#but she was allergic to all the ingredients so I was like I’ll make something for her!

[suoulfillem]

very annoying that minho and jisung were in my dream last night and minho was flirting with me and my friend texted me saying jisung had a crush on me. the fuck is up with that

[crowleysgirl67]

Rescuing Romance P2

Author: @crowleysgirl67

Word Count: 1044

Parings/Characters: Reader x Bobby, Buck, Hen, Chim, Maddie, Eddie

Warnings: show warnings, plane crash,    

A/N: Thanks for reading!  

“Yo Cap. What's with the cakes?” Chim asked, looking at the four different types strewn about the table. 

“Help yourselves.” Bobby threw the dish towel over his shoulder and turned to face Chim. “You remember that Doctor who was hanging via the railing on the twelfth floor a couple months ago?”

“Uh yeah, (Y/N) right? No pain meds for that broken leg. You’ve mentioned her once or twice since then.” he answered, taking a slice of the chocolate cake.

“They’re from her as a thank you. The cakes are labeled with what they are and their ingredients in case any of us were allergic to anything in them.”

“Oh cool!” Buck exclaimed, jogging up the stairs to see the desserts. He looked them over before settling on an Apple turnover cake slice. “Damn this is amazing! It's just like a turnover but in a spongy moist cake!” 

“The cakes are from that Doctor lady a few months ago.” Chim chimed with a mouth full of cake.

“(Y/N) made these? She’s so awesome.”    

 Bobby made a hum of agreement and was about to take a slice of his own when the bell rang through the house. “Duty calls.”

***

“Ok Ma’am the paramedics are here. Keep breathing.” 

“(Y/N)?” Hen questioned upon seeing you. 

“Hey Hen, Chimney. We’ve got one female, twenty-five weeks pregnant. Seems to be preterm labor. I’ve run a line and delivered some medication to slow that until you’re able to get her to the hospital.” you grabbed your bag and moved out of their way.    

“(Y/N)?” you heard your name and turned.

“Oh hey Bobby. Or should I call you Captain Nash, you’re on duty after all.” you smiled.

“Bobby is fine. What are you doing here?” 

“Oh I was on my way into work when a car a few cars ahead of mine veered sharp enough to cause a minor accident. So I pulled off to help.”

“That was kind of you. Here let me take your bag.” he hoists your bag onto his shoulder, before walking you back to your car.

A loud rumbling caused you to look up, just in time to see a smoking plane flying way too low and headed straight towards the area.

***

“9-1-1 What’s your emergency?”

“Our plane it’s on fire! We’re going down.”

“I’m sorry did you say your plane is on fire?” 

“Yes!” coughs 

“Ok Sir. Are you the one flying the plane?” 

“No, I’m a passenger. It’s my buddy's 6 seater cargo plane.” coughs “Holy shit we’re headed straight at a freeway!”

***

“Bobby!” Buck shouted indicating the incoming disaster. 

“Get down!” Bobby pulled you to the side of your car and hunkered down with you.

The plane crashed 50 yards from where you were.

“Are you alright?” Bobby asked, helping you stand and doing an assessment of the damage unfolding. 

“I'm good. Go. I’ll grab my gear and follow behind you. We’re gonna need all hands on deck and you’re down two sets until Chim and Hen are back.” 

He gave your arm a gentle squeeze and headed over to his crew to start giving the orders. You grabbed supplies and threw your pack on before going over to help. 

“We need to find a way to get the truck down there.” Eddie says

“So we start tapping on cars. If they’re uninjured and able to move they need to get out of the way.” Buck states.

“Going car to car is going to take too long. We don’t have that kind of time.” Bobby looked around.

“I’ve got a bullhorn in my trunk. Would that help?” you ask

“Actually yeah that might.” Bobby nodded 

“Cool. Buck, ask me questions later.” you note his confused look as to why you’d have something like that in your trunk.   

“Right. I’ll go get it.” he jogged off towards your car and came back with the bullhorn and handed it to Bobby.

“If you are uninjured and can move your cars we need you to make a hole!” Bobby began walking and announcing this over and over. 

Slowly people were able to move and make enough of a hole to get the truck close enough to the site. They started with their jobs while you started treating and triaging people the best you could. 

“Looks like you could use a hand.” 

You looked up at the sound of Chims voice. “Hey you’re back.”

“Looks like we missed the start of this mess.” Hen joined the two of you.

“By a few minutes yeah. I’ve got a system going. Green cards are good/ minor injuries. Yellow is a little more than that. Reds are urgents, and black are deceased.” 

“Ah old school I see.” Chim nods 

“Why change what works?” 

“True that. We’re gonna head in closer to the site.” 

“I’ll keep trying to clear the surrounding area.” 

They nod and head in closer to the plane to start helping there.

***

It took several hours and any available hands to help clear away the accident.  

“Hey. How’re you doing?” Bobby asked, approaching you after you finished up with another person at the scene. 

“Hell of a first day back to work. And I haven't even made it there yet.” you replied tossing your used gloves into the trash sack you had at your waist. 

“That wasn’t an answer.” 

“I’m ok. It’s a lot but that’s what the job is.” you gave him a small squeeze on his arm, “How’re you?”

“I agree it’s a lot.” he sighed softly, surveying the ongoing aftermath.   

“118 come in 118.” Bobbys radio goes off.

“This is Captain Nash from the 118.” Bobby answered

“Captain Nash, you and your crew are relieved.”

“Copy that Chief.” 

“Looks like you get to go home.”  

“Come on, we’ll give you an escort to the hospital.” he offered his arm.

You smiled softly and took it as he walked you to your car. He rode with you as the team followed in the trucks. 

“I’m probably going to pull a 24 or 48 hour shift.”

“Raincheck on dinner then?” 

“Unless you want to join me in the hospital cafeteria. I don't have a predictable lunch schedule but I can give you a text or call when I’m free.” 

“It’s a date then.” 

[sequinsmile-x]

Aversion

Aaron and Jack make Emily cookies, the only problem is she's allergic to one of the ingredients.

-x-

Hi friends <3

I really can't say where this idea came from, but it wouldn't leave me alone at all once I thought of it.

This is silly, slightly ridiculous, hopefully funny in places, fluff. Perfect for a Sunday night!

As always, please let me know what you think!

-x-

Warnings: None

Words: 2.5k

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

She was bored. 

She huffs as she puts her book down, well aware that she’d barely been paying attention to what she was reading. She grabs the remote and turns off the television, the show she’d been watching mainly for background noise having passed her by since she’d turned it on. She looks at her phone and sighs, her eyes narrowed as she picks it up, cursing her boyfriend under her breath as she reaches for it, a smile flitting across her face at the picture she has of her and Aaron as her wallpaper.

“Stupid jerk has ruined me,” she mutters to herself as she selects his contact and hits dial, “With his stupid perfect smile and giant body.” 

As they left the office, he’d asked if she wanted to spend the evening with him and Jack. She almost said yes. Spending time with them was her favourite thing to do. She’d help Jack with his homework whilst Aaron cooked dinner and then read the little boy a story when he was ready for bed, always insisting that she was better at reading than Aaron was. Once Jack was asleep she and Aaron would snuggle on the couch, sharing a glass of wine in between kisses before they went to bed themselves. She wanted that all the time. The three months she’d been with Aaron some of the best of her life, their relationship something she saw as a prize for both of them after everything they’d endured. 

She’d almost said yes, but then Dave’s words from earlier that day rang around her head, the smug smile on his face making her want to prove a point. 

“I’m not sure why you still pay rent at your place, Bella. You’re never there.”

She hated that he was right, that this place, with its half-unpacked boxes and all of her new things, didn’t feel like home. It was the first apartment she’d seen when she got back from Paris, the need for a place to live urgent. Everything she’d owned had been sold after her death. Almost everything, barring a few bits and pieces like the book in her lap that Aaron had kept aside for her. He’d told her on the evening everything changed between them, a nervous smile on his face as he explained he kept what he could without it seeming suspicious, so sure that she’d come back one day he wanted there to be something familiar for her. 

She’d kissed him after that, any reasons she had previously used to stop herself gone in an instant. 

“Hi sweetheart,” he says as he answers, and she doesn’t have to be looking at him to know he is smiling. 

“Hi,” she replies, clearing her throat in an attempt to sound casual, “What are you up to?” 

He laughs and she hates that she loves the sound, that it makes her stomach flip, because it means she can’t be furious at him for laughing at her, “Why don’t you come over and find out?” 

She huffs, “What about Jack, will he mind-”

“Emmy come home,” Jack says in the background, cutting her off before she can carry on, clutching at straws in an attempt to maintain her dignity. 

“I have a feeling he won’t mind,” Aaron says and she rolls her eyes even though he can’t see her, “And we have a surprise for you.” 

She chuckles and bites her lip, laying her head back against the couch, “What kind of surprise?”

“Why don’t you come over and find out?” 

She sighs in defeat and she shakes her head at herself, “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” 

He’d ruined her, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. ___

He’s standing in the open doorway when she arrives. She tries, and fails, to suppress a smile as she walks up to him, shaking her head as she melts into his waiting embrace. 

“I do have a key you know,” she mutters against his lips, her words lost in the kiss, “What’s the point of giving me one if you’re always waiting by the door for me.”

He chuckles and kisses her again, his hand on her cheek as he pulls back, “I like greeting you this way.” 

She hums and looks him up and down, his grey sweatpants and white t-shirt a combination that never failed to make her stomach flip. She loved seeing him in his suits - the sharp edges adding to the sternness he was famous for - but she loved this more. It made him look softer, a side of him that was just for her and she relished in it, in the fact he trusted her enough to let her love him like she did. 

“I like it too,” she says, kissing him once more before he pulls away enough to lead her into his apartment, his hand gentle on her lower back. 

“Did you eat?” He asks, locking the door behind her, checking the locks twice like he always did. 

“I did,” she replies, rolling her eyes at the way he raises an eyebrow at her, his follow-up question unasked and lingering in the air between them, “It was an actual meal and everything.”

“Good,” he says, kissing her cheek, “Do you have room for dessert.” 

“Always,” she says, smiling as he leads her into the kitchen, the smell of something freshly baked in the air, the sweet scent of it settling into her lungs, “What did you make?”

“It’s your surprise,” he replies, wrapping his arms around her from behind as they walk to the kitchen, seemingly unable to tear himself away from her, the few hours they’d been apart clearly as hard on him as they had been on her, “It was Jack’s idea.” 

As soon as she steps foot into the kitchen Jack is on her, sandwiching her in between him and Aaron, his arms tight around her middle as he hugs her as if he hadn’t seen her in days, instead of it being only that morning when she helped him get ready for school.

“Hi Emmy,” he says, squeezing her as tightly as he can, “I’m glad you came over.” 

She chuckles and hugs him back, ruffling his hair as she tugs him a little closer, smiling curiously as flour falls out of his hair, “I’m glad I did too.” 

Aaron presses a kiss to her cheek, his love for watching her and Jack together something he was never shy about. She places one of her hands over his on her hips and squeezes, a silent recognition that she knew what he was thinking, that she was glad she was here too. 

“We made you cookies!” Jack exclaims, pulling away from the embrace and grabbing her hand, tugging her towards the kitchen counter, “They’re white chocolate and raspberry.” 

She falters only for a moment, grateful that her back is to Aaron because it means he won’t have picked up on it. She looks at the cookies, clearly homemade from the uneven shapes and sizes, love pressed into the dough and chocolate chucks. She can picture Aaron and Jack standing at the counter, Aaron double-checking that the weighed ingredients were correct as Jack lost patience with his father and just started pouring white chocolate chips into the mixing bowl. Her eyes drift to the bright pink splodges of cooked raspberry and she swallows thickly. 

She was allergic to raspberries. 

It was something she’d discovered when she was young, the presence of a scratchy throat and sometimes a rash on her neck always appearing shortly after she ate the sweet fruit. It was annoying more than anything, but she never thought about it very much since they were, usually, easily avoidable. 

“Don’t you like them?” Jack asks, having picked up on her silence, and when she looks at him the concern on his face makes her ache, her stomach twisting as he frowns at her, “They’re my favourite so I thought they’d be yours too.” 

She sighs, her decision made as she picks up a cookie, smiling widely at the young boy she loves as her own, “I love them,” she says before she takes a bite, letting herself enjoy the sweet treat before she’d deal with the inevitable ramifications. 

She could deal with a scratchy throat for one evening. 

___

Emily clears her throat as she climbs into bed, the scratchiness at the back of it not clearing. 

Jack had stayed up later than usual, snuggled between her and Aaron as they all watched a movie, the little boy insisting he wasn’t tired as he fell asleep with his head on Emily’s shoulder. She’d started to feel her reaction to what she’d eaten a couple of hours ago. A scratchiness in her throat she tried to suppress, not wanting to draw attention to it, and a heat travelling up her neck that made her grateful she was swearing a turtleneck, the inevitable rash hidden from Jack and Aaron. 

When the movie was over, Aaron carried Jack to bed and whispered to Emily that he’d meet her in bed. She’d nodded and headed to his room, cursing under her breath when she pulled off her turtle neck and saw the hives that had spread up her neck to just below her jaw. She knew that there was no way Aaron wasn’t going to notice and she settled into bed to await the inevitable conversation. 

“For someone who was insisting he wasn’t tired, he didn’t even flinch as I put him into bed,” Aaron says as he walks into the room, gently closing the door behind him, “Despite staying up past his bedtime he’ll still be here in at 6 am.” 

She hums, “You Hotchner boys and your love of the mornings.” 

She winces as she hears the gravel in her voice, and she sees the moment he does too, his eyebrows creasing as he sits down next to her on the bed. 

“Em, are you okay?” He asks, he leans in closer and his eyes go wide when he sees the rash on her throat, his hand on her cheek as he tilts her head to look at it better, “What the hell happened?”

She squeezes his wrist and smiles at him, scrunching up her nose as embarrassment makes her cheeks burn as hot as her throat, “I…I’m allergic to raspberries.” 

She watches as every possible emotion passes across his face, confusion turning into shock and then into concern, “You’re allergic to…” he drifts off and his eyes go wide, “The cookies.” 

“Yeah,” she says, clearing her throat, a cough forcing its way out against her will, “The cookies.” She confirms and they fall into silence as he just stares at her in disbelief, “It’s not a bad allergy,” she explains, feeling the need to fill the silence, “I get a scratchy throat and sometimes hives, but it’s not any worse than that.” 

“Em,” he says, her name escaping in a disbelieving laugh, “Why the hell did you eat them if you’re allergic?” 

She groans and leans forward, pressing her forehead against his shoulder, “You guys made them for me, and Jack said they were his favourite and before I knew it I was eating the damn things.”

“You should have just said something, sweetheart.” 

She pouts, something she’d later deny, and she pulls back to look at him. “I couldn’t help it. Jack was looking up at me and he was so excited, and it was cute.” 

He raises an eyebrow at her, “You know what else is cute? When you can breathe properly.” He stamps a kiss on her lips and stands up, “I have some things in the medicine cabinet that should help.” 

“Thanks, honey.”

He’s out of the room for only a minute, and he walks back in with a bottle of chamomile lotion and some cotton balls in one hand and his other hand in a clenched fist. He tilts his head towards her hand and she opens it up, smiling softly when he drops an antihistamine pill into it. 

“That’s left over from when my allergies were acting up in the summer,” he says, “It should help.”

She smiles and reaches for the glass of water on her nightstand, “I still find it adorable you can stare down the barrel of a gun but pollen can take you out. You’d think pollen would be too afraid to try.” 

He hums as he sits back down next to her, “And that’s why that stays between us.”

She nods as she swallows the pill, “It’s our secret,” she says winking at him, smiling curiously as he pushes her hair from her shoulders, exposing her neck, “What are you doing?” 

“Putting lotion on your rash,” he says simply, paying close attention as he puts some of the lotion on one of the cotton balls, “It should help.” 

She presses her lips together, sure her cheeks would ache from smiling too much, the gentle way he loved her something she wasn’t sure she would ever get used to. They sit in silence as he carefully dabs the lotion onto her neck, his touch soft and caring as he takes the time to make sure he covers it all. She loved this side of him, the side that was just for her and Jack. A kind of softness she would have once struggled to believe he was capable of, a juxtaposition of the violence that had led to the scars on the very knuckles he would run down her cheek when she was half asleep and content in his arms.

“Do you have any other allergies I should be aware of?” He asks, his tone light but clearly serious as he finishes applying the lotion to her skin, “Just in case I accidentally bake a pie that brings you up in a rash.” 

She chuckles, “Just poison ivy and dog hair,” she replies, smiling softly at him as he looks at her, “And I think if you put either of those in a pie we’d have more to worry about than whether I’d have a reaction to it or not.”

He laughs and shakes his head at her, turning serious as the laughter fades, “I always want you to tell me these things, okay?” He says, reaching for her hand and linking their fingers together, “You never have to worry about telling me anything.” 

She smiles and nods, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his, her fingers curling into his hair as she holds him in place when she breaks away, “Right back at you,” she stamps her lips against his again, “Is there anything you’re allergic to that I should know about?” 

He looks thoughtful for a moment before his smile gets wider, his dimples carved out in his cheeks as he looks at her, “Spending the night away from you.” 

She laughs and rolls her eyes at him, her love for him once again overwhelming, warming her from the inside out, replacing the burning sensation left behind by the raspberries. “You’re an idiot.” 

“But I’m your idiot.” 

She kisses him, the action lost to how wide her smile is, “Yeah,” she says, pushing his hair from his forehead, “You’re all mine,” 

-x-

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[artiststarme]

Robin has a nut allergy

Just a little snippet of Robin being allergic to nuts with some Steddie on the side. I hope you guys like it and please leave your thoughts in the comments!

~*~*~*~

It’s a well known fact within the Party that Robin is allergic to nuts. Whether it be because of genetics or her lesbianism that had her allergic to even being in the vicinity of nuts, male or otherwise, she was deathly allergic. And ever since an incident involving carrot cake, walnuts, and an ambulance ride to the ER, everyone knew it. 

She didn’t have an Epipen herself (they were too expensive and she’d rather die before spending $600 on something that might save her life) but Hopper now had three of them on his person at any given time. And Steve had stolen one of his emergency pens to put in the Beemer in case of emergencies. 

Either way, it had been a long time since she’s needed one and a long time since she had any sort of allergic reaction. Robin felt secure with her friends. With them, she didn’t have to check all of the ingredients on food containers or worry about one of them trying to murder her with concealed tree nuts, unlike her parents. Or so she thought. 

Because when she stepped into the Hopper-Byers’ house one afternoon on what was supposed to be her introduction to her first DnD campaign, her throat swelled shut. Within seconds she was choking, her face turning red and her eyes watering. She couldn’t breathe. 

She clawed at her throat in an effort to get air in. She vaguely felt Steve pulling her out of the doorway of his house and distantly heard him yelling at Eddie to grab something from his glove box. Meanwhile, Robin was panicking. She couldn’t get enough air in and her muscles were starting to weaken. She could feel her body fighting itself as it responded to the airborne molecules of nuts in the air. 

