.” You press your pen down harder, taking your rage out on your poor, innocent worksheet. If you’re going to blame anyone for the excruciating torture your homework is enduring, you’d blame Mark. Even if it technically isn’t his fault, you’d still pin the blame on him.

“What’re you gonna do with my body? You wouldn’t be able to lift me, I mean, you couldn’t even open that can of Coke.”

Your cheeks grow warm, mentally replaying the image of a grinning Mark as he effortlessly opened your can of Coke, the soft hiss of its fizz taunting you. Mark had puffed up his chest triumphantly like he was some kind of hero. For crying out loud, he had only opened a can of Coke, not saved his country. It still bruised your pride though, having to ask for help from Mark, your sworn rival since middle school. Childish, you know, but you’re certain that Mark thinks of you as such too.

“Whatever,” you fumble for a name to call him, “nerd.” Mark snickers at you. “My fingers were just slippery.” He arches a brow, challenging you, and you scowl. “I wouldn’t be able to lift you because you’re heavy, fatass. Not because I’m weak.” You twirl a lock of your hair around your finger. “And look who’s talking, Mr. I-Can’t-Open-Doors.”

Mark flushes crimson as he silently fumes. “That was because I was pushing the pull door!”

“That’s even worse, Mark,” you tease, unable to suppress a smile. “Dumbass,” you mumble below your breath, enjoying the way Mark seethes.

“You’re calling me a dumbass? If I remember correctly, I was the one who placed above you last term.” Mark haughtily flips a page in his workbook. “Which I think is why your parents want me to tutor you.”

You throw a measly eraser shaving at Mark in rebuttal. “You know that’s not why I’m here!” Another shaving is thrown at Mark’s head, yet he doesn’t even look up at you. “In fact, your parents probably wanted me here so I could babysit you!”

Neither you or Mark are right. Your parents just chucked you together because they thought that after all those years of living beside one another and having weekly dinners together, you two would be absolutely wonderful buddies, and you can’t fault them for assuming such a thing.

Logically speaking, you and Mark are supposed to be the bestest of friends. As much as you dislike the word, it seems as if fate has decided that you two are meant for each other. Gross.

In almost every situation possible, you and dear Markie boy over here have been unwillingly strung together—from group projects, to assigned seats, you two just can’t get a break from one another.

Your parents had innocently thought that having a little study session while they went out for a double date with Mark’s parents would be beneficial for you two. Perhaps even fun. Fun, your ass.

All those years spent with Mark hasn’t made you friends, no, it’s made you rivals.

Yeah, so not sworn enemies, but what’s life without a little exaggeration?

You’ve always been a bright kid, some would even go as far to say that you’re ‘gifted’, but you think ‘persevering’ is a better word to describe it. You weren’t just born naturally intelligent or outstandingly athletic, no, you’ve had to work hard, insanely hard, for that. It hadn’t been handed to you all nicely wrapped with a little bow to match, just for you to tear it open and take. You’ve had to tolerate and undergo several sleepless nights, and many agonising hours of training.

Up until middle school you were top of your class in all aspects. You were idolised (well, as idolised as you could be for a middle schooler anyway), loved and acknowledged. It had been blissful.

That was until, little Mark with that stupidly cute gleam in his eyes came along, skipping over to you in those worn-out track pants and smiling toothily as he introduced himself as your brand new next door neighbour.

You have to admit, initially, you and him were close friends. You’d walk home together, sneak out to go to the convenience store together, share snacks together, the list goes on. You’d even given Mark your very first kiss, right on the cusp on your twelfth birthday. He didn’t know that it was your first kiss though, and he’ll never know. You’d rather be shot at point blank range than give up such private intel.

But when one day, in seventh grade, when Mark had begun closing in on you in rankings, outrunning you at the park and gradually being everyone’s new favourite, you found yourself isolated. Even one of your friends, a girl with straight long hair that fell past her waist, started hanging out with Mark more than with you.

And when you invited her to your thirteenth birthday, the first thing she’d asked was, “Is Mark going to be there?”

And at that same party, you saw her, kissing the boy you had been crushing on for the past year. And it looked like Mark really enjoyed kissing her too. More than he did with you.

From that point on, you began to distance yourself from Mark. It was gradual, slow, but you knew Mark could tell. When he finally surpassed you academically too, you started harbouring a resentment towards him, and the rivalry between you two started.

You were somewhat hoping he’d confront you, at least wonder why your attitude towards him had seemed to change in the blink of an eye, but he hadn’t. And that stung.

Obviously rumours had circulated in middle school about what was going on between you two. Kids, no, people love to talk. And talk they did.

It had been widely known that you and Mark used to be inseparable at one point in time, and it was jarring seeing how differently you two were acting around each other.

Mark and that friend of yours had broken up some time after that, and evidently she was pissed. It seemed as if she had begun spreading gossip about you, claiming that you had been some sort of psycho ex-girlfriend and that you had threatened Mark to break up with her, essentially, she was villainising you.

When high school finally rolled around, Mark’s ex had moved by then—you weren’t sure where and you didn’t care to know. The rumours eventually died down with her absence, and you thought that maybe, just maybe, you and Mark could finally make amends, bury the hatchet, as one would say. But that never happened.

Looking back, you’re a bit amused at what an eventful and dramatic childhood you had. All those scandals at just thirteen? What a boss bitch. Present you would not be able to stomach that.

You take a peek at Mark. He’s attractive. Of course he is. He had been a cute kid, no doubt, but as he’s aged, he’s matured into his good looking features. He’s not the rugged and manly kind of good looking, he’s got more of a sweet boyish look to him, and in your opinion, it adds to his charm.

“What are you staring at?”

Shit, you’ve been caught. No, caught? It’s not like you were doing something you shouldn’t have. “Nothing.” You reach forward to take a sip from the infamous Coke can. It’s lukewarm, but you gulp it down regardless, trying to appear unfazed.

“Were you checking me out?”

Disaster strikes just as those words leave Mark’s lips. The putrid sensation of warm coke leaves your mouth entirely, not because you’ve begrudgingly swallowed it all, but because you’ve spit it out from the sheer shock of Mark’s question.

“Hey! What the fuck?” Mark stands from his chair across from you and its legs scrape against the floor with a sound that makes your skin crawl.

You cough and sputter, gasping for air. Once you’ve gotten past that tight feeling in your throat, you wipe the corner of your mouth with the back of your hand. A few droplets of the sugary drink dribble onto your shirt. But fortunately, well for you at least, you’re not as drenched in spit-laced Coke as Mark is.

“Shit!” You lift your gaze to look at Mark, who’s surprised, to say the least.

Mark takes a breath to say something, the words on the tip of his tongue, but he clamps his mouth shut, opting to groan in annoyance instead. “Jesus, why’d you even do that?”

Your face burns in embarrassment. No way you’re going to admit to him that you were checking him out. Sort of. “I don’t know, it just went down the wrong channel, I guess.”

Mark’s lips form a thin line of dissatisfaction. “Yeah, okay, whatever.” He cringes as his shirt sticks to him. “ I’m gonna go change.”

He runs a hand through his hair, face upturned in frustration as he stomps up the stairs, his footsteps echoing throughout the living room. Your eyes follow his figure until he turns a left into his room.

You sigh. If you were home alone, you would have screamed in humiliation. The can of Coke on the table mocks you. You resist the urge to pick it up and hurl it into Mark’s neighbour’s backyard—well, your backyard.

A sliver of positivity presents itself in the form of you and Mark’s mostly unscathed worksheets. There are a few stray droplets here and there, but it’s barely noticeable. It would’ve been much worse for both Mark and you if you had drenched those as well. In fact, your homework wouldn’t be drenched in just saliva and Coke, but also in tears at that point.

You curse the can in your grasp, its aluminium smooth against your skin, before you dump it in the bin. Good riddance, bitch.

I should apologise. You can suck up your pride for that. No, this isn’t even about petty things like pride anymore. That shouldn’t matter. I should apologise, you think to yourself firmly.

Alright. Apologising. Sorry. You inhale deeply, gathering your senses and calming your jittery nerves. Why are you even nervous? It’s not like you’re professing your undying love to him. Chill the fuck out.

As you’re standing before Mark’s single, wooden door (which looks extremely daunting for some reason), it doesn’t dawn on you that perhaps you should knock first.

If it had, then perhaps you wouldn’t be staring at a shirtless Mark, your hand still wrapped around his doorknob and your mouth hung agape.

“Oh my God, Mark!” You cover your eyes, the door shutting behind you with a creak. You’re a bit ashamed at how fast your cheeks are overtaken by a hot, prickling feeling. “Why are you naked?”

Mark, though just as startled as you are, has the common sense to reach blindly for the stained shirt he just took off, holding it in front of him. “What do you mean why am I naked? Why are you here?”

You take a few steps back, your back pressed up against the door. “I- I came up here to say I’m sorry. You know, for uh, just now?”

Your hands slowly fall to your sides as you burn holes into Mark’s carpeted floor with your eyes instead.

“Oh, uh, o-okay. Apology accepted, I guess.” Mark’s voice cracks and he clears his throat. “Let me just uhm—”

You can hear his drawer sliding open and the faint rustle of fabric. All the while you keep your gaze glued to the floor, feeling your cheeks grow warmer by the second. Oh my God, you’re acting like a little girl who’s just held a boy’s hand for the first time.

This isn’t the first time you’ve seen a guy naked—for fuck’s sake, Mark’s not even naked. He’s all covered up where he should be. Why is the sight of just his bare body from the waist up making your mind go blank and your palms grow sweaty? It’s not like you have feelings for him anymore. No, you don't.

“You can uh, you can look up now.”

You steel yourself, looking up to face Mark. Why did you have to steel yourself? It’s not like he’d have taken even more clothes off once you looked up again. You feel like slamming your head into the wall.

You fiddle with your fingers, searching for something to say to try and ease the tension. “Uh, sorry. For spilling that Coke all over you, I mean.” You scratch the nape of your neck. “And for you know, walking in on you changing.”

“Why didn’t you leave?”

Your shoulders slump. “Huh?”

Mark chuckles confidently, like he’s unabashed. His cheeks are ablaze with colour, though. “I mean, why didn’t you just back out of the room when you walked in on me changing? Why’d you just stand there?”

You blink at him. Why didn’t you just leave? “I- I froze up, okay? Don’t bully me!” Your ears are burning.

“Yeah, okay, okay.” Mark raises his hands by his sides, that entertained smile never leaving his lips. “Let’s go back down, okay? I still need to finish my work.”

You chew on your inner cheek. “Yeah, whatever,” you try to find a creative name to call him.

“Yeah, I know. Nerd.” Mark raises his brows at you, still with that amused grin. You wish you could smack it right off his stupidly handsome face.

You huff, turning on your heel and practically booking it to the stairs. Mark catches up to you in no time with long, languid strides. Stupid long ass legs.

“Hey, wait up, loser,” he says, a hint of delight in his voice. He pokes your side and you jump, shoving his hand away and mustering a weak glare at him. “Oh, are you ticklish?”

You gnaw on your bottom lip. “No, I’m not, fatass!” Despite your harsh tone, your cheeks deceive you, blossoming with warmth yet again.

Mark smiles genuinely this time, although there’s no sarcastic edge to it whatsoever. “You getting shy?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Hey, don’t be upset!” The next thing Mark says is nearly incomprehensible, but you hear it. Oh, you definitely do.

“You look cute.”

Your head swivels to look back at Mark, and you realise that he hadn’t meant for you to hear that.

The faintest of smiles teases your lips, before you turn away, denying him the satisfaction of seeing you break out into a grin. “Yeah, whatever, Mark.”

Now, it’s Mark’s turn to be enveloped in heat as a red tint spreads across his cheeks.

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sohin-ace · 5 years ago

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Josuke - Phone Buddies

This is cross-posted from Wattpad and available on AO3.

Enjoy~

"Yare yare daze, I'll pay, don't bother."

Jotaro was in a generous mood as he decided he would pay for the meal he shared with his uncle and grandfather today. He took out his wallet and got up to pay for the order, but right as he opened it and got the cash out, a small picture fell from it.

Josuke noticed it but as he was about to call Jotaro out to tell him, he was already far gone to the cash register.

Josuke took the picture in his hands and decided it wouldn't hurt to take a sneak peek. Also, he wondered what kind of photo a man like Jotaro could have tucked so preciously in his wallet.

The picture showed two smiling girls. One little girl with her hair styled in twin buns and a cute dress with butterflies on it, and right next to her, a very pretty H/C H/L haired girl with beautiful E/C eyes that was holding the child close to her.

Josuke's eyes widened upon seeing the picture and was astonished at how pretty you were. Were you Jotaro's family?

Jotaro had never mentionned a teenage girl in his family. Josuke already knew about Jolyne and even though he had yet to see her in person, he figured she was the child in the picture.

But you? Who were you? He suddenly became so curious. Were all girls living in America this cute? He blushed at his own thoughts.

"What the hell are you drooling at?" Jotaro grumbled as he came back.

Josuke subconsciously wiped his mouth at the remark and got up, handing him back the picture.

Jotaro's expression shifted slightly and his brow furrowed as he didn't expect to have lost such an important photo.

"W-who is she?" Josuke stuttered as he pointed at the picture, now in the hands of its owner.

"That's my daughter Jolyne and my sister-in-law, Y/N."

"Y-your sister-in-law? How old is she? She's very pretty..." He mumbled the last part, quite embarrassed to ask Jotaro these intrusive questions.

Josuke rubbed the back of his head as he looked away, obviously flustered. Jotaro was quick to catch on what was going on in this hopeless romantic's mind.

"She's around your age, and yes she's single. Let's go now." The taller male huffed as he turned around to leave, Joseph already waiting outside.

Josuke gasped loudly, a deep blush adorning his face as he trotted close behind.

"Wha- I wasn't even gonna ask that!"

Ever since that day, Josuke couldn't stop thinking about Y/N, the girl never leaving his mind. He was so curious and infatuated with her, he really wanted to know more about the mysterious girl.

Even if he knew the distance separating them was a big obstacle, he couldn't help but find it even more intriguing.

Jotaro of course had quickly noticed how dreamy Josuke had become ever since he fell upon that picture and sighed at the teenager's helplessness.

"Here. Call her in the morning before 12 or at midnight if you're still awake."

Jotaro came in one day and slammed a piece of paper on the table in front of Josuke, making the boy jolt and forcing him out of his train of thoughts.

He looked at the paper and on it was a phone number, most likely yours, and Josuke's eyes widened. He jumped from his seat and called out to his comicly older nephew who was already leaving.

"Wh- Really?! Oh my god, Jotaro you're a real man!Thanks!!"

Jotaro only dipped his hat while muttering his catchphrase and just like that, he left the scene, his good deed done.

Josuke's palms were sweaty and his heart was beating fast as he dialed the number and listened to the anxiety inducing bipping sound on the phone.

Yes. Tonight, he was calling you. He would know about you and, even if he didn't expect a relationship out of this, at least he could make a friend, right?

But what was he supposed to say? Were you going to find him weird? You never heard of him after all, and he suddenly had your phone number. What if he messed up? He was fairly good at English, but what if his accent was too strong and you couldn't understand him?

He didn't have time to fret any further as you finally picked up the phone, making his heart jump.

'Hello?'

His breath caught in his throat. Was that you? That was your voice right? This felt so unreal.

'Hello? Who is this?' You questionned and Josuke finally managed to blurt something out.

"H-hi! This is Y/N, r-right?" He stuttered uncontrollably and his hands were shaking.

'Get a grip, Josuke, that's so uncool for a guy like you!' He thought to himself. He wished Okuyasu would be there to give him a boost of confidence and some much needed bro support.

'Yes, it's me! Who's asking?'

Your voice was so sweet in his ears, he didn't expect that much honey in a single person's voice. A few words from you and he could already tell you were a kind person.

"I-I'm Josuke Higashikata! You don't know me, but I'm a relative of Jotaro." He was now calmer after introducing himself, the awkwardness fading slowly.

'Oh! Hi! It's so good to hear from Jotaro's family!' You chuckled lightly. 'How is he? Is he next to you?'

You sounded so happy to have news and his heart was restlessly hammering in his chest. But that was bad, the conversation was shifting towards Jotaro, he had to say something.

"Oh yeah, yeah he's fine, he's not here at the moment, it's pretty late in Japan..." He didn't know what to add. He was so shy, it was killing him.

'Oh I see, that's good. When you see him, tell him to give us a call, Jolyne misses him a lot!'

"Sure, I'll tell him!" He had to say something interesting, and quick, before you figured out how much of a weirdo he was. "U-um... So Y/N... You're... You're 16 right? Just like me!"

'Yes! I'm still in highschool. It's good that we're the same age Jojo. Oh- you don't mind if I call you Jojo? That's how my sister calls Jolyne.'

He blushed at the cute nickname. He wasn't very used to be called Jojo but coming from you it was almost tearing at his heartstrings.

"I-I don't mind!" He squeaked in an embarassingly high-pitched voice that he would have rathered not let you hear and you giggled.

'You sound so sweet! I wish we could talk more often, I'm sure you're a very nice guy!'

He wanted to scream at your cuteness but instead he resolved to balling his fists. Without even needing to meet you he was already falling hard in love with you. But at the same time it broke his heart that you two couldn't meet, or at least not until a very long time.

"Y-you too Y/N... You sound like my type of girl." He paused at his own words when he heard you gasp on the other end of the line.

'WHY THE HELL DID I SAY THAT WHAT THE FUCK ??!!!' He pulled at his precious hair as he cringed. Oh he messed up, just as he predicted. He goofed.

'J-jojo...! Y-you... Really? You think so...?'

You were embarrassed, but you couldn't deny that you were touched by his words, your heart racing as well as your thoughts. Nobody had ever said that to you before, and the mere thought of a boy, as far away as he was, liking you made you blush.

"I-I'm sorry! That... That was too much! Oh my god..." Josuke panicked and facepalmed, feeling so freaking dumb and not knowing how to save the situation.

'N-no it's just...' You trailed off thinking carefully of your next words. 'Maybe... I sound nice on the phone, but the reality may be disappointing, you know?'

"Huh? What do you mean?"

'I'm probably not as pretty as you imagine... Don't get your hopes up.' You laughed nervously his eyes widened at your words.

"N-no way!" He stopped himself before he could say something he would regret.

He couldn't let you know that he saw your picture. The last thing he wanted right was to seem like a major creep and that he only called you for your looks when he actually started to really like your personality.

He also sensed that you probably didn't have the best self-esteem, so disappointing you was out of the question.

"I... I truly believe you'd be nice to me if we met, regardless of what you look like. Also, if Jotaro trusts you then there's no way you can be a bad girl."

'R-really...?' Your heart skipped a million beats at his reassuring words and soft voice and you were glad he couldn't see you fidget in your seat. 'Ah, thank you Jojo, it's really sweet of you.'

He bit his lip and silenced himself from fanboying. You were just melting his heart by the second and he swore if you kept speaking with that airy voice, his brain would short-circuit.

'Actually... I think Jotaro has a picture of Jolyne with me on it, if you're ever curious of what I look like.'

"O-oh, really? I mean... Yeah, I guess I could ask him." He feigned ignorance and tried to keep his cool. "Should I send you a picture of me too?"

