#but like i think there is so much angst to be formed from this

[bontentrio]

ATEEZ and ALMOST BREAKING UP

ot8 x gn reader

summary: you’re in a relationship and one of you (or both) want to break up.

tw: angst (insecurities, arguments, reader flinches sometimes but it’s not violence) but with happy endings because i am weak + fluff + slight nsfw in mingi’s + alcohol in jongho’s.

a/n: i got carried away with yeosang’s and jongho’s my apologies 🙏 rqs are open btw! (also i promise i’m working on ateez stuck in the friendzone part 2 but i have this scheduled for today)

HONGJOONG

you stared at hongjoong in bewilderment. he was sitting down in front of you, with tears in his eyes that threatened to spill if he blinked. he looked so… fragile. as if one single word or touch from you could break him. yet you sat there, with confusion painted all over your face.

“i’m sorry, what?” you asked.

“i think we need to break up” he whispered, as a tear rolled down his cheek and looked away. so you didn’t hear wrong.

“i don’t agree” you said, taking his hand in yours. “what brought you this thought?” you asked, making him look down. you waited a few moments, not wanting to pressure him into talking. then, hongjoong lifted your hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it.

“i’m always busy, we haven’t seen each other in a while and i take too long to reply to your texts” he explained. “you deserve someone who is always there for you”

“but don’t i get a say in this? i knew what i was getting into when we started seeing each other” you started saying as you scooted closer to him, in order to lift up his face to look at you. once your eyes interlocked, you cradled his face and continued: “yeah it sucks not being able to see you as much as i wished to, but also it’s not like i’m unhappy. i cherish the small moments we spend together, it makes me eager for the next one”

“but-“ he started saying, but you interrupted him with a kiss. at first, hongjoong sat still, surprised by your sudden actions, but then he kissed you right back. “no buts joong, we are not breaking up. i love you and i still want this. i still want you” you whispered against his lips, reassuringly.

he nodded in response, believing you.

SEONGHWA

“can we talk for a moment?” you asked seonghwa, who immediately felt his blood run cold at the question. he dropped his phone and studied your face: you looked sad, tired even.

realization struck him as quick as alighting: you’ve been avoiding his kisses for at least two days now, and he’s been brushing it off thinking you were just in a weird mood. i mean, yes it bothered him, but he also loved you too much to not give you space if you needed it. he always wanted you to be as comfortable as possible. but maybe he was wrong about that?

“is something wrong, my love?” he asked with a shaky voice as he took your hand in his. he chose to ignore the way you slightly flinched at his touch, or else his heart would break even more.

“i think-“ you started saying, looking down at your intertwined hands. his hold was gentle, as he always has been. kind, gentle, beautiful, all things you were not. “i think we should take a break”.

you looked up to him, and immediately regretted it: tears formed in his eyes, threatening to spill, while his lips were parted, probably trying to think of what to say. the scene completely broke you, and further proved your point about your insecurities.

“did i do something wrong?” he whispered, not trusting his voice to speak louder without breaking. your eyebrows furrowed, how could he think that when he’s been nothing but perfect in every way? “if i did i’m sorry y/n, i’ll change, but please don’t leave me”

you hugged him tightly, hiding his face on your neck as he sobbed. you didn’t realize you started crying too. “i’m sorry baby, you didn’t do anything wrong” you started saying after a while, pulling him back and cradling his face “it’s me, it’s all me and it has always been me. i’m the problem and i’m always holding you back, i’m sorry hwa”

“holding me back? what do you mean? baby you’re my motivation” seonghwa said, wiping away your tear with his thumbs. “but-“ you started saying, only to be interrupted by him:

“no, don’t ever say that again. you’re my star, y/n”.

YUNHO

normally, you would find yunho’s angry face hot, but now that it’s directed at you? not so much. not when he’s staring at you like you’re a waste of time and space, which only made your anger bubble up more.

“don’t just sit and stare at me! can you please give me a response? it’s not hard yunho” you exclaimed, earning a big eye roll from him “it’s a simple yes or no question: were you flirting with them?”

“god y/n you can be so annoying! no i wasn’t flirting, but now i wish i was so i could have a valid excuse to not see you again!” yunho yelled, standing up abruptly from his seat, making you take a step back unconsciously. this action didn’t go unnoticed by him, quickly realizing that surprise took over your face for a moment, before turning back to anger.

“if you don’t want to see me again then let’s just break up. i’m setting you free yunho” you said in anger, contrasting the way your eyes started watering.

you turned around in order to leave, not wanting him to see you cry, but he grabbed your hand, stopping you. when you turned around, you saw that his hard expression had softened, anger slowly dissipating.

“wait, don’t leave” he started saying “i’m sorry, i wasn’t thinking straight when i said what i said. i love you, i didn’t flirt with them and i don’t want you to leave”

yunho’s eyes silently begged you to forgive him, as he brought you closer to him slowly, testing the waters. when he realized you weren’t going to move away, he wrapped his arms around you. “i’m truly sorry baby, please don’t leave. i love you”.

you cried softly on his chest, as he thought of ways to make you forgive him completely. he refused to let you go.

YEOSANG

“i think this should end, y/n” he said suddenly, making you turn around in your spot at the kitchen. you looked at him confused, tea cups still on your hand.

“you mean the habit of us having tea together before bed?” you asked, eyebrows furrowed. yeosang stood up from the coach, and approached you slowly as you took notice of his sad face. “you know what i mean” he whispered once he reached you.

you shook your head “no, actually i don’t. is this about the argument earlier? i forgave you already, it’s all good yeo i promise” you replied quickly, setting the tea cups aside and proceeding to hold his arms. yeosang stared at you, it seems like he was about to cry as well, becoming all too real.

it’s rare for you to argue honestly, often choosing to just talk things out calmly. but earlier that day, ‘talking’ seemed impossible, as constant yelling filled the room. yeosang had promised, once again, to take you out on a date to celebrate your anniversary (two weeks and a half ago), but due to his idol duties he cancelled again. you have had enough, so things escalated rather quickly, making him leave your shared home with a loud shut of the door.

thing is, hours later yeosang showed up with a small bouquet of flowers and asked for forgiveness. he also explained to you how overwhelmed he felt at the moment with all the upcoming comeback preparations. you understood him obviously, and decided it would be better to just move the date until after promotions.

so everything was fine, all forgiven. what brought this now? “baby we barely see each other, except late at night like right now” he started saying, biting his lip so he could stop the tears from spilling out “you deserve someone better”.

“yeosang you are the ‘better’ you’re refereing to! i don’t want anyone else” you answered, hugging him. “i just want you, all of you, even with your weird and long schedules. i still want to feel your kiss on my cheek every time you leave and i still want to have tea with you late at night”

yeosang kissed you, pouring his whole soul and love in it as he held you impossibly closer than before. after a while, he reluctantly broke it, face still close to yours.

“i’m sorry, i love you” he whispered.

SAN

“no” he said, shaking his head as he looked at you with an unreadable expression “no, we’re not breaking up”

“but-“ you started to argue, kind of getting annoyed at the way he dismissed your previous statement. it’s been a week since fans started suspecting of your relationship, after a sasaeng had caught you at a restaurant celebrating your first anniversary. the media was going wild, even going as far as searching up your socials and sending malicious messages, all telling you to break up with san and that you’re harming his idol image.

“i said no, baby” he said, kissing your cheek and taking your hand, leading you to the bedroom “let’s go to bed”

“san! i’m about to ruin your career, i can’t just brush it off like it’s nothing! we need to break up, or at least take a break until everything calms down” you exclaimed, taking your hand back. san stared at you, face still unreadable but with some traces of hurt evident in his eyes. he took your hands again.

“you’re not going to ruin my career, love” he started saying, holding your hands tighter as if he was scared of letting go “kq’s management is handling it, they assured me everything will be fine because the angle of the photo didn’t show my face, and the couple behind us hid my body as well, so it’s not noticeable that it’s me”

you thought for a moment. truth is, you love san way too much to bring him harm, as small as possible it may be. he knew this, but his reasoning made sense. for all the media knows, the guy in the picture could be a lookalike.

“please” he said, barely above a whisper. you nodded, kissing his lips reassuringly. it’s going to be okay.

MINGI

the room felt heated, despite the different pieces of clothing that have been mindlessly discarded all over the place. mingi’s mouth never left yours, tongue entering your mouth as if it was it’s second home. his hands were everywhere: massaging your chest, holding your waist, playing with your ass, caressing your thighs. you felt him everywhere, all at once.

“we should really break things off” he said, in between kisses. you nodded, letting out a small moan when his lips found your neck. “definitely” you managed to say.

you and mingi have been arguing a lot recently, sometimes over silly small things like laundry or house chores, and other times the argument would revolve around hin forgetting important dates or your stubbornness to remember that he is an idol and is, of course, busy.

mingi’s hands went back to your ass, slapping it lightly and making you jump. he proceeded to hold your thighs, pulling you up to his height as he pressed you against the wall. he kissed you again, desperately and deeply.

“min-“ you started saying, or attempted to say since his lips made it near impossible. he bit your lip in response. “mingi”

he hummed against your lips. “this is not what breaking up means” you managed to say, pulling the back of his hair lightly but enough to make hin groan. “i know, but what if it is for us? i know you’ll miss this, miss me. now hold tight” he answered, unbucking his belt as you held on him tightly to not fall while he maneuvered with his pants.

once he was done, and pressed you harder against the wall, your trail of thought immediately disappeared. if it was a good or bad decision, or something that would become cyclical, that would be a problem for the future.

WOOYOUNG

“we should break up” you said, as a matter of fact. you stood in front of him, arms crossed as a serious expression adorned your face. wooyoung, in contrast, was sitting on your shared bed, mindlessly scrolling through social media. he didn’t even bother to look up.

“and why do you think that, baby?” he asked, still not looking at you, which caused your eye to twitch slightly. “exactly because of things like this wooyoung! i’m trying to break up with you and you don’t even care!” you exclaimed, throwing your arms in the air dramatically.

wooyoung blocked his phone and set it aside, sitting up straight in the process. his eyes found yours, probably trying to decipher how you were feeling. “are there any other reasons?”

“you don’t have time for me-“ you replied. “i still see you every night unless i’m on tour, and even in that circumstance i call every day” he interrupted. “okay, but you also never help me around the house” you argued. “baby, i literally cook half of your meals”.

“but-“ you started saying, only to be interrupted once again by wooyoung: “see? no reasons, no break up” he said, patting your head and returning to his phone.

“you’re impossible” you said, sitting beside him with your arms still crossed against your chest. wooyoung kissed your cheek “i know, but you love me nonetheless. plus i know this was an attempt to prank me as revenge for last time”

your eyes widened in surprise.

“HOW?!”

JONGHO

you might have taken a few too many drinks at tonight’s night out with your friends, so they had to call your boyfriend jongho to come and pick you up. thankfully, he answered quickly and said he would be there in 10.

“noooo you called jongho?” you asked, tipsily as you grabbed your friend’s hand that was holding your phone. “he has to wake up early tomorrow! he shouldn’t be driving around, he has to rest!”

“someone has to get you home, babe! plus he seemed fine, i promise” your friend answered in between giggles watching you pout.

once you spot jongho, your whole face lit up involuntarily, as if it was a reflex. once he reached your table, he hugged you from behind, pecking your cheek. “thanks for calling me and taking care of her” he told your friends. you clumsily bid your goodbyes to your friends and turned to jongho, ready to go.

“you shouldn’t have come, jongs” you started saying as he buckled up your belt in the passenger seat. “you have a long day tomorrow”

“it’s no problem baby, i couldn’t sleep anyways” he said, jogging back to the driver’s seat. you looked at him, thoughtful expression on your face for a few moments. “what?” he asked, chuckling as he drove the car out of the parking lot.

“you weren’t able to sleep because i was out? or because you weren’t feeling tired?” you asked, curiously. for someone who was terribly drunk, you sure got philosophical. add that to the long list of things jongho finds endearing about you.

“little bit of both i guess” he answered, stopping at a red light. you stayed quiet, strangely so, which caused jongho to turn his face to you to check if you fell asleep. but you weren’t. instead, you looked at him with tears in your eyes. “baby? what’s wrong?” he said, slightly panicking, not caring that the light turned green. since it was late at night, his car was the only one there at the moment.

“i’m a burden to you” you concluded, tears rolling down your cheeks “i’m holding you back and you should leave me”. huh?!?!

“baby, what are you talking about?” he asked in confusion, before frantically holding your face and wiping your tears away with kisses. “you always appear to save the day jongs, and i do nothing in return” you whispered, looking deeply into his eyes.

“you do more than you realize, y/n” he said, kissing you once more. “but you’re drunk, and i know nothing i’ll say will stick in this state. so let’s talk about it tomorrow, yes?”

“promise?” you asked, in a tiny voice. “i promise” he reassured.

[wantondoe]

Sleep tight, dear

Alastor x doe reader, fluff, slight angst

Just a short story about Alastor cuddling you until you hibernate <3

During the whole fall, you had concentrated getting as much nutrients as possible. After all, you are a doe demon. You need those nutrients to survive the harsh winter. Deer don't normally hibernate, but for some reason, you do. Perhaps it's because your body hasn't gotten used to Hell yet, so it protects itself by hibernating. Even though it has been two years now...

You would often be found in the kitchen, sitting at the table while surrounded by food. Your form had gotten even softer and cuddlier, which your mate Alastor did not mind.

The moment you arrived in Hell and met the tall, dark, and creepy Radio Demon, had also been the moment when you knew your single days were over. Alastor had wasted no time getting close to you, fascinated by your doe-form. He had offered you a job at the Hotel. Of course you couldn't deny his offer!

It was a quiet evening as you carefully gathered up the softest blankets and plushiest pillows to build a makeshift nest on your bed. You had even found two body pillows to make the nest stronger. You carefully folded the pillows inside the blankets. This was serious. You would spend the next 9 weeks on the nest after all!

Your handsome mate was examining your each move, leaning his form against the door frame, his arms crossed, a sly smirk playing on his lips. He always found it endearing when you had a pout like that on your pretty little face. He loves seeing you so concentrated, so devoted.

"Building a little nest are you my dear?" he spoke with a soft voice.

"Yes! I think I'm going to need more blankets though... " you gazed at the nest. It was forming up nicely, but still looked a little... Boring.

"My dear you've done spectacular job building the nest! Leave it to me to get some more blankets for you!" he smiled at her before disappearing in the shadows.

You smiled at your mate's helpfulness and climbed on the nest, seeing how it felt. You curled up in the nest, placing pillows between your knees and under your head, trying to find the perfect position.

"Oh my, you look absolutely adorable!" he reappeared next to your nest. You didn't even flinch, as you had already gotten used to his teleportation tendencies. He laid next to you on the nest, placing blankets over you two.

"Thank you, dearest."

"Of course, anything for my special doe", he hummed, petting your hair, admiring those perky doe ears. "You know... I'm going to miss you", he said, his smile dropping, something he only dared to do with your presence.

"I know", you say quietly, nuzzling in his chest, the soft red shirt tickling your nose. "I'm going to miss you too, so much."

As you looked at your dear mate deep into his crimson eyes, you could see tears pricking from the corners of his eyes despite his small smile.

"I will miss you more", he whispered. "I don't want to let you go."

You chuckled at your mate's dramatic tone. Brushing your fingertip around his jawline, you say: "I won't be going anywhere. I'll be right here and you can visit me anytime."

"I hate seeing you in hibernation... So unresponsive..." he pouted. "I adore our banters, our walks around Cannibal Town, the way those gorgeous doe-eyes of yours gaze at me..."

"Alastor dear", you whisper, "I won't stay gone."

"I know..." he sighed, cuddling you tighter. "I just wish you didn't have to hibernate."

"I know", you speak quietly, your hand resting on his cheek. "Will you stay here until I fall in hibernation?" you request.

"Of course I will, my dearest", he kissed your forehead. "That's it... Relax, darling", he spoke, his voice soothing. "I'll be right here."

"You're too good to me", you smile faintly, feeling your body relax. You feel his long lean arms wrapped securely around you, his breathing calm and heavy. You inhale his scent as you feel yourself giving in to the deep slumber awaiting...

"Only the best for my dearest mate", he chuckles as he witnesses your eyelids pressing down, your eyelashes casting long shadows over your soft cheeks. "I love you my dearest. Sleep tight."

Alastor let a few hot tears roll down his cheeks as he felt you fall into hibernation. The mere idea of you just sleeping for 9 weeks was unbearable. Who would he have breakfast with? Who would walk with him at the parks, who'd hug him after a stressful overlord meeting?

He sobbed softly as he carefully got up, tucking the blankets securely around you. He gazed down at you as if you were the most precious thing ever which you definitely were. He sighed, running his fingers carefully on your hair.

He took a deep breath as he sat there, imagining all the things he'd miss about you. He smiled at the memories, such as your adorable face peeking behind the radio tower door. His heart melted at the way you two would sit in a comfortable silence on that same bench at that park nearby your favorite bakery... His heart fluttered at the memory of your soft lips pressed against his cheeks. You'd always find ways to make his life a tad more bearable.

He caught himself in a dark place, reminiscing all those things. On the other hand, he knew all those things were a good reason to keep up the hope, to suffer the waiting.

Before leaving your cozy room, he turned to look at you one last time. With a soft loving voice, he whispered: "Sleep tight, dear."

[katiekatdragon27]

Hello Dandy's World fans.

I've recently been playing the game on Roblox with my friends and sibling, and it's been a ton of fun! Sure, I'm horrible at it, but it's the thought that counts ig.

And don't worry, I draw normal things too.

Like these things.

But it's mostly angst and unhinged things lol.

Below is a silly goofy Shiny Shrimp (that's the ship name I made up for Glisten x Shrimpo lol) AU that's just angst and tragedy and bullying Shrimpo emotionally lol:

OKAY SO CONTEXT: I thought it would be funny if Shrimpo had to keep Glisten company while exploring the floors but was also the one to witness his change into his full twisted form and almost die lol.

SO, I'd imagine it going down like this.

Basically, during one of the missions below, Glisten doesn't make it to the elevator in time. Shrimpo gets wind of this and gets very pissed. Despite everyone's protests, Shrimpo decides to join on of their runs to gain iquor, but mostly to fine Glisten.

And boy does he find him and all his shattered face glory.

Glisten: "Shrimpo!?" Shrimpo: "G-Glisten?" Glisten: "I knew you'd come back for me!"

Shrimpo attempts to leave the situation, seeing that Glisten is indeed twisted, despite Glisten's insistence that he is not. As Shrimpo tries to leave, Glisten gets more attached, constantly asking Shrimpo to not leave and to stay with him. Another person in the party (haven't decided who yet), tells Shrimpo to stay with Glisten and keep him company until all the machines are done. Shrimpo reluctantly agrees (and says "I HATE YOU" a couple times) and spends the rest of the round with Glisten.