Her vision was tunneling and her breaths were labored by the time she felt a sharp stab in her right thigh. Immediately, the swelling in her throat started to lessen and her vision began to clear. Her chest heaved for the air it was deprived of and her ears tuned back into her surroundings. 

“C’mon Eddie, help me pick her up. We have to get her to the hospital. Let’s go!”

“Hey Stevie, calm down. She’s fine now. We’ll get her to the hospital and she’ll be okay. I’ll drive, you just hold onto Robin.”

“What even happened? She was having an allergic reaction?” She thinks that was Jonathan but she couldn’t be sure with her eyes still closed. 

“She’s allergic to nuts. Especially pecans and walnuts,” that darling voice was Will’s. She’s recognize his soft tone anywhere. 

“Oh my god! I was making pecan pie, I forgot! I feel horrible!” That was Joyce, no one else could sound so hysteric. 

The rest of the conversation escaped her as Steve and Eddie set her in the Beemer and took off towards the hospital. She nodded off in Steve’s arms in the back of the car and Eddie drive like a bat out of hell to get her help. 

When she woke up, she was resting on a hospital bed with IVs in her hands and a blanket pulled up to her chest. Night had fallen and Steve and Eddie were still by her bedside, curled up on a single chair with their limbs wrapped around each other. 

Knowing she was safe in the presence of her best friends, she let her eyes slip closed and went back to sleep. There would be apologies made in the morning and hysterical promises made but for now, she would rest in the presence of her capital P platonic soulmate and his boyfriend, her other best friend. Everything else could be dealt with later.

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[mymoodwriting]

Request for Anon (Yandere King Hendery) 4.8k, yandere, near-death experience, poison, drowning, angst

“Are you alright, my love?”

“As if you care.”

    One minute you were in the library reading peacefully, when suddenly you began to feel ill. You stood up to call for help, and that’s when everything went dark. Now you were regaining your senses, finding yourself lying in bed, Hendery at your side, holding your hand. Once you were properly conscious you pulled away from him, trying to sit up.

“What happened?”

“You tell me, my love. Don’t try to get up.” Hendery said. “You’re still recovering.”

“From what?”

“I’m not sure. There hasn’t been word yet from the physician, but do tell me, what happened?”

“I don’t know. I was fine, and then I wasn’t.”

“One of your ladies found you collapsed on the floor, seizing up a bit.”

“I don’t remember any of that.”

“My love, you are burning up with a fever.” Hendery forced you to lay back down. “You need to rest.”

“No, I need-”

“Your majesty.”

    The royal physician entered your chambers, along with your lady, Misu. She came over to your bed side, checking you over as the physician spoke.

“My examination shows that her majesty was poisoned. Something in the food perhaps-”

“Poison! Who would dare harm my queen?”

“I do not have those answers. All I’ve discovered is that the poisoning is possibly a result of two ingredients mixing together in the food. This could be a coinci-”

“Perhaps. I need to know exactly what type of poison this is.”

“Given that her majesty did not finish her meal, the effects were minimal. She’ll make a full recovery.”

“Very well, continue looking into this and report to me any new discoveries.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

    At that time the royal physician took their leave, although you were still processing. You couldn’t believe someone had actually tried to kill you, after everything you’ve been through.

“Leave.” Hendery stated. “Now.”

    Misu only hesitated for a moment before quickly removing herself from the room. You were lost in your own thoughts until you felt Hendery reaching for your hand. You pulled away and glared at him.

“I never thought you’d resort to such methods.”

“Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you.”

“Is that so?” Hendery chuckled. “You can’t escape me that easily, my love.”

“Excuse me? Do you think I tried to kill myself?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve tried to leave me. Perhaps you thought to try a more permanent method.”

“As if I would leave you my kingdom.”

“And how many times have you tried running from it now?”

“Seven, and I wasn’t running away from my kingdom. I was trying to gain my freedom so I could come up with a proper plan to get rid of you!”

“And you expect me to believe that? To me it just seems like you miscalculated something.” Hendery smiled. “Lucky me.”

“I did not try to kill myself! Someone just tried to kill me! Shouldn’t you be actually concerned here?”

“My love, as if anyone would dare to do such a thing. You are beloved by your people and me, no one holds a grudge against you.”

“Don’t you?”

“The two of us have what you would call, tough love.”

“Loveless is a more accurate term.”

“Regardless, it seems I must be keeping a closer eye on you.”

“What?”

“Once you’re feeling better you shall be moved to my chambers. It’s best you stay close to me so I can make sure you don’t hurt yourself.”

“Someone tried to kill me! You should be investigating!”

“You want me to frame someone for your crimes? No, no, no, none of that.” Hendery took your hand. “We’ll just say you had an allergic reaction and move on.”

“I did not try to kill myself! And I’ll prove it.”

“Very well, if that’s what you wish to entertain yourself with as you recover, but it doesn’t change my mind.”

    Hendery called for Misu, telling her to bring you some medication so you could get some rest. Once she returned he excused himself. Misu made sure you took your medicine and helped you get comfortable. You slowly drifted off, even if you were worried about someone making a move again, you were certain Hendery would at least do well to keep an eye on you. When you woke up later you saw that the sun was still out.

“Your majesty, how are you feeling?”

“Uh… the same… has there been an update?”

“Not yet. Although his majesty requested you be moved to his chambers once you woke if your situation had not worsened. There are guards here to escort you.”

“Of course… he’s persistent.”

    You needed help getting out of bed, but you managed to stand. There was no way you were going to walk, so Misu helped you, another one of your ladies helping you as well. It was annoying and not helpful to be moving rooms, but you didn’t need Hendery throwing a fit. You settled into his bed, remembering the time when you slept here willingly. Although you didn’t want to think about that, you had other things to worry about.

“Misu, I need you to do something for me.”

“Yes, your majesty, what can I do for you?”

“I need a list of all the kitchen staff, along with their duties and years of experience.”

“The entire kitchen staff? That’s going to be a long list.”

“I know.”

“Very well then, I shall gather that information for you as quickly as I can.”

“Thank you.”

    Even if your recovery was important, you needed to find out who tried to kill you. They had failed in their attempts, so they could try again, and most of all you knew Hendery’s words were true. You couldn’t see your kingdom hating you, as far as you knew no one had a problem with you, which made this all the more concerning. You stayed in bed, thinking things over when the smell of food interrupted your thoughts.

“Feeling better, my love?” Hendery entered with some servants. “You need to eat to recover your strength so I thought I’d join you.”

    You had help sitting up, a tray was placed on the bed so the food would be easily accessible to you. Hendery watched you for a moment, not speaking until you two were alone.

“Are you not hungry?”

“Someone tried to kill me, they poisoned my food. Why would I-”

“On this again, are we?”

“I’m not lying.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Clearly, it’s starting to make me think you tried to kill me.”

“Why would I ever do that?”

“Because you got what you wanted, no reason to keep me around.”

“I went through a lot of trouble to get you, my love. All I wanted was you, the kingdom was a bonus.” Hendery offered you a smile. “It was very fortunate your father accepted me as I am. I feared he wouldn’t as I had nothing to offer, but my love. I suppose that’s what won him over in the end.”

“How unfortunate for him, and me.”

“My love, I know you don’t hate me. We would not be here if that was the case.”

“I’m here because of your lies.”

“I’ve never lied to you. My feelings remain the same even if you blame me for your parents death.”

“I know you killed them, and you’re trying to get rid of me too.”

“My love.” Hendery got up, a smile still present on his lips as he grabbed your face, looking down on you. “As much as you wish to blame me for the tragedies of your life, you have no proof I did anything. I love you even if your heart is confused at the moment. You’ll come back to me on your own, one way or another, so don’t look at me with hateful eyes. I would never make an attempt on your life, so get that idea out of your head.”

    Hendery placed a kiss on your head, letting you go. He took a bite of your food and sat back down at your bedside.

“See, the food is fine. Eat.”

You were still weary, but also hungry at this point. Although before you made an attempt, Misu returned.

“Your majesty I have-” She quickly stopped, realizing you weren’t alone. “Apologies, your majesty, I didn’t realize-”

“What do you have there?”

Hendery held his hand out and Misu handed over the list of kitchen staff. He looked it over with a chuckle.

“You’re really going to look into this?”

“You said I could while I recover, or in your words, entertain myself.”

“I see, but you do realize this is pointless.”

“What?”

“We eat the same things everyday, my love. Even if we aren’t together. The food we have is cooked in the same pots and pans. If the food has been poisoned in the process of being made, then I would have been affected too. I’m fine so-”

“It was a targeted attack… which means someone added something to the food after it was prepared.”

“Like yourself.”

“Or the poison was meant for you and it was added to the wrong plate.”

“…”

“Are you starting to believe me?”

“I’m not sure… Misu, come here.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Now.”

    Misu stepped closer to Hendery, flustered and shy. He held his hand out and she eventually understood to give him her arm. She did so and he pulled her close, checking her pulse.

“Look at me and tell me, did my queen ask you to do anything bad?”

“You can’t be-”

“I’m not speaking to you right now, my love.” Hendery grabbed Misu’s chin and had her meet his eyes. “Did you do anything bad?”

“Nu… no, your majesty.”

“My queen didn’t ask you to do anything vile?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“I see. You may go.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

    Misu hurried out of the room, and you made a note to check on her later. You were certainly annoyed now.

“That was unnecessary. Did you even get your answer?”

“I’m not certain… regardless, the royal physician informed me they could not identify the poison as your food has already been disposed of.”

“You-”

“Are on your own for this. I don’t believe anyone would try to hurt you, or me, but if you’re going to blame anyone you better have solid proof.”

“Fine, but let’s make one thing clear. Just as you say you wouldn’t try to kill me, I won’t be leaving of my own will. I’m going to take my kingdom back, and watch you burn.”

Hendery scoffed. “I’ll look forward to that. Now eat. I oversaw the whole process so I assure you nothing is wrong.”

“…”

“Or do I have to feed you myself?”

    You were still upset with him, practically always, but you ate with him. If he said it wasn’t poisoned, you could believe that from his twisted love. 

“See, that wasn’t bad was it. Take your medication and rest.”

“You said you oversaw this being cooked, right?”

“Yes, my love.”

“What happened when it was finished?”

“Hm… our plates were prepared and placed on a tray. From there the servants grabbed them and followed me to my chambers.”

“The servants were on standby?”

“Yes.”

“Are they always like that?”

“I can’t say. I was only there today.”

“And they grab the trays as soon as the food is ready?”

“It seems so, why?”

“Then if something was added to the food, it was done once it left the kitchen, and before reaching me.”

“You’re very cute with your investigation. So don’t cause trouble.”

“No promises.”

“Of course.”

    Hendery kissed your head and excused himself. A moment later the servants came in to take the dishes, Misu checking over you.

“Misu.”

“Yes, your majesty?”

“Are you alright? He shouldn’t have-”

“I’m alright, your majesty. I was a bit caught off guard by the request, but I did not lie.”

“I still must apologize, you shouldn’t be treated that way.”

“I’m okay, just worried about you.”

“I must also apologize, as I need you to do something else for me.”

“How can I help you, your majesty?”

“You went through the trouble of getting the kitchen staff list, but it seems I’ve miscalculated.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no way of knowing what kind of poison was used on me, but it wasn’t the food itself that harmed me. Therefore the kitchen staff is most likely not the culprit, meaning it’s another servant.”

“I don’t believe I follow.”

“The kitchen is already so busy as it is, so it’s highly unlikely one of them did something… do you think you could figure out what servants came in contact, or near my food the other day. I know most of the have certain roles and routines to follow. I want the names of those, and maybe ask around to see if anyone saw anything odd.”

“Ah, I will do my best, your majesty.”

“Thank you.”

    With that set up you took your medicine and laid down to rest. The next time you opened your eyes, you realized it was dark out, and you weren’t alone. You found yourself wrapped up in Hendery’s arms, his warmth keeping you comfortable and calm. Although upon realizing this you squirmed out of his grasp, waking him up in the process.

“Are you alright, my love? Do you-”

“Don’t touch me.”

Hendery sighed. “It’s late, lay back down and sleep.”

“Not with you.”

“I said I would be keeping a close eye on you. That includes the night.”

“We don’t have to sleep in the same bed.”

“But we do.” Hendery pulled you back down. “And I’ve missed you.”

“I haven’t.”

“Lies, my love, and you know it.”

    He cuddled you, spooning you and holding you close. He was still warm, just as before. You hated how your thoughts drifted to the past. The nights like this, as he’d drown you in soft kisses to help you sleep. His words of love slowly turned to whispers and fading to mumbles as he fell asleep. You thought he was everything, and now you just felt so alone.

“You really think I tried to kill myself?”

“Who would dare harm you?”

“Everyone has secrets.”

“But not just anyone would be bold enough to poison the queen. If you really think someone did that, you can’t just look for evidence, you need to know why.”

“Add this to the list of reasons you’re a terrible husband.”

“What else is on that list?”

“Your lies, your manipulation, you-”

“I did what was best for you.”

“I disagree.”

“So you’d prefer an arranged marriage with a man you didn’t know? Simply for power? I don’t think I could allow that.”

“It was not your job to look after me.”

“But I’ve done so.”

“If that was true you’d look for who tried to kill me. Before they try again.”

“You get lucky once, and they blew it. I won’t allow them another chance, even if that someone is you.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you can rest easy in my arms.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Yes you can. Like I said, I won’t let anyone harm you. I will always love you, no matter what.”

    You didn’t want to sleep, but your illness, and his warmth just made it so easy to drift off. Even if your mind was logical and understanding of your displeasure for your husband, your body and heart remembered him well, and could only accept him. When morning came you were still in his arms, snuggled against him like old times. The realization quickly made you move away. It seemed that Hendery had been awake for a while, watching you sleep and waiting for you to wake. He had you stay in bed as he went to oversee breakfast, returning later.

    You felt better, but not entirely back to your old self. So you remained in bed and carried out your investigation from there. You’d take your medicine, and Hendery always returned to share your meals, assuring you each and every time the food was safe. Misu got you the list you had requested, along with some information to narrow down the suspects. You needed to speak with each of these people, to get a better idea as to whether or not they were guilty. You would move down to the main hall to conduct these interviews, taking notes of anything you felt odd.

“Still entertaining yourself I see.”

“What do you want?”

    Hendery found you in the main hall, bringing over a chair to sit at your side, peeking at your notes. He still found what you were doing amusing.

“Any suspects?”

“Not particularly. Everyone seems to be hiding something, not surprising as the castle is huge, but no one seems that nervous around me.” You sighed. “I got nothing.”

“Just-”

“Don’t make a comment about me trying to frame someone.”

“I was going to say, just take a break. I’m sure something will come to mind once you look at it with a clear head.”

“Are you gonna help?”

“This seems to be your personal mission. I don’t want to interfere.”

“Of course not.”

    It took you two days to get through your list, and you felt like you had gotten nowhere. To add to the despair, you weren’t really feeling better. You could get out of bed and go about your day, but you’d get headaches and fatigue quite fast. If anything, it told you that whatever was used on you had lasting effects, so maybe the assassin hadn’t entirely failed.

“Your majesty, the bath is ready.”

“Thank you, Misu.”

    The warm water did well to sooth you and make you feel better despite everything. You felt you hadn’t gotten anywhere with your investigation, and had no idea what to do next. Still, for now you should rest and try again later. You closed your eyes and let yourself feel the warm water. It was really relaxing, and the aroma in the room was soothing as well. You could feel yourself falling asleep and sinking into the water. A half baked thought surfaced, making you aware of the problem, but you didn’t have the strength to do anything.

    Slowly the water rose until you were completely under it. You felt like you were floating, and it was quite peaceful, until you ran out of oxygen. You couldn’t do anything to call for help, merely trying to reach up to the surface, but your vision was already going black. You thought this might be it, starting to accept that when your vision was suddenly white and you were inhaling a mixture of water and air. You coughed up the water, realizing you had surfaced, shaking from the shock.

“I got you, I got you.”

    It took a moment to realize Hendery was holding you, Misu making a fuss about him getting wet and also helping to get you out of the water. She handed Hendery a towel and he wrapped you up with it, trying to dry you off. He ordered Misu to get the physician, staying with you and trying to warm you up.

“You’re alright, you’re alright.”

“I… I…”

“Sh, don’t speak, just breath, nice and easy. You’re okay.”

    You were still coughing up some water, trying to regain your breath and sense. Hendery merely held you tight, gently rocking you and assuring you were alright. You had no idea what happened to you, besides the fact the assassin had made another move.

“Hendery…”

“You’re alright, my love.”

“Do you still… think it was… me…”

“I never did.”

“Huh?”

“Sh, just focus on your recovery, you don’t have to worry about anything else.”

    You had questions, but you couldn’t quite articulate them. Once you were good to move, Hendery picked you up and took you to his chambers, setting you down on the bed, not caring if you were still soaked. He got another towel to help dry you up properly, finding some of your clothes to dress you and then wrapping you up in a blanket. You were still shaking, not from the water but just everything. Your thoughts led to fear, and you didn’t feel safe with anyone besides Hendery, the only person you could trust wouldn’t do anything. You didn’t even want to see the physician, and Hendery had to tell them to leave.

“My love, you need to-”

“No… no one…”

“I need to be certain you’re alright.”

“You do it…”

“You trust me? I thought you hated me?”

“You’re… you’re the only one… I can trust… right now…”

“Then please give me a moment to figure out what I need to look for.”

“Okay…”

    You pulled the blanket around you tighter once Hendery left, quietly counting to yourself to distract yourself until he returned. He did best to check all your vitals and make sure nothing was wrong.

“What happened?”

“I… I don’t know… I was fine… then tired… and… and…”

“That’s enough. I’ll have this looked into and find the culprit.”

“So you… you believe me…”

“Of course. I just need more evidence.”

“Then… you… used me… as bait…”

“The first time was too clean. There was barely any evidence left behind. I would have lost you if I hadn’t been so fortunate.”

“Why… why…”

“Sh, don’t concern yourself. I’ll handle everything. Here, I went down to prepare you some tea so you can sleep.”

“You won’t leave… right…”

“No. I will stay right here, my love.”

    Hendery helped you with the tea, making sure you had every last drop before laying you down. He tucked you in under the covers, lying down at your side. You curled up, still thinking about what happened. The first incident you had no idea what was happening, but this time around, you could feel your life slipping away. Hendery could see the gears turning in your head, reaching over to gently pet you.

“You’re okay, everything’s okay, no one’s going to hurt you.”

“You’ll find… who did this…”

“I will, I promise.”

    Even if you didn’t really want to sleep, the tea and your own exhaustion was starting to wear you down. You slowly drifted off to sleep, only able to rest for a bit before waking up in a  fright. You thought you would be alone, but Hendery was right at your side, pulling you into his arms. He gently rocked you in his arms while rubbing your back, once again assuring you things were alright.

“I see the tea didn’t work for long.”

“I’m fine…”

“I know, I know.”

“I don’t think I can sleep…”

“That’s alright, we can just stay up together.”

“Okay…”

    It was getting dark out, but you didn’t feel tired. Hendery asked for some books, and his own things to be brought to his chambers. You both stayed on the bed, quietly providing each other company. Even if you were on high alert, you didn’t expect Hendery to stay awake for long, eventually finding him asleep on the bed. You watched him for a moment, your hand unconsciously reaching over to run your fingers through his hair. You quickly stopped yourself when you realized what you were doing.

