#c'mon their chemistry is already intense enough

[takaraphoenix]

I’m sorry but if the first time you use the term “love” on screen to describe whatever is going on between Alina and Mal while Alina is talking to Aleksander, in Alina and Aleksander’s shared dream-space vision, how am I supposed to... not see that as her trying to make him jealous? I’m not seeing any other read here aside from that??

Also could she have undressed the kefta any more sensually than turning her back to him and looking at him over her shoulder? I feel like if you’re not trying to actively seduce him, you could have angrily pulled it off while facing him, but this felt more like seductively undressing for him than anything else.

[soleilnomoon]

conquest ; eren x reader.

5.4k words, fem reader, college au, angst (c'mon, it's eren), nsfw (per my previous statement), 18+ mdni; eren's a dumbass and thinks he's slick (he's not), y/n also doesn't value her life clearly.

chapter 01 of the enfin, je me réveille series. masterlist | next ⤹

repetition, recall, regurgitation; a dance of rinse and repeat, until all that’s left is a husk of a person who can’t retain any more information. the human body is, quite literally, a sack of meat, mixed with bones, covered with a thin layer of skin — the soul bits and pieces of molecular data that somehow gives meaning to life. studying is an art, not made for the weak; one must always be prepared to put their life on the line when it comes to pushing themselves further and further academically. especially when it comes to chemistry. 

it’s delicate, like a flower that’s in the process of blooming, like lace that can be pulled apart with a bit of force. the requirements are dedication, absolute focus, and the ability to shorthand while balancing equations — correctly, at that. there’s very little room for error, nor is there room for those who lag behind. paradis college has a high graduation rate for that reason alone; children of legacies — politicians, musicians, powerful ceos, etc. — athletes, the wealthy elite, they are the preferred demographic for this particular school. there are the rare few that do attend on scholarship, but that’s less based on merit and more so based on meeting their quota. 

eren jaeger simply does not understand how anyone could possibly fail, when the classes aren’t remotely challenging at all. 

the sun hides behind fluffy gray clouds, its golden rays filtering through each crevice, casting down impatiently onto the tops of the trees — the leaves are still attached to the thick branches, despite the change in weather, shining brilliantly under the light. the leaves happen to be on the brick path that cuts through to the main quad of the campus, crunching under his shoes angrily, his strides long and purposeful. several people shout his name out, he barely lifts his head in acknowledgement, but his eyes do slide over to the side for a moment; his focus, really, is getting to class on time — as he always does — and passing out the graded exams from last week. socializing isn’t high on his list of priorities, nor is befriending people who aren’t on his level. still, he treats them all equally the same — with indifference.

loud chatter from the lecture hall drifts out noisily into the corridor; after taking a deep breath, eren grasps the door handle and enters. it’s a lower level chemistry class; the type that people shy of a few credits scramble to take in order to graduate on time. the professor is at the main podium, setting up and talking to himself under his breath. eren scans the crowd before clearing his throat loudly; the conversations die down immediately, his presence all too intimidating for the students to bear — despite him also being an undergraduate himself. but, given his position as the teaching assistant — a ruthless, unforgiving, intense man who barely tolerates any excuse from the students, no matter how legitimate they seem — no one questions his authority.

he’s a stickler for attendance, and already convinced the professor to remind his students that tardiness is not acceptable, and they more or less know that. 

all, save for one, that is. 

it’s when the professor is in the middle of his opening statement for the lecture, that you burst through the door in a frenzy. you double over, hands on your thighs, trying to catch your breath. the professor sighs when he realizes that it’s you — your habitual tardiness is enough to give him more wrinkles, but he can’t quite find it in himself to dock you for points. eren, on the other hand, is not that soft-hearted. when you stand up, run your brown hand through your hair, smoothing away any flyaways, everyone’s eyes are still on you. it’s almost like you’re a celebrity — except, you hate it.

hate the way they’re staring, hate the judgment in some of their eyes, hate that you’re late, and even more than all of that — you hate that eren jaeger is the t.a. for this class. he’s harder on you than anyone else, constantly snaps at you, reminding you of your incompetence and embarrassing you in front of everyone whenever he sees you dozing off in the middle of lecture.

you know that he’s looking at you, but you refuse to look back, instead wiggling your fingers at your classmates, a small giggle tumbling out of you before you pop a piece of gum into your mouth. “sorry, i overslept,” you say in lieu of a proper greeting, causing a good portion of your classmates to laugh and laugh. when you make your way towards the back of the classroom, you still feel his eyes on you — his stare is intense, lighting your skin on fire, reminding you exactly why you can’t stay around him for long.

eren sees right through your bullshit and you hate him for it.

with narrowed eyes, he makes a note to pull you aside after class to tell you off about your attendance. there’s no actual reason for him to do so, you won’t come to class any earlier, and you refuse to tell him why you can’t make it to class on time. so, he’ll have to get a bit creative to get you to see reason.

each step you take makes your hair bounce around like it has a mind of its own; your curls are a vibrant shade of pink, reminding him of snapdragons for their unconventionality. your perfume suffocates him as usual — a sickeningly sweet scent that he shouldn’t care for, but he does. peaches, warm vanilla, and spiced cinnamon; it’s all that occupies his mind, until he sees the way your dark gray leggings showcase your curves. with his hand balled into a fist, his green eyes keep on you, gradually lowering as they take in your hips, thighs, and round ass; it reminds him again of why he can’t stand you. 

it’s autumn and you’re wearing leggings that are much too tight to be considered appropriate for class; it’s autumn and your hair roams free, cascading down your shoulders, persistent, stray curls tossing themselves haphazardly onto your face; it’s autumn and you insist on wearing a cropped hoodie that matches your leggings; and yet, most offensive of all, is that you have the audacity to wear sandals that show off your bright pink toes.

everything that you are confuses him, but as you sit down at an empty table, noisily tossing your bag onto the empty seat, loudly popping your gum even as the professor continues from where he left off. it’s eren who swiftly moves between the rows, who makes it to your desk in record time, who grabs your bag off the chair and sits next to you. 

mouth slightly open, lips tempting him in more ways than one, you gawk at the man who continues to treat you as if you’re the worst pebble in his stupid shoe.

“before you say anything,” his voice is low enough for only you to hear, “you don’t get a say in this.” you blink repeatedly, unsure of what to say, and grab your bag from him with a small huff, chewing your gum even louder because you know how much it aggravates him. 

jaw clenched, eren suffers in silence for as long as he can, even though you move around a lot in your chair, you’re barely paying attention and doodling in your notebook instead of actually taking proper notes. he sucks his teeth quietly, casting a sideways glance your way, taking in the way your cheeks are still a little flushed from the weather, the way your lips are coated in some sparkling lip gloss that he’s sure tastes like candy, and how when you cross one shapely leg over the other, your foot accidentally brushes against his leg.

his brain short-circuits momentarily, and he coughs into his fist to take himself away from that moment. it almost works, he practically sits statuesque in the seat, his sharp features reminding you of an animal that’s biding its time, and you briefly wonder if you’re his prey.

the thought brings a flush to your cheeks, that you attempt to hide by tossing your hair over to the side he’s sitting on, accidentally slapping his face with it. a scowl works its way onto his lips, a vein bulging on his temple, hands still balled into fists, as if he’s restraining himself and losing his sanity slowly.

he didn’t think any of this through, obviously; and since you continue to harass him with your presence, he has no choice but to endure. this is his penance—your hair is soft and annoyingly curly to him, the pink is too bright and loud, your shampoo smells like wild berries — sharp, tart, with a hint of sweetness. it’s so very you, which only makes him suck his teeth again. 

with great effort, he asks you, “can you stop that?” 

the question confuses you momentarily, you sit up a bit, tilting your head at him as you squint and try to figure him out. normally, you’re able to get an accurate read on people — it’s why, despite how large your friend group is, you’ve yet to find anyone who matches you in a way that makes sense. eren is the only person in your life that you can’t read and it frustrates the hell out of you; similarly, he can’t understand what you’re thinking, doesn’t get why you choose to live the way you do, and he’s deluded himself enough that he believes his disinterest in you is healthy.

except, it’s not. because he doesn’t dislike you at all. not that he’ll ever admit that anytime soon; and you don’t see yourself befriending him, either.

“what will you do if i don’t?” you’re teasing him, your tone soft, words heavy with intent; and he knows that, but for some reason he takes your words seriously — his subsequent frown is evident of that.

you blow another bubble, bigger than the last, the pink stretching until it pops — the strawberry scent has faded, but he can still smell it on your breath. so, he scoots his chair away, so that he won’t be infected by you once again. brows raised, you blink at his antics and rip a piece of paper from your notebook and use it to put your gum in. for some reason, he feels compelled to watch you, and, to his horror, you roll up the piece of paper and stealthily chuck it at the back of reiner’s large head. 

eren stiffens beside you, eyes widening as he watches reiner turn around and blame jean automatically — which sets connie off, who doesn’t make the situation any better, as he’s laughing and instigating a fight between them. jean mouths off and it’s only when the professor scolds them that they stop. you press your lips together, fighting the impish grin that threatens to break out onto your face, cheeks puffed in merriment. 

he can’t believe you did that; he can’t believe he let you do that. without thinking about it, eren grabs your wrist and leans over to you, a few dark strands of his hair ghosting along his face — you want to reach out and touch them, to tuck them into his bun, but refrain from doing so for obvious reasons.

when he realizes what he’s done, he lets go of you, almost as if the touch of your skin burns and he can’t stomach touching you — and, it’s true; it did burn, but in a way that will infiltrate his thoughts for the rest of the day. you look down at your hand, doing your best to keep your breathing steady; eren doesn’t just touch people like that. if anything, he barely embraces his friends, so it comes as quite a surprise that he did that willingly. his touch is electric, even if he did it out of annoyance; you’re aware that if you keep on pestering him, there may be more instances of him touching you again.

it sits in the back of your mind for the remainder of the class. once the lecture is over, eren heads to the front of the classroom so he can pass out everyone’s graded exam. he leaves you for last, a notion that baffles him, but he chooses not to dwell on it. for now. he didn’t expect your face to pale at the sight of the failing grade, nor did he expect you to close your eyes, almost as if you’re in pain, and count under your breath. the numbers don’t help, all that energy, all that frustration boils quickly and bursts out of you before you can stop it.

“god damn it,” your voice raises, startling a few of your lingering classmates — the rest already left once they were dismissed — even eren is taken aback by your outburst. “fuck! fuck, fuck, fuck. i fucking hate chemistry!” kicking at the leg of the table, you finally stand up and grab your bag. you should keep it together, should keep quiet, but you can’t. you just can’t; it doesn’t make any sense, you studied all night, made sure to read the chapters, and you still managed to fail. 

earlier, your advisor had called you into her office for an impromptu meeting. she told you at the end of last semester that failing is not an option, that if you don’t find a way to pass, you’ll be in a bigger mess than you’re currently in. you know your scholarship has always been contingent on how your grades are, and you’ve managed over the years — barely, but you passed regardless. tears threaten to spill onto your cheeks, but you hold them back, instead laughing off your advisor’s terse words, telling her you’ll get it together, and that you won’t disappoint. 

she doesn’t believe you, you can tell by her demeanor, by the slight frown that graces her thin, crusty lips, by the way she crosses her arms against her chest while sitting back in her impressively large desk chair. she tuts loudly, but says that she’ll try to support you as best as she can and dismisses you with a nod of her head. it’s the sole reason why you were late to chemistry today — or, rather, one of the reasons; you also happened to oversleep but that is neither here, nor there.

your skin is currently on fire, your mind’s a mess, and your heart can’t keep up with either. 

with as much strength as you can muster, you crumble the thick packet of papers and you’re prepared to toss it in the trash when you think better of it. “what-the-fuck-ever,” you mumble, the anger still wafting out of you, smacking eren in powerful waves.

“you need a tutor,” is all he says before giving you a curt look and walking away, joining up with jean and the others. they leave in a small crowd, and soon it’s just you who remains behind. people are used to the way you just yell things without thinking, but this is a little different. the lack of coffee in your morning forces an absurd headache to pound through your head; jaw clenched, you stuff your exam into your bag and stalk away from the classroom, the brisk air cooling you off a bit once you’re back outside.

the coffee shop on campus isn’t great, you prefer the one a few blocks away from the school, but you don’t have the energy to make that long trek, nor do you have your roller blades with you so you can skate over without issue. but once you get that cup — you always buy what’s cheapest on the menu — you instantly feel relief. you sweeten it up as much as you can, smiling to yourself when you feel that familiar buzz fly through you. maybe the rest of your day won’t be too bad; failing a chem exam isn’t going to ruin your life, but dealing with eren like that again might.

so, you choose to steer clear of him all day, until you head to your last class and spot him hanging out with his friends; it’s strange, seeing him so relaxed, laughing despite how serious he is, re-tying his hair with his hair tie as if it’s the most normal thing in the world for him. you watch from around the corner, peeking over at them like a dedicated stalker — except, you’re not exactly stalking per se, you’re scoping out your surroundings. he just happens to be in your line of sight, that’s all.

when he stretches his arms over his head, a yawn falling out of his mouth, his shirt lifts slightly, revealing a bit of his abdomen, the sharp v-cut on his hips, the accompanying hard abs that he should be imprisoned for — the sight has you choking on your coffee, quite literally.