'You wouldn't mind? I kinda want to see what you're like, Josuke.'

"Oh, you won't be disappointed, I'm handsome as hell." He teased and you couldn't help but laugh at his boasting confidence.

'Ooh, I know I won't be, Josuke. I'll like you either way. I'm a simple girl.'

Oh no. Oh no. Your words had sent the boy reeling yet again, making his heart ache painfully in his chest and leaving him gaping in his seat like a fish out of water.

That was bad. So bad. He really didn't want to fall in love with you, but he guessed that was a huge failure on his part.

Why did you have to be so kind, so soft, and so far away? Did you feel the same way about him? Or was he the only one suffering in his bedroom right now?

Before he could add anything, he heard the phone beeping ominously, signaling his time with you was almost up. Damn, time flew way too fast.

"Y-Y/N, I'll have to hang up soon. I only bought two hours of phone time towards America."

'Ooh it has already been two hours? Aww man! It was so nice talking with you Josuke. Let's talk again like this soon, okay?'

You tried your hardest to conceal your disappointement, but at the same time you were hopeful to talk with him again in the future.

He was the only person that ever tried this hard to talk with you, and you managed to completely forget to ask him why he even called you in the first place.

You shrugged it off thinking that Jotaro must have talked about you to Josuke and tried to get him to make a foreign friend. If it was the case, you'd have to thank your brother-in-law, as you were really charmed by the young Japanese teenager and couldn't wait to learn more about him.

"Sure! Take care, Y/N..." He spoke softly to the phone, feeling all light and tingly inside.

He couldn't see it, but you were blushing at his sudden deep voice and tone.

'Goodnight, Jojo.'

He lingered a little bit, the phone still against his ear, then hung up. He sighed and held the phone close to his chest, his lips stretched in an unfaltering giddy smile.

"Oh my gooood..." He crossed his arms over his desk and buried his face in them, heavily flustered, your voice still echoing in his mind.

He took deep breaths to calm his excited heart. He couldn't even call his best friend Okuyasu and tell him what happened, it was already 2 A.M.

He knew he would regret having to wake up so early for school tomorrow, but the lack of sleep would be so worth it.

He just couldn't wait to speak to you more.

Do you guys remember when we had to buy cards with codes on it to call outside the country?

At the end of your limited time your phone would bip or tell you 'Time's up bitch, you have 5 min to say goodbye to your family'.

And it was so hard to say goodbye.

Damn, I feel old. The 90's man...

#JJBA #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure #Jojo no Kimyou na Bouken #Diamond is Unbreakable #PART 4 #jojo part 4 #Josuke Higashikata #Josuke #josuke x reader #josuke higashikata x reader #reader insert #x reader #writing #jojo

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mydearestreaderfanfics · 4 years ago

Text

In Your Arms (Lance x Reader)

Warnings: swearing, pining, angst (with a happy ending)

Word Count: 4,474

Prompt/Request: could you do a lance/ female reader with the prompt/senario "We've been best friends since pre-K, and now we're in college but things seem off, and I'm sad because I've crushed on you for years, oh damn you like me too?" kinda thing?? Best friends to lovers (while being pining idiots) is my jam

Summary: Lance and the reader have been best friends for longer than either can remember, but pining may just cause a rift in their friendship.

Author's Note: I've included a song for this anon, too. The song is the In Your Arms by the artist Kina Grannis. I hope you enjoy!

Author: Mod Alex

I shoved open my best friend’s bedroom door, not even bothering to knock, I hadn’t needed to in a long time. My cheeks felt like they were going to rip from how wide I was smiling. “Guess what?”

Lance looked up from his laptop, a simple smile on his lips. “What?”

I held up the plain white envelope I’d been hiding behind my back up until now. “This is what!” I was practically hopping in place. He set his laptop to the side, moving with grabby hands for it. “Uh, uh, uh! Move over.” He whined but flopped over allowing me enough room to plop down beside him. I slumped over so that I could rest snuggly against him before holding the envelope over both of our heads. “Take a look.”

“It’s from KU!” Lance grabbed your arm, shaking it (and by extension you) with excitement. “Well, open it already.”

“Yeah, yeah. You have no sense of suspense.” You really couldn’t blame him, he’d gotten his letter a week earlier and you had been just as pushy then. You flipped the envelope picking open the paper to reveal the letter.

“Read it, read it, read it!”

You smacked his prying hand away, snatching the letter before he had a chance to. You cleared your throat before speaking, mimicking a faux administrative voice. “Dear Ms. (Y/n) (L/n), it is with great pleasure- oh my god!” Lance beamed, grabbing the letter with one hand and hugging you tight with the other since you had taken to squealing into his chest.

He kept up the ridiculous voice you had been using as he picked up where you left off. “...it is with great pleasure that we inform you that you have been accepted for admission to Kerberos University. Congratulations, (N/n).” He must have set the letter aside because after a moment you felt his other arm come to hold you tight. You relished in the feeling. You two had always been this affectionate, after all, you’d basically grown up together, but sometime around… say seventh grade, your feelings for him had gone from closest friend to friend you wanted to be much, much closer with. So lying here with your ear pressed firmly to his chest and his heart beating steadily with his arms wrapped securely around you was both everything you could possibly want and absolute torture at the same time. You wanted nothing more than to be able to lean up and kiss him, this was the perfect opportunity to, but you couldn't and so you forced yourself to be content with lying with him. And in the meantime, you didn’t have to force yourself to be happy to go to the same university as him.

Realistically speaking the place you'd managed to rent was off-campus and you two would be sharing it with several other people, but your daydreams still took place with you and him in domestic fluff before heading to class and dipping in and out of the house throughout the day. Can you blame a girl? Even if your daydreams were a bit of a stretch from reality, you couldn’t say you were unhappy. Being able to wake up to a post-it note on your oval mirror from Lance wishing you good luck on a test or reminding you that you are fantastic. Cute little things that would send the butterflies in your tummy on a frenzy. The best thing about the shared house, though, was being able to have sleepovers with Lance basically every night. One of you was always falling asleep in the other's room, so much so that you basically shared two rooms- not that you were complaining.

Like this morning, you woke up to the light shining on your face. You groaned quietly in protest before letting your eyes flutter open when the bright annoyance refused to leave. The stars on the ceiling were the first thing you saw. You admired them for a moment, they were the kind that was common in children’s bedrooms- the glowy kind. They weren’t glowing now, it was too bright for that. They were still pretty, though. The stars also meant that you were in Lance’s room, specifically in his bed. It wasn’t abnormal-- like you'd said before you could usually be found here with him and vice versa. You turned, peeking at him from the corner of your eye. He looked beautiful, his features soft and unburdened. It was enough to make your heart thud in your chest. His arm was draped over your midsection, not necessarily holding, but not, not holding you either. You let yourself relax in his presence. “Mmm, good morning, gorgeous.” You blushed, having not expected his flirting to begin this early in the day. It wasn’t real flirting, of course, as you’d reminded yourself countless times in the past, it was just his flamboyant personality.

“Morning yourself. How’d you sleep?” He whined in response, burying his head on your shoulder.

“I’d have slept better if I got to sleep in longer.”

You laughed. “Lance, it’s almost noon.” Just as you had said, the digital alarm on his bedside ticked again, showing the actual time to be 11:48.

“But it’s my day off.” He kept whining and you couldn’t help but chuckle again. It was your free day too and as nice as laying in bed with him was, you had no intention of wasting your one free day by not going out.

“Tough, buddy. Come on-- up and at em’. I’m taking you to breakfast-- er, I guess technically lunch.”

“Oh? Are you asking me on a date, (N/n)?” His voice lilted teasingly. You socked him in the shoulder, glad he wasn’t looking at you to see how flustered his comment had made you.

“Tch, you wish. But seriously hurry up, I’m hungry.”

Lance got up a little while later giving you the opportunity to get ready. The restaurant was a short walk away and was decently cheap (which was good as you planned on paying for both of us!) which was part of why Lance and you frequented this place. The other part was how good their food was. Many study nights had taken place at your humble little hidey-hole.

You two were lucky, though, since it was your free day there would be no studying. Instead, you could sit and enjoy people watching, with good food and even better conversation. Lance's comment stuck with you though, and though you had been quick to write it off, a part of you deeply wished his joking had been true-- that maybe deep down he really had wanted this to be a date. God knows you did. By now the waitress knew your orders, a testament to your frequent visits here. "So what are your plans for the day?"

"I thought you were calling the shots?"

"Haha, you're a free man. You only came cause you wanted food, not because I dragged you here." You stuck out your tongue in a playfully childish manner. He returned the gesture before you both burst into laughter.

"You have a point, but I'm serious. I want to spend my day off with you, so whatever you have planned, count me in." Your heart was making its attempt to pound out of my chest, the butterflies not far behind. You just hoped your blush wasn't as obvious as it felt.

"Well, in that case, you get to spend your day off going with me to the thrift store."

"Oh? Spontaneity or refurbishing?"

"Yes."

"I'm in."

"You don't even know what we're doing."

He beamed at you, "I don't have to. I like surprises and I know it'll be fun since I'm with you." He's too sweet, you could practically melt.

"Alright, sweet! Then after we're done here, we can head over."

Lance had attempted to protest when you paid for breakfast, but eventually, your stubbornness won out, as it generally did in your friendship. You drove your way to a little hole in the wall thrift store that you went to whenever you had a little extra cash on hand. It wasn't as popular as the Goodwill the next street over, but the two ladies who ran it were as sweet as can be and they always had secret gems that you were sure you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. You'd found an antique chair that, after a quick varnish and reupholstery, was quick to become your favorite chair. Or the time you'd found some beautiful curtains that, while they wouldn't quite fit your window, made for the perfect fabric for a dress. You didn't plan on going for any furniture, save for a nice full-length mirror that you'd been on the lookout for. No, while that had been your original plan for the day, you had completely changed course now that you were in the company of Lance. You wanted to have some fun. In the parking lot, you explained the game to Lance.

“Okay, so the way it works is we both have a budget of ten dollars and we have to create a full outfit for each other. I figure since we’ve known each other since forever it should work better since we know each other's style. And don’t be an ass, since there’s somewhere I plan on going later with you in these outfits. What do you think?”

He grinned at you, “Sounds fun.”

You split up once you got into the shop. Occasionally you’d sneak glances at him and he’d stick his tongue out at you and tell you to stop peaking. You’d laugh and tell him you just wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to make you look ridiculous. Of course, you knew he wouldn’t, he had a better sense of style than most of your friend group combined. Thankfully you were familiar with this sense of style and had already taken to curating an outfit for him. You’d been here dozens of times so you knew just how to find the perfect deals and the most eye-catching pieces. So far you’d found a Nasa shirt that would make a nice contrast to a darker jean jacket you’d found. You wanted to find a nice pair of light jeans to balance it all, but so far you hadn’t had any luck. It was as you perused the aisles of clothes and did the mental math to figure out just how much more you could spend when you saw them-- the most perfect pair of light blue acid-washed jeans you’d ever seen. If they hadn't been exactly Lance’s size, you would have considered buying and tailoring them for yourself. At this point, you figured you could stop but you still had three bucks left and the shoe aisle was calling to you. ”Oh, well aren’t you perfect,” you mumbled to yourself as you found a pair of boots, a pair of knockoff Doc Martens, that looked exactly like a pair Lance had loved before they wore out not long ago. One of the ladies called you over and you obliged her, you wouldn’t ring anything up until after Lance had tried everything on just to make sure everything fit right, but you had no problem with chatting with her until Lance had finished.

“Oh, dear, I think it’s so cute that your boyfriend and you are doing that-- what do they call it Maggie?”

“Goodwill Date Night, love.”

“Yes, thank you hon. I think it’s so cute that your boyfriend and you are doing that Goodwill Date Night and at our humble shop no less!”

You squeaked, trying to shake your hands to tell her, no, but they were full. “We aren’t, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s just my best friend, I just thought it would be a fun thing to do. It’s not like that, Ruth.”

She giggled to herself. “Alright, dear whatever you say.” She turned to Maggie and they talked like two schoolgirls sharing in delightful gossip. You sighed, walking over to the dressing room where you and Lance planned to meet, it was as you walked there that you found on a rack of hats a grey and white striped beanie. It was still a little chilly out so it wouldn’t be terrible to wear temperature-wise, and it polished off your ten bucks leaving you with no more than measly chump change.

A few minutes later Lance joined you, he was grinning but it didn’t meet his eyes. Something was wrong. “Lance are you ok-”

“Here you are! Oh are these for me, you shouldn’t have!” He took the bundle of clothes from you like a child on Christmas, and yet it didn’t feel right. He had just cut your sentence off, something he never did. Just as you were about to comment on it, he bounded over to the dressing room. Worry gnawed at you, but there wasn't much you could do with him in the dressing room. Instead, you took your clothes and went into the dressing room next door to Lance to get changed. It was the perfect outfit, you’d expected no less, of course. The jacket he threw in fit you like a glove, and it was just light enough that you knew you wouldn’t overheat. The cute pair of shoes he'd picked out for you somehow even managed to be comfy!

“You ready?”

“You know it!” Both of you left your respective dressing rooms.

“Yay! The jacket fits! You’re out here looking like a full course meal, Lancy.” You spoke playfully, though you meant every word. He didn’t respond, and you looked up at him to see he looked, well, starstruck. He seemed to realize you caught him and he shook himself out of it.

Yet, when he spoke his voice still had certain awe to it. “You look, you look stunning, (N/n).” Your eyes widened for a moment before you broke your gaze from his, refusing to make eye contact, afraid that if you did you would do or say something to tarnish your friendship, but god, if you didn’t want to kiss his beautiful face right now.

Lance continued to be strange throughout the rest of the evening, although he agreed to keep by your side for the rest of the day as he’d originally told you. Keeping up with the theme of spontaneity, you decided to try another thing you’d always wanted to do but never had the guts to ask Lance on a real date to do it. So a should-have-been date was now a platonic outing with your best friend, even if you still really wished it was a date. So after adorning your new outfits, you began your “penny date”, a concept where one person chooses a number between ten and twenty, symbolizing how many times a penny is flipped, heads for right and tails for left. The penny is flipped when you arrive at a junction and by the time you run out of flips, you have to find something for a “date” at the location. Although Lance was still being weird and a little distant, much to your growing concern, he did seem to enjoy the idea. The game had led you to a little arcade where you and Lance spent the rest of the night playing various retro games and ate more pizza than you’d like to admit.

“It’s getting late, should we turn in?” You two were in an uninhabited corner of the arcade, not that there were many people, to begin with.

“Mmm, maybe. Just a few more games?” You gave him your best puppy dog eyes, instead of laughing or play arguing like he usually did, he looked away, and you swear you could see the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

“Yeah, we can stay a little longer.” You took his hand, it would eat at you forever if you didn’t find out what was bothering him. His head snapped up, eyes fixing on your intertwined hands.

“Lance, please, I know something is wrong. You’ve been acting off since the thrift shop. I thought maybe I was imagining things, but I don’t think I was. You can talk to me, you know? Did I do something to upset you?” His other hand had come up to hold your cheek tenderly.

“No, no you didn’t-- I’m the one that messed up.”

“Hey, you didn’t do anything wrong.” He shook his head sadly.

“I did.”

“I don’t understand.”

“(Y/n).” Was it just you or was he leaning closer as he spoke? “It’s because.” Your eyes started to flutter shut, he was going to kiss you! “I like-”

“Sorry to interrupt but we’re closing. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Lance and you shot apart as if you’d been burned.

That had been almost a week ago. That night the drive home had been filled with a suffocating awkward silence. Since then it was like Lance had been avoiding you. Honestly, at this point, you didn’t know what to do. Your friends had even begun to notice your mopey behavior. A knock sounded at your bedroom door; you had yet to get out of bed today and you weren’t about to now. Whoever it was could just go away. When no other knock came you thought whoever it was had left, and then the door opened. If you had the energy to you’d groan in exasperation. “Oh, (N/n).” The hint of anger you had harbored at the intruder melted away as your friend Hunk sat beside you on the bed. “When was the last time you got up?” You shrugged as best you could while lying face down. “What happened? Did you and Lance have a fight?” His comment made you wonder if Lance was being weird with the others. You supposed it was if Hunk thought you had fought. You shook your head. He got up and you assumed your noncommital attitude had run him off too, but a moment later you felt him sit again. He began brushing your hair and despite your whines, you settled down quickly. It felt nice and you were sure you needed it. He hummed, filling the mocking silence with warmth. “Can you sit up? If not that’s okay, it would just be easier to braid it if you were sitting.”

“Okay.” Your voice was croaky from lack of use, but Hunk still smiled encouragingly. His fingers carded through your hair with ease and when he finished he pulled you into a hug. You broke. Tears that had come and gone in solitude now poured freely down your cheeks as Hunk shushed you. “I don’t know what I did. He hates me now, Hunk. I don’t know how to fix things, I just want him back.” You blabbered, words blurring together. Knowing he couldn’t do much to fix anything, Hunk just rocked you until your sobs subsided. When they did you pulled away from the hug.

“So you did have a falling out?” He spoke carefully, afraid you might fall apart again.

“That’s the thing, I thought we were okay. The other day we were going out to a couple places and after the thrift shop he was being strange and then....” You sighed, hugging yourself, taking a breath to steady yourself. “And then I thought maybe he was going to kiss me and we got interrupted and it’s been even worse since then. Whenever I do see him he acts as if nothing happened but he won't stay around me any longer than five seconds. It’s been a week, Hunk. I’m dying.”

“You said the thrift store?”

“Yeah?” Hunk gave an exasperated sounding laugh.

“(N/n), things are going to be okay. For now, I need you to trust me on that, okay. There are muffins downstairs, fresh. You should go eat. I’ll be back before dinner.”

“Wha-- Where are you going?”

“I’m fixing things!” He called out as he left.

Although a big part of you wanted to lay back down and mope, you needed to work on the schoolwork that you’d put off and... the muffins did smell good. Nobody else was home, so you felt a bit better about leaving the security of your room. After a couple of muffins and the first round of schoolwork, you took a quick shower and put yourself back together. You still felt destroyed but at least now you looked like less of a wreck. You’d taken to studying at your desk in your room by the time Hunk got back. It was much earlier than he had told you, still hours before dinner. “(N/n), you look much better.”

You sighed, “I tried to do what you asked, but I still feel like a raging dumpster fire.”

He gave you a sympathetic smile, “I figured. But I’m proud of you for doing this much. I need to ask you to do one more thing, though.”

“Oh?”

“Can you go meet Pidge at the library, she needs back her copy of some textbook. I don’t remember which one, sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck like he did whenever he was embarrassed.

“Oh, um, sure.” You wanted to ask how the fixing was going but you didn’t want to seem pushy. Besides, you could always ask him when you got back, you guess.

You got to the library which was thankfully only a short jog away from the parking lot. You pulled out your phone to shoot her a text asking where she was when you didn’t automatically see Pidge. Almost instantly you got a message telling you that she was in a study room. You smiled knowingly, it was typical of Pidge to reserve a study room all to herself for days on end. You trekked that way, keeping an eye out for the room number she said she would be in. It was at the end of the hall. “Hey, sorry for keeping your textbook for so lo-- Lance?” Lance was reclining in one of the chairs; he had almost fallen when you entered.

