#cooking a large meal for my friends is my own way of handling my own deep feelings

[theharrowing]

we're doing a little "holiday meal" this weekend for our friends and i wish i could invite all of you 😭😭😭

[michelleleewise]

So I have a prompt if you're willing.

So like a bunch I've seen in the past, what if Loki has a crush on the reader and doesn't know how to process his feelings. So he picks on her, pulls pranks on her, and just being kind of mean to her. But of course Loki doesn't see it that way. Instead of the reader standing up for herself or trying to beat him at his own game, she gets really down on herself. Being picked on reminds her of her bullies from highschool and all the bad feelings come back. She starts to isolate herself, grows quiet, and starts skipping things if she finds out Loki's going to be there. It isn't until Nat (or whoever) sets him right, that he realizes what he's been doing to her. Is it too late to save this could be relationship?

I would like a happy ending but plenty of angst. Feel free to say no if you don't want to. 💙🖤💚💜

Hiiiiiiiiii!!!! Sorry this took 500 years for me to get to!!!! But I'm here now and let's set this angstfest on its way!!!! Hehehe. Thank you so much for sending this to me!! I hope you enjoy!! 💚💚💚💚

====================================

The Angel and the Fool

Pairing: Avenger Loki x female reader

Warnings: teasing, bullying, crying, depression, self deprecating thoughts, self esteem issues, body insecurities, loki being an idiot, nat being a good friend.

Summary: you and Loki had been friends for awhile, but recently his behavior towards you changed dramatically....

A/n: aaahhhh!!! This absolutely got away from me!! Lol sooooo it's a super long read, not sure how many words lol and a very very special Thank you to @mochie85 for all of your support and being my beta with this and and all your amazing thoughts!!!! Thank you!!!!! 💚💚💚 aaaand a new pic!!! 😁💚

You stood at the kitchen counter waiting for the world's slowest coffee machine to finish "all that money and stark can't even get a fast machine." You sighed leaning your elbow on the counter when you heard voices coming from the hallway "I told you brother, I was the one who broke up with her" Thor's voice boomed through the room like the thunder he was known for "whatever you say thor." Loki's smooth voice followed after. Looking up seeing the bane of your existence patting his brother on the shoulder as they walked into the kitchen. "Ah lady y/n, how are you?" Thor asked smiling as he reached into the cupboard grabbing a box of his pop tarts "I'm fine, how are you?" You asked as the coffee machine finally beeped signaling it was done.

"I am quite well thank you, we are headed to the training room." He said setting the box down next to you when you finally took stock of what they were wearing. Thor in his red shirt and black joggers when your eyes met Loki's, the smile on his face sending a shiver through you as your eyes traveled down seeing his tight black tank hugging every muscle he had. Biting you lip seeing his exposed arms, tracing the veins down to his long yet delicate fingers "your staring again darling." He purred snapping you out of your trance "sorry." You whispered grabbing the sugar bowl you began sweetening your coffee "I would be careful with that if I were you." Loki said making you look up at him "why is that?" You asked holding the spoon over your cup. "Well its just you mortals and sugar, i have heard it adds to the waistline does it not?" He asked smiling as his eyes traveled down your body.

"What..." you started when he raised his hand "I know it is not your fault, your weak mortal form cannot handle what we can." He said smiling again flexing his large pectoral muscles. Dropping the spoon you looked down at yourself, you knew you had put on a few pounds...being Pepper's assistant left Iittle time to make home cooked meals so a lot of your food was take out or on the run. You adjusted your belt feeling your eyes burn "you can always join us in the gym, i would be happy to...assist you." loki purred again. Looking up seeing he was still focused on your body "t..thanks but I..." you trailed off putting your cup in the sink

"I need to go, maybe I'll see you guys later." You said quickly leaving the room before he could say anything else. You made it to your office, flopping in your chair with a huff. "Does he think im fat?" You asked yourself straightening your back you looked down at your soft middle, poking it with your finger sighing. "Maybe a diet wouldn't be a bad idea." You said to yourself turning on your computer trying to get to work but Loki's words kept echoing in your head. You leaned back in your chair feeling a tear stream down your cheek. You had admittedly had a crush on the god practically since you were hired, and through your work with them you had grown closer to him, you could say you were friends. But the last few weeks he's seemed to go out of his way to point out every imperfection you had. You sighed closing your eyes deciding to go shopping after work to buy new clothes and a variety of green leafy things.

A few days later you once again stood in the kitchen placing various fruits and vegetables in a blender. Nat had told you about a smoothie that could help you lose weight when you saw Loki walking into the kitchen looking like be just rolled out of bed. His hair was a disheveled mess, the muscles of his bare chest flexing as he ran a hand through it "Hello little mortal, what are you up to now?" He asked walking to the fridge grabbing two bottles of water making your heart plummet "nothing." You said quietly continuing your work. "Mmm, and the change of wardrobe?" He asked gently tugging on the end of your overly large blouse "stop it." You snapped swatting his hand away hearing him laugh. "Did we wake up in a mood darling?" He asked taking a seat on the stool in front of you. "Dont you have a guest to get back to?" You sneered pointing at his second water bottle "She will be fine, this is much more entertaining." He smiled grabbing a strawberry from your pile taking a bite as he stared into your eyes.

You felt your heart sink at the confirmation, the familiar burning in your eyes returning "I'm not here to entertain you Loki." You growled when his bright emerald eyes met yours "but you do it oh so well." He purred biting into another strawberry. You sighed, closing your eyes fighting back the tears that were threatening to expose you when you heard a pair of heels clicking against the tile floor "there you are, you just left me alone." A woman's voice sounded through the room making your eyes shoot open, a tall thin redhead sauntered up to the counter placing a perfectly manicured hand on Loki's bicep "apologies, I became distracted." He said not taking his eyes off of you. "Oh, is she making us smoothies?" The woman asked excitedly as she took the seat next to him. "I do not know, are you y/n?" He asked, a smirk spreading across his face as you placed the last of the ingredients in the blender

"well she's your assistant isn't she? Why else would she be here with you?" The woman laughed as you turned on the blender hoping to drown her out when you saw the lid of the blender begin to glow "what the..." you were cut off as the lid flew off and the entire contents of the blender shot out and all over your shirt, gasping as the cold liquid seeped through to your skin "oh dear...it seems you will need to change that hideous shirt." Loki's voice entered your consciousness as your eyes shot to his seeing him laughing with his "date". you grabbed a towel trying to get as much of the green concoction off you as you could, tears welling in your eyes "green really is your color darling" Loki purred making you sigh.

You threw the towel in the sink seeing the redhead pressed against his arm laughing when you looked at him, his eyes roaming your now drenched shirt "i...I need to go." You said quickly heading towards the hall when Nat walked in "y/n, what happened?" She asked seeing your ruined shirt "nothing, just..." you said looking over your shoulder seeing loki had turned still watching you "just a blender mishap, I'm fine." You said stepping around her when she grabbed your arm "y/n, are you ok?" She asked, her eyes boring into you. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" You asked as nat glanced back into the kitchen seeing loki and the redhead "y/n.." She started when you pulled your arm free "I said im fine nat, i...I have to go pepper is waiting." You said quickly turning to the elevator before she could say anything else.

You stepped in pushing the button, as the doors closed you finally allowed the tears to fall. Any inkling of a hope you had for you and Loki had just been crushed under the reality of your life you would never be good enough. Your mind went back to the woman he was with, she could have been a model, an actress. You had to admit she was beautiful when your mind went back over the last few weeks with Loki, his constant comments about your weight, your clothes, the time you tried to add a little makeup to your routine hoping he would notice, but his reaction crushed you "aren't clowns supposed to be in the circus?" He had asked shaking his head. Every off handed comment, every slight against your appearance drudging memories long buried..."if you lost a few pounds maybe a guy would be interested"..."is face transplant surgery a thing? Because you need one."..."what guy in their right mind would go out with you." You made it to your office, thankful you kept an extra shirt in your desk for just in case situations you quickly changed, tossing the soiled shirt into your bag as you flopped down into your chair. "I thought we were atleast friends." You said to yourself wiping the tears from your cheeks when you heard a knock on your door

"Hey y/n, we have a meeting with the team, we gotta go." Pepper said smiling "is...is Loki going to be there?" You asked grabbing your pen and a pad of paper "yeah, it's an all hands meeting about the new protocols for missions." She said "umm, I'm really not feeling very well...can I skip this one?" You asked as she stepped in closing the door "what's wrong y/n?" She asked sitting across from you "nothing, I'm fine." You said looking down at your desk "I Just don't feel well, that's all." You said looking back up seeing her eyeing you "well ok, why don't you take the rest of the day off and I'll see you in the morning." She said standing back up. "Thank you Pepper, I really appreciate it." You said quickly gathering your things "you know you can talk to me right, if you need to?" She asked opening your door "yes, thank you but I'm fine." You said seeing her nod "ok, I'll see you tomorrow." She said walking out closing the door behind her.

You grabbed your bag, turning your lights off you locked the door to your office before heading downstairs hoping you could slip out undetected. You made it to the common room when a familiar voice sounded behind you "where are you off to little mortal? We have a meeting" Loki asked making you freeze "i...I'm not feeling well so I'm going home." You said not turning around "well do try to eat some vegetables, not that chocolate you like so much." He said hearing him take a step closer to you "you know what they say, it's goes straight to your thighs." He purred next to your ear making you look down "I have to go Loki." You said quickly walking to the nearest exit when you heard Thor "come brother, everyone is waiting." You turned to see Loki still looking at you as Thor patted his shoulder. Putting your head down you pushed the door open and headed for the car park. Throwing everything in the back you climbed in turning the key you looked down at yourself, sighing you put your car into gear and headed home, and away from Loki.

Loki's pov-

Loki quickly closed the door to his room and headed for the kitchen. Looking at his watch, smiling at the memory of when you gave it to him "there, now you won't be late anymore." You had said as you handed him the green velvet box, a large smile spread across your beautiful face as he opened it seeing the green iridescent face and gold hands ticking away, the black leather strap surrounding a tiny green pillow. He knew right then that his feelings for you went beyond comrodery, surpassing friendship into....something else, something he hadn't ever felt before. He quickened his pace knowing right now you would he in the kitchen messing with that odd machine that makes your coffee every morning. It had been two weeks since the incident with the smoothie and his conscience had been eating at him ever since.

He wanted more, he longed to hold you in his arms and never let you go but you always kept him at arms length, shying away when he attempted his usual method of flirting, but he couldn't resist the pull you had on him so he kept at it...kept pushing. But he knew that day in the kitchen he had gone too far, as much as he loved seeing you flustered and the things your drenched shirt did to him as it clung to your breasts he also saw the sadness in your eyes, the tears threatening to spill over as you stormed towards the hall. He was about to go after when he saw you talking to the widow, who shot him a glare that sent ice up his spine before you were gone again. He had hoped to catch you in the meeting, pull you aside and finally confess but you had fallen ill, leaving again before he had a chance.

Glancing at his watch again he began to jog down the hall, he had tried to catch you everyday since but you always evaded him, never staying in the kitchen too long and he wasn't allowed on the upper floors where your office was, some nonsense about his probation and secured areas when he made it to the kitchen, sighing seeing you standing there with Thor. He furrowed his eyebrows taking in your appearance, your clothes were baggier on your small frame then normal, your long beautiful hair that framed your face so perfectly was pulled back into a messy bun, dark circles encompassed your once bright eyes that now seemed distant, the sparkle that was there now dimmed. "This truly is an odd contraption." Thor's voice pulled him from his trance as he saw you smile but it didn't reach your eyes.

He took a small step in when your eyes shot up to his, your body going rigid as you stared at him "ah brother, lady y/n was showing me how she makes coffee." Thor said taking a sip from his cup "I must say it is quite good, you should try some." He said walking around to the other side of the island sitting on a stool "i...I have to go, you can show him Thor." You said quickly grabbing your cup you began walking to the elevator "y/n, may I..." he was silenced as you turned, the look in your eyes sending a shiver through him "I can't talk Loki, i...I have to get to work." You said, all emotion gone from your voice "but I...I just wanted to..." loki trailed off looking to his feet "I am sorry for the day in the kitchen, with the blender." He said fidgeting with his fingers "it's fine, don't worry about it." You said, the same coldness in your tone as he looked up at you "it's not the first time, and it won't be the last." You said taking a step back towards the elevator "but y/n..." he started when you held your hand up "I need to go." You said quickly turning and before he could say anything else you were gone.

He returned to the kitchen to see Thor staring at him "what was all that about?" He asked sipping his coffee "I need to speak with her but she had to go." Loki said setting the kettle on the stove. "Mm, well there is the party stark is throwing tonight, I'm sure the lady will be there, she goes to all of them." Thor said matter of factly "Thor, I never thought I would say this but you are a genuis." Loki said turning the stove off heading towards his room. The party, how could he forget the party! He thought as he walked in heading to his closet he pulled his black suit out, laying it on the bed going to his dresser he pulled out his black silk shirt and vest laying them next to his suit. "I will ask her to dance with me and then tell her." Loki said to himself grabbing a towel heading into the bathroom "tonight y/n, you will finally be mine." He said, smiling to himself as he turned the water on and began to prepare for tonight.

Straightening his suit he walked into the large overcrowded room. The music booming through the speakers made his head throb as he skirted his way through the throngs of people, looking around hoping to catch a glimpse of you as he made it to the bar. He looked up and down but saw no sign of you at all "what'll you have?" The bartender asked snapping him back "oh, um whiskey please." Loki said looking back out to the large crowd "maybe she isn't here yet?" He said to himself as the bartender set a glass of amber liquid in front of him. "Ah Loki, I wasn't sure you would be here." He heard next to him, turning his head to see none other then the widow taking a seat on one of the stools "yes well, I am here looking for someone." He said glancing back out "oh I'm sure you have no shortage of "dates." She airquoted making him raise an eyebrow at her. "What does that mean?" He asked leaning on the bar.

"Nothing, just rumors of your conquests have definitely traveled through the tower." She laughed making him sigh "Hmm yes, I have heard." He said looking out to the crowd again "do you think y/n is running late?" He asked making her raise her eyebrow this time "why so interested?" She asked crossing her arms "no reason, I was only curious." He shrugged sipping his drink "Mm, if i didnt know better i would say you were more then curious." Nat said as she turned ordering her drink "and what pray tell makes you think that?" He asked seeing her smile "I am going to tell you something I probably shouldn't, but needs to be said." Nat said grabbing her drink

"I know you and y/n are friends, well were until as of recently." She said sipping her drink "but I know a person in love when I see them, reading people is what I do." She said seeing Loki's eyes widen "see, what you need to try to understand about our y/n is she has a very large heart, she cares alot." Nat continued seeing loki nod "but shes been through alot, people have not treated her with the same kindness she gives. And what you said to her....and before you ask yes i know about all of it." She said quickly before he could interupt "honestly, it devastated her. The last two weeks she hasnt been herself, she wont talk to anyone, she refuses to go to meetings." She sighed shaking her head "all im saying is, if you dont feel the same about her just tell her, but stop messing with her, she doesn't deserve it." Nat snapped standing from her stool. "Have a nice evening Loki." She said making her way back into the crowd.

Loki mulled her words over in his head what have i done? He thought as he downed his drink and began heading to the exit when the same redheaded woman from that day found him "Hey handsome, care for a dance?" She purred rubbing his arm "no thank you, I must be going." He said walking around her "I thought maybe we could have another sleep over, get to know eachother better." She said grabbing his bicep "apologies but I'm afraid the answer is still no, I...I have met someone." He said seeing her nod "lucky girl." She smiled removing her hand "I'll see you around." She smiled walking back into the crowd as Loki let out the breath he was holding. Now he just had to find a way to get to you and talk to you, tell you everything once and for all and he knew exactly how he was going to do it.

He continued walking through the crowd when he heard a familiar laugh, looking up seeing Thor on the balcony of the vip section, rolling his eyes seeing him swinging his precious hammer around when his eyes landed on you. "Y/n..." he sighed taking you in. Your hair was gently curled cascading down to your shoulders, the floor length powder blue dress hugged your beautiful body perfectly, the long slit landing at the middle of your thigh made his heart race as you shifted, exposing your supple skin. His hands clenching into fists thinking about how badly he wanted to run his hands up and down those beautiful legs as they were wrapped around him, squeezing him as he gave you everything he had...worshipping you exaclty how you deserved.

Shaking his head he adjusted his slacks that had suddenly become very tight as he pulled his phone out, dialing the number he wanted he looked up watching Thor set his hammer down before pulling out his own device "ah brother, where are you?" Thor asked looking around the room "Thor, may I have a word?" Loki asked as their eyes met "meet me at the bar." Loki said hanging up quickly heading back to the bar when a large hand landed on his shoulder "loki, is everything alright?" Thor asked leaning on the bar. "Brother, I have a favor to ask." Loki said looking back to the balcony, Thor following his gaze nodding "tell me what you need." Thor said seeing Loki smile.

You stood off to the side, wondering how you let nat talk you into coming tonight. You pulled at the dress that she had loaned you. It was too tight, the neckline definately too low as it traveled down between your breasts, the only thing holding it in place was the thin strip of material traveling behind your neck, and the slit was definitely too high. You felt exposed as you shifted on your feet trying to hold your breath. You watched Thor bow before walking down towards the bar. Looking around you bit your lip, the only reason you had agreed to come was because you knew Loki wouldn't be up here. "The vip section." You laughed to yourself seeing nat had rejoined wanda, Steve was laughing with bucky, the other agents you had seen on your floor mingling...they deserved to be here, they were heroes... they were beautiful and here you were, the ugly duckling among the swans. You looked down sucking in your stomach trying not to stretch the dress when a voice next to you made you jump.

"Well hello gorgeous, can I buy you a drink?" You turned your head seeing Matt, the agent who had the office next to yours smiling at you. "Oh...I have one, but thank you." You whispered watching his eyes travel down your body. "Hmm, well we could get out of here, I don't live too far." He winked smiling "um, no...thank you though." You offered a smile sipping your drink. "Women don't usually turn down a night with me, you sure you won't reconsider?" He asked again stepping into your space "t..thank you for the offer but yes I'm sure." You said taking a step back. Yes he was attractive, very much so but you barely knew him and there was no way you were gonna let him see you naked. You cleared your throat looking back out into the crowd when you heard him laugh "Ya know you clean up pretty nice, I was honestly surprised to see you had brushed your hair." He laughed sipping his drink. "I...um thanks?" You said looking down.

"you actually look kind of decent." He laughed again eyeing you. "Mm...it's like those movies where the ugly girl puts on a dress and makeup and suddenly she isn't AS ugly....that's what you remind me of." He said. You felt the familiar burning in your eyes, closing them as he went on "but you know what they say, put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig." He laughed louder when a loud thump made your eyes shoot open, looking over seeing Matt pinned against the wall, Thor holding him by the throat "you will not to speak to her that way." Thor said sternly leaning down coming face to face with him "apologize...now." Thor growled as Matt's eyes widened. "I...I'm s...sorry." he choked out, his eyes not leaving the massive blonde "Thor...stop." you said grabbing his arm but there was no way you could make him budge when his eyes met yours, the anger that was there softening as he looked back at Matt

"you will never speak to her again, am I understood?" Thor said growled into Matt's face as he nodded "go, before I change my mind." Thor said tossing him to the floor watching him scurry away. "Thor?" You whispered when he turned back to you. "Are you alright my lady?" He asked stepping closer "yes, i...im ok. Thank you but you didn't have to do that." You said looking down. "He had no right to say those....horrible things to you y/n." He said as you shook your head "no he's...he was right, I don't belong here." You breathed looking up seeing Thor's eyes wide "what ever would make you think that?" He asked crossing his arms "don't play dumb Thor, you know as well as everyone else." You sighed looking out to everyone having fun

"they're strong, beautiful, they could take anyone in the room home with them." You said fidgeting with your glass "i...I'm not any of those things." You said feeling a tear slide down your cheek "i never will be, because no matter what I do I always be me...fat, ugly me." You sighed setting your drink down "I think im gonna head home for the night." You said looking to the floor as you walked around him "y/n, wait." He said grabbing your wrist "do you truly see yourself as such?" He asked making you laugh "it's what I've always been told. Even your brother has made it abundantly clear that I am...how did he put it...oh yes a clown that needed to join the circus." You said feeling a lump form in your throat "and you know the pathetic thing?" You asked finally looking up into his eyes "i...I love him...and I will never be good enough for him." You huffed a laugh remembering the day in the kitchen.

"Y/n, my brother is an idiot...a fool." Thor said taking a step closer to you. "You have to understand, when we were younger...on Asgard he had no shortage of attention, men and women would happily bend to his will, do anything he asked of them to be his...to be in his favor." Thor said looking down "and those who didn't he would break them down, make them feel less then to get what he wanted...regardless of how selfish it was." Thor continued, his hand sliding down to yours "and here...on Midgard it has been much the same, I was never lacking attention and i...I let it go to me head." Thor said looking up into your eyes "i?...what do you mean i?" You asked furrowing your eyebrows watching Thor shake his head "are you feeling ok Thor? Do you need to sit down?" You asked squeezing his hand "no! I'm not...i have wronged you, and how i treated you...." he snapped, trailing off looking around.