“fuck,” you say out loud, not even caring that a few students look your way, giving you strange looks before whispering. “nope,” you sip more of your coffee, “nope, nope, nope. no, bad y/n.” because talking to yourself is the most normal thing about you. “eren is evil, and annoying, and pompous, and also stupid, and pretty, but that’s besides the point.” you want to curse him for being so handsome, and end up crushing the flimsy disposable cup in your hand when he smiles at something armin says.

if there’s one thing you’ll never get enough of in life, it’s eren’s smile — the genuine one, not the one he gives to the masses, the one that placates them despite its insincerity; where he’s more reserved and severe, his smile makes him appear youthful and friendly, even. you hate it, so much; mostly because of how much you don’t actually hate anything about him. yes, even his terrible personality is likable. 

you know, you know, you know — there’s something wrong with you.

it’s mikasa who notices you watching them; her eyes narrow at you in suspicion, which brings a haunting chill down your spine. you’re not sure why, but she’s never really liked you — and it doesn’t matter, you don’t care for her either, but you’ve barely said much to the girl, let alone did anything to piss her off. that you remember, anyway. because the drunk version of you is a menace, you know that already — actually, most people who party with you know that.

but, still.

when eren follows mikasa’s gaze, his smile vanishes completely. now that you’ve been caught, you have no choice but to play things off the best way you can. tossing the crushed cup into the nearest bin, you skip over to the group, smiling broadly, your hair bouncing in a way that tempts eren in the worst kind of way. 

jean lets out a low whistle, nudging connie with his elbow hard. “i swear y/n is going to give me a stroke one of these days,” jean boasts loudly, a devilish grin hopping onto his face as he watches you walk over. “i wonder if i ask her to crush me between her thighs, if she’d take me seriously.” the question is typical of jean, but eren’s beyond caring — he feels like pummeling his friend’s face in for even considering asking you that. 

he clenches his jaw so hard, he nearly cracks a tooth. mikasa slinks her arm around his protectively, eyeing you cautiously once you arrive.

“hey guys,” you say brightly, tucking a few wild curls behind your ear. connie slings an arm around your shoulders, pulling you in for a hug of sorts; eren gives him a sharp look, to which connie releases you almost immediately. you don’t catch the moment, because jean is being flirty again, and asking you out for the tenth time this month. 

“aw c’mon, i’ll make it worth your while,” jean says, grinning like a fool and making you laugh. you think jean is quite handsome, he just doesn’t…it definitely won’t work, you’ve made up your mind about that.

“sorry, cutie,” your grin says otherwise and you pat his cheek gently with your hand, “it’s the single life for me.” forever, you want to add, but you don’t.

eren’s hawkish gaze rakes over your body, hating that your skin shows more and more everytime you move around in that damn cropped hoodie. he’s sure that your body is just as soft as the skin on your wrist is, and because he’s not a masochist — not always — he knows not to stick around for too long. you catch his eyes and roll your bottom lip in between your teeth, contemplating how best to navigate around him. he doesn’t give you the option to figure it out just yet, as he tells his friends he’ll see them later.

“you need to stop being so clingy,” he says to mikasa, shrugging her off as he walks away from her too. she stands there stupidly, watching his retreating figure, being comforted by armin and reiner. you’re confused as to what just happened; with your hands on your hips, you look up at jean, a brow raised in accusation.

“what the hell was that all about?”

he blinks and shrugs, but that previous mischievousness comes back in full force. “oh, don’t you know?”

a frown leaps onto your mouth at his question. “no, what don’t i know?”

jean leans closer, dropping his voice to a whisper, before saying, “eren has a crush on you, but he won’t do anything because he’s a damn virgin, can you believe that?”

no, you actually can’t believe that. not the crush part, at least; so it’s sexual frustration that has him acting so standoffish all the time? you’re not sure what to do with the information, even as your cheeks burn again at the thought of eren being interested in you. it can’t be, you refuse it; love is for suckers who willingly want a lifetime of misery. you won’t fall for that shit, not again. not ever.

still, you can’t help but wonder if what jean says is true. 

“yeah, sure he does,” your sarcasm is notorious, so jean only rolls his eyes before calling armin over.

“armin, tell y/n that eren likes her, because she doesn’t believe me.” jean looks at his friend expectantly, while you continue to stare at both of them in disbelief.

“well,” armin starts, his blond hair neatly coiffed, not a strand out of place, “he certainly pays more attention to you than he wants us to think.” his voice is even and smooth, like he calculates exactly how his tone should be, which is both impressive and unnerving. “then again, eren hasn’t mentioned liking anyone lately, so…” he casts a glance over at mikasa before looking at you again, and already you can tell he’s about to give you some bullshit excuse.

you hold a hand up to stop him, “save it. i don’t actually care.” it’s a little bitchy, but you forget that those are his friends and not yours. “whether or not eren likes me is his problem, not mine. because i damn sure don’t like him.” the way your throat constricts when you say those words is a problem, but you power through it all anyway. “besides i have better things to think about.” that was more of an aside to yourself than to them, but they hear it anyway.

the boys look at each other in confusion once you walk away. you don’t know why you even bothered; you should’ve run in the opposite direction the moment they spotted you, but you’re stupid — and foolish, very, very foolish.

evening descends faster than you anticipate. when you make it back to your dorm you’re beat, your academic woes eat at you for the entire day, but now you have a bit of time to yourself before you need to head back out again. a nap would be good, but your mind is spinning, thoughts prancing around quickly as you try to make sense of your day. so many embarrassing things happened, but you survived it all, thankfully.

phone in hand, the cracked screen barely allowing you to see the notifications that popped up, you swipe through and set a timer; on the off chance that you do fall asleep, at least the alarm will wake you up. you hope so, anyway.

you’ve discarded the hoodie and your leggings, opting to chill in your bra and panties as you don’t have a roommate and everyone seems to have cleared the floor for the night. the students on campus have a habit of partying constantly — how they maintain their grades is beyond you. eyelids fluttering, you find yourself replaying certain events of the day, and, naturally, eren infiltrates every single thought.

running your hands down your face, frustration eating away at your sanity all over again, you can’t help but remember the intensity behind his green eyes, the sharpness of his jaw, the length of his fingers, and his abs — stupid, stupid, stupid. and also, incredibly attractive.

it’s out of annoyance that a daydream slams into you as you lounge on your bed, one where eren’s hands are roaming down your body, and, it’s out of pure possession — it has to be — that you move your hands too. you’re not surprised to find that your panties are damp, you’ve been aroused all day, despite how much you tried to ignore it. eren is a force of nature that can’t be tamed by any means, but you still find yourself insanely curious about him. still find yourself wondering how it might feel to kiss him — even just once.

with your legs spread apart, you slip your hand into your panties, too bothered to take them off, fingers dipping in between your folds with great familiarity. hips lifting, the tips of your fingers brush along your clit, rubbing soft circles and imagining that it’s eren’s hand instead of yours. would he have a firmer touch? would he go for the plunge and finger-fuck you senselessly? you don’t know and you might never, ever find out; all you do know is that you’re barely holding on, your fingers slipping inside your moist entrance, pussy squeezing around them as you pump them in and out.

because the walls in the dorms are incredibly thin, you do your best to keep your voice down; especially when you insert a third finger, imagining it to be eren’s cock that’s filling you up; he seems like the type who’d have the stamina to fuck you hard and fast, not bothering to slow down because his goal is domination — and it’s a little alarming that the idea of that turns you on. or it would be alarming if you cared enough.

you don’t.

with your free hand, you clamp it over your mouth, plunging your fingers deeper inside of you, your wetness dripping onto your hand and the bed sheets underneath. hips bucking wildly, your moans strangled, and for whatever reason, the idea of someone — namely eren — catching you pushes you over the edge. the sounds of your fingers impulsively thrusting inside of your pussy are indecent, lewd, but also erotic, bouncing around the room, reminding you of just how much you hate the way eren affects you even when he’s not nearby.

the orgasm is more intense than you thought it’d be, your body convulsing as you pant behind your hand; when you pluck your fingers out of your pussy, your arousal coats the insides of your thighs in a way that should embarrass you, but you’re too shaken up to care. a few minutes later, a calmness pours over you, but the realization that you masturbated to the thought of eren has you jumping out of your bed and heading to your bathroom to clean up. shame will eventually find yourself later, but now, you need to get ready for tonight.

eren’s annoyance never wanes; to his displeasure, there’s yet another party he’s required to attend. historia’s birthday is a mandatory affair — mostly because his older brother, zeke, insists that eren keeps up his relationships with certain people — and despite being friends with her, he’d rather do something else. but, duty calls. unfortunately.

he tosses his clothes into the hamper and pads barefoot into his bathroom, the tile surprisingly cold. it’d be wise for him to take a cold shower, rather than a hot one, but he figures the heat will take his mind off of things. once steam wafts out of the shower, eren steps inside, the water scalding, but he’s used to the sting. he feels himself start to relax after a minute or so, and he gradually changes the temperature of the water to something more suitable to shower in for an extended period of time. his cock is still hard — has been for the majority of the day, a painful reminder of how dangerous you are to him. 

biting down hard on his lip, he closes his eyes and images of you flood him recklessly. “fuck,” he says gruffly, a groan following after as he wraps his hand around the base of his cock. when you came around him and his friends, he didn’t know what to do; he was so taken by your beauty, by the way your plush lips moved when you spoke, by the way your ass looked tantalizing enough to bite. and then, connie and jean were being their usually goofy selves, except they were all up on you, arousing a level of jealousy that he refuses to admit to. why couldn’t he be the one that you laughed and joked with; why couldn’t he touch you freely without you visibly looking annoyed by his presence; why couldn’t he just get over whatever this was and finally stop thinking about you for good.

the situation was impossible, and as he stroked the length of his cock faster, his grip firm, his anger building slowly. the idea of your mouth wrapped around his cock only makes him want you more; with a hand pressed against the tiled wall in front of him, eren keeps steady, hand fisting his cock like his cock is to blame for all of his troubles. and it probably is, in a way. when your foot touched his leg, he felt like a teenager, full of hormones that dulled his logic; and when he willingly touched your wrist, he thought he might fall apart. eren’s never been comfortable with touching people like that, but with you it was frighteningly easy. 

hips jutting forward with each pump of his hand, eren moans out your name, surprisingly, the sound echoing in the bathroom loud enough to stay with him for the rest of the night. the way you’ve completely uprooted his life without even trying is an unforgivable offense. it’s almost like you’re doing it on purpose, and he can’t have that. there are too many unknowns in life, and you’re much too dangerous for him to let you keep disrupting his peace like that.

despite all of his negative thoughts, when he briefly thinks of your thighs, of how badly he wants to drive his cock into your cunt repeatedly, until you can barely stand — let alone walk—he cums quick; his breath comes out in light pants, his cum drips down the tile and onto the floor of the shower, it coats his fingers thickly. the amount shocks him — granted, it’s been a while since he’s been this turned on before — which is another strike against you. the tallies keep adding up, and eren knows that if he doesn’t confront you about it soon, he might implode. shame should flood him relentlessly, but it never comes. strange. so very, very strange. 

he takes a long shower after that, scrubbing his body and ridding the shower of his past misdeeds. similarly, you’re also doing your best to purge yourself of him, failing miserably but still trying regardless.

this isn’t the sort of story that ends happily ever after; there are no prince charmings, fairy godmothers, long lost princesses, or curses to break. this is a story of two people who desperately want to deny themselves of one another; of two people who stumble around in the dark, ignoring their intense feelings; and of two people who inevitably have to find out if what they’re feeling is intense lust, or an overwhelming love. there’s a possibility of redemption, and a possibility that, despite the odds, they might find something close to happiness.

masterlist | next ⤹

[an-american-whovian]

• The Story Thus Far:

I review 'Doctor Who: Series 1 (2005)' -- or where all this modern shit got started -- whilst I developed an UNHEALTHY obsession with this godforsaken show.

Like, yea, I saw some episodes from Classic Who on public access television as a young fart, prior; and, unfortunately, already had watched the finale to Series 2 by the time I decided to start at the beginning.

