#courage’s Sky favoritism

[hero-of-courage]

What if each of the Links' biggest phobias/irrational fears were based upon the trauma of their predecessor?

Some of these are angsty and some ended up kinda funny.

Creepy Enemies (Disembodied Hands)

Hyrule hummed thoughtfully as he tossed a short stick into the campfire. He glanced up at the other boys seated around and asked carefully, "Are there any kinds of enemies that really creep you guys out? Just curious."

"Disembodied hands," Twilight answered quickly.

"Hey! I was gonna say that." Wind grumbled.

Legend pondered a moment before squinting at the flames and replying, "Actually... the same as them."

Hyrule raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Not fans of wallmasters huh?"

"Hands that come out of the ground are worse..." The youngest shivered.

"Oh," Twilight grimaced. "Yeah. I don't like the sound of that."

Water

"Come on, Hyrule!" Wind called across the gap. He studied the other boy's expression as Hyrule hesitantly inched closer to the edge of the dark water. "It's okay if you get wet! I have an easy way to dry off!"

"That... That's not the problem..." Hyrule replied with a shaky voice.

"What?"

"I can't swim." The brunette backed away from the edge and locked his worried gaze with Wind.

"Really?" Wind tilted his head curiously. "Why?"

"I never learned. Deep water... makes me anxious." Hyrule crouched with his palms on the ground. Magic vibrated under his skin as he readied to jump. "You might want to stand back!"

Hyrule launched himself over the divide filled with the dark abyss of water and stumbled to safety. His friend joined him at his side with a kind smile.

"Are you good?" Hyrule nodded after a moment. Wind continued,"I'll try to avoid deep water next time."

Sneaking up from behind

"Four."

A hand gripped his shoulder. Four jolted.

"AH! NAYRU!" He swung around franticly and his fist collided with the unfortunate person's stomach.

"Gah!" Warriors doubled over with a groan. "Gods! You've got a killer left hook, Smithy..."

"Captain! Ah! I'm sorry! It was his own fault. Why did you sneak up on u-me?!" Four's eye color changed rapidly before landing on grey. He breathed slowly soothing the chaotic colors in his brain. "I'm sorry, Captain. Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine..." the man ground out as he straightened his posture. He kept his hand pressed to his gut. "Everyone is turning in for the night so we should head back. You wouldn't want them to worry would you?"

The short teen marched past him. "Of course not. Let's go."

"Are you okay, Smithy?" Warriors raised a brow at the teen's unusual behavior.

"Yes I am. You just... startled me."

"If you're sure..."

Ghosts

"Can we not go into a suspicious probably haunted basement?" Warriors glared at the old rotting staircase leading into the dark.

"What's wrong, Captain? Afraid of ghosts?" Legend snarked already half way down.

"Yes actually!" Warriors growled. Ghost were dangerous. They can injure or possess people and the like. What's worse is that they aren't easily defeated by the sword. "Why aren't you?"

Legend shrugged and descended into the darkness. "Eh. They get old after a while."

Warriors stared at the inky abyss that Legend submerged into with an unsettled stomach.

"Come on, Captain! We don't have all day!"

Steeling himself, Warriors carefully crept down the creaking rickety stairs. He sucked in a sharp breath as an unnatural cold gust rushed past his ear. He shivered and at last he had reached the floor.

He scanned the dark for movement and for any glimpse of a blue cap. Finding nothing but his growing unease, he called out, "Vet? I can't see where you are!"

Legend's voice hollered back sounding painfully far away, "Keep up! Honestly, I had no idea you could get like this!"

The Captain stumbled in the direction of his friend's voice only to be yanked to a stop when his scarf tightened around his neck.

"Agh! What the hell?!" He choked out as he tugged on the fabric to loosen it.

Nearby something slammed on the floor. Warriors felt his breath leave his lungs as the sudden need to be silent paralyzed him.

The cold gust whispered in his ear once more as a creeping sensation crawled up his back. His heartbeat thundered in his chest. Too loud. Too loud. They'll hear...

Thumping footsteps echoed in the dark. They're coming...

The greeting of a warm glow of a lantern caused the terrified hylian to squint.

"Captain?" Legend called as he approached. His tone was carefully maintained as indifferent, but to those who knew the hero of legend he was poorly masking his concern.

"There's something here..." Warriors responded barely above a whisper.

Legend frowned at his uncharacteristic behavior and grabbed the man's wrist attempting to pull him along. "We're wasting time."

"Wait!" Warriors coughed and tugged on his scarf again. "I'm stuck."

At his strained voice, Legend stopped immediately and glanced behind them. The scarf was taut and lead into the darkness where the light of the lamp didn't reach. He released Warriors' wrist to examine the cloth closer.

Warriors stumbled backward, but the scarf remained strained. "Come on!" He groaned as he struggled against it. Impossibly, the scarf seemed to tug back and Warriors began to lose his footing.

Realizing too late what would happen, Legend frantically reached for his hand again. As their fingertips brushed against each other the Captain's feet slipped from underneath him.

"Legend, help!" Warriors cried out as he was yanked into the abyss.

Shrill laughter swirled around the maze of a basement and the cold gust snuffed out the glow of the lantern.

Legend cursed his luck. So much for finding the others as soon as possible.

(Giant) Spiders

"Wild. Wild! Stop walking!" Twilight's voice ahead of him caused him to glance up from his sheikah slate. To his immediate horror he was met face to face with a huge white skull which had eight spindly legs growing out from the sides.

"Ahhh! What?!" He cried as he fell back away from the monster. "What is that?!"

With a grunt, green goo sprayed the ground and the monster disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke.

"You almost walked into a Skulltula." Twilight reported as he shook the revolting goo off his sword. "You gotta be careful around them. Their bites are nasty."

"That's what the giant spider is called?" Wild shuddered as he followed the rancher further into the cave. "I thought that the largest species of spiders only grew to about the size of a dinner plate! This is so much worse!"

Twilight threw a smile over his shoulder. "I'm guessing you've never fought an armogohma before? Good for you."

"What's that? A spider the size of a guardian?" The Champion crossed his arms with a disturbed expression.

Twilight's smile grew sheepish as he seemed to regret his words.

"Eh... it's best you don't know..." He turned around and continued on into the cave.

"Wait... wait no... That means that it's even bigger!" Wild impossibly looked even more disgusted and clutched his bow like a lifeline.

Bells

Bong bong bong

Link shot up in his bed. What was he doing?! He didn't have time to be laying around like this!

Bong bong bong

He was too late! The world was ending! Everyone would perish because he had wasted so much time!

Bong bong bong

The final tolls of the bell rang out declaring his failure to the world. Where was his ocarina? He rummaged frantically through his bags.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'll fix everything," he muttered aloud.

"Time?"

A soft voice cut through his mind numbing panic like a ray of sun through a storm. He heard the sheets rustle as Sky nearly tumbled out of the other bed.

With shaking hands, Time placed his instrument back into his travel bag and set the bag down. He turned to the younger hylian as he groggily walked his way over.

"I'm alright, Sky..." he whispered to the young knight. Gently, he placed his hands on his shoulders to steady the boy. "You should go back to sleep."

"You didn't sound very alright earlier," Sky mumbled completely ignoring the second half of Time's words. He yawned. "Wha's goin' on?"

"I had a... an episode," Time decided to answer honestly yet vaguely. He steered Sky back to the bed and sat him down. "Don't worry about it. You helped me out so I really should thank you."

"Oh..." Sky blinked at him for a moment before he reached up and brushed his hand over Time's cheek.

Time froze at the action. A mere moment later he took notice of the wetness of his cheek. He had been crying in his panic then?

"Are you going to be able to sleep too?" Sky asked, turning to squint at the window. "Those bells were kinda loud for people to be ringing this... late? Early?"

Time nodded in answer. "I just need to get some water first."

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Sky slid under the bedding and tried to get some more sleep before the morning.

With a heavy sigh, Time exited the room and closed the door with a click.

Bonus: Claustrophobia/Imprisonment

The knight of Skyloft slowly blinked away the tendrils of unconsciousness from his eyes. It was dark. Pain lanced his temples when he raised his head. He winced. His hair was matted on one side and stuck to his face. That discomfort was accompanied by the metallic scent of blood.

He groaned at the throbbing in his skull and made an effort to touch it. To his distress he found that he could not move his arm. Frantically, he glanced to his right. His arm was stretched outward and chained to the wall with no slack to grant him movement. He was suddenly very aware of the ache across his shoulders and back. A glance down at his legs revealed that he was fixed above the floor and currently incapable of moving his legs either as the were shackled to the floor not unlike his arms.

"How... how did I get here?" He wondered as he glanced about his cell. An inkling of anxiety began to grow when he noticed that all of the walls were made of dark stone and the door appeared to be a thick sheet of metal. It was impossible to know what was happening outside of the room because of the lack of windows.

The darkness seemed to curl in on him even though his eyes had adjusted to it. The air was cold and it bit at his lungs as he breathed it in. He shivered, causing the chains to clink.

"Where is everyone?" It was so quiet. His breaths sounded painfully loud to his ears. "No one's here..."

His breathing picked up and his head and heart started pounding rapidly as panic settled in. This room was too narrow. The ceiling was unnervingly low. It would crush him. He needed the sky. He needed to see the sky.

He yanked fruitlessly at the chains sending a twinge of pain up his arms. He cried out in frustration and panic before letting himself droop in exhaustion. Eyes wide yet unseeing, he breathed shaky breaths as his ears rang unbearably.

***

"The shadow is retreating!" Twilight yelled to Time over the din of the battle. "Go find him! We'll take care of the rest here!"

"Alright! Be careful!" Time answered his successor. He turned to their shortest member. "You're with me, Smithy."

"Got it!" Four confirmed and followed after.

A moment later Wild ran alongside them. "Let me come too."

Four's eyes narrowed slightly at the older boy. He sighed. "Fine. Be sure to keep your emotions in check Champion."

Wild merely grunted in reply.

Finally, they arrived at the dungeon underneath the abandoned castle. It was cold, dark and damp like a cave. Almost all the way down the hall of cells the doors were open. They carefully made their way through, wary of any traps that might presently spring.

When at last they stood before the only closed door, Four glanced about cautiously. "There weren't any traps. Strange... It's almost like the shadow wanted us to find Sky. It gave the battle up so easily... What's it's motive here?"

"It's like it's observing us, our actions, how we react to what it does." Time hypothesized as he watched Wild break open the lock on the metal door.

The door was shoved open with a shriek of metal on stone and Time heard Four gasp upon entering the room. Glancing up, he rushed forward.

"Sky! Are you alright?" Time gently lifted the young man's chin off his chest to see his face.

Sky blinked slowly but he seemed to stare straight through the hero of time with his eyes clouded. His breathing was harsh and shallow and his frame shook with each breath.

Time frowned. He glanced to the boys next to him. "Smithy, Champion, get the chains off him. I'll make sure he doesn't fall."

"Got it!" Four replied already digging out his fire and ice rods. He handed one to Wild and set to work. "Freeze the right one. Lower the temperature as much as you can then switch with me."

Time turned his focus back to the boy before him. He wrapped his arms around his torso and braced himself as he listened to the humming magic, the licking of flame and the chime of ice.

With a snap and the clanging of chains against the walls, Sky slumped into Time's embrace. He groaned. His arms and back still ached terribly.

"We'll get you out in a minute and then we'll take you back to camp to rest." Time whispered to him. Slowly, he sunk to the floor and maneuvered the boy so he could see his face. Sky's expression remained blank. "Sky? Can you hear me?"

When he was met with silence again, he reached for the boy's hand. He gave it a little squeeze and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles. To Time's relief Sky's pale, cold fingers curled around his own.

Sky fixed his gaze upon the face of the man who was cradling him. The hero of time smiled faintly in return, the corners of his lips slightly quirking up. "Hello. Are you with us now, knight of Skyloft?"

The boy in question squeezed his hand shakily, his deep blue eyes never leaving Time's face. "Please, get me out..." he pleaded breathless and quiet as a silent tear slipped down his cheek. "I can't breathe. Please..."

Time felt a sudden twinge in his heart at the boy's words and a righteous anger simmered under his skin. He held him closer and ran a hand through his crimson stained hair detangling it in an attempt to soothe the young knight. "They're almost done. Just a second. Only a second and then we're out."

Another snap rang out in the cell and Sky was scooped up and raced out of the dungeon.

When the four Links finally burst out into the forest, Sky found he could breathe deeply once more. He calmed down significantly, yet he was still unnerved by the manacles around his wrists and ankles.

Four smiled at him sympathetically, his eyes shining a rose red, when he was noticeably staring at them. "Sorry, Sky. It would've been too dangerous to remove those while we were in there. I'll take care of them when we get back to camp, okay?"

Sky nodded in response. He made an effort to ignore the metal bands; however, it was hard to when the small length of chain still attached to them clinked with every step Time took.

Turning around to face him as he continued to walk backwards, Wild piped up, "I'm sorry too, this probably wouldn't have happened if I had been watching your back."

Sky waved a hand. "It's not your fault. I should have been more vigilant. The shadow was targeting me and had me drift away from you during the battle."

"Exactly why we should prepare so it doesn't happen again," Time cut in.

Wild sighed and turned forward again before adding, "I have the Master Sword in my slate just so you know."

Sky let himself relax in Time's arms. He closed his eyes and listened to the birds chirping and the leaves rustling in the breeze. "Thank you, Champion."

The group broke into the clearing where the camp was nestled in the center. They settled down and moments later the rest of the Links joined them with smiles of relief just as the sun sank low in the sky.

I did not mean to write a whole one shot for Sky. Please, Courage try not to be so obviously biased.

Anyway~

Lege, Twi and Wind get their fear of Wallmasters, floor masters and other things from the hero of time. Who has fought those enemies plus deadhand and bongo bongo. I think Lege might also have a fear of getting lost. He loves his maps.

Hyrule gets his fear of water from Legend. YaBoi went sailing one day, caught a storm and got shipwrecked and then Link's Awakening happened and he accidentally erased everyone on koholint, including his girlfriend.

Four gets his fear of being attacked from behind from Sky. Four hasn't had the best luck when it comes to betrayal especially in the manga. And then there's Ghirahim.