However, the whole time Shrimpo's trying not to get attached because deep down, he knows it's too late for Glisten.

At the end of the round, everyone is called to go to the elevator. Shrimpo goes to leave. Glisten tries to block him off. Shimpo forces his way through. Glisten gets pissed and rips off his ribbons in anger, letting the infection take over his whole body. As Glisten's shifting, Shrimpo grabs one of his discarded ribbon pieces and beelines it to the elevator (as fast as Shrimpo can run). However, it is not fast enough, and Glisten easily catches up. He knocked over Shrimpo and lunges at him, ready take him out.

That's when Goob comes in. While everyone is trying to get the elevator to close faster, Goob grabs Shrimpo from below Glisten and pulls him into the elevator. Glisten hits the floor and breaks his face even more. As he gets up, he shouts at Shrimpo, who is shaking in Goob's arms watch Glisten break down.

Glisten: "YOU PROMISED YOU'D STAY WITH ME-- YOU PROMISED!"

Then, the doors close. Glisten is gone, and Shrimpo is angry and traumatized. How fun.

Shrimpo does not do well after the whole incident. He is much more reserved, but still just as angry. Except to Goob. Goob saving him gave Shrimpo a soft spot for the guy. Also, Goob let's Shrimpo vent to him like the supportive icon he is.

Shrimpo: I think I miss my partner, Goob.

But he's not the only toon Shrimpo talks to.

Vee: "Geez. This crying is ruining your "tough guy" persona."

My sibling gave me the silly idea to have Shrimpo and Vee be "friends" in this bc Shrimp hates Dandy waaaaaaaaaay more after the Glisten incident. And Vee hates Dandy in general, so boom, situation friendship. However, Vee sucks at being a supportive friend.

And some silly stuff my friends requested. Shrimpo chucking Dandy into the stratosphere and Goob being Goob. Healing the world one crappy doodle at a time.

Thank you for looking at the dooles and mindless rant of a grown adult about a Roblox horror game for 9-year-olds. You're a real one. Have a good day broksies.

[diamonddaze01]

Lilac Wine

pairing: ljh x afab!reader genre: angst, smut (MINORS DNI!!!!!) | wc: 2.7k warnings: infidelity, unprotective sex (wrap it before u tap it kids), crying a/n: loosely based on melt by josef salvat // i’m dedicating this to link @choism (who also made the banner, love u) // huge thanks to maren @wooahaeproductions for beta-ing (your comments always give me life)!

In the dark, Jihoon learns how to break you apart and build you back together, piece by piece.

It begins slowly; a movie night where you drift off to sleep on his shoulder, after having cried yourself hoarse. Jihoon learns that night that he absolutely hates your boyfriend. He also learns that he could love you so much better, if you'd only give him the chance.

Jihoon sits frozen in the dimly lit room, his eyes locked on your sleeping form. He takes in the small details, the curve of your lips and the flutter of your eyelashes as you breathe. He can see the rise and fall of your chest with each breath, the way your hair falls delicately over your face, and the scattered constellations of moles that decorate your skin. He takes in every detail, committing it to memory with an unwavering gaze.

And then, like you can feel his gaze on you, you startle awake. And you don't push him away. No, you lay your head on his shoulder, and it takes every working nerve in Jihoon's sleep-addled mind not to kiss you right there. But you look so pretty like this, staring up at him from under your eyelashes, and he thinks he might die. But he'll be damned if he dies here without having kissed you, without having showed you how much better it could be - so he does. And you absolutely melt into him with a soft sigh, like you've been waiting for this too.

And so, late at night, Jihoon learns exactly where to put his lips so you make the prettiest noises. When his lips finds the junction where your neck meets your shoulder, you gasp, arching into him, and it makes him almost combust on the spot. And the he remembers.

The boyfriend, the traitorous voice in his mind reminds him, and he breaks apart from you with a startled gasp. Your chest is heaving, your lips are kiss-bitten and plump, and Jihoon has never felt this guilty in his entire life.

“We can’t,” he breathes, and it breaks his heart. In his heart, he knows, more deeply and more powerfully than anything he’s ever known before, how much better he would be for you. But he can’t, not right now, and the thought cleaves his chest in two.

“I know,” you whisper back, as if you’re afraid to break this very fragile bubble that exists around just the two of you. Your eyes fill with tears, and Jihoon yearns. It’s like second nature, the way his hand cups your jaw, the way his thumb brushes a stray tear off your cheek. Before he can stop himself, before that traitorous voice can say anything else, he leans in again. His lips find yours, and he can taste the salt of your tears, the bitter taste of your guilt.

He should stop. He should. But then you kiss him back, again, and every rational thought flies out the window. His hands find the hem of your shirt, and you shiver so delightfully against him when his cold fingers find your warm skin.

“Jihoon-”

Jihoon's breath is hot against the nape of your neck, his words a desperate plea mixed with intense desire. "Tell me to stop," he whispers, his voice reverberating with urgency. "I'll do anything you say."

But you don't. Instead, your fingers thread through his hair, pulling him closer. Your body arches into his touch, craving more, and he groans, kissing down your neck with a fervor that makes his head spin. Your skin feels like fire, but he’s so willing to let himself burn, even if it’s only for tonight.

"We shouldn't," you whisper, even as your hands roam beneath his shirt, tracing the contours of his back.

Jihoon pulls back slightly, his dark eyes searching yours. "Do you want me to stop?" he asks again, his voice husky and strained.

You shake your head, unable to form the words. He sees the hesitance dancing in your eyes. It's wrong, you know it's wrong, but it feels so right. Your fingers fumble with the buttons of his shirt, trembling with a mix of anticipation and guilt. Jihoon's breath catches in his throat as your hands slide across his bare chest. He pulls back slightly, searching your eyes for any sign of hesitation or regret. But all he finds is a reflection of his own desire, burning just as brightly.

"Are you sure?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” you breathe, and Jihoon knows that he’ll worship you for as long as he can have you. He’ll lose himself in you, over and over.

And so, in the dark, as the movie credits play, Jihoon learns the curve of your neck, the softness of your skin. He memorizes the cadence of your voice, the rhythm of your heartbeat, the taste of your lips. You are his religion, and he worships at your altar with reverent hands and whispered prayers.

With each touch, each kiss, Jihoon feels himself falling deeper. He knows this moment is fleeting, stolen in the shadows of night, but he can't bring himself to stop. His fingers trace patterns on your skin, mapping out constellations he'll never forget. Every sigh, every shiver, every soft moan is etched into his memory. They linger in the deepest corners of his mind, like delicate brushstrokes on a canvas, a masterpiece of sensation that he will never tire of admiring.

As clothes fall away, discarded on the floor, Jihoon takes his time. He wants to savor every second, every sensation. His lips ghost over your collarbone, down your chest, across your stomach. He feels your fingers tighten in his hair, hears your breath hitch. His hands find the elastic of your panties, and suddenly, it’s like he can’t breathe.

"Jihoon," you whisper, his name a prayer on your lips.

He looks up at you, drinking in the sight. Your hair is mussed, cheeks flushed, eyes dark with desire. You've never looked more beautiful. He finds your clit, and the sound you make sounds better than anything he could create in his studio. It’s heaven and hell, all at once, the way your hips grind against his palm, the scent of your arousal permeating his senses.

“Fuck,” he hisses, sliding your soaked panties down your thighs, “you’re so fucking wet.”

Your breath catches at his words, a shiver running through your body. Jihoon's fingers move with deliberate slowness, teasing and exploring. He watches your face intently, memorizing every flutter of your eyelashes, every parting of your lips. If this is the only time he’ll ever have this, then by God, he wants to remember everything, so he can play it back, night after night.

"Please," you whimper, your hips bucking against his hand.

Jihoon's breath catches in his throat. He's dreamed of this moment for so long, imagined the sound of your voice begging for him. But reality is so much sweeter, so much more intoxicating. Jihoon feels drunk on the power of your pleasure, on the way you respond to his every caress. He slides one finger inside you, then another, marveling at the tight, wet heat. Your walls clench around him, and he has to bite back a groan.

"You're so beautiful," he murmurs, pressing open-mouthed kisses along your inner thigh. "So perfect."

His thumb circles your clit as his fingers curl inside you, searching for that spot that makes you see stars. When he finds it, you cry out, your back arching off the couch.

“More,” you plead, your voice a husky whisper that cuts straight through him, igniting every nerve ending. The need in your voice is intoxicating, and he obeys without a second thought. Your fingers tangle in his hair, urging him on as if you can’t get close enough, can’t pull him into you fast enough. “God, you’re exquisite,” he breathes, the words escaping him as he drinks in the sight of you. And then he’s there, his mouth on you, and it’s as if his world has exploded into color. You taste like a sinner’s salvation, sweet and salty and like guilt. Like lilac wine—bittersweet and intoxicating—you linger on his tongue, the taste of something forbidden yet holy, and he drinks you in, helplessly devout.

Jihoon’s tongue works in tandem with his fingers—each movement deliberate as he relishes the way your body writhes above him, how you tug at his hair as if you can't stand to have him any closer.  Your thighs tremble around his head, and he can’t help but revel in the way your body responds to him. Your breath comes in short, desperate gasps, and he knows you’re getting close with each flick and curl of his fingers.

He feels your walls fluttering around him, tightening in a way that makes his heart race. It’s a thrilling sensation, knowing he’s bringing you to the edge. With every gentle press of his fingers, he can see the pleasure building inside you, your body arching in anticipation.

“Please, Jihoon,” you whimper, and that plea ignites something deep within him. He’s captivated by how beautifully you’re coming apart in his hands, and it drives him mad.

“Let go for me,” he murmurs against you, adding a little more pressure with his thumb as his fingers pick up the pace. The room is filled with the sound of your soft moans, and he watches your expressions shift with every movement, completely entranced.

Just when he thinks he can’t take it anymore, he feels you tighten around him, trembling as your body responds to the building waves of pleasure. For a second, Jihoon swears he reaches nirvana; the sounds you make race through him like lightning bolts.

“Let go,” he urges softly, and in that moment, your body shudders, and a cry of bliss escapes your lips. Jihoon feels a rush of satisfaction wash over him as you come undone beneath him, skin glowing with exertion. Jihoon works you through it, gentling his movements as you come down from your high. He presses soft kisses to your inner thighs, your stomach, slowly making his way back up your body.

He looks up at you, eyes glinting with desire, feeling an overwhelming urge to mark this moment forever—the way you look, the way you sound. He nods, as if promising to deliver everything you crave, and rises to lean over you again, capturing your lips with his. The kiss is searing, a desperate scramble of breaths and desires as your tongues entwine. You taste like the rapture, but the taste of your tears sends shockwaves of terror through him. Jihoon knows he is a sinner – but if the road to hell tastes as sweet as you, he’ll make the journey a thousand times over.  

Breaking the kiss, Jihoon reaches for his jeans, hastily shedding that last barrier between you. His heart races as he positions himself at your entrance, locking eyes with you in a moment that feels monumental. “Are you sure?” he asks again, the weight of the question lingering between you like a promise, an invitation. 

There are tears in your eyes when you take one of his hands in yours, guiding it to rest against your cheek. “Yes,” you whisper, your heart racing in tandem with his. The certainty in your voice ignites a fire within him, erasing every doubt that dared to linger. “I want this. I want you.”

With those words, Jihoon feels something inside him break and reform. He enters you slowly, savoring every inch, every sensation. The feeling is overwhelming, almost spiritual in its intensity. Your bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, meant to be joined. He stills for a moment, forehead pressed against yours, breathing heavily.

"You feel incredible," he breathes, his voice strained with the effort of holding back.

You wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. The moan that escapes your lips is the sweetest sound Jihoon has ever heard. He begins to move, setting a slow, deep rhythm. Each thrust feels like coming home, like finding a piece of himself he never knew was missing.

Your hands roam his back, nails digging in slightly as the pleasure builds. Jihoon kisses you deeply, swallowing your moans. He wants to memorize every sound, every expression, every sensation.

Jihoon's hips snap forward, and you cry out, arching beneath him. He feels drunk on the sounds you make, on the way your body responds to his. The room is filled with the sound of skin against skin, of ragged breaths and soft moans. Jihoon can't tear his eyes away from your face, watching as pleasure washes over you in waves. Your skin is flushed, a light sheen of sweat making you glow in the dim light. He can't take his eyes off you, mesmerized by the way your lips part with each thrust, the way your eyes flutter closed in ecstasy.

"Look at me," he whispers, his voice rough with desire. "I want to see you."

Your eyes open, meeting his gaze. The intensity of the moment is almost too much to bear. Jihoon feels exposed, vulnerable, but he can't look away. He sees everything in your eyes - the pleasure, the guilt, the overwhelming desire. It's a mirror of his own emotions, and it threatens to consume him. Your hands cup his face, pulling him down for a kiss that's both tender and desperate. Jihoon's hips stutter, his rhythm faltering as he loses himself in the taste of your lips. He feels your walls tightening around him, knows you're close.

"Jihoon," you gasp, breaking the kiss. "I'm close..."

He nods, understanding. His hand snakes between your bodies, finding your clit. He circles it with his thumb, matching the rhythm of his thrusts.

"Come for me," he urges, his voice low and husky. "Let me see you fall apart."

Your body responds to his words, to his touch. You're trembling beneath him, teetering on the edge of bliss. Jihoon watches in awe as pleasure washes over you. Your back arches, pressing your chest against his. Your walls clench around him, pulsing with your release. The sight of you coming undone, combined with the feeling of you tightening around him, pushes Jihoon over the edge.

He buries his face in the crook of your neck, muffling his groan as his hips stutter, driving deep as he spills inside you. For a moment, the world narrows to just the two of you, bodies intertwined, breaths mingling.

As the waves of pleasure subside, reality begins to creep back in. Jihoon lifts his head, meeting your gaze. There's a mix of emotions in your eyes - satisfaction, affection, and a hint of guilt. He knows his own expression must mirror yours.

Slowly, carefully, he pulls out and lies beside you on the narrow couch. You turn to face him, and he reaches out to brush a strand of hair from your face. The gesture is tender, intimate in a way that makes his heart ache. Just tonight, he reminds himself. Only for tonight.

"Are you okay?" he asks softly, searching your face for any sign of regret.

Your tears start anew, and Jihoon swears he can hear his own heart crumbling. “Fuck,” you whimper, pulling at the ends of your hair. “Fuck! Jihoon, what did we just do?”

His body aches for you, his soul hungers for yours, but all he can offer is his embrace as he held you close against his chest. He can feel your tears, hot and guilt-ridden, and he feels like he’s just made the biggest mistake in the world.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his own tears falling onto your hair.

Sleep comes slowly, hours later, as the night ends and the next morning begins. It takes him hours to calm your breathing, to soothe your tears, to coax you into a fitful sleep.

He’s sure he’ll never sleep again.

But when he wakes, you’re gone - every trace of you that he had tried so desperately to memorize has been wiped clean from his apartment. It was as if you had never been there at all.

This is what hell feels like, Jihoon thinks to himself.

In the dark, Jihoon learned how to break you apart and build you back together — but in the harsh light of day, it’s him that’s left broken. 

[lee-laurent]

Ensnared - Luke Hughes

Summary: There's something suspicious about Luke's new girlfriend

content: swearing, angst, some fluff, supernatural aspects, spooky (a little)

wc: 7.4k

notes: ik i'm a few days late from halloween but i really wanted to put out a supernatural-esque fic for you guys! halloweekend was insane for me so again sorry this is almost a week post-halloween! hope you guys like this as much as i enjoyed writing it!! this is different than my usual stuff but i still love it

The lights were dimmed low in the apartment, the only glow coming from some twinkling fairy lights and candles flickering in jack-o'-lanterns. Luke could feel the music in his chest as he stood near the kitchen counter, nursing a beer. He usually didn't go all out for Halloween, but Jack had insisted he join the team for their party, saying her needed to get out and let loose. They'd even coaxed him into a costume--one of his jerseys and some fake scars on his face, almost too close to his usual look to be considered a costume.

"Lighten up, Lukey!" Jack clapped him on the back, grinning through his over-the-top vampire costume, his girlfriend tucked close to his side. "It's Halloween! Have some fun!"

Luke rolled his eyes, but cracked a smile. He scanned the room lazily, half-focused on all his friends and chaos of laughter and music. He was just about to glance away when he saw her.

She was standing alone, near the edge of the room, and she was... stunning. Her hair spilled over her shoulders like waves, catching the dim light and shimmering in shades that seemed almost impossible--dark but with an almost etheral glow. Her dress, flowing and midnight blue, hugged her figure perfectly, and she moved with a calm, mesmerizing grace that cut through the noise of the crowd.

Their eyes met, and his stomach flipped.

"See something you like, bro?" Jack nudged him, following his gaze, his girlfriend giggling beside him. Luke blinked, snapping out of his trance. He could feel his cheeks heating up, and Jack just laughed, rolling his eyes. "Go talk to her, dude. Looks like she's waiting for someone to notice her."

Luke hesitated, but something inside him urged him forward. He took a deep breath, gripping his drink a little tighter, and started weaving through the crowd until he reached her side. She looked up, her eyes catching his with an intensity that felt magnetic. They were deep and dark, like the ocean at night--bottomless, mysterious, dangerous.

"Hi," he managed, suddenly feeling like he'd forgotten how to form sentences.

A smile played at her lips. "Hi," she replied, her voice smooth and musical, like a song he'd heard once but couldn't quite remember.

For a moment, they just stood there, caught in the haze of the party, but it was like nothing else mattered. Luke felt a strange pull, something unexplainable that made him want to stay rooted there, by her side.

"I'm Luke," his voice sounded breathless even to him.

"Marina." Her named rolled off her tongue like silk, and she extended her hand. When he shook it, her touch was warm, but it sent a chill straight to his core, leaving a strange tingling feeling where their fingers had connected.

"Not much for Halloween parties?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too awkward.

She shrugged, her smile mysterious. "I don't usually come to things like this. But... something told me tonight was worth it."

His pulse quickened. It was probably nothing, but he felt like she was looking right through him, reading him in a way that made him nervous. He shook it off, laughing a little. "Well, welcome to the chaos. It's a bit wild, but it's a good time, I think."

"Chaos isn't always a bad thing," she leaned in a bit closer. "Sometimes it's exactly what we need."

Her words seemed to have a hypnotic effect on him, and he found himself nodding, his gaze locked with hers. Everything in the background faded. He could barely remember what he'd been thinking about just minutes before.

"Luke!" Nico's voice cut through his trance. Luke flinched, snapping his head toward Nico, who was standing with a raised eyebrow, watching the two of them with curiosity. He smiled, but there was a strange look in his eyes, like he'd interrupted something he didn't trust.