Let's just do this fer continuities sake!

• All the Good Shit and There's a Lot of It:

Firstly, two words: Christopher Eccleston. It's a shame that he only had the one season (and then was followed by David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. Which, let's face it, took the ball -- AND RAN WITH IT).

Either way, not enough can be said about how legit he is as the Doctor. Funny, intense, caring, blah, blah, blah -- you get it, he does it all.

Then there's Rose. In retrospect, I don't think she, or Billie Piper fer that matter, gets enough credit. She's super dope as a chav-esque character -- who shows so much growth as the series progresses. Really good chemistry with Eccleston. That scene in 'The Unquiet Dead' in which Nine tells her she looks "beautiful"? Fantastic (pun intended). Especially when he follows it with that whole, "for a human" line. Genius shit.

Let's not forget her relationship with Noel Clarke's Mickie Smith. (Like, I could totally see those two dating.)

John Barrowman, tho', as Captain Jack zee roguish swashbuckling time agent!? Perfection.

Biggest highlights fer me have to be 'Rose', 'The End of the World', 'Dalek' (this story NEVER gets old) and 'Fathers Day'. I don't think 'Boom Town' gets enough credit, too.

Like, yea, 'Aliens of London'/'World War 3' kinda suck -- and the Slitheen are super corny; but, 'Boom Town' is such a nice and personal story. That restaurant scene is so legit and I almost actually feel bad fer Margaret as the story unfolds.

Then it goes ahead and leads into, which I'll be as so bold to say, one of the best series finales AND regeneration stories ever: 'Badwolf' and 'The Parting of the Ways'. Just pure epic balls to the wall science fiction. Dalek fleets! The Doctor with his back against the wall and EVERYTHING stacked against him!? Russell T Davies really outdid himself.

Like, c'mon, Lynda (with a y's) death!? That one dude asking out a girl before taking on an army of Daleks KNOWING THEY'RE GOING TO PRO'LY DIE? Patterson Joseph being a coward (always wanted to see him take a shot AS the Doctor)? The Doctor tricking Rose into going back home and leaves her alone with the TARDIS!? OR HIS REGENERATION GOODBYE TO HER!? Fuck. 😭

I cry -- everytime.

• The Stuff That's Basically Just There 'Cause Let's Face it -- This Series is Perfect:

'Unquiet Dead' is a decent story. The Slitheen two parter is just pure B movie cornyness. Like, I love farts -- but those episodes could've ruined them fer me. 'The Long Game' is alright, as well (it's mostly just there to remind us of what a piece of shit Adam is).

HOWEVER, this one is gonna be controversial: I think 'The Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances' are SO FUCKING OVERRATED. I'm not saying they're terrible. FAR FROM IT. I mean, the episodes give us Captain Jack -- and I'll take them over ANYTHING in series 11 or 12.

They're just alright, tho'.

I don't get it.

Lastly, I always wished they wouldn't have killed off Clive in that first episode. Like, he would've been a cool comeback character/one time companion. That might just be me, tho'.

(Like, I, also, feel that way about Will Sasso's character from the TV Movie.)

• The Point in Which Yer Almost Done Reading This Rambling:

It's not debatable and/or even subjective: Series 1 of Doctor Who is A CLASSIC.

SURE some of the jokes don't land and some of the effects are dated (I mean, DW has never been known to be the pinnacle of special effects); but EVERYTHING ELSE just meshes -- SO WELL. Great fun time and space traveling entertainment.

I revisit it all the time. So should you! (Yer pro'ly still under quarantine -- so do it. You can go ahead and skip that second season of 'The Umbrella Academy' while yer at it. Snoozefest 2020, yo.)

I'd give it four out of four stars -- but that wouldn't do it enough justice. Give it all the stars in the universe.

ALL OF THEM.

Ps. Cant wait to see what Eccleston does over in BigFinish! Woot.

[tentendeservedbetter]

double the trouble

Summary: Two-Shot // What was supposed to be short trip to the Yamanaka Flower Shop to get his girlfriend something to remind her of home ends with Shikamaru agreeing to go on a double date with Ino and Sai to help his friend have a successful relationship.

And Temari, not seeing the big deal of double dates, agrees.

Pairing: ShikaTema, InoSai

Also read here: AO3

***

"C'mon Shikamaru! Don't you want to help me?"

"Not really," the man admitted with a low groan, balancing his chin on top of his hand, glancing away from his blonde friend that stood directly across from him over the counter.

"Ughhhh!" The blonde crossed her arms over her chest. Her piercing blue eyes quickly shifted towards their third companion that stood beside him, and her pout deepened, and she pleaded, "How about you Choji? Why don't you come with us?"

"And risk being the fifth wheel?" Choji scoffed, taking another potato chip from the bowl that stood between the three on the counter. "No thanks."

"You can bring someone else!" She replied, a sly smirk growing on her face. "What about that Karui girl, hm? I thought you were already making the moves on her-"

"N-no way, Ino!" Choji nearly choked out, with his mouth being full, and took a moment to properly swallow the food in his mouth. Shikamaru smirked slightly as red started spreading on his friend's ear, threatening to leak to his face. "We haven't been on a proper date yet, there's no way I'd take her to have a date with you two!"

"What?!" Ino exclaimed, her eyebrows pulling into a frown. "You've known her for years dude! How long is it going to take for you to ask her out!"

"Leave him alone, Ino," Shikamaru interjected, slipping his hand to the bowl. "Unlike you, Choji likes to take his time when it comes to relationships."

"Please, I don't want him to be like you and have a decade long slow burn," Ino retorted, waving her hand to dismiss him. "I'm surprised you and Temari never dated sooner, you two were always together before the war. I should have swept her up from you when I had the chance."

"That was because-" Shikamaru started, ready to ignore whatever nonsense she might say next, but Ino beat him to it.

"I had to escort her through the village," Ino mocked, deepening her voice to mimic his, and Choji grinned, holding back his laughter. "And we ran the Chunin Exams. It was such a drag."

"Fuck off," Shikamaru grumbled, cringing internally at how familiar those words sounded. "And you better be nicer to me if you want me to do this favour."

What a drag, he thought mindlessly as Ino stuck her tongue out childishly, attempting to coax a reaction out of him. What was supposed to be a quick professional trip to the Yamanaka Flower Shop to pick up a gift quickly dissolved into a hangout with his close friends and old teammates. Ino was manning the store, idly arranging a flower basket for a client at the front counter, while Choji had been passing by from the convenience store and decided to say hi to them.

It hasn’t been that long since they last hung out with one another- but as they grew older and older, it became more and more seldom, to the point that when they do manage to be in the same vicinity, they spent hours and hours discussing nonsense. Ino would often times bring up the past a lot more, especially in comparison to how they live now, and as of late, the conversations have been turning to relationship therapy - particularly for Ino, who had finally asked Sai out on a date and has been restless about the relationship since.

If this were the old Shikamaru, he wouldn’t have given her the time of day, blaming her dilemmas on her being, well, a stereotypical annoying girl- but time has worn out his mind where he was much more understanding, and now, he found himself seeking out Ino’s company and thoughts, finding that out of all of his friends, she was the one who changed the least. War and death haven’t deterred her from being honest and kind; and the optimism she and Choji held were good for his cynical heart.

Currently, Ino talking about her love affairs was no different from the last. Except this time, Ino was begging them for a favour she never asked of them before.

"Why do you even want to do a double date with us anyways?" Choji perused between bites. “Can’t you ask Hinata or someone?”

"Can't I have a double- or triple- date with my two best boy friends?" Ino asked, flashing that sweet little smile when she was trying to sway someone her way. Shikamaru and Choji, who were completely immune to the girl’s charms, simply glanced at each with an eyebrow raised, always suspicious of her intentions.

She let out a low, withdrawn sigh at their silent exchange.

"Alright, alright," Ino mumbled, leaning on her arms slightly, the tips of her lips slightly turned upside down. “I feel like I haven’t really been connecting with Sai.”

He stared at her, expecting her to continue, but she just started fidgeting with a single potato chip between her fingertips. “What does that mean?”

“Like,” she slurred, glancing around slightly, as if conflicted on what to say. Her eyes flitted around the room, no other customers in sight, and she turned towards the door leading into the rest of her home, listening for a second. Once she was satisfied with the drone of the soap opera that played on the TV deeper in the living room, a sign her mother was far enough to not eavesdrop, she lean closer over the counter towards them.

Oh boy, Shikamaru groaned, knowing that she must have done something to warrant this type of secrecy.

“Well, we’re not technically boyfriend-girlfriend, right,” Ino started, her voice low, glancing between the men.

“Yeah…”

“Like, we’ve been on a few dates here and there, but it’s just casual, nothing serious-”

“Yeah, we get it,” Shikamaru cut through, not wanting her to ramble on. “What’s your point?”

“It still feels like we’re not connecting emotionally or on the same level,” Ino huffed, annoyed at her friend’s lack of indulging in details. Temari is exactly like that- no wonder the two get along so well. They were on the same spectrum but on opposite sides. “Like, Sai is very nice to be around and he’s really nice to me and he’s interesting and I love I can say anything I want when I’m around him. But it just feels like something is off? Like, I feel comfortable, but it feels like there’s a wall between us whenever we talk?”

“Well, it hasn’t even been that long since you two started going out,” Shikamaru replied, shaking his head. “It sounds pretty normal for a new relationship.”

“Besides, Sai isn’t really an open guy, remember?” Choji added a bit more softly than their friend, almost sage-like. “It took him a long time to even get around hanging out with us without feeling the need to keep his guard up; he just might need time warming up to dating you. You’re kind of a handful for guys like him.”

Shikamaru smiled at the little jab, and Ino shook her head intensely, while saying, “Well, I didn’t want to wait around! So a few days ago, we had sex so I could figure out whether we had that emotional connection-”

“Wait, you guys did what!” Choji exclaimed, and Ino quickly shushed him.

“Not so loud dumbass,” Ino hissed, glancing towards the doorway to her home. “And it’s not like I haven’t done it before- it’s not a big deal.”

“I don’t think that’s the issue,” Shikamaru replied, starting to feel his pant pockets for a lighter. After what Ino is going to indulge them with, he’s going to need a smoke, he could feel it. “I’m surprised you guys didn’t do it on the first date.”

“We could’ve, but waiting makes it better,” Ino replied with a smirk. “How’s it like being a fucking maiden, huh Shikamaru?”

“But if you feel like you weren’t connecting with the guy before, why’d you sleep with him?” Choji finally asked. “Wouldn’t it be better if you had gotten to know him a bit more. Like...wouldn’t it be better?”

He started to gesture with his hands, a sort of weird back and forth movement to emphasise the better part, and Shikamaru just put his hand on his forehead, massaging one side with his thumb.

Oh yeah. He definitely needs a smoke after this.

“Oh please, you could sleep with a stranger and have a good time,” Ino shook her head, dismissing his insinuation. “And I technically connected with him...well, I would say we connected really well-”

“I don’t want to know how sleeping with Sai is like,” Shikamaru interrupted, gritting his teeth. He already has to see Sai naked one too many times at the onsen, he doesn’t need to know what he does with his dick whenever he’s trying to relax in the same vicinity as the man.

“I’m pretty sure he’s better than you,” Ino snapped, annoyed with the commentary. “At least I know he’s better kisser than you. Temari told me all about your first kiss and how you-”

“Ino, just keep going,” Choji sighed, physically placing an arm between them so as to stop the beginning of endless bickering.

Curse Ino and her sharp nose. No wonder she was Konoha’s go-to shinobi for gathering intelligence; her personality is well suited for the field-work. Not even Temari, who had trained under Suna’s harsh disciplinary training, who would be ready to bite her tongue off before she gave away any secrets, could escape the copious amounts of drinks Ino would bring to one of the many nights out with the girls.

“Alright, jeez,” Ino sighed. “I slept with him to figure out if there was any other chemistry between us. And I feel like there is some sort of emotional chemistry, but it’s hard to tell when you can’t even talk without it feeling fake."

"Okay, you have problems connecting to the guy," Shikamaru replied. "But what does that have to do with us going on a date with you two?"

"Well, Sai tends to be more...open in a more...friendly group setting," Ino said slowly, thinking of the words to explain her thought. "And I feel like he'd feel more comfortable being in more of a group setting with me for a bit, you know. On missions and stuff, it's easier to get to know him because he's with other people he knows. So maybe we can do the same, but in a more romantic dinner setting?"

"You don't even sound like you believe what you're saying right now," Shikamaru duly noted, while Ino groaned, planting her face into his arms.

"Where were you even thinking about going?" Choji asked, curious now, the talk of dinner piqued his interest.

