#but this time I brought a little more evidence to the table—haha

[starlightwayfinder]

I decided to watch some old KH trailers in honor of the anniversary today, and I have to admit, I don’t think I ever rewatched this one after the release of Melody of Memory. When it was first revealed, we were under the assumption that the Master of Masters was the opponent Kairi was facing, but as we now know, it was actually Master Xehanort. While we were aware that the Master of Masters has more plans and tricks up his sleeve, to think of this line in the context of Xehanort is a little different. It brought to mind an old theory of mine, so I decided to go back to KH3, Re:Mind, KHDR, and MoM to compile as much evidence as possible for it.

(As a disclaimer, it slightly undermines the authenticity of his ‘conclusion’ in KH3, so if you’re a big fan of that scene, feel free to skip this one.)

This line in KH3 is a good place to start. From the get go, it was established that Xehanort planned for nearly every possible outcome of the Keyblade War. I also think it’s safe to say that every action he made was an intentional choice based on these plans. So the question is, what is the “final plan” referenced in Melody of Memory’s trailer? I think the game gave us the answer:

It may be easy to jump to the conclusion that this was just a plan for revenge, since Sora is the one who stopped Xehanort to begin with. However, I want to reaffirm that every action he takes is for a reason that serves his goals. It wasn’t just a plan to make Sora disappear, but likely to make him disappear to Quadratum specifically.

This was even foreshadowed in KH3’s Toy Box world. Young Xehanort sends Sora to the world of Verum Rex—though it’s probably closer to a “data” version in this instance:

YX in particular is very confident that Sora’s overuse of the Power of Waking will lead to his disappearance:

And MX has a similar line in Re:Mind:

Except this is where things get interesting. The Sora in Re:Mind is time-traveling from a point in time after he defeated Xehanort.

Xehanort must know this, because he sees the real Sora (from this point in time) about to begin the final battle in the distance. He then acknowledges that the Sora he’s speaking to is from the future. Unless he witnesses the present Sora time travel during their final confrontation, he can conclude that Sora survives their fight to time travel later on—meaning his plan doesn’t come to fruition. Sora unknowingly reveals his hand in Re:Mind this way, and opens the door for Xehanort to plan accordingly—which is kind of mind-breaking to think about…

It gets even better here, during Sora’s fight with Terra-Xehanort:

Sora brags that, like Xehanort, he can also time travel. To which Xehanort responds that Sora will then also need to make the “ultimate sacrifice”, or in other words, “pay the ultimate price”, as MX said. “Also”—as in, Xehanort has made this sacrifice as well by time traveling. As in, Xehanort will also disappear to Quadratum.

We have evidence to believe that as well. I also like the interpretation that he intentionally planned this to survive the world being purged, but that’s kind of a separate theory.

So to recap, Xehanort was probably aware that Sora would survive their final confrontation in order to time travel afterwards. He correctly predicts that the consequence for time traveling would be to disappear… specifically to Quadratum—something that Melody of Memory considers his “final plan”.

So… why? Why would he want Sora to also disappear to Quadratum? Trying to answer that question leads to the most controversial part of this theory:

It’s really nice to believe that Xehanort gave Sora the X-blade as an admission of his defeat, and I’m definitely not against that interpretation. But it is a little strange that before—and after—this scene, in Melody of Memory, he continues to act like making Sora disappear was his big plan. It doesn’t feel right, if he was supposed to be letting Sora “win” here.

I’ll be very curious to see if Xehanort has a role in Quadratum, and why exactly he “paved the way” for Sora to be there as well. Either way, I am holding out for a geniune change of heart from him, especially if what we saw in KH3 was more of a manipulation.

[ifishouldvanish]

Some Mizrak / Mizrox Analysis and Headcanons

I know, I know, I'm That Alurox Blog™, but I'm just gonna take off the rarepair goggles for a bit to take a closer look at Mizrak and his relationship with Olrox as it's presented in canon. I feel like there's a tendency for his character to be reduced to just the 'repressed gay monk' archetype and it does him a disservice because he's way more interesting than that!!!

Anyway probably not as cohesive as my Olrox analysis because I don't really have specific headcanons with regard to his backstory yet but here goes:

1. Mizrak FUCKS!!1!

All the "haha the Catholic monk folded and had gay sex with a hot vampire in .2 seconds" jokes aside... I think Mizrak really does fuck. Like I'm not convinced at all that he is some repressed virgin who just got his world rocked for the first time.

First of all, he takes like, zero convincing to jump in bed with someone who has just established themselves as an enemy. We get the little fight in the courtyard, Olrox saying, "let's do this somewhere more comfortable" and next we see them they're already post-coitus. Furthermore, Mizrak is like... pretty fucking casual about it? Like, he's the one brushing a clingy Olrox off in the morning. I'm sorry but I don't see any evidence in that scene that suggests he hasn't done this sort of thing before. This man has had casual sex before, presumably with other men.

Sure, we get a few shots of him being mopey and conflicted in the morning after scene, but these are brought on by Olrox watering the seeds of doubt he already has about the whole working with Erzsebet thing; not Catholic Guilt over knocking boots with a vampire.

Also just... from a writer's perspective, if you have some repressed monk character and he's gonna get carnal with a vampire, you are MILKING that shit for all it's worth. You're gonna lay on the angst, the temptation, the moral quandary of giving into the sins of the flesh. But all of that is markedly absent in these scenes. We just see two grown men who think each other are hot and decided to have sex about it.

2. A Foundation of Mistrust

The first thing either of these men learn about each other is that they are on opposite sides of the same conflict (and it don't stop them from fuckin' 😌)

Olrox's mistrust is born out of his experiences with colonization by the Spanish, and an understanding that imperialism is the ultimate goal of Erzsebet's mission. Mizrak's distrust is born out of Olrox being a vampire, and the antagonistic nature of their first meeting.

But there's still a draw, of course. Despite going along with the abbot's plans, Mizrak expresses some misgivings about the whole thing. He doesn't want to work with Erzsebet—they just have no other choice. This is probably a position that Olrox knows all too well: just as native Americans were divided on whether or not to help the American colonists, just as some states in mesoamerica decided working with the Spanish was a good opportunity to strike blows to the increasingly powerful Mexica Alliance.

A telling thing Mizrak says to Olrox is, "There's evil everywhere we look, so we use our heads." In the context of their conversation, he's referring to the arrangement with Erzsebet—but I think it's also his general attitude toward Olrox as well. He's willing to get close to him, but he's going to keep his wits about him and not lower his guard.

They don't trust each other, but they do begin to understand each other. For what it's worth, I do think Olrox grows to trust Mizrak by the end of the season (otherwise he wouldn't have put his cards on the table to protect him during the battle), but it's clear from Mizrak's reaction that he has not grown to return that trust yet.

Which isn't to say that Mizrak is being unfair here. As far as he's aware, Olrox really hasn't done anything to earn his trust yet. Pulling him out of battle was supposed to be Olrox's gesture of "see? I'm sticking my neck out for you!" but to Mizrak it's just cowardice. Which... I'll touch on later.

3. "Is that what you have planned for me?" / "Of course not, I'm not in love with you."

Again, jokes about Mizrak having the absolute balls to be like "oh so ur in love with me?" after like, two nights aside... This is a really interesting exchange they have here??

For me, Mizrak's line here is just an expression of his distrust. Olrox has just told him about the only man he's ever loved, and this??? THIS is his response???

Hoo boy. This isn't "well, we are having sex and hanging out so obviously you're falling in love with me 😌". This is "I think you're just trying to manipulate me into believing you actually have a conscience/are capable of compassion, and I'm not falling for it." Mizrak thinks he has Olrox all figured out. Thinks he's calling a bluff.

And so with that framing?? Olrox's response, "Of course not, Mizrak. I'm not in love with you," is a FANTASTIC rebuttal. This isn't "oops, you caught me slipping and catching feelings, time to deny, deny, deny!!!" This is, "Of course you can trust me. I'm not trying to lure you in with romance or manipulate you into temptation—we both know I didn't have to do any of that to get here. I'm just here to tell you like it is, and you know in your heart that I haven't told you a lie yet."

Mizrak is accusing Olrox of trying to manipulate him into developing feelings for him, and Olrox is saying, "Gods no, I know you're smarter than that."

Which... is SO delicious in that I'm sure this is the line that will prove to be a lie. It's just not one yet. Ooh the foreshadowing and dramatic irony of it all gives me goosebumps!!! (Have I mentioned that I love Olrox and everything about the way his lines are written??? 🫠🫠 THE character of all time I love him sm)

4. Mizrak Has Nothing to Lose (History of the Knights of Malta Speedrun)

We know that Mizrak and the abbot came from Malta, and the 8-pointed cross they bear identifies them as part of the Order of St John. The history of the Order and of Malta is basically a centuries-long back and forth between the Ottoman, Holy Roman, and Byzantine empires. The Order is founded in Jerusalem 1023 with the mission of preserving the faith, aiding the poor, and providing care to people making pilgrimages to the Holy Land, regardless of faith. But they turn into this sort of paramilitary outfit during the crusades—granted authority by the pope to sort of act on its own without any real checks and balances. In short, they are tasked with defending the Catholic church independently of any conflicts between individual European/Christian nations, and European powers grant them land and financial support so they can carry out their mission.

Eventually the Ottomans expel them from Jerusalem (and a few other places), and the Order makes its new home on Malta, where they are tolerated by the locals in exchange for establishing some infrastructure (hospitals, schools, etc) and boosting the economy. The Order famously defends Malta from another Ottoman attack in 1565 and they're heralded as heroes of the church (but let's stick a pin in that for now)

As the centuries go by and the conflict between the Muslim world and Christian world kinda fizzles out, the Order becomes an outdated relic of a bygone era. The Catholic church lost some traction in the protestant reformation, and a more complex political landscape has the knights taking arms against other catholic entities (particularly the Franco-Spanish war). In fact, by the time Nocturne is set, the Order had already established a protestant division because they just REALLY didn't want to lose the support of Germany and England. France, who had been one of the Order's strongest supporters, forms an alliance with the Ottomans, and they just kinda have to look the other way.

As a sovereign entity that's no longer needed or even really wanted by mainland Europe, the Order decides to use its advantageous location to take on the responsibility of intercepting Ottoman ships���confiscating goods and taking slaves, to the extent that Malta becomes something of a major slave trade hub in the Mediterranean. The age of piracy is in full swing, and the Order earns itself a not so great reputation of effectively being pirates themselves, as even Christian ships start complaining that they're getting raided by the Knights. This campaign was called the 'Corso', and despite the Order's vows of poverty, it entitled them to a portion of any spoils they confiscated during a time when the Maltese economy was doing poorly.

Their souring reputation creates a cyclical effect where more and more countries drop their financial support for the Order, and the Knights have to lean further into the piracy and slave trade stuff to support Malta's economy. Not only is Catholicism losing ground, but the Order's mission: preserving the faith and aiding the poor, has become more of a loosely interpreted suggestion. The meaning of the 8-pointed cross gets diluted, as non-members of the Order are able to fly the flag—for a fee.

So imagine you are Mizrak, and you're a devoted Catholic who's committed himself to the Mission™ only to find... It's pretty much bullshit. No one cares, least of all the Knights of Malta who are more interested in engaging in legalized piracy and slave trade than God. You've lost all sense of purpose. But then... Some abbot named Emmanuel comes along and HE is legit. HE believes in the power of God and Faith and the Church. HE sees the way the world has turned its back on God and HE has a plan to fix it.

Sure, it involves allying with a vampire and creating a demon army for her, but that's hardly any different from anything else the Order's been up to for the past two centuries or so. At least this time it's For The Cause. You have to believe Emmanuel is doing the right thing, that he's in this for the right reasons—because if you can't have faith in that, then what else is there? The world has already abandoned you.

(The history of Malta and the Order is pretty wild honestly. Here are some sources to check out:)

History | The Knights of Malta

r/AskHistorians - What Were the Knights really like?

The Decline of The Order (PDF)

Noble Slavers: The Knights of Malta and Slavery in the 16/17th Century

Tragic Tales of Slaves in Malta

5. Courage as a Virtue and Redemption

So back to courage, and back to that pin from the Order's history.

The Ottoman Empire was massive, and during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, they vastly outnumbered the Knights. Ottoman forces had about 30-40 thousand soldiers while the Knights had six thousand—half of which were Maltese civilians who were called upon for service. The siege lasted four months, and ended in a decisive victory for Malta.

This was an epic underdog story that turned the tides of the conflict and revitalized Christian morale across Europe. And I think this story is what drives Mizrak. This is why he became a Knight in the first place. What he believes the Order is capable of, what he believes Emmanuel is fighting for.

To be clear, I think Mizrak is disheartened by what the Order and church has become by the 18th century. So Emmanuel's plan, as sketchy as it is, is an opportunity to restore it to its former glory and rally people around the church again. To return the sort of disgraced Order to its original mission: preserving the faith and protecting the vulnerable.

This is his Moment to serve his God in the fullest extent of the word, to take a stand for what he believes in. Anything short of that is cowardice. And that's why he's so offended that Olrox would pull him out of that fight.

And if we take all this context from the previous points here and we circle back to his and Olrox's first meeting, it adds a new layer of meaning to, "It doesn't sit well with your faith" and Mizrak's defensive, "What would you know about faith?" — Mizrak has likely already had to compromise his morals on more than one occasion, with his faith being the one thing he still has to hold onto to justify it.

6. So What Is His Deal?

Honestly, I really don't know. The history of Malta and the Knights is so long and winding, the show could do just about anything with his backstory and I'd be like, "yeah, that checks out."

What I do think we can take away from canon is:

He's a True Believer and defender of the Catholic faith. One of his first lines to Olrox is his "faith is a foundation" speech where he quotes Isaiah 43:2. In the finale, we got his call to the other Knights to put down their swords and pray with him for forgiveness to stop the madness. When Olrox presses him about why he's forging night creatures, he explains that Catholics are being executed.

He's a pragmatist. Despite his devotion to the church, he demonstrates some moral flexibility so to speak. There's the "use our heads" line, of course. But there's also this line during the meeting with Drolta: "We don't have to pretend to like each other. This is an arrangement convenient to us both because we share a common enemy." Devoted as he is, this man is not a purist.

... But he still has lines he will not cross. Earlier in the season, we see the abbot express discomfort about Drolta attacking Maria, about harming children. But by the end of the season, he's justifying sacrificing her to Erzsebet. Mizrak however, remains steadfast in the "killing children is wrong, even if they are part of the 'godless mob'" position. Holding this line is what pushes him to deflect from Emmanuel and Erzsebet.

[vampiremillk]

After talking about sweets the other day, I can't help but wonder... how would any slashers of your choosing (Bo? 🥺) be with a reader with an incredible sweet tooth? 🥺

SWEETHEART !

PAIRING : bo sinclair , art the clown , hannibal lecter &&. sweet toothed female reader

BOO'S NOTE .ᐟ . . . thanks for requesting from me, meadow !! <3 i’m sorry if these are so bad ! they were all written in one sitting at 4 am while being half-asleep, which is sadly when most of my ideas suddenly want to pour outta me out of all times of the day haha !

BO SINCLAIR. 

• he already called you those sweet-flavored, southern classics such as "honey" and "sugar/sugar lips" before he was even aware of your severe sugar cravings, but after he discovered that trait about you, the nicknames had a lot more of a clever meaning behind them. you noticed that he started to address you as such a lot more, whether it was to tease you about the fact that you loved to gobble down on candies and honeybuns or to simply be affectionate towards you.

• to all my black beauties with dark skin, he's definitely, one way or another, going to call you his "hershey kiss" or "chocolate cheeks" at least thrice a day. i'm sorry. his ego leads him to believe they're the most creative love-names someone could ever come up with, too. you always playfully smacked him whenever he called you such corny titles, earning a big dumb grin from him.

• “hey. you.” his voice called behind you. you turned around to face him and his sly little grin, your peripheral vision spying the swift blur of yellow being tossed atop the kitchen counter; it was a chocolate bar. “i went out this mornin’ t’get some stuff from the store. thought you’d like a lil’ somethin’ nice.”

• bo also has a sweet tooth himself, and it was quite evident with the way he’d fight and argue with his brothers over the last sprinkle-covered, little debbie brownie, when he’d confess to “accidentally” eating one of your sweet snacks, or when he’d open up the fridge and grab a can of whipped cream and eat it straight out of the cannister, letting the cool stream of clouded milk puff from the can once he pressured his finger against the opening and gather into his mouth.

• you were sat at the kitchen table to witness when he did it one afternoon, rolling your eyes amusingly. “you too lazy to put it in a cup at least, bo-zo?”

• with a pompous smile, he looked over his shoulder at you, licking the residue from his upper lip and speaking with a mouthful. “you want some?”

• you nodded, figuring why not. it just so happened that your sweet tooth was aching for something at that moment. he walked over to you with the can still inside his grasp, and the closer he came, the more you tilted your head back, preparing for him to hold the can to your mouth and place the cream inside, but rather, you heard him refill more into his mouth instead.

• after his second chug of whipped cream, he held some of it inside the gates of his teeth and placed the can to the side on top of the counter, a mischievous gleam in his eye when he turned to witness the confused look you donned, leaning in until his face was mere inches from your own. “y'gonna take it from me or what?”

ART THE CLOWN.

• halloween was a sweet tooth’s dream, the best time for sweets to be scattered about. art acknowledged the fact that you were a sucker ( i’m punny ) for candies and such, so he’d always go out of his way to go trick or treating and bring back a bucketload for you to stuff your face with.

• he returned to your home with an entire bag full one year and you excitedly thanked him. you started to open the bag until he tapped on your shoulder, catching your attention. “what is it?”

• he stuck out his neck and tapped the side of his face with his index finger, a huge grin on his face. he was asking for a kiss on the cheek as a proper thank you, which you happily gave him. you rummaged through the candy bag then to see what kind of goodies he brought back, only for your finger to graze against something ridiculously sticky…

• “aw, man, art. i think you got one that opened and melted everywh—” you screamed suddenly, jolting up from your seat. it wasn’t a melted piece of candy. it was a bloody, severed finger.

• “art…” you began, slowly and cautiously removing the finger from the bag and holding it up to show him. “please tell me this is a prop…”

• he put both of his hands in the air and shrugged, innocently.

HANNIBAL LECTER.

• hannibal was the food specialist in regards of meats and garnishes, but he never took much of an immense fondness to sugary treats. despite, he’d be very accommodating to you fulfilling your sweet tooth’s desires as he is someone who is all for letting one embrace their nature and letting it thrive. he’ll keep your cravings in mind when shopping for groceries or baking.

• however, he would also encourage you to exercise moderation as he does with his own diet. he’d sometimes remind you of the importance of a healthy consumption and lifestyle if your sweet tooth was something that became overly excessive. he once looked inside the trash bin and discovered an entire ice cream carton and that you also ate over a dozen miniature cupcakes based on its empty container lodged in there as well. he decided enough was enough that day and refused to let you indulge in anymore for the rest of the week, no matter how much you complained.

• he would definitely enjoy giving you sweets as an occasional reward or treat, perhaps on special events such as your anniversary or valentine’s day, feeding you chocolate-covered strawberries that he made himself just for you by holding them up to your lips.

©️ VAMPIREMILLK . do not plagiarize, distribute to other sites or translate any of my work without my permission .

[emilybahu]

This is my first time writing a fan fic, just a little one shot, I spent all day working in this (even when I was at work)! I hope you all like it, please let me know what you think! 😁

Buck and Eddie discussing Bucks previous jealousy at Maddie and Chimney’s wedding and the chaos that ensues:

“Come on Eddie, can we just drop this already!”Buck said, while rubbing the back of his neck in slight frustration. He wanted this conversation to end, evidently Eddie wasn’t though as he said “No Evan… not until you tell me the truth!”

Wow Buck thought, Eddie brought out the first name… he must mean business.

“Well I am telling the truth…” says Buck as he makes a face reminiscent of a sad puppy. Eddie then put his hands up as though he was surrendering, “Ok then, whatever man…”

Eddie looks down to the ground for a moment, eyes widening as he promptly realizes that a candle has somehow fallen off a table and managed to stay lit long enough to catch Buck’s pant leg on fire.

He looks at Buck with his eyes still wide “Umm… Buck your pants are on fire”.

Buck gives Eddie a blank stare “Haha very funny Eddie, because I’m a liar? I get the joke and I’m not finding particularly funny at the moment” he says nearly rolling his eyes.

Eddie clears is throat “NO BUCK YOUR PANTS ARE LITERALLY ON FIRE!” Eddie practically yells at him.

This causes Buck to look down and let out a yelp as he finds that his pants are indeed actually on fire.

“How the hell did you not realize before I mentioned it?” Eddie questioned frantically.

To which Buck responded with “I DON’T KNOW!”, then more quietly “I guess I was distracted…” as he shrugged his shoulders.

Both men were frozen in shock for a moment, with his adrenaline running high Eddie wordlessly tackled Buck to the ground. They started rolling around to try to get the fire from spreading up his pants. This is where the situation dissolved into chaos…

Both men had managed to make a complete mess of their suits being covered in dirt. As they were falling to the ground Buck bumped into a table and a glass of red wine spilled on him, which didn’t really help the situation. And somehow Eddie had managed to lose his shirt in the midst of he and Buck’s chaos and neither of them knew what happened to it.

When they got the fire out they just lied there for a moment and looked at each other before Eddie got off of Buck and pulled him to his feet and into a hug.

“Oh man, that was crazy, sorry I tackled you like that Buck, I wasn’t really thinking” Eddie said, still tightly holding Buck.

Squeezing Eddie back Buck said “Don’t worry about it Eddie, I’m fine now that my pants aren’t on fire anymore. I probably would’ve done the same thing anyway”.

With that they let go of each other so they could see how bad they looked. Eddie started chuckling as he looked at himself and Buck “Oh-oh my god Buck, I don’t know if we can show ourselves back at the reception, we-we’re a mess!”

Buck started chuckling, he loved seeing Eddie laughing and happy like this. Then he took a moment to look at himself and Eddie, they were indeed a mess!

When Buck shot him a confused look from where he was leaning on a nearby table Eddie asked “What’s wrong, you ok?”

Buck responded “Yeah, Yeah I’m all good… it’s just…ummm Eddie… where’s your shirt?” At this, Eddie looked down and realized his shirt was indeed missing.

“Umm…yeah” he paused, looking around for a moment “I have do idea what happened to it” he said, scratching his head. With that both men went quiet for a few moments as if they were having a conversation with their eyes. That was until Eddie broke the silence he started by wondering “So, do you think anyone would notice if we left?”

Buck responded, looking down “Hmm yeah, they’d probably notice, Maddie would probably be pissed if I ditched the rest of the wedding reception. Although, it is really surprising that no one noticed something going on when you yelled that my pants were on fire.”

“Fair point,” Eddie said “well should we head back then, before anyone notices we’ve been gone.” nodding his head back towards the main area where everyone was celebrating.

Looking back up at Eddie with a small smile, “Yeah, we’d better get back in there” Buck said as he pushed himself away from the table he was leaning on, but as he was about to pass Eddie he was pulled back.

It was apparently Eddie’s turn to look like a guilty puppy now and he said “One more thing actually.”

“What is it?” Buck said feeling nervous.

Eddie loosened his grip on Buck’s arm and said “I’m sorry about earlier.”

Buck was confused for a moment, he had already told Eddie that he wasn’t hurt from the tackle. Then his eyes softened as Eddie began to speak again because he realized what he was apologizing for.

Now looking down again Eddie said “I’m sorry if I made you feel upset or uncomfortable during our conversation earlier, I’m realizing now that I was pushing too hard.”

“It’s really alright Eddie, no big deal, you were just-” Buck was cut off by Eddie.

“No Buck! It’s not ok! You’re allowed keep things to yourself if you want, I shouldn’t try to pry them out of you like that, it’s not right of me!” He pauses for a moment and takes a breath, “It’s just I-I want to make sure you know you have me, because sometimes it feels like you don’t know I’m here for you if you need me, for anything”

With that Buck pulled Eddie into a suffocating hug of which Eddie reciprocated. Buck feels like he might cry, he loves Eddie so much, Buck’s just not quite sure if Eddie feels the same love for him as he does for Eddie. Either way he’s just happy to have someone like Eddie in his life.

Buck finally speaks, sill holding onto Eddie “I really appreciate you Eddie, you’re always so good to me, thank you for being there for me!” He pauses then speaks again, nearly whispering “I promise I’ll talk to you about how I’ve been feeling lately, I just need to understand it more first.”

Buck and Eddie pull away from the hug, Eddie keeping his hand on Buck’s shoulder and thumb on his pulse point says “Well I’ll be there whenever you’re ready”.

After a couple minutes of coming down from their intense conversation and hug Eddie pats Buck’s shoulder “We’d better get back in there, we’ve been gone for a while,” Eddie cuts himself off with a laugh, “they’ll probably send out a search party soon.”

Buck chuckles too, as he and Eddie walk together towards the main celebration area, their shoulders brushing.

“So, how are we gonna explain this?” Buck asks gesturing to their now dirty suits and Eddie’s very obvious lack of a shirt.

Eddie just shrugs his shoulders and says “We tell them the truth, can’t have a beautiful wedding without a little bit chaos right?” Eddie laughs again, bumping Buck’s shoulder a little harder.

Buck chuckles again “Well at least the chaos was directed towards us and not Maddie and Chimney, they deserved at least one milestone in their relationship that wasn’t chaotic.”

“Agreed!” Eddie says and Maddie and Chimney come into view, having the time of their lives dancing together at their wedding. Eddie continues “They deserve to live a long happy life together after what they’ve both been through, they’re great for each other.”

As Buck was about to answer with his agreement another voice interrupted “Now that’s something I could get behind!” Chimney says as he walks up to them with a concerned Maddie following close behind.

“Oh my god! Where have you two been?!” Maddie questioned, as she checked over Buck, but before Buck and Eddie could answer Maddie continued “What happened to you guys, your suits are ruined! And Evan Buckley what happened to your leg!?”

Chimney speaks up again before Buck or Eddie can begin to answer, “Umm Eddie… what happened to your shirt?”

Not really knowing what to say Eddie just went “ummmmm….” As eyes were all turned towards him.

Then Buck saves him, “We’ll explain, it’s just all a result of the chaos that ensued,” he pauses “but we honestly have no idea what happened to his shirt.” He said pointing at Eddie.

“What he said,” Eddie replied “come on, it’s a great story!” Gesturing towards a table for all of them to sit at.

So Buck and Eddie told everyone about their chaos, questions were asked, and laughs were had. The rest of the reception was a blast and everyone danced and sang and enjoyed each other’s company.

The End.

[bridgetotheskyyy]

Yearning | two. |

previous - masterlist

Chapter Summary: Itachi and Kisame have a little chat over poker.

Chapter Warnings: none. Word count: 1.2k A/N: I'll be crossposting this entire series over to tumblr over the next few days so please be patient with me!

Read on AO3 here.

At last, an off day.

Their leader had little for them to do this day; no leads, which meant no dispatches. Any paths leading to the jinjuriki had gone cold.

“You’ve got nothing for us?” this was Deidara, who’s hologram leaned forward in disbelief, an unconvinced chuckle followed. “Am I dreaming?”

“It is irregular,” said Pein, the impenetrable rings of his eyes pronounced in the darkness, “but it is true.”

Itachi was glad of it; finally, a day to be alone with his thoughts, to consider some things at his lonesome —

“What’s been up with you lately?” 

…

He should have known better.

With Kisame, there would never be any relaxation. Not long after their leader’s announcement, his swordsman partner had challenged him to a game of cards, and now Itachi knew why. 

To grill him. 

Regardless, Itachi responded little; he didn’t even look up from his set of cards.

“You can be quiet all you like,” Kisame said, shuffling his deck. “I know you’re hiding something. You’ve been acting weird ever since we got back from that mission a week ago.” 

Itachi knew what mission he was referring to but, once again, moved little; they had been dispatched to the leaf, something that hadn’t occurred since their failure to secure the nine-tails. Reconnaissance. Proximity to you had made him … agitated.

For more reasons than one. 

But Kisame had his arms crossed now, deck of cards between two enormous fingers. “So …what’s up?” 

Itachi slid a card to the side to admire another. “It’s none of your concern. After all, I thought you wanted to play cards, Kisame. Where’s your conviction?”

“I know I can beat you in my own time,” Kisame grumbled.

“Not if previous games have anything to say about it.”

Another grumble, indignant; Itachi allowed the sides of his mouth to upturn. 

Always so easy to get under your skin, Kisame.

Then —

Kisame laughed.

This caused an increase in Itachi’s attention and, at last, he looked up — in the caverns, the swordsman’s cackles carried on for what seemed like eons, echo after echo, and Kisame leaned forward on the table, smirk enriched by some unsaid victory. 

“Aha, okay, I get it,” he said, smirk permitting teeth now, “who is she?”

Itachi’s fingers twitched, but nothing more. He knew Kisame hadn’t seen. 

His focus returned to his deck.

“Haha, hehe.”

Ugh.

“Haha, yeah, I get it,” Kisame went on. “So when are you going to introduce me to her?” 

Itachi shuffled his deck, determined to silence. 

“It all makes sense now. C’mon, I can read you better than that by now, Itachi.” Kisame went on. “After all, what guy’d introduce his girl to me?”

Itachi flicked his deck so they fanned out before his face and spotted the card of his desire. 

Ace of spades.

“What girl would choose a guy who had one when she can have,” and Kisame brought up two fingers, “two?”

Itachi clasped his deck with a threatening POP. His eyes snapped to Kisame’s, gaze softly reddened by the activation of his Sharingan.

“Kisame,” Itachi’s voice was like stone, “I’d consider my next words if I were you.”

As expected, Kisame froze. Time itself seemed to halt as Itachi kept his gaze locked on his partner, and for a great while no one moved. 

….

….

…

Itachi lowered his gaze, saw, in his peripheral, Kisame relax, released from his gaze.

I don’t think you know that I can read you, too, Kisame …

“But anyway,” Kisame began, caution evident in his voice, hidden with a veneer of ease, “you should be proud; we’ve all lost something here . . .”

Itachi looked up again, but this time it was not to threaten Kisame into silence; he saw something in his partner’s eyes, something had shifted there.

“It must be nice,” Kisame said, softer than anything he’d said so far, “to have something besides this.”

This — the dark, cavernous space in which they were situated, in which they frequented, lived. Itachi became acutely aware of the Akatsuki’s emptiness; they all felt it, how it swallowed them if they were not vigilant. He thought of you, of Sasuke, of your faces, all in vivid detail, and some of the darkness lifted if only to provide a second’s worth of relief. He was different from the others. But . . .

He detected the resentment in Kisame’s words, bitter if they had a taste. A “hmph” was Itachi’s only answer to Kisame, however, in that moment. 

“She’s a friend,” he admitted. 

Kisame, for once, said absolutely nothing, only seeming to register Itachi’s answer. Itachi knew, somehow, that the inquisition had at last ended. He sat as Kisame inspected his cards.

“It doesn’t necessarily make things easier if that’s what you’re suspecting.”

There was a return from Kisame’s smirk, his attitude returning — Itachi found himself feeling almost relieved.

And I was beginning to worry.

“Heh,” Kisame said. “A girlfriend doesn’t make things easier? Can’t imagine that.”

Itachi wasn’t surprised by this attempt to save face. He sighed. “Let’s finish the game.”

“Fine by me.”

Itachi splayed his cards against the table.

A flush.

“I win. Again.”

…

…

…

“Fuck you.”

[kayzig]

Rosen of Chroneria: Chapter 4

Things have chilled out a little, so let's ease the Chaos level back down to 7 for our recovering Hero and see where things go. I've also readjusted some enemy difficult again, and made a more streamlined encounter table to see how fights/etc go. I DO think this still wound up the most "scenes" I've gotten into a session so that must be a step in the right direction!

Let's interpret some dice rolls!