Wars gets his fear of Ghosts *cough*and basements *cough* from our beloved hero of the winds. Wars was hard to decide for and I ended up basing it purely off of Wind rather than something that paralleled. The ghost ship in Phantom Hourglass is pretty creepy and so is the labyrinth under Grandma's house in Wind Waker.

Wild gets his fear of giant spiders from Twilight. This one was also difficult to decide so I did a thing similar as with Wars. Twilight Princess's Armogoma is freaking huge arachnid that you have to squash with a statue. Did you know that the boss fight could have been a chase sequence instead? There's a small clip in a TP trailer where Link is being chased through the hallways by a gargantuan spider. No thank you.

Time gets his fear of bells from Four. I'm sure most of you reading this know about the hero of time's adventure in Termina. The clock tower in the town counting down the days hours minutes till the end of the world slowly but not slow enough. The people never knowing how many times they had lived those three days over and over. Never knowing that their lives were in the hands of a child too old and too young. Four was a child too when he was tasked with saving his best friend and the world as well. He raced against time and the tolling of the bell, tearing through enemies as fast as he could to save Zelda from her soul being ripped out and being turned to stone forever.

Sky gets his fear of imprisonment and claustrophobia from Wars. Ah no. He gets it from the first hero, the knight of Hylia. At first I didn't know whether to include Sky or not but of course me not being biased at all had to (big mistake). The first hero(who I call Chosen) was imprisoned for seven years on unjust charges by his own people. Then when calamity struck they released him and had the audacity to ask for his help. He decided to help them but YaBoi needed a sandwich first and didn't get one so he died in battle.

I wrote everything above in September of last year lol. It’s also no longer spoopy season anymore but I thought y’all might enjoy this.

[aphroditelovesu]

Yan! PJO + HOO the first time they tell that they love the Reader? You can choose the characters you want to write! Love you work 🥰💕

❝ 🌊 — lady l: I only did a few, since you gave me the freedom of choice. I hope you like it and if you want a part 2 with other characters, I will do it! Good reading and forgive me for any mistakes!

❝warnings: none, just fluff, very soft!yandere and me being a cheesy romance reader.

❝🌊characters: percy jackson, annabeth chase, grover underwood, luke castellan, jason grace, nico di angelo, will solace, piper mclean and leo valdez.

❝dividers by: @cafekitsune 💙

❝Yan!PJO/HOO ❝The first time they say: ''I love you.''

Percy Jackson had never been good at expressing his feelings in the healthiest way. He knew he loved you, he knew it from the first time he met you but he didn't know how to put those feelings into words, he just knew how to show them.

And he showed in an unconventional way how much he cared about you, how much he loved you. His favorite way and the one that worked the most, in his mind, was being a bully to those who bothered you. He once almost drowned Clarisse to death after she knocked you down in training. Percy only stopped when you begged him to do so.

He knew there was failure at the moment, so he decided to have another strategy. He needed to confess what he was feeling, get those suffocating feelings out. With the advice of some friends, Percy decided to ask you to go swimming with him. When you were sitting on the riverbank, chatting away, Percy used his powers and made several hearts with the water, along with the sunset, it became a romantic environment.

He got close to her face, held her hands tenderly and whispered loud enough, ''I love you.''

When his lips connected, Percy knew he had known true happiness.

Annabeth Chase always knew what she wanted and when she wanted it and she knew she wanted you. She knew it since she met you at Camp Half-Blood and she knew you were meant to be hers.

Due to her more reserved personality regarding her feelings, Annabeth didn't have much of an idea of how to express them to you. A simple ''I love you'' could be enough, but she wanted something more. She was proud and wanted something that really screamed for her.

So she spent weeks planning how everything would go. The atmosphere, the lighting and the exact words she would say to you. Annabeth had a whole plan, everything was carefully planned. She invited you to go with her to a more distant part of the camp, where you could be alone.

Everything was going as he wanted, the silence was good, the light was beautiful and most importantly, you were there. After you ate some fruit and talked a little, Annabeth knew this was the time. But she got nervous and could no longer say the speech she had planned, so all that came out of her lips was, ''I love you.''

But that was enough. She was slightly blushing and felt her chest fill with happiness when you said you felt the same and when you kissed her.

Grover Underwood is much more cautious in its approach. He is a satyr who is shyer than the others, more reserved, especially towards you. He knew he was in love, but he wasn't sure if you loved him back.

And the gods knew how much it would break him if you rejected him.

So Grover chose to just be friends with him, to yearn for you from afar. He was satisfied with this choice, with this position in his life, but it didn't take long for him to be consumed by jealousy when he saw another demigod or satyr near you. That's when he knew he couldn't stay in the shadows any longer.

He asked Percy and Annabeth for advice, who advised him to be direct, but be more romantic when confessing to you. Grover was still afraid of being rejected, but he couldn't live with himself if he didn't at least try. When the moon was in the sky and the stars were shining and the two of you just watched it, that was when he gained courage.

Grover was a bit confused with his words, but he managed to say everything he wanted. When he said, ''I love you'', you pulled him into a breathless kiss, sealing your love. Grover almost melted in his arms.

Luke Castellan was much more interested in his revenge against the gods than in his feelings. He tried at all costs to ignore them, that is, ignoring you, but it got to the point where he could no longer ignore what he felt.

He was soon overcome by feelings of jealousy, of anger that left him breathless when he saw you near another demigod. When you spent your time with others other than him. He knew he was being a hypocrite, after all, he was the one who left but that didn't mean you could replace him.

When he saw you laughing with one of Aphrodite's children, that's when he knew he had to make it clear who you belonged to. During a cold, calm night at camp, Luke invited you to walk along the beach because he wanted to talk to you.

His eyes widened slightly when the son of Hermes held your hands and with gentle words, the gentlest you had ever heard come out of his mouth, he confessed how he felt to you. You were surprised, even more so when you heard him say, ''I love you.''

Luke waited for your return and when you said you felt the same, he kissed you. For the first time in a long time, he actually felt happy.

Jason Grace was nervous about his feelings, shy even. He was confident in many ways, but he didn't know how to tell you, the person he loved most, how he felt. He had no idea how to make you see the truth, see what he really felt and not just words that could be empty depending on the context and the person.

He was sitting by the lake, watching the gentle waves as he tried to collect his thoughts. Jason knew he needed to find the courage to express his feelings, but every time he tried, the words seemed to slip out of his mouth, leaving him even more frustrated.

He picked up a smooth pebble and began to throw it into the water, watching the circles form and slowly dissipate. It was like his feelings, he thought. They were there, clear as water, but they were lost before reaching the surface.

The sun was setting over the horizon, dyeing the sky in orange and pink tones, while Jason felt increasingly restless. He knew he needed to find a way to show the truth, to make you understand without his words faltering. With his mind made up, he got up and walked to where you were sitting, looking at the sunset.

With a lump in his throat and his heart pounding, he sat next to her, took a deep breath and, on impulse, took her hand and let the words full of feelings come out of his mouth, in love, ''I love you. '', it was said and when he finished speaking, you kissed him passionately, admitting that you loved him too. Jason could die right then and there and he would be happy.

Nico di Angelo was afraid to admit what he felt, he was afraid for you. He didn't want to accept that he was in love, no, that he loved you deeply because he was afraid. Being a demigod was already a danger in itself, but being a child of the Big Three, a forbidden child, only made everything more difficult. But he was selfish, he couldn't stay away from you.

He struggled daily with his own feelings. The weight of being a demigod, a son of Hades, added an extra burden to his already tormented heart. Nico tried hard to hide his passion for you, fearing the consequences of this forbidden love.

Yet his soul longed to be close to you, even if it meant defying divine rules and risking his own safety. He found himself torn between the responsibility to protect himself and the uncontrollable need to be by her side. Every moment together was an internal battle for Nico.

He tried to be distant, but your presence next to him was constant. His eyes held deep secrets, and his silence hid the intensity of what he felt.

One day, when the pressure became unbearable, he summoned the courage to confess. With hesitant words, he revealed the whirlwind of emotions he carried with him. He was afraid of her reaction, but he could no longer deny the love that consumed him. Nico just let the words come out, he didn't try to stop them or control them, he just vented his feelings and when he said, ''I love you'', that's when he knew there was no going back. When you kissed him and returned his feelings, Nico almost cried.

Will Solace was excited to confess to you, to the person he loved so much. He could already imagine your future together and happily. But he was still unsure how to confess to you and he knew it would need to be at least perfect.

He was determined to make this confession a memorable moment. Will spent days thinking about how to express his feelings in the most sincere and meaningful way possible. One afternoon, while walking through the Camp, he saw some flowers that were planted by Demeter's children and, after asking their permission, he had an idea.

With determination, Will began to set the stage for his confession. The chosen location was a clearing near a waterfall, a peaceful place full of meaning for both of them. He spent hours arranging the petals, creating a delicate, winding path to a central point, where he positioned a carpet of grass, adorned with more flowers, forming a heart.

When you arrived at the place, with your heart pounding, Will took a deep breath and, with all sincerity and love, expressed his feelings. He talked about how much the person meant to him, how precious every moment shared was, and how he envisioned a future filled with adventure and joy together.

''I love you.'' Will said, his eyes shining with love. He waited for his reaction and when you hugged him, kissed him, he knew it was worth it. You were worth it.

Piper McLean was confident that you loved her back, not more than she did because no one else could love you like she did. She was very confident and knew exactly what to say and what to do to tell you how she felt. For her, all that was needed was words and a kiss to seal everything. She was a daughter of Aphrodite, after all, no matter how different she is from her half-siblings.

Her confidence was like an aura around her as she approached. Piper knew how to seduce with words, but this time, it was something deeper, something that went beyond the persuasion skills typical of a son of Aphrodite.

She approached you with a smile, her eyes full of determination and tenderness. It was like she knew exactly what you were thinking, like she could read your mind. With a gentle touch to her face, she whispered words that would echo in her mind for a long time.

''I love you.'' It was her first words after a long look and when she saw your face blush slightly, Piper knew what she would have to do.

You felt the warmth of her hand on her face, her eyes shining with a rapturous sincerity. Piper approached slowly, lips hovering close to hers, an emotionally charged silence stretching between you. When they broke apart, she looked into his eyes, a tender smile playing on her lips. There were no more doubts, no words needed. What existed there was a mutual understanding, a palpable love that no divine power could overcome.

Leo Valdez was always that type of person who lit up any room with his contagious energy and playful way. His relaxation and optimism were like magnets, attracting those around him. However, behind his constant jokes and his eccentricity, there was something deeper that he couldn't easily express: his love for you.

He looked for ways to show his feelings, but his mischievous nature and his difficulty in saying what he felt complicated him. He wrote letters, tried to be more serious at times, but always ended up turning everything into a joke, too nervous to express his true affection.

One day, in the middle of one of your games, Leo suddenly stopped, looked into your eyes and, with a somewhat awkward smile, said: "Did you know that I love you?" You almost spat out the drink you were drinking, without having not sure if he was just joking or serious.

When it became clear that it wasn't a joke, you stayed quiet for a few seconds, until Leo pulled you into a hug, placing his head in the crook of your shoulder. You closed your eyes and melted into the warm embrace.

''I love you.'' Leo whispered, holding you tightly.

[haechansunshineboy]

*:・ﾟ✧. *:・ﾟ✧.

*:・ﾟ✧. *:・ﾟ✧.

Haechan’s rings always look so pretty on his fingers. The different intricately designed silver bands on both his left and right hands just look so good against his skin. You’d been daydreaming about holding hands with him (or his fingers trailing down your bare stomach-).

It was becoming a problem, since you were getting incredibly distracted by his hands holding the red solo cup.

He caught your eye from across the crowd, raising his eyebrows to greet you from afar. You wave back at Haechan, watching him start squeezing past people to get to where you were standing.

“Hey.” His voice puts you at ease every time and you reply back with a “hey” as well.

“Wanna get out of here?” Haechan asks you. “We can take a walk together, if you want.”

You nod, smiling at him as he gestures with two fingers for you to follow him out.

-

The two of you walked around the block until you reached a local food chain, opting to sit on the side of the empty parking lot.

The cool wind felt nice against your skin, and you turn your head to face Haechan, who was already looking at you.

You flushed at seeing his gaze on you, his soft smile growing bigger before he started talking.

“Anyway I started watching this new show..”

-

Haechan’s hands rested on his lap, palms facing upwards towards the night sky. Again, your attention was drawn to the rings adorning his hands. The simple silver band on his left index finger, the delicate ring shaped to look like a rounded nail on his ring finger, and your favorite: the pretty braided metal on his right index finger.

“Everything ok?” He asks you, noticing you hadn’t responded to his question about the show.

Feeling bold for once, you muster the courage to drag your index finger over one of the pretty silver rings adorning his knuckle.

“Sorry, I got distracted by your rings.” You mutter. You let the pad of your fingertips brush against his palm as well, feeling how soft his hands were.

“It’s o-ok. My little cousins are always asking if I’m m-married. So annoying.”

You look up at him, taking in the sight of Haechan’s attempt at being nonchalant, his reddening ears giving him away. You smile softly, bringing your attention back to his hands.

“They’re so pretty.”

Haechan lets out a soft breath when you pull your hand away, hoping you didn’t pick it up.

“Y-you know, my chain is also really nice..” He trails off, never taking his eyes off of you.

You beam at him, secretly enjoying seeing this flustered version of Haechan.

*:・ﾟ✧. *:・ﾟ✧.

[marauder-misprint]

Regulus' Crush

Regulus Black x fem!Slytherin!reader (Sirius Black x reader is endgame)

series masterlist

4k words

cw: swearing, fluff, drinking, Y/N

Regulus knocked on Sirius’s door, knowing he would be in there. There was no answer. He knocked again. Silence. He gave the knock one more try, louder this time. 

“Sirius, I know you’re in there,” he called through the door. “Can I… Can I talk to you?”

More silence. But then Regulus heard the thump of Sirius’s feet as he slid off his bed. There were some muffled grumbles before he unlocked the door. 

“What’s up, Reg?” 

“Those are some nice posters you have on your wall,” he said, looking past his brother to the girls in swimsuits or clad in leather, leaning over motorcycles. 

“I’ve had ‘em up…” Sirius gave his brother a look. “You wanted to talk about my posters?”

“Ah, no,” he chuckled. “I was just wondering if you knew, possibly, how to ask out a girl?”