"I don't know, maybe Korean Barbecue or something?" Ino mumbled, face in her arms still, now embarrassed having to explain why she wanted a double date.

"If you're paying, then I'll definitely come!" Choji immediately exclaimed happily, but Ino shook her head.

"Nah, it's okay, it's a stupid idea anyway," Ino sighed, finally lifting her head up, a dead look on her face. Ino continued, solemnly, "By the way, Shikamaru, what were you looking for again?"

Ino rarely behaved this way over a person, much less thought about ways to get to know them with the help of her friends. She really didn't care for a second opinion- and rarely did she need it. She was a people's person after all; she knew how to make someone trust in her within a few minutes of meeting them, getting more details than even she bargained for. To see her lament like this made Shikamaru uncomfortable.

And that's the last thing he wants to be right now.

He was having a nice day, and for it to end with Ino being a puddle of despair was not on his "not troublesome day" list.

"Fine," Shikamaru finally sighed, holding the lighter in his pocket firmly. "I'll do it. When do you want to go out?"

"Really!" Ino immediately had colour on her face, a smile gracing her lips, and her blue eyes twinkled with delight. Another feeling settled in his stomach, an uneasy one, and now Shikamaru partly regretted agreeing to Ino's intent. "How about we do it this Friday? Temari should still be in town by then, right?"

"Yeah, she's leaving on Saturday," Shikamaru replied, rubbing the back of his neck. She was still an ambassador to Konoha from Suna, thought now she stays around much longer than before. Still, the idea of their last night before she leaves for home is going to be spent with Ino and Sai is…

Such a drag…

"You wanna come too Choji?" Ino asked, with a little thumbs up. "I'll pay for your dishes if you want!"

"I can't, Kakashi got me booked for a mission that weekend," Choji groaned, the missed opportunity of having free barbecue in his stomach making him pout.

"Don't worry, we'll go on another one when you come back!" She said, her mood much lively than before. "Just the three of us!"

"Ino, you're a godsend!" Choji said, humouring her, and Shikamaru just shook his head, feeling a slight delight from their energy.

"Ino! It's past 9, why haven't you closed up shop!"

The high voice of her mother called from the door, and Mrs. Yamanka opened the door, peering through. Having only Ino living in the house must have added a few grey hairs in her brown tresses; they were more evident when her hair was pulled back as it was now.

The moment she saw her daughter's friends, her frown immediately turned into a smile, "Oh! Hello boys!"

"Hello," the men replied in unison, and Shikamaru could feel his back straightening itself.

"Mom! Calm down!" Ino grumbled, crossing her arms. She started to make her way out of the counter towards the front door. "I'm just helping Shikamaru get some stuff!"

"Really? What is Yoshino looking for this time?" Her mother asked kindly, leaning into the doorframe with a gentle hand.

"It's not for her," Shikamaru replied, slightly abashed, all eyes on him peering for his reason making him uncomfortable. He caught what he said, and quickly fumbled out, "I'm just looking for some plants for myself."

"Uh huh," Ino rolled her eyes, a sly smirk on her face. She looked at her mother, and quickly dismissed her, "We'll be fine! You can go back inside now!"

"Sometimes I wish you didn't have such a mouth," her mother replied with a sigh, as she retreated back, unbothered by her daughter's request.

Once she was out of sight, Ino continued, "So what type of flowers does Temari like? Did you guys get into a fight and you want to make up? Maybe something to get you laid?"

"You're so--" Shikamaru scoffed, pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, not wanting to give Ino the satisfaction of annoying him. "I'm just looking for any plants from Suna, that's all."

"That's the worst place for plants; you do know that right? It's in the middle of the desert?"

"I'm aware of that," he replied sarcastically, glancing away. He didn't want to admit it, but he continued, trying to repress his cheeks from blushing, "Temari's always saying she misses the desert every time she's working here, so I thought maybe I should get her something to remind her of home."

"Well aren't you a soft guy, Shikamaru," Ino squealed happily, both hands on her cheeks as she made kissy faces to the man.

"Temari really softened you up, huh," Choji cooed as well, joining Ino in mocking him, a grin on his face.

"Just show me what I can get so I can leave already," he grumbled, while Ino walked towards the other side of the shop, where there were more plants than flowers.

"The only thing I could think about are cacti," Ino replied as the two followed her, looking at the small array of plants that sat on rows of shelves along the wall. She gestured to the small cacti that were lined in columns, all in various shapes and sizes. "How about it?"

"Doesn't Gaara grow them?" Choji asked, and Shikamaru nodded along.

"Yeah, and they're way bigger. I don't think she'd want one this small," Shikamaru replied, glancing between them. "Maybe something that's bigger and less...spikey?"

"Then what about some succulents?" Ino nodded, gesturing beside the cactus to various sized plants, with thicker looking leaves that it almost looked plastic, a few smooth and a few with subtle spikes.

"Aren't these cactuses?" Shikamaru asked, pointing out the spikier ones and Ino scoffed.

"Cacti," she corrected him. "And no; cacti have areoles where the spikes come from. Succulents do not."

"Plants have boobs?" Choji asked and Shikamaru had to stifle a laugh.

"I can make a succulent bowl with a few of these," she ignored her friend's comment, unfazed. "They're expensive because we import them, but I'll give you the "Friends of Ino" discount."

"Can you add it with the "Old Teammates" discount?" Shikamaru pressed with a quirked smile, and Ino rolled her eyes.

"I guess since you are doing me that favour," she said, as they continued on to choosing a few of the succulents for Ino to arrange.

After they found an appropriate few Ino planted them in a bowl, Shikamaru and Choji having to get their hands a bit dirty to tease out the dirt from the roots and replant them in the dirt, before placing it gently in a cute white paper bag with the Yamanaka Flower Shop logo on it.

"Now, the good thing is that these things are low maintenance," Ino explained as she rang up the price. Shikamaru took his wallet out, not wanting to argue over the price. "So when Temari's not in Konoha, you don't really need to watch them. They just need to be in a sunny place, but if they look orangey, make sure you keep them out of the sun. They don't need that much water, but do it at least once a week, and make sure the soil is actually moist."

"Uh huh," Shikamaru said mindlessly for the tenth time during her explanation.

"So what time are you two free," Ino continued, as she quickly typed on the register.

"Let's try for 8," Shikamaru replied, and Ino nodded along.

"Text me on my cell to confirm, alright?" Ino said, and handed him his change.

With that, Ino walked them out of the store and bit them a goodnight, with Choji walking with Shikamaru towards Temari's apartment, it being en route to their way home. The two men eventually separated, and Shikamaru carefully made his way to see his girl, clutching onto the paper bag with shaky hands.

***

He's rubbing off on me, she thought as she laid on her bed, glancing over to the unfinished paperwork that laid sprawled on her desk.

Always the timely one, Temari was better at keeping up with deadlines compared to their siblings (but not amazingly better), but lately, she's been a bit of a bum whenever she was in Konoha. Times have changed; the stuff she has to look over and monitor aren't as high risk as before. Now it was just about maintaining peace.

It could be, though, that Shikamaru's procrastination has been seeping into her work habits. Looking at documents and organizing data all the time for the Shinobi Alliance is as boring as what managing data is supposed to be like. And besides, this trip is technically a half vacation for her…

I want to say that it's a drag, but then that would confirm I'm spending too much time with the guy, she thought as she rolled off of the bed, and stumbled towards the desk. She wasn't expecting anyone, there wasn't anything interesting to watch on the TV, and she already cooked and ate dinner. She could always call Shikamaru over, but she didn't want to call him at this time and give him any ideas.

I'm way too tired to do anything, she continued, stretching her arms out as she took a glance over the paperwork. After glancing over the letters indignitely, Temari picked up all the documents and pens and started to make her way towards the bedroom door, towards the living space.

She'd much rather watch the latest Konoha soap than read. Maybe it was Yoshino who was rubbing off on her.

It might do her some good to have some background noise while she did her work- there was something about the silence of her apartment that was driving her insane. She often felt like this since she started to live in Konoha regularly; there was no point for an ambassador of Suna to live in a hotel room if she spent more than a month in the village. It saved money, and besides, it felt like a second home to her anyways.

Still, sometimes whenever she woke up in the morning in Konoha, she missed the bleary sunlight of the desert sun rather than the subdued ones of Konoha that was always covered in clouds at this time of year and the sounds of the shifting sand made by the wind.

As Temari settled down on the floor in front of the couch, all her items neatly arranged on the coffee table, she turned on the television, leaving it on the first channel that played something she could tolerate, and decreased the volume with the remote until it was more like a buzz.

As she tried to concentrate on her work, however, she unintentionally started to glance more and more at what was happening on the screen- until she completely abandoned the documents and started to stare at the show playing on the screen, completely absorbed.

"Todoho! But I thought you died!" The young woman on the screen cried as streams of tears stained her face, her face looking too perfect for its own good.

"Of course not, my love," the young man replied valiantly as he embraced the woman in her arms. "While you're still alive, I'll always be there for you!"

"What the fuck?" Temari mumbled to herself at the dialogue as the couple kissed, the kiss being filmed from multiple angles and slowing down, a song playing in the background as they showed the kiss in multiple ways. "Why'd she take him back? He had multiple affairs and didn't even tell her about them until he got caught."

"I didn't know you were a fan of this show," a raspy voice said suddenly with a squeak of the door, and Temari quickly got on her feet to look at the front door, immediately, a hand on her kunai that she secretly stashed along her waist sash at all times.

She let herself breathe, the tension leaving her body to be more springy when she realised who it was, and started to spin the kunai lightly with a finger.

"Can't you knock?" Temari asked as she walked up to the man as he was taking off his sandals. She caught a strong scent coming from him, and she immediately stopped in her tracks. "Did you try to cover up the cigarette with cologne? Because you failed."

"Damn, you caught me," Shikamaru replied half-heartedly, holding a white bag with one hand as he walked in, glancing over to the television with furrowed eyebrows. "Did my mom introduce you to 'Love Struck'?"

"That's the name of the show?" Temari almost gagged at the title. "It's the most annoying thing in the world."

"Hey, it has a big following," he replied with a crooked smile- his cute crooked smile. "And it's great if you want to lose brain cells."

"Well, I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Temari replied.

She had recently given Shikamaru a key to the apartment, finding it annoying to have him knock on the door during odd hours of the day to see her or needing to deliver some things his mom made for her when Temari was out on a meeting. He's been really pushing the extent of the key, finding that he had made himself too much at home and showing up unannounced a lot more often than he had even before they were dating.

"Can't you let me know when you're coming over next time?" Temari asked, allowing him to enter. Thought, she truly didn't mind, she quite enjoyed having him over most of the time, she still needed to keep him on his toes. They've only been together like this for half a year. "You're not my fiancé to just drop in like this."

"You're the one who gave me the key in the first place," Shikamaru shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is this really how you greet your boyfriend after not seeing him in a few days?"

"Should I make you tea and massage your back while I'm at it?" Temari asked with a grin, mocking him as she saw the tips of his ears turn red, the latter comment on his mind.

She walked towards the kitchen to boil a pot of water. He wasn't going to leave anytime soon, she knew for sure. "Did you eat yet?"

"Yeah; I was at Ino's place with Choji," Shikamaru managed to reply over the open counter across from Temari, placing the white bag on the side. He found his voice, and continued evenly, "Had something to eat while I was there."

"Is that why you have flowers for me?" She asked with a smile, not bothering to look up.

She could see Shikamaru shuffle slightly at being caught, a slight fluster look on his face, as he asked, "How d'you know?"

"The logo," she said, pointing at the Yamanaka's logo on the front of the bag. She noticed it the moment she saw it in his hands, with it's bubbly letters and pink font, and a cute little boar mascot drawn on. "What's the special occasion?"

"Do I need a special reason to get you something?" Shikamaru asked, as he slid the bag between them. "I thought you like these kind of things."

"I don't mind them, but I don't think I've ever told you what my favourite flower is," Temari said. It wasn't the first thing that would come up in conversation, and it was not like she expected to receive anything like it. Flowers were frivolous things for the sand kunoichi- but get a few poison plants, then Temari could list a few she would need.

"Is it cacti?" He guessed and Temari shook her head, a small grin on her face.

"Did you just say that because I'm from the desert? They're not even a type of flower," Temari replied as she let the tea leaves steep in the pot of water.

"Roses?" Shikamaru continued with a smirk, seeing it as a sort of guessing game, intently looking at Temari for anything that would give him the answer.

"No," Temari said, holding the gaze, not giving him anything as she slowly blinked.

"Violets? Daffodils? Narcissus'?"

"You sure know a lot of flowers for a guy who doesn't care about these things."

"I'm friends with Ino," Shikamaru scoffed, unflattered. "She's always telling us everything about plants and flowers like we care about it."