"Oh, hey, Nico," Luke blinked, trying to shake off the foggy feeling. He looked back at Marina, but she didn't seem bothered by the interruption. Instead, she just offered Nico a polite smile, tilting her head in acknowledgment.

Nico's eyes flickered between them, lingering a second too long on Marina. "Just checking in, man. You've been a little quiet tonight."

Luke laughed it off, feeling a strange surge of frustration at Nico's interruption, even though he knew his friend was looking out for him. "I'm fine," he said, a little too quickly. "Just... talking."

"Alright. Just wanted to make sure you're good."

Marina's eyes glittered with amusement as Nico walked away, and she turned back to Luke. "Your friend seems... protective."

"He just worries too much," Luke replied, a bit embarrassed.

"Well," she murmured, her voice like a gentle wave lapping at the shoreline, "tonight, you don't have to worry about anything. Just... enjoy yourself."

~~

Luke couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so... alive. As the night went on, the others in the apartment had faded away into blurs, leaving him fully focused on Marina. She seemed just as absorbed in him, her dark eyes watching him with an intensity that made his pulse race.

"So," he attemped a casual smile, "how do you know everyone here?"

A wry smile danced on her lips. "I don't, actually. I just... found my way here." She shrugged one shoulder elegantly, her eyes glinting with a secret he wanted to know. "I suppose I'm just drawn to certain places. The right places."

There was a hidden meaning behind her words he couldn't shake. But her smile was so enchanting that he just nodded, leaning in a little closer. "Well, it's a good thing you came. I think I'd be bored out of mind if you hadn't."

"Oh, I doubt that." She tilted her head, considering him in a way that made his breath hitch. "You seem like you're never bored, Luke Hughes."

He blinked, surprised that she knew his last name when he hadn't mentioned it. But before he could ask, she smiled again, and he forgot his question as her hand brushed his arm--a light, fleeting touch that made his skin tingle.

"I feel like I know you already," he was surprised by his own boldness. He wanted to be seen by her, he wanted her to know everything about him.

"Do you?" her smile was amused. "Maybe you do. I have a way of... drawing people to me." Her words were like a whisper, her eyes locked on his. "I suppose I'm a bit of a mystery. Not quite from here, you could say."

The words made his skin prickle with something he couldn't explain. He wanted to know more, needed to know more. "What does that mean?"

"Have you ever felt like there was more to life than just... this?" she asked, gesturing to the room around them. "Like you're only seeing the tiny pieces of the world, when there's so much more hidden beneath?"

The question struck him as strange, but it made his heart race. He nodded slowly, feeling oddly exposed, as if she'd seen straight through his exterior to something he didn't know he was hiding.

"Yeah. I... guess I do."

"Good. Not many people do. You have to look a little deeper to see the real world."

A teammate's laugh broke their little moment, pulling Luke back to the sounds of the party. He noticed that the other guys had been glancing over at them, nudging each other and smirking as if to say, Look at Luke, completely spellbound.

He could almost hear Jack teasing him. Normally, he would've laughed it off, maybe shrugged and joined the guys for a drink. But tonight, none of that mattered. There was only her--only Marina.

"So, where are you from?" he asked, desperate to know more.

"Oh... a place far from here. Somewhere most people haven't seen." She lifted her glass, eyeing the liquid inside as if it were the most curious thing in the world. "You know, I haven't tasted something like this in... well, centuries, it feels like."

He laughed, but her eyes were dead serious. The chill that ran down his spine was unmistakable, and he felt an impulse to lean in even closer, to feel her presence more fully. It had to be a joke, a weird way to add to the Halloween vibe, right?

Before he could ask, she took a slow sip, the look in her eyes mesmerizing. It was like her words had wrapped around him, drawing him into her orbit, making him feel like nothing else mattered.

"I'm glad I came tonight," she murmured, her voice soft, almost as if she were speaking only to herself. "Sometimes, it's hard to find people who understand... the way things really are."

"Yeah? And how are things... really?"

"It would take more than one night to tell you that. But perhaps we'll have more time. If you want."

"I do," he said instantly, without even thinking. The words felt natural, as if she'd pulled them from him somehow.

She seemed satisfied, giving a small, mysterious nod before she leaned in close, brushing his cheek with a touch that sent shivers down his spine. Her lips were close to his ear, her breath warm. "Until next time, then."

And with that, she was gone. She drifted away through the crowd, disappearing like it was a dream. Luke tried to follow her, to catch one last glimpse, but the crowd thickened, and no matter which way he turned, he couldn't find her.

He stood there, dumbfounded, feeling as if a spell had just been broken--but only for a second. His head was spinning, and he felt her presence lingering like a haunting melody that he couldn't shake.

"Well, Luke, looks like you've got a new fan," Nico said from behind him.

Luke barely heard him, his mind lost in Marina's dark eyes and her words that felt like they'd been written just for him. He couldn't stop thinking about her, his heart aching with an unexplainable longing. She'd carved herself into his memory, and he knew, even as he lay awake hours later, that he was already falling, deeper than ever before.

~~

Two mornings later, Luke was the first on the rink. Or, more accurately, the first one pacing the outside of the rink with an ear-to-ear grin on his face, his mind so far from hockey he might as well have been somewhere completely different. When the guys started trickling in, he didn't notice; he was scrolling through his phone, texting with a smile that hadn't left his face since last night.

Jack was the first to notice, elbowing Nico as he smirked. "Look at him," he whispered with a grin. "Our boy's got it bad."

Nico glanced over, amused but slightly concerned. "Bad? He met her two nights ago. Doesn't usually happen that fast, you know?"

"Oh, come on, Nico," Jack laughed, watching Luke's dazed, half-grinning expression with a proud, older-brother look. "Kid's in love. And he deserves it, doesn't he? Especially after all those jokes about him being too serious." He shook his head. "I'm just glad he's finally letting loose."

Nico was unconvinced. He frowned, noticing how Luke seemed glued to his phone, as if he couldn't bear to be away from it for even a second. The more Nico watched him, the more a strange, uneasy feeling settled in his gut. "It just... I dunno. It's a little fast, don't ya think?"

Jack shrugged, laughing. "Well, I for one am happy for him. Let's leave him alone."

Nico nodded slowly, but he couldn't help glancing back at Luke. Something about the way he was acting felt off--almost like he was in a trance. Usually, Jack would be the first to hit the ice, focused and ready to warm up, but he hadn't even looked up from his phone.

As practice began, Luke finally put his phone away, but Nico kept watching him. Every few minutes, Luke's gaze would drift to the door of the locker room, like he was waiting for a message. When drills started, his usually sharp reflexes were sluggish, his focus absent. He missed passes, stumbled through plays, and even forgot his positioning once or twice, much to the coach's frustration.

Jack just laughed it off. "Guess he's got other things on his mind," he joked.

Nico, however, wasn't laughing. When they had a break, he approached Luke, trying to keep things light. "So... someone had a good night at the party, huh?"

Luke grinned, his eyes lighting up at the mere mention of Marina. "Yeah... Yeah, I did. She's... different, ya know? I don't think I've ever met anyone like her."

"Different, huh?" The captain raised an eyebrow. "What's so different about her?"

Luke hesitated, as if he couldn't find the words to explain it. He just shook his head, his eyes a little distant. "She just... gets me. Like, she understands stuff that most people wouldn't, y'know? And when I'm with her, it's like everything else fades away. Like I'm in a dream."

Nico's concern deepened. "A dream? Don't you think it's a little... strange to feel that way this fast?"

But Luke laughed it off just like his brother. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's not like anything I've ever felt before. And she--" He stopped, his eyes glazing over a little. "I dunno. She just knows things."

"Like what?"

Luke hesitated again, a dreamy look on his face. "The other night... she knew stuff about me I didn't even tell her. Like, personal stuff." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but... it feels like I've known her for years. Like she's been a part of me."

Nico forced a smile, trying to hide the unease he felt. "Yeah, maybe. Just... be careful, okay?"

But Luke barely heard him again. As soon as a notification buzzed on his phone, his eyes lit up, and he pulled it out, smiling as he read a message from her. Nico had never seen Luke act this way before, and something told him that whatever hold Marina had on Luke wasn't as innocent as it seemed.

~~

By the end of the week, the changes in Luke were impossible to ignore. His dedication to hockey--a commitement that had been rock-solid--was slipping. He was often late to practice, distracted, or exhausted. Once, Nico caught him sneaking off during a break, texting Marina with an intensity that bordered on obsession.

"Luke," Nico said, "are you even here right now? Or have you mentally checked out?"

Luke blinked, looking up from his phone like he'd forgotten where he was. "I'm here," he mumbled, though his fingers were itching to reply to Marina's last message.

"Dude, you're supposed to be focusing on pratice," Nico pressed, trying not to sound annoyed. "Are you okay?"

Luke looked at him, and for a moment, his expression was almost... irritated. "I am focused. Just... I don't know, she's different. It's like I need to be with her, Nico."

"Need? That's... not normal, man."

Just then, Jack bounded over, rolling his eyes at the serious expression on Nico's face. "Nico, come on, cut the guy some slack! He's got a girl he's crazy about, so what?" He threw an arm around Luke's shoulders. "Let him enjoy it! We don't all find someone like that."

Luke managed a smile, grateful for Jack's support, and Jack flashed Nico a pointed look, telling him to drop it.

But Nico couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Luke was acting like someone else, like he'd been changed. And it was more than just puppy love; it was like he was under a spell, an invisible tether he couldn't escape from. The idea sounded ridiculous--more like a Halloween ghost story than anything else--but he couldn't ignore what he'd been seeing.

That night, Nico lay awake, mulling over everything Luke had told him about Marina. He couldn't help thinking back to the way she'd looked at him that night, her eyes dark and knowing. There had been something about her... something he couldn't put into a words. A feeling he couldn't shake.

Then a memory hit him--something he'd heard, maybe just a legend, about people who could captivate others in ways that defied logic. He'd thought it was just a fairy tale, but now... he wasn't so sure.

The next morning, he found Luke standing alone by the rink, staring at his phone. "Still thinking about her?" Nico asked.

Luke glanced up, his expression... pained. "It's weird," he mumbled. "It's like she's in my head. I can't stop thinking about her."

Nico's concern turned to alarm. This was more than a crush. Something deeper, darker, was at play. "Luke, maybe you need to take a break from her Just... clear your head."

Luke scowled, his posture becoming defensive. "Why are you so against her, Nico? You don't even know her!"

"Maybe. But I know you. And this isn't you, Luke."

Luke looked taken aback, his gaze flashing with a strange confusion. But then he shook his head, pocketing his phone. "You don't understand, Nico. You can't understand."

As Luke walked away, Nico felt a chill run down his spine. He was certain now--Marina wasn't just any girl. And he was going to find out exactly who she was, no matter what it took.

~~

Luke's sense of time was blurring. He couldn't pinpoint when he started feeling that itch to see her every moment he could. It was like he attached to a rope that kept pulling him back, drawing him in like never before. Marina had become his every thought, every second between practice and sleept spent waiting for her texts, which came at odd hours, often in the dead of night.

Every time they met, it was somewhere new, somewhere unexpected. She would send him cryptic directions that led to hidden spots in the city--places he hadn't known existed. First, it had been a secluded coffee shop by the river, only open after hours. Then, it was an abandoned rooftop overlooking the city, their eyes reflecting the city's pulse.

Tonight, she'd told him to meet at the edge of an old, overgrown park on the outskirts of town. Luke had hesitated as he looked around the deserted space, but as soon as she appeared, a smile on her lips, his hesitation melted. She took his hand, her fingers warm against his cold skin, and led him deeper into the park, away from the faint street lights.

"You like these places," he remarked, his voice detached, like he was in a dream.

She laughed softly, her voice weaving through the trees. "I like places that feel... hidden. They're more real, don't you think? Not so tied to the world that everyone wants you to see."

Luke nodded. It felt like she was speaking a language he barely understood but wanted to, needed to. "Yeah. Like... like they're just for us."

Marina turned, her eyes catching his with that same magnetic intensity she always had. "Exactly," she whispered, her fingers trailing up his arm. "It's like you know what I'm thinking."

"I... yeah. Sometime I feel that."

They stood close, her presence enveloping him like the night itself. She was so close that he could see the way her pupils dilated. "And that's why I like being with you, Luke. You're... different."

She knew exactly how to make him feel like the only person in the world. Any doubts he had, any worries that flitted across his mind about her or the way he felt... they all vanished the moment she looked at him. She didn't even have to speak; just a touch, a glance, and he was hers, swept into a current he couldn't control.

~~

While Luke disappeared into the night, Nico sat in his apartment, his laptop open as he scrolled through Marina's social media for the third time that evening. He knew was overstepping, but his gut wouldn't let this go. Something wasn't right, and he was going to prove it.

He started with her photos, but that only added to his unease. Her account was full of pictures, but they were... strange. Oddly curated, almost impersonal, yet haunting. Most were places, landscapes with a dark, moody atmosphere--misty forests, empty fields, waves crashing against cliffs. When she did appear in her own photos, her face was always turned away or obscured, as if she were more a shadow than a person. And what really struck him was the dates. The photos went back years, yet she looked exactly the same in every single one.

He clicked on one from nearly eight years ago, studying it closely. She was sitting on a rock by the sea, her hair blowing in the wind, a distant look on her face. The style was modern, but there was something timeless about it, something off. And as he compared her current photos to older ones, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were... staged. As if she'd been posing in the same way for decades.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard. He tried to tell himself it was a coincidence, that maybe she just had a certain aesthetic she liked, but it wasn't convincing. Frustrated, he swtiched tabs, digging through online archives, local stories, anything that could give him more information. But her trail seemed to vanish whenever he got close, she was like a ghost, slipping just out of reach.

He leaned back, rubbing his temples, trying to shake off all the bad feelings. He didn't want to believe it, but the more he found, the more he was convinced: Marina was hiding something, and it was bigger than he'd realized.

~~

Back in the deserted park, Luke and Marina sat side by side on a bench, the shadows thickening around them. Her presence was intoxicating, and he found himself leaning ever closer, mesmerized by her voice.

"Do you ever wonder what lies beyond this world?"

"What do you mean?"

"Life... it's just the surface of something much deeper. Most people never even notice. But you... I think you can see it." She looked at him, her eyes sharp and assessing. "Can't you feel it, Luke? Like there's something you're missing, something just out of reach?"

He nodded slowly, his words tugging at something deep inside him. It felt like she was speaking directly to a hidden part of his soul. "Yeah. I... I think I do."

She smiled, and he could've sworn her eyes darkened, just for a second. "Good," she murmured, intertwining her fingers with his. "Maybe one day, I'll show you."

He felt a thrill run through him. The way she said it felt like a promise, like she was offering him something no one else could. Any lingering doubt melted away, replaced by a hunger to know more, to fall deeper into whatever spell she'd woven around him.

~~

It was nearly midnight when Nico stumbled onto a page in an old forum discussing local legends and folklore. The story that caught his eye created goosebumps all over his arms.

It was a tale about a woman who had been seen over the centuries, known for enchanting young men, leading them away to secluded places and leaving them forever changed--or worse, vanishing altogether. The description was vague, but certain details matched perfectly: her beauty, her mysterious nature, her tendency to appear and disappear without a trace.

His hands shook as he read the final line. According to the legend, she was a siren of sorts, feeding on the very essence of those she captivated. Her name wasn't mentioned, it didn't need to be. Every instinct screamed that it was her. Marina.

Without wasting another second, Nico grabbed his phone, dialing Luke's number. He had to tell him, had to warn him--whatever Marina was, she wasn't just another girl. But the call went to voicemail, and Nico cursed under his breath. Luke was probably with her right now, deep under her spell.

As he hung up, Nico felt an icy dread settle over him. He only hoped he wasn't too late.

~~

The tension in the locker room was nearly tangible. Practice had just ended, and the rest of the team had headed out, but Nico stayed behind, watching Luke as he packed his things, his phone glued to his hand. His face softened whenever a message from Marina popped up, an unmistakable grin on his face every time without fail.

"Nico? You need something?" Luke asked, sensing his friend's presence behind him.

"Yeah. I need to talk to you. It's... important."

Luke finally glanced up, frowning. "About what?"

"About Marina," Nico said, his voice sharper than he intended. He saw the immediate defensiveness flash in Luke's eyes and rushed to explain before he could be cut off. "Look, man, just... hear me out, okay? I've been doing some research, and there are things about her that don't make sense."

Luke's expression hardened, his grip tightening on his phone. "Seriously, Nico? You're still on about that?"

"Yes, and I'm not saying this to mess with you. I'm saying it because I care about you," Nico replied. "There's something about her that feels... wrong. I don't think she's who she says she is."

Luke shook his head, laughing bitterly. "This is ridiculous. She's not some villain, Nico."

"I know how it sounds, but just listen to me. I looked her up. Her social media, her background--none of it adds up. She's been posting the same pictures for years, looking exactly the same. She's told you things that don't make sense, like... like how she's been around for centuries, or how she's from some place that 'no one's ever seen.' Doesn't that make you wonder, even a little?"

"You're really going to dig into her past? Based on... what, a feeling?"

"It's not just a feeling!" Nico snapped, frustration boiling over. "I think she's dangerous, Luke. She's got you wrapped around her finger, and it's not normal. You're not acting like yourself anymore. You're late to practice, you're distracted, always with your phone in your hand like you're waiting for her next command. You don't even see it!"

"This is insane, Nico! You don't know her like I do. You've never felt this way about someone, have you? You don't know what it's like."

"Maybe not, but I do know what it's like to care about my friends and want to keep them safe. I don't want you getting hurt, Luke."

"I'm not getting hurt! I'm... happy. She makes me happy, and for some reason, you can't stand that," Luke shot back, his voice trembling with anger. "Ever since I met her, you've been trying to find something wrong with her. You're just... you're jealous, or you're mad that I finally found someone I actually care about."

"Jealous? I'm trying to help you, Luke! Do you hear yourself? You're so deep under her spell that you can't even see what she's doing to you. You've barely been yourself since she came into your life."

"Maybe that's what you don't get," Luke replied, tone cold. "Maybe I'm finally being who I'm supposed to be, and she's the only one who understands that."

Nico stared at him, almost at a loss. He could see the intensity in Luke's eyes, an intensity that didn't feel... real. It felt like someone else was looking back at him, not Luke. He had no idea how much of Luke was even left, how much of him was already lost to Marina.

"Luke," Nico said softly, taking a step closer, "you don't even sound like yourself. You've only known her for a few weeks, but you're acting like you'd give up everything just to be with her. Doesn't that scare you?"

"No. It doesn't scare me. What scares me is you, Nico. You don't get it. You're so desperate to find some fault in her that you're willing to throw me under the bus." His voice grew louder, angrier. "Maybe I'm finally moving on from all of this, and you just can't handle it."

"Luke, think about it. Every time you're with her, it's like you're... drained. You're losing yourself."