    A near death experience, your second, should not be a time to rekindle old feelings. Let alone considering all he had done to become king and take your kingdom from you. He wasn’t someone to forgive. You were still decent, cleaning up and making sure he could rest comfortably. You did your best not to wake him, just remaining at his side and trying to read, your thoughts drifting off to what happened. Before you knew it the sun had risen, and a new day had begun. You were staring out the window and you didn’t realize Hendery waking up.

“My love…”

“You’re awake.”

“Did you not sleep?”

“I couldn’t.”

“My apologies, you should have woken me.”

“One of us should rest.”

“I suppose. You must be hungry, I’ll have breakfast prepared.”

“I’m not hungry…”

“I know that’s a lie. You may have no appetite but your body needs to remain healthy.”

“…”

“Then do you want to wrap this up?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Come on, I’ll show you.”

    Hendery helped you dress in something comfortable, disregarding usual clothing traditions, and going down to the main hall with you. He had yet to tell you anything, but you were just waiting quietly. If he was going to tell you something he should have done it in his chambers where you had privacy, so this did concern you. Although it was just the two of you as he had the guards leave the room.

“You asked to see me, your majesty.”

    Misu quietly entered the room, bowing to both of you after a slight pause. When she entered you looked over at Hendery, but he just had an amused look in his eyes.

“Why did you do it?”

“Pardon… I don’t-”

“What poison did you use?”

“Wa… what?”

“Answer me.”

“Hendery.” You hissed. “What are you-”

“My love, you are quite beautifully naive. There is only one person who could hurt you, but you never even considered the possibility because you trust them so much.”

“No, no, you-”

“You figured out it couldn’t be the actual kitchen staff, so it had to be someone who had access to your food after it was prepared. None of the servants you spoke to raised any concern, and none would have a reason to harm you.”

“And why would Misu? She has been my faithful servant since I was a child. Why would she-”

“Why indeed, that’s what I would like to know.”

“You can’t-”

“Misu is the one who’s supposed to try the food to make sure it’s safe, isn’t that right, my love?”

“I…”

“If you had finished your plate you would have surely passed, and it wasn’t Misu who found you, was it?”

“No…”

“Everyone has their secrets as you said, and when I interrogated Misu her heart was racing. Not because of my questions, but something else. Do you care to explain yourself?”

“Your majesty, I don’t-”

“Do not lie to me!” Hendery rose to his feet. “You are lucky to be breathing right now. I should have struck you down already, but you are alive right now to explain yourself. So tell me, why did you dare to harm my queen!”

    Misu was at a loss for words, looking between you and Hendery. You weren’t sure what to believe, trying to make sense of all the pieces Hendery had just dropped in your lap. Although you didn’t have to ponder for long as Misu fell to her news, bowing down.

“How could I not do something, your majesty!”

“Mi… Misu… what…”

“I do not know the reason why the queen has grown to hate you, but I cannot stand it!”

“Ah… do you… have feelings for me?” Hendery questioned. “Are your actions some declaration of love?”

“She does not love or cherish you, it’s unfair for you to suffer in such a manner.”

    Hendery chuckled, slowly walking over to Misu. He knelt down, grabbing her chin so their eyes would meet.

“I can see love in your eyes. I always thought that was admiration, I am your king after all, but this is something much deeper. You’d do anything for me, huh? Even kill.”

“Your-”

“It’s a shame. You could have been useful, but you chose to harm my queen, and I cannot allow you to live any longer.”

“Your majesty, please.” Misu begged. “I did poison the queen, but the incident with the bath was not my doing, I am not-”

    Hendery was no longer listening, returning to his throne and grabbing his sword. Your eyes went wide, having not realized he would be taking matters into his own hands like this. You thought to stop him, but when you stood, the shock of everything cause you to collapse.

“Hendery-”

    You closed your eyes before you saw anything that could never be unseen. You were shaking again, scared to open your eyes. You heard the sword clatter to the ground, a presence slowly approaching. You felt Hendery caress your cheek.

“Look at me, my love.”

    You slowly opened your eyes, locking your gaze with his. You didn’t want to see anything else. He had a bit of blood on his face, but he seemed content.

“Are you alright?”

“I… I…”

“You don’t have to worry anymore. I took care of everything, like I promised.”

“But… but…” Misu’s last words started to hit you. “She said she didn’t… the bath… if she…”

“That’s nothing to worry about. She was just saying whatever she could to save herself, but her fate was sealed the second she hurt you.”

“Did you… did you have something to do with-”

“Sh, I know this was probably a lot for you, but I needed you to know that you’re safe. I’ll get you a new maid, and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

“I… Hendery…”

“It’s okay, everything’s okay now, my love. You’re safe.”

“… am I…”

“Of course, you have me, and that’s all you need.”

[ramen8baka]

Shoto X reader

WARNINGS: angst to fluff

Summary: Shoto accidentally hurts reader with his quirk. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

You and Shoto were a happy couple, for the most part. Every now and then you might do something to make the other mad but never anything serious. And you’d always make up in the end. However, this time was not like those times.

“You’re so stupid!” Y/n yelled. “How was I supposed to know your mother was allergic to apples?” You’d seen Shoto mad before, but never this mad. You were fighting over something a little childish. You and Shoto had visited your parents that evening and Shoto made a salad to ‘impress’ them. That salad had included apples. Which your mother was allergic to. What a fun ER trip that was. Shoto was nervous they wouldn’t like him while you, on the other hand was indeed very angry.

“Well you could’ve at least told me the ingredients you used!” “Well I never knew there were allergies in the family!” You both continued to yell. Shoto is a very calm person. Mainly because if he gets angry his fire side will take control. And even if he was angry at you right now, he would never and I mean never, try to hurt you. “To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t like you, Shoto.” You crossed your arms. This just made Shoto angrier. “I never knew! How was I supposed to make an apple free salad if you never told me she was allergic to apples?!” WHOOSH! Shit, He thought. The one thing he never wanted to happen just happened. “Ow.” You whimpered. Shoto was to stunned to speak. He kneeled down to you. “Y/n…”

“get away from me!” He flinched. He had been stupid. He burned you with his flames. Would you ever recover? More importantly, would you ever forgive him? “Y/n, please. I’m sorry. I’ll do anything! I’m sorry, i’m so sorry y/n.” You looked up at him. You knew he didn’t mean to. But it still hurt. Not necessarily all physical pain. “Shoto… you messed up.” You sat criss cross aPpLe saUcE. “I know and i’m sor-“

“But I messed up too. I should’ve told you about my mother’s allergy. That was my fault.” You said guiltily. “But I still burned you! That’s not okay. You’re not okay!” Shoto said. “Yea, well you made a mistake. Many mistakes, actually.” He nodded in shame. “But I might be able to forgive you. It’ll take time to build up trust again, though.” He looked up. Could there be hope for your broken relationship? “I’m glad. I can work with that, y/n.” He said. “Why don’t you help me up and clean my burn? Then maybe… well since we haven’t done it in awhile… we could have makeup cuddles? Then I think i’d feel better.” You said with your signature puppy dog eyes. Shoto smiled softly. “Of course.”

[bistevethor]

Steve Rogers Fanfiction Recommendations

Happy birthday, Steve!

I know that there are some (a lot?) of steve fans who sometimes struggle to find fics focused on him, so I am here now putting a list of Steve fics. I was going to fics that I haven't seen recommended a lot and most of the ones on this post have less than 200 kudos only, but I end up putting everything (it's probably easier to put my bookmarks as public but well...). It's a massive list (over 100 fics?), so it's will be separated into several posts/reblogs.

Not all of them are from Steve's POV or even have him as the main 'main' character, but rest assured he played an important role and is featured heavily. Lots of these are friendship-focused but I categorized them. The shippy ones are mostly samsteve, thundershield, and some rare pairings because I don't venture to other ships a lot and when I did it's to the rare ones instead lol. Hopefully, any of you can find some gems from this list and these are as enjoyable or as good as I remembered. I'll continue to update it, hopefully, every time I find new ones.

Fics are under read more.

General

The Rocket's Red Glare

Steve was born on the Fourth of July (no joke), so a party is in order! Unfortunately, PTSD decides to rear its ugly head. Fortunately, Steve's got an entire team at his back to help him through it. And screaming goats.

an entry in the scrapbook of absurdity

In which Steve turns into a baby and bites people.

Baby Steve Adventures

Captain America gets hit by a spell during a battle. The rest of the Avengers look after him.

Do You Remember Being Happy? ('Cause I Sure Don't)

"Dragr," Thor called them. "Demons" Clint had said. "Thieves" is what Steve labels them as. AKA, the one where Steve is captured by creatures that feed off of happy memories, and the team is left to pick up the pieces. Post-Avengers.

In Search of (Bucky, Family, Home)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson

A week following the events of CATWS, Steve recruits Natasha and Sam to help find Bucky.

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Do we need to recap again? You were shot three times, beaten near to death by an enhanced super soldier with a metal arm and then almost drowned. Yeah, your ass is going to need a few more days of healing time.”

The Truth When Captains Meet

Steve Rogers wakes up on an alien’s space ship being carried bridal style by Carol Danvers. As far as first meetings go, it’s memorable.

Irish Coffee

Pairings: Jessica Jones & Steve Rogers

Jessica runs into an incognito Cap at a cafe. They form an unlikely friendship of sorts.

The Lifetimes of Steve Rogers (Series)

What happens when Steve Rogers steps onto the quantum platform to return the Stones? Where does he go? What challenges does he find? Who does he meet? How many lifetimes can one man have?

Fifty-Two Pickup

Less than a week after the fall of the Triskelion, Steve Rogers is released from the hospital. Although his physical wounds are almost fully healed, other injuries need a bit more time, and some help from friends.

little kids get big so fast

Steve ends up having to take care of the deaged Defenders.

Grampa Steve's Bedtime Stories

If Mommy was away for work, then Morgan’s Grampa Steve came over to stay with her. He’d tuck her in, let her give Mommy a kiss on video chat, then hand her the picture of Daddy for his kiss. Once Daddy’s picture was back on the bookshelf, Grampa Steve would turn off the bedside lamp so that Miss Friday could cover the ceiling with stars, and ask Morgan what story she wanted to hear.

“Captain Steve, Grampa! Tell me Captain Steve!”

Grampa Steve sometimes read to her from books and other times watched a movie with her, but her favorite by far was when he told her Captain Steve’s Adventures Through the Multiverse.

On Camping Trips

Sam is more Hermione than Natasha is, and Steve doesn't want to be Harry.

Powerful

Steve loses the advantages of the super-soldier serum. This is not a tragedy.

His Dream

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

As if on cue, Steve cut him off with a loud sneeze.

"Yeah. Like that." Sam nodded. "And please sneeze into your elbow next time, dude. You could've just started an epidemic."

"Sorry. Allergies." Steve excused, and Sam raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know it's allergies?" Sam asked, and Steve sighed, putting the ingredients together and solving the mystery of what the gas had actually done.

The answer wasn't ideal. "It feels like the seasonal allergies I had before. Before the serum- and I haven't had them since the serum."

Realization clicked in Sam's head.

"The gas de-serumed you."

Steve swallowed and nodded reluctantly.

OR: Steve gets temporarily de-serumed, with his height and stature staying the same but his immune system being as bad as it was before, and has to stay in the hospital to prevent a severe allergic reaction or illness. Sam stays with him the whole time, making sure he's not alone.

A Strange Encounter

Things have gone awry and Strange is injured. With no other options, he's called for assistance from Captain America and his team.

even if we're apart, i'll always be with you

Steve finds a dirty toy bear at an abandoned gas station, on the way back from a school trip. He brings him home.

As Long as You’re Not Tired Yet of Talking

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

When Steve Rogers tells her, “Don’t be a stranger,” as they’re all going their own ways after New York, it makes her want to laugh.

Draw/Breath

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Natasha like knowing what makes people tick. She likes knowing things, about her teammates and her coworkers and herself. Oddly enough, sometimes other people like knowing her too.

AKA: Natasha wants to know why Steve isn’t drawing anymore, and takes the long way round to get her answer. Because why not.

With Magic We Do Fly

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers

In Civil War we see Wanda fling Steve into the air with her magic. They must have practiced that, right?

Que Wanda throwing Steve against a wall. Many times.

Just Like We Practiced

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers

Steve had said, in the movie when he asked Wanda to lift him into the building, "Just like we practiced." But just how did they come up with the idea of her lifting people with her powers, and putting them up somewhere like an escalator? Perhaps it was because Wanda accidentally sent a certain tall, blond Avenger face-first into the floor once and he decided he would help her learn to utilize this as a confidence building exercise. Natasha keeps an eye, Thor and Sam help build the training grounds, and Wanda has found her new home. Takes place between AGE OF ULTRON and CIVIL WAR.

Black and White but Red and Blue

They're watching black and white film reels, but Steve sees them in colour.

"My shield may be black and white but it was red and blue. Just like the blue sky under which red blood was spilled. Like Bucky's blue eyes and Peggy's red lips..."

The Road Warriors

Characters: Sam Wilson (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff

It wasn't pretty, but somehow the four of them managed to make it through two years on the run.

We'll Fix It

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Steve has a hard time after his battle with The Winter Soldier and isn't sure what to do with himself. After not seeing him for a week, Natasha finally shows up to his apartment unannounced to figure out how they can get back to work. There is some crying involved.

From Here On Out

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

The Accords, the search for Bucky, the fight at the airport ... In a world where nothing will ever be the same, sometimes the road to rebuilding trust and friendship is a little rockier than it should be.

AKA, the story of Steve & Natasha and how they got to where they are.

Set post-Civil War but pre-Infinity War.

I have this breath and I hold it tight

Parings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Vision

Steve finally goes to Wanda’s tiny room and taps on the doorframe, although it’s hardly necessary, with the slightly warped floorboards creaking under his feet. “Hey,” he says. “Got a minute?”

Wanda's been a little withdrawn since Steve broke everyone out of the Raft. She's had a lot to think about.

to you.

Pairings: Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff & Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff & Tony Stark

It's Wanda's birthday today. She's not sure how to feel.

New Love

Pairings: Diana (Wonder Woman) & Steve Rogers

Near the end of World War II, Diana Prince finds herself attempting to reconnect to her long-gone, beloved Steve Trevor. However, she comes across Steve Rogers instead.

Sharing Life (And Canned Green Beans)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

It’s Thanksgiving, and Steve is hiding in the second living room on the 8th floor of the penthouse apartments with a can of green beans.

I'm Fine

Steve slowly began to realize that the problem with being a national icon, a hero, and a role model, is that somehow, he became more than human. He become a symbol, not a person. So when he becomes increasingly unhappy, deeply depressed, and utterly adrift in a world where he doesn't belong, the loneliness and isolation are unbearable. How could anyone believe that an iconic hero like himself was really just an ordinary kid from Brooklyn, dying inside because everything he'd gained still wasn't enough to replace everything he'd lost? How could he possibly bring himself to bleed on the ones he loves? So he tells himself the same lie over and over, hoping one day, he'll believe it.

dogpile

"My dog ate my mission report" An injured Steve remembers something he has to do. Unabashed Steve and dogs fluff. "Didn't peg you for a pet guy." "Allergies."

Alone In This World (Together)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson

“We’re fugitives,” Steve said finally. “It might never get better.”

“The world’s always going to need saving," Sam replied. "We’re still Avengers. No one can take that away from us.” Then, like they hadn't been having an entire conversation before, “So when do we leave?”

“Once night falls.”

Do we have any idea where she is?”

“No.” Steve took a sip of his coffee. “But I know where she’ll be.”

it gets the worst at night

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Here's how it goes: Natasha sometimes shares a bed with Steve. It's not what it sounds like.

(In which there are Colombian drug lords, awkward boners, cuddly super-soldiers and the Avengers are all giant dorks.)

Shelter

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

Sam and Steve, right after the fall of SHIELD.

Princely Bickering

Pairings: Jane Foster/Thor, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Jane Foster, Steve Rogers & Thor

Steve allows Sam to lean up and inspect his head for bruises and blood. He then checks out Steve’s eyes. ‘Do you know where you are?’ Steve rolls his eyes. ‘Don’t be an ass, Cap, apparently you can break.’ ‘London, England, chasing apparently useless Hydra intel despite having about five hundred international arrest warrants out for us because we’re just that stupid,’ says Steve. Sam pats him - gently - on the shoulder. Life on the run isn't easy, especially not after an injury. Fortunately Steve still has a few allies left.

And The Seconds Tick Down

AU of Civil War. How the world ended in twenty steps when Steve died.

"Grant" and "Francis" Go Shopping

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

Steve and Clint both have holiday shopping to do for their family of choice, so they make a day trip to an outlet mall, have a few heart to hearts, use some coupons, buy a bunch of presents, and eventually get through their shopping lists.

A Tune Without Words

Pairings: Jane Foster/Thor, Steve Rogers & Thor, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

As he and Sam prepare to begin searching for Bucky, Steve gets various offers of help—some more unexpected than others.

Purpose

Tony Stark wins the fight in Siberia completely by accident.

Steve Rogers does not resist his arrest as he is taken to the Raft.

Sam Wilson, T'Challa, and Pepper Potts pick up the pieces.

Full of Wounds and Still Standing on my Feet

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Wanda Maximoff

The five times Steve looked out for Wanda, and one time Wanda decided someone needed to look out for Steve.

Three Awakenings

The first three times that Steve Rogers woke up during his first twenty-four hours in the twenty-first century.

Making Your Own Future

Characters: Steve Rogers, Diana Prince, Steve Trevor Five times -- plus one -- that Diana Prince and Steve Rogers encountered one another.

Better Living Through Pizza

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

Steve takes some time off from soldiering and Avengering to get his head on straight, and Clint is assigned to keep an eye on him, because apparently SHIELD believes in the blind leading the blind. Steve really needs a hobby, since modern television shows baffle him, but Clint keeps bringing him DVDs and pizza.

Five Times Clint Barton Spoke with Steve Rogers about Growing Old and the One Time He Didn't.

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

When Steve Rogers reappeared from the past as an old man, there was a lot of catching up to do. Clint Barton made sure nobody got left behind.

Hammer's Totally Heavy-Handed and Incompetent Revenge

"So, at the end of IM2, Justin Hammer swears revenge on Pepper. He waits until Tony and Rhodey are halfway across the world to launch his attack.

Unfortunately for him, thanks to SHIELD, Iron Man and War Machine aren't the only superheroes in Pepper's rolladex. Steve thinks Pepper's just swell and doesn't take too kindly to somebody trying to hurt her."

Cue badass!Steve and competent!Pepper

Fan Mail

Steve starts getting his fan mail and receives an invitation to the prom. Written for a prompt at the Avengers kink meme. It was a great prompt, and so much fun to write and get feedback for!

Prom. Steve 'Grandpa Iceberg' Rogers at a 21st-century high school prom. "This isn't happening. This whole conversation is just an elaborate practical joke. Bruce really just has orders for widgets or something."