A new format I am doing for my Fate Chart to try and be uniform in my journaling is as follows (I will always state the Chaos level somewhere in the write-up as well): Q (to mark it is a question): Odds (50/50, Likely, Impossible, etc): Question Stated? A: number rolled; what that means (Yes/No/Exceptional Yes/Etc)

Q: Likely; would the Good Ship Justice have told their crimelord boss about Rosen? A: 38; yes

Q: baseline, 50/50 - would this guy know what to make of Rosen at all, based on the story of a man who fell out of the sky, and survived to be scooped up onto a ship? A: 38 AGAIN: yes!

I am fighting off a strong temptation to look up 38 in numerology over this, haha, but I think the boss is a less immediate thing for right now.

Q: 50/50: does he want Rosen brought in to see in-person? A: 40 (combo breaker), and also, yes!

Domain Check: how does Annurca (and in correlation, Bonny) feel, and how does Zief feel?

Annurca & Bonny: 3, Partnership Zief: 13, Deception

Making it a note to make slightly separate sheets for the Crew as Zief is becoming more and more of an antagonist. I know that their boss has some relationship to the assassination, but I have to ask: is the crime boss truly a VILLAIN compared to the other inequality-related evils here?

I rolled another NPC Attitude domain check and got 3 again, for Partnership, and compared it to an Opposition roll, with a 10 for Pride. I think that has some depth on it for now, and move on to make sure Rosen has his refresh before carrying on.

Rosen still has his situational "Your Reputation Precedes You" bonus active. Another check indicates this has complicated Alistair's work day, and while the soldiers who respect Alistair are happy to do their jobs, their morale has taken quite a hit with the sudden raids causing casualties at Alistair's home.

Although Rosen is interested in somehow getting out and looking into the assassin again, he has his relationship aspect of protecting Judge Regent Alistair to keep him grounded, and he accepts that compel.

Q: 50/50: will Annurca and her crew be able to track Rosen to Alistair's home? A: 60; yes

Q: Unlikely: would they risk getting into trouble with a Judge Regent to contact Rosen? A: 100; EXCEPTIONALLY NO

Q: 50/50: is this where Zief's deception comes in? A: 83; no

I am once again resisting the compel of 38 / 83 / etc as rolling numerology intrigue, but we'll call this a scene and a successful-enough information grab for them to get back to their boss with. Against the House Guard's 0 Notice, the Crew of the Good Ship Justice rolls a hilarious 0 Stealth. They succeed, but make enough of a hurried ruckus after doing so that we get the aspect "On High Alert" to make it even harder to sneak back until things die down.

good job, professional criminals. Shifting scenes somewhat..

Q: Unlikely: has Alistair gotten new information regarding the assassination? A: 36: yes!

I think that while Alistair was very intent on trying to also be privy to this new report, he is compelled to Rise To A Challenge when high alert is called by the guards.

When the irritable guards pointedly go On High Alert, Rosen takes to action, and we'll have a standard "First To Three" Challenge.

Goal: Discover the Source of the Disturbance Tactics: Notice, Pursuit, etc.

Rosen will have to succeed on finding Evidence of the intrusion, Catching Up to the forward guards who were in the garden or street at the time of the alert being raised just a few moments before, and then Noticing something amiss to follow.

The Crew of the Good Ship Justice's Stealth Check of 0 is not a high difficulty, but a bad dice roll could make it victorious with Rosen's only +1 to Investigation - but he rolls for a +2, making a success.

Rosen locates a visible trail, and will make an Athletics check to follow it towards the next crumb of the trail. We'll have the guard roll Athletics first, to see the difference Rosen will have to overcome: only a +1, which Rosen rolls a +4 against, giving him a shift difference that will Succeed With Style.

He gets the boost Hot On Their Heels, which he can put towards his next roll to notice any further evidence of the Ship Crew escaping.

They get to roll a new Stealth Roll, which is a +3 to try and slip into the more crowded streets of Port Lamour's built up districts. Meanwhile, Rosen rolls a Notice of +9 with his skill modified and a use of the boost.

We'll call this boost "Strange Seeing You Here", and have it carry over to a reasonable suspicion for Rosen to have against the Crew as a whole, as we end this chase scene and change over to something else. Rosen is not looking to be seen first, and will use a stealth roll of his own to set the pace

Rosen's +3 Stealth from that boost versus Annurca's +3 Notice. Rosen succeeds at a cost with that tie - while his pirate crew buddies haven't noticed him yet, he also completely smoked the pace the guards were setting in their pursuit and lost them, as well; not to mention he's in a strange city in areas he hasn't gone through before.

Before he settles in to listen in on the ship crew to figure out their intention at the Judge Regent's house, he'll be marked with the aspect "Lost & Alone" until he gets a way to remove it.

Q: Likely: Did the Pirate Crew detour into a more seedy/dangerous area? A: 51; yes.

Q: 50/50: will there be a fight? A: 93; no.

I'm a bit unsure how Rosen may approach, so I roll him a domain: 2; Cancellation. He was starting to suspect them, but I think with how friendly Captain Annurca was at their initial meeting, that any hostility is quickly called off in this meeting. They're happy to see each other alright, and will catch up on some details.

Q: Likely: Would Rosen just bluntly state all he's been up to? A: 50; yep

Boldly speaking about the Judge Regent in the area of town they wound up with would be Unwise, so after hearing a few details and having a name drop, Annurca tries to talk Rosen into going with them to their current base of operations.

Annurca's 0 Rapport (she invoked an Aspect for a bad reroll and rolled zero twice!) versus Rosen's +4 Will: that's a succeed with style., so we'll give Rosen the boost of "Is This Bait?"; 2 of 3 of the crew don't mean any harm but Zief is always giving off the worst vibes, after all.

Rosen attempts to use Empathy to get a little bit more insight onto why they risked being around the guards to see him: he rolls a absolute dogshit, the worst roll I have done in this entire process, and invokes the free boost to reroll. He rolls a +2 Empathy versus a +2 Deceive.

Succeeding at a cost; he can tell that Annurca is hiding something, but the air of this impasse is guilt-adjacent, not the frustration or anger of being found out.

Rosen considers this for a moment but things feel strange, again, dismissing himself back to the house. Zief will make a try, based on his motivation, to offer Rosen a quicker way back to the Regent's manor - they took some round-about paths to try and not be followed.

Zief rolls a 0 Deception, good for him, versus a +1 Empathy from Rosen. That's a good vibe check, for Rosen to go "haha sure, jackass, I have to go now."

This is definitely going to cause some frustration amongst the crew, and make it harder for them to lure Rosen out in the future…but now they know where he is, at least.

Now that Rosen is on his way back through the slightly seedy area, he is going to have to contest against The Backstreets. Against a +4 Difficulty, he must try to Investigate his way back from where he came to avoid a conflict.

He rolls a 0.

On the encounter table, I rolled as high as I could, meaning he is going to encounter a Mini-Boss, and an additional d6 roll of 3d4+1 Minor Opponents.

On the final math that's 7 minor guys with the Big Guy.

Q: 50/50: is the Sky Legion back on their bullshit? A: 5; absofreakinlutely.

ofc they fucking are, right?

time to get a fight together, and hope that major consequence doesn't make this awful!! I am gonna make it less number-crunchy, and say that we have a 4-pack of lesser guys who will be represented as one stat block with 4 stress, the standard guys we've been fighting with 3 stress, and then I will test out the "moderate danger" guy I just made.

For those into the worldbuilding, the scouts we've seen before are now all in a "group" I just statted as a Nimbus Scout Trio, since they have 3 stress, and the lesser guys are known as Downdrafts. The new guy is known as a Virga Vanguard, and they have a unique stunt that uses a harpoon-like weapon on a chain.

I guess these Sky Legion Guys have some cool "muahahahaha finally got you out of your shell" introductions and Rosen's response is probably just "haha thank god you dipshits didn't come out of a fucking portal this time"

Conflict start!

Initiative: Rosen 3 Downdraft 1 Vanguard 0 Nimbus Scouts -1

First exchange!

Rosen can only get to the Downdraft guys in front because of the Cramped Backstreet. He makes a charging tackle at them for a +5, and they tie with it thanks to their +2 to their first Dodge rolls (a fun trait I made them have). Rosen gets boost on his next attack against them that we'll call "Off-Guard"

They now get to make an attack, trying to surround him and rolling a silly lil zero - he rolls a +6 dodge, getting the "Dazed!" aspect invoked on the Downdrafts.

The Vanguard spends the GM Fate Point to apply his Chain Lasso; Once per Scene when fighting Rosen, the Vanguard can spend a Fate Point to create the "I Have You Now!" Aspect, which takes an Athletics Overcome of +3 to remove, as Rosen disarms them of their Chain Lasso. While the Aspect is in play, they get a +2 to their rolls to Attack or Defend against Rosen.

Finally, the Nimbus Scouts get to go, with this bonus applied to their fight rolls! With their +4 roll to attack, moving in to stand in-line with the parted Downdraft guards, Rosen rolls a +5 dodge to successfully avoid damage.

Second exchange - I think I am finally figuring out the difficulty curve of how to state NPCs to fight in Fate, because that felt more visually like a Main Character fighting Faceless Guys, right?

Rosen is up with his two boosts, rolling a monstrous +10 attack against the Downdraft; they don't roll higher than a +2 and are eviscerated. I also realized, mechanically, I think that special stunt from the Vanguard should also have a limitation like "cannot move zones unless the Vanguard does so"? It feels right, so we'll add that to keep in mind!

With those guys down, it's time for The Vanguard - he is equipped to use a ranged attack, so chain in one hand, crossbow in the other, he fires down the line at Rosen for a +6 shot, versus a +4 dodge, so Rosen will take those two shifts.

The Nimbus Scouts now also get to take a shot at Rosen, and stay in close range to try and knock him down to make him easier to drag in, for another +5 roll, versus a 5! The Nimbus Scouts get a boost, "On The Chain Now!"

Third Exchange!

Rosen is still bound, and this Chain situation is really not ideal for him. He's going to make an attempt to grab the chain and pull the Vanguard up into close range; I'll allow it to operate as the attempt to Overcome the lasso, and if he succeeds with style, he can pull the Vanguard in. He rolls a +5, which is not QUITE a SwS, but it gets rid of the +2 advantage on him!

Which brings us to the Vanguard, who is gonna hang back and shoot: a +3 attack versus Rosen's +5 dodge for None Hits Left Beef.

Moving along to the Nimbus, who make a +4 fight, trying to wear Rosen down, and with his +3 dodge, that's one more stress on Rosen.

Fourth Round…

Rosen is up and Making an attack against the Nimbus, spending a Fate point to invoke a +2 from the Cramped Backstreet keeping these Scouts close together for a +4 Fight versus their +2 Dodge to finally knock out their full-stress advantage.

The Vanguard is gonna keep hanging back and shooting, for a +3 against a 3 Dodge. They get the boost "Marked Target."

The Nimbus is now one guy but he still is here to do his best! He takes a swing at Rosen for a +1 Attack, versus a +7 Dodge, wherein Rosen gets a boost against them on his next attack, which we'll call "", which is coming up in -

Round 5!

Rosen has to get that boost, for a +4 attack versus a +1 Dodge; that would have been a boost if they weren't eliminated, bringing us to just the Vanguard!

The Vanguard wants to get his boost as well, taking a +5 Shoot versus a +6 Dodge - this is maybe a good time to take some distance and move out a zone to try and keep away from the man who punched 4 men to death.

back to Rosen for a 6th round, he is going to advance on the Vanguard, and go for an attack that is a little rough, only a +1, but only against a +1 dodge - we'll add a boost called "No Escape"…!

…but the Vanguard is going to try again, because he's way better at shooting than fighting close up! He runs back and takes another +4 shot at Rosen, who pulls off a +6 Dodge again.

On our 7th round, we'll say that the new zone that the Vanguard dashes out into no longer is a Cramped Backstreet, but an open area with a "Rowdy Crowd" and "Widespread Audience".

Rosen is going to take an attack on the Vanguard and spend a Fate Point to invoke the Rowdy Crowd keeping them from being able to twist and dodge too much, for a total of a +7 attack, and a 0 dodge means he is knocked RIGHT out, Rosen on one side, Rowdy Crowd on the other.

This ends the conflict, and I am going to do a Rapport roll, spending a Fate Point for Rosen to invoke the Rowdy Crowd in a Victorious yell, and stack it with First Impression, for a +4 roll, which is enough to get most of them in on the wonton violence, given that the city itself has been shifting in a violent way, and the Sky Legion has the Vibe of being some strange official Faction.

That's going to round out this session, which should have some fun ramifications: next time, we'll see if Rosen can find his way back to Alistair, or if Alistair can get a grapevine word of mouth on where Rosen has gotten off to!

[sortagaysortahigh]

omg i mean from the fluff list !! sorry (argyle request haha)

26: “my lipgloss is all over your lips.”

32: “you give me butterflies.”

I HOPE YOU LIKE IT IM TRYING TO KEEP THE BLURBS KIND OF SHORT AND SWEET BUT SKGSDHGFD I WANTED TO KEEP WRITING IM NOT EVEN GONAN LIE

Join the sleepover!

Argyle laid back in her bed, engulfed in the soft comforter and plush pillows, a wide smile on his face as he felt her straddle his lap, then he glanced up at her through his hooded eyes-brows raised as he stared at the girl that he was positive he'd been in love with since the second he laid his eyes on her. She held the perfectly rolled joint between her manicured fingers as she relaxed into his figure.

He watched as she grabbed the lighter from his right hand, the same dopey smile on his face while he watched her movements-his hands now resting against her bare thighs, thumbs tracing small circles against her warm skin. The sight of one of his oversized shirts draping against her figure while her frizzy hair framed her face perfectly had his heart racing.

They'd always been close, and they were constantly teetering the line between friends and something more. His heart always raced around her-even now. He'd left the shirt at hers a few weeks ago, and since then he noticed that she'd turned it into one of her 'house shirts' that she kept in rotation.

"Can I tell you something?" she giggled, nodding her head as she lit the joint, placing it between her glossy lips and inhaling. "You really give me butterflies, like I can feel the little dudes dancing around my stomach all the time" she exhaled the smoke, then smiled again "really?" he nodded "you're just really pretty-especially like that man"

She took another pull from the joint, placing it between his lips-letting him inhale as she held it in place-not wanting him to move his hands. To some their position would've been something explicit-but they were just comfortable like this, it was intimate-and they both loved it.

They exhaled at the same time, she let him take another puff then brought it back to her lips-taking one last puff before she reached over to her bedside table, ashing it then putting it out inside of the heart shaped ashtray he got her from the smoke shop near his job-stating 'it reminded me of you, cause you like hearts and stuff' when he'd given it to her.

"Argyle can I kiss you" he nodded his head, jaw slightly dropped "yeah-course-anything for you" she laughed at him, rolling her eyes playfully before leaning down, gently placing her lips against his, her left hand caressing his cheek as she kissed him. Their lips perfectly molding together-she even giggled into the kiss as he moved one of his hands, slipping under the shirt-resting against her warm skin.

She pulled back first, the lovesick smile on her face evident while she stared at him, her hair slightly ticking his forehead as it dangled between the two "my lipgloss is all over your lips" he shrugged "that's okay, I like it-it tastes like mangos"

She giggled again "I got it because they're your favorite" he raised his brows "so you've been trying to get me to kiss you huh? that's crazy you should've just asked"

[randomshyperson]

Wanda Maximoff x Reader - I bet i love you

Gif if not mine, but i swear she looks prettier every time i look at her.

Summary: Prompt based from @ecruzsalaz: The one where Wanda is popular, and Reader is a nerd. The popular kids do a bet that Reader will fall in love with Wanda. Everything will be reveal after their trip. 

Warnings: Light angst, kissing, teasing, underage drinking, lies, Vision being an idiot completely out of canon.

Words:  13.446 k /// Read on AO3

Notes: I don’t even know what happen here. I’m been busy and this took a lot of days to be done, but it’s finally here, hope @ecruzsalaz will be satisfied haha. Good reading everyone and apologies for any typo, it sucks to translate so many words. There are a few pop culture references, i wonder if anyone will catch those.

Marks (if i forgot your name tell me i’m lost):  @mionemymind @abimess

In your last year of high school, you just wish things would be peaceful.

The previous years hadn't exactly been ideal, since you were surrounded by assholes, but you are optimistic.

Your small, select group of friends, consisting of exactly two people, who you could swear were probably the only decent human beings left in West View High School, were currently the only reason you still wanted to go to high school.

Right now, for example, you were sitting in the outer cafeteria, a book of historical fiction to escape reality plus headphones with some old rock music that you weren't really listening to, since you were so focused on the story you were reading. And then someone pulled on your headphones, and you looked up ready to complain, but the mischievous smile of your best friend Bruce Banner was all you could find.

- I've been calling you for five minutes. - He said, sitting down on the stool in front of you. You smiled, apologizing, and put your cell phone on the table. - No problem, you always do that.

You laughed awkwardly, closing the book while Bruce put his backpack on the table.

- Where is Mon? I haven't seen her today. - You tell him, but Bruce shrugs. 

- Maybe her mother changed shifts again. - He comments, and you make a noise with your mouth of agreement. Whenever Maria, your friend Monica's mother, switched shifts at work, she would be late for first periods. It has been like this since primary school.

- You still haven't let me see your schedule. - You told Bruce with a slight frown, and he laughed, going through his pockets. Then he took out his cell phone, fiddled with the screen for a few seconds, and then handed it to you. You read the attached class schedule with a frown. - Bruce! You didn't sign up for half the classes you took last year?

He shrugged, running his hands through his hair.

- Yeah, I think I'll focus more on what I want for college. - He explained a little shyly. - I was getting too anxious about all that stuff. And honestly, you should have done the same.

You made a grumbling sound with your mouth, and started biting your thumbnail as you finished looking at the schedule. You would barely have any classes together. And then you handed the cell phone back to your friend.

- I would do it if I had any idea what I wanted to major in. - You tell him. - It's better to have several interests on the curriculum, so I'll have more course options.

- You can also develop burnot. - He remarked with mild irony, and you laughed, looking away.

The bell for the first class then rang, and the two of you exchanged a look before getting up. Bruce kissed you on the cheek before heading in the opposite direction, and you grumbled lightly as you picked up your book and walked to the chemistry labs.

In the hallway of the main building, a few meters before the entrance to the lab, someone bumped into you. It was one of the boys from the team, who was laughing at something his colleague said. Your notebooks fell to the floor, and the boy looked at you with contempt.

- Watch where you're going weirdo. - He warned and you rolled your eyes.

- You're the one who bumped into me, you brute. - You grumbled angrily. The boy just laughed and walked away.

After picking your books, you stood up. The athletes at your school were jerks, but you didn't blame only them for their arrogance. The rest of the school, including the faculty, treated them as gods, so they behaved as such.

Sighing with impatience, you entered the chemistry labs, wishing that the day wasn't long.

Darcy Lewis had been your chemistry partner for three years. You smiled as you greeted her and sat down next to her. You were not friends, but she was very kind and extremely intelligent. You really thought you were very lucky to have her as your partner, and then, as if the universe would like to laugh at you, Professor Nakia announced that she was switching partners.

The whole class let out a chorus of dissatisfaction, and one student asked aloud.

- Please, Professor Nakia, we have been working with the same people for three years. Why change now?

- Excellent question, Miss Quinn. - Nakia said, smiling. She was at her desk, finishing putting her materials on top. - Three years is more than enough time for you to create tricks to cheat on my exams. 

The room exchanged complicit and guilty looks, and the teacher kept a serious posture.

- The school board found evidence to indicate this. - She explains. - I was very disappointed to learn that there were students cheating on the evaluation method not only in this class, but in several others. You will notice that all teachers with fixed groups will rotate them from now on. This was a decision made by the principal.

You rolled your eyes, annoyed that you would lose your amazing partner and were running the chance of ending up with someone irresponsible or slacker, just because some kids were careless at cheating. The room let out a chorus of understanding, and everyone began to move around as the teacher indicated the new groups. You ended up sitting with a guy named Vision, who you didn't really know, but you knew was quite popular because he was class speaker, and head of the fencing club.

- Hello, dear. - He greeted you as he sat down, putting his coat on the chair. Vision dressed very well; he was part of the group your classmates called "preps”, even if he was usually hanging out with jocks.

You made a noise with your mouth in greeting, but he didn't seem to mind your lack of sociability. 

Fortunately, Vision was a decent chemistry partner. Although he was bossy, and had a habit of interrupting or explaining as if you were stupid, he was intelligent and knew how to do the experiments. You thought that was enough, since you would only have to put up with him in this class.

Feeling a glance at you, you raised your eyes from the notebook, and were slightly startled to notice Vision looking at you with amusement and curiosity, you frowned ready to ask what's wrong, but then he let out a dry laugh.

- I knew I knew you! - he declared. - You're the Presley freak!

Vision laughed lightly nostalgically, and you felt your face flush, turning your attention back to your notebook. He was talking about the Halloween party in freshman year, where you dressed up as Elvis Presley and the track team decided to nickname you "Presley Freak" for the next whole year. The teasing died down after a while, but Vision brought it back as if it were a good memory.

Fortunately he just shook his head with amusement, and didn't mention it again. When class was over, he didn't say goodbye on his way out, but you didn't care.

//-//

The story that all the teachers followed the new norm of switching partners was true. In History, you lost your partner Bucky Barnes to sit with Natasha Romanoff, equally quiet and intelligent. For the most part, you are satisfied with the partners you got. 

But then in fourth period, biology class, you ended up partnering with someone you never imagined.

Wanda Maximoff was one of the most popular girls in school. You didn't really know her. You were classmates during elementary school, and you even became friends with her twin brother in elementary school, Pietro Maximoff, before he became a complete idiot. But other than that, you didn't know much about her. Although you had a strange sympathy for the girl. Unlike the group of girls she hung out with, Wanda never tormented you at school. Or your friends. She was probably fake and sneaky like the others, but she left you alone, so you had nothing against her.

You were pulling your biology book out of your backpack as the teacher announced the new pairs, and you stopped in mid-motion when she said Maximoff and your name.

Wanda sat down beside you the next moment, smiling politely. You shook your head slightly, dropping your backpack on the floor.

Wanda was surprisingly nice. You didn't talk about anything unrelated to the subject, but she was quick enough to catch your ironic glances when Professor Darkholme made an inappropriate comment or a funny remark, and match it with a smile or a look. 

As the class came to an end, Wanda nodded slightly at you, and you smiled back before gathering your materials.

It had been four months since classes had started, and you were already used to your new partners in class. 

Vision was inconvenient in many comments, as if he took pleasure in recalling your most embarrassing moments in high school, but you learned to change the subject quickly whenever this happened. All you had to do was pretend you didn't know about some subject he mastered, only to hear him explain it to you in the most arrogant manner possible for the next few minutes, effectively distracting him.

Natasha Romanoff was exceptionally sarcastic and ironic, and you sometimes you felt that she was a more aggressive female version of your former partner Bucky Barnes. She was quite individualistic, and you had to make an effort not to get left behind, or you had to constantly remind her that you were a duo, but otherwise she was a good partner, and you were happy to invite her to lunch with you, which eventually became a habit after a week.

And then you had Wanda Maximoff. You weren't friends, but you had a strange kind of complicity as biology partners. You never would have guessed that Wanda would have a sense of humor so similar to yours. Two classes in a row, and you already had inside jokes about the way Ms. Darkholme caught the attention of her students. Two weeks in, and you two knew how to cheat your way through assignments. You didn't know how to make friends, and judging by the history of who Wanda was hanging out with, you had the impression that she wouldn't want to develop any kind of relationship with you. And honestly, this was your last year, you wouldn't see these people again, so you were more than satisfied to have just one good lab partner.

With the mid-winter vacations approaching, you were looking forward to getting some rest.

Non-Reader Pov

- God, Wanda, why are you talking about that weirdo again? - interrupted Vision impatiently. His girlfriend blinked in confusion, looking away awkwardly.

- I'm just commenting on a joke we…

- Really, Wanda? - He interrupted again with an accusing look. - It seems like all you do lately is "comment" on your little jokes in class. - He sneers as he settles down on the sofa. The two of them stand together outside the school, their group of friends watching the discussion with amusement. - I don't know why you talk to her at all. She is so silent and awkward with me in chemistry class.

Wanda bites the inside of her cheek, looking forward. 

- I think your girlfriend has a girl crush. - Tony Stark sneered next, making everyone laugh. Wanda frowned, feeling her heart race.

- You are an idiot. - She grumbled impatiently, crossing her arms. Vision looked at her curiously.

- Honey, don't tell me that you actually appreciate that girl? - he asks ironically, and Wanda rolls her eyes without looking at him. Vision laughs.��

And then Tony is holding out a craft-paper covered bottle to Vision, and he takes a sip, coughing slightly afterwards. Wanda frowns at the scene, but none of her friends seem concerned that they are drinking during school hours, as the bottle continues to pass in everyone's hand.

- You know, I think it's sweet that you have sympathy for that freak. - Tony comments a moment later and Wanda tells him to fuck off, making him laugh. 

- I think we are witnessing a beautiful love story. - Mocks Pepper, Tony's girlfriend, approaching the three of them as she sits on Stark's lap. Wanda rolls her eyes, as the group laughs. And then Vision has a thoughtful expression.

- I have an idea. - He says slightly drunk, as he throws his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. - Let's make a bet.

Tony and Pepper let out excited exclamations, while Wanda frowns.

- What kind of bet?

- Well, you guys remember when the weirdo dressed up as Presley for Halloween, right? - he asked, and Tony and Pepper laughed, agreeing. - And then Pietro saw her kissing that girl who hang with the bikers, Jones something.

- Jessica. - Pepper clarified before taking another sip of her drink. 

- Then we know she's a dyke. - Vision says, but Tony frowns.

- Wasn't she dating that guy with the long hair and the angry face? 

- Barnes? - Vision asked and Tony nodded. - I don't think so. Anyway, she is into girls. - he said and the group nodded in agreement. - I mean the bet is this: I can prove that she is just like everyone else in this school. Give her a bit of our attention, and she will be completely obsessed.

- Vis, what are you talking about? - Wanda asked, and Vision laughed ironically.

- It's very simple, love. - He says. - You are hot. Everyone knows that, and even someone like her, who pretends not to be part of the social circles of this school, can see that. - He clarifies, and the group looks at him intently. Wanda doesn't say that she doesn't like being objectified, swallowing the bitter feeling in her stomach. - So my bet is that you win her over. It should take what, one or two dates for her to be completely in love with you.

The friends laugh in irony and Wanda thinks she should follow, but only a forced laugh escapes. Because of the alcohol, no one notices.

- This is ridiculous. - Wanda comments and then Vision looks at her with irony.

- Unless you're getting attached to the girl, dear. - He sneers, and the group laughs. Wanda swallows dryly, shaking her head in denial. - So, what's the problem? You'll just prove me right. And you will realize that there is nothing special about her. 

- I think we can make this even more fun. - says Tony with a wicked smile. - I bet you a hundred bucks that Wanda will fall in love too.

Tony sneers and the group laughs with irony.

- As if anyone would even like that girl. - Vision declares, accepting another drink. 

- How do we make sure it's working? - Tony asks and Vision bites his lip thoughtfully. Then he lets out an exclamation.

- Our trip! - he says, and then turns to Wanda. - Love, invite the weirdo to the cabin! We can watch you work.

Wanda frowns, but then the group is suggesting ideas of conquest, and laughing, and debauchery, and she hates it. But she smiles, and nods in agreement, accepting the liquor as the bottle comes into her hand.

Reader Pov

You intended to study during the winter vacations. And maybe get out of the room a little if Bruce or Monica visited. Your surprise was genuine when in your last biology term, Wanda Maximoff started talking to you about something other than the subject.

- Hey, are you doing anything this holiday? - she comments amiably. You didn't notice the looks Tony Stark was giving you two from the front seat. 

- Huh... No?

- Are you asking me? - She replies with a smile. You blush, looking away at your notebook. Wanda bites her cheek, and it takes a moment for her to speak again. - I wanted to invite you to something.

You blink in surprise, looking at Wanda. She looks away from the board for a moment, as she wiggles her fingers against her own thigh.

- My friends and I are spending the holiday in a cabin. - She clarifies. - There's all this winter activities, you know. Skiing and stuff like that. I'd like you to come.

- Why? - The question slips out a little harshly, but you can't help it. Wanda looks away, and you almost apologize. But then Wanda smiles, shrugging.

- I'd like to get to know you better, I guess. - She says. - I think it would be fun if we could be friends outside of class.

You look at her suspiciously for a few seconds. But then you sigh, looking down at the notebooks.

- Alright, Wanda. - you say after a moment, ignoring the growing anxiety in your stomach. - Is it okay if I bring a friend?

- Of course! - She confirms excitedly. - You can take whoever you want, it's a big place. 

The teacher gives a warning for side conversations next, and you shut up. You blush when Wanda approaches you to write down her phone number in her notebook. You are distracted enough not to notice her blushing slightly when Tony Stark gives her a mischievous look. 

//-//

- So you actually said yes? - Bruce asked with surprise when you told him about the biology class, while you were having lunch together in the cafeteria. Monica had the same expression.

- Yes, and I would love it if you would go with me, because I think I am close to completely freak out. - You ask with mild desperation and your friends laugh. And then Monica is looking behind you.

- Look, I would be too. They are so... - She starts and you turn around, looking at the group of Wanda's friends a few meters away. The kids are sitting at the table, making noise with their loud laughter. One of them was throwing a football up in the air. A short boy walked past them and was pushed slightly. - I can't even define them.

You let out a grumble, laying your head on your arms on the table.

- This was a bad idea, wasn't it, guys? - you ask. - They're going to eat me alive.

- Why the long faces, nerds? - Natasha asked as she came over to the table, placing the tray of food next to Monica, staring at you. 

And then your friends explained it to her, and you groaned in dissatisfaction when she started laughing.

- You've lost your mind, haven't you? - she asked wryly. - It's a trap, I'm sure.

- There's no reason for it. - You retorted, trying to eat a little. - Besides, it was Wanda who invited me. She said she'd like us to be friends.

- Look, I know that Maximoff is the least worst of the bunch. - Nat began as she opened her soda. - But she still hangs around with those idiots. 

- Yeah, I know. - You agree with a sigh. And then you remember your classes. - I just... She has been surprisingly nice, you know? I think she was being sincere. It's just a trip, it's not the end of the world.

- Good to know you think that. - said Bruce. - Because I won't be able to go.

- What? - You then exclaim.

- I applied for an internship at S.H.I.E.L.D. Labs. - He remarks and you let out a grumble, remembering.

- Shit, it's true. - You say. - I completely forgot about it.

- Girl, I can't go either. - Informs Monica with a guilty expression, and you let out an exclamation. - I'm going to spend the holiday with my father.

You bury your face in your hands. And then you risk a glance at Natasha, and she laughs wryly.

- Don't even try. - She says. - Even if you paid me I wouldn't travel with Tony Stark.

- I'll pay you.

Nat laughs at your desperation, and stops eating, looking at you with surprising kindness.

- You, girl, are adorable and kind. A nerdy cute dork, and I'm sure that if that's not enough for those idiots, they're the problem, not you. - She assures you, and you smile wryly. - Don't worry about pleasing any of them, you're going to become friends with Wanda, aren't you? Try to enjoy the trip, and if anything happens, call me and I'll finish them all off.

You laugh, nodding slightly. You don't want to think so much about this trip, but you know it's going to be the only thing on your mind for the next few days.

The week ended quickly. And you were very anxious when the weekend arrived, and you received a text message from Wanda saying that she would pick you up at home on Saturday morning. You would spend the holiday at the Stark family's winter cottage, a property big enough to fit the whole group. Wanda said it was somewhere with mountains, near a lake, and you bit your lip, wondering if you should bring a bathing suit. Since it was snowing, you figured you wouldn't try to swim anywhere.

On Saturday you were up bright and early, your bags packed. You kissed your parents and your younger brother on the cheek before you left, finding a pickup truck parked in front of your house.

Wanda hugged you when you said good morning to her, and to the boys. Vision and Pietro were in this car, and she said that Tony was in the second car, and had gone for gas.

