#but it’s tough to see their star-crossed lovers thing lasting

[lowkeyrobin]

Hi sorry if im annoying u but can u do a james hook x reader story . I kenda want the reder to be the dugther of peter pan and hook fell in love whit her.

no need to worry! you're totally fine haha ; but yeah of course I could! ; I decided to make the reader a kind of relative to Peter (sibling/cousin at least) cause age differences and whatnot, even though Peter stays a kid forever, I still didn't wanna do smthn weird lolll but dw I got you ; thanks for requesting, hope you enjoy! ; also I only write they/them / gn readers but I tried to keep readers gender identity pretty in the middle and stuff so

JAMES HOOK ; star crossed lovers

summary ; you and hook fall for each other, your love forbidden as he was a vk, and you were an ak

warnings ; language

disclaimers ; reader can fly & uses pixie dust like peter pan

word count ; 1.1k

masterlist

Hook's eyes land on you from afar, watching as you sprinkle pixie dust upon Bridget and Ella. They had been begging you to let them try out flying, and you'd finally given in halfway through today.

He peers past the concrete wall into the courtyard, watching you three fly about, or really, watch you try to help your friends learn how to fly how you do. You giggle, bouncing back as you practically swim in air, watching them struggle to control themselves. It wasn't as easy as it looked.

"Whoever can fly to class faster wins!" Bridget laughs, looking over at Ella.

"Oh, you're on!" She smiles, dashing toward the nearest doors as fast as she could, attempting to beat Bridget.

Bridget was definitely better at the flight thing, but Ella had speed. You'd have to check in with them later, considering your class was in the opposite direction.

Hook, seeing you were now alone, casually walks toward you, having popped out of nowhere as you watch Ella and Bridget soar past the windows and eventually disappear. He tilts his head as he looks up at you, trying to read you somehow, from behind. You turn around, jumping back in slight fear and surprise.

"Uhm, hello!-" You awkwardly smile, floating a above the ground, making yourself a foot taller than him. You recognize him, knowing he's a VK.

"What's with the eh-" He looks you up and down, "Floaty thing?"

You glance around and shrug. "I dunno. Just kinda... born like that"

He nods, posing no threat. "Cool"

You subtly raise an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Yeah," He chuckles. "Got any more of that fairy dust?" He asks, referring to the magical golden dust that enchanted its victims with flight.

"Pixie dust," you correct. "But, yeah. Why?"

"You do flying classes?" He asks, a soft expression on his face, one of curiosity, craving adventure.

Your cautious expression quickly fades to one of happiness, a smile curling the corners of your lips up. "For you, I guess"

He smiles, watching as you dig into your pocket and sprinkle him in the glittering gold powder. His feet slowly depart from the floor, his arms quickly reaching out to you in fear.

You jump back to avoid his hooked hand, but realized that this was more like teaching a kid how to ride a bike rather than he wanted to hurt you. You reach for his in-tact hand, pulling him closer to you, laughter escaping your lips as he front flips a few times.

"This isn't funny!"

"Yeah, it is!"

He clings onto you, not liking gravity not pulling him down to the ground.

"What're you so scared for?" You chuckle as you question him. "You a pussy?"

"No!" He quickly pushes away from you, needing to keep his tough guy VK coat on in front of you, reminding himself that you weren't one of his friends. "It's very hard to keep balance!" He exclaims as he falls backward to hang upside down. He flails his arms, returning right side up.

"What's your name?" You ask, stifling a laugh as you watch.

"Hook. James Hook"

"Cause the hook, I'm guessing?"

It'd been a few days since you'd last seen James Hook, your mind constantly trying to find an answer to why he wanted to try the pixie dust and why he spent nearly an hour hanging out with you to try and learn to fly. Maybe he was forming some sort of plan. Maybe you shouldn't speak to him again, maybe he was bad just like the other VKs. Maybe you should stop trusting everyone-

"Hey Y/n," James smiles, appearing from behind you, hand quickly jumping to your shoulder.

You jump, looking back at him as you sit under a tree in the front yard of Merlin's Academy.

"Hey, Hook" You answer, looking back down at your textbook.

He raises an eyebrow, looking down at your spell casting book. "You can call me James"

"Hey, James," you repeat, correcting yourself. "What's up?"

He shrugs. "I was going to ask you that"

He slides down the tree, sitting next to you. "I saw your little stunt earlier in the library." he smiles. "You're a trickster, hm?"

You lightly smile. "Yeah."

"Little sprinkle of that dust and watching people try to fly is amusing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, kinda. Especially when it's assholes" You reply, referring to his VK friends.

He chuckles. "It was funny, really. I like you, you have a sense of humor."

"Y'know," You speak, looking up at him. "My shadow is it's own being, it spies"

He raises an eyebrow. You glance back at the tree you rest your back upon, showing him your shadow standing above you, hands on their hips. He jumps for a moment, looking back at you.

"I don't lie, James" You shrug, watching as the shadow attempts to push you two together. You roll your eyes. "They want us to kiss"

James glances between you and the shadow, face growing red. "I mean, a lot of people call me James-"

"It's not about that." You sigh. "Little mischievous bitch thought you falling into my arms the other day was 'adorable'. You have a crush on me or something, apparently, according to them"

He blinks and shrugs. "I mean, they're not totally wrong." He smiles awkwardly wide, looking for validation. He breaks, disturbed by your silence. "I'd love to be friends with you, at least. You're very intriguing and humorous, and-"

You quickly cut him off. "What? We can't, we can't be friends. You're a VK"

His expression quickly falters as he realizes the predicament.

"But... I shouldn't deny that I feel the same way about you"

He blinks, confused and slightly caught off gaurd. "What are you getting at here?"

"We're star-crossed lovers." You speak dramatically. "We can't be together, yet there's something pulling us together. Even if it's just a silly little crush or infatuation"

He nods. "Can we at least be friends? I promise you, love, I'm not as evil as it seems."

Yeah, friends was an awful word to use when describing you and the infamous James Hook.

Someone call up Anne Marie...

Over the course of the next few months, you and Hook had become true star-crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet, bound by love, separated by fate. The constellations aligned but the stars between you and James never did.

You wondered why you had to be separated by social norms, why you couldn't be with him because he was a villain. If James was a villain, then you were too for your pranks, there was nothing fair about it.

Even though you'd sucked yourself into a little world of your own, he was there by your side, loving your lips behind closed doors and confined spaces so you wouldn't be caught. God, no one would ever forget it if they found out. A VK and an AK together? The world might as well have ended.

You fly through the forest with James, his fingers tangled in yours as you swiftly pull him along.

"Y/n, slow down!"

"I'm not even going fast, you're going slow!"

[rillils]

how do explain stucky from the moment they met to where they are now (together in each others arms) to my friend who knows nothing about marvel

ohh this is a tough one, honey! i think i've got two options for you:

the short answer:

stucky is a compendium of all the best tropes out there, and i'm sure i'm gonna miss a few:

soulmates? check! star-crossed lovers? check! battle husbands? super check! mutual pining? check! 'and they were roommates'? check! best friends to lovers? check check check! long-lost lover comes back from the dead? fuck yeah, check! temporary amnesia? check! dude in distress trope? check! 'they will always find each other and choose each other in every lifetime'? also check! identity porn? extra check! saved by the power of love? you guessed it: check! slow burn or childhood sweethearts? you decide!!! did they share their first kiss when steve was 16, as per a popular fanon theory? did they only confess their feelings during the war? did they only get together much later, when bucky was healing in wakanda? you can pick literally ANY point in their timeline, and it will still make sense! they're all equally valid! you can even have multiple different headcanons at once, i mean who's gonna stop you??? all you have to do is join in the fun! 💕

the long AF answer, aka:

STEVE & BUCKY'S LOVE STORY, UNABRIDGED SOMEWHAT ABRIDGED, part 1/3

all right, let's set the scene:

imagine two young kids, let's call them steve and bucky. they meet, they immediately take to each other, they become instant besties! and as they grow up together, facing many hardships, their bond deepens. not only are they best friends; they are also each other's family. they take care of each other, and they both know they can always rely on one another in times of need.

when steve's mom (and only remaining relative) passes away, bucky reminds him that he's not as alone in this world as he thinks he is: bucky will always be by his side. bucky will always love him unconditionally, will always be there for him, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, and he wants steve to know that.

in fact, he asks steve to move in with him, thus offering steve both a literal and a metaphorical home.

and steve says yes!

SO. they are each other's home, they're living together, they're getting by all right. but then war breaks out, and eventually it reaches their little home as well: bucky is drafted, and steve, due to his many health issues, and despite his best intentions, can't follow the boy he loves onto the battlefield.

it's a very difficult time for them both - so much so that they can't even bring themselves to talk about it.

they have no choice but to say goodbye for now, knowing that they might never see each other again. but here's something you might not know yet about steve: he's the most reckless, most stubborn fucker america's ever seen. he's not gonna let this stop him!!! instead, he goes and gets a very sweet, kindly scientist to fucking experiment on him, because screw it, he's going to fight in this war if it's the last thing he does. and that's how he goes from Smol Steeb to Lorge Premium Steeb.

of course, things don't go exactly as he predicted, and steve is made to be the star of a war propaganda-fuelled musical kinda thingie, which he resents (but he looks fucking precious in his costume)

BUT! he does get closer to the actual battlefield. which is where he discovers that bucky has been captured by the enemy (!!!!!!!) and is most likely dead by now. but steve isn't willing to give up so easily! he'll believe bucky's dead when he sees it with his own eyes. so, he embarks on this suicide solo mission in the attempt to get bucky back, even if it means wandering on his own. into enemy territory. where he would be shot. on. sight. with no protection for his dumb ass except for a bunch of theater props!!! but such is the power of love, y'all.

against all odds, steve finds bucky very much still alive! and as soon as bucky recognizes him, even as confused as he is, he pulls out this beautiful, ecstatic, angelic-ass smile, like he's just seen god or he got high on some real good edibles or maybe both idk, like my man here was having a serious Religious Experience™ you guys

and i just wanna say, they could have totally kissed here and it would have made plenty of sense. but that's true of like 90% of their scenes in this franchise, so *shrugs*

ANYWAY steve takes bucky in his arms (well technically yes he does) and brings him to safety, and on their way there, bucky proves once more just how hard he meant that "with you til the end of the line" from before

afterwards, steve is finally given the chance to fight, just like he wanted.

bucky, on the other hand, could very well leave the war behind and go home; but when he learns that steve is staying, he chooses to stay too, and fight by his side. and he tells steve so in this very intimate, softspoken, delightfully suggestive conversation, which can be summed up like this:

and so they walk right back into the heart of the fight, only this time together, as they were always meant to be!

but. during an especially tricky mission, they're surprised by the enemy, and as a result, bucky falls to his death into a deep ravine.

steve is devastated. overwhelmed with guilt, grief and rage, he vows to bring down the people responsible for his loss, even if it costs him his own life.

and um, it kind of does? cost him his own life?

victorious after his last vis-a-vis with The Antagonist™, steve still chooses to sacrifice himself to prevent the catastrophe set into motion by the aforementioned Antagonist™. he's flying a jet over the frosty expanse of the atlantic, and you know, from the outside, you could easily argue that he could try to save himself. if he really wanted to. but with bucky dead, and the people responsible for all this pain, either dead or captured, it seems like all the will to fight is gone from steve; and so he plunges the jet straight into the ocean, and himself with it.

is this the end of their story?, you might ask.

the answer is: of course not!!!! the best is yet to come, babes!!!

EDIT: here is part 2

[againstacecilia]

Because You Left

Pairing: Poe Dameron x gn!reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Rating: This one's for anybody, but the whole blog is 18+ for sure.

Warnings: Lovers to strangers, fighting, angst, swearing, both of them are probably idiots but *shrug*

A/N: Holy wow it's been a minute! I've had this one in the vault for a while but just never did anything with it. There's a happy ending as well, so I can post that if there's interest, but I'm pushing myself to not tie everything up so nicely and let the tough emotions sit so you get ✨angst✨. We also don't need to talk about how I'm working through some things about an old flame with this one soooo hush. Unbeta'd, no use of y/n.

It’s an unusually quiet night on base, lamplight flickering through the hallways and muffled laughter sneaking under doors as people take advantage of the stillness. Your footsteps echo loudly, an intrusion in the calm as you hurry to your post, breathless by the time you arrive.

“Sorry I’m late,” you begin, not looking at your watch partner, “I couldn’t find-”

“Not like you to be late, Captain,” a familiar voice interrupts.

Your stomach flops as you meet Poe’s gaze. “I… I’m sorry, Commander.” Your words falter, the memory of your last encounter momentarily clouding your mind…

“Find somewhere else to sleep tonight,” Poe says quietly at the door, not looking at you, “I’m busy.”

“Of course you are. Seems like you’ve been busy a lot these days. Busy with everything but finding time for me.”

Poe doesn’t say anything as he turns his back to you, pressing the button to close the door to his quarters. The click of the door sliding into place echoes deep in your bones as you’re left alone in the hallway…

That was months ago. You’d immediately requested a service change to a new squadron and done everything in your power to avoid seeing him again. Night shifts and dangerous recon runs, anything to make sure your paths never crossed again. 

“No need to apologize, I won’t tell anyone.” Poe winks at you with a grin. “So, it’s been a while, how have you been?”

Shaking the memory from your mind, you begin preparing for your watch. “Fine. You?”

“I’ve been okay.” He watches you gather your things, eyes trained on your every move.

“Mmm,” you respond non-committedly, shoving a flashlight and spare battery pack for your blaster into your bag before tugging the straps over your shoulders. “Well, I should be off. Being late and all.”

“Actually, we should be off. Your shift buddy called out so I’m his replacement.”

Fantastic. “Commander Dameron on night patrol?”

“Everyone pitches in where they’re needed,” he responds, hoisting his pack. 

Six hours on watch with Poe was the last thing you wanted to do, but he was right. Everyone was expected to, and for the most part did, pitch in where they were needed. If this was how you were expected to help the Resistance then you’d grit your teeth and get through it. 

“Let’s get going then.” You’re out the door and making your way to the watchtower before he can reprimand you for speaking to your superior like that. 

Luckily, the calm seems to be holding and the watchtower is nearly serene in the clear night. Stars twinkle above you in constellations you were still learning and the breeze was a song you never tired of. Lost in the ebb and flow of nature around you, you don’t notice the time pass.

Poe’s voice breaks the silence for the first time in hours. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” you nod, keeping your eyes on the wilderness beyond the base.

“What happened? With us?” 

Heat creeps up the back of your neck and the breeze seems to stop at the question. Like the whole base was waiting on bated breath for your response. “We just… Grew apart. That’s all.”

You hear Poe shift in his seat. “No, I don’t think that’s it. Not entirely.”

“What do you want me to say, Poe?” “I want you to look at me and tell me the truth.”

“I told you the truth.” Your clipped response is bitter on your tongue and you keep your body facing away from him. “We grew apart and the war got in the way of everything else.”

“This isn’t just some distance thing, tell me what happened.”

“I have nothing else to say.”

“You’re still not telling me the truth. I know you, why did you suddenly-”

“Because you left!” The words rip out of you and you finally stand, whirling around to face him. “Because you left me, Poe.”

Indignation blazes across his face. “I never left you, not any longer than a mission required of me!”

“That’s not what I mean!” Both your voices are too loud for the quiet watch, but you don’t care. Emotions flare and dance in your veins, demanding to be released. “You stopped giving a damn and then kicked me out of your room and told me you were busy. You stopped fighting for me. For us. You left one day and never really came back.”

The silence seems to echo as your words fade from the lone tower, open to the night sky. “I’d been trying for weeks at that point, Poe, and you kept pushing me away. So I stopped trying because you obviously didn’t want me around!”

“When have I ever said I don’t want you around?” He’s also standing, stepping into your orbit with his hands extended to his sides.

“You didn’t have to say it.” Stomping away from him to the rail of the tower, you lean against the weathered wood, “It was painfully clear.”

He follows you and grips your shoulders, spinning you to face him. “I’ve been out of my damn mind trying to be a leader in all of this. You know what Leia expects of me, you know what’s at stake-”

“Of course I do!” You shake his hands off you and push him away, “But I thought it would be exactly because of those reasons that you’d give a fuck about me. I thought, for a moment, that I was one of those things you were fighting for.”

“You were! You still are, and you always have been!”

“Just stop.” Your voice is trembling with rage and pain; searing white flames lick through the marrow of your bones. “Whether you meant to or not, you made it very clear where your priorities are and I’ve made my peace with the fact that this,” a sweeping gesture to the sleeping base below, “is your priority. Not me. And I shouldn’t be. I mean, hell, what am I compared to the entire Resistance?”

Needing to put any amount of distance between you, you make your way to the other side of the tower and settle into a chair, facing away from Poe. The noise from the breeze and insects comes back into focus as you curl your legs against your chest. 

After a moment, Poe’s voice reaches you from across the tower, “Do you know why I told you I was busy that night? Why I told you to go sleep somewhere else?”

You don’t respond, hugging your legs tighter as the anger starts to fizzle into sadness.

“I told you to leave because Leia had informed me that we had just lost an entire squadron to an ambush in the Mid-Rim. I had gotten some intel that there was going to be an unprotected shipment of weapons in the area and that group was sent out to get them. It was a trap, and my bad information got them all killed.” Poe stayed away from you through his explanation, his voice drifting by more quietly with each word. “None of them made it home. Because of me.”

The urge to go to him, to wrap him in your arms and comfort him, nearly overwhelms you for a moment before he continues. “I told you to leave because I didn’t want you, of all people, to see me break. I shattered that night, and when the sun rose and I realized that I’d made a huge mistake, you had already transferred and I didn’t see you again for weeks.”

Silent tears fall from your eyes at his admissions; the truths he laid in front of you. “So I let you go,” he whispers, “because it felt like some sort of karmic justice to lose you for what happened to those fighters.”

You find your voice again and say, “I’m sorry about the mission, I didn’t know… But that doesn’t make any of this better. It doesn’t excuse the fact that you didn’t even try.”

“You haven’t let me try.” His quiet voice begins to turn to ice.

“How was I supposed to know you even wanted to? You knew where my quarters were, you have access to all my orders; you could’ve come talk to me at any time and yet you didn’t.”

Heavy footsteps move away toward the edge of the tower. Without turning, you can picture his face in the starlight: his eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed, muscles in his jaw and neck jumping as he clenches his teeth. “You said I didn’t try. That I made it obvious I didn’t want you around. Well, Captain,” he spits your rank into the night, “you made it pretty clear as well that you didn’t want to be near me. Switching squads and dodging me at every turn.”

“You have no right-” you begin, but Poe cuts you off.

“I have every right!” His yell echoes off the gently rolling hills surrounding the base. “I have every damn right when you throw accusations in my face like this. You wanna talk about someone leaving or giving up? How about we talk about how all it took was one bad night for me for you to completely push me away?”

Rage begins simmering in your gut again, bringing you to your feet and back across the tower. “You never gave me any indication that you were dealing with more than the normal amount of stress. I tried everything I could to ease that stress for you; bringing you food when you were drowning in paperwork in your room, letting you fuck me every night even when you couldn’t look me in the eye, ignoring every red flag just to try and prove to you that I was there through it all. And it was never enough.”

“Well, I guess that’s our answer, then.” Poe keeps his gaze locked with yours, eyes gleaming with fury and sadness.

Your heart shatters. “I… I guess it is.”

“I’ll send someone else up here.” Poe lingers for a heartbeat, fists clenched at his side, before turning and heading down the stairs, leaving you alone. 

You stare out over base, watching Poe’s form disappear from view in the night, each step a death knell in your bones. Any future you daydreamed about fades with each passing breath. By the time Poe’s replacement makes it up the tower, the early morning wind has dried your tears and frozen a thick casing of ice around your heart.

[madridfangirl]

Star crossed lovers (Jude Bellingham fic)

Chapter 5

(Series Link)

Jude * female reader. Mature Language in parts.

Synopsis: A chance encounter in a tiny Madrid cafe with the newest superstar of her fav club. The two couldn't be more different, yet both feel the pull toward the other. Would this girl be the one he finally falls for? Would she make him change his ways? Even though she resists him every step of the way, would he fight all odds (& her) to have her in his life? Or would life come in the way of these star-crossed lovers?

..........................................................

Ananya reached her apartment around 1 am. Roma was not back yet, thankfully. She wasn’t ready for her interrogation. 

The night still felt surreal. She leaned against the dining table and held on to the edges to steady the head-rush she was feeling. If the Tupperware of leftover pasta was not in front of her (he had insisted she took some coz she had barely eaten), the girl would have seriously wondered if she had hallucinated the whole thing. But no, this really happened. And she didn’t bail on whatever this was, as she had initially planned to do.

The wine was still buzzing in her system, helping calm her nerves. Before turning in for the night, she sent him a quick message.

Ananya: Reached 15 mins ago. Thanks for the drop. 

She wasn’t expecting a response. He must have a ton of people to talk to / respond to after the match earlier that night. So she started an episode of Friends, hoping to fall asleep in a bit.

5 mins later, her phone flashed.

Jude: Cool. Tired?

Ananya: Oh yeah, in bed already. You?

She rubbed her temple to soothe her straining eyes. It had been some day. 

Jude: Wanted to crash but some of the guys still partying at Vini’s house. Cama kept sending me videos, gosh he’s so wasted right now. Came there for a bit.

She smiled at her phone. The team deserved every bit of celebration tonight.

Ananya: That’s nice. Have fun :)

Jude: Yup. What plans for tmrw? Boss cancelled our training so I am free till afternoon. 

Ananya: Have to work a few hours in the morning, which might extend, not sure.

Jude: On Sunday morning?

Ananya: Welcome to investment banking.

Jude: Keep forgetting how smart you are.

Ananya: Not that smart, but ok :)

Jude: So, I have an ad shoot tomorrow evening, then flying out for an away game on Monday after training. Don’t know when I will see you next.

A wave of sadness hit her, surprising her with its force. Her brain admonished her. She had only just met him and she needed to get a grip. 

Ananya: It’s fine. Will figure something when you are back.

Jude: Hmm. Haven’t even kissed you yet and you are already messing with my head.

The sadness was replaced by a warm shiver as she stared at the screen and thought of a response. But couldn’t come up with any.

Jude: Did you just fall asleep on me? 

Ananya: Stop being dramatic. I am right here.

Jude: Naa, wish you were HERE. Why’d you leave?