“(Y/n), what are you doing here?”

“I’m meeting Pidge, to return her textbook. What are you doing here?”

“I’m meeting Hunk, he wanted to try out a new recipe and said he was coming from the culinary building.” Your eyebrow furrowed. What was he talking about? Hunk was at home. It registered then, a light-bulb moment indeed. You’d been had. You turned to leave, but the doors slammed in your face, Pidge’s voice calling out from behind it.

“Sorry, (N/n), I had to do it to ya.” She snorted at her own meme reference. “You guys need to talk through things. I am not spending another second watching you two lovesick fools mope because you each think you ruined your friendship.” You flustered, she really was just gonna expose you like that.

“Pidge, you can’t just lock us in here-” Lance was beside you now, banging on the door.

“Actually I can, and I did. I’ll be back in an hour.” True to her word, Pidge’s footsteps faded away despite Lance and your protests.

You slumped at the door while Lance paced the room like a caged tiger. Watching him stabbed at your heart until you’d curled in on yourself, fighting off a fresh wave of tears. Did he hate being around you that much? What had you done? Lance noticed your disposition, his concern quickly switching from the situation to you. Within moments he was at your side. You were so confused, for a week now he’d been acting like he wanted nothing to do with you and now he was at your side trying to console you. You must have said that out loud since Lance has stopped all of his ministrations to eye you with guilt. “(N/n)-”

“Lance, can’t you just talk to me? We’ve been best friends since pre-K, but it’s like you want nothing to do with me.”

“It’s not that, I swear to you. It’s… It’s actually the opposite.”

“What?”

“I’ve crushed on you for years, honestly at this point, I’m pretty sure what I feel for you is more than a crush. Back at the thrift shop that day I heard you talking with the shop owners. You made it pretty clear my feelings aren’t reciprocated.”

“You like me?”

“Yeah, and I almost kissed you and ruined our friendship and I haven’t been able to face you because I know you just see us as friends, and I don't want to ruin that, but I just-- I can’t want that. Not anymore. I want to go on silly dates with you like that and wake up next to you and hold you and kiss you and just be able to know that I’m not an idiot for falling in love with my best friend-- I… I’m sorry.” He turned away from you, mortified at spilling his heart out.

“Lance.” You took his hand, but he still refused to look at you. “Lancy.” Your voice was soft, tender even. “I like you too. I have for a long time, like a really long time. Why do you think I took you out on that excursion. I mean jeez, I haven’t exactly been subtle.”

“But you told the ladies-”

“I was flustered and to be fair we weren’t dating.” He looked even more embarrassed if that was even possible.

“I am so sorry.”

You shook your head. “You have no reason to be. We could have handled that better sure, but,” you shrugged, “everything turned out right in the end. I guess we owe Hunk and Pidge our thanks. Although I do wonder how he found out about the thrift shop...”

“I may have told him my woes.” You chortled at his embarrassed mumble. You wiped away a tear from laughing to see Lance holding open the arm that wasn’t occupied by your hand. You practically flew into his arms. You stayed cuddled in each other's arms like that for a good long while after all Pidge said she was going back in an hour.

Bonus:

That night, Lance had taken to cuddling you in your bed. You’d been joined at the hip since that afternoon when Pidge had come to free you. Your friends were happy to have you both happy again and were quick to remind you that you owed them, although they were mostly jesting. You didn't mind much either way. Lance was officially your boyfriend, your greatest wish come true. At the moment he was almost asleep, happily tucked in with you when you spoke. “Wait so you mean to tell me that we could have been together for a lot longer?”

“Well, damn.”

#voltron #lance x reader #fanfictions #lance mcclain #swearing #pining #angst #mod alex

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stoopsbookstore · 5 years ago

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Kinktober Day 20 (10/20/19)

Kinks - Endytophilia (Clothed sex) & Siderodromophilia (sex on a train), bonus pictophilia

“All aboard!”

The conductor hurried the members of Seventeen and their staff, all of them running onto the train in a furious hurry. Wonwoo and Y/N being the last on due to Wonwoo being distracted by a cat in her crate. They were stuck being cabin buddies for the day-long train ride, a two-person cabin, the ones surrounding them filled with luggage and some even overflowing into their cabin.

“I’m sorry, Y/N, we only have that cabin left, we thought you and Wonwoo were already on. There’s two beds, but only one chair since we had to move one for the luggage.”

“It’s okay, Woozi, I’ll just sit on the bunk, it’s only 18 hours, I can deal,” Y/N assured Woozi, patting her back.

“Have fun, okay?”

“Okay.”

Y/N entered the shared cabin, Wonwoo taking the bottom bunk and already having his laptop out and set up. Y/N grumpily put her bag on the top bed, glaring at the tall male who was watching what looked like a YouTube video.

“You just had to pet that damn cat, didn’t you?” Y/N sat on the solo chair in the room,taking off her coat while Wonwoo removing the one earbud he had in to reply to Y/N.

“She was so cute, I’ve never seen a Maine Coon like that!” Wonwoo sat up, pointing a finger at Y/N, the train starting to move, “you went and grabbed a drink from the vending machine, so we were both at fault.”

“I wouldn’t have gone for a drink if you hadn’t stopped for a cat,” Y/N mocked him, pointing in the same fashion he was, Jun, Seungkwan and Mingyu peeking through the small window to watch the small disagreement, “least you could to do apologize is give me the bottom bunk.”

“Why?!”

“Because I don’t want you to look at my ass while I go up the ladder.”

Wonwoo stood up, reaching to close the blinder, the noisy trio leaving, a small chuckle coming out of Y/N’s lips, taking out the butterfly vibrator she had been wearing.

“Do you think that was convincing enough for them to leave us alone?” Y/N walking over to her paramour, her arms around Wonwoo’s hips, playfully squeezing his ass.

“If not, we’re still far enough away from them to avoid being heard,” Wonwoo kissed Y/N’s lips, leading her back to the chair, grabbing his laptop on the way, “come sit on my lap.”

Wonwoo got comfortable in the chair, unzipping his pants and taking his cock out just enough for Y/N to penetrate herself on it. Y/N looked in her bag for a condom, handing it to Wonwoo and watching him put on the condom.

“What do you want to watch?” Wonwoo set up the laptop for a movie, the earbuds still attached, “it’s Ladies’ choices tonight.”

Y/N slid down easily on Wonwoo, both of them moaning at the pleasure. Y/N scrolled through the movies Wonwoo had on his computer, clicking on one of her favorites.

“Public Affairs 3, nice choice,” Wonwoo lightly moved his hips, the train taking away most of the work as it rocked on the railroad tracks.

Y/N and Wonwoo each took an earbud, the movie instantly starting off with a girl fucking herself on a dildo on her balcony, her two neighbors watching her as they jack themselves off.

“What do we do if someone walks in?” Y/N recklessly bounced on Wonwoo’s lap because of the turbulent train ride, “how do we explain this?”

“I have a ta-tab, holy fuck, you had that thing in you since we left and you’re still so tight,” Wonwoo laid his head on Y/N’s shoulder, kissing the fabric that covered her skin, “I have a tab open just in case. Just shut the movie off and act as if you’re playing a game.”

Wonwoo slithered one of his hands under Y/N’s shirt, running his thumb over Y/N’s erect nipple. Y/N held onto the laptop, using her free hand to pull Wonwoo in for a kiss, her lipstick smearing all over both of their faces.

“I’m so close, Wonie,” Y/N arched her back, “I’ve been close ever since we got at the station. I wanted to stop at the bathroom and cum, but we were already late as it is.”

Wonwoo kissed behind her ear, nibbling on the lobe as Y/N continued the dirty talk, his silent demeanor always a turn-on for her.

“I have Big Papa in my bag, your favorite. When we reach the hotel, do you think about using it on me. See if we could break my record of three orgasms. Or maybe we could sneak away, possibly fuck me in the stairwell?”

Wonwoo groaned at the imagine of using a toy, his eyes catching the sinful movie that his laptop was playing. The actress had a toy similar to the one Y/N calls Big Papa, pumping the device in and out of herself, bending over the balcony’s glass barrier, her neighbor’s partition covered in their cum.

“Maybe we could re-enact this movie. I could make sure Seungcheol is out for a few hours, set up a camera.”

“God, that would be amazing, Wonie,” Y/N’s thighs shook from the pleasure, a sure sign her orgasm was coming.

The pair was so close, Wonwoo felt his pace weakened, the train being a big help to keep the tempo up. His fingers sneaking under Y/N’s waistband to rub her clit. A knock at the door startled them, Wonwoo cumming as a figure entered the room.

Seungcheol interrupted them as Y/N’s orgasm crashed down, Seungcheol shutting the door so no one else will disturb them. Wonwoo cussed under his breath at the intruder, Y/N trying to cover her passionate voices from the leader. All three were too scared to move, Wonwoo’s cock still in Y/N while Seungcheol was like a deer in headlights. Several moments went by until someone finally said something.

“How long, dude?”

“Three weeks.”

Seungcheol’s eyes were stuck open, his vision stuck on Y/N bent over on Wonwoo’s lap, her skirt hiding where the pair was connected, his attempt at a joke dissipating the awkward air a little bit, the computer still playing the porn.

“If you ever need a third party, you can call me,” Seungcheol’s small laugh caused Y/N to snicker, shutting the laptop and placing it on the table in the small compartment.

“I won’t tell if you don’t.”

#Wonwoo #Jeon Wonwoo #seventeen #seventeen imagines #seventeen smut #seventeen scenarios #seventeen au #kinktober #my writings

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darkmindsotome · 4 years ago

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Obey me! Oc + HC

Thanks to @lxvescramble for their post HERE and their fun suggestion I ended up playing around as well and this is what I came up with. Dollmaker link here

Darkmindsotome Masterlist

Obey Me OC : Andromeda (Andi) Mundi plus HC of how the brothers react / interact with them.

Andi actually quite likes her name but it was a little bit of a mouthful when people were trying to call her so it became shorter by necessity. You might ask why such a good little girl would require such consideration and be given a nickname as a requirement. Well, that is because naturally curious Andi also gets bored easily. Not really an issue until she decides to get up to mischief. You see a good girl, in this case, is just someone who hasn’t been caught yet. Andi is a master of avoiding reprimands in the human world but in Devildom? She is a child who adores chaos and you can bet if Lucifer finds his hands full keeping Mammon in check, then Andi is simply going to add to that headache. That being said she never actually does anything intentionally terrible; it is all small pranks to break up the peaceful boredom. She enjoys reading and playing games.

Reactions and Interactions with the new Human:

Mammon: First thought of her as a big pain in the ass. I mean this whole exchange thing seemed like a great idea and everything (Plus no one was going to say no to Diavolo). Spent the first few days avoiding her like she was infectious until he was ordered by Lucifer to figure out who had broken into her locker at RAD and put a bunch of snapdragons in it. (Snapdragons are a weed in Devildom and not only snap they bite and leave nasty burns). He figured out who had done it and beat them up. Now he thinks of her as another sibling and she is basically his cute and adorable Lil Sis. He melts when she gives him puppy eyes and begs him for things. She gave him a scarf as a gift looking adorable when she did because it suddenly occurred to her it wasn’t like Devildom is cold or anything. It is not his most prized possession. (Asmo tried to borrow it once and nearly lost his manicures). Mammon went from running away from, to running to the human quickly and gets hellishly protective.

Leviathan: This shut-in hardly noticed her, that was his story and he stuck to it for a whole week. She was quiet and such a normie, he actually couldn’t stop checking her out in a very awkward way. She looked completely lost in the library in RAD. She was trying to carry a stack of books that was nearly as big as she was. He couldn’t stop thinking it was so cute like something from an anime or manga. He caught the pile as it began to tip before she could even cry out and he blushed the minute they made eye contact. Finds out as much as he is a super fan she is actually really into some manga’s and things from the human world he hadn’t even heard of and agrees to swap copies of them with him. (This is definitely a trope right? Yeah, it’s a trope and the boy is living his dream right now). He overhears Lucifer offering to help her with studies and immediately goes to her room later that night to ask if he can help her instead. He finds out that she finds it hard to focus when there isn’t noise around her so he drags in some games and things into her room. If Andi wants noise and distractions in the background in order to work he can do that, in a very Levi way. He now plays all of his RPG 1st player shooters in her room while she studies. (Not that he is worried about what will happen if her grades slip or anything).

Asmodeus: Was overjoyed they got a girl living with them, even if it had meant a lecture from Lucifer about inappropriate behaviour and respectful distancing. He finally had someone to go on dates in town with that wasn’t going to complain about the 4hrs in Majolish where he was picking out dresses that all looked exactly the same. (There were differences in fabric, cut, stitching and each one accentuated a different part of his already perfect body, how could you not want to try them all?). From day one realised she hardly did anything with her own hair after washing and brushing. He felt it his duty to inform her of all the beauty rituals he could which was met with about as much enthusiasm from Andi as red-hot needles in the eyes. She relented seeing how happy it made him promising to at least let him do her hair and nails for her sometimes. When it’s the weekends he tracks her down and sits behind her playing with her hair. It really was such fun having a girl in the house.

Beelzebub: You know this boy loves family and takes to her in a heartbeat. He listens to Andi talk about life in the human world, her life in foster care and finds it all amazing. (There are humans who take in other humans children to provide care and shelter for them until they are old enough to survive alone?) She's so small though he is worried he'll crush her, and he has to stop himself from hugging her several times when she makes him very happy handing him snacks in class. He really wants to show her he appreciates her thoughtfulness and never finds the chance to repay her kindness. After she screamed at a spider on their walk home from RAD Andi threw herself so hard into his arms they both landed on the floor in a heap. Yes she was small and a human but dammit this was now his human and he would protect her from every creepy crawly in Devildom (There is a lot of them).

Belphegor: So these two didn’t have the warmest of first encounters. During one of his searches for a good place to nap, he wandered into Andi’s room and caught her changing clothes. There was a lot of screaming and he was hit in the face with several plushies and a shoe. (Andi wrapped a towel around herself and came out into the hallway to retrieve her shoe just as the rest of the brothers appeared. That was one hell of a day). His uncertainty of her faded a little after she apologised for attacking him. She had spoken to the others and heard about his sleep habits and prepared a few sleep aid gifts from the human world. (The wheat bag cow cuddle buddy is his fave). One night after dinner she grabbed his blanket and did a disappearing trick on him. It took him half an hour to find her and when he did she was curled up in his bed. He now curls up near her, not because he wants to always nap with her but because he is now afraid she will vanish on him.

Satan: Nose in a book always. Humans don't interest him that much as a whole but when this one arrived; she had several big thick novels he had never seen before. For a while, he had forgotten them as Andi was more focused on settling in than reading but he noticed her one night in the library in the house of lamentation and remembered them. He thought he would be sneaky and tried to position himself near her so he could read his book and attempt to sneak a peek over her shoulder at her books. Andi noticed and as much as Satan tried to deny his actions he was happy when she offered to share with him. They now have their own book club where they swap books and then meet up to have tea and cake and talk about them. (It’s a peaceful time he wouldn’t miss for the world).

Lucifer: Finds her to be a pain at times or more precisely an annoying distraction. When they first met, he made the assumption that she was simply a very sweet little human girl, a good girl. So when he found someone had put itching powder in his dress shirts and wet sponges in the toes of his slippers there was no way he thought it was her. (Not that punishing Mammon was something that was never a requirement but he did feel a little bad for doing it without reason). He has taken to watching her more closely as he clearly cannot take his eyes off her for more than a few hours before discovering she has found a way to convert her boredom into chaos. Nothing that she has ever done has been more than a minor inconvenience, to be honest, if this was the best the human world could offer then he could take it easily in stride. She has a cute apologetic look on her face that turns him to jelly, so it actually makes harsh punishments difficult to issue. (He simply cannot allow the others to see that sinfully adorable face). He has to work hard not to reveal the smile on his face as something other than sadistic when he hands her the mop and broom so she can scrub all the floors in the house as punishment.

"How come the human gets that and I get strung up from the ceiling upside down?" - Mammon "

"She's human they are delicate. Besides if he hung her upside down her skirt was fall over her ears and even Lucifer isn't that crude." - Levi

Diavolo: Let’s face it this Lord of Mischief adores the unpredictability of her. He has heard all the pranks she has pulled with the brothers and was only sad he was unable to get a front-row seat to the events. Of all the exchange students he is over the moon she was chosen as one of them, he now had another partner in crime. He laughed his crown off during an official dinner when one of the attending demons asked her a question that clearly made her feel very uncomfortable. Her wordplay was one of the things that had interested him from the start. When she is uneasy she deals with it by making sure the situation is as difficult for everyone else as possible too. (It's rather amusing to see the unflappable Barb and Lucifer getting flustered).

Barbatos: Found her one day during grocery shopping and took pity on her as she tried to figure out the difference between dried petrified hellshrooms and fresh. Devildom had a wide range of food available to purchase, it was one of the things Lord Diavolo insisted on before the exchange. So he found it strange that she should be trying to use ingredients that weren’t human. When she explained she was in charge of cooking dinner but she was a terrible cook he smiled and offered to help. (How bad could she really be?) He quickly discovered the girl can turn any food into a weapon and after nearly destroying the castle kitchen decided to tell her he would personally deliver food to the house on the days she was meant to cook. All she had to do was put it on plates and serve it.

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sabine-leo · 6 years ago

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PART 4

Author: @sabine-leo

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston / Reader - with Benedict Cumberbatch and Bobby

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Mysterious encounter,

Wordcount: 3142

Part: 4 / ? (aprox 5) LINK TO PART 1 , LINK TO PART 2 , LINK TO PART 3

Summary: A mysterious masquerade ball calls for a enthralling encounter with a handsome stranger.

Note: There will be one more after this to close up this story!

I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS!! So feel free to hit me with ´em ;)

Thank you to @drakesfiance & @anchored-in-high-tide for giving hints what to include!! <3

This chapter has text messages. > for incomming < for outgoing

“Em?!” You said a bit louder for her to hear you inside the store. Emma opened up the curtain of the changing room and peeked inside. “Oh yes! This looks fabulous.” Emma motioned you to turn one time and you did. “Yes, the body is classy and the skirt is a bit more playful. I like it! Maybe add a bolero jacket to it and you are good to go! The navy blue looks good on you.”

You smiled and said “Thanks Em! You always choose great dresses.”

Emma laughed “That IS actually my superpower…and my job!” She winked and closed the curtain for you to change again. It was Wednesday and you had taken your day off for an overdue day out with your best friend. And while being in the city you also got to shop this cute new dress you probably would wear on Friday. After the texting on Sunday you had gotten texts from Thomas on Monday and Tuesday evening. Something along the lines of. I hope you had a good day. Sleep well. You´d always replied with a smile on your face. It was nice to know that he seemingly thought about you at the end of his day.

After a nice day out with Em you did a bit of cleaning up at home and hopped into the shower before heading to bed with a book. Before you got engulfed by the story you took your phone and wrote a text.

< Hello handsome stranger! I hope you had an equally nice day as I today. (Y/N)

Smiling to yourself you put the phone on the bedside table and started to read.