Vision drove towards the cabin next, and he tried a little small talk before shutting up. Wanda was in the passenger seat, and Vision let his hand rest on her thigh, and you didn't understand the bitter feeling in your stomach.

- God, put on some decent music! - asked Pietro, scrambling up on the seat beside you to reach for the radio.

- Leave it, Pietro! - complained Vision pushing the boy backwards. - You only want to play that emo shit!

Pietro laughed, not insisting. And Vision looked at you through the rearview mirror.

- Let's let our guest choose the music. - he said with a smile. You cleared your throat. 

- Okay. - You agreed, pulling your cell phone out of your pocket. You turned on Spotify next, and when Vision asked if it would be any longer, you bit the inside of your cheek. And then you put on some pop rock.

Nobody said anything, and you thought that somehow you had just passed some kind of test. But then your set list started, and when the classic rock song from the 50's started playing, Vision burst out laughing.

- They don't call you Presley Freak for nothing. - He scoffs, switching to the radio next. 

- I like it. - Wanda comments surprising you, but neither Vision nor her brother change their debauched posture.

- Yes, yes, your taste is terrible too. - He replies with irony. You bite your lips as you watch Wanda roll her eyes and look away to the window. Vision lets Pietro choose the music next.

The cabin was really very big. 

You guys met Tony's car on the way, but he didn't stop. It didn't take long for you to arrive. You smiled in appreciation at Pietro when he carried your bags inside.

You looked at the structure impressed. Tony Stark really was very rich. Hugging your arms lightly after feeling the cool breeze, you smiled politely at Wanda's other friends as they greeted you.

- I am Pepper Potts, and this is Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. - says the blonde girl cheerfully, as she waves to the other boys. - You must have met Tony by now.

- I think I've seen all of you at school. - You say feeling out of place, but they smile as they walk into the cabin. Tony hands the bags to the other boys, and then is throwing an arm around your shoulders, and you want to push him away for the inappropriate contact.

- It's a pleasure to meet you, sweetie. - He says, and you blink when you feel the alcohol. - Who knew that nerds hid pretty girls with them?

The joke makes the group laugh, and you look around uncomfortably. Tony then releases you as you enter. 

Pepper is the one who shares the rooms, and you are happy to know that you won't be sharing with anyone. 

While you are unpacking upstairs on your bed, Wanda joins you.

- Hey. - She greets me as she enters and closes the door. You're folding your clothes.

- Hi, Wanda.

- Is everything okay? - she asks and you nod in agreement. - They can be a bit much sometimes, and I don't want you to get uncomfortable and... Do you like "Bewitched"?

The sudden question startles you and you blink in confusion. Wanda nods at the item in your hands. The T-shirt you are folding has the logo of the old sitcom you used to watch with your parents.

- Oh yes. - You sigh in agreement. - It is one of my favorite shows actually.

Wanda laughs in surprise, crossing her arms.

- Wow, I didn't know that. - She says. - I love this stuff. Vision thinks the jokes are stupid, so don't tell him I'm talking about it.

She jokes and you let out a wry exclamation.

- Why would I tell Vision anything? - You ask and Wanda hesitates slightly, but then smiles.

- No, it was just a figure of speech. - She clarifies as you fold your shirt.

- Right. - You say, not really understanding this conversation. - If you want, we can watch it together anytime. I think we'll have time to do it here.

Wanda looks at you with surprise and excitement.

- Really? I'd love to. - She confirms, and you smile as you finish packing. 

The redhead clears her throat afterwards.

- I just wanted to check on you anyway. - she says. - I think Steve is cooking dinner tonight, so join us when you' re ready.

- Okay, Wanda. - You say. - Thanks.

She smiles before leaving. You stare at the Bewitched's T-shirt on your bed for a few moments before you leave.

Steve tries to cook some chicken breast. And he almost burns the kitchen down. So you are on your feet, investigating the cupboards, and although cooking is not your favorite activity, you don't mind making some chili for everyone. 

- I love Mexican food. - Wanda comments excitedly as she stands next to you and watches you cook. The rest of the group is in the living room, the boys being very noisy as they throw a soccer ball around the room. You smile at the redhead next to you. 

- God, did you see the picture that Tabitha Smith posted on instagram? - Pepper asked aloud, staring at her cell phone. She was sitting on the kitchen counter, a look of disgust on her face. Wanda approached her and quickly looked at the screen. - She put on silicone, I'm sure of it. 

Wanda made a noise of agreement, exchanging a quick glance with you, clearly not caring one bit about the topic, and you smiled, turning your attention back to the pot. Pepper didn't notice and continued making comments about her classmates' social media posts.

- It's ready. - You announce. Your breath catches in your throat as Wanda puts her hand on your waist, leaning behind your back to taste the food. She lets out a satisfied groan, and you feel her cheeks flush.

But then she walks away next, and you struggle to disguise yourself as the boys are joining you, announcing that they are starving. 

- Wow, this is delicious. - said Pepper as soon as you sat down at the table and started to eat. The group agreed, and you blushed with embarrassment. Soon they started talking among themselves, and you tried to keep up as best you could, but the topics weren't really of interest to you.

When you got back to the room, Tony proposed that you all play a game, and then he went through the storage room and came back carrying monopoly.

At first you thought it would be innocent fun, then there were drinks and gambling. 

- It's a four! - shouted Tony excitedly. - That's my property, Wilson! 

Sam let out a grumble of dissatisfaction as he moved his figure around the board. Tony laughed mischievously.

- So, how do you want me to pay the rent?  - Sam asked and Tony made a thoughtful face. 

- With a question. - Tony announces maliciously. - Among the people in this room, tell me who would you have sex with?

Sam laughs in surprise, as the group gives a chorus of excitement. You swallow dryly, uncomfortable with the direction of the questions. So far, the questions and challenges had been innocent and slightly awkward, but after a few beers, the group was clearly getting more excited in other respects.

- Careful with your answer, friend. - Vision warned, putting his arm possessively around Wanda's shoulders. You looked away to the board.

- That might be shocking for a straight guy, Vis. - Sam remarked with mild debauchery. - But not all of us are looking at the girls.

The group laughs in surprise, and Vision rolls his eyes. 

- I would do Steve Rogers for sure. - Sam declares the next moment, and the group lets out a celebratory chorus. Steve laughs too, slightly surprised. Sam just smiles playfully, shrugging his shoulders. Then Steve steps forward, amusing himself by pretending to kiss him, and the group laughs. You smile awkwardly, not really understanding what everyone thinks is funny.

The game continues, and you are doing very well. You laugh when Pepper has to tell you all about the worst sexual experience she has ever had, but you are slightly uncomfortable when Steve has to demonstrate on a pillow his first time. A few rounds later, you grumble in dissatisfaction when you take a five and end up in jail.

- Whoa, that's has a punishment. - Tony announces when he sees your move. You look at him, and he looks excited. - Finally, Presley, your moment has come.

- Tony. - Wanda scolds him for his nickname, but Tony doesn't listen.

- Let me think about it. - He continues with a thoughtful expression, and then a mischievous gleam takes over his gaze. - Have you ever heard that shy girls are the biggest freaks in the room? 

You swallow dryly, feeling your face heat up as the group lets out a laugh. 

- I will not...

- Don't even start. - Tony interrupts your denial with a smile. - Don't spoil the fun. I'll give you a simple challenge.

You bite the inside of your cheek, frowning as you fight the urge to get up.

- Your sentence of freedom will be to give a hickey to the person who gets a six on the dice. - He declares, and the group lets out a chorus of excitement.

And then everyone is rushing to throw the dice and you cross your arms, feeling your face hot.

- If more than one person gets six, you'll give them both a hickey and win immunity for a round! - Tony laughs as he makes up the rules.

Pepper is the first to play, and lets out a despondent sigh when she draws two.  And then Steve plays next, and complains when the die lands on four. Sam and Tony don't get six either. You hold your breath when Wanda rolls, and feel your heart race when the die stops.

- This should be interesting. - Vision comments with mild irony and mischief as he takes his arm off Wanda's shoulders, picking up the die stopped at six. Tony laughs and you can't keep your eyes on the redhead.

Vision gets a four. And then Pietro gets a six, and you grumble.

- I can't believe you're going to get both of the Maximoffs! - Wilson comments with amusement and you swallow dryly, shifting uncomfortably in your seat.

- Finally some action. - Pietro jokes as he approaches. He kneels in front of you, and you take a deep breath. - Come on, Y/N, it's just a silly challenge.

He tries to reassure you with a smile, and you try to ignore the staring eyes on the two of you. You think the boys are laughing as you bring your face closer to Pietro's outstretched neck, and land your lips on his skin. He smells like aftershave lotion, but it's just embarrassing to be so close. Pietro lets out a breathless chuckle as you begin to suck on his skin, and he clenches the support of the couch.

You stop quickly, and he pulls away. The red skin glows on his neck. He flashes you the seductive smile, and you look away, listening to the group celebrating. 

- Next, please! - Tony says clearly intoxicated. You feel your racing heart echoing in your ears. Wanda gets up from the couch, and unlike her brother, she completely short-circuits your brain when she sits on your lap. You think someone whistled.

- Wanda, what are you doing? - You mumble clumsily, and she just smiles as she puts her hands on your shoulders.

- Don't you like this position? - she asks and you swallow dryly.

- Come on, girls! - Tony tells you between laughs. Someone knocks over the vodka bottle on the floor, making a mess. You think the group is barely paying attention to you, fighting among themselves to save the rest of the board and Tony's expensive rug, but you're not really taking in anything other than the girl on your lap.

You move forward, sinking your face into her neck and inhaling Wanda's scent. When you let out your breath, she trembles and squeezes your shoulder lightly, making you swallow dryly.

You let your lips kiss her skin, watching Wanda's chest rise and fall, indicating her unregulated breathing. And then you lick her skin, and she chokes. When you suck on her skin, she bites her lips hard, stopping herself from moaning.  And then you let go.

Ignoring the urge to kiss the red dot again, you throw your back against the armchair, moving away. Wanda lets out a breath, and before you can say anything, Tony is complaining that the game is over because the board has been ruined, and she rushes off your lap. 

Your face is very hot when Sam makes a snide remark to you, and then you are all saying goodnight. You don't have the courage to look at Wanda when you go up to your room.

//-//

The next day you go skiing. 

You absolutely suck at it, but so does everybody else, so nobody really cares. 

You don't want to think so much about Wanda's hands on your waist when she teaches you how to do it.

You also don't want to be so annoyed when Vision insists on getting a kiss from her while you are walking back to the cabin.

During the afternoon, you are distracted by a video game with Pietro, extremely surprised that he has invited you to do something. After dinner you go back to your room to read a little, and are astonished when Wanda appears at your door a few minutes after you have gone upstairs.

- How about we watch a sitcom together? - She invites you in, and you shrug as you smile, making space for her to enter your room. She giggles when she notices the open book on your bed. - Of course you brought a book.

You laugh awkwardly as you close the door. Wanda throws herself on your bed, opening the laptop she has brought with her. You take the book out and place it closed on the dresser, before joining her, trying to keep a respectable distance.

She ends up putting on Bewitched, and you are distracted enough by the program.

- Wow, that's kind of wrong. - You comment between giggles. And Wanda laughs lightly, turning the program's attention to you.

- What?

- The joke. - You clarify. - The way they imply that it's okay for boys to behave like that.

- Yeah, I know. - She agrees, turning her attention back to the screen. - But we're still laughing.

- Yeah. - You agree, laughing. - I guess it's okay as long as we don't find it funny in real life.

Wanda makes a noise of agreement with her mouth and then you are silent again. 

Two episodes later, Wanda suggests that you eat something. Then you go downstairs to the kitchen, and find the room empty. 

- Pietro had called the boys to play soccer. - She says. - And I think Pepper and Tony are in their room.

You nod in understanding, following her around the kitchen. Wanda starts preparing a snack for you two.

- What is it? - You ask as you observe her choice of ingredients. She smiles mischievously.

- My masterpiece. - She says. - Just trust me, you'll like it.

You laugh, nodding. When she warms the bread rolls, and starts to pour oregano on top you let out an exclamation.

- Wanda, are you sure you know what you're doing? 

She laughs, shaking her head slightly.

- Trust me on this. - She asks with a smile, starting to cut tomatoes. You cross your arms, not believing that you are actually going to eat that.

And then the sandwich is ready, and Wanda assumes a cheerful posture. She puts the bread on a plate and turns to you, leaving the object on the counter beside you.

You take a piece while she takes another, and together you taste the sandwich while Wanda looks at you expectantly.

It's surprisingly good, and you blink in amazement when you feel the taste, looking away from her to the food.

- Wow, that's good. - You comment before taking another bite. Wanda smiles.

- Really? I'm glad you like it. Vision doesn't like it very much, he says it tastes strange.

You grumble lightly, continuing to eat. Wanda pours you two some soda. You are silent for a moment and when she leaves the phone on the countertop to wash the dishes, your gaze runs quickly across the screen as you reach for your glass.

- Hey, are you into poetry? - you ask as you look at the open Instagram post.

Wanda smiles, nodding.

- That's cool, I think we follow the same page. - You comment quickly pointing to her unlocked cell phone. Wanda looks surprised.

When she finishes washing the dishes, she asks to borrow your cell phone. You spend the next thirty minutes laughing and joking as you compare your Instagram feeds and follower list. You don't want to overthink on how many common interests you have with Wanda.

//-//

On the penultimate day you want to build a snowman.

There is a Hockey game on TV, and everyone seems excited to watch. So you just walk out of the cabin while Tony hands out snacks and drinks to everyone.

You are just finishing assembling the body when you hear footsteps.

- You are very antisocial. - Wanda jokes as she approaches, hands in her pockets. You don't want to think about how adorable she looks.

- Yeah, I know. - You comment with your attention on the snowman. - It's not your friends' fault, by the way, I'm just not a big sports fan.

- All right, I don't see what's so funny about it either. - She says as she stops beside you. - Can I help you with him?

- Let me see your hands. - You ask, and she looks at you in confusion, taking her hands out of her pockets. You deny it. - No gloves, no playing. I don't want you to get hypothermia.

She laughs lightly, putting her hands back in her pockets. You turn your attention back to the snowman.

- We can go for a walk. - You suggest after a moment. - Since we're not going to watch the game.

Wanda smiles, looking away to the cabin.

- Okay.

You finish your snowman in silence. It's decent you think.

- I used to do it all the time. - You tell her as you stand up, putting your hands in your pockets. Wanda looks at you curiously. - But then I grew up and my parents thought it was a kid thing.

- Yeah, I know how that is. - She agrees as you stare at the snowman. - One birthday is all it takes for the treatment to change completely.

You nod in agreement, and then you look at her, signaling for you to go the other way.

You walk side by side in the opposite direction of the cabin.

After spending the whole way talking about the most random subjects, you end up at a small pier, at the edge of the lake that covers the entire back stretch of the cabin. You and Wanda sit side by side on the wood cross-legged.

- We should have brought something hot to drink. - You comment with a smile, hugging your arms for a moment. Wanda nods.

- So, are you enjoying the trip? - Wanda asks and you look away, smiling at the lake.

- I suppose so.

- You suppose? - She replies with amusement, making you laugh.

You clear your throat before speaking again.

- I enjoyed the time I spent with you. - You confess, looking forward. Wanda wiggles her fingers nervously, looking away from you to face the lake as well. - Don't get me wrong, Wanda. Your friends are... nice I guess. But they're not the reason I'm here.

You look at Wanda, and she nods frantically. Your heart is racing, but playing games isn't exactly your thing. You want to know what's going on.

- And you? - you ask, studying her face. - Did you enjoy the time I was here?

- Yes. - Wanda confesses breathlessly, her face flushing slightly. 

Swallowing hard, you look away to the lake again. And then you slowly move your hand against the wood, reaching for Wanda's hand next. You give it enough time for her to move away, or to strike you, and she does neither. Feeling your heart soar, you intertwine your hands, holding back a sigh at how good it feels even when wearing gloves.

Several minutes later, you let out an excited exclamation when you hear a noise in the nearby forest. Turning your head, you confirm your suspicions. A small white fox is looking at you curiously. 

You help Wanda to get up quietly and slowly so as not to startle the animal.

- Hey. - You say softly to the animal, walking towards it. The fox looks at you wide-eyed, but your posture doesn't frighten him. You smile when he lets you pet him.

- He is so cute. - Wanda comments softly, kneeling down beside you. The fox lies down on the grass as the redhead strokes his head.

He tires of the attention quickly however, and the next moment he gives you a look before running back into the forest. You and Wanda laugh lightly as you two stand up.

You walk back to the cabin in silence, a tension in the air that makes your stomach turn. You don't hold hands, but you walk very close together. 

When you are almost to the cabin area, you stand in front of Wanda, pushing her by the waist against a tree. You both sigh breathlessly, but you lose the courage. It's not right, not yet. Resting your forehead on hers, resisting the urge to kiss her, you close your eyes.

- Leave him. - You say and Wanda squeezes her hands in your arms.

Wanda lets out a sigh, closing her eyes like you did, and your faces come closer together.

- I won't share you, Wanda. - You whisper against her lips. - Either you're with me, or you're not.

Resisting the urge to close the distance, you sigh and turn away. Wanda's pupils are dilated as she looks at you. You lock your jaw, putting your hands in your pockets. And then you turn around, and disguise it nicely when Pepper comes out of the cabin, asking where you were, and you just smile and say you went for a walk.

//-//

Vision and Wanda argue on the last day at the cabin. 

You frown as your awakened by the volume of the argument. But you decide not to pry, and when Pepper signals for you to join her on her morning walk, you agree.

- You know, you are surprisingly nice. - She comments as you two take a break for some water.

- Thanks, I guess. - You mumble, and she laughs.

- What I mean is that nerds are usually know-it-all types and not at all sociable. - She explains. - You're quiet, but you're fun.

- Who says I'm not a know-it-all. - You retort with amusement, and Pepper laughs as you walk back.

- I'm just saying that it turned out to be nice to invite you over despite everything.

- Despite everything what?

Pepper laughs awkwardly, shaking her head.

- The differences between our groups I say. - She quickly clarifies. You don't perceive the lie. - Maybe there is a chance for us to remain friends after here.

- Why wouldn't we? - you ask confused. Pepper seems to be talking as if it is impossible for you to continue talking to each other after the trip is over, and you don't understand why.

Pepper blinks in embarrassment, and then pats your arm, hurrying her steps.

- It's nothing, I'm just overthinking it. - she says. - I'm sure it will all work out.

You don't ask any more questions because she's walking too fast, and exercise isn't really your thing. You're struggling to keep up.

//-//

After your walk with Pepper, you agreed to let Steve teach you how to play a bit of hockey. And then you all had lunch together, and Wanda avoided all your attempts to start a conversation with her. You figured she was upset with her boyfriend, so you didn't press her.

Later in the afternoon, after you played snowball wars with everyone, and perhaps laughed more than appropriate when Wanda kept hitting Vision in the face, Steve made a fire in the backyard area and everyone gathered around.

- Let's tell some horror stories, please? - Pietro asked as he sat down, and Tony slapped him on the head, laughing. 

- You are such a baby. - he sneered, holding out a bottle of whiskey to Steve. You rolled your eyes, impatient with Stark's annoying mania for proving his maturity.

Then he began to share sex stories, and the group seemed happy to join in. The bottle swirled around, and you let it pass you by without taking a sip. It stopped at Wanda, and she drank much more than anyone else.

- And you, Y/N, don't you have any sinful stories to share with the group? - teased Tony ironically, and you rolled your eyes.

- I prefer to be silent.

Tony laughed at her hostility.

- Now all that's left is for you to say you're a virgin! - he sneered, causing the group to laugh. You exchanged a quick glance with Wanda, who didn't even seem to be listening, the whiskey bottle still in her hands.

- I'm not, but if I were that wouldn't be your business - You retort impatiently. Tony whistles impressed.

- Tell us how it was! - he asks excitedly. - I bet it was Jessica Jones who fucked the weirdo!

You stand up abruptly as the group laughs.

- You're drunk, and you're talking shit. - you say angrily. - But if you ever annoy me again, I will punch you right in the face!

Tony seems slightly impressed by your attitude, but he is clearly drunk so he shrugs his shoulders. You then leave, returning to your room.

Non-Reader Povs

- What is your problem? - Pietro complained as soon as Y/N entered the cabin. Tony blinked surprised and alcoholic.

- It was just a joke, it's not my fault she's weird. - He retorted with a wry laugh.

Pietro let out an irritated exclamation.

- You know what? - He spoke angrily, looking at everyone. - What we're doing is wrong.

- What was that? - Vision sneered, but Pietro looked at him seriously.

- You heard me. - he said, getting up. - She's a nice girl and she's been fun to be with. That bet was stupid.

The teens exchange guilty glances, but then Tony and Vision are laughing.

- One hickey and you're in love, Maximoff? - Vision sneered and stood up, as Pietro clenched his jaw. 

- You're an asshole. 

- Oh, I'm an asshole? - Vision retorted ironically. - This little scene of yours is absurd, treating your friends as if we were the villains of the story. - he says laughing. - The girl is a weirdo who must be absolutely fascinated that people like us even talk to her!

Pietro looks at him impatiently, but Vision does not lose his debauched posture.

- Shut up. - Wanda's drunken speech startles the group. Vision turns to her in surprise, but then he laughs.

- That's excellent. - He says. - Both Maximoffs teaming up against the group.

- You're full of shit. - Wanda exclaimed angrily, getting up, and Vision shook her head. - She's not...

- She's not what dear? - He interrupted. - You know I'm right. In fact, I bet if you go up to her room right now, you won't even need to ask twice and she'll fuck you.

- Vision! - Pietro exclaims angrily, but he stares only at the redhead, who has her jaw clenched.

- Everyone just wants to fuck you, Wandy. - He says. - There's nothing worthwhile beyond that.

Wanda holds back the tears in her eyes, bumping into Vision as she leaves, and the boy laughs, shouting between giggles that he was only joking, but the redhead doesn't turn around. 

- That was cruel. - Potts then said, and Vision let out a wry laugh.

- It was just a joke. - He says and sits back down. - You girls are so sentimental. 

Pietro then leaves, and Vision rolls his eyes. Steve and Sam exchange a look with Pepper.

- You can't really think it's okay to say something like that to your girlfriend. - Steve said annoyed. Vision laughs, incredulous at Steve's insinuation. - What is it, people? - he replies. - I just said she's hot, how is that a bad thing?

- You know, Pietro is right. - Steve said as he got up. - This whole story is absurd. - Steve, come on. - No, he is right. - Sam then agreed. And then Pepper stood up, exchanging a look with Tony. - Good, then. - Vision exclaims angrily. - Be my guests! I suppose you'll start hanging out with the school's weirdos on Monday then. You guys are a joke. Hypocrites. Vision grumbles before exiting angrily, walking towards the trail. The group exchanged a guilty look.

Reader Pov

You had just finished showering and putting on your pajamas when Wanda came into your room. You frowned in surprise, and let out an exclamation when she pushed you onto the bed and sat you on your lap.

- What are you doing? - you asked, and Wanda just grumbled, trying to unbutton your pajamas, but clearly too drunk to do so. - Wanda, stop. Wanda!

- That's what you want, isn't it? - She retorts with irritation, but her eyes are filled with tears. - Everyone wants to fuck the hot girl.

- Wanda, what are you talking about?

But then she's crying, falling against you. You let your arms go around her, trying to calm her down. She only stops crying when she falls asleep.

You don't know what has happened, but you feel your heart clench. Moving to the bed, you lay Wanda down on the mattress, then cover her with the blanket. 

When you consider going to sleep in the living room, she takes your hand and whispers "stay," and you obey her.

//-//

You wake up with Wanda entwined with you. It is warm and comforting, and you smile shyly at the sensation. 

The redhead starts to wake up next, grumbling as she buries her face in your neck, making you smile.

- We have to get up. - You whisper to her. - We're leaving.

- In a minute.

She says and it really only takes a moment for her to open her eyes, and be startled by the position. She awkwardly pulls away from your embrace, but still lies there. You turn on the bed to look at her, resting your face on your hand.

- I'm sorry about last night. - She says embarrassed, looking down.

- No problem. - You say. - But what was that about anyway?

Wanda sighs, running her hands through her hair as she stares at the ceiling, her back on the mattress.

- Vision told me some stupid things, and well, I believed him. - She says and you look at her curiously. With your silence, she clarifies. - It was just some comments he used to make about my body, okay? Things like, people are only interested in me because I'm hot.

You frown, surprised and annoyed. 

- That's bullshit.

Wanda looks at you, surprised that you said something. You look into her eyes as you speak again.

- Your boyfriend is an insecure scumbag who uses your body insecurities against you. It's sick. - You tell her seriously. - You, Wanda Maximoff, are completely passionate for a thousand reasons other than your looks. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

You smile at Wanda's surprised expression, letting your fingers wander across her features. 

- Do you really mean that? - she asks insecurely, and you give her a tender look.

- You're sweet. - You start, letting your fingers caress her cheek. - Smart and sincere. You have this different energy, like you never fit anywhere and you're absolutely magnetic. - You tell her. - And of course, you also laugh at my jokes, which suggests that you are as sarcastic and perceptive as I am. 

Wanda smiles and closes her eyes for a second, and then looks at you with almost guilt.

- Can I ask you a random question?

- Sure.

- If someone needed to apologize to you, what would be the best way?

- This is a very specific question, Wanda. Should I be concerned? - You retort with mild amusement, and Wanda quickly denies it.

- Come on, answer me. - She asks, and you giggle.

- I don't know, Wanda. - You say laughing, and roll your eyes slightly. - I guess it would depend on what the person did. - You explain, and Wanda looks at you with a frown. - What's that face, what would your answer be then?

- Food. - She says and you look at her with confusion. - The person would only have to buy me food and apologize and I would forgive them.

You let out a laugh, and Wanda follows. And then you assume a thoughtful posture.

- Honestly, I don't think if there is a right way. - You tell her. - I would like the person to be honest with me, and explain to me what happened. - You say, and Wanda nods with a serious expression. - That, or a really cheesy apology act.

- What? - Wanda asks with amusement.

- Yes, like in those old movies. - You clarify with a slight laugh. - If someone apologizes in the rain, or with a serenade at my window, I would probably forgive that person for the shame they are going through for me.

You and Wanda laugh and then your alarm clock starts to ring, signaling that it was already time for everyone to get up and go home. You sigh slightly.

As you sit up in bed, throwing your feet out, Wanda hugs your back, surprising you.

- Thank you. - She says against your ear. - Don't give up on me yet, okay?

You frown in confusion, laughing without understanding Wanda's seriousness. You squeeze your hands together, but then she lets go. 

- Is everything all right? - you ask as she turns around on the bed and stands up in front of you. Wanda swallows dryly, nodding. She smiles before she leaves, and you ignore the strange feeling that has settled on the pit of your stomach as you stand up toward the bathroom.

//-//

The way back to your house is strangely silent. It seems that all of Wanda's friends have changed their personalities overnight. Pietro gives you a quick hug across the shoulders as you get out of the car, and Wanda kisses your cheek. Vision doesn't look at you.

You call your friends as soon as you finish packing your things in your room. And everyone is extremely surprised when you share what has happened in the last few days.

When you return to school the next day, you are feeling excited. 

Your first class is Biology, which means that you would have some time alone with Wanda, and while you wait for the starting bell, sitting on the benches outside with your friends, Wanda's group passes you by. 

You frown as you notice Vision with his arm around Wanda, and she quickly looks away when she notices you watching. You clench your jaw at the childish attitude, and then you are getting up and walking toward the table they have chosen.

- Can I talk to you? - You ask the redhead directly, who seems to have trouble keeping her gaze on you. Her friends also look awkward, as if they are almost embarrassed, and none of them look at you for very long. Completely unlike Vision, who has a smug posture and a wry smile.

- Leave my girlfriend alone, freak. - He then says, and you blink in surprise.

- What is your problem? - You retort in irritation and Vision lets out a wry laugh.

- What is your problem? - He repeats, getting up and facing you. You don't hesitate, but you don't understand why everyone just stares at you. - What did you think was going to happen, huh? That you would start hanging out with the cool kids?

You look at him in confusion, and then he crosses his arms.

- I just want to talk to Wanda.

Vision laughed, looking mocking.

- You're so stupid. - He accused and you took a step back. - The bet is off girl, Wanda has nothing to say.

You blink in confusion, and the redhead is getting up, pulling on her boyfriend's forearm, but you look at them feeling your heart racing.

- What are you talking about?

Vision laughs, releasing Wanda's grip. You think she whispered "Please don't," but you are trying to understand what is going on.

- Oh, your dear friend didn't tell you? - he asks debauchedly. - We had a bet. I was sure you'd be completely obsessed with Wanda by the end of the holiday, and look at you! Here you are. I don't blame you though, Wanda is hot.

You choke in surprise, taking another step back. You risk a glance at the rest of the group, and they have their heads down, guilty looks on their faces. And then you look at Wanda, eyes watering as she clenches her fists. Feeling your heart break, and your stomach clench, you nod.

- Y/N, I can explain. - Wanda starts and you laugh, running your hands through your hair.

- I've always defended you. - You say, putting your hands in your pockets. - When people told me you were false and deceitful, I defended you. I really thought you were different from them.

- I....

- I can't believe I trusted you. - You say. - Never speak to me again, Wanda Maximoff.

You turned around walking away, ignoring the times the redhead called your name as you held back your tears. 

//-//

Your mother told the school that you were sick.

That's how you felt anyway.

It had been three days since you had left your room. Bruce, Monica and Natasha were sending you all the school content you were missing, and you struggled to keep your focus on that and not on the heartbreak that seemed to take over your whole body.

The weekend arrived again, and you decided to get some fresh air. You were on your balcony, sipping hot chocolate when Nat came into your yard.

- Hey, stranger. - She greets you with a smile, sitting down on the seat in front of you. You give her a sad smile.

- Hi, Nat. 

- How are you?

You shrug, and she sighs.

- It will pass, I promise. - She says and you drink some of your chocolate. - By the way, I'm suspended.

- What? - You ask in surprise, and she giggles, showing you the bandage on the fingers of her right hand.

- I punched Vision in the nose shortly after you left the cafeteria. - She tells you, and you widen your eyes in surprise. - I didn't say anything before because I didn't want you to feel guilty.

- Nat! - you exclaim, slightly upset, looking at her hand. - You didn't have to do that.

- I know. - she says with a slight laugh. - But you are my friend, and he is an idiot. You're a dork who doesn't have the strength to hurt a fly, but I have a feeling you'd do the same for me.

You laugh, nodding.

- I would probably get beat up in reality.

Nat laughs in agreement.

You are silent for a moment, until Nat speaks again.

- I hate to see you like this. - She comments, and you sigh, leaving the coffee mug on the table. 

- I hate feeling like this too. 

Nat sighs, opening her arms. You accept her invitation to hug her, and sit down next to her on the bench, letting her wrap you in a side hug.

- You'll come out of this, dear. - She starts to say as she strokes your hair. - Next year you'll be in college, with so many people wanting to get into your pants that you won't even remember who Wanda Maximoff was.

You laugh shyly.

- I hope you are right. - You grumble, closing your eyes.

- I always am.

//-//

You go back to school the following week.

Your body always seems to notice that Wanda is in the same room as you, even though she is meters away, but you learn to deal with the feeling.

You talked to the biology teacher on Monday morning. Apparently, the news quickly spread throughout the school, and she did not refuse to change your partner. 

It wasn't an ideal scenario knowing that everyone in the school was feeling sorry for you, but at least you wouldn't have to talk to Wanda in class.

And so two weeks passed.

You were almost getting used to the feeling as you walked towards the main building, after stopping by the library and returning the physics books you were using, when you heard a commotion in the courtyard.

There was already a circle of students around, and you were considering turning around, because fights are not really your thing, but you had a feeling you should check it out. 

As you slipped in among the students, you let out a surprised exclamation.