"I don't have to stand here and listen to this," Luke spat, turning and grabbing his bag.

"Luke, come on--" Nico's voice cracked. "If you walk out of here, you're letting her control you. Can't you see that?"

But Luke didn't turn around. "What I can see is that my best friend can't let me be happy. Maybe you should look at yourself, Nico. Maybe you're the one who's lost."

~~

Marina had led Luke to another place he'd never been--a small, secluded cabin tucked away on the outskirts of the city. The silence around them felt heavy.

Luke didn't ask how she'd found the place, and she didn't explain. Instead, she just smiled, her hand trailing down his arm. "Do you trust me, Luke?"

"Of course."

"Good. Because I have so much more to show you. But to see it... you have to trust me completely. Can you do that?"

Luke nodded. He was ready to follow her anywhere.

~~

Nico's eyes burned from hours spent staring at his latop. He'd used the information from his previous search to find even more out about Marina. But every new lead, every story he uncovered, pointed to something far more sinister.

He stumbled across another thread of legends, all about a mysterious girl who had been seen in cities across the country, always the same striking beauty, always connected to young men who became infatuated with her. Some people claimed to have seen her over the course of decades, some even over centuries. But the worst part? Just like the post he'd found before, all these stories ended the same. The men either disappeared without a trace or were left broken, mere shadows of themselves, haunted by her memory.

One story in particular caught his attention: it was a newspaper clipping from a small town across the state. A local athlete, promising and ambitious, had vanished after meeting a girl who fit Marina's exact description. Friends said he had acted strangely, obsessed with her, and when he disppeared, they'd found no evidence of foul play. The town had written it off as a tragedy, but a few people had claimed there was more to it--that the girl was not human.

His instincts had been right, but this truth was more horrifying than he'd anticipated.

Every cell in his body screamed at him to warn his friend, to get him out of Marina's reach. Would Luke even listen? After their last fight, Luke had made it clear he didn't want Nico's "help."

Still, Nico knew he couldn't give up. He had to try.

~~

Across town, Luke was with Marina in her small, dimly lit apartment. The room was filled with things he couldn't quite place--strange, intricate trinkets on the shelves, books with covers that looked centuries old. Everything about her was extraordinary.

"There's something I need to tell you," she murmured.

"Anything."

Marina sighed, looking away from him. "It's about your friend, Nico. He... he doesn't understand what we have, Luke."

Luke frowned, irritation flaring inside him. "What do you mean?"

"Nico's been... watching me, hasn't he? Digging into my past, trying to... find something wrong with me."

"Yeah, he has," he admitted. "But he's just protective. He doesn't know you like I do."

Marina's hand brushed his cheek, her touch warm and soothing. "It's more than that, Luke," she whispered. "Nico's afraid of what he doesn't understand. People always are." Her voice was soft, almost sad. "But he's not just afraid. He wants to keep you away from me. He wants to ruin what we have."

Luke felt a surge of anger at the thought. The way she said it made Nico's actions seem cruel, possessive. He hadn't thought about it that way, but hearing her say it--it made sense. Nico had been relentless, unwilling to let him find happiness with Marina. And for what? Because he didn't like her?

"I think... maybe he wants you just to focus on hockey and your friendship. Or maybe he's jealous that you've found someone who understands you."

Luke's brow knitted together, a part of him resisting, not wanting to believe it. But Marina's voice, her touch--they wrapped around him, making it feel real, as if Nico's actions were all part of some deeper betrayal. "Nico would never..."

Her gaze softened, but there was still something sharp and calculating in her eyes. "Sometimes, the people closest to us don't want to see us happy, Luke. They want us to stay close to them, just so they can feel safe. He doesn't understand what we have, and he doesn't want to."

He'd trusted Nico for years, and to think that his friend would stand in the way of his happiness, just because he didn't like Marina...

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "I don't care what Nico thinks," he said firmly. "I'm not letting him ruin this for us. I'm staying with you."

"I knew you would," she rested her head against his chest. "But you need to be careful, Luke. People will say things about me, try to turn you against me. They don't understand what we have... but that doesn't matter, does it?"

"No. It doesn't matter at all."

~~

Nico tried calling Luke again, his heart pounding with every unanswered ring. But he got nothing--only Luke's voicemail, each message left sounding more desperate than the last. Frustration boiled in him and he decided he could't just sit there. He needed to find Luke, even if it meant going to Marina's place and dragging him out himself.

As he left, he thought over everything he'd learned about Marina, every detail of the stories he'd read. She was a predator, a siren of sorts, he didn't know for sure. But the pattern was always the same: men who fell under her spell, only to be broken or lost, victims of her influence.

~~

Marina had lulled Luke into a sense of calm, making him feel safe and wanted, not registering the buzzing of his phone as another call from Nico came through.

"You're sure about this Luke? You're sure you want to be with me, no matter what?"

"Of course."

"Then let go of your doubts. Let me show you what we can have together--what life can be like when there's no one holding us back."

Marina leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, "You'll never need anyone else, Luke. Not as long as you have me."

~~

The street outside Marina's apartment was eerily quiet. Nico parked his car and stared up at the dark windows, his hands clammy and heart racing. Every instinct screamed for him to turn back, but he shoved his fear aside. This was his last chance to save Luke.

He made his way to the door and knocked, his fist clenched. When Marina opened it, she seemed unsurprised, her expression calm and almost amused.

"Nico," she greeted, her voice low and mocking. "What a surprise."

He didn't waste time on pleasantries. "I need to talk to you. Now."

She smirked, stepping aside with a graceful wave of her hand. "By all means. Come in."

Marina watched him enter, her eyes predatory. "So, what brings you here? Come to tell me how much you hate me? Or perhaps... beg me to let Luke go?"

Nico's jaw tightened. "This isn't a game, Marina. I know what you are. I know what you're doing to him."

She tilted her head, smile widening. "And what exactly am I doing to him, Nico?"

"You're destroying him. I don't know how or why, but you've got him under some kind of spell, and I'm here to end it."

Marina laughed, the sound filling the room with a dark, melodic energy. "Oh, Nico," she purred. "I'm not forcing Luke to do anything. He's with me because he wants to be. Because I understand him in ways you never could."

"That's not true!" Nico retorted. "You're manipulating him, feeding on his weaknesses. He's losing himself because of you. He's not the Luke I know."

She took a step closer to him, smile fading, and for the first time, her calm façade slipped. A flash of something dark, something ancient, crossed her face--a flicker of supernatural beauty that made her features seem sharper, more otherworldly. Her eyes glowed faintly, like embers hidden in the dark.

"I don't know who you are," he said, his voice unsteady, "but you're not going to have him. You're done with him. Let him go."

She arched a brow, her smile twisting into something cruel. "You think you can save him, Nico?" she asked, her voice laced with venom. "You think you have what it takes to pull him away from me? He's mine now."

"No. He's my friend. And I'll do whatever it takes to bring him back."

At that moment, the door behind them opened, and Nico turned to see Luke standing there with a bag of food in hand, his expression conflicted.

"Luke," Nico took a step toward him. "You have to listen to me. She's not who you think she is."

"Why are you here, Nico?" his voice carried a hint of accusation.

"Because I care about you, and I know what she's doing to you," Nico's words were rushed. "She's not just some girl, Luke. She's... she's something else. Like a siren. She's using you."

Marina moved to stand beside Luke, slipping her arm around him. Her touch seemed to calm him, his tense expression softening.

"Luke. You don't have to listen to him. He doesn't understand us, what we have together."

His defences slipped as he gazed down at her, and Nico's heart sank. It was like Marina's hold on him was too strong, she'd wrapped him in a web he couldn't break free from.

But Nico wasn't giving up. In a last, desperate attempt, he pulled out his phone, opening a recording he'd taken from his research--a clip from an interview with a historian who'd studied local legends, including the strange, eerie sightings of Marina over the decades.

"Luke. Listen to this."

Luke glanced down at the screen, but Marina's expression shifted. A flicker of something like fear crossed her face, but she quickly masked it.

The recording played, the historian's voice low and serious. "Throughout the years, there have been sightings of a woman described as hauntingly beautiful, appearing near young men who later exhibited strange behaviour--infatuation, detachment from their families, and in some cases, even disappearance. She's known by different names, but the pattern is always the same. She entrances her victims, drawing them away, leaving nothing but traces of a faded life."

The words sank in slowly, Luke's face twisting. But he glanced at Marina, who was looking up at him, eyes wide and pleading.

"Luke, it's... not what you think," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Don't listen to him. He's trying to tear us apart."

Luke looked at her, his hand shaking slightly. "Marina... is it true?" His voice was barely a whisper.

The softness in her gaze vanished, replaced by a cold, dark expression. Her eyes flashed with that unnatural gleam again, her voice dropping low. "I told you, Luke. I warned you that others wouldn't understand us."

Luke's breath hitched, and for the first time, he looked truly afraid. "Marina... what are you?"

"I am what I am, Luke. And I never lied to you about that."

Shock and betrayal crossed Luke's face, the spell around him cracking just enough for doubt to creep in.

"Luke," Nico said quietly, "remember the first time you told me about her? You said she seemed too perfect, too good to be real. You knew something was wrong, even then. Don't let her control you."

Luke looked between Nico and Marina, his mind racing, trying to reconcile the dream he'd been living with the nightmare it'd become.

Marina reached for him, her hand hovering near him his face. "Don't listen to him, Luke. I can show you things you've never dreamed of. I can give you everything."

But Luke stood a step back. "No... no, I can't..." He shook his head, looking at her with dawning horror. "I can't stay with you."

"Very well," her voice dripped with disdain. "But remember, Luke--you came to me. You wanted this."

With a final glance, she disappeared into the shadows, her form dissolving like mist, leaving a chilling silence in her wake.

Nico steadied Luke as he swayed, his face pale. "You okay?"

"I... I don't know what I was thinking. It's like I was in a fog."

"You're safe now," Nico assured him. "She's gone."

But as they left, Luke cast one last glance over his shoulder, wondering if Marina was truly gone--or if she was just waiting for another chance to lure him back.

~~

Luke sat alone in the quiet of the rink. He took a shaky breath, feeling like he'd just woken up from a long, twisted dream. His mind replayed the last few weeks--how he'd fallen for her so fast, how she'd made him feel like no one else existed. Now that the spell was broken, the memories felt blurry, unreal, like a fever dream.

He barely remembered leaving her apartment. Nico had driven him home, guiding him to bed like a ghost, his mind empty and aching. He was grateful for Nico, though he hadn't been able to say much but a quiet "thank you." How could he explain what happened to anyone?

The sound of footsteps jolted him to the present, and he looked up to see Jack, Nico, and a few of the others guys looking concerned.

"Hey, man," Jack said softly, sitting beside him. "You, uh... you doing okay?"

Luke nodded slowly, though he wasn't sure he believed it himself. "I... yeah. I think so." He managed a weak smile. "Feels like I've been gone for a while, huh?"

Jack chuckled, though his voice was strained. "Just a bit. Had us worried."

"You're back now. That's what matters," Nico addded.

Jack turned to their captain, a sheepish look on his face. "Hey, man... I guess I owe you an apology." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking genuinely embarrassed. "I thought you were just being overprotective. But you... you knew something was off."

Nico shrugged. "You were just looking for him. We both were."

The other guys gathered around, patting Luke's shoulders, offering words of encouragement. For the first time in days, Luke felt grounded, his friends' helping to anchor him. But the haunting memories of Marina still lingered.

As they talked, Luke glanced around the rink, half expecting to see her standing in the shadows, watching him with that dark, knowing smile. He shook his head, reminding himself that she was gone. She had to be gone.

Jack’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Luke.”

He forced a laugh, shrugging it off. “Maybe I have."

~~

It took days for Luke to even slightly feel like himself again. Every night he dreamed of her. He would wake up drenched in sweat, the memories leaving him shaken, unable to stop feeling like she was still there somehow.

One evening, after practice, he walked alone through the streets, trying to clear his mind. He passed a bustling café, the windows lit warmly against the growing darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of dark hair, a glimpse of a figure that made his heart stop. He turned quickly, his eyes searching the faces inside.

There--by the window, staring right at him--was Marina. She was as beautiful as ever, smiling at him. But when he blinked, she was gone, leaving only an empty seat where she'd once been. A cold sweat broke out over his skin. He backed away, she was still watching him, somehow... some way.

He walked away quickly, when he heard something. A whisper that was barely there. Barely audible.

I'm never far, Luke.

But there was no one. Only the empty street.

With a shiver, he continued, refusing to let himself dwell on the feeling that she might always be lurking, somewhere just beyond his reach.

[lukalnst]

o em gee i was so happy to discover you and that you also wrote for alien stage! i’ve loved all of ur works so for and i couldn’t help but want to request something as well! would it be possible to request some hurt/comfort with till from alien stage? maybe you both got into a little fight or ur jealous abt something idk im not vv creative but feel free to skip this if you like! thank you for reading and have a great day <333

Jealousy + Till x Reader

Includes: Hurt/comfort, gender neutral reader, eventual fluff don't worry,,, light angst , a few kisses , short

A/N: I'm so glad you were happy to discover me heehhee ^.^

If it was jealousy, you were used to it.

Still, you really couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous when Till spent time with other people — yes, you couldn't have him all to yourself all the time, so you had to share him with other people... Still, you couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

The way he expressed himself with other people was... different. He was different when he was with you and when he was with others. Did he not feel safe enough with you? Were you not good enough of a partner? Many questions filled your mind, most of which you guessed would remain unanswered as for now.

He also seemed... content to be with other people. What if he found someone else who was better than you? Someone who made him feel more loved than you could ever make him feel?

It hurt so much just to think about it.

Eventually, you had grown distant from him. This didn't go unnoticed by Till, though. He noticed the small changes in your demeanor, the way you wouldn't share as much about yourself as you used to do.

One day, while you two were lying in bed, he tried to place his hand on your shoulder, to which you just moved away slightly. He couldn't pretend as if things were alright anymore.

First, he called out your name. "Hey. I can tell somethin' is wrong. Do you wanna talk about it?" his voice seemed to be gentler than usual, if you were upset, he didn't want to make you feel worse than you probably already were.

You stayed silent for a while, and you felt a small knot form in your throat. Despite this, you decided to reply. "It's – well... you just seem so happy to be with others, and... I'm not sure if you will be happy with me," you continued. "I mean.. what if you find someone better?" Your voice slightly cracked.

Till himself was familiar with feelings of jealousy, but he was much more shy about them. That wasn't what he wanted to focus on right now, though. "Someone better?" he asked.

"I really don't want anyone else, I want you. I don't care for others, really," He positioned himself so you could maintain eye contact with him better. "I want you with all of your flaws and imperfections... All that sappy stuff, I want you with all of your qualities."

Your eyes were filled with tears soon enough, many of whom were spilled and had started to run down your face. He wanted you with all of your insecurities — he managed to see right through them, too.

"Hey, don't cry," He uttered out. He was quick to wrap his arms around you and softly kiss your tears away. "I love you, so be happy, okay?" He planted a soft kiss on your cheek.

You hadn't exactly had someone care this much about you... most people wouldn't care to reassure or comfort you, but Till was different.

"One day, it'll just be two of us. You can ignore all the pricks who ever tried to take my attention away from you." He smiled softly at you, something which was an unfamiliar sight for others to see.

As he softly held you in his arms, you knew you'd be safe with him. He wasn't going to find someone better or leave you anytime soon. At least, that's what you wanted to tell yourself.

He softly whispered small words of reassurance into your ear, then pressed his lips against your own.

[in1-nutshell]

After seeing the ophelia in idw posts I'm really curious about what would Ironhold be like in idw like,

Would they also leave the decepticons? If so, what made them leave? Did their father also shoot them in this universe? Did they realise that their faction had strayed too far from its original goal? Did they defect to the autobots? Would the autobots really accept them? Or do they go neutral?

But if they don't leave, how did they feel about Megatron leaving? In either of those scenarios, what is their relationship with the decepticons? The autobots? Where do they go after the war is over?

I just really like them a lot :D

Here comes Ironhold!

IDW Ironhold

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Angst, Mention of injury, Cybertronian reader

IDW/MTMTE

They were a young gladiator when they first met Megatron.

A big fan of Megatron’s work, both in the arena and his writings.

Megatron was a bit curious about the young bot who seemed to follow him almost anywhere they were allowed to go.

At first it was a bit annoying to have a second shadow.

But over time he got used to having them try and chat his audials off.

Megatron walks down the corridor. Rapid pedes steps are heard. The young bot starts calling his name. Megatron: “Yes… umm…” I-035: “I’m I-035, sir!” Megatron winces a bit at the word ‘sir’. He wasn’t that old… Megatron hums as he continues walking. I-035 follows closely behind him. I-035: “There is so much I want to talk to you about! Like how did you find the perfect moves to execute a bot? When did you learn? Do you have a teacher? Can you be my teacher!?” Random gladiator bot: “Will you shut it! I think you’d do us all a favor you miserably little—” The bot stops once Megatron’s glare landed on him. The bot grumbles as he purposely bumps into the younger bot. I-035 grumbles a bit at the shove, but quickly replaced by a smile looking at Megatron. Megatron gives them a faint smile as they continue their walk.

Constantly chatting about their upcoming fights and praising his signature death blows.

He didn’t want to admit it, but the younger bot was slowly growing on him.

The older mech even started helping them train.

Megatron found himself going to watch their fights, admittedly impressed and smiling when he saw them execute one of his moves with extreme precision.

He couldn’t feel any prouder of his pupil.

Sadly, their happy times came to an end when Megatron was sent to another arena.

It would be a couple of years before Megatron would reunite with them once again.

Megatron is walking through the crowd of bots at his recent gathering. He spots a familiar bot dragging someone to him. It was Deadlock. Deadlock: “Megatron! Megatron!” Megatron smiles at the new Decepticon. Deadlock: “I want you to meet a friend of mine.” I-035 stares wide optic at the larger grey mech. A smile starts forming. They take their servo out. I-035: “Megatron, long time no, see?” Megatron mirrors their smile and shakes it before noticing the badge on their chassis. Megatron: “I see you chose a side.” The glistening Decepticon insignia matches the light in their optics. I-035: “Just following an old mentors pedesteps, and hoping he might still have some things to teach me?” Megatron chuckles a bit. Megatron: “Maybe this old mentor wants the both of you in his inner circle.” Deadlock and I-035 look at each other in surprise. They look at each other, almost as if having a silent conversation before I-035 turns to the grey mech. I-035: “We’d be honored Megatron.”

It wouldn’t be long before Megatron would give them a ‘proper’ name.

Quickly, the name Ironhold became associated with the causes goal.

The old ones at least…

It would also be a couple of months before the war would have started.

To the Autobots, the name Ironhold was one of the most feared names on the battlefield.

They were infamously known for their efficiency of taking out bots and strongholds assigned to them.