Bruce waved the printouts at him. "Fraid not. I don't really do practical jokes. Messing with other people's moods just seems. I don't know. Karmically unwise."

Mascot

Steve runs. People see Steve run. Steve gets adopted by the neighbourhood he runs through every week day morning. He finds this confusing. Tony finds it amusing.

Locks Not Replaced

Tony angsts back at Avengers' HQ, Ross is a bully and Steve makes sure he doesn't get away with it. In other words, there is much regret, a bit on the philosophy of locks, adventure and far too many Robin Hood metaphors.

woof

For a prompt on the avengers kinkmeme: "...something different happens when Steve gets Dr Erskine's serum plus the Vita ray treatment... Steve does get taller and stronger, but when the first full moon hits, he turns into a big friendly looking dog. Yes, he's a weredog, not a werewolf."

Mission: Baby

Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

The Asset finds himself in charge of the care of a small baby, but somehow he knows—he has to protect the baby from all harm, whatever the cost.

14 Tracks

Pairings: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Avengers Team 14 tracks from Steve's iPod and how they got on there.

Life Will Rattle Your Bones

Pairings: Erik Lehnsherr & Steve Rogers

Captain America and the Howling Commandos find Schmidt sooner than they thought... wait, what do you mean this is a *different* Schmidt?

In war-torn Germany, the paths of Steve Rogers and Erik Lehnsherr cross, part, and cross again.

come build me up

Pairings: Sharon Carter & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

“Do you ever feel like -- like you joined up because you wanted to do good. You wanted to do the right thing but somewhere along the way, you just lost the whole fucking plot.”

“All of the time.”

Or: the one where Captain America and Agent 13 give long distance friendship a whirl.

Down in the Worn Out Place Again

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Wanda Maximoff

“You don't look a day over 85, Captain,” Wanda says.

Natasha smiles, just barely, and nudges Steve with her elbow. “She makes jokes now.”

(Post AoU, stories about friendship.)

Satellites

Characters: Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Nick Fury Pairings: Natasha Romanov & Steve Rogers, Minor Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Minor Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov

In the immediate aftermath of SHIELD's collapse and Steve's plunge into the Potomac, Natasha considers her place in the world. Also the fact that Steve is depressing.

Timeless Classics

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Avengers Team Five An undetermined number of times (six, apparently) Steve unexpectedly got the reference (sort of), and one time everyone discovered something new together.

you just wait and see

Pairings: Rocket Raccoon & Steve Rogers

“Thor said you’re the captain.” Rogers says, his voice distant, sad smile growing into a sadder grin. “Tough job.”

The Small Hours

Pairings: Steve Rogers & T'Challa, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

"I'm not getting him back, am I." The words were flatly delivered – not a question so much as fatigued resignation. "We will do everything we can to help him," T'Challa quietly replied, but he wouldn't lie, not about this. Not to a fellow warrior he respected on and off the field of battle. "The possibility does exist, however, that the triggers are permanent."

The Man We All Remember From the Newsreels

Still getting used to the twenty-first century, Steve comforts himself with memories of long-gone friends. But Howard Stark, the man Steve remembers, is nothing like the man he sees in the newsreels.

we're all choir boys at best

Characters: Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm

You are totally getting laid tonight. "Please stop talking." You hijacked my brain first, this is totally not my fault.

Epistaxis

Steve doesn't worry the first time he gets a bloody nose that won't quit. But when it happens a second, third, fourth... He, and his teammates, start to get concerned.

You Close Your Eyes and the Glory Fades

His body isn’t his own, he knows that, knew before the procedure that everything would change. That was the easiest thing to wrap his head around, actually, the physical changes. He’s used to his body betraying him, so this is just another thing to learn his way around. But the colors of everything, even the sliver of blue sky he could see, craning his head at the tiny window, look different.

Looking For Answers (From The Great Beyond)

After the Battle of New York is over, and Loki and the tesseract are returned to Asgard, Steve takes a road trip across the country, and tries to figure out what he wants to do next.

Mourning the Future

Steve's ties to the past and the future are pretty tenuous, and the serum ensures he lives in an eternal present state of ever-youthful vigour. When an old war buddy gets handed his last marching orders, Steve has to wonder if everyone will eventually leave.

Riviera Life

Sam and Steve have been traversing Europe looking for Bucky. Not everyone is convinced it isn’t an open invitation road trip.

Voluntary Bros.

Characters: Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm

"Dude, you could be twins, they tested you before they defrosted you to see if you were a clone or something, or if he was a clone," Clint said.

"I want to talk to him, I think. I mean, a girl threw her latte at me last week for not calling her back and this dude felt me up at an art gallery yesterday," Steve said.

Two Brooklynites and One Big Apple

Pairings: Miles Morales & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

“You did good out there today,” Captain America said, brushing a layer of detritus from his unfathomably broad shoulder. “I’ll see you around.”

“Not if I see you first,” replied Miles, fingergunning with one hand as he sent a web rope fwipping off into the distance with the other, catapulting himself away at tremendous speed.

... in which two superheroes battle with bad guys, embark on community art lessons, and a friendship forms along the way.

Battle Fatigue

Steve thought he was doing okay. Things weren't going great, but they were fine, manageable even, and then suddenly they weren't.

We Become New Yorkers (or: Five Times Steve Rogers Looked For Home, and One Time Home Found Him)

New York is a million cities at the same time. This is how Steve found his.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

In which Steve and Peter learn that the best way to get through a bad situation is together. And to avoid collapsing buildings. And that concussions are terrible, terrible things.

Leviticus 25

"You want to save Bucky Barnes? You are going to have to put your own house in order first because he is going to need a rock to cling to. You are not ready to be that rock for him. You owe it to him -- and more importantly, you owe it to yourself -- to figure things out, figure out how you can be happy in this time and place, whether or not Barnes is with you."

Strike

Sometimes the road to recovery involves bowling. Conveniently, so does the one to the Grand Canyon.

Conversation in Wakanda

“I have been told that you had the privilege to share a training session with some of our Dora Milaje,” T’Challa says. “May I ask how it went?”

“Well,” the Captain huffs. “There’s no polite way to say it: I had my ass handed to me. Repeatedly.”

He sounds and looks utterly delighted.

Contact Light

Everyone thought computers would be the thing that really blew Steve's mind about the 21st century. They were wrong. When he finds out that he missed the moon landing, it's the start of an ongoing obsession with space that maybe involves Neil deGrasse Tyson, Twitter, and Star Trek marathons.

Twenty-Two

“This is Lucky,” Clint said when a dog got between him and Natasha. Lucky’s vest was bright, like desert mornings and night explosions.

“Does he help?” Natasha asked.

Clint pressed his hands flat on the counter behind him. “He saved my life.”

Natasha looked at Steve, her expression fierce. Steve resisted the urge to yank down his sleeves. Instead, he dug his nails into the puckered skin on his forearms.

AKA An AU in which Steve is a veteran just trying to survive (or not).

Gray

Peter doesn't expect Steve to show up at his house one night when he gets home from school. He also doesn't expect to have a long conversation with him, and choose to be on his side instead.

We're Happy, Free, Confused, and Lonely at the Same Time.

"Tony isn't sure, but he *thinks* Steve Rogers is going to try and argue with him about not being a kid, while wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and plaid pyjama pants watching a Disney movie. Tony really hopes that is the case. The Captain America voice looses all affect when wrapped up in that blanket and Tony can't wait to inform him as such." - The one where Tony realises that Captain America and Steve Rogers are not the same person, and Steve is so much younger then he thought.

This Isn't A Love Song, This Isn't A Fable

Steve's not OK with people's perception of Captain America, no matter what he says or how much he pretends otherwise. It's like no one in this time period realizes that there's more to him than a spangly outfit. And yes, he's including the Avengers in that. ... or, the one where everything's all right, until it's not.

it's safe here in our new world

Post TWS. In which Natasha and Steve go shopping, have Thursday night movie nights, and learn that Natasha loves to platonically kiss Steve. Which is good, because Steve loves being platonically kissed by Natasha.

Shadowboxing

Pairings: Matt Murdock & Steve Rogers

It doesn’t matter how many times you fall – what matters most is how many times you get back up. Steve Rogers knew this lesson far too well and it was one Matt Murdock had endured all his life. With both men at their lowest, could a chance friendship bring each of them to their feet again?

Everybody Eats When They Come to My House

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

“You’ll ruin your dinner,” Sam says, gesturing with Steve with his spatula.

i fear for the calendar; its days are numbered

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

Before she goes off the grid, Natasha gives Steve her phone number. He’s honored that he’s the only one to be trusted with it, but quickly learns that she spends most of her free time texting him Dad jokes.

Status Quo Ante

Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

A tale in which Sam suspects he should be used to this by now, for values of 'this' that involve certain folks he hangs out with and situations he finds himself in, Team Cap becomes Team Ex-Cap becomes TBD, and nobody but Clint really wants to know what happened to Scott Lang's GI Joes. (Sam Wilson from the final scene to the mid-credits scene.)

The Glass Parade

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov

Steve thinks that he’s seen Natasha be at least three different people in the short time he’s known her, and he isn’t sure which one is real.

In which the most confusing part of the future is how much Steve has in common with Natasha, and the fact that she seems dead-set on being his friend.

Still Life

Steve Rogers and a very modern form of art therapy. (The one where Steve draws himself out of despair and into some notoriety when his cartoons hit the internet, but he's still not allowed to look at Tumblr without an okay from Pepper.)

Selective Service

The serum's given Steve a lot, but it hasn't taken anything away from him. Not even the things he never wanted in the first place.

I'm a Hustler, Baby

Steve Rogers has a talent for pool--and for making others believe he's terrible at it.

The Healing Properties of Felt-Tip Pens

Rapid healing has worked wonders on Steve Rogers' body, but occasionally it really screws with his head. In the aftermath of torture, Bruce Banner helps Steve to reconcile mind and body.

If I Die Before I Wake

It's his job, as their leader, to endure the sadistic focus of their captor, and that is the one thought that carries Steve through.

Even Gods Do

Captain America doesn't have a good relationship with sleep anymore. Also, he's not a toy.

Under My Skin

Written for a prompt on avengerkink: I want to see something where, for whatever reason, Steve's accelerated healing turns out to be a bad thing. Something where the faster healing is making things worse. I would prefer something other than the standard, super-healing allows for more torture without death. “He's lucky – to have the serum, to have you all.” Tony wasn't sure about that first part. When one faced death and destruction every day on the job, there were many advantages to having a healing factor...and a great many disadvantages as well.

A Glossary of the 21st Century

Pairings: pre-Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov

Steve's sick of not understanding what's going on, and the team are not all that helpful, so he starts keeping an illustrated notebook for further research. With the help of wiki, google and Logan he starts to settle in and find his place in the twenty-first century.

Blanket Gift Policy

“You didn’t,” Bucky said, with no real hope of being contradicted. Clint shrugged helplessly and passed him the large, soft bundle wrapped in shiny purple foil.

“Sorry.” Tony covered his eyes with one hand.

“I’m getting a migraine.”

“So,” Bruce said wearily, “counting Clint, me, Bucky, Tony, and Sam, that brings it up to five.”

“Excuse you, mine’s not a blanket,” Sam said. “Mine’s a slanket. Big difference.”

Bucky resisted the urge to throw the whole heap of parcels at Sam’s head. “Because it has sleeves? It’s still a blanket, Wilson. They’re all blankets. Even Thor’s direct-from-Asgard raven gift delivery was a cloak, which just means it’s a blanket with a strap. We all got Steve a goddamn blanket.”

One Tin Soldier

Written for a prompt at avengerkink: Because really, under any other circumstances, why would they follow him when he's some guy who's younger than the rest of them (time as a Capsicle aside), who goes around wearing that spangly outfit, who's not even used to the modern world? Why Steve Rogers, rather than a Norse god or the CEO of Stark Industries or anyone else?

“Love is for children,” she'd said, but respect knew no such bounds. The five times the Avengers accepted Steve as their leader, and the one time they followed without question.

and if there's life we'll see it

Steve is instantly taken with this idea of having the picture of the person calling you flash on your screen when they ring your cell.

Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask (Before Assisting Others)

Steve keeps going, because they need him. Being Captain America - having the serum - is a responsibility and a privilege he takes seriously, and he won't waste it by sitting around resting in the middle of a crisis. But then the work is over, and the original victims of the crisis aren't the only ones needing looking after.

Way of the Eagle

Clint introduces Steve to kung-fu movies. Things escalate quickly.

Walking Wounded

In the aftermath of the battle against the Chitauri, Steve's doing just fine. Until he's not. Fortunately, Thor is a perfect mother-hen, Tony makes decent back-up, JARVIS is a genius, and Soap Operas are life-changing. (Or, Post-Shawarma Feels.)

[craftycheetah]

Bitter Reminder

↩ previous||Snacks & Stacks||next ↪

warnings: language & allergic reaction

Stupid bitch…thinking she had the nerve to leave me. Me! Of all people! Who does she think she is?! He sucks his teeth in annoyance, frustration building just by imagining her face. She thinks she can just humiliate me like that and walk out? Who the fuck does she think she is? She’s nothing without me. It’s about time someone put her in her place.

I’ll get her back for this. “Now let’s see….” Akhi smirked. “(Y/N) goes on in about 30 minutes. Her ingredients should be…ah! Here we go.”

A wide grin spread across his face as he stared at the batches of oil in front of him. The pale yellow of the grease stared back at him as it sat still in the fryers, no ripples or bubbles to be seen. He poured the old, unused oil into a couple of empty mason jars. Carefully, he placed the old oils under the table and dug into his bag to pull out another jar, except this one was full. He held in a laugh as he poured the new equally yellowish liquid into the fryer, switching out the chef’s avocado and canola oil with peanut oil.

“Good luck, Babe.” He smirked as he dashed out of the room, merging himself back into the crowd as he transformed into another bystander.

As the last of the crowd filed into the room the next day, Y/N breathed heavily behind the curtain, trying to calm herself down.

“I can do this…” she mumbles.

“Yes, you can,” Katsuki smirks, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. “We’ll be okay. Come on, let’s go out there and boss the shit out of this collab.” Y/N grins as one of the workers attach a microphone to her shirt before she steps out, waving at the crowd.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming out!” She put on her best smile as she stepped out next to Katsuki, who looked stoic and gruff as usual. “It’s such an honor to be here! So today, Katsuki and I are gonna whip up something special for you.”

She smiled as Katsuki nodded silently. “We’ve got our ingredients set up here. I’m going to be making Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls. You decide what you were gonna make, Y/N?”

Y/N giggles into the mic with a nod. “Yep. I’m gonna make cheesecake egg rolls. Luckily, they gave us a freezer to keep the batter I made nice and cold. But, I’ll let you go first. Maybe help you along the way, if you’d like.”

“Knock yourself out.”

“So what do we do first, oh master chief of cooking?” “Pass me the bag of shredded chicken?”

Y/N looks around before finding the bag in the mini-fridge. “Here you go!”

“Thanks,” he nods. “So, after dicing up the chicken into small cubes, we add a third of a cup of diced celery, hot sauce, a quarter cup of cream cheese, a quarter cup of blue cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.”

Katsuki announces what he’s doing, adding the ingredients while you start to make your dessert.

“Alright, so while Katsuki makes his dish, I’ll start on my Cheesecake Eggrolls. So in a large bowl, we take one softened package of cream cheese, a quarter cup of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix that all together. If necessary, we can add a little milk if the mixture is too thick.”

The crowd made noises of astonishment as they both made their dishes.

“Now we roll out an egg roll and add two tablespoons of cream cheese filling down the middle.” She did the steps as she repeated the instructions out loud. “After that, we want to sprinkle some chocolate chips on this bad boy, then roll it up! Then before we start cooking, it’s basically just rinse and repeat.”

She repeated the steps, humming calmly to herself as she placed the chocolate chips and rolled the egg rolls.

“And now for the cooking portion of the exposition!” She announced.

“Time to cook the rolls over medium heat for one to two minutes on each side! But since we have fryers, we’re gonna use those instead!”

She dropped the egg rolls in the fryer one by one, lowering them into the oil as they started to bubble and cook.

Katsuki smiles softly before dropping it and continuing to narrate what he’s doing. She’s a natural. “After we add our mixture to the egg wrapper, we seal them with water and put them in the fryers.”

Both cooks place their foods in the fryers and wait a couple moments before flipping them and eventually lifting the baskets to shake off any excess oil.

“Yours done, Y/N?”

“Yup! You want powdered sugar on yours?”

“Sure, why not.”

Adding the powdered sugar to the confection, she shows the food to the camera and smiles eagerly. “And that, dear fans, is how you make Cheesecake Egg Rolls. It’s pretty simple and a great snack to share with your friends and family.”

“Bon appetit,” Katsuki chuckles before taking one of her eggrolls and handing you one of his. Taking another one upon finishing, the crowd chuckles as he licks the plate clean. “Damn, these are delicious. You want any hot sauce?” “Hmm, just a little bit.”

Drizzling some sauce onto her plate, they both eat and react to the taste of the other's creations.

"Well, looks like I was right about your food. This is good. Guess I won't have to go burn down the parking lot," he jokes as the audience laughs with him.

After another hour of meeting their fans, Y/N and Katsuki are given a lunch break that they take with the others. Meeting up with their eight friends, Katsuki is pushed back by a green blur.

“What the hell! Don’t you have eyes? Why can’t you watch where you're going, you idiot!”

“Izuku?” Y/N giggles when Katsuki looks down at him.

“Oh, great. Hi Deku.” Bakugo rolled his eyes in a slightly playful manner.

“Kaachan!” Izuku squealed, entrapping him in a big hug.

“Get off me, nerd!” He snapped after a few seconds of hugging.

“Kaachan?!” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at the nickname and the two’s playful dynamic.

“Childhood name!” Katsuki quickly barked.

“Yeah, those two have known each other for a long time.” Kirishima grinned alongside the baker. Her grin increased as she watched Izuku clap his hands at "Kacchan," recognizing the name.

“You never told me you two knew each other let alone tell me you were childhood friends!” Y/N exclaimed.

Hitoshi crossed his arms in amusement and bumped her side. It reminded him of him and Y/N.

Y/N snickered at the action and looked at him with a caring gaze. Just like us, but instead of a tired purple insomniac, it’s a tsundere, loud blonde.

“Where’s your booth, nerd? I wanna see your merchandise and compare it to mine.”

“Oh? You’re interested in my merch? I recently got another artist that draws the anime style so well! Cmon, I’ll show you all!”

The ten friends walked into the ground, maneuvering their way through the crowd until they finally made it to Izuku’s booth. They stopped on their way for roasted cinnamon almonds, which had everyone snacking on the delicious treat by the time they got to the booth, which was on the other side of the convention hall.

“Ta-da!” Izuku did jazz hands and extended his leg.

He got out of his position and went behind the booth to grab a box and place it on the counter. The box had red writing on it that read “pins”. His large grin never left his face as he began explaining the pins, showing off the fantastic art on each pin of him in different poses in a chibi art style.

“Very cool, Izuku!” Y/N complimented him.

“Tsk! It’s okay!” Bakugo quickly corrected her.