"It's not a bad thing," Temari hummed. "At least you know something about romance. Did you learn to be this romantic from Love Struck?"

"Very funny," Shikamaru replied, leaning his head on a prompt up hand, tilting his head slightly. "Are your favourite flowers expensive?"

"Perhaps, but you wouldn't be able to get them for me anyways," Temari replied, pouring the tea into two cups gently. "They're found in specific places. We have a few of them in Suna, actually."

"..." Shikamaru thought about it for a moment, eyes staring at Temari still, and Temari didn't back down, taking a sip from the tea, raising her eyebrows.

"Do they come from the ground?"

"Technically," Temari replied. "But it would be obvious if I tell you."

"Then they live in water," Shikamaru confirmed with a nod, as he raised an eyebrow. "Water lilies?"

Temari took another long sip from the cup, the bitterness a film over her tongue and filled her body with warmth, silence her answer.

"Yeah," she said nonchalantly, as if this were a trivial matter. She explained in a dull tone, not wanting to seem like the sentimental type, "The closest thing we could get to a fresh garden was the greenhouses for medicine. We have a freshwater lily pond there. My mom liked taking me and Kankuro there sometimes."

Shikamaru gave her a soft look, a glint of interest in his eyes, for Temari rarely ever talks about her childhood, those being rare and intimate moments. He didn't press on though, instead raising the cup to his lips, waiting for her to continue.

Something about the way he watched her when she talked made her feel comfortable, as he had often made her feel before, and the words tumble out of her mouth without her realising, "Sometimes she had a vase of water lilies in the living room. Just to add a little freshness in the room."

There was silence, a comfortable silence, that settled between them, neither of them saying anything more than they needed to.

"Well, I don’t think we have space for a pond here," Shikamaru spoke first, gesturing mindlessly around the apartment. "But I did buy you something else that might make this place feel like home."

Temari’s curiosity piqued as she glanced over the bag, and glanced over to Shikamaru, who continued to enjoy his tea and had picked up the daily newspaper that Temari had left on the counter, scanning over the front page. She gingerly took the paper bag, surprised at its weight as she placed a hand underneath, and peered in.

She felt her heart squeeze lightly as she reached in, taking out the bowl gently and observed it. It was a small little terrain of succulents of various sizes, from short and leafy to tall and sharp, with various colours from pale greens to dusky purples, all fitting together into a beautiful mismatched puzzle. Temari felt a small smile grew on her face, the plants being so rare to see and paling compared to Konoha’s luscious forests, but something homely emitted from the plants as she admired them.

From the corner of her eye she could see Shikamaru trying to watch her reaction without looking up from the newspaper, attempting to hide how antsy he was for her response.

Rarely does Shikamaru get nervous; he was always a hundred percent sure of everything he did, rarely thinking twice of his actions, knowing the outcome from a mile away. And although this arrogance is more apparent when he’s planning, when it comes to Temari, he tends to let his guard down and she knew his habits when he was nervous or something bothered him. He would rub his index and thumb together, always his right hand, like he was rolling a cigarette between them. He did it even before he picked up the smoking habit; now it was more obvious because he would usually has one in hand.

“Who gave you this idea?” Temari asked as she turned the bowl in her hand, setting it down. “I know you didn’t come up with this yourself.”

“Can’t you give me some sort of credit?” Shikamaru said, letting out a sigh. “And I can be romantic when I want to be.”

“Right,” Temari smirked. “But plants wouldn’t be the first thing on your mind. Did you choose these out yourself?”

“Does it matter? I got some help,” Shikamaru insisted.

“And did you make this whole arrangement as well?” Temari asked, an eyebrow raised. Shikamaru sucked a side of his cheek in before releasing it, trying not to break face, but Temari’s gaze broke him. “Or did Ino make it.”

“Troublesome...She did,” Shikamaru finally admitted, mumbling slightly. “But I actually did help put them in and everything. And I did decide on which ones I thought you’d like.”

Temari nodded along, content with his words, and she gazed at the bowl a bit longer before placing in on the corner of the kitchen, near the window sill where the sun would peer through and light up the room at high noon. She twisted the bowl a few times, getting it to a corner that would be the most appealing in the room, and she stared at it, not looking at Shikamaru.

“I love it,” she finally whispered, looking over her shoulders to him, and he looked up to meet her eye. She walked out of the kitchen around to the counter where he was still leaning on his arm, keeping the distance between them small, and cautiously, yet gently, placed a hand over his arm. He inhaled sharply, and she could feel his body go rigid at the touch, before relaxing, his eyes locked on her. “Thank you.”

He was expecting something, she knew it, and as she looked up to him, she could see his throat raise up and down, swallowing saliva, the red from his ears starting to creep to his cheeks.

Cute, Temari thought, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He started to lean in, craning his neck, and Temari immediately placed a finger over his lips tenderly, smiling sweetly.

“By the way, text Ino for me and say I said thanks,” Temari said softly, patting his chest with her other hand. Shikamaru stared at her blankly, blinking a few times, digesting what she said, and now he was more lost than anything.

It really is too easy to make him this way. She couldn't help it- it was too cute.

“You could tell her yourself this Friday,” Shikamaru replied half-dazed, without skipping a beat, but stopped on his last word hard, as if suddenly waking up from nap.

"This Friday?" Temari asked, her softer voice dropped as quickly as it came, catching his jaw tightening as he clenched his teeth, and she retracted her hand from it's place on his arm. She placed it on the counter instead, but she didn't move away from him. "What's happening this Friday?"

"What a drag," he mumbled under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ino wants us to go on a double date with her and Sai."

"Who? Us?" Temari repeated, taken aback. Then she started to rack her brain through to remember who this Sai fellow was.

Sai...Sai…right.

Now she remembers who he is. Ino pointed him out one time while they were out in the town, and she had seen him in passing often. She could feel her face break into a frown- Ino was dating that guy?

"I know it's a drag," Shikamaru started with a groan. "But she's practically begged me to do this. She's saying something about how she thinks being with other people would help him open up to her, or something."

"Since when did she need help with people?" Temari asked, slightly bewildered, trying to imagine Ino begging Shikamaru of all people for a favour for something so trivial.

She was more surprised that he agreed to it, if anything. It seemed way out of his way, despite him being much more receptive to people's requests.

"And you agreed without asking me?" Temari continued after Shikamaru shrugged.

"I assumed you wouldn't care," Shikamaru replied nonchalantly.

"That's a bad habit of yours," Temari said. "Assuming things."

"Well, it's not like I really want to do something like a double date," Shikamaru said, an eyebrow raised. "But I'm doing it because she's my friend and I somewhat care. I thought you would feel the same way."

"I do feel that way," Temari explained, frowning slightly as she thought of the words to describe what she felt. "But I don't know if us having a dinner with those two is going to be...the best way for Ino to get what she wants."

"Trust me, I tried telling her, but she thinks it'll be good," Shikamaru replied. His eyes flitted over her face, before asking, "Do you want me to tell her you're busy Friday?"

Temari bit the bottom of her lips gently, thinking for a moment. She was never one for anything of this sort. A date is a date; why double it with friends? If anything it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Particularly with that Sai guy. She has spoken to him a few times, none of which were bad, but according to Shikamaru, was much more civil than he had ever seen from him. He had a knack for being blunt with no filter or shame, his social skills being skewed from being raised as a Root agent from a young age, yet he was so quiet and observant. The idea of the overconfident Ino being with a guy with the social skills of a paintbrush was odd and sounded like a recipe for disaster.

Thought she would have been more on edge if Shikamaru hadn't accepted this proposition, and the fact that he already did means that Shikamaru at least expects it to be alright. And it wasn't as if she had any sort of plans that night, but it would be nice to spend it with Shikamaru.

Though, Ino has always been kind to Temari, giving her advice without hesitation when she was too embarrassed about anything romantic with Shikamaru and needed a second opinion. She definitely owed her this date, in the least.

Besides; how bad could it be?

"No," she said lightly. "I'm fine with it."

"..." Shikamaru stared at her for a bit, waiting for her to continue, but when Temari didn't say anything more. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Temari replied nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders. "It may be fun, for all I know."

"I didn't think you were the type to be fine with it," Shikamaru grinned slightly.

"And I didn't think that you were the type to buy a girl plants," she replied just as quickly, gesturing to the succulent bowl. "But you still manage to surprise me."

"Is that a good thing?" He asked, and he suddenly raised a hand to shortly trail up along her free arm to lure her closer, taking Temari by surprise by the sudden initiation. Usually she would be the one to start anything, an unspoken habit between them.

"Why are you asking something so troublesome?" Temari asked with a light hearted chuckle, as she extracted herself from his hand and started to walk backwards, leaving only her fingertips touching his. She glanced over to the television, the ending theme song in the background playing. "You want to watch this trash with me? It's back-to-back episodes."

"And fry my brain?" He asked with faux-excitement, following her as she walked towards the couch, not breaking away from her look. "I would love to."

[unleash-hell-little-one]

Commonality

Preview:

“Why don’t you buzz off with the rest of the idiots?” He says, this time at his leveled voice.

Momo rubs her arm and she softly responds.

“ I don’t really like dancing. “

Bakugou sits at a table by himself, trying his hardest to appear bored out of his mind. A select few of Class 1-A as well as All Might earned themselves a trip to I Island, a man-made island known to be at the forefront of scientific discoveries. All Might, with his many connections, scored an all expenses paid trip to reacquaint with his former sidekick David Shield. The two congregated with the other adults, drinking and talking through their past adventures.

The spiky blonde scanned the room. The dance floor was currently occupied by a crowd of high energy teenagers, dancing to an EDM song. He saw Deku and the blonde girl Melissa dancing together which looked more like Deku awkwardly jutting his arm and legs every few seconds. His face flushed and had an expression of discomfort. Uraraka and some of the other girls were enjoying themselves by the buffet while Kaminari was in the corner annoyedly charging phones.

"Bakugou?"

The teen turned to his left and was greeted by the vice president's concerned face. She was wearing a mint colored dress, some gold jewelry and white heels. Her spikes were styled in a peculiar way.

"What do you want Ponytail?"

She tilts her head curiously, "You're not dancing?"

Bakugou scoffs and narrows his eyes, "Me sitting on this chair not obvious enough for you?"

"Oh, well…it is a welcoming party for us. You should at least show a little appreciation for the host."

"Appreciation my ass. I didn't even want to come here."

There was a prolonged pause between the two. Yaoyorozu took a seat, despite Bakugou not offering. It had been a few months since the Class 1-A was established and Yaoyorozu hadn't found much time to interact with every student, let alone the intimidating Bakugou Katsuki. The boy was as approachable as a time bomb.

Not wanting to disgrace the title of vice president, Momo strived for any sort of common ground with the spiky haired blond next to her. Her eyes darted around and sees a curious design on his vest.

"Ah! We're matching! Look Bakugou!"

Yaoyorozu points at his side and the boy sits up, clearly annoyed.

"The hell are you rambling about?"

"We have the same color see? My dress and your floral pattern." Momo excitedly says, she smiles at him, already feeling an ominous aura from his glares.

"Keep you hands and eyes to your damn self!"

"S-sorry."

Well that was a complete disaster, Momo thought as she sighed. Bakugou appeared to have calmed down slightly but huffs as he crosses his arms. He faces the dance floor once again.

"Why don't you buzz off with the rest of the idiots?" He says, this time at his leveled voice.

Momo rubs her arm and she softly responds.

"I don't really enjoy dancing. "

Momo senses no change in his irritated look and decided to elaborate a little.

"Frankly, I'm terrible at it. I've been trying to hide from Hagakure and Ashido. They'll want me to join but I'm afraid I'd just look like a fool."

Bakugou seemed as if he didn't hear anything she had just admitted. His lack of a reaction unexpectedly made Momo feel more relaxed. As expected, Bakugou didn't really like getting involved in people's affairs. He seems to be the kind of guy with a one track mind.

Oh what the heck, Momo internally shrugs. Her attempt at a civil conversation couldn't be any worse so she then decides on a much mundane topic. Seems to be the no nonsense kind. Might as well give it a try.

"So how did you find the exam Bakugou?"

"Hm. I know I destroyed it."

Wow, a response. And a non-threatening one as well. Momo blinks and nods softly. She knows he's exceptionally smart, but the recent exam had been particularly brutal, even with her S - Class intelligence.

"And?" Momo urges him on.

Bakugou stays quiet again, worrying Momo that he was going to revert back to yelling at her. He tightens the grip he had on his forearm and scoffs for the umpteenth time.

"Question 45? Fucking bitch."

Momo's face brightens as she almost slams on the table, "Right?! I was stuck on it for three minutes!"