Tom wasn´t even at home yet. He had a dinner with Ben and the Director, talking about the script they both had said yes to. Felling the buzzing of his phone he took the moment as Ben ordered something new to drink to take a quick glance. The smile on his face as he saw that it had been you texting was telling. Ben grinned and nudged him under the table. “Something interesting you want to share?” Tom grinned and shook his head. Ben chuckled quietly and engaged the director in a new conversation. Giving Tom the time to reply quickly.

> Still working, but my day just got better reading your text!! Looking forward to Friday!

Putting away his phone he engaged in the conversation and did not get to read your reply until he was home and in bed. Maybe this was not just the attraction of the night. He really started to enjoy texting with you. Even if it still was somewhat superficial, it felt good. That was why he had the phone in his hands as he lay in bed and wrote.

> I know it is late but I seem to be unable to go to sleep without saying goodnight to you Darling. If you are already asleep then: Good morning!

Tom put the phone on his nightstand and drifted off after some minutes. As he woke a bit later than usual the next morning he laughed as a picture of a cup of tea and some words were already waiting for him.

< Good morning Thomas. A tea for you… Hope you don´t have to work till late in the evening again today…

Tom smiled and sat up in bed. Yes, it did feel good to text with you. It was easy and lovely.

Friday finally arrived and after work you took the time to relax in a hot bath and get ready with enough time to spare. Emma couldn´t help herself and came over to help do your hair and just smile at you with a goofy expression on her face. “I know that it probably won´t happen, but if you need me to bail you out just send a text!” Laughing but hugging her you nodded. “You are a very good best friend!” Emma grinned and said. “I know. I am the best!” She winked mockingly and grabbed her stuff. “You are ready and you do look gorgeous. Have fun sweetie!” She kissed your cheek and went home. A last glance into the mirror. The navy-blue dress did look good on you. The soft bolero jacket would keep you warm enough if it got chillier later. Emma had done your hair into an elegant but playful half updo with soft curls hanging out. Just a hint of makeup was enough to make your lovely eyes pop. Taking a last deep breath, you smiled at yourself in the mirror and got your keys and purse.

It was time to leave.

Tom had worked half the day making calls and arranging his schedule for the next weeks. Ben came over for some finalizing details before signing the contract and stayed a while longer just to hang out with his friend after everything was done. Somewhere around 5 Tom looked at his watch and said.

“Would you mind taking Bobby into the garden while I take a shower before getting ready for my…”

Tom stopped short as he saw the grin on Bens face. “What?” Ben chuckled. “Finish your sentence first…” Ben said and grinned. Tom rolled his eyes and said. “…my DATE!” Ben wiggled his eyebrows and got a laugh out of Tom. “You FINALLY have a date…Should I braid your hair?” Ben teased. Tom snorted and stood. “Mock me all you want…but take Bobby out first!”

Ben grinned, stood too and went to the garden door. Bobby already following.

“Alright buddy. Tom doesn´t need our help with his hair…let´s go take a pee on his flowers!”

After a shower Tom stood before his closet in his boxers and pondered. Jeans or Dress pants? Long sleeve or button down? Bobby sneaked in and sat next to Toms feet. Seemingly staring into his closet too. “What do you think buddy…” Bobby just huffed and rested his head on his paws. Tom laughed and took out a Jeans and a navy-blue dress-pants. “First DATE…” came a comment from Ben just now leaning in the doorframe. Tom threw the jeans back into the closet and jumped into the dress-pants.

Next was a white button down and the navy-blue jacket if it got colder or you´d feel cold in the garden. Rolling up the sleeves of the shirt he went for a more casual look with no tie and an open collar. His longer, a little curly hair would dry just like that, combed back. He was a bit nervous about how you would take the revelation that it was him. Maybe you did not know him at all, maybe you had heard his name but could not put a face to it. Either way, he would know in a while.

Tom turned and looked inquiringly at Ben as he was done dressing himself.

Ben smiled and came over to straighten Toms collar. “Handsome devil….just…” He looked as if brooding about something.

“What? Another shirt? To tight?” Tom sounded unsure. Ben huffed and clapped his shoulders.

“…Do you really not want me to braid your hair?” A big grin spread on Bens face and Tom took in a relieved breath while slapping Bens upper arm. “You dumb git! I am nervous enough. Thank you very much!” Ben laughed and Tom began to laugh too. “Don´t worry Tom, you do look dashing as always. Trust your gut. And mostly ENJOY your date!” Ben said his goodbyes after some more minutes and went home with a smile on his face.

The walk to Odette´s was relieving some of his tension. He was a bit more than half an hour early to be sure that he was the one waiting for you, not the other way around. He got greeted with a warm welcome and was led into the secret garden. Where normally stood 4 tables now only was one in the middle of the garden. The bench with the soft cushions that went around the whole brick wall waited for the after-dinner hours where you could just sit together and talk in a comfortable way. Tom smiled as he saw the canopy of leaves and entangled wood softly lit with lightbulbs hanging from it.

The table was set for two with a small candle and a single flower. Soft music was quietly playing.

“I hope you find everything how you wanted it, Mr. Hiddleston!” The manager said and smiled.

“Yes, thank you very much. It looks very pleasant.” Tom shook his hand and hung his jacket on the back of a chair. “Do you want something to drink while you are waiting for your company?”

Tom shook his head. “No, thank you. I will just wait here and we will order together later.”

“Very well. If you need anything, under your table is a little button. Just push it and your waiter will be there shortly. Otherwise you will be undisturbed, just like you wished.”

The manager left, closed the curtains that led back into the restaurant and Tom smiled to himself. Everything looked dreamlike, now he just hoped that his gut feeling was right about you.

You arrived at Odette´s 10 minutes early and looked around outside. The shops around it were already closed besides the pubs and other restaurants on the street. You waited another 2 minutes but Thomas would probably be inside or assume you´d be inside if he yet had to arrive. Opening the grey door, you stepped in and got soon greeted by a waiter. “How can I be of service?” he asked friendly. “I don´t know if my company is already here. We wanted to meet at 8. I am not sure under which last name he booked the table. Thomas…” You tried. The waiter smiled warmly. “Ah yes, he is already waiting for you in the garden.” He signed to the manager and stepped aside.

“Welcome at Odette´s. Please, follow me.”

So, he was here already. It calmed your nerves for that you were now sure you would not be stood up and you liked it when people were on time. On the other hand, you got a little nervous. The manager led you through the sweet and very appealing interior to a thick double curtain. He stopped and turned to you with a smile. “Just a step through there…” He pulled the curtain back just a bit and you thanked him with a warm smile. What awaited you on the other side was too much to take in at once. The light under the canopy, the one table…but your gaze lingered on a tall man standing there with his back to you in a white dress-shirt, sleeves rolled up and hands inside his pants, head tilted upwards. You smiled as you recognized his tall and lean figure and the slightly curly hair.

The curtain closed again and you just stood there for a second, taking everything in. Your heart pounded like a sledgehammer inside your chest.

“Thomas?”

Tom heard his name and he instantly closed his eyes. Savouring the sound of his name from your lips, a smile spreading on his. But that smile only lasted another second. His feelings were in turmoil. He wanted to turn and see you so badly it almost hurt. But on the other hand, he was afraid to turn and face you, see your reaction and pop the bubble he was in for the last week. Tom took a deep breath and gulped heavily. His back was all tense and you could see it pretty obviously through his tight-fitting shirt. “(Y/N)” he said a bit tongue tied. Good god, he felt like walking into an audition and failing before even getting to say something.

You heard your name but he did not turn…Your stomach dropped a little. Was it to hold up the anticipation of the moment? No, he looked all tense. Was he having second thoughts? Maybe you should just excuse yourself and…

Tom sighed and tilted his head back. “I… I want to turn and I don´t want to turn at the same time!” He said and one hand pressed against his chest, or so you thought. “God, this was easier with a mask on…” You could not tell why but you had the feeling that he was afraid of what YOU saw when he turned. “Should…should I close my eyes? So.. you can turn and…decide…if…if you want me to open them?”

Tom huffed a breath out with the start of a chuckle. “Darling. Please don´t think for a second that I won´t like what awaits me when I turn to see you. I am more…dreading... on my behalf.”

It took all of your courage but you closed your eyes and tilted your head down a little. Call it instinct, you had the feeling he needed your help just now. “My eyes…are closed…Thomas…”

Taking his hands out of his pockets he turned slowly and was blown away by what he saw before him. His heart did a double shift as he smiled and made a step towards you. A hot flash went through his body. You were so beautiful. He tried to memorize your face with every little detail. He knew you had (your eye colour) eyes even though they were closed now. Tom took in a gasping breath. It was easier to calm his nerves now that he saw you. He found the courage he needed and he had you to thank for that. He WANTED you to see him, even if it would pop his bubble! Tom stepped towards you. His eyes could not fix on one particular part of your face. They wandered… Slowly he lifted his hand and his index finger touched your chin. You had felt him coming closer but you could not help the shiver that went through you by his touch.

“Darling…” Tom started softly, looking down with a slightly tilted head. “Please…open your beautiful (your eye colour) eyes…” His thumb touched your cheek in a feather-light stroke. Your eyes opened slowly and Tom tilted your head upwards in the same moment. A soft but nervous smile spread on your lips. His face was close and a warm but wary smile greeted you, baby blue eyes searching your face for answers you didn´t know the question to. Until you did a second take on his face… you gulped a little. This was…. “Prince Hal!” You gasped with a soft chuckle.

Tom started to chuckle himself, relieving himself of inheld tension.

“Thomas…or simply Tom would suffice.” He said a bit sheepish and let his hand glide down from your face over your shoulder, down your arm to your hand. You took it the same instant that he reached for yours but still could not believe what you saw and tried to get your senses back. “I am glad you are here, Darling. Sorry for my holding back…” Tom smiled and took a deep breath. You did not squeal or faint or his biggest worry, run at the sight of him.

“The mask hid you very well Thomas. I could tell you were handsome but I could not have guessed who was underneath…” You had found your voice again at least. There you stood, opposite of each other still holding hands and looking into beautiful eyes. Tom took your other hand into his too.

He smiled at your handsome remark. Yeah, it maybe was a bit vain but he was glad to hear it from you because he thought you were outstandingly beautiful.

“Well, who is underneath that mask…?” He asked quietly and watched you intensely.

You smiled and tilted your head. “I see Thomas…” You said and blushed a little. “And who is he to you?” Tom nearly whispered. You looked into his beautiful blue orbs and honestly said. “I don´t know yet. All I know is, that he is a very good dancer, fun to take pictures with and a reasonable friend who helps his friends to get home when they had a little too much fun.” Tom started to smile brightly.

“Oh… and I might need to add that I liked his texts in the evening or morning...” A deep chuckle left Tom and he shook his head lightly. “I do have the urge to hug you…to make sure you are really here and I did not mess up in an epic way just now!” He said honestly and as you did not seem to have inhibitions, he just embraced you in his arms, taking in a deep breath. God, you smelled so wonderful to him and you felt wonderful in his arms too!

Toms warm embrace, his very nice smelling cologne mixed with his very own scent made you a bit lightheaded for a second. He held on for a bit longer than a usual greeting hug. As he pulled back slowly, he dropped a chaste kiss on your cheek and smiled at you. “Still want to have dinner with me?” A bubbly laugh escaped you and you nodded. “If you´ll have me, Thomas…”

Tom grinned and took just one hand of yours into his and twirled you 2 times, sending your playful skirt flying. “Are you kidding? Such a lovely and very, VERY beautiful company is all I wished for the whole week!” Tom led you to the table and only let go of your hand to pull your chair back.

He sat down to your left side and breathed in deeply.

“To be truthful, I was quite scared about this meeting. As you probably could tell…” He said honestly and took your hand into his on the table. Smiling you nodded in understanding. “I get why, but maybe we could just be ourselves with each other.” Tom smiled “I´d love nothing more!”

You had deflected his angst, his uncertainty and he, with one glance from his truthful eyes and his honest words, had made you feel safe and happy that you had the courage to help him find his.

He let his thumb brush over your hand. You shivered a little and said with closed eyes. “And just to let you know. If I blush or stumble over my words it is not because of what you do for a living…”

Tom raised an eyebrow. “But?”

You opened your eyes and looked at your entwined hands. “Do I need to say it out loud?”

He grinned mischievous and nodded. You were back to how you had been at the Masquerade with each other. Playful, honest and flirtatious.

You rolled your eyes and grinned. “Nope. Not doing it!” Tom chuckled and said very low and rumbling. “Please….Darling…” You just shook your head fervently. Now Tom full out laughed, but leaned in closer and said.

“Would you just reveal it now…or should I start teasing it out of you?”

And for everyone interested: Odettes exists. this is the link to their secret garden: http://odettesprimrosehill.com/secret-garden

Tags: @lokilover-39 @clarakainda @archy3001 @amazinggraces-world @tanishahka @coniumalces @drakesfiance @confessionsofastrugglingteen @inlovewithfreyamikaelson @heart-shaped-hell @theoneanna @marikochi @xxxeatyourh3artoutxxx @awkwardfangirl2014 @rainbowsinthestorm @anchored-in-high-tide @cherrehismeh

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sunnybimbo · 7 years ago

Note

W- would you ever consider writing kolivunk?

this is my first time writing both kolivunk and kolivan in general, so i hope i atleast did him some justice,,,

also i didn’t expect this to get as long as it did, but what can u do? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(ultimate wingman lance to the rescue, as always)

~2500 words of pure cultural misunderstanding

(now on AO3)

Hunk heaved a weary sigh, hefting his gun up to prop it against his hip as they waited for orders from the Castle. Another planet liberated, another bad back for Hunk. This thing was getting heavier by the day, he could swear.

“You doing good, buddy?” Lance asked, reaching over to give him a quick side-hug.

“I’m good. Can’t wait to get back inside and out of this armor.” Hunk scratched at his neck, sweaty and overheated.

Lance waggled his eyebrows. “Take me on a date first, Hunky-boy.”

He ran off as Hunk knocked their helmets together with a loud laugh, which did wonders for Hunk’s stress levels. Just an hour— maybe two— and he could go back inside and relax. Maybe design a sling for his stupidly heavy canon.

He bounced the idea around in his brain, humming to himself as he mapped out the materials he’d need. He was so caught up in it that he hardly noticed when a certain leader of the Blade of Marmora stepped beside him.

“Yellow paladin.”

Hunk shrieked so loud that Kolivan’s ears twitched downward, and his near-permanent frown grew even deeper. The bayard dropped between them, switching to its dormant state in a flash of light, and Hunk quickly scrambled to pick it up.

“Dude, you scared the heebies out of me.” Hunk placed a hand over his racing heart. “What’s up?”

Kolivan looked up at the sky reflexively, and that gesture was cute enough that Hunk didn’t mind that his heart had nearly been frightened out of his chest.

“Nevermind. Did you need me for something?”

Kolivan seemed to contemplate the question for a good while, long enough for Hunk to start shifting his weight from one foot to the next, before he hooked his hands behind his back and looked off in the distance, towards Lance.

“You are… tired?” Kolivan questioned.

Hunk blinked, pausing in his fidgeting.

“A little, I guess. These shoes are comfortable but I can’t wait to get off my feet.” He smiled, wiggling his toes in his boots for effect, not that Kolivan would have been able to see it through the solid material. “But just a bit longer and then we can go back up, yeah?”

“That is correct, yes.” Kolivan said, and Hunk was a good enough people-reader to realize that he wanted to say more.

And so, the two of them stood there in a semi-awkward atmosphere while he waited for Kolivan to say his piece. It wasn’t everyday that he spoke to him, after all, and Hunk wanted to keep as good a repertoire as possible with their new ally.

After nearly twenty minutes of silence, though, the awkward air was palpable.

“So…” He tried, wincing at his own tone. “Anything else?”

Kolivan hesitated for the briefest of moments, before he straightened his spine again and shook his head. “That is all.”

He moved to step away, and Hunk silently breathed a sigh of relief. That is, until Kolivan abruptly turned back to him, hooked his arm over his shoulder and pulled him close to bap their foreheads together.

Even with him wearing a helmet, he could feel the rattling through his skull, but Kolivan stalked off quick enough that Hunk barely had time to react to the (literally) jarring experience.

Hunk rubbed at the spot on his helmet, eyes wide.

—

The mission was successful, of course, and the paladins were free to take a break from training that day while they sailed through the cosmos, on course for another planet to save, or something.

Hunk decided he’d use his time wisely and practice a bit of yoga.

It wasn’t something he did often, but his limbs felt tight after all of that standing around, and he needed to do something to shake that stillness out of his bones.

He rubbed at his forehead for the umpteenth time that hour before he made his way towards the common area. Maybe Pidge and Lance would be there, playing whatever games they played, to keep him some company.

Halfway to his destination, he ran into Kolivan. He quickly made room for the other in the hall, passing by with his usual, kind smile, and continued on his way.

He didn’t notice that Kolivan followed him until he heard the echoing steps as they passed the dining hall. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that yes, he was being stalked close behind by the Galra, and he offered the other another, albeit nervous, smile.

“How’s it going?” He tried, slowing his pace so the two of them could walk side-by-side. “Got lost?”

“No. I was looking for you.”

“Oh.”

Hunk scratched at the back of his neck.

“Want to join me for some yoga?”

—

Which was how Hunk found himself teaching yoga to an alien while hurtling at a million miles an hour through space.

Honestly, the weirdest part about it was seeing Kolivan out of his usual outfit, and only wearing a pair of pants. Not even shoes!

He had fuzzy toes.

As they shifted between Warrior’s Pose I and II, Kolivan asked him, “I thought you wanted to ‘get off your feet’.”

Hunk wobbled, nearly teetering off balance. “Oh, well… I guess I did! But I just wanted to relax, overall.” He tried to explain.

Kolivan made a noise, a contemplative hum, and Hunk shrugged his shoulders. Humans, am I right?

They switched between the simple poses for the greater part of an hour, though they barely spoke ten words to each other the entire time. Hunk had no clue if Kolivan was enjoying himself or not, but he hadn’t gotten up and left when Hunk had plopped down to finish off with the Lotus position, so Hunk assumed he was getting some sort of pleasure out of it. Or maybe he was just sating morbid curiosity about humans.

After they finished off, and Hunk switched off his ‘yoga instructor’ voice, he offered a towel to the Galra. He had no clue if they sweat underneath their fur, but better safe than sorry.

“Thanks for hanging out with me.” He grinned, retying his headband across his forehead. “It was fun! I don’t usually do this with other people.”

Hunk wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn that he saw Kolivan preen upon hearing that.

“I’m glad to have shared this time with you.”

Then, he leaned forward and bumped their heads together, and was gone as swift as the first time.

Huh.

Hunk was sure he would never feel this confused ever again in his life.

—

He was wrong. He was very wrong, and very confused.

In front of him sat a pile of… well, Hunk could really only describe it as knick-knacks. There were old, discarded pipes and wires that had long since been cut away and striped off their coverings, old bags that held space-flour and space-sugar, a few strings of yarn that he was pretty sure Lance had been using nearly a month ago, and even an old, broken in half wrench that had a very funny story to it actually—

“Is this not to your liking?”

Hunk’s eyes darted up to Kolivan’s, who seemed to be regarding him with thinly veiled… nervousness?

“Uh… No, it’s great!” Hunk quickly soothed. But then, he sighed heavily and picked up a wire, half-expecting it to shock him as soon as he did. “Actually, no. I don’t think I want any of this.”