“So, how'd the panel go?” Izuku asks.

“Pretty well. Food was decent,” Katsuki grumbles, looking around his body. “Ah, shit, I left my spice bag in the hall. I’ll be right back.”

“That's not what the video shows," Y/N teases before coughing slightly.

“You okay, Y/N?”

“Yeah. Is it hot in here?” she pants as they start walking towards the other food stands.

“No, but lemme go get you some water in the meantime,” Kirishima offers.

Nodding softly, she walks with the other girls as the boys trail behind. As her vision began to blur, she shook her head to try and push it away before stopping for a bit.

“Y/N? Are you sure you’re okay?” Momo asks, stopping next to you.

“Yeah, I just….” she mumbles before collapsing.

“Y/N? Y/N!” a voice shouted.

As Y/N’s hearing grew muffled, the world faded to black. The last thing she felt was strong arms wrapped around her as her knees gave out.

taglist: @milkmademozzarella @headcannonxgalore @x-kermit-x @wundersou @theechointime

©️craftycheetah: all rights reserved. Do not edit, modify, repost, or claim my works as your own. Likes are okay; reblogs are better!!

[young-dumb-and-vaccinated]

The Cult Girl (Hannibal x Female!Reader) pt. 8

Sorry if this one is a bit shorter. I didn't want to make part 7 insanely long so I just split the story in a way that made sense to me. Y/n lets Hannibal take care of the mess and narrowly avoids a mental breakdown in a CVS.

Trigger warning: blood, violence, gaslighting, ⚠️emetophobia⚠️

You stood up from your seat, your brain refusing to process what just happened.

"Oh look." You said, pointing down. "Her face landed in the glass and there's blood everywhere."

Hannibal casually glanced over the table. The ends of his mouth turned up slightly. "So there is."

The reality of the situation was just starting to set in. You took a deep breath in, expecting to scream, but nothing came out. Instead, you finished your glass of wine. 

Noticing your distress, Hannibal crossed the floor and took a knee beside her. He pressed his fingers against her neck. 

“She’s alive.” He assured you. “For now.” 

You didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed, and the indecision made you panic even more. “So what do we do now? What do I do now?” 

“Well,” Hannibal stood up. “She’s pretty severely concussed and losing a lot of blood. We could call an ambulance. With proper medical care and immediate action, she’ll probably live.” 

You froze in your spot and stared blankly off into the distance. You didn’t feel overly compelled to call for help. You were too overwhelmed with emotion to move much, anyway. You felt your soul leaving your body. 

“...But I take it by your inaction,” Hannibal piped up. “That you’re open to an alternate plan?” 

“Huh?” You snapped out of your trance. 

Hannibal closed the space between you. He cupped your face in his hand, his thumb running comfortingly along your cheek. “Do you trust me?” 

You didn’t fully know what you were agreeing to, but you didn’t care. “Of course I do.” 

“Then listen to me very carefully, [Y/N].” Hannibal’s voice hardened with severity. “Go upstairs and change back into your day clothes. Then, I want you to drive to the pharmacy and withdraw some cash from the ATM. Then stay in the store until I call you, understood?” 

You nodded. 

“Go now.” He ordered, pulling away from you. 

You sprinted up the stairs, tore off your gown and pulled the nearest pair of pants over your legs in one fluid motion. You grabbed a shirt and a hoodie hanging over a chair and snatched up your car keys. In a moment, you were out the door and behind the wheel, speeding away from the crime scene. 

The pharmacy was the only place open so late at night. You pulled into the parking lot and selected one of the many vacant spots. You took your key out of the ignition and prepared yourself for an onslaught of emotion. But it didn’t come. 

You sat in the driver’s seat, replaying the scene in your head over and over again. One second, the bottle was in your hand, the next, it was breaking every bone in Theresa’s face. You could have very well taken a life that day. But it wasn’t an innocent person on the road, it was Theresa. The same Theresa that put Nair in her sister’s shampoo and lobbied against child labor laws. And she died the way she lived; running her stupid mouth, waiting for someone to shut her up. 

You were more terrified of Hannibal's response than anything else. He seemed too enthusiastic to cover your tracks for you. Like he was returning to some favorite game he hadn't picked up in a while.

You shuffled across the parking lot to the ATM. Why did Hannibal need cash? Was he going to pay someone off? He didn't specify how much he needed. Was $100 enough to bribe the police? You settled on $100.

The bright fluorescent lights scalded your eyes. You needed to look like you were there for a reason. Grabbing a basket, you tried to distract yourself by going through the shopping list for your apartment.

Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and body wash. Pilar is allergic to coconut oil so we need to check the ingredients. You found yourself narrating the shopping list in your head, even though it was one you ran down hundreds of times. You knew which brand of body wash to get Pilar, but you were grabbing random soaps and thumbing through the ingredients anyway.

On your way to the cough syrups, you felt a terrible pain in your stomach. You caved around the pain, regretting devouring that pot-au-feu so quickly. When you opened your eyes again, you saw them: the pregnancy tests.

No. You said to yourself. I am not going to keep Theresa alive by letting her get into my head.

As if on cue, another pang of pain reverberated from your core. It was bad enough Theresa had you doubting your memories, now she had you doubting your own body. She couldn’t possibly know your own body better than you, and she was out of line to suggest so.

But, whether you wanted to accept it or not, Theresa had planted the seed in your brain. You wanted so badly to claw it out with your bare hands. The most painless route, though, was to purchase one of those tests and prove her wrong.

In the meantime, you assured yourself she was wrong. You hadn't missed a day of birth control since the tenth grade. Regardless, the pregnancy test in your basket weighed a ton.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket, sending you flying out of your skin. The lone cashier took notice.

"You okay, miss?"

You nodded, though you were so clearly not okay. With a trembling hand, you brought the phone up to your ear. "Hello?"

"It's safe now, darling." Hannibal said. "You can come home."

He said it so candidly, it was obvious that he'd done it before.

"Okay, baby, I'll see you at home." You answered, a little too loudly. As the words left your mouth you felt stupid. You'd never once called Hannibal 'baby' and you sure as hell weren't gonna start today.

You brought your items to the cashier, the pain in your stomach worsening. You made a point to waddle back to the medicine aisle and grab some painkillers before the cashier could finish ringing everything up.

By the time you were back behind the wheel, you were fighting the urge to drive off a cliff. The pain in your stomach was unbearable and you had no idea where it was coming from. It had to be psychosomatic. Your body was compensating for the shortcomings of your brain. You knew you were supposed to feel guilty but you just didn't, and your body was punishing you for it.

At home you were clutching the toilet, vomiting your guts out. Hannibal was at your side, gently stroking your hair. Again, acting as candidly as if he were nursing a hangover.

"I'm so sorry." You croaked, lifting your head from the toilet. "I don't know what this is. I didn't even drink that much."

"Don't apologize." He said, calmly. He stood up, filled a glass with water and offered it to you. "You're overwhelmed. It's natural."

"You say this like you've done this before." You joked, though you knew you were right. You clutched the glass with both hands, the coolness feeling good against your hot skin.

Hannibal took a knee beside you. His finger found a blade of your hair and tucked it behind your ear. "Now, we're not going to tell anyone about this, are we?"

He was fully aware of how intimidating he really was.

"I would never." You traced an x over your heart. "Swear on my grandfather's grave."

"Good girl." He traced your jawline with his finger. "Your intuition is as sharp as ever, I see."

You took a long sip of water. "Huh?"

"Don't insult your own intelligence, you know what I mean."

"You've hidden bodies before." You inferred, sitting up.

"I've done more than hide bodies, love, and I think you know that." Hannibal corrected.

Your first instinct was to stand up and get more wine, but moving too fast made you dizzy. "...so did it hurt?"

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"When Theresa died." You said, quietly. "Did she hurt at all?"

This pleased and surprised him to hear. "No. She was so heavily concussed, I doubt she felt anything."

You frowned. "Damn."

"Did you have something else in mind?"

Theresa's last words rung over in your head. 'I didn't think you had it in you'. The thoughts flooding your mind, about how Theresa would go were it up to you, assured you that you did in fact have it in you.

"I would have liked to see her suffer a little." You muttered under your breath.

"I'll keep that in mind for next time." He smiled and offered you his hand. "Come on, love. Let's get you cleaned up."

[issaxcharlie]

We say we're friends, we play pretend (2/2 )You're more to me, we're everything

PART 1 HERE

Pairing: Charlie Gillespie x Fem reader

Summary: Charlie and Y/N were best friends and a couple as teens, after their breakup they meet again 4 years later on JATP and have to work together. Will they be able to recover more than their friendship?

If Charlie knew anything in life, it was that he had to take things carefully. Especially with such strong feelings involved. In general, when you like someone, the least you want is for that person to see you as a friend, but particularly for them, recovering their friendship bond was the most important step.

“You were so cute!” Tori and Owen are looking at photos of the guitarist's childhood on his phone. A photo of little Charlie in a suit grinning from ear to ear while holding a girl as if he is spinning her around shows up.

That memory is one of his favorites. He was always a very loved boy with many friends, but in the case of girls he was not the most popular. His best friend on the other hand was, at least for him, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and boys were always around her. He knew he needed to find a partner for the dance so that she wouldn't feel guilty or he wouldn't feel humiliated by not having someone to go with.

However, he was rejected, quite a few times. He didn’t want to say anything about the dance to his best friend that week because he knew that she would stay home with him without hesitation. But that day half an hour before, he arrived in a suit and flowers for her, so at least he could have a picture of such an important moment with the person he loves the most, and he was the one surprised.

“It was about time Char, we have to take about 30 pictures before we go. Mom bought you a tie so we can match." She is up and down looking for one of her shoes, not even turning to see her friend who doesn’t know if he understood correctly.

At that moment she finally turns to see him and runs for a hug, Charlie barely had time to raise his arm with the flowers.

“You look so handsome, and the flowers are perfect. Best partner ever, I love you so much C! I’ll be ready in a second.”

She had planned to go with him from the beginning, and thought it was an implicit pact. That realization made Charlie's heart beat a lot faster that day. No matter how many people invited her, she wanted to go with him. He spent the night with his favorite person dancing and singing, feeling grateful for her, this light who always chooses him of all people.

“I looked pretty good in those clothes.” Y/N says as she and Madison sit at the table.

“You always look amazing, but yeah that night was special.” It's also the night that he realized that he was feeling more than friendship for his best friend, but this is not the time to talk about it.

He decides to continue preparing his waffles, than even though it already has like 5 ingredients, it seems something is missing.

Y/N blushes a little and smiles. “Here, handsome.” She hands him a can of pringles that she grabbed from the cafeteria when she saw him making eggo’s.

“Perfect, Y/N Y/L teaching everyone why she's my soulmate.” Everyone at the table begins to complain about what they qualify as the most disgusting thing they have ever seen, while the former couple smiles happily as they secretly link their legs under the table and continue their breakfast.

Little details like that one, or as removing all the products that she would take with milk from her hands because she seems to forget every morning that she is allergic can make a difference.

“You are 22 years old and you are still as careless as when we were children, I do not understand how you have survived these 4 years."

“You were always the one who cared about it and kept me safe, I guess unconsciously having you close my brain says, ‘no worries, Char will take care of it.’ So I’m sorry, I'll be more careful.”

A seriously ill 10-year Y/N on the way to the hospital invaded Charlie's mind, whom quickly shook off the bad memory.

“It’s all good, bright star.”

“What did you say?” Madison asks.

“Bright star. I know Kenny calls her ‘golden star’, but he’s the copycat. I've been calling her like that all my life.”

Y/N just smiles, enjoying the moment. She had not heard those words from his lips for years, and honestly Kenny also calling her a star even If it was sweet, made her remember Charles practically every day, and that didn’t help at all to get over the guitarist.

“You are my brightest burning star.” Madison replies, looking at Charlie with amusement in her eyes.

At that moment the actor understands what is going through his co-star's head and panics.

“So this queen is the one who has you so inspired, I should have realized it before.”

“She’s always my inspiration, period.” Y/N starts to laugh while blushing, and Madison’s attention falls completely on her.

“And I guess ‘Bright’ is a coincidence? And rise through the night, you and I, We will fight to shine together...Bright forever.” The songwriter wants to disappear at that precise moment while everyone turns to see her as if she had a third eye on her forehead.

“But you wrote bright long before you even knew Charlie was part of the proyect.” Owen adds, smirking.

“If you are asking me if I draw inspiration from the people I love, to write... the answer is yes. And yes, of course I love him.” How is it possible for the guitarist to slow things down when she says things like that in front of everyone? All he wants right now is to kiss her. This discovery means that despite the time she still had him in mind, the song cannot have been written for long. Hope is flooding his body.

“Ok but they inspiring each other is the sweetest thing in the world, goals right there.” Tori adds excited, her friends blushing.

All those teasing moments helped them to be more transparent with their feelings, hugging, touching, and basically staying close each time they finished their work obligations, almost as if they were afraid that the other would disappear or as if they were trying to make up for lost time.

“We need a lot more energy, especially from Charlie. Luke lives for music, nothing can give him more joy than being on stage."

"They have been working for 17 hours straight and at least 15 attempts with this musical." Paul tries to reason with Kenny mid-recording of Now or Never, which still does not come out as the director was expecting.

“What was in the recording studio that is not here now? I thought they would show an even greater energy than there after they stepped on stage."

They both turn to each other, as if the light had been turned on at the same time, and Paul takes his phone.

A few minutes later Y/N walks on set, Sunset Curve smiles upon seeing her.

“I wanted to make sure that we are fulfilling the vision of our beloved songwriter. Let's not disappoint her, okay? Let's try it one more time." Kenny shouts before starting to record again.

Instantly the energy is seen a thousand times higher, Charlie more radiant than ever, while Y/N replicates his energy behind the cameras, flooding him with sass and attitude. The young singer also motivates her now friends and unknowingly gave Sunset Curve that extra thing they needed to finally achieve the perfect performance. Kenny and Paul doing a fist bump behind the screens.

Soon their chemistry and energy turned into open conversation. The way they made everyone on set cry the first time they practiced Unsaid Emily or how connected and dreamy they were while dancing to Perfect Harmony when Madison wasn't on set.

But they still weren’t together, at least officialy.

If Charlie was honest, the fear of throwing himself all over and losing her again terrified him. The industry they love so much and decided to work in doesn't let having a relationship be easy, and if things go wrong again, they don't know if it might be possible to fix it again. It was basically a leap of faith.

Nonetheless, he knows he's willing, but what about her?

That morning he enters the set overwhelmed with his situation when he sees an even more overwhelmed Y/N walk by without even turning around, almost running to the recording studio.

“I advise you to give her some space for a few hours. Let's say she’s going to have a pretty difficult day."

"Why? What happened?" Jeremy asks as he and Owen stand next to the director.

“She got a call from the people at Netflix, they have already approved almost all the music except ‘Stand Tall’, the closing song, and her favorite. They will come in an hour to hear her presentation and convince them that it is good enough."

At that moment Charlie has an idea. There is no way that he will leave her alone, if he has the opportunity to help her he will do it and he’ll drag along all the people he needs to achieve it.

"Kenny, do you happen to have the music sheets for the song?"

“Don’t tell me-” Owen tries to ask but Charlie interrumpts him.

“Yes, let’s get to work boys.”

An hour later Y/N is freaking out, and she can't help but wish Charlie was around. Of all the days he could choose to disappear, he chose today.

She walks towards the auditorium, where to her surprise way more people than she expected are present, including most of the cast. But there is no sign of her lover boy anywhere.

Now or never. She takes a deep breath and start playing the keyboard. Her voice is the only thing that accompanies the keys. Everything is going as planned, but she can't help but feel distracted, nervous, and overwhelmed.

She is about to give up this fight internally when a drum before the second verse gives her the strength to continue singing, Owen smiles and winks at her to give her some peace of mind, and just a few seconds later Jeremy begins to accompany them with the bass. She knows whose idea it is and she just waits for him to come out from wherever he is hidden.

"I’m going out of my mind, Whatever happens, even if I'm the last standing I’ma stand tall, I’ma stand tall." His voice finishes waking her up and she accompanies him in the chorus, their chemistry electrifying everyone until every single person is standing, the cast supporting, dancing and clapping while the couple continues to focus on each other, separating out of obligation every so often but taking the opportunity to sing along with Jeremy and Owen who were doing an amazing job too, impacting with their solos.

The song ends and the boys disappear while Y/N talks to the people who came to evaluate her work, who finally approve the last song on the soundtrack that she has been working on for so long and to which she put all her soul.

The very second people outside the cast leave, Y/N looks for who has always been the boy of her life, the one who has proven that even though the years go by, they only need a few seconds to be themselves again, to be everything again. And as soon as she finds him hanging around only with the other 3 members of JATP she runs and jumps on him, entwining her legs at his hips and hugging him from the neck with all her strength, he immediately secures her by putting his arms around her waist.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

The band starts screaming “Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!” hoping that one of the two will already dare to take the next step, and Y/N stamps her lips against Charlie's, who reacts almost automatically and kisses her back hard, deciding quickly this is the happiest moment of his life. He finally got the girl, or with what just happened, her fierce girl got him.

Hours later both are in Y/N's apartment curled up on a sofa, enjoying being together again.

“Yes, that sexy, beautiful, adorable and talented man is my boyfriend, Charlie Gillespie.”

Charlie chuckles at her random declaration. “What was that?”

“I’m practicing, and I wanted to say it aloud. I’m just so happy right now.”

His heart melts, she’s the most beautiful thing in the world. His brightest burning star.

His girlfriend doesn't give him time to reply, devouring his lips again. After all, she has four years to recover, and as always, he is more than willing to help her.

Thank you so much for reading!

NEXT PART HERE

Tag list:

@siennanoelle01

@reblogserpent

@kiss-themoongoodbye

@writerinlearning

@rachelle3musicals

[extremelyblackandwhite]

scrubs - 5.

pairing: doctor!sebastian stan x biomedical scientist!reader

warnings: medical check up (please do not follow any of the medical advice described her)

a/n: this will have another chapter aside from this one because yes. 

< previous chapter

    - Y/N, stop being childish. - Sebastian rolled his eyes at the scientist now holding herself against reception, deciding she’d rather be seen by anyone but him. - Y/N, c’mon.

    - I don’t want to be seen by you. There are over 50 nurses on shift today and any of them can do a basic exam better than you. - she held onto that counter for dear life, knowing the moment she decided to let go, her ankle would give up on her. Nevertheless, she knew what nurses were capable off and most of the times they wouldn’t even need a doctor’s opinion so she definitely didn’t need him. 

    - Yeah but ... - he approached her, a smug smile forming on his entirely way too handsome face. - But I know your body so, so well, darling. I think I can figure out if something is wrong.

Y/N smiled sarcastically, cocking her head to the side before kicking his leg. Sebastian bite down onto his lip, back hunching slightly as a few nurses passed by. He waved at them, smiling as if his tibia throbbed due to her kick. For a small woman, she sure had a powerful kick. He straightened his back, pulling one of the wheel chairs from the back of the reception and rolling it up to where she was but she remained as stiff as one could be with a swollen ankle, with one hand against her hip while the other one firmly gripped the counter of the reception. 