- Bruce! - You shouted as you threw the bag on the ground and lunged forward, but the boy who was fighting with your friend just turned around when you jumped at him, breaking free of your grip and laughing with irony and anger. He slapped you in the face that drew a surprised chorus from the crowd. You staggered back with the impact, feeling your face burn. But you stepped forward again, but he gave you a hard shove that knocked you to the ground. As you got up to go forward again, someone grabbed you around the waist. - Pietro, let me go! Help him!

You let out another exclamation when the boy punched Bruce in the face, but Pietro pushed you away from the fight, and Steve held you by the arms in the crowd. Pietro lunged at the boy next, while Bruce fell unconscious.

You broke free of Steve's grip and ran to your friend, and then there were teachers all around you, and you were all being led into the principal's office.

The counselor motioned for you to sit in one of the chairs to wait your turn, and you used this moment to send messages to your friends. Monica told you that she heard about the fight, but that she was in the history room when it happened. Natasha didn't answer, and when she appeared in front of you, you frowned.

- Nat, Bruce he...

- I know. - She interrupted seriously with an almost tearful expression. - He was fighting for me.

- For you? What?

Nat shook her head, looking toward the direction door.

- I told him not to get involved, but he is stubborn. - She says and then takes a deep breath. - That boy over there, his name is Clint. He's my ex. He... he hit me.

- Whoa, what?

- I know, it's too much to explain. - She says. - Me and Bruce, we... we've been going out for a few weeks now. And Clint wasn't happy when he found out. I told Bruce not to get involved but…

- Hey, Nat breathes. - You interrupt by seeing her eyes filled with tears. - This is not your fault.

You hug your friend, trying to calm her down. It doesn't take long for Monica to reach you two.

Soon the director calls you to give your side of the story, and you just tell him that you arrived in the middle of the fight. As you leave, the principal asks you to go to the infirmary and only then you remember that you were beaten.

You give up the idea of getting a bandage when you find Pietro and the group of friends, including Wanda, in the infirmary, but as soon as the nurse lays eyes on you, she pulls you in, sitting you down on one of the free beds.

She starts grumbling that the students have decided to behave like savages as she rushes over with the first aid kits to attend to all the students who were in the infirmary. You don't quite understand what happened, but it seemed that some kids had made a mess in the pesticide gardening class, so there were several students with red spots on their arms complaining of pain.

- It's okay, I can do it. - You tell the nurse as soon as she approaches you with the first aid kit. She looks at you suspiciously, but then a student at your back lets out a complaint and she sighs, handing the items to you as she leaves. You get up to look in the small mirror on the edge of the bed. There is a small cut on your cheek. That guy really hit hard.

While you were preparing the alcohol swab, Wanda walked over to you. You stared at her reflection in the mirror.

- I can help you with this. - She said about the bandage.

- I don't need your help. - You retorted harshly. Wanda looked at the floor. 

- I am sorry. 

You blinked in surprise, and turned away in irritation.

- No.  - You warned, and Wanda swallowed hard.  She looked at you, ready to start talking again, but then you shook your head. - Don't you dare.

- Please…

But you left right away, bumping into her shoulder.

Almost four weeks, and your chest still hurts just the same. 

You think the nurse has called you, but you keep walking towards the exit. 

When you reached the outer courtyard, you collapsed. 

Sitting on the floor, and trying to control your breathing and your crying, you were startled when someone touched your shoulders. Monica didn't ask questions, she just hugged you.

- I can't do it, Mon. - You said between sobs. - I love her so much it feels like I'm going to suffocate.

- Shh, it's okay. - Monica tried to calm you down as she ran her hands down your back.

- Why can't I move on? She hurt me, why can't I stop loving her? - you asked in desperation. Monica just kept calming you. 

- I know it feels like the end of the world now. - Monica says. - But I promise it will pass.

You cried for a few more minutes, trying to push or smother the pain away. It wasn't fair the way Wanda had your broken heart in her hand.

//-//

Bruce did not suffer any serious injuries.

You visited him in the infirmary as soon as he was released from the principal's office. He was worried about your swollen crying eyes, but you assured him that everything was fine.

And then he told you that he was in love with Natasha, and that Clint had been expelled. You shook his hand, saying that everything would be all right now. Soon Nat was in the room with you, hugging Bruce, while you went out with Monica to get something to eat.

The week passed quietly after this. 

Your friends started the "Moving on squad", and they did everything to keep you distracted and well cared for. It was sweet and caring, and it was enough to keep your feelings well under control.

A few days after that mess, you needed to buy tomato sauce for your mother and found Pietro Maximoff in the supermarket checkout line.

- Hey. - He greeted you politely. You felt your heart race at the possibility that he was with his sister. 

- Hi, Pietro. - You answered in the same tone.

You were checking around for signs of the redhead, but Pietro was alone. He said something about the prices, and you just grumbled in agreement, and then it was your turn.

In the parking lot, while you were unlocking your bike, he approached you again.

- I want to apologize to you. - He announced as he approached, and you let out a sigh.

- Look Pietro...

- No. - He interrupts with a quick smile. - I meant it. I'm really sorry. You're a nice girl, and we were idiots. 

You stare at him for a moment, then go back to picking the lock.

- Is that all?

- Yes. - He confirms with a wry smile. But when he turns around, you call out to him.

- I... Thank you for that day. - You say. - You pulled me out of the fight. I probably would have got hurt if... what I mean is... 

- It's all right.- He interrupts with a smile. - It was nothing. 

You nodded and he smiled, turning again and walking away. You finished unlocking the lock and got on your bike.

//-//

The next week you were surprised to find a box of chocolate in your closet.

Nat exchanged a mischievous look with you, and you rolled your eyes absentmindedly, opening the package. It didn't have a name on it, and only said "you are cute". 

- I can't believe you have a secret admirer. - Monica commented excitedly when you told her during lunch. Bruce and Natasha were sitting next to you, laughing lightly as they talked among themselves.

- Neither do I. - You comment with humor. - But the chocolates were good at least.

- I think it’s sweet. - She comments with a smile, and you shrug, blushing.

- It's weird. - You say with a slight laugh, and Monica squeezes your red cheeks lightly, saying that you're adorable, making you laugh. - Damn, I'm terrible at these things.

You start talking about the upcoming exams after that, and then the break ends.

It is in the last period of PE that you speak with Pietro again several days after you saw him last.

- Hey. - He greets you with an excited nod. You smile politely as you tie your shoelaces. 

- Hi. - You say as he joins you.

- Are you going to the game on Saturday? - he asks, causing you to frown. 

- I'm not...

- My god this guy never gives up. - He interrupts with a scowl, looking at something behind you. You turn your head to see what it is, and notice Vision talking to Wanda several feet ahead, near the bleachers. The redhead looks impatient, and you feel your heart ache just by looking directly at her. Shifting your gaze back to Pietro, you notice that he is still grimacing. - They've been broken up for over a month and he still keeps insisting.

You blink in surprise and Pietro looks back at you.

- They broke up?

- I thought you knew. - He quips, slightly surprised, and then shrugs his shoulders. - They broke up that day in the yard. Wanda slapped him in the face in front of the whole school, everyone talked about it for weeks.

- I'm not really into school gossip. - You comment and Pietro laughs.

- Of course not.

You stand up next, your gaze quickly shifting to Wanda, but you disguise it by looking at Pietro, who has an expectant expression on his face. Then you remember the question and let out an exclamation, running your hands through your hair.

- I'm not into sports, Pietro. - You tell him and he nods in understanding, looking upset. - But I like the food. And Natasha loves the games, so maybe I'll show up with my friends there.

Pietro lets out an excited exclamation, and gives you a pat on the shoulder, saying he hopes you can make it, before heading out onto the court. 

You ignore the nervous feeling in your stomach when your gaze meets Wanda's on the other side of the court, and you quickly turn away, starting to do your exercises for class.

//-//

You were slightly surprised by Natasha's outfit. She was covered head to toe in school colors, down to a commemorative hat and matching socks. You looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but she just smiled as she pulled you by the hand to Monica's truck.

- How is the story about the secret admirer going? - Nat asked as you sat in the back seat, and Monica drove to school and Bruce fiddled with the radio.

- I received flowers on Wednesday. - You tell with a smile. - And a collection of special gift vouchers.

- What are these? - She asked curiously, and Monica laughed lightly as you felt your cheeks flush.

- It's a special kind of ... eh ... vouchers for hugs, kisses, that sort of thing. - You mumbled clumsily and Natasha laughed.

- My goodness, look at your face! - She laughed. - You are loving how corny this is.

You grumbled with a hot face, turning your gaze to the window. Bruce chose a very good song next, and your friends started singing along. It didn't take long before you joined them.

//-//

The school stadium was quite crowded. Senior year games always had scouts from universities, so you weren't surprised by family members, and well-dressed strangers in the stands, as well as faculty. 

- Wow, Mom is going to have fun today. - Monica commented as two you walked to the bleachers. She was looking at her cell phone, and showed you a picture of two glasses of wine that Maria had sent her. - She has a date.

- Have you met them? - you asked curiously, and Monica made a noise with her mouth of agreement.

- She's from the Air Force. Very pretty and fun, and she treated me very well. - She told you with a smile. - I hope everything works out between them, Mom deserves to be happy.

You nod in agreement and then you find empty chairs. Bruce and Natasha join you many moments later, carrying the food. 

- Yay, fries. - Monica says excitedly as Natasha distributes the food among you.

The band then enters the stadium. And the crowd seems excited, you and Monica laugh at Natasha's excitement.

As soon as the band makes their formation, the cheerleaders enter the field and the crowd cheers. You try not to look at Wanda so immediately, but that is exactly what you do. When they are all in the center, and finish the performance with lots of applause, the director gets up on the stage and starts announcing the game.

- And without further ado, West View High let's...

The principal is interrupted abruptly by one of the students. You and the audience watch intently as Pepper nudges the principal on the shoulder, and he turns around confused and surprised. She smiles innocently as she quickly takes the microphone from his hand.

- We had a slight change of plans, West View. - she announces, smiling. And then the band is moving on, and you recognize the music quickly. It was an old rock song. The audience sings along excitedly, surprised and in shock, but still happy with the music. 

As the music plays, Pepper turns back to the director, and they discuss something. He lets out a sigh and shakes his head, and she gives an excited little jump, and then is joining the cheering team again.

When the song ends, it is not Pepper who comes up to the podium with the microphone, but Wanda, which generates a lot of comments from the audience.

- Is that? - Natasha starts and you feel your stomach turn.

- Yep.

- Hello West View. - Wanda begins looking nervous, the audience looks at her in anticipation. - Many of you must think me a complete bitch after the rumors that surfaced a few weeks ago.

- Oh my God. - You mumble clumsily, feeling the stares of some people on you. 

- I think I should explain what happened. - Wanda says tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and ignoring the comments from the audience, she continues talking. - My ex-boyfriend and my best friends decided to make a bet. - She explains, and you clench your jaw. - He bet my friends that if I gave even the slightest bit of attention to our colleague, Y/N Y/L/N, she would become obsessed with me in one weekend. - The audience seems shocked by the confessions, but Wanda was looking at you. - The funny thing is, it was the exact opposite. Y/N is this amazing girl, sweet and caring, and I can't stop thinking about her. It must be because I am completely in love with her. - She confessed, and you felt your eyes fill with tears. - But I blew it. I was mean and cruel, and I'm sorry. I'm here to apologize to you Y/N, and you don't even have to forgive me. I just wanted you to know.

The audience erupted in murmurs at the confession, and you were in shock to react. Wanda was also teary-eyed. 

A mixture of "forgive her" and " start the game" and various other comments began to grow louder, and then Director Fury was approaching Wanda, and asking for the microphone back. She took one last look at you, before bowing her head and walking off the field. The audience let out a mixed chorus of celebration and sadness, and then Monica was pushing you slightly, and you waved frantically as you hurried to catch up to Wanda.

- I can't believe you did that! - You shout at her as soon as you reach her in the gymnasium hallway, the noise of the game starting muffled by the distance.

Wanda turns around in surprise, wiping away tears.

- I just...

- When I said the perfect apology would be like a cliché, I can't believe you took it seriously. - You comment as you approach laughing lightly. Wanda looks surprised at your friendly posture. - You are such a dork.

And then you kiss her as you bring your hands to her waist, and she sighs in astonishment, but responds the next second, trembling as your tongues touch. 

You push her against the wall of the hallway, and she slips her arms around your shoulders, melting into the kiss. You separate your mouths for breath.

- I'm sorry. - She asks again with her eyes closed. - I'm really sorry.

- I know. - You agree breathlessly. - Just... don't ever do anything like that again. 

She nods in agreement, kissing you again. It's delicious the way your tongues feel together, making your head spin. You are blushing because Wanda is sighing and making a warm tightness rise in the pit of your stomach.

- I love you too, Wands. - You confess against her lips and she opens her eyes in surprise, you look at her with a smile. - I guess ever since you laughed at my joke in biology class.

Wanda lets out a short laugh, her eyes sparkling with joy.

- I love you. - She answers by kissing you quickly. - I love you. - She repeats and starts depositing kisses all over your face, making you laugh. She repeats and repeats until you kiss her again, intensely this time.

You stay like this for several minutes. Exchanging not-so-innocent kisses against the gymnasium wall. Until the first half of the game is over, and you hear the sound of the players returning to the locker room, and then Pietro is reaching for you, making a false threatening posture when he notices your swollen lips, and Wanda's lipstick on your face.

- Please get a room. - He then jokes, continuing on his way to the locker room. 

You and Wanda agree to leave the stadium, wanting to enjoy some time together without the stares of the audience on you.

You two end up in the back of Monica's truck, staring up at the stars, your hands entwined.

- So it was you who sent the presents. - You conclude by looking at Wanda quickly, to catch her blushing cheeks.

- I was trying to find a way to talk to you. - She explained, turning to you, releasing her hand only to stroke your cheek. - That's why I made the voucher “worth a conversation”.

You laughed lightly, looking at her fondly.

- I liked the kiss coupon. - You say with amusement and she raises her eyebrow, smiling. 

- Yeah? - She replies, bringing your faces together and stealing a lingering kiss from you.

- Best one.

Wanda laughs, pulling away a little. You swallow dryly, watching her carefully. 

- What happens now? - you ask, and Wanda looks into your eyes.

- I don't know. - She says. - But I hope we'll be together in the end.

You smile, nodding. 

- We will. - You assure her before adjusting your position to embrace her. Wanda snuggles against you, enjoying your warmth.

[warabidakihime]

Invisible Strings: Special Chapter

Characters: Uzui Tengen x Reader | Modern AU Synopsis: Sequel of Parallel Lines Content Warnings: profanity, smut, sleep paralysis, eventual violence, blo0d, slight manga spoilers (tho i strayed away from the original plot but yeh), can be a bit psychologically triggering for some so proceed cautiously.

Previous Chapter: Prologue Next Chapter: Chapter 2

a/n: didn't expect this, did ya? well, i wasn't really going to update today but the blues and sadness hit me in the face tonight and got me reminiscing about stuff and thus this update was born lol. i kinda poured my heart in here. i don't really have anyone i can talk to about my feelings because like y/n, im scaaaared so i decided to just write it down haha. it made me feel a little better ngl. this is highkey a self-indulging update looooool hope you like it though. ill be off to bed now. stay safe and healthy!

After that magical night you and Tengen shared during the afterparty, the Monday morning rush brought back a sense of normalcy. With the upcoming gala on the horizon, the entire company was abuzz with preparations for the grand event.

In his office, the head of sales and marketing sat focused at his desk, brow furrowed, as he tirelessly typed away on his computer. The responsibility of overseeing the event's branding and promotion fell on his shoulders, and Tengen found himself engrossed in crafting one proposal after another, each crucial to the success of the gala. Despite the early hour, he had already endured four back-to-back hour-long meetings, a testament to his dedication.

Meanwhile, you were out in the field today with Zenitsu and Nezuko, searching for the perfect venue in town. As of yet, you hadn't come across the ideal location, but there was no sense of disappointment. There was still ample time to explore and discover the hidden gem that would serve as the backdrop for the gala. With three and a half months remaining, the three of you decided to take a well-deserved lunch break and headed to the nearest fast-food joint.

Stepping inside, a wave of relief washed over you as the cool air embraced you, providing respite from the sweltering heat outside. Summer had arrived in Tokyo, bringing its characteristic warmth and humidity.

"Ah, I fucking hate summer," Zenitsu groaned, collapsing into his seat.

Nezuko graciously offered to place the order, leaving you and Zenitsu to secure a table. The establishment was bustling with activity, particularly because it was located in a busy business district. Corporate workers on their lunch breaks filled the space, seeking a momentary escape from their demanding routines.

"I couldn't agree more," you replied, fanning yourself desperately in an attempt to beat the heat. "I wonder how Tengen and the others are faring back at the office."

"Don't worry about Tengen; he's a big boy now," Zenitsu assured you with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

You couldn't help but giggle at Zenitsu's confidence.

"He absolutely is. He's a huge lad who acts like a big baby too."

"He needs help," Zenitsu added with a mischievous grin.

"You're hardly one to talk, Zenitsu," Nezuko chimed in as she approached your table, balancing trays laden with your lunch.

"Scratch that; you're a downright brat," she playfully retorted.

Zenitsu let out a dramatic snort. "It's too early for you to break my heart, Nezuko-chan."

"Move your feet, Zenitsu. I can't sit with your feet in the way," Nezuko teased, laughter dancing in her eyes.

*

As you enjoyed your lunch and the delightful camaraderie between Zenitsu and Nezuko, you couldn't help but smile and chuckle at their playful banter. They don't display much PDA at the office because Zenitsu is scared of Tanjiro catching them. However, outside of the workplace, their affection for each other was evident, and their sweet gestures were enough to make anyone believe in true love.

Time seemed to slip away as you savored your meal, and soon the decision was made to continue your outing at a nearby café. With the weather still relatively pleasant, it was the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy some iced coffee in each other's company.

Amidst the laughter and lighthearted conversation, a familiar voice pierced through the air, causing you to freeze in your seat. Your colleagues also turned their attention towards the person who had called out to you, sensing the change in your demeanor. Internally, you debated whether to acknowledge them or not, feeling a mix of conflicting emotions. It became apparent that some things never changed, and you couldn't help but berate yourself for the reaction you had displayed.

With a hesitant tone, you eventually turned to face them and uttered a simple, "H-Hey..."

*

"Where is Y/N?" Tengen questioned, his voice laced with genuine worry.

With a furrowed brow, Tengen inquired about your whereabouts as he approached Zenitsu and Nezuko upon their return to the office. Concern and confusion filled his expression, mirrored by the worried looks exchanged between the young couple.

Zenitsu hesitated for a moment before responding, "She's...uh, well..."

Nezuko sighed heavily and added, "She's alright, Tengen. Don't worry. But we're not sure where she is exactly."

Tengen's confusion deepened as he pressed for more information. "What do you mean? Where did she go?"

Zenitsu explained, "When we arrived earlier, she mentioned that she wanted to be alone for a while and walked away. We don't know where she went."

Tengen was dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. What could have happened that prompted you to seek solitude without informing anyone? Concern for your well-being gnawed at him, urging him to take action.

Bidding Zenitsu and Nezuko farewell, Tengen hastily left the office, determined to find you. He retrieved his phone and dialed your number, hoping for a response, but to his disappointment, you remained unreachable.

Lost in his pursuit, Tengen didn't notice Giyuu and Tanjiro approaching him until he accidentally collided with the Water Hashira's executive secretary, causing the younger man to stumble and land on the floor.

Apologizing quickly, Tengen refocused his attention on his friends. Giyuu and Tanjiro sensed something was amiss as they observed Tengen's distracted demeanor.

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" Giyuu asked, his concern evident.

Tengen replied with a sense of urgency, "I've been trying to find Y/N, but she seems to have disappeared. Zenitsu mentioned she went into hiding and isn't answering her phone."

Tanjiro pondered the situation, musing, "I wonder what could have happened to her."

"That makes two of us," Tengen said, sharing their confusion and worry and realizing he wasn't alone in his concern.

"Maybe you should try calling her again, and if she doesn't respond, it might be best to give her some space for now," Giyuu suggested.

Reluctantly, Tengen nodded in agreement, realizing that continuously reaching out to you might not be the best approach.

Returning a small, appreciative grin to his friends, Tengen made his way back to his office, his mind filled with thoughts of your well-being and the mystery surrounding your sudden withdrawal.

Zenitsu and Nezuko watched Tengen with hopeful anticipation, their eyes filled with the desire for positive news. However, it seemed that Tengen had been unsuccessful in reaching you, leaving them with a sense of disappointment.

The hours dragged on for Tengen, with each passing minute a painful reminder of your absence. As he mechanically typed away at his computer, his mind and heart remained fixated on you. The worry within him continued to grow, and he couldn't shake the nagging question of what had happened to you.

Just as Tengen's patience was wearing thin, you finally returned to the office, entering the room with a mix of relief and exhaustion evident on your face. Tengen, who had fallen asleep while waiting for you, was still hunched over his desk, snoring loudly.

Feeling a surge of guilt wash over you, you couldn't bear the weight of your actions. Disappearing without a word had been a thoughtless decision fueled by fear and anxiety, and now you regretted the inconvenience it caused both Tengen and your friends. With a visible wince, you realized the impact of your actions.

As you gathered your belongings and tidied up your desk, your guilt weighed heavily on you. Finally, you made your way to Tengen's desk, your exhaustion evident but overridden by a deep sense of remorse. One look at his slumbering form, and you felt a rush of relief and love. Extending your hand, you gently ran your fingers through his disheveled hair, finding solace in the act.

Tengen stirred from his sleep, his eyes widening in surprise as he caught sight of you. His voice, rough and strained from his nap, croaked as he called out your name. The dryness in his throat caused his voice to break as he nearly yelled your name, a mix of disbelief and joy evident in his expression.

Tengen held you tightly as you rested against his chest, the both of you sinking into his chair. In the rush of the moment, your backpack fell to the floor, but thankfully, neither of you were hurt.

"I'm sorry, I was just—"

"No, it's fine," you said, a tiny smile on your face.

"I should be the one apologizing to you, Tengen; I'm sorry for suddenly disappearing and causing you concern."

In an effort to make you both more comfortable, Tengen leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead. However, to his surprise, tears began to stream down your face. Concern flooded his features as he witnessed your heartbreaking sadness.

"Woah, woah—Y/N, hey, what's wrong?" Tengen's voice trembled with worry as he held you closer, his heart aching at the sight of your tears. He continued to comfort you, gently rubbing your back and providing a safe haven in his embrace.

Your cries filled the air as you struggled to find your voice, the overwhelming emotions spilling out through your trembling lips. Tengen held you tighter, his presence a pillar of strength, as you let your tears flow freely.

As he whispered soothing hums, Tengen's touch and voice gradually calmed you down. The warmth of his embrace and his words of reassurance brought a small sense of solace, even in the midst of your lingering sadness.

"You have nothing to apologize for, my love." Tengen's words carried tenderness and understanding, further softening the grip of your anguish. His unwavering support gave you a glimmer of hope amidst the pain.

Time passed, and you continued to find solace in Tengen's embrace. After a while, your tears began to subside, and you raised your head to meet his gaze. Tengen's eyes softened as he took in the sight of your red, puffy nose, bloodshot eyes, and disheveled hair. With utmost care, he tucked your hair behind your ears and cupped your cheek, his thumb caressing your dampened cheeks.

"Feeling better?" Tengen asked gently, his concern still evident in his voice. You nodded slightly, acknowledging the small shift in your emotions.

"A little."

"Here, drink some water before we talk," Tengen said, his voice filled with concern. He extended his tumbler towards you, and you gratefully accepted it, feeling the cool liquid soothe your parched throat. After taking a few refreshing sips, you returned the tumbler to him, feeling a sense of comfort in his presence.

"Ready to talk, love?" Tengen asked, his eyes reflecting a mix of empathy and support.

You nodded, your voice still fragile. "Yeah."

With a deep breath, you began to unravel the events of the day, recounting the chance encounter with an old acquaintance. The memories stirred a mix of emotions within you, and you found solace in confiding in Tengen. You spoke about the complexities of your past friendship, once strong but now fractured, and how it had all unraveled during that fateful conversation. The hurtful words, the resurfacing of old wounds, and the subsequent panic attack that had overwhelmed you—every detail spilled from your lips.

As you shared your experiences, you couldn't help but reflect on the toxic dynamics that had plagued your friendship. The realization hit you with a wave of anger, mingled with disappointment in yourself for allowing someone to gaslight you once more. It was a painful reminder of the emotional abuse you had endured from your parents, and now you had unwittingly let someone else inflict similar harm upon you. The weight of it all settled heavily on your shoulders, making you feel unwanted, insignificant, and disposable.

Tengen listened intently, absorbing every word you spoke. His heart ached with each self-deprecating comment you made. He was familiar with the history between you and her, but seeing you break down like this stirred a profound sadness within him.

When you finally finished pouring out your thoughts and emotions, Tengen remained silent for a moment. It seemed as if he wanted to give you space to ensure that you had said everything you needed to, or perhaps he was gathering his own thoughts to share with you. A small chuckle escaped his lips, a tender sound that broke through the heaviness of the conversation. He pulled you into another embrace, holding you tightly as you looked at him with eyes filled with sorrow, silently urging him to continue the conversation.

In that embrace, you found comfort and a glimmer of hope. The weight of the world may have felt crushing, but Tengen's presence reminded you that you were not alone in this struggle. With his support, you felt empowered to face the challenges ahead and find healing from the wounds of the past.

"It's true that you said something hurtful too," Tengen began gently, his voice filled with understanding. "You let your anxiety get the best of you and allowed it to cloud your judgment. Instead of honestly expressing your true feelings, you made assumptions and questioned her friendship. I want you to know that you were not without fault in this situation. But here's the important part—right now, you're actively working on improving yourself, not just for the sake of others but especially for yourself. And you've been doing an incredible job. Your confidence has grown, your communication skills are improving, and you've learned to pause and reflect before speaking. You're making significant progress, y/n, but encountering her today seemed to shake that foundation. It felt as if all your efforts had been in vain. She made you feel worthless once again, and for that, I am deeply sorry you had to go through such pain. I wish I had been there for you."

As Tengen held you tightly in his arms, he felt the tremors coursing through your body. Tears welled up in your eyes once more, threatening to spill over.

"I thought I had moved on from all of this long ago, but seeing her today..." you trailed off, the weight of the emotions choking your voice.

"Yeah, I understand," Tengen interjected, his voice laced with reassurance. "You stood up for yourself admirably, and I'm truly proud of you."

Clutching him tighter, you let your tears flow freely, dampening his dress shirt. "I'm sorry, Tengen. I'm sorry for not confiding in you earlier."

"Shhh, sweetheart, I've told you it's completely fine. Don't apologize," Tengen whispered soothingly, his voice a balm to your troubled soul.

"I-I'm just so used to bottling everything up. I'm scared of opening up because I fear that you might respond the same way she did. I'm accustomed to people belittling my feelings," you confessed, your voice filled with vulnerability.

In response, Tengen tightened his embrace, his own eyes brimming with unshed tears. He showered a cascade of kisses upon your head, using every gesture and every word to convey his unwavering love for you.

"I love you," he declared firmly yet tenderly. "I love you so much, y/n. Zenitsu loves you too, Nezuko-chan cares for you too, and everyone in this building loves and cares for you. We wholeheartedly accept every part of you, including your flaws. Though you may have lost her, you still have us. We will never leave your side, y/n. That's a promise I intend to keep for the rest of my life."

You both remained locked in each other's embrace, finding solace and strength in each other's presence. Time seemed to stand still as you allowed yourselves to feel the depth of your emotions, finding comfort and reassurance in the unbreakable bond you shared.

With every ounce of his being, Tengen strived to alleviate your pain, and thankfully, his efforts bore fruit. The weight that burdened your heart still lingered, but its grip gradually loosened with each passing moment.

You shifted slightly, breaking away from the embrace to meet Tengen's gaze. And in that moment, a genuine smile graced your lips—a smile that held a glimmer of hope and gratitude. "Thank you, Tengen," you whispered, your voice filled with sincerity.

Tengen's eyes sparkled as he mirrored your smile. "Anytime, my love," he replied, his voice warm and reassuring.

The words hung in the air, carrying with them a profound sense of love and belonging. In the midst of the emotional storm, you found solace in knowing that you were not alone. You were supported, cherished, and loved unconditionally.

"I love you," you affirmed, your voice carrying the weight of your emotions.

"And I love you," Tengen reciprocated, his words carrying a deep resonance that echoed throughout your souls.

In that moment, as the shadows of the past began to fade, you both understood the power of your connection. Love had the ability to heal, to uplift, and to strengthen. And together, you would face the challenges that lay ahead, knowing that you had each other to lean on.

Hand in hand, you faced an uncertain future, united by a love that defied all odds.

TAGLIST: @babygirl-panda19 @hypnocountrymusicfunnyfan @exodarkwolf16 @qdreamueen @vesta-ro

[evacado3]

Omgg is it okay if you could write a johan as a needy s/o? (nsfw maybe) idk if your requests are currently open but its fine if you decline this!!! i love ur oneshots theyre so fun to read (>’o’)> ♥ <(‘o'<)

Wait cause this made my day🥺, thank you so much for liking my writing! I’m honestly not sure if you wanted to say “as a needy s/o” or “with a needy s/o” but I'm just gonna go with what you wrote.

One Day Off

Warning: implied nsfw

Word count: 680

The alarm you set didn't wake up the person it was supposed to, though Johan considered it as god's wish. His finger moved towards the ringing phone, wanting to turn it off for good.

'Wait, will she get mad at me? But...' he thought, his finger pondered there for a little. Sighing, he left the phone alone, turning over to you who was still in dreamland.

He felt a sense of comfort, is this what 'settling down' feels like? The peace he's now experiencing could've never been found during his days wandering around on the street. Doubtful if he could even feed himself or his dogs.

He's thankful you brought him back to home, which he never knew was simply beside you.

The buzzing eventually stopped without even startling you, well, it certainly didn't do anything. It was mostly Johan who wakes you up instead since he's a light sleeper.

The weight of blankets covered you again, driving you more into sleep. He tip-toed out of the room after laying a kiss on your head, wanting to give you a small surprise.

'Whatever she can skip school today, it shouldn't matter too much' he reasoned, 'and if she does get mad'

"I'll make it up to her."

-----

You woke up to the faint smell of food, making you take a deep whiff. The curtain was already opened, sunshine crawled over your face. Squinting your eyes a little, hold on, isn't it Tuesday? You snatched the phone off the counter.

"SHIT"

The man was shocked when you burst into the kitchen, panting harshly while holding out the cellphone.

"Johan! Why didn't you wake me up, what are you doing right now?" you confronted, the phone chimed and the text 'where are you miss y/n' showed up.

"Shit it's my teacher, damn it what happened Johan?"

He only shrugged, like it wasn't his business at all. "The phone stopped ringing itself, it wasn't me."

"Don't give me that crap, you could've woke me up!" yelling at the man, you sent the apology text to your teacher, saying you were in fact 'sick' and has a fever.

"But you looked really tired so I didn't want the disturb you," he explained.

That's plain bullshit, he just wanted to spend more time with you, alone.

He was even planning to go cuddle you after finishing cooking. This guy isn’t merely affectionate, he’s clingy.

Clingy on another level. He probably has some separation issues cause of his past, but this is different. He’s absolutely insecure and needs to have complete possession over you to feel at ease.

After all, he's a needy boy solely for you.

“I made you some food, cheer up and take a day off school. It’s just one day.”

You groaned, evidently he doesn’t go to school, he doesn’t know missing out one day could've meant you’ve literally missed a whole ass war.

Though the scrambled eggs on the table looked enticing, you weren't sure if that was enough to deserve your forgiveness. "I'm furious you know? You think some eggs gonna change the fact tha..."

While listening to your ranting, he couldn't help but eye you up and down. Only his long shirt on your body, hanging just above your knees, maybe a pair of cute panties beneath too. He zoned out while staring at your exposed neck, perhaps having some naughty daydreams.