Sirius laughed. Regulus felt his face turn pink. It had been a while since his brother had laughed joyfully in their house. It had taken him all summer to work up the courage to ask Sirius about this and that was his response. He must’ve been as much as an embarrassment of a brother to him as Sirius was to the family as a whole. 

“It’s stupid, I know. I’ll leave you alone.”

Regulus turned to leave when he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“Come in, doofus.”

He turned around and Sirius was already halfway back to his bed. Regulus closed the bedroom door behind him and sat in the chair at Sirius’s desk. 

“Hogwarts girl, I’m assuming?” Sirius asked.

“Yeah. Um, she’s in your year. She’s really cool.”

He laughed again. “Sorry, I just wouldn’t describe girls I ask out as ‘cool.’ Nothing wrong with it. Just… not me.” He paused. “So, Reg, you like ‘em older?”

“It’s only one year!” he defended quickly, making Sirius laugh louder.

“Okay, so you like her! No need to get so worked up… Are you two friends? Do you talk? Obviously you don’t have classes together.”

“We’ve talked a few times. Study hall, Common Room, Great Hall. Quidditch games! When I’m not playing. She doesn’t know it all that well and asks a lot of questions despite being at like every game.”

“So she might refer to you as a friend. How come you’re the one answering her quidditch questions?”

“I just happen to be next to her during games.”

Sirius smiled at his brother, holding in a laugh.

“You sly dog.”

“Don’t laugh again!” Regulus pleaded. “How do I ask her out?”

“Well, being next to her at quidditch games might be a start for this. Destinations are key. You could go to a game together.”

“Together…” he repeated.

“Yes, together. Quidditch games are good. Low stress. People are around you but you hang out before or after. More of a testing the waters type of thing.”

Regulus watched his brother as he reclined more.

“A next move would be a Hogsmeade weekend. Can be a group or solo thing.Those usually turn out with following her into all of her favorite shops. Be prepared to be bored. And, if you get this far, you start going with her to all the quidditch games. She’ll expect you to be around more, but you should want to be there. You’ll get to know all her friends. And it’s more ideal if you don’t kiss them.”

“Sirius,” Regulus interrupted,making a face. “You didn’t.”

“Went to Hogsmeade with MacDonald and she caught me kissing McKinnon that night after dinner.”

“I need you to circle back. How do I do the actual asking?”

“What do you mean?”

“What words do I use?”

“Do you want to go on a date with me?”

“That seems… too formal? I don’t think she’s that formal. She might laugh at me if I ask that way.”

“Hmm, they usually just say yes if I ask them… Okay, how about ‘Oh fair maiden, dost thou wish to bless mine with thoust company when the twilight star is in the sky?’”

Regulus rolled his eyes. “Now you’re just being mean.”

“Hey, we should go to the quidditch game together.”

“Oh.”

“Or, hey, I was thinking we could go to the game together. What do you think?”

“OH.”

“Yeah, they like it if you ask their permission or how they feel about it. But, depending on the girl, the first option might be better. I’m assuming I won’t know who it is until you ask? Although my options are pretty limited with Slytherin girls in my year…”

“Yeah, I’ll write you an owl with her response,” he said sarcastically. 

“Get out of my room.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Regulus said, standing up. “Thanks.”

“Close the door!”

The door closed with a soft thud and a click. Sirius chuckled softly and moved to his desk. While it must’ve taken Regulus some time to ask him about this, Sirius thought it was amusing. And he must really like this girl to ask him how to ask her out. He wondered why he hadn’t asked his friends. Although, they would’ve known the girl right off the bat, and that seemed like something Regulus didn’t want the whole school knowing before he got an answer. 

Sirius pulled out paper and his quill. He had to write to James, Peter and Remus about this. Speculation about who Regulus fancied would be entertainment for all of them. Sirius was growing frustrated as he wrote since he couldn’t remember a single girl’s name. In general, the Slytherin girls were less abhorrent than the boys, thus making them less impressionable. All he could seem to remember is that they never seemed to be anywhere without at least a second one. And with that, he groaned. He couldn’t even remember how many of them there were. Should he care? Not necessarily, but if he could use this to torment his brother for a month or two, it could be useful. 

---

Regulus hugged his parents at the train station. He promised he would write and keep them up to date on what was happening at the school. He always did. And he knew he especially needed to now that Sirius had run away. He turned and spotted his friends climbing onto the train. They were a few cars down. He boarded at a car closest to him, hoping he might pass by your compartment on his way down to them. It was purely wishful thinking and he didn’t know if he would say anything if he did pass it. 

Younger students pushed past him as he slowly walked down the corridor. He listened to conversations as he passed. One group of first years eagerly was talking about how much magic they were going to learn and worrying about which house they would get sorted into. Various other groups were rehashing their summers to each other. Neither of the groups he was looking for. And then he heard your voice. A girl was standing in the doorway of the compartment, chewing gum. Your voice was floating out of it.

“... was the worst! In case you’re blind, I grew a bit over the summer and Mum insisted on purchasing new robes. I was bleeding in multiple spots by the time we left Madam Malkin’s. Sure, Mum healed me right up, but it’s the principle. I shouldn’t be subjected to such torture!”

“Regulus,” the girl in the doorway said as he approached. 

She popped a bubble right in his face. 

“Beatrice, pleasure,” he said, pausing to look into the compartment. 

You were sitting with your back to the window and your legs stretched across the seat. Across from you sat the two other girls from your year, Pandora and Dorcas. 

“Y/N, girls,” he said warmly and then continued on his way to find his friends.

It wasn’t a long walk, only a few compartments down from the girls. He passed a compartment filled with girls from his years. One of them said hi to him as he walked by so he nodded to acknowledge her. His mind was beginning to overthink his saying hi to you. Had addressing Pandora and Dorcas as ‘girls’ been weird? Saying your name singled you out. But he also said Beatrice’s name. Although she said hi to him first and was standing in the door. 

“Black, you with us?” Avery asked, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, I’m with you now. Sorry,” he muttered. 

He had to put the thoughts out of his head for a bit. Girls can wait. It wasn’t like he was planning to ask you out while they were on the train. That would’ve been suicidal and a recipe for failure. Horrible.

---

A fifth girl walked into your compartment. Beatrice followed her in and closed the door behind them.

“Took you long enough,” Dorcas said. 

“Little sisters wouldn’t leave the fucking house. Father was furious,” Cora defended, distaste in almost every word. 

“Almost missed the train,” you told her. “We would’ve missed you at the sorting and you mock the firsties the best.”

The girls laughed.

“Oh, Y/N, is there something going on between you and Black?” Beatrice asked.

“Sirius?” Cora coughed in disbelief.

“Ew, no. Regulus!” Beatrice corrected. “He passed by earlier. Barely noticed Cas and Dory over here. Only saw me because I was in the way.” She smirked. “So, Y/N, yes or no?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Do sources say otherwise?” you responded, a bit confused. “And by sources, I mean reliable ones. Not your imagination.”

“It’s not my imagination! It’s my eyes!” Beatrice retorted.

“You may be reading into it, Bea,” Pandora said. “I mean, maybe he didn’t get a good look at us. Or blanked on our names. Don’t think too hard.”

“Classes haven’t even started. Brains don’t work yet,” Dorcas added. 

“Does your brain ever work?” you asked.

“Hmm… No.”

The girls burst into fits of laughter again. Beatrice asked Cora about her summer and the conversation shifted away from Regulus. Your thoughts drifted back to the thought in dull moments of the conversation, but those moments never lasted long. You weren’t sure if Regulus has “more than friend” material. You even thought about Sirius briefly. Regulus’s brother. You didn’t share the same immediate “ew” that Beatrice had. But the sentiment of lacking “more than friend” extended to Sirius too. They weren’t even friends to begin with. So, why be distracted by boys who aren’t worth pursuing when you could be entranced by other things? 

“Y/N, you said your mum bought you new robes, right?” Dorcas asked, bringing you back to the conversation.

You nodded.

“So, what else did you get from Malkin’s?”

You smiled and pulled back your sleeve. A silver tennis bracelet covered in diamonds glittered around your wrist.

“Snagged some sapphire earrings for Mum’s Christmas present, too. It was a successful outing,” you gloated. “Well, except for the bleeding. But if that’s the price, I suppose it’s cheap considering…”

“You’ve got to get me a present sometime!” Beatrice gasped. 

“Oh, me too!” added Pandora. 

You laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

The group talked more about your summers and vague plans for the year. 

“Do you think someone will throw a ‘back to school’ party?” Dorcas asked, adjusting her tie as the girls changed into their uniforms. 

“No doubt,” you answered. “The question is when.”

“Friday or Saturday, I’d assume,” Pandora said as she pulled her hair into a ponytail.

“Well, duh,” you laughed.

“Y/N, you’re in charge of getting us drinks!” Cora declared.

“Again, duh.”

The train pulled into the Hogsmeade station. The girls had decided that Saturday was better for the party. It would give them time to claim an empty classroom and set it up. And you would be able to get drinks. Cora was in charge of talking to a house elf to get food, or at least ingredients. If she failed, you would be able to pull something off, but that would push back the start time of the party. 

You slid the compartment door open with force. You opened the boys’ compartment and poked your head in. It was deadly silent and all eyes were on you. 

“Saturday, after dinner. We’re finding a sixth floor classroom to party in. Y’all invited. Do your part and invite people. Limited fifth years and no one younger,” you told them.

Regulus smiled. ‘Limited fifth years’ meant he could go. Plus, he was in the compartment that you specifically invited. Wilkes nodded at you and you stalked off. 

---

Professor Slughorn passed out schedules to Slytherin students at breakfast the next morning. Regulus watched as he stopped near you and your friends. The professor handed out the timetables without saying a word and continued down the table. 

“Who makes this schedule?” Cora groaned, looking it over. “History of Magic isn’t the class to teach first period!” 

“Ew, gross!” Dorcas sneered. 

“When will they learn to include who we have classes with on these schedules? I like to know who I have to put up with before I walk into the room,” Beatrice said, looking over her own. “Like, my electives, I have a general idea from last year. But do we have Transfiguration with Hufflepuff? Gryffindor? Ravenclaw?” 

“Me, myself, and I would like to know!” you added. 

Across the hall, Sirius was being handed his schedule by Professor McGonagall. He scanned it and then grabbed the rest of the groups’ schedules to compare. They hadn’t all chosen the same electives going into their third year so sometimes there were differences. 

“Okay, not bad. Not bad…”

“I’m not sure why you think we won’t have most classes together,” Remus said. 

“Maybe they decided they wanted to mess with us.”

“Can’t separate us! We’re the Marauders!” James exclaimed and slammed his mug down on the table. 

The seventh years next to them shot him a dirty look. He made a face back at them. 

“Grow up,” Remus laughed. “But, yeah, it’s kind of difficult to separate us.”

“Unless I get left behind,” Peter mumbled before shoveling pancakes into his mouth. 

James threw his arm around him. “You’re stuck with us, little Wormtail. Until the very end!”

---

Three days of classes was enough time for word to spread about the party the Slytherin girls were planning. They picked out a classroom and figured out how to replace the desks with couches, squishy chairs and beanbags. Cora managed to convince a house elf into making a few snacks for the party. She had gone in with low expectations and left with guarantees of a second feast.

“Anything for an inter-house activity!” she said, imitating the elf. 

The girls were walking to the classroom. Various students from other houses lingered in the corridors and in stairwells. They had been instructed to stagger arrivals to the classroom so they didn’t all descend on the room at the same time. The girls made sure to be the first ones there, as good hosts should be. They enchanted a speaker to play endless music. Cora set up the food trays as the elf had instructed her so they could fill from the kitchens. Pandora clapped as cream puffs and eclairs filled the trays. Slowly, people started to arrive. The room steadily got louder. Dorcas and Beatrice kept glancing from the door to the empty drink station to each other and repeat. 

You had left dinner early to retrieve several bottles from your stash. You didn’t let anyone know where you hid your stuff, nor what was all hidden there. You removed a painting from the wall and then tapped your wand to the wall. Bricks melted away like the entrance to Diagon Alley. A small room lit by an oil lamp was revealed. You grabbed the bag you left earlier and resealed the room. You hung the painting back up and hurried up to the sixth floor. You heard the party from down the hall and smirked. The party had started without you and the drinks - a sign that drinks maybe weren’t needed. 

When you entered the room, Dorcas and Beatrice almost tackled you. 

“Be careful!” you yelled at them, holding up the clanking bag.

They took a step back.

“I just… need a drink,” Dorcas said. 

They wasted no time setting up the drink table. Students gathered around them and helped hand out drinks. 

“How did you get stuff stronger than butterbeer?” a Ravenclaw asked.

“I’ll never tell,” you said.

You grabbed a bottle of flavored vodka. You had to do your rounds of the party. You liked knowing who showed up, who spent time with who and did whatever else with. Some call it gossip. You called it blackmail ammo. 

Prefects were dancing with each other. Seventh years were making out on a couch. Mary and Lily were on a couch, talking. The Gryffindor boys had found the drinks and were chugging them. Pandora and Cora were trying to get some of the Slytherin boys to dance. They didn’t seem to be too successful. 

You walked up to them and whispered to Cora, “Get them some drinks. Once they loosen up, try again.”

Cora nodded and went to grab cups. You continued to walk around the party alone. You took small sips from your bottle. You spotted Regulus sitting in one of the squishy chairs. He looked bored. You smiled and waved at him. He smiled back, but it quickly disappeared from his face when you walked toward Beatrice who was standing against the wall at the other side of the room. 

“It’s a party, Bea,” you told her. “Go dance! Talk to someone! Be stupid!”

“I am being stupid,” she hissed back so that you could barely hear her above the music and talking. “I can’t socialize.” 

You held out your bottle.

“Have a few sips. I’ll dance with you.”

Beatrice did as told and took your hand. You dragged her out to the middle of the floor and you danced. You liked dancing, but you also liked being aware of your surroundings, which you couldn’t do as well if you were dancing with a friend while trying not to drop your bottle. After a few songs, a Hufflepuff came up to you and asked to dance with Beatrice. Blushing, she accepted. You left them and went to take Beatrice’s old spot on the wall. 