It only made sense being one of Megatron’s most trusted Con’s.

To the Decepticons, it was a bit of a different story.

They were still known for their efficiency and work, but they were a good bot.

Ironhold often looked out for their fellow soldiers and ‘family’.

Throughout the years, they even earned the title as ‘Megatron’s Child’.

They were a bit embarrassed by this at first, but when Megatron soon calling them ‘his child’, they took in the title with stride.

There was no doubt that the two had grown closer, fighting alongside each other as one.

But as the war grew on, Ironhold started finding themselves getting closer with some of the other Con’s as Megatron’s fixation on Prime grew.

It would also be the time where they would begin to have their doubts about the meaning of the Decepticon cause.

It was Starscream who made them question certain things in the cause.

As much as they knew what kind of mech the Second in Command was, they still held some respect for him.

He wasn’t in that position for nothing.

And while his methods and tactics were… a bit much for Ironhold’s taste, they still respected him.

To Starscream, Ironhold was a puzzle.

How could some bot be efficient and ruthless in battle and still find it in their spark to trust and look after others?

He hated how they could be so kind and helpful to others.

This was war!

No one is supposed to be that kind!

Those kind of bots were the first ones to offline during the first DAYS of the war.

Ironhold mainly left Starscream to his own devices.

But Megatron started hurting him caught their attention.

Hurting him as punishment they understood, but not for no reason or on pseudo evidence.

Megatron launches Starscream across the room. The Seeker landing on his back. Megatron marches over and goes to punch him. The blow never came. Megatron looked to his side to see Ironhold barely holding his arm from harming the Seeker. Ironhold: “Megatron it was not him! The files were not his fault!” Starscream takes this moment to curl up closer to the wall, away from the two larger bots. Megatron: “Someone needs to pay! Or are you offering to take his place?” Ironhold: “What I’m saying is to get your helm out of your tailpipe and find some actual evidence! Not everything that goes wrong here is Starscream’s fault. We are bots who make mistakes from time to time.” Megatron sneers at them. They stand their ground. Their hold on his arm never falters. Ironhold: “Why don’t you go train or take it out on an Autobot if you still need to punch something?” Megatron roughly gets his arm from their grasp. Megatron: “This is the last time you do something like that again. Understood?” Ironhold: “Understood Megatron.” Megatron brushes past them and heads out the door. Ironhold slowly walks up to Starscream and offers him their servo. Starscream tries to get up by himself, but finds it a bit harder to do, so he does take their servo. The pair stands in silence. Starscream: “Some Decepticon you are.” Ironhold rolls their optics. Ironhold: “You’re welcome, Screamer. Let’s get you to the med bay.”

Soundwave was the mech who grounded them to the cause.

Working with Soundwave was a regular occurrence seeing that if Megatron was not involved with planning, it was them.

Soundwave didn’t mind Ironhold, finding them to be one of the only other good Con’s around that was still loyal to the cause.

This would naturally introduce them to the minicon’s.

Ironhold was one of the few Con’s that Soundwave trusted to keep them safe.

The minicons liked Ironhold enough to not cause too much trouble.

Soundwave enters the room. Ironhold has Rumble pinned with one servo to the wall while reading a data pad in the other. Frenzy was duct taped to the opposite wall. Lazerbeak and Buzzsaw were perched on a shelf. Ravage was on the berth stretching. Soundwave: “Ironhold. Explain.” Ironhold without looking up from their datapad: “I told Rumble I needed 3 minutes of quiet to read or else he would get sent to the wall.” Rumble: “I thought you meant like Frenzy!” Ironhold: “Ran out of tape. You had this coming Rumble.” Ironhold puts down the datapad and gently places Rumble back on the ground. Rumble: “You’re lucky I’m such a nice bot and not bringin’ out my pliers on your pedes!” Ironhold: “You won’t do that.” Rumble: “Really? And what makes you so sure?” Ironhold smirks at him. Ironhold: “You like me too much to do that.” Rumble starts stuttering and gets warm. Ironhold starts walking out the room. Soundwave: “You are responsible if he is broken.” Ironhold shrugs and begins to walk out the room. Soundwave telepathically: “Next time, you need to be more direct with Rumble. This horrible flirting is only going to give us all a helmache at the end of the day.” Ironhold feels their entire frame on fire. Soundwave telepathically: “Everyone knows Ironhold. Do not even attempt to deny it.” Ironhold telepathically: “…Please don’t tell Megatron.” Soundwave telepathically: “Try different tactics and we will see.” Ironhold telepathically: “Deal.”

Ironhold’s view on fighting started changing as the war dragged on for years.

Their fighting style changed as soon as they all arrived on Earth.

The Cons just thought it was their way of changing things up a bit, spicing up the old routine.

Ironhold just really didn’t want to hurt the humans.

They had nothing to do with their war, why drag them into it?

Soundwave and the mini’s had caught them saving couple of humans before, but never said anything about it.

Why would they?

It wasn’t like it was hindering Ironhold’s performance.

But they were not the only ones to stop the giant con getting humans to safety.

Many Bot including Optimus had seen Ironhold getting in danger for getting a few humans to safety.

It confused a lot of bots.

Ironhold never once thought of deserting the cause, much less defecting.

They would never betray their family like that… right?

It was a bad day.

Megatron had decided to go after a city of humans that were well away from their targeted area.

It raised a lot of warning signs for Ironhold.

This wasn’t a military advantage or their target, he was doing this for fun.

Ironhold tried to stop him, reminding him of their plans.

He didn’t listen as he rained fire on the city below.

Ironhold did their best to get as many humans to safety until the bots came.

Some of their fellow Cons tried to tell them to let it go, to let Megatron do what he does best.

Thankfully, the Bots do arrive on time.

Everything was getting too much.

The guilt was festering in their tanks seeing the human’s eyes filled with fear, anger, sadness, and so many more emotions.

They had to gently push some who were still in shock from the explosions and the fact that a Decepticon had saved them.

Was this how everyone looked at them?

They didn’t like it.

Ironhold spots Megatron aiming his fusion canon at an injured Autobot trying to shield some humans with his frame. Ironhold: “MEGATRON!” Ironhold pulls back his arm as the shot was fired upward. Megatron turned to them confused and enraged. Megatron: “Ironhold! What is the meaning of this!” Ironhold: “This isn’t even our target Megatron! We are nowhere near it! Why?!” Megatron gets his arm back. Ironhold: “We need to regroup if we are going to make it—” Megatron: “No.” Ironhold slowly realizes that this action was indeed because he wanted to. Ironhold: “These humans have done nothing for our war. Why drag them into it?” Megatron sneers at them. Megatron: “Is that insubordination my child.” Ironhold winced at the venom in their normally endearing nickname. Ironhold: “Megatron—” Megatron: “Speak again and I will terminate you myself.” Ironhold and the Autobot behind them optics widened. Ironhold stood in front of the Autobot and humans protectively. Ironhold: “If this is what the Decepticon’s stand for, I will not—” BANG! Ironhold’s frame fell on top of the Bot and humans limp, with a smoldering hole in their chassis. The battlefield had gone quiet. Megatron starts walking back from the limp frame. Megatron: “There is no use for traitors in my ranks.”

The Con’s follow their leader in shock.

Optimus and Ratchet race to the bot under Ironhold’s frame.

To their surprise, they were still online, barely managing to keep themselves from crushing the bot underneath them and the humans.

Ironhold looked at the Prime and bowed their helm.

Expecting death.

They did not expect him to tell the doctor to patch them up.

They were taken to their base where Ratchet could properly treat them before being taken into a different room for interrogation.

Ironhold half expected Prowl or Jazz to be in charge of this part.

They did not expect Optimus himself to come in.

No one heard what took place inside that room.

But after 3 days, Optimus had announced to the others that Ironhold would be joining their ranks.

This surprised a lot of bots.

Many simply refused to believe a Con as rotten as they were could never be an Autobot.

It was a rough transition.

Ironhold staying close to Optimus and Ratchet at all times before slowly integrating with the others.

They wanted nothing to do with the former Con and they did not blame them one bit.

Their saving grace came in the form of a familiar bot.

Ironhold is looking down while sitting in the corner refueling bit by bit. Smaller pedes come into their view. Ironhold: “If you are going to dump sludge on my helm again I—oh, it’s you.” It was the injured bot they had saved on that fateful day. He had a smile on his face. A kind one. It had been a while since they had gotten one of those. The bot sat down in the seat next to them holding his own cube of energon. Ironhold: “Don’t you have friends you’d rather sit with?” Hot Rod: “I was hoping you’d be one of them. I’m Hot Rod by the way.”

The conversation was a bit awkward at the beginning, mainly taking in the form of a friendly interegation before the bot left.

Ironhold was a bit surprised that the next day Hot Rod had returned to the same spot.

He even brought Bumblebee to chat with as well.

Slowly but surely ironhold started integrating into the ranks.

Ironhold knew that there were things they did that would forever stay in the minds of these bots… but they were grateful enough to call some their friends, dare they say family.

That word was a sacred one now.

The bot swore to only give the title to those worthy of it.

Truly worthy.

They made a mistake before they do not intend on doing it again.

It would be a while before Ironhold would return to the battlefield.

Mainly as a precautionary to the Cons and to the Bots getting used to them.

Thanks to some frame altercations, a fresh paintjob, and an energetic Hot Rod by their side, Ironhold soon began fighting for the Autobots.

Did it hurt to see the faces of their former ‘family’?

Yes.

Did it hurt to see that they did not recognize them?

Yes.

Did it hurt when they shielded their new friends from fusion blasts and fire?

Oh, most certainly.

On a happier note, Drift had also defected meaning they had one extra friend.

It took a lot of effort for them to start making amends, though it was mainly centered around trust.

As said before, as big and ruthless as Ironhold could get, they were still a good bot.

Timeskip after the war…

The war was over.

The Decepticons had lost.

Ironhold was at a lost.

For the first time in their life, they could stop fighting.

It felt… weird.

The sight of Cybertron made them sick to their tanks.

Too many painful wounds had been reopened.

Especially after what Megatron had done…

So, they did the next best thing, they were one of the first to sign up on Rodimus’s crew.

Ironhold is standing next to Rodimus on the bridge as the ship is starting to take off. Ironhold: “Engine’s are almost ready. I think you should take a seat Captain.” Rodimus makes a face at them. Rodimus: “Hold, what did we talk about titles?” Ironhold: “Its only out of respect Rodimus.” Rodimus: “Well, here’s an order, you can ONLY call me by my name.” Ironhold chuckles a bit. Ironhold: “Understood… Rodimus.” Rodimus: “That’s better. You know what ‘Hold, I don’t see this day possibly going wrong.” Ironhold gives him a serious look. Ironhold: “You shouldn’t say that Rodimus.” Rodimus: “And why?” Ironhold pinches their nose: “Because when someone does say that, something immediately goes wrong.” Rodimus: “You really believe in that—” BOOM! Cue the quantum engine fiasco. Ironhold accidentally falls on top of Rodimus due to the shaking. Ironhold: “I TOLD YOU!” Rodimus just wheezes as he tries to get off from underneath their giant frame.

[mrsriddlenott]

It’s Okay To Love Them Both

Mattheo Riddle x Fem!Reader x Enzo Berkshire

Kinda from all their POVs at different times. I absolutely love this and I am putting so much work into it that it is honestly funny and I’m gonna cry when I’m done🥹😂(may have gotten carried away) not entirely proofread yet.

Warnings: Fluff,Angst,Insecurities, Manipulation(kinda ig? I don’t see it as manipulative but I wanted to include the warning for ppl who don’t share that opinion), Nicknames(Princess, Gorgeous, Petal, Little Badger, etc)

*No smut but I can make a pt2 for that if it’s wanted*

{masterlist}

This was requested a LONG time ago and I REALLY hope the person who requested it is still here or in the old Taglist, I am so sorry this took so long. My brain just was not working properly for a long time but I think I am back in my groove. I have been working on this on and off for a literal YEAR so if you are not here I am so disappointed in myself for not getting it out to you.

You couldn’t pinpoint exactly when you started to fall for both the boys, but it started so innocently, and now it felt like it was always bound to grow from the very beginning. You met Enzo first, he had been assigned your tutor at the start of term thanks to your poor Potions grade every year prior. He worked with you tirelessly as though it was more than something asked of him by the head of his house, and when you inevitably out grew the need for a tutor, he invited you to your first Slytherin party as a celebration. A party that was of course thrown by his best friend. Enzo talked about Mattheo non-stop and you just had to meet him, however when he spoke with you that fateful night, you realized the trouble you were in and you just couldn’t stay away from him, you tried at first, but it was pointless.

The more you talked with them the more you felt for them. They were so easy to be around, Mattheo made you feel safe and heard, he always stood up for you even though his reputation could have been hindered by befriending a Hufflepuff. While Enzo made you feel known, he looked at you in a way that no one had before and opened your own mind up to itself. Even though they were so clearly different, as you grew closer with them, you began to notice just how similar the two were. Mattheo tried his hardest to hide it but on the inside he was the sweet boy no one saw, and Enzo had a hidden darkness within him that no one would guess, one that helped you come to terms with your own.

“Hello Princess, I’ve got a question,” Enzo stated from your side as he caught you off guard in the corridors, ripping you out of your thoughts with his smile alone. He watched you intently with his soft, safe eyes as he waited for you to respond. He was used to your adorable shocked expression by now, he knew you somehow weren’t used to this kind of attention yet, and certainly not from Slytherins, but he just couldn’t stop coming back to you. Neither of them could, so they just didn’t.

It’s not like they sat down and planned it….well not exactly. The idea was there of course, from the second Mattheo saw you he knew he wanted you he just didn’t want to hurt Enzo and even when they soon both realized they felt the same way, it wasn’t really a conscious decision….not in the beginning anyway. They’d speak to you one after the other like a pattern of turns, and never without telling each other beforehand. Eventually they started whispering about your little chats in their dorm late at night, almost debriefing the other as they reminisced and waited for their next chance to see you. It took quite awhile for the boys to realize just how far their feelings had grown, and not only for you, their own bond had been strengthened by their shared affections and time spent solely focused on you.

“Oh….what is it?” You spoke, slightly dazed after staring into Enzo’s eyes for a few seconds too many, something he reveled in as your pupils dilated and your lips formed a smile against your will. He chuckled at your nervousness, poking his elbow out for you to take as you resumed your walk to the Library, you took it immediately, settling your palm into the crook of his arm as he took your books into his free hand.

“I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?” His voice was soft, calming, and comforting as he gently guided you through the tidal wave of students suddenly parting to let him through. It shocked you how not one, but two boys of such a high popularity status seemed to care so much about your presence. At first you genuinely assumed it was some joke, a prank some classmate had put them up to maybe, but after months of the two always coming back to you and getting absolutely nothing in return, you deemed yourself safe.

“Like a….?” You started, letting your sentence die out in embarrassment of being wrong, Enzo chuckled making your stomach jump as you entered the Library, “Yes Petal, I wanna take you out on a date.” He turned to face you as he set your books on the nearest study desk, taking your hand in his as he reiterated in a soft voice, “Would you like to go on a date with me? We can do whatever you like….or we can go with my plan?”

“You….have a plan?” It wasn’t like you were new to dating or having a partner, but you certainly weren’t used to said partner putting in such effort for you, making you feel as special as Enzo and Mattheo did so easily. You gulped slightly upon remembering Mattheo, would he be mad if you said yes? Or hurt? Would he care at all? Would he plan a date for you like this?

“Is that a yes?” Enzo chuckled as he watched your brows furrow upon you falling into your thoughts again, “It’s okay if you have plans or….or don’t want to join me,” He suddenly seemed very worried, his confidence faltering as you watched his face quietly.

“Of course I want to go with you Lorenzo,” He audibly sighed at your words, a warm feeling washing over him as soon as his arms wrapped around you, his head falling heavily against your shoulder as he laughed, “Had me thinking I ruined the best part of Hogwarts Lovely.” Your giggles pulled him from his hiding spot in your neck as your hands held onto his shoulders.

“No way I am for favorite thing about Hogwarts,” You laughed with a shake of your head, avoiding his eyes as you moved away to settle into your study spot. Enzo watched you from a few feet away now, observing your genuine misbelief and wondering how you could look in the mirror everyday and not see a portrait of royal standard. How you could possibly not see that he was falling madly in love with you, certainly he wasn’t that subtle was he? He’d just have to turn in up a notch then.

“I was thinking we could get a drink at the Three Broomsticks,” his voice was low and soft as he approached you again, slowly “After which I’ll spoil us with a trip to Honeydukes,” he paused, stepping closer still as you avoided direct eye contact, “Then we can eat sweets as we take a walk around the Black Lake and talk,” you gasped as his cold fingers brushed your warm skin, pulling a strand of hair behind your ear and tracing the shape of your jaw before pulling your chin up, forcing an intense eye contact, “How does that sound?” His voice was laced with his usual confidence once again as he placed his free hand on the desk, leaning into you further and towering over you with a smile. That crooked smile that was always so contagious made it impossible to stop yourself from smiling back and agreeing to the perfect date once more.