"Come with me." He said pulling you along behind him. Running to keep up with his long strides "Thor, where are we going?" You asked as he pulled you into a secluded corner away from everyone "if I didn't know better I'd think you were going to kill me." You laughed as he pressed your back against the wall "umm...Thor?" You stuttered when you saw him close his eyes, a green light washing over him when suddenly Loki was in his place "Loki!? What..." you were cut off by his hand gently covering your mouth "shh...I cannot be up here." He said lifting a finger to his lips. "I needed to speak with you and this was the only way." He whispered lowering his hand from your mouth

"what...why?" You whispered back as he placed his hands on your shoulders "y/n, is that truly where your feelings lie?" He asked, his hands slowly sliding down your bare arms "i...you...i know..." you trailed off, closing your eyes remembering what you just confessed to "thor" "Loki i..." He cut you off again by his finger pressed to your lips, his deep green eyes boring so deep into yours you were afraid they would consume you. You lifted your hand gently grabbing his wrist moving his hand "yes Loki...it was the truth." You whispered seeing tears well in his eyes. "I know you don't feel the same, I'm sorry I ruined our friendship its just...."

you were cut off again, all coherent thought leaving you as his lips pressing to yours, the hand you were holding reaching up to cup your cheek as the other slid around your side to your back pulling you closer to him. Gasping feeling his fingers touch the bare skin of your back when you felt his tongue slip between your parted lips, moaning into his mouth tasting the whiskey on lips as you returned the kiss, tilting your head as his hand slid to your hair holding you to him. The kiss was everything you had ever imagined and more. It was dominating and all consuming, and you never wanted it to end. Wrapping your arm around his middle you pressed yourself as close to him as you could, your nails digging into the back of his suit jacket when he pulled back slightly, nibbling your bottom lip as he pressed his forehead to yours, your breath mixing together as you tried to regain your composure.

"I...I owe you an apology y/n." He panted tightening his grip around your waist "I owe you so much more then that." He said lifting his head looking into your eyes "i...I don't understand Loki." You said searching his eyes for an answer. "Y/n, my sweet, beautiful little mortal i..." He trailed off looking down "I have never been the best at expressing my emotions, and in truth as a prince of Asgard i...i never took into account others feelings, i was selfish and took what i wanted however i wanted" He said looking back up at you "I know it is no excuse for how I have treated you, but after hearing that pathetic boy say those things to you." He growled "I see what I have done to you, how I've made you feel and I....I am ashamed of myself for everything I put you through." He said, a tear streaming down his cheek as he looked down again.

"The truth y/n is...that I love you, I have loved you for so long." He whispered "and I was afraid you would never feel the same for the would be invader of your realm, but I simply couldn't get enough of you...of your bright smile, your kindess, of your attentions, i craved it...so in my selfishness I teased and mocked, as I had done so many times before hoping to get even the slightest reaction...a smile, a snide remark...but I watched you slowly pull away from me, hiding yourself away in your office, the spark inside you slowly dying and i...y/n I can never apologize enough for my behavior." He said looking up, your heart breaking seeing the tears steaming down his cheeks. "D...do you think you could ever forgive me?" He asked, his voice shaking as his lip quivered. You lifted your hands, cupping his cheeks seeing his eyes close "Loki.." you whispered, your thumbs wiping the tears from his cheeks as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Please y/n, let me take you out...allow me to treat you as you deserve...to worship you as the goddess that you are." He whispered wrapping his fingers around your wrists. You smiled looking deeply into his eyes "all you had to do was ask." You said seeing him return the smile "oh my perfect, sweet y/n." He sighed gently placing a kiss on your lips before wrapping his arms around you pulling you to his chest, his large hand holding the back of your head as he rocked you back and forth. "I'm sorry...so so sorry." He whispered into your hair. "It's ok Loki, I forgive you." You said into his chest, squeezing his middle tightly. "What did I do to deserve you?" He asked kissing the top of your head.

"You made a mistake, but you learned from it." You said pulling back to look at him "and you apologized...who am I to hold a grudge?" You asked seeing him smile "you are truly an angel sent from the heavens." He said cupping your cheek "come, allow me to take you to dinner, where we can talk more privately." He said stepping back "ok, let me get my coat." You said as he wrapped his arm around your waist you walked through the room towards the exit, glancing over seeing nat you waved as she winked lifting her glass when you caught Loki mouthing something to her. "What did you say?" You asked as he smiled down at you "oh, I was thanking her." He said squeezing you tighter "for pointing out how much of an idiot I had been." He said grabbing the door holding it open for you "after you my angel." He said, making you blush as you walked past him, feeling his fingers twine with yours you squeezed, smiling to yourself and for the first time in a long time you had hope.....

@lokistoriesblog @hyperlokilover @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @simplyholl @lokidokieokie @mjsthrillernp @violethaze @dryyoursaltyoceantears @loz-3 @commanding-officer @stupidthoughtsinwriting @high-functioning-lokipath @jaidenhawke @lokiandbuckysdoll @littlespaceyelf @lastlovesong17 @ladyofthestayingpower @homesickloki @glitterylokislut @avoliax @yelkmelk @mayjaysthots @buttercupcookies-blog @differenttyphoonwerewolf @her-glorious-purpose @nate-ate-hate @chantsdemarins @ladymischief11 @usagishira @princess-asgard @honeyg19 @goblingirlsarah @cabingrlandrandomcrap @silverfire475 @smolvenger @loki-laufeyson-1054-deactivated @marygoddessofmischief @animnerd @texmexdarling @fictive-sl0th @jin0x0 @vbecker10 @eleniblue @lady-rose-moon @pics-and-fanfics @kittiowolf210 @kats72 @asgardianprincess1050 @crimson25

[probablyspooky]

Traitor (2010 Predator x Fem! Reader) Pt. 2

Yall ate this up like a nice bowl of mama’s chili 

(I’m stupid as fuck)

Last Next

Being forced to follow beings you didn’t like wasn’t unusual for the typer of placement you had in your life, when you first met Berserker, you hated him, oh you hated him.

You had been born on a planet much like the one you were on, while your DNA was human, you had never been to Earth before, your parents often taught you of the many things that went on Earth, but soon their numbers were called, and they were taken away to be hosts for face-huggers. By the time you came of age you had managed to make a friend, a young yautja who looked a bit different than the others who surrounded him, his eyes were much more sunken, and his jaw and mandibles were larger than normal, many mocked him, or you thought they were mocking him. 

Before you could be used as a host for a face-hugger, you were a servant for the Elders of the tribe, often skinning meat, and preparing meals for those who had just had a successful hunt. Berserker would often watch you, and tease you that he was going to rip your spine off, often cornering you in buildings threatening to take your life then and there, and no one would bat an eye.

You often cried yourself to sleep in fear of being brutally murdered, but this was the life you were born into. As you grew older to adulthood, so did Berserker, even though he was still technically older than you as they age slower, (say you were like 11 when you were a servant he was a bit bigger than you already but like a teen in their eyes, so like 30 something in human years don’t quote me on this I’m so sleepy), when you were brought up to age, you and those in your same age group, were brought up to the Elders chambers, which served as the meeting room. There they were designating where each of you will be sent, whether that be into slavery for life, or being sent off planet to be hunted.

When the Elder came to you, he held the marker covered in acid (much like the xenomorph blood used in Alien vs. Predator), a voice spoke up, that of the Berserker predator, who had grown rather large, larger than those who had made fun of him in the past, he had proven to his Elders in his time to be a mighty hunter and warrior, bringing honor and glory to the Hunters clan.

“Wait!”, he spoke up, causing the Elder to growl in his direction for interrupting this ceremony.

“What is it?”, Elder hissed in his direction,

“I wish to take her as my own,”

“To eat?”

“To mate”

It took a bit of convincing amongst the Elders to see if this was even allowed, but the oldest Elder, dubbed Vi’kor, spoke out on how in the past their kind has mated with those of different species before, often to create stronger hybrid offspring, adding to his argument that Berserker has proven himself time and time again on the battlefield, allowing him to have his pet is a suitable reward.

And like that, you were chosen by Berserker as a mate, he didn’t force himself upon you, but as tradition is important to them, the two of you were to go on a hunt together, somewhere off planet, and as the story goes, the two of you grow closer, perhaps it was the time he rescued you from a large bear tiger beast, or when you helped tend to the wounds he received while protecting you, but the two of you meshed together rather well.

The two of you staring into a fire, where his latest kill was being roasted over the fire, he didn’t prefer this cooked meat idea, but your stomach couldn’t handle raw meats such as these. 

While tending over the fire, you began to poke at the meat, trying to see if the meat was cooked all the way through, suddenly feeling the graze of your mates fingers upon your back, you slowly turned your head to look at him.

“Yes?” you asked, turning to look at him

“You are very small...I could hurt you at any moment,” he replied, clicking his mandibles

“Yes you could,” you mumbled, feeling uneasy, and turning back to look at the meat.

While you did this, a second hand found its way around your waist, and you felt his chest press against your back, his odd attempt at a hug.

“I will protect you then,” he whispered into your ear

“Thank you...” you replied, touching his bicep with your hand.

That night, you were truly mated, your bond only growing stronger over the years, eventually as yautja do, he wished for offspring, but not wanting to lose you possibly from any complications, he took you to the best healers his clan had to offer. That year you were poked and prodded, bruises from bloodwork, and other types of medicines on your body, it all took a toll.

Laying in the nest of his chambers, a metal bowl that hovered above the ground, filled with pelts and furs, you lay, resting after another healer visit. You could hear the door open, and the heavy footsteps of Berserker enter. You didn’t dare move, you were too sore, too tired, you simple gave a whimper to acknowledge his presence.

“You are tired?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the nest, taking his large hand and brushing your hair back (or down if you have curly hair).

“I am very sore, but I’ve been sore before” you chuckled, turning over to look at him

“I am sorry...” he grumbled, taking his hand back

“It is okay, I’m doing this for you,”

“If it becomes too much, you can stop”

You smiled and placed your hand onto the hand that was on your head, rubbing your thumb against his wrist. 

“I can handle it love”

He quickly stood up, and stormed out of the room, love was not a term that was used often in his native tongue, guilt washed over him, and he began to realize that he cherished you more than his desire for an offspring.

He was on his way to the healers quarters to call the whole thing off, but once he entered the healer greeted him calmly and informed that the tests were a success, and that you could carry a pup to term.

Excitement washed over him, as he rushed back to your shared home, throwing himself onto the nest with you, you jumped up startled.

“What is wrong?” you said, panic in your voice taking over

“You can carry my child!” he replied, pinning you to the bed, ready to take you in that moment

“Wait!” you gasped, as he began to reach for your lower skirt

“What is wrong?”

“It is my time”, you mumbled, embarrassed

Like a clock ticking it took him a moment to understand what you meant, and like bait in a trap, he understood.

“Very well, we will get you pregnant next month, but for now...”he growled reaching for your skirt once again.

And here you were currently, following humans who had in fact been born on Earth, those had seen war, those who committed crimes, some worse than others.

The group continued to walk throughout the forest, eventually forcing you to a clearing, familiar foliage became known and you felt your heart skip a beat as you realized you were closer to camp.

Feeling your excitement over take you, you began to quicken your pace, which surprised Isabelle, she took note of you, hoping maybe your head trauma was fading away. Someone else took note of your excitement, but not in a good way. Royce didn’t trust you, not one bit.

Soon the group came up to the trophy pillar, where disregarded trophies of past hunts were left behind as a remembrance. About a mile from the camp, the group and you were ambushed by a dead mans trap, before you could fall into a high tech bear trap, you felt an invisible hand grip your back, and pull you back, throwing you on your ass to the ground, while the others were scrambling to not get murdered.

You knew it was Tusk, who else could it be, he was watching over you. You began to scan the tree line looking for possible vantage points he could be hiding in. Your eyes landed on a large sturdy branch that was shaking, as if something large was on it. 

Smiling you waited walked around the traps, trying to take note of any traps that might also be armed nearby.

As Edwin was freaking out, and Royce and Nikolai investigated the dead corpse who had set the traps that had just gone off, you could hear the sounds of familiar running steps. The sound of your beloved hunting dog panting could fill your ears, same as the rest of the groups. Isabelle quickly grabbed you, pulling you behind her, as they began to fire at the monsters you called your pets.

Berserker had gotten you a dog as protection when you often left their home station to forage in the nearby bramble for fruits and berries for yourself, you didn’t have a name for him, as you just called him your sweet.

Seeing the familiar face of your dog charging towards you, Isabelle lifted her rifle up to take aim at your dog, thinking quickly you pushed her gun into the air, causing the gun fire to miss him just barely. They had managed to shoot and kill one of the other dogs, but before yours could excitedly jump up at you to lick your face as he usually does, Falcon blew the whistle in the distance, sweet looking at you whimpering, and then retreating back into the forest.

The group began to argue, mad at what was going on, Isabelle was mad at you for shoving her gun away, but what could she do, you weren’t talking to anyone. Nikolai dragged one of the corpses into the center of the group for everyone to inspect.

“We’re being hunted” he said, spitting on the corpse, much to your annoyance.

“They sent the damn dogs after us!” Stans shouted, kicking dirt in any direction he could, and then his eyes landed on you again, you shuffled and hid behind Mombasa, who understood the assignment and placed his hand in front of you as protection. 

Stans launched himself at Mombasa, putting his small knife to Mombasa’s neck, demanding one of of his weapons as protection. Mombasa, sliding his rifled between the two of them, threatening to end his life, along with his own.

Once the group calmed down a bit from realizing they were hunting game, you continued the walk towards the camp. Your impatience growing with every stop, first Isabelle wanted to show that they were in fact, not on Earth, Royce pointing out they had been there for hours, and it’s as bright as it was when they landed. Dread began to settle over the group, on everyone besides you that is.

Soon enough, you found the familiar markings of the Jungle Hunters clan pillars, and you began to smile wide as the thought of being with your love again began to wash over you.

But of course your joy was short lived, as Royce just had to go bother the young yautja that was chained in the center of the camp, he began to roar and growl at the sight of all these humans, and then his eyes settled on you, cursing you out in their native tongue. While everyone started freaking out, the familiar sound of clicking filled your ear, as you turned to see nothing, knowing your mate was close by, you began to walk away from the group, hoping to feel at home once again. But before you could step too far, Stans ran up and tried grabbing your arm to pull you back.

“Where the hell are you goin?” he snarled, his stupid face was first confused, but it was swapped with fear, as a plasma blast shot between the two of you. 

Berserker had fired a warning shot at Stans, as a warning not to touch his mate, soon one by one Falcon, Tusk and Berserker began to turn off their cloaks, showing themselves.

“Shit!” Isabelle shouted, quickly running to your side, and grabbing your arm once again, and with the group, you all began to run away from the camp. You tried stomping into the ground, trying to stop them from taking you away.

“Why can’t you run?” she shouted, at you stopping for a second to scold you like a child.

Mombasa quickly rushing over to help, he grabbed you, and began to drag you with him, the familiar beeping in your breast cup started again, and you quickly pulled yourself away from Mombasa, as he was impaled by a spear trap, causing his gun to go off, a bullet barely grazing your leg, you sneered in pain and agony.

Nikolai quickly ran over, fireman carrying you off the camp, Berserker sending more firing shots in your general direction, trying not to harm you, but trying to scare them off of you. No one was paying any attention to where they were running off to, and soon you all ran off a cliff into a lake.

The cold water rushing over your body as the stinging pain of hitting water hit your body, you began to struggle under the water, Falcon had sent his drone over the waters to see if you were okay as her Alphas orders, once he saw you break the surface of the water, he took note of the rest of the humans and where they seemed to be heading and recalled his drone.

You weak attempts at swimming didn’t go unnoticed, as Royce grabbed the back of your collar, and threw you onto the ground on the shore bank.

“You know what those things are! The both of you!” he shouted towards Isabelle and you.

You didn’t say anything, as your leg was hurting. Nikolai came over and tore the bottom half of his shirt off, Edwin quickly rushing over and bandaging your leg, seeming to take too much time touching your skin, you felt fear rush over your body.

Isabelle sighed, and explained that before, when she was off in the jungles on Earth, her men and her had been taken off one by one, she was injured and it seemed to leave her alone, explaining that those who had seen the beast described it the same way that the young yautja looked.

Royce spit on the ground, and pointing at the rest of the group.

“No more secrets, especially from you” he snarled, pointing at you.

“She can’t even talk, let alone keep a secret, what could she know?” Isabelle stated, standing in between you to, as to protect you from Royce.

As the group continued on, the familiar red dots of a plasma rifle crossed over the whole group, Royce turning his face to look at the yautja mask that uncloaked before you.

“What the hell are you?” Royce whispered, not realizing that whatever this was, it was not in fact a yautja.

“I’m alive” he said, removing his mask to reveal that he, Noland, was in fact a human same as them.

Seeming to have no other options, the group and you followed Noland to his makeshift home, in the wreckage of left behind ships from many seasons ago. One by one Noland lead the group into his home, but stopping to give you a weird look.

Noland began to explain that he had been trapped on this planet for ten seasons, and each season they just send bigger and stronger yautja, stopping to look at you.

“I know you” he said, pointing at you with a shaky hand.

Your face began to burn red, as fear overcame your body.

“Wait you know her?” Edwin asked, turning his between the two of you

“Yeah I know her, I think, do you? No not that one the other one, now you’re just being stupid”, Noland replied, but he seemed to just have a conversation with himself.

“Earth to captain insanity” Royce snapped, “How do you know her?”

“Well, I haven’t see her per say, I’ve seen them talk on those wrist watches they got, little pictures hovering over their arms, sometimes they call others, one of them though, is really ugly, but always has this girl on his lap, kind of looks like her”

Like a lightbulb moment going off in his head Royce turned his gun to look at you. “That’s why you won’t talk! You fucking live with them don’t you! What are you? Like their pets or something?”

“Woah back off fucker!” Isabelle shouted, pointing her gun towards Royce.

You began to cry, tears stinging at your eyes, but that wasn’t the only thing stinging your eyes, as Noland had started a fire in an attempt to kill you all and take your equipment.

“Noland what the hell!” Royce yelled, everyone seemed to drop the issue at hand and move on to survival, Stans kicking down the at a loose wall panel. Everyone else was screaming, the beeper in your breast cup was beeping louder, trying to alert someone who was nearby of your location.

Nolan dies off somewhere because honestly fuck him girly pop.

Soon Stans screams and cries for help continued to echo along with each kick of the wall panel. After a bit, the smoke began to die down, Tusk had put out the fire nearby, the beeper got louder and louder, and when Stans ran  over to you to see what that sound was, he shamelessly dug around in your breast cups, pulling out your tracker, holding it up for everyone to see.

“The bitch lead them right to us!” he shouted, turning to you quickly, punching you across the face, knocking you to the ground.

Isabelle quickly ran over, hitting him with the butt of her rifle, and kneeling down next to you.

“Knock it off, I’m sure she has her reasons,” she shouted

Stans was held back by Nikolai and Royce, everyone started yelling, and shame washed over you, and in typical fashion you bowed your head to the ground.

“I’m sorry!” you shouted, and silence was quick, as this is the first time anyone had heard your voice.

“Speak,” Isabelle said, rubbing your back, “Tell them you’re trapped here like us.”

“I am not! I am here with my mate! I did not mean to be here with you! I just...haven’t seen another human in so long, but I’m not supposed to interfere..”

“You fucking BITCH!” Stans shouted, spitting at your face, Isabelle looked at you, knowing she defended someone who potentially got them all killed.

Before anyone else could respond, you began to cry out.

“Tusk!” you sobbed out loud, and as soon as you finished you cry for help, the panel where Stans was kicking, suddenly was punched from the opposite side, knocking it loose, and then knocking it down.

A terrifying silence fell over the ship, as nothing came from the hole, and no one dared move. Seeing this as your chance, you quickly tried to rush to the hole, but when half your body managed to get halfway out, Stans broke off and stomped into your back, causing you to cry out in pain.

A roar could be heard echoing off the walls of the ship, and while everyone momentarily took in their surroundings, you quickly slipped past through the hole, and began to rush down the seemingly empty hall. 

Royce, Nikolai, Isabelle, Edwin, Hanzo (I hate that they named him this), and Stans began to follow you. Eventually making their way out of the ship, you quickly ran into the fog ahead, knowing that Berserker would probably be waiting for you with open arms. Seeing that you’re trying to escape them, Stans rushes ahead, and tackles you to the ground, taking a fist full of your head, momentarily whispering vile things into your ear as you laid under him.

The rest of the group caught up and didn’t even try to pull him off of you, but they wouldn’t let him do anything too rash. While the two of you struggled against the ground, a roar echoed over the group.

Stans quickly, full of fear jumped off of you, you continued to cry in pain in the dirt. Before anyone's eyes, you seemed to float off the ground, bridal style. One by one Berserker, Tusk, and Falcon turned their cloaks off.

“Oh fuck,” Royce said, taking a step back.

You continued to cry into your mates shoulder, he quickly placed you on your feet, and with his large hands began to scan your body for injury, seeing the fresh bruise on your face from the punch, his finger gently tapped on your face, causing you to wince in pain, seemingly to ask, “Who did this?”

Through your tears, you pointed to Stans, and pulled Berserker close, whispering into his ear area (they don’t have ears), of how he had continuously touched your body, and the vile things he whispered to you just now.

A rage washed over your mates body, as he caressed your face with his large hand, he turned back to the ground, and roared towards Stans, taking out a small blade, firing it at Stans leg, making him scream out in pain, knocking him to the ground.

The rest of the group went to take a step back, but were stopped by Falcon and Tusk, as to make sure they were going to see their own fates soo enough.

While Stans was on the ground, he tried crawling towards you, as to beg for mercy, but as soon was his hands reached out and touched the hem of your skirt, your mate came up behind him, pulling his wrist bladed out, he hooked into Stans back, making him scream in agony as blood began to spill out of his mouth. Berserker raised Stans to the sky, pulling his blades back, causing his body to one again fall to the ground, Stans screaming in agony as blood began to flood the ground under him. 