Kolivan’s mouth twitched, and if Hunk squinted he was pretty sure that his ears had drooped as well.

“I see.” Kolivan began to gather the junk in his arms. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time, Hunk.” He bowed his head, and that was the only explanation Hunk received before the other swept out of the room.

Hunk wiped his fingers across the table, gathering the fine layer of sugar and flour and sweeping it towards the floor.

Then, he followed after Kolivan.

—

Hunk was no idiot. He knew that Galra had far better hearing than humans did, and no matter how hard he tried to mask his steps, he knew that Kolivan would hear him coming from atleast a dozen miles away.

Which is why, instead of directly following the Blade, he hacked into the Castle’s cameras and followed him that way.

He hid in the furthest reaches of Yellow’s hangar as he could, even going as far as hiding the corner he was in behind a trolley full of tools, in case anyone decided to peek their heads in later.

On the monitor, Kolivan was disposing of the junk in the garbage shoot, angrily muttering to himself under his breath. He spoke so low that the microphone couldn’t pick it up, but Hunk understood that he was disappointed in his own reaction to the items.

“What’re you doing?”

Hunk shrieked, scared twice that day in nearly the same way.

“Lance! Don’t sneak up on me like that, dude.” Hunk sighed, flopping onto the floor with a thud. “How did you even get in here?”

“Uh— Walked?” Lance teased, dropping onto the floor beside him. Before Hunk could ask how Lance had even found him, he continued on, “Why are you stalking Big, Mean, and Catty?”

“He’s not mean.” Hunk argued, defensively. “He’s just…”

“Unapproachable. Menacing.” Lance listed off on his fingers. “Permanent resting—”

Hunk slapped his hand over Lance’s mouth. “Language.”

“'Angry face’, I was gonna say.” Came the amendment from underneath his palm. “I thought you were scared of him, anyway.”

“I’m not scared of Kolivan. I just… respect his 'no nonsense’ attitude. Besides, he loves my brownies. I could tell by the twitch of his eyebrows.”

Lance snorted, stealing the computer away from Hunk’s legs to watch the leader of the Blade himself.

“What’s he throwing out?”

Hunk sat up again and gestured to the screen. “He was going to give me this stuff earlier, but I said I didn’t know what it was for, and now he’s throwing it away.”

Lance blinked at him. Hunk shrugged his shoulders.

“Dude.”

“What?”

Lance smacked his hand against his forehead. “Really?”

“What??”

“He’s throwing away stuff he wanted to give you, after you rejected him?”

Hunk frowned, reeling backwards. “I didn’t reject anything.”

Lance perked a brow, pointing to the screen. “He sure thinks you did. Which, according to my 'crush-ometer’— uh…” He hovered his hand across the screen like a scanner. “Ding-ding-ding! He has a crush on you!” Lance whistled. “And you straight-up rejected him.”

Hunk hopped to his feet, nearly stepping on his friend in the process. “I did not!” He said, more horrified than anything.

The two stared each other down, even as Kolivan disappeared from the screen and ambled towards his room. Then, Hunk buried his face in his hands and groaned.

“Oh great goodness, I did.”

Lance shook his head, slapping shut the laptop. “Tsk-tsk. Don’t worry, buddy. Lance the Love Expert is here to help.”

Hunk didn’t mention all of the times that Lance had come to him for crush advice. He barely had a chance to when Lance turned a critical eye on him, looking him up and down.

“Do you like him?”

“What?”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Do you like him.” He repeated.

Hunk stopped, and, unbidden, reached up to rub the spot on his forehead that Kolivan had seemed to enjoy bumping whenever they were alone.

While, sure they hadn’t had many interactions, the ones they did have did leave a funny, fuzzy feeling in his gut, and maybe his face did feel a bit warm when he thought about spending a bit of alone time with Kolivan.

It had been nice talking with him, even with how brief their encounters had been, and well… Hunk had a soft spot for anyone who liked his brownies.

“Crap.”

Hunk dashed out of the hangar, followed close behind by a cackling, overenthusiastic Lance.

—

The two of them found Kolivan nearly ten minutes later, situated in a near-identical living area as the ones the Paladins were used to using. He sat on the floor, in the middle of the sunken in couches, and he was in the middle of getting out of Lotus Pose when they burst through the doors.

“Kolivan!”

The leader of the Blade straightened immediately, at attention. “Is there a problem, yellow paladin?”

“Yes— Well, I mean…” Hunk floundered, before he grabbed Lance and took him off to the side. The two of them whispered loudly amongst themselves, until Lance physically shoved Hunk back towards Kolivan.

“He has something he would like to say to you.” Lance explained, clapping Hunk square on the back.

Kolivan looked between them, before he carefully schooled his features and squared his shoulders.

“This is about the courting gift.”

Hunk’s eyebrows shot to the roof, eyes wider than dinner plates. “Courting gift?” He squeaked.

“Yes. If I had known you’d already promised yourself to the blue paladin, I never would have overstepped my boundaries.” Kolivan bowed at the waist. “I apologize, and hope this hasn’t strained our alliance in any manner.”

Hunk choked on air, while Lance had to pinch himself to keep from laughing in the very serious situation.

“It’s— not like that!” Hunk quickly assured. “I mean, buddy…” He turned to Lance. “Anybody would be lucky to have you.”

“Obviously.” Lance said, fluttering his lashes.

“— but it’s not like that between us.” Hunk explained, tripping over his words. “We’re just…”

“Friends.” Lance clapped his hand over Hunk’s shoulder. “Just really close friends.”

Kolivan stood tall again, and he almost looked hopeful even as he dubiously stared at the way Lance draped himself across Hunk’s side.

“You are not here to duel for his honor?”

Lance looked floored by the very idea. “Uh, I don’t know if you know this but… I excel in long range combat. Not that I wouldn’t be… honored to fight for Hunk’s— well, honor… I don’t think I’d stand a chance against you. You’ve been fighting Zarkon for how long?” Lance huffed, nervous at the very idea of having to go one-on-one with Kolivan. “No, thank you.”

“Oh.”

Kolivan fell quiet, glancing down at their feet. Hunk was sure his own face was redder than a blood moon.

Lance decided this would be the perfect time to take his leave. “You got this, big guy.” He stage-whispered. “I can totally take him if he breaks your heart.”

Hunk couldn’t help the grin that grew at that, sending Lance off with a thankful nod of his head. He knew if ever it came down to that, Lance would follow up on that promise, too.

That left the two of them alone, and Hunk cleared his throat, shoving away the awkward air by offering his palm to Kolivan.

“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”

Kolivan regarded Hunk’s hand, and then wrapped his palm around Hunk’s forearm, in what was probably a customary handshake for them. “I apologize as well.”

Hunk grinned, and Kolivan quickly looked away. Because they were standing so close, Hunk got a front-row seat to the flustered way his ears flickered around his head, and that was so endearing that Hunk felt his heart begin to stutter in his chest.

“I didn’t reject you. Just to make it clear.”

“You…” Kolivan cleared his throat. “You wish to court me?”

Hunk glanced back at the closed door, before he tugged Kolivan towards the couch by their still linked arms. “I’d like to try.” He confirmed. “Will you teach me the right way?”

Then, he leaned forward, offering his forehead to the other. There was a brief hesitation, before Kolivan pressed their heads together and let loose what could only be described as a soft purr.

“I’d be honored.”

#kolivunk #kolivan #hunk #voltron #vld #voltron legendary defender #jam writes #this request came out of NOWHERE and i APPRECIATE IT #i hope its not grossly OOC #anon

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ohmytheon · 7 years ago

Note

I hope that your latest Aidan drabble would be continued! 😭 It's soooo good! Damn, I'm already shipping him and Ally! And I'm loving all the Roy/Riza references in Roy's POV! Thanks for sharing that with us 💞

Well hey! Since you liked that, then how about some more? I’ve been wanting to write this for ages, but talking to Elle the other day and her fic got me inspired. These kids are everything to me. There will probably be a second part to this, but don’t expect it too soon. (Our boy’s got his first date. They grow up so fast!)

Glancing at the clock, Riza noted that there was only five more minutes before they had to leave. Something must have been wrong for her son to be running late. He had been timely since she’d started instilling a routine in him when he was a baby, proving once more that he had more of her temperament than his father’s. However, he’d been lagging the entire day when they were on a specific timeline.

Yes, something was definitely wrong.

Walking to his bedroom, she knocked on the door. “Aidan, is everything alright?”

“Yes,” her son’s muffled voice called back, “perfectly fine.”

To anyone else, he would sound completely believable. Nothing sounded amiss in his voice or the speed of his response. His voice was even and content. To his mother, she knew that he was bothered about something. He was only this calm with her when he was trying to hide something. Around her, he was more open and usually allowed something to slip.

But she also knew not to push him. Roy would push. He couldn’t help it; pushing for more was in his nature. She knew that Aidan would tell her with little to no prompting in time. Ever since he’d punched that boy for talking bad about her and gotten into an argument with Roy, he’d been on good behavior.

A moment later, the door opened and Aidan stepped out. Riza wouldn’t have been able to stop the smile from spreading across her face if she’d wanted to. “You look so handsome,” she told him, stopping the urge to pull him into a hug. She could tell that he was holding back, so she gave him space.

Aidan smiled sheepishly at her, his cheeks turning pink. Indeed he did look handsome. All of a sudden, Riza knew in her heart that her little boy was growing up and it both made her heart swell in pride and hurt with nostalgia. He was wearing a black suit that looked almost exactly like one of Roy’s old suits. It was black and fit him perfectly, tailored by the woman that had been working on Roy’s suits for years, with a white button up shirt and scarf. She bet he had a pair of white gloves tucked away in his pocket too.

“Are you sure this isn’t too much?” Aidan asked.

Riza brushed down a few errant strands of his hair, which could never be fully tamed. God, he looked so much like his father right now. She had to fight the urge to tear up. Before long, he’d been an adult and right now he almost looked the part. “No, you look great.”

“Dad knows what he’s doing, I guess,” Aidan replied with a chuckle.

“You can thank Madam Christmas for that,” Roy pointed out as he walked up behind Riza and placed a hand on the small of her back. He let out a low whistle. “You almost look as good as me in a suit.”

Aidan rolled his eyes to connect with Riza’s and she gave him a faint, knowing smile.

Roy kept up a breezy chat as they made their way to the front door, but Riza noticed that Aidan was completely silent and had a distant look in his eyes. Normally, he was very attentive, but his mind was elsewhere. He blinked a few times, his face passive as he looked at his father. At the door, he kept raising his hand as if to brush his fingers through his hair, but then would consciously stop and put it back down, until he finally shoved them both into his pockets.

Finally, Aidan let out a sigh and admitted, “I wish Bran and Ally could ride with me.”

“That’s not how dates work, buddy,” Roy pointed out before casting a wink at Riza. Now she was the one that had to roll her eyes.

“Uncle Havoc rides with you all when you go out for date nights,” Aidan grumbled under his breath.

Roy smirked. “Well, that’s only because I’m the Fuhrer and your mother won’t agree to sneaking out.”

“Besides,” Aidan added, “it’s not a date.”

His voice, tinged with the sort of panic that could only belong to a teenage boy about to go on his first actual date, said otherwise of course and both Riza and Roy knew it. This was definitely Roy’s area of expertise. He was a lot more nuanced when it came to interpersonal relationships and also dating. He also knew how to walk through Aidan’s evasiveness as well.

“You asked her to the dance, didn’t you?” Roy asked.

“Yes, but–”

“Did you ask her to go with you as friends?”

Aidan snapped his mouth shut and didn’t respond. No, he hadn’t.

The day he’d asked one of his classmates to the dance, he’d come home like it was nothing. She was almost certain they wouldn’t have even known Aidan had asked someone until the last minute if Bran had not said something. Roy had actually cheered the moment after Bran bemoaned, “Of course you’d have a date before me,” before apologizing and offering to give Bran some tips.

He had acted like it was no big deal up until today and been even more vague when he’d owned up to it. Bran had been the one to tell them the story while Aidan finished his alchemy studies. Her name was Samantha and she was in their math class. They’d become friends after he’d helped her earlier in the schoolyear. She was very pretty and popular apparently as well. When Roy had nudged him teasingly about landing a pretty girl, all Aidan had said was, “She’s very kind,” without even looking up from his studies.

Turning to the side, Roy held out a hand almost thoughtfully. “If you’d wanted to go with someone to the dance as friends, you should’ve just asked Ally.”

Aidan’s face turned red so quickly that Riza had to bite her lip to keep herself from smiling. It had become even more apparent throughout the past year that her son’s feelings for Havoc’s daughter were beginning to morph, but either he was too stubborn to admit it to himself, in denial, or unaware. It was made only more complicated by the fact that she was his best friend’s younger sister and they’d all grown up together.

He’d been in an up and down mood when Ally had had her first boyfriend. She thought he had become more aware that things were different, but after the relationship had ended, he went back to his old self. It was a shame, really. She didn’t want him pining after Ally until it was too late. It wouldn’t be healthy for either of them. But then she had to remind herself that they were still kids. Just because she and Roy had had an absurd romance did not mean they would.

Now the tables had been turned and not everyone was happy about it.

Aidan had brought up the idea of all of them going together as a group after the fact. The idea had been shot down by Roy and Rebecca for “tactical reasons” as Aidan was the Furher’s son, which made no sense and Aidan knew it. He also knew better than to question Rebecca. The truth was, as Riza found out later from Rebecca, that Ally had not wanted to ride with them. She didn’t have a date unlike the two boys and was upset about it, but also did not want to admit it. Riza didn’t know why Ally didn’t have a date, especially when Bran had said that she was the first one to be asked out to the dance, but she had a feeling it had something to do with her son being dateless at the time.

Except Aidan had asked someone else and left Ally dateless. She hadn’t wanted to go, but after some curious and dejected questioning from Aidan, she’d admitted that she didn’t want to miss it.

Oh, those kids were such a mess, but it was cute. Riza just didn’t like Ally getting her heart broken, especially when the cause was her own boy, who didn’t seem to have a clue.

Still red-faced, Aidan tugged on his scarf and looked away. “I couldn’t have asked Ally. That would be weird.”

It felt like she was looking at a sixteen year-old Edward being confronted about his love for Winry.

Roy clapped Aidan on the shoulder. “Listen; don’t think about it too hard. Just have fun! I guarantee this girl isn’t expecting a dozen roses, a song and dance dedicated to her, or chocolate.”

“Was I supposed to get her something?” Aidan asked. “I should have got her something. You always get Mom stuff.”

That Roy did. The moment he could buy her gifts just because he couldn’t stop himself.

Roy grinned. “I’m pretty sure being picked up in the Furher’s vehicle with bodyguards is cool enough.”

Aidan groaned. “Ugh, do they have to stay the whole night?” As someone that has always kept to himself and liked his privacy, having guards around bothered him, even if they were people he’d known for his entire life. She knew he didn’t like it, but it had to be done, especially since tensions with Creta had gotten higher recently.

The door opened and Breda peeked his head inside. “I promise we won’t spy on you the entire time. You’ll have to have some time alone with your lady.”

“She’s not my lady!” Aidan exclaimed.

Breda winked. “Whatever you say, boss. Your ride is here.”

Sighing, Aidan turned to both his parents. He let Riza hug him and she was pleased when he returned it strongly. She couldn’t help but know that soon he wouldn’t need her, but it was her and him against the world for those first few years that they’d formed such a close bond. She was always secretly happy when he came to her for comfort still.

“Have fun,” she said. “Bran and Ally will meet you there and you’ll forget all your worries.”

“What if I make an idiot out of myself?”

Roy clapped Aidan on the shoulders. “I’m pretty sure that you’re the only boy your age that knows how to waltz, so she’ll be plenty impressed. If that doesn’t do it, just quote some poetry about her beauty.”

Aidan scoffed. “Then she’ll really think that I’m an idiot.”

“Just be yourself, okay?” Roy told him. “She said yes to you for a reason.” He smiled and stood up straight. “You’re charming as it is. Girls like you the way you are.”

At least one girl did, except when he wasn’t noticing her.

Aidan took whatever comfort he could from them and left, waving goodbye to them. Breda promised to take care of him and walked him to the car where another guard was in the driver’s seat. Roy and Riza watched them leave from the doorway, shutting the door only when the car was through the gate.

Once the door was shut, Roy sighed. “Poor kid. Can’t even see a girl is nuts about him when it’s right in front of him the whole time.” He pulled Riza closer to him, that lop-sided grin of his back on his face. “Reminds me of a certain girl back when she was younger.”

“Oh, I knew you liked me,” Riza replied, pulling out of his grip. “I just thought you were goofy.”

“Hey!”

The wait had definitely been worth it and she was incredibly happy with the family she had now, but she certainly hoped that Aidan would realize things much sooner than they had.

#riza hawkeye #roy mustang #royai #fma #fmab #aidan mustang #royai kid #fma fanfiction #fmab fanfiction #the things of songs

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randomfandomimagine · 7 years ago

Text

Sunshine in the Moonlight. Chapter 8: Sword in the Waterfall

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV

Pairing: Prompto x Alexandria (OC)

Previous Chapter - Chapter Index - Next Chapter

Wattpad - AO3

A/N: So the other day I finished writing the story and I’m so excited! I can’t wait to post more chapters and to know your opinion because I’m pretty proud of the result! :D

When I woke up, everything felt alright. All my restlessness from the previous day had withered once my weary mind was put to rest. I yawned as I looked towards the balcony. A pleasant breeze came in, accompanied by the tender beams of sunlight. It made me smile. I turned to the other bed, just to have my grin widened by the sight of an adorable sleepy Prompto. He looked so peaceful and happy, hopefully having a beautiful dream. As silently as I could not to wake him up, I stood up imagining that Ignis was already awake. I wanted to ask him what we were to do next as we had already met with Iris.

I flattened my clothes with my hands, wishing I would have worn some sleeping garments instead of my regular clothes, and put my hair up into a tight bun as I left the room heading to the reception, perhaps to meet with Ignis. Instead we met along the halls, presumably we were both headed in the same direction.

“Good morning, Alexandria” He greeted me effusively. Ignis was in a great mood, he was always a morning person.

“Morning” I said back with a head nod. “What’s the plan for today?”

“Talcott kindly offered to give us a tour around the city” He explained as we started walking down the stairs.

“Are all of us coming?”

“Gladio is already up, how about Prompto?”

“I think he was a bit distraught last night” I confessed, although I didn’t give him any more details. In fact, I felt bad for saying it without asking Prompto himself if I could tell Ignis about it, so I covered my answer. “He was probably just tired, but we should let him sleep”

“Noct too, in my opinion” Ignis replied, a bit sad. “After all the commotion as well as his headaches, he should get some more rest”

“I agree”

“Mornin’, guys” Gladiolus made his appearance just as we stepped into the reception hall.

“Hello, Gladio” I greeted him, making a conscious mental effort not to call him Gladiolus directly. He seemed to notice judging by the smirk that appeared on his lips.

“Noct is asleep, Prompto is-“

“Right here!” The blond hurriedly jogged down the stairs to meet with us. “Were you leaving without me?”

“We didn’t want to bother you in your sleep” I excused myself, hoping he didn’t take it the wrong way.

“Well, I’m awake now!” He replied, grinning as he gestured widely.