"Who the hell needs to know Dalton's Law? Of course, the sum of two or more partial pressures would be the same as the total pressure! That piece of shit created a physics law basically saying one plus one equals two!"

"And Question 71? My goodness, molecular orbital theory was not even in the curriculum this semester and yet you have to explain why electrons are not assigned to individual bonds between atoms? I know it, but what about students like Kaminari who haven't even the basic knowledge of chemistry? It's like they want us to fail!"

"Swear to god Aizawa was so smug when he added that chemistry question. That bum ass looking weirdo!"

Momo eases down on her chair and released a soft giggle, "It is so refreshing to hear someone with the same frustrations. People usually assume that I study for fun. I only try so hard because it's directly linked to my Quirk."

Bakugou looks down on his hand and closes it into a fist, "People think that I'm too busy blowing shit up to open a book. Doesn't matter how high of a score I get, there's still some retard accusing me of cheating."

Momo nods in sympathy. She places a hand under her chin in contemplation. "I am curious about that. You're very intelligent Bakugou. I suppose it has something to do with your sleeping habits."

"My what?"

"You sleep earlier than most people our age. Your memory's probably well consolidated."

Bakugou taken aback from the compliment, seemed to be a little flustered. He blinked a few times and was about to respond when two figures came up in front of them unexpectedly.

"Hey Bakugou come join us!" Kirishima appeared to the two sitting on the table with Ashido in tow.

"Yaomomo! There you are! What are you doing sitting there?" Mina asked happily.

Momo's fears came in an unexpected rush as the thought of being pushed into the dance floor had her dreading. Mina looks to her expectantly.

"Ah Ashido! U-um I'm not confident dancing-"

Mina tugs Momo's arm grinning, "Don't be embarrassed Yaomomo you gotta-"

"Ponytail was being an idiot and sprained her foot. She's letting it rest."

Momo darted her eyes to Bakugou, his were closed but his snare was evident.

Mina gasps and kneels to Momo's legs. "Oh no! That's terrible honey let me see!"

Without even thinking, Momo quickly created an ice pack from her leg as she pulled her skirt. She smiled and rubbed her foot in assurance.

"Oh, that's good you have an ice pack. Just make sure you take it easy okay?"

"I will. Thank you, Mina."

Ashido's eyes widened as she hugged Momo, "You said my first name! Yay!"

Kirishima smiles as he sees the two girls having a moment. He turns to his stubborn friend and asks, "So how about you Bakugou?"

"No shit for brains I'm not dancing with you idiots!"

Kirishima shrugs replies, "Thought it would be polite to ask. At least you have Yaoyorozu keeping you company here."

The red-haired teenager turned to Momo and rubs the back of his neck in apology, "Sorry you're stuck with this guy Yaoyorozu."

"Not at all. Bakugou and I were discussing some chemistry theories. Would you like to hear them?"

Upon hearing the end of Momo's sentence, Mina takes Kirishima's arm and pulls him towards the dance floor in panic. She'd been on the brunt of Momo's scientific explanations. She does not want to experience that again.

"Uh no thank you. C'mon Kirishima let's leave these two nerds to discuss."

"Okay, I'll see you guys." Momo says as she waves.

The pair runs back to join the class and Momo sees Bakugou's shoulders visibly sags. He mutters beneath his collar.

"Thanks."

Momo smiles brightly as she places her hand under her chin. Academically, she was at the top but now the opportunity to dispute with a fellow intellectual seemed too good to pass up. Bakugou Katsuki...I've got a pretty good measure of you.

"Now…about Dalton's Law. I personally believe it's justified."

"Hell no! That shit is so useless!"

"I think not."

From the center of the room, Kirishima and Ashido hears the commotion that Momo and Bakugou were causing. There was a lot of yelling involved which for Bakugou was to be expected, but Momo was also participating.

"Yaomomo and Bakugou are really getting into it. Is chemistry really that intense?"

[forgetmenotsandroses]

Your Eyes Burning at The Back on my Mind

A/N: SO. This is a late birthday present for the lovely!!!! @queen-of-pigeons , 

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y !!

MY FRIEND AND AN ARTIST AMONG OTHER THINGS! CHECK HER OUT! SHE’S AMAZING HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAYYYYYYYYY!! UR OLD NOW....

(Side note: this is possibly the longest thing I’ve written yet. 2.8k O_O)

(Side side note: I’m not abandoning my other fandoms or anything. Dw, my few followers. Although I’m on a semi hiatus lol.)

(Side side side note: Special Thanks to @slightlystalesushirolls , the best beta anyone could ask for!)

TONY

They meet on the battlefield, and Tony can't look away. At all. 

Which is either very fortunate, or very unfortunate. Fortunate, because this is important, the type of deal that could make or break his business (not that it isn't already made). Tony can't afford to look away, to lose focus, even for a second. Hydraulics manufacturers are serious business. It's unfortunate though, because he can't rip his eyes off of the man across from him long enough to pay attention to what's actually going on. For the rest of the meeting, he runs on autopilot and relies on natural charm. He's not entirely sure what just went on, and whether or not he's been completely taken advantage of. But Tony knows what hydraulics company he wants for his next venture. The one with the blue-eyed negotiator. STEVE After the meeting, Steve stops to take a break. They had, of course, briefed him beforehand. They told him about Tony Stark, ruthless CEO, who got what he wanted far too often. Always informed, with an insatiable urge to be at the top. But they didn't tell him about the dry wit and sharp banter, or his ass in Armani slacks, or the scent of expensive cologne that permeated the air. Steve stares off into space and inhales deeply, partly to calm himself, partly to try and get another breath of that cologne.

TONY

It's a few months after they meet, and he's home late. Again.

As he enters, he nearly trips over Peter, the six-year-old lump in spider-themed pyjamas sprawled practically in the doorframe. Damnit.

Five seconds later, Jarvis materializes.

“Hey, Jarvis.”

"He insisted on waiting up, Sir. I tried to convince him you would be happier if he waited in bed, but he refused quite adamantly."

"It's alright. C'mon, let's get you to bed."

He carries the boy back to bed. As he gently sets him down, Peter stirs awake. Just what Tony needs.

"Daddy? You're home late again."

"I know. It was a long day."

“Did you talk to Mr. Rogers again?”

He's mentioned the blue-eyed negotiator, whom he's learned is named Steve Rogers, a few times (or more) to Peter, but he never realized it had gotten to the point where his son remembered the name.

“Not today.”

He flashes back to endless agonizing over whether he's going to buy an entire company. Not over Steve Rogers. Buying companies is, also, serious business. The type that involves countless headaches and mountains of paperwork and negotiations galore (the only good part).

He does need hydraulics manufacturing if he's going to work on heavy vehicles, but if he's losing time with his son, perhaps this is going a bit far.

“Tell you what, I'll make it up to you by having take your kid to work day tomorrow!”

“But I have school!”

“You're so smart that you don't need school!”

Peter laughs. “You just say that ‘cause you’re my dad!”

“Well I am your dad, and you know what I say, Bug? I say you have to go sleep.”

“Can't I stay up a bit?”

“Nope. You've already stayed up late enough.”

Tony smiles, Peter scowls, and that's that. “Fine.” STEVE

"Seriously! You two give 'heated negotiations' a new meaning! The rest of us are just waiting for the sexual tension to end!"

Steve groans. The new techie ended up staying for the whole meeting, chatting with the Stark Industries secretary after coming to check on a faulty projector. Her name is… Wanda? Or something. Pretty sure she has a brother in the engineering department.

And she hasn't stopped talking about him and… Tony? Mr. Stark? The CEO of Stark Industries.

According to her (and apparently, the rest of the tech department) they have good chemistry.

There certainly is some kind of spark when they're in an intense back and forth. Like holding a match to an oil slick, dangerous and ready to ignite.

He hopes it might lead to something more. But Tony (Mr. Stark?) is so above him, he might as well wish for the moon.

TONY

Even though he's made an impromptu take-your-kid-to-work day, it doesn't mean any less work, which is a problem. He can't take Jarvis with him (the butler/babysitter probably needs a break anyways), and Bruce (head of engineering) flat out refused, citing a short temper and lack of child-minding skills despite possibly being the most gentle person Tony knows.

This is how he ends up with Peter in his office, babbling nonsensically.

•••

“Daddy?”

“Yeah, Bug?”

“I'm bored.”

There's a pause, as Tony attempts to fill out yet more forms and the phone rings.

“Tony Stark speaking. Who is this and why the hell are you bothering me? … I see. When is it due? … Fuck. I'll be there in five minutes.”

Peter looks up.

“Bug, something important just came up. I need to go up.”

“Can I come?”

“Not this time. Here, why don't you go down to the vending machine and get some snacks? Then come back here to wait for me. I'll be right back.”

Peter takes the twenty dollar bill and nods wordlessly. Tony walks out of the office, but not before registering the disappointment on his son’s face.

STEVE

He's on break wandering through the building when he noticed the kid. Pretty cute, actually. (Steve’s been always susceptible to cute kids.) He knows Tony has a son, so this is probably him. What other child would be on the engineering floor sitting beside the entrance to Mr. CEO’s personal workshop with a bag of chips?

As he gets closer, he realizes that the boy is struggling to hold back tears.

“What's your name?”

“Daddy calls me Bug, but my real name is Peter.” he sniffles.

“So, Peter, what are you doing out here?”

He imagines the enigmatic Tony Stark losing his temper and throwing the child out, but can't really picture him doing it.

“I got locked out.”

This time, he's actually starting to cry, and the tears that pooled in his eyes are running down his cheeks. In no time, he's sobbing, almost wailing into the floor.

Steve does the reasonable thing to do when confronted with a crying child. Panicking internally and forcing his face into (hopefully) a happy expression.

“Well, until he comes back, I can stay here with you!”

Peter gulps, and his breathing slows, if only slightly.

“O-okay.”

There's an awkward pause in the conversation. Peter quickly fills it.

“Do you know my dad?”

“Is this his office we’re outside of?”

“Yup!”

“Then yes, I do know him. In fact, I work with him!”

Peter smiles, and it's as brilliantly blinding as only a happy child’s can be. Completely adorable.

“Wait, Mister, what’s your name?”

Steve realizes with some horror that he never introduced himself. He just walked up to a random kid in the hallway and starting talking. Not creepy at all.

“I'm Steve. But you can call me Mr. Rogers if you want.”

Peter's eyes light up in recognition.

“Oh! I know you! Daddy talks about you all the time!”

“Oh?”

Steve’s heart skips a beat. He's pretty sure there's a blush spreading across his face. What if it's something bad, though? Like how Bucky (his roommate and best friend) talks about his coworker T’Challa constantly. As in fuckin’ T’Challa finished the contract before me. Again. And he’s team leader for the Vibranium Project. Or fuckin’ T’Challa brought gluten-free scones to staff social night again. Why can't he just get regular scones like a normal-fuckin’-person? Of course, he's met T’Challa and the man seems kind, technologically minded, and clever. Gluten-free scones aside. Still, what might the great CEO, Tony Stark, say about him?

“Mhmm. He usually says a lot of bad words when he thinks I'm not listening! And he thinks your butt is nice. And you have pretty eyes. And he says you're suuuper haaandsoo--”

“Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark!”

“Uh-oh.” Peter’s eyes widen, a grimace appears. But not before Steve watches a self-satisfied grin flit across his face.

“That’s enough of that! Into my office!”

Steve looks up, at the flustered, exasperated, and very, very red CEO of Stark Industries.

“Uh.” Steve gulps, acutely aware of his precarious position.

Then Mr. Stark (Tony?) clears his throat. “Oh, you know. Kids like to babble and exaggerate. My apologies, Mr. Rogers.” He half mutters, half says (but still in that forceful way of his).

“Apology accepted. And please, call me Steve.”

“In that case, Mr. Ro--Steve, call me Tony.”

TONY

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was not how Steve Rogers was supposed to find out. Tony was going to dazzle him and awe him and make him so love-struck that Steve would be falling at his feet. Not that anyone wouldn't fall at his feet, Tony assures himself. He is the irresistible Tony Stark. Now to explain some very crucial details to his son.

“Peter…”

“Yes Daddy?”

Peter gives him a wide-eyed, innocent look. Where’d he learn that? (Tony then realizes that it’s the same look he gives Pepper after he’s dismantled the photocopier for the millionth time.)

“If someone asks what someone else thinks of them, we don’t say if one likes the other.”

“But you do have a crush on himmm. Don’t you want me to tell the truth?”

Tony almost shrieks, before catching himself. “It’s not a crush.” he says firmly. (It is in fact a crush, now that Tony thinks about it. But he refuses anything ‘cutesy’. That’s just not in the Stark code of conduct.)

Peter groans. “But you liiiiiiike him.”