Before the song ended, Sirius approached you with a cup full of firewhiskey in his hand. Remus’s eyes widened as he saw who Sirius was approaching. His other friends were elsewhere in the room, unaware that Sirius was trying to make a move on a Slytherin he had never talked to before.

“You’re pretty,” he said confidently like it was a smooth pick up line.

He stood directly in front of you with his non-cup hand placed on the wall above your shoulder. You raised your eyebrows at him. You could smell the whiskey strong on his breath. This wasn’t his first cup. 

“And you’re in my personal space,” you stated calmly. “Care to get out of it?”

“Hmm, I’d prefer to be even more in it.”

“Yeah, not happening,” you responded, giving his chest a push.

It was just enough to make him take a step back but not stumble. He looked a bit shocked, but didn’t say anything as you walked away from him. You took a long swig from your bottle and headed over to Regulus. You sat on the arm of the chair and handed him the bottle. 

“Were you just talking to my brother?” he scoffed before taking a drink. 

“Not by choice,” you groaned, leaning back. 

You placed your hand on his shoulder to balance yourself. He liked the feeling of your fingers grasping him, but he wouldn’t dare say anything. Not now, at least. 

“Yeah, he does that.”

Regulus took another drink out of the bottle before handing it back to you. He watched as Remus walked up to Sirius and threw his arm around him to drag him over where James was twirling some seventh year. She was giggling. Peter joined them shortly from the direction of the food table. A Ravenclaw girl was quick to grab Sirius from under Remus. And the two of them were dancing. Regulus chuckled as Sirius kept a polite distance from the girl. She was obviously more into it than he was. 

He wanted to ask you out now, but Hogsmeade and Quidditch weren’t for weeks. He looked up at you as you took a drink. Your eyes scanned the room. You smiled. You brushed a stray lock of hair behind your shoulder. Regulus’s brain had gone blank except for the thought ‘She is so pretty.’ 

He was jolted back into reality as you slammed the vodka bottle into his chest. 

“Don’t touch me, mudblood!” a seventh year Slytherin shrieked at a fifth year Hufflepuff in the middle of the room. 

You were between them within seconds with your wand out, pointed at the seventh year, who had also drawn her wand. Other students moved the Hufflepuff into the crowd. The air was tense. Someone had turned off the music. 

“Was that necessary, Williams?” you asked, your voice steady and firm.

“Protecting mudbloods? Really?” the girl responded with annoyance. 

“Protecting the party,” you corrected. “Head out or get hexed.”

“I could disarm you.”

“You won’t. You don’t want to be the reason Slytherin drops into negative points.”

Williams shoved her wand back into her pocket, made a face and grabbed the boy she had been dancing with to leave. She could be heard muttering rude comments about you and the Hufflepuff boy to the boy she was leaving with. You put your wand back in your waistband. Everyone at the party was staring at you as you stood in the middle of the dance floor. 

“Either turn the music back on or clear out,” you commanded before heading over to the drink table. 

Music started playing again, but some students did leave. You understood that the moment kind of ruined the vibe, but that was the way Williams was. You were planning on leaving too, except you wouldn’t leave without your drinks. You grabbed your bag from behind the table and started to place the bottles back into it. You refilled a few drinks as students came up to you. 

“Way to handle that…” Regulus said, appearing next to you and holding out your vodka bottle. 

“Blood status is bogus,” you muttered.

You then realized that you were talking to a Black, a family known for caring about the purity of wizard blood. You felt your face get warm as you looked up at him. You couldn’t quite read his expression.

“Don’t hex me ‘bout it?” you offered, causing him to laugh. 

“I’m not going to hex you. Just like how you stood up to Williams.”

You gave a soft smile and swung your bag over your shoulder, bottles clinking within. 

“Well, then I’ll see you later, Reg,” you said. 

He watched you walk out the door. He sighed. He should have asked you to hang out or do homework or something. 

“Y/N leave?” Beatrice whispered into Regulus’s ear.

He jumped and nearly punched her.

“Fuck, Beatrice.” He shook his head. “Yeah, she just left.”

“Boo,” she said, looking at the empty table. “She took all the drinks with her!”

“Yeah.” 

He walked away from Beatrice and went back to his chair, glad that no one had taken it. The party wasn’t nearly as entertaining now that you were gone. 

Across the room, Sirius had been watching. He saw Regulus approach you at the drink table and the brief conversation. He saw his brother’s facial expression drop as you walked away and him jump when another girl talked to him. Regulus’s aura darkened as you left the room. He was drunk at that point, but he was still able to connect that the girl he had called pretty was the one his brother wanted to ask out. To him, that was obvious.

[zozosrozo]

Park Min-su x gn! reader

coming out as Min-su defender (≧ڡ≦*)

• HE’S SUCH A CUTIE WHEN HE’S IN LOVE!!!

• Very quiet and insecure, especially when it comes to emotional matters.

• In a romantic relationship, he’s a bit clumsy at first.

• He often worries about whether he’s expressing his feelings properly.

• Finds it hard to talk about his emotions,

• BUT!!! He shows them through subtle acts of love.

• He remembers little details about you—your favorite color, how you act in certain situations, what makes you happy.

• Holds an umbrella for you when you walk in the rain, his heartbeat quickening with every brush of your shoulder against his.

• The slightest physical touch leaves him flustered.

• It would take him a long time to muster the courage to make physical gestures like holding hands or hugging.

• His low self-esteem sometimes makes him anxious...

• He often doubts whether he’s good enough for you.

• He needs reassurance that you truly love him.

• If you’re sad or tired, he’d do anything to cheer you up—even something that’s hard for him, like opening up about his own feelings.

• He’s such a good listener!

• When something’s troubling you, he knows how to listen and support you without putting pressure on you, even if it takes time.

• He especially treasures simple moments spent together, like walking in the park or quietly reading in the same room.

• Even after being in a relationship with you for a long time, he still blushes when you say something romantic or praise him.

• If he’s the one asking you out, he meticulously plans the date to make sure you’ll enjoy it.

This was your fifth date with Min-su. You weren’t official, but every time you met, your feelings for him grew stronger. His smile made your heart flutter with love. The way he cared about you, always putting your comfort and happiness first. The small, thoughtful gifts—your favorite snacks or trinkets that reminded him of you. How could you not love him?

Now, the two of you were sitting on a park bench, the golden hues of the setting sun casting long shadows across the ground. The world felt quieter here, like it was just the two of you, sharing a moment stolen from time. A single pair of earbuds connected you as First Love/Late Spring by Mitski played softly, filling the silence with its tender melody. Min-su’s shoulder brushed against yours, a light touch that sent warmth spiraling through your chest. You could feel his gaze on you, warm and lingering, like he was memorizing every detail of this moment. It made your heart skip, a soft heat spreading across your cheeks as you pretended not to notice.

You turned back your attention to the sunset. It was one of the prettiest ones you saw in a while. The sky was almost clear letting the warm colors set in. The cool breeze hit your face, the warmth of your cheeks a contrast to the chill. It was comforting. A moment where you could step away from everything, just breathe, and let the world fade away for a while.

A gentle warmth spread over the back of your hand, pulling you out of your thoughts, like a soft thread tugging at your heart. It was gentle, almost hesitant, but unmistakably real. You glanced down and saw Min-su hand resting over yours, his fingers curling slightly, as if afraid you might pull away. Your heart skipped a beat, but you didn’t move. You couldn’t. The quiet boldness of the gesture left you frozen in the best way. "Y/N?" he broke the silence. His voice was quiet, hesitant, as if unsure whether to disturb the peace you shared. "Hm?" You turn your head to the side to face him. For a fleeting second, your eyes locked with his, a shared understanding passing between you before either of you could break it. He glanced down at your intertwined fingers. Soft smile spreading on his face at the sight, as if the simple act was enough to calm his racing heart. He took a deep breath, then looked back at you, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke. "I...I think that I love you".

[bowsnchoso]

Blindfold – Gojo Satoru

➸ synopsis: you suggested blindfolded foreplay to your husband, Gojo Satoru.

➸ character: Gojo Satoru

➸ word count: 4.9k

➸ cw: married couple, femreader, oral (reader is giving) cum eating, lots of sweet pet names, begging, so much teasing (like a whole lot), and lots of blushing ^^

➸ note: my first post! i hope everyone enjoys!

There was something about his cerulean eyes that invariably made your blood race– his comely features pulling at the delicate strings of your singing heart, marveling at the man that was your husband.

Satoru was aware of just how obsessed and how immensely you adored his limpid irises that acted as two stars burning bright in a luminous night sky. Those eyes captured your soul in a tight embrace when you first saw them, and they continued to stop your heart, no matter how many years you two had been together. Even as his wife, his captivating eyes were one of your favorite traits about your husband– Satoru.

Staring into his eyes was effortless for you, regardless if it was during intimate moments, or the simple moments where you bask in normal conversation.

However, watching him get ready every morning by pulling on that snug blindfold over his precious eyes always piqued your interest.

He explained to you countless times about how he was still able to see through the piece of fabric, yet you couldn’t seem to understand how exactly. Perhaps, you did, and you simply enjoyed hearing Satoru explain the concept of his rare and powerful abilities. You couldn’t deny that his abilities impressed you, and you noticed that each time you asked about them, his chest would imperceptibly swell with pride, pleased that you were so interested in him.

You didn’t have to tell him just how much you adored his eyes, he was well aware of the effect his eyes had on you.

Which explained the flummoxed expression that permeated his face when you described to him your recent desires.

You two lay beside each other on your shared bed, your cheeks tinted a blush pink as you watched Satoru attempting to process your words.

An impish grin stretched across his silky lips, partly dampened, glistening under the lights from the teasing kisses you two had been sharing.

Watching the way his lips curled into a teasing grin had regret pounce right through your limp body.

“Could you describe exactly it is what you want again, babe~” He requested in a mellifluous voice, reaching out to you, toying with your loose strands of hair.

You were caught at a stump, unable to get your words out.

He heard you clearly.

The smug grin on his face told you so.

But, he loved to fluster you.

He enjoyed watching blush creep on your soft cheeks, the way you would pinch your lips together in embarrassment, staring off into space while you attempted to gather your erratic thoughts.

“I…” you begin, unable to look away from his eyes, not when they had you glued down. “I want to please you while you wear the blindfold.” You finally find the minimal courage to speak your loud thoughts, trying your best to sound confident.

“You want to please me while I wear my blindfold,” he repeated, making your body flush, “Is that right?” He pushed your fallen strands behind your ear, riding out his teasing ways to see how much he could get your cheeks to heat up.

“Yes…” you drawl.

He then chuckled a deep laugh that resonated through his muscular chest. “You mean like blindfold foreplay, babe?”

“Same thing… isn’t it?” You mumbled, still quite flustered, and his constant laughing wasn’t mollifying your worries in the slightest.

He pulled you closer to his firm body, his lips peppering your face with gentle kisses. “Oh, babe, you do know that I can still technically see with that blindfold on, don’t you?” He whispered into your ear, kissing the side of your neck.

You felt shivers crawl down your spine at his simple kisses and the minimal efforts he made. It didn’t take much from Satoru to get you flustered.

He loved that about you.

“I-I’m aware, toru.” You pulled away from his kisses, wanting to carry out a conversation with him. “But, doesn’t it sound fun? You could just keep your eyes off of me if you can’t keep them closed.” You prompted, very set on this form of foreplay.

He seemed to appreciate your efforts, grinning at your suggestions, those oddly sharp canines he had catching your attention.

“Why this suddenly, baby?” Satoru asked, stroking his hand over your waist, unable to get enough of touching you. “I thought you liked my eyes, especially when we please each other.” His hand stopped at the arch of your waist, caressing you gently. “You’ve told me countless times how you could get off just by my eyes alone.”

Now, he was just teasing you, loving to ruffle with your composure.

Chills sprawled throughout your skin at his touch, his hands partly calloused, proving just how hard he worked himself as the strongest sorcerer. “I-I know what I said. It’s true. I love your eyes. I just… I don’t know… you look so… hot and so mysterious when you wear that blindfold. I just thought it would be a fun idea, if you don’t like it then we don’t have to-”

“I never said I didn’t like it.” Satoru immediately protested, gripping down on your waist, grounding you. “I love when you tell me about these little fantasies and urges you have. It surprises me to see just how many filthy and naughty things you can store up in that pretty little head of yours.” He hummed, pleasured by the thought alone, tracing his hand up the bottom of your shirt, sprouting more goosebumps on your body.

You were a blushing mess, unable to tether up your emotions. “S-So you’d be up for it?”

He smirked, a playful and interested glint in his pretty eyes. “I’m all for it, baby. We got time now, don’t we?”

Your heart raced, not at all expecting him to be so eager and willing to fulfill this desire of yours.

He planted a kiss on your cheek, getting up from bed, getting the blindfold that he left in your shared wardrobe.

You adjusted yourself, prepared for what was to come next, sitting cross-cross on your white bedsheets.

He grabbed the blindfold, spinning it around playfully in his long index finger. “I gotta say, baby, I’m curious to see what exactly you have planned for this frisky little idea.” Satoru shared, carefully walking back to you, unable to take his eyes off you.

He crawled atop the mattress. “It excites me, baby~” Satoru whispered, his voice like rich honey, drizzling over your body, pooling over your chills with purpose.

He handed you the blindfold, a smirk on his lips.

You take the dark blue blindfold, staring at it as though it weighed nearly hundreds of pounds. You had pleased Satoru hundreds of times, and he had pleased you thousands of times.

Why was this so nerve-wracking now?

Satoru must have sensed your worries, sneering at your hesitation. “Something wrong, baby?” He tilted his head, trying to catch your fallen gaze with his playful one.

You swallowed the remaining bits of your nerves.

This man was your husband, after all. There was absolutely nothing you could do that would turn him off.

He was like a light switch around you.

You reached over, lifting on your knees to place the blindfold over his white messy hair.

He leaned over, granting you better access as you carefully nuzzled it onto his two eyes, setting it in perfect place.

His lip was turned into an interminable smirk. “How do I look, baby?”

You smiled, feeling more at ease now that his eyes were covered. “So sexy, Satoru~” you reached out, caressing the muscles on his biceps that bulged out his tight shirt.

He chuckled, allowing you to feel up his muscles, puffing out his chest slightly. “Yeah? You like it?” He questioned, reaching out to caress your body next.