   - Sit down, Y/N. Don’t make me write you up as unfit to work today.

   - I am not unfit to work today, I am unfit to look at your face for more than 5 seconds.  

   - Okay, Y/N then walk in a straight line for me, straight spine, shoulders back. - he stepped out of her way.

She considered trying to do that, surely she could deal with the pain of her own weight on her ankle for at least a few minutes. Yet again she considered the options of successfully doing so and getting away from him until another doctor or nurse passed by and the option of falling flat on her face in front of him. Her resolve quickly wore down as she remembered just  how small her tolerance of pain was and how much she did not want to embarrass herself in front of him by falling on her face.  Unlike him, she could be professional. After all she wasn’t the first staff member to sleep with a doctor and certainly wouldn’t be the last; besides, she was nothing if not a professional. She sighed, sitting down on the worn out fabric of the wheel chair. She’d give him this one, she thought to herself as he wheeled her into his office.

Despite her constantly nagging him about his results, she’d actually never gone up to his office that often. Dr. Stan was normally the one who’d made his way to her laboratory not the other way around. As a long time doctor, he had his own little office to receive his patients and as such, he decorated it how he pleased it and despite her wanting nothing but to compliment him after his past actions, she had to admit it was probably one of the calmest more inviting offices she’d seen before. Instead of the scary almost macabre posters of human anatomy and regular pathologies, he had some abstract art on his walls with one or two models on his desk and a most likely fake plant on too. 

     - Want help getting onto the stretcher? 

     - Fuck off, Stan. I can do it myself. - she couldn’t do it herself. 

She looked at the stretcher as a goal keeper looks at a football. The stretcher couldn’t be taller than the height from her feet to just slightly above her hip, yet it seems as if that height was now taller than Mount Everest. Y/N calculated her movements and put her hands on top of the stretcher, pulling herself up with her arms and dragging herself into the middle of the stretcher, legs and arms out but her torso was in so she wiggled herself into laying down completely on the stretcher before pulling herself up.

    - We could’ve done that in a second if you’d let me help you. - he rolled his eyes, stepping in front of her and the stretcher.

    - I can help myself, Doctor.

    - Oh, is Doctor now? - he replied rather sarcastically, pulling opening the glove compartment in his office. - Are you allergic to latex or any ingredient in regular plastic gloves I should know about?

    - Shouldn’t you know if I am allergic to latex? - she cocked her side to the side much to his displeasure. - No, no latex allergies. 

    - Okay ... - he put some bright blue gloves on before walking back to her. - First, I’m just going to palpate around the top of your scalp to check for any trauma or signs of injury. 

    - My ankle is hurting, not my head.

    - You hit your head, it’s standard procedure. - her shoulders slumped as he proceeded to palpate around her head. It felt ridiculous, she was fine, she did not need an examination of her head. - Looks good, no bumps, so the fall probably wasn’t harsh on your head.

    - I could have told you that. Do they not teach you to hear to your patients in med school?

    - How would you know? You didn’t go to med school. 

    - I’m starting to think you didn’t either. 

    - Okay. - he rolled his eyes once more at her snide remark. - The next thing I am going to do is have a look inside your ears to see if there’s any bleeding, just to make sure we’re covering all our bases.

    - Why are you telling me? You’re the doctor. - Sebastian ignored her, taking his otoscope out of the pocket of his coat and placing a rubber disposable tip on the end before putting it up to her ear and switching to the other one. 

   - Everything looks good in both ears, no signs of bleeding. Your tympanic membranes look clear and I didn’t see any fluids or blood behind them. No defects and if it interests you to know there’s also no excess wax build up. Can you just tell me if it was painful or sore when I looked into your ear?

   - Shouldn’t you have asked that while you were looking into my ear?

   - Y/N if you don’t start taking this seriously, I ...

   - You will what?

   - Do you seriously want me to call a nurse on you? I normally only have to do that with children and elderly patients.

    - You wouldn’t. - she squinted, hands gripping the material of the stretcher.

    -  Try me. - he crossed his arms. - I’ll ask again. Was it painful or sore when I looked into your ear?

    - Yes.

    - What?

    - No. - she held in a laugh, bitting the inside of her lip. 

    - Y/N ...

    - Glad to know you have not forgotten your patient’s name, doctor. Doing great.    

    - Okay, Y/N. I need you to be serious with me now and answer truthfully or I’ll order a CT scan for you.

    - I hate CT scans.

    - I know. - he smirked. - So, what’s it gonna be?

    - Would you seriously make the hospital cover an expensive CT scan to check for a concussion that I don’t have just to upset me?

   - Oh, no, sweetheart. If you continue to be a brat, I will order a full body CT scan and if they ask I’ll just say I’m covering all my bases. So, what’s it gonna be? You’re gonna play nice or do you prefer to get an exam done?

    - Call me sweetheart again and you’ll get a concussion. How about that? 

    - You can do whatever you want to do to me after we’re done but until then you will answer the questions I have truthfully. Deal?

    - What other option do I have? - she crossed her arms at him. Y/N knew she was being unnecessarily difficult with him but she also knew that there was a 0.1% chance she had a concussion. Nevertheless, he looked dead serious on ordering a CT scan for her and the last thing she wanted was to have a claustrophobic attack because she refused to answer a few questions. - Fine.

   - Good. So, what time did this happen?

   - I don’t know, I don’t exactly look at my watch after falling down the stairs. 

   - Y/N ...

   - Like ... 20 minutes ago. 

   - What did you feel when you fell?

   - My head was pounding, my ankle felt hottish and I felt a bit nauseous.

    - Do you feel nauseous when you feel pain or is that something new for you?

    - No, it happens when I get hurt. 

    - Any dizziness or blurred vision? Metallic taste in the mouth, almost blood like?

    - I don’t think so.  

    - Any tingling or weird sensations around your face and neck?  

    - No. 

    - Okay, so ... I’m gonna have a look in your eyes. - he took his light from the same pocket he had taken the otoscope from. - I need you to look at me and not at the light. Don’t focus on it, okay?

She nodded, deciding it would be best if she went along with it before she was stuck in his office for a whole hour. He turned the light on and she did as was required of her by staring at him. She thought she could make him feel uncomfortable but it ended up being her who felt uncomfortable as flashes from last night picked that exact moment to return to her brain. Y/N told herself to cut it off and tried to continue to stare at him but gave up after a few minutes of her now sober brain deciding to show her exactly what she had been doing last night. She turned her head to the side, closing her eyes forcefully.

   - Are you okay, Y/N? - he put a hand on her shoulder but she shook him away, turning her face back to a neutral position. - Too bright.

   - Well ... uhm, yeah it is shining directly in my eyes.

   - Okay. I don’t need to look more into them, they look fine. Nothing to worry about. I just need you to open your mouth now?

   - What? No.

   - Why not? 

   - Because ... - because my brain has decided that sounds much less innocent than it actually sounds. - Because I don’t want to.

   - Y/N, c’mon. I just need you to open your mouth and then check your ankle and you can be out of here just like you want to.

   - I don’t want you looking into my mouth. 

   - I have seen you naked and that’s what you’re worried about? Me looking into your mouth? 

   - You are not a dentist, you don’t need to be looking into my mouth.

   - Your answer was unclear so yeah, I need to. Open your mouth. 

   - Stop asking me that. Can you pose the question in a different manner?

   - God, I swear if you’re doing this on purpose. 

   - I am not. 

   - Fine. Say ah, then. 

   - That just sounds worse. - she felt her cheeks heat up. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes, pulling the chair from behind his desk. This surely was going to take longer than expected. He knew she’d be defensive but he didn’t know she would be so difficult. In all honesty, he didn’t even know why she was mad at him. The only thing he could remember was being hit by her files before she stormed off. Yet again, Y/N was almost always annoying with him so it wasn’t a new occurrence. The new occurrence was a patient asking him to reformulate the question. 

   - Y/N what are you ... oh. - it finally dawned on him. - That’s not work appropriated, Y/N.

   - I swear if you keep on talking I will throw you off your own window.

   - So dirty. - he took one of the wooden spatulas from the stand on his desk. 

   - Fuck off.

   - Come on. - she reluctantly opened her mouth and had it not been for the wooden spatula holding her tongue and jaw down, she would’ve probably closed it as fast as she had opened it. - Looks good. I just need to repeat some numbers back at me, okay? 55, 10, 40, 9, 1.

    - 55, 10, 40, 9, 1. 

    - Good. I don’t think you have any concussion. I just need to check your ankle now. Can you put your foot on my lap and please not kick me?

     - I’m tempted to. -  she rose her ankle and placed it on his lap. He proceeded to take of her shoe and sock before starting to palpate around her ankle which was visibly swollen. 

    - I’m gonna turn your foot to the left and to the right. If anything hurts, let me know, okay? - she nodded as he turned her foot carefully to the lift and to the right, but it didn’t hurt, it was just sore. - No pain?

    - No.

    - Good news, I don’t think it’s broken, just strained. Some ibuprofen for inflammation and some ice and in a few hours you can at least limp without pain. 

    - I don’t have some hours. Unlike you, I have work to get done.

    - So do I, Y/N. You think I enjoyed having you take longer than 30 minutes in what should’ve been a 15/20 minute exam? 

    - Oh, I’m sorry. - she interrupted him. - Did my injury overstep on your gossiping about sleeping with me? I’m so sorry, I’m sure the whole hospital will still be waiting for you anyway.

    - What?

    - Can you please give me a minute so I can limp out of here in anger?

    - You think I’m telling the hospital staff I slept with you?

    - Well, the whole hospital knows and I didn’t tell them so unless we had a threesome I have recollection about then there’s only two of us who knew and if I didn’t tell them, guess who did? And before you can answer it’s you, the answer is you. 

    - I didn’t tell anyone, Y/N. I have better things to do than discuss my sex life with the whole hospital. 

   - That’s just dandy. - she jumped of the stretcher, ignoring the pain which started in her ankle and climbed up her leg but she didn’t mind. Now she was upset, one thing was him telling everyone and the other one was denying he had done as such. - You know what Sebastian? I get it, you slept with the lab girl who annoys you and you wanna tell everyone about it. Fine, but at least admit it. 

   - Y/N, I didn’t tell anyone.

   - Fine, say whatever makes you feel better.  

taglist: @rebekahdawkins​

[highqueenofelfhame]

An: I’ll add tags later, i just wanted to get this posted because I’m like pretty happy with it, it’s alright. So i hope you guys enjoy! I’ll also attach links and stuff later, I’m posting this from my iPad and i just am too lazy for the tagging process. Me wants to sleep. This is part of the Disney au! Shoutout to @tangledraysofsunshine and @punkassbookjockey26 for the help on this one! This is mostly fluff (i know, how wild) but don’t worry i’m working on some angst for you soon. Fafs update soon too! I’ve already started on it and I’m going to keep working on it as the week goes. Thankfully it’s an easy chapter for me to write bc i have plenty of OG stuff to pull from. Okay, anyway! Enjoy!!

With every second that ticked by, it was getting harder and harder not to rummage through his belongings like she lived there. Even worse was that Rowan was sneaking glances at her with a smirk on his lips like he knew she wanted to. It made her scowl, a frown line appearing between her eyebrows as she glared into his back.

“I’m making you dinner, and you’re still finding a reason to be unhappy with me?” He asked her, putting down the spatula and turning to lean against his counter. The man looked criminally good in an ivory cable-knit sweater and dark jeans, an outfit combination that Aelin had never seen him in before. Thinking back on it, she was positive that when he wasn’t in a costume at work, she had only ever seen him in jeans and a t-shirt. There was also the single flannel he’d worn on Halloween, but all of that was simply incomparable to how he looked now.

“You said dinner would be ready ages ago.”

“I said it would be ready in half an hour when you got here, which was twenty minutes ago. I still have ten minutes before you get to hound me about lying.”

“Maybe if you’d prepared an appetizer…” she teased, hoping with every cell in her body that he knew she was kidding. When Rowan had said he wanted to cook her dinner, she’d been floored. The only meal that she could successfully make was breakfast, and the options were limited. Additionally, she couldn’t remember the last time a romantic interest had cooked for her at all. Probably Sam several years earlier, and it had been so bad they’d relented and settled on drive-thru burgers instead.

Rowan’s eyes narrowed at her, and she knew she’d missed the mark with her joke. The date had been going well so far; not much could have been ruined. He’d kissed her hello once, or four times, then told her to make herself at home. Rowan even had a beautiful arrangement of kingsflame at the table in the dining area. Their banter had ensued as it always did, casual teasing comments. Until she went too far. Obviously.

He turned his back, and Aelin tensed, moving across the kitchen to get to him. Just before she touched him, he turned back around, eyes widening almost comically when his elbow nearly hit her temple. Without her boots, her footsteps had been near-silent on his hardwood floors.

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled, fingers brushing her temple where his sweater had grazed her face. “Hi.”

“Hi.” With their dinner sizzling in the background, she was sure that he could hardly hear the soft whisper of her voice. That didn’t seem to matter because Rowan leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, short and sweet and leaving her wanting more. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Rowan’s brows knit together, green eyes tracing over every feature of her face before settling to meet her gaze.

“Being… me? Teasing? I don’t know. This is a date, and you’re so nice to be making dinner, and I shouldn’t be--”

“Aelin,” he laughed. “You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t busting my balls for something. I don’t think we would be us.” At the mention of them as an item, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth to ward off the embarrassingly large grin that was threatening to take over her face.

“That doesn’t mean I can be rude,” she grumbled, earning another smile from the man in front of her.

“You aren’t.” Rowan turned away from her for a brief moment. When he faced her again he held half of a cookie in his hand. “You just get hangry.”

She stared at the small offering in his hand before accepting it with a smile. Not only was he making her dinner, but it seemed he had also baked her double chocolate chip cookies. It made her heart squeeze in an almost painful way, but she took the cookie and nibbled on the corner. Whatever recipe he had used was perfect. It only made the rumbling in her belly worse, but she was determined to finish it without chocolate smeared all over her mouth.

“I’m almost done with dinner. Go snoop. I know you’re dying to.” Aelin wrinkled her nose, and Rowan was quick to kiss the tip of it, despite her failed attempt to swerve. Not that she wanted him to miss, really. Aelin wanted to beg him to kiss her until she was physically sick and couldn’t stand to feel his mouth on her body ever again.

The apartment was simple. It had one bedroom and an open living and kitchen area. Rowan had a small table that could seat four between the two rooms. It was sparsely decorated but had a few personal touches here and there that provided a glimpse into Rowan’s life. She walked around the living room, noting the pile of books stacked neatly next to the TV contained some of her favorites. She hadn’t pegged Rowan as an avid reader, but she realized that despite working with the man for the past two years, there was still so much she didn’t know about him.

And she realized, more than anything, that she wanted to know everything.

Furthermore, she’d been right about the books stacked on the coffee table. They were travel books, some of them with tabs and post-it notes sticking out of the sides. With a sly glance to the kitchen, she perched on the edge of the couch and pulled the biggest of them with the most annotations toward her, flipping through the pages to see what all he had bookmarked.

One of the first pages was a map marking all the parks and their major attractions. It seemed Rowan had a key for himself, little stars, triangles and squares marking various locations.

“The stars are my favorite places I’ve been,” Rowan said, pulling her gaze from pages of mountains and canyons and over to his green eyes.

“Is this what you do when you aren’t working?” Aelin closed the books and restacked them neatly on the table. Rowan was carrying two plates of stir-fry over to the table. In a few steps she joined him, sliding into the seat beside his.

“When I can, yes.” She was so hungry that she merely nodded, taking a too-large bite of food and meaning at the taste. Rowan’s eyebrow quirked while he took a bite of his own, and to avoid speaking with a mouthful she gave him a thumbs up.

“So good,” she reiterated after she swallowed, clearing her throat.

“I’m glad you like it. I was worried you wouldn’t.”

“It’s food. I like food. And you baked cookies,” Aelin reminded him, popping another bite in her mouth. The tickle she seemed to be developing in her throat worsened, forcing her to clear her throat again after she swallowed. Actually, the tickle was becoming an insatiable itch that she tried to chase away with water. She had no luck. “Is your um— is your throat itchy?”

“No…?” Aelin tugged on the collar of her shirt, nodding her head instead of responding. Rowan leaned over to brush his fingers along her cheek, worry settling in the wrinkle between his eyebrows. “Are you allergic to anything?”

“Gods, my mouth is itchy,” she mumbled, mostly to herself, while she downed the rest of her water so quickly a drop slipped down the side of her chin.

“Aelin. What are you allergic to?”

“I’m not allergic to anything,” she insisted, despite the way her tongue felt undeniably too big for her mouth. Rowan had already left the table, though, disappearing through a door off the living room and coming back with a small white bottle. His phone was also now in his hand and the numbers his thumb was pressing looked a lot like 9-1-1 from her vantage point.

“Take these,” he said softly, holding two pills to her lips that she opened her mouth for and downed with Rowan’s full glass of water.

“That’s dramatic.” She nodded at his phone. “I can breathe fine. My mouth is just itchy. And my tongue is a little too big.” To prove a point, she stuck her tongue out. Rowan’s eyes were saucers and he was ready to hit the call button.

“Your tongue is twice the size it usually is!”

“Did you do this on purpose? Is this getting me back for the syrup?” Aelin was kidding. Half-kidding, maybe, but kidding all the same. When she spoke, drool dribbled down her chin that she wiped at with the collar of her shirt. The whimper that sounded in the back of her throat wasn’t voluntary. It was their first date and she managed to drool on herself in front of him. Aelin Galathynius was the epitome of cool.

“This is not getting you back for the syrup.” Rowan’s voice was sharp, if still soft around the edges while he watched her carefully. His thumb was still dancing over the call button, but Aelin refused to be carted out of his apartment on a stretcher. She took his phone, locked it, and held it hostage in her lap while he fussed and mumbled about how big her tongue was. “What are you allergic to?”

“I didn’t know I was allergic to anything,” she swore again, grabbing his water for another long drink.

It went on like this for several minutes: Rowan listing the ingredients for the stir-fry that she may not have had before, or maybe she’d not had it in such a long time she forgot she had a mild allergy to it. MSG, soy, celery, sesame, carrots, on and on. He ran through everything twice before Aelin asked him to please stop, she had no idea and listing them over and over wasn’t going to spark a memory or knowledge she didn’t have.

The signature frown he wore most of the time was all the more prominent the droopier her eyes got; the effects of Benadryl were hitting her harder than she cared to admit, but her throat wasn’t as itchy and her tongue was feeling closer to normal. Rowan held both of her hands and guided her to his bedroom. Aelin wanted to make a joke about how this wasn’t what she’d had in mind, but she was too sleepy to find the words.

Rowan undressed her, pulling her jeans off before guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed. The duvet was softer, fluffier than she’d anticipated him to sleep on, and she wanted to burrow down into it as he replaced her shirt with one of his own. When he pulled back the blanket, she crawled under and didn’t settle until he laid down with her. His sweater was soft beneath her cheek and she felt like she was cuddling with him on a cloud. Gods, his bed was so comfortable she wanted to sleep in it forever.