As a final statement of his status, Berserker reached his hands into the back wounds of Stans, gripping his spine, retrieving the trophy of Stans, his spine and skull. Raising it to the sky, and roaring into the night of his victory, Berserker made a show of making sure the rest of the group would see what he was capable of, Falcon and Tusk then moved back, allowing the rest of the group to run off into the night. Berserker turned to you again, and knelt down, holding the trophy out to you, as a gift.

Smiling you took it into your hands, blood coating your fingers, knowing this is his way of saying sorry, you took his hand into yours, and the four of you began to walk back to your camp.

Once there you took a needed rest in your makeshift shelter, Mombasa’s body still sitting in the trap as flies began to feast on his flesh. Laying down on the large fur that was laid out for you, you tried to close your eyes for a needed rest. But soon you began to feel the familiar pressing of your mates member, pressing into your back.

Turning over rather fast, you grabbed into your mates chest plate, pulling him onto of you. Oh you had missed him, he wasted no time ripping your skirt off of your body. Then tearing his loin cloth off of himself, exposing all of his length to you, forcing himself into your already wet entrance,  pulsing himself into you repeatedly, over and over, feeling that you were not showing enough skin to his liking, he grabbed your breast cover, and tore it off of your body.

With every thrust of his torso, he watched your breasts wobble up and down with every thrust. You began to moan aloud, causing your mate to growl like a beast into the forest, Falcon and Tusk were currently sitting on the other edge of camp, pretending this wasn’t happening currently.

Berserker clawed into your legs, gripping you closer to him, he pulled you to sit up and look at him, but he still had that mask on.

“The mask.” you moaned, “Off please...”

He quickly ripped off his mask to show all of his face, his mandibles clicking, soft purrs emanating from his chest. Snuggling your face into his neck, he continued to thrust up into you, his hand grasping your butt with every thrust, his claws sinking into your skin, small droplets of blood began to drip out, but this was something you were used to. Whimpering into your mates ear, you could feel the pool of pleasure reaching its brim, you began to convulse as your orgasm  shook you to your core, the tightening of your body sent your mate over the edge, and he reeled his head back in pleasure, roaring into the night sky.

Afterword, he laid you back down onto your furs, and began to pet your hair.

“I am sorry I let you get hurt, I failed you as a protector” he whispered

“It’s fine love, you’re here now that's all that matters.” you replied, tracing your hands across his chest.

Quiet purrs could be heard, he truly was happy you were back in his reach.

Everything seemed to be okay that night, you rested within the arms of Berserker, unknowing of the danger of the humans who lurked nearby.

They knew you were the key to them getting off planet, and they knew they had to get to you soon before Berserker took you away.

[hahaifolded]

The Siren, the Cook, and the Sister (3)

Sanji x PirateHunter!FemReader (Masterlist) Chapter 3: The Chest (Previous) (Next) Summary: After spending the day with Robin and her crew, y'all part ways. The Strawhats leave with a forbidden souvenir however. Warnings: None

Sanji was the first to wake up in his room much to his dismay. After requesting to stay in the room right next to yours, the cook stayed up for hours, trying to eavesdrop in yours and Robin’s conversation. But he couldn’t decipher anything over Zoro’s and Luffy’s snoring. Disappointed in himself, he got up and made his way downstairs. Much to his surprise, you and Robin were already down. 

“Dearest Robin, don’t you look radiant this morning!” bellowed Sanji as he made his way to the table. He scanned Robin quickly, looking for any bruises or cuts on his companion. To his relief, she seemed fine as she ate breakfast. He glanced at you and was surprised to see you still wearing your mask. Must be an ugly bastard, thought Sanji. “Morning Siren,” he added as he took the seat right in front of you. 

Great, he woke up. “Morning to you too. Feel free to order whatever you want on the menu, I’m paying for everyone’s meals,” you informed the cook. 

“Are you sure?” asked a third voice. Walking down the stairs was a smiling Franky and a sleepy Usopp and Nami.  “We eat a lot… especially our captain!”

“I noticed,” you chuckled, “but I’m sure. You’re all Robin’s friends so it would be my pleasure.” Content with your response, Franky patted you on the back and took the seat right next to yours.

Sanji, annoyed by your generosity, muttered under his breath. You side-eyed the cook. Not wanting to offend Robin, you refrained from punching him and did the next best thing, push his buttons.

“Besides with all of the big names that I’ve caught recently, I have enough berries to buy this tavern if I wanted to. You guys eating everything on the menu will actually help ease my load tomorrow when I travel,” you boasted to the group. You weren’t one to flaunt, but you knew this was going to hit a nerve in the cook. And right you were as Sanji’s eye began to twitch when Franky and Robin asked about your adventures as a pirate hunter. You started to recount some stories to the pair plus a fuming Sanji while Nami and Usopp were lost in their own conversation at the end of the table. Not long afterwards, the rest of the crew came down, content to take you up on your offer. 

As everyone waited for their meals to arrive, Robin rose, letting everyone know that she was going to get a head start in buying her share of the Sunny’s supplies. You decided to join her, much to Sanji’s dismay. After letting the tavern owner know to put the Strawhats meals on your tab, you and Robin set out, leaving everyone else back in the tavern. 

— — —

After a busy morning, the Strawhats were embraced by a clear sky and open sea. As Jimbei steered the Sunny further and further away from the dock, supplies went to their rightful places. Chopper and Brook took the medical supplies to the infirmary. Franky and Usopp put the newly bought tools and raw materials down to the workshop. Robin carried Nami’s cartography paper and books to the library. And Sanji took the various bags of food up to the kitchen with a hungry Luffy trailing behind him. 

“Wow, we were able to get a lot of supplies this time around!” exclaimed Chopper. He was pleasantly surprised by plenitude of supplies that sat on the deck, especially after Nami’s worry over the crew’s finances. It seemed that there was more than enough. 

“Nami must have haggled with the shop owners,” said Brook. After enjoying a free breakfast, Nami excused everyone of their shopping duties, announcing that she and Usopp were going to handle them instead. She must of figured out how to get more out of their limited berries.

Within an hour, the deck cleared out. All that was left was a large object covered by a tarp that Zoro conveniently leaned on to sleep. Wanting to clear the deck, Sanji yelled at Zoro to wake up who  instead continued to snore. Refusing to be ignored, Sanji kicked the item under Zoro, causing him to fall to the ground. He shot up and got in the cook’s face. As the two argued, the large wrapped item slid across the grass on the deck, allowing for the tarp to unravel, revealing a brown chest.

Chopper was the first to notice the chest sitting in the grass. Curious to its contents, he got near it. He took note of its scuff marks and broken lock. The doctor opened the chest and squealed in excitement.

“Woah! Treasure!” Chopper exclaimed, earning the attention of most of his crew members on deck. Jimbei peered over from the wheel. Franky slowly made his way over as Sanji and Zoro stopped their fighting to look over. Brook and Luffy rushed towards the chest. Everyone’s eyes widened in amazement. The chest was filled with berries, both bills and coins. 

“Yo-ho-ho-ho! Where did this come from?” asked Brook, amazed by the fortune that sat before him. Before anyone could touch any of the berries inside, the chest was swiftly shut by a blue staff. Nami stood before the crew with her staff in hand and a proud smile on her face.

“While everyone else was exploring the island, I decided to do something productive,” she boasted.

“Hey! I also helped,” added Usopp. He rushed next to Nami. The two posed proudly for everyone to see.

While rolling his eyes, Zoro asked, “And what exactly was that?”

However, before Nami or Usopp could say anything, a loud gasp cut through the air. Robin rushed forward and stared at the chest. Her face paled. “Why is the Siren’s chest here?” questioned Robin. Despite the steadiness in her voice, her eyes radiated with anger, making Nami and Usopp nervous. 

“Tell her,” said Nami, hitting Usopp on his side.

Anxiously, Usopp replied, “W-w-well you see, we may have… stolethechestoutoftheSiren’sroomafteryouguysleft.” He started to sweat under Robin’s gaze. 

“We? Who’s we? I had no part in this. Usopp was the one who brought it up to the Sunny.” 

“Oh you! Don’t act all innocent. You were the one who came up with the plan! You even broke the lock and took some of the berries to buy supplies today!” rebutted Usopp. The two started to argue, shifting the blame from one to the other. Hands sprung out of their shoulders and slapped their mouths shut.

“It doesn’t matter who did what. That chest isn’t supposed to be here,” Robin stated.

Zoro countered, “So what? We were low on funds and now we’re not. Besides the Siren can make this back… eventually.”

“As much as I hate to agree with moss-head here, he has a point,” added Sanji. He was elated that your chest sat on the deck. That’s what he gets for showing off, thought the cook. “I know he’s your friend Robin, but he did say he was indebted to you so why not take this as his indirect way of paying you back.” Sanji smiled at Robin who instead glared at him.

“I’m with Robin here,” Franky said with a scowl, “this is messed up.” 

“Even pirates should refrain from stealing from their friends,” yelled Jimbei from the wheel.

“Shanks would say that,” commented Luffy as he squinted towards the horizon.

“While a good point, friends also help out friends and we were in dire need of this money. I feel like the pirate hunter will understand,” assured Brook. 

With the added support, Nami reached for Robin and continued, “yeah, so why don’t we just let this go, and the next time we run into your friend, Robin, we can—“ 

“NO!” Everyone flinched. “You guys don’t understand. If that chest doesn’t get back to its rightful owner soon, she'll die,” Robin said with guilt heavy in her chest. If you two hadn’t run into each other, you would still have your chest.

Usopp, now concerned, asked, “What do you mean she’ll die?” However, before Robin could respond, Chopper’s ears began to twitch. 

Noticing the twitching, Zoro asked Chopper what’s wrong. 

“Something’s coming,” responded Chopper. Everyone tensed.

“LOOK, A HUGE BIRD!” exclaimed Luffy as he pointed at a dark figure flying towards the ship.

“No way that’s a bird, it’s moving way too fast,” cried Ussop. As it grew closer, it became clear that the figure wasn’t buzzing. It was screeching. 

Everyone looked at the chest and came to the same realization.

Word Count: 1422

Previous - Masterlist - Next

Author's Note: Chat, I have something to say: i don’t know how writers do it when they don’t include all of the characters who would be in a scene in the scene. Cause like could I have written this without including everyone, sure. But it just didn’t feel right cause how are you going to have a scene on the thousand sunny and not have everyone there. Probably have to work on this.

[athleticbelly]

You were once an athlete. Not the best one in your school, but your physique definitely portrayed you as one. Lean muscle, strong legs, and endurance to match. You ate a lot to keep up with that physical activity.

Then you went to college. Classes took priority and your diet never changed. Not by much. Some of the healthier meals were replaced with hot pockets and ramen. You tried to work out, but your physical activity diminished when your friend group grew. You spent so much time socializing and enjoying the company of friends that it was only a matter of time until that waistline stopped being so trim. Pants a little tighter, shirts lifting up a bit more, underwear cutting in a little to uncomfortably. It was only when you hit your second year that you realized you had been gaining weight.

Once it started to warm up for spring and you started putting on your tank top you noticed how difficult it was to bring below your navel. That soft mound of flesh that is starting to hide your feet is in the way. A prod here, a grab there, and you realize you have really put on some weight. Yes the panic sets in and you started to think on ways to lose it, but you had an appearance to maintain with your friends. So you bailed on spring break to try and workout. That's when you met me.

Of course I was also trying to lose weight and build an athletic figure, but you showed up and blew me away. I was a little chubby with a small potbelly and thicker thighs, but you definitely had me outclassed by 30+ pounds. Your belly hung over your belt buckle. Your developing second chin was almost prominent. You breathed so heavily that I felt mine leave me because you took my breath away. And I had to have you.

So I introduced myself. We talked and parted ways to other corners of the gym. Eventually, over a few weeks, we got closer and talked more. You lost some weight and so did I. We were both honestly very motivational to each other. You could fit in some of your early college outfits and I could fit into some of my old uniforms.

But I missed how big you were. We started dating and you were so easily molded. We built up such a rapport and you trusted me so much that you didn't realize I was upping your portions. Now, with you going to the gym you did pack on more muscle, but there was equal parts fat to go with it. Your abs forever being hidden by a layer of chub. Your biceps large, but ultimately soft. And that round face stayed round. It was only when one night you brought up that you couldn't seem to lose weight that I decided to lay down the bombshell statement;

"I love you at any size, and I wouldn't mind more of you to love~"

And that's when I had you. You were cautious at first. We talked about it and explained further how I love how fat you were and how you are now, but I did admit I would prefer if you were more fat than fit. And we came to an agreement. If you didn't enjoy being fat in a year's time then I have to help you lose weight. So, I helped you enjoy it!

I baked and cooked all of your meals. Made shakes with whey protein, bananas, and peanut butter to quicken your gains with some added buttermilk to speeden things up. And the amount of fat, sweaty sex that showed my appreciation for the art form that is your body. You grew so fast over the course of half a year. 95+ pounds later and you couldn't see your feet! Your belly rested halfway on your too thick thighs, and not to mention how difficult it was to get you in a chair. You started to long for my cooking and even begged at times for me to feed you. Unfortunately for my own figure I got overzealous and didn't realize you could only handle so much food and drink. So I had to have some of my own. And it made a lot of my outfits too tight. Button up shirts had to always be unbuttoned and I had to resort to stretchy waistbands for all of my pants.

And then the year mark came. You could barely move you were so obese. You forgot about the deal, but I didn't. I reminded you and now here you are. Wondering if you enjoy the state you are in. A nearly immobile monolith of fat.

So how does it feel~? Being a former athlete and now a product of a nurturing partner~

[ominis-g]

Sickies

Bunny x (trans) male narrator, 18+, story and fluff with smut-adjacent content at the end. Word count: 3585. Narrator's name never used.

Summary: The Greek Class' second year, with you being in your third at Hampden, and thus a full year into knowing them all. You have a cold, and they are insistent on making you feel better. You have a crush on Bunny (and everyone knows it)

Author's note: I know DayQuil didn't exist as pills back then. Just deal with it. Chapter one of the fic I am writing for my own enjoyment. I hope you like it, too. Context: I am transmasc.

It was raining, and I arrived to the Lyceum much as I left: damp and miserable. Julian did try to help by hanging up not just my jacket but everyone’s sodden garments, but even those few hours there in warmth and writing with bunched up wet sleeves did not solve the problem. I squelched my way across the college grounds, hood pulled up and my bag hugged to my chest to save my books and work.

I sneezed once I made it back to my dorm, stripping off the now-soaked garments and donning my bathrobe to take a hot shower. I doubted that more water would make me feel better, but beyond a bonfire, I didn’t know what else to try. It did offer me some heat back into my bones, but after I was just sitting with all my blankets wrapped around me, staring at some inane show on my television, not having the energy to change the channel.

There was a knock on the door, and when I didn’t answer, they tried the handle and opened the door enough to peek inside. “Oh, shit,” Bunny said, and the door opened further for Cloke to look in as well. I blinked over at them. “You aren’t getting sick, are you?”

“Iunno.”

He stepped in, and I didn’t stop him. His hand came to my forehead. “Yeah, you feel really hot,” he stated, leaning over to look at me with an expression akin to a concerned puppydog. “Want me to call Francis? Henry?”

“It’s just the rain,” I mumbled, tightening the blankets around myself. “No need to worry them.”

“We’re going to this house party,” Cloke stated when Bunny didn’t reply to me. “Some liquor might be good for you.”

I looked over at him. “I gotta get dressed.”

They conceded, leaving to wait in the hall. I unwrapped myself to a blast of cold air, and shivered. I stumbled getting dressed in dry clothes, and finally pulling out my rain jacket. I buttoned it up securely and then went to meet the two friends. They insisted on taking my car, but Cloke drove, and I didn’t argue. I sat beside him, blinking out the window, cheek in my hand.

The house party was in a two-story across town, not too far. They could’ve walked. Bunny practically pushed me inside, and then a beer in my hand, bothering me until I downed it. After I had a refill, and he was sure that I wasn’t going to just pass out, he abandoned me. Cloke was already gone, but I didn’t overly mind. I found the couch and watched an increasingly irate game of poker as the players got hammered, taking shots with each fold. At some point, Cloke reappeared and pushed two suspiciously large pills at me, telling me to take them. It was a truly testament to how horrible I was feeling that I did.

They were cold medicine.

It was some time an hour after that that the party suddenly had amazing clarity. I left the couch and the game to wander around the house, looking for either of my friends. I found Cloke just as a girl was dousing him in the rest of her drink, and he turned from her, sputtering. She pushed her way past me to escape the kitchen, cursing me as she went past. I rose my eyebrows, then looked to Cloke.

“Classy.”

He was drying off his face with a kitchen towel. “She’s the freshman whore,” he explained. “Who was yours?”

“Nancy Fillman.”

“That fat bitch?”

“She used to be the exact opposite. Got caught in a bad relationship.”

“With food?”

“He was a really good cook, apparently. Kept her placated and in the abusive relationship with elaborate meals.” Cloke threw down the towel and gave me a look. “I listen to what people say.”

“Never tried for her, did you?”

“Not my type. I doubt my parents would approve, anyway.” I glanced back at the door, considering. “So why the drink?”

He sighed, patting his pockets for his cigarettes. “I told her her reputation.”

“Why?”

“I’m paraphrasing,” he clarified, pausing as he lit up his cigarette. “But that was the gist of it, yeah. Could be a nice hit– sure isn’t anyone else here worth a shit. Feeling better?”

“Yeah. Thanks. What was it?”

“DayQuil.” I sighed at him. “You’re more of a baby than Bunny is, sometimes. He’s the one that found ‘em. Knew you wouldn’t take ‘em if he gave them to you.”

“Well, thank you anyway. I haven’t seen him.”

“He’s around here somewhere. Couldn’t’ve wandered far.”

We went to the last place he had seen Bunny, but he wasn’t in the sitting room, or on the stairs, and Cloke looked in the upstairs rooms, but he wasn’t there either. We wandered aimlessly through the house, then finally found him outside. He had an entire bottle of rum, regaling a group of his fellows with some story about his family. I lit up a cigarette beside Cloke, and we leaned against the railing as we listened to him. As soon as there was a lull, Cloke called his name, and Bunny looked over with one of his signature smiles.

He came, bottle of rum and all, and I took it from him as he got closer. I took a drink from it, and it cleared the gunk from my throat wonderfully. “Feeling better, I see,” he said amiably.

“All Cloke’s miracle drugs,” I teased, and he frowned as he yanked the bottle back. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, meanie,” Bunny said, poking at my jacket with his free hand until I handed him a cigarette.  We three stood there smoking for a quiet moment. “Why are you dripping?”

Cloke sighed out a long breath of smoke. “Karen.”

“You can pull better than her–”

“Not here,” he argued right back. “This place is dead. A regular sausagefest.”

“I know,” Bunny agreed, glancing over his shoulder, almost stumbling as he turned. “All the girls disappeared.”

“Getting plowed upstairs,” Cloke corrected with a shrug. Bunny made a face. “We were looking for you.”

“We can leave,” I put in.

I drove back to the dorms, parking in my space and turning off the car. Cloke muttered about a movie in his dorm and disappeared into the drizzle. Bunny was smoking a fresh cigarette, so he rolled down the window, staring out at the rain with an air of melancholy. “What’s the matter?”

“I thought this year would be different. But it’s more of the same.”

“It’s still early.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I thought I’d like having the dorm to myself, but without Henry there, I feel aimless. I can do whatever without having him remind me to do things– work, eating…” He trailed off. “How do you do it? Living alone?”

“I just do what I need to do first, knowing I can then do whatever I want.”

“Maybe I just need a supervisor.”

“This is your first time alone, right?” He murmured an agreement. “It’ll be an adjustment, but I know you can do it. You can always come to my dorm and I will yell at you like Henry to do your work.”

He actually laughed, finally looking over at me. “That might work, actually.” Then he seemed to remember something, digging in his jacket before pulling out a box. “Here. I grabbed the whole box for you.”

I took the box of miracle pills, tilting it to the parking lot lights to read it. “Thanks, Bun. That’s really–” Sweet. “Thoughtful.”

“Well, we can’t have you dying on us. Who will nag me then?”

I smiled at him, then realised it was probably too long and broke it off, tucking the box away in my jacket pocket. I set my hands on the steering wheel, staring straight forward. “So, what now?”

“You need rest,” he said in an imitation of my nagging tone. “As for me– iunno. Bed, too, I guess.” He flicked away his cigarette, watching the cherry fizzle out on the wet asphalt. “Unless you let me watch your television. Feed you pills.”

I changed into my pajamas and then let him in to my dorm. He locked the door behind himself, his jacket and shoes landing wherever on my floor. I didn’t care to scold him, untangling my blankets and laying on top of them. He joined me, one leg off the bed so we wouldn’t be too close, and I handed him the remote. He flipped through the channels repeatedly, and I relaxed, hugging my pillow as I watched the flickering screen.

We were started awake by frantic pounding on the door. Bunny clicked off the television with a rub of his eyes, replaced his glasses, then rose to answer it. Francis nearly fell into the room, but corrected himself quickly. “Is he here–” Bunny stepped away from the door so Francis could see me. He came over, his hands all over my face. “God, you’re burning up,” he complained. I blinked at him, but he looked instead to Bunny. “Cloke said you got him medicine–”

“In his jacket,” Bunny said, walking to it to dig through the pockets. He pulled out the box and handed it to Francis. The ginger turned it over in his hand, reading quickly, and then took out two of the pills. They forced them on me, with water, and I made a face as I took them. “When you see Cloke?”