However, you stopped him.

He seemed confused, his lips pressing together in a pout. “What’s wrong sexy?”

You ignored his nickname that he inevitably used on you to get you a blushing mess. “Why don’t we set a few ground rules?”

Satoru couldn’t hide his utter excitement, the devious smile on his lips stretching. “Some ground rules, hm~ Oh, baby, you can really get into this, huh?” He tilted his head, leaning backward onto the bedframe. “What are these ground rules, my queen?”

You held in your shaky breath, his nicknames driving you insane. “Just one.”

He hummed, nodding his head.

“You aren’t allowed to touch me, Satoru.” You revealed, unable to stop a smile from growing on your lips.

You watched as his lips frowned, surprised by this rule you set. “Not allowed to touch you, baby?” He inhaled a hiss through his perfect teeth. “Ooh, you wanna drive me insane don’t you, naughty girl?” He opened up his legs, his left hand massaging his thigh. “But, if you want that, I’ll behave like you want me to~”

You attempted to not lose yourself in his body. His attractive figure, those broad shoulders, and his tiny and formed waist. Those veins on his hands trailed up toward his forearms. He was Adonis in the very flesh.

“I mean it, Satoru…” you warned, approaching his body, falling into his arms, feeling weird when he wasn’t there to cup you into him like how he invariably did. “If you touch me, I’ll stop what I’m doing.”

“Yes ma’am.” He grinned.

His grin.

That sexy grin.

You hoped that by the end of this, it would disperse into something more submissive. You’d hope to hear him whine, to make that deep voice of his contort and bend into sounds he never knew he could make.

You straddled his lap, caressing his chest with gentle hands.

There were hundreds of things you could start with, and yet, watching that puckish smile on his lips as he idled so patiently– it made it difficult to make a move.

He obeyed your rules, his hands pressed flatly against the mattress while his attention was elsewhere, his blindfold toning down the ability that was his six eyes.

“You gonna keep me waiting, baby?” Satoru snapped you out of your thoughts, his hand rubbing against the mattress, growing anxious. “Can’t say I don’t love this little waiting game.” He purred.

You finally decided to make a move, carefully tracing your lips over his exposed collarbone, your warm breath gently whisking at his pure skin.

He hummed, seemingly satisfied with your first move. “Right at my sweet spot, huh? Such a daring girl.” Satoru rolled his neck, opening up for you.

You hum against his skin, now gently kissing him, your tongue making sporadic appearances, kissing at his neck, using your hands to massage his stern biceps.

Satoru seemed to melt in your touch, in love with all the attention you were giving him. “Oh, you know what I like, huh? My wife~” He sighed out quietly, trying to control his breathing as you traced your lips up the side of his neck.

You nipped at the shell of his ear before licking and sucking his sensitive area.

The slight tension in his brawny shoulders ebbed into nothing, entirely laying his body against the headboard.

“Of course I do,” you mumbled against his skin, kissing down his sharp jaw, “you’re my husband, afterall.”

He hummed, nodding, eager. “Oh yes, I am your husband.”

You kissed at his neck this time, gently biting and licking at his delicate skin, feeling the way he moved to the side, granting you all the access you needed to kiss at his neck and shower him with more affection.

He held back a moan at your sudden bites, gently arching forward.

Your hands scoured his body, trying to feel him through his clothes.

He chuckled at your endeavors. “Want me to take this off?” He asked, referring to his shirt.

You set distance between the two of you, and he easily slipped himself out of his shirt, throwing it from up his head, tossing it onto the side.

You had seen his naked upper half hundreds of times.

Each time, you couldn’t help but feast your eyes on all his perfect muscles. His abs contracted as he settled back into the bedframe, waiting for you to make your next move.

His lips parted, slightly confused.

That was until they pulled into a smug grin.

Slowly, he set both his hands behind his head, making all the muscles on his body move in unison, slightly flexing along with each small movement he made, his sculpted muscles glinting off the lights as though his skin was glamoured.

He hummed, carefully shifting his hips. “You like what you see~?” Satoru’s voice had driven you near insanity, listening to the way it inclined due to his added confidence.

You swallowed your thick saliva, an ache evident in the pit of your gut.

Satoru toyed with his lower lip. “Ah, teasing me? Go ahead, touch me, sexy.” He insisted, his voice but a mere purr as he inclined you to touch his body. “This body is all yours. Come and touch me.”

You didn’t waste another second, gently setting your fingertips right above his sides, using your thumbs to stroke his soft skin.

He seemed to melt into your touch so quickly, purring like a kitty. “Mmm, your touch is so nice against my skin,” Satoru mumbled, rolling his head back against the headboard.

You continued to explore his body, now kissing at him, tracing your tongue against his firm muscles that contorted against your warm tongue.

He huffed, his lips parted in awe. “Ooh, yeah, you know I like it when you do that to me~” Satoru chuckled, pleasured by the most simple gestures when it came to his loving wife.

You hummed against his skin. “You work so hard for this, don’t you, Satoru?” You attempted to push past your fluster, joining him in on this dirty talk.

He liked the fact that you were encouraging this sort of talk. “Every day.”

“And it’s all for me, isn’t it?” You asked as you kissed and licked the center of his chest.

He shivered beneath you, relishing your licks and kisses. “Oh, it’s for you, my sexy wife.” He encouraged, keeping his head against the headboard, completely keeping his eyes off you, keeping his promise.

You caressed his bare shoulders, enjoying how broad his body was, whilst using your lips and teeth to nip at the sensitive areas of his collarbone.

He held back his moans behind low murmurs, his breathing slightly quickening each time you licked and sucked at his skin. “Oh, just kiss me already, please.”

You paused, leaving him with one last lick, giggling. “Satoru? You want me to kiss you?” You asked, now leaning your body against his, chest-to-chest.

He nodded, hungry for your lips above his. “I need you to kiss me.” He corrected himself, voicing his desires in a more urgent voice.

You heeded his requests, although you would have loved to stretch out on the idea of him begging for it, you also couldn’t resist the urge to kiss him.

You kissed him slowly, your lips overlapping perfectly between his two soft lips, kissing him with vehement passion. You felt him slip his tongue against your lips, begging for his permission to enter your mouth and explore you.

Of course, you accepted, your tongues meeting together.

There was something about slow and sloppy kisses that truly got you so hot. Maybe it was the sweet sounds that echoed off the walls or the way he would moan into your mouth as your tongues slowly teased one another like starved and parched souls. 

The way Satoru began to slowly drop his hands from his smug stance, becoming restless with being unable to touch you.

It excited you to see him get so submissive and anxious.

You hummed into his kiss, releasing his lips, but keeping your tongues moving in unison, licking at each other.

That’s when you felt his hands snake over your waist, bringing you even closer to his naked upper body.

You pulled back, looking down at the hands that had broken the rules you had formally implemented.

After Satoru took the time to evaluate your sudden resistance, he realized he had touched you.

He backed up, sketching his antsy hands over the bedsheets. “I’m sorry, I-I just forget I can’t touch you. It’s like second-hand nature to me.” He tried to explain himself, hoping you’d let him off with a warning.

You tsked, humming, as you removed your hands from his muscles. “Oh, Satoru, you just can’t seem to behave, huh?” You whispered, looking at the red blush that appeared above his pale cheeks.

He let out what you thought to be a moan, biting his lower lip. “Please, come back to me. I-I forgot.”

You hummed, not satisfied with his response. “Just not a good excuse, Satoru~” you continued to tease him, receiving a whiney groan from the man.

You began to teasingly rock back and forth in his lap, keeping your hands off his body.

His breathing hitched as he gasped at your sudden movements above his lap, and his large hands began to grip the sheets below him.

“If I touch you again, will you promise to behave those naughty hands of yours?” You asked, slowly rocking above his lap, feeling something stiff and firm against your inner thigh.

Satoru moaned, dropping his head, unable to keep his composure. “I’ll keep my naughty hands to myself, please, just touch me again, don’t tease me like this.”

You hummed insightfully, relishing the way his dick pocked at you. “Satoru, you’re so hard for me, aren’t you?”

He groaned, his cheeks still painted a deep red. “I-I am. I’m so fucking hard for you.”

You were pleased at that fact, moaning quietly in satisfaction.

He moaned back in response to your sweet and delicious sounds. “Baby just touch me, please don’t tease me like this.” Satoru continued to beg, biting at his lower lip as though he were in utter pain.

“Would you like me to take care of your hard erection, baby~?” Your voice was inclined, speaking to him so sweetly.

He eagerly nodded. “T-take care of it, please.” He sounded immensely hungry. “Please, I need that pretty mouth on my dick. Lick me clean, work me beyond words, sexy~” 

You giggled, finding him so attractive. The red tint on his two cheeks, the way he was practically salivating at the idea of you sucking and licking at his throbbing dick.

There was another ache in your gut, wanting it just as bad as he did.

You slid off his lap, hearing him sigh in relief.

You slowly ran your fingertip above the waistband of his sweats, receiving another protesting moan from a restless Satoru who continued to grip and pull at the sheets.

He cursed, lifting his hips slightly. “You’re such a tease today, aren’t you?” He chuckled, out of breath.

You smiled, watching the permanent blush on his cheeks, how cute he sounded when he was out of breath, high off your touches and teases.

You hummed, palming your hand over his firm tent. “Don’t you like it?”

He moaned, his blindfold still covering his eyes, his chest rising and falling with slow trembles. “Oh, I-I can’t say I don’t.” He mumbled, licking his pretty lips.

You smiled, pulling at his sweats, first.

He was eager, lifting his bottom off the mattress to help you remove his sweats with ease. He kept his hands against the sheets, scared he would accidentally touch you again.

He helped you kick off his sweats, the two of you slightly laughing in the process of it all, releasing some of the tension in the thick air.

You stared at his briefs that embraced his tent with a snug fit, his meretricious v-line peeking through the waistband of his boxers. Satoru was antsy, slowly sliding his hands above the mattress and onto his abdomen, waiting for you to make your next move.

Carefully, you slid your hands above his clothed erection, receiving a gasp from your husband.

“Aren’t you so responsive this morning?” You teased him, relishing the sound of his groans and moans that sent electric waves throughout your body.

He sighed, rocking his hips in one slow circle, extremely worked up. “Please, baby. I need to feel you on me.”

Carefully, you slid his briefs down, revealing his erection that jerked forward, hitting against his lower abdomen.

He hissed at that, not realizing just how much all this foreplay turned him on.

You watched as precum was already leaking through his pretty slit, gathered on his tip, ready to be consumed.

He sat with his body on display, not an ounce of insecurity or doubt poured through him– he was aware of just how attractive and big he was.

His hair was a mess from all the times he had been rustling his hands through it.

“Oh, Satoru,” you purred, carefully rubbing your hand against his wet tip, gathering all his fluids, “I don’t think I could ever get over seeing you like this.” You muttered, utilizing the gathered precum in your hands to moisturize the rest of his shaft, gripping him tightly as you jerked him.

Automatically, more precum pumped through his circumcised tip, earning another responsive moan from the white-haired man, not at all insecure about the sounds he made. No matter how loud or gruff they were.

You watched yourself touch his length, leaning over as you sucked on his wet tip, soaking up all his bodily fluids that had a slightly salty yet deliciously clean taste.

He continued to groan under his heavy breathing, his hands gripping against the sheets, having to remind himself that he wasn’t allowed to touch you.

You slid your tongue down his shaft, feeling the single vein against your tongue, already so familiar with the build of him.

He continued to leak from his tip, still mumbling nonsense as you licked at him with slow strokes that were already driving him to an edge, and you hadn’t even fully taken him into your mouth.

You licked his tip once more before you took him into your mouth, wrapping your lips over him as your tongue created swirls against his skin, sucking and licking as you slowly bobbed your head up and down.

Satoru was so close to touching you once more, pulling back when he remembered he couldn’t. “F-Fuck,” he cursed, out of breath, “I can’t help myself from t-touching you.”

You hummed against him, sending more chills through his body as you released him, keeping his dick in your hand as you looked up at him. “Touch me and this stops, Satoru.” You reminded him, thumbing his creamy tip.

He whimpered. “I-I understand.” He nodded, completely at your mercy.

You continued to suck him off, starting off slow, only putting half of him into your mouth.

You wanted this to last, you were enjoying yourself, and although Satoru’s hands were squirming above the mattress, unaware of what to do with his hands, you knew he enjoyed it, too.

You picked up the pace, taking his whole dick in your mouth as it plowed the back of your throat consistently.

You earned a loud moan from Satoru, listening to him as he cursed endlessly while you deep-throated his dick in your mouth.

“O-Oh, d-don’t do that, I-I think I’ll-” You felt a hand squeeze against your shoulder, while Satoru bucked his hips forward, forcing more of himself into your mouth.

You released his dick, a thin string of saliva being the only thing that kept you attached to his tip.

Satoru realized his mistake, removing his hand from your shoulder. “I’m sorry, baby, I forget I can’t touch you.”

“You just like being edged, don’t you?” You teased him with narrowed eyes. “You’re just so naughty. Do you think you deserve to get off today if you’re not following my rules?”

Satoru hummed, whimpering. “Oh, please. Please make me cum, I’ll be so good for you, I promise.”

You evaluated his response, unable to deny just how attractive he was whenever he was begging for you to let him finish.

“You think you deserve it, Satoru?” You asked.

He nodded. “I’m trying my best here, baby. It’s already so hard for me to just not take off this blindfold and watch as you deep throat me.” He huffed, raking his fingers through his damp hair, getting so worked up.

You enjoyed it, smiling to yourself as you hummed quietly. “Are we begging?”

He whined. “I’ll beg if I have to.”

You chuckled, taking his dick in your hand once more as you hovered your parted lips above his tip.

However, you did nothing.

You simply remained stagnant, letting your warm breath bat against his shaft.

Satoru hummed, moving his broad shoulders around. “Gosh, I’m fucking throbbing.”

That he was, throbbing into your hands as warm fluids just kept pouring out of him, all the precum you had once cleaned off his tip was back as he throbbed against your hand.

He settled his hands behind his head, trying to accept the fact that he couldn’t touch you.

“Okay, Satoru~” you cooed, pumping his dick, “I’ll let you finish, hm? You deserve it, since you’re such a good boy.”