Ananya: Jude, you know why.

There was something about the way she said his name that made him want to hear it on loop, in various settings. God damnit this girl.

Jude: Yeah yeah. You thought we won’t be able to keep it in our pants.

She choked on water, and some spilled out on her blanket. 

Ananya: How drunk are you?

Jude: Plentyyyy. Don even know what’s been shoved down my throat anymore. 

Ananya: Figures :)

Jude: One last thing. Veryyyy important, like proper critical. 

Ananya: Yes?

Jude: Need to see you in my jersey. 

She smiled to herself before typing.

Ananya: Maybe win the Madrid derby next, score the winner, and then we’ll talk?

Jude: Tough, tough crowd. No mercy. No rest for the wicked. No respect for the Classico winner. 

He was even more dramatic when he was drunk. She could almost hear the whining from his texts.

Ananya: Good night, Jude :)

Jude: Good night, dove. Try not to dream of me too much. Mwahhh!

She smiled at the screen and ended up kissing it, finally drifting off to sleep.

Next morning, she woke up to a message from him. Sent at 5 am. A drunk out of their wits pic with Jude, Cama and Fede. Along with a caption.

Jude: Your preciousss Cama.

Then, another message from a few seconds later.

Jude: Don’t stare too long. 

She responded with a heart emoji to the picture and got started with her day.

Next few hours were hectic. She got into her work mode, shutting out all the madness that had transpired the day before.

Still, in between, her eyes drifted to her phone, to see if there were any new messages. Poor guy must have been sleeping. Or busy. He did say he had an ad shoot in the second half.

She somehow pulled through the day, and it was almost 5 pm when she finally finished work. Roma was also on the same project. The girls sighed about it being Monday morning just  next day, and decided to make the most of their remaining evening. 

They ended up at the same cafe where Ananya had met him the other day. Was it just two days ago? God - so much had happened since then.

She ordered her favourite churros and took a picture. Then wondered whether she should send it to him. Would it look desperate? Like she was just seeking his attention? She couldn’t have that.

But it was a harmless pic. He would get the reference. Deciding to not overthink it, she ended up sending the photo with a caption.

Ananya: Back to ground zero!

No blue tick for over 15 mins.

Roma rolled her eyes at her then.

‘Can you stop the sappiness? Look around - lovely day. Lovely food. Let’s get some Sangria and let the world go to hell.’

Her roommate was the best. The two perfectly complimented each other. Plus, her American upbringing lent her this carefree attitude which Ananya really wished to imbibe.

‘Well, how can anyone say no to Sangria?’

The girls ordered a pitcher and ended up staying there for a few hours. Gossiping about their colleagues. Talking about life. Planning a vacation - Sevilla and Granada were top of their list. They looked up their calendars and found a long weekend that seemed ideal. The prospect itself making them cheerful.

By the time they got back, it was already 9 pm. There was still nothing from him. Not even a blue tick. She knew he was working. Yet, an ugly thought still creeped in - was this just a one night distraction? Did he already…lose interest after she dumped her constraints on him? All her doubts from last night came rushing back, leaving an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

She got into bed and tried watching a movie. Anything random to keep her thoughts at bay. While scrolling through her insta.

And there it was - a post from him a few mins ago about the ad campaign for a cologne. With a gorgeous, stunning model at his arm. Ofcourse. 

The first photo looked like a part of the creative. The two were dressed immaculately in all black, she was leaning against his chest while his hand rested just above her butt. Seductiveness oozing from every inch of that frame.

The next was a BTS video - of him just being goofy on set while getting ready or trying to take a shot & not getting it right. The whole crew just getting charmed by his antics and boyish smiles. The model, in particular being extra supportive, extra attentive, giggling a bit too hard while holding onto his arm. Perfect hair, perfect figure and perfect skin. Ofcourse. 

And just then, her insta reels recommendation showed Jude hugging multiple female fans who had lined up outside his shoot. They screamed his name, begging for hugs and he obliged. Warm, cozy, Jude hugs. Granted he only wrapped one arm around their shoulder and looked embarrassed when some of them reached up to kiss his cheek or pulled him closer, but still. This wasn’t something she needed to see right now. 

Was this going to be her life from now on? Curled into bed, following his activities on social media, feeling inadequate. She didn’t deserve it. No girl deserved this. 

She threw her phone aside and forced herself to focus on the movie. It was already 9:45, it would be best to get some sleep soon. Next week was going to be super hectic at work. Yes, work is what she needed do focus on. That’s why she was halfway across the world in this city. That was her goal in life right now. Not some ridiculously handsome random boy who made women go weak in their knees everywhere he went. 

Around 10 pm, her phone buzzed. She had tucked herself into bed by then and almost decided to not look at it. But curiosity got the better of her.

Jude: Heyyy. Sorry my phone was not with me. Just getting back from a shoot.

She was equal parts relieved and irritated with that message. Ananya took a deep breath to calm herself down, and thought of a neutral response.

Ananya: Oh yeah, you had mentioned. How did it go?

Jude: Not too bad. Somehow got an ok on my take, that’s all I care about honestly. This acting gig ain’t no joke. 

Ananya: Hmm.

Jude: Churros looked lovely. Hope you had fun.

Ananya: Yep, and yep.

Jude: Tired? Am I keeping you from something?

Ananya: Nope. 

Jude: Why so wry then? What’s happened?

Oh, how she wanted to scream. What’s happened was exactly what she didn’t want to happen. What she swore she won’t put herself through with another boy. And this was amplified 1000 times here coz of who Jude was. 

She started typing, then deleted, then typed again, unable to find the right words. This went on for two mins. 

Jude: Can I call?

She sighed, exasperated. Her voice will immediately give away her irritated and confused state. But he knew something was up and typing like this was getting exhausting.

Ananya: Sure.

He called the next second. She braced herself, then answered. 

‘Hey.’

She couldn’t have possibly made it sound drier even if she tried. 

‘Hey. Wassup?’

‘Nothing, was just about to crash. Already in bed.’

‘Hmm, won’t keep you for long. Just wanna hear your voice.’

Damn him. To the moon and back. Damn his sweet agonising voice. 

‘Why? Looks like you had enough company today.’

The words just tumbled out of her before she could check herself. Great going girl, way to make yourself look pathetic. 

He paused for a few seconds.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Nothing, forget it.’

‘Tell me you’ll sort this on your own and wake up all fine tomorrow morning, I’ll leave it be.’

She knew that wasn’t gonna happen. There was also no way for this to ever work if she wasn’t honest with him. Especially given his situation, things will just compound and then break very quickly. If they ever even get started, that is. 

‘The photos bothered me a bit.’

She could sigh him breathe audibly at the other end - probably getting irritated at her insecurity. Or her immaturity. Maybe both. 

‘What about them bothered you?’

Damn him for always making her spell everything out loud.

‘Just…her? Everything about that stunning woman. Looks like she fancied you.’

She could tell the wheels were churning in his mind at the other end.

‘I see. And you think I should be with someone like her. In fact, maybe I am going to her hotel room right now & talking to you on the way.’

Her silence was deafening. Jude gripped the edge of his seat to not curse out loud. 

‘Ananya - didn’t we speak about this last night? Are we gonna go back full circle here?’

‘I am sorry. It’s just - I don’t know how I could ever compete with someone like that. Also, I don’t want to. I am a normal, regular girl Jude. Don’t need that in my life right now, or ever.’

‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO COMPETE. Can’t you see you have already won?’

Warmth and fuzziness ran over her, making her feel gooey inside. She had to clutch her tummy to arrest that feeling. To arrest the freefall. 

‘You don’t know what’s gonna happen.’

Jude fought the urge to throw his phone against the opposite seat. 

‘DO YOU? Does anyone? Girl, why don’t you believe me when I say I want you? Should I list down how much I have fantasised about you the last two days? How much I wanna…..’

‘Stop, please stop Jude. Please.’

Both were breathing heavily at this point, for different reasons.

‘Can I ask you for one thing, Ananya? Try trusting me till I give you an explicit reason not to. I am not such a dog, y’know. Yes, I have seen multiple girls together before but all parties KNEW it was casual. No commitments. This is not that. This is not a situationship. I would have told you to your face if that’s what I was looking for.’

She clutched her phone close to her chest. Him being who he was had made it all so hard. But he was right - he hadn’t done anything. Well, not yet. 

‘I don’t know what to say, Jude. Like I know a lot of this is in my head but I don’t know how to make it go away.’

Heavy breathing continued at both ends. He broke the silence after a few moments. 

‘How about this? Ask me what you really wanna ask me. All your unsaid questions, assumptions, perceptions about me that make you want to distance yourself. I won’t lie, promise. Be the smart girl I know you are and break it down like you will a work project.’

That was actually a fair suggestion. She could see what he was trying to do by appealing to her logical side. Not just a pretty face. Clearly not. 

She chucked her inhibitions on how crude her questions might sound. He was right - without this they would keep coming back full circle.

‘So…when you said you were dating multiple women together..’

‘Seeing…not dating.’

He clarified before she could go on. It was an important distinction for him. 

‘Yes, seeing them together, how long back was that?’

‘In Dortmund.’

‘Hmmm.’

She didn’t know how to feel about that. So she skipped to the next obvious question.

‘And…what about Madrid?’

‘Seen a couple, texted a couple, but not at the same time.’

‘Ok. When was the last time you were…you know..’

He understood the question before her finishing it.

‘Two weeks ago.’

‘I see.’

That wasn’t too long back. Was he still in touch with her? Did they meet up at his house? Something about the last thought made her feel icky.

‘And, these rendezvous, usually happen where?’

He chuckled at her choice of words. She really was something. 

‘At a hotel close by. It’s a private, exclusive property.’

‘Ofcourse.’

He could tell there was a tinge of sarcasm in that last word but chose to let it go.

‘Are you in touch with her….the last one?’

‘Not since a week.’

She was feeling particularly bold at this point. Jude could anticipate her next question from a mile away.

‘Well, are you planning to?’

‘Nope. Not her. Not anyone else. I will only be with you and you will only be with me. Exclusively.’

He declared without hesitation. Her mouth open and closed at his last line, unsure of how to react. He waited patiently. 

‘And what about the hordes of women who throw themselves at you daily? Who would do absolutely anything you want, and more?’

‘There is no easy fix here. You will have to find a way to believe that I will not stray, I will not indulge them.’

He could have backed his statement with evidence. Coz the model from today did slip him her number & he had politely wriggled out of that. But even he had the good sense to know this wasn't the time to bring that up.

She appreciated how he didn’t try to feed her any rosy crap, really following through on answering honestly. His tone & speed of response gave her enough assurance that he wasn’t being evasive. 

She had run out of questions and said as much to him. Weirdly, in some inexplicable way, this was healing.

‘My turn then.’

This caught her off guard. But it was a fair ask, after the grilling she just put him through. 

‘Sure, go ahead.’

‘Open your door in precisely 1 minute. I will ask in person.’

The phone dropped from her hand as she sat up, landing somewhere under the blanket. She reached for it blindly with one hand while switching on the lights with the other. 

‘What do you mean in person? You don’t know where I live.’

‘Agnes knows.’

Ofcourse. His driver had dropped her home last night. Great, his presence was making her dumb now.

‘But….what if someone sees you? Roma is home too. The house is so messy. And I am, I am..One second, your shoot was on the other side of town and this is not in your way. What would you be doing here? Are you messing with me?’

She rambled faster that the speed of light. He ignored every other comment but picked up on the last one.

‘How did you know where my shoot was?’

Damn. Bloody rotten hell. She groaned audibly on the phone and he laughed out loud.

‘Dove is a stalkerrrrrr!’

He said teasingly, in a sing-song voice. 

Before she could respond, she heard a car honk under her window. No, this couldn’t be. He wouldn’t. Would he?

‘Buzz me in and open the door. I am getting out of the car now.’

Ananya rushed frantically to the door, buzzing the building gate open. The idea of someone seeing him here filling her with nerves. Thankfully, she was on the first floor, half a staircase away from the building door.

Three seconds later, she saw him enter the building. Eight seconds later, she was grabbing his arm and pulling him into the apartment, shutting the door firmly behind them.

What was he thinking? What if someone had seen him outside? The media crap storm would have been unstoppable. How irresponsible was this? The gall of him to show up unannounced like that, anytime he wanted. Oh, she was mad. Raving mad.

Before she could turn around and give him a piece of her mind, strong arms wrapped around her from behind. 

‘Sorry. Just wanted to see you once before I fly out tomorrow. Didn’t want to leave on this note.’

And just like that, he knocked the fight out of her chest. With two simple lines. Frankly she was a goner at sorry itself. The boy carried a magic wand of persuasion with him. 

Her shoulders, which were tensed in anger, dropped as she leaned back into his chest. He kissed the back of her head, conveying his gratitude.

She could stay like this forever. In his warm, comforting hold. His scent, familiar by now (when did that happen?), seeping into her skin, taking over her senses. His big, calloused hands enveloping her smaller ones. Involuntarily, she sighed.

‘Thank you for being honest with me earlier. I feel better now.’

‘I am glad. My turn? Only have one question.’

‘Ofcourse.’

He turned her around in his arms and tilted her chin up to look straight into her eyes.

‘Would you let me kiss you right now?’

Time stood still. She was very numb yet very aware in that moment. The dim lighting in the living room from the night lamp, the faint noise from the street, the rhythmic tapping of feet coming from Roma’s locked room who was blaring music on her headphones. All registering in some peripheral part of her brain.

But what she was hypnotised by was his face, and his eyes, gazing intently at her, drawing her in. How was it ever possible to say no to that face? To those big brown eyes which looked even deeper, softer, more vulnerable than ever before?

She didn’t realise when he took off his jacket, nudged her towards the dining table a short distance away, put his hands on the sides of her waist, lifted her slightly to place her on the table. But when her legs were being parted gently so he could stand in front of her, their torsos touching, her trance broke. The heat radiating from his body was palpable. 

Jude’s face was inches away, almost eye level.  A pleasing, handsome, perfectly symmetrical face. The dim lighting creating a halo around him. Ananya tilted her head to look at Roma’s room and if it was still locked. But he put two fingers on her cheek to turn her back to him.

‘Been waiting for this since I saw you.’

Jude lifted her arms & wrapped them around his neck, while his hands stroked her back. The flimsy fabric of her tank top not providing any barrier; it was almost like he was stroking her skin. Her legs, spread wide apart to fit him in, dangled aimlessly on the edge of the table.

How was he expecting a coherent verbal response from her in this situation?

She slowly slid one of her hands from his long muscly neck to his hair, fingers gliding through the thick, firm, soft curls. Her eyes searching his, telling him this is the best she could do right now.

That was all the signal he needed. Her grip in his hair tightened as he angled his head to cover her lips with his. Plump, pillowy lips caressing hers. Making her tightly shut her eyes and whimper out. Which broke something in him.

He dove in again with more urgency, parting her lips this time, getting them to move in sync with his. She gladly obliged, submitting to his rhythm while her heart hammered against her chest. She wondered if he could hear it too. But he was too occupied with tasting her mouth. All her little sounds & shudders giving him a head rush. His hot breath fanning her cheeks. 

When her whimpers went up an octave, he gave her a little breather, connecting their foreheads as they breathed in the same air. Her hands had fallen to the wide expanse of his shoulders, clutching at them to anchor herself. 

He kissed her forehead, the top of her eyes, and placed two delicate pecks on each cheek. His light stubble grazing her skin. She tilted her head involuntarily along with his movements, giving him ready access, like a puppy would to someone petting it. 

‘Ananya, lemme see you.’

The way he said her name, the fondness in his voice, it was like a silent command she couldn’t deny. Her hands gripped his shoulders tighter as she opened her eyes. 

He smiled affectionately, and it took her breath away. All the walls she had built around herself, all the rules, all the notions of just focusing on her work for now, this boy had bulldozed his way through all that with just his breathtaking smile.

Some part of her still conscious brain tried to chide her that she was no different than any of the other girls fawning over him. All it took was him showering her with his undivided attention and she was putty in his hands. But her brain couldn’t get a word in edgewise, her other senses had taken over. 

Jude reached for her hands, unclasped them from his shoulders, somehow sensing the tension in them. What he did next made her lightheaded. He moved his lips to her palms, placing soft, lingering kisses on both. And then, he moved her hands to his face, as if asking her to hold him. Somehow, this felt even more intimate than their kiss. 

His unending torso was all hard muscle, pressed into hers, but his face was soft. Rugged yet soft. Her hands couldn’t even fully cover his cheeks, she noted absentmindedly. So she used the pads of her thumbs to stroke the rest of his gorgeous face. 

Suddenly, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer into him. She looked up in surprise, finding darker, hooded eyes. 

‘The next time you wanna run away from me, remember this feeling.’

Not only had his eyes changed colour but his voice had turned hoarse too. Insistent lips crashed into hers, prying them open, his tongue penetrating her mouth. She gasped at the invasion. One of her hands fell from his face  & settled behind her on the table, trying to find balance, as the force of his kiss made her lean backwards, with him looming over her. 

His spare hand gripped her bare thigh to help steady her. She just realised how her tiny sleeping shorts had completely inched up her legs, leaving them almost fully bare. His hand was firm and his fingers dug into her skin, making her head spin.

She lost her balance, despite his support, falling further backwards and knocking down a container behind her on the table. He broke the kiss & stretched his arm to reach for the container, finding it just before it was about to crash on the floor. While she just panted in his hold.

‘Jude…I..’

‘Shhhhh, I got you.’

They fell into a warm, comforting embrace. Arms settling around each others’ backs. Her face resting in the crook of his neck as he quietly stroked her hair.

‘Did it ever occur to you that it’s hard for me to trust as well?’

That made her grudgingly break the hug and look up at him with confused eyes, while their arms remained locked around each other. 

‘It’s tough to figure if someone really likes me for me or it’s the lifestyle, fame, money and exposure that they are after. If a private encounter would remain private or the details would be splashed over some social media later. If some photoshopped images or invented stories be circulated as sworn truth. I have struggled to judge, so honestly I stopped trying. Keeping it just about sex was simpler. Uncomplicated. Convenient. No strings attached.’

No, it hadn’t occurred to her at all. Not till he put it like that. On any other day, she would have been irked at him trying to conveniently defend his conscious indulgences. But it felt more like an admission than justification. 

She stroked his neck and shoulders as he continued being vulnerable with her. 

‘You see, the normal and regular you think to be such a distancing factor, is in fact the opposite. A huge chunk of my life will always be public, I get that. I signed up for that. But this bit, I wanna protect. I’d love to come home to someone normal.’

Ananya stroked his face with all the tenderness she could muster. Trying to show that she understands. From the way he relaxed into her, she figured he got her message. 

Jude knew he had to be careful with her. Seeing her skimpy nightclothes hugging her body tonight had already disrupted his brain chemistry. He couldn’t shake the thought of how easy it would be to just push her on her back then & there. To rid her of the flimsy fabric barely covering her form l, with one determined tug. 

That’s why he knew he had to leave soon, while he was still thinking with his head. She wasn’t ready, not yet. 

‘That your room?’

He tilted his head towards the open door at the end of the corridor. 

‘Uh-huh.’

‘Want me to carry you in and tuck you into bed? I will leave after a goodnight kiss.’

She met his gaze with a twinkle in her eye, cocking her head sideways, biting her lip slowly. His eyes followed every little movement. 

‘Think you can handle being in my bedroom just to tuck me in?’

Boy, he didn’t see that coming. Didn’t know she had it in her. It immediately made him even more interested. The open challenge in her eyes, the suggestive tone, and that jutting out bottom lip. That needed to be responded to.

He leaned in and bit down at the same spot on her lower lip, making it sting a bit, then flicking it with his tongue. His hand gripped her bare thigh again, knocking the sass out of her.

‘Lippy. So lippy. I love it.’

He continued rubbing circles on her thigh with his thumb till he drew a moan out of her, despite her biting her cheek to keep it in.

‘Your pretty brain may not approve of me yet, but your body is definitely #TeamJude.’

She gasped, and he chose that moment to lean in for a deep goodnight kiss. Making it wet & sloppy, on purpose, so much so that she had to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand when he was done with her.

‘Sleep tight, dove. Talk to ya tomorrow. And..’

He leaned in to whisper in her ear, enunciating each word.

‘Will think about you tonight. Maybe in the car as well.’

With one last attempted wink, he bid her goodbye and walked out. While she was still perched up on the table, her body tingling everywhere he had touched her, her lips tasting of him, and her mind reeling from what had just happened.

……………………… 

There it is. Was delayed because, well, the pictures threw me off :)

As always, feedback / comments are always welcome. Hope you are enjoying their journey so far!

[rogersideup]

｡°✩ ♊︎ The Gemini♊︎ ✩ °｡

Chapter 9

True Romantic

Series masterlist

Previous part: Twinkles Next part: Star crossed lover

Word count: 7,040

Warnings: My blog is 18+ only. All minors or blogs without an age in bio will be blocked. Minors DNI.

As soon as you left your apartment for your meeting with Fury, Steve raced to his own place. As fast as he could, he took a shower and got dressed and as presentable as he could in the short amount of time that he had before fast walking all the way to Fury's office.

In the hallway and outside of Fury's door, there was already a small group of Avengers awaiting the end of the meeting to find out what you chose to do.

Bucky leaned against the wall, tapping his fingers against it. Natasha was trying her hardest to read Fury's lips through the small window in the office door, unfortunately she couldn't see your lips or facial expressions since your back was facing the door. Tony was also there, but he was trying his hardest to pretend like he couldn't care less about any of this debacle. Sam was there too, but mostly because he just wanted to be where Steve and Bucky were. As crazy as it was, you and Sam had never met each other before regardless of how close you both were to the boys, but based off the stories that were told back and forth, the two of you might as well have been friends this whole time.

Steve let out a breath of relief as he approached, knowing for sure now that you were still on the meeting and hadn't missed the Avenger's interrogation to follow.

All of the Avengers turned their heads to investigate Steve's fast approaching steps, but he didn't hold their attention for more than a couple seconds as they all turned back to continue their investigation.

"Fury is smiling." Nat informed Steve, still on her tippy toes staring through the small window.

"Fury never smiles" Steve noted, leaning against the wall next to Sam.

"I didn't even know she was back at the compound." Bucky told Steve.

"She came home last night, I didn't know she was coming back either." Steve told him.

"Oh so 306 sneaking into your apartment was a surprise to you too?" Tony asked Steve, obviously trying to get a rise out of him.