“I’m sorry for ruining our date,” she mumbled, tilting her head back to look at him beneath heavy lashes and heavier lids.

“I’m sorry for accidentally almost killing you.” Despite the way his lips were turned down, there was amusement hidden in his words. Aelin smiled and tilted her head back enough for him to take the hint: she wanted to be kissed. A half smile spread across his lips and he kissed her gently, fingers brushing loose strands of her hair behind her ear.

“This isn’t how I imagined our date ending,” she grumbled, ducking her face down into his sweater. Rowan chuckled and Aelin knew that it wasn’t what he had in mind, either. “I thought I would end up in your bed but not to sleep. I mean, maybe after you fucked me senseless, but I didn’t think we would be skipping that part altogether.”

“I didn’t think I would make something that had flare up an obscure allergy you didn’t know you had, either. So I guess we’re both surprised.” Aelin snorted, sitting up enough to tug on the side of his sweater. Rowan took the hint, sitting up to pull the sweater and his shirt over his head. While in the process of undressing, he stood and pulled his jeans off, too, tossing them over the back of a desk chair in the corner of the room. Aelin swallowed, eyes dipping over the expanse of golden skin he’d exposed.

Her eyes caught on a scar on his lower abdomen, zeroed-in on the trail of hair that disappeared into his briefs. It dawned on her then that she hadn’t seen him completely naked. At work, they saw each other in various stages of undress while changing costumes, but the only time they’d had sex had been a quickie in Lorcan’s bathroom. They’d both been mostly clothed for that. She was making it a goal to see him entirely naked in the next twenty-four hours, because he looked so good like this it was unfair.

“Maybe I’ll feel better when I wake up,” she said, breathlessly. Rowan grinned, a dimple appearing in his cheek that she didn’t see often enough.

“I’m counting on it.”

[ohtendril]

If you’re still doing the fic trope prompt, accidental eavesdropping + everybody knows/mistaken for a couple for Ted and Rebecca?

It had become Rebecca’s little Sunday ritual to walk to the Richmond Green in the morning, early enough so that she could sit on a bench or a blanket without anyone recognizing her, but late enough for the sun to warm her skin. That day she’d brought a book, and a tea with chocolate croissant she’d grabbed from a small bakery she walked past every day.

She made her way to one of the benches, took out her book and put on a Taylor Swift album that Keeley (and Ted, to her surprise) was so insistent she should give a try. Just as she was getting into the plot of the book, her phone started blowing up with texts from Keeley.

That Friday Keeley came to her, all excitement, talking about organizing a birthday surprise for Sam. She'd become invested in the planning, not because Sam was her favorite, as some people might have pointed out, but because she was enjoying watching the team come together and be a unit even outside the club. And though Keeley held the reins, she lent a hand whenever she could.

Now it seemed that there was a last minute birthday cake crisis (something about mixed dates? She could keep up with the speed of messages coming in).

Why don't you bake it? She sent, obviously joking. She knew Roy could bake mean scones, but she saw Keeley’s reaction to the “fold in the cheese” scene on Schitts Creek and wasn't so sure she should be allowed near an oven with no supervision.

Are you mad???

WAIT

COULD TED DO IT?

Omg

Can you ask him?

Why me?

You just have a way with him 😏

What does that even mean?

He has literally never said no to you

Rebecca took a second to actually think about it. And, well. He did agree to that interview when she wanted the Independent to do a profile on him. He did agree to a photo shoot (although she did arrange for him to wear Tom Ford so that might not count). And he did try the tea she’d made for him after she'd told him he'd just been drinking it wrong (it was more sweetened tea-tinted milk but still). And the list grew.

Okay.

She replied simply before dialing his number, the music in her headphones stopping.

"Top of the mornin', boss!" he greeted cheerily.

"Hi Ted."

"What can I do you for, boss?"

She breathed a small sigh and raised her eyes when an older lady pointed to the empty space next to her. She smiled encouragingly for her to go ahead.

"There's been a hitch in the plan for Sam's birthday. We-" she paused and thought back to Keeley's message. She might as well, "I might need you to bake the cake."

"Oh? What happened?"

"Not entirely sure, to be quite honest, but Keeley's freaking out about it."

“Okay,” he fell silent for a second and it was enough to make her regret asking him in the first place, when he added, “I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure? You don’t mind?” guilt making itself comfortable in her mind. “I don’t want you to feel like,” like I’m using you, “like you have to. We could still-”

“Poppycock!” he interrupted her and she had to control the snort that threatened to escape at how ridiculous that word sounded in his mouth.

“Poppycock?” this time the chuckle was out before she caught it.

“Yeah, fiddlesticks. Humbug. A bunch of hooey. Balderdash!”

She rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face betrayed her amusement. “I get it, Ted,” she said, stopping his nonsense (quite literally).

“You know I always have my baking game on! Besides, I made his birthday cake last year too. Now it’s a tradition.”

“You did?” she remembered the green slice of heaven she’d enjoyed once Higgins had left her office that evening. She should’ve known.

“I might have to do something different this time. Chocolate sponge maybe? You think he likes chocolate?” he asked without waiting for an answer. “I’m sure he does. Who doesn’t like chocolate? Okay lemme see,” she heard him rummaging around in his kitchen, imagined him opening his fridge and pantry, looking for ingredients. “I got eggs and butter and flour. Oh, yep, there she is. We’re in business, cocoa powder. Chocolate sponge is a go.”

She continued to listen to his rambling about frosting and fondant and how one time he wanted to impress Michelle’s parents and baked a banana bread with peanut butter swirls. “It was delicious. Too bad her mum was allergic to bananas.” And she laughed out loud.

She only realised she'd smiled through their whole conversation when she’d hung up, seeing her own reflection in the screen of her phone, laughter lines etched in her cheeks.

“How long have you two been married?”

She jolted a little at the gentle voice of the older lady she didn’t realise was still sitting next to her. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry dear, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But you and the lad sound like a lovely couple.” The lady started getting up, hooking her bag on her arm. “I hope your son has a lovely birthday.”

[shirophantomvox]

Flower Pedals Hisoka x reader Part 2

Part 1

❤️♣️❤️♣️

As the day went on, Hisoka volunteered as a chaperone to your younger cousins. They wanted to play in the water while Hisoka sat under a coconut tree, sipping on a strawberry margarita. It would be pointless for an intoxicated man to be a chaperone but he is quite immune to heavy alcohol. Somehow, the sun’s beautiful reflection made Hisoka look like the man you slowly fell for. His job as a bodyguard for the most dangerous mafia in the country, his ability to speak French like a flipped switch, and of course his bulging muscles. Seeing him interact well with your cousins made him seem father-like. But why did he have to act so egotistical? Why couldn’t he be like the guys you saw on the Hallmark channel? Is being loved that hard to ask for? Then the hurtful incident earlier that day entered your mind once again. You didn’t want to break up with Hisoka but it was the only choice.

A tear ran down your face, something you hadn’t done in a while. A silent weep is something everyone needs to do once in a while but weeping in front of others can feel humiliating. Suddenly, you hear a knock on your door and someone enters without your permission. You quickly wiped your tears away and turned around quickly expecting it to be Hisoka. Instead, it was your beloved uncle smiling with a DVD in one hand and popcorn in the other but once he got a quick glimpse of your sad face, his smile disappeared. This time he didn’t run to your rescue but rather asked what’s wrong from a distance. He already knew it had to do with Hisoka but he was curious to hear more.

“Is it about your boyfriend?”

“Yes…”

“Did he hurt you?”

“Physically, no. Emotionally, yes. He has flirted with many people and disregards that I am there. He used to be all over me and now he acts as if I do not exist!”

“That’s horrible. But I have to break it to you. Some men like it when their significant others are jealous. It’s thrilling to them. If you dislike that, you should tell him.”

“I have! He will not listen to me!”

Your uncle grunted in anger and shook his head. He placed his index finger and thumb under his chin, thinking hard about something. Tears rolled from your eyes and felt like they could not stop.

“Come with me, darling.”

Following behind your uncle like a 5-year-old, he led the way to his newly renovated basement, and in that basement stood something that mimicked a lab. He removed a large blanket that covered a table full of glass test tubes and pink liquid. You were hopelessly confused as to why your uncle was smiling at his little creation.

“Uncle…what is all this?”

“Can you guess?”

“Sorry. I have no idea what it is.”

“It’s a love potion!”

You gasp and step back rather far from him. You frowned, not believing what your uncle has told you. Love potions were depicted and always fictional; they simply don’t exist. Hell, Cupid DOES NOT exist and yet he claims that he has made a love potion?! You have always known your uncle to be a wacky man but NOT THIS wacky! Not only did he have a small test tube of this love potion but he had at least 100 small bottles of it too!

“Uncle….don’t tell me…”

“Maybe Hisoka can take a shot of this…”

“U/N! No! That’s wrong!”

“Huh?”

“If he doesn’t love me anymore, I’ll break up with him. Plain and simple.”

“But y/n!-“

“No buts!”

Gosh, you sound like your aunt!

“Why do you have that anyway? I could have sworn you and auntie madly in love anyway.”

“We are….” He stopped talking for a brief moment as he made his way to the door. He did not want your aunt to overhear him speak or else she’d have his head.

“We’ve had a few tiffs lately and she is being distant. I was thinking of giving her this potion.”

“You can’t just…give her that! What if she’s allergic to any ingredient you put in there?”

“SHHH! It’s not a drug, ok darling? It’s essentially a cupid’s arrow in liquid form.”

“Oh yeah! And Santa Claus is real, right? Come on Unc. I’m going to sleep now.”

“Y/N wait! Wait!” Your uncle ran up the stairs after you to try and have an actual heart-to-heart conversation with you. In reality, The love potion wasn’t anything that would harm Hisoka or your auntie; it was something that everyone had. This “love potion” has many variants in the market already. It has its own juice, pop, and merchandise line. When people gave testimonies about them falling madly in love with their partners, you thought it was an absolute joke!

The day had reached 11 PM. The sun had set for the day and the bright stars shined brightly against the beach. Chrollo and the others had left hours ago probably forgetting that you and Hisoka had tagged along. As you cleared the dinner table, the love potion sat there, in its small slender glass frame. This had been extracted so it could be digested but still, you didn’t go anywhere near it.

“Don’t leave this unattended. If a person drinks too much, they’ll become a fool for you and as romantic as that sounds, it can be VERY overwhelming.”

As you turned the lights off downstairs, the front door barreled open. Your eyes had been adjusted to light for the last few hours; seeing in the dark was nearly impossible. But one thing is for sure, that infamous bubble gum small dashed towards your nostrils.

Hisoka.

The lights turned on once again and this time, they began to flicker a little. Hisoka’s piercing golden eyes were able to grab a hold of yours instantly. It felt like you were paralyzed with sudden fear and anger. So many emotions raged throughout your body; your brain sending many signals to the various parts of your body. Both of your cousins come running in, arms stuck out like airplanes zooming all through the living room. One flew underneath Hisoka’s legs and the other flew many times around you. Their sudden joy made you smile a little; they were so full of joy and hope…that is until they grow up.

“I like your boyfriend, y/n!”

“Yeah! He’s so fun! He taught me how to play Poker!”

“You what?!”

“Hey! She needs to know in case she needs to make some cash.”

“Ok, you two. Up to bed. Mom and Dad are waiting for you.”

Both of your cousins zoom into their rooms making loud airplane noises.

“I must admit, I see potential in those kids. They made their own marshmallows, mingled amongst people their age, and even reminded me when their bedtime was.”

He looked from the staircase to you. “Thank you for—“ he stopped as he looked at your angry face.

“—Are you still mad about earlier?”

“What do you think, jerk?”

“Would you stop playing hard to get? You haven’t given me a kiss today.” He bent down and puckered his lips, expecting you to respond. Instead, you turn the lights off leaving a kiss-less Hisoka in the dark. Hisoka stood in the middle of the dark living room beyond confused at your actions.

Finally! Alone at last. No one to interrupt your thoughts or sleep, just you in your auntie’s guest room. The bed was extra comfy! It was so fluffy that it almost made you get up and inside Hisoka to sleep with you.

“No. He needs to learn his lesson,” you thought to yourself. Besides, a non-married couple sleeping in the same bed together was NOT going to fly in this house. Before you knew it, your eyes were closed for what felt like 20 minutes but were actually 8 hours. The sun beamed through the curtains acting as your silent alarm clock. Stretching your muscles and yawing felt amazing after a good night’s sleep. Checking your phone was a reflex but feeling an odd source of shadows made you freeze. As you slowly turned around, Hisoka was laying in your bed, with his boxers on, smiling, and gawking at you; something he’d never done. You thought rubbing your eyes twice would make him go away, but he was still there in the flesh. Still angry about yesterday's encounter, you stare at him plainly.

“What in the world are you doing here, Hisoka?”

“To be with you, of course, my dear.” His tone was much softer; it felt as if he was barely moving his tongue. His lips slightly puckered as he spoke. Your boyfriend was always mysterious but it can be said that he was never predictable.

“What are you talking about?”

He scoots closer to you; his bare chest rubbing against your right arm. He places his left arm around your neck pulling you closer. So close that you could feel the heat radiating from his body. He took his index knuckle, placed it under your chin, and lifted.

“Oh, how I missed your face…the sound of your voice…my heart aches for you.”

You blink twice.

Am I dreaming? What is going on here?!

“Hisoka—“

He placed his index finger over your lips; his long nail gently scratches the top part. “Shhh….” Quickly but softly, Hisoka gives you a kiss but not just an ordinary kiss, one that is very breathtaking. His lips were much softer than you remember and a lot moister. He didn’t force anything; he gently moved his lips to make you more comfortable. What felt like a lifetime was truly only 10 seconds and on the 11th, he parted. Gazing into his golden eyes this time made your heart skip a beat. You remained silent, slightly afraid to say a word as he stared into your eyes deeply. This was not his blood-lust look at all but awfully similar. His eyes were half-lidded but they were soft, much softer than you had seen before. Just as you were about to say something, he gently grabs your face and begins to kiss you all around without remorse. This overwhelming amount of affection not only made you bluff but be utterly embarrassed if your aunt and uncle caught you two in this state. It’s more of the family “aww’ ing” than anything else.

“How did Hisoka suddenly do a 360 from last night?”

“Might as well enjoy this while it lasts.”

Hisoka continued to place soft kisses. He began to pepper your lower jaw with them, earning a slightly satisfied grunt from yourself. He then professed his love for you as he kissed you in between phrases. The magician himself was as red as an apple while you were a giggling mess. He moved his lips to another part of your body. His hand kisses felt amazing once more. He moved his way up your arm and to your shoulder.

“You smell terrific, kitten,” he said in a lower huskier voice.

You growl in response; something so embarrassing that you are happy your nosy little cousins did not hear.

“You’re so adorable, kitten. So delicate that I’d be afraid to touch. So beautiful like the colors and aroma omitting from a blossom tree.”

“I love you to the moon and back.”

Before Hisoka said another word, he placed his right hand where the bottom of your head and neck met. He gently caressed it as he pressed his forehead against yours. The soft feeling of his nose moving swiftly against yours felt like ecstasy. Nothing could ruin this moment.

“Hisoka’s a simp!”

Both of you jerked your heads to the door. Through the crack, you could see two curious pairs of eyes, staring into your room. Before Hisoka could leave the bed, you jump over him and march to the door.

“You know, it’s rude to stalk people in their bedrooms.”

“And? It’s rude for you to be staying the night in my beach house and not giving us any money. Hand it over sis.”

You close the door and jump back into bed with your new boyfriend. Hisoka practically had hearts in his eyes. It’s as if he saw no one but you.

Maybe he has changed….

Your uncle’s voice could be heard a distance away and that’s when it hit you.

“Don’t leave this unattended. If a person drinks too much, they’ll become a fool for you and as romantic as that sounds, it can be VERY overwhelming.”

Oh shit! Where is the potion?! No! It was left on the table last night!”

"Really, Unc? I think I can deal with this. After all, he is less insufferable. I’ve always wanted my beau back and I hope he remains this way…falling on his knees before me."

To be continued....

[softomi]

The Specials of the Day

prompt: I’d never want to have you to eat alone, so even if my stomach explodes, I’ll eat with you

pairing: osamu x reader

As he hurled into the toilet, hunched over the bowl, gripping the edges for dear life; Osamu knew exactly how he could have prevented the situation. In fact, this wasn’t the first time he became friends with the toilet after a particularly gruesome lunch.

But how could he resist the way you look at him. The way your eyelashes batted softly, eyes adorned with love, lips perking as you spoke. You were even inviting him to do his favorite thing: eat.

“There’s a great restaurant down the street.”

“A new café just opened up on the other side of campus.”

“I really wanted to try the new menu, are you sure you can’t come?”

And each time you suggested something, he would foolishly agree despite fulfilling his stomach to his extent earlier. It wasn’t foolish, he tried to reason, if he was hopelessly in love with you. Osamu built a bond with you over food, or perhaps it was food that brought you two together. He had met you through working together at a restaurant, Osamu would always catch you eating some food. Your cheeks puffed, a soft grin, your hand attempting to hide your caught state. Osamu, a cook, and you, a waitress, the day a manager caught you with food in your mouth, Osamu rescued you.

“She’s taste testing.” He had said the moment the manager asked you why you were eating. He didn’t know why he was so eager to save you, perhaps it was a coworkers united thing at the moment, but the way he remembers it now; it was definitely the cute fearful look on your face when you glanced at him.

“Hey.” You stopped him on his way out of the restaurant, “Thanks.” You grin, “Seriously, I was so hungry I thought I wouldn’t be able to last the whole shift.”

Osamu nods, “No problem, wouldn’t want the best waitress to get fired over eating.”

“Best waitress?”

He blushes, “Just saying, you don’t get frustrated with us cooks, we all think your nice.”

“Ah.” An innocent smile on your lips, “I should treat you though.”

“It’s okay, no worries.” He tried to continue walking but you ended up following him in the same direction. Awkward with new people, Osamu cursed that employees had to park in the same location.

You turn to look at him periodically, he can practically feel the burn in your eyes, “There’s a really good restaurant near here, I was there with one of my friends the other day and their menu is just spectacular. Everything, cooked to perfection.”

He was hooked. What you had said about the restaurant was vague, but he was hooked on you. Osamu soon realized that your love for food extended to everything, he couldn’t figure out if you had literally the worst tastebuds in the world or was just over optimistic about everything. Every dish was perfect for you, even when he spit out the saltiest fish he’s ever had in his life, you happily noted that it was still good. He forced you to stop eating, fearful of your sodium intake.

When he finally determines he’s done throwing up, Osamu can only sit on the ground, his stomach still feeling bloated.

“Sir?” The door to the bathroom opens, “If you want to head home, I can close the restaurant at the end of the day.”

He couldn’t go home though; a new shipment of rice was coming in and Kita liked to deliver the rice personally. But that didn’t mean he had to look good for his friend, it meant that he could complain about how he wanted to never eat again despite dinner being on his mind.

“You ate twice?” Kita looks at Osamu, the male sitting on the ground, his stomach still queasy.