He nodded eagerly. “Y-Yes please, I’m a good boy for you-” He was cut off by his own loud moan when he felt you completely deep-throat his dick once more.

Yet, this time, you set a pace that was rather quick, determined to have him finish into your mouth—determined to have him squirming under you, calling out for you, desperately.

Satoru continued to curse under bated breath, his brain nebulous as he tried to process all the pleasure he was receiving that morning. He was mumbling nonsense, gripping at the sheets and even at his own hair as he tried to hold himself back from ejaculating so quickly. He had been fighting it off from the very moment you started kissing and licking at him, unable to help himself when it came to you, his wife.

Your touch, your kisses, they brought him to an arcadian that left him wishing for more of you, unable to get enough. Akin to a drug, he couldn’t help himself off you. He was addicted to you, and your touch was beyond enticing, so in love with just about everything you did for him.

He broke the rules, slightly pulling at his blindfold to watch you suck him off.

That’s when one last moan released from his wet lips at the mere sight of you, his body convulsing against his heavy breathing before he released his warm and heavy load into your mouth.

You were quite surprised to feel him shake from beneath you, his dick twitching into your mouth before you felt warm liquid spray into your mouth.

It was a lot more than you expected, but still, you managed to stomach it all, releasing his dick to finally take a breath, your lips puffy and distended from all the work you put into him.

You watched as Satoru was left in a daze, his hand against his forehead as his hair was gathered in drops of sweat, his muscular chest trembling with each breath he took, whimpering, beyond overstimulated.

“Oh, Satoru~” you purred, licking the leftover cum on the side of your cheek. “You came a lot, didn’t you?”

He hummed, nodding his head. “D-Did you-”

You nodded. “I did. You’re all clean, handsome.”

He laid his head against the headboard, finally removing the blindfold, his blue eyes were shut as he attempted to process everything after you nearly sucked his soul away.

You rubbed at his bare thigh, consoling the man that you love. “You’re okay, Satoru?”

He finally opened his eyes, those blue irises finding yours instantly. “Oh, I’m more than okay. I’m just- I’m a bit dazed. “He laughed, opening his arms. “Please, can I touch my wife now?”

You smiled, accepting yourself into his large arms as he embraced you, pulling you into his naked figure before he peppered your face with soft kisses. “You fucking milked me.” He retold, laughing quietly into your ear. “Thinking about it all over again just gets me hard again.”

You chuckle against his hold. “You liked it that much?”

He nodded. “You had me begging, of course, I did~” Satoru reminded you, kissing the corner of your cheek. “I was edged just by not being able to touch you, baby.” His voice was smooth and silky, rupturing chills throughout your body. “You’re so dirty, you know that? My dirty wife.” He teased you, running a hand down your waist, gripping your hip against his strong hand.

You moaned. “I just want to please you.”

“Yeah?” His eyes never left yours, adding tension between the two of you. “Oh, you spoil me too damn much.”

You tried to distract yourself from the fact that he was naked, right beside you, staring into his stunning blue eyes to distract you from the rest of his body which was a pure work of art.

He stroked a hand through your hair, this time. “I think you please me enough. But… why don’t I return the favor, hm?” He offered, lowering his head to kiss at your neck.

You were already so sensitive, soaked. “Satoru.” You mumbled his name while he kissed your neck.

He then pulled back, grabbing his briefs from the end of the bed and slipping them on.

He grabbed the blindfold that he left on his side of the bed, handing it over to you. “It’s your turn, baby.”

Your heart fluttered, taken aback by his suggestion. “M-Me?”

He laughed at your shock, before he grew serious, staring at you with a smug glint in his eyes. “I’ll make my wife feel so good.”

[sammyunhinged]

To Ares

One of my favorite Homeric Hymns because of how unusual it is. It serves to remind us that Ares is a protector, a leader, and a guide.

Supremely strong Ares,

golden-helmeted chariot-rider,

tough-hearted, shield-carrying

guardian of cities,

bronze in armor, brave of hand,

the tireless, spear-sharp

rampart of Olympos,

father of war-winning Victory,

the ally of Themis.

You are a tyrant to the rebellious,

a leader to the most just,

you carry the staff off manhood,

you whirl your disc of bright fires across the sky

among the seventh tracks for the constellations

where blazing horses bear you forever

beyond the third orbit.

Hear me, helper of mortals,

whose gift is the courage of youth.

From high above, shine down upon our lives

Your gentle light and your warrior’s power,

so I may drive away bitter cowardice from my head

and subdue my soul’s beguiling impulse,

so I may restrain the shrill rage in my heart,

which excites me to charge

into the chilling din of battle.

Rather, blessed god, give me the courage

to stand my ground within the safe laws of peace,

shunning hostility and hatred

and the fate of a violent death.

Translation by Jules Cashford. From 4th or 5th century Roman Empire.

[xspeter]

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙨 (𝙒𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙐𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙈𝙚 𝘼𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣) / Part One

❣︎ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝘅 𝗙𝗲𝗺!𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

❣︎ Steve remembers the exact moment he ruined everything. He remembers when those blinds closed for the last time, and he lost you for good. But, it’s been a year since then, and Steve is determined to make you fall in love with him again.

❣︎ wc: 16.4k

❣︎ notes: 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙚!𝙖𝙪, jason carver gets handsy with reader but nothing happens, some cussing

reblogs are greatly appreciated ! <3

September, 1979

You’d met Steve Harrington a week before your first day of seventh grade. You’d just moved to Hawkins from some small town in Pennsylvania - apparently your parents were big on the small town life - and you had been terrified.

You’d spent your entire life with the same group of kids and the same friends. You didn’t want to leave them, but you didn’t have any choice. And to a thirteen-year-old you, it felt like your parents were stabbing you in the back.

You still remember the tears that rolled down your cheeks as you helped your parents move the boxes holding your childhood items out of the U-Haul and into your brand new bedroom. Your mom did her best to cheer you up, “Look,” She spoke softly, tugging you into her side, “It’s so much bigger than your old room. Isn’t that nice?”

You just cried harder.

It was true, your dads new job in Hawkins was rolling in money like your family had never seen before, but you didn’t care about those kinds of things, you never had. You cared about the people and the memories you had to leave behind.

But, of course, none of that mattered at this point. You’d left. You still had your friends' numbers memorized, but how long would it be before it faded from your mind, and your number faded from theirs? The thought made you nauseous.

You spent that first night sniffling, surrounded by scattered cardboard boxes and various items. You didn’t even have your bed frame yet, the U-Haul had gotten delayed for whatever reason, so you were stuck with a mattress laid onto the dusty hardwood floor.

But, like there is with almost everything, there was a silver lining. Your books.

To most people, books are just that. Books. They’re boring, expensive, and seen as a way to waste time and nothing else. They don’t see them for what they really are.

To you (and your friends back home), a book was an escape. It was the perfect way to spend your time and the perfect hobby, and right now, it was the only thing keeping you from breaking down.

Your current book was about four sisters who all were navigating through different paths in life, and all finding different ways to deal with the world around them. It was a classic, and you saw a bit of yourself in all of the sisters. (The painter a little more than the others in all honesty.)

It was simple yet complex in all the right places and definitely one of your favorite books this year. You continue to read it through glassy eyes, doing your best to keep your mind off of your current situation, when suddenly there’s a bang at your window.

You jump up, arms instinctively hugging the open book to your chest. There was another one, and then another, and then another, before you finally swallow harshly and work up the courage to approach the glass. You placed your book gently onto the hardwood next to you, the spine up as it laid flat, and softly padded towards the noise.

Goosebumps rose onto your skin as you did, your short clad legs attempting to get used to the cold air around you now that you’d left the safety of your blankets.

At first, you couldn’t make anything out except for the house next to you and the starry night sky, but then you saw the cause of the noise. A rock. Someone was throwing rocks at your window.

You furrowed your brows and looked towards the ground, and low-and-behold some boy was standing outside your window. He had dark brown hair, wore a green sweatshirt with what you’re assuming is a school logo on it, and gray shorts.

Hesitantly, you unlocked your window and hauled it up, but not before another rock hurled its way straight at your neck. It hit you smack in the middle of your throat, causing you to choke for a moment and grab at the area. “Ow!”

The boy winced and immediately dropped the rest of the rocks in his hand, (why did he have so many rocks? At least ten fell out of his hand!) “Sorry!” He yelled out.

You glared at him, hand rubbing soothingly at your now sore throat, “Who are you?”

“Uh, Steve - Steve Harrington. I live next door.” He pointed at the house next to you, “You see that window?” He gestured to the one directly across from your own, “That’s my room.”

You nodded, eyes narrowing into thin slits, “Alright, Steve. If your room is right across from mine, why didn’t you just stay up there instead of going through the trouble of pelting rocks at me?”

Steve stills for a moment, and you can physically see the gears turning in his head. “Um,” He stumbles for a moment, “Give me one second.” You can hear him practically sprinting back into his house, his sandals smacking against the ground as he goes, and you can’t help but snicker.

You’d be lying if you said that you didn’t find the twenty seconds you’d spent with the boy so far to be the most enjoyable of this whole week, but it had. It was almost strange to you - to be talking to a boy. All of your friends back home had been girls, and you mostly stayed away from the boys. To you, they felt like unknown territory. What did they like to talk about? What did they like to do for fun? Did they have any interest in a girl like you? Would they ever have any interest in a girl like you?

All of your friends had had a boy like them at some point in time, some of them had already had boyfriends! But not you. No, never you.

Boys didn’t look at you. Steve was the first to ever even show any interest in you at all. It made your stomach flutter.

Soon enough, the light across from you flicks on and you watch curiously as Steve stumbles across piles of clothes and other knick-knacks to reach you. He struggles with the window for a second, before it suddenly pops open with a slight screech.

“Hey,” He smiled, breaths coming out a bit heavy.

Your lips twitched upwards at the corners, “Welcome back.” You teased.

Steve slapped his arms at his sides and let his head dip to the side, his eyes rolling a bit as he did, “I’m sure you missed me.”

You furrowed your brows, “You were gone for, like, five seconds. And I don’t even know you. Why would I miss someone I don’t know?”

“Uh, because I'm super buff and attractive?”

A snort slipped from you at that comment, “Yeah, okay. Keep telling’ yourself that.”

“I will.”

There’s a short pause between the two of you, and you nibble on your bottom lip. You’d never been able to banter so easily with many other people before. It made you excited.

“Soooo, where are you from?” Steve asks, effectively breaking the silence.

You sighed and leaned your elbows against the sill, your chin falling atop your hands, “Pennsylvania.” You answered dryly.

Steve nodded and copied your actions so that you were face to face, “I’ve never been there. I mean, my dad has for his work, but I never have personally.” He rambles.

You click your tongue, “That’s cool.”

Steve nods slowly, “Why’d you guys move?”

“Are you interrogating me?”

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

You quickly shake your head, “No, I do. I just wasn’t expecting so many questions,” you chuckled, nervously tucking a stray piece if hair behind your ear, “Um, my dad got a new job here. Some bank job or something, I’m not really sure.”

Steve perked up, “My dad works at the bank too! Maybe they work together.”

You shrugged, “Maybe.”

Steve licked his lips and glanced down at the ground below you. The both of you were only on the second story, but the grass felt so much farther away then it really was. “You don’t seem very excited about it.”

You bit your lip, eyes darting across his tanned skin. The summer had done wonders on him, but you were sure the upcoming school year would fade it away. “Because I’m not.”

“Why?”

You gave him a look, “Would you wanna move away from all your friends?”

Steve paused to think for a moment. To him, leaving Tommy and Carol wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. He could start over and ditch the reputation he’d built, but he knew that wasn’t the answer you were looking for, so instead he said, “No, I guess not.”

You gestured with your hand and huffed out a breath, “My point exactly.”

Steve shrugged, “Well, Hawkins isn’t all bad. It’s not like there’s monsters hiding out around here or something.” He joked.

You could help but laugh along with him. There was something about the way he always had something positive to say to make you feel better, or maybe that was just how you were observing him in the last ten minutes. “You’re funny, you know that?”

Steve scoffed out a laugh, standing back and crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to look nonchalant, “Duh, of course I know that.”

You snickered, “Don't let it get to your head.”

“Too late. I can already feel my skull growing to accommodate.”

Your body shook as you laughed, moving your face under your hands to hide yourself. Steve mentally fist pumped at making you laugh like that, and he prayed he’d hear it again, and soon.

Once your laughter died down and all was left was silence, Steve asked, “Are you going to Hawkins Middle for school? Or did your parents enroll you in that Catholic place down the street?”

You shrugged, “Well, I’ve never heard of the Catholic place down the street, so I’m gonna say Hawkins Middle.”

Steve grinned, “Great! I go there, too. You can totally sit with me at lunch and stuff.”

“I’d be grateful to be allowed in your presence.” You tease, pretending to bow your head.

Steve just smirked, “I’d expect nothing less.”

You and Steve spent practically all night talking. He’d gone down to his kitchen at some point for a snack and came back upstairs with two bowls of chips. After many failed attempts, some including one of you nearly falling to your death, you were able to grab the chip bowl meant for you.

Once both of you were full and content, it was already nearing midnight. If your parents saw you up and talking to Steve, you’d be in so much trouble.

“I think I’d better head to bed.” You mumbled, a sad smile on your face.

Steve nodded and wiped his palms on his pants, “Yeah, me too.”

You didn’t want this to be a one time thing in all honesty. You really, really enjoyed talking to Steve, and you hoped he really, really enjoyed talking to you as well.

You opened your mouth to tell him so, but decided against it, so all that fell from your lips was a simple, “Goodnight, Steve.”

He gave you a sappy smile, “Goodnight…” His eyebrows furrowed and he blinked excessively, “Wait, you never told me your name.”

He was right. You hadn’t realized it, but you never thought to tell Steve your name.

“It’s Y/N.”

Steve just chuckled and placed his hands above his head onto the window, “Goodnight, Y/N.”

❣︎

That following week had been filled with late night conversations between you and Steve. They’d always start the same - you’d be laying in your bed reading a book (you’d gotten your bed frame finally), Steve would throw something at your window, and then you’d talk and share a bowl of chips.

In all honesty, this tradition had become your rock. It felt like the one thing that was really yours in this new town.

That last night before the first day of school, Steve had seemed troubled, his brows crinkled and he wasn’t talking as much as he normally did.