Steve didn't miss the way Bucky's eyebrows raised, or the snickering coming from Sam and Natasha. "You make it sound so naughty"

"Just calling it how I saw it. Deflecting much?"

"So you two really made up, huh?" Bucky flung his arm around Steve's shoulder.

"Oh my go- no. I mean, yes, we did make up. But no, nothing weird happened." Steve confirmed... and denied. Either way, his cheeks felt hotter than the surface of the sun. "What? Were you spying on me?"

"No, I was just walking down the hallway and was visually assaulted by the sight of a woman way out of your league opening your door." Tony explained. "Don't really know what else that could be other than a Star Spangled booty call"

"Unlike you, I respect women too much to participate in booty calls, whatever that means." Steve huffed in disgust. "Not that it's any of your business, she was actually just being a good friend. I was having a tough night and she came to cheer me up."

"Oh, I bet she came alright" Sam joked with a wink, voice taunting Steve.

"That's my boy!" Bucky held his hand up for a high five from Steve, but he was left hanging and earned a death glare.

"You boys are all stupid, I think this is all code for Rogers had a panic attack last night." Natasha noted, eyes never leaving the window.

"Alright, Cap, what's more embarrassing for you? Admitting you were clapping cheeks or having a breakdown." Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing embarrassing about either of those things, but I prefer to keep both of them to myself. Thank you very much." Steve refused to let them get a rise out of him.

"What a noble answer" Sam noted.

"306 is signing papers, Fury is laughing." Nat updated.

"I didn't know Fury was even capable of laughing." Tony raised an eyebrow.

"She must be really charismatic if she has the big guy laughing and seems to have you boys wrapped around her finger." Sam theorized.

"Or she's demonic. Maybe she practices witch craft and puts spells on people." Tony agreed.

"If that was the case, the poor girl wouldn't be terrorized and miserable every day of her life." Natasha defended you. "Maybe she's happy she can finally get the hell out of here."

"You think she's going to leave for good, pal?" Bucky questioned looking right at Steve who was looking down at the floor.

"No." Steve lifted his eyes to look at Bucky while shaking his head. "Fury wouldn't be happy if she was leaving. She makes his life too easy. If she left he would be losing a lot."

"What ever ended up happening to that guy? The one that go her really hurt?" Tony asked.

Steve sighed. "He's on a final warning, one wrong move away from getting fired and black listed from the compound."

“Why do I feel like that's always the case, yet he keeps doing shitty things and he's still here?" Sam asked.

"It's not always him that's doing it, his punk friends aren't any better." Steve said regretfully. "Admittedly I've been trying for a while to get him out for good but he's slimy, always finds a way to slip right through."

Nat turned her head away from looking in the window for a few moments to look at the sad look evident on Steve's face. "Why didn't you tell me? Give me 10 minutes of digging and I'll find some dirt to get him out of here."

"If you can do that, I'd be the happiest man on the planet." Steve encouraged.

Natasha's eyes went back to the door. "Everyone shut up they're standing and shaking hands!"

"Act normal!" Sam announced.

Nat took a big step back and leaned against the wall with everyone else. The door swung open and Fury came out first.

He looked at everyone, but didn't even stop walking while announcing "I'm not even going to ask."

Then, out came you.

Steve couldn't even stop himself from smiling when he saw you, and he was painfully aware of it. You looked just as pretty as you did an hour and a half ago, and it still made his heart beat unfortunately fast.

You stopped in your tracks when you noticed the group that had formed in the hallway. Feeling a bit confused, you looked down the hall to the left, then the right, then you looked behind you.

"I'm confused, what's happening?" You asked. Intimidation overtook the confusion.

Your brain raced and started overthinking when you saw Natasha. Now that her and Bucky were dating, you wondered if she knew what happened and if it would make her not like you. The thought of that happening made you sad, all you wanted was to be friends with her.... And Sam. Why was Sam here?

"You're what's happening, Bug." Bucky confirmed.

"What did you choose to do?" Steve asked, Hope smeared all over his face.

With a blank face, you looked down at the signed contract in your hands before lifting it up to show them.

All four of the Avengers in front of you took a step or two forward before squinting their eyes at the paper, there was a moment of concentration as they all read the header.

Contract of employment: The Avengers Initiative.

Immediately following, there was a lot more celebration than you ever anticipated. You stood with a smile on your face as there was some gasping, shouting, jumping up and down from Sam and Bucky, you're pretty sure you caught a glimpse of Nat whacking Steve's arm, and Tony saying I knew it a few times.

That was all before Sam walked over to you to give you an unsuspecting hug that you happily granted him. But all was not as it seemed because that hug turned into you being picked up and spun around.

Your squeak of surprise didn't go unnoticed by Steve who was quick to pick you up out of Sam's arms and return your two feet back to the floor before giving you a hug of his own. But because they were Avengers, and the chaos seemed to never trail too far behind them, Bucky joined that hug too.

Being held by both of the boys was healing in a way you didn't quite know you needed. Especially when you could tell neither of them were harboring resentment or hard feelings. It felt normal, happy even.

Then Nat joined, followed by Sam, then Tony walked away because he definitely wasn't going to get in on that.

Your head was smushed into Steve's chest so you couldn't really see much, but you could hear Sam. "Nice to finally meet you, 306."

"You too, Sam." You giggled at how unable you were to move any part of your body in the big Avengers hallway cuddle. "We should grab a coffee one day."

"Not before I get to spend a day with you!" Nat spoke, fighting for your time. "Rogers says you like to eat, so we're going out to eat with no boys."

"Steve, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" You questioned jokingly, trying your hardest to lift your head to look at his face.

"That is not what I said." Steve defended himself with a shake of his head and a laugh. "I said you love food, like your eyes light up when you have food in front of you. Don't twist my words!"

"Mmmhmm" You said suspiciously.

"Are you free to get dinner tonight?" Nat asked you, releasing you from her arms.

Sam followed by letting you go, but it was clear that Bucky and Steve had no interest in dropping their arms, but at least now you could look at Nat as she spoke to you.

Your head immediately went to all of the stuff you needed to get sorted out. Bucky, Steve, telling Luca you were an Avenger, definitely calling your parents.

“Wait, not tonight." Steve reminded Nat. "We have that thing tonight, remember?"

"Oh! Right! So I'll be seeing you tonight anyways! That works for me." Nat said.

"Oh and me too. We all get her!" Sam enthused.

"What thing tonight?" You questioned.

A beeping sound came from Sam and Nat's smart watches, they both read the notification. "Well, duty calls. Congratulations, 306, so happy to have you on the team and I'll see you later!"

"Welcome to the team" Sam waved before they walked off together leaving just you, Steve, and Bucky.

"This is nice and all, but will one of you tell me what's happening tonight?" You asked the two boys who were still holding on to you.

"The team is going to a winery to celebrate the new addition!" Steve told you.

"That's suspiciously fast planning" you raised an eyebrow.

"Be ready to go by 6 o'clock, you're going with Steve." Bucky told you. "We can't get drunk, so obviously, we're going to drive."

Bucky let go of you, and only then did Steve let you go too.

"I guess that makes sense" You nodded, suddenly feeling self conscious and painfully aware that this was the first time the three of you have been together since that night before evaluation.

The boys read your body language like a hawk, especially when your big smile finally fell and your arms crossed over your chest, while your back leaned onto the wall.

"What's wrong?" Bucky asked, eyes filling with concern.

You let out a chuckle before standing up straight again, arms falling back down to your side. "Just overwhelmed. I still can't really comprehend what this means for me but I guess this is the only way to find out."

Steve could read between the lines. "You're worried about how the agents are going to react to this?"

"Yeah" You nodded. On the wall was a big Avengers A logo, and under it was an electronic screen displaying the names of the entire team. The boys eyes followed your finger as you pointed directly at it. "My name is already on it. The word is already out and admittedly, I'm a little scared to walk back to my apartment."

"I'll walk you home." Steve understood your anxiety.

Even a couple weeks ago you were getting shoved into walls and tripped by your peers when you gave them no reason to be angry. But now, they had a whole lot of grounds for jealousy. They both knew that probably wasn't the safest situation for you to be living in.

"We're always here in the compound, Bug." Bucky reminded you. "If you need us to hang out with you until the buzz dies down, we will."

"Thanks, Buck." You said genuinely, but you couldn't get rid of the uncomfortable feeling that settled deep in your stomach. You knew you just had to address what happened. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was coming back. I just decided last night and when I got back it was late and-"

"Don't sweat it" Bucky denied your apology. "Don't sweat anything. We're fine."

His words made the heaviness feel so much lighter. A sigh of relief escaped your lips "we're fine?"

"We're fine." Steve agreed.

All you did was open your arms again for another hug from them, feeling more than ready to put this all behind you. Once again they happily accepted, one arm squeezing each of them tightly.

"I really love you guys." You reminded them, squeezing your eyes shut to stop the tears of relief that started prickling through.

"Love you too, both of you." Steve smiled.

"You both already know how much I love you" Bucky announced. "All I ever want is for you guys to be happy, whatever that may look like."

You nodded in response to his statement. There was an understanding that he was giving the two of your his blessing to date without embarrassing Steve, especially because he's had no recent updates and you've never admitted to Bucky that you were also painfully in love with the idiot. But Bucky knew, of course he knew, he was far too smart and level headed to be fooled by either of you.

"Will you give me the updates on you and Natasha?" You asked him, wiggling your eyebrows suggestively.

"Oop! Gotta go!" Bucky let go of you and started booking it down the hallway. "See you later!"

You and Steve laughed at his dramatics. But now that it was just the two of you, you finally let your shoulders slump and your real emotions poke through.

"You're terrified." Steve sympathetically noted.

"Not even of the job. How sad is that?" You questioned. "I'm also just... still tired. Being back at the compound is challenging."

"I can only imagine." He understood what you were trying to tell him. Though things were getting better, healing takes time. Steve could still see that part of you that just wanted to go lay down and avoid the world trying to fight through the brightness in your eyes. "But you don't have to be alone this time, and you're a tough cookie."

"An overwhelmed cookie, but a tough overwhelmed cookie." You agreed.

"I'm really proud of you." Steve emphasized. "Your success is a hard journey under perfect circumstances, yet you've made it look easy while facing a lot of adversity. It's no wonder to me why you're always exhausted, but I'm confident that once all the tension within the agents dies down, you'll find that a spot on the team means you'll have a lot more time to relax."

You let his words sink in and validate all of the hardship you sometimes felt crazy for. "Thanks for helping me get here. I don't know if I could've done it without you."

"It was all you" Steve denied your statement. "It always has been."

"I know you think that, but I don't, so thank you anyway."

"What can I do to help you feel less overwhelmed?" Steve asked.

You shrugged your shoulders. "I think I need to call my Mom."

"You should definitely call your Mom" Steve agreed with a giggle. "I actually have a few things for you, do you want to hang out at my place for a little bit? We can just chill out for a while, you can call your parents, I'll fill you in on some things?"

"Yes please" You agreed, enthusiastically nodding your head. His apartment was down the hallway, and yours was across the building. Knowing you could just relax on his couch while he convincingly told you all the reasons why you didn't need to be so scared sounded like heaven to you.

Steve grinned at your willingness to continue spending time with him. "Come on, let's go."

You walked along side him down the hall to his apartment, then happily plopped onto his couch.

"Stay right there, I have surprises!" Steve pointed at you as you settled into the very corner, tucking your feet underneath you and pulling his blanket over your lap. It was still pretty cold despite the shining sun.

"Surprises? Why do you have surprises?" You asked loudly so he could hear you as he disappeared into his bedroom.

"Because you love surprises!" Steve called out in response.

You could hear his closet door open then shut again. "Only when I know what they are!"

"Then it's not a surprise." He challenged as he walked back into the living room, a small box and a garment bag you recognized.

All uniforms in the compound came in that same garment bag, it was made of a heavy cotton twill. Always grey, always with an Avengers 'A' embossed on the back, a sleek black zipper down the front.

"Let's start with the obvious" Steve said, handing you the garment bag by the hanger.

Thinking you knew exactly what it was, you unzipped the front expecting your old suit to be remade exactly how it was before it was destroyed. Instead, upon taking it out you noticed it had been changed.

It didn't look like all of the other agent uniforms, instead this one was all jet black like Natasha's. Black hardware, black industrial fabric, your last name stitched into a label that fit right along your  collarbone. It reminded you of how Steve's suit had a small little 'Rogers' tag on it.

But unlike Natasha's suit, yours had a more pronounced chest plate that almost looked like a bodice. You could tell from the feel of the material it was made out of that it was bulletproof. The whole garment, down to all of its details had you speechless.

It was beautiful, sleek, tight, functional, and dare you say... sexy?

Then you saw it, on the shoulders where you usually dawned a shield logo, there was an Avengers logo.

The loss for words remained as you looked back up at Steve who was anticipating your reaction. "How-"

"The team has a new tradition. We all come together to design the suit of the members, and this is what we came up with for you." Steve explained. "You needed a new suit anyway, we all knew in our gut that you belonged with us, hence why it's already made and in your hands."

"Did you do this?" You questioned, still a little stunned by how much you loved it.

"All of us did." Steve told you. "Well, I got the ball rolling and Natasha called most of the big shots considering, you know, she's a woman and she'd be better at making those choices anyway... but yeah. I know how important family is to you so I made sure your family name was on there, oh, and all your pockets. I remembered that you loved the pockets on your last suit so I advocated for those to stay. But of course if you don't like it we can revise-"

"It's beautiful" You cut him off with a shake of your head, genuine smile on your face. "I love it, thank you."

"Oh and look at this!" Steve enthused, sitting next to you on the couch. He took off the front panel of your suit and showed you the inside. "Luca has been a big part of your journey and obviously a big supporter of the Avengers, so we stitched a little L right over where your heart is so he can have a small part in the team and go on missions with you."

"Stop it right now." You pouted your lip as you looked at the L embroidered into the lining. "That's so cute, it's going to make me cry. He's going to be so happy."

"I'm glad you like it" Steve grinned.

You shook your head. "I love it, it's so thoughtful."

Then Steve handed you a small box that was perfectly wrapped in brown paper with a blush pink satin ribbon tied in a bow nicely wrapped around it. "This is also for you." This time, he seemed a bit shyer.

"A present? Why a present?" You questioned sweetly, unable to understand why he got you something.

"Because you deserve your accomplishments to be celebrated!" Steve enthused.

You smiled at his statement as you untied the bow and unwrapped the paper. Underneath the wrapping was a pair of airpod max headphones, the exact color you'd been contemplating getting yourself for months but never did because you knew how expensive they were.

There was also an immediate recognition your mind was quickly drawn to about how modern these were to your timeless best friend. He's gifted you music before in the form of vinyl records, a cocktail in a live jazz bar, you two even saw a concert together once. But these? They were picked out with you and only you in mind.

They were a sign that he actually listened to your silly complaint about the headphones one time in passing, and maybe even a way of telling you he actually did care that one time he claimed he didn't out of anger.

Though you loved them, and they were the nicest most thoughtful gift you could've ever been given, you were flooded with immediate guilt.

"Steven" You shook your head.

His smiles stretched wider at your reaction because he knew this was exactly what it was going to be. Even as he pressed the checkout button on his laptop to buy them for you, he could hear every argument you would use about how you couldn't accept them, but he did it anyways.

He raised his eyebrow at you. "Aren't they so pretty?!"

"They're beautiful, the exact pair I've been wanting for a long time." You nodded before trying to shove the box right back into his hands. "They're going to look great on your hard head."

Steve laughed as he pushed it back to you. "No, they're yours. If you open the box you'll see they're engraved with a 306 which means they're non refundable and custom made for you, leaving you no choice but to accept and enjoy them."

"You bitch." You deadpanned, not completely believing him until you ripped off the plastic cover and opened the box to see for yourself. And boom, there it was, an engraving just for you. "You bitch! Why? That's too much, twinkles, you didn't have to do that."

"Of course I didn't have to, but I really wanted to." Steve explained. "You've been existing with one airpod in since you-know-who ruined your headphones and I know how important music is to you. You deserve to hear music in both of your ears while also drowning out the compound nois-."

Steve was cut off by you practically leaping over the couch cushion and falling into his arms. A little oof sound escaped his lips as he wasn't prepared even in the slightest for the amount of force your body had against his, but his arms were quick to wrap around you regardless.

"Thank you so so much." You shoved your face into his neck, and your arms squeezed him tighter than ever before. "I love them and I love you."

"You're very welcome, and I love you too" Steve was more than happy to squeeze you tightly in return. "I'm so happy you're an avenger! It'll be fun getting to go on missions with you"

"I don't know if fun is the right word" You giggled while letting him go.

"You're right, there's no such thing as a fun mission, let me rephrase that." He agreed. "Missions will be so much more bearable if we can do them together."

"It's going to be so weird." You settled back into the corner of the couch and Steve sat right next to you. Tossing half the blanket over his lap wasn't even a second thought to you. "Me? Fighting alongside Iron Man and Captain America? Black widow? I think I'm experiencing imposter syndrome"

"You are more than capable" Steve reminded you.

Under the blanket, you threw your legs over his lap, and he took that as permission to move even closer to you. You two cuddled last night, so certainly there was no harm in snuggling on the couch, right?

Steve felt like a pathetic teenager once more when he realized how desperately he craved your touch, even if it was as innocent as tangled legs and touching arms on the couch. He searched for it everywhere, and soaked up every opportunity he could to just exist alongside you, and whenever he got it he felt so warm and fuzzy inside.

"Will you tell me all about being an Avenger?" You asked sweetly.

"Anything you want." Steve happily agreed as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table and settled in.

The two of you talked for hours on end all about the complexities of your jobs, but somewhere along the way it strayed far from the original topic and morphed into trivial matters such as the differences between an iced latte and an iced coffee, even down to which bodega nearby had the best sandwiches. But you claimed neither of your opinions mattered to each other anyways because you were more of a bacon egg and cheese kind've girl while Steve would always choose something far less breakfast-y and more classic sandwich-y.

It was a great conversation nonetheless, you'd always take any opportunity you could get to pick Steve's brain apart. Eventually, maintenance came to swing by and finally fix his heater, you called your mom and dad, and it was quickly approaching the time you needed to get to the winery.

Steve got ready, dressed in perfectly fitted jeans, a nice button down, his favorite leather jacket before walking you to your apartment so you could get ready too. There was no question that walking through the hallways and main spaces of the compound felt thick with tension. Whenever you walked by, agents heads would turn and they'd watch you pass as if you had committed an unthinkable crime, or maybe like you were some sort of A-list celebrity setting out into a sea of journalists watching and noting your every move.

He was proud of how you handled it like nothing was happening, but he still couldn't help the feeling of an undeniable shiver down his spine when he thought about how different this would turn out for you had he not been walking by your side.

Steve also didn't miss your sigh of relief when your apartment door closed and locked when you guys made it inside. The silence felt domestic and comfortable as Steve plopped down on the couch while you ran off to touch up your hair and makeup from this morning and change into a more formal yet still kind've casual and warm outfit for the outdoor occasion.

He felt so happy and relaxed as he listened to your music playing from a room away, but all of his chill left his body when he heard the clicking of your heels against the hardwood flooring. Not soon enough to gain his composure, you came out of your room with a huff.

"Is this outfit appropriate for the occasion?" You asked him, feeling unhappy you didn't have more time to plan for this, and reluctant in your ability to pull something together.

Steve had to work hard to keep his mind from going blank as he looked at your outfit. A pretty black sweater dress with a turtleneck and a brown leather jacket that he swore went missing from his closet a few months ago over it, some sheer black tights, and heeled boots. You looked painfully pretty, effortlessly casual yet elegant and pulled together.

"Is this the part where I'm allowed to start telling you how beautiful I think you are?" Steve asked, unable to think of anything but that.

"Permission granted, at this point in my life I need all the confidence I can get." You nodded, feeling nervous about the upcoming event.

"You look so pretty" Steve gushed like a secret he's held in for too long. "You are so pretty."

"The outfit, Twinkles" You giggled, "what about the outfit?"

"The outfit is perfect, but are you going to be cold?" He asked.

"Of course I'm going to be cold, but that's a problem for me later." You nodded.

"And your feet are going to hurt."

"A sacrifice I'm willing to make"

"You're so brave." Steve placed a hand over his heart. "Cool jacket, where's it from?"

"It's vintage" You smiled, he squinted his eyes at you.

"I don't know if I'm more upset that you said that, or that it looks better on you. Either way, I'm wounded."

"Oh please, everything you wear looks good on you. Plus, we match!" You shook your head with a smile. "If it's not already obvious, I also think you're very handsome."

"No, you can't say that to me because my knees will go weak and I'm not going to be able to get off the couch." Steve shook his head, earning your laugh.

"For such a strong man you let me have so much power." You stuck your hands out for him to take. "Come on, I'll help you and your weak knees off the couch."

You did manage to peel him off the cushions and get him out of the door, and he almost successfully safely ushered you through the whole building and to the parking garage, but unfortunately, he couldn't control the words coming out of people's mouths.

Especially when those words came from pure jealous rage. He also couldn't help how they probably hurt more when they tore you from such a good mood.

He finally managed to pull some real laughter out of you for the first time in what felt like months. The sound of your belly laugh filled his soul with so much joy as he threatened to take his jacket back after you kept poking his shoulders and pretending like it wasn't you. He fell for it the first couple of times, but you were nonchalant... until your giggles erupted when he looked behind him.

Thats how you two ended up fighting off each others arms while walking through a corridor. You fought relentlessly to keep the jacket while Steve protected his shoulders from your passionate pokes.

Both of you were so distracted by each other you didn't even notice that you weren't the only two people in the corridor, so when Steve managed to tangle your fingers with his and hold your arm above your head to stop the vicious attack, it felt like two deers in headlights when one of Harvey's friends appeared in front of you.

Immediately Steve let go of your hand, your arm was pulled back down and crossed over your chest. Your smile fell even faster.

"Well well well, if it isn't proof that you fucked your way onto the Avengers" He barked out a condescending laugh.

Steve was taken aback. He knew they were all brave enough to do this to you, but this behavior in front of him was even more bold than he thought any of these agents were capable of.

He looked between you and the agent, fully waiting for your attack on him and fully supporting your decision to do so, but instead you had completely sunken in. You didn't have a response, no remark, no reaction. You just looked sad.

"Moved on from sucking off the brainwashed fuck-wad to Rogers real quick huh?" He questioned, taking one small step towards you.