“Breakfast,” Francis answered, petting at my hair when I laid back down. “Said he looked in a bad way, and thought I might want to check up on him.”

“It’s just a cold,” Bunny argued, though it was punctuated with another yawn. “I’m keeping him company.”

“We have class in a few. Think you can make it?”

“I didn’t do any of my work,” I muttered. “Not from yesterday.”

“It’ll be fine,” he promised, petting me some more. “I’ll get you some clothes.”

I apparently argued the entire time, but I don’t remember it. My mind cleared about halfway through class, and I looked down at my notes from Julian’s lecture to find them covered in doodles. I switched pages quickly, lest anyone notice, but everyone was entranced by Julian. Thankfully.

We all went to eat supper together, and Henry let me copy his notes. When I started rubbing at my eyes and sniffling, Francis was instantly there with more of the pills. “You’re pushing yourself too hard,” Henry noted after I had taken them, and just staring at the glass of water. I looked at him. “You need rest.”

“Tomorrow’s Friday,” Charles said, picking at his food still. “We could go up to the country house. It’s been a rough first few weeks.”

I passed out in my bed upon us arriving, vaguely aware of someone pulling off my boots and collapsing beside me. I woke to Henry sitting me up and feeding me water, his voice deep and wavering before he let me back to the bed and I slept further.

When I woke on my own, I sat up sharply off the bed, keenly aware of the drone of a television but little else. A heavy hand came into my hair, patting me to maybe calm me. “We’re at the country house,” Bunny told me. “It’s the middle of the night. Relax.” I blinked at him, but did fall back to the bed with a groan. His hand stayed, fingers through my hair.

“What day is it?”

“Friday night.”

“I slept an entire day?”

“You needed it.”

“And you stayed?”

“Not the whole time. Henry read to you in Latin until he complained you were mumbling in your sleep, which Francis found amusing. So do I, to be fair.”

“Oh, no. What did I say?”

“Something about comparing my hair to gold, Rumpelstilskin, and quite a bit about Alice’s Adventures.” I turned my face into the blankets with a fresh groan. “You like my hair?”

“Please shut up.” He chuckled. I slowly sat up, blinking around the dark room. I saw the water on the table and downed the entire glass in one go. I left for the bathroom, refilling the glass twice whilst there, and then returned to lay beside Bunny with a long sigh. “Sorry.”

“It was funny.” I leaned against him for his warmth, and for a while we just watched his late night television in silence. “We can watch something else.”

“I’m not picky.” He shifted beside me, the remote tapping on his stomach. “Am I bothering you?”

“No,” he said, though I waited, because it didn’t sound like the end of the statement. “But I can go back to my room, if you rather sleep alone now–”

“No,” I said quickly, perhaps too quickly. He glanced at me. “What if I relapse before morning?”

“That’s true,” he murmured. “Henry would kill me if he knew I let you not be hydrated or something.” He relaxed beside me. “And eat. Make sure you eat something.”

It was a few minutes before I finally rose to go down to the kitchen to get something to munch on. It was sometime after midnight, and I stood for a while at the window, looking out over the drizzly countryside, shoving crackers in my mouth and forcing myself to eat them. I returned to the room with my arms full of crackers, cookies, and a few apples, struggling to open the door.

Bunny cleared his throat as I entered, placing his hands behind his head and staring at the television. I paused a step in, staring at him until he finally glanced at me. “I can give you more time–”

“I’m fine,” he insisted. I still hesitated until he moved the blankets to cover up his lap. “Are those cookies?”

I dropped my loot on the bed, handing him the packet of cookies. I climbed up beside him, accepting the cookie he offered me and we ate the entire pack in silence. I moved on to one of the apples, and he threw the empty cookie pack to the floor. I crunched noisily, and he glanced at me. I paused chewing and looked at him. He glanced again.

“You’re dripping.” I made a noise, chewing again so I could lick the juice from the bottom of the apple and take another bite. He was watching me. I stopped chewing, staring back. “Sorry,” he said quickly, attention back to his show. “I just never see you messy.”

“I’m hungry,” I defended with a shrug. He didn’t respond with anything, back to fiddling with the remote until I was done. I laid at his shoulder, licking the last of the juice from my palm, and then my fingers. I tried to ignore his glances, but it was making my face hot and very self-conscious. “What?”

“Nothing.” 

I frowned, but settled in beside him anyway. After a few minutes, I rose to get more water, and then returned to take off my trousers. I held them up to my nose for a sniff. “Maybe I need a shower.”

“Plenty of hot water this time of night.”

“Will you still be here when I get back?”

He threw me a smile. “I’ll be here,” he promised.

And true to his word, he was. I dumped my dirty clothes by my bag, soap landing back in it, and then stretched with a sleepy noise. He agreed, and I returned to the bed, slipping under the blankets and next to him. He leaned over to smell into my damp hair. “Better.”

“I do feel better, too.”

“You look better. Not as green and gray.”

I offered him a smile before turning to my pillow, hugging it so I could still watch the television. I had specifically laid down so we weren’t touching, but over the course of the show he kept adjusting so that our warmth was shared. It was reassuring, and cozy, and I drifted off at some point to the drone of the television and the tap-tap of the remote on his stomach.

It couldn’t have been much later when I was stirred by his movements beside me. I shifted to lean against him with a little noise, and the movements paused. His hand gripped to my thigh instead, tugging my leg to lay over his, and then his movements resumed. I could not go back to sleep after that; my heart was threatening to beat out of my chest as I listened to his stifled noises. His hand tightened on my thigh, head turned to my hair for a deep breath in. I dared to open my eyes to watch his movements under the blanket, illuminated only by the television screen, biting my lip. I shifted against his side, hand sliding to his opposite shoulder, and he let out a moan into my hair. His hand came to my ass, and nosed at my hair until I moved enough to meet his eyes.

They were hooded and so blue– I always forgot just how blue they were until he looked at me with them, and this look was one I wouldn’t soon forget. He held me there against him firmly, his lips falling open, and my fingers came into his hair, fingers wrapping around the golden strands to tug. He breathed out a curse, pressing our foreheads together, his hips shifting us up as he climaxed. His eyes closed with soft moans, just for me, and I smiled, kissing at his cheek, and when his head tilted, down his neck to relax there against him again. 

Bunny released his hold of my ass slowly, rubbing down my thigh and then back up with a deeply pleasured noise. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispered after a moment of silence.

“I don’t mind,” I replied in the same. 

“It doesn’t make you uncomfortable?”

“No.” I adjusted against him so he could feel how hard my cock was, and then relaxed against him and his heat again. He took in a slow breath. “Feel better?”

His hand tugged at my leg so I and my cock was pressed completely against him. “Yes,” he finally murmured. “Now it’s your turn.”

“It won’t make you uncomfortable?”

“No, but if it does I’ll let you know.” He pushed me off of him, to my back. I laid there for a few seconds, staring up at the ceiling, and biting my lip. He took a hold of my arm and moved it so my hand was over my cock, and I finally gave in. My palm rubbed up my cock with a quiet noise before slipping under my boxers to stroke it properly. My eyes closed, shifting on the bed to be more comfortable. Knowing he was watching was fuel enough, remembering his noises, the feel of his hand on my ass, but then he shifted closer. His palm went to my lips, and I took in a breath of his skin before my mouth opened to lick at his palm, and to taste his cum. Fuck, he tasted good, and I moaned as I licked again. His hand moved so I could clean every part of him, between his fingers, and he let out a pleased noise to match mine. 

Then he just leaned against me, lending his heat and weight, his head under my chin and watching me stroking my cock. My free hand went to his hair again, running through it and letting out another moan. I started to properly pump my cock then, hips up against his weight, and further when his leg laid across mine to weigh me down. I cursed softly, tugging hard at his hair, and he leaned his head up, shifting to lay further over me so our eyes could be together, and then his forehead to mine. My head tilted, and our breath stayed together until I climaxed, pressing up and against his weight again and again, hand down to wrap between my thighs so I could get his heat against my cock, moaning for him with each thrust.

He tugged my arm up, hand tight around my forearm as he leaned up just enough so he could bring it to his lips. His eyes closed with a deep breath of my scent. His tongue began cleaning off my hand as I had cleaned his, and I whimpered softly as I watched. He didn’t stop, but there was a hint of a smile as he continued.

When he was done, he released my arm, and it fell to his back, and then the bed as he rolled off of me. I closed my eyes with deep breaths in, my head swimming with the mix of true pleasure and confusion. It was a long few moments before his hand came to my shoulder, and I looked over at him. He tugged at my cloth, and I shifted closer. His arm fell to around me, pulling my back against him. His other arm slid under our pillows, and I moved only to cover us with the blankets properly. I relaxed with his heat against my back, our legs together, and his breath against the back of my neck. My fingers ran along his arm around me, up to his hand, and pushed my fingers through his. He opened his hand to allow mine in, his hold tightening and not releasing any part of me.

I had never felt so safe.

[ansbobcar]

EP 3. Blackmail? I didn't do that to him!

WORD COUNT. 3476

Link to overview

_ _ _

Ask any girl regarding their confessions on their current prefect, and it is guaranteed that Rayne Ames will shut it down.

ANONYMOUS #1: I thought he had a soft side but there’s absolutely nothing in there! He literally ignored my invitations to hang out.

ANONYMOUS #2: He embodies the qualities of an Adler to a T. Maybe that’s the problem, he can’t see a girl or woman the same way he sees magic.

ANONYMOUS #9: HE BROKE MY HEART!! I CAN NEVER LOVE AGAIN!!!

So why would it be any different with Darren Randel?

"I couldn't give a shit about you," he truthfully told her the morning after her slip up. "I'm just following the old geezer's words if that’s where the feelings came from."

‘How is he worse at being a jerk than me?’ His comment ruffled her as she let go of the shy buck, Bunnelton the XII, from suffering through her embarrassment.

“Look, I couldn’t give a shit about the old man’s orders!” She managed to string with no stutter but her face was losing it because of how his eyes simply assessed her like she was a poo pellet. “I wasn’t even trying to flirt with you yet!”

‘What is up with her?’ Every other girl would have just accepted and backed away. “What do you mean ‘yet’?” He scoffed incredulously. “What? You think enough effort will do anything?”

"I can cook!" she protested terribly. So did others, she wasn't special in this regard. “As I explained yesterday, it’ll be a win-win-win situation for all 3 parties right here!” 

“I barely even know you.”

“Then we can start out as friends!” She cut him off from replying.

"Let me try confessing 3 times, if you reject all 3 times I'll stop trying to bother you like this," she tried to plead. She needed time which wasn't likely if the Summer was coming up. She'd be busy with internships by then. There must be something he... a bulb lit up in her head as she gambled her chances on it.

"Agree or I'll tell the whole world you're secretly keeping 10 ra"—instantly he slapped his hand over her mouth—"bbits in the school's forest and I'll personally make coney dogs out of them," she mirrored his eyes which scrutinised her muffled words.

"Coney dog?"

"It's basically a hot dog," she dead-panned. "With extra stuff on top."

'She's... going to make them into sausages?' Scepticism slowly traced his face as each rabbit transformed into a large tube of reddish meat in his mind. 'Not Bunbun, Bunnifer, Bunaldo, Bunnelby, Bunnelton the XII, Buns, Bunster, Bunnykins and Bunno!’ His face paled to stone at the thought. He had to secretly ask permission from the principal to make it work since there were complaints in the dormitories smelling like shit a few months back.

The food offer was tempting since she could handle things while he was gone and Max could continue doing his own things too. It's been a while since he's had a fulfilling meal as well, glancing at the content figures of the bunnies hopping around.

"Fine. Only 3 times."

"Cool," she chirped, her shoulders slouched before she dropped herself back on the floor. “Another chance is nice…”

“But don’t butt into my business,” he added. “We aren’t friends yet.” 

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Something with vegetables."

The day continued as normal with the troublesome girl being busy with catch up classes to get asked out for duels and taking care of the rabbits again, so he knocked on the Adler Dorm’s Kitchen and saw her already prepping the ingredients. Chopping up the vegetables with ease. “Do you like tomatoes?”

“As long as they’re vegetables.”

“Alright,” continuing to cut through the ingredients as the water was simmering to a boil.

Although it might’ve not been as clear, there was a child-like wonder in his eyes as she gave him a sip of the soup to taste.

“How is it?”

“Like nothing.”

“Pass the salt and sugar, please.” He did as told as it was clearly labelled and she dumped what he could only assume to be an estimate as she picked up some more herbs, spices and… lemongrass(?) to chuck into the soup.

“Here,” she held up a small sauce tray to him. He took it.

“It’s more sour now… and spicier.”

“You want more or…”

“It’s fine.”

“Okay.”

“Rice?” He nodded his head as she turned off the heat on the stovetop and removed her apron to wear her robe before taking out some bowls with pre-added rice and scooped up the still hot soup into it.

“I like seafood so I put some shrimp, cut up squid and such in there alongside the vegetables. Hope it’s nice. Also this isn’t how it’s usually eaten but it’s easier to eat this way,” she explained.

He took a sip and as if he was filled with deja-vu, he felt… like he could see her again. 

An unfamiliar yet strong aroma wafted through the air, causing him to reach the kitchen with a slight spark in his eyes. “What did you make today?” He asked, excited for her next attempt at a recipe as he climbed onto the chair with his small limbs.

“It’s a bit spicier than mummy intended,” she chuckled as she brought the pot to the table with her mittens. Their father slowly brought his slightly shrieky baby brother over to his raised chair as she collected everyone’s bowls and cutlery. “But that’s why I made sure to put water here!”

“Will Finn be able to try it?”

She smiled at his words. “It’s a lot of salt for him to eat fully, so we’ll only let him have a taste.”

“Alright, thank you for the meal,” before he scooped up a spoonful of the soup his mother had given him. “AH!” He burned his mouth as he swallowed it.

“Rayne!”

“Remember to let it cool down a bit!” The auburn haired girl reminded him, taking him back to the current moment.

To which he chuckled, hiding back a smile. How does a soup made by a random girl he wasn’t friends with made him be reminded of a peaceful time he hasn’t had in a while?

“It’s a lot less spicy than I remembered,” he reminisced, following her advice as he scooped up some rice with the soup and blew onto it before taking another gulp of it. ‘Yeah. She would’ve refined it if…’

She lit up at his words, “Oh! You’ve tried Tomyum before?” Completely superseding her shocked reaction. ‘Rayne can chuckle?’

“When my mother was still around…”

“I see,” and thus they ate in silence. To Rayne, the meal was rather hearty, finishing the entire pot through sheer nostalgia much to the girl’s confusion.

“H-how old are you again?” She asked, not wanting to immediately call him a child.

“16.”

“I meant your birthday.”

“March 3rd.”

She paled. ‘A guy taller than me, younger than me?’ Her eyes widened like saucers. ‘And an orphan?’

“What about you?”

“February 18th.”

“... you’re older than me.”

“O-kay…”

She went to clean the dishes instead and he quietly helped out too. ‘He isn’t leaving me any time soon is he?’ Resigning herself to her fate. ‘I’m gonna die before I can properly ask this guy out aren’t I?’ As she handed over the last bowl for him to wipe clean followed by turning off the tap.

“I have a question,” he began slowly. “‘Impart Zero’, is that a dispelling type of spell?”

‘This is outta nowhere!’ She nodded as she quickly stashed away her items in her robe. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, usually someone chants a single word when casting their basic spell.” Atleast, that’s how he understood the concept of personal magic.

“There is no basic spell for Impart,” she sighed much to his puzzling look. “Because it’s meaningless on its own.”

While magic like Partisan functioned by summoning large blades at varying magnitudes of force and size through, something like her magic had no tangible form to counter the blades summoned. She pointed out.

“That’s true, you never summon something when you chant it.”

“Impart Zero simply reduces the magnitude of what I find unfair to nothing. In magic contexts: Yes it’s like ‘Dispel’ just better and more effective,” she searched for her keys and rayne felt like he had hit a road block. “It’s the easiest spell for me to do because it doesn’t require me to think about anything except the target. Usually focusing on their magic is the easiest.”

‘Perhaps that’s how she caused trouble with a singular spell.’

It’s subjective but at the end of the day, a mindset of inferiority and entitlement stems from it.

“Have you ever explained it that way to anyone?”

“Nah. Why would I?” She grinned manically. “The thought of someone being able to dispel any magic thrown their way sounds more menacing right?” Her eyes then seemed to become more aloof in a heartbeat as she kicked a stray pebble up the stairs. “I’d rather be a no-name nobody than be saddled with so many burdens because I’m useful to others.”

With a less bright smile, she waved him off. “See you tomorrow then, I’ll make something light.”

“See you.”

_ _ _

"Morning Rayne," Max beamed as he scooted over for his roommate to sit down. He looked around to find no silhouette of the transfer student or her chipper steps. "She's not here?" Odd.

"She's not," he curtly replied, placing down a packed lunch wrapped in a bright orange cloth, which piqued his friend's interest.

"Did you make breakfast today?"

"No, she did."

"She must've left rather early then." He just hummed at his words, watching as the rabbit loving boy opened the lid. A beautifully presented slices of bread alongside cleanly cut avocado and an omelette. Alongside a note attached at the side.

"I've got something urgent to take care of, I'll be back soon," he read aloud. It had an exclamation mark too. How chipper. The teachers seemed aware of her absence when they took attendance. Classes seemed a little more like last year, quiet and possibly boring without the girl’s interjections.

Thankfully, he was called over by the vice principal for a quick meeting with the other prefects. There was a wolf roaming last night on the 2nd year floors and it hadn’t been found yet.

“So a lycanthrope?” Abel Walker, the Lang Prefect suggested. A logical conclusion. “There haven’t been many sightings on campus since a few years back. So it’s probably a curse.”

“What do you even want us to do?”

“If the wolf is in deed a lycanthrope,” the vice principal gestured; “Find the student, and make the necessary arrangements.”

‘How crass,’ Rayne told himself as the meeting ended.

_ _ _

It’s been 2 weeks since she transferred. 2 weeks didn’t mean her previous schedule, inner workings and attentiveness had disappeared and adapted. She never slept during lessons, was always up and done with a run by the time she met the rabbit caretaker, and paired with the additional classes she had for advanced magic spells class and their other assignments, it was unnerving that she was so sprightly. Radiating that perfect student energy (even though she was anything but a perfect student) without cracking under the pressure of being behind in at least 5 subjects.

Their arrival into the classroom was met with some odd glances and murmurs but nothing out of the ordinary since her arrival.

“For today’s lesson we will be joining Professor Lucci’s class and conducting an exercise together,” their teacher summarised today’s exercise as a door appeared to her left. She gestured to pass through it without any reluctance and setbacks her pupils. They were surrounded by gigantic hedges with roughly 40 students and 2 members of staff in the vicinity but the robe they were wearing was of a different colour. 

“Are they in the smarter class?”

“No. They’re just from the Lang dorm.”

“Today’s exercise is simple, the goal is to ‘Get out of the maze’,” the blonde man explained, showing an image of the exit. “Use what you have learned to escape and you may earn yourselves a silver coin or two.”

The others seemed to shift at this statement followed by a sense of belief. ‘That’s it?’ Something was amiss as they added on a few more details.

“Since you are in the advance class though, I’m sure 30 minutes is plenty of time to get out of the maze but you will have 40 minutes in total still, you may begin… now.”

Before she could even face her only friend, he surfed off and up with a single spell leaving her with the rest like sitting ducks.

‘THIS IS WHAT I GET AFTER MAKING HIM SOUP?’

The audacity that Rayne Ames had to abandon her in the centre of this goddamn corn maze! She looked around as students began to form small groups or walk straight ahead with their wands in hand. She didn’t even know any of these people! All of her assignments had either been alone or with that fucking half-piss hair, so she never fucking knew anyone as she watched her dorm’s students throw ideas and concerns at each other.

‘Focus!’ She tried to snap herself out of spiralling into a deepening loss of place. She had to complete the exercise. Technically, raising her palm at a hedge, she could bulldoze herself out with that lethal spell right away and dash straight out but the only issue would be the the blonde teacher’s statement which riled up everyone. 

‘You may earn yourselves a silver coin or two…’

To earn implies a challenge to be completed, she stretched herself first. Then the silver coins are rewards that people want? That would make the most sense from what she had gathered. 

“Venetris!” A student chanted to evaluate the terrain across the hedge directly. Nothing, it was pure grass and branches. “Let’s move, guys!”

It is a simple spell after all, allowing everyone to see through a certain portion of wherever it is aimed towards. The advanced version which has an effect on a much greater distance is Vitriniae at the expense of only being seen by the caster since it’s a self using spell.

“Repeat after me, Ms Randel,” her advanced spells teacher began once more, aiming her own wand towards the wooden box just days ago. “Vee-tree-nee-ae,” she uttered the syllables slowly before repeating it as a spell. “Vitriniae.”

“Vinitriae.” Unable to see through the box herself, she realised her mess up. “It was supposed to be Vitriniae!” The common problem with this spell amongst students in particular is the pronunciation since it’s similar to Venetris which requires less magic to use.

“From the top Miss Randel.”

She took a deep breath as she channelled her magic power towards her eyes. “Vin… Vitriniae,” she calmly uttered, now able to see through and evaluate the terrain for possible challenges. And unlike everyone else, who seemed adamant in avoiding these areas as possible traps and loss of time, the brunette crashed straight into one head on. Or rather three. One-time. Consecutive. Pressure Sensitive. Booby Trap. Spells.