“Whats wrong?” You asked hesitantly. You weren’t sure if you and Steve were at the point in your relationship where you could be open with each other. In all honesty, you were expecting him to say something like oh, i’m fine or nothing, why? But he didn’t, instead he said, “I’m worried about tomorrow.”

You furrowed your brows. Steve had been practically shouting from the rooftops how excited he was for you to meet all of his friends just two days before. “Why?” You asked, “I thought you were excited?”

Steve bit his lip, “I was.” He sighed, “But I went to this pool party at a friends house today and it just.. it reminded me of some stuff I’d forgotten about.” Well, that explained his fresh tan.

You weren’t sure how to reply to him. You didn’t want to push him or make him feel pressured to say anything, but you were also curious. “Was it.. was it bad?”

Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “Honestly? Um, kind of.” He groaned, eyes shut as he tried to find the words, “Tommy and Carol… they’re not the best people. And I know that I shouldn’t be friends with them but,” he paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose. You wanted to reach out and comfort him. “I feel like I owe them, you know? I was a real lonely kid and they were the first people who ever made an attempt to get to know me, but now…” He trailed off, his forehead hitting the windowsill as he dipped his head.

You bit your lip, unsure of what to say. You didn’t know Tommy or Carol, the only things you knew about them were what Steve had said, which were only good things.

You crossed your knees, left heel popped as you nibbled on your lower lip in thought. If Steve really felt this bad about whatever they were doing, then the right thing would be to distance from them, but you didn’t know his situation. To Steve, he felt as if he owed them something, even though friendship isn’t something that should have to be repaid.

You sucked in a breath, socked feet tapping rapidly at the hardwood below you, “It’s okay to grow out of friendships, you know?” You mumbled. “It’s happened to me, and we both parted ways happily without some big, dramatic fallout. If you really feel that way about them, maybe it’s time you do the same.”

Steve was silent for a few moments, and you couldn’t help but feel badly for him. “Thanks Y/N, but…” He took a deep breath and shook his head lightly, “I just don’t think that’s something I can do. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

You were a little shocked when he ended the conversation so suddenly, and were worried you’d said something to bother him. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

He chuckled softly, messy brown hair falling over his eyes, “Don't worry, It’s not you. But I've really gotta get to bed, okay?”

Unconvinced, you just nod. “Alright… I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Steve crashes into his bed with a muffled groan, pink lips pulled down into a frown. In all of reality, he’d gone to this party and boasted to everyone about his new neighbor. And instead of being happy and excited to have a new person in the group, Tommy and Carol had grimaced at the thought.

“What’s her name again?” She asked, legs crossed as she sat on the purple lawn chair.

“Y/N.”

Tommy snickered and leaned over to whisper something in Carol's ear, and she got that knowing smirk on her face. The one that practically dripped venom. “Oh, you little friend can totally hang out with us.” She said, tone heavy with sarcasm, “She seems just peachy!”

Steve’s stomach immediately twisted, his intuition practically screaming at him to realize it’s a setup, and to do everything in his power to keep you away from it.

“Come on, guys,” He grumbled, wiping a hand over his face as water dripped from his hair onto the concrete below him, “will you please just be nice?”

Carol crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips, “What makes you think we’re not gonna be nice to her, Stevie?”

His nose scrunched at the nickname, anytime Carol called him that he knew he’d struck a nerve. “I’m not trying to say you won’t be, it’s just… I really like her and I don’t want her to stop talking to me if you guys do something.”

Carol snorted, her red hair falling over her shoulder as she did, “You like her? You don’t even know her!”

Steve’s cheeks flush a bright pink as he sinks further into his chair. Yes, it was true that he’d grown the tiniest crush on you during your late night talks, but he couldn’t help it! You were so kind and soft-spoken, and you always knew how to make him laugh. And the fact that you were one of the prettiest girls he’d ever seen was just the icing on the cake. How could he not fall the smallest bit in love with you?

That next morning you’d been practically shaking in the car. Your mom assured you over and over that it’d be a good day and you’d make lots of new friends, but it wasn’t that you were nervous about.

Sure, school without friends sucked but you could live just fine without them. No, you were worried about Steve. He’d been worried about something his friends had said, and you had a sinking feeling it had something to do with you.

As soon as you stepped foot onto campus you were immediately looking for Steve. You’d seen him leave his house a couple minutes before you did, so you assumed he was already here, you just weren’t sure where.

You swallowed as you walked through the crowded halls. There were groups of girls reuniting after summer vacations spent in Europe, guys with tan skin and even brighter eyes, but no Steve.

You get through your whole first period class with zero sign of the brunette boy, and it’s not until you’re halfway to your second do you catch a glimpse of him. His back is turned to you, but you could recognize that laugh anywhere.

Shyly, you walk up to him. You can see he’s with a freckled boy and red headed girl, who you assume are his friends, Tommy and Carol.

Carol notices you first, and she eyes you up and down with precision. She smacks on her gum before she nudges Tommy and gestures her head in your direction.

The both of them stare at you for so long that by the time you even make it to Steve’s side he’s already turning to face you.

Surprise flashes on his face, but it’s soon replaced with happiness, and then something you can’t quite read. The smile on his face is strained as he says, “Y/N! Hey!”

You give him a small wave back, nerves crawling up your spine at the hungry look Carols giving you. Like you’re her next meal.

“Oh my gosh!” She practically squeals, grabbing your arm and forcing you closer to her. You nearly stumble to the ground from the force but Steve grabs your shoulder and steadies you. “Steve told us so much about you!” She leered, well manicured hands hugging you close to her body.

You pushed away from her gently, uncomfortable with all of the attention, “Oh. That’s nice.” You glance at Steve to try and get a read from him, but his face is blank. He meets your gaze apologetically and crosses his arms over his chest, “Leave her alone, Carol.” He mutters.

Tommy flashes his teeth with a hateful grin, “Oh, come on,” He snickers, “we just wanna know your girlfriend better.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Steve defends, eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

Carol rolls her eyes at him and then turns her attention back to you, “Look, why don’t you eat lunch with us today, hm?” She asks, batting her lashes.

Your eyes dart to Steve. You don’t want to invade his space (even though he’d said you could eat lunch with him days ago), and you can tell he’s clearly uncomfortable with the way Tommy and Carol are acting, so you attempt to say, “Oh, I don’t think-”

Carol cuts you off, “We’ll see you there, okay?” She draws out the syllables in the okay, linking her arm with Tommy’s and then walking away without allowing you to answer.

You and Steve watch them go, and you begin to bite your nails, a nervous habit you’d been trying to break. “I didn’t mean to-” You begin, hoping Steve isn’t too angry with you including yourself like this, but he just shakes his head with a sigh. “It’s.. fine. It’s not like Carol gave you much choice.” He attempts to joke, and you let out an awkward laugh.

Steve eyes you, clearly unsure of how to release the tension surrounding the both of you, but the late bell does it for you.

You barely bid him a short goodbye before you’re reaching for the map in your back pocket and leaving Steve behind to stand awkwardly in the hallway alone.

He watches you leave, stomach flipping at whatever he knows Carol must have planned for lunch.

Unlike Tommy, Carol was calculated. Tommy would be mean on the spot, he didn’t really plan out any of the things he did, they more so just happened. But Carol, she’d plan them for weeks.

Once, she’d pretended to be friends with Jacey Collins for nearly the entire fifth grade year just so she could embarrass her at her birthday party. Steve doesn’t know what Carol did, but whatever it was, it was bad enough to make Jacey move schools.

So, yeah, he was a little nervous for lunch.

He was even more nervous every time he’d catch Tommy and Carol giggling with each other, both refusing to tell Steve what the hell they were talking about, and instead promising he’d find out soon enough.

By fourth period, their last period before lunch, Steve had had enough. Carol was whispering something in Tommy’s ear, casually glancing at Steve as she did. Finally fed up, steve smacked his hand on the desk and said, “Carol, whatever you're planning, just quit it, okay? Y/N’s a nice girl, and she doesn’t deserve whatever twisted joke you and numb nuts are planning.” He smacked Tommy upside the head, causing the boy to rub at the spot gently.

Carol glowered, her eyes thin slants, “If you really have that much of an issue with it, why don’t you go sit with your little girlfriend in the bathroom or something. I’m sure she’d love that.” She giggled with a suggestive wiggle of her brows.

Tommy cackled, “I could totally see her and Steve getting it on in the bathroom.”

Steve scrunched his nose, “Gross, man!” He shoved Tommy in his chair, and then focused his attention back onto Carol, “This is the only time I’ve ever asked you to do basically anything for me. So please, just this once, can you just be nice?”

Carols lips thinned into a line as she swung her feet back in forth in her chair, back resting against the plastic seat. “If I leave your little,” she pretended to gag, “girlfriend alone, what’re you gonna do for me?”

Steve should’ve known that Carol Perkins does not do anything for anyone unless there’s something in it for her. He shrugged, “Anything you want.”

A cheshire grin immediately spread onto her glossy lips, “Anything?”

“Yep,” Steve huffed with annoyance, “anything.”

She shared a look with Tommy, the both of them almost looked to be communicating with just their eyes. “Okay,” She suddenly slapped her palms onto her lap, “We want full 24/7 access to your pool for the rest of the summer.”

Steve immediately groaned and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn’t use the excuse that his parents would get mad at him because his parents were never home anyway and they knew that. That’s why she asked him, because she knew they could get away with practically anything there.

He’s tempted to say no, to refuse and let Carol have her way with you, but then he thinks about the soft smile you get on your face everytime he opens his window, and he knows there’s no way he could do that to you.

“Fine.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.” He already knows this is a bad idea, but he reminds himself who he’s doing it for. “The pool is completely yours.”

Carol squeals happily, immediately turning to Tommy to discuss what Steve assumes are the things they’ll do together, but he drowns them out.

All he knows is that you won’t have to be subjected to Carol’s cruelty, and that makes the whole thing worth it.

But, he should’ve known Carol would find a loophole.

By the time lunch came the knot that had formed in Steve’s stomach had disappeared, and he was actually excited to see you.

Tommy spotted you first, a yellow tray in your hand as your eyes darted across the room. “God, she looks like a puppy.” He snickered in Steve’s ear.

Steve shook him off, muttering a quiet shut up under his breath as he made himself known to you.

“Y/N! Hey.” You’d never looked so relieved to see him as you do now, your furrowed brows immediately relaxing. “Hi.” you murmured.

“Uh, I’ll take you to our table.”

You gazed down to his empty hands, “Aren’t you gonna get lunch?”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh at your words, “Oh, no. We never eat lunch here.” He gestured with his head to the rest of his friends, who were already sitting and were also without lunch.

Your gaze dropped down to your own tray, and you suddenly felt insecure. At your old school, you and your friends always ate lunch, you didn’t even know it was a thing not to. “Should I…” You trailed off, gesturing to the trash can. Steve immediately shook his head, “Oh, no! I mean if you’re hungry then you should eat.”

You nodded and squared your shoulders. Steve was right, no one was gonna care if you were eating lunch or not. It was just your insecurities speaking.

You gave him a genuine smile and let him lead you to the table, you sat next to him obviously, on the outside of everyone else.

Carol flashed a grin at you, “I’m so happy you decided to come! For a second there we thought you might run off to the bathrooms with the freaks!” She giggled. The comment made your stomach churn, but you were sure it was just some harmless joke, right? You forced a laugh, “Oh, no. I was just confused in the whole lunch situation.” You said, pointing to the empty spaces around them.

Carol hummed, pretending to be intrigued, “Oh, we never eat lunch here. It makes you gain, like, twenty pounds in just a day!” All of Carol's friends giggled, and that nervous feeling in your stomach suddenly came back tenfold.

“Oh,” You swallowed, “I didn’t know that..”

“Of course you didn’t, silly!” She eyed you up and down, “Actually, do you want me to throw that away for you? It’s probably a good thing you don’t eat that you wouldn’t want to..” She trailed off with a wince.

Tommy let out a loud laugh, “Yeah, no offense, but how often did you eat your other schools lunch? It kind of shows.”

“Tommy!” Steve shouted suddenly, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

To you, your body had never really been an insecurity for you. But Carol and Tommy’s comments suddenly have you folding your arms over your stomach in an attempt to hide.

Tommy pursues his lips, “It’s just the truth!”

Steve just scoffed and stood roughly from his spot, “Come on, Y/N.” You immediately followed him, doing your best to avoid Carol's smirk as she watched you walk away.

Steve led you into the empty hallway, hands clenched at his sides in anger. “God, I am so sorry. I should’ve known they’d say some dumb shit like that-”

“Hey, hey,” You shushed him, “It’s fine. You didn’t know. We did the right thing by leaving.”

The guilt still didn’t leave Steve though, because deep down he did know something was going to happen. He knew Carol wouldn’t stop just because Steve offered her something. And the thing about her was she was so subtle about it that it seems like she doesn’t know what she’s saying is mean, when in all actuality, she does.

“No, still, I shouldn’t have let you sit there.”

You sighed, “Look, maybe I just..” You swallowed, “Why don’t we just keep our friendship out of school, okay? I’ll find some friends on my own.”

Steve’s lips parted slightly, eyebrows crinkling together in confusion, “So I'm just supposed to ignore you?”

You shook your head, a smile tugging at your lips, “I’m not saying that. We just won’t go out of our way to see each other.”

Steve sucked in a breath. Doing that made it seem like he was ashamed to be friends with you, which was honestly anything from the truth. If anything, he was ashamed to be friends with them.

“I don’t want you to think…”

“I won’t think anything,” You reassured, “This was my idea anyway. And besides, this way we can keep everything more private.”

Steve took a breath and let himself soak in the information. You would still be friends, just not at school. Easy.

“Okay,” He said, “I’ll see you tonight then.”

June, 1986

Present Day

Getting a summer job at the bookstore was honestly one of the best things you think you could’ve done. After graduation, and the unfortunate mall fire at Starcourt which destroyed your job at The Gap, you’d been out of work and living with your parents.

For most people, nineteen is a normal age to be living with your parents, especially when you’re putting yourself through school like you are because you’re parents refuse to pay because you chose a local college instead of the prestigious one they’d picked out for you across the country.