Immediately Steve put his body between the two of you. "That's enough. Repo-"

"What did she do, Cap? Huh? Did you get the winter soldier treatment as well? Was it really that good she got to move up in ranks?" He questioned, trying to make himself bigger to see your smaller frame over Steve's broad shoulders. "If it's that good maybe I should try her out myself considering she makes it so easy."

"This is your last chance to walk away before your record is damaged." Steve warned, taking a deep breath to contain his hands instinctively balling up into a tight fist.

"Harvey told me she was nice and tight when he got her but he definitely loosened her up for you. Hope you appreciate that next time she wants a new job."

Your heart slowly cracked in your chest and a lump formed in your throat over the words being spoken about you. All you wanted was to be like your old self, so willing to take on this fight that he would've never had the chance to speak another word. But now, you couldn't even bother. It felt like you had no choice but to roll over and show your belly because you were still so beat down and tired.

But you're an avenger now, you should be able to deal with this. You should be able to do anything but this.

Suddenly the walls were spinning, and your broken heart was pounding as if it had never been more put together, the floor might as well have been made of broken glass.

Just as you were about to be swallowed whole by your racing thoughts, your attention was pulled right back.

"You can do much better than that half ass ran through nymph-"

Those were the final words that came though clearly before you watched Steve lose composure. The agent swiftly walked forward trying to get around Steve to get to you. In a moment of pure rage, and in honor of all those times you were sent to Steve's office, he provided a hard kick straight to the agents dick.

Hard enough for the agent to immediately scream in pain, fall to the floor and cry. Rolled in a pathetic ball, he clutched his precious jewels, you didn't know if his pain made you want to smile or cry.

He deserved it.

"It's funny, when we started this conversation you were a little less... swollen." Steve sassed, no ounce of remorse in his tone. "I hope you appreciate me every time the nurse has to replace your ice pack."

Steve was talking, but you doubted the agent heard a single word he said over the sound of the blood that rushed to his ears and his own whaling.

Confident that there was no chance of being able to stand back up without assistance, Steve pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number before placing it to his hear and turning around to comfort you.

You looked to be in a state of shock as he pulled you into a one armed hug. Trying to take deep breaths became a lot easier when the air started to smell like Steve's cologne.

Someone on the other line must've picked up, Steve spoke briefly and got to the point. "I made a mess in the sector A corridor, could you clean it up for me? I'm uh, accompanying precious cargo, I'd rather you be late then leave her side. Thanks, Nat."

Just like that, the agent would be taken care of, his phone slipped back into his pocket, and his precious cargo could get the full of his attention again.

His other arm wrapped around you before you could get your arms up to gently hug him back. "Thank you" You whispered.

"I'm so sorry" Steve shook his head. "That was so awful, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, I just- need to breathe I think." You spoke, definitely having an anxiety attack.

"What can I do?" Steve asked, stepping back to look at your face.

You still looked shocked and a little dazed, but you seemed relatively okay.

"Nothing." You denied. "That was... more than anyone has ever done."

"Do you want to just take some time to let that settle or should we cancel?"

"No" You shook your head, firm on your answer. "It's okay, it's a long drive there. By the time we get there it'll all be okay. I'm okay."

Steve's face softened, his body language followed quickly after. "It's okay to not be okay. That was a lot." His hand was gently rubbing the top of your arm up and down.

"He was so mean to Bucky." You sighed, trying not to let tears pool into your waterline. "Do you think people have been treating Bucky like this too? Because of me? He doesn't deserve that"

"You don't deserve this either, Buggy." Steve reminded you, nearly falling apart over the way you always thought of everyone else's feelings before your own. "Nobody is mean to Bucky to his face, people are too scared to do that."

"What if he finds out what he said?" Your big eyes looked right into Steve's. They were soft and twinkling with empathy just for you, and that brought you more comfort then he would ever realize.

"If Bucky found out what he said, he would be in a lot worse of a state than he's in right now because he would be livid that anyone was saying that about you. I'm livid too, but you're my focus."

You nodded fully understanding Steve's words, while looking over to see the Agent laying on the floor still crying, still shouting. "I did what you would do, I think it makes a pretty bold statement that this behavior cannot be tolerated anymore. No exceptions, I have to put my foot down. You don't deserve to live like this anymore."

"Thank you, Stevie."

"Natasha is going to take care of the rest, okay? He's getting fired. He'll never come back here."

"I'll get worse now, I think more of them are going to try to get me, maybe even you now." You explained.

"Then they'll all get fired and removed from the property as well" Steve challenged. "We need agents who will make the world better, these ones are very obviously not qualified for the job.  And quite frankly, I'm tired of tip toeing around the issue to make them comfortable. All of them deserve to be just as uncomfortable, if not more uncomfortable than you are. I will personally make sure none of them lay a finger on you ever again."

"That's a lot of paperwork for you."

"I'll do it all, I don't care." He reassured you. "I should've done this sooner, I regret every single time I ever let these pricks pass by without proper reprimand."

"It's okay, Steve."

"No it's not." He disagreed. "Are you positive you still want to go?"

Despite the hidden sadness behind your that came back after working so hard to get it back, Steve saw your bravery right before his very twinkly eyes. "I'm positive. I think getting away from here is the best choice I can make."

Steve sympathetically grinned. "Luckily you have a lot of people who love you and want to celebrate you tonight. Hopefully some of that love helps to cancel out what just happened."

You nodded in agreement and grinned back at him as he offered you his arm to walk you the rest of the way, hopefully being closer to him would bring you a better sense of comfort.

Instead of taking it, you hooked your arm around his like intended, but slid your hand down to hold his just like you'd still be doing had it not been ruined for you.

He looked down at your interconnected fingers with a bitter sweet pinch in his brow. "What if someone sees?"

You shrugged. "No matter what I do or say, people are going to be mad. I might as well let them be mad, and let myself be happy."

"This makes you happy?" Steve questioned genuinely, giving your hand a gentle squeeze.

"You've always made me happy, I've just never been brave enough to let myself enjoy it." You admitted. "But now I'm too tired to even fight with myself anymore. I have to surrender or else I'll never get to enjoy what I have while I have it."

"I'm so proud of you" Steve said sincerely. "You're a lot braver than I am because this makes me feel like I'm going to throw up."

Then, your real giggle came back and the tears that once threatened you never fell. "Are you sure you even like me? It seems like nausea is the emotion I instill in you the most these days"

Your arms swung gently between the two of you as you continued your journey to Steve's car. "The throw up is exactly how I know I like you. Nobody else makes me feel like I don't have control over the contents of my stomach whenever they look at me."

"If anybody else said that to me, I think I would be offended."

"But I said it, so you know it's a good thing."

"Has anybody ever told you that you're a true romantic?" You questioned rhetorically.

Steve giggled. "Never in my life."

"Hmm, I wonder why."

Next Part: Star crossed lover

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E Rated Fics Masterlist (47)

Part 1 -Part 38/  Part 39 / Part 40 / Part 41 / Part 42 / Part 43 / Part 44 / Part 45 / Part 46 /

Created: May 27th, 2024

Last Checked:-----

All's Fair-katnissdoesnotfollowback (ao3) Summary: They say that all's fair in love and war, but Katniss isn't in a war yet. She's in college. And college is stressful enough when you don't have to worry about impressing your cadet corps or pulling off a flawless prank. But Katniss is determined to succeed, willing to go to great lengths to get what she wants. A Simple Plan-JLaLa (ao3) Summary: Peeta had a plan. He didn’t realize that simple plans often go awry. The sequel to “A Simple Favor”. Blazing Free-LemonLuvGirl (ao3) Summary: Catching Fire reimagined. Canon Divergent. Katniss Everdeen & her co-victor Peeta Mellark have spent every waking moment since they won the 74th Hunger Games trying to appease President Snow and keep their loved ones safe from the Capitol's wrath. They have played their parts to perfection as star-crossed lovers, and mentors. But when Snow puts a new inconceivably sadistic demand on Peeta and Katniss, they have to decide whether they will continue to used as pieces in the game, or whether to change the rules all together. (Mature themes, mentions of depression, allusions to non-consentual sex, underage drinking and drug use, violence, cursing, Everlark smut, some Everthorne drama, minor character death, etc.) Christmas For 3-LemonLuvGirl (ao3) Summary: Katniss Everdeen is looking at spending her first Christmas as a 32 year old divorcee alone and miserable. She doesn't want to feel like a total failure at Christmas time, but will she get more than she bargained for in the form of two handsome identical twin brothers? Christmas TV-Lbug84 (ao3) Summary: When two people meet online, how can they hope to separate what's real from the fantasy? Both burned and scarred in their pasts, Katniss and Peeta develop an unconventional relationship in this modern day everlark AU Cold Embers-lieselmemingers (ao3) Summary: Katniss and Peeta discover that their post-war medication has numbed their desire for intimacy. Coxa-JennaGill (ao3) Summary: Peeta’s subconscious is trying to tell him something, twenty years after the Games ended. Everlark. In Panem continuation to Mockingjay.  Delicious-LemonLuvGirl (ao3) Summary: Peeta is a professional chef that Katniss hires to teach her how to cook. Even though Katniss is terrible at cooking Peeta refuses to give up on her. When things begin to heat up between them in the kitchen they both realize they want to be more than just friends. There's only one problem, Peeta's got a girlfriend half a world away, and he never told Katniss. Started as a tumblr ask for a smut drabble featuring: "Please don't stop." & "Yeah, you like that?" G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time)-JHsgf82 (ao3) Summary: Katniss Everdeen is a waitress at the G.O.A.T. Sports Bar and Grille, and she's also a huge football fan. Her team: The Panem U Mutts. Her favorite player: Peeta Mellark. Katniss always wears Peeta Mellark's jersey at work, and even to bed. How will he react to seeing her in it? And how will she react to meeting him? Golden Cages-LemonLuvGirl (ao3) Summary: Mockingjay reimagined. (Sequel to Burning Bright & Blazing Free.) There's a rebellion stirring, President Snow is out for blood, and everyone wants our heroes to choose sides. Katniss and a number of other victors are captives in the Captiol while Peeta & co. work to free them from District 13. Tough decisions lie ahead.

[teaberrii]

Chapter 2: Not Friends

You and Dan Heng are a match made in heaven until fate takes him away from you too soon. Years later, you think you moved on with a mutual friend who shared your grief and stuck with you during tough times until you meet a mysterious man with a striking resemblance to your past lover and a hidden motive. You’re determined to get rid of him, but how are you going to get rid of a god?

Dan Feng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail crossover

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Support my writing

The hospital room is quiet except for the soft beeps of the sensors; the lights are dim as if not to disturb you, but you've been unconscious since the operation has finished. Your forehead, wrists, and part of your hands are wrapped in bandages, but your breathing is steady. Dan Feng stands beside your bed, his hands behind his back, looking at you with skepticism and curiosity.

Dan Feng and the rest of the dragon gods stood on a rocky terrain where the sky above was the galaxy. Not too far stood a large, metal circle where all the Chinese zodiac animal signs were engraved on the outer rim. The rabbit symbol was lit as it was still the Year of the Rabbit, but as soon as the clock struck midnight, the light flowed like liquid to the dragon. Its eyes were the last to light but shone the brightest. Then, a thunderous roar echoed in the distance as the gate shot beams of lightning toward its center before dispersing to the other animal signs. Now, there was a watery surface, and one could see images of the human realm—seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes—slowly transitioning from one to the next.

“Sorry, I’m late!”

The dragons turned and saw Bailu wearing a padded coat, making her look like a walking marshmallow. While Zhongli was wondering why she didn't have knitted covers over her little horns on the top of her head like she sometimes did, that wasn't the first question on his mind. Bailu was riding something that no one recognized… but Dan Feng had an inkling of what the mysterious, rolling, box-like object was.

“...Is that a suitcase?” he asked.

“Yup! Ten points to Brother Moon!” Bailu got off her self-driving suitcase and looked at her other brothers. “Quiz time! Can any of you guess what this is for?”

“Please don't tell me humans use that to get around," Neuvilette said flatly. “It’s incredibly tacky.”

“Yes and no… and it’s not tacky! Do you know how expensive this is down there?”

“It seems like a convenient way of moving things from one place to another,” Zhongli said. “You’re very prepared, Bailu. But"—he pointed to her horns—"aren't you forgetting something?"

"As soon as we poof down there, we'll look like everyone else! So, I hope you won't miss your horns and tail too much." Noticing Neuvilette's curiosity on her padded coat, Bailu patted herself. "It's to keep warm! Who knows what the weather is like down there?"

Neuvilette gently poked it. "The design sure is something."

"Don't worry. I'll take all of you shopping when we get there. The last thing I want is for one of you to fall sick."

Dan Feng nodded toward the activate gate. “Well, now that everyone's here… Shall we go?”

“Wait!” Everyone turned to Bailu. Then, she snapped her fingers, and four journals appeared around her. “I’m the one with the most experience down there, so…” With a wave of her hand, the journals distributed themselves amongst her dragon brothers. "You’re going to find this handy!”

“...Bailu’s Guide to Thriving with the Humans?” Neuvilette wasn’t sure what to think of the title.

“It has everything you need to know to survive down there. I even included how you make some quick money because”—she flipped her hair—”I’m nice like that. And…!” Her face turned serious. “It’s not a guarantee that we’ll end up at the same place when we step through that portal. It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it?”

“...I question your definition of exciting,” Zhongli said. “That’s a problem if we aren’t together.”

“You said that the longer we stay down there, the more human we become,” Neuvilete said, looking at Bailu. “So, surely we can still use our powers if we are separated.”

“Mm…”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming,” Dan Feng said, not surprised.

“It’s true our powers won’t go poof right away, but it won’t be as strong. Based on experience, we have one chance to use them however we like. But, if you do something too powerful, you'll be completely drained.”

“Drained?”

“Ahem. If you could kindly refer to page two of your handy dandy journal…”

The three exchanged a glance before Zhongli’s journal flew open in front of them, and then it was Dan Feng who read: “After landing in the human realm, your godly powers will slowly start draining. It's like an oxygen tank of a scuba diver."

"...Oxygen tank? Scuba diver? Do I want to know what those things are?" Neuvilette asked.

“Keep reading,” Bailu deadpanned.

“Your power will start strong, but the more you use it, the faster it’ll drain,” Zhongli said. “Small tasks, such as telekinesis, will make it drain slowly. Bigger tasks, such as teleportation, will make it drain faster. Even if you do nothing, your power will still drain bit by bit.” Then, the journal closed itself.

“If we end up in different places," Bailu said, "you’ll want to use the last bit of your godly power to teleport to the Luofu House.”

“...The what now?”

Bailu pointed to her journal. “Page five, if you will.”

So, once again, Zhongli’s journal flew open. This time to page five.

“The Luofu House is Bailu’s home away from home,” he read. “Since none of you have a home to go to, Mistress Bailu will be honoured to have you in her humble abode…”

“Mistress…” Dan Feng began skeptically.

“...Bailu?” Neuvilette deadpanned.

“Y’all should be thankful that we have a place to stay when we get there!” Bailu said, puffing out her chest. “If it weren’t for my relentless hustling every dragon year, who knows what we’d have to resort to? Anyway, just remember: Don’t waste your power on something dumb.”

If it weren't for the sensors, Dan Feng would think you're dead, which means his efforts would've been wasted.

Dan Feng was the last one to step through the gate. The world around him spun and spun, and he heard overlapping sounds getting louder and louder until everything went quiet. Then, he heard the sound of rain. He opened his eyes and saw he’d ended up on a pedestrian bridge. It was dark but the street below was lit. There were shapes of mountains and buildings in the distance. Dan Feng was about to teleport to the Luofu House when he noticed a young boy, holding an umbrella, staring at him.

Dan Feng stared back until the kid finally caved and asked:

“Are you a cosplayer?”

A… what?

The kid looked at him and up and down. “It’s a really good costume! You look like I.L!”

Who?

“Don’t tell me you don’t know him!" the kid said, almost offended. "He’s that super cool character from the popular video game…”

The rest fell on deaf ears as Dan Feng glanced down. He was still in his usual outfit: a white sleeveless shirt with a cutout in the shape of a diamond on his chest. His long sleeves are unattached and have gold and green-coloured accents. Around his waist was a green sash with a teal seal adorned by golden leaves, and he wore black, fingerless gloves. The only normal thing about his outfit was the black pants, but the knee-high boots with white and golden accents would instantly draw someone's attention.

“I’m spending my allowance money to get him for sure!”

“It’s getting cold,” Dan Feng said. “You should head home.”

"Here." The kid held out his umbrella. "I'll give this to you because you did him justice!"

“...I’m fine.”

“Trying to act tough, are you, Mister?”

Dan Feng wasn’t expecting the cheekiness, but he slightly smiled out of amusement. "You need it more than I do."

“Well, okay, if you say so. Bye, Mister! It was cool seeing you!”

After the kid ran off, Dan Feng suddenly heard a deafening bang. He turned to the road below and saw a car on the highway below swerving to avoid a truck that had lost control.

“I spy with my little eye... not a soul to take but a god?"

Well, great. Everything was so much better with Sampo around.

The Reaper hopped off the ledge of the bridge. “How convenient that you happened to end up here. I know you dragons have your agenda… but care to join me for some soul-taking before you leave?”

“No.”

“Ouch. Not even a 'maybe'?" Sampo shrugged. "Well, suit yourself.”

Then, he was gone.

Dan Feng was about to snap his fingers when he suddenly heard a voice. A female voice. It was faint and weak, but it was what she said that made him stop.

“...Dan Heng.”

After he and Sampo saved you, Dan Feng was left to fend for himself. He lied to the people dressed in uniform, which he now knew as paramedics and law enforcement (thanks to Bailu’s guide), and was allowed to be in the room with you after your surgery.

Without thirty minutes of being in the human realm, Dan Feng had broken one of the biggest rules known to gods. Getting involved with humans is one thing, but saving their life? At least Sampo also bears some responsibility. It couldn’t have happened without his help, which makes Dan Feng wonder why Sampo had agreed to it. Just for kicks? For entertainment? Or… Do you have something to do with Dan Heng’s untimely death?

Dan Feng leans closer to you. Who are you…? And what relationship did you have with his brother? Can you be her reincarnation? Dan Feng has to know. Because if you are, he will be the one to kill you. He clenches his fists as he thinks of her, the cowardly woman who betrayed him and his brother. The woman who robbed Dan Feng of rationality because he was so hopelessly in love with her. But, his brother had been no different.

Suddenly, the door swings open, and a dishevelled-looking man runs to your bedside. He immediately takes your hand and says your name with tears in his eyes.

“...Can you hear me? Can—” He stops as soon as he looks at Dan Feng. He stands upright and his eyes go wide as if he’s seen a ghost. “...Who… Dan Heng?”

Oh? Does this man know his brother, too? 

“Is this some kind of sick joke?” the man asks. “Who the fuck are you?”

“The man who saved this young woman’s life,” Dan Feng says calmly. “Now, let me ask you the same question. Who the fuck are you?”

“Her fiancé,” is the bitter reply.

“Fiancé? Then, you should be thanking me.”

“Thanking you?” The man walks up to him. “Seriously. Who are you? Why do you look… Why the hell do you look so much like Dan Heng?”

Well, Dan Feng can’t tell the truth, but as he knows next to nothing about his brother’s life in the human realm, he doesn’t want to be caught in a web of lies.

“Can’t tell you,” Dan Feng says, a little snarkily. “Care to tell me who that is?”

The man is about to say something but your weak, faint groan interrupts him. Dan Feng glances at you while the man is immediately back at your side.

“You’re awake…! Oh, thank the heavens! Let me call the doctor!”

Dan Feng is mildly amused when your eyes land on him, and your eyes widen in alarm, staring at him as if in a catatonic stupor. Your face grows more ashen—if that's even possible, and your mouth slightly opens and closes as if you’re a fish out of water. Dan Feng almost smiles at what he’s seeing. How cute.

Finally, he hears your soft, weak voice:

“You…”

Your fiancé steps in front of Dan Feng and says:

“...I appreciate your help, but you can leave now.”

The door opens, and a young doctor walks in followed by a nurse. After he and the nurse conduct a few tests, he says:

“Your vitals are stable.” He smiles at you. “You’re very lucky, judging from the state you came in.”

“Is there any medication she should take?”

Your fiancé glares at Dan Feng, but he ignores it.

“Oh, yes. We’ll prescribe those to her soon. She should also stay at the hospital for a few days so we can monitor her condition. She may be stable now, but there might be some internal issues that will arise.”

“You might want to check as soon as possible. She was looking quite pale earlier… like she saw a ghost,” Dan Feng says, looking at you. “I hope I’m just being overprotective, and it’s nothing serious.”

“You...!”

Dan Feng gives your fiancé a deadpan look. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

Before Dan Feng walks out the door, he briefly hears the nurse explain to your fiancé how Dan Feng had pretty much saved your life.

Dan Feng is outside of the hospital when he takes out Bailu’s guide. Now… What in the world is he going to do now? He has no money, plan, or connections to get out of his current situation. He glances at the hospital. Well, maybe he has a connection or two. But right now, he's a homeless god in the human realm. He can imagine the look on Neuvilette’s face. Skimming through Bailu’s guide, he finds something interesting. Let’s see what he can learn about making quick money and something called hotels and motels…

◆◆◆

You can’t get that man’s face out of your mind. You’ve been staring at the white ceiling for the past thirty minutes. But every time you close your eyes, you see Dan Heng. Or… so you think. The door opens, and your fiancé walks in. After closing the door, he walks up to your bedside and pulls up a chair.

“...Still awake?”

“Who…” you say quietly. “Who was that man?”

“...The one who looked like Dan Heng?”

“It can’t…” Tears are streaming down your face. “It can’t be him. I—”

Your fiancé holds your hand. “It’s not. He’s… He’s just someone who looks a lot like him. That’s all.”

“I thought… I thought I was dead.”

“You’ll never see him again.” You slowly turn your head to see a hard look in his eyes. “Trust me. I promise you won’t.” He looks down as if guilty. “I… It’s my fault that this happened. This shouldn’t have happened!”

You watch as he breaks down in front of you, too tired to console him. But, should you even?

“I’m sorry,” he finally says. “It’s… I see that necklace, and it feels like you haven’t fully moved on.”

“...Dan Heng will always be someone special to me,” you say, and he slowly looks up. “That’s not ever going to change. But, I chose to move forward with you.” You look back at the ceiling, too tired to chide him again for pawning the necklace. “Whatever is on your mind, I hope you’ll be open and communicate with me instead of doing something so childish. It hurts both of us.”