‘Why does he get to fly?’ She huffed to herself, as she noticed a group of Adler students clumped together at a corner. With another spell, it revealed a magical creature, a Riddle Sphinx infront of a pale-haired student who seemed to be shaking in their shoes with each riddle answered correctly.

“30 white horses on a red hill,” it began its last riddle. “First, they champ, then they stamp, then they stand still.” A sense of loss pervaded the air. He didn’t know what was supposed to be answered, maybe if they had Orca students it would’ve been easier. Was it asking him what that correlated to?

“5 more seconds.”

“A ranch?” The student stammered out.

“Wrong.”

Ready to take out his wand, he would try to pull off a smoke spell to let the others pass on without him. A Riddle Sphinx only focused on a singular riddle compared to its other counterparts. Aorio Morris was going to lose this test, he gulped as the golden sand being roared.

“Teeth.” another girl with reddish brown hair jumped in and slumbered the being with a simple yet forceful kick. “Move along now, people,” she ordered as the others continued their plan before she hopped off in another direction. 

“Perceptive,” the blonde professor murmured to himself through the magic mirror. “Has she earned any coins yet?” As a new transfer student, her magical progress since her initial arrival has been nothing short of exponential. 

“No.”

“That’s surprising.” She’ll get them soon.

_ _ _

After defeating over 10 opponents, and only receiving about 4 silver coins from, she continued to search for more, finding the coins to be shaped oddly. Like a flattened cone. A bit of a coin… even though it was considered a coin? She’d have to ask later about it’s value.

Hidden with an invisibility spell in the distance was none other than the boy she had knocked out weeks ago. Gritting his teeth, he patiently watched for an opening. ‘I’ve done my research and practice into this spell.’ She was a one liner after all. There’s no way she could be stronger than him, watching as she walked herself into another obstacle. ‘I’ll utilise Burst in tandem with Nalcos to throw her off guard,’ readying his wand as a different creature towered over her. An iron golem. A man-made being created to help in magic training exercises. There were roughly 3 types of golems: heavy defence, speed, and magical power. The one with bulky arms screeched harshly towards them, cranking it’s arms as he glued her feet to the floor. ‘Focus on it and then you can admit your inferiority!’ However, these too would be quelled with her magic by thin air.

Wirth found her frustrating after destroying his worth and reputation. “You think I want to use my magic on you?” Evading his mud, she led his attacks towards the obstacle, each reaching a new level of power than the last and voila! Collapsing to bits, 2 silver coins spawned. Taking a huge side step, to pick them up, she walked over towards the vengeful student. “Here, you can have one. You guys seem particularly fond of these things. I’ll take the other one.”

‘What in the…’

“Why did you even transfer here?!” A sense of inferiority bubbled in him. “I don’t get it,” he clenched his fists. Why would she give it away so easily? Did she not want to become a Divine Visionary like Margaret Macaron from Orca?

“Partial credit is partial credit,” she hummed, ignoring his question. “If you want to do a duel or something again just find me around!” sprinting off into the distance, leaving him baffled by her existence once again.

_ _ _

Barely 5 minutes were left on the clock and she was still inside. The only one left inside. Was she trying to fail the exercise? For Rayne Ames who had already completed it with ease, earning himself an additional 2 coins, he couldn’t fathom her sluggish pace. Even the weakest students had passed the finish line. He walked towards the teachers who had a rafflesia mirror to see the progress within the maze.

She was against a different obstacle this time, one completely immune to magic spells. She should’ve spent her time to run for the exit instead of tying up the man-made ram. What a waste. ‘Neutralising a deadervant doesn’t produce coins, that’s a different exercise.’ Perhaps, Darren Randel’s weakness was her ambitious conviction in pursuit of challenge.

But her next actions felt… comical. After looking at each side, she held her palm wide open, pooling a large magnitude of magical energy. She chanted a lethal spell that would be taught the following year, “Eradica Maxima.” Bulldozing the garden the blonde professor had shaped. Rather overkill, as the gingerhead’s heels dug themselves to a halt from bumping into everyone at the finish line. instantly the buzzer went off. Her robe abandoned in the decimated grounds.

A short lived round of applause erupted for her performance. She bowed before pivoting into a sprint back to the maze remains and returned at a slightly slower pace than before. 

‘What did I just witness?’

The teachers then debriefed everyone regarding the class, showcasing a magical chalkboard of their times. Rayne Ames ranked first; Darren Randel ranked last.

“You know, you can collect a demerit if you continue to reach the time limit of the exercise,” another voice told her. It was Max Land.

“6 demerits means expulsion and we have our midterms coming up!”

_ _ _ _ _

I'm realising Darren's Explanation of her magic sounds like it's Billie's Unfair Negating Ability from Undead Unluck. Of course, keep in mind that it's Darren and Undead Unluck has some crazy power system that focuses on beliefs (manifestation shits). Sorry for the spoilsies randos who are getting into UU.

[absentcaryatid]

In Love with a Married Man

An ATEEZ fanfic by AbsentCaryatid

With the help of supportive friends, Seonghwa and the reader begin a romantic relationship despite Seonghwa's status as a married man. The circumstances are far more solemn than prurient in this heavy story.

3.4K words, Content note: suitable for all Tumblr using ages, gender neutral reader, angst with some lighthearted moments, emotional hurt/comfort, Alzheimer's disease, therapy mentioned, food, cheating is referenced, peaceful off-page death of the spouse, reader has an unspecified health issue affecting their energy levels, they/them pronouns used for the reader

~

The rumpled man ran a hand through his gray touched black hair as he stared off into the distance. As a regular at your restaurant, you would have remembered him anyway, even if he had not had such elegant features. Tonight, his handsomeness was countered with the look of a haunted man. With motives based more in shared humanity than food service, you carried the coffee pot over as an excuse to check on him.

Close like this you could see tears streaking his cheeks. Offering a clean handkerchief from your pocket, it took a while for him to notice your presence, much less the handout. Taking the cloth slowly, his gaze was unfocused and seemed to go right through you. “It is my wife,” he uttered in a strained voice that broke your heart.

He did not seem well at all. Concerned he was going into shock from some bad news, you slipped into the booth at his side. Unexpectedly, he clung to your shoulder, body wracked with sobs. “She doesn't know me anymore.” Wetness seeped through your shirt as you wondered how to handle the situation. Recollecting himself, he quickly scooted out the other side of the booth. Awkwardly he fished from his pocket a large bill far more than the value of his meal which was then crumpled into your hand before he rushed out.

The abrupt exit and behavior leading up to it was not remarked on. Patrons at your place tended to mind their own business, though you did share a quizzical look with Yeosang, the other server on duty tonight. Your mind kept coming back to the man and his situation throughout the rest of your shift. You hoped he made it home safe tonight, and that he had people to look after him in such a rough condition.

The next week he was back, earlier than usual, and bearing a box of cookies from an upscale bakery nearby. Handing them over with a bow, his soft voice asked for forgiveness. “I behaved very badly last week. I won't trouble you again.”

Setting the carton aside, you waved him into his regular booth. “You will always be welcome at my cafe. There is nothing to forgive, I am sure your reaction was very human given whatever your circumstances were.”

A look of gratitude crossed his face. “Thank you, you are very kind.” While his words said the right things to be polite, he seemed flustered still. “I would like to explain myself, if I may. Would it be weird to ask you to join me for a moment?”

Drawn to his sincerity, you reasoned your other customers could wait as long as it took to put the man at ease. One of the perks of owning the cafe was the ability to take a break whenever you needed to and the steady customers got along just as well without you, to the point of getting their own drinks if needed. The cook, Wooyoung, was used to your health needs that led to frequent unscheduled rest time and he would bring out the dishes as needed if Yeosang had his hands full covering for your section of tables.

Far more composed this week, the man who sat across from you began his story. “My name is Seonghwa, and twenty-five years ago I married the love of my life.” Getting that out must have been a heavy task by the way he released a labored breath afterward. “You might have noticed me here every week at the same time.” At your nod he continued. “My wife has early-onset Alzheimer's disease. With our kids away in college, I can't bear going back to an empty house after visiting her in the nursing home nearby so this transition time over dinners has been a necessary thing for me. Having others around really helps me get out of my own worries. Usually that is, last week was a lot.”

Seonghwa fiddled with his hands on the table, and you unconsciously leaned in, reaching out to hold one. The gesture was a caring one, and he seemed to receive it that way, drawing strength from your warmth. “She gets angry lately, she can't help her rages, so I left earlier than expected. I love her so much and it is killing me to see her like this while I am helpless to ease her distress. At this point she has not recognized me for a month, and it is almost too much to bear.”

You squeezed his hand before pulling away as you sat back up fully. “I have seen what Alzheimer's did to my great-grandmother, and how it affected the whole family. It was particularly hard for her husband. My heart goes out to you dealing with this, with your wife still so young, your kids too.”

“Thank you. I really haven't talked to anybody about this. My boss is aware due to all the sick leave I was taking to care for her beforehand, until it became too much, but he doesn't understand like someone who has been there.” Seonghwa met your eyes. “It is not right of me to burden you with my troubles, though. You wouldn't happen to know a good therapist, would you?”

“Now that I can help with.” Glad you finally had something substantial to offer, you gestured with a thumb toward the back wall. “There is a card for a grief counselor on the cork board by the cash register. Jongho is a regular, in here for black coffee each morning. He can be pretty stoic, probably shields himself from taking on clients' pain, but multiple people can vouch for the quality of his services, including myself.”

“You lost someone?” Seonghwa's concern for you amidst his own troubles touched your heart.

“There are many kinds of loss. I had to give up the version of my future I was expecting. Jongho helped me come to terms with my disability diagnosis and my own changing body.”

Seonghwa looked thoughtful. “Even though she is still here, in many ways the woman I married is gone and I am grieving prematurely. Seeing Jongho would probably do me a lot of good.”

“I hope so.” With a last tender look, you pulled out your pen, then stood and announced you were back in wait staff mode with the question, “So, what will you have tonight?” By the time your shift ended, and Seonghwa long since gone, you noticed the business card was taken from the board. You hoped Jongho could help such a clearly troubled man with the burden he was carrying.

Seasons came and went, and slowly but surely each week brought Seonghwa looking healthier. Sometimes he was absent on his usual day, often returning with college souvenirs, a new hat or sweatshirt courtesy of his growing children. He now regularly showed up with houseplant gifts too, a small collection dotted the cafe entryway on shelving he had installed himself. Both the garden club and woodworking classes at the community college had expanded Seonghwa's circle of friends. Some of them would join him for semi-boisterous weekend brunches and it thrilled you to see Seonghwa laughing at their jokes.

He of course was not responsible for much of their noise. Mingi and Yunho were the loud ones, easy to recognize from their height but also the way their voices carried. It never bothered the other patrons so you didn't mind, especially not when you saw life returning to Seonghwa's eyes. You knew things would never be easier given his wife's condition, but he seemed to be coming out from under the strain of being her caregiver for so long.

San's soft voice with a question about the specials brought you out of the trance. Hopefully the moment of woolgathering was not too noticeable, nor was your focus on Seonghwa. Taking their orders went quickly after so many visits had the group familiar with the menu. Seonghwa was first, then he excused himself to wash his hands.

Meanwhile, you began walking away to inform Wooyoung of the latest orders. Years of experience let you catch Hongjoong's voice over the clatter of plates and conversations all around, and it brought you to a halt. You weren't proud of it, but you eavesdropped while pretending to straighten the place settings at a nearby table.

“San, we went over this before. The cafe owner is off limits.”

Mingi's deep voice came next. “If Seonghwa is not ready to ask them out, perhaps jealousy might be the motive he needs. That other server, what's his name....”

“Yeosang,” Yunho supplied.

“That's it,” Mingi continued, “Yeosang has been pretty obvious dropping hints that his employer is single. Let San shoot his shot if Seonghwa is not ready to begin dating.”

In a scandalized tone, Yunho pointed out, “But Seonghwa is married!”

Hongjoong shut down the judgement of their friend. “We all know his situation. It is a marriage in name only at this point. As much as he loves his wife, the relationship is effectively over on her side with no memory of him or their children at all, and her mental capacity in steep decline. Seonghwa did say his therapist was helping him work on giving himself permission to move on in some ways.”

Your eyes went wide from all you had learned. It was in confidence you had admitted to Yeosang late one night while closing down how charming you thought Seonghwa was. Attractive too, may have been mentioned. It never had occurred to you that Seonghwa might be looking for companionship again. Apparently Yeosang had some strong ideas about who might be a good match, but the idea of his blatant assistance in this way was mortifying. Looking around for the man you were strongly considering demoting to busboy on the spot, you grabbed him by a muscled arm and dragged Yeosang into the kitchen.

“Go wrestle in the dining room, you are going to make this souffle fall,” Wooyoung complained good-naturedly.

He was right of course, you were behaving unprofessionally. Still, you had your limits and being dangled before customers was beyond the pale. Fussing with your apron, you took it off and slumped in the chair set aside for your frequent rest breaks. “As much as I like him, Seonghwa would never want a spoonie like me. He's already had enough tragedy in his life.”

Yeosang and Wooyoung took notice how quickly your mood had tanked. It was not like you to be so down about your condition and it had your friends worried. “I was out of line,” Yeosang admitted. “I should not be so cavalier with your love life.”

Wooyoung took your hands in his after glancing at the griddle to make sure nothing needed immediate attention. “Yeosang is right though, I don't even get out of the kitchen often and yet the number of times I've seen Seonghwa following your every move with a smile on his face has been, well, a lot, okay? He is obviously smitten.”

“Maybe I just have a cowlick and is laughing at me.”

Wooyoung threw an arm around your shoulders. “Darling,” he began, and you knew any authority you once had over him as an employer was lost forever after this day. “Take the chance if he offers a date. Worst that can happen is all goes well and we tease you about us being right forever.”

Agonized, you rubbed your face. “If he asks. I'm not making the first move and looking like I am preying on customers.” Trying not to panic, you prepared to face Seonghwa with this new information in the forefront of your mind.

Yeosang handed you a fresh paper towel after you washed your hands. Now ready to work, he sent you back out with an encouraging word in your ear. “Just watch Seonghwa's reactions to you. We are telling you, he really likes you.”

Wooyoung took a look at the order slip you had left behind. He recognized the omelet Seonghwa always chose and smiled at Yeosang. “I can work with this.”

When time came to bring the food to Seonghwa's table, you conveyed a message from Wooyoung. “My cook said to tell you he made it extra-special just for you, and to look carefully if it has everything you want.”

Seonghwa looked perplexed. “Um, okay. It is the same order all the time, but, uh, please thank him for me.”

Shaking your head as you left, wondering if it was better not to know what Wooyoung was on about this time, you briefly contemplated life with different employees.

Back at the table, your crush poked at the food suspiciously and the omelet flopped open. Finely diced bacon, mushrooms, onion, and green pepper were secured in a thick layer of melted cheese. “Boss likes you back,” was the carefully arranged message formed by the ingredients.

Hongjoong was the first to notice the hot sauce embellishment in the shape of a heart on the upper portion and he lovingly teased, “Looks like everybody is rooting for you two to figure things out.”

Seonghwa would have been furious at this meddling from all sides if he had not already been thinking for a long time about dating you. Most of his sessions with Jongho these days revolved around the ethics of going out while married. At this point, he was the only one holding himself back. For some time now, Seonghwa's own children by his beloved wife had been urging their father to let himself date if he wanted. And truly, he longed for romantic affection and companionship in his life again. It was not that he did not want to begin another relationship, and he always did have you in mind, but he still felt a lingering sense of duty to his wife and the vows to forsake all others taken long ago.

Observing carefully to make sure they were not pressuring, Seonghwa's companions talked it over with him. San even Googled some caring, real-world advice from a clergyman about a similar situation which seemed to offer some relief. With newfound resolve found through the support of his friends, Seonghwa had an answer ready the next time you came by asking if there was anything he needed. “There is one thing I need, if it is okay with you. May I take out on a date?”

The hoped for words still took you by surprise so you slowly repeated, “You need to take me out?” You blinked, too stunned to do anything else. No customer had ever made that request before, and frankly there was no other customer you would have accepted the offer from. “Yes.” The certain answer was all you could manage to get yourself to say in the moment, but you must have said it aloud because his reaction was immediate.

Ecstatic, Seonghwa made an unserious suggestion, with laughter that reached his eyes. “Where shall I take you? Here perhaps?”

The thought of getting to know your crush under the eyes of your troublemaking staff horrified you. “Pizza, an ice-cream parlor, funnel cake at the fair will do, anywhere but here, please,” you pled.

After some consultation, the date was set and you retreated to the kitchen to recover.

“Did you accept? Please tell me he asked, right?” Wooyoung seemed overly knowledgeable for someone stuck in the kitchen while everything was going on. After updating him on the results, he grinned and showed you a photograph on his phone of the omelet message before it had been hidden. While you were tempted to playfully hit him at first, Wooyoung's thoughtful documentation of how your relationship began became a cherished memento later saved to your own phone and Seonghwa's since he had been too anxious to think of preserving it before eating.

The first date of many to come was a mix of both lighthearted and serious moments. There were things you both needed to be very realistic about if the relationship had any chance of succeeding. He was upfront that some of his in-laws would see your relationship as cheating on his wife. In fact, her sister would later try to wound you with the knowledge that Seonghwa would never have been yours if his wife hadn't developed Alzheimer's. The love and support you received from Seonghwa allowed you to be charitable toward her behavior since she had lost her close sibling to the disease. Still, he defended you with the firm boundary that she would be cut out of his life if she ever tried to hurt you again.

On his side, Seonghwa came to terms with the limitations of your own health. The sudden fatigue, the down days, and the need to listen promptly when your body needed rest were all facts of your life he needed to respect. In the past you had lost friends who could not comprehend that a diagnosis does not always mean getting better. This was your life, and Seonghwa accepted that, proving daily his worth.

You learned from Seonghwa's upbringing that he considered marriage sacrosanct. To even hint at the possibility of a sustained romantic relationship, no matter how unavailable his wife, was a huge step you were certain he was not taking lightly. Things progressed, and while his adult children were at first hesitant to meet their father's partner now that dating had become a reality, they were quickly won over to see the two of you together. When their dad had explained you were the reason his eyes sparkled again, they were completely supportive, more than you had ever hoped, even when you eventually moved in with Seonghwa and were present for all the family holidays.

Seonghwa's weekly visits to his wife continued. Out of respect you would wait in the car or begin grocery shopping nearby. A few times you had to abandon the cart when it was obvious Seonghwa needed your attention to console him after such emotionally draining visits. He made sure his wife was receiving the best care possible, but it was incredibly difficult to be a complete stranger, and sometimes one she became agitated to see.

When the call came one day that she had passed peacefully in her sleep, it was both a relief and heartbreaking. Seonghwa cried for both who he had lost and because his wife could now be at peace. You held him tight and rocked him to sleep.

Over a year had passed since her funeral. His sister-in-law had held her tongue while you were in the front row. Seonghwa had insisted that being between his children and with you nearby gave him the strength to get through the day. Most days he woke up telling you how grateful he was to be your partner. One day was different. He asked you to marry him.

It had been something the two of you had discussed on and off for years, more as a hypothetical situation. As a widower, Seonghwa was now free to remarry, but had needed the time to feel right. Sensitive to his situation, you had never pushed, and would have been his forever even without further commitment than your already shared lives. Still, now that he was truly ready, you accepted his proposal without hesitation.

The ceremony was a simple civil service. Seonghwa's kids were there, as were your friends Yeosang and Wooyoung. Seonghwa had remained close with his hobby friend group so Hongjoong, Yunho, San, and Mingi were also present. And then Jongho, friend to you both now that he had sworn off treating either of you ever again.

That night you lay in bed simply enjoying the closeness of being cuddled up to your husband. You must have been tired because your mind wandered to his deceased wife. “Sometimes I worry I took you away from her.”

Seonghwa looked at you fondly as he stroked your hair in reassurance. “The damage was done by her disease long before you entered my life. I love you for being so caring, but please don't let my past dim your happiness on this day. It is an occasion to celebrate.”

You nodded sleepily into his shoulder. Seonghwa would always carry a photo of his wife in his wallet, now in addition to one of your own wedding day. Acknowledging his past was necessary to loving him fully, and you never compared yourself to her. Without reservation, he had chosen you both at different times and there was no competition. The only thing that mattered going forward was the present, a long life partnered to the man you adored. Seonghwa absolutely loved you in return and made sure you were secure in that knowledge for the rest of his life.

~

Masterlist

[casspurrjoybell-25]

The Healer of Shakkara - Book Two

*Warning Adult Content*

Chapter 2 - Dreams - Part 1

Despite the warmth of exertion, the cold gnawed at Triss's fingers and bit at her nose and cheeks.

Missing a step, she stumbled and fell in the powdery snow, sending up a plume of white.

Before she could get up, a large, warm hand grasped her arm and helped her to her feet.

"Alright?" Behn asked, his voice muffled by the cloth covering the lower half of his face and his eyes shadowed by his overhanging hood.

"Fine," Triss said, dusting snow from her clothes and hair and rearranging her own face cover.

"How about you?"

"Peachy," Behn puffed.

"Hungry, tired, sore and somehow sweaty and freezing at the same time. But great, otherwise."

He gave a thumbs up and Triss laughed.

Three days had passed since they left the Haven... three days of gruelling marches through thigh-deep drifts and two nights of sleeping in freezing temperatures that left them aching with cold by sunrise.

Behn had kept up admirably well and insisted on doing his share, preparing their meals morning and night in the one small cook-pot he'd been permitted to bring, while Triss and Obi handled the shelter and fire.