Or you could say, flashbacks.

"Hey! Are you even listening right now? I can't believe you. Wait, Johan?"

He marched towards you whilst you took steps back, forcing you back in your room.

"Uh hey, you know what? Eggs does sound nice, should we go back? haha-"

"You'll have something else for breakfast."

"Woah jeez who taught you to say that?" You chuckled awkwardly while taking a seat on the bed, avoiding his eyes whose burning holes into your body.

He pulled off his shirt then made his way to you. Now it was your turn to eye him up and down, cause damn those muscles ain’t no joke.

"Come here, I’ll make it up to you"

==============================

I'll leave the rest to your imagination~ I feel like I have sinned 🧎🏻‍♀️

Do not cringe, leave that to me

[roniscloud]

psh - love affair

park sunghoon [f. 8516 words] love affair

so when i’m gonna know what to feel inside, baby?

maybe it’s just all in my head, so

don’t overthink, this is love

maybe it’s just a crush

baby, is this your love affair, your love affair?

synopsis: what happens when two childhood best friends make a deal to help each other’s reputations? an unforeseen circumstance prompts sunghoon to approach you, intriguing not just you but practically every other student at your college. you believe your reunion with him can only end in one of two ways: you resort back to being friends and go on with your lives, or you use each other and once you’re both done, you fall out and never talk again. how will you two navigate your companionship? is it just the nostalgia coming up? a revival of feelings? a new crush? could it possibly be actual love?

genre + tropes : fluff. comedy. the slightest angst. childhoodbestfriends!au. enemiestolovers!au. college!au. fakedating!au. 

warnings: fem reader. a little swearing. slightly suggestive themes, sorta. a few cliches. mentions of underage drinking. the american collegiate school calendar. does them geeking out over fantasy/sci-fi sagas need a warning? unknown mutual pining. they’re so helplessly clueless of their feelings. also appearances of the rest of enha plus txt.

i. prologue

if someone told you that you would reconnect with your childhood best friend—let alone date him, you would’ve laughed in their face and told them to fuck off. park sunghoon is bad news. well, at least to you he is. one of the infamous campus playboys, you can spot him around the quad flirting with a different girl practically every day. 

but to you, he couldn’t have been anymore unlike the sunghoon you grew up with. you grew up with the sunghoon who couldn’t stand being around others, mind always focused on his own interests. you knew him as the little shy boy who would hide behind his mom whenever new people came around. the first person he opened up to was you. you can blame your mom for that. you can vaguely remember her words, something along the lines of mrs. park and i have been friends for longer than you have been alive. when we found out we were both expecting, we knew you two were destined to be besties. 

she was right. everyone thought you were two peas in a pod. wherever one of you went, the other followed. always stuck together, like true partners in crime. your close bond stuck for years. if anyone needed you, you’d most likely be found in the seats of sunghoon’s ice skating practices and competitions, cheering him on and being obnoxiously loud. likewise, he always attended your showcases, spending hours complimenting your artwork.

but then the villain of everyone’s lifetime eventually appeared. puberty. 

alas, your friendship did what anyone could predict of a couple of preteens entering high school. the usual “no matter what we’re gonna stick together!” leading to “sorry for blowing you off, got really busy,” to the imminent “what happened to us? we used to be so close,” and eventually the end of it all. senior year, the two of you attempted to leave on a good note. by that, you mean your parents made both of you apply to the same colleges to have a chance at sticking together. well, it worked, you got into the same university. funny how the universe does things.

back to present day, you’re now in your second year at hybe university. let’s just say, sunghoon isn’t the only one who went through a personality change. sunghoon traded his late night practices on the ice to one-night stands at frat parties. you, on the other hand, traded your once outgoing and fun-loving persona for a more… cold grunge meets artsy introvert. overall, let’s just say you both have reputations for not being the most approachable people. well at least you still have one thing in common.

ii. the cafe

the busy campus cafe was roaring with study groups filling every table. the aroma of fresh coffee and tea being brewed filling the air, creating a warm atmosphere—contrast to the cold winter weather just outside the walls. the college students scattered around, just like their minds scattered as they prepare for finals. not immune to the dreaded time of year, a group of four boys enter, immediately grabbing the attention of those already nestled inside.

a quick roll call of the four known by the student body as en-4, a combination of the dance crew name enhypen and the notorious f4. lee heeseung—the campus heartthrob, captain of the dance crew, center of the basketball team, and an unknown hopeless romantic. park jongseong, although everyone calls him jay—the resident bad boy and party animal, but those close to him know that he’s actually the responsible one. sim jaeyun, otherwise referred to as jake—the friendly and flirty frat boy who you can catch playing soccer in the quad almost every day. finally, park sunghoon—the handsome heartbreaker. he doesn’t need more of an introduction.

the four of them make their way to the counter, placing their orders. of course jake doesn’t miss his chance to sound extra sweet and send a quick wink to the barista, getting elbowed by heeseung in the process. after getting their drinks, they look around to see almost no where to sit. not a single table to fit all of them was available. 

in one of the tucked away areas, sunghoon spots an empty seat at a smaller table. the only catch was there was someone sitting across from it, hunched forward over her laptop. he can’t see much of her figure but he immediately recognizes her features. it’s you. well, a more mature and grown up you, but he couldn’t forget that face for the life of him.

sunghoon’s feet drag himself across the crowded room, catching the attention from the neighboring groups he passed but sneaking away quiet enough to not alarm his own friends. the three are too caught up arguing about what to do. sunghoon can hear the faint voice of jay suggesting going somewhere else while the other two shoot him down as he walks further away. he makes his way all the way up to your side. you look up, scanning him, confused but unamused. “this seat taken?” the first words he said in a year and half to you. still not not giving him any emotion, you hesitantly shake your head once, immediately bringing your focus back to your essay.

ignoring him only works for so long, his gaze not leaving the top of your head. you can feel his stare piercing into you, finally meeting his eyes. “what’s your deal?” the irritation and bluntness in your tone is all too evident.

he shrugs and answers nonchalantly, “nothing, just go along with it.” his answer is hushed, almost as if he’s a bit embarrassed.

“what are you trying to pull here, park?”

“can i not just sit here and peacefully drink my latte? am i that disturbing to you?”

“considering that the second you started walking in this direction, everyone had their eyes on us, then yes, you are that disturbing.”

“they’re not looking at us.” he pauses before continuing with his rant, “they’re looking at you.”

“and why the hell do you think that is?”

“they’re all trying to figure out what could possibly be so interesting about you that i would choose this seat.” he says it like it’s the most obvious answer.

you scoff and turn to see the lingering stares of the others in the cafe. “well, if it isn’t the god park sunghoon being as humble as ever, gracing me with his presence and having mercy on a peasant like me.” the sarcasm dripping off your tongue like venom.

he smiles warmly at your animosity and chuckles. “i’ve always loved your sense of humor.”

“funny cause i’ve always despised yours. i’m gonna ask one more time. what do you want, park?”

he only shrugs. hesitating before responding again, “i like it here. i like talking to you. it’s familiar… comfortable.” he sees your expression change subtly. it’s only for a second before you regain the prior look. he tries to read you. he caught you off guard and his pride brings a smirk to his face. 

by now, he finally tunes back into the situation around him and can feel his phone going off in his jean pocket. he pulls out the phone to see dozens of notifications, quickly stealing a glance back up at you to see that you’re already back to typing away on the previously forgotten assignment. he laughs as he sees the boys blowing up their group chat asking what he was doing. he looks up, finding the three sitting at a cramped booth with shock and confusion written all over them.

“enjoying the attention?” your turn to break the silence. when he turns back to you, you continue, “you’re no stranger to it but you’ve always loved it.” he gives you a slow nod, turning the question back to you. you answer him, “you know that it’s not my forte.”

“and why is that? scared people will get to know the real you?”

“oh please, like you aren’t afraid of me exposing all the dirt i have on you. imagine the buzz i could create with all of your old baby pics.”

he jolts up from his relaxed position, eyebrows raised, and completely on edge, “you wouldn’t dare.”

you lean forward in your seat, elbow resting on the table, cheek resting in your palm, and chuckle, “try me.” the words leaving your mouth quickly and a smile immediately replacing it.

“you’re finally smiling at me. good to know you still have emotions.” he gets you to laugh again. you spend the next 20 minutes catching up. looks like you two kept more in common than you thought. things run smoothly between the two of you, some of your old memories and inside jokes being brought up. “why didn’t this happen sooner?”

“what, us talking? i mean, you and i stopped running in the same crowd and school got the best of us. i will admit, though, freshman year sucked without you.”

he sighs when he hears your admission. “how about this? a proposition. i’m sure you’re aware that i don’t have the best reputation.”

you cut him off, “you can say that again.”

“haha, very funny,” he throws in another sarcastic comment. “you know you’re not exactly the most approachable either. hate to be the one to break it to you but you’re pretty intimidating.” he notices the expression on your face turned into one of annoyance at his last statement, “don’t look at me like that, you know it’s true.”

you dismiss the slight jab, telling him to continue. what you don’t expect is the next four words to come out of his mouth. “go out with me.” he sees your face drop, “oh come on, stop looking at me like that.”

“so i see, a little bit of time without me and you go insane.”

“look, i don’t mean actually date me, i mean… pretend to.”

again, you stare at him like he grew another head. “you want me to fake-date you? what are we, in a k-drama now? sorry hoon, you’re attractive but i would’ve preferred hwang in-youp or song kang.”

now he’s a bit annoyed, answering cockily, “i am so much better looking than them.”

“you wish.”

his jaw drops for a few seconds and then he chuckles. “i’m serious, think about it. we go out and spend time with each other like old times. i don’t look like i’m so incapable of being in a committed relationship and you don’t look like such a loner. no offense.”

“offense taken… but i see your point.”

“see, look at you using that smart brain of yours. this would be no strings attached. just two friends helping each other out while simultaneously deceiving everyone else. i know how much you love tricking others.”

you sit quietly, weighing the pros and cons in your head. “deal.”

iii. bro code

a few days later, sunghoon sits in his shared apartment with the boys, slumped on the couch as they eat dinner. “why are you guys so against it? i thought you wanted to see me in a relationship and now that i’m in one, you guys don’t approve. make it make sense. i should be free to date whoever i want.”

“yeah dude,” pausing to take a bite of his burger, “we get that.” jay answers, seeing how defensive his friend is getting.

jake interejects, “we respect your choices, but like… her? of all the girls that are falling at your feet, you chose her? the one that has no interest in you at all? i know you’re powerful but i don’t get how you managed to pull that off.”

“i feel like you could’ve consulted us about it first. bro code, man.” heeseung says as he shrugs his shoulders and sips on his soda.

“that’s kinda why i like her, because she isn’t all over me like the others. she’s cute and fun to hang out with. just give her a chance. honestly, what’s the worst that could happen? we go out and it doesn’t work. no harm in trying….”

that seems to do the trick as the boys lay off from the topic, going back to their own dinners and watching the latest episode of the penthouse.

later that night, sunghoon leaves their dorm to meet up with you. you agreed earlier that if you needed to meet up and talk that you’d go to the art department. perks of being an art major allows you a studio to spend your time in, secluded from the outside world. in this case, you and sunghoon don’t have to worry about nosy roommates.

when he arrives, he makes sure to take the back entrance like you mentioned. he makes his way through the deserted halls, glancing at each room he passes, and taking note of the various pieces framed along the corridor walls. he gets to the end of the building, finding a studio decorated with your name on the door. he silently enters. you don’t notice him at first with your back against the entrance and the music playing too loud through your airpods, focused on molding the clay on the pottery wheel. he grabs an empty stool, propping it beside you and taking a seat. he takes off one of your airpods, putting it in his own ear.

you finally turn your head towards him, “how long ago did you get here?”

“just now. how long were you waiting?”

you sit up, facing his direction. “i had a couple of classes today and came here to finish some stuff, been here for… what time is it?”

“um… almost 11.”

“then like four hours.”

“you’ve been working on that for four hours? what even is it, and when did you start doing pottery?” he points at the unfinished ceramic.

“not just that. i had some paintings that i needed to finish for my portfolio and those are in a separate room to dry. this,” you refer to the clay, “is just something i’m working on for fun. i got into it cause one of my profs suggested i try another medium.”

he nods along while you explain. “you can keep working on it while we talk.”

you hum in confirmation and turn back to the wheel, rewetting your wands. “so how do we make this believable? seems like people already know. word spreads quick when it comes to you.”

“we just need to act like a couple. so hanging out, going on dates, posting each other here and there, and being affectionate.”

“wow you finally found an excuse to kiss me,” you laugh as you joke with him, him following suit. “sounds reasonable, not much different from how we were as kids, just now we have to call them dates.”

“shouldn’t cause too many problems. just don’t fall in love with me, babe.”

you smile at the new nickname, “likewise, hoon.” you continue throwing the clay, molding it to your desired shape. you hyperfocus on the sculpture, tuning out the boy sitting next to you as he watches—he catches on that you still have the habit of pouting whenever you work on your art. you hunch forward, letting some of your hair fall in front of your face. too caught up, you don’t notice that sunghoon left his seat to stand behind you. he takes your locks and ties it into a messy ponytail. you snap out of your tunnel vision to ask, “why do you just have a hair tie handy?”

“i always had to carry some around for you because you always lost them. i never grew out of it, i guess.” he grins warmly, “do you remember how many times you had complained when you would get paint in your hair and i would have to clean it up for you?”

“how could i forget?” the night ends with more laughs and reminiscing on your childhood. time really does fly faster than you think.

iv. rated pg

the bell rings as you and sunghoon enter the convenience store. you two are discussing the movie you two just watched as you walk through the aisles. 

you split up agreeing to meet back at the register. you make your way to the drinks in the back while sunghoon goes to get snacks. you grab an iced jasmine tea for yourself and an iced vanilla latte for hoon. sunghoon yells over the stands as he browses, “hey, what should i caption for my insta post?”

you respond loudly, “i don’t know, something related to movies.”

sunghoon looks at the picture on his phone: a photo of you two snuggled up in the theater, most of your face hidden in his hoodie. he types in quickly “rated pg for park’s girl <3”, hits post, and goes back to browsing. he goes to grab bento boxes, honey butter chips, candy jellies, and practically everything his eyes landed on. 

when you make it to the cashier, you see sunghoon with his arms full. “you good there, park?”

a muffled “yup” is heard behind all the food.

you look around, walking away when you find what you needed. going closer to him, “why didn’t you just grab a basket?” you start to take some things from his arms, lightening his load. 

“i… uh… didn’t think of it.” he pauses in between, an embarrassed expression adorning his face. you giggle as you take everything to be rung up, missing how his ears turned red. you catch the worker’s name on his tag, jungwon. before you can take out your wallet to pay, sunghoon’s already entering his card into the machine. you whip your head around, ready to tell him off. “nope, do not look at me like that.” you roll your eyes at him as you grab the bag with what you just bought. 

“oh come on… you can’t seriously be mad at me.” no response from you. “really? the silent treatment?” he scoffs jokingly when you cross your arms against your chest. he comes closer to bend down and wrap his arms around your waist. “it’s snacks. it’s not that big of a deal.”

you release yourself from his grasp and walk out of the store, still faking being mad. you mumble, “whatever,” under your beath but still loud enough for him to hear.

he bids jungwon a quick “have a nice night”, not missing him calling the two of you a cute couple. sunghoon meets up with you outside, already sitting on the curb of the parking lot. 

v. pretty boy

the start of a new semester. en-4 are sitting out on the grass of the quad. surrounding them are various groups of students, typical for the buzzing campus on a crisp spring day.

“you need to cook the noodles first. end of discussion.” jake says sternly. he and heeseung are in a heated argument over the proper order of cooking ramen.

heeseung defends himself, “you are so wrong. you make the broth first to build the flavor.”

jay brings his attention up from his phone, “neither of you should be allowed anywhere near a kitchen.”

out of nowhere, a loud car horn is heard, drawing the attention of every student in the area. sunghoon looks up to find you leaning against the passenger door of your car and yelling, “hey, pretty boy! get in.” he chuckles at both the label and how bossy you sound, turning to his friends to grab his things. the three of them are stunned at him.

jake breaks first, “wait, what?”

heeseung lets go of his argument with the australian, “dude, are you seriously leaving?”

sunghoon only nods as he walks away, not letting them ask any more questions. he notices all the watching eyes and decides why not put on a show? he shouts out to you, “thought i was picking you up later, babe.” he makes sure to emphasize the nickname as his infamous smirk tells you exactly what his intentions are.

“lecture ended early, love. prof had some emergency. thought why not surprise you…” you wrap your arms around his shoulders as he reaches you and let him lay a quick peck on your cheek. “now come on, i’m taking you out on a date so either hop in or lose your chance. your choice but i don’t have that much patience so hurry up.”

“yes, ma’am,” he leans in closer and guides his hands lower from your waist. “but i’m driving,” he says as he sneakily takes your keys from your back pocket, 

“you sly fox.” he laughs at the new nickname as he opens the door, letting you sit down before closing it. he makes his way around the hood, noting that all attention is still on you two. he meets eyes with his friends again, the three looking much like the faces he saw in the cafe almost six weeks ago. as he buckles in and starts the car, you rest your hand on top of his on the gear shift. he raises his eyebrows and gives you a charming smile. “by the way, why’s your friend looking at me like that?”

he looks back up to face the boys, “which one?”

“jay. since we started doing this, he keeps looking at me weird—like weirder than the others.”

he tilts his head to the side when he realizes that jay is indeed looking in your direction, but his eyes are focused solely on you. “jay is… how should i put this? you know what i’ll tell you later. for now, tell me where to?”

vi. jukebox

the hazy red glow of the neon lights and checkered tiled floors welcomed you as you led sunghoon into the local diner. this place was a staple in your childhood, your go-to hangout spot with the aforementioned boy when you were still in your youth. 

“i will say, this is a nice surprise.”

you look up to sunghoon as he sits across from you in the vinyl booth seat, “i knew you would love it.” you laugh with each other as you get situated, seeing a young but tall—why is he so tall? he looks like he’s only a teenager—server coming towards your table.

“hey, i’m niki and i’ll be taking care of you guys today,” the giant says cheerfully. “anything i can start you guys with?”

sunghoon looks up at the boy to take your order swiftly, “two strawberry milkshakes, please.” you watch as niki nods and walks back to the counter.

“well, well, well, park… you remembered?” you question teasingly with a cocked eyebrow.

“you’ve always had a sweet tooth. no wonder you loved me so much,” his turn to turn up the typical park sunghoon charm.

you scrunch your face in annoyance, “you should become a comedian.”

“i will never get tired of your sarcasm. it really just… keeps me going.” his way of joking back. “stay here. i’ll be right back,” he says quickly as he looks behind you and gets out of his seat.

you wait patiently for him, assuming he’s just going to the restroom. unbeknownst to you, sunghoon is making his way to the jukebox on the other side of the restaurant. he flips through the song list, finally finding the one he wants. he quickly puts in the coins and sets it in the queue. as he turns to go back to you, he sees an engraving on the side. he runs his fingers along it as he inspects the writing. property of sunghoon and y/n. he thinks back to your last day of eighth grade when you two etched the label onto the wood. he joyfully walks back to your table, ready to let you know about the memory. he sits next to you now, resting his arm behind you and around your back,

“what took you so long, park?”

right as he’s about to explain, niki comes to your table, “two strawberry milkshakes. anything else i can get you two?”

you turn your head quickly to the boy sitting next to you, seeing his eyes are already focused on yours. “um… no, i, uh, think we’re good.” you stumble and stutter a bit. you watch him as he nods his head and walks away. regaining your composure, you ask sunghoon again, “so what did take you so long?”

once again, he gets interrupted. the sound of “purpose” by justin bieber playing over the speakers makes him stop. he gives you a second to register the song, “that’s why.”

you tilt your head down and look at him quizzically, “really? this is why?” you reach to your drink, sipping on the straw as you wait for his answer.

he mirrors your movement, nodding his head in confirmation. he too drinks from the tall glass, contrary to your use of a straw, he opts to drink straight from the rim. he pulls the milkshake away, leaving some on his upper lip.

you burst into quiet laughter, turning your gaze away to not spit out your own shake.

sunghoon furrows his eyebrows in confusion, “what’s so funny?”

you turn back to him, “you got a little something there, park.” you wipe away the liquid from his face with your thumb, popping into your own mouth to clean it up.”there, all good now.”

sunghoon freezes in his spot, trying to comprehend what just happened. it’s quick but he feels something. trying to shake off the foreign feeling, he turns to face forward again. he feels you lean into him, head resting on his chest. a small grin appears on his face, humming along to the justin bieber tune still playing.

“i missed hearing you sing.”

sunghoon looks down at the crown of your head, “really? you used to always tease me about it, though.”

you shake your head with a light laugh, “i never meant it. whenever you sang, it always calmed me. i used to think… if you didn’t pursue skating, you could’ve been a singer.”

“and then what? i would bring you around on tour everywhere and sneak you in backstage?”

“that could’ve been fun.” you now laugh louder than before, him along with you.

there it is again. sunghoon’s not sure what it is, trying to suppress the odd emotion. he sits there, cuddling up to you in the booth, finishing the strawberry milkshakes, just hoping you can’t hear the way his heart starts to beat faster.

sitting at the bar, snacking on fries, and trying to not be seen by you two are heeseung, jay, and jake. they ask themselves would they really be considered sunghoon’s friends if they didn’t follow them and stake out their date.

vii. nerds

sunghoon picked you up from the art department today. he showed up about ten minutes too early, and he got permission from your instructor to monitor your class from the back. he waited outside the door while you cleaned up, earning a few prying looks from your peers as they exited. as you drove back to his place, you agreed to have a movie marathon. 

opening the door to his dorm, you say “we are watching star wars. luke, leia, and han solo are a way better trio than three child magicians.”

sunghoon defends his choice, “first of all, they’re wizards. second, i’m offended. harry, ron, and hermione use magic with their wands. all star wars has is weird weapons and robots.”

“they’re literally in space and excuse you, but does something called—oh, i don’t know—the force ring any bells? they’re jedis, duh.” you rolls your eyes, making your annoyance clear.

sunghoon stops in the hall, “harry potter has spells and potions.”

“star wars has chewbacca.” you stand next to him with your arms crossed.

definitively and matter-of-factly, sunghoon says, “quidditch.”

“you can’t seriously believe quidditch is praiseworthy?” you look at him crazily.

“you two are such nerds.”

you both freeze, turning to see the rest of en-4 sitting in the living room. in the midst of your argument, you both failed to notice the others were home. you realize that jay was the one to stop you two. you also realize it’s the dreaded time for the best friends to finally meet the “girlfriend”. sunghoon seems to realize it as well, reaching to intertwine your hands to both sell the act to his roomates and to calm you down.

he leads you into the living room, meeting eyes with the boys. “so… guys, this is y/n, my girlfriend.”

“it’s so nice to finally meet you! i’m jake. sunghoon here has been holding out on us. i mean, come on, it’s been like two months and he still hasn’t introduced you to us.” the australian continues on with his energetic and positive ramble, asking you questions about your relationship.

heeseung butts in to tell jake to slow down. “i’m heeseung. jake’s right though, you two started dating before winter break and we’re barely meeting you now. sunghoon is always hanging out with you and telling us everything about it. honestly, all i can tell you is to run while you still can.” the others all laugh at his antics.

sunghoon scoffs, “hey, i’m not that bad.”

you excuse yourself to get a drink from the kitchen. you can hear jake spitting out more questions like rapid fire to sunghoon as you walk away. you reach into the fridge, fishing out a water bottle.

behind you, jay enters quietly. “you two are cute together.”

you flinch at his voice, “geez, dude. almost gave me a heart attack.”

he chuckles under his breath and leans against the counter, “sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. i met sunghoon at freshman orientation and we immediately became friends, but i’ve never seen him like this.”

“really hoping you mean that in a good way.”

“don’t worry, it is. you know… he only has a soft spot for you. the three of us are his best friends but he only ever smiles like that with you.” he sways his head back and forth as he rambles, taking a pause between his words. “stay with him. it’ll be good for everyone.”

you smile at his approval, “you wanna know something? he actually said you would be the hardest to win over. he said something about you being super protective over your friends… yet, at the same time you trust their judgement. he told me that when he and i got together, he wasn’t scared to tell you but more worried as to if you would like me.”

he smiles with you now, “that all he said about me?” he asks while raising his eyebrows in curiosity.

“he also mentioned that you’re a good cook.”

viii. proud

a professor of yours is holding their annual spring showcase for contemporary art. every year, a handful of students are chosen to join and display their art amongst other renowned artists. you happen to be one of the few, a top contender chosen for your abilities.

you’ve invited your friends, including en-4 to come by the studio and see your work—albeit a bit nervous for their reactions. you stand on watch by your section, greeting the patrons and waiting for the boys to arrive.

thankfully, they show up within the first hour of the gallery opening. they each show up looking professional and chic, sporting all-black fits—most likely at the hands of jay. sunghoon immediately finding you and leading the way for the rest. you welcome them in, explaining your collection, the concentration being “vulnerability.” the works are a mix of several mediums, majority being oil paint, each displaying a closeup of various people. the paintings show their bare faces, imperfections and blemishes with nothing to hide.

the night continues with more and more passing by, complimenting your collection. by the time the exhibition ends, you and sunghoon are the only ones left in the studio. he’s stayed in the same spot, eyeing one piece incredibly closely. throughout the entire showcase, he had kept going back to the one canvas. you join his side, linking your arm with his. “this one is my favorite,” you hear him say.

you look up to meet his eyes, “why this one?”

“because…  it’s you.” you takes your arm out and moves to stand behind you, now wrapping himself around you and resting his chin in the crook of your neck. he holds your hands in his, “i am so proud of you. times like this, i am proud to call you my best friend.” he turns his head, kissing you once on your jaw, and then pulling slightly back to kiss you again on the cheek.

you turn around, hugging him closer with your arms around his shoulders, “thank you.” you hold each other for a few minutes. when you pull away, you lock eyes. you feel your heart beating against your chest and your breathing getting faster. you snap back to reality when you feel sunghoon’s lips on yours. you’re not sure why you tangle your fingers in his hair and kiss him back or why he grabs onto your waist while backing you into the wall. he continues placing pecks on the corner of you lips, creating a trail down to your neck. when you let out a sigh and say his name, he stops. there he stands, a few feet in front of you, awkward and unsure of what to do next.

he breaks the silence, “it’s late. i should drive you back home.” he watches as you slowly nod your head. the drive back to your apartment was dead silent. you tried to occupy yourself by looking out the window.

when he drops you off, he bids you a quick goodnight. “um… text me when you get back home.” sunghoon just looks forward, muttering “ok” before leaving.

in the elevator, you look at your reflection on the metal doors. you make your way inside your place and take a seat on your bed. your mind is too busy reliving the moments with sunghoon before. you try to comprehend what you should do but find yourself too tired, instead falling asleep and missing his text.

ix. spring break

it’s currently the middle of april and the boys have made you an honorary member of en-4. you and sunghoon have been pretending to be a couple and successfully tricking everyone for the last four months.

everyone has the week off for spring break. jay, being the generous guy he is, rented out a cabin in the mountains for the now five members of your friend group. you all rode in one car on the way up, and you totally didn’t fall asleep in the middle seat while cuddling into sunghoon’s side. 

you all decide to settle into your rooms once you arrive. “so there are four rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs.” jay pauses, looking towards you and sunghoon, “i assume that you’ll be fine sharing one.”

you immediately answer, “yeah, for sure.” you look to see sunghoon avoiding your gaze, sensing knowing looks from the others. sunghoon and you already guessed that they would make the two of you share a room and truthfully, neither of you minded. growing up together meant a lot of sleepovers and sharing beds so this was no problem.

he continues on, “great, you guys can take the master bedroom on the second floor cause it has the most space. i’ll take the room next to you, heeseung and jake can take the two down here.”

everyone agrees and sets off to their assigned rooms. you and sunghoon drop your bags onto the mattress, starting to unpack. the interior is spacious, the tall glass sliding doors allow lots of natural light to come in. the room itself is cozy, king size bed with matching bedside tables, and a big fluffy area rug. you’re too distracted to notice that sunghoon has gone outside to the balcony. he leans against the railing, taking in the scenic views and the breeze, basking in the setting rust-colored sun. when you finally realize that he’s not next to you anymore, you silently make you way onto the balcony, wrapping your arms around sunghoon from behind.

he tenses up at the sudden contact, relaxing when he realizes it’s you. there it is again, his heart is acting up like at the diner. he’s noticed it more often—the way that whenever he sees you, his heart beats differently. this weird feeling in his chest, this warmth that only shows up around you. he gets lost in his thoughts, envisioning what could become of your situation.

“what’s got you so lost?”

your voice snaps him back to reality. he turns around to face you, “uh… nothing, just thinking.”

just when you want to question him further and talk about what happened at the showcase, a knock is heard on the door. sunghoon walks away, going to open the door. both of you can feel the awkward tension when he leaves his spot. 

“hey, we’re kinda hungry so we’re gonna order some food and watch a movie downstairs,” jake informs you two when the door opens. “feel free to come down and join whenever.”

“yeah, we’ll be down in a bit,” sunghoon tells him as heeseung nods before leaving you two alone again. you both finish getting settled before heading downstairs. you gather around the couch as ponyo plays on the tv and you reach for a tray of sushi. 

the night continues, the moon sitting high amongst the stars. after the movie, dinner, and some drinking games, everyone retires to their respective rooms. you plop yourself onto the bed, tired after the day’s activities. you hear sunghoon getting something from his bag along with the rustling of some plastic. you crane your head up to see him approaching you. he sits on the edge of the bed, now with fluffy headbands and face masks in hand.

you scoot back a bit, “nope. no way you are getting me to do that.”

he laughs lightly at your antics, “oh come on… let me take care of you, at least just for tonight. please.” he gives you a pleading look with pursed lips, dragging out the “please” to show how desperate he is. 

that was the deciding point that led to a spa night. you both changed into comfier clothes, you borrowed one of his hoodies and sweatpants. sunghoon got settled in closer to you and you reached for his wrist to grab one of the elastic bands. you adjusted your position to sit on your knees, reaching up to tie his hair back. he, on the other hand, took one of the headbands to bring your hair back and away from your face. 

by the time midnight rolled around, you two were snuggled under the comforter with face masks, surrounded by junk food, and on the fourth episode of some random netflix show. as the night continues, a wave of sleep starts to overtake both of you. you help each other take off the masks and clean up, getting distracted every few minutes because one of you would start messing around. the boys had stopped by to say goodnight, catching you two in the middle of a mild pillow fight. after sending them off, you fall asleep in each other’s arms, basking in the warmth of your shared embrace. heeseung had snuck in at one point and stole a few quick pictures to tease you two with.

the dawn breaking through the sheer curtains causes you to stir in bed. you turn to see the alarm clock on the nightstand say 6:02. untangling yourself from sunghoon’s grasp, you sneak outside. you climb up to sit on the rooftop, feeling the cool chill of the dewy morning. the time alone gives you a sense of serenity.

meanwhile, sunghoon moves under the covers, confused why he can’t feel you. his eyes open and he doesn’t find a trace of you in the room. worried, he gets up and quietly searches the house, making sure to not wake the others. he goes into the backyard, seeing a shadow on the ground with an unusual shape. he looks up to find you perched on the roof, facing the opposite direction. he eventually climbs up to sit next to you. he hesitates before getting closer and putting his arm around you. you sigh as you lean into him. there you both stay, watching the sun come over the horizon in a comfortable silence.

x. disaster averted

the following week, you all return to campus. needless to say, the break was well used—the days at the cabin mostly being spent at the lake or around the campfire. another day spent hanging out at en-4’s dorm after classes. sunghoon went out to pick up food for everyone. you are in his room, trying to cram for an upcoming test and failing miserably because the other three are all playing fifa way too loud.

while the boys are playing, the doorbell rings. jay gets up to check who it is, seeing a young girl and immediately recognizing her. he lets in yeji, sunghoon’s little sister. she casually joins the boys around the tv, catching up on whatever has been happening in their lives. sunghoon arrives back home within twenty minutes. 