“...I know. I understand.” After a small pause, he slightly smiles. “The police are already launching a full investigation into the accident.”

You turn back. “What about the other driver?”

“He’s also hospitalized, but his injuries aren’t as severe as yours."

You look back up at the ceiling, remembering the voices you heard. One of them sounded exactly like Dan Heng's doppelganger. Was it just a coincidence that he was there? Why was he there?

“It’s getting late.” Your fiancé kisses your head. “Try getting some sleep, okay? Let’s talk in the morning.”

You think about asking him to stay, but you know he has work in the morning as do you.

“...Did anyone find my phone?” you ask.

"It's on the nightstand, but... I doubt you'll get it to work. It's damaged pretty badly." He gives you another kiss. "I’ll call in about your condition to your boss tomorrow. Don’t worry about anything, and just get some much-needed rest, okay?”

You wish you can. But, you want to scream as the only person you can think about is that man. Who is he…?

◆◆◆

As soon as Dan Feng walks up to a set of glass doors, they immediately slide open. The large jewellery shop—with a white and beige colour scheme—is lit with LED lights in the ceilings. With his hands behind his back, Dan Feng slowly walks while looking at the diamonds and gold displayed on the necks and hands of mannequins in glass cases. It oddly reminds him of home.

“Um, hello…” Dan Feng faces forward and sees a tall, well-dressed, young man. His hair is slicked back, and he has bright blue eyes. The man looks Dan Feng up and down as if curious and internally questioning the strange outfit. “Can I help you?”

“I have something I’d like appraised.”

“Appraised? Oh, well…” He looks over his shoulders where there are female employees who are also well-dressed. They slightly shake their heads.

“I guarantee it'll be worth your while.”

“Then, can I see what it is?”

Good thing Dan Feng didn’t come to the human realm completely empty-handed. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small ring made out of pure gold and white jade. As soon as he hands it to the man, the female employees—out of curiosity—walk over.

The man tosses the ring into the air. After catching it, he pulls out a coin. Then, he gently tries scratching it. Getting no marks, he holds it up to the light. Throughout all of this, Dan Feng watches him carefully.

Finally, the man hands the ring back with both hands. “Would you please follow me to the back room, sir?”

“...Who is he?” Dan Feng hears one of the female employees whisper to the other.

“I don’t know… but he looks quite young.”

“Does this mean that ring is genuine…? His family must be rich.”

“Must be nice… to be young and rich.”

"He doesn't look half bad either..."

Dan Feng continues walking, pretending he heard nothing.

Past a dark blue curtain was a treasure shop that many knew about. A warmly lit chandelier was the shop's main light source, but the pastel glass window—in the shape of a green, diamond—also allowed in natural light. Everyone, including those not from Sumeru, knew about Khalid, the jeweller. But not many knew of his other talents. It was after hours, but one could hear the sound of metal on metal in a small room at the back of the shop. Then, it stopped. A young Dan Feng sat upright and lifted the ring, which was once a piece of gold, into the lantern light.

“My, great piece of work you have there, Master Dan Feng.” A tall man with slicked-back, short brown hair and an angular face walked up to him. “You learn fast! All we need to do now is to put in the jade!”

“It’s thanks to your teachings that I was able to improve in such a short time, Khalid.” Dan Feng put the ring on the table. “I appreciate this.”

“Well, it’s not every day you hear a young prince wants to learn metalsmithing. At first, I thought you were joking!”

“Yes, well... One must continue learning new skills to keep up with the times."

" But… I have to ask… Is this for a woman, perhaps? Or, why so much effort for a jade ring?”

Dan Feng slightly smiled and looked down. “Perhaps one day I’ll give it to a woman I love. Perhaps not." He looked at Khalid. "For now, I only wish to learn the skills.”

“So mysterious, Master Dan Feng. Is your brother like this, too? Why don’t you bring him next time?”

“...Perhaps.”

Dan Feng sits on a black chair as he watches the man do a complete appraisal of the ring. Once the man is finished, he turns and gently puts the ring on the glass counter.

"24K gold and imperial jade... It's not every day you see this combination."

“...I’d prefer if you get to the point. How much are you willing to pay for this?”

“R-Right…! Well…” The man says a number: "Shall we wire you the money?"

Dan Feng briefly remembers reading something about that in Bailu’s journal, but considering his circumstances, he says:

“...I have something else in mind.”

And that's how Dan Feng leaves with two large metal cases filled with stacks of money.

◆◆◆

You’re still feeling groggy by the time morning comes. You didn’t sleep well, but you’re still feeling more upbeat than yesterday, so you take that as a good sign. That morning, you’re talking to the police officers investigating your case. They’ve just finished their questioning when you ask what’s been on your mind for almost the entire night.

“Is there any CCTV footage of the accident? There’s something I want to check.”

“Unfortunately not. What is it that you want to know? Maybe we can provide an answer for you.”

“...That night… before I was found, I’m certain there were other people with me. Two men to be exact.”

“Men? Were they passengers?”

“No. I heard their voices right before I passed out. I’m sure of it.”

The officers glance at each other. “...Well… There was a man who found you. But he was the only one.”

“By man… was he dressed like… like he just came out of a video game?”

“Yeah, pretty much. There was no one else around.”

“If we find out anything, we’ll be sure to let you know,” the other officer says.

After they leave the room, you reach for your phone—where the screen is cracked—but no matter what you do, it won't turn on. You're about to call for a nurse when the door opens, and March cries your name.

“Oh, thank God you’re okay!” Her hug is a little too tight, but you welcome it nonetheless.

Stelle closes the door behind her and walks up to you. “Your man was kind enough to let us know what happened since he figured we’d try to get in touch with you. How are you feeling?”

“Better than yesterday,” you say, letting March go.

Your friends each pull up a chair. “It’s all over the news… the accident,” March says.

"They found out he was speeding," you say, reiterating the details of what the police told you earlier. "...And he lost control of his vehicle."

"At least he'll get slapped with a fine," Stelle says.

“They… They were saying it’s a miracle that you survived,” March says quietly.

“...It does feel like a miracle, honestly.”

Again, you remember the voices from yesterday:

“...Save her.”

“And here I thought you didn’t like getting involved with humans.”

“...Hey!”

You turn to your friends.

“Are you okay?” Stelle asks.

“Yeah… It’s just… When the accident happened, I don’t think I was alone.”

“Not alone…? What do you mean?”

“I heard voices,” you say quietly. “Two different voices. And one of them… One of them sounded like... Dan Heng's doppelganger.”

"Who?"

You aren't surprised that your friends spoke at the same time. Then, you tell them about the mysterious man last night.

“...He saved you?” Stelle asks as if unable to believe it.

“If I’m right… he was telling another man to save me.”

March looks around the room as if he may be hiding somewhere. “Where is this guy now? Did he come back?”

“I doubt he’s going to come back,” you say. “...And that’s for the best.”

Suddenly, the door opens. Thinking it’s a nurse or doctor, you turn, and your face goes pale.

“You’re looking a lot better than yesterday.” The footsteps get closer. “More… alive, I should say.”

March’s jaw drops. “Holy… shit.”

The man is no longer wearing his eye-catching outfit from last night but a white, slim-fit shirt with a black blazer and gold buttons. He looks like he's ready for a business meeting with matching black pants and shoes. He also has a silver watch on his left wrist.

“Don’t come closer!” You make a gesture for him to stop, and he surprisingly does. You’re afraid to look at him. What in the world is he doing here?

Dan Feng glances at Stelle and March who are staring at him like they’ve seen a ghost.

“Did I come at a bad time?” he asks.

“Dan…” Stelle chokes out. “Dan Heng?”

Dan Feng slightly narrows his eyes at them. Are these people his brother's friends, too?

Finally, you look him in the eyes. Dan Heng's eyes are blue. This man… This imposter… His eyes are green.

“What do you want?”

Dan Feng looks at you. “A favour. In return for me saving your life.” Then, he walks up to your bedside and extends his hand in front of you. “My name is Dan Feng.” You almost want to pinch yourself. Is this a dream? It has to be. “It’s a pleasure.”

“Dan… Dan Feng?”

"Is there something wrong with my name?”

March quickly shakes her head. “Ah, no… It’s… um…”

Dan Feng looks at you “...And you are?”

Instead of answering him, you ask: “...Do you… Do you know someone named Dan Heng?”

Dan Feng smiles but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Never heard of him. Is he the reason why you’re so jittery?”

“...He was a friend,” Stelle answers for you. “A friend of ours who passed away a few years ago.”

“...Is that so? I’m sorry for your loss.”

“You look exactly like him,” March says. “Even your names are similar! This… This can’t be a coincidence!”

“Oh, but I assure you it is.” Dan Feng looks at you. “So… Am I getting a name, Sweet Pea?”

“...What did you just call me?”

This man may look like Dan Heng, but his personality makes you believe you’re talking to a completely different person.

“Well, what else am I supposed to call you? You haven’t given me your name.” After reluctantly introducing yourself, Dan Feng slightly smiles and says your name. “Seems like you’re not a fan of nicknames.”

Just like the woman he wants to kill.

“No,” you say coldly, glaring at him. “I’m not. Especially from a stranger.”

"I suppose we still are." Then, genuinely: "I apologize for my actions.” You turn away from him just as he slides a hand inside his pocket. “So, I’ve been answering all of your questions. It’s only fair if you start answering mine.”

You glance at him. “What could you possibly want from me?”

Before Dan Feng can answer, he hears: 

“Get away from her.”

Dan Feng calmly turns around and sees your agitated fiancé. Even as he hurries up to you, Dan Feng doesn’t move.

“Looks like you also didn’t get a good night’s sleep.”

Your fiancé glares at him. “I told you to stay away from her.” Then, he leans over to check on your injuries when Dan Feng notices a woman’s lipstick in his back pocket.

“Did you?” Dan Feng asks, and your fiancé leans upright. “I can’t recall… Maybe you dreamt about it instead.”

Stelle and March glance at each other.

“What do you want with her?”

Dan Feng smiles. But again, it doesn’t reach his eyes. He looks at you. “I’d like her to be my tour guide. I’m new to the city, you see. Just landed yesterday… and witnessed that terrible accident.”

“Tour guide?” March asks in disbelief.

“No,” your fiancé answers. “Not happening.”

Dan Feng almost rolls his eyes. “Why don’t you let the lady answer for herself?”

“...Could all of you give us some privacy?”

"Yes," your fiancé says sourly while shooting Dan Feng a nasty look. "Leave."

You look at your fiancé. "I meant you."

Taken aback at your statement, your fiancé is about to retort when Stelle says:

“Let’s give them some space, okay? Might be easier for them to talk and sort things out.”

As Stelle gently pushes your fiancé out the door, March is behind them, mouthing what’s on her mind:

“Details! Deeetails!”

Once the door closes, you say:

“Let’s not play games, shall we?”

“Games? I’m not playing.”

You scoff. “Tour guide? Really?”

“All right, fine. I’ll let you in a little secret.” He slightly leans closer, surprising you. “Just like I remind you of someone you used to know, you remind me of someone I used to know.”

You narrow your eyes. “...Who?”

“Can’t reveal all my secrets, can I? But, I can tell you that she was someone dear to me. Though it’s been a very long time, I haven’t forgotten about her.” Your hands clutch the blanket. “As I’m new to the city, I just like to make a friend or two. And, I just happened to save your life that day, so… Why can’t we be friends?”

You finally manage to hold his stare. “...You say you saved me that night. How? Frankly, I don’t think I’m supposed to be alive right now.”

Dan Feng leans upright. “You have a good head on your shoulders.” You almost roll your eyes. When he stays quiet, you cross your arms. “I’m not going to just take your word for it if you can’t explain what happened that night.”

“Are you always this stubborn?”

You frown. “Answer the question.”

Dan Feng gives you a deadpan look. “I heard a crash. I called for an ambulance before heading over and seeing you half-dead in the driver’s seat. I picked the lock and managed to get you out of there right when the paramedics arrived.”

“...Someone was with you. Another man. He said something about getting involved… with humans. What was that all about?”

Dan Feng slightly tilts his head. “...Ah… Just an inside joke. He helped me carry you out of the car. Is that a good enough answer for you?”

“The car went down a small hill,” you say, remembering what the police told you. “You’re telling me you went down a small hill on a dark and rainy night on foot to save a stranger?”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t?”

“That’s…”

“Compassion… Kindness… Is that not human nature?”

“You’re taking things a bit far.”

Dan Feng slightly leans closer. “...Or is it human nature to only act out of their own interests?”

There’s something in his eyes that you can’t put your finger on. Something… personal?

“...I don’t want to be friends,�� you say as he leans upright. “I’ll show you around the city. After that, we’re even.”

“Deal.” Then, he reaches into his shirt pocket “...Here”—he hands you a brand new phone—”you could use this.”

“...I can’t accept—”

“Oh, stop acting polite.” He takes your wrist and puts the phone into your hand. “You need a new one, anyways.”

You press a button and it turns on. It’s already fully charged.

“See you when you're better.” He walks halfway across the room before he looks over his shoulder. “...By the way, do you wear lipstick?”

“Um… not often. Why?”

Dan Feng turns around. “...Just curious.”

And then he walks out without turning back.

Chapter 3

Tag list: @lunavixia

[chemical-irwin]

oohhhhh i need to spill some thoughts about hsmtmts because the brainrot is real. as a lover of Gina Porter and a day 1 Rina warrior, i LOVED watching Gina getting everything she every wanted, and watching Rina be so amazingly disgustingly in love all season was more amazing than i could’ve imagined

but i also feel like most of the conflict i actually wanted to see maybe be addressed was just… sidestepped?

Rini had a lot of faults as a couple, but i think the bottom line for why they wouldn’t work was because their life goals and levels of ambition made them not compatible.

their communication with each other got bad because they were afraid to tell each other the truth. Ricky tried the long distance relationship and came to the conclusion that he found it difficult. and i think Nini came to the conclusion that she wouldn’t be able to fly and fully be herself while being by his side. (also ricky had feelings for another girl, sooo)

okay but Rina are literally soulmates. the difference is that they love and understand each other so much they are willing to fight through all the hardships and insecurities. they were going to find a way to have it all (and i believe they can)

that’s why i wish that they went through with Gina not being able to be Gabriella. it actually does seem like an alright sacrifice to make when she got the role in the film. just like it wasn’t important for her to be Gabriella in s1, Ricky and Gina making time for each other even though she was on set all day would’ve been a nice thing to see. (but also what is more meta than Gina coming in halfway through the show to sing a Gabriella hsm3 song?)

it would’ve been good to show that Ricky wasn’t worried about their limited time together like he was Nini. and he didn’t need to feel intimidated by Mack, whose ‘at the same level’ as Gina and wouldn’t hold her back. it’s one of Ricky’s biggest insecurities, and he still feels like that in the final.

i also think it would’ve been awesome to see Ricky help Dani. having Ricky’s plot be so Gina focused the last two seasons is fine for showing his character growth with relationships- but i also feel sad a a Ricky fan that he still feels somewhat lost by the end.

i wish somebody would turn and say to him that he’s a leader, and he has this super power to see through peoples hard exteriors and gets them to come out of their shells and connect with others (i loved his and Jets friendship in s3). Dani is supposed to be ambitious and business savvy, she couldve been a good foil for Ricky, instead we got a half baked story with Kourtney that was dropped. Ricky is talented! he should monetise it! (also it would’ve been good to see gina work through jealousy)

the fact Ricky’s conclusion was ‘as long as Gina can help me study, i’ll be able to get A’s go to college’ is definitely a conclusion. Gina getting to film the film in SLC is cool but what about the next film where she won’t have a clever plan for her conflicts? i feel like the show presents these situations to say ‘would this be tough for them? well Gina Porter can move mountains so you won’t have to know!’

sometimes love isn’t always enough for a couple. they actually might be Romeo and Juliet, where they are star-crossed, or they might not be, i feel like we never really got to put them to the test. (the fact that their rain kiss is about a miscommunication about her moms house rules, rather than the actual angst in their relationship was interesting!)

but also this is an 8 episode Disney Plus show soooo y’know

[aceofnace]

Manifesting our Nace endgame because if this show takes away one more thing from me I don't know how I'll cope! thanks for being an ear for this tough season!

Here's to endgame and ignoring everything awful that came before! (if we don't get our endgame I will pretend this entire show didn't happen!)

Manifesting with you! If the series does not end tonight with Nace together and happy, you will probably be seeing me on the news. There's no way they would set them up for the last three years and give them this star-crossed lovers storyline if they weren't making them endgame, right? RIGHT?!

I'm hopeful, but I've also reserved some space for doubt because you just never know who you can trust when it comes to TV these days. Either way, whether they end the series together tonight or not, they will always be endgame to me, and if I have to turn to fan fiction to get the happy ending I so desperately want for them, then that's exactly what I'm going to do.

[boomerangguy]

The more I’ve thought about it, the more confident I am that Sokka and Yue wouldn’t have lasted even if she had never sacrificed herself.

There were never any solid signs that Yue would have chosen Sokka over her perceived duty to her people, whether it be turning into the moon or marrying Hahn. Regardless, starting out a relationship with such a drastic commitment imbalance spells disaster down the road.

Credit to @smilindesperado’s most recent chapter of My Heart Still Beats For You for helping me to fully understand this! (It’s a great fic with one of the best platonic rare-pairs I’ve ever read.)

[unwrittenlibrary]

i don’t wanna do this (i don’t wanna lose this)

eighteen plus blog minors dni

summary -> it’s all fake, every piece of it scripted and perfected for the camera, even the upcoming break-up you pretend doesn’t break your heart.

words -> 2.5k

warnings -> fake relationship, use of name (bucky calls the reader by her character’s name, lucia, once) nickname uses (baby, sweetheart) co-workers/friends to lovers, no smut, not beta’d

notes -> this is for the lovely maera’s ( @ambrosiase ) hotel indigo writing challenge i absolutely love this idea mae and am so appreciative that you created this challenge, it really pushed me out of my comfort zone and i got to explore an entirely new au.  

room & service -> business meets pleasure with celebrity bucky barnes -> bucky and reader are co-stars in a fake relationship in a hotel for their final comic-con together.

— ➶ —

Bucky has been doing interviews with Sam all day today. 

You’ve been working together for six seasons and have both been to too many comic-cons to count. Every single one of them you and Bucky had been paired up to do interviews and photo-ops together. 

A scripted piece of a scripted relationship. Agreed upon when your characters romance began to pick up popularity and designed to look perfect until the end.

Tomorrow an article with be released ‘leaking’ the details of your perfect break-up too. A source close to the both of you will comment that wrapping of the show and being forced to go long distance just wasn’t working for you two. The writer will supply photos of today, the two of you avoiding sitting near one another and not speaking. They’ll write that their source confirmed this convention is actually the first time you’ve seen each other in months. 

Even more articles have already been planted periodically questioning whether the two of you were still together, generating buzz around the show and what happens between your characters. It’s a brilliant job, honestly.

Except, you and Bucky had been in a fake relationship for so long, it had begun to feel real. This distance between you two felt purposeful in a way that hurt you more than it ever should have. 

Your assistant is supposed to go through your instagram soon and begin archiving posts and pieces of your fake life with Bucky. He’s been glaringly absent from your social media recently and it makes your heart ache at the idea of him being nonexistent.

Your fans have noticed too. You read comment after comment all asking the same thing; What happened to you and Bucky? 

“Oh, Lucia! My dear, Lucia.” You bite down a grin at the sound of Bucky’s voice through your door. His words were filtered by the wall between you and a little slurred from the drinks he had no doubt consumed at the hotel bar. “Open the door, please.” 

You lock your phone and lay it on the bed beside you. “I’m busy, Bucky! Go bother Sam.” You call back despite already walking towards the door. 

“Bother Sam? On our last night together?” You can see Bucky smile teasingly though the peephole. Despite his joking tone the words hurt. “Four years together and this is how things end? Through a hotel room door?” 

His fist comes up to bang against the door and a hand comes up to his heart. He’s putting on a show for you, fully away of your eye watching carefully through the peephole. “How much have you had to drink, Bucky Barnes?” You ask as the door remains closed. 

Bucky holds his fingers up in a pinch too small to be true. “Not much.” When his hand falls back to his side he smiles up at the peephole. “Let me in, sweetheart. I’ve missed you.” 

You melt, becoming putty in his hand as you quickly move to unlatch the door. “I’ve missed you too.” You admit to him, face to face, as you lean against the door jam. 

A smirk replaces Bucky’s sweet smile as his hands reach out to grip your hips. “This break-up is tough on me, baby.” He pushes you into the room, kicking the door shut behind him. “One more night. One last time. You and me.” 

“Shut up!” You force his hands off of you and turn towards the mini bar in your room. “You’re such a dweeb. I’m glad we’re breaking up.” You pull out the miniature bottle of wine and twist the top off. 

Bucky’s hand slams across his chest as he falls against the wall in dramatic fashion. “You’re… Glad? My frail heart can’t take it,” he falls to his knees, “Please. Tell my mother, I loved her.”

You watch, unamused, as Bucky falls to the floor in front of you. “You’re obnoxious.” A beaming smile breaks out onto Bucky’s face that makes you grin.

“I was serious, about missing you.” Bucky moves to sit up with his back against the edge of your bed. You move to sit beside him on the floor. “These junkets and photos just aren’t the same without you by my side, cracking jokes in my ear.”

You rest your head against his shoulder. “Me too. I love Wanda, but it’s just not the same.” You admit quietly.

There’s so much that you want to say to him. What if this wasn’t fake? What if we didn’t go through with the break-up plan? “Did they send you our social media plan?” Bucky asks quietly.

“Yeah,” You swallow thickly, “I have my assistant going through my account for me soon. We’re supposed to start untagging and deleting photos of each other this week.”

Bucky snorts. “How fucking sweet. Four years together and they have us untag each other to confirm a break up.” His fingers tap against his thigh as the two of you sit on the carpeted floor together.

“Has it really been four years?” You ask quietly. It’s more of a question to yourself, but Bucky answers it with a nod anyways.

“My longest relationship ever and it was fake.” Bucky’s awkward laugh makes the air tense as he stares down at his hands. “I’ve wasted so much of my life. So many chances gone.”

You know the words aren’t said with ill intent, but that doesn’t stop the crack from forming in your heart. You can’t fathom the idea of all your time together, fake or not, being a waste.