Osamu groans, “Well, Tsumu wanted to eat at a buffet so we did but then right after we finished eating, y/n called me saying that she really wanted to eat at the same buffet, so of course I agreed and ate again.”

“Why didn’t you just not eat a lot your second time.”

Osamu looks at the older male, “I feel bad making her eat a lot alone, and she can eat. But this isn’t even the first time, last week I had three full course meals in the span of four hours. I literally thought I was giving birth.”

“Okay, just don’t eat with her then.”

“But then, what if she never wants to eat with me again.”

Kita isn’t amused, “I think you’re over thinking.”

Osamu rests a hand onto his stomach, “I feel so nauseous.” His cell rings in his pocket, the way your name pops up onto his screen has him forgetting the nauseousness in his stomach, “Hey!” He’s a little too eager in his answer.

“Hey, I know we just ate lunch together but if you wanted, we could go out to eat for dinner. I know a great place.”

Love struck, he laughs, “Of course, I’d love to have dinner with you. Where should we meet?”

“I’ll stop by.” You say, “then we can head out together.”

Osamu notices the expression on his older friend but the lecture he’s about to receive from Kita is nothing compared to the cute way your cheeks puff with such excitement over food.

He couldn’t wait for the day to be over, as the time neared for the closing of his restaurant, he tried to ready himself for when you walked through the door. As the last of his workers left, he can already spot you skipping in from outside of the windows, casually greeting some of his workers on their way out. He even noticed the way some of his workers snickered with their looks towards him; it was no secret at Onigiri Miya that the owner had the biggest crush on you.

“Hey!” You jump in, pulling yourself into one of the stool seats.

Osamu leans over the counter, just close enough so he can get the nice scent of you. You were always sweet scented; it came as no shock since you worked at a bakery. Every time he saw you, he could tell what you were baking that day, some days cookies, other days, cakes. He wonders if you still liked to sneak food into your mouth during work.

He’d be lying if he said he was listening to what you were saying. Your pretty lips were moving but all he could see was how beautiful you were.

“Samu?”

He straightens up, hoping that the flush of his face isn’t as visible under his hat, “Sorry, long day at work.” He lies.

“Well, I got you something.” You’re rummaging into your bag, pulling out a bottle and placing it in front of him.

“Digestion medicine?” Osamu eyes the bottle.

You were sitting there, arms crossed, a light grin on your face, “I was telling Atsumu about the buffet we went to today and he told me that you two ate there earlier.” Your expression softens, “Knowing how much you ate with me, I can only assume you spent the day in agony, next time, just tell me that you already ate. I can always eat alone.”

He’s silent, but the way you look at him with such concern, he can’t argue. You grabbed your bag, standing from your seat, “Wait.” He stops you any further from moving, “What about dinner?”

You beam excited at him, “I’m going to my favorite restaurant. The owner there is really cute.”

Osamu deflates, “Oh, well, see ya I guess.”

“Okay. See you.”

Osamu watches you make sure you have everything, a silly habit he knows you have; you were always afraid of forgetting something. He feels dejected as you begin to walk away, but the way you round the counter, footsteps pitter pattering towards the cash register makes him confused.

“What are you doing?” He questions.

You lean over the register, giggling as he stares at you, “I’m starving so I came to my favorite restaurant.” The grin on your lips makes his heart stop, “Best. Onigiri. In. The. World.” You tap a finger onto your lips, “but the service is okay, I’ve been here for ten minutes and no one’s taking my order.”

Osamu makes his way to you, palms getting sweaty as he gets nearer and nearer. The owner there is really cute. Your words echo in his head and he’s starting to overthink. Did you really mean what you said, or were you merely teasing him.

“What can I get you?” He speaks in his customer service voice and it makes you press your lips into a smile, “Would you like to hear the specials?”

“Specials?” You perk up.

“Yep, there’s two specials of the day.” Osamu leans forward, “One is called the ‘I Like You Onigiri’ and the other is called the ‘I Don’t Like You, Leave Me Alone Onigiri’.”

You purse your lips, “I think I’m allergic to I Don’t Like You, Leave Me Alone Onigiri.”

It was like you were playing chicken with him, the way you leaned just a bit closer to him. He’s taking in more of your scent and it’s driving him wild, “Would you be interested in one of our new signature drinks?”

“Hm?” You tilt with a question in your expression.

“Can I Kiss You.”

“Oh.” You breathe out a smile, “I’ll take it in a large.”

Osamu places a hand on the back of your neck, pulling you into his lips, drinking you in as much as he can. Your hand tips his hat back, fingers running through his hair as the hat falls with a thud. When he lets you go, you pull away, wiping your lips. Flushed cheeks, a laugh coming from you, Osamu pushes his hair back to refix the hat onto his head.

“I’ve never actually made onigiri before.” You were staring at the ingredients on the counter.

“Well, it’s your lucky day then, I’ll give you a free lesson into the Onigiri Miya way.” Osamu fits the apron on you; you don’t notice the way it has his name written across the front. You preferred to look up at the man as he wraps the ties around your waist, pulling you into his chest as he finishes tying the strings around your back.

You think for a second that he’d stand next to you, showing you the way he formed the rice. Instead, he positions you in the center of the ingredients. Pushing his chest to your back, resting a chin on your shoulder, his hands running over yours, using your fingers as his to mold the rice into its intended form.

“Perfect.” He whispers.

Distractedly in awe of the onigiri you just made, you’re wiggling out of his grasp to take pictures of your own set of onigiri. He’s cleaning up, washing the dishes as you munch your food. You offer him a bite which he fully accepts. You miss the way as you turn your back to him, he spits out the overly salty onigiri into the sink.

“Mm.” He masks a grin onto his face, “So good.”

[comehomeducklings]

Past [Part 2] (Obsession)

A/N: Some chapters will be named with either “Past,” “Present,” or “Future,” then their numbered part coming right after it. This is to confuse you less when flashbacks or anything happens. As you have probably noticed, it says “Past” for Part 2. This is going back near when Tom and her just met. Thank you for reading! <3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Tom Riddle's Moodboard

Main Character's Moodboard

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1940 - 3rd year

“Potions is not that bad, I swear. You just have to be good at measuring.”

At the table, my friends and I are discussing our classes this year. Potions being one of my favorite topics. Devyn absolutely loathes that certain class. We have to drag her there to make sure she doesn’t skip. Poor girl tries her best to not mess up but the cauldron always ends up blowing up. I even watched her do every step once, never missing a beat. The potion still ended up failing, even though she did everything correctly. She gave up after a while, who wouldn’t. I help her do extra assignments for extra credit to keep her grade up. She also studies with me to make sure she can memorize everything and pass her tests. Amelia is pretty good at the class, she’s luckily paired with Devyn most of the time. Carrying the potion to success, with a little bit of my secret help. It’s not cheating, it’s using your resources.

I’m resources.

“Potions is not that bad,” Devyn mocks me. “If it weren’t for you two I would have gone insane in that stupid class.”

Amelia just laughs at her while eating her hash browns on the plate. She reaches her hand out to take some more eggs.

“You were able to do it before. Not the way you were supposed to, but it worked,” Amelia says.

“Exactly, just start doing it your way at this point. I don’t think Slughorn will care how it’s done, just how it comes out.”

Devyn nods her head and points at me with a fork. Her mouth full of food so she settles for that response. My plate doesn’t have much other than some bacon and fruit. I’m not usually a breakfast eater. I get my appetite at lunch and dinner time. It’s just too early for a bunch of food smells, the smells make me kind of nauseous. I’ll eat though, enough to hold me off till lunch.

The chatter in the lunchroom rises by the minute. Everyone refilling themselves before their busy day. All energy levels rising while everyone wakes up from their groggy morning mood. While my friends finish eating we continue to talk about our classes and share the schedules for this year. Most classes we had were the same except for our electives. I tried taking as many electives as possible. My family back home never really did magic. I actually came a year and a half late since my family wanted me to have a normal school experience. I learned to do everything without the use of magic, the only thing my mom taught me was the floo network, creatures, and plants. I would often accompany her to Diagon Alley when she shops. I got an Owl for my 10th birthday. A cat would have been amazing if I wasn’t allergic to it. My owl is a brown and white-furred barn owl. Don’t ask me why I named it Bartholomew. I was ten okay, give me a break. Speaking of the floo network, my mom had to chase me through it quite often because I kept teleporting everywhere. I once ran into the Ministry of Magic’s building and got lost. They had to take me home to my parents. Their faces told me everything I needed to know about the punishment waiting for me.

Halfway through the second year is when I came to Hogwarts, a second letter coming that year asking my parents to let me learn more there. So when they finally let me attend, everything was pretty new to me. My mother was the magic one in the family. Her grandmother, my great-grandmother, before her had the magic gene. Going to school was the same experience as going from a muggle-borns perspective. The difference is, I knew more about its existence. I would look at yearbooks my mom had from when she went here. She earned a lot of titles, all the achievements being recorded down. I always wondered why she never wanted me to come here. Did something happen to me, to her? I’m guessing she just wanted a normal life with dad. He has always supported her through everything. A love, a bond like that is hard to come by. He would also learn about magic right next to me. At least, the stuff my mom allowed to let us know.

That’s why I want to learn as much as I can, of what’s available. Why learn math in the muggle world when I could be learning divination. Spells of all types, potions for everything of inconvenience. My chores could be completed with just a flick of my wand. I’ve lately been learning wandless magic, on my own. Albus has helped by providing me with material to study that type of magic. The only thing I’ve managed so far is a spark coming from the tips of my fingertips. Sparking hope that I could actually, maybe, achieve that level. Now I won't get my hopes up, but that can lead me to a certain advantage in dueling. That being one of my weakest skills. Always panicking, saying any spells that pop up in my mind, and making random movements coming from my wand. Often confusing who I’m up against, although they recover from that confusion fairly quickly.

Riddle, met him once. One too many if you would ask me. I dissuade ever wanting to speak to him. Arrogance and pride flow through his tongue like second nature. I do take pride in succeeding above him in 3 classes. He is 2 classes above me but, that’s not the point. I do admit, he’s attractive. Only a little though, how else would he charm his way through the professors and students.

“Alright, I’m ready to go. You guys done?”

“Yeah,” I say. Devyn and I start leaving our seats and heading towards the huge doors.

Amelia hurried from her seat, a few steps behind since she took some fruit with her to eat on the way. More and more students also started making their way towards the first period. Not wanting to be blamed for the loss of house points. This system causes so many fights, everyone’s competitive side getting the best of their common sense. I would be lying if I said it didn’t get the best of me before. Amelia being her usual bubbly self skips backward while chatting with us. Before we could warn her to stop, she pushes someone ahead of her. Both falling down, hitting the floor. She spins her head extremely quickly, her hair sticking in her mouth from the force of the wind.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” she explains. Quickly trying to digest her situation. I make my way towards her and pull her up. I fix her robe and dust off any dirt on the cloth from the floor.

“Clearly idiot, can you not use those bug eyes of yours to see?”

Devyn and I make eye contact. We understand that there are witnesses here, and one of them is bound to snitch on us if we fight. A huge scene would probably make Amelia feel even more embarrassed as well. Instead, I guided Amelia by her back. We continue on to class while I comfort her. Devyn is staying back to “talk” to the guy. Lestrange is in for it now, any poor soul would be when in the fiery path of her anger.

Devyn’s loud yells could still be slightly heard when entering the potions classroom. First class of the year, and day. On Slughorn’s table, I can see a vial with the wideye potion contained inside. I set Devyn’s textbook on her station, turning to the page that contains information on the potion. Hoping to save her confusion and time.

“Welcome, welcome! Nice to see some old faces, and new ones,” he says with the biggest grin on his face. “Today we’ll be learning about the Wideye potion. Can anyone tell me what this potion does?”

I quickly raise my hand, rather eager. I did some reading about a lot of potions during the summer. Trying to get a headstart on my studies. This potion being one of them. Only 3 students raised their hand, one of them being me. The other, well, Riddle.

“Yes, go ahead and answer,” the professor looks my way.

I smile, “The wideye potion prevents the person consuming the liquid the ability to fall asleep. Which is often used in the medical field to wake someone from a sleep caused by a blunt force or drug.”

“Precisely! 10 points.”

I look back rather smugly at Riddle, rather happy I got chosen instead of him. I know, he could have easily answered that too. I’ll let myself bask in the small achievement for now. 30 minutes of class is just spent writing down notes, preparing us for the potion we will make. Note-taking is my favorite, especially the little doodles I get to make. We use a feather instead of the regular pen. I found it rather amusing and liked the certain feeling of writing with it. The dipping noise that the point of the feather makes when hitting the liquid ink is a very profound sound. No real writer’s bump forming on my fingers.

“That’s enough writing, I need you all to prepare your cauldron, gather the materials you need, and start your potion. If done correctly, tomorrow when we add the finishing touches and check on it the potion should be a blue/green color,” Slughorn comments. “You have 10 minutes to study your notes, then the rest of the class to make your potion. No looking back at your notes after those ten minutes.”

After scanning my notes, I stand up and walk towards the ingredients on the shelves. If I remember correctly my potion requires snake fangs, standard ingredient, and wolfsbane. I gather all that in my hand and set it down near my cauldron. Before I start, I take a moment. I’m missing something, I’m sure there was another ingredient.

Wolfsbane, check.

Snake fangs, six of them.

I have the measures of Standard ingredient.

There’s one more, I try to look around the room. Then I remember that we get an automatic failing grade if caught cheating. There’s no way I’ll let my grade drop like that. Over something so small and inconvenient too. Making my way to the shelves, I scan over the ingredients over and over again. Trying to see if any of the names pop out to me.

No.

Definitely not.

That’s an ingredient?

I don’t even want to know how that one was obtained.

This one, of course it’s this one. I even remember putting a star next to the name in my notebook. Dried Billwig stings, I believe six of them were needed. All that time wasted. Hurrying to my seat I get to work. The time goes by quickly, all that could be heard was the sizzling and whooshing of our potions. I almost knocked down my vials a couple of times. Someone actually did, their time spent on cleaning the glass off the floor. After heating the first three ingredients, I crush them together in the mortar. Then stir clockwise from what I recall, three times specifically. Finally, I wave my wand over then leave it to brew.

Just in time from the looks of it. I glance at Devyn to see how it went for her, and she looks pretty proud of herself. I take that as a blessing that it didn’t blow up this time of round. I’m guessing she took our advice and did it her own way.

A student raises his hand, “May we leave?”

“Oh yes yes, go ahead. No assignments for the first day, only the potion you made in class.”

Before I leave the classroom I examine Riddle’s station. He already left the room. His potion looks similar to how mine turned out, his workspace thoroughly cleaned. Everything used properly placed back to where it should be. Perfectly spotless, not a single speck of dust in sight. All done without magic too, surprising for someone born into the wizarding world. When I mentioned that I met him once, it wasn’t much of anything. The only way I know how he really acts is through other people. Much admire his intelligence and strong will. Others are jealous of the potential he holds for the future.

Girls are already trying to slip love potions into his drinks. I would feel bad if he wasn’t so rude to them. Only just before touching the disrespectful line. He almost drank one of their attempts before. Wouldn’t want to imagine how that turned out. Tom riddle, in love. That man probably doesn’t know the feeling of happiness, let alone love. I feel bad for his future girlfriend, she’s going to have to deal with a handful of baggage.

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“How much do you want to bet Nott will demolish him?” A Gryffindor girl to my left whispers.

Nott, part of Riddle’s group from what I’ve seen. They all eat lunch together and talk to one another so it’s a reasonable guess. Very talented duellist, one of the bests here.

“I hate to admit it, but he’ll definitely win this. I’ll still have hope for the other guy though,” I whisper back trying not to sound mean.

Nott and the other Slytherin boy are up right now. It’s a courtesy for the audience to stay quiet until someone casts the first attack or defense. From then on all you will hear is shouting of encouragement and the opposite. Nott’s eyes are focused, zoning in on the opponent before him. His wand is steady, mouth slightly parted to breathe through better. Whole-body alert and tense waiting for something. From what I'm getting, I believe he’s waiting for the Slytherin boy to go first. Nott casts spells quickly and thinks them through decently. Sometimes you're not able to create a counter-spell quick enough to defend yourself against him.

Riddle’s group and himself are near the corner of the platform. All seemingly analyzing every breath he inhales and exhales. I finally hear the whoosh of a wand and a whiz of light fly past the platform. The glow from the spell lighting our faces for a millisecond. Nott quickly counters that spell and moves to cast his own. Magic flies across the platform, all of our eyes going back and forth like a ping-pong match. The Slytherin boy starts breaking a sweat. He’s only been able to get a couple of offensive spells in there, most of his plays spent throwing off Nott’s. If he doesn’t turn the battle soon, the outcome will become very clear.

It is a little less exciting since we only know a handful of spells. So whatever you know from your own studies you use in these duels. When we move up the years the class will become more serious and dangerous. Right now it’s just to teach us how to counter and cast quickly. The proper etiquette and movement. You use spells that you know, they aren’t supposed to harm someone. Either stun them, make them fly back, or disarm. Most of those spells require a little of a higher level, most of us not even knowing of its existence yet. So what’s mostly cast between competitors is a basic spell to exert force. That force should be aimed for the legs, or the wand to disarm that way. The way someone can win here is to make their knees or hands touch the floor, or disarm their wand. As I mentioned, it will get more intense as time goes by. We're only just starting 3rd year right now, a lot more charms will be learned later on.

I shake my head to get rid of any lingering thoughts. My attention goes right back to the duel taking place in front of me. Nott quickly aims a spell at the knees and manages to bring the other boy to his knees.

“Mr. Nott wins this duel! Please step off the platform, we will evaluate your performance.”

During the practice duels today, you watch it, think of ways to help the person improve, and point out things they might have done wrong. At the end, the professor picks people raising their hands to allow them to give their feedback. Participating is part of the grade you get in here. I personally prefer giving feedback then dueling. I’m not the best at casting, I do give out good defense spells though. That should mean something, I hope.

“Let’s start with Nott, does anyone have feedback for him?”

A couple of people spread apart raised their hands. One by one they all ask questions and give feedback. They mention his feet and posture when he stands. Arms fully stretched out where it would have been more flexible to bend it slightly. When he casts he shouldn’t be walking backward. They shortly switch to the other boy’s questions and feedback. The way he never gave himself the opening to cast an offensive spell often. He would move around his area a lot. Almost slipping off the stage during one of those movements. Tom and his group privately discussed with one another. They’re probably giving Nott their own feedback and suggestions privately.

“Now, Riddle I want you to come up and…,” he scans the room for another student. After some time he points his finger at me. “You.”

I could have had a smooth sailing class. I was so close to not having to go up there. My hands start sweating a bit, my anxiety jumbling my thoughts together. Riddle’s already up there and soon to be on his side of the platform. Taking his wand out and wandering his fingers over the design. I gulp, a big toad stuck in my throat. I wipe my hands on my robe and start up the stairs. Riddle seems as unbothered as ever. We bow, turn, then walk ten paces back. During this time I try predicting who will cast first. I don’t know him very well, I’ve also never seen him duel.

I take my dueling stance and wait for the signal to start. Hoping, praying, that I don’t embarrass myself. Slipping up is not allowed, not when going against him.

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