“i’m back with the food,” he shouts out loud enough for everyone to hear including you behind his closed bedroom door. he places the plastic bags on the table, looking up to see another face. “yeji? what are you doing here?”

she gets up to greet her brother, giving him a hug, “it’s my spring break and i wanted to stop by.” sunghoon then realizes that his family doesn’t know about him becoming friends with you again or about your current situation. he drags her into the kitchen hurriedly, “ok so here’s the thing… you remember y/n?”

“of course! she’s like my big sister.”

his breath gets caught in his throat for a second, “yeah, don’t call her that. anyways, her and i are friends again,” he sees yeji’s eyes widen with excitement and continues with his explanation before she can cut him off, “and she’s my girlfriend.”

“what?!”

sunghoon panics and covers her mouth with his palm, “fake girlfriend!” he rushes out the whisper. “the guys don’t know that our relationship isn’t real and i’d like to keep it that way. they don’t even know that we were friends beforehand. yeji, i’m begging you to go along with it. please do this for me.” he clasps his hands together in front of him with a pleading expression.

the young girl crosses her arms in front of her and pretends to think about it, “hmm… fine.”

sunghoon blurts out a chant of “thank you’s” not knowing that his sister only agreed cause she always thought that you and sunghoon would’ve been a good couple. he tells her to help the others set the table while he goes to you. he quickly explains what’s happening and you’re just excited that you get to see yeji again. you both leave his room and you make your own way to the living room, spotting the other girl and exchanging glances.

yeji stops what she’s doing to turn and face you, “who’s this?”

you answer back casually, “y/n. i’m a friend of the boys, and you are?”

“yeji, sunghoon’s younger sister.” she says it proudly, bringing a grin to the aforementioned boy.

“oh, you’re yeji? hoon was right… you are pretty.”

she tilts her head and cocks an eyebrow, questioning you “why would he tell you about me?”

jake chimes in like it’s second nature, “i mean, why wouldn’t he tell his girlfriend about his sister?” he states like it’s so obvious. “they’ve been together since december.”

“girlfriend?” she takes a step back in false shock, “since december? why didn’t i know about this?” 

“what? i don’t seem like your brother’s type?”

“it’s not that. i’m just surprised he managed to get and keep a girlfriend. you’re like, way out of his league and he’s a loser.” one thing to know about yeji is that as much as she loves him, she will never miss a chance to tease her brother. 

with a scoff, you finally hear sunghoon join in beside you, “not gonna lie, that one hurt a little.”

“i’m so telling mom,” she says with a mischievous smirk.

you laugh at sunghoon’s shocked face and smile at the younger park, “i like you, i think we’ll get along just fine.”

“i like you, too.” she looks at sunghoon, “keep her.”

everyone laughs at the interaction as they settle in to eat. sunghoon sits to your right while yeji sits on your left, wondering how his two favorite girls learned to be such good actresses.

xi. returning the favor

fast forward another month, the end of the semester means the dreaded finals week again. sunghoon has been, for lack of a better word, slacking on some of his classes and is now juggling to prepare for exams and revisions. couple that with yeji telling his mom about your “relationship” and her nonstop questions, all of this stress has been piled on. this all amounting to him getting sick. 

now, sunghoon being sunghoon means that he pushed everyone away and hasn’t told you about his condition. luckily for him, you’ve been cooped up in your studio trying to finish your portfolio and also prepare for your exams. unluckily for him, the boys have gotten worried and heeseung called you. 

which brings us to the present, sunghoon stuck in bed with a fever, congestion, and neglected notes. a knock on his door does nothing to help his headache but seeing your face meekly peek in makes him relax. “what are you doing here?” he asks hoarsely.

“did you really think i wouldn’t find out?”

he avoids your glare, “i didn’t want you to worry.”

“honestly i’m not upset that you’re sick, but that i had to hear it from your roommates.” you come closer to him, clearing out the scattered papers and textbooks from atop his bed. you sit on the edge, taking out some medicine and cooling packs that you picked up from the convenience store.

“you really don’t have to do this,” he twiddles his fingers in embarrassment.

you tie back his hair and place one of the packs on his forehead, “you’ve always been the one taking care of me, so i might as well return the favor.” 

you busy yourself with getting the cough medicine ready and sunghoon takes an actual look at you. he notices that you’re wearing his old skating jacket, the same one he gave you at your high school graduation. he makes more room under the covers, allowing you to come closer and lay next to him. he drapes one arm over you and holds onto the end of the jacket sleeve, “i can’t believe you kept this.”

“we stopped hanging out and we weren’t in each other’s lives for a year and a half after being together basically since birth,” you pause, a little saddened thinking back. “this was the last thing i ever got from you. it’s all i had left.”

he brings you closer, neither of you caring if you got sick. “well… now you have me again. for good.”

xii. the party

the end of the school year has finally arrived. some seniors from the txt frat are hosting a big party to celebrate. of course, en-4 was invited—mostly thanks to heeseung being close with them. although you have made more friends and now have a more active social life, parties are still not your thing. 

yet, much to your dismay, being friends with designated party people means that you’re getting bombarded with pleas to go regardless. sunghoon took the lead on convincing you, “please, i promise that it’ll be fun.” the boys join in, their voices overlapping. sunghoon practically tackles you onto your couch while pouting and furrowing his eyebrows in desperation.

“stop looking at me like that. i can’t think properly when you do that.”

right on cue, the boys start to tease you. jay clears his throat and jake makes kissing noises, meanwhile heeseung starts singing y/n and sunghoon sitting in a tree… while you just glare at them.

“if i say i’ll go, will you all leave me alone?” 

they all shout “yes” in unison. which is how you ended up at the crowded frat house. although they had begged you to come, they practically abandon you and sunghoon when you get there. jake had yelled back to you that his friend sunoo from his econ class called them over for beer pong.

you and sunghoon find a big bean bag in the corner and stay there for a bit. he offers to get you both some drinks and leaves to the kitchen. you’re not sure how long he’s gone but you eventually get uncomfortable. you start wandering the house for some space to get some air. you find an empty room and make your way into the connected bathroom to wash your face. you take some deep breaths, then realizing that you didn’t tell sunghoon. as you’re about to step out, he enters the room.

“i figured you would want some space.”

“how’d you know where i was?”

he comes up closer to you, “in the sea of people, in this mess, in this frenzy… i will always find you. no matter what happens or who comes into my life, i always find my way back to you.”

“what the hell is that even supposed to mean, park?”

“i mean…” he stops to compose himself, “oh for fucks sake, i’m tired of this being pretend. i’m tired of being allowed to call you my girlfriend in public but not treat you like it in private. when i kissed you at the showcase, i had wanted to do that for so long, and i��ve been wanting to do even more.”

“sunghoon, look-”

“wait, i’m not done. what i’m trying to say is that i want you to be my girlfriend, for real this time��not as a joke, not as a trick. i want us to be together as an actual couple because i like you, a lot more than you could believe-”

you cut him off this time, kissing him like he did all those weeks ago. you kissed him in the way that you weren’t sure what words to say other than, “i would love to be your girlfriend.”

sunghoon shines with the biggest smile, picking you up and spinning around. when he lets you down, he incessantly leaves pecks all over your face. he holds you close, “now, how about we go enjoy the party?”

you nod and lead him hand in hand towards the door. you turn the nob, only to have the three remaining members of your friend group fall at your feet. heeseung landing on top, shouting out, “i fucking knew it!”

[literaila]

dwindling heartbeats

spencer x reader 

request: hi!! could you write an angsty spencer x reader fic where reader and spencer are dating but reader ends up the main suspect in a case? i had a dream about it and i would love you to write it haha. you can come up with the ending (like wether reader was the unsub or not). thank you and i love your writing so so much and i think you could write it really well!!

warnings: criminal mind things, mentions of pain in all forms, anxiety, fear, anticipation? 

She liked the way heartbeats sounded. 

She liked to listen to them, beating. Quietly but forcefully. 

She liked to listen to his heart as he slept. She liked to lay her chest on his head, to breathe in and out with him. She liked it when she could hear his heart flutter, over and over. 

She liked to stay awake while he slept. She liked to watch his eyes dance with dreams, liked to watch his sweet smiles dead into the night. She liked to stay awake far later than he could, just so that she could catch these moments. These precious little moments she couldn't seem to get enough of. 

She liked to listen to his heart. She liked to listen while her cheek was on his chest, while he held her close to him even in his sleep. She liked to listen to the cautious beating, the strength of his heart. She liked to listen to his heart dwindle off as she slowly fell asleep. She liked to listen to- 

She always fell asleep eventually. Always closed her eyes just in time to hear his heart pound once more. She always stayed awake for that moment. 

Spencer didn't know. 

Of course, he was sleeping, there was no way he could know. And the nights when she stayed up until he woke, until it was morning and the sun was shining through his blinds, and the bed was so warm. Those mornings when she forgot to fall asleep at all. He still didn't know. She always pretended to be half asleep, pretended as she had just woken up. And he had never suspected a thing. 

She liked to stay up late. To listen to the world breathe when everyone else fell asleep. She liked the quiet, the mystery that came with night. She liked how dark it was, how silent everyone could be, how peaceful the wind was when it knew not to wake any of the humans up. She liked to stay up late. 

And listen to Spencer's heart. To watch his eyelashes flutter against his cheek. And watch him smile silently. 

She liked the way hearts beat. 

*

Spencer didn't expect to wake up alone. 

He thought of the night before. Thought of all the words and all the laughs the two of them had shared. He thought about the wine they drank, the food they ate. 

She was here with him, just last night. 

So he hadn't expected to wake up alone. 

Usually, when she stayed the night, she would promise that she’d be there in the morning. Usually, Spencer woke up to soft kisses against his cheek, fake biting on his neck. Usually, Spencer woke up with her still in his arms, exactly as she had been the night before. 

But this morning, his bed was cold, he woke up to his alarm, and his girlfriend was nowhere to be found. 

It was strangely dark in his room. Not sunny like most mornings. It was strange.

Spencer got out of bed within ten minutes, he figured that Y/N had needed to go do something, that she would text him later and apologize for leaving so early. 

He wondered how he hadn't noticed her getting out of bed. He was usually a light sleeper. 

He got dressed, already running late for work. He was lucky no one had called him in yet, lucky that the serial killers seemed to be taking a break this morning. 

But right as he had that thought, his phone rang. 

*

The cuffs were digging into her wrists. Bruises forming while the clock ticked. 

At first, she had struggled, screamed at them to let her go, that she hadn't done anything. 

But after ten minutes of that, she’d given up. Her body and her mind both done with trying to fight back. Done with trying to fight at all. 

They were holding her in a room, one similar to the interrogation rooms she’d seen on TV so many times. In the shows where the criminal always got caught. It was cold, her chair was uncomfortable, and these handcuffs were digging into her wrists. 

The cop had left five minutes ago, promising her that they would carry on soon enough. 

If she was being honest, she barely had any idea what was going on. 

All she knew was that she had planned to go get breakfast for her and Spencer. She got up early, after only a couple of hours asleep, and she’d left his apartment, making sure that she didn't lock it so that she could come back soon. So that he wouldn't have the chance to wake up before she got back. She’d been planning to surprise him. 

But when she was walking on the street, a man had approached her, his badge out, his face stern. It was then and there that she had been arrested. Put into handcuffs, sat in the back of a police car while they drove her to the station. 

She was so high on adrenaline she couldn't remember if they had ever told her why she was being arrested. She couldn't remember if the man had ever said anything, if he had ever done anything but accuse her and then tie her up. She just couldn't remember. 

But her palms were sweaty. She was nervous, even if she didn't think she had done anything wrong. They had brought her in for a reason, hadn't they? They had something against her, some evidence that would prove her guilty for whatever crime she had committed. 

God, she wished Spencer was there. He would know what was going on. He would talk to her. He would tell her that she hadn't done anything wrong, that it was going to be okay. It was going to be just fine. 

She had just gone to get them breakfast. 

And now, and now she was sitting in a grey room alone, practically thousands of miles away from anyone else, from any civilization. She was cold and tired and these handcuffs were bruising and pulling on her wrists over and over. 

She wanted to cry. She really wanted to go home. 

Why was she so nervous? 

Why was she there? 

Where was Spencer? 

*

Hotch had pulled him back. As soon as he saw her, Hotch was stepping in his way. 

None of them had known. No one had told them anything about a suspect until they were already at the police station, already standing there looking at them. Looking at her. At the girl who they were all familiar with. 

When Spencer had first arrived at work, all he knew was that there was a new case. He knew that there were five people dead. Five people in the past three weeks. He was told that those five people probably weren't all, that all of the evidence was pointing to a rapidly devolving unsub, one that wouldn't stop until caught. He knew that all of the bodies were found with multiple stab wounds and head force trauma. 

He knew that they were supposed to find whoever was doing this, that he was supposed to help them find the unsub. 

But, after a long car ride and many unanswered texts to his girlfriend, he had never expected to see her sitting in a chair so close to him. He had never expected to see her looking around mindlessly, like all of the people who sat in those kinds of rooms did. He hadn't expected to see her next in handcuffs, with wild hair, messy makeup, and tear stains running down her face. 

They hadn't even known that there was a suspect yet. They had only been called in this morning. 

And Hotch was holding him back. 

“Reid.” He said, probably more than once, but Spencer wasn't listening. He was looking at his girlfriend. 

She wasn't looking back. 

“Detective, no one mentioned anything about a suspect. Why hasn't anyone told us?” Derek said, already catching on to the situation. Rossi and Morgan took steps forward, in front of Spencer so that he couldn't go any further, while Hotch kept his hand on Spencer's shoulder. Holding him back still. 

Emily and JJ both seemed to get the hint, they moved on to checking over the files again. 

But none of them could hide their glances over to her. 

Her. 

Spencer's girlfriend, the one that they had all met multiple times. The girl that had changed Spencer so deeply. The usually happy girl, smiling like there was no tomorrow. The girl who was usually right at Spencer's side. The first girl that Spencer hadn't been able to hide from any of them. She was his girlfriend. 

She was sitting a room away, handcuffed to a table. 

“We only just picked her up this morning, after security evidence came back from the last crime scene.” The Detective answered, no doubt suspicious of the behaviors of the team. It didn't take much brainpower to see that they weren't thinking all that rationally. 

“Has anyone been in to talk with her?” Rossi asked. 

“We’ve been backed up all morning and-” Hotch stopped him with the palm of his hand. Telling him with only a motion that he didn't need excuses. Spencer was on fire, furious with the detective, furious that anyone assumed that she would do anything, that his girlfriend would cause any harm. 

“I can talk to her,” he said, breathing out the anger, trying to remove Hotch’s grip from his shoulder. His eyes were crazed, he ran a hand through his hair, desperate to hear her voice assure him she was okay. 

“Reid.” Hotch said again, his face stern, his thoughts not wavering on this one. Spencer couldn't talk to her, it would be a violation, and a terrible idea. A bad situation for the two of them. 

Rossi had moved the detective away from them, knowing that what Spencer needed was a moment of privacy, and started distracting him with questions of his own. Questions about the crime scene, about the evidence against Y/N. 

Derek walked over to the two of his friends, facing toward the room with Y/N in it. 

“I can do it,” he said, whispering so only the three of them could hear. “It won't be a violation of any rules, and I think she’d do well with someone she's familiar with.” He continued, his eyes now focused on Spencer, and how angry he looked at just the thought of not being able to go in and talk to her. 

“Morgan..” Hotch said, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. 

“Hotch, the kids not going to let one of the cops here talk to her, and you’re not going to let him. I can do it.” He assured, face lack of any emotion. He wanted to prove he could be rational. That he could be professional even with Spencer's girlfriend. 

Hotch finally nodded, dragging Reid, who was scowling at the sight of his girlfriend still, farther away. “Spencer, maybe you should take a moment. Collect yourself. Go get some air.” he said, trying not to sound like a boss, but rather a friend. Trying to give Spencer the hint that he didn't want him watching. 

Spencer didn't catch on, too distracted with Y/N.

“I’m staying here.” 

Spencer was firm on that. He couldn't leave her. He didn't know why, or what she had done, but he knew that it was a misunderstanding. He knew that as soon as she was let out of that room he wanted to be there. He knew that she was going to be traumatized, that she probably already was. He couldn't leave her. He wouldn't leave her to be alone with a bunch of accusing strangers. 

“Spencer-” 

“I’m staying here,” he repeated, moving his eyes away from her for just a second, just so he could make his point clear to Hotch. 

And after that, Hotch didn't try to make him leave. 

*

She was almost asleep by the time the door finally opened.

The police officer from earlier had promised that they would get to her soon, that she would be let out of the cuffs as soon as she could be questioned. But it felt like hours since then, and she was sure that whoever that cop was, he was a liar. 

She was beginning to get restless, bored with this situation, with not knowing what was going on. She was tired and angry, and all she really wanted to do was go home and listen to Spencer’s heart some more. That would help. She wondered if she could ask. 

She shook the thought out of her head. Looked around the room again. Looked for anything to keep her awake. 

She wanted to rub her eyes, wanted to get some of the sleep out of her system, wanted to be alert again so she wouldn't miss anything else. But her hand was asleep, her wrists were sore, and she still couldn't move. 

She still had no idea what was going on. 

She was almost asleep when the door finally opened. 

When the familiar face walked into the room. 

“Y/N,” Derek said, nodding at her, taking in her obvious distress. 

But when she saw him, her mood visibly changed. She almost brightened, almost become someone completely different from the person she was five seconds ago. Her restlessness was gone, she was no longer tired, her eyes widening as he sat down in front of her. She was happy to see someone familiar, someone who wouldn't immediately accuse her. 

“Derek,” she said, a smile now accompanying her face. Her eyes were no longer sullen, no longer looking around the room confused. 

She sat up. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, wanting to get pleasantries out of the way before he had to question her. He hated that Spencer was behind the glass, was watching them. He hated that he had to do this to his friend's girlfriend in front of him. He hated that he knew Spencer would be listening to every word, that he would be counting the minutes down until Derek could prove that she was innocent. 

“Why am I here?” She asked instead of answering his question. Ignoring it. Derek was shocked to see that she was actually being serious. Her question was warranted. She was actually confused. 

“Didn't the cop that arrested you explain everything?” 

Derek, and Y/N for that matter, both knew that it was protocol for police to explain why they were arresting someone. They both knew that if they had broken that rule, this situation could change significantly. 

She nodded, then upon seeing his confusion, continued. “I can't remember what they said, I was scared. I don't remember anything after they handcuffed me.” 

Derek was still confused. She wasn't someone who would panic in a moment of fear, she wouldn't lose her memories just because she was scared. 

This entire situation was strange. 

“You’re being charged with the murder of five people.” 

And, then, her face changed. 

Went from complete curiosity, to dispair. In a fraction of a moment. 

Her eyebrows creased, her lips frowned, she was staring at the ground, her entire body tensed at Derek’s words. 

And her mood was flipped again. 

Tears ran down her face. 

She was confused, and worried, and terrified. She had no idea how she could be in this situation? How she could be thought of as a murder? She had no idea why, no idea how, no idea what to do. 

“What?” she whispered. Her voice was failing her, her chest was collapsing, her mind was running in circles. 

“They have security tapes of you exiting a building, moments after Samantha Brith was killed in a pharmacy three miles from here.” 

She was almost asleep by the time she heard the words. 

*

Spencer hated watching this. 

He hated that he wasn't in there with her. Hated that he never called her when he woke up, that he didn't think anything of her being gone except for that it was strange. He was angry and confused, and he didn't know when they could have gotten the video of her. 

He’d watched it. Once. But multiple times in his head. He replayed it with every question that Derek asked, remembered that she was supposed to be with Spencer that night. That they were asleep when that happened. 

How could she be there? 

The rest of the team was busy profiling the actual murderer. They were trying to find evidence that provided a different solution other than Y/N. All of them knew that it couldn't be her, it obviously couldn't be, they just had to prove it. Because it wasn't her. 

Hotch came to talk to Spencer every couple of minutes. Made sure that he was still okay. 

Which he wasn't, but the thought was nice. 

Hotch also asked him questions. Wondered how many serial killers devolved as fast as this one was, wondered how exhausting it would be to cause that much harm against a living person. He asked Spencer these questions, and he always got an answer, but Spencer wasn't really listening. 

He was watching her. Always watching her. He watched her move her hair out of her eyes, watched her mood change with every question. He watched her hesitate with her answers, saw her confusion. 

He watched her with desperation, with another feeling that he didn't know how to describe. 

He wondered why she looked so scared. He supposed he could guess the answer. He supposed he would be scared too.

“Spencer,” Hotch spoke, checking on him for the seventh time. “JJ and Emily are going to go ask the bank owner some questions, to gather information about the crime scene of the third body.” He spoke as if Spencer was listening as if he cared when his girlfriend was being interrogated in front of him. “Spencer?” 

“Hmm?” he said, still not really listening. 

“How is she?” Hotch asked, getting his attention for the first time. 

“She seems okay, she looks better than um, earlier,” Spencer said, never once looking at Hotch, keeping his eyes on her. 

“Okay. She's going to be alright you know?” 

Spencer nodded. 

He watched her some more. Felt the desperation in his chest. Felt the fear building in his brain. 

*

When she finally asked for Spencer, the questioning was over. 

Derek had asked her so many questions, some that she didn't know how to answer. 

No, she didn't remember where she was on the 15th, she didn't know what time she got in bed, she didn't know any of the victims, she didn't know she didn't know. She kept repeating it over and over. No. No. No. No. 

She felt like screaming. 

It seemed like she didn't know anything. Why didn't she know anything? 

But, as soon as Derek nodded, told her that he had asked enough. She asked. 

“Is Spencer here?” 

She couldn't see him wince at his name from the other side of the wall. She didn't see him lean in a little bit closer to her. 

“Yes. He's outside.” Derek said, offering her a smile. One that was small, one that didn't really do anything to ease the feeling in her stomach. 

“Can I talk to him?” She asked, her eyes hopeful, her shoulders relaxing with the news that he was there. With the thought that he wasn't far away, that she wasn't alone anymore. 

“I don't-” Derek cleared his throat “I don't know if that's a good idea.” 

She wanted to cry. Wanted to scream at this friend of hers. Wanted to break through these handcuffs and go to see him. She just wanted to. 

She nodded hesitantly. “O-okay. But um, if I can, I’d like to.” She swallowed her scream, forced her tears down her throat, and tried not to pull on the cuffs. Her wrists hurt too much. 

Derek nodded, felt ashamed to not have an answer for her. Felt terrible that two of his friends both wanted the same thing so desperately and he couldn't give it to either of them. 

When he exited the room, leaving her alone once again, Hotch and Spencer were talking in front of the door. Arguing. 

“She asked!” 

“Reid you know I can't let you-” 

“Hotch she's probably terrified! She needs someone to talk to her, we don't even know what happened yet!” 

“Spencer-” 

“Please!” 

Derek sighed, rubbing his eyes as he walked over to the two of them. Spencer was getting irritated, no longer just at the police, but now at Hotch. 

"Hotch," Derek said, interrupting their conversation before it could go any further. 

"How is she?" Hotch asked, Spencer, staring at him in disbelief. 

"How is she Hotch?! She's pretty fucking terrible I'd assume." He scoffed, turning away from the other two men to watch his girlfriend wipe tears from her eyes. 

His beautiful girlfriend. Alone. A murderer. 

He almost laughed at the thought. 

"Spencer," Hotch said, using a voice similar to one he used with Jack. Spencer was testing his limits, being disrespectful, not following rules. Not acting like himself. 

"She's relieved that we're here," Derek answered, watching Spencer stare at her, giving Hotch a fearful look. 

Spencer muttered something that neither of them could hear. 

"Does she have solid alibis?" 

"She doesn't remember much from those nights. Everything is blurred Hotch. I don't know." Derek sighed again, exhausted. 

Hotch lowered his voice to ask his next question. "Do you think it's her?" 

But even when he whispered, Spencer could hear him. 

And the sudden fury he felt in his chest was expected. 

"Of course it's not her! She would never do that!" He had never expected Hotch to be doubtful. He felt betrayed at the inference that he would ever love someone who could murder all those people. He had expected his friends, his family, to have his back. To have her back. 

"I'm talking to her." Spencer said, a final statement to the two men. He was finally finished listening to everyone else talk, finally finished listening to anything.

"Spencer-" he heard from behind him as he opened the door. 

As he walked into the room. 

To her. 

*

"Spencer," 

The relief was palpable in her voice. Her body fell apart immediately at the feel of Spencer's hand against hers. It was such a feeling, so different than before. It was like she could finally breathe, she finally knew how to speak. 

Now that he was here. 

"Are you okay?" he whispered, wrapping her hand in both of his, hating how cold she felt. 

She wished she could move closer to him, wished she wasn't chained down. Wished they were still in bed. Wished he would hold her again. 

"I'm fine," she whispered back, her eyes concerned. More worried about him than she was about herself. 

"You're so cold," Spencer responded, ignoring her lies, ignoring how scared she still looked. He was so glad to be next to her. To be talking to her. "Are your wrists okay?" he asked once he looked down, seeing the red marks around the wrist that was chained to the table. 

"I'm fine Spence." She answered, trying to smile at him. 

They both sat there for a moment, both remembering the pleasant night they'd had together last night, both thinking about moments that weren't like this one. Moments that weren't quite so scary. 

And finally, when they had both breathed in all the time together they could spare, when they had finally used up all the oxygen in the room, Spencer spoke up. 

His words brought miles between them. 

"You didn't do it?" he said it as if the words hurt him. Like those words would hurt him more than they would hurt her. 

She didn't see how that could be possible. 

"I don't-" she started, her voice shaking as she felt the feeling in her stomach again. The nauseous feeling. The terrifying one. 

"You- you didn't do it? R-right?" Spencer asked again, looking up at her. 

And she saw it in his eyes. She saw it. And she knew the answer. 

"Right." She breathed out, squeezing his hand. 

And Spencer nodded, nodded like the words had solved everything like the words had removed this handcuff from her wrist like he could walk her home now. Like everything was fine. 

"Okay," he said, giving her one of his small smiles. "Okay." He said, again, squeezing back. 

Okay. 

She didn't do it. 

"I'm going to get you out of here." 

"Spencer-" 

"I'm going to get you out of here. Okay?" 

She nodded. Spencer took a breath in. 

Okay. 

*

She remembered that night. 

She remembered the cold wind against her cheek. 

She remembered the hand around her waist. 

She remembered that feeling. 

She'd basked in it. 

She'd lived completely numb from that feeling. 

And then she'd found it. 

She felt the kissssssss against her cheek. 

So soft. 

*

"Reid." 

Spencer figured that Hotch was going to yell at him, maybe suspend him in the worst-case scenario. He knew that what he did was disrespectful, but he didn't regret it. 

How could he when he got to talk to her? How could he regret getting to hold her hand? Getting to hear her voice when she was with him again? Getting to be next to her? 

He couldn't. He just couldn't regret it, even if he knew it was wrong. 

But when Spencer went to Hotch, there was no reprimanding. Hotch didn't even look mad. Just concerned. His eyes were hesitant, and when he put a hand on Spencer's shoulder, there was nothing but fear in his eyes. 

fear. 

Why fear? 

"What?" Spencer asked, confused. Why wasn't he yelling at him? 

"Reid." 

"What Hotch?" Spencer asked again, more insistent, starting to get worried. He felt that feeling in his stomach. 

"We found something." 

Spencer listened carefully. 

*

She remembered the cold air against her skin. 

She remembered smiling. 

She remembered. 

*

"Before we got here, Y/N was asked for DNA. At one of the first crime scenes, there was DNA left behind, and the lead detective figured that if her DNA was a match, he would have all the evidence he needed." 

Spencer nodded. Still confused. 

He didn't see the silent shame Hotch felt. 

*

She liked heartbeats. She liked the in and out, she liked the wind, she liked lots of things. 

She liked it when she was alone, when she was with him. 

She liked she liked she lied. She liked. 

She liked heartbeats. 

*

"While you were in there.." 

Everyone slowly came over to the pair. 

All of Spencer's friends, going over to him, all of them with the same look on their faces. All of them worried. All of them concerned. 

Spencer looked back at Y/N. She looked upset. 

He wondered when he could get her out. 

He looked back at Hotch. 

*

She listened to him every night. But sometimes, she got bored. She got restless. She needed to do something. 

She was very good at sneaking out of bed without a notice, without waking Spencer up. 

It was fortunate. 

She left so many times. So many nights she snuck out. 

So many times. 

She always made it back for sunrise. 

*

"Spencer, Y/N's DNA..." 

Spencer nodded for him to continue. He needed Hotch to get to the point so that they could get her out, so that he could hurry up and get her away from here. 

He wanted to go home with her, wanted to see her smile her real smile again. He wanted this to all go away, wanted this fear in his mind to leave. 

Get to the point. 

"What Hotch?" 

*

She liked it. She hated it. 

She liked the quiet of night. She liked how mysssssterious it was. 

She liked it, oh god oh god. 

She wasn't going to throw up. 

Not again. 

Not this time. 

*

"It was a match." 

Everything. 

.

Everything. 

.

It had to be. 

.

It had to stop. 

.

.

Okay? 

*

She liked the way heartbeatss sounded. 

She liked to listen to them, beating. Quietly but forcefully. 

She liked to listen to his heart as he slept. She liked to lay her chest on his head, to breathe in and out with him. She liked it when she could hear his heart flutter, over and over. 

She liked to stay awake while he slept. She liked to watch his eyes dance with dreams, liked to watch his sweet smiles dead into the night. She liked to stay awake far later than he could, just so that she could catch these moments. These precious little moments she couldn't seem to get enough of. 

She liked to listen to his heart. She liked to listen while her cheek was on his chest, while he held her close to him even in his sleep. She liked to listen to the cautious beating, the strength of his heart. She liked to listen to his heart dwindle off as she slowly fell asleep. She liked to listen to heartbeats dwindling off as she watched. She liked to listen as they slowly disappeared. 

She liked to listen as they faded away. 

She was so tempting. 

She was a beacon in every room. Everywhere she went. She was a temptation far too charming to resist. 

Every night, she stared, watched someone's eyes. And she tempted them so far. 

She charmed them without a blink. Without a breath. 

She liked it. 

She didn't have to do anything before they were lured into her hands, pulled so far in by her wit, by her smile, by her eyes which were oh so hard to resist. 

She was irresistible. 

And a temptation none of them could ignore. Every one of them.

Every. Single. Time. 

She was perfect, far toooo perfect for them far too much far too many far too fun. 

She didn't have to think about it every night she snuck away. She didn't have to blink, she didn't have to breathe, she just had to stand there. Just had to feel the cold wind on her chest, on her cheek. She just had to listen. 

As the heartbeats dwindled away. 

As they faded into the distance. 

She was far too perfect to resist. Far too perfect. She was so smart, so charming, so much all at once. And she always knew how to catch them. She knew how to lead, lead them to the end of the earth. She knew she knew how to push them off when they weren't looking. Push them so far, too farrrrr off the edge. 

She knew how to kiss them so soft, so quiet as they were done, she knew what she was doing. 

She remembered everything. Every night. 

She snuck back in bed, she listened to his heart. She liked the way it dwindled off as she fell asleep, the way it faded. 

She liked it. 

Heartbeats. Disappearing.

* 

my masterlist here. 

[carelesswispe]

Yo! Could I get an angst fic with Hubert, where the reader has lost an eye in battle?

Losing an eye in battle 

Uwaa~ this was more fun than I thought it would be! Thank you so much for requesting! I had to rewrite this a couple times because I think I misread your ask or smth at first haha idk whats up with me--anyway,, I hope you enjoy it ><

>genre: mostly angst

>pairings: hubert x reader (gn)

>warnings: mentions of blood, injury, fighting, the reader losing an EYE and implications of death (tell me if i missed any !)