Your eyes cut away from him in embarrassment. “Was it really all a waste?” You ask quietly. The words are unintentional, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re out in the air.

“What?” You can feel his eyes settle on you in an attempt to read your face or body language, but a career in acting comes in handy. Your back is ramrod straight and your face turned away perfectly to hide the emotions in your eyes. “It was fake when we could have had something real with people we actually cared about.”

It’s a knife to your broken heart. “People we actually care about?”

“You know, like, other girls and guys who we wanted to pursue but couldn’t because of the contract.” Bucky reaches out to wrap a hand around yours, but you pull away. “I don’t understand what’s wrong here.”

You shake your head, the regret of your words settling over you. “Nothing. I’m just… It’s been a long day.” You use the edge of the bed to help you stand while Bucky remains on the floor, watching you in confusion. “I’m tired, you should go.”

“Woah. What’s this one-eighty?” Bucky stands too and follows you as you move around to gather your toothbrush and skincare. “Two seconds ago we were joking about a fake break-up and now you’re all quiet and weird? You expect me to just leave?”

“Please.” You plead. The last thing you want to do is dump all your feelings out to Bucky, on the last day you two were officially contracted to each other, and make him feel guilty for feeling free. “I just need to be alone, Buck.”

You move to push past him towards your bathroom, but Bucky’s hand wraps around your wrist. “Come on, sweetheart. Don’t do this closing yourself off thing.”

“I’m not.” You say stubbornly. “I’m tired.” You try again to move past him, but his grip only tightens as he forces you to actually face him. “Buck-“

“You can tell me, you know?” He says quietly as his grip slackens. Your eyes meet his, pools of blue staring back at you with something akin to hurt. “You can trust me. We’re best friends, right? You’re my-“

“You don’t have to lie to me, Bucky. Pretend to care. You can go back to the bar and…” You pull your hand from him and cross your arms over your chest. “And tomorrow we can start being with people we actually care about.”

Bucky’s eyes squeeze shut as his own words are repeated back and left out in the open between you two. “That’s not what I…”

“What did you mean then?” You cut him off. You want to sound angry, but your tone is sad and tired. “Enlighten me, please.”

“I just meant… I meant we could date who we wanted to date, I didn’t mean for it to sound so awful.” He answers quietly. “I care about you a lot. We’ve been friends for over half a decade, of course I care about you.”

You swallow thickly. “What if I don’t want to date anyone else?” You force yourself to ask. If not now, then when? Ten years from now at a reunion of your show? You couldn’t live with this what if.

“What?” Bucky’s hand falls from your wrist as he takes a step back like your words have burned him.

You push through the thundering of your heart and ringing in your ears to ask, “haven’t you ever thought about it? I mean, four years of just us, all those dates and premieres, was it really all just work for you?”

“I don’t know… I mean…” Bucky rubs a hand over his jaw as you stare at him expectantly. “Have you?”

“I asked the question I think that would imply…” You trail off as his answer weighs down on your mind. It feels like a no. No. No. No. It’s on repeat in your mind as you move to sit down on your bed. “After a while the dates and photos and sappy posts didn’t feel all that forced anymore.” You admit quietly.

Bucky paces silently in front of you. You’re unsure of what’s going through his mind as he does it and it’s all you can do to not tap anxiously as you watch.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He finally asks when he finally pauses in front of you. You look up at him unsure of what to say. “I mean… When did you start…” He trails off like he doesn’t want the answer.

You look down at your hands in your lap. Despite your worries in telling Bucky you guess you had never truly thought of this conversation ending up this way. All these questions felt like Bucky preparing for a gentle rejection.

“I don’t know. After our second anniversary?” You keep your answer to him vague despite you being fully aware of when you started seeing Bucky differently. “That post you wrote for me that day. All the ones after. All of those words were fake?”

Your mind drifts to his words that day. The sweet and short caption had made butterflies erupt as you scrolled through the photos he had posted with it. Despite you both being required to post something, the photos he had chosen had been entirely genuine.

Pictures the two of you had taken together on set, selfies during your fake dates, and even a sweet set of photo booth pictures from your first premiere together.

You had stared at the post far too long as emotions rushed through you. Your heart raced at the idea of Bucky taking his time to pick photos that meant something to the both of you.

“I think that..” You shake your head in an attempt to rid yourself of the painful reminders. “I think you should go.” You stand up suddenly, your hands pushing gently at his chest.

Bucky’s eyes widen as his hands come up grip your arms in an attempt to stop you. “Woah. Let’s talk about this. I’m just trying to figure everything out.”

“Figure it out? What is there to figure out, Bucky?” You cry out, shoving harder. “If you don’t know how you feel then you should figure it out on your own.” You move past him to open the door.

Bucky follows after you hastily. “Sweetheart, wait, please. I just need a moment.” You grip his forearms tightly using Bucky’s own momentum against him as you guide him to the hallway outside your room. “I wasn’t expecting this. We have articles and photos and interviews planned about a break-up tomorrow.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything, Bucky.” The two of you are back where your night began. Opposite sides of the door as you stare, unsure of what to say. “Let’s just pretend this never happened, okay? The article will be published and we’ll confirm it and life will move on.”

The door slams shut in his face without warning, not giving him a chance to say anything else. You stare blankly at the ugly, green shade its painted in silence as you remind yourself; It was all fake. A script you had been given and followed to a tee. One you had gotten too caught up in.

You’re feelings don’t change the ending.

There’s a slow knock on your door. You suck in a breath as you move to open it an apology on the tip of your tongue.

“Bucky.” You’re cut off as his hands come up to rest on your cheeks and he pulls you towards him. Anything you had to say dissipates as his lips meet yours in a bruising kiss.

Your hands come up to grip his t-shirt tightly as you kiss him back your tongue slipping into his mouth while he pulls you flush against his body.

An arm wraps around your waist and Bucky pushes you back into your room, his foot kicking your door closed harshly.

The back of your knees hit the edge of your bed and you finally pull away to look at Bucky, but he speaks before you can say anything.

“Of course I’ve thought about it.” He breathes out. His eyes are wide with nerves and his cheeks flushed red. The sight of it mixed with his kiss makes your heart pound. “I’ve thought about kissing you for real, not in a room filled with crew and cameras. About what it would be like to be on a date where paparazzi hasn’t been tipped off. Baby,” his hands rest on your cheeks again as he forces your eyes to meet his, “I’ve thought about it all. What it would be like to be with you, to really be with you in every way. Sometimes it’s all I think about when we’re together.”

You take pause, your eyes widening and hands freezing in place as you listen to what he’s saying. “Why didn’t you say anything then? Why’d you just pace and ask me all those questions?”

“Because I’m an idiot.” He smiles brightly when you giggle. “Because I couldn’t believe you actually felt the same way. I was in shock.” He presses a gentle kiss to your lips.

You smile up at him softly. “What do we do about the article tomorrow?” You whisper your question.

You feel giddy with excitement as Bucky’s hands land on your hips to hold you in place, flush against him. “We deny it.”

“What about our managers?” Your smile doesn’t fade even as stress over the situation arises. “And…And our separate interviews tomorrow?”

“What are they gonna do? Fire us?” Bucky smiles. “We’ll tell them all about how in love we still are. That the source in the article was a dud and we’ve just been private recently as the show wraps.”

“We will?” You ask quietly. Your heart racing at his words. “You want to say all that?”

Bucky nods his head. “I do.”

You don’t say anything else he leans in for another kiss, you could worry tomorrow.

Bonus -> The Next Day

liked by buckybarnes, samwilson and 134,759 others

yourinstagram the final season of our show premieres this weekend and we’re so excited for you all to see how it ends. the first photo is from tonight and the second from our first season! the past six years has brought me so much joy and i’m so grateful for everything this show has given me. most importantly though, i’m thankful for you, bucky barnes. my adrian to my lucia. my best friend. my lover. thanks for making this show so fun.

View all 15,398 comments

samwilson we made a great show. love you guys.

buckyfan thought y’all were a pr stunt lmao

yourinstagram apparently you’re not supposed to really fall in love for those to work…

buckybarnes i am most grateful for you. you made work worth it every god damn day.

yourfan my favorite couple on and off the screen.

— ➶ —

notes -> this is my first ever time joining a writing challenge, it really pushed me to work through block and focus on this instead of letting is die out like i have with other projects despite liking them so much!

(hoping you guys don’t hate the extra instagram idea, i just felt it fit in!)

hopefully you enjoyed and if you did, reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[lyranova]

Ship your moots and assign them a trope

Hiya anon, and Of course, and Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays~! It was a bit difficult and I took the cowards way out and chose everyones blorbo’s 😔 but I had fun choosing which tropes I think they would all fit 😁! I apologize if I forgot any of my mutuals, I tried to remember and list you all but I know sometimes things fall through the cracks, but I still love you all 🥺💕!

@thoughtfullyrainynightmare : Fuegoleon, I know it’s the obvious choice but really I can’t see you with anyone else 😆 (maybe Nozel 🤔?). As for which trope you two would fit, I think it would be forbidden/star crossed lovers or “the last to know” (I almost went with “Oblivious to love” but I think last to know is fun too!) 😁!

@eme-eleff : I was torn on who to choose for you, because I can just imagine all the people it could be but I finally settled on Gray from Fairy Tail hehe 😁! As far as tropes for you I can easily imagine it being “Oblivious to Love” and “Emotional scars”!

@loosesodamarble : Like marilú I had a tough time choosing, but I finally settled on Morgen 🥰! Maybe because the ending could either be sad and tragic, or we could use fanfic to “fix it” and keep him alive 😆. As far as tropes, it’s for sure “friends to lovers” and possibly “secret admirer” where Morgen’s had a crush on you for a while but was too nervous to say anything 🤔?

@delirious-donna : I ship you with Nanami! It could be because I see him a lot when I go to your blog, or if it’s because I can just imagine you softening up those rough edges he has tbh it’s probably both hehe 😆! As far as tropes I can totally see “Office Romance” and “Lovers in Denial” 😁!

@simpingforthisonedeer : I ship you with Julius! I can just see you two being the smartest, sassiest, and amazing power couple in Clover 😁! As far as tropes I can see it being a mixture of “Star Crossed Lovers” and “Dark Secret” (*cough* Lucius 👀 *cough*)

@hybridanafrost : I ship you with Magna! I can just see you being his biggest cheerleader and helping him gain confidence in himself, and I can see him doing the same for you 😁! As far as tropes it’d be “Good Girl, Bad Boy.” and “Everyone Can See It” 🤔?

@darkcloakedinfinitevoid : I ship you with Zora! Like I said with Donna and Camy I can see you smoothing out his rough edges and I can also see you encouraging him when he needs it most (and vice versa)! As far as tropes I can see it being “Opposites Attract” and “Lovers in Denial” 😆!

@talpup : I ship you with Yami! I was debating on whether to pick him or Aizawa but decided on the former since I felt that his personality suited you better since he isn’t always serious and has a fun side 😁! As far as tropes I see it being “Beauty and the Beast” and “Oblivious to Love” 🥰!

@bowandcurtsey : I ship you with Sukuna! It’s probably because I’ve seen him on your blog a lot and know that he’s one of your blorbo’s, but I also think you could show him that humans aren’t as “weak” as he thinks and warm his cold heart a bit 🥰! As for tropes it’s for sure “Beauty and the Beast” and “Opposites Attract”!

@acacia-may : I ship you with Finral! Like I mentioned above I can see you encouraging him when he needs it, also helping him out when he’s stressed, and trying to help him break his “curse” 😆! As far as tropes I can see it being “Friends to Lovers” and “Second Chance Romance”.

@firefutte : I ship you with Langris! Like I mentioned before you’d probably smooth out his rough edges, and I can totally see you scolding him when he does something wrong, and I can see you trying to help him mend his relationship with Finral 🥰! As far as tropes I can see it being “Loveable Rogue” and “Royal/Noble” 😁!

@clovertitan : I ship you with Levi! Like before you’d soften him, but I also can see you teasing him since it’s so easy to do, and I think you’d be a good support for him when he needs it and he would do the same 🥰! As far as tropes it’d be “Men in Uniform” and “Belated love epiphany”!

[akaashisupremacy]

Fated

Summary: You’re dating your ex-fiancee Gojo again, but your relationship hits a crucial crossroad. Do you stay or do you go?

Gojo Satoru  x reader

Multi-fandom Masterlist || HQ Masterlist || Ao3 version

Genre: fluff, angst, exes to friends to lovers   

“You’re hiding something from me.” Gojo Satoru confronts you as you step onto the hallway for spare rooms in Jujutsu Tech.

He is in your way. You try not to get irritated.

“No, I’m not.” you snap. It’s been a long day. You don’t need this. You push him aside and keep walking. Gojo is irritably good at sniffing things out.

He swiftly appears before you again and blocks your way, “What is it?”

“I missed my period.” You stop and cross your arms, “If you really wanna know.”

“Oh.” He mumbles softly. He looks incredulous, as if he is yet to be sure of what he just heard. You walk past him.

“Oh.” he repeats again, eyes widening as the weight of your words dawn. He turns to you.

You leave him standing there, arrested and head to your room. You’re too tired for this.

Gojo watches you enter your room and lie down. He tries to offer you something to eat since you look so pallid under the fluorescent light of the room.

“I’m not hungry. Just sleepy.” you yawn, waving dismissively.

Gojo feels obligated to stay. He looks at you quietly from the door, unable to leave.

“This really isn’t the most opportune of times,” he breathes in, “but are you seeing anyone else?”

“No.” you murmur, “I don’t have the time.”

He walks in to sit beside you, making sure to close the door behind him. You roll over to the other side of the bed away from his gaze.

Gojo knows he is not an easy person to be with. He’s your ex-fiancée for one thing, and he struggles with monogamy for another.

Being able to be intimate with you again was a chance only the gods could’ve intervened. And now that chance is starting to fade. He lies down beside you, his eyes towards the ceiling. At the start of your relationship, it was him who was hesitant. Things are reversed tonight.

“I don’t want to talk. Go away.” you cut in before he says anything, “I’m seeing a doctor soon to make sure.”

He nods understandingly and quietly, but slowly pads out of the room. The weight of the floor lightly creaks under his footsteps. The silence between the two of you dominates the hall.

————————————————————————————

There was a time when you were younger that you would visit Gojo in his family home. After dinner, you’d sneak outside to his family garden to capture fireflies in paper lanterns.

That was a much different time of course. Since then, you’ve been arranged to be married, broken up and begun precariously seeing each other again after ten years.

“Why are you wading around in the darkness?” he asks, sitting on a pile of rocks, his hands inside his pockets.

Neither of you are really kids anymore, but your fondness for fireflies remains. On your occasional stays in Jujutsu Tech for your sorcery job, you like to spend your down time in the gardens at night.

“I need a break from people.” you comment succinctly.

You’re both quiet from a moment. Gojo becomes too impatient for you to start the conversation.

“So what did the doctor say?” Curiosity overcame him.

You lower your lantern by your side, making sure to face away from him as you reply, “She tried to ask if I was married and if my family knew.”

You turn around quickly, waving your hands before he can react, “You don’t need to worry. I’m considering not keeping it...it’s too much time and work…and it made me think about us. I think we should just end things…whatever this is.”

Gojo knew that this day would come. Deep down, he already prepared himself for when your relationship would end. Yet instead of acceptance, indignance rises in his chest.

“How could you let me go so easily? How are you done with us?” he finds himself saying.

He knew his disinterest in monogamy would come to bite him back someday, but he hadn’t imagined himself in a deeply romantic and emotional relationship with you when it happened.

You shake your head. The sounds of crickets and cicadas keep the silences from being too empty.

“Every year I used to wait to see if this was the year we reconciled. If this was the year we would fix things, not necessarily be lovers, but to just be back in each other's lives.” You look to the stars, sitting in a large rock beside him, “I waited maybe 11 years to see it happen even if I didn’t know if it would come at all. And I can wait another lifetime to try again. But I think in this life, our time has to end. This isn’t going to work out, Satoru.”

Gojo feels as if his lungs will collapse. It hurts him even more to know that you do love him but you’d rather he be out of your life.

“Why would you wait another lifetime for me when I’m here now?” he murmurs.

“I can’t have you to myself.” you say simply, “I can’t take this anymore. Even if I’m not pregnant, I want to be the only one in your life.”

“You are the most important person in my life.” he grabs your hand to reassure you. You don’t resist.

You face him, tears running down your eyes, “Then I don’t understand how you can say that and still need someone else.”

Gojo feels his chest crushed with heaviness. The weight spreads to his back, his arms and neck. For the first time in years, he feels helpless.

“We knew this was coming.” you mutter, pulling your hand away to make your exit out of the garden.

Gojo does not chase after you. He notices his bandages are wet.

————————————————————————

Gojo walks around in a daze for the next few days. People always say that he is a man who has everything, but for now he is the man with only questions without answers.

How can he make you stay?

“Gojo,” Utahime nudge, “GOJO!”

She sharply jabs a finger by his side to bring him back to reality. He jerks back, accidentally hitting the wooden walls of the hallway with a resounding thud.

“Are you even listening to me?” she hisses. He hasn’t been paying attention at the school meeting and her temper is rising. How can he go around doing the bare minimum and still be so praised. She was ready to throw a fit.

“Well…we’re kind of expecting…but we might not keep the baby…and ahh…” he uses his full concentration to string together his thoughts.

Utahime stops in her tracks and rubs her temples. Every other conversation she has with him always sends her reeling.

She crosses her arms together, “Let me guess, one of you wants to keep the kid and the other doesn’t?”

“OMIGOSH YES!” Gojo raises his hands as if someone finally gets him, “How did you know?!”

Utahime looks slightly alarmed at his expression. Protective of your privacy, she looks left and right to see if anybody is nearby. She shrugs.

Gojo continues, “These past few days have made me realize how badly I want a family with them. I really want this! Except it made them realize they want a family with someone else…and I’m not sure there’s anything I can do to make them feel the same way.”

His voice softens towards the end of his sentence as he slowly sinks back into his thoughts.

Utahime takes a moment before dispensing her bit of wisdom.

“Having a child with someone is an incredibly huge sacrifice. If you really want this…then you have to make a sacrifice equal in weight. Whatever that will be…” she sighs, adjusting her kimono. “And I have a feeling you haven’t properly explained to her what an open relationship is.”

She peers at him from the side of her eye. His guilty expression confirms her suspicions.

Every now and then, Utahime feels envious of his power. However, today is not one of those days. He has some hard choices to face she would not want to deal with.

—————————————————————— “Hey!”

A week after your last conversation, Gojo spots you in the school and immediately rushes towards you.

In panic, you shove yourself into an empty meeting room and try to shut the door. He jams his foot between the ledge and determinedly peers you from the door crack.

“Oh no, you are not shutting me out. We are going to talk like proper adults.” he insists.

Your instincts kick in. You kick his feet and push him back. You bolt the door shut and slump down behind it. You’re safe for now.

“You can’t keep running away.” he breathes out from the other side, “We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” you quickly rebut, “Gojo, I have no family. There’s no one to help me. I’m going to be alone if this kid comes out of me.”

Your voice fades hoarsely as you utter the last few words.

“You have me.” his soothes in a contemplative voice.

You want to laugh. This relationship was doomed from the start. You were such a masochist for even trying. You must have been consumed with your attraction to him.

Gojo was no different though— he couldn’t help himself. You both want each other too much and now you both were paying the price.

You shake your head, “You’ll just leave me when things get tough. I’m tired of cleaning after your mess. Why can’t you just let me have my way?”

Gojo has no time to be taken aback.

“Because I don’t want a family with anyone else. I’m desperate to make this work with you.” he pleads, “ Don’t push me away. I have my own doubts about myself, and I understand where you’re coming from but I wish you believed in me more.”

You pretend not to hear him.

“I’ll be here for you and our baby, even if it's not always romantic.” he adds, his voice pleading, “I know you’re terrified that I’ll just leave you but…”

You interrupt him by opening the door. As if on instinct he hides his vulnerability from you. His posture leans back coolly, waiting on your next move.

“Gojo, I’m just frustrated to always be at the mercy of your choices. Don’t you understand?”

His lips part slowly, “If you’re not ready for a family, it’s fine. But don't you want to make this last longer?”

——————————————————

“Oh, Satoru, what have we done?” you quietly murmur, staring at the ceiling of his room.

It’s your first night in his faculty dormitory. You’ve never really been before. His room is too close to the principal’s for a casual date night visit.

Gojo’s long switched off the lights but neither of you can sleep.

“What do you mean? The baby or the wedding?” he chuckles.

You shrug, “Both?”

You shift around the sheets, the linen ruffling under your movement.

He crosses his arms and turns to you, “Well, we’ve established that the first one was an accident. The wedding—well—it’s mostly so you and the baby will be under the protection of the Gojo clan.”

Gojo promised to close his open relationship status until your kid is one and you take his word for it. It is perplexing that the wedding was his idea too. However there was something about his sincerity that you could not refuse

“How long till we regret all this?” you half-murmur, half-sigh.

“Honestly, probably every time we hit a rough patch. But we’re not meant to always be happy anyways.” he sighs lying on his arm. It’s an honest enough answer.

You sit up and put your arms around your waist, “Such optimism you have there. So tell me, oh all powerful Satoru, why are we here then?”

“For me, it's to be able to find and meet you.” he says simply.

He catches you off guard with the tenderness of his words. You reach out to touch the side of his face and gently rub your thumb on his cheek. He presses your hand on his cheek.

“If things fell apart again and you had to wait another ten years for us to fix it, would you?”

He asks so quietly you almost don’t hear him.

Your face flushes under the cover of darkness.

“…Yes, I love you too much. This was never going to be just an arranged marriage for me even when we were younger…then again, I think you already know that.” you admit in a shaky whisper.

Now that you've married him, you've given yourself permission acknowledge your true feelings to yourself. You have always been in love with him. And being apart did not changed that.

Propping himself up by the elbow, you realize his face is so close to yours. You can almost feel the wisps of his long lashes on your cheek.

“I know this isn’t your ideal wedding, but this is more than just a shotgun marriage for me too. You are my fated. And you are the only being I want to go through this with—sorcerer, curse or otherwise.”

You try not to giggle at the mention of curses.

“Through this life and the next?” you said with a small smile.

“Through this life and the next.” he assures firmly, squeezing your hand.

You smile widely and he looks at you fondly. These are your favorite moments with him, when you’re at the brink of losing each other in your gazes.