Enzo left the Library with a triumphant grin, giving you one last glance over his shoulder and throwing you a wink, reveling in your face glowing bright red. You found it difficult to suppress giggles as you tried to work on your studying, beginning to imagine your date with Enzo instead.

~~~~

It felt like you had spent days alone in the Library working on your homework, every little thought of Enzo distracting you from the work that had accumulated in your classes this week. You regretted not asking Enzo to keep you company, even though you were such a nervous wreck around him when you were alone together you just found everything to be so much easier with him there. It was like every bit of anxiety flitted away when either of your boys were there to comfort you.

“Hey Gorgeous,” Mattheo’s smooth voice derailed your train of thought as the chair behind you loudly scraped across the dusty stone floor, making you cringe as Mattheo plopped onto the creaking wood so he was sat only inches from you. “What are you stud-“ The loud shush from Madam Pince interrupted him as he laughed and held his finger to his lips jokingly, pulling his chair impossibly closer only to slowly whisper in your ear, “What are you studying?”

You tried to hide the shiver his voice sent down your spine, tingles covering your entire body before you could gain your control, “Just Transfiguration stuff, I’m almost done though,” Mattheo hums beside you, letting you silently work as he watched your very concentrated face while you wrote. He quickly became impatient however, tapping his fingers and feet to different beats you didn’t recognize as he slouched in his chair before dramatically sighing after only a few minutes and sitting up.

“Are you done yet?” He whispered, desperate for your undivided attention as he leant into you further, resting his chin on your shoulder to watch you like a lost puppy, “I’ve got something for you, ya know,” His excitement was evident in his hushed tone, making you finally turn to look at him again while he excitedly reached into his pocket with a proud smile upon getting you to look at him. He struggled momentarily, cursing under his breath as he pulled out a thin golden chain with a badger charm dangling from it.

You eyed the fine jewelry in his hand for only a split second, it was truly beautiful and your exact style, but it looked expensive and too elegant to be for you. Noticing the guilty glint in your eye, Mattheo didn’t give you the chance to deny the gift, believing it was yours already even if you wanted to throw it in the garbage as soon as he left. You would have to get used to being spoiled, he thought as he got up to delicately drape it across your neck and clip it in the back before you could ask the price or where he got it. He freed your hair from being trapped below the chain, bouncing it and fixing stray strands for you before leaving a kiss on the top of your head, “It’s almost as beautiful as you isn’t it my Little Badger?”

Your face was painted red in a matter of seconds as his hands felt up and down your arms mindlessly, his fingertips leaving tingles everywhere they touched giving you an entirely uncommon burst of confidence. You jumped from your seat with a loud thank you as your arms draped across his shoulders, letting your head rest on his toned body as his arms engulfed you in his warmth and his chest vibrated with a laugh, “You are very welcome Pretty Girl.”

Your eyes met as you pulled away from him, glossy eyes darting between his and his lips before you launched yourself forward to attack them with yours. Mattheo didn’t waste a second in returning your kiss, letting your lips meld together as he sighed against your mouth, the taste of your lips better than he could have ever imagined. Your fingers got lost in his hair, tugging at his curls and deepening the kiss, forcing him to restrain himself by gripping onto your hips tighter to keep from smashing you into the bookshelf behind him and starting a battle between your tongues. You hummed in satisfaction, your senses and thoughts lost in Mattheo as he nipped at your bottom lip making you whimper and fall farther into him. You wanted the kiss to last forever, the feeling of his hands grounding you, letting your brain focus for the first time since…..Enzo.

The image of the sweet boy who cared so much for you catching you making out with his best friend flashed in your mind, snapping you out of your pleasure as you abruptly pulled away from Mattheo with a shocked expression. Your eyes brimmed with tears at the thought of Enzo crying, hurting over you betraying him, hating you forever….you felt horrible. Your teary gaze locked with Mattheo’s before you were pushing away and grabbing your books, rushing from the Library without another word. After only a second of truly believing someone had Stupefied him, the curly headed boy tried to catch up to you, desperately calling your name before losing you in the packed corridors.

Mattheo cursed to himself as he reluctantly turned away from the direction you took and toward the Slytherin Common Room. He couldn’t stop thinking about every possible outcome this could cause, he should have said something, done something, but he was far too focused on your scent, your taste, the way you felt in his hands. He’s such an idiot, he needed to fix this, the thoughts bouncing back and forth in his mind as his legs numbly carried him through the castle.

“You need to make sure this date we planed goes well because I may have just royally screwed us” Mattheo was almost shouting as he slammed the door of his and Enzo’s shared dorm behind him, thanking the Gods that their dorm mates were off doing who knows what.

“What!? What are you talking about?” Enzo rushed forward on his bed, tossing his reading aside as he watched Mattheo’s face contort in worry. He could tell by his fidgeting hands and pacing of the room that he was truly worried there was no going back from whatever he did, and without a second thought, Enzo was standing to pull him into a hug, asking again, softer this time, “What went wrong?”

“She kissed me and I fucking kissed her back,” Mattheo snapped, slipping out of Enzo’s comfortable grasp as he pinched at the bridge of his nose, “and then she looked so sad and my mouth just would not form any words. I stood there like a fucking asshole while she was crying because I was too focused on her lips on mine.” He sighed, chewing at his thumb as he paced back and forth in the middle of the dorm.

“She kissed you though that’s a good thing, not exactly to plan, but that means she probably likes us bo-“ Mattheo was always so calm and collected, except for when it came to you, every worry that flashes through his brain about never seeing you again makes him less and less reasonable.

“I think her rushing out crying tells me otherwise Enzo,” Mattheo began to ramble, his brain was far too worried to be able to keep a single thought inside, “We need to give her space, let her have time to think before your date, she’s probably confused she….she probably doesn’t want to get hurt or or I don’t know hurt anyone else. She doesn’t know we want to be with her together….what if she thinks something bad li-like you’ll be mad.” Mattheo snapped his fingers and pointed to his best friend as though he had it all figured out, just to return to his ranting.

“Mattheo calm down, we don’t know anything yet okay,” Enzo knew that when Mattheo got like this, feeding his worries would not help, but as he continued to list off the many holes this plan had that they were just now realizing, the heavy feeling of anxiety settled into his chest.

~~~~

When the next afternoon finally came, you contemplated skipping the date entirely, telling Enzo you had plans after all, but some part of you just wouldn’t allow it. That same part controlled you as you desperately searched for an appropriate first date outfit, throwing dresses and various tops and bottoms on and off as your dorm room grew messy. “Damn Y/N/N, I knew you liked this boy but jeez….this much worry about an outfit?” Your dorm mate and best friend since First Year jokes as she strutted into the room.

“Hannah you’re a lifesaver, I need to borrow a dress, and it needs to be a good one because I already have something to apologize for.” You rambled, turning to her trunk that was always available for you to search through.

“What could you have possibly done to that boy that needs an apology? I think he very well could be obsessed with you.” She giggled, not realizing your worry as you halted your actions entirely, “Ikissedhisbestfriend” you jumbled, turning but avoiding the eyes of your best friend who only understood you thanks to her knowing you so well.

“You…wait did I hear that correctly? You- you and Riddle did what now?” Her shocked, almost excited expression had you feeling worse as you abandoned your search for a dress, flopping down onto your bed as tears welled in your eyes. “He’s gonna hate me when he finds out.” You sighed, hiding your face in your hands as the bed dipped beside you to make room for Hannah.

“Hey hey….Sweetie no rational person could ever hate you.” She sighed, rubbing the back of your hands as she pulled them from your face, “This is a grey area okay, you haven’t made a commitment to either of them and it’s clear they both want to be the one picked. You need to make a decision somehow and if they don’t want to make it easy on you this is going to get dramatic.” Your eyes met hers in confusion as tears ran down your face and onto your mattress, “I guess what I’m trying to say is….you need to make a decision either way and the only way to make the right choice is to know how they both would treat you, and the only way to find that out is to explore both options for a bit.”

“But….I don’t want to hurt them, and I want them both in my life still….I don’t know what I’d do if I made a decision and the other never spoke to me again.” Hannah gave you an apologetic smile before piping up again, “Well….it would be cruel to keep them both at your feet waiting just to never pick, you’ve got two options here, let them go and hope you meet someone else one day, or come to terms with what may happen after you do choose.”