Tony sighs. This is going to take a while.

STEVE

So. Tony Stark. Gorgeous, witty, fucking CEO of Stark Industries, likes him. Maybe. Probably. What the fuck is he going to do now?

Besides panic. He's got that covered. What if it's just innocent child babble?

Or what if Peter overheard Tony (it's nice to know what to call him) talking about Pepper Potts, the almost freakishly competent secretary? Or Diana Prince, the charming, kickass personal relations manager?

What will he do then? And why does this information matter so much anyways?

Then he remembers; somewhere along the line, he's called head over heels, completely in love.

He needs help. Professional help. He needs to talk to someone.

•••

“Bucky. Stop laughing! Please.”

“I-I’m sorry, Steve, really.” Bucky manages to huff out, before collapsing into another fit of laughter.

“Mhmm.”

“It's just so funny…”

“Right. My personal relationship crisis is funny. You know, I listen to you rant about T’Challa and the scones.”

“O-o-okay slow down. Those issues are totally different! One is the tiny, little son of your boss or whatever telling you that Stark thinks you're hot--”

“--he's not my boss. Negotiations for the company are practically at a standstill.” Steve is bright, bright red. The red you'd find on ripe tomatoes and fire trucks.

“Sure, try to add the technical talk in there. The issue still stands; not-boss thinks you're hot. On the other hand, we have a job-stealer, and more importantly, gluten free scones. Do you understand how bad they are? Do you understand? They look like normal scones, but it's like eating fuckin’ glue!”

“Bucky…”

“Fine. I can be serious. Honestly? Tell him you've fallen madly in love with him and maybe he'll take you in.”

“Bucky!”

•••

Well. That conversation went nowhere. Maybe he needs a different angle.

•••

Natasha isn't laughing as hard as Bucky, but she's still cackling.

“Ha! Clint needs to pay up! I told him that Tony would come through first!”

“What?”

“The office has a pool. Diana, Pietro, Bruce, and Sam all think Tony’s too much of a chicken to make the first move. Me, Clint, Wanda, and Pepper, are all team Tony ‘cause we think he's got more nerve than you! There are different bets going, though, for the details.”

“I--”

Steve takes a moment to clear his head, and consider his next statement.

“That's not relevant to the question though. Natasha, please.”

“Alright. I know the face of a man in pain.”

He sighs in relief.

“Do you really want my honest opinion? I don't know if you'll like it...”

“I'm desperate. I'll take it.”

It's her turn to sigh, then take a deep breath. “I think that you should tell him. You two would be good for each other! You’d balance him out, y’know?”

“I guess…”

•••

Damn. This wasn't what he was hoping for. He was hoping someone would tell him that he didn't have a chance. It would be a lot easier than actually telling Tony that he reciprocates these (possible) feelings. But what if he’s wrong?

TONY

Lately, it feels as though there's something between him and Steve. Not just the slightly heated tension from before. Just… Tension. Like how sometimes, Steve will start to say something, flush (attractively, everything he does is attractive, from the little gestures he makes when he's talking, to the way of his voice when he's talking about something he cares about) then start talking about finances. Or tie colours. Or anything remotely uninteresting.

Tony’s not an idiot. He knows what it is.

Peter may have meant well, but he’s put up an awkward sort of wall. Not that it’s really Peter’s fault. Tony should've made a move sooner. But what if Steve had said no? It's a foreign thing, this fear or rejection. Tony has been charming and disarming for as long as he can remember. He's always gotten what he wants. Until now. This is different. Maybe, just maybe, it's some form of love? Whatever that is.

STEVE

October turns to December, fall to winter, and he's still done nothing. Nothing. At. All. He hates this. But he's too much of a coward to do anything. That's going to change tonight, probably.

TONY

It's the office party for Tony’s near and dear (besides Peter, who is hopefully asleep and away from all the stupid, inebriated people here). This includes certain people from the hydraulics manufacturing company, with whom he's works so close with for the year. Even after deciding not to buy it at the end of November. It's a sort of last hurrah. He's completely drunk.

Steve shows up, cute in an ugly Christmas-themed sweater. Tony’s opted for a casual suit, which he hopes looks good. Well, he did. He's too far gone to care right now. Besides the top-notch assortment of alcohol, there is also a buffet. The canapés are amazing.

Steve walks up to him. Tony almost swoons. But not quite. He can hold his liquor.

They meander over to a doorway.

“Tony Stark? Drunk at this hour? Why am I not surprised?” Steve smirks, smile made of light and teasing and mischief.

Tony notes the change in his manner instantly. It's less formal, much more intimate than usual.

“I’m not. Just, less coherent. Have I mentioned you look fabulous tonight?”

“Are you hitting on me, Mr. Stark?”

“It's Tony, and so what if I am?”

What is coming out of his mouth? Apparently he has no filter now. Might as well come out and say it.

“Your ass looks fucking fantastic in those jeans, by-the-way.”

Aaand he’s said it. It's done. Steve is the colour of an adorable beetroot. Everyone is staring. All conversation has stopped. Must've been loud.

Chatter eventually resumes. But some things are different. First of all, conversation is stilted and charged. There’s a buzz in the air, and it's not just the alcohol. Second, the rest of the party seems to be holding its breath.

Someone from the crowd yells; “Just kiss already!”

He realizes that they're standing under mistletoe (what a fucking cliché) and decides to throw all caution into the wind. Except Steve’s already done that.

They're kissing, really kissing. Lips and tongue and teeth mesh together and time stands still.

STEVE

Someone in the crowd (Natasha?) shouts out. And he doesn't think anymore.

TONY

Before Steve, love was a string of one night stands and extravagant gifts, empty promises and bottles of vodka. He knows better now. Because this, right here in Steve’s arms, is where he belongs.

STEVE

He wakes up beside Tony. It's… warm. And soft. And better than anything he dared to hope it would be. Slowly, reluctantly, he gets out of bed. If only to open the blinds for the view from the penthouse apartment.

Tony grumbles. “Why are the blinds open? Jarvis? Turn on a heater. It's fucking cold--”

He looks up.

“Oh. Come back.”

Once they're snuggled back together, Tony pipes up again.

“I'm going to have a hell of a time explaining this to Peter.”

Steve smiles. “I think he's already figured it out.

“Tony?”

“Mhmm.”

“I think I might be in love with you.”

“I know.”

END

Closing A/N: This is just to say that I know that Diana is DC. (She’s Wonder Woman for goodness’ sake. Geez.) But I love her so much... 

Deleted Scene:

“Yup. I'm adopted.” He rolls each syllable of the word around in his mouth like a pebble.

“But Daddy says don't worry about stuff like that when I have school!”

“That does sound like your dad.”

“Well duh! He said it

[jecasso-blog]

No daydreams on sunsets

(part one)

'What's going on between you and DG?' The sassy eyebrow raise of hers was sloppy, but it was enough to make me chuckle, despite being caught off guard. She was on the balcony and started to climb up the ladder. It was the first sentence she said after she joined me on the roof of Frank's crib to watch the sun set. I needed a break from the amount of socializing with people at the ongoing party. It was the kind of party that perfectly suited me. Not too crowded, but just right to call it a big house party. The bass of the new Kdot heat was slightly ringing out the garden. I heard screams and a lot of voices rapping along the lyrics. They were in the middle of turning up. What a contrast to the nice neighborhood landscape I was admiring. The sun was nearly fully embraced by the green hills, many people call them the twin Hollywoods. But there were no big white letter signs, no skyscrapers or big asphalt main streets. No city lights. Just a few bungalows in generous distance to each other, accompanied by huge front yards. Out of all the people, it was her, who joined me. Immediately, I was reminded of all the similar scenes happening in movies. No...this is real life. Get yourself together. Yet, the red, violet color of the sky made a perfect mood. 'what do you mean? What are you doing here anyways?', I countered, trying to be grumpy. As I spoke these words out, while watching her sit next to me, the questions  felt like intense interrogation techniques for the bad cop. I quickly looked back to the hills, watching it eat the last bits of the hot plasma, sighing yet again at my social skills. She laughed. 'You are so adorable. Look, I exactly know what are you trying to do with this. All this.' She waved her left hand all around swiftly, making quick pauses pointing at me and the hills, 'so i came to fulfill that imagination of yours, because your dream girl was too busy with watching the new episode-' 'oh shit, a new episode?! Man, I gotta join her-' She stopped my attempt to stand up, and pushed me back down.

Out of all the people, it was her, who joined me. Immediately, I was reminded of all the similar scenes happening in movies. No...this is real life. Get yourself together. Yet, the red, violet color of the sky made a perfect mood.

'what do you mean? What are you doing here anyways?', I countered, trying to be grumpy. As I spoke these words out, while watching her sit next to me, the questions rang after like intense interrogation techniques for the bad cop. I quickly looked back to the hills, watching it eat the last bits of the hot plasma, sighing yet again at my social skills.

She laughed. 'You are so adorable. Look, I exactly know what are you trying to do with this. All this.' She waved her left hand all around swiftly, making quick pauses pointing at me and the hills, 'so i came to fulfill that imagination of yours, because your dream girl was too busy with watching the new episode-'

'oh shit, a new episode?! Man, I gotta join her-'

She stopped my attempt to stand up, and pushed me back down. 'She's halfway through, no point in joining her anymore. Watch it later with me.' I rubbed my bottom, she was always so rough with me. 'alright.... I thought you were so supportive after asking me that question.' 'So there IS something going on', she exclaimed joyfully. 'DAMN. Not so loud…. And I didn't come up here in hope she would pop up and join me. I just need a break from socializing. And now you are here.', I growled. 'oh c'mon, I know how you think, Romeo. You hoped for that moment. And Ouch. I heard that.' I smiled and gave up being sturdy, so I apologized. 'Sorry, didn't mean that. Okay, okay, there was this small thought-', suddenly, she started laughing out violently, falling on her back, hitting my arm with her palm. 'I saw your reaction as I called from the balcony. You were looking like that first guy in line, seeing a worker inside the apple store opening the gates for the new iPhone . That look was priceless. It wasn't a small thought, you were constantly thinking about it, boy!' I laughed along with her in the purple sky. She knew me too good.  We opened ourselves to the calming nature around us  for a good minute without saying a word, enjoying the occasional breezes in the warm air. A static was heard underneath, and some smooth synths were playing. I heard an all too familiar voice, amplified through a microphone. 'Oh, Frank started playing.' 'It was about time. And your dream girl must be there too. We should join them soon.' 'Yeah..', but we didn't move an inch. The acoustics were oddly fitting with Frank's vocals. The sound waves travelling through the curtains, the open balcony door, perfectly merging with the atmosphere, mixing with the violet color of the skies.

_Cotton Candy, Majin Buu_ ~

'I didn't expect you to be here.', I said after a while. 'Normally you would be down under, displaying your sharp moves to the beat. You like to boast. Unlike me.' 'I don't boast, I am just confident in my skills, I am proud of what I learned through hard work', she said with a braggy, yet humble tone. 'I always tell you to rock with me, but you are too shy. You can't always hide your talent forever. Sometimes, I think you feel it more than me. It's not boasting, that's your mindset. Why not show the world what you got?' 'That's what a lot of people said to me.' 'See? … Promise me one thing. When we crawl down, we tear these songs apart and slay the whole hood with our chemistry. We are one. Like back when…like back when we were alone in the ballroom after prom. Promise?' As I heard "ballroom", I got a nostalgic tingling up my spine. Along with other unwanted feelings. I looked at her dark eyes. I expected a competitive, reassuring smirk, but I saw something different. Her glow was like back then. She was also thinking about these times. The gazes lasted a little while, maybe a little too long. 'Promise.' As I turned my back to the hills, shimmering with red aura, I heard a quiet relief. I smiled. She continued talking about her main topic: 'Yo, man, I can totally see how you are admiring her. At the party, you two were only talking, me and Lara were sailing them ships like the Titanic. Except it won't sink. And I love her. Did you know she has written-' '-Polaroid Boy?', I completed with a tick too much excitement. 'Yeah, I know that. We both could talk about music and that all day. She has also shown me her art. Some pieces straight blew me away. And her humor is gold. We both have the same interests, and we- … she is just what I hoped for. So, you're kinda right, I've been thinking about going out with her. But, I feel like something is odd. And I don't know what it is. I know this sounds brutal, after I always jumped on tables and made dramatic reenactments of my namesake, that my soulmate is there somewhere out there, forbidden, hidden, my Juliet. I mean, how we even met was so movie-like.', I span my body in her direction, to see her face. Her eyes were straight looking at the twins. She said, 'I have to tell you something, Ro. Dream Girl might finally, really, be the dream girl you were waiting for. And whatever is holding you back from her, it's just overthinking, okay? Maybe you still are stuck in the past-', she coughed softly. 'That person... you might be holding on- that person has moved on. That person can't go back again. That person… doesn't want to get you hurt again.'