"Same. We'll stop soon, I think. We need time to build a shelter before nightfall and getting a fire started in the snow is a bitch."

"Everything all right?"

Their third companion, Obi, retraced his steps along the path he'd ploughed, having noticed they'd fallen behind.

"Yes. I was just saying we ought to keep an eye out for a good place to shelter for the night," Triss said.

Obi frowned and squinted up at the sun, which still sparkled at a high angle through the snow-clad trees.

"You may be right," he said.

"But knowing Rea, she won't slow or stop until evening. She's already got almost a two-day head start. I'd rather not fall further behind."

"If Rea's not a fool, she'll have stopped early as well," Triss said.

"If she didn't, then we'll catch up to her frozen corpse soon enough."

"I don't get it," Behn said, following the direction of Obi's gaze and squinting at the cloudless blue sky.

"Is there more snow on the way?" Obi smiled grimly.

"No. We might be better off if there was. Clouds are like a blanket for the sky, even when they come bearing snow. A clear night... like the one to come... can be much colder. Nothing between you and the indifferent stars above, which will twinkle on merrily as you freeze to death."

Triss shivered as an unwelcome memory rose in her mind and shoved it down again.

"Are you cold?" Behn asked.

"You want my gloves? My hands are sweating."

"How are you always warm?" Triss asked, ignoring the offer and setting off after Obi as he turned and trudged on through the snow.

"Big boys... burn hot," Behn huffed, bringing up the rear.

"That's what my dad always says."

Triss glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Your dad would be proud, if he could see you now."

Behn waved his free hand dismissively, gripping his walking staff with the other.

"Nah. Any time spent outside the brewery is time wasted, far as he's concerned."

"Well, I'm proud of you," Triss said and shot him a wink as what little she could see of his face flushed crimson.

Facing forward again, her smile faded.

It was the truth... she was proud of him.

Behn wasn't the chubby boy she'd played hound-and-hare with all over the streets of Dern.

He was a man now... a man with a good heart... a kind soul and a stalwart strength that could be relied upon.

He'd never be a warrior... wouldn't last two days in the Guard but he'd fight to the death for his friends.

She knew he liked her... was maybe a little in love with her, even and in a different life she might have returned those feelings.

Behn would make a good partner:...supportive and caring... someone who could fill a house with love and keep it full.

He deserved someone who could do the same... someone who wouldn't break his heart.

Behn would scale mountains, fight the barrowlings and trudge through snow for his friends but his heart belonged to the brewery, the bakery and the hearth at home... where Triss would never be content for long.

Adventure and danger would always call to her.

Sooner or later, Guard or not, she would answer and eventually a day would come when she would leave and not return.

She knew the pain of waiting for someone who never came back and she wouldn't wish it on anyone... especially on someone as sweet as Behn.

Her father and her older brother had both been men of the Guard.

Both left, never to return.

That was why her mother had tried so hard to discourage her from joining and why she had been so determined to join.

Part of her had wanted to follow them... to discover where her father and Tristen had gone and maybe to find them someday and bring them home.

As she got older, she'd come to understand the hard truth... 'lost' didn't mean they were out there somewhere, waiting to be found.

It meant they were gone forever... bones scattered in the earth somewhere.

Still, some part of her had held on to a sliver of that naive, childhood hope.

Another part of her was just plain angry.

That was the part that drove her through years of brutal training, never giving in to pain or weakness, never allowing herself to think the word 'quit.'

'Warrior' was the word she wanted for herself... to prove that she could triumph where her father and brother had failed.

In time, she understood that there was no weakness in failure... that sometimes fate just dealt bad hands and the bravest and best must take what they were given... the proudest and mightiest must one day bow before death.

What mattered then, more than physical prowess, was strength of spirit.

Her father and Tristen had that in spades, she was sure.

Her father's demise was well-documented, as she had discovered after a furtive peek at the Archives.

He'd drowned trying to save his horse during a botched river crossing.

Not a 'warrior's death' and so not worthy of the official Annals... just an act of courage and loyalty that led to his demise.

As for her brother... Tristen had been in the elite ranks, like her... a Watcher.

He'd been the best of the best... slated for promotion, expected to achieve great things.

Then he'd been sent on a secret mission to Yothaim, in the frozen north.

He'd corresponded regularly until the moment he crossed the border into that realm... then, he'd never been heard from since.

What drove Triss now was the simple mission of finding out what had happened to him.

At least, that had been her mission until a more urgent one fell in her lap.

In truth, abandoning Dern to follow Galen hadn't been a hard decision.

She'd seen the writing on the wall... as the Temple gained power, others lost it... namely, anyone who wasn't a man of pure Thrynian blood.

Most of her brethren in the Guard held their sisters in equal esteem but some... including Darek's father, the Captain of the Guard himself... did not.

Given the slightest official encouragement to do so, he'd scrub women from the ranks faster than he'd brush a spider from his sleeve.

She didn't regret leaving the Guard... the only thing she regretted leaving was her mother.

Unable to leave a proper note for fear it would fall into the wrong hands, she'd left the clearest sign she could.

Removing her Guard's brooch, which bore the insignia of her rank and honors, she'd placed it on the mantelpiece beside her father's and Tristen's, along with a single coin... an old Thrynian symbol of hope and luck.

Her mother would know what it meant... that if fortune favored her, Triss would return one day, perhaps bearing news of her brother's fate and that she would send better word when she could.

In fact, if all went well, she would send word from Lastiff in the form of Behn.

She accepted the utility of his presence... if he could convince his uncle to lend them cloud-racers, it would give them a marked advantage but safe in Lastiff was where she hoped to leave him.

From there, he could return to his father and Dern and take up the comfortable, safe, fulfilling life for which he was suited.

At least Galen was back at The Haven with Iksy and Zenír.

He'd surprised her even more than Behn... the pretty Pyrran boy she'd mistaken for a girl when they first met.

On their travels, she'd seen him suffer without complaint and face danger without flinching and he clearly had talents of his own but like Behn, she still judged him as unsuited for the hardships of a warrior's life.

She was glad he was safe.

[inkskinned]

pay attention to how your partner values your time.

i mean this beyond things like how much time you spend at work or how often you answer their text messages.

if you spend hours getting ready for them, do they value that effort? if you plan a meal and do all the shopping and prep and cooking for it, is it just dinner for them? do they notice the small chores you're always doing, or does it just magically "get done" when they're not looking? do they notice when you've spent time for them, or is it just something that is expected to happen?

my ex understood our relationship as some kind of credit service. he would do something large and nice for me maybe once or twice a season - and then "collect" on that credit for a while. my time was not as valuable as his - i was expected to give up my time for things like the upkeep of our relationship, chores, everything. even though i was in school and employed (and honestly doing more than he was), he assumed my time couldn't be better spent. he used to say i was just "better" at the daily stuff. he was my first longterm boyfriend - i hadn't been taught it. it didn't come naturally. it's just that if i didn't do it, he valued his time too much to do it for me.

recently i saw a video of a man smashing a cake into his new wife's face after she explicitly asked him not to. i'm glad that these days, most people don't find it funny. but still, someone comments: girl, just wipe it off and jump back into the party! but the fact of the matter is - even if it wiped off perfectly, even if the makeup only took a few minutes to reapply, even if the dress wasn't ruined by the oil in the icing - she would have to spend time away from her own wedding in order to do it. her new husband - he gets to laugh and sit around and party. she has to leave her loved ones and go be alone to handle the results of his prank. it might be the only day she gets to see some of these people; but that time spent (the makeup, the dress) is just valued less. it's seen as inconsequential.

just... pay attention. is it normal for you to give up your time, but they wouldn't reciprocate? do they consider their hobbies essential while yours are just "useless ways to fill the day"? is going out with their friends a hallowed event that must not be interrupted - but at the same time, you find that you're punished for or banned from similar events. do you do most of the upkeep? do you trust that if you needed to take a break, they'd absolutely pick up the weight? if you spend time and energy and effort on something, is that valued; or is it just a thursday to them.

[buckysimp101]

Love at First Grade (18+) - 13

Single Dad!Bucky Barnes x Single Mom!Reader; Teacher!Bucky x CEO!Reader

chapter warning: angst...my b (a teeeensy bit of fluff? if you squint??...oops)

a/n: .......

Series Masterlist

The day passed slowly. Like molasses on a cold day. After the revelation from Brock you had holed yourself up in your office, only allowing Sam and Wanda to see you. You cried. You cried so much. And you weren’t exactly sure why. You knew that Brock had cheated on you with Dolores, you’d been aware of that one time for years now. But something about the fact that Brock cheated on you with Dolores starting a year into your marriage, and then SHE cheated on Bucky? That made your heart throb with pain. Because you could take it if you were the only one that was hurt by their whole situation. You could handle it if Brock and Dolores had only hurt you. But no. They’d hurt Bucky, unbeknownst to him. They’d hurt Becca and Avery by wanting nothing to do with them. They’d each used you and Bucky for their own personal gain. And you couldn’t let that information dissipate into the ether. You’d have to tell Bucky. There was no getting around it. If he’d just learned this life changing information you would’ve wanted to know as well. 

And so you spent the whole day reliving your experience from that morning. You replayed what Brock told you over and over and over again as you prepared what you were going to tell Bucky that night. The two of you had planned a nice meal at your apartment while your parents watched the girls to give you two alone time. With Bucky’s birthday coming up on Saturday you’d been in the process of planning a nice birthday dinner with your friends and families, he was none the wiser that this was happening right behind his back. Blissfully ignorant that Bucky Barnes. 

As the work day drew nearer to its close you felt the pit in your stomach grow, as if it would overtake you before you even walked into your home. When Sam knocked on your door for the last time you let out a huge sigh that you didn’t even know you’d been holding. Sam’s eyes were fully of pity and anger as he watched you try to contend with a relationship that had long since been dead but new details had recently been unearthed, like the world’s saddest and most hurtful archaeological excavation. 

You caught a glimpse of your face in the mirror as you walked out the door of your office. Your cheeks were tear streaked and your eyes redder than you’d ever seen. You stopped to rub at your face a moment, hoping to rid yourself of at least the tears, took a deep breath, and headed to your car with Sam following close behind. The ride back to your apartment was long, longer than it had ever been, or maybe it just felt like that. Sam offered to walk you up to your penthouse but you stopped him, needing some time alone before Bucky joined you. Sam wrapped you into a tight hug as you willed yourself not to cry for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

 You sniffled, as Sam released you and you headed up to your apartment. You were going to cook dinner for the two of you, but on the way home you’d decided to order take out because you weren’t so sure you’d be able to focus on cooking a meal tonight. As you waited for the food to arrive you poured yourself a large glass of wine while getting Bucky’s rocks glass down and prepared for his whiskey. You were deep in thought when a knock sounded at your door. You fully expected it to be Bucky and you took a deep breath as you opened it to be greeted with the pizza delivery guy. You paid him and began to take the food to the kitchen when the door was knocked shortly after, alerting you to Bucky’s presence as he opened the door to your apartment with his key.

“Hey, honey! I passed the pizza guy on the way down, I thought we were cooking tonight,” his voice sounded from behind you, a touch teasing at that. You stopped breathing. Tears began to well up in your eyes yet again and you tried, you tried so damn hard to stop them but one broke free. And then another. And another. And another. Your body wasn’t wracked with sobs yet because Bucky kept going on and on about his day as he got closer to you and wrapped his arms around your middle. A sob broke loose. Bucky’s whole body tensed as he used the hands at your waist to turn you to face him and grip you tight. Upon seeing the tears on your cheeks and the puff redness of your eyes, Bucky’s whole demeanor changed. He went from happy go lucky and teasing about the pizza one second to concerned the next. 

“Woah woah, honey what’s wrong? Is everything okay? Is it Avery what’s up?” The concern in Bucky’s tone was endearing and it made the conversation you knew you’d have to have a million times harder. And so you allowed yourself a moment to break down in his arms. Bucky shushed you as he rubbed your back and held you close, pressing kisses to your head as you cried into his chest. When you thought you could finally speak without crying you cleared your throat and looked up into the depths of the twin oceans that were Bucky’s eyes.

Bucky Barnes had a terrible poker face. His eyes could tell you absolutely everything he was feeling. And right now? He was a roiling ocean of concern and sadness over your reaction. 

Come on Y/N, like a band-aid. Just…rip it off…

“I saw Brock today,” you whispered, ashamed to even speak his name but also ashamed to sound so weak in front of Bucky. 

Bucky’s eyes grew sympathetic as he pulled you closer and murmured, “oh, baby I am so sorry. I know you had no plans on ever seeing him again. Don’t worry, I’ll never hurt you like he did.”

That statement brought forth a new round of tears. You knew it was time. And so, you took in the deepest breath you could muster and said, “Bucky there’s something I need to tell you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bucky’s heart stopped. His stomach curdling like milk well past its expiration date. His mind making up a million different scenarios as the what you would need to talk about. And then you let it out. You told Bucky about your meeting with Brock and HYDRA Corp and how it had ended badly and then you told Bucky about Brock’s reaction after being denied. And then you spoke the words that made Bucky’s whole world stop.

“Bucky, Brock told me…he and Dolores have been sleeping together for nine years…including before and after she was pregnant with Becca…” your voice tapered off with the dropping of the knowledge bomb and Bucky swore you were trying your best to read his mind. If you had been a mind reader, you’d hear nothing, maybe a few crickets as Bucky tried to wrap his mind around the fact that not only had you been hurt by Dot and Brock, but he’d unknowingly been hurt and used as well. When Bucky didn’t say anything, you continued with the detailed information that Brock had given you. When you had finally said your piece, new tears were swimming in your eyes, a few making fresh tracks down your cheeks. Bucky continued to stare, at nothing at all, and you opened your mouth, said some words, but Bucky couldn’t hear a thing. A loud ringing had taken up residence in between his ears and he couldn’t. Hear. A. Thing. 

“Bucky…sweetheart, talk to me,” you pleaded softly, your face concerned at his silence and lack of reaction to the news you’d just given him. But all Bucky could do…was stare…until finally he spoke.

“I think…I think I need to go,” Bucky managed to utter. Your eyes grew wide and panicked, obviously not expecting those words to come out of his mouth. You moved to argue, obviously wanting to talk to him, but Bucky held his hand out to stop you. “I’m sorry I just…I need some time…alone…to think and…stuff,” Bucky manage to stumble the painful words out, their presence cutting like a thousand tiny paper cuts on his tongue. He stood from the table abruptly and watched the pain and hurt come back to your face. Only this time, it was caused by Brock Rumlow and Dot McLaughlin, it was caused by him. Bucky didn’t dwell on that fact, all he knew was that little piece of his brain telling him to getoutgetoutgetoutgetout. And so out he went. 

Bucky retraced his path back to your front door, grabbed his keys and left. He left. He left you sobbing and broken in your kitchen. And he went to the place he knew he needed. Steve Rogers’ apartment.

Bucky knocked frantically on the door to Steve’s place, hoping his best friend was home. He was. When Steve saw Bucky standing at his door with tears in his eyes and his hair disheveled as if he’d been pulling at it for hours he did what any good friend would do. He stepped aside and let him in.

Bucky went straight to Steve’s cabinet where he kept his alcohol and poured himself a shot, throwing it back almost immediately, before pouring and downing another.

“Woah woah woah there Buck. You show up to my place, unannounced might I add, tears in your eyes and start pounding my alcohol like it’s water. I’m gonna need a little information to go off,” Steve quipped, a hand on his hip. And so Bucky spoke.

“Dot cheated. Dot cheated with Y/N’s ex-husband Brock. They’d had an affair almost the whole time we were together.”

Steve’s eyes widened in shock. When he finally came to his senses, he grabbed his own glass and poured himself a shot, shooting the liquor before turning to Bucky and gesturing at his glass for a refill. 

“What happened?”

Bucky told Steve everything you’d told him. The entire conversation Bucky was sure that Steve had seen every emotion possible cross his face. But it wasn’t until the end that he saw Steve’s steely facade break when he asked, “and you just…left her there?”

Bucky groaned, the conversation feeling way too similar to the first one he’d had with his best friend after sleeping with you and leaving. He knew why he’d left. He needed time. Time to think about the situation he’d been presented and time to understand how both of you had managed to be hurt by people that you thought, once upon a time at least, loved you.

“I just need a little time away, Steve. Y/N’s my first real relationship since Dot and this bombshell just feels like something that I need time to myself with before talking to her about it,” Bucky reasoned, not chancing a look at his best friend. Steve must have been thinking it over, and simultaneously thought it was a bad idea, because he let out a huff of annoyance before telling Bucky, “do what you want man. But you need to talk to her by the end of the week.”

The week flew by. Bucky considered himself lucky that this had happened during Spring Break, but really a piece of him hurt every time he looked at his phone to find a text from you. You had texted him Monday night, shortly after he got to Steve’s, that you understood he needed time but you hoped the two of you would be able to talk through the emotions later. It felt somewhat robotic and Bucky wondered if you were typing that way to keep your emotions at bay.

But you didn’t stop with that text. You texted Bucky good morning and good night every single day. You never expected a response back, you only wanted him to know that you were thinking of him and that you were there is he wanted to talk. 

What Bucky didn’t take into account was that a certain six year old would definitely notice your absence. She’d been asking all week to see Avery and Bucky didn’t have the heart to tell her he couldn’t take her to see Avery yet so he kept pushing it off. “Tomorrow, Becca-bug. Ask me tomorrow,” again and again he said that sentence until finally it was Friday night, the day before Bucky’s birthday, and the little six year old spitfire he’d raised stomped her way into the living room.

Walking right up to Bucky with her hands on her hips, her lips stuck out into a pout she demanded, “where’s mama?”

Bucky’s whole body froze and his head seemed to explode at Becca’s blunt question. But Becca didn’t care. She looked at him with daggers in her glare as she asked again.

“Becca-bug, I’ve told you this before…mama’s not here,” Bucky began, trying to explain to a six year old who’d never really had a maternal figure that she wasn’t interested in being a part of her life. 

But Becca just stomped her foot and raised her voice, “NO! Mama and Avery, where are they? I want to see them!” And just like the Bucky’s whole world well and truly shattered. He hadn’t realized just how close you and Avery had gotten with Becca, to the point where Becca obviously saw you as a mother figure. It reminded Bucky of the conversation he’d had with Becca months ago about Avery having a mom and if he thought she’d be willing to share. And it’s like Bucky’s world was Tetris and the last piece had fallen perfectly into place. Fuck. Bucky missed you too.

“Becca baby, I am so sorry that I’ve kept you away from Y/N and Avery…there’s a lot of adult things going on right now. But I promise to make this right. How does going to Uncle Steve’s for a little bit sound?” Bucky asked, hoping his voice wouldn’t sound too pathetic. He needed to see you and he needed to see you now. Becca seemed to think over his suggestion and she nodded her head enthusiastically and ran to her room to change. Bucky was faster. He called Steve, asking his best friend if he’d be willing to watch Becca for a few hours as he desperately needed to talk to you. Steve agreed, a “told-you-so” tone peaking through his voice. Bucky yelled at Becca to hurry up, the six year old practically dancing down the hall singing about ice cream and movies with Uncle Stevie.

After dropping Becca off Bucky sat in the car in front of Steve’s complex and called you. The phone was answered after two rings.

“Bucky?” you whispered hopefully into the phone, and Bucky’s entire body relaxed at the sound of your voice.

“Yeah, honey. It’s me. Listen, I’m sorry I left and practically ghosted you this week I just needed some time to process everything. I just dropped Becca off at Stevie’s…think I could come by and we could talk?”

Bucky heard you breathing on the other end of the phone and he wondered what was taking you so long to answer, were you about to send him packing for good?

But then you answered with a broken, “yes, Bucky. I’d like that,” and his soul almost lept from his body.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou, sweetheart. I’m leaving Steve’s now. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes,” he exclaimed as he hung up the phone to your light laughter. Bucky was going to see his girl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you got off the phone with Bucky you called your parents to come pick up Avery. You didn’t want her in the house while you two talked, especially with the subject matter you’d be talking about, and they were there within minutes. And so you waited.

And you waited.

And you waited.

Checking your watch every so often you took notice when twenty minutes came and went. When it was forty minutes. When it was an hour.

And when you finally reached for your phone to see what was taking so long you were greeted with a phone call. 

But from the wrong Barnes. Winnie was calling you. You answered the phone and before you could even get so much as a hello out you heard the broken sobs of a woman you loved like your own mother on the other end. The sound sinking in your stomach like a heavy stone as your stomach curdled around it. You couldn’t get any words of your own out before Winnie was rambling to you. Through her hysterics you were only able to recognize a few words.

“Bucky…accident…hospital…come quick.”

taglist (to be added just let me know, * means tumblr wont let me tag):

@youlightmeupfinn

@la-undercover-latina

@jackiehollanderr

@fab-notfat

@galaxy-dusk

@asoftie4bucky

@fangirlvoice

@queenbeecandi*

@babyevansblog

@stevihj

@sherlockstrangewolf

@notavintagecliche

@justsomebodyweird*

@katiecg

@wintasssoldier

@snufflet

@buckrecs

@missvelvetsstuff

@selluequestrian

@dhoruwolfie

@winters1917

@crazyunsexycool

@fangirling-galore

@emmarablack13

@some-lovely-day

@the-fool-who-jingled*

@theluvcafe

[witchofthesouls]

Please I beg, more humanfomer Addams family. Expesually grandmama Frump. Her and Vos are a delight.

Grandmama has an official seat and it's Vos' lap. It doesn't matter if Tarn blatantly tries to steer her into a chair with a name plaque. She will end up in the gunformer's lap. Demurely, of course.