“I’m gonna choose, I just can’t yet, I don’t wanna lose either of them.”

~~~~

Enzo’s breath catches in his throat as he sees you walking into the crowed dining room of the restaurant, the red fabric of your dress hugging you perfectly. The badger necklace he had helped Mattheo pick out rested on your chest so wonderfully he just had to comment on it. “Well isn’t this cute, where’d ya get it huh?” He asks in a teasing tone you know so well.

“Um well, I” As you start trying to speak all that can come out is sobs at the thought of hurting him, suddenly your dress is too tight and the room too stuffy, you can’t breath. “I um,” you try but once again fail. Before you can think you feel hands on your waste and your being tugged out of the busy restaurant by someone as Enzo follows. Once the door was open you rushed into the cold air and walked away from the two.

“Did i do something?” Enzo’s voice was desperate, strained to a point that you thought he was about to cry right now, “Please just tell me how I messed up so i can fix it, I promise I didn’t mean to hurt you,” His voice raised as you kept walking to catch your breath pacing back and forth before taking notice of Mattheo standing beside him.

“What are you doing here?” You spit out, not meaning for it so sound as mean as it did, you sigh as you correct your voice, tears beginning to fall again. “I’m so sorry, I thought I could pick but I can’t, I love you both and I am so so sorry.”

The boys eyes lock together immediately and as though on cue they start to laugh, they know it’s wrong, they know they shouldn’t but they can’t stop. And somehow you know it is okay and start to laugh too.

“What is wrong with you two?” You ask between tears and laughter, you must look a mess but your two best friends still stare at you as though you hung the moon.

“Petal, we want you too, you think we can chose. Us. Two of the dumbest people you have ever known.” Enzo says with a giggle as he steps up to you to kiss you tear streaked face. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner Petal, but I was planning on having Mattheo come to our little date anyway, we wanted to tell you tonight how much we want you. Together. All of us.”

Your eyes dart to Mattheo as he smiles wildly down at you, “so you’re not mad at me”

“Of course not Princess, you’re our perfect girl.” Mattheo says in a soft voice as he moves to wrap his arms around both Enzo and y/n, leaving a kiss on both their cheeks as comfort he has never felt begins to settle in his chest. He can be happy like this.

Your rapid heart beat begins to settle in the arms of your two favorite boys, your tears continue but only from happiness and the feeling of pure luck bringing you to the happiest moment of your life.

“Now, how about we finish the date we had planned for you Petal.” Enzo sates as he grabs your hand, your other quickly being grabbed by Mattheo as they begin to lead you to Honeydukes.

-HP Taglist-

Ask to be added/removed and I’m sorry if your tag doesn’t work

(Anyone still on here that does not wish to be lmk, i know I have not posted in SO long)

AND if you are the person who requested this plz slide in my inbox bc i am SO sorry it took so long AND i want to add to this too so give me ideas plz if you’re still following my blog

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[kaythefloppa]

Wild Kratts - Chimpanzee and Me - Thoughts

The last of this week's new episode premiere, released online today alongside Salamander Streaming and Bumblezzzz. Will air on TV this coming Wednesday so as always, spoilers ahead!

K, so huge confession but Zooboomafo was the only other show by the Kratt Brothers I distinctively remember watching. I watched a few clips of Kratts' Creatures, but mistook them for WK as a kid. This is most definitely a callback to some Chimpanzee adventure episode in KC that I did not happen to pick up. So it's totally lost on me.

That being said, my prediction of references to previous Kratt Brothers' works reigns supreme (and for those who view all four Kratt Brother shows in one hollistic "canon" here's some ammo for your fan-theories).

Look at those delicious yummy grapes... wonder if they're being saved for later.

I will still never forget when the synopsis for this episode came out about Chris spraining his ankle, as well as when a synopsis for the clip came of him tripping on grapes. The constant memes and reactions omfg /silly

But seriously this man is in PAIN. This season for what it's worth, does a lot of angst and in ways you'd never expect.

I've never sprained or broken a limb, so I'm probably in no place to talk, but from the looks of that frame, Chris bent his ankle pretty damn good. He's definitely gonna be on hiatus for the next few weeks (which could ironically be taken metacontextually since after this episode we'll be on another hiatus until next year when the live show comes)

Ok let's talk about the villain's plan here. He wants to replace his Zachbots with a Chimpanzee he can roboticize to do his work. Here are my many thoughts and takeaways from this, some of which, definitely are just me reaching.

A step up from his dumbass plan in the last episode. Not threatening, but motivations that are actually sensible (but still evil though).

More than once have I seen the theory floating aound where Zach programmed his bots to be smart enough to obey his commands, but dumb enough to where they won't turn against him. I assumed that this episode was going to end with the cliche of Zach's creations turning on him as laser guided karma (hint it doesn't) so it really puts things into perspective.

Considering how we are getting two Zach-related episodes in a row, coming just off the heels of Our Blue and Green World, I like to headcanon that Zach's overall character in this batch of episodes is some form of response or byproduct of the events of that special. Because between Paisley's sudden betrayal, Donita's callous threat of physical violence in the previous episode, and his henchmen's limited intellect, he realizes how much he is fundamentally losing control, both in the villain team, and in his own endeavors as a villain. He's slowly, yet consistently and constantly being knocked down from the pedestal that he views himself on, and by trying to change the status quo with a new animal assistant, he thinks he can keep himself up at the top where he thinks he belongs, completely oblivious to how he's his own worst enemy. Yes, I'm overanalyzing all 3 episodes and I love it.

This is another moment where I HAVE to use my one-video-only-free-card to convey the point across because a certain scene is that good. This is only a 34 second action sequence where the chimpanzees are running from the Zachbots, but holy hell the background music. I had to isolate the background noises just to share it with y'all so you can see my point as to how the music absolutely carries this scene. Pure West has always gone so hard with the scores in this show, but they were absolutely on fire for this brief chase scene. I actually tensed up seeing the Chimp's mother getting torn away from her baby as the music swole up. Yet another reason why PBS should release an official soundtrack for the series, it's so fucking good.

Ok so Chris doesn't activate Chimpanzee Powers, nor does he invent the disc but goddamnit! This entire plot is so cute, and dare I say, the episode actually works better with Chris not being the one to activate the suit.

Now I can use my allotted time to point out how much I love this scene and why it makes this episode very well-liked for most people, myself included. This isn't the first PBS Kids show to educate viewers on non-verbal communication such as facial expressions and sign language, and it's definitely far from the last, but it's a really sweet and sincere moment that's both educational, and really good rep for people who use sign language. It gets its point across efficiently and could very well reach out to any children at home who use ASL. It's magnificent.

Also, Leah is fun, I hope we see her more in future eps.

THE CHIMPANZEE POWER SUIT

Ok I take it back: This is definitely the best designed Creature Power Suit of S7. I remember dreading it because of how alike Chimpanzees and Humans are physically, but oh my god I am so glad to be wrong. It's giving full Season 1 vibes (looks a lot like the Orangutan Suit, total sense), and I am all FOR IT.

And again, I feel like I would/should be angry or disappointed that Chris didn't activate the suit, but again, the plot actually works better without him using the suit, and the design of the Chimpanzee Suit itself is so good, everything just comes together neatly.

Bro is in his peak.

I mean, still peak.

Joss pointed this out better than I could, but there are a lot of varied facial expressions for Zach in this episode. As mentioned earlier, during the hiatus in between Season 6 and 7, new builders and riggers were hired on the animation team for Wild Kratts, many of them likely fans of the show themselves. And again, seeing as there's a 2 year gap between S6 and S7 in terms of development, there's bound to be some slight differences in rigs or models. Which is definitely why we get a lot of moments like this in the episode.

My two cents. I can definitely see why people would be caught off guard, and yeah, at such a high frequency it can get off-putting and requires some getting used to. But at the same time, I kinda dig it, just for the camp factor. It also somewhat reminds me of some of the facial expressions used in the pilot episode, (which has the stronger excuse of different animation + art-style to back it up), but yeah, definitely something that catches the eye.

Zach's hair is defnitely giving Kovu from Lion King 2 and I mean this in the worst. Possible. Way.

This entire scene can be seen as an allegory for two different types of parenting. Zach takes harsh, demanding approaches, speaking without listening for the sake of control, all out of a place of emotional unintelligence and immaturity, which alienates + drives away the child; Whilst Chris takes a more constructive, compassionate, understanding, yet still direct approach to get through to the child/chimp, allowing for a proper solution to the issue at hand. Yes, I'm pointlessly over analyzing even more but in an episode where communication is the main focus & moral of the episode as well as the resolution to the climax, I have to wonder if someone, whether it'd be the writers, animators, or even network execs did it on purpose. Because once again, you could takeaway a really good lesson for kids, and even adults with this interpretation in mind.

Oh yeah, once we get past that stuff, the climax of this episode is like, really fucking hilarious. And Zach getting mind-controlled by his own helmet is still a good dose of laser guided karma.

CONCLUSION:

Cons:

A few of the facial expressions can be a bit jarring. Again, Joss pointed it out perfectly how this episode could've been earlier in S7's development so these adjusted rigs probably can and will get better. I wouldn't even say it as a con, it's just some little thing of the episode that doesn't really lower my overall opinions.

This is a personal nitpick of mine; Not a critique. I think we could've seen more of the chimpanzees in action. I'm talking about face-offs with gorillas (which I think we might get an episode on that in the future, idk), hunting monkeys, leopard attacks! But I do get why it wasn't in the episode, it would've just bogged down time. Frankly, the only reason why I'm putting the cons first is because there is so much I have to say otherwise.

Pros:

The animation overall

The backgrounds

The Chimpanzee Power Suit

The Chimpanzees themselves.

The Background Music

Chris angst!!!!!!

The A plot and B plot perfectly complementing each other, which makes certain writing decisions that could've fallen short, work so much better as a result in execution!

Zach not being a dumb POS like he was in the last epiosde!

The chimpanzee designs!!!!

The very well-handled representation and depiction of sign-language and lessons of communications to its young audiences!

Final Ranking: 9.2/10. Our Blue and Green World and No Name Dream subverted expectations (mainly through Paisley's redemption and the S1 callbacks + the return of the Draco Power Suit). This is the first episode of Season 7 that exceeded my expectations. It is far better than how I thought it would be, and the experimental writing that this season has been hinged upon thus far hit the mark entirely when it came to this episode. So much so that it actually raised the already-high expectations I had for the new season. It is that. Fucking. Good. I'd easily call it a contender for one of the best episodes of the season, but again, we'll have to wait and see.

[daycourtofficial]

vanilla americano 😈

Okay I went a bit different with this one I thought it’d be a perspective we haven’t seen before!!!

Order a drink for Gingerfucker Week here

Vanilla americano - a bat boy + angst

Azriel had spent the past three weeks thinking of nothing but the comforts he had become accustomed to in the last century. His large, much too comfortable bed that allowed him to sleep more than he used to (but not by much). The mattress seemed to pull his large body into it, forming in shape around him for maximum comfort. He had asked Rhysand once what it was made of. He still couldn’t decide if his answer of “peregrine feathers” was a joke or not.

His other comfort had come in the form of hot, relaxing teas Nesta had stocked the House of Wind with, a supply of jasmine honey that seemed endless.

He made it to the second floor landing, about to turn further up the steps, waiting for the house to make him a warm bath and a hot cup of tea when a flood of moonlight caught his eye. It streaked across the floor, the open door to a room he spent many nights complaining about Rhysand in.

“This room’s perfect for secrets.”

Your words echoed through his head as he moved down the hall, hoping to confirm to someone in his family he was alive and unhappy about it. The shadowsinger knew once he saw you he’d no doubt grumble about the past few weeks, some sympathetic barb from you enough to make him feel like he was home again.

He hated being away from his family for so long, but growing tensions throughout Illyria required more presence from the Inner Circle to ensure things were running smoothly.

The house was eerily quiet as he crept down the hall, hoping that Nesta and Cassian had tired themselves out for the night. His shadows slithered around him, coiled as if ready to strike. They gave away nothing, merely whispering look, look, look.

He pushed the door open, finding the room in complete disarray. It sent him into high alert. In a flash he unsheathed Truth Teller, sending his shadows throughout the house to find out where you were and if anything else was out of sorts.

His eyes scanned the room - hundreds of hand-written letters covered the floor, their pages folded and refolded from use. The furniture had been flipped every which way - the bed turned over, revealing several boxes that had all been haphazardly siphoned through.

His steps were silent as he moved further into the room, stepping over the creaky floorboard. What had happened in his absence? Where was the rest of his family?

He wandered downstairs after finding no answers in your room, his grip on his knife unrelenting as he took the steps with ease. His shadows told him only one room was occupied - what used to be Rhysand’s study.

“We are declaring war on Autumn.” His High Lord’s words were spat out as Azriel quietly moved into the room, taking the space next to Cassian. “Eris has played us for the fool the last time and it has to end.”

Azriel looked between Rhys, Cassian, and Feyre, noting the absence of Mor and Amren. Everyone was in nightclothes - he was technically the most formally dressed, a sight he would normally find amusing.

“What is going on?” Azriel’s words were met by a shocked look on Cassian’s face, a subtle head shake asking him not to ask.

“This is a wartime council. It is my decision. We will raze all of Autumn for their crimes.”

“Our decision.” Rhys shot a look toward his mate, her own eyes heating in defiance. “That redheaded fool has done something to convince my sister they are mated. I do not have to convince anyone else that that is an action worthy of war.”

The words clanged through the room and Azriel could not keep the shock from showing on his face.

Mates?

He kept quiet, waiting for more information. An impatient shadow whirled around Rhysand, pulling his attention to the confused shadowsinger. He pinched the bridge of his nose, anger and frustration written in the planes of his face.

“I found letters upon letters from him declaring his love in her room, all dating back over a century. It’s preposterous. I have no idea how long he has been working on this.”

“Rhys, what if this is real?”

“You think my sister could deceive me over this?” The accusation made the room cold.

“What if they really are mates?” Rhys only scoffed in reply, throwing his hands up at the notion. He knew the moment he and Feyre were alone it would be a bloodbath.

“Where is she now?” Azriel felt a cold determination to see her. If he could talk to her, surely this was all a misunderstanding. Perhaps she was seeing someone who used a pen name? Rhysand likely blew everything out of proportion. There was no way she could have been-

“Not here.”

Azriel’s mind was hyper focused, running through every scenario possible. He blinked, taken aback by his brother’s words.

“He took her?” Azriel couldn’t help the defensive stance he took, ready to winnow away into Autumn. Rhys’s silence dragged on far too long, but Azriel remained stoic.

“No.” Everyone continued watching Rhys, waiting for his next words.

“Is she somewhere in Velaris hiding?” Rhys ignored Feyre’s question, waving his hand dismissively.

“For all I know she’s in Autumn.”

Shouts erupted from the room, everyone upset with Rhysand for the constant shift in his mood. Azriel crept out of the room, not even closing the door behind him as he moved toward his room. His chest felt heavy, full of regrets for letting this happen. How had he not known? How had he not stopped this?

His family was arguing, trying to create a plan of action, but Azriel was certain this was no deception from the heir to the Autumn throne. They had all been played a fool by her.

He couldn’t stop the utter devastation at that realization.

Azriel felt his jaw tighten, certain no one had ever gone to such lengths to hide the truth from him. He ignored the tiny part of his brain that kept yelling to him, reminding him how far he would go to protect a mate of his own.

His chest felt empty by the time he made it to his room, his mind and body so tired he felt on the brink of falling over. The spymaster opened his door, a small envelope sitting on his bed with his name in familiar handwriting, the sight of it like a burst of energy.

[just-a-little-cellist]

Hello! Could I have a head canon or drabble (which ever you feel more inspired to do/makes sense) for Sandor x Stark!fem!reader for what things might have been like if she’d gone with him when he was leaving during the Battle of the Blackwater? Thank you friend, I appreciate it! 💛🙏

(yes of course! I feel like both work so this is headcanons plus a bonus drabble x I love Sandor so always got to do the most for him! enjoy!)

(also it's been forever since I watched this show so this is definitely not accurate events for the Battle of Blackwater episode lol)

(Sandor Clegane x fem Stark reader - warnings for typical Game of Thrones stuff, slight angst but mostly fluff)

King's Landing had always been dangerous, especially for people like you and Sandor. You knew it better than anyone after the things your family had gone through at the hands of the king.

Sandor had also tasted the cruelty that Joffrey was capable of, and neither of you were keen to exacerbate it.

Which is why you'd spent months dancing around feelings for each other.

You were lucky that Joffrey had set his sights on Sansa rather than yourself, but as a Stark it was too much of a risk to openly court Sandor. No matter how badly you wanted to.

You also wouldn't dare risk causing him harm in that way. You knew any associates of yours would sooner or later be targeted by the Lannisters.

Sandor was usually your escort in the Red Keep. No doubt the king found it amusing to have his dog guarding the wolf. He was quiet and brooding, but seemed to enjoy your presence at least a little, though you couldn't be sure whether you had imagined the tension between you. Aside from that, you weren't certain of his feelings until the Battle of the Blackwater.

You were far too stubborn to allow yourself to be corralled into a safehold with the women and children.

Fortunately, Cersei didn't much care about your fate should you be caught in the consequences of the battle, so you remained in your room in the keep.

Truthfully, you were waiting for Sandor. You didn't know whether he would return or not, but you couldn't sit around and do nothing while he fought.

You busied yourself with gathering your essential belongings, in case of needing to flee in an emergency, until a blaze lit up the horizon through your window.

You just prayed that he was alright...

Your nervous pacing was enough to occupy yourself until you heard thundering footsteps from the hall. Fuck. You had no way to defend yourself if someone should come to take you, and it was far too late to hide now, and-

The door burst open.

And it was him.

He looked a little worse for wear, but mostly unharmed, and you practically threw yourself at him knowing he was alive.

Not quite registering how he froze up in surprise for a moment, you wrapped your arms around him tightly, just needing to feel him there despite the armour that stood between you. His hand moved to your shoulder as you pulled away, much gentler than you'd expected him to be.

"I'm leaving."

Your heart dropped.

"...Oh."

You blinked back the tears that were threatening to form and swallowed your pain as best you could. "Where will you go?"

"Anywhere. Anywhere's better than this fuckin' city."

You nodded and looked down, not knowing what else to say without betraying your feelings.

"Little wolf." His fingers hooked under your chin to make you look up at him, with eyes clouded by tears. "You'd miss an old dog that much?"

Your voice seemed to shrink as a tear rolled down your cheek. "I just... I don't want you to go..."

Sandor brushed it away with his thumb and smiled, almost imperceptibly, but it was there. "Do you really think I'd leave you to the lions? You're coming with me."

In that moment, Sandor felt he could live in the way your eyes brightened.

"You really mean that?"

"Get your things. I'm not staying here long enough for them to find us."

You grabbed your bag of essentials that was already lying on your bed, breathing out a laugh and shrugging when Sandor raised an eyebrow at your preparedness.

"Maybe I was hoping you'd come back for me."

"Always will, little wolf."

The gentle feeling of your lips against his cheek sent warmth through his body, and Sandor was determined to not let you out of his sight again if this was the reward.

[pricetagofficial]

The Little Merman -D.G. Part Four

Warnings: Language, some angst, heartbreak, I didn't really proof this so Im sure there are errors but I don't care, Dick is an absolute dork

Masterlist

Pairing: Merman!Dick Grayson x Reader

Word Count: 3.4K

A/N: Hello it's me, ya girl. I've had this written for a while but I finished this part not too long ago and so I decided to post it. It's been a long few days for me, with tornados and shit but I'm all good and everything is good. Big thanks to @offendedfishnoises for helping meeeeee

The next morning when Dick woke, he felt lighter than air. Having spent the day with you yesterday, it put him in a really good mood. His heart was aflutter and all he wanted to do was stare at the ceiling above him as his thoughts were plagued by your smile and laughter. 

The sheets were comfortable, and he never wanted to leave them but eventually, he would have to. He only had one more day left with you, his time was running short. 

Running a hand through his hair, Dick looked around and saw Alfred asleep on the pillow next to him. Even when he was being ridiculous, Alfred still stayed by his side. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Dick slowly sat up and looked out the window. 

The sun was rising beautifully above the horizon, dusting the sky in shades of orange, blue and yellow. Today would be the day, Dick had to get you to kiss him. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he didn’t. The thought made a shiver run down his spine. 

Roy didn’t show up at all this morning, neither did Kyle or Victor, to help him out. Maybe they all were busy with their duties, they were your royal guards after all. It was a good thing Dick learned to dress himself, if he was going to stay a human he would have to learn eventually. 

Pulling on the boots provided for him, Dick slipped Alfred who had woken not that long ago and gave him pointers on how to fix his shirt. 

“Now Master Richard, remember. You need to be patient, Y/N is still a young lady and there are rules for her to abide by.” 

Dick nodded absentmindedly, listening but not really listening to what he was saying. The only thing that was on his mind was getting to see you again. 

Walking down the hall with a spring in his step, Dick heard voices mutter around him even giving him an odd look, but he paid no mind to it. 

Dick searched for you in the library, the kitchen and even tried knocking on your bedroom door, to no avail. When he checked your study, Dick knew something was off. Those were your favorite places, so where were you? 

Hearing voices down the hall in the foyer, Dick’s face broke into a smile as he made his way to the stairs. You had to be there with everyone else. 

As he got closer, Dick heard your voice and that spurred him to go faster. His heart was already beating wildly, just from the mere thought of getting to see you. 

It was when he turned the corner and stood at the top of the staircase when he saw it, or rather him. 

You were in the foyer, with Roy, Kyle and Victor that much was true. But someone else was with you, someone who looked suspiciously familiar. But that wasn’t what made his stomach drop to the floor. 

It was the way you were looking at him, like he held the world in the palm of his hand as the man towered over your smaller form. Your chin was held between his finger and thumb as he brushed your bottom lip ever so softly, and a charismatic grin on his face. 

“Who’d have thought it’d be love at first sight?” the man grinned, pulling you closer by the waist making your hands rest on his solid chest. 

Love? 

No, that couldn’t be it. Dick was sure you loved him, you had to! But, everything about what he was seeing told him the opposite. Was he nothing more than just something to pass the time? A charity case for you to take in? 

“I felt something pull me to the beach, and there you were.” you sighed dreamily, “I’m glad I made it when I did.” 

“Me too,” 

What happened next made Dick’s heart shatter into a million pieces. If he listened close enough, he could hear the crack as it did. He watched with watery eyes as the man tilted your head up further and pulled you into a kiss. 

Not able to watch more, Dick held back his sobs before turning and running back down the hallway. How could he have been so stupid? Wiping the tears threatening to spill, Dick ran to his room and slammed the door only to fall to his knees letting out a defeated sob. 

He was wrong, he was wrong about everything. You never loved him, and Dick was a fool for thinking you did. Now, he had to live with the mistakes he made. It was a mistake to take Slade up on the deal, it was a mistake coming here, and it was a mistake to follow his heart. 

If he had just stayed home and had gotten married like Bruce wanted, maybe then he’d be spared the worst heartbreak he’s ever felt in his life. 

Alfred looked at Dick with a heavy heart, after all he had given up for something he was so sure about, to see you in the arms of another man broke his heart. Something wasn’t adding up, after seeing the two of you together the night before, Alfred was almost convinced himself that it was genuine. 

He needed to figure this out. 

As much as he wanted to stay and comfort Dick, he needed to find the truth. 

Quietly, he sidestepped under the door and made his way down the hall. Following the sound of voices, Alfred made his way back to the foyer and watched as you and the mysterious man disappeared through the doors to the dining hall, with Roy, Kyle and Victor staying behind. 

“What the hell was that?” Victor asked, looking between his two friends. 

Kyle only shrugged, “You’ve got me, last I checked she was making googly eyes at Dick. I don’t even know who this guy is, do either of you?” 

Victor shook his head again, before looking at Roy. 

“What do you know?” 

Alfred moved closer, eager to hear more. 

Roy ran a hand through his hair, and let out a sigh. “I have no idea. I talked to her last night, and she made no mention of this new guy, Bruce or whatever his name was. I–” he sighed again. “I was convinced she was going to–” 

His voice trailed off, as he looked towards the door to the dining hall. “Whatever is going on, I don’t like it and I definitely do not like the new guy.” 

“What are we going to do with our friend upstairs? Do you think he knows about this?” 