_Yes of course I remember, how could I forget how you feel?_ ~

There we were. On the rooftop, the sky was getting darker and some stars already shined through the blue matter. But it wasn't a movie scene. It was real-life. My words were spoken in absolute silence, the music was cut off in our heads: 'Yeah… I know… That person is really making my life hard sometimes. Still, after all this time, I want to tell that person, "I love you". And say, thank you. For all the good times. And I want to tell that person: 'I am okay now. I have moved on.' She looked into my eyes, they were shining from the last sunrays creeping over the Twins. She told me with a gentle, clear voice: 'I think that person would've wanted to hear that… That person, also… loves you too.'

(part two)

I wondered how I managed to get into this situation. Dream Girl was pacing slowly next to me, looking at the sky. I pushed myself to look at her, and all I thought was, 'wow.' It was weird. I wasn't like this before. At the party, my confidence was a lot higher and I felt more relaxed, but now, the tension was building up. It was dark, the air was getting cooler. The moon and the stars were in full bloom. Dream Girl aka Maria, was holding on to my jeans jacket hanging from her shoulders. We were the only ones in the street. This day definitely was a rollercoaster. Luckily, something came into mind that made me ease up again: 'So, how was the new episode?' The fast turn of her head waved her curly hair around, over her face, the resulting hair curtain made her look crazy. 'It was so intense! But that's all I want to say, you need to watch it as soon as you can.' 'Yeah, I promised to watch it with Rey.', I replied. She fixed her hair, walked a few quick steps ahead and stopped before me with a smirk on her face. 'So what's going on between you and Frances, Johnny?', she asked. Her smooth sassy eyebrow raise was perfectly executed. She was beautiful in this light. I laughed and asked in a sarcastic tone, ' Who are you even talking about?' Her feet started taking steps backwards, still facing me, and then she started talking passionately: 'You know exactly who I mean! Rey! You two were blasting the dance floor like it was the world championships. I mean, the way you both flowed together! It was art in its purest form, I almost cried. And it was freestyled! I didn't even know you were so good at dancing. How is this even possible, you two must have been through a lot together.' I was starting to follow her, just to make a pause again and say, ' Yes, indeed, we have been friends for a while now.' Resuming her position next to me, she sighed in admiration, 'Why didn't you tell me? I love her. We are so similar, it's kinda getting scary. You probably already know that she is going move to Korea to perform, right?' My smile turned from real into fake. My voice was slightly trembling as I answered, 'no, ...she didn't tell me. I guess she wanted to surprise me.' I attempted to let out a laugh, but it was more like an unhealthy cough. Immediately, she sensed my inner devastation. 'Oh...', she exclaimed with a worried face. 'I guess it must be hard for her to leave. Especially when you are going to stay here… I know that feeling of leaving best friends. Oh wow, I actually thought my ability of putting myself into other's shoes was quite respectable. I am sorry.' I tried to keep my cool while trying to calm her down by saying, 'It's not your fault. Did she say for how long?' 'Umm, she said it depended. But, she planned to stay for two years.' We resumed walking next to each other. It was romantic, but of course my head was somewhere else. I was trying to cope with the news, but then remembered the roof conversation. I felt a sudden feeling of comfort. So that's what she was trying to do. My smile got real again, but I was kind of disappointed that I still haven't figured her out as much as she did me. 'Maria.' 'Yeah?' 'Why did you really ask me this question?' A long pause followed, but then she started talking: 'Okay, you got me. I really thought you two were like, really close. I mean, after I was finished with the episode, I headed to the room where Frank was finally about to perform some songs... Well, honestly, I looked for you when he started, the whole crowd was present, except for you and Rey. And then, I saw you both coming down from the balcony.' 'Oh, you looked for me? Well I was enjoying the sunset, but then that girl joined me, ugh.', I made an exaggerated shiver., 'umm, I thought we were sneaky enough.' Her face was displaying slight disappointment as she replied, 'I kind of regret watching this episode now, as dope as it was. I would've joined you two immediately, but my inner fan couldn't resist.' 'Don't worry, I can relate just too well. I almost fell from the roof when Rey told me you were watching it. But it might be not as extreme as it is with you', we were having a good 5 minutes talking about the show. How it influenced our lives, whether it was in a bad or good way. A long period of silent admiration for the night sky followed, and only Maria's mix of plateau and heels were making rhythmic sounds with the ground. 'I thought you were gonna sit with her somewhere, but to my pleasant surprise, you sat down by my side, while she went with that girl, I really liked her jacket though.' 'Yup, her style is out of this world', I replied, 'Those two are like yin and yang. They balance each other out. Determined to stay together for all times. You could say they are married. It's probably going to be a legit apocalypse when she doesn't move to Korea with Rey, and really, those two together are pure fire. When you think Rey and I have chemistry, then those two have nuclear reactions.' 'Really, is that the case? I believe that, but I bet it's something different with you and Rey. Because I even saw, umm, Lara's reactions, her big eyes, her big smiles, her gasps, she was just as shocked as me. And to be honest, it really was the most passionate performance I've ever seen in my life. And I saw a lot of dancers, even the married ones couldn't reach your level.' As I was hearing this made my heart feel warmth, in package with eerie doubts. A sincere 'Thank you.' was all I could put out. She conceded, 'I should thank you both. I am inspired to write again… Anyways, I wasn't sure what was going on between you and her. So I thought it was a good idea to take a few steps back. It turned out to be a good idea after seeing you both dance, I mean you were all over her. So I assumed you two were a couple.', she put her hands between her fingers. I sighed, 'That's the downside of being in the flow. You don't remember what you actually did', I assured to her, 'Hey, let me say this. Rey and I are best friends. She knows me in and out, damn, she even knew that-', I hesitated for a little second. 'I have to confess something. I was kinda hoping you would join me up there, in the rooftop.' 'UGH. NOO WAY!', she looked devastated as I burst out laughing, 'Damn me and my addiction. I am so sawry. You know, I was waiting for that opportunity, but then the fucking episode came out! Shit. Yo, Rey is really an angel for not letting you vegetate alone back there.' Yes she was, I thought. Serious me began talking again. 'She even knew that little hope I had. And what happened up there, was a good talk that was needed. I mean, it was nothing you might've thought, we were even talking about you. She even thinks we both are adawrable, as she always says. I think that Rey and I were made to be together, but not in the traditional way. I think that it couldn't lead to something more.' No, don't say that word. Don't think that thought.  'But being with you, I felt something special. Different from her, It's the feeling that I had known you for longer that we actually do, you know what I mean? And this other sensation, judging from what you just said it seems like you felt the same way.', Okay, that's good boy, keep it up. This might turn into a movie after all. We neared Maria's bungalow and stopped before the entrance. She looked over to me, her green eyes were warm and sparkling. 'Yeah, I did. I also felt the same way... And I am glad I have a more clear view over this. And now I am confident and assured enough for what I am about to ask. Look, I know girls don't usually do this but, ... I wanna ask you out on a date.' Wow. How bold. My mind and heart were switching places so fast they became one. But somehow, Heart had something else in mind. I hesitated. Why? She's the Dream Girl. It was love on first sight, right? So why am I standing here with an ambiguous face? She is waiting, just look at her. The green beautiful eyes, her natural curly hair. She looks sexy with your jacket on her shoulders. This awesome striped polo in yellow and green, tucked in, and her blue 90's jeans, clean with no rips, except for the white strings hanging from the cutoff ends, barely reaching the plateau shoes she was wearing. Skin tone caramel. Red nail polish. My favorite. A walking definition of passion. Straight out of the 90's. So why aren't you still answering?

_The reason is_ … 'Hey.', her voice, dark like fresh coffee, muttered. 'You still think about…Rey leaving…right? That's why you were so off. I apologize, I don't know what it is with me today, I really did nothing good to you today, I prioritized a stupid TV show over one of the dopest persons I've ever met today, and-' she went silent when I lifted up my palm. She was right with what she said, but it wasn't because she was leaving. It was because of... no, remember the rooftop. Get over it. Softly, I took her left hand with my right. 'Yes. I would like to go out with you.' The response from my beating heart seemed to indicate I was making the right decision. I was considering giving her a kiss on her hand, but I didn't want to be an outdated reincarnation of an old Shakespeare creation, instead, I had a more modern idea: 'Hey, you know what? Lets make our own handshake that only us both use. I already got an idea how this might look like.' Maria was making big eyes. 'This is the best idea ever. I have thought about one so I got some ideas that you wanna see.' I taught her the handshake i had in mind. We were spending a couple of minutes trying to figure out a legit impressing, but simple handshake. Her own ideas were neat, but she was kind of bad executing it. After a while, when I got the hunch she was relatively secure, I said, 'Ok lets try it out.' Clap. Snap. Twirl. Bump. We shouted out a loud 'OOOOH' in harmony, celebrating the success, laughing out, probably disturbing a few neighbors. As we calmed down, I realized something. 'Hey Maria.' 'Yeah?', she asked expectantly, her eyebrows were raised. 'You are nothing like the songs you write.', I slowly told her while trying to remain eye contact. It was harder than ever now.

After a long second, she replied with a confident expression, 'Well, you still have to find out who I really am, Romeo. Let me give you a glimpse.' Oh no, I thought, if she's going to become like her songs, then she…oh no. I was eagerly anticipating as she let out a big sigh, relaxing herself by letting her shoulders loose. There she goes. She was calm, a calm before  the storm. Her eyes were closed, I watched her carefully as she tied her wild hair back to a bun, leaving a perfectly curled strand hanging on the side. It was like a normal everyday thing, but she made it look like the sexiest thing on earth. But then, she opened her eyes slowly, with a bedroom look like a supermodel. Femme fatale. She seemed to look sleepy, but her intense passion radiating from her eyes caused an bursting explosion of adrenalin inside my body, starting from my brain, the electric feeling rushed through my spine to the lower core. My heart was pumping faster than I could grasp what was going on. 'This..', she whispered as I felt her warm breath on my skin as she neared my face, stopping only a few millimeters away. I was frozen. Deeply, I was lost in The eyes of a medusa. '…is the real me.'

The next thing I saw was her, in the frame of her door, turning her back, smiling, to say: 'I'll write 'cha.', before shutting the door completely. Leaving me alone in her front porch with a perplexed look. What had happened just now? Did we kiss? I didn't know the answer, I was staring at the purple door for a good minute. I even had my jacket again, that she wore on her shoulders. Then, I touched my lips softly, letting out the dumbest grunt of my life. Slowly turning to the direction where I parked my bicycle, I started strolling while putting on my headphones, connected to an old Walkman tucked on the side of my pants. Pressed 'Play'.

"sound and color/" ~

The song that was playing woke me up. "try to keep yourself awake/" ~ 'Yo, Ro.' A muffled, female voice was calling me. "sound and color/" ~ 'what?', I mumbled out of reflex. My voice was surprisingly hoarse. "this life ain't like a book-" A force pulled the headphones off me. 'wake up. lecture's over.' I opened my eyes, but the bright light made it hard for me. Damn. Not again. I managed to sit up from the desk I was laying my arms on the whole time to doze off. Why did I even had my headphones on? Me and my addiction to music. I proceeded taking a look around to find out who woke me up. Next to me was someone, with my headphones in hand, looking at me with a casual smile. It was the girl who I met in some preliminary preparation courses. She was kind and tried to help me with keeping up, but at least by now she must've realized my effort. We never got to the point of really getting to know to each other than talking about college. Another student who made the right decisions, determined and motivated to major. We were the only one's in the room. Even the professor left early, maybe some unfinished business he had to attend to. She handed me the cheap headphones. 'thanks.', I said, following up with an awkward laugh. 'I really can't just focus for once, maybe i should throw these things away.' Already halfway through the rows, wanting to exit, the girl contradicted me. 'Don't.' Arrived at the door, she added, looking at me with a straight, but still friendly face, 'Just do what you love.' With these words she left me alone. The door clicked and I was still sitting on the same seat. Still staring at the spot, where she was a few seconds ago, thinking, what does she mean. But I already knew the answer, I just denied it and pretended to not know. I fished my iPhone out my pocket, and stopped the music from playing. My finger automatically touched the WhatsApp symbol. No messages. What did you expect, Romeo? I sighed while putting the phone back in my tight jeans. The small windows let a few sunrays through, which were hitting my striped shirt. The sky was purplish pink. I was trying hard to remember the dream I was just having, I knew it was intense, an explosion of emotions, but all faded away too quickly to catch and store into a notebook.

What was the name of the girl earlier? Oh yeah, how could I forget. Her name was Juliet.