Tarn is in utter hell. He may not understand Ancient French and her touches are quite chaste, but no one can misread the sultry, scorching look in her optics. He definitely understands the pure filth from Vos' mouth…

It doesn’t matter the location or the company. Grandmama will ghost her way to Vos and tenderly wrap her arms around his neck like a loving noose. No one knows how the hell she bypassed the security checkpoints but did so. Tarn is resigned to hearing vicious sweet nothings and shifting skirts at meals or a simple round of drinks.

“A little blood in the marriage bed is a natural thing, my dear.”

Not only Frump has taken over the kitchen, steamrolling any and all opposition with a well-placed furiously bubbling cauldron and a very volatile experimental combination, but she also became their dietitian as well. Also helps Nickel since she’s very well-versed in handling delicate tools, sharpening blades, and has the patience for puzzles.

She tuts at the purely liquid diet that dominates Cybertron. Where are the solids of minerals? The raw ore? Not even a beginning course of a toxic appetizer for rudimentary training to take on the far more esoteric cuisine? For shame!

Even Nickel commiserates with her. Much like Micronus Prime’s endless enthusiasm to create, those of Prion enjoyed exploring what could be eaten and augment nutrition, leading to a greater variety of consumables. 

Practically pleased as a plump spider to see most of them feasting at her cooking. Extra portions for Tesarus and Helex for their size and energy expenses. Same for Nickel for her multiple forms. Vos needs his meals to be very blended but at least he has more flavors. She figured out that fingerfoods are best for Kaon and his sensitivities. But Tarn is the fussiest eater she had ever met. Far more than Thing…

Frump is absolutely delighted by Nickel’s sassy mouth. It reminds her so much of her dearest, old friend, especially when she needed to drag her children to the doctor’s. May she rest with all her pieces…

The way the DJD drags back the corpses, it reminds her of her children’s and grandchildren’s beginner’s messy habits. Much like a leg, a saw, hammer, and some pins will fix that chassis in a jiffy. The T-cog would need a blacksmith’s forge but she has time to get back into old hobbies…

While the DJD are uber curious about their newest pickup's alt-mode, Grandmama Frump has yet to show it off. It's mobile as far as they know, and she seems to travel fast across large distances. But the lack of obvious wheels and kibble is strange.

She gets very coy over it. Oh no, she can’t. You must ask a lady to show off, for shame!

Frump only has one functional broomstick. Finely crafted from a willing Elder branch and entwined with rook feathers and careful sigils to imbue flight and preservation. It gives the best premonitions upon the new moon: sweep the kitchen and toss into the hearth to read the flames. 

She remembers her children’s shenanigans. Honestly, even full-grown they still try to sneak out with their mother’s broom. Her deviant boys.

Tarn has made it a priority to never, ever allow Granny Frump on the same planet as Pharma. No. The same galaxy. She has taken up the doctor's descent into madness as the most epic tale of unrequited romance.

"It was tailored to your own addiction!" She wails, a slim servo clutches her chassis, and that strange, ghostly field recoils harshly in a disjointed staccato, optics on the widest setting. "And you said nothing!?"

Vos is jealous. Especially when she sighs over dearly departed Edgar. Her Beloved Butcher. But the "mech" is dead, so he can only nurse his grudge, especially when Grandmama dabs her tears away over Tarn's lack of courtship etiquette. Pharma isn't. He had made Plans.

Tarn made Plans as well. He will kill the jet first before she gets her hands upon him.

The leader of the DJD gets a shiver down his spinal strut, down each one, whenever Frump corners him to "correct his ghastly behavior."

Luckily, he gets away with "business." Of course, Granny Frump understands business is important. But family is more so…

Tarn is ridiculously lucky that he had no sweetspark or Conjunx. Otherwise, they’ll have ideas.

[fruitki]

domestic bliss

touya todoroki x male reader

warnings: angst to fluff, domestic abuse (mentioned and implied only)

notes: this takes place in an alternate universe where touya never joined the league of villains and instead went to u.a.

bonus notes: this is my first fic on tumblr! so lemme know if its good, i plan on this being part of a series of one-shots! also lemme know if i missed any warnings or anything like that, i'm new with doing things like that especially

part of the dreamland saga

This wasn't the first time Touya ended up at his best friend's house, sitting on the cool porcelain toilet as his wounds were cleaned and bandaged. He refused to look at the other boy hovering over him, he didn't want to see the way his eyebrows were crinkled in concern, the way those (e/c) eyes searched his own for answers about what happened to him. He couldn't stand to see (M/n) worried, especially because of him.

"There... I think that's about all I can do for you." (M/n)'s voice sounded heavy as he sighed. "Touya, these are much worse than last time, can you please-"

"No!" Touya snapped, clenching his fists as he stared down at the tile of his best friend's bathroom floor. He could see (M/n)'s shadow move away from him as he took a few steps back. "Alright..." The (h/c) haired male mumbled. He turned away from Touya, beginning to put the first aid kit away. The room was silent between the two until (M/n) decided to cut through the tension that had built up. "How about we watch a movie or something? I can cook dinner and you can spend the night if you want." He reached his hand out to ruffle Touya's white locks and when Touya looked up, he could still see the same kindness in (M/n)'s eyes. It was the kind of kindness and sincerity that made him feel more at home with (M/n) than he could ever feel in his actual home. Touya could feel the way his heart throbbed in his chest seeing that expression. There was no reason (M/n) should still put up with him.

"Thank you, that sounds nice." Toya finally managed to utter out. He felt like such a child around (M/n), the way he would follow him around the house, curiously watch what he was cooking, and wordlessly try to help him by either handing him random spices, or some of the ingredients he thought should join (M/n)'s meal. He didn't know if all the ingredients he handed to him actually belonged in the meal, or if (M/n) put them in solely to amuse Touya. A silence fell over them once more, but neither of them minded.

"We graduate in a few months." That statement was very sudden and Touya couldn't help but tilt his head to the side in confusion. "Yeah, and?" U.A. graduation was something Touya dreaded. He knew what followed afterward, he would be forced to join his father's hero company and would suffer under him for the rest of his life.

(M/n) took whatever he was cooking off of the oven and turned suddenly to face Touya with a large smile on his face. "And! I had an idea!" He reached for Touya's face, squishing his cheeks between his hands. "You're gonna love it! How about as soon as we graduate, we hop on a plane, go to Hawaii, and never come back!" Once again Touya felt the way his heart seemed to knock against his ribcage almost violently, not only from the sight of (M/n)'s smile, but because of the very idea of running away from his father. "I..." But before Touya could say anything, (M/n) continued talking, "I know you don't like your dad, and that you won't tell me why you always show up at my house injured, but it's like I can feel it! I can feel it in my skin... when I'm bandaging you up, it's as if I can see exactly what he did to you..." Perhaps (M/n) shouldn't have said that. He knew immediately once he saw the way Touya looked at him with something fearful and angry. He was immediately shoved off, his back hitting the handle of the pan full of what looked like to be a sauce. It clattered to the ground, making a mess all over the floor.

"How could you use your quirk on me?!" Touya demanded, his anger flaring as small blue flames appeared on his body. (M/n) stepped forward, trying to gulp down the fear that had made itself present in his throat. "I-I didn't mean to... It happened accidentally. I wanted to let you have your privacy, but it makes me upset seeing you like this too! Of course I'd want to know, but you were never going to tell me..." The lump in his throat wouldn't subside, and (M/n) knew it was because he overstepped. He knew he shouldn't have looked into what was causing Touya's injuries, but he couldn't help himself! They had been best friends for years, ever since they both entered U.A. and the injuries only seemed to get worse the longer they were there.

Touya couldn't help himself, he was filled with anger, betrayal, and contempt for himself and his situation. He felt so much shame and weakness from his situation and it was something he never wanted (M/n) to know. Touya watched as his flames grew larger, the area between the two heating up and parts of the kitchen beginning to catch on fire. He mentally begged himself to stop, he didn't want to hurt (M/n), but it felt like he didn't have control over himself anymore, so consumed with his fear and hatred. His mind was so cloudy and he felt like he was suffocating on his own smoke. He almost cried as he felt a warm body thunk against his. He didn't recognize it at first, then realized that it was (M/n) hugging him. It was a burnt (M/n) hugging him tightly like his life depended on it. Immediately the fire stopped and Touya felt himself choke on a sob as he wrapped his arms around (M/n). He couldn't bear to look down and see what he had caused, even when (M/n)'s grip loosened and he fell to the ground with a solid thunk. After a few minutes of taking deep breaths and calming himself, Touya was able to finally look down to see what he had done. (M/n)'s arms were severely burnt, his chest and legs had minor burns, and a big ugly burn was on his face, right where his cheek was nuzzled against Touya.

Touya nearly broke at the sight, but he held himself together enough to take (M/n) to the hospital, but he left immediately. He couldn't face (M/n). He didn't know if he could face him ever again. That night Touya was wracked with sobs as he tried to sleep.

When (M/n) had woken up, he woke up alone. Nurses had rushed in and they were telling him all sorts of things, but it all just sounded like buzzing to him. He couldn't focus, all he felt was the overwhelming need to apologize to Touya. He wasn't allowed to leave for a couple of weeks until he was sufficiently healed and they were sure he would be okay. During the two week period Touya had never visited him. He was only visited by his worried classmates from the general education class. Even when he got back to school, Touya was impossible to pin down and (M/n) knew he was being avoided. Eventually he stopped trying to see Touya, knowing that their friendship had been severed that night. Plus, they graduated in a couple of days, and once that happened, he knew he would never see Touya ever again. (M/n) felt his heart break at the idea of never seeing Touya again, but he knew it was his fault. He overstepped when it was obvious Touya didn't want to share what had happened.

(M/n) always thought his graduation would be a joyous occasion, but he knew he didn't feel anything of the sort as he was granted his certificate of graduation. He could only feel the way his heart ached. That night he went home to his cold and empty house, idly glancing at the burn marks in his kitchen that he was unable to get rid of. He tossed his the culmination of his high school life onto the couch and immediately went to his room, letting the door slam closed as he laid in bed, tears rolling down his cheeks.

tink

tink

tink

tink

crack

Immediately once hearing that (M/n) shot up out of bed, looking around frantically. One of his windows had just been broken, he knew that for sure. He quickly grabbed the baseball bat he kept in his room for safety reasons and marched into the living room, ready to attack whoever had the audacity to break into his house. What he didn't expect was to see Touya sheepishly stepping through a broken window. "T-Touya-" (M/n) was immediately overcome by emotion. He dropped the baseball bat and rushed towards Touya, crushing him in a hug. "How dare you- I missed you so much- I thought you hated me-" (M/n) was blabbering and crying, crushing Touya so tight in his arms that the white haired male thought he was going to suffocate.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you... and I shouldn't have left you in the dark for so long..." Touya gently rubbed (M/n)'s back, holding him and feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of him. He was finally with (M/n) again, and the (h/c) haired boy didn't hate him. "Hey..." He whispered softly to (M/n), still rubbing his back soothingly. "I got you a graduation present."

(M/n) finally pulled away, wiping the tears that had accumulated in his eyes. "A graduation present...? You didn't have to. I didn't get you anything..." (M/n) trailed off bashfully, his gaze fixed on Touya who fumbled to pull something out of his jacket pocket.

"Well... this present is kind of for both of us." He pulled out two one way tickets to Hawaii, giving one to (M/n). "I think you're right, we should get out of here and go to Hawaii. We can start over, just me and you."

(M/n) couldn't help the beaming smile that made its way onto his face. He crushed Touya in another hug, feeling a sort of uncontrollable happiness. That night they had spent it together in (M/n)'s house and the very next morning they had hopped on a plane to Hawaii and never returned to Japan, starting a new life together.

[th0tfairy]

For @iamsorrypapi who wanted bkg breeding u while kirishima watches 😩 hope u enjoy!

maladjusted barbaric bakugou x you

breeding - impregnation - voyeurism

💥❤️💥

Attempting to domesticate Katsuki is a work in progress. You’re patient with him because you realize it takes a long time to unlearn what you’ve always known, but you can’t keep letting him embarrass you at the grocery store when he starts picking produce off the stands and just eating them in the middle of the store.

The concept of money still eludes him, and he can’t quite wrap his mind around table manners yet. Doing anything in public with Katsuki is an event in and of itself.

Not that he’s any better in the privacy of your own home. If anything, he’s a lot worse. He’s grabby and destructive and way way waaaaaay too loud.

It feels like your raising a child every time you ask him to use his inside voice. A towering, massive, muscular child. One that could hurt you with a hug.

His huge arms are wrapping around your waist again, pulling you closer to him. You’ve always been insecure about the cellulite on your ass and thighs but he’s always drooled at the sight.

“When are we starting our family?” He asks casually.

You sigh.

You’ve tried time and time again to explain to him that you’re unprepared to have a child. He of courses refuses to listen and insists that your instincts will kick in once you’re pregnant.

“What did we say about birth control?”

You’ve tried to teach him the importance of pulling out, but he doesn’t wanna hear it. He scoffs and says you’ll come around soon enough.

Well, it just figures you’d come around while he has one of his friends over. And not a friend he’d made in the city, a friend from back home, he claims.

The friend is kind and means well, but you can feel his eyes searing into your body as you try to cook a meal with the gutted boar he’d brought as a gift.

He helps you prepare the roast and you feel his rough fingers stumble every now and then, feeling your soft body up.

Katsuki’s just walking in with a bag of potatoes when he sees Kirishima’s hands under your apron. You drop the wooden spoon you’ve been stirring the soup with and gasp. You’ve seen him angry before, but all those times seem to pale in comparison now.

He throws the sack on the floor and crosses the kitchen in two large strides. Kirishima removes his hands from your body but the damage is done. Katsuki kicks him into a seat and hauls you closer.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he seethes into your ear. You think you’re missing something. You didn’t do anything.

“Wha—?”

Katsuki grabs a handful of your ass, fingernail digging into your soft flesh and croons when you whine at the pain. “Don’t play dumb. Why were you letting someone else put their hands on you?”

You bite your lip to prevent yourself from crying out. You don’t remember letting either of them touch you.

“What about you, kirishima?” He snaps. “I bring you over to my new home and this is how you repay me? Running your hands all over the mother of my children?”

Kirishima sulks in his seat. “I didn’t realize she was pregnant.”

“I’m not,” you cry, trying to push yourself away. Katsuki shoves the cutting board out of the way so he can bend you over the counter.

“Yet.” He corrects and in one swift motion, you feel him pull your underwear down. You gasp onto the backsplash of your kitchen tile. “Katsuki—“

He crouches over to spread your legs. You feel his strong hands keeping your thighs separated while his teeth skirt along your cellulite. You yelp when Katsuki suddenly takes a bite from your ass cheek.

“How could you let another man touch this juicy ass?” He murmurs around your skin as he kisses the bite. “Thought it was for me.”

“It’s for me!” You remind him indignantly, like he isn’t parting your folds. “My body is for me. Not you.”

He sinks a long finger into your slit, effectively silencing you. “It’s for my children,”

You arch your back at the contact and clench around him. “So warm,” he mutters, sticking another inside.

You look over to see Kirishima watching you get fingered as Katsuki goes in knuckle deep and wiggles his digits around. You’ve seen his dick before, but having it pressed up against your ass like this feels different.

It doesn’t help that you haven’t let him have sex all week.

He pulls his fingers out and sucks them into his mouth, moaning at the taste. You feel yourself get wetter until you’re dripping down your thighs. Katsuki rustles behind you.

“Keep your eyes on me,” he tells Kirishima, not even giving him the luxury of looking at you. He kicks his pants off and slicks himself up between your runny thighs.

You feel his strong fingers wrap around the rolls on your waist. He tickles in between the folds as his erection bumps up along your slit. The head is fat and swollen, you don’t think it’ll even fit.

With a slight groan, Katsuki pops the head between your trembling legs. You grasp onto anything on the counter to help yourself get a grip, but all you can hold onto is the handles on the cupboard while he pushes the rest of his fat dick in.

The stretch burns but you can’t do anything except arch your back further and keep yourself still for him. Katsuki moves one hand from your fleshy waist to your breast and squeezes.

“A cozy home for my children and two lovely breasts to feed them.” He says into your neck. “You really are so perfect”

Somehow you can feel the veins in his dick as he pumps himself in and out of your hot cunt. You look over to the side. Kirishima respectfully looks away but you can see him rut against the chair, his own dickprint apparent in his pants.

Katsuki sucks a kiss into your shoulder before biting you again. “So soft,”

You start mewling at his deep strokes. You feel your body rock with his, chub moving back and forth with his thrusts. He’s close, you can tell by the way he grips your elbows to drill into you.

“Pull out,” You murmur around your own arousal. You still have enough presence of mind to remember safe sex.

Katsuki chuckles into your ear before biting down hard on your lobe, punishing you for even suggesting such a thing.

“If you think I’m wasting a drop of my seed anywhere outside of your womb, you’ve lost your mind.”

He kneads the rolls of your soft tummy as he continues to give one, two, three hard strokes before pulling your hips back. Your ass cheeks hit his thighs with a loud smack and then all you can feel is intense heat shooting up your pussy.

There’s a beam of molten cum leaking inside your womb. You’re almost certain there’s a kid inside you after that.

You clench up at the warmth and cry out as you grind your clit on the drawer knob. You’re soaked down your legs with he pulls out.

Katsuki pulls both your clothes back on as he catches his breath.

“Get out of my house,” he tells Kirishima while you wobble out of his grip. You can barely stand up straight.

“And you,” he smacks your belly, “Go lie down until one of my children attaches.”

🧡🧡🧡

[emeren]

birthday boy - eren jaeger

shameless birthday fluff for the boy who deserves a happy ending and a happy birthday 

pairing: eren jaeger x fem!reader 

word count: 2.1k 

content warnings: absolutely none, 100% fluff!

notes: i’m emerging from my request writing hole to post this lil one shot for my love’s birthday. i did not read over this so there may be errors or whatnot, but enjoy!

SUMMARY: reader shows eren what it means to have a good birthday.

eren had never been one for birthdays. 

he’d tried, he’d really tried to love them just as much as everyone else did. he could vividly remember all of the kids in his class bringing in donuts and ice cream and handing out little handmade invitations - invitations he never received. 

after two or three failed birthday parties thrown by carla - birthday parties that only armin and mikasa showed up to - eren had stopped trying. he insisted that he hated march 30th and that it was the worst day of the year. his mom always made a big deal out of it anyway, insisting on taking the three kids out for ice cream and a movie in celebration. 

eren would’ve never admitted it, as his pride was too strong, but he liked the small celebration his mom would throw. just him and his two best friends, building blanket forts and being allowed to watch one PG-13 movie for the special occasion. 

he remembered his tenth birthday being the last one that he even bothered acknowledging. that was the last birthday with his mom, the last birthday that didn’t go forgotten on grisha’s busy schedule. that was the last birthday that he went for ice cream and got to watch a PG-13 movie. 

as he got older, birthdays became less of a big deal to his peers. they weren’t large scale, festive events, but rather small group hangouts that involved getting drunk in a field. some sad, petty part of eren enjoyed watching everyone’s special day become exactly like his had always been: just another of 365. 

he didn’t remember telling you what day he was born. in fact, he was sure he hadn’t told you. it’d been a conversation topic he’d narrowly avoided in the past; lucky enough to have met you around april in order to skip over the awkward ‘oh, it’s my birthday’ chat. 

so he was confused. 

he was confused when he pulled his apartment door open, only to be met with your figure holding a carefully wrapped gift. hell, even eren didn’t realize that it was his birthday. he’d stood there in the doorway, gawking at you with a half-asleep look in his eyes. 

“what’s that for?” he’d asked incredulously, pointing at the gift. you laughed, the sound music to his ears as you slipped into his apartment. 

“happy birthday!” you squealed, setting it down and wrapping your arms around his slim figure. eren frowned for a moment, mind counting through the days of the calendar until they landed on march 30th. oh, i guess it is my birthday.

he hugged you back, eyes still warily focused on the gift. “who told you?” he’d questioned. 

you smiled up at him, placing a light kiss on his cheek. “i have my ways.” 

eren didn’t know what emotion it was that burned in his chest at your soft grin. he desperately wished for it to be annoyance, but it wasn’t, so he resorted to feigning it instead. 

“i’d rather we didn’t make a big deal about it,” he grumbled, slipping from your arms and walking towards his kitchen. he didn’t see the way you rolled your eyes or the way you mocked his voice, only turning around to see you approaching him with a bag he hadn’t previously noticed. 

“that’s alright, i was just going to make you some breakfast, if that’s okay?” eren normally would’ve protested any other special treatment on his birthday, but it wasn’t very unusual for you to cook him a meal. eren had a big stomach, and absolutely no skills in the kitchen. he resorted to shrugging, not wanting to show you the way your suggestion made his heart skip. 

and so he watched you. he watched you flit around the kitchen and make him his favorite breakfast (waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, extra side of bacon). your movements were so mesmerizing he’d nearly forgotten about this rotten day, the day that his younger self had declared the worst of the 365. 