‘You can do this, (name), after all, you’ve made it to the final stretch’ you hyped yourself up as you marched into the battlefield beside Hubert. The both of you were stationed at the back of the battalion to focus on supporting the front liners. Were you scared? Most definitely. Although this wasn’t your first battle, there was something nerve wracking about this battle being a huge step towards an end to this bloody war. But no matter how much you try to convince yourself, you couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in your gut that told you that something was going to go wrong. 

Hubert, your ever reliable classmate and the man you adored, noticed the tense expression on your face. He clears his throat, loud enough to catch your attention. “As we approach this big hurdle in achieving Lady Edelgard’s goals, let’s keep up the good work” although it was awkward, you could tell that the man was trying to encourage you and it definitely helped to clear your noisy mind, even just a little. 

You flashed the man a small smile, a determined look shining upon your eyes. This gesture made a rare smile play on his lips as well, the corners of his eyes softening slightly. As you watch the brunet’s broad back move farther into the battlefield, you realise that he too, was feeling anxious about this battle. And as strange as it sounded, you were comforted by this fact, hastening your steps to join him in the battlefield.

The first few battles were pretty tame, supporting Professor Byleth from behind, covering the professor whenever there was the slightest bit of an opening in the professor’s movements. But after a while, maybe it was because you weren’t paying attention but you found yourself separated from the professor. 

Mumbling a curse under your breath, you survey your surroundings to find yourself in a torrent of dust and smoke. You feel dread pool the bottom of your stomach as you see a large silhouette approaching you. 

You assume a defensive stance as the figure becomes clearer and clearer as the ring of dust and smoke settles, a chill creeping up your spine as you see a head of blond hair coming into view. 

Dimitri’s gaze upon you hardens as you retain your defensive stance. Although the two of you certainly weren’t close, the thought of having to kill a person he used to be schoolmates with left a bitter feeling in his mouth. “...I have to do this...to stop this senseless killing. I will stop you from taking away another life here and now!” and with this, his resolve hardens and the air around him shifts. You steel yourself as you prepare yourself for the man’s next course of action, taking a deep breath.

His slow strides quickly sped up and he began charging towards you at full speed, his weapon raised up in the air. You were slightly taken aback by the man’s speed and you scrambled to avoid him and made a pathetic attempt to injure him before he reached you but whatever you tried seemed to have no effect on him as he continued to charge towards you.

As a last resort you used up whatever energy you had left in you in an effort to widen the distance between the two of you and it worked, so you thought. Although you managed to put some distance between you and your assailant, it was futile as the prince flung his javelin in the air with surprising speed, aiming for your head. 

You didn’t register the javelin flying towards your right eye quickly enough, only noticing it when it was too late. Almost immediately, you feel a blazing hot pain blooming from the right side of your face, spreading all the way down to your neck. A shout rips through your throat as you fight to clutch the right side of your face in favour of clutching onto your weapon as you continue to attack. 

You felt dizzy from the amount of blood you were losing and you could feel your consciousness slip away with every movement you willed your body to take. You honestly had no idea how you had the strength to continue swinging your sword and you didn’t know how long you could keep it up. 

In a last ditch attempt, you mustered all the strength you had left to shout at the top of your lungs in hopes of attracting the attention of others. As the battle went on, so did the throbbing of your head, screaming at you to lay down and stop moving. Gritting your teeth, you desperately latched onto whatever consciousness you had left.

Just as you were about to take another blow from the prince, you felt a strong wave of magic strike down from where Dimitri was standing. And with this, you felt hope surge through your veins as you looked around the battlefield with urgency. A growl leaves Dimitri’s grit teeth as his eyes land on Hubert. 

Hubert, however, didn’t relent in his attacks, not giving the blond a chance to recover from each of his spells. Eventually everyone else gathered to fight against Dimitri and at that point, any resistance the prince put up was futile against the whole army. But still, he continued to fight until the very end. And before you knew it, it was over. The battle has been won and all there's left to do is to put a stop to Rhea and the remaining soldiers of the church. 

All the adrenaline from the battle had faded and you had become more faint with each step you took. This did not go unnoticed by Hubert. He hurriedly excused himself from Edelgard’s side, something the ever loyal servant would never do under normal circumstances and walked towards your weakening figure. 

“(name)!” Hubert called out to you, worry evident in his panicked voice. The sound of Hubert’s shout brought you out of your daze, making you snap your head towards the source of the voice. You wince at the dizziness your sudden movement brought you and suddenly, your body couldn’t take anymore and your knees buckled from underneath you. The only thing you could hear as your consciousness faded was the sound of hurried footsteps towards your person accompanied by someone’s worried shouts.

When you came to, you were laid on a soft bed with a killer headache, unable to see out of the right side of your eye. In a panic, you sat up from the bed and assessed your surroundings the best you can as your blurry vision slowly clears up. You felt a sharp pain in your head, particularly at the right side as a result of your sudden motion. A pained groan escapes your lips as your hands instinctively shoot up to clutch your head. You feel for your right eye only to feel bandages wrapped around the right side of your head.

You remember now. The javelin, heading straight towards your right eye as you failed to do anything about it. It’s gone now. Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door creaking open slowly, a black shape emerging from it. “You’re awake.” a certain classmate’s voice of yours came out of the blurry figure which you came to recognise as Hubert’s as your vision focused on it and you could properly make out its features. He was carrying a tray which contained a bowl of soup and a glass of water which he placed on the table at the side of the bed.

“...How was your rest?” Hubert asks with a tone you’ve rarely heard from him. Turning your body to face him, you could see that he wore an expression of worry, his brows furrowed and his normally sharp eyes were soft.

You opened your mouth only to close it again. You didn’t know what to say. On one hand, you wanted to lie and say everything was fine but you knew there was no way in hell you could say that. Especially not with how you no longer had two eyes to look through. Hubert knew that and yet he couldn’t do anything but watch as you sat on the bed with a bitter expression. 

“I prepared some soup for you. I feel regretful for having to keep it light since you are still in the midst of recovery but rest assured, I will prepare something better once you recover.” Hubert spoke, breaking the tense atmosphere. Gently moving a tray table over your lap, he places the tray of soup on it. 

Watching as you simply stared at the food in front of you, Hubert felt a pang of guilt hit his heart seeing your dejected state. He knew all too well of the consequences of war but all this time he thought that it was okay, as long as it was for her lady Edelgard but now, all he wanted to do was end this war as fast as possible, as naive as that sounded. If only he had gotten there more quickly, and then maybe you wouldn’t have to lose an eye. Then maybe you needn’t have suffered. 

Clenching his fist tightly, Hubert drops into a curtsey “Get some rest” he couldn’t do anything for you right now but offer you his silent support. And right now, you need time to yourself. As he left the room, Hubert threw you one last glance, his heart tightening at the way you aimlessly played with your food, a blank expression on your face

okay i know this was a bit short but i might make a part 2 on my own time. im not too experienced in writing fight scenes so i feel that the fight scene was a little wonky >< i will try my best to improve so please tell me some of your opinions on it ! any sort of feedback is very much appreciated and i will try my best to take them to heart in order to improve my writing

[five-rivers]

Danger First

Chapter 7

@pocketramblr

.

"Hey, Midoriya?" asked Uraraka, after Aizawa passed out a costume revision assignment and feigned passing out.

"Yes?" said Midoriya, knowing that his eyes were preturnaturally wide and fine tremors were running through his body. He was a wreck.

"Are you okay? Why did you come to class with Mr. Aizawa?"

"And what's that you're holding onto?" asked Kaminari.

"Um," said Izuku. "I was sort of... abducted by the support department? But in a nice way... And they gave me this grappling hook."

"Wow, cool! I didn't know we could get stuff like that from the support department."

"You should really read the student handbook, Kaminari," said Iida, pushing up his glasses.

"But it's so long!"

Iida tsked and adjusted his glasses more vigorously. "You're a student! You should at least be familiar with what is expected of you! Speaking of which, Midoriya, do you know how to use that?"

As much as he could learn from a ten-minute crash-course. "... yes," said Izuku, but it was clear from Iida's face that he had hesitated too long.

"Midoriya! You shouldn't have something like that in the classroom without knowing how to use it!" Iida half stood up, and Izuku clutched the grappling hook closer to his chest.

"No! Mine!" Maybe he was too attached to something he'd only had for a little over an hour, but the support department hadn't been able to give him any smoke bombs or flash grenades due to 'new school regulations regarding explosives' and he'd gone through a lot this morning.

Distress washed over Iida's face, and Izuku wondered if he'd accidentally smacked into some old trauma.

"I wasn't going to take it!" he said, earnestly waving his hands. "I just wanted to make sure you knew where the safety-"

The door to the classroom slammed open. "Is that my little brother I hear?" asked a beaming man in a track suit. Without waiting for an answer, he bounded over to where Iida was sitting and clapped him on the back. "I have come to embarrass you horribly!"

From the expression on Iida's face, this venture was doomed to failure. "I thought you were joking when you said you'd see me today!" exclaimed Iida, beaming.

"Why... why would I joke about that?"

"You joke about a lot of things. Like knowing vigila-"

"Okay! Yes, haha, funny jokester, that's me! Now why don't you introduce me to your classmates?"

"Of course! I have been remiss in my duties as vice president." He stood and executed a ninety-degree bow. "Forgive me! This is my brother, Iida Tensei! Also known as the pro hero Ingenium!"

Izuku could almost see his classmates start to put together the puzzle pieces of Chibiida and extremely tall older brother. He was more concerned about whether or not it would be rude to ask Ingenium for his autograph... and to check his analysis page on Ingenium...

"That's me! And I'll be your special guest TA today! Now, where's Aizawa? You're supposed to have him for homeroom, right?"

As one, the class pointed to the giant yellow caterpillar in the corner of the room.

"Oh my gosh, Shouta, I thought you were joking-"

.

Ingenium was, to put it in a single word, cool. To put it in two words, he was unbelievably cool. So cool Izuku was almost able to forget the impending field-trip-related DOOM they were all facing.

But not quite.

So Izuku slogged through his classes, still thrilled to be there and waning to do his best, but unable to truly focus past the crushing weight of what might happen. His classmates and maybe-friends hovered at the periphery of his suffering, clearly wanting to help, but just as clearly unsure how, or what lines they could or couldn't cross, leading them to resort to painfully awkward normal small talk.

Until they sat down for lunch, that is, by which time Monoma and Iida had gotten into a conversational spiral about how amazing UA was, how awesome Ingenium was, and how UA was truly superior for being able to have pro-heroes like Ingenium come in as TAs on such short notice.

"Midoriya," said Uraraka, startling him out of his fourth or fifth 'Kacchan sweep.'

(It was still possible that his bad feeling was related to Kacchan hunting him down and blowing him up. He'd be mortified about making such a big deal over it if that was the case, but it would be preferable to, say, a terrorist attack.)

(Why did he keep coming back to terrorist attacks?)

"Are you... okay? You've just seemed really down today, and-"

"Invisible hug!" shouted Hagakure before grabbing Izuku and lifting him over her head.

There was a beat of whispering near-silence. Then Uraraka stood up, slamming both hands on the table and inadvertently making it float. "You have got to tell me your work out routine!"

Izuku agreed.

("Strawberry," someone whispered.)

.

"I generally say what's on my mind," said Asui as the Iidas had radically different reactions to the bus seating arrangement.

"Aha," said Izuku. The swaying of the bus plus the strain of probably-Danger-Sense was making him nauseous. "What is it, Asui?'

"Call me Tsuyu."

The first time a person his age let him call them by name since kindergarten, and he couldn't properly appreciate it. Figured.

"I was watching the videos of the battle trials I missed last night," Tsuyu continued, "and I realized, I don't think any of us know what your quirk is."

Izuku's first impulse was to lie or redirect the conversation. Years of quirklessness had left their mark. But on second consideration... was there really a reason to lie? He wasn't going to talk about One for All, obviously, but the rest of it was harmless and bound to come out eventually anyway.

"Well," said Izuku, adjusting the fit of his air filter self-consciously. "That's a good question, actually."

"If you're keeping it a secret, I won't press."

"No, no, that isn't it!" Yes, it was. "It's just that, um, it's really subtle? As in, so subtle I thought I was quirkless until recently. Haha."

"Oh, wow," said Kirishima, "that must have been hard. I mean, I got teased for having a boring quirk, I can't even imagine-"

"Your quirk isn't boring! It's more than enough to be a pro!"

"But what is your quirk?" asked Monoma.

"Um," said Izuku, "well, we're not entirely sure, but... We think it lets me sense things that are dangerous? But I've also got anxiety, so..."

Monoma was frowning, but before he could speak, one of Hagakure's gloves waved frantically in front of his face.

"Is that how you knew I was there?" she asked. "In the battle trial and the entrance exam?"

"Maybe? I think so?"

"You were kind of anxious this morning," said Uraraka, concerned. "Did something bad happen to you?"

"Not- not yet," said Izuku, weakly. "It- We still don't really know how it works, so it could just be the anxiety..." He trailed off. Everyone was kind of staring at him. He pressed back against his seat, wishing there was somewhere to hide.

"Well!" said Uraraka, suddenly pumped up. "We'll just have to keep an eye out! We're hero students, aren't we?"

There was a general cheer of consensus and Izuku managed a shaky smile. So, this was what it was like to have friends.

Eventually, Mr. Aizawa told them to calm down, but there was no heat in the scolding. Maybe, Izuku thought, past the ever-increasing buzzing in his head, today would be okay after all.

.

"Yeah," said Hikage, "there's really no chance of that."

.

The Unforeseen Simulation Joint was an incredible space!

Space Hero Thirteen was about a thousand times cooler in person than on TV!

All Might, in his golden age rescue-specialized costume, looked like he'd just stepped off the pages of a comic book!

But just like Tsuyu's name, Izuku didn't have the ability to appreciate it.

As the other students marveled over the USJ, Izuku watched the adults quietly talk to one another. It seemed to be something serious.

.

"Did you find anything else with the safety checks?" asked Shouta.

"A few of the areas had the difficulty set too high- apparently some of the third-years decided to get some practice in and their supervisor didn't reset everything. Other than that? Nothing." Thirteen shook their head. "No signs of structural failure, no security gaps. Everything seems, well, normal."

"Well," said All Might, "whatever happens, we're prepared!"

Aizawa seriously doubted they were prepared for anything, but the most obvious, most likely things? Yeah.

"What do you think, Ingenium?" he asked.

"Everything looks fine to me," said Tensei, shrugging. "But if it was something obvious, then it wouldn't be so much of a threat, right?"

"We're still not sure how Midoriya's quirk really works," said Shouta. "It could be a threat just to him." He sighed heavily.

Tensei smiled in a way that just about guaranteed Shouta would be teased about this later.

"Well, I'm going to start my speech now!" said Thirteen giving the others a thumbs up. "Wish me luck!"

.

As soon as Thirteen finished their (surprisingly moving) speech, all of Izuku's attention zeroed in on the air next to the fountain. A swirl of dark mist appeared next to it.

Izuku felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Mr. Aizawa-!" But he was already looking in that direction, already watching the man made covered in emerge from the dark hole, followed by a veritable horde of villains.

And Izuku didn't use the term villain idly here. Several of the people he saw were on wanted lists.

Ironically, now that he was faced with real danger, the panicked siren in his head eased off slightly. Evidently, at least some of the strain had been fear of the unknown, and now the threat was very, very known in the worst way, that particular stressor was gone.

"There he is!" cried the man covered in hands. "All Might! The one we've all come for! Nomu! Get him!"

A large villain with an exposed brain who practically sang with danger charged All Might, who grabbed him by the wrist and flung him away, towards the landslide zone. "Ha! That's not much of a challenge! You'll have to do better than that, villains!"

"Maybe," said a villain made of the same mist as the portal that had brought the others. The large villain came charging out of the landslide zone, none the worse for wear. "Maybe not."

"You might be an elite player, but can you fight the boss and protect the noobs you're powerleveling?"

The other villains surged forwards.

This is when Mr. Aizawa and Ingenium jumped into the fray, and everything immediately got more chaotic. Izuku rapidly lost track of the multiple battles occurring around him - except, wow, Mr. Aizawa was really mowing through villains, wasn't he - that Nomu guy had to have a regeneration quirk, there was just no way - he'd have to write down that villain's monolog as soon as they got out, it might have clues - Izuku had no idea that Ingenium could fly and wow that gave him some ideas for Iida-

Speaking of Iida-

"This is no time for analysis! Hurry up and evacuate!"

Right.

"I won't allow that."

Yeah the misty villain definitely had some kind of teleportation quirk, which made this whole thing even more gutsy. Quirks like that were always monitored by the government. These guys must not care about their identities.

"Greetings," he said, a metal colar slipping into place around his neck. "We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but... today we've come to-"

A gust of air from All Might's fight pushed the mist villain back. But the move had left him partially unguarded, and Izuku watched helplessly as Nomu pounded a fist into his exposed side-

Nomu knew about All Might's injury.

Oh, no.

Izuku didn't have time to process that, however, as Kirishima and Monoma jumped forward, attacking the mist villain.

The feeling of danger spiked, and Izuku barely registered Monoma's bewildered expression.

"Only students... but the best of the best... yes he was right to say you'd be a threat." Darkness spread like an ink stain from the villain's body. Darkness... and portals.

Izuku slammed into Tsuyu and Kaminari, pushing them out of the way of forming portals. He wasn't able to do the same for himself.

"Begone," intoned the mist villain, his voice echoing all around Izuku. "Writhe in torment until you breathe your last."

The next thing Izuku knew, he was in clear light and falling. From at least two stories up, over the flood zone.

And then he stopped.

.

The ghosts whipped their heads around to stare at Nana. She was sitting on a stool, hiding her face in her hands, though whether it was out of embarrassment or fear for Izuku was unclear.

"Nana..." said Yoichi, softly.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry I saw him falling and pani-"

"What did you do that for!" exclaimed Banjo. "He was only fifteen, twenty meters up! Into water!"

"That's twice as high as Olympic divers go! And they screw up their bodies all the time if they hit wrong!" shot back Nana, other emotions abandoned in favor of rage.

"Uh, guys...?" said Yoichi, weakly.

"Who still watches the Olympics?" muttered En.

"If we had to give him a new quirk, it should have been a combat one!"

"You're just jealous that he has Float and not Blackwhip!"

"So what if I am?" demanded Banjo. "If he had Blackwhip, he wouldn't need that stupid grappling hook gun!"

"So, you admit Blackwhip is just a glorified grappling hook?"

"Better than a glorified- glorified-" He puffed out his cheeks. "I'm going to give him Blackwhip right now!"

"NO!" shouted the other ghosts.

"Banjo," said En, "what do you remember about people who All for One gave three quirks to?"

Banjo went pale.

"Oh, hell," said Banjo. "I'm sorry, I got carried away."

"You can say that again," grumbled Nana.

"But," continued Banjo, "doesn't this mean we can't give him the stockpile?"

They turned to Yoichi, who was far and away the expert on the stockpile quirk. He held up his hands and offered a sick, shaky smile. "We've already started the process of giving him stockpile access. There's... there's really no way to stop it."

Nana started swearing, and even Second and Third looked tense.

"But that's borrowing trouble! Maybe he'll be compatable?"

"With three quirks?"

"It's possible!" protested Yoichi. "I mean, he's- um, he's got One for All? Maybe it's more like All for One than we thought?"

"Disgusting."

"No."

"Absolutely not."

"Never say that again."

"But, again, that's a future problem, unlike the villain attack, which is a now problem."

"I see what you're saying," said En, "but we can't do anything about the villain attack, but we could theoretically do something about quirk troubles. Unless you'd rather watch helplessly while our latest-possibly-last holder is murdered?"

Yoichi sighed. "Okay, yeah, let's take a look."

.

Izuku's first thought was that Uraraka must have tagged him, but he had been way too far away from her for her to do that. Unless she had run at him when he dove for Tsuyu? Tsuyu had maybe sort of been between them...

But, no, this didn't feel like Uraraka's quirk. He'd only experienced it a couple of times, but it felt like falling. This felt more like floating on the surface of a pool.

This was, he realized as he drifted helplessly upwards and slightly sideways, Shimura Nana's quirk.

It would be really, really cool if the circumstances were different or if he had any control over the quirk whatsoever. As it was, he didn't appreciate the way he was getting progressively higher. Hitting the water at his previous height would have sucked, but he probably would have survived. Now? Not so much. So, if the quirk decided to stop as suddenly as it had started, he was doomed.

Beyond doomed.

He'd be dead.

Wait! The grappling hook!

He pulled it carefully out of its holster, making sure to wrap the loop around his wrist. He could get back to the ground with the grappling hook, anchor himself at a decent height and make use of this, or even attack, but if he dropped it...

Well. Doom and all that.

His best bet was the top of the downpour zone. It was the closest structure by far. He lined up his sights, fired, and watched as the hook fell several meters short.

That was less than ideal.

He rolled over and looked up. He wasn't that far from the ceiling-

Danger Sense screamed at him, and he was falling, just in time to miss getting hit by a jet of water from below. Izuku, naturally, started screaming as well and fired the grappling hook blindly. He rejoiced as a metallic thunk told him it had hit something and immediately hit the stop button, almost wrenching his shoulders out of their sockets. However, his joy quickly turned to horror as he realized he was now headed toward the hard, unforgiving side of the downpour zone at a dangerously high speed. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Float turned back on.

Izuku let out a somewhat pathetic whine in relief, and hit the retract button on the grappling hook gun, letting it pull him up to the roof.

From here, he had an acceptable view of the rest of the USJ. He shaded his eyes to look back at the main plaza and entrance. He could see Eraserhead and Ingenium fighting back to back in the central plaza. All Might and Nomu were tearing up trees in one of the forested areas, and near the entrance he could see Thirteen, Iida, Uraraka, Shouji, Sato, Sero, and Ashido facing down the mist villain. Hopefully, with those numbers, they'd be able to get past him.

Looking elsewhere, Izuku had to assume Todoroki was in the landslide zone, with the spiky ring of ice in the middle of it. He must be holding back. He could make out a fight happening in the mountain zone, but couldn't tell who was involved.

That was more than half the class unaccounted for, including Tsuyu and Kaminari, who he'd thought he'd pushed away from portals. They were probably in the other zones, but...

He took a deep breath. Focus. Where would he do the most good? Danger Sense couldn't tell him that right now, with all these bright threats all around him. He had to decide on his own.

The fight in the mountain area wasn't going well. The number of visible villains was only increasing.

Could Izuku get there? He bit his lip as he contemplated the distance, then jogged back to the opposite side of the downpour zone roof.

Then he ran.

Then he-

-jumped-

-off the roof.

Float activated at the top of the arc of his jump, and his momentum sent him tumbling forward towards the mountain zone. As he approached and began to slow (air resistance still being a thing, apparently), he was able to see Yaoyorozu and Jiro fighting for their lives. Yaoyorozu did not look good.

This wasn't a great way to be proven right about her quirk having drawbacks.

He aimed the grappling hook at one of the larger, closer villains, not really caring about how much damage it would do, and fired.

.

"Wow," said En. "Kid definitely has a bit of a ruthless streak."

"Imagine how much better he'd do with Blackwhip."

"He wouldn't have been able to get there in the first place without Float."

"Honestly," continued En, "I don't get why Second and Third don't like him. They never shut up about Nana and Eighth being too soft, after all."

"What? They said that stuff about me, too?"

"Yeah, I think they're just unsatsifiable at this point. It's annoying."

"I was much more violent and ruthless than Toshi, though."

"I know."

"Yoichi," said Hikage. "I'm not seeing any sign of additional stress on Ninth's body."

"That's because Izuku is the best."

"Or," said En, "it's because he's only had Nana's quirk for, like, five, ten minutes, tops."

"Or because he's the best. Just look at how he's helped his friends defeat all those villains!"

"Compelling argument," said Hikage.

.

"What- what now?" asked Yaoyorozu, holding herself up with one of her staffs. The mountain zone was littered with various weapons and shrapnel from Yaoyorozu's quirk use. This included a canon. Which was really cool, but seemed a bit over the top... and maybe not the most efficient thing to make, considering Yaoyorozu's limitations.

"I don't know," admitted Izuku. He'd been flung around the field as a makeshift flail/bola by the girls a few times, and was a little dizzy.

He looked back out at the battles still taking place in the plaza. "I think... Maybe we should go down, and make our way around the edge to the entrance. We could pick up Todoroki and see if there's anyone in the ruins zone who needs help-"

Then he saw the hand villain step forward, facing down Eraserhead as Ingenium was lured away in defense of Tsuyu and Kaminari, who had just run out of the wooded area, trailing villains. Danger flared in his mind's eye, and, for the second time in his life, his body moved by itself.

[thewidowsghost]

Of Course You Did - Part One  Natasha Romanoff x Johnson! Reader

My good friend, I hope, @procrastinatingsapphictrash​ asked for a 7 and 10 with Nat. I don’t know if this is what they were wanting, but I just let Jesus take the wheel - Please say somebody gets that reference. Anyway, this is Part One, Probably of Two, possibly three. But yeah, I hope @procrastinatingsapphictrash​ is happy with this uh, masterpiece(?) I created. 

3rd Person POV

"I screwed up Skye!" (Y/n) complains pacing in front of her sister, running a hand through her hair.

Skye had an amused look on her face.

"Stupid rock that gave us stupid weird powers," (Y/n) grumbles.

"Let me guess," Skye says, and (Y/n) stops, looking at her sister. "You accidentally teleported out again?"

(Y/n) groans and runs her hand through her hair again.

"Aren't you supposed to be on a mission with the Avengers?" Skye asks after a moment.

"Huh, yeah, You're right," (Y/n) nods to her twin and with a blink, (Y/n) is standing back inside the Quinjet.

Avoiding the Black Widow's gaze, (Y/n) plops down beside Steve.

Once the Quinjet lands, (Y/n) begins teleporting around, taking out some of the HYDRA soldiers.

After a minute, (Y/n) teleports next to Clint as he begins shooting targets and (Y/n) draws her pistols, shooting some of the other targets.

Natasha drives the truck over a hill and Clint, (Y/n), and Natasha dive off the truck.

(Y/n) sticks close to the redheaded assassin as the two take out HYDRA agents. Once making sure that Natasha would be okay on her own, (Y/n) teleports over and works with Clint for a while.

Clint shoots an exploding arrow at one of the bunkers and there's a flash and something catches the arrow.

"Clint! Look out!" (Y/n) shoves the Avenger out of the way from a laser gun, which grazes her side.

(Y/n) lets out a grunt as Clint drags her out of harm's way. Clint goes to help her out but he catches another flash and draws his bow.

Natasha catches sight of the young woman bleeding onto the snow.

Natasha darts over and presses against the wound in her side. Clint had followed after the flash, "Will someone please take care of that bunker?" Natasha looks up as the Hulk runs through the bunker. "Thank you," she says softly.

(Y/n) lets out a groan as the redhead puts more pressure on the wound.

"Sorry," Natasha murmurs.

After a few minutes, Thor flies over.

"I'll take (Y/n) back to the Quinjet," he says in his deep voice.

Natasha looks a little uncertain but then nods.

Once the group returns to the Avengers' Tower, (Y/n) is rushed to Med Bay where Doctor Cho uses a machine to begin to heal the wound in (Y/n)'s side.

Natasha had shown up, Clint at her side.

"You sure she's gonna be okay?" Natasha asks.

(Y/n) gazes up at the redhead standing over her, and raises an eyebrow.

"There's no possibility of deterioration," Cho tells her. "The nano-molecular functionality is instantaneous. Her cells don't know they're bonding with simulacra."

"She is creating tissue," Banner clarifies.

"If you brought her to my lab, the Regeneration Cradle could do this in twenty minutes."

"Oh, she's flat-lining. Call it Time?" Tony says, coming in with some smoothies.

"Haha," (Y/n) smiles, rolling her eyes at the billionaire. "No, I'm gonna live forever. I'll be made of plastic."

"No (Y/n)," Cho says, smiling at the woman as (Y/n) takes a smoothie from Tony. "You'll be made of you. Your own girlfriend won't know the difference."

"I don't have a girlfriend," (Y/n) says, glancing up at Natasha.

"That I can't fix," Cho says and (Y/n) grins.

"I'd hoped I'd be able to fix that one myself," (Y/n) admits.

"Helen, I expect to see you at the party on Saturday," Tony says and (Y/n) raises an eyebrow.

"Unlike you, I don't have a lot of time for parties," Cho tells Tony. "Will Thor be there?" she asks and (Y/n) giggles.

A few minutes later, Cho let's (Y/n) up from the table. "Wow, that was fast," (Y/n) comments. "Thanks, Dr. Cho," (Y/n) smiles at the doctor.

"No problem (Y/n)," Cho returns the smile.

(Y/n) leaves the room, pulling out her phone. "Skye? How've you been since the eight hours since I've seen you?"

Skye chuckles, "Believe me, I've been bored."

"Invite the team - Fitz, Simmons, Bobbi, Hunter, Mack, Coulson, and May - Stark's throwing a party," (Y/n) says.

"Oh, alright!" Skye says excitedly.

"It's Saturday," (Y/n) tells her twin.

"You staying at the Tower?" Skye asks.

"Yep. I'll see you soon then," (Y/n) smiles. "Love you."

"Love you too," Skye returns.

(Y/n) looks up from the floor, meeting Natasha's silvery-green.

"That was my twin sister," (Y/n) clarifies.

"Well, if she's as sweet as you, we should meet," Natasha says with a warm smile.

(Y/n) smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"See, that's what I was talking about," Natasha says. "See you around."

(Y/n) walks outside to the Quinjet dock to greet her friends.

"It's been a while since I've seen the Avengers," Coulson says as (Y/n) leads the group inside.

"Yeah, last they knew, you were, you know -" May pauses, and (Y/n)'s eyes shine.

Steve steps forward, then pauses, looking at Coulson. "It's nice to see you again," Steve addresses Coulson, holding out his hand for Coulson to shake.

"You too, Captain Rogers," Coulson returns.

Steve nods respectfully to Coulson, then he turns to (Y/n). "Who are your friends?" he asks.

"This is Melinda May," (Y/n) nods to May. "Mack," she gestures to Mack. "Bobbi and Hunter," the two wave. "Coulson, whom you know. Fitz and Simmons," the two scientists were wide-eyed as they look up at the legendary Avenger. "And my twin sister, Skye." Skye smiles warmly.

"Steve, you're making them uncomfortable," (Y/n) laughs, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder and nudging him away.

"Fine," Steve grumbles, walking away to find Sam.

"Go have fun," (Y/n) tells her friends. "Y'all never get a break."

The group splits up, Fitz and Simmons, Coulson and May, then Mack, Hunter, and Bobbi, all going in different directions.

Skye follows (Y/n)'s line of vision as her (H/c) haired sister gazes at the attractive redhead at the bar.

"Hmm, I guess I know who you like," Skye teases.

"Stop!" (Y/n) nudges her sister with an elbow.

"(Y/n), who's this attractive young woman?" comes a familiar voice.

"Back off Stark!" (Y/n) looks up at her friend. "This is my little sister Skye."

"Well," Tony says, taking a step back. "It's nice to meet you."

"And actually, we're twins, so," Skye falters at (Y/n)'s glare.

"I'm twenty minutes older than you," (Y/n) frowns.

"So, still padding after Romanoff, (Y/n)?" Tony asks, changing the subject.

(Y/n) groans, slumping down onto the couch behind her.

"Why don't you go get me a drink?" Skye asks with a nudge and (Y/n) stands back up.

"Okay, just don't let Stark hit on you anymore," (Y/n) says, snapping her (E/c) eyes to glare at Tony.

"Okay. Okay," Tony says. "Anyway, I've got Pepper."

"Now, go!" Skye pushes (Y/n) forward and she smooths out the front of her black suit.

(Y/n) makes her way through the groups of people before she's stopped by Bobbi.

"You going for Romanoff now?" Bobbi asks and Hunter nods.

"You'd better," Hunter says, his accent evident.

"Does everyone know by now?" (Y/n) laughs.

"Yes!" Bobbi, Hunter, and Mack say in unison.

(Y/n) looks over at Natasha, who was still making drinks at the bar.