Prompto seemed still a little drowsy, probably after he woke up to the empty room and rushed downstairs fearing we were gone. He had literally just woken up.

“Shall we get going, then?” Ignis looked at us three. “Talcott should be waiting outside”

“Let’s go” Prompto, although rubbing his eyes groggily, was already full of energy as usual.

I smiled and looked over my shoulder to Ignis, who reciprocated with a fond glance, and to Gladio. The latter winked an eye at me.

Hence, the four of us walked outside the Leville with Prompto leading the way. He approached Talcott as soon as he spotted him by the spacious fountain that was in the middle of the street.

“Hey, buddy!” The blond greeted him, kindly messing up the boy’s hair.

“Hello!” Talcott replied, even if his eyes were focused on the entrance of the hotel. “Is the prince not coming?”

His expression fell when he realized Noctis wasn’t accompanying us. The little boy surely admired our royal friend, he probably was hoping to spend more time with him that day.

“Noct is still sleeping, and we really tried to wake him up” Prompto urged to say to cheer him up. “But boy is he a lazy one! I think not even the tremors could get him off bed”

With his little joke, Talcott laughed a little. It was so endearing to see Prompto interacting with the boy…

“Thanks for offering to take us around the city, Talcott” I friendly placed a hand on his shoulder and dedicated him a sweet smile.

“Indeed” Ignis agreed behind me. “It was very kind of you”

“Does your grandpa know you’re leaving with us?” Gladio worried, knowing we hadn’t seen Jared around the hotel that morning.

“Yeah, I told him! He’s okay with it”

“What are we waiting for then?” Prompto grinned at the boy. “Let’s go on an adventure!”

The two of them leaded the way as they maintained a lively chatter. I noticed our bubbly blond friend taking his camera out and showing it to Talcott, teaching him how to shoot a picture.

“He’s great with the kid” Gladiolus observed, nodding in their direction as we followed them to the main streets of Lestallum.

“Probably because they have the same mental age” I joked, addressing Prompto’s spry and childish as well as innocent and wholesome mentality. “It was to be expected”

Ignis tilted his head gravely, although he dedicated me the smallest of smiles in amusement to my comment.

“It is quite endearing, nonetheless”

Gladiolus nudged me mischievously, and when I looked up at him I recognized smugness in his expression. It was mostly his resting face, almost. Luckily, Talcott spoke just as Gladio opened his mouth to say something which was no doubt meant to tease me about something. I was secretly grateful for the interruption.

“First we’re going to Partellum Market” The boy announced, turning to us. “We’re almost there”

As we walked, the murmur increased and we soon noticed that the street we were currently in lead to a big square filled with people and stalls. A varied mixture of pleasant smells surrounded us as well.

Talcott turned to us as we exited the alley and entered the marketplace. He beamed, proud to be our guide, as he motioned behind him to the stalls.

“There’s lots of food and other stuff in here! You can find almost anything!”

“Perhaps I should buy some more ingredients” Ignis held his chin pensively.

“I can show you where the best ingredients are!” The boy offered excitedly.

“You better buy something to spice some noodles, Iggy” Gladiolus encouraged him, already following after the other two.

I grinned at their interaction and started walking myself, taking a look at the items displayed in the stalls of the market.

Everything looked quite appealing and delicious. All kind of spices, ingredients, deserts, and even some vases and items of decoration to have a bit of variety over all the food.

I thought that Ignis was definitely in his element, even if he had to put up with Gladio probably insisting on buying spicy items as well as lots of meat. Over the journey I had learnt that both he and Prompto adored spicy food, unlike me and Ignis. Noctis didn’t really mind it that much.

I admired the variety of colors as I took in the delightful scents of the spice stall I was looking at and moved over to the next one. I passed it by quickly as I was not too interested in decorative urns and vases. The next one was far more enticing than the first.

Wondering whether I should indulge in the sudden whim, I observed the display of chocolaty delicacies and took a deep breath as I pursed my lips together.

I was never one to follow after such cravings, seeing them as puerile and undeserving. But then again, I was starting to find out more about myself and realizing I could be childish even if I would deny it out loud. Upon such a dilemma, my first instinct was to think about Ignis. Spoiling me as he sometimes did, he would probably allow me to buy it. It was silly that I was hesitating, he wouldn’t scold me for buying a snack. I needed to stop thinking like the old and severe Alexandria and more like the authentic me.

I nodded to myself, resolving to buy it even if part of myself still felt guilty for giving in to childish caprices as I wasn’t used to them.

I leaned closer to the stall, absently taking a look at all the other sweets. They weren’t all made of chocolate, but I could also differentiate some strawberry treats –I absolutely loved strawberries, even if I was craving chocolate at the moment – as well as lemon, grape and many other flavors. Softly nibbling on my lip, I tilted my head to the side and tried to choose one of the chocolate items. It was a tough decision making up my mind between cupcakes, donuts, cake or…

A finger tapped me in the shoulder, so I turned my head in that direction yet I saw no one.

“Penny for your thoughts” A head peeked over my other shoulder, followed by a familiar energetic and soft voice.

Prompto had sneaked behind me, which I found oddly adorable. Especially given that cute grin he showed me as he positioned himself next to me, linking his hands behind his back.

“I want to buy a chocolate treat” I briefly explained. “Perhaps a cupcake”

“Nu-uh!” He replied, vehemently shaking his head. “You can’t do that!”

“Why not? Don’t you like chocolate?”

“I love chocolate!”

“Then what is the problem? Why is it that I can’t do it?”

“Because! I try to stay in shape, and chocolate makes people fat!”

“What does that have to do with me, Prompto?”

“You have to share my pain!”

I couldn’t help but to chuckle at his goofiness, even if he was pouting and I knew he was quite serious about it.

“Come now” I kindly poked him in the stomach. “You’re in great shape, one cupcake won’t hurt”

“No, but the ones that will inevitably follow that one will!”

“Don’t be silly, I’ll buy you one” I turned back to the stall to talk to the seller instead of directly facing Prompto. “Two chocolate cupcakes, please”

The man nodded and leaned forward to pick them up and give them to me.

“No-hoo!” Prompto complained. “Aleeeeex, why do you do this to me?”

“Just this one, Prom” Remembering he liked me calling him like that, I decided to pander to him a little.

“Fine, just this one” He rolled his eyes, a gesture that felt out of place in his expression.

I smiled at him and offered him both the cupcakes so he would hold them for me while I paid the man. Prompto sighed dramatically as he obliged.

“Thanks” I gave the seller the money I owed him.

“Thank you!” He replied gladly.

I then turned back to Prompto and flashed him a mildly smug grin as we started walking around the market. His lips were tightly pursed together, but a grin escaped from the restrained expression.

My friend gave me my cupcake back and started eating his own. I observed him with the corner of my eye as I enjoyed the delicious first bite.

“Mmm!” Prompto groaned happily. “It’s so yummy!”

“Quite tasty, isn’t it?” I fully looked at him with an ‘I told you so’ glance that spoke for itself without actually saying the words.

“Never said it wouldn’t be, missy”

I couldn’t get rid of the smile on my face as we absently gazed at the other stalls of the market while walking and eating our cupcakes. They were delicious, soft and spongy and with a strong taste of chocolate without being overly sweet. The icing on top was also slightly lemony, yet it complemented the chocolate surprisingly well.

Covering my mouth with my hand, I snorted when I turned to look at Prompto. His lips as well as some of his chin were covered in chocolate as he was devouring it. Taking notice of my amusement and blushing a bit, he hurriedly shoved the last piece he had left in his mouth and cleaned the remnants with the back of his fingers. I kept laughing, however, which just made him chuckle in the end.

A loud whistling noise caught our attention, so we looked over to where it came from to see Gladiolus urging us to reunite with them. For a second I had completely forgotten he and Ignis were in the market too, along with Talcott.

Rejoicing in the taste of every single bite of the treat, I headed in their direction. Prompto followed me closely.

“What did you buy?” Gladiolus curiously eyed my snack as we joined him.

“Cupcakes” Prompto said for me since my mouth was full at the moment.

“Where’s yours, Prompto?”

“Already ate it”

Gladio laughed heartedly and shook his friend’s shoulder playfully before he pointed his thumb to another street.

“Talcott is taking Iggy to the power plant now, let’s go with them”

Now eating the last piece of my cupcake myself, I nodded and went with them. Ignis and the boy weren’t too far away from us. They turned to meet us once they heard us.

“Did you see anything you liked?” Ignis took interest in us.

“I bought some cupcakes for ourselves” I casually shrugged, but I analyzed his reaction carefully. In response, my friend smiled softly. However, he didn’t comment on it.

“As a matter of fact, I got you something myself” Ignis offered me a sack filled to the middle with something. “I bought them for you”

Puzzled and curious, I took it and opened it to reveal what was inside. I could feel Prompto peeking next to my shoulder. I gasped in surprise and joy when I saw they were strawberries. Ignis sometimes had those small gestures which just showed how much of a sweetheart he was. He always remembered my likes too.

“Aw, thank you, Iggy!” I effusively squeezed his arm in appreciation.

“You like strawberries too?” Prompto excitedly asked me. “I love them! Plus, they’re healthy!”

“Look at you both, willingly eating fruit” Ignis sighed sadly as he watched us. “Wish it would be so simple to feed Noct some vegetables”

“Yes” I looked at him as I absently-minded poured some strawberries into Prompto’s outstretched hands. “If only”

We both started snacking on the strawberries as all of us continued with the city tour, with Talcott leading us to the power plant. Which reminded me that I should offer him strawberries if he wanted too. I opened my mouth, about to do so, when Prompto beat me to it.

“Hey, Talcott!” He called the boy in his bubbly voice. “Want some strawberries? If Alex doesn’t mind, of course”

“Absolutely not!” I opened the sack and shoved it in his direction. “Go ahead and get some, Talcott!”

“Thanks!” The boy took a small handful of them and happily started eating them as well before going back to the front to guide us.

“He’s such a cutie” Prompto whispered to me before he nimbly moved to stay next to the boy.

I stood next to Ignis and Gladio instead. The latter stole a few of my strawberries too, to which I responded with a joking glare that made him grin.

“So what else did you buy?” I pointed at the small bag that Ignis mindlessly carried by tucking it between his arm and his side.

“Solely some ingredients” With his other hand, he proudly adjusted his glasses. “I have some new recipes in mind that I would like to try”

“Looking forward to trying those dishes”

“Especially the meat. It’s delicious, Iggy”

“And the noodles, Gladiolus?”

“Gladio”

“Gladio?”

“That too”

It didn’t take us long to arrive as it was only a few streets away from the marketplace.

“This is the power plant” Talcott pointed at it in the distance with a wave of his arm. “Only women work here, they actually do all the work in this town”

“Hell yeah, girl power!” Prompto exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air as he stuffed his face with strawberries and fidgeted around.

“That’s right” We locked eyes and I gave him a self-satisfied smirk.

“Smooth, Prompto” Gladio teased him because of his praise, holding his fist up for him. The aforesaid made a face yet bumped his fist into Gladiolus’ anyway.

“This is where you harness the energy from the meteor, correct?” Ignis ventured, asking Talcott.

“Exactly!”

“That’s worth a photo right there!” Fidgeting around as he did, Prompto got his camera out and snapped a quick picture.

“Wanna go to the outlook? It has an amazing view!”

I assumed it was the same outlook we saw the previous day as we arrived to Lestallum. My friends exchanged looks as well, probably thinking the same thing, but didn’t want to bring him down as he seemed too proud and eager to show us around.

“Sure, buddy!” Prompto broke the uncomfortable silence. “Show us the way!”

Talcott’s face lit up with excitement as he nodded, chatting with our friend again as they lead the march.

“When you do think Noct will be awake?” Gladio asked Iggy.

“Possibly not for another while”

“Or for a few hours”

“You still can’t get on with Noct?”

“It’s not that…” I absently glanced down to my feet as we walked, focusing my eyes in the tip of my black boots. “I was just stating a fact, Noctis isn’t a morning person”

The glimpse Ignis gave me next was one full of surprise yet suspicion and intrigue. If experience had taught me something about him, it was that he was a great and intelligent strategist. For all I knew, he could have sent Noctis deliberately, precisely him, to talk to me last night in the hopes that we would have a conversation similar to the one we actually had.

I squinted at him, suspicious myself, just to be received with a minuscule smirk that only happened on the corner of his lips.

“What, you’re best pals now?” Gladiolus dared to ask.

I looked ahead, wanting to keep track of Prompto and Talcott, and dissimulated by shrugging and staring up at the sky.

It was mainly clear, a delicate blue background scattered with a few white clouds. There was remnants of orange in the sky because of the dawn. The sight had a soothing effect on me, improving my already gleeful mood.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I couldn’t truly explain it, but I was actually quite euphoric.

“You’re in a great mood for someone who angrily stormed off last night to sulk alone” Gladio observed, raising an eyebrow as he looked me up and down, insisting on the subject.

That reminded me of the conversation I had with Noctis, and how it finally seemed like we could become friends once we had settled our differences. That alone rendered me in a happy state of mind. The lovely morning we were spending together also contributed.

We were nearly at the outlook, to where Prompto and Talcott raced while we arrived behind them. The two ran to look through the viewing apparatus, exchanging comments in the meantime.

“This is it” Ignis pointed out to catch their attention. While the blond kept stargazing, Talcott moved to be facing us.

“Pegglar Outlook” He grinned. “Cool, right?”

“Awesome!” Prompto said, finally separating himself from said apparatus.

I walked to the edge and bent forward, resting my arms on the short wall. At least this time I could rejoice in the beautiful scenario without being rushed.

Talcott spoke to the boys behind me, enumerating some facts about both Lestallum and the meteor. Not too interested in any of that, I centered in enjoying the landscape.

The vivid orange shade lingered in the sky as the last moments of the dawn occurred, filling the white clouds with a rose tone that slowly faded away. I closed my eyes placidly and let the good energies fill me as I felt the light breeze around me and the very early beams of sunlight.

“Oh, oh! Look at that!” Prompto’s loud voice sort of broke the magic spell. “That’s the perfect shot right there!”

I heard the well-known sound of the shutter clicking and I knew that he had taken yet another photo of the view. And that I was most likely in it as well, just facing my back.

“Know what it would make it even more perfect? You!”

To ensure the idea that he was addressing me, I looked over my shoulder to confirm that he was indeed staring at me.

“Prompto…” I complained, honestly not liking being the subject of his photos. Not because I didn’t like him doing it –although he took too many photos of everything for my liking –but because I merely didn’t like my picture being taken. It also felt like history was repeating itself.

He had taken a picture of me at that very same spot yesterday, yet he would surely excuse himself arguing that this time the dawn made it a unique snapshot.

“C’mon, Alex! Just one!”

“Why can’t Ignis or Gladio pose?”

“Because they don’t have your elegant pose” With one gentle hand, he took me by the wrist and tugged at me.

“Nonsense, Iggy is far more elegant than I am” I retaliated, although allowing him to drag me around.

“But he doesn’t have your sweetness” He spoke absently as he held me by the shoulders now, even if his camera in his other hand dug in my upper arm, and positioned me where he wanted me to be.

Wait… Had he just called me sweet?

“Nice excuse, Prompto” Gladiolus had been watching the whole thing. Of course.

“She never poses!” The blond defended himself. “It would make for such a beautiful photo!”

“Just one?” I smirked, calling back to the cupcake.

“Just one” Prompto held one finger up, grinning a bit himself.

“Fine” I carelessly fixed my appearance and shifted in the spot quite awkwardly.

One of the many reasons why I didn’t like posing was because I didn’t know how to. What posture to have, what expression, how to casually smile to a camera, what to do with my hands. It always seemed forced and artificial.

Talcott, Gladiolus and Ignis were also observing the scene curiously, which honestly flustered me even further.

“Just act natural” Prompto definitely noticed my struggle as well.

“She should have gone for model instead of advisor” Gladiolus mocked, snorting at my visibly uncomfortable stance.

“Gladio, I can hear you” I glared at him intensely.

“I know, so? Whatcha gonna do about it?”

Even Iggy let a chuckle slip, becoming the next target for my glaring. In response, he held his hand up apologetically.

I briefly looked over my shoulder to see the image that he would document. I still couldn’t think how I would be improving it in any way, but I assumed Prompto enjoyed having a variety of subjects in his photographs. In that aspect he was right, the other were always glad to pose for him, unlike me.

“Gorgeous” Prompto concluded as soon as the picture was taken.

Deciding to take a break, I sat down in one of the benches nearby while the others lingered around. We had walked quite a lot and I also wanted to calmly stay there with that fantastic view.

The other four still observed the meteor in the distance. Ignis, on the other hand, needed to quickly glance at me to keep track of where I was at before he continued the conversation. Exactly like a loving father.

“Hey…” Prompto plopped down next to me. “You didn’t get mad that I insisted on taking the photo, did you?”

“No, don’t worry” Interested in how he seemed to be constantly seeking my company, I examined him.

Perhaps it was only that since Noctis wasn’t there with us at the moment he wanted to take interest in me. Maybe he felt closer to me in that regard and could relate more to me than to Ignis or Gladiolus.

“Alex, can I ask you something?” He piped up after a brief pause.

“Go ahead…”

“Why don’t you like your picture taken?”

I remained quiet for a moment. Like when he comforted me about not needing to be like Ignis, I knew Prompto wouldn’t mock me for feeling this way.

However, I wasn’t so confident of him following my perspective, understanding my insecurity. It was something I had been struggling with for a very long time, which was also why I always got jealous of beautiful girls like Cindy. Unlike them, I wasn’t graceful or extremely feminine. I had always connected better with boys –hence why I befriended Ignis and Gladio as soon as I started working for the king –and was interested in the art of fighting instead of personal grooming. I preferred to wear comfortable and practical clothes instead of those revealing and attractive.

I had always felt clumsy as, despite my composed exterior, I could be extremely awkward and incapable. A facet of me I had learned to conceal over the years and in presence of the Council. And putting a camera on me felt like bringing up all those insecurities, like when I posed I was forced to try and ignore all those flaws while they were being exposed.

I wasn’t unsure if it even made sense, yet it unsettled me either way.

“I’m… self-conscious” I put it simply, finding that all my thoughts were too convoluted.

“You? Why?!” Prompto’s surprise felt almost flattering. Whether it was because he didn’t see a reason for me to be insecure or because I acted confidently, it somewhat comforted me.

“Because… I’m not photogenic and I was never quite satisfied with my looks”

“But you’re really pretty!” When I stared at him wide-eyed, he began stammering and flushing bright red. “I-I mean… heh… well, you are”

I felt the urge to compare myself with other girls again. Cindy’s name popped into my head as well merely because of Prompto’s crush on her, but I forced to keep quiet instead of voicing those thoughts.

“Thank you, Prompto” I patted his knee gratefully. “It’s kind of you to say that”

Honestly, I didn’t truly believe he found me pretty. He just wanted me to feel better.

“Hey, even if you weren’t pretty… which… you-you are…” Prompto shrugged a little, although his eyes wouldn’t meet mine. “You’re still one of the most amazing people I know”

With that, he stood up and started walking like nothing had happened.