“here, shithead. enjoy your meal,” you hummed playfully, sliding the plateful of food in his direction. eren flipped you off, too hungry to pick a fight as he dove into his meal. 

he tried to ignore the feeling of you staring as he scarfed down his waffle. he’d hoped you wouldn’t say anything else about his birthday. “do you wanna open your gift after we’re done eating?” you’d asked. 

eren paused his feast to look up at you, your eyes focused on your own plate as you waited for a response. he was apprehensive, but decided to take the bait nonetheless. “uh, sure.” 

eren could remember the best gift he’d ever gotten. it had been a handmade terrarium from armin and mikasa for his eighth birthday. they’d gone out in the woods behind their houses and rifled through the bushes and weeds to put together a jar filled with all sorts of creatures and plants. eren’s favorite had been the spider - whom he’d lovingly named peter - as he would catch flies and other small insects to feed to him. he’d been so excited about their cheaply made gift that nothing had ever come close to topping it (not that he ever got much in the ways of gifts, anyway).

as you sat him down on the couch, carefully placing an oblong box in his lap, he was unsure. he loved you, no doubt, but he didn’t know what on earth you could’ve gotten him. 

his previous confusion only grew when he opened the box to find a bundle of wildflowers. they were a mix of baby hues, soft and simple. he looked to you, brow raised in question. 

“flowers?” he’d asked, mind pondering all the possibilities. you laughed lightly in response, standing from your seat next to him. 

“c’mon,” you gestured for him, eyes scanning his bare chest. “go put a shirt on and come with me.” 

eren sighed, standing himself as he set the flowers on the couch. “listen. i love you, i really do. but i would just rather we don’t make a big deal out of today, alright?” 

he watched you roll your eyes, watched you fold your arms over your chest.

“i’m not making a big deal out of today,” you’d responded, a hint of annoyance in your voice. “just go put a shirt on. it’ll just be the two of us.” 

eren talked a lot of game regarding his self-proclaimed willpower, but he would never understand how easily he caved to you. thirty minutes later, he was sitting in the passenger seat of your car, eyes mindlessly gazing out the window with the bundle of flowers in his lap. 

you were playing his favorite music, humming along as your fingers tapped against the steering wheel. he’d just stared at you, admiring your beauty as you turned up a desolate road that he’d been too focused on you to recognize.

it wasn’t until the car stopped; surrounded by newly blooming flowers and freshly greening trees, did he piece together where he was.

“mom?” he’d breathed, eyes glancing out the window. you just smiled in response, unbuckling your seatbelt and getting out of the car. eren looked down at the bundle of flowers in his lap, wildflowers, his mom’s favorite. 

in that moment he felt like crying. sure, he’d cried on his birthday before, but this was different. it was a cry of appreciation, one that burned in his chest as you impatiently pulled his door open. he was quick to blink the tears away, putting up a front as he got out himself. 

his mom’s cemetery was atop a hill, located away from the city amongst the trees and wildlife. he remembered picking it for her because of how freeing it felt - it was more of a place for remembrance that mourning. he knew that was what his mom would’ve wanted. 

eren showed his appreciation by wrapping your hand in his, intertwining your fingers as the two of you approached his mom’s headstone. 

“what made you think of this?” he’d asked quietly, setting the bundle of flowers right beneath her name carved within the granite stone. he remained kneeled in front of it; long fingers coming up to trace the words. he’d been surprised by your answer. 

“i know you hate your birthday,” you’d started, watching the moment in front of you. “and i know your mom was the only person that ever tried to make you enjoy it. i hope it wasn’t insensitive of me to bring you here? i just thought maybe you’d want to spend the day here with her.” 

and there it was again: that burning within his chest. he pulled his fingers back from the cold stone, relieved you couldn’t see the mix of emotions on his face. it was on the contrary. he’d never had someone think of him this way, think of what he truly wanted to do. he smiled as he stood to face you. 

“thank you.” he’d said sincerely, wrapping his arms around you and kissing the crown of your head.

the two of you sat for hours, hands wrapped together as eren told stories about his mom and talked to her gravestone as if she were really there, too. he talked about his tenth birthday; how his mom had rented some barely scary movie, but how armin couldn’t sleep for weeks following their watch. he talked about the time mikasa had beaten up one of the popular kids for only excluding eren from his birthday party. before he knew it, he was wrapped up in stories upon stories. 

all too fast, the sun began to dip past the horizon. the two of you stood from the grass, pants slightly damp with mud but neither of you cared. eren leaned down, pressing his lips to the stone as a parting goodbye - something he’d started doing as a kid. 

as you drove away, eren felt content with how the day had gone. he watched the sunset from the window, face flushed and a small smile on his lips. he enjoyed the sweet moment, but couldn’t help the perverted thought that crossed his mind. he’d never had birthday sex before, and oh boy was he excited to try. 

the car stopped outside of his apartment, the two of you walking up to the door hand in hand. he grabbed his keys, about to unlock the handle when you stopped him. 

he loved when you looked at him like that. when your eyes were big and doe-like, filled with a mix of adoration and excitement. your hands carefully wrapped around his jaw, pulling his lips down to meet yours in a tender, warm kiss. 

he could feel his heart clench at the action, pulling away with a smile on his face. “what was that for?” 

“i just love you, ‘s’all.” you hummed in response, motioning for him to open the door. eren hated that you could make him blush, looking away with a playful roll of his eyes. 

he wasn’t expecting what waited for him behind the door. 

with the flick of the light switch, all of his friends popped up from around the apartment, yelling ‘surprise!’. his eyes widened in shock, a large banner that read off ‘happy birthday eren!’, but the words were all scrunched together at the end, the banner not large enough. 

“connie made that!” armin explained hurriedly, as if noticing the way eren’s eyes traced over the decoration. eren couldn’t help the burning in his chest as he looked at all of his closest friends. 

sasha, connie, jean, mikasa, armin, you. you, who had clearly planned this all. eren wasn’t ever very sappy, at least not since he was in high school. but the burning in his chest had become too much to bear, overwhelmed by all of the decorations and confetti, and thoughtfulness. 

he looked at you, tears in his eyes. he’d never had a big party before. he’d always wanted one, and here it was. “thank you.” 

“goddammit, this is what you get for taking him to the cemetery before his surprise party!” jean yelled, pointing at his friend. “i don’t think i’ve seen you cry since you were an annoying ass teenager!” 

“oh, shut the fuck up,” eren replied lightheartedly, embracing each of his friends. he wasn’t even embarrassed to cry. it’d been so long since he’d felt so loved. 

and so you all sat, eating ice cream and watching a horror movie. eren was in the middle, you curled up on his one side and armin on the other. as all of his friends enjoyed his birthday, squealing at the unnecessary gore, he couldn’t help but smile. 

maybe march 30th wasn’t the worst day, afterall.

<3 <3 <3 

[thefanficmonster]

The Five Scares (and one revenge)

Corpse Husband x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: Swearing 

Genre: FLUFF, Humor, RPF (Real Person Fic)

Summary: Having a tendency to scare people, Corpse has gotten used to his friends being jumpy whenever he appears from the void into a Discord call with them. However, the one who has it the roughest with the spooks has to be his partner Y/N. Basically: The five times Corpse scared Y/N and the one time they scared him

Requested by Anon. Hi darling! Thank you so much for your lovely request it was a real joy to write and I had a ton of fun doing so! Hope you have equally as wonderful of a time if you happen to come across it and give it a read despite the long wait you’ve had to endure which I apologize for. Love, Vy ❤

I

Having had to go home for the night to keep an eye on their roommate’s dog, Y/N and Corpse agreed to have a video call before they fell asleep. They didn’t want to appear like that typical clingy and cheesy couple but after spending almost a whole week curled up in Corpse’s apartment, the two would feel each other’s absence to a very saddening degree to the point where they’d even forget the other isn’t around and would call out to them. 

Letting the call ring, Y/N’s hand comes up to smooth out their hair. However, the touch reveals to them that their hair needs a bit more than a simple tap or a pat to be tamed so while they wait for Corpse to answer the call, they quickly head to their bathroom. Flicking the light on, their reflection greets them with the underwhelming news of the actual state of their hair at the moment: an absolute mess. They proceed to do their best with the single hair-tie they have handy. A bobby pin or two would be neat but they have no time to go and grab one right now, seeing as how they can’t recall if they even brought them back from Corpse’s apartment. If they didn’t, they would have to search their roommate’s room for some which would take an even longer amount of time.

Eventually, they manage to tame it in something closely resembling a presentable ponytail and exit the bathroom feeling more exhausted than before. With a loud sigh, they crash onto their bed, face-first into the sea of pillows, groaning at the slight sting of their muscles relaxing at last.

“Y/N?“ The decently loud mention of their name by a deep, familiar yet sudden and unexpected voice startles them to the point of squealing and jumping an entire inch away from where they were positioned.

They look around their room in a frenzy, wondering where on Earth that voice came from and how it could be here with them right now.

“Y/N, you there?”, before they could locate it, it emerges once again, helping Y/N get an ide of where it’s coming from - somewhere in the messed up bed sheets.

“Corpse?“ They finally find their voice, “Y-yeah I’m here. Question is: how are you...“ and then it all clicks, causing them to twist their face in an expression of utter disappointment and bury it in the palms of their hands, groaning.

“You forgot about the video chat, didn’t you?“ Corpse asks, amusement not even attempted to be hidden in his voice.

“Yup.“

II

It’s been one hell of a day. Y/N’s college lectures exhausted them to a max and their six hour job following their classes did nothing to help them AT ALL. Quite the opposite actually. Makes sense why they look, move and talk the way they’re doing right now: like a ghost, zombie and an elder combined in one. To add to their misfortunes for the day, they were met with the mocking ‘OUT OF ORDER’ sign taped to the doors of the elevator, laughing in their face with the information that their hellish experience for the day is far from over.

Just the thought of having to climb to the fifth floor made their stomach turn in the most unpleasant way possible, but the though of how long that would take made matters even worse. Arriving at their designated apartment, they have every right to be pissed, cussing their heart out. 

However, then comes a new problem: the inability to pinpoint the correct key. They proceed to curse themselves, the keys, the door handle and the door itself before punching the poor wood that did no wrong and just stands here, serving its purpose of keeping unwanted people out of the apartment it’s guarding.

Following their anger outburst and front-door-abuse, they proceed to try finding the correct key once again, this time slightly more calmly as to not accidentally miss it in their frantic rifling.

Right as they’re about to try the third key, however, the door opens. Well, it’s opened by someone on the other side, that someone being none other than their boyfriend Corpse who’s currently staring at them wide-eyed, one eyebrow raised, the word ‘confused’ basically written across his face.

While he’s processing the sight in front of him, Y/N lets out a little scream, jumping back and away from the door, a hand placed over their chest as their wide eyes scan their boyfriend who now seems equally terrified as a result of their reaction.

“Corpse?!“ They manage to gasp, barely hearing their own voice over the loud thumping of their heart and the rush of blood in their ears, “What the hell are you doing here?!“

The confusion on Corpse’s face deepens, reaching whole new levels as his eyes gaze deeper into theirs, searching for the meaning behind their bizarre question. “You mean...at my own apartment? What am I doing, at home?“

For a few seconds, the two just stare blankly at one another, processing everything that’s just happened. Suddenly, it all just kinda caves for Y/N and they burst out laughing, doubling over, their arms clutching at their stomach as they do so. Their laughter is contagious, so Corpse can’t help but let out a few chuckles himself.

“Alright, you’ve been driven to insanity, I can tell.“ He mumbles at his reckless partner, coming up behind them and wraps his arms around them, lifting them up and carrying their laughing ass inside.

III

Finally deciding to sit down and get this damn project started, Y/N already feels like they’ve had enough of it, burnout already creeping in and threatening to ruin their work and trip them up every step of the way. It wouldn’t have been so bad had the subject not been one they absolutely despise and wish they could get out of studying but alas they’re stuck with it.

They equip their headphones as soon as they plant their butt on the desk chair in their tiny room in their tiny roommate-shared apartment, putting their Spotify playlist on shuffle as they open a blank Power Point document. They work better with music blasting in their ears since the silence tends to be too loud and distracting when they’re trying to focus. So, that way they can also sing their heart out in peace and not get disturbed by the sound of their own off-key singing. Win-win, basically.

Singing ‘Never Forget You’ by Zara Larsson and MNEK, they get a little carried away, ditching the project to enter a full-blown music video they can imagine down to the detail in their mind.

However, there’s a surprise awaiting them.

As soon as MNEK’s part of the song begins, another voice apart from his echoes through their headphones, singing along to the song. Freaking the fuck out, they let out a loud scream, smacking the headset off them, sending the object falling and landing on their laptop keyboard with a crash that only serves to further startle their roommate’s dog which comes to check if they are being attacked or something only to be disappointed by the lack of action.

When pushing the headphones off, they did so with a force strong enough to snap the cable out of the laptop entirely so now the room is filled with the sound of that same foreign voice laughing his ass off.

A voice that belongs to no other than Corpse Husband himself.

“You gotta learn to disconnect from Discord calls, Y/N.“ The fucker says, still cackling wholeheartedly at his partner’s misery.

Pissed off or not, Y/N would have to admit he’s got a point. But they’d also rather never speak again than admit it so...

“Fuck you!“ is what they say instead, seconds before disconnecting.

IV

Making breakfast is not something either Corpse or Y/N are used to, mostly cause they both either wake up late or skip the meal entirely. Regardless, having been given a day off from work and having no classes since it’s Saturday, Y/N saw no better way to start their day off than to prepare a nice breakfast for them and their boyfriend to enjoy. Problem is: they aren’t the most skilled in the kitchen. Sure they can scramble an egg or make mac and cheese, but in order to do it correctly they are not allowed to have distractions of any kind. Not even music, that’s how you know it’s serious.

Seeing as how Corpse has never seen them cook, he’s obviously unaware of theirs. The dummy straight up waltzes into the kitchen, unintentionally remaining unspotted and unheard by Y/N because he’s barefoot and because they have their back turned to him.

“Whatya cooking over there babe?“

Y/N’s focus bubble, being as thin as it is and considering they initially thought Corpse was still asleep, they have every right to let out the yelp they just did, dropping the egg they were gonna crack over the pan in said pan in its entirety - yes, shell and all.

A moment of silence commences: regretful on Corpse’s end and frustrated on theirs. Neither of them dares to say anything to avoid triggering the other. Well, that’s the case until Y/N decides enough’s enough and they turn to look at him, a wide, obviously fake smile plastered onto their face.

“Scrambled eggs, following a secret recipe, property of the L/N family.“

Seems like your pre-breakfast snack is an extra large dose of sarcasm, huh?

V

“So, how was your day? You sound pretty chipper so I take it wasn’t a nightmare like a few days ago.“ Corpse comments over the phone, listening to shuffling and shifting as Y/N moves around the apartment, getting ready to head out.

“It was great actually. Got some important results back and, not to brag or anything, but they were higher than I expected.“ They reply, a genuine wide grin refusing to leave their face as they silently count the amount of money they’ve got in their wallet. “I’m gonna go buy a cake so we can celebrate it. It’s no small deal, trust me, especially not when I initially thought I’d fail both these exams to the point of being pitied.“

“Wait...-“ Corpse attempts, his voice suddenly sounding strained and urgent but that’s the very reason he cannot seem to find or get the right words out of his system. Not that Y/N gives him any time to figure it out.

“No Corpse, you cannot change my mind. Cake and beers, we’re celebrating toni- SHIT!“ They scream as they throw open the front door, bumping square into someone standing on the other side, almost dropping their phone.

Taken aback by embarrassment and fear, they leap back, their eyes searching for the ones of the person whose personal space they just invaded. Well, to be fair, he was the one invading their personal space by standing right outside the door to their - well, to Corpse’s apartment.

The fear and irritation die down almost instantly when Y/N recognizes the person standing opposite them.

“Mind telling me why we’re talking on the phone when you could’ve come in and we could’ve had a normal person conversation?!“ They snap, ironically enough - they’re still holding the phone to their ear.

So is Corpse whos is smiling guiltily, “That’s why I called, I forgot my keys, but I got...carried...sorry.”

Well, at least this serves as proof Y/N’s not the only forgetful one.

                                                            ~  ~  ~

Corpse has been stuck in his recording room for four hours now, never stopping his stream to take care of his basic human needs such as eating or going to the bathroom. This behavior of his has Y/N worried sick and unable to focus on the task at hand - an assignment they’ve been trying to finish for two hours now, sitting with their computer on their lap and looking hopelessly at the blank Word document waiting for them to fill it up while they are waiting for it to start writing itself.

Seeing as how neither are gonna happen, not until Y/N puts their mind at ease, they slowly put the laptop aside, standing up to carefully skip on over to Corpse’s recording room to check on him, stopping by the kitchen to grab him a snack and a bottle of water along the way.

The door to the darkened room is open a crack, as usual, suggesting they can enter without knocking - this also means he’ll probably not hear them even if they knock so the whole gesture would be pointless. Not that Y/N has a tendency to knock or anything... Waltzing in, they find that the only light in the room is the very faint and dark glow of the computer screen which is displaying a dark and dingy room from a first-person view of the protagonist of whatever game Corpse’s currently playing.

“Corpse?!“ They whisper-yell/hiss at him, trying their best to grasp his attention without startling him - they don’t need to be told that the game is of the horror genre and the last thing they need is for their boyfriend to flip backwards and fall out of his chair because they scared the shit out of him. “Hey?!“

Neither attempts prove futile so, despite their best instincts telling them differently, they walk over to him and tap him on the shoulder. The reaction, while within the realm of expectancy, is a lot more startled than they expected, accompanied by a scream on top of all. They’d never heard him scream in fear before, it’s quite amusing if they’re being honest.

They suppress a snicker as Corpse’s wide open eyes meet their squinting ones in the darkness, “Y/N...babe...what is it? Is everything ok?”

Y/N rolls their eyes, “No, everything isn’t ok. Your unhealthy habit of forgetting to take care of yourself, for example.” They put the snack and the bottle on the his desk, giving him their best disappointed-parent look before turning on their heel to strut their way out of the room. However, just as they are about to make their exit, they stop right at the doorframe, giving their stunned one final glance over their shoulder with a smug smirk playing across their face, “Oh and by the way, that’s what I like to call revenge.” Just like that, they leave, pushing the door back into its previous position.

And boy, is it some sweet, sweet revenge.

@maat-the-prescriptive  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @itsminniekat  @hacker-ghost  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  @chrysanthykios  @maehemscorpyus  @loraleiix  @letsloveimagines  @annshit  @i-cant-choose-a-username-help  @enigmaticmaze  @divine-artemis  @waterlilypat  @idontknowwhatthisisfam  @evi-ka  @classyandfabulous00  @redperson58  @lilysdaydreams @solowheein  @mythicalamphitrite  @axen-gers  @luckygirl144  @nj01  @buddyemily   @the-albino-lioness  @stardream14  @gdhdkfnn  @nomadicgypsyy  @preciousskye  @fluffysuicideunicornsworld  @o-kaelin  @manacharlotte  @awkward-youtube-trash  @lolalee24  @bonky-beerns  @meme-lord-and-savior-sebastian  @strawbrinkofdeath  @teenloves  @tams0527  @browneyespinkhair  @starstruckllamapuppy  @daisychains012  @y0ulooked  @tinytacosuitcaseflap @supernatural-is-my-only-life  @jula-pauline  @melodykitty  @just-that-bi-girl  @crazybutconfidentaf  @lowellshade @alphakees  @bellero  @weallneednamjesus  @starryhanji  @boiled-onionrings  @husherstan  @fockingwhore  @melaningoddessthings  @prettypastelpetals  @haleypearce  @godwhyamiawkward  @y-napotat  @daisychainyoonmin  @little-miss-rebel3  @free-wheelin-bi-sexual  @redmoon261 @darkacademic2  @wiseflamingoqueen  @into-the-end  @namikhai-i  @nastiablr  @thelittleplantlover  @mirktuan  @dont-hyuck @jjk-bunny  @vintagegothlover  @easygoingtheatre  @itsrandombooklover  @miiaivi  @emmybaybee  @befourgolden  @jjk-is-my-shit  @eternalteaaars  @spacebadgerx  @princesslunalight  @acequinn14  @samm48  @misselsbells06 @simp-lykawa  @fo-love  @marishimomura-blog  @therealglenncoco  @cinnamonbun332  @killtherandomness  @sanshinexxxsan  @fee-btheweeb  @press-lay  @cathleenpotgieter16  @jazzydoesstuff  @moonlxghtbay  @forestrain2000  @hyunjinhugs  @blood-of-fandoms  @lovellylies  @ukiyolixx  @simpforhpcharacters  @chrisdylan17  @parkerjisung  @pedernille  @theodonyous  @wineandionysus  @malfoystilinskii05  @morbid-x  @coryisagee  @jessewa26  @scoobydooluver97 @mindintheskies365  @raeanneinwonderland  @indecisive-empanada  @gluttonypalace  @loriane2503  @btsiguess-kpop  @khaoticbunny  @lucidlycactus  @smiithys  @rottenroyalebooks  @kpopgirlbtssvt  @fangirl-tc27  @fr0z3n-1  @notmesimpingfortechno  @shotarosleftpinky  @kunoi-chan  @idk-whats-wrong-with-me  @yikeroonie  @goldenstarofthunderclan  @poetry-and-tea  @ama-do-writing-stuff  @wishbonewolf  @emeraldxhope  @t0xick1tty  @kusuinko  @speakyourselfloveyourself  @sophia902103  @lo-manburg  @classsykittykat  @dmgama  @depressedpuppythatneedscoffee  @btsiguess-kpop  @akaashi-baby  @gun-jong-simp  @geschichtenfee  @yerapotato-wp  @browneyedgirl365  @thysagclub  @sparklycloudnight  @helloatomicshadow  @queentorresstuff @vtte @val-gal  @lucy-bunny17  @aaliyahh0  @katluckybear  @boyleanti  @straybids  @franchesca-791  @cosmicstorm19  @averyisbackinthetrashcan  @aomi-nabi  @xlanawriter  @allensimpsforcorpse