"Go!" Mack says, his voice deep.

"Okay Mack," (Y/n) shakes her head and continues on her way towards Natasha.

May stops (Y/n) now, Coulson at her side.

"Romanoff?" she asks.

"Did you all just like, team up to get me to go talk to Natasha ?" (Y/n) asks in disbelief.

"We did have a meeting," Coulson says and (Y/n) shakes her head.

(Y/n) walks up to Natasha at the bar.

"How'd a sweet girl like you end up in a place like this?" (Y/n) asks, leaning up against the bar.

"A girl did me wrong," she shrugs.

"Seems you've got a lousy taste in women," (Y/n) says with a smile.

"She's not so bad," Natasha says. "She's an interesting person. Sweet. Cute. Surprisingly gentle for this line of work."

"Sounds amazing," (Y/n) returns.

"She's also a huge dork," Natasha says and (Y/n) looks down at the bar top in front of her. "But chicks dig that. So what do you think?" Natasha looks deep into (Y/n)'s eyes. "Should I fight this, or run with it?"

"Run with it, right?" (Y/n) asks. "What did she do that was so wrong to you?" she then asks.

"Not a damn thing," Natasha murmurs, smiling up at (Y/n). "But never say never."

Steve walks up at the end of the bar, watching (Y/n) as she smiles down at the bar.

"It's nice," Steve says and (Y/n) looks over at the super-soldier.

"W-what is?" (Y/n) asks.

"You and Romanoff," Steve says.

"Uh, that wasn't -"

"It's okay," Steve chuckles. "Nobody's breaking any bylaws. It's just she's not the most open person in the world. But with you, she seems very relaxed."

"No, Natasha," she looks down. "She's just . . . She likes to flirt."

"I've seen her flirt, up close," Steve says taking a beer from behind the bar. "This ain't that. Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on waiting too long, don't. You both deserve a win." Steve walks away and (Y/n)'s head snaps to Steve.

"Wait? What do you mean 'up close'?" (Y/n) calls.

Mack, Bobbi, Coulson, May, Hunter, Fitz, and Simmons leave the party; Skye and (Y/n) are sitting on the couches with the others. (Y/n) and Natasha were chatting and Skye was smirking as she leaned into (Y/n)'s shoulder.

Thor laughs as Clint says, "But it's a trick."

"No, no, it's much more than that," Thor argues.

"Ah, whoever be worthy shall haveth the power," Clint says in a deep voice. "Whatever, man! It's a trick!"

"Please," Thor chuckles, "be my guest."

Everyone goes silent with interest.

"Come on."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Tony says.

Clint stands up and (Y/n) watches the archer.

"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful," Rhodey says and (Y/n) nods.

"Should I have pushed him out of the way?" (Y/n) wonders aloud, a joking tone to her question, and Tony's eyes flash with amusement.

"Clint, you've had a tough week," Tony says. "We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up."

"Is this what the Avengers are like?" Skye asks and (Y/n) nods. "I need to join."

"Well Tremors, I'll put in a good word," (Y/n) murmurs and she and Skye turn their attention turns back to Clint.

Everyone laughs at Tony's joke. "You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint asks.

Clint tries to lift Thor's Hammer but fails.

"I still don't know how you do it!" Clint says in exasperation.

"Smell the silent judgment?" Tony asks and (Y/n) laughs.

"Please, Stark, by all means," Clint says, gesturing to Tony.

Tony clears his throat.

"Oh no!" Maria Hill says.

"Uh-oh!" Rhodey says.

"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge," Tony says.

"Get ready for this," (Y/n) murmurs in her twin's ear. "This'll be great."

"Get after it," Clint says with a smirk.

"It's physics," Tony says, and (Y/n) hides a grin.

"Physics," Bruce says.

"Right, so if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?" Tony asks.

"Yes, of course," Thor says calmly.

"I will be re-instituting prima nocta," Tony tells them.

"God, no," (Y/n) rolls her eyes.

Tony grunts as he tries to lift the hammer.

"I'll be right back," Tony grumbles as he walks away. He comes back a moment later with one of his iron gauntlet gloves.

After this, he recruits Rhodey to help but still, the hammer doesn't move.

Then Bruce tries and when he fails, he roars like the Hulk, making Maria and Skye look at him, a strange expression on his face.

Then Steve stands up.

"Go ahead, Steve," Tony says. "No pressure."

"I've got my money on the Captain," (Y/n) murmurs in Skye's ear and she nods.

Steve rolls up his sleeves and Clint says, "Come on, Cap."

Steve tries to lift the hammer and it makes a creak on top of the table but he doesn't lift it.

"(Y/n), you want a try?" Thor asks and (Y/n) looks around before standing up.

(Y/n) places a hand on the hammer and lifts it off the table. She yelps as the handle crackles with lightning and drops it back onto the table. Studying her hands, (Y/n) didn't even see a scar, and disregards it, sitting back down beside her sister.

"Huh," was all anyone said as they were all looking at her.

"And Widow?" Bruce asks.

"Oh, no, no. That's not a question I need answered," Natasha says, still nursing her beer and still eyeing (Y/n).

"All deference to the Man Who Wouldn't be King, but it's rigged," Tony says, and (Y/n)'s eyes flash with amusement.

"You bet your ass," Clint agrees.

"Steve, he said a bad language word," Maria says and Skye lets out a snort of laughter.

"Did you tell everyone about that?" Steve asks Tony.

"The handle's imprinted, right?" Tony asks Thor. "Like a security code, (Y/n) stole your handprint."

By this point, (Y/n) was looking slightly offended. "Yeah, because I know how to steal someone's whole handprint," (Y/n) says sarcastically and everyone laughs.

"Yes. It's a very, very interesting theory," Thor says, standing up. "I have a simpler one." Thor lifts his hammer. "You're not worthy."

Everyone groans in exasperation but then watch in interest as Thor turns to (Y/n).

The God of Thunder goes to say something but there is a weird mechanical noise and everyone looks around.

"Worthy," comes a hiss, and (Y/n) stands up, looking around.

There is a metal figure standing by the entrance of the hall and everyone looks in that direction.

"No," the figure rasps again. "How could you be worthy? You're all killers."

"Stark," Steve says.

"Jarvis," Tony prompts.

"I'm sorry, I was asleep," the robot rasps. "Or I was a-dream. There was a terrible noise. And I was tangled in . . . In . . . Strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" (Y/n) asks.

"Wouldn't have been my first call," the figure says. Everyone else had stood up by this point and (Y/n) was standing protectively in front of Skye. "But, down in the real world, we're faced with choices."

"Who sent you?" Thor asks, his voice low.

"I see a suit of armor around the work," is what comes from the figure, in Tony's voice.

"Ultron," (Y/n) says softly. She'd heard Tony and Bruce talking about a peace-keeping program they wanted to write. Clearly, something had gone wrong.

"In the flesh," Ultron says. "Or, no, not yet." Natasha and (Y/n) exchange a glance. "Not this chrysalis. But I'm ready." Maria had stood up this time, cocking her gun and Thor had readied his hammer. "I'm on mission."

"What mission?" Natasha asks.

"Peace in our time," comes from Ultron.

Suddenly, Tony's Iron Legion bots break smash through the walls and attack the team.

Skye and (Y/n) begin attacking drones that some towards them, Skye using her powers to Quake the droids and (Y/n) makes a sword appear in her hand and she begins cutting through some of the droids.

One of the droids knocks (Y/n) back and she crashes through a bookcase. She sees Steve's Shield and picks it up.

"Steve!" she yells, meeting the blonde's eyes she throws the shield and Steve catches it.

One of the droids gets a blow on Natasha and knocks her back over the bar. (Y/n) teleports in front of the droid and cuts through it, but more advance on her and Natasha pulls her down.

"Sorry," (Y/n) murmurs as she lands heavily on the redheaded assassin.

"Be careful," Natasha says, placing a kiss on (Y/n)'s cheek. She leaps to her feet and grabs (Y/n)'s hand, dragging her up the stairs.

"What about Skye?" (Y/n) asks. "I'll be back." She teleports over to Skye and helps her sister fight the hoard of droids until Ultron is the only one left.

"That was dramatic," Ultron leers. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve?" Ultron hisses and Skye takes her sister's hand and (Y/n) squeezes it gently. "With these?" he lifts one of the Iron Legionnaires by the head. "These puppets," he crushes the head in one hand. There's only one path to peace. The Avengers' extinction," this time, Skye grips her sister's hand tighter.

Thor throws his hammer and smashes through Ultron.

"I had strings, but now I'm free," Ultron's voice says, the Iron Legionnaire glowing blue before the light fades.

The next few days were interesting, to say the least, tracking down Ultron and now the Avengers - (Y/n) had forced Skye to go home to SHIELD HQ - were standing in a salvage yard off the African coast.

(Y/n) falters once she catches sight of the two teenagers who were standing behind Ultron.

"Stark is . . . He's a sickness!" Ultron roars.

"Ah, Junior," Tony says and Ultron turns around. "You're gonna break your old man's heart." Ultron eyes (Y/n), Cap, Thor, and Tony, but (Y/n) was watching the teenagers closely.

"If I have to," Ultron returns.

"Nobody has to break anything," (Y/n) says, still watching the two kids.

"Clearly you've never made an omelet," Ultron replies, looking at the female Avenger.

"He beat me by one second," Tony says with a smirk.

"Ah, yes," comes the male teenager's voice, Pietro. "He's funny. Mr. Stark. It's what? Comfortable? Like old times?" Pietro asks, looking down at all the missiles below them.

"This was never my life," Tony says, looking down at them as well.

"You two can still walk away from this," (Y/n) says, meeting each of the twins' gazes.

"Oh, we will," Wanda - the female twin - says, staring back into (Y/n)'s (E/c) gaze.

"I know you've suffered," Steve says, stepping forward.

Ultron scoffs, "Captain America. God's righteous man." (Y/n) raises an eyebrow. "Pretending you could live without a war."

"War and violence doesn't solve everything," (Y/n) says, her eyes narrowing at the android.

"I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but . . ." Ultron fixes his eerie red gaze on (Y/n) again.

"If you believe in peace, then let us then let us keep it," Thor says.

"I think you're confusing peace with quiet," Ultron answers.

"Uh-huh. What's the Vibranium for?" Tony asks.

"I'm glad you asked that because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan," Ultron shoots lasers at Tony, blasting him back against a wall.

(Y/n) strides towards Wanda and Pietro and the Pietro rushes toward her but (Y/n) teleports behind Wanda.

"Come on, kid," (Y/n) says as Wanda begins to attack her. "You can stop this," she says.

"You're right," Wanda says, her Sokovian accent thick, "I can." She waves her hand and throws (Y/n) back against one of the walls. (Y/n)'s ears ring as she staggers to her feet.

(Y/n) spits out blood as she moves into a fighting stance again.

Wanda leaves, and (Y/n) looks around, trying to fix her still spinning head.

Then she looks up and sees Wanda behind Natasha and the assassin's eyes turn red. (Y/n) teleports up, but by the time she gets there, Wanda is gone.

"Nat?" (Y/n) puts a hand on Natasha's knee but the redhead doesn't react. "Come on, Nat," she shakes her leg lightly.

(Y/n), despite still feeling dizzy, lifts the redhead and carries her out of harm's way.

(Y/n) stands over the redhead and fights off the droids off.

The remainder of the droids get fought off by Clint and (Y/n), who were the only ones left in the salvage yard who hadn't been mind-controlled by Wanda.

Natasha, who was still, her eyes red instead of their normal, beautiful green. (Y/n) shakes the thought from her head and picks up Natasha.

"Need help?" Clint asks.

"I've got 'er," (Y/n) says and Clint nods.

"I'll go get the others," Clint says.

"Meet you at the Quinjet?" (Y/n) asks.

"Yeah, I'll see you two in a moment.”

(Y/n) had never teleported with two people, and didn't want to risk hurting Natasha, so she just carries her to the Quinjet.

(Y/n) lies the redhead down on the chairs inside the Quinjet. (Y/n) had packed a spare hoodie, so she rolls it up, and it slides the pillow under the former assassin's head like a pillow.

(Y/n) sees Clint struggling to support both Thor and Steve and (Y/n) runs out to help. (Y/n) throws Steve's arm over her shoulder and helps the super-soldier inside.

"Who knew we super-soldiers were heavy?" (Y/n) says to herself as she lowers Steve onto another set of chairs.

"Mr. God of Thunder isn't light either," Clint adds.

"Are we just waiting for Tony to get Bruce?" (Y/n) asks and Clint nods.

About half an hour later, Tony returns with Bruce, who was unconscious, and Clint takes the stick.

(Y/n) had fallen asleep on her side, her head resting on her left arm, lying below Natasha on the floor.

Natasha had blinked open her eyes as the Quinjet had landed. She looks down at (Y/n), who was lying on the cold, hard floor of the Quinjet, shivering a little.

Clint walks over and wakes (Y/n) up. "Hm?" she sits up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "What's goin' on?"

"We're here," Clint says, and (Y/n) stands up.

Natasha goes to stand up, but stumbles and (Y/n) catches her.

"Slow down there, Romanoff," (Y/n) throws an arm around Natasha's waist to keep her upright.

Clint leads the Avengers up towards a farmhouse, and (Y/n) was right behind the archer as she helps the redheaded assassin up the stairs.

"What is this place?" Thor asks.

"Safehouse," Tony guesses.

"Let's hope," Clint answers as (Y/n) helps Natasha through the door. "Honey, I'm home," Clint says as they enter a living room and (Y/n) tentatively releases her hold from around the redhead, leaving a hand on her shoulder in case she falls.

A brunette, heavily pregnant, walks into the room and (Y/n) smiles at the woman.

"Hi," the woman breathes as Clint steps towards her.

"Company," Clint says. "Sorry, didn't call ahead."

"Hey," the brunette leans forward, kissing Clint.

"Aww!" (Y/n) says softly.

"This is an agent of some kind," Tony says and (Y/n) glances at him.

"Gentlemen, (Y/n), this is Laura," Clint introduces the woman and (Y/n) waves.

"I know all of your names," Laura says with a chuckle.

"Oh, I like her," (Y/n) says and Laura smiles at her.

There's a sound of footsteps and Clint smiles, "Ooh. Incoming."

"Dad!" a little girl cries and Clint scoops her up in his arms.

"Hi, sweetheart!" Clint says. "Hey, buddy," Clint pulls his son into a hug.

"Aww!" (Y/n) says again and Natasha looks at her weirdly. "What, I like kids. I raised my little sister since we were eight."

"These are smaller agents," Tony says and Y/n) laughs.

"Nice Tony," (Y/n) says.

"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" the little girl asks.

(Y/n) lifts her hand off Natasha's shoulder and the redhead walks towards the little girl.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" Natasha asks scooping the girl up in her arms.

"Sorry for barging in on you," Steve says.

"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea you existed," Tony says.

"Dude, we need to get you some help," (Y/n) says, nudging Tony with a laugh. She steps forward. "It's nice to meet you. I'm (Y/n) With no Last Name."

Laura's eyes flash with amusement. "Oh, I like this one."

(Y/n) laughs.

"I missed you," Natasha says, coming to say hello to Laura and (Y/n) takes a step to the side. "How's little Natasha, huh?"

"She's . . ." Laura falters. "Nathaniel."

Natasha's smile falls off her face and she leans down, muttering, "Traitor."

Thor walks out the door and one of (Y/n)'s eyebrows raises.

"Excuse me," (Y/n) says, smiling, before following Steve outside as he follows Thor.

"Thor?" Steve asks.

"I say something in that dream," Thor says. "I need answers. I wouldn't find them here."

Thor twirls his hammer and flies up into the air.

(Y/n) and Steve go to walk inside but Steve stops.

"I'll be back in soon," Steve says, and (Y/n) nods, retreating inside.

"Hi!" comes the little girl's voice and (Y/n) smiles down at her.

"Hey, I'm (Y/n)," (Y/n) says.

"I'm Lila!" Lila chimes in.

"I like you," (Y/n) smiles. "I'm (Y/n). Boop!" (Y/n) boops Lila's nose and the little girl giggles. "How 'bout we go outside and leave the Avengers to their business, yeah?"

Lila nods and leads (Y/n) outside. "I can show you around!"

(Y/n) smiles at the girl's enthusiasm and follows the young girl around the farm until they get back up on the porch.

"Thank you for hanging out with Lila," Laura says as the little girl runs inside.

"No problem," (Y/n) says with a smile. "As I said, I love kids."

"I wanted to let you know that because some of you have to double up, you and Natasha will be sharing a room," Laura tells her, and (Y/n) nods slowly.

"Okay," (Y/n) says, still nodding a little.

An amused expression had crossed Laura's face and her smile had widened.

"Um, I'm going to grab my stuff," (Y/n) says. She smiles before jogging towards the Quinjet. (Y/n) grabs her and Natasha's duffel bags and carries them inside.

Lila runs up to (Y/n).

"Hey, kiddo," (Y/n) greets. "Can you take me up to your Auntie Nat's room?" Lila nods and starts up the stairs, (Y/n) close behind. "Thanks," (Y/n) says, as Lila stops in front of one of the rooms.

(Y/n) knocks lightly on the door before stepping into the room.

"Hi, Nat," (Y/n) says softly.

"Hey," Natasha says halfheartedly, her eyes glazed.

(Y/n) sets the two duffel bags on one of the chairs, then she sits down on the edge of the bed by the redhead's feet.

"Hey, are you alright?" (Y/n)'s voice was gentle and the former assassin's eyes seem to return to their normal - non-glazed - green.

Tears seem to well up in the green eyes and (Y/n) reaches forward, gently squeezing the redhead's hands.

Natasha moves over and (Y/n) wraps her arms around her.

"Hey," (Y/n) says softly. "You're alright Tasha."

"Thank you," Natasha murmurs into (Y/n)'s shoulder.

"For what?" (Y/n) asks, her (E/c) eyes soft.

Natasha pulls back, looking into (Y/n)'s eyes.

A watery smile smiles across Natasha's face.

"You're so clueless," Natasha says, drying her tears on her sleeve.

(Y/n)'s head that - just seconds before had been full of unasked questions - is now buzzing as Natasha leans forward. She feels Natasha's breath on her cheek. Natasha watches her eyelids flutter, then close as their lips meet.

A moment later, Natasha pulls away and finds (Y/n)'s cheeks a bright red.

(Y/n) blinks open her (E/c) eyes and she smiles stupidly.

Steve sticks his head in the door, seemingly not noticing (Y/n)'s bright red cheeks. "There's someone here," Steve says and (Y/n) tilts her head.

"Who?" (Y/n) asks, an eyebrow raised.

"Just come downstairs."

Steve leaves the room and (Y/n) follows, but she also catches the look of disappointment that had spread across Natasha's face. Natasha gets up and quickly follows, taking (Y/n)'s hand.

A blush rises on (Y/n)'s cheeks and Natasha laughs.

"You are so cute," Natasha says softly. Then her eyes widen. "I said that out loud, didn't I?" she asks.

"Yeah, but I thought it was sweet," (Y/n) says and it's Natasha's turn to blush.

Natasha has to release (Y/n)'s hand as they walk down the stairs and into the kitchen.

(Y/n) lets out a noise as someone throws themselves into her arms.

"Skye?" (Y/n) asks, wrapping her arms tighter around her sister. Then she draws back staring at her sister. "I told you to go home," she scolds lightly.

"Fury wanted someone else with powers," Skye says and (Y/n) raises an eyebrow.

"Fury's here?" Natasha asks, and Skye nods.

"He's stalking Stark in the barn," Skye says and (Y/n) laughs.

"(Y/n)," Laura says, walking up and Skye smiles at the woman. "Whose your guest?"

"Oh, this is my twin sister, Skye," (Y/n) says, and Skye waves.

"The one you practically raised?" Laura asks and (Y/n) nods while Skye shakes her head no.

"Really?" (Y/n) asks, raising an eyebrow at her sister. "Who came to your rescue when SHIELD sent a team after you because you were doing hacker things."

"You were part of that team," Skye says.

"Yeah, but then, I taught you stuff," (Y/n) reasons.

"Fine," Skye grumbles.

"Yes! I win again!" (Y/n) says, nudging her sister. "Seven hundred, twenty-one to zero."

"Anyway," Natasha says with a laugh. She holds out her hand, "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself at the party. I'm Natasha."

"Hi," Skye shakes Natasha's hand. "(Y/n)'s told me a lot about you."

"She has, has she?" Natasha smirks and (Y/n) shifts uncomfortably.

Word Count: 4830 words

This was going to be one part, but we was reachin' like 10k words, and I wasn't about that, so it's probably going to be two parts.

Anyway, I love you guys!

Love,

          Kaitlynn ❤️❤️

Taglist: 

@marsromanoff

@ecruzsalaz

@procrastinatingsapphictrash​

[bokutosworld]

perfect match | miya osamu

a/n: i am so thrilled that haikyuu is back!!! can’t wait to see more of inarizaki and (excuse my bias) osamu!!!! <3 so here’s a very self-indulgent piece in celebration of their comeback haha 

pairing: miya osamu x f!reader

wc: 2.6k words of fluff and bit of angst if you squint lmfao.  

summary: in which you and osamu go in circles, walking the fine line between keeping the friendship or taking the leap in your relationship. inspired by the prompts: “It’s you, it’s always been you.”  + “Are you really gonna leave without asking me the question you’ve been dying to ask me?”

--

'for the last time, i am telling you oyakodon cannot be better than katsudon. nothing beats a good crisp, deep-fried pork or chicken over a steaming bowl of rice,' you said, putting your lunch tray on the table with a thud and settling on the bench.

'yeah, sure. but they're basically the same thing,' he slips in the space next to you, placing his food and getting his chopsticks ready. 'they're both donburi meals, only difference is how they're prepared. what matters is they're both delicious.'

taking a spoonful of your meal, you chew fast before deciding to answer back, 'i know that.' you pause to catch your breath, earning a worried glance from osamu as if he telling you to eat slowly. 'but katsudon just ranks superior. end of discussion.'

the both of you, cooped up in your own conversation, were oblivious to the stares and smirks of your friends in the table. atsumu, deciding to be the braver among the peers, cuts through the silence. 'you know, we could hear you bickering from the queue all the way here,' a hint of tease evident in his voice and osamu smacks his twin.

suna perks up, joining the conversation, 'that's like the third discourse they had today, man. and it's only lunchtime.' the rest of the group laughs and shakes their head, as atsumu adds, 'will there ever be a day where we enjoy some peace and the two of you just quietly get along?'

you share a look with osamu who simply shrugs and continues to chomp down (albeit rather cutely) his food. your friends weren't wrong but it's not like you and the boy hated each other's guts. your close friendship with him was comfortable, so much so that the two of you would talk and argue literally about anything. but as always, there were no hard feelings in those moments of disagreements.

it's just the way it has been since the day you met the twins in middle school. they were both kind and took care of you like their little sister. but somehow, you found yourself growing more attached with the quieter twin. there was something about conversing with osamu that made you feel like you can open up to him about anything. he was smart, a good listener, a natural conversationalist that he always had something ready to answer to your quips. he would always indulge whatever topic you brought up and challenge your ideas and beliefs - the latest one being the katsudon versus oyakodon dispute.

you notice the piece of rice stuck in the corner of osamu's mouth, and you were just about to wipe it off when hikari calls out your name. your hand falls limp on your side and you turn to her, 'what's up?'

'are you free this weekend? i was supposed to set up my cousin on a blind date with my co-worker but she just informed me that she can't go. they have exams this week. so,' she purposely dragged on her words, weighing if would consider being the substitute. raising an eyebrow at her, you completed the sentence for her, 'so, you want me to go on the blind date?'

she beamed, clasping her hands together as if she was reciting a prayer. 'please! i will owe you my life, this is a one time thing, i swear! i made him a promise. you know how i hate breaking promises.'

osamu took note of the way you sighed and how your shoulders slumped at your friend's request. you were never one to say no, you always found it difficult with your kind-hearted nature. so it wasn't a surprise to him when you turned and asked, 'we don't have anything planned for this weekend, right?'

truthfully, osamu wanted to say that you did have some sort of hangout planned. he didn't know why he was finding it hard to say no right now, so he was relieved when his brother spoke. 'you should be free, y/n,' swinging his arm around his twin's shoulders, atsumu looked at him and smirked. 'besides, we have a practice match this weekend. we wouldn't be able to do the usual hangout 'til after 6pm.'

this made you exclaim, 'great! you can give that guy my number then!' hikari proceeded to tell you the details - it was happening on saturday. she already arranged for the meetup time and place to be 10 am at the subway station near the park.

as hikari continued to talk to you about your date, osamu couldn't help but listen in on the conversation and take note of the details. he didn't miss the way your eyes lit up at the mention of your date's name - taichi - to which you remarked that it was 'a handsome name.' osamu rolled his eyes at that. lost in his own thoughts and conflicted feelings about your blind date, he wasn't able to control his facial reactions anymore - a slight look of envy and disappointment ghosting over his features and atsumu was enjoying every bit of it.

weekend arrived and to say that you were excited for the blind date was an understatement. you were looking forward to it, the evidence seen in the way you have prepared your outfit (with the help of osamu who you video called last night). as your closest friend, osamu tried his best to be thrilled and happy for you. he knew you have been wanting to experience a first date for a while now. but a feeling was gnawing at him, a feeling that wishes it was him who was taking you out on that weekend. nonetheless, he gave you a pep talk and reminded you to just have fun and be yourself.

so here you are now, standing in the middle of the station and waiting for your date. it wasn't as crowded as you thought it would be so you kept an eye out for taichi. he texted you just before you left, informing that he would be wearing a denim jeans and black jacket. keeping your eyes peeled for a person who fit that description, you see a shadow of a person jogging across the station and a voice calls out your name.

'y/n!!!!' you spot taichi running over to you, he crouches to try to catch his breath when he reaches you. when he's calmed down, he immediately apologizes, 'i am so sorry. have you been waiting long?' you assure him that it's fine and after a few minutes of back-and-forths of apologies and assurances, you two go on your way to your first stop: brunch.

taichi was indeed as handsome as his name initially suggests. he's got a boyish charm to him, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't drawing you in. all throughout the brunch, he proved to be someone who can keep a conversation with you. it was one of your worries that your date would find you boring, but osamu told you would do fine. thankfully, taichi could hold his ground with you, very much like your best friend who can immediately answer your witty quips with his own humorous comebacks. in your mind, the two boys were very much like and you couldn't wait to tell this to osamu.

after eating, he brought you to an aquarium. your genuine excitement made taichi smile as he shared that it was worth an effort asking hikari what you wanted if he could see you exude so much happiness. you made a face and hit him, 'i didn't know you were cheesy. thank you.' he then led you two inside and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the huge aquarium, in awe of the different fishes and feeling if you were lost in the underwater.

but all good things come to an end. by the time your date ended, it was already 6:33 pm. though it was still early, you had a curfew of 8 pm and taichi offered to accompany you home.

dropping you off at the front gate, he looked at you, hopeful, 'i had a really fun time today. hikari did great by setting me and you up together.' you laughed at this, admitting you've almost forgotten that this was a blind date, 'it's like i've known you forever!' despite the surroundings being dark already, you didn't miss the movement of a shadow just a few blocks away. you had a hunch as to what or who it was, and you couldn't wait to expose them.

'well, i don't want to keep you out any longer,' taichi began saying his goodbye. 'i'll text you when i get home. we should do this again.' your attention was brought back to the boy in front of you and you chuckled, 'don't be a stranger! just text or call me anytime, okay?' taichi began walking back to the main street, and he waved as you shouted your last farewell, 'be careful on the way home.'

when he finally turned to the street, you cleared your throat and called, 'you can come out of your hiding spot now, dumbass.' the person you were referring to sheepishly moved where the light can cast over him, revealing, 'osamu.' he could see the way your eyes glinted with a hint of mischief and he knew he wouldn't be able to escape your interrogation.

you ran up to him and tackled him, poking his sides which made him fall into a fit of laughter. he took your hands to make you stop, 'stop that.'

'how long have you been hiding out there,' you ask osamu. it wasn't impossible to miss the tinge of blush on his cheeks, your question obviously caught him off guard. 'well, osamu? are you gonna answer me or are you just going to keep staring into space?' you wave your hands in front of him, but he quickly gets hold of them and laces his fingers with yours. it was a usual gesture between the two of you, but right now, why did it feel so intimate?

after moments of silence, he speaks up, 'did you have fun on your date?' his eyes boring right into your soul and you swore your heart started beating faster. for some reason, you couldn't answer right away, your voice somehow betraying you at that moment. 'it.. it was nice.'

osamu continued to stare intently, waiting for you to finish. so you went on, 'they're a good person. he's very funny, you'd like him too, you know! he surprised me by taking me to the aquarium,' at this point, you were rambling just to avoid the awkward silence. 'it was so big, osamu! you'd like it there too. and then -'

'will you take me there with you?' now your heart was threatening to beat out of the chest. osamu was rarely serious with you, and right now, you could feel that he wants to say more but he's restraining himself.

you already had an idea of what he was trying to say. the butterflies in your stomach was starting to go wild at the thought. but you wanted to hear it from your best friend himself, so you feigned ignorance, 'what do you mean, osamu?'

the grip on your hands tightens and he pulls you a little closer to him. osamu wants to say that he wishes it was him who saw your smile in the aquarium, who you talked with nonstop in the cafe, who you exchanged stories and laughter with throughout the day. he wants to say that it should have been him who took you out on your first date. all these emotions and words were too much for him, so he takes a deep breath and rests his head on your shoulders instead. perplexed at his actions, you immediately wrap your arms around his waist. 'osamu? are you okay?'

'yeah, let me just stay like this for few minutes.' he buries himself deeper in the crook of your neck, getting lost in your familiar, comforting scent. he knows why he was acting like this and he was screwed. he loves you, but he doesn't want to risk ruining the friendship you have built. after a while, he stands up straight, shooting you his signature smile and ruffles your hair.

'thanks, i was just really tired from the practice match. i guess i missed our number one cheerleader.' he steps away and begins to walk home, but he doesn't get too far when you shout, 'are you really gonna leave without asking me the question you've been dying to ask me?'

he stops in his tracks. this time, you close the distance and he feels your presence behind him. 'come on, osamu. no secrets, right?' at this, his resolve breaks and a dam opens, his unrequited feelings for you finally flowing out in the open. osamu turns around and engulfs you in a warm embrace, and you just know.

'if you wanted to ask me out, you could have just asked me you know,' you tease him. flustered at you what just said, he looks at quizzically, 'how...'

'you're not very subtle, osamu. and the stunt you just pulled tonight basically confirmed you like me too,' you hope he caught your words at the end. because honestly, while being best friends with him has been the best thing to happen in your life. you've always wondered what it feels like to take the next step in your relationship with him.

it takes him a while to register your remarks and when the realization sets, he finally asks, 'since when?' the question was vague, but you knew what he was referring to if the hopeful look in his eyes was anything to go by. so you take a courageous leap, finally crossing that bridge to move to something more. you caress his cheeks, osamu leaning close to the warmth of your hands, 'it's you, osamu. it's always been you.'

he finally closes the gap, bringing your body to his in a tight hug, as if he was afraid to let you go. you stay like that for a few minutes, the passersby cooing at the 'lovely couple' on the street. he pulls away for a quick second, then all of a sudden, he was leaning in. your eyes instinctively shut, waiting for that sensation on your lips, but instead you feel him press a tender kiss on your forehead. he was always a man of few words and through his actions, you know that everything will never be the same again, but it was the kind of change that you have always hoped for.

so when you two go to school the following week, holding hands and finally not bickering in the morning, everyone in your friend group was dumbfounded. again, his twin was the only one brave enough to point out the difference, 'took you guys long enough. congrats, osamu! i knew you had it in you!'

hikari wanted to ask you about taichi, but after the date, the boy has already his expressed gratitude and shared how he felt that your thoughts were occupied by someone. and certainly, looking at you and osamu now - sitting by each other's side in peace and in your own love bubble - it seemed that you have already found your perfect match.