Gojo breaks your shared reverie.

“Can you kiss me?” he grins cheekily, “As your new husband…”

You kiss his forehead without skipping a beat. He flips over, still propping himself by his stomach.

“So what shall we do on our wedding night? Try for twins?” he smirks.

You roll your eyes extra hard to make sure he sees it. Gojo only laughs.

He shuffles out of bed and tosses you your coat, “Well if you really can’t sleep, we might as well go out and see the fireflies. They look bright tonight.”

You put on your coat and smile.

Another lifetime is too far away.

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

I wrote this as a follow up for another Gojo x reader fic who used to be engaged. Check out the other parts!

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 || Part 7 || Part 8 

A/N: When I first wrote the original four chapters, I had already know that this was how the series would end (even though I didn't plan to write it all the way here). I don't know if I will continue writing. I have some extra material, but I don't really know if I'd like to write it out. If I ever make up my mind to do so, you will see me pop up in your notifs. 

If not, I guess this is the end. if you've gone through all 8 chapters, thank you for joining me in this wild, heartfelt ride! Comment or message to be added to the taglist! Or write down some comments about your feelsssss

Series Taglist: @tokyo-love-hotel@samkysnks@herownescape@cherrianne192@shamelessdonutsludgebanana@kageyamakock@shirostrbl@luvang3l@cloudsinthecosmos@httpjungoo @saturnki  @itstheee-ha-chan@gucci-froggy@soy1melk @dora-the-grownup @cherryonigiri @fiona782 @a--nonymousse @naturakaashi

If you’d like to continue being part of my taglist (JJK or Haikyuu), please let me know! I also write oneshots for both fandoms and soon I’ll be doing BSD too!

[hnychn]

𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 [𝐈𝐈𝐈]

sypnosis : life with your five lovers has been more than fulfilling, but when you're paired with a student from general studies for a project, your quintet seems a little less full

word count : 4000+

warnings : mutual pining, gender neutral reader, relationship insecurities, bakugo tries but. . .it doesn't go as well as he planned, grammar errors and spelling errors, it's . . . a long one, a bit rushed at the end so uhh pls don't mind that :)

parts : [ 𝐈 ] [ 𝐈𝐈 ] [ 𝐈𝐈𝐈 ]

a/n : so sorry for the long wait LMAO- i know i said my bokuto fic would be coming out today but uhhh ahaha my depression hit me full force this weekend and i didn't even look at the dock because i was too busy sleeping, but uhh enjoy this :D

↩︎ back to student masterlist | main mha masterlist

- WELCOME TO PART THREE sorry for the log wait 😭 life has been kicking my ass but we're not here to hear me complain, we're here for the tea

- so, it's a couple months after you joined the bakusquad and their relationship. and let me tell you, it has been nothing but amazing. 😩 your days are never quiet and they're always filled with some sort of excitement and love.

- you kaminari and mina often get into trouble for leaving the dorms late at night because you want snacks and there's nothing in the kitchens. you become kirishima's pillow, don't matter about your size or whatever, you are his pillow and you better not argue 🔫 sero always puts on some type of bachata or reggaeton or some spanish song and dances with you in his dorms. and bakugo is your go to person to cook with and just generally annoy or prank since it's so easy to get a reaction out of him.

- and you couldn't have asked for a better relationship. you all are so communicative and talk about your feelings often and how you're doing. every saturday or sunday, you all go to a dorm (usually it's bakugo's cause it's the cleanest) and have a huge cuddle pile and talk about your mental states, how you're doing, what you have problems with, etc etc.

- like damn ok i see you with the mentally and emotionally stable relationship 🤪🤪

- it's so refreshing too because sometimes you'll have a tough week and you jsut need to let it all out, and you can in the comfort of bakugo's dorm and you know none of them will judge you because they're all so open about their love for you (and vise versa)

- anyways, yeah y'all got the best relationship

- you never thought about anyone else in a romantic sense because the squad took up nearly all of the space in your heart. but when you teacher announced one day the general studies kids would be coming in to have a joint project to create gadgets for the hero course students, you had no idea your life would suddenly be turned upsidedown.

- you were paired with a guy named shinsou. he looked friendly enough and returned the wave you sent him with a little surprise as he made his way to the open seat next to you. he seemed surprised when you started a small conversation but he talked to you in a quiet soothing voice. he seemed nice enough and you figured the project would be a breeze since he seemed so nice and offered to meet up over the weekend to start up some ideas for the project.

- you agreed and the two of you met up that lunch period in the library to pre-draft some ideas and get to know each other more.

"i'm surprised you don't mind being seen with me."

his sudden comment took you by surprise as you looked up from your paper with messily drawn gadgets and chicken scratch writing to look up at him, "what do you mean?"

it was true you had never seen him before or even heard of him, but his hesitance to talk to you and open up to you made you feel as though you should.

shinsou rubbed the back of his neck and looked away shyly, "so you really haven't heard anything about me, have you?"

he looked almost guilty to bring it up, his gaze falling to the table in front of him as be played with a strand of his hair.

you shook your head. you never really payed attention to gossip around school, your head always too high up in the clouds to care about rumors and gossip (bakugo often scolded you for being such an airhead and ignorant to your surroundings, but you knew he was just worried about something happening to you). plus, to you, gossip was nearly never right and more often made up and fictitious.

shinsou refused to look up at you, "well. . .i'm known throughout the school as a. . ." he looked hesitant to continue but before you could reassure him he didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to, he continued, "well, a villain."

he prised his lips as if the words left a bitter taste in his mouth, and all you could do was tilt your head. shinsou didn't seem like a bad person - or a 'villain' as he had said. on the way to the library he held open doors for you and helped you carry some of your books to your locker and even bought you a drink you wanted buy but were a bit short of change on.

"do you think you are?"

"what?" shinsou looked at you for the first time since he brought up the topic.

"do you think you're a villain?" he shuffled slightly in his seat and looked away again from your intense stare. he felt like you were looking straight into his soul from how strongly you were looking into his eyes, he wasn't sure if you had even blinked in the last minute.

shinsou thought back to all the times he's been called a villain or a criminal. it was always unwarranted, a passing comment that seemed like no big deal to others but shattered his heart into smaller and smaller pieces. but never once had he ever thought he was a villain - a monster.

if anything, he used those comments as encouragement to become a hero, to be better than those who always thought he would turn to a life of crime. so, "no... i don't think i'm a villain."

"well, that's that."

shinsou could only stare at you, your smile brighter than any star he'd ever seen, so full of hope and encouragement shinsou felt like he could take on the world. he looked away and rubbed the back of his neck, a shy smile pulling at his lips and a weird feeling blossoming in his chest. how curious. . .

- so yeah, a new friendship 🤪 the two of you started to spend a lot of free time together for the project. you would often meet up during lunches or free time between classes to work some more on the project, all the while getting to know each other in depth. you learned many things about shinsou and spilled many of your own secrets, you laughed together over old childhood stories, and played animal crossing on the rooftop during lunch, your project discarded and forgotten beside you.

- your sudden absence didn't go unnoticed by your lovers, and they grew curious to your whereabouts when you would blow them off for the fifth time that week to "work on your project". now, don't get me wrong, they had conplete trust in you and knew you would never cheat, but they were just curious as to what - or who - was taking up so much of your time.

- so, they did the smartest thing, and followed you. after blowing them off for the sixth time, they decided to follow you to your destination. mina and kaminari tried to be inconspicuous and wear disguises, but the fake mustache, black glasses (indoors, might i add) and hat weren't all too discreet as they thought.

- they followed you through every turn and weave you took and hid behind a corner when you stopped at a vending machine to get your favourite drink. but what surprised them the most was you also bought a coffee. bakugo was most surprised you even thought about even touching the can of caffine because he remembered you telling him you would get terrible caffine rushes that would make you dizzy if you drank coffee.

- but, as you finally reached the rooftop and made your way to a hunched over figure in the corner, it all made sense.

- they all saw how effortlessly you and shinsou acted around each other. they could see the soft looks he would send you when you weren't looking and the way his hand would hover over yours for a split second too long before snapping away as if you were made of lava. but surprisingly, they didn't feel any sort of jealousy or anger, it felt like a piece of them had returned they didn't even know was missing. the sort of feeling that walks through the door unexpectedly but it's wholesomely welcomed.

- the "oh, there you are, welcome back" type of feeling. they were happy you had found someone that made you feel comfortable, arguably more comfortable than you had been with them so far because truthfully, while you had felt welcomed and appreciated in the relationship, it still felt like you were an outsider. the five of them had inside jokes before you came and didn't get them when they came up, the five of them had habits special to each other that inadvertently excluded you. and while they never meant to hurt you (god knows that's the last thing they ever wanted to do), they had. but you knew that wasn't their intention so you held no malitious feelings towards them (not that you think you'd ever could).

- but the way you and shinsou so effortlessly opened up to each other, shared intimate details and secrets with each other - it warmed their hearts. so, bakugo grabbed them all by the back of their shirts and dragged them away, mumbling about giving the two of you space. there was a fond look in his eyes as he looked at the two of you he would be teased about later but would deny.

- it was undeniable bakugo held the softest spot for you. he tried as best as he could to include you in their inside jokes and habits but he was. . well . . . bakugo 🧍🏽‍♀️

- words aren't necessarily his strong suit and he could only hope his smaller actions let you know you were as loved and cherished as any of them there. and you knew, you caught on a little after bakugo had a little "secret talk" with the group (that wasn't really secret at all, he grabbed them all by their shirts and dragged them to a secluded spot while you distracted on your phone) and they all started to explain their jokes and include you in their habits.

- anyways, back to you and shinsou. 🤪 he was aware you were in a ployamorous relationship with the bakusquad and he's heard the way you talk about them and the soft airy tone of your voice and the starry look in your eyes; and he didn't want to get in between that. the last thing he ever wanted was to ruin your relationship for his own selfish reasons.

- so for the time being, he would be okay with watching you from afar, the sweetness of your love so close for him to taste; yet too far for him to savour.

- as more and more times passed, the bakusquad began to notice the lingering looks you would give shinsou when you passed him in the halls and how he would always be waiting for you outside of your class with your favourite drink before leaving you to go to lunch while he went off and . . . well, you weren't sure what he did during his free time, but he never brought it up so you never figured to ask.

- when you fell asleep the next time you all had a cuddle session in bakugo's room, they all talked about it. talked about your obvious feelings for each other and the possibility of including shinsou in their relationship. they spent hours talking about it and still talked about it even when the moon vanished over the horizon and the sun rose. and, in not very smart fashion, bakugo was tasked to confronting shinsou about their conclusion.

- which - almost as if there were an author behind all of this - didn't go as well as any of them planned.

it was perfect, really. almost as if the universe had been listening to their conversation and aligned itself perfectly for this very moment.

you woke up that morning with a terrible stomach ache and chose to stay back in your dorm after bakugo made you a bowl of soup and threatened you to take your medicine. his classes ended a little earlier than usual and, sending his lover's a nod, made his way over to your class, where, lo and behold, shinsou was standing near the door, the familiar brand of your favourite drink in one hand and his own cold coffee in the other.

bakugo wasn't sure what he was going to say when he reached shinsou. he opted to just speak from the heart over rehearsing lines with the others like they had wanted, besides, what kind of lover would be be if he couldn't even do this for you? but, what he didn't take into consideration, was his emotional constipation and tsundere attidute.

"hey, eye bags!" bakugo called out.

shinsou nearly jumped out of his skin at bakugo's sudden loud voice. he looked over with the same eyes of indifference he normally had, but bakugo could see the slight far in them. not at his brash attitude (shinsou could never be afriad of bakugo and confronting him before the sports fesitval was a perfect example of that) but the fear of ruining your relationship with the bakusquad.

shinsou nodded at bakugo when he got close enough. bakugo stood in front of him, his hands still shoved into the pockets of his pants, "they're sick."

it was a simple enough statement but shinsou blinked, "what?"

"y/n." bakugo stated and rolled his eyes as if the answer had been written on his forehead (and it basically had, shinsou was just a bit shocked at his appearance), "they're sick and mina's staying back with them in their dorm."

shinsou rubbed the back of his neck, "oh."

there was an awkward silence as the two boys stood in the vacant hallway. bakugo didn't know what to say and shinsou wasn't sure if he should leave or go visit you for their lunch break.

"i'll go drop this off to them-"

"no." bakugo practically growled, "i'll drop it off. go get eat your lunch or i'll make your face an eye bag."

shinsou flushed a bit in embarrassment. he was overstepping, of course he was. for a minute, having you all to himself for nearly a week straight made him forget about the relationship you were in and this was a smack of reality. you weren't his. you were in a relationship with others, other people who could give you nearly double what he could - everything he couldn't.

handing bakugo the drink, shinsou stalked away to the cafeteria, his cheeks still a light shade of pink. bakugo sighed and knew he most likely made things worse, and he came there originally to make things right.

but fate will work itself out. and what will be, will be.

- so... maybe sending bakugo wasn't the best idea ... 🧍🏽‍♀️

- because now, shinsou started avoiding you. when the two for you worked on your projects together, he would remain mostly silent and only input his opinion when he thought of an idea or needed help putting something together. you had no idea why and you honestly felt a little hurt that he ignored you as easily as breathing.

- you brought this up to your lovers on your weekly cuddle session, knowing they would have brought up your downpour attitude either way. what you didn't notice as your face was burried in denki's sweater were the glares they all were throwing at bakugo.

- "yeah, i wonder what happened..." sero smiled, though obviously strained, as he pet your head and told you shinsou was probably just going through something.

- and it was obvious you were hurt that shinsou had suddenly stopped talking to you because honestly it was kind of hard for you to make friends. a lot of people assumed you thought you were higher than everyone else because you were dating five students from the top hero course, but that obviously is far from the truth.

- anyways, a long time goes by and the two of you still haven't rekindled anything and the squad is getting a bit frustrated because hello??? join our cult lover circle ?????

- so the squad comes up with another solution and this time they don't send bakugo to collect shinsou

- they learned their mistake last time.

- anyways

- so sero goes and gets shinsou and tells him you need him for a little last touch of the project since it was near the due date and you wanted to make sure it was perfect. and shinsou agrees to meet up with you and follows sero.

- sero takes him into an empty classroom and it's pitch black. the windows have been covered with tape and all the lights are off. before he could ask what the hell was going on, the door slams shut and the lights suddenly turn on and shinsou's blinded for a moment.

- and he's met with a very interesting sight.

- mina, kaminari, and kirishima are standing in front of him with sunglasses and hats on, their arms are crossed and they have a blank look on their faces (though he can tell kaminari is about to burst into laughter and nearly does but kirishima jabs him in his side.)

- "uhh..."

- "shut up, eye bags." bakugo calls from behind him. he's leaning against the door with his arms crossed and an obviously pissed off look on his face.

- sero is just standing next to him with a 'sorry pal' kind of smile.

- "what is-"

- "what are your intentions with, y/n?" kaminari shouted suddenly as he slammed his hand on a nearby desk.

- "denki- no." mina pushed him back lightly, "that's not what-"

- "did you not listen last night, sparky?" bakugo rolled his eyes and scoffed lightly.

- kaminari shyly scratched his cheek, "i might have fellen asleep-"

- "he did." sero confirmed, "he drooled on me and everything.

- "I do not drool!!"

- "yes you do, it was like a waterfall, 'ki. "

- "no i don't, right kiri?"

- "well.. only a few drops.."

- "WHAT?! and none of you told me?!"

- "well, y/n kind of made us promise not to tell..."

- "SPEAKING OF Y/N," mina interjected into the conversation, her fingers rubbing at her temples as she wondered when she became the rational one, that was bakugo's job, "why don't we stick to the script, boys."

- kirishima slung an arm over her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "sorry, princess."

- "right." sero turned to shinsou and crossed his arms, "you have feelings for them don't you?"

- shinsou tensed. his mind was still trying to comprehend the conversation that happened just a few seconds ago and processing the fact that kaminari drools in his sleep. he wasn't sure how to respond.

- of course he had feelings for you, any rational person who came into contact with you would catch feelings. it was part of your natural charm that seemed to effortlessly draw people in and never let them go. in a matter of minutes, you had simultaneously become his best friend and his closest confidant. often at night he cursed himself for catching feelings for you when things were perfect just the way they were.

- but shinsou couldn't help it. you had treated him like a normal person and weren't apprehensive about his quirk. you gave him a taste of normalcy in his world of anxieties and judgement, and he craved more and more the more time he spent with you.

- so dispte wanting to desparately scream 'yes, i do love her' at the top of his lungs, he looked down at the ground, "no. . . i . . i don't."

- "liar."

- bakugo seethed behind him.

- shoving himself off the wall he was leaning on, bakugo walked closer and closer to shinsou as he spoke, "don't lie. we all see the way you look at them, the way your stupid face lights up with a small smile when they're with you or the airy chuckle you give when they do one of those stupid dances when they make food and-"

- "OK OK I GET IT!" shinsou snapped. mina jumped slightly in kirishima's arms and shinsou sent her a small apologetic look, "you know! I'm in love with them! i've been. . ." he trailed off before collapsing into a chair behind him, his head hanging back and staring into the bright flourescent lights hanging from the ceiling.

- "i've been trying to distance myself from them, to make getting over them easier."

- "they've been hurting, y'know."

- shinsou groaned and hid his face in his hands, "i know. you think i don't see the looks they give me when i avoid them in the halls? it hurts knowing i'm the reason they're in pain."

- "so why are you doing it?"

- "because they have you guys," shinsou sighed as it if we're the most obvious thing in the world, "you all could love them a lot more than i ever could alone. plus, they're so happy with you, i couldn't be the reason to disturb that."

- "you gotta be fucking kidding me." bakugo growled and pinched the bridge of his nose.

- kaminari snorted, "i think i just got deja vu."

- "you could say that again," mina sighed, "i'm heading back to the dorms, this is giving me a headache."

- with his arm still slung over her shoulder, kirishima agreed, "yeah, not sure how we didn't see this from the beginning. i'll walk you back, princess."

- shinsou only stared blankly as mina and kirishima left the room with kaminari in tow, complaining about getting some math work done. never in his life did he feel as confused as he did now

- lost. mans was lost..

- someone get him a map and help him please

- they acted as if they hadn't been the ones to literally kidnap him

- only to nonchalantly walk out the door?????

- sero's voice snapped him back to the remaining two people in the room, "you two really are a match made in heaven." sero smiled at him and shinsou felt head rise in his cheeks, whether it be from embarassment or something else, he didn't know.

- "i'll see you two around" and then he left, leaving shinsou alone with bakugo, who had yet to realease the bridge of his nose from his pinch.

- "you're both a pair of dumbasses."

- "i'm offended-"

- "y/n said the same fucking thing when we confronted them."

- shinsou stayed silent.

- "they felt like their presence would ruin the routine we had set a long time ago when we first started our relationship. . . sound familiar?"

- shinsou rubbed the back of his neck and opened his mouth to speak, but bakugo interrupted.

- "shut up, eye bags, i'm not finished."

- "i dIdNt eVEn sAy aNyTHiNg"

- "sure there were some things we had to adjust to include them in our schedule and a whole new bundle of emotions to incorporate into our lives; but the while point of a relationship is to open up slowly and learn to trust the ones you love. and eventually, we all learned to trust them the same way they learned to trust us; but trust isn't something you can learn over night. it's gradual."

- bakugo sighed, how in the hell did he get stuck in this situation again. at the very least no one got injured this time, "what I'm trying to say is, if y/n makes you happy, then we're all willing to let you in our relationship and put our trust in you.

- "will you put your trust in us?"

- how dramatic ˙ ͜ʟ˙

- so

- :) shinsou decides, fuck it. i deserve the good things in life, and he puts his trust in the squad the same way they all put their trust in him.

- and they decided it was a good time to surprise you too and kill two birds with one stone :)

- so you walk in to bakugo's dorm after a long day of school. you were returning from turning in your project with shinsou, and while the teacher had given you many compliments and basically secured your A, you still felt a bit sad knowing it would be the last time you would see shinsou since your schedules didn't collide and you had ended on a . . . confusing note.

- so you were just looking to cuddle with your lovers on a Friday night and wallow away in your sadness.

- when you walked in the group had been piled in their natural spots on bakugo's bed. mina was giggling with kaminari as they scrolled through tiktok, bakugo was reading a book you had reccomend to him a while a go, sero and kirishima were softly play fighting as they laughed and chuckled.

- everything was as it should be

- until you got to where your spot usually was, cradled between bakugo's warm and firm chest and mina's plush thighs and stomach, and it was occupied by someone else.

- everyone stopped what they were doing, as they watched a smile pull at your lips when you recognised the disheveled pruple hair lazily sprawled in your spot. everyone watched with bated breath as they waited for your reaction and small smiles of their own shining through as they watched your interaction.

- you lifted your hand and smacked shinsou's knee that had been raised up slightly as one of his arms lay behind his head and the other fiddled with a bracelet around mina's wrist, and his lips pulled into a lazy smirk of his own as he watched you.

- "get up, fat head, you're in my spot."

- his smirk only grew.

- "do something about it, hero."

see my pinned post to join my taglist (^ム^)

[casiavium]

free invite to talk about whatever you're currently interested in~

I have one interest and it's Zelda no I do have many interests but I can't think right now because of my allergy medication so I'm going to go through my notes and post the little snippets and things that I haven't been able to fit anywhere else!

She would have burned the world, had Hylia asked—and that's when she realizes she's no different from him.

She's doing this for love of the goddess, he's in it for love of power—he can't expect to gain anything from the demon king, after all.

And she knows what he's gone and done, sacrificed himself and been corrupted into something not even human anymore. And Hylia is talking of the same.

She's seen the darkness her goddess can posess. Everything for a good cause, yes? She thinks of her hero, rotting in a cell for a crime he never committed, and she thinks of the girl Hylia offered the honor to. The poor thing that doesn't even know what the sacrifice entails

********

Link set the sword down, frowning as the demon inside appeared abruptly, lounging on the bed he had just made.

"Get off my bed in your day pants."

"Oh please, we did dirtier things than my pants in this bed last night." Ghirahim smirked.

********

"Okay, okay. My turn." Zelda's face split into a mischievous grin. "Fuck, marry, kill: Hylia, Demise, the Imprisoned."

Before he could even open his mouth, Zelda added, "Yes, Demise and the Imprisoned are two different things for this hypothetical situation."

Link lay back down, staring up at the night sky.