Roy shook his head, “We can’t let him find out, it would break the poor guy's heart.” 

Alfred shook his head, it was too late for that. 

“Before we do anything, we need to find out more about Bruce. Who he is, where he is from, and see if there are any discrepancies in his story.” 

Kyle and Victor both nodded, Alfred agreeing with their plan. Good thing he was small, and could hide easily. Watching the three guards divy out jobs, they all went their separate ways.

Before he went down the steps, the doors to the dining hall opened and out you came with Bruce on your arm. Giving you a kiss, Alfred watched as he muttered something in your ear that made you fluster before he made his way up the stairs alone. 

Hiding behind a pillar, Alfred watched as he made his way down the hall almost swaggering in his walk. Following behind as quick as he could so he didn’t get lost, Alfred managed to keep up and slip his way through the bedroom door he disappeared behind. 

What surprised Alfred was seeing young Terra waiting in the room. Slipping behind a vase, Alfred stayed out of sight. 

“When you said you would be coming here, this wasn’t what I expected, Slade.”

Alfred’s eyes widened, Slade followed them to the surface world? But how would he know when and where to go? Was Terra working with him the entire time?

“You should know by now that I always follow through with my plans, and deals, kid.” 

Terra narrowed her eyes. “Now that you’re here, what is your plan with Y/N?” 

“Since you failed me with that bad luck potion, I decided to change up my plans. Instead of getting one kingdom when princey boy fails to get that kiss, I can still marry that princess brat and get the literal keys to this place. Then I can get rid of those brats and good old Bruce, and then there would be no one around to stop me.” 

Alfred watched the look on Terra’s face, she looked conflicted. 

“What are you going to do to them?” 

Slade casted Terra a side look as he looked at himself in the mirror, “What’s it to you? I’m not the one who sold out my only friend to a sea demon for revenge.” 

Terra clenched her fists, giving Slade a dirty look. 

“Listen, all I’m saying is that if you want to stick around, I suggest you stay out of my way.” With that, Slade slicked his hair back once more and stepped out of the room, leaving Alfred and Terra alone in the room. 

Everything made sense, Alfred knew Slade was up to something. Why else would he give a deal like that to Dick, when there was a possible chance he’d uphold his end? He had to find a way out of here so he could warn Dick, and get him that kiss and save not only his kingdom, but this one as well. 

Looking around, Terra seemed to be out of sight so Alfred made his move. Creeping out from behind his hiding place, he quietly made his way to the window. Climbing up the bed, and to the windowsill, Alfred could see a clear path into a neighboring window that would get him back on track. 

Before he could make a move, a hand grabbed Alfred and turned him around. 

Terra looked at him with a skeptical look, “Looks like we have a little spy.” 

Alfred stayed still, trying to play dumb crab. It seemed Terra didn’t fall for it. 

“I know what the advisor to the king looks like, and it seems he was spying.” she hissed. Alfred wiggled to get out of her grip. “Master Bruce will stop you, and you will not lay a hand on Master Richard!” 

Terra rolled her eyes and placed him under a cup on the dresser, “We’ll see about that.” Placing a heavy book on top of the cup, Terra fixed her appearance before opening the door. 

“You should know when you’ve lost, after sundown today it won’t matter what you do.” 

With that, she disappeared. 

Alfred hit his claws on the dresser. Now how was he going to get out of this? Dick needed his help, and he was currently stuck. Taking a look around the room, his options were limited; not only was he trapped in a glass but there was a massive book on top of it. 

Running into the side of it, his little crab body only bounced off the glass before he plopped back onto the wood. So that wasn’t going to work it seemed. 

Lifting his claws, Alfred began hitting the glass hoping to make enough noise or break the glass even. Time was running out, with the new knowledge of Slade and his involvement things were getting complicated. 

After what felt like forever, Alfred let out a sigh of defeat. He was truly stuck, and no one knew where he was. Dick was still in his room to his knowledge and no one else was aware of a talking crab that didn’t trap him. 

“What a mess this has turned out to be,” he sighed. 

No sooner did he speak those words, there was a flap in the air and he turned to see a seagull wander its way in through the open window. This gave Alfred an idea. 

Waving his claws in the air, he jumped and shouted trying to get the bird’s attention. 

“Hey! Hey you!” he shouted, banging on the glass. “Look at the tasty red crab!” 

Alfred watched as the bird’s head twitched, watching him dance around. “Come and get me!” 

The seagull paused for a moment before it flew towards Alfred, and as it came into contact with the glass and book Alfred ducked hoping to avoid its claws and beak. 

There was a crash, and Alfred was suddenly on the ground watching as the seagull panicked, flying around the room in circles before it finally found its way out of the window once again. 

Letting out a breath, Alfred relaxed before making his way towards the door. Scrunching in his shell halfway, he slid under the door and quickly made his way down the hallway. He had to get to Dick, and he had to tell him what was going on before it was too late. 

Squeezing his way under the door, Alfred saw Dick sat on his bed as he stared out the window. His eyes were red and puffy, cheeks tear stained from what seemed to be hours of sobbing at the thought of his unrequited love. 

Dick was a fool, thinking a girl like you would ever love him. 

“Master Richard,” Alfred started. “Things may not be the way they seem.” 

Dick slowly turned to look at the little crab, hoping his expression gave off the words he couldn’t speak. If he was going to try and tell him that things  could still go in his favor, Dick would have to refuse. He saw you kiss that man with his own eyes, and he knew Alfred did too. 

“I think our Lady Y/N has been put under a spell.” 

Dick turned his head away, refusing to listen. He couldn’t give himself any more hope, hope that you could still love him in return. 

“Didn’t that man look familiar to you at all? To make matters worse, I heard the lady-in-waiting talking to him and they confirmed it for me.” 

Dick still refused to look. 

Alfred was not going to continue putting up with this. Banging his larger claw against the ground, Alfred huffed and crawled his way up the bed and sat on the window ledge in Dick’s view. 

“Master Richard, I did not almost get eaten by a seagull for you to sit here and sulk about a lovely woman who is in love with you. Slade wouldn’t have to play dirty and use magic if he thought you were going to fail.” 

Dick’s attention finally turned to Alfred. 

“You are going to break that spell, and you are going to get your happy ending.” 

Alfred could already hear the words on the young master’s mind. 

“You and I both know that Slade is playing dirty to prevent you from getting that kiss. So we need to pull a page from his book and make sure you get your happy ending.” 

Dick wasn’t sure what to think, he was a little apprehensive. Slade was evil and twisted, and doing things the way he did was never good. But he was about to lose you to him, and he wasn’t going down without a fight. 

Sitting up, he wiped his eyes and looked at the crab in front of him. 

“To start, we need to get the rest of the guard on our side. From what I heard, they already are. I believe Master Roy will be a good place to start.” 

Dick nodded again, rising to his feet and straightening out his shirt. He had to find Roy and somehow convince him that he was not only human, but that a sea monster was trying to marry you to take over the land and sea. 

Seemed easy enough, if he could talk that is. 

Picking up Alfred, Dick set him on his shoulder and made his way down the stairs. This was his only chance, not only to help you but to prevent everything from falling into the hands of the wrong person. 

It didn’t take long for Dick and Alfred to find Roy, catching him on one of the balconies watching you and Slade promenade through the gardens. 

Roy was watching from afar, cause he didn’t like this new guy at all. Something felt very wrong about him, like every word out of his mouth was crafted to try and lure him into a spell. Roy knew magic existed in their world, he just never thought it would be used in such horrible ways.

Hearing shuffling behind him, Roy turned to see Dick there with a suspicious looking crab on his shoulder. 

“Oh, Dick. How can I help you?” he asked, trying to hide the scene below with his body. 

Gesturing him closer, Roy raised a brow and followed Dick to a private corner. “What’s going on?” 

Alfred nudged his chin, “You must describe Slade to him, he won’t understand me. You have to do this yourself Master Richard.” 

Letting out an exasperated huff, Dick motioned to his eye and covered it up. 

Roy just stared at him, confused. “You’re a pirate?” 

This was going to be a lot harder than Dick thought. 

After what felt like hours, Dick with Alfred’s coaching had given Roy a small grasp at the situation. 

Roy watched as Dick once again gestured to the crab on his shoulder, before making a sawing motion with his hands. He then followed up with the sign they created for this new guy, Spade, or something, as he pretended to be a pirate with a sword. 

“Your crab saw Spade,” he recounted. 

Dick nodded, before waving his hand as if he was casting a spell and then made the motion for girl. Spade wasn’t entirely correct, but Dick didn’t want to put in the extra effort to get the right sounds for the monster’s name.

“Cast a spell on a girl, Y/N?” he paused. 

Dick nodded again, before waving his arms around like an octopus. 

“Because he likes to dance?” 

Dick shook his head, he held up eight fingers before pointing at his legs. 

“Eight legs? What the hell does that mean? The man’s an octopus or something?” 

Roy jumped back seeing how excited Dick was that he guessed it right. “How do you know that he is an octopus, or that your crab can talk unless–” 

Dick nodded quickly, before pointing out the window to the sea and then to himself. Was Roy finally getting the hang of it? If he could just get him to figure this out, so many issues could be solved. 

“Unless you’re from the ocean too,” he concluded, his eyes going wide. “But that would mean you’re a–” 

Again, Dick nodded, getting excited. He was so close, so close to someone knowing the truth. There was no way he could stop Slade on his own, and Bruce was too far to get help from in a timely manner.

“Wait, are you the one she kept meeting out in the middle of nowhere?” 

Roy chuckled at the thumbs up. “Well, that explains a lot actually. But why can’t you talk? Y/N said you would tell her stories.” 

Dick made the sign for Slade again, before pretending to rip out his voice box. 

“Spade cut your throat? No, you’d be dead. He took… he took your voice?” 

Dick was about to cry, someone finally understood him and knew the truth and it only took an hour of their day. 

“So we have to find a way to stop the wedding, and that will help you somehow get your voice back?” 

With another enthusiastic nod, Dick smiled. 

“Alright, sounds like a plan. But we really need to teach you how to read and write English, not merperson.” 

Even Alfred couldn’t hide his laughter at that one. 

Even though Roy couldn’t understand him, he knew the crab was laughing too. 

“Alright, let’s find a way to stop the wedding.” 

Roy and Dick turned to head down the hall when they were stopped by Victor, Kyle and several other members of the guard. 

“You two aren’t going anywhere,” Victor kept a hand on the hilt of his sword, and watched the two of them. 

Immediately, Roy and Dick could see that something was wrong with them. They had a hazy look to their eyes, and almost a sickly look to their skin. If either of them had to guess, Slade spelled them too. 

“Aw come on, Vic? Why not?” 

“We are under order from Master Slade to keep the two of you away from Y/N at all costs.” 

Roy and Dick shared a look, “Well, I guess this complicates things.” 

TAGS: @niggxrette @littleredwing89 @offendedfishnoises @bluejay-the-geek @udiudijaye @restwellsoon

[nauseaspecters]

i don't enjoy the fandom depiction of chuuya being the 'second choice' character trope all his life.

unedited rambling under the cut. i'll structure my text posts better when it's not 4am

he's experienced and underwent through a lot of situationd of abandonment and betrayal, with unreciprocated attachments, definitely.

for the sheep, although they were almost like his family, since they were all he knew for 8 years, they viewed him as a weapon and a tool. stormbringer elaborates and adds complexity to this later but as a basis, it was true that they viewed this young teenager (chuuya) as more of an indispensably strong weapon to protect their survival, yet dispensable as a human if chuuya were to 'fall' to the other side. so much so that they jump to the chance to stab him (literally.) it's true chuuya does experience varying levels of not feeling he is doing enough.

however, to dwindle his character trope down to being "the other woman" type trope or the "constant second choice" is a misunderstanding of not only his character, but the characters around him as well. i see this seen most with dazai, mori, kouyou and the sheep.

in the case regarding dazai: chuuya is often labelled as the second choice to oda, and sometimes people use it as a point to pity chuuya in. however, it should be considered that chuuya and oda, and what they meant to dazai, cannot be compared. their relationships and significance to dazai were not in the same realm, and to think of it as "dazai chose oda over chuuya" ignores all the other factors as to what their relationship is built on. also, dazai choosing to leave the pm is not choosing oda over chuuya, it's hardly even related to chuuya, and especially not some decisive battle. it was dazai who was impacted by his dying friend's wishes and words, and he left for many reasons. ugh i will speak forever so i'll make that a different post. TLDR: chuuya is not the second choice to 'oda'

in the case regarding kouyou: i don't see this as commonly and i'm honestly a sucker for chuuya angst, but i don't think it's also right to think of chuuya as a second choice to kyouka in terms of kouyou's affection/care. firstly, kyouka is a young girl, and kouyou identifies herself in kyouka, with a deeper attachment of obsessive protection and instillment of what kouyou experienced. since kouyou was hurt by trying to reach the 'light', and she sees that same self in kyouka, kouyou shields kyouka in an unhealthy manner and isolates her from what she think will ultimately fail her. chuuya is a boy and from what we know, kouyou most likely does not see chuuya in the same style of projection and reflection. she's set to mentor chuuya in a very professional PM standpoint, and most likely does not form that deeper neurotic attachment that she has to kyouka. yes, chuuya calls her ane-san, but that doesn't mean they're necessarily also the closest. so to say that chuuya is the second choice to kyouka is strange, as it's not even a choice. chuuya is not in the picture for the type of internal bond that kouyou feels towards kyouka.

some additional stuff bdcause im rambling:

there's some weird extreme perceptions of kouyou as either someone that doesn't care about chuuya and a very close older-sister like doting on chuuya (the latter being a popular interpretation). i think kouyou cares to some extent, yeah. i think a lot of the pm that interact more extensively cares about each other to some extent. however, we do need to remember this is in the context of the PM. it's an inherently toxic and unstable environment, rooted in , well, Crime and power dynamics. kouyou was probably not the perfect mentor to chuuya, and nor are they some close healthy protective sibling-type dynamic either. the PM is rooted in abuse and a dark environment, it's unrealistic to think that a relationship we barely see much of is sunshine and rainbows.

ps: also sometimes it's not the matter of being a second choice he is just not a choice. as sad as that may sound.

[goatcheesecak3]

I hate you too Pt.3

Adam Faulkner-Stanheight x reader

Warnings: alcohol, brief mentions of nsfw

Fic type: angst, fluff

Summary: both trying to wrap your heads around the situation, you and Adam each reach out to your friends.

A/n: hello!! Probably the last part to this short series, I've had fun writing it though! Maybe I'll try a Lawrence fic next??? Who knows. Anyways, enjoy! :^)

Your heart sank. What the hell kind of sick game was Adam playing with you? Hooking up was one thing, but you'd both poured your hearts out to eachother, you though you had a real connection. You wiped tears from your eyes and gritted your teeth in anger. You needed a friend, a distraction. You called Mark.

"H- hey Mark" you spoke into the phone, sniffling a little and hoping it didn't sound like you'd been crying.

"What's up, y/n?" His voice sounded cheery.

"Look, I don't wanna put you on the spot or anything, man, but I uh... I'm having kinda a bad day, I was wondering if I could come over?"

"Hey, you know you're welcome anytime. Scott's coming over later to watch this lame slasher movie I picked up, it's gonna be a hoot. You should join us!"

His kindness was so jarring I'm contrast to the cold, unfeeling text you'd just recieved from Adam. It almost made you tear up again, but you held it together long enough to set a time, before hanging the phone up.

You made yourself a rather exquisite breakfast consisting of a cigarette, a beer, and several more cigarettes. Following this, you drifted in and out of sleep on the couch while watching episodes of beavis and butthead, and trying your hardest not to think about Adam.

When 6pm rolled around, you finally got yourself dressed and headed out to Mark's apartment.

...

After sending you that awful text, Adam had fallen asleep for a few hours. When he awoke, it was the evening. Despite a full day's rest, he didn't feel any better, in fact, he felt much worse. He knew he'd fucked up, he'd let himself step too far and now he was pretty sure your entire friendship was out the window, let alone any chance at a relationship. He knew deep down this was for the best, or at least he thought so? His head was swimming and he really couldn't make much sense of the whole situation. He had to bite the bullet, and call in for reinforcements in the form of his friend Scott. Adam knew full well that revealing the events that had transpired to Scott would come with a barrage of jokes and teasing, but at the end of it all, Scott was his friend and he'd help him make sense of it all.

...

"Yeah, I can meet you bro. I'm going to Mark's to watch this lame movie, I'll come pick you up and we can talk on the way. We're long overdue for a guy's night"

"Thanks, Man. Yeah, a guy's night sounds good"

Adam was beyond relieved that it would just be the three of them, he couldn't bear to face you right now.

At half six, Scott's beat up old Ford pulled up outside Adam's building, to find him already waiting on the curb, a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"You got one of them for me?" Scott grinned as Adam climbed in.

"Always" Adam obliged, handing Scott a cigarette.

"So," Scott pulled off with a screech, "What did you wanna talk about?"

"It's about y/n"

"What, you hittin that or something?" Scott teased.

Adam's unexpected silence answered that question, as he shifted awkwardly in his seat.

"No. Way. No fuckin WAY dude. Mark totally owes me 50 bucks" Scott gave Adam an affectionate punch in the arm, briefly averting his gaze from the road to see what he expected to be a smug grin plastered across Adam's face. Instead, however, Adam's face told a story of guilt and confliction.

"What? You didn't her pregnant did you?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"Nah man, nothing like that. It's just... ugh, I don't know, I think I like her? But like, I'd just break her heart if I went there" Adam stared straight ahead as he spoke.

"You don't know that, man just tell her how you feel. At the very least you'll get to see her naked a couple more times before you completely fuck it up." It seemed that Scott possessed the incredible ability to never take anything seriously.

"Yeah... I don't think i can do that. Like, I think I've pretty much nailed that coffin shut"

"Well you certainly nailed something," Scott held out his fist to Adam and grinned to himself.

"Dude, I'm serious"

"So am I! Dude, emotional bullshit aside, y/n's a fuckin smokeshow, and I'm proud of my boy for his achievements"

Adam bit the insides of his cheeks, but couldn't help the smile from creeping across his face. He knew the whole macho bullshit thing was gross and childish, but admittedly, he was kinda proud of himself for sleeping with you. He bumped Scott's fist.

"There he is" Scott chuckled, "so, now that we've got all this acting like a pussy out the way, you're gonna pick up your phone, call y/n and tell her 'I'll be at your place later with condoms and viagra, chug a couple energy drinks 'cause we're gonna go all night'" he joked.

"You know, I think that approach might be a little full on" Adam laughed. "But you're right, I gotta stop being a little bitch about this and tell her how I feel"

"Awesome. Me and Mark can help you plan how you're gonna do it tonight, but you owe us another guy's night if we do"

"How come?"

"Because you're totally acting like a chick"

"Shut up, man. You're an asshole, you know that?"

...

You'd been at Mark's apartment for a little while already, drinking beer and waiting for Scott to arrive.

"Does he know I'm gonna be here?" You asked casually

"You know, totally slipped my mind to tell him. Hell be here any minute, so I guess he'll find out when he arrives" Mark smiled.

As if to punctuate that sentence, the unmistakable sound of Scott's loud footsteps approached the apartment door, followed by a hefty knock.

Mark opened the door, to see both Scott and Adam waiting.

"Oh hey! Guess the whole gang's here" Mark smiled.

The two men entered the apartment, Adam's expression slowly turning to one of dread when he saw you sat on the couch.

"What the hell is he doing here?!"

"What the hell is she doing here?!" The pair of you exclaimed at the same time.

"Oh come on, not this again. Guys, just sit down, relax, have a few beers. I'm too tired to watch you two fight all night" Mark rolled his eyes.

"Won't be necessary" you said coldly, rising to your feet and attempting to barge your way past the men and out of the apartment.

"Ohhhh I don't think so, little lady" Scott scoffed, blocking your exit.

"Scott, I'm warning you, you know I could kick your ass" you bit.

"Be that as it may, you and Adam got a lot to talk about. Now Mark and I are gonna leave for a while, give you two some privacy, and you're gonna solve this" Scott said. Seeing Scott be the voice of reason was like seeing a unicorn, you couldn't believe your eyes.

"Why should I leave? This is my apartment?" Mark argued as Scott ushered him out

"Because you're gonna head down to the ATM and withdraw that 50 bucks you owe me"

"What?" The realisation set in and he turned to face you and Adam, "you two? No WAY!"

"Have funnnnn" Scott mocked in a sing-song voice as he guided a gobsmacked Mark out of the apartment, closing the door behind them on their way out.

The apartment was silent now, you and Adam both stood, stunned, staring blankly at eachother. You would have kept this stand off going on forever, if you weren't so drained. You threw yourself down onto the couch and sighed exasperatedly.

"This is so fucking humiliating" you muttered under your breath.

Adam sat beside you. You held your head in your hands, eyes glued to the floor, but you could feel Adam's gaze burning into you.

"Y/n, I-"

"No, it's fine, like I get it. Last night was a mistake, it didn't mean anything. You don't have to tell me again." You snapped, not wanting to relive the heartbreak.

Adam exhaled

"I didn't mean that" he said quietly, his voice sounding shameful.

Suddenly, something inside you snapped. You were furious, he'd completely devasted you, and now he'd changed his mind?

"Then what the fuck do you mean?!" You blurted angrily, "you hate me one minute, you like me the next. What the actual fuck is your problem, Adam? What is it you want? Because in case you hadn't realised, you've given me some pretty mixed signals in the last 24 hours!"

"I want you!" He yelled "I mean.. I want to be able to want you" his voice was soft, gentle even.

Yours was not.

"Oh my fucking GOD. Do you only talk in riddles or something? What next, do I need to solve a fucking treasure hunt to find your missing brain?!"

"Y/n, no, please just listen.. okay? I just- man I thought I'd have time to plan this" he exclaimed to himself, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Look, if I don't get a straight answer in the next five minutes I'm walking out that door" you said, calmer now.

"Okay.. okay.." Adam breathed slowly, he seemed to be trying to find the words.

"Look," he began, "I'm in the weirdest place emotionally right now, I've always struggled with being vulnerable, but I mean, I'm so much worse these days. Ever since... well, you know..." he bit the inside of his lip and looked ahead, his eyes filled with sadness.

"I'm still trying to get myself back, and I don't know if the part of me that can let people in is ready.

If I let you in right now, I'm scared that I'll only hurt you further down the line, and I could never ask you to just wait around for me to get better."

He stared at the floor and sighed, feeling quite sorry for himself.

You considered what he had said for a moment, before finally speaking, much gentler this time.

"So get better now"

"What? Y/n, it's mot that simple"

"Yes, Adam, it is that simple" you said, your tone kind, but firm. "You say you're trying to get better at letting people in, and in the last 24 hours you've been more emotionally honest with your arch nemesis than you would ever imagine. Sure, it doesn't exactly scream stability, but that's part of the process. You're making progress" you took Adam's hand and brushed your thumb across his skin reassuringly.

"It's not gonna be easy, but if you don't take this chance and let me in then you're not moving forward".

Adam let out a half hearted chuckle, and wiped a few tears he hoped you hadn't seen from his eyes.

"I hate the fact that you're always right"

"Get used to it" you smiled warmly, giving him a playful nudge.

"Okay... so in the spirit of moving forward" he gulped, "would you uhh... be free for date sometime?"

He smiled sheepishly, nervously fidgeting with the sleeve of his jacket. You noticed that his eyes seemed to look extra sparkly, as if there was hope and excitement in them for the first time in a while.

"I'm free right now" you giggled, placing your hand on Adam's cheek and leaning in to kiss him.

Adam's hands held onto your waist as he leaned into the kiss, gradually pushing you back onto the sofa. He kissed you deeper now, more hungrily, his fingertips were just brimming the hem of your shirt, when...

"Aaaand the two of you can go continue that "date" literally anywhere but my sofa" Mark exclaimed, bursting into the apartment, Scott following giggling like a schoolboy.

"Were you assholes listening through the door?!" You squealed, jumping up and adjusting your shirt.

"Hey, I didn't wanna, but Mark needed proof that he lost the bet!" Scott laughed, barely able to contain himself.

"Dude! Come on, that was priv- wait.. what bet?" You asked, more curious than annoyed by this point.

"I bet Mark that you and Adam secretly liked eachother, and now I'm 50 bucks richer" Scott said proudly.

"Never would've imagined you guys together" Mark admitted, "but you know what, I like this little dynamic. It's sweet, or at least it is when you're not tryna bang on my couch" he teased.

"Sorry about that, man" Adam chuckled, his cheeks reddening.

"Now, come on you crazy kids," Scott said, in a slightly patronising, but good natured tone, "get your asses down to some restaurant or something where you can sit and make googly eyes at eachother before me and Mark throw up"

...

You and Adam walked down the street after leaving Mark's apartment. Your hands brushed against eachother, and without words they were interlinked. Just to think, a couple days ago you would have thrown up at the thought of holding Adam's hand, but now it was all you wanted to do.

"So... a restaurant, huh?" Adam said, swinging your arms slightly.

"Hm" you tilted your head, "orrrrr... we could head back to mine, crack open a bottle of wine on the balcony... maybe fool around a little?" You looked at Adam with a cheeky grin.

"God, you just get me" Adam laughed, placing his free hand on your waist and planting a soft kiss onto your lips.

And it was indeed, a perfect date.

[introspectivememories]

god i love steph but like i do need to know bernard’s reaction when he learns that steph started the gang war. the gang war that killed darla. 

[amplexadversary]

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