I knew those words weren’t as vital to Prompto as they were to me. He merely said them because he felt that way, he was always purely genuine and authentic. Prompto just spoke his mind honestly, passing it as something trivial because it was merely the truth to him. Yet to me, those words were making me a tad emotional as it was the first time someone said such lovely things about me. I was deeply moved by his sincerity and his personal opinion and perspective of myself.

There were moments like these that caused me to become so much fonder of him. Moments in which he showed me what a pure and kind-hearted soul he had, how endearing he was.

The smile that I had been carrying all day reappeared on my lips as I followed him with my glance. He was looking over his shoulder at me, stumbling for not looking where he was going, making me laugh in spite of myself. Then he made a face of embarrassment and looked ahead as he uncomfortably rubbed his nape.

I shook my head, extremely fond of the boy, and smiled tenderly.

“Shall we go back?” I stood up and called my friends. “Noctis might be up already”

“Certainly”

“Let’s hope Sleeping Beauty is awake”

I began walking back to the Leville to hopefully meet with Noctis there. Prompto was ahead of me, walking alone and refusing to look back.

“You’re quite unique as well” I pursed my lips together not to smile as I passed him by, walking ahead myself to avoid facing the embarrassment of my confession.

He paused, his footsteps stopping for a moment, before refraining.

I heard him laughing as he passed me by this time, purposely bumping his shoulder against mine to shove me slightly. I smiled to myself as he happily ran to the hotel.

When we arrived, Jared told us that Noctis had left with Iris. They had gone for a small city tour themselves. And hence we waited for them in the reception, chatting lively in the meantime.

“Did you enjoy your walk around Lestallum?” Jared asked us, leaning on the counter.

“It was lovely” Ignis nodded politely.

“Quite enjoyable” I smiled myself.

“Pretty nice…” Gladio was slightly grumpy, and I knew it was because his sister was alone with Noctis.

He had always been over protective, and we all knew about Iris’ crush on the royal one. Whatever the case, it was rare to see him sulky and annoyed like that.

I was used to seeing Gladiolus looking smug, teasing his friends and just having a laugh in general. Despite his menacing exterior, he could be quite a softie, a nice and likeable man.

I supposed I never saw the side of him that his protégé saw, for example. Even if Ignis would sometimes tell me that Gladio and Noctis had argued and weren’t speaking to each other sometimes, but I just couldn’t quite picture it.

“Lestallum is such a cool city!” Prompto cheered Talcott on, focusing my attention on the two. “And little Talcott here was the best guide!”

Jared seemed happy about the way we were treating his grandson. They were both lovable people, it was easy befriending them.

“Oh, there’s also a legend about a sword behind a waterfall!” The boy excitedly told us.

“What?”

“We need to tell Noct as soon as he gets back”

“Cool, treasure hunt!”

As soon as Iris and Noctis came back, we told them about the possible finding of one of the Royal Arms and immediately rode back in the Regalia there where Talcott had told us we would find it.

We had to move by foot a small part of the path and followed the sound of water, but we found the cave. It was slowly starting to get dark, which unsettled me, and it also assured that we would have to camp out in the open in order not to drive in the middle of the night and be exposed to daemons.

I was obviously excited to see that the legend was true and that Noctis could augment his power. However, I was not enthused about the idea of going inside a dark cave.

“Uh…” I mumbled as we walked towards the entrance. “No one told me we would have to immerse ourselves in an eerie dungeon”

“You will be alright, just stay close to me” Ignis, naturally, knew about my fear of the dark. He had known that, ever since I was little, it had been an irrational fear of mine. I was so frightened by whatever could be lurking there while I couldn’t see it.

“Just turn the flashlight on” Noctis shrugged one shoulder and calmly stepped inside the cave.

At least we had something to light our way, which eased my nervousness slightly. As well as being accompanied by four strong men that would look after me, even if that thought sounded quite selfish.

“You’re afraid of the dark?” Gladio asked me over his shoulder as he and Ignis entered too.

“Perhaps so” I nibbled on my lip, feeling extremely anxious. “Everyone is afraid of something”

Gladiolus’ response was a sarcastic guffaw, although implying nothing scared him.

Deciding the sooner we entered, the sooner we would leave, I braced for it. I took a deep breath and reluctantly walked inside, flashlight in hand. I followed after Ignis, closely behind, and had to restrain myself from the urge to hold on to the back of his jacket not to look like a terrified child. Knowing Prompto was behind me and hearing the sound of his boots making contact with the stone ground, however, comforted me further. It meant that he quite literally had my back.

“Whoa, it’s so cold” He mumbled in a shaky breath, and I had to agree with him. There was a drastic shift in the temperature, as outside it was comfortably warm whereas inside the cave it was extremely cold, which didn’t help my anxiety at all.

“Little chill won’t kill ya” Gladio commented back.

Yet Prompto was the only one unfortunate enough not to be wearing sleeves. Perhaps he was just proud of his biceps, but bragging about his muscular arms had turned out to be a bad thing for him at that very moment.

As we walked further into the cave, I found myself starting to shiver. I wore a thin black sweater, yet I wasn’t sure whether my shivering was due to the fear or the cold. Whatever the case, I was not comfortable.

The only source of light that guided us was also the one from our own flashlights, everything else around us was completely covered in darkness. The beams of light shaking with our walking casted shadows around the walls of the cave, making me silently jolt up in alarm sometimes as we advanced.

“This way” Noctis said at the front of the group, leading the way as most times.

“Stay alert” Ignis’ voice startled me after a small pause. “Enemies might be hidden”

“Great” Prompto sarcastically said behind me. “Like this place wasn’t creepy enough”

I could hear his heavy breathing behind me, as well as his gulping. Honestly, I almost could make out the beat of his racing heart as he made it so obvious.

“We’ll be fine”

“Sure, why wouldn’t we be?”

“Shut up already”

“Up ahead” Ignis stopped their banter –I was comfortable in my silence, although I somewhat appreciated their chatter, no matter how bothersome it could also be. At least it wasn’t complete stillness.

We found ourselves with an easily remedied obstacle in our way. A slide made out of ice, which also seemed the only way down and further into the cave. I just hoped there was another way out, or else Noctis would have to warp us out one by one.

“Here goes nothing” Noctis didn’t seem bothered at all as he slid down the slope.

Ignis and Gladio followed without a word, determined and fearless. I, myself, frowned in apprehension and turned to Prompto. He looked as scared as I felt, judging by his panicked expression. He didn’t say anything to me, so I just faced the slope again and took another deep breath.

“I’m… I’m coming down!” I warned the others, cautiously loud. Just enough for them to hear yet not too much just in case I could awaken any dormant beasts.

Shaking as I sat down at the edge, I closed my eyes tight and let myself slide down the icy surface. I needed all of my self-restraint not to shout at the top of my lungs while I descended for several seconds into the unknown.

I opened my eyes as I was launched forward by my momentum, just in time to see a figure standing in front of me and catching me with secure arms. I let out an involuntary shaky exhale as I briefly indulged in the warm safety of Ignis’ presence. His hands kindly rested on my back for one moment before we locked eyes. His glance was reassuring and composed as he nodded silently.

“Where’s Prompto?” Gladio said behind Ignis.

Almost in cue, our friend’s little squeaks and exclamations of horror grew closer to us while he slid down the icy slope. He stumbled at the end, just like me, yet he managed to stabilize himself as the momentum pushed him to his feet. I gently moved away from Ignis’ loose embrace and observed Prompto.

“That… was terrifying” He stated, snuggling over himself and resting his hands on his bare arms.

“We must carry on” Ignis must have noticed I was shaking, because he took off his jacket and put it over my shoulders without a word. At least he was left in a long sleeve shirt still, otherwise I wouldn’t have accepted it. I smiled at the thoughtful gesture and followed after him, adjusting his warm garment and putting my arms through the sleeves. Shrinking myself under the jacket felt reassuring.

“No fair” The blond whispered under his breath, walking alongside us. “I want them to give me a jacket too, Alex”

I was certainly a bit spoiled by Ignis, who was far too paternal and slightly patronizing when it came to me, like I was the younger sister he never had.

We kept walking along that eerie and freezing cave, being startled by shadows and the reflection of our lights in the ice that covered part of the ground and the walls.

I opened my mouth, about to reply to Prompto’s comment, when something jumped at us. A group of flan monsters.

Jolting up, I held on to Gladio’s strong arm before reacting and summoning my sword. I heard a smug chuckle coming from him. Putting my flashlight back in the small pocket in my pants dedicated to it, I wielded my sword and prepared for the battle.

“Perfect, just what I needed” Prompto was even more talkative than usual, which I attributed to the restlessness that such spooky place caused him.

The adrenaline that started pumping through my veins warmed me up slowly as I also dodged and strained myself to attack and parry the attacks of the gelatinous beasts. We easily defeated them as they were quite weak, but the sudden warmth within me was nothing compared to the state of anxiety the random encounter rendered me in.

“Let’s go” Noctis encouraged us, continuing our way.

“Yep” Gladio stuck closely by him, ever his sworn Shield.

“Everyone alright?” Ignis checked, quickly turning to look at all of us.

I merely nodded, summoning my sword off and trying to keep my shaking at a minimum. At least, now that the adrenaline slightly warmed me up, I knew that it was due to my own restlessness.

For the first time in our journey I was starting to regret coming. I could be warm and cozy, back in my bed, tucked in under a comforting blanket. If it weren’t because our home had been destroyed. Just another reason to put me down. Yet I reminded myself that I had a purpose there, and I would loyally stand by my friends.

“Ugh, I have an ice cream headache” Prompto snapped in the middle of our silence. “Without the ice cream!”

“It’s called a brain freeze, Prom” I chuckled, amazed by the fact that he had actually made me laugh in that situation. Only Prompto could achieve such a deed.

“Watch your step” Ignis said, pointing to the ground, so we wouldn’t trip over the protuberances that formed in that part of the ground.

“Prompto…” I looked at my friend, resting the tip of my fingers on his upper arm, about to warn him about the tripping hazard in case he hadn’t heard Ignis.

“I’m not scared, you’re scared!” He snapped of a sudden, startled.

We both were more affected by the eerie cave than the others. Yet, unlike him, I was bothered by his fear. It reminded me of my own.

To try and warm him up but also reassure him, I rubbed his bare arms.

“Ah, your hands are freezing!” He complained, shrugging away from my touch.

“I’m sorry” I gave up on him at the moment, focusing on following after Ignis again.

“I really hope there’s something here” Gladio opined, making me open my eyes in panic.

If after going through all of that there was no sword or no tomb, I would be honestly mad. It would have been all for nothing.

“I believe there will be something if we just look” Ignis calmed us, collected as ever.

As we advanced even further in what felt like a never ending maze, we found ourselves with a thin ledge that was most likely the only way onwards.

“Oh, no!” Prompto exclaimed, annoyingly loudly. “Add heights to the list of horrible things inside this place”

Noctis sighed in irritation and went first, sticking to the wall as he shimmied through the very thin and unstable ledge. I mentally prayed that it wouldn’t break under our weight.

“Calm down” Gladiolus grunted in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he went after Noct.

“Excuse me if I’m not calmed in a place that also triggers my claustrophobia and fear of the dark!” Prompto replied back, offended. I glared at the blond, silently asking him to cut it out. He just pouted at me.

“Alexandria” Ignis called me, motioning for me to pass the thin ledge before him.

I grunted, dreading to walk over it, and obliged with a head nod. The tawny-haired man went after me, keeping a close eye on me in case I slipped. I moved as fast as I could to get it over with and reunited with Noctis and Gladiolus on the other side while Ignis and Prompto joined us too.

The four of us observed our royal friend as he looked around the cave, utterly clueless.

“We’re lost, aren’t we, Noct?” Gladio asked him, crossing his strong arms over his chest.

“I know what I’m doing!” Noctis sassed back.

“We’re quite definitely lost” Ignis sighed softly.

“It’s this way”

“I certainly hope so…”

“I trust Noct, bet we’re almost there!”

“I certainly hope so” I repeated, even more bitterly than before.

All of us followed Noctis as he kept venturing further down the cave. I told myself that I would be rewarded with a plate of Ignis’ delicious cooking as soon as we were done there, using that thought as an incentive to keep going.

Something then echoed around the whole space, startling the five of us as we looked around for the origin of the sound.

“Ah!” Prompto shrieked behind me, clutching to my shoulder. “What was that?”

“Sorry, kicked a rock” If I didn’t know better, I’d think Gladio did it on purpose.

“You’re killing me here, big guy!” I observed him, watching him roll his eyes as he let go of me, surely not even realizing what he was doing. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?!”

“Prompto” Ignis placed a peaceful hand on his shoulder to put him at ease. The gesture had the contrary effect as it caused him to jolt up startled and squeak again. “It is only me!”

“Sorry, sorry” The blond exhaled deeply in an attempt to relax. “This place gives me the creeps”

“You’re going to have to take it easy” I pleaded, feeling how the little calmness I had left was abandoning me because of him. My heart had been racing the entire time we were in the cave, but at that point it hammered against my chest in a painful way.

“It’s not that easy, this place is the worst!”

“Prompto!” I gripped his hand urgently, tugging at it. “Stop freaking out!”

“I can’t!” He complained restlessly.

“Yes you can, I know you’re braver than this” I was a tad on edge myself, but I didn’t allow the illogical fears to get to me.

The only thing that actually scared me was the darkness, and although I was frightened I didn’t let it block me. Yet Prompto was behaving cowardly in a way that I didn’t think fit him too much. If he were that scared, he wouldn’t have continued with us. The boy was merely spooked and tense, as was I.

“Okay” He gave in, nodding and pursing his lips together in determination.

When we turned to Noctis, Ignis and Gladiolus, they took it as their cue to keep walking. Hence, Prompto and I followed closely.

I noticed, however, that he had refused to let go of my hand. I wondered whether it was conscious or not, but I didn’t act on it. If holding my hand was soothing for him and helped him feel braver, then so be it. His touch was comforting for me as well, if I was being honest. He also passed part of his body warmth on to me, which helped greatly. Hopefully I passed some of mine over to him as well. I merely observed all of this mentally, though, not wanting the rest to hear my thoughts. Not even Prompto, as it would be certainly embarrassing.

Soon enough, we found with a big door that definitely led to the famous sword that would add to the Royal Arms for Prince Noctis.

“Here it is” Gladio observed as Noct opened the door.

“I was optimistic on the subject” Ignis said, slightly tilting his chin up in pride, always the cold-headed and strategic one.

I then noticed how Prompto’s fingers closed tighter around my own, showing the gesture was completely conscious. To my surprise, he didn’t let go of my hand, which I was secretly thankful for. However, his eyes landed on me for a brief second, almost as though he didn’t want me to notice. I did yet pretended I didn’t.

Without further ado, we walked inside the chamber and waited as Noctis summoned the power of the former kings of Lucis. A blueish light illuminated the room as it obeyed his orders, taking over him as it collided with his chest.

When we finally left the cave behind, we found that it was well into the night. We passed from darkness to darkness. Yet being out in the open felt liberating and soothing.

“Wooo!” Prompto exclaimed happily. “We’re alive! Let’s celebrate by eating something dead!”

“I’m definitely looking forward to one of your marvelous meals, Iggy” I softly smiled at him, earning a small grin from him.

“Me too” Gladio patted his friend’s shoulder. “I’m starving”

“I say we look for a place to camp then” Noctis simply told us. “Can’t wait to go to sleep”

He grinned at us, but his kind expression instantly shifted into one of pure pain as he hunched over himself. He groaned as he held his head.

“Oh no…” I uttered, hoping it wasn’t more of his odd headaches.

“Noct!!” Prompto was by his side in a heartbeat. “You okay?!”

“Wha… What did I…? What was that?” The boy whispered to himself, not really listening.

“What is it?” Gladio asked him, observing him in concern like the rest of us were.

I slightly leaned forward to take a look at him. He seemed paler than usual.

“A hole on the ground… something burning… The meteor?”

“You saw the Disc of Cauthess?”

“This is not normal” I rested a hand on his upper arm, still worried even though he had stopped bending down in pain and the migraine seemed to have passed. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah…” Noctis sighed tiredly, but glanced at me with soft eyes.

“Let’s keep going” Gladio tried to brush it off, pretend like it didn’t happen to avoid awkwardness.

Yet I felt bad for Noctis, knowing his whole life was destined to be like that. Being the Chosen King and having to put up with all those strange things that occurred to him. He was obviously exhausted. I could only imagine how he must have felt all his life, having to maintain that image and having to put up with people’s expectations and different treatment because of his royal blood. Perhaps he was spoiled, and perhaps he could be arrogant and cocky. Nonetheless, his royal status came with more disadvantages than perks. I was realizing that just now after I allowed myself to see his perspective. Also, he had showed me how kind-hearted and caring he could be, he had endeared me into liking him in spite of myself. We weren’t so different after all, we both were pretending to be someone we were not. Yet for someone so wise and attentive I failed to empathize with him and realize all of this before. He was opening my eyes more and more without realizing.

At least I was still honest and straightforward and I wanted to approach the subject. Just like I had done upon Regis’ loss, I wanted to let him know how I felt at that very moment.

“What’s so interesting?” Noctis teased me when he saw me staring, letting me know he was back to his usual self.

“Prince N… I mean, Noctis…” I rolled my eyes in exasperation at myself and corrected my words once more. “I mean, Noct…”

“You okay?” The aforesaid laughed a little, amused by my clumsiness. “You seemed a little worried there”

I rolled my eyes, even if I could tell by his sweet grin that he was teasing me. Again, we were having a strange yet friendly interaction disguised as hostility.

“Next time I’ll leave the worrying to your friends” I scowled at him and began walking, to which Ignis and Gladio followed.

“You can’t hate each other!” Prompto whined, stomping his feet as he reluctantly walked with us.

“Why not?” Noctis smirked, deeply amused.

“Because you’re my friends! It’s wrong! You have to like each other!” Prompto held his hands together, almost begging us to try.

“You can’t force people to get along” I knowingly sent Ignis a meaningful glance to which he reacted feigning ignorance.

“I can try!” The blond assured with a bright defiant smirk. “Who’s up to play some King’s Knight!”

“Prompto-“ I started to explain that all the hostility we displayed was just part of our own inside horseplay, but he was determined and wouldn’t listen.

“You’re gonna love it, Alex! Noct and I can teach you how to play and-“

“Not really feeling like it” Noctis stated, patting his back. “Sorry, Prompto, maybe later”

“Okay…” He sulkily stomped his feet on his way to joining the other two at the front in resignation.

I grinned at Prompto while he couldn’t see me, greatly entertained by his attitude. He really wanted Noctis and I to become friends, it was quite sweet and funny.

Suddenly, I lost balance when a hand impacted against my back. I looked to see Noctis chuckling, giving me a smug look. I pushed him back, humoring him in his silly friendly exchange. I could get used to those goofy interactions.

A nice conversation and a delicious meal later, we were all gathered around a warmth fire that lit the darkness of the night and eased the remaining of my nerves.

Ignis and Prompto were tapping their screens, probably busy with the infamous King’s Knight. Gladiolus was calmly reading his book and Noctis was nodding off, barely keeping himself awake. I absently looked up to the countless stars that adorned the sky. Even in the anguishing darkness of the night, I could find comfort in that beautiful nocturnal occurrence.

Shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket, I realized I was still wearing Ignis’. Once we were out of the terrifying and freezing cave, I could give it back to him. I stood up from my spot, causing all of them to tear their glances away from what they were doing.

“Thanks, Iggy” I said, handing him his jacket back. “It was very kind of you to let me wear it”

“Are you sure? It is quite cold still”

“Don’t worry about it”

“Very well” He rested his jacket on his lap and looked back up to me. “Don’t hesitate to borrow it again if you need it”

“Thanks” I grinned at him, fondly squeezing his shoulder in appreciation.

“Hey, kid, how about some early training tomorrow morning?” Gladio asked me out of the blue. “What do you say?”

I honestly needed to improve my combat skills. Or more likely, my stamina and strength as my sword tactics weren’t as weak.

“It would be wise to train some more” I sighed tiredly. “Not that I’m looking forward to tiring myself like that”

“You love it” Gladiolus flashed me a charming smile.

Just then, I noticed Noctis standing up. There was a suspicious looking smirk plastered in his face despite his somnolent look. He walked alongside me those few steps until we reached my chair again. I hesitated, wondering what he was up to, seconds he used to occupy my spot. He had found a way to entertain himself enough to stay awake. Winding me up.

“Uh… Noct…” Prompto mumbled, puzzled.

“What are you doing, you royal brat?” Those words were meant to be loving insults instead of hurtful, yet I feared he would take them the wrong way.

“Dude!” Prompto exclaimed, as well as some other complaints by Gladio and Ignis.

“Annoying you” Noctis wasn’t bothered by it, it seemed. He just shrugged one shoulder casually.

“You don’t have to try so hard”

“I annoy you naturally, huh?” Surprised by my wit, Noctis laughed openly.

“Exactly”

“Might as well sit over there then, I like this place”

Very smugly, he got comfortable in my chair. Resting one leg over the other, he also put his hands behind his head and rejoiced in the coziness of his new spot.

“As you wish, Your Highness” Smiling widely, I passed him by and knocked his leg off its resting spot as I sat down by Prompto and Gladio. The latter let out a guffaw of laughter.

“So you actually like each other?” Prompto gasped in absolutely delight.

“Kinda…” Noctis replied, setting back his leg on its previous place.

“Interesting manner of displaying your affection” Ignis snorted slightly, subtly recovering with a quick adjustment of his spectacles.

“Thanks for the effort, though” I knew Prompto had been trying to get us to get along for quite a while.

“No problem, girl” He winked an eye humorously, doing a gesture that I could only describe as ‘finger guns’.

For the next couple of hours, we chatted and passed the time until we started to get sleepy. I wasn’t quite there yet, so I excused myself and I distanced from the group slightly. Also because Gladio decided to have a late night training session instead of an early morning one and I needed a moment of serenity after that.

I could still hear their voices –as well as their yawns –from my spot as they relaxed from the stress and action of the day.

I deeply breathed in, adoring those moments of serenity. Camping was my favorite moment of the day, one of my favorite parts of the journey as well.

I felt completely recovered from all the negative feelings I had experienced throughout the day. Lying there on the ground, watching the stars and hearing my friends laughing openly felt like a gift, a perfect moment in a lifetime that could be so beautiful.

“Whatcha doing?” Prompto’s voice said over my head just as he covered my field of vision.

I had been so immersed in my happy thoughts that I didn’t hear him approach me.

He was leaning forward so I saw his face upside down. I thought it was a cute gesture, and it made me smile.

“Stargazing” I simply replied, staring into his upside down blue eyes.

“Oh!” He stood up straight, realizing he was blocking the view. “Mind if I join?”

“Not at all” I watched him as he lied down next to me.

“Iggy said you love doing it” Prompto made small talk. “All of us were wondering what you were doing here by yourself, but he didn’t even have to ask”

Ignis knew me better than I knew myself, to be quite honest.

“Yeah” I dragged my glance away from him to focus back on the starry sky. “I’ve always loved stargazing”

“Cool” He simply replied, turning silent as he too watched the stars.

“Do you know any constellations?” I asked him, hoping he didn’t feel obligated to stay quiet not to bother me or perturb my calm moment. I enjoyed his small talk as well as spending time with him. When we were alone, it felt like I could be more open about certain sides of myself.

“Not really” His arm brushed mine as he shrugged. “You?”

“Just a few of them” I smiled, thinking back to when I learned them. “Ignis taught me”

“Is there something he doesn’t know?” Prompto snapped, sounding falsely offended.

I laughed, amused by his joke. I stirred in my lying spot, getting a bit uncomfortable after such a long time lying down.

“He sure struggles to make Noctis eat vegetables” I humored him, smiling when he let out a surprisingly loud and genuine guffaw. His response made me chuckle again. It was refreshing to be around someone like him, so lively and positive. I had definitely passed from being irritated by him to finding him absolutely adorable.

“Can you show me?” Prompto asked me excitedly. “Some constellations, I mean”

I held my arm up so it pointed to a certain group of stars and briefly turned my head to look at Prompto. The distant light of the fire behind us dimly illuminated his features, even if I only could see half of them as he was looking straight up and allowing me to just see his profile. It was an attractive profile. Ob-objectively speaking...

“That” I forced myself to say, alarmed when those thoughts arrived to my mind unexpectedly. “You see the one that has four stars creating a square?”

“That one?” A gloved hand entered my field of vision as he pointed the same constellation I was. “With the other three, that looks like a cart?”

“Yes, that is the one” I grinned, lowering my hand. “That’s the Big Dipper, also known as the Ursa Major, which means Great Bear in Latin”

“Whoa” He uttered in awe. His soothing tone soon changed into frantic one. “He-Hey, look! A shooting star!”

“Where?” I sat up immediately, startled. My eyes scrutinized the sky but didn’t see anything.

“It was right there!”

“Aw, I missed it!” I playfully slapped his arm with a pout. “It’s unfair! You don’t ever stargaze and you catch a glimpse of a shooting star!”

“What can I say?” He chuckled softly. “Beginner’s luck”

“Did you make a wish?”

“Yup”

“What did you wish for?”

“I can’t tell you! It won’t come true!”

When I looked at him I saw the brightest smile I had ever seen. He was so pure and so genuine. I must have been staring, because Prompto seemed a bit embarrassed as he urged himself to say something.

“So…. Do you… like… Are you into astronomy and astrology and stuff?”

I paused briefly, lying back down. Our bodies were touching as I had unknowingly positioned myself closer to him, but I didn’t want to move away and make him think that the contact made me uncomfortable. Because it definitely didn’t.

“Not quite” I let out a small grunt as I tried to rest my head in a more comfortable spot, but the ground was hard and it made my neck hurt. “I usually just indulge in watching sunrises and rainbows and such”

“That’s cool, I enjoy that too” He paused for a moment, but kept on talking. “A good photographer has to know how to appreciate those kinda things and… what-what are you doing?”

Seeing as I couldn’t get comfortable, it was distracting Prompto from our conversation.

“I’m sorry, there’s a rock digging in my skull” I chuckled, trying to maybe use my own arms as pillows, but it didn’t quite work because they tingled and became numb under the weight.

“Here” He had been using his own arms to rest his head there, but he lowered one until it formed a ninety degree angle. “In case you forgot, I make a good pillow”

“Thank you” I mumbled as I lay my head on his bicep. His fingers brushed my shoulder as he accommodated himself once I rested over him.

“You can… I mean, get comfortable and all” It was an invitation that I was tempted to take.

Honestly, the idea of snuggling closer to him and resting over his chest was quite inviting. But I didn’t want to exceed myself, I was feeling embarrassed enough thinking that I was becoming a much different version of myself around him.

“I’m alright” I timidly mumbled, keeping my eyes glued to the stars. “What were you saying?”

“I was, uh… Yeah, saying that… you know, as a photographer I have to know how to appreciate things and be observant to notice certain stuff”

I nodded, even if I still stared at the sky with dreamy eyes. A peaceful serenity took over me, helping me let out a calm sigh that reflected how comfortable I was. I could even fall asleep right there, which was an appealing idea. And just as that thought passed my mind…

“Kids, time to go to sleep!” Gladio called us from the camp.

“Oh, yeah!” Prompto sat up easily. “That’s why I came to talk to you on the first place, heh, guess I kinda forgot”

I snorted at his silliness, but I did enjoy our little chat quite a lot. It made me feel closer to him, like I could already call him a close friend because he probably considered me one as well.

I was about to stand up on my own when he reached out, placing his hand in front of my face. With a smile, I put my hand over his and allowed him to help me to my feet. Prompto gently closed his fingers around my hand and pulled me up. He was so gentle, so delicate.

For a long second, we stood there, hand in hand. We coyly smiled at each other before we went back to the tent to get some well-deserved rest.

Tagging list: @prince-of-wind, @toranyx. Let me know if you want to be tagged as well to get notified when I update the story! ;)

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cocoarosalia · 7 years ago

Text

Rocking the cradle Chapter 13: Pain

It was so easy

So PITIFULLY easy

Noémie had no clue that she could simply walk through the main doors and saunter her way through the halls with no resistance.

Everyone in the front office must’ve been getting high because even with her scary looking Akuma outfit not even the janitor glanced in her direction

“Such a shame too” she sighed “I really wanted to test out all these fun gifts I got”

She was wondering for a while, peering through each classroom and looking for the daycare, when she stumbled upon something quite interesting

“So her daddy is a student here. How cute” She cooed, watching him from the other side of the classroom door. She saw him talk candidly with Marinette for a moment and figured she must be the busy mom.

Noémie narrowed her gaze “Both parents, happy little baker’s life, not a care in the world. Oh my sweet El, it’ll be so nice to burn all of this to the ground in front of your very eyes.”

“PARDON ME MADEMOISELLE”

Noémie had to hold her ear to keep from losing the eardrum. She lazily turned to be faced with a rather prudish looking old man. He looked absolutely gobstopped by her very presence.

“I am not sure whose parent you are but I cannot allow you to parade around the halls in such outlandish and inappropriate attire!”

She took quite a bit of offense to that last part. Yes her outfit was a bit more...ornate than the average attire, what with the flashy overcoat draped over her shoulders and stainless steel accessories wrapped around her waist and neck.

But inappropriate? Showing a bit of midriff is always fashionable and these girls need to see what real rack can look like.

The old man hadn’t slowed his ramblings in the least by the time she came to realize 5 minutes had passed.

Quite over her impromptu lecture she took a long drag of a cigarette she was hiding in her cleavage.

“MADEMOISELLE WE DO NOT PERMIT SMOKING IN THIS ESTABLISHMENT!!! Are you even aware of the numerous health ramifications of such a repugnant-”

Smoke poured onto his face like water as she blew it out slow. Despite his long harbored hatred for the stench the aroma seemed...pleasant. His eyes glazed over as he stared into her jade green eyes.

‘how pretty’ He thought to himself in a daze ‘They remind me of mother’

“That’s my good boy” she chuckled wickedly “Now then, Mommy needs your help.”

He nodded eagerly. Whatever his dearest mother needed he’d provide. Money, power, it didn’t matter, he’d give this woman the world.

“Be a dear and take me to the kindergarten, ok?” The man was more than excited to lead the way and instantly turned on his heels to fulfill what he considered to be his destiny.

Before leaving, Noémie took another good look into the classroom. Her eyes scanned over the seats and by chance she met eyes Marinette herself.

She had no idea who the gaudy woman was but gave a sort of half smile to be polite. Noémie returned it with a similar gesture and went about her way.

“What an odd woman” Marinette mumbled to herself “She looks tacky as all hell but I’m sure she’s just someone’s parent”

Eloise giggled in absolute glee as she tucked herself away in the storage cabinets with Sammy and Sophie.

She was getting much better at coping with her claustrophobia. So much so that she considered herself to be the Hide-n-seek champion. Over and Over she was making herself be one of the hiders so that she could face the fear head on. The first few games were hard, she kept giving herself up so she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore. But, after the twins offered to be hiding buddies with her (Sammy a little more reluctantly than his twin) she grew to find some ok things about the dark. You can share secrets, maybe take a mini nap, or even just imagine what could be happening on the other side the possibilities were endless really.

“Oooook everyone!” Announced her teacher, Mlle Morel “I’m gonna start counting! So I hope you’re all ready to get snatched up by the seeking troll!”

Eloise giggled again but was shushed by her favorite grump, Sammy “Shut it lemonhead you wanna get snatched up first!”

“It’s not so bad actually” replied an overly composed Sophie “you get hugs and first picks for snacks”

Eloise pouted “Yea but that’s no fun”

“It is when you can sneak off with an extra cracker pack”

“Clam it you two! she’s already started counting”

They all listened close to hear, all three pressing their ears to the door. She was slow and methodical about her counting and they could hear footsteps grow closer and closer to where they were until she landed on one.

And stopped right in front of their hiding spot

“Ready or not,” She called “I’m coming for ya!”

Their hearts were pounding hard. They could hear the ruffling of her skirt as she knelt down to the cabinet on the floor. They could even feel her hands grip onto the handles to pull them ajar.

Elly grabbed onto Sammy tight with a giddy smile on her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut in excitement.

“Oh! Hello there. Are you looking for someone?”

The joyous conclusion never came

“Why yes. I’m looking for one of your students. Her name is Eloise Etienne. I am her mother”

It never would

Eloise’s happy smile flickered out like a blown light bulb

“No” She whispered in a trembling voice “no she can’t be here!”

She tried her hardest to shrink into the corner of the cabinet, pushing up against Sammy who was first to react

“Who?” He whispered “Elly, who can’t be here?”

Her breathing was growing shallower by the minute “My mommy. My real mommy, they said I’d be safe!”

He had no clue what she could be talking about. He looked over at his sister who was peeking through a crack in in the doors. Whatever was out there was bringing Elly back to her days before the orphanage. They had all been there at one point, but this felt far harsher than a small panic attack.

Sammy did the best thing he could think of. He pulled her into a tight hug.

“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on but freaking out will not help it’ll only hurt so instead of thinking of what could happen just stop thinking. I will keep you safe and Mlle Morel will fix it. Just listen.”

Mlle Morel was on high alert of this intruder. She was no parent and there was no doubt that she was dangerous to everyone in the room.

Even so, Mlle Morel put on her usual sunshine teacher face to try and talk this woman into leaving.

“My deepest apologies mademoiselle, I’m afraid there’s no one by that name. Perhaps you may have the wrong building.”

Noémie sauntered right up to the teacher, chest to chest “Is that the answer you’re going with?”

Mlle Morel did not take a single breath in her response “That’s the only answer I can provide you. I apologize for not being more of assistance”

Noémie placed her hands behind her back and leaned down to meet the the teacher eye to eye. A mildly amused smile stretched across her lips “You know this city is quite the spectacle”

Their stand-off was intense as they held each other’s gaze “Growing up in my little ‘town’ I never got to see these monuments. The Louvre, Notre Dame, even the eiffel tower. Imagine a Parisian who’s never seen the eiffel tower!”

She stood back in supposed defeat “But alas there are some things that never change no matter where you go”

Mlle Morel was starting to think this woman was just lost and slightly off her rocker…

Until Noémie’s hand gripped at her throat and hoisted her high into the air, her head hitting the ceiling

“There will always be lying little sluts like you who try to interfere in family business”

Mlle Morel felt like a ragdoll as she was carelessly flung against a wall behind her. Her back struck hard, and she crumbled on the carpeted floor. Sammy had to quickly cover Elly’s ears so she couldn’t hear.

“Eloise my love!” Noémie sung out into the empty classroom “It’s your mommy! Don’t you wanna come out and give me a hug?”

Tears fell like rain off of Elly’s cheeks. Even if she wanted to move, her legs wouldn’t respond no matter how much the voices screeched for her to run.

A little girl with brown pigtails raced out from behind the teacher’s desk.

“Hello! And who is this little friend”?

The girl was ripped from her escape by the ends of her pigtails, Noémie’s fingers wrapping onto the hair atop her scalp. Sophie covered her mouth in horror for their friend, Colette

She lifted the wriggling brunette right to her face, which held a wild, teeth glaring grin “Do you know my little girl? She’s not hard to miss. She looks like she’d be your age”

She suddenly gripped her ear in pain as it was blasted with static

“What are you doing!?” barked a livid sounding Hawkmoth

She groaned “Um fulfilling your half of our deal. Duh”

“I did not agree to child abuse you wretched bitch!”

“Tut-tut my sweet partner in crime, You agreed I could get your miracu-whatevers however I see fit. This is most fitting to me”

“Then I’ll ask it again before I come down and slap you like your last pimp. What the fuck are you doing?”

“Obtaining light” she ripped out her ear pieces and crushed them under her stiletto boot

Colette pushed hard against her attackers arms “P-please let me go! I won’t come into your r-room again Big sis, please I just wanna go back!”

“Sister!?” Noémie howled in laughter “Are all of you drop-offs this fucked in the head!?”

She was growing tired of listening to Colette’s pathetic sobbing sounds, so she got a very ‘practical’ idea in her twisted mind.

“Hey now no need to cry. I can actually make the bad thoughts go away” The sobbing died down as colette prayed that the woman wasn’t lying. She looked up to meet a smiling and almost warm expression. And for a moment she honestly believed her.

But Eloise knew better than to believe such a lie as she silently wailed into Sammy’s shirt.

Colette’s eyes grew wide as flames danced across Noémie’s hand. That smile never left even as the flames eased closer to her bright hazel eyes

“I’ll replace those painful memories with fresh ones so that you’ll never think, or see, that mean old big sister ever again. Aren’t I such a nice mommy?”

Elly tried her best to block out her friend’s shrieks of terror. It’s not as if she could fight her own mother, so how could she help? The twins hugged her close to calm her, but nothing was helping

But then she heard the one thing she could do to help

“El, if you come out now and leave with me. I won't sear this girl's eyes shut. I'll leave the whole class alone right now and they can all go back to their merry lives”

Every cell in her body screamed out for her to sit still, but she still forced herself into the open

“I’m here mommy!” She croaked out, standing in the middle of the room, alone

Noémie snuffed out the flame and dropped Colette on the floor

“There’s my pretty girl!” She gushed, strolling up to Elly and kneeling down to play with her long hair “You’ve been a naughty little rascal haven’t you”

Elly flinched as her mother’s lazily ran her fingers through her hair “Running away, making me worry so much about you. And then hiding from me, causing all this pain for everyone else around you. How shameless, your mama and papa must be ashamed of you”

Her heart stopped when that thought flashed through her mind. She held tightly to the hem of her skirt

“But don’t worry, even if they rightfully drop you on the street, I’ll be right there to pick you back up. I’m the only one who will ever truly love you Eloise, because despite you being a worthless, happiness sucking burden, you are my burden to bear alone. You understand don’t you?”

Eloise didn’t bother raising her head as she nodded, mute.

“Please mommy, just...please keep your promise”

Noémie calmly collected her into her hold and without barely a sweat disappeared over the roofs to wreck havoc on the city

The last thing the twins saw as they ran from the cabinet was eloise green eyes clouded over in helpless submission.

#miraculous ladybug #Rocking the Cradle #Pain #chapter 13 #Eloise agreste #Sammy Lahiffe #Sophie Lahiffe #alya cesaire #Nino lahiffe #marinette cheng #adrien agreste #LadyNoir #ladybug #chat noir #chaton

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