"Damn, Zelda, that's tough. Marry Hylia, I guess."

"You guess."

Link snorted.

"Yeah. And, I mean, I've already killed Demise, so..."

"You'd fuck the Imprisoned over me."

"Would you rather I marry it?

"How would it even work?"

"Well, I suppose you'd, uh..." Link frowned, unsavory images flashing in his mind. The two of them burst out laughing, the happy sound echoing around them.

***********

unpopular opinion I don't like the theory that Ghirahim is Lorule's Master Sword, I don't want him in BOTW2, not everything needs to be connected

**********

"I feel bad comparing myself to him. What if someday in the future you tell this to someone else? Start pointing out all of my flaws. 'Youre smaller than him, thin and fit. You have softer, smoother, unblemished skin, no silly freckles or scars. You're more confident and funnier and less lazy—"

**********

star crossed fates are reserved for lovers. They don't even get the beauty of pretending this could happen.

************

Fledge has a crush on Link, Groose bullied Link because he thought he was jealous of him for being close to Zelda but actually he's just bi and liked them both, Ghirahim was Link's gay awakening but Pipit was his "oh shit yeah it all makes sense now", Zelda definitely liked the cool female knight that picks you up if you fall off Skyloft and she thinks Karane is cute, Link almost dated Peatrice during the quest but after they kind of fell apart, Groose meets Peatrice and he actually does think she's the prettiest girl on Skyloft like her dad says and Peatrice sees him as a hero (which makes more sense, Link may be the real hero but to most of Skyloft? He broke the chandelier in the lumpy pumpkin and breaks into people's houses, your perfect innocent hero Sky Link is cute but honestly out of character), Karane and Pipit are together

Post game goes several ways either total Zelink and sword spirits are out of the picture, Zelfi and Ghiralink, or Ghiralink and Zelda's with some else (or Link, poly is cool too)

Orielle is aroace

90% of my writing is endgame ghiralink but I prefer drawing Zelink so I guess they're tied for OTP status

At one point I considered Peatrice/Zelda because. Starved for wlw content. But now I am Zelfi but also Orielle is really cute??? So idk

And then Hylia and Impa and possibly some one sided Ghirahim with an unhealthy obsession for Demise that he perceives as romantic for angst

[teaberrii]

Chapter 6: Reunited

You and Dan Heng are a match made in heaven until fate takes him away from you too soon. Years later, you think you moved on with a mutual friend who shared your grief and stuck with you during tough times until you meet a mysterious man with a striking resemblance to your past lover and a hidden motive. You’re determined to get rid of him, but how are you going to get rid of a god?

Dan Feng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail crossover

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Support my writing

One of your hands is on his shoulder and the other is on the wall beside his head.

You’re staring at each other, and his eyes never wander away from your face. Calm footsteps enter the room, and your head turns slightly to glance at the door. Your eyes widen in surprise when Dan Feng tilts your head back toward him and puts a finger to his lips.

As if you don’t already know.

“...Guess I was hearing things.”

You stiffen when you hear Childe’s quiet voice. Then, his footsteps lead out of the room and the door closes.

You quietly sigh in relief and your shoulders fall just as Dan Feng asks:

“Are you going to keep me against the wall?”

Your hard gaze meets his. “Do you think it’s going to be that easy pretending to be someone else? It’s not just me who knows who you are.”

“You’re right. I should’ve coordinated with you. But, I haven’t said who I am. Carrothead and whoever else is involved in this are still in the dark, which means they can’t plan their next move.” Your hands drop to your sides as you regard him with a skeptical look. Dan Feng raises his hands as if surrendering. “I have no intentions of compromising anyone’s safety, especially yours.”

“If impersonating Dan Heng is our best shot to figure out what happened, we need to approach this carefully. One wrong move can ruin everything.”

“Agreed, which is the reason I haven’t said anything concrete. If I say I’m Dan Heng, they’ll go straight to finding personal records. We may look alike, but you can’t fabricate stuff like fingerprints.”

“I doubt you have to worry about that,” you say quietly.

“Why’s that?”

“It was something I overheard.” You close your eyes and sigh softly. “It's been so long since the accident without any clues, Tsaritsa requested someone to erase anything they had on Dan Heng and his family.”

It was the anniversary of the horrific accident. Despite being no bodies, there was still a funeral room for Dan Heng and his family. You had shown up with Stelle and March to pay your respects, and you weren’t surprised that Tsaritsa and her family weren’t there. Each year, there were fewer and fewer people, something that hurt your heart every time you came.

You were heading to the official room when you heard someone mention Dan Heng’s name in the next room.

“Yes. Those records are gone.”

Records?

You quietly walked toward the door that was slightly ajar. Then, you peeked inside and saw a man and a woman.

“Tsaritsa got rid of them,” the man said. “Ordered someone inside the force, apparently.”

“Is that… Is that even possible? What if they’re still alive and just—”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. It’s been how many years? Do you honestly think they’re still alive?”

“But to get rid of their DNA records and everything… That’s getting rid of our last hope if something were to change.”

“Yes, well—”

The man instantly stopped upon seeing you, He quietly said your name and the woman turned around.

“Why?” you asked, clenching your fists. “Why would she do that?”

Despite your best efforts to remain calm, Dan Feng sees your eyes harden and grow dull.

“Hey,” he says quietly, getting your attention.

You awkwardly clear your throat and say:

“Anyway, I went to verify those claims. And, it’s true. They’re gone.”

“She might’ve thought it worked in her favour, but it works in ours now, doesn’t it?”

You suppose so.

“So, does this mean you’ll be posing as Dan Heng?” you ask as if interrogating him.

“I sense an objection coming.”

“You and Dan Heng have different personalities. People don’t just… change.”

Dan Feng surprisingly smiles. “Listen, I have an idea. Are you willing to hear me out?”

“If I don’t, I wouldn’t be much of a partner, would I?”

◆◆◆

Reaching the end of a wide stone path is a large, three-story, stone mansion that’s reminiscent of the ones you see in fancy wallpapers and movies. Large flower bushes groomed to perfection sit on either side of the stone pathway and stretch as far as the eye can see. Sitting near the grand entrance are multiple luxury cars, and when one walks in, the sweeping staircases, high ceilings, and vintage paintings are just a few of the many details to note about the luxurious mansion.

A pale young woman with long black hair and dark pink highlights is sitting on the couch. She holds her phone and zooms into the photo that Childe sent in the “family” group chat.

“Don’t tell me you’re still looking at that imposter.”

She looks up and sees a young man with short hair long enough to cover his ears.

“What?” the woman asks. “Aren’t you curious, Scaramouche?”

“There’s nothing to be curious about,” the man answers flatly as he sits on another couch. He swings one leg over the other and sips his tea. “It's not Dan Heng.” He shoots the woman a look. “You don’t think that ridiculous family is still alive, do you, Columbina?”

Columbina shoots him a look just as a tall woman walks in. Her eyes are sharp, and her hair is as white as snow with black tips. Without even saying a word, her presence is enough to grab both of their attention.

"We shouldn't take this man lightly," she says.

"It's not like you to worry so much, Arlecchino," Scaramouche says. "He'll probably be gone by the end of the week."

Scaramouche's small sadistic smile doesn't go unnoticed.

“By ‘gone’,” Columbina says cautiously, “you don’t mean…”

“Childe will dispose of him," Scaramouche answers.

"And since when do you believe in Childe so much?"

Scaramouche looks at Arlechinno. "I don't. But at least he’ll keep him away from here.”

“Childe wouldn't kill him… would he?”

Arlecchino regards Columbina with an uninterested look. “That’s up to him to decide, wouldn’t it?”

Columbina rolls her eyes. “He wouldn’t be so dumb, but I don’t know… He always finds a way to surprise us somehow.”

“The kid follows Tsaritsa’s orders like a loyal dog,” Scaramouche says, putting his teacup on the table. “If she told him to kill our mysterious imposter, our loyal dog servant will do it.” A small, sinister-looking smile creeps onto his face. “Maybe I should raise that suggestion to Tsaritsa.”

Columbina glances at Arlecchino. "Do you have any idea who the imposter is?”

“No," she answers, "but I doubt he's someone we can just ignore.”

“This is the first time in a long time I’ve seen you on edge,” Scaramouche says, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “It’s not like you at all.”

“For once, I agree with the kid.” Now, it’s Scaramouche who shoots Columbina a look. “Any reason why?”

“There’s a possibility that he doesn’t belong here," Arlecchino answers after a brief pause.

Scaramouche and Columbina glance at each other.

“Like… what?” Scaramouche asks. “He’s from out of town?”

Arlecchino isn’t looking at him when she says:

“As in, he’s not human.”

And in that moment, Scaramouche and Columbina know exactly what she’s talking about.

◆◆◆

By the time you return to your room, it’s late evening.

Exhausted and ready for bed, you immediately head into the washroom while undoing your dress. What a night it’s been, and even as you step into the hot shower, your conversation with Childe at the wedding afterparty is playing on a constant loop.

Signora’s afterparty was held outside underneath a bright orange and red sky. Laughter and overlapping conversations were everywhere, and there was no one left alone. The courtyard was elegantly decorated with large rose bouquets bigger and taller than you. The bushes were trimmed to perfection, and as the skies got darker, floating lanterns lit up the night sky. There was live music, games, food, and drinks. It was bustling with people, and you’d just finished a conversation with one of the guests when Childe came beside you.

“Where’s your friend?”

You didn’t bother looking at him. “Enjoying himself elsewhere, I suppose.”

Childe glanced at you. “Looks like you’ve known him for a while… Care to enlighten me on how you met?”

“Not really.”

You were about to walk away when he grabbed your arm, forcing you to look at him.

“You’re oddly calm for someone to have befriended a man who looks exactly like a dead ex.”

Finally, he said what was on his mind.

“Am I?” You shrugged off his grip. “Then, you tell me how I’m supposed to act.”

Childe let you go, swirled the wine in his glass, and took a sip. “I’m just curious about him.”

“Yeah,” you said, almost rolling your eyes. “I can tell.”

“I just think how amazing it would be if Dan Heng were still alive after all these years.” You looked at him out of the corner of your eye, and as if knowing he had your full attention, he turned toward you and smiled. “It would be a miracle.”

“Well, unfortunately, even I don’t know who this man really is.” Childe slightly narrowed his eyes. “He has amnesia.”

“Amnesia?” Childe asked in a tone that clearly stated he didn’t believe you.

You shrugged. “His words. Not mine.”

Childe slid a hand inside his pocket. “And how did you meet?”

“He saved me from a bad car accident.”

“Bad car accident?”

Again, there was that doubtful, condescending tone.

“It was on the news,” you said after a small pause. “Trust me, I was just as surprised as you.”

You could see the gears turning in his head. Was he thinking about whether to believe you? Or, had you already roped him in?

“Guess you got lucky,” Childe finally said. “And is it because of this accident that he got amnesia?”

“No. He had it for a while, actually, and someone told him he looked identical to Dan Heng…”

“Someone?”

You weren’t surprised that Childe wanted to get all the details down.

“Can’t remember who,” you said. Then, you sipped your wine.

"And then what?" Childe asked, after observing you. 

"What do you think?" You turned toward the live band. "He started looking up everything he could find on Dan Heng." You turned to him with a little smile. “If you were in his situation, wouldn’t you have done the same?”

Childe regarded you with a skeptical look. “And that’s how he ended up in Xianzhou?"

“Bingo.”

Childe softly scoffed and finished his wine. "So, you're telling me that he's been living as a nobody for what? Three years? Four years? Suddenly he finds out about Dan Heng and decides to come back? You're not lying to me, are you, love?"

“Well, Carrothead, you haven’t asked all the questions,” you said, knowing that you were slightly riling him with your small, teasing smile and a knowing look. “Of course, he hasn’t been living as a complete nobody. But because he didn't have anyone to rely on or any answers, he'd been living under an alias. Dan Feng. Made it up himself because he liked the name. He’s been living overseas for a couple of years before finding out about Dan Heng. Now that he’s here… He wants to know if Dan Heng is the man he’s supposed to be.”

“That’s fucking impossible.”

“Their bodies were never found,” you said, stepping towards him. Childe slowly took a small step back. “No one knows what happened on that plane.”

“He’s not Dan Heng,” Childe said as if trying to convince himself. “He’s too…” He looked off to the side before looking at you. “He’s too bold to be Dan Heng.” Childe slightly leaned closer. “And, people don’t just change, love.”

"Are you sure?” you asked, holding his stare even though it felt like you were sweating buckets.

Just then, behind Childe, you saw Dan Feng a short distance away. He was facing forward, but he looked at you out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

You’re still getting goosebumps thinking about that conversation, but you give yourself a pat on the back for pulling it off so effortlessly without even going by a script. You and Dan Feng came up with the story in that small room, but the execution was another story.

You step out of the bathroom dressed in comfy pyjamas when you hear your phone buzz.

Good job today.

You lean against the table with your phone in your hands.

What? Did you think I’ll rat you out?

In Dan Feng’s room, the man is dressed in black sleeping shorts. He’s running a towel through his damp hair when he sees your text. Then, he drapes the towel around his neck.

If you did, it’s not me who’s going to be interrogated against the wall.

You almost choke on your water.

Glad I dodged that. 🙄

Then, his phone dings again.

I guess we’re laying low now that Childe’s been fed that information.

Dan Feng doesn’t respond right away. It’s no secret that Childe will go straight to Tsaritsa. He might even get others involved. But one thing is for sure: If the Aeons are still with Tsaritsa, they'll know about him immediately, which means…

Dan Feng looks at your text.

They might approach you first.

You’re sitting on your chair with your knees against your chest.

To try to get more information out of me, I suppose.

You’re about to put your phone on the table when it suddenly rings.

As soon as you answer it, you say:

“A heads up would be nice.”

“My apologies. I just couldn’t wait to hear your beautiful voice.”

You almost gag.

“Starting now,” Dan Feng says after a slight pause. “We’ll need to be careful.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” you mutter.

“He'll probably want to verify things, fact-check everything… But it’s also possible he'll tell you a lot of ridiculous things.”

“Ridiculous things?” you ask, almost raising a brow. “Like what?”

Dan Feng sits on the bed. "Dan Heng’s death was thoroughly investigated. They found the plane but no human remains. It’s possible they’ll start telling you that magic and… gods exist.”

“All right.” You scoff. “You, uh, you had too much to drink.”

He’s not surprised at your reaction. But, he can’t rule out that possibility. Perhaps they’ll try to bait you and see how much you know. To Dan Feng, it’s a sure way to know that the Aeons are with Tsaritsa. But he's also considering another possibility: Childe playing along with your story, which means the Aeons are not with them or they don't want to be found. And, if they don't want to be found, it means they have no plan. Not yet, at least. But, if they start approaching you with "ridiculous" theories about gods and goddesses, they've already made the first move.

“Regardless,” he says after a pause. “We’ll proceed with caution.”

“If I get the job, even more so, I suppose.”

“Job?”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier,” you say, “but…”

And then you tell him about the possible collaboration with Lunae.

“I already told my boss I’m interested,” you finish. “Haven’t heard anything yet, but let’s see.”

“Great timing, I gotta say. We should celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” you ask as if unable to believe what you just heard.

“There’s a place I’d like to go, and I can’t think of a better person to accompany me than my tour guide.”

You glance at the clock. “Yeah, well, let’s wait and see if I get the job first.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he says, and you’re surprised at his confidence. “You will.”

◆◆◆

Childe pulls up to the stone mansion where it’s dimly lit both inside and out. During the day, the mansion looks welcoming, but it’s during the night when the lights create shadows on the faces of the many statues, giving them an ominous look. The sound of the doors opening echoes throughout the house and Childe can see a single light from the living room. As soon as he enters, he hears:

“Well, well, look who the cat dragged in.”

The voice is low, smooth, and almost velvety, but it’s as if it’s taunting him.

“It's too early to be seeing your face around here, Nanook,” Childe says without looking at the tall, tan man with medium snow-white hair and gold-coloured eyes.

“Take a seat.”

This time, it’s Tsaritsa's voice.

A woman sits in a large armchair positioned at the top and in between the two couches. Half of her pale face is cast in shadow, but Childe can still see her hollow, light blue eyes. Her long, beautiful silver hair is perfectly parted and reaches her waist. Wearing a long, velvet blue and white dress, her posture is perfect with her hands neatly placed on her lap. 

“I didn’t know we’d have visitors,” Childe says, sitting on the armchair across from her.

“Don’t be jealous,” Nanook says, and Childe glares at him. “Tsaritsa requested my presence.”

“The man that you saw,” Tsaritsa says. “He doesn’t belong here.”

“He’s from my world,” Nanook says before Childe can say anything else. Nanook stands upright with a little smirk that Childe wants to punch off his face. “He's not one of us, however.”

“But, he’s a god?” Childe asks, taking on an exasperated tone.

“And I doubt he came alone.”

Childe gives Nanook a cold look. “Why is he here?” 

“Let’s not get off track.” Tsaritsa keeps her stare on Childe. “I want you to keep entertaining them. Play along with that story she told you, but"—she briefly nods at Nanook—"keep quiet about them.”

“My”—Childe crosses one leg over the other and leans his elbow against the armrest—”how the roles have changed. I thought it's gods who are supposed to watch over the humans."

“Dan Feng is here for us,” Nanook says.

Childe’s eye almost twitches upon seeing him put his elbow against the top of the chair Tsaritsa is sitting in.

“Fine,” Childe says, not bothering to hide his annoyance. “But, just how long can we keep them a secret?”

Tsaritsa and Nanook glance at each other.

“When the year is over,” Nanook says, “we throw him back to the world they came from. Or—”

“We kill him.”

The moon reaches its highest point, shining brightly in the twilight sky. Childe briefly closes his eyes, letting Tsaritsa’s words sink in, the silence ringing loudly in his ears.

“He doesn’t belong here,” Nanook says. “No one is going to know who he is, and no one will believe his cute, little girlfriend considering he’s been feeding her lies.”

“And what if he gets to you first?” Childe asks.

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, I always say.”

“They’re likely waiting to see how we react,” Tsaritsa says. “Again, I want you to keep an eye on them.”

“Well, it won’t be hard to do that.” Childe glances at Nanook. “She’ll be the artist we’ll be working with for our upcoming collection.”

Nanook grins. “So, that means Lan will also be keeping an eye on them.”

“What about Signora?” Childe asks. “We don’t know whose side she’s on.”

“Signora is a woman of reason,” Tsaritsa says calmly. “She’s on no one’s side but her own. Provide her with enough benefits, and she’ll jump from one to the other.”

“And what about the others?” Childe looks at Nanook. “You said you doubt Dan Feng came alone.”

“It doesn’t seem like they’re together,” Nanook says. “At least, you haven’t mentioned anyone that matches their description. They are a fascinating bunch, to say the least. You’ll know once you see them.”

“Great,” Childe deadpans, rolling his eyes. “Do they also resemble people who are supposed to be dead?”

“It’s late,” Tsaritsa says, glancing at the moon outside. “If there’s nothing else, we’ll talk later with everyone else.”

“This can’t go on forever,” Childe says, standing. Then, he nods toward Nanook. “Eventually, he and everyone else will have to go.”

Once Childe is out of sight, Nanook turns to Tsaritsa.

“Are you not going to get some sleep, love?" 

Instead of answering his question, Tsaritsa asks:

“What do you know about him? The doppelganger?”

Nanook sits on the table in front of her, his hands on either side. “He’s not much different from Lan and I. Once human and now we’re not.”

“Then, did you two know each other?”

“No. All of us came from different backgrounds, but there's a degree of commonality to them.” There’s a flicker of curiosity in her hollow eyes. He stands and puts his hands on the armrests and slightly leans closer to her. “We were thrown into hell and made it ours.”

◆◆◆

For the rest of the week, you’ve been working. It's on the second last day that you're leaving the hotel that you're showing Dan Feng around the city and when you tell him the "good news." 

“I’ll be meeting their team in the next few weeks.”

You and Dan Feng are—unbeknownst to you—walking in the palace courtyard of his old home. It’s busy but not as crowded if it’s a holiday. It’s late afternoon, and it's the perfect weather for a walk. You've already taken Dan Feng to a bunch of different places, including the library, shopping centres, train stations, and any other place that you think will be helpful to someone living here for the first time. You’d asked about the place he wanted to visit, but all he said was:

“Let’s save that for another day.”

“I told you you’d get it,” Dan Feng says.

“Well, yeah, it’s pretty obvious why they chose me at this point.”

“Regardless of who you are—Dan Feng looks at you—”you’d still need a certain level of skill.” He stops. “I’m actually curious, and if you’re willing, I’d like to see some of your work.”

“Are you interested in art?”

“I used to be a collector,” Dan Feng says. “Started when I was young and eventually had my works on display.”

Of course, this was a very long time ago.

“On display?” you ask in disbelief. “Where?”

Dan Feng looks past you and into a chamber where a large piece of elegant calligraphy is framed on the wall. There’s a small crowd a short distance away as it’s roped off to prevent people from getting too close. Looks like it’s preserved well.

“I’ll show you one day,” Dan Feng says as he continues walking.

You and Dan Feng are walking across the courtyard when you suddenly remember your dream. You stop. This is the spot where you'd felt the breeze through your hand. Even though you haven't had another dream about them since then, you still remember the details of the dream when you stood in the courtyard.

“Something wrong?”

You spin around and see Dan Feng standing in the place his younger counterpart in your dream once stood.

“Yeah… I, well, I actually had a dream about this place.”

“A dream?” he asks with questioning eyes. “What kind of a dream?”

“It was of Dan Heng,” you finally say. “And a young girl and… you.”

And that’s when you see it: something akin to a hungry curiosity. He steps towards you, and you casually avoid his gaze.

“And?”

He sounds almost demanding.

“Why are you so serious?” you ask. “It’s just a dream.”

But is it a dream about his past? Your past?

“A dream that stayed on your mind,” Dan Feng says. “Did it mean something? Trigger something?”

“I… don’t see how it could’ve meant anything.”

Then, you walk past him, but before you can get too far, Dan Feng takes your hand.

You stop and turn, and you’re looking at each other, and you hold his gaze until…

"You!"

As soon as Dan Feng turns around, he swiftly blocks a flying kick by a young girl with light purple hair tied into two braids. She lands a short distance away and puts her hands on her hips.

“You have a whole lot of explaining to do, young man!"

Before you can even understand what’s happening, you see two men approach Dan Feng.

“We finally found you.”

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