Your parents were disappointed with your choices and you knew that, but you couldn’t bear the thought of leaving just yet. There were so many relationships you weren’t ready to end and so many things left unsaid with.. certain people.

Like Robin for example. You’d both met a couple weeks after your seventh grade year started. She was a year younger than you were, but she was still the closest friend you had outside of, well, yeah. Steve.

Yours and Steve’s relationship had grown much more complex as the years went on, and long story short, you didn’t talk to him anymore. It hurt too much to do so.

But, Bookish was almost like an escape for you. Most of the people that came in were either kids with their mothers, usually just beginning to fall in love with books just as you did, or they were elderly people who'd fallen in love with it way before you’d even been born.

Robin working there with you only made it better. She used to work at Scoops Ahoy in the mall, along with he-who-shall-not-be-named, but once it burned down she’d been left without a job just as you had.

She’d been over at your house during spring break, the both of you watching Footloose. You on your back, head hanging off of the edge of your bed. Robin rested her back against the headboard, shoveling another handful of popcorn into her mouth. “You know,” Her words came out muffled, so she paused to let herself chew the rest of her food. “That new bookshop or whatever opened a couple weeks ago. Maybe we should apply there.”

You readjusted so you were leaning back into your elbows, a slight raise of your brow. “Bookish? I just went there the other day.”

Robin nodded and popped another piece of popcorn in her mouth, “Did you see if they were hiring?”

You scrunch your nose, trying to remember. During your visit, you’d been too preoccupied trying to find the best book to purchase and hadn’t really looked. “I have no idea. But, if they're new, they probably have to be.”

Robin agrees with you with a nod of her head, and the both of you decide to finish out the movie and then drive down. Robin unfortunately doesn’t have a license, so that meant you were basically forced to drive her everywhere. Well, either you or Steve.

Robin used to hate Steve, even while you were friends with him. She was one of the only people who was aware of your friendship and what it had turned into, and she constantly reprimanded you for getting involved with a guy like that.

But, once they started working together at Starcourt, her view completely changed, but by that time you and Steve were already avoiding each other like the plague.

You glanced at the window, wondering if maybe Steve was on the other side. You hadn’t opened that window or even the blinds for over a year, too afraid of what you might end up seeing.

“Hey, you ready?” Robin asks, throwing her jacket on and leaning against your doorframe. You swallow, eyes lingering on the blinds before you turn to her with a smile. “Let’s go.”

And that was that. You’d both gotten hired nearly on the spot by the sweet old lady who ran the store.

Bookish was one of those places that made you feel like you were entering a different time. The floor was dark oak wood and the walls were linen, and it was lined with rows and rows of books. Some were neatly displayed while others just stacked messily.

It was June in Indiana, which meant all the electric fans were going and the AC was cranked as high as it could go, but the warmth still seeped into the building.

“It’s so hot!” Robin groaned, leaning over the counter dramatically, “I’m gonna melt.”

You snorted as you continued to organize the books in the fiction section, “It’s not that bad.”

Robin smacked her lips, “You say that now, and then you’ll turn and see i’ve become a puddle on the floor.”

You placed a hand on your heart in false sympathy, eyes closing as you imagined the situation, “That would be so, so completely horrible.” You sniffled, pretending to be sympathetic, then whipped your head to her with a teasing glint in your eye, “But maybe I'd finally be able to get some work done without that constant whining in my ear!”

She scoffed, pretending to be offended. “This is not whining! It’s complaining. There’s a difference.”

You grinned and pushed the cart holding the books back behind the counter, “Doesn’t seem like it to me.”

She just rolls her eyes, slumping back into the counter with her head resting in her hand, “Whatever…” She trails off, eyes wondering across the building, and then she gasps suddenly, “Oh, shit.”

You turn to look at her, eyebrows crinkled, “What's wrong-” She cuts you off by basically pushing you to the wall, her hand covering your eyes.

“What the hell, Robin!” You huff, pushing on her arm in an attempt to release yourself form her hold.

“I am so, so sorry.”

“What are you talking about-” You’re finally able to push her away from you, her arm falling to her side as you blink in an attempt to get used to the lighting again. “Seriously, what is wrong with you?” You question, wiping your hands on your dress.

Robin bites her lip and stares right past you towards the front door, her eyes slightly wide.

You like to think that after so many years of knowing Robin you’ve become an expert on her body language, and right now it was practically screaming one thing. Panic.

Hesitantly, you allow yourself to look towards the front where Robin was staring. Honestly, based off of the look on her face you were expecting a monster or maybe even Tammy Thompson to be standing there, but the reality is much worse.

“What the hell is he doing here?”

Steve Harrington is casually conversing with Mrs. Beck, the old lady who runs the bookstore, like he’s known her for years. He’s got that soft smile on his face he always got when something made him happy, and his hair has grown a little since the last time you saw him. His face looks freshly shaven, and he’s wearing that god-awful bright yellow sweater you’d told him to burn years ago.

“I can explain.” Robin stammers, hands coming up to tug at her shirt the way she always does when she’s nervous.

You scrunch your nose and force yourself to turn away from him. It should’ve been a no-brainer that Steve being here had something to do with her, because you don’t think you’ve ever seen the boy pick up a book willingly his entire life.

You point an accusing finger at her, “What did you do?”

Robin swallows, jaw opening and closing as she tries to find the words to defend herself. Finally, she lets out a loud huff and smacks her hands against her sides, “He needed a job! Keith fired him over at Family Video because he was apparently “stealing all the hot ladies from him”, and I told him to come here without thinking! I promise I immediately regretted it and I tried to talk him out of it but it was like he pulled the application out of thin air!”

You rub your temples in an attempt to calm your budding nerves. You didn’t want to be angry with Robin because she didn’t deserve your anger for offering her friend a job, no matter what your history with said friend is, but you couldn’t help the growing irritation in the pit of your stomach. “Why didn’t you at least tell me? Then I could’ve at least prepared myself!”

Robin stutters over her words, hands gesturing wildly, “Because I knew you’d be mad!”

“I’m not mad!”

“Mad about what?”

You’re almost surprised Steve has the audacity to join the conversation so casually, as if you were still the best of friends who talked every night.

You swallow and squeeze your hands into fists at your sides until your knuckles are a pure shade of white. Robin just stares at him with parted lips, eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Uh,” She swallows, allowing herself to steal a glance at you, who has since paled significantly, “Nothing.”

Steve lets out a huh, his eyes lingering on you, who hasn’t had the courage to turn around and actually look at him, instead leaving him to stare at your back. Steve doesn’t mind though, a little bit of you is more than enough for him.

The three of you are at a stand-still, everyone waiting for one of you to make the first move, for someone to speak, to shout, scream, anything.

But you can’t move because this is the first time you’ve heard his voice in over a year. It's still smooth as butter and music to your ears. It’s the first time you’ve smelt his cologne, pine and oak but still with a hint of the ocean. It’s the first time you’ve been near him, and it hurts.

It hurts because you can’t help but wonder about how different your life would be if Steve hadn’t screwed everything up, if he hadn’t said what he said or did what he did.

The back of your throat begins to ache with an onslaught of tears fighting to be let out, but you swallow them down. You refuse to shed any more tears over him.

“What’re you doing here, Steve?” Even his name hurts to say.

“Robin, uh, she told me Mrs. Beck was hiring and, well, I needed a job..”

You finally whip around and face him, your hair following you as you do and harshly slapping against your face, but you ignore it. “That’s the only reason? I find that a little hard to believe.” You mumble the last part, eyes narrowing as you stare at him. Steve hadn’t realized how much he missed your glare.

“Yeah, it is. Why do you wanna know?” He asks with a suggestive taunt, almost as if he’s daring you to take the bait. You know how his mind works though, so you don’t fall for it.

“I just didn’t know if you finally decided you wanted to learn how to read s’all.”

Steve can’t help the smirk that grows on his face. “I was hoping you’d teach me, actually.”

You scoff, a shiver running up your spine in disgust. Of course he’d say some stupid shit like that, he always knew how to get on your nerves. “In your dreams, Harrington.”

Steve grinned, a snarky remark begging to spill from his lips, but you don’t let him. Instead, you flip him off and nearly jog into the back room, your legs shaking as you go.

Robin can’t help but feel concerned as she watches you leave, seeds of guilt already beginning to grow in her stomach. She furrowed her eyebrows and smacked Steve on the back of the head, causing him to let out a sharp yelp. “What was that for?” He grumbled, hand reaching back to nurse the spot.

“What was that for?” Robin mocked, nostrils flared as she pointed an accusing finger at Steve, “You said you were gonna try and win her back! Newsflash buddy, but making her even more angry than she already is isn’t gonna do that!”

“I know that!” Steve defends, “I know what i’m doing, okay? Just trust me.”

Robin was really beginning to regret this.

❣︎

March, 1981

By the time you and Steve started your freshman year of highschool you’d gotten involved in completely different social circles. Steve stayed with all of his popular friends, and was rapidly climbing the highschool food chain. You on the other hand, well, you were doing the opposite.

You weren’t exactly a weirdo per se, but you definitely weren’t cool enough to be associated with any of the popular kids, and that was completely fine with you.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry, but there is no universe where Queen is better than The Beatles. It’s just not a thing!”

“You’re just uneducated! Freddy Mercury is a musical genius!” You argue, pelting a potato chip across your window. It nearly hits him, but loses speed and falls to the grass instead.

He chuckles and leans back in his desk chair. You and Steve had both long since decided to just leave your chairs next to your windows, it only made sense since you spent hours talking each night. “I’m not saying he isn’t, but you’re forgetting about Beatlemania. Last I checked, there was never a thing like that for Queen.”

You groan and cross your arms over your chest, eyes flickering to the Queen vinyls on your shelves. “Just admit you’re wrong so we can move on, please.”

Steve is stubborn. He knows that on all levels, The Beatles are better than Queen. But you have that pleading look on your face, the one with the puppy dog eyes. The one Steve has never been able to say no to. He sighs and throws his head back, a lopsided grin on his face as he admits, “Fine, Queen is better.”

You smile gleefully and cross your legs, “Was that so hard?”

No, it wasn’t. If you looked at Steve like that and asked him to move the world, he’d do so without breaking a sweat.

“Yes, actually. It made me nauseous.”

“You’re such a baby.”

You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t spent these last two years falling in love with Steve Harrington. How could you not when he made it so effortless? Honestly, you didn’t even notice it was happening until one day you looked at him and suddenly it was like the stars aligned in front of you.

Sometimes, you’d catch yourself staring at him for too long at school and would have to physically rip yourself away and back to whatever lesson the teacher was babbling about or whatever rant your friend was on. He was just so… distracting. Especially now that he’d joined the swim team and had begun to fill out his clothes.

But, you could never have Steve. There was too much on the line. The most obvious being your friendship, and that was something you just couldn’t risk losing. It meant too much to you. But, sometimes you still let your mind wonder. You’d let yourself dream of kisses on cheeks, of love confessions done under covers and milkshakes shared over dinner.

You’d always have to stop though, because thinking about it for too long just made you sad.

The obvious fact that nobody outside of your family and Robin knew of your friendship with the boy was also a big problem with this fantasy. You knew how Steve’s friends were. If he began dating you secretly and suddenly stopped being interested in typical, well, boy things, it’d bring up questions that Steve couldn’t answer.

So the general consensus here was that Steve Harrington was off limits for the foreseeable future.

“What're you thinking about in that big brain of yours?” He asks softly, pushing a stray strand of hair out of his face.

You swallow, embarrassed to have been caught but also unsure of how to approach the question. “Nothing. Just.. thinking about this project for school.”

“What is it? Maybe I can help.”

You snorted. Steve was a lot of things - beautiful, funny, athletic - but helpful with anything school related? Absolutely not. “I doubt that.”

“No, seriously,” He straightened in his chair a bit, hitting the backrest comfortably, “hit me.”

You chuckled awkwardly, eyes avoidant. In all actuality, there wasn’t any project, it was just an excuse you made up on the spot. But, maybe you could play this in your favor.

“Well, we read this short story about this girl who’s in love with a guy she can never have, and no matter how many solutions she comes up with in her mind he will always be off-limits from her. We’re supposed to come up with a solution for her to show that, like, nothing is impossible, I guess…” You trailed off at the end, rubbing at your arm uncomfortably.

Steve made a strange noise in the back of his throat, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyebrows knitted together. You could practically see the gears turning in his head, and sucked in your bottom lip nervously. Would he know you were lying?

“That’s a weird project.” He mumbles, completely unaware of your wide eyes. “Uh, yeah, it is.” You stammered, the confused look on Steve’s face made you realize how stupid this was, and you immediately go to discard the entire thing, “Just forget it, It was stupid anyway-”

“I’d tell her to just go for it.”

Your mouth goes dry, “What?”

“I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? He says no? And what if that guy really does like her back, what then? She’ll never know if she doesn’t tell him!”

Your stomach practically explodes in nerves, and you're unsure of what to say. Steve’s looking at you expectantly, but all you can focus on is that one short phrase. She’ll never know if she doesn’t tell him.

It was true, but was it really that simple? No - it’s not. The risks are too great, and sure, Steve makes it seem so easy, but it’s not. Nothing is easy when it comes to your feelings for him.

The one thing you were almost certain of was that Steve doesn’t love you like you love him. It was obvious in the constant stares at prettier girls, with fuller figures and whitened smiles. It was obvious in the kisses he’d share with them behind bleachers, hidden away from prying eyes. It was obvious in the way he’d gush to you about his latest crush, of how beautiful they were and how in love he was. And the funny thing? They were always the opposite of you. More outspoken and confident - not afraid to show a little skin. Something you were envious of.

“But.. What if she does know? And she can never tell him because she knows he’ll reject her and then everything between them will never be the same again?”

Steve is a little surprised by your question, and he begins to feel nervous under your piercing gaze. Why were you asking him this? Did you.. did you know? There was no way you did - he always made sure to keep his feelings hidden away anytime he was with you. He’d fight down the blush, push away the longing - all of it. In all honesty, he was starting to question if this was for a project in the first place.

At first, your project had hit a little close to home, but he didn’t let himself overthink it. But now, his mind was practically swarming with uncharted waters he’d always ignored.

But, still, he amuses the question. “Maybe their relationship will change into the way she wants. She can’t assume the guy doesn’t like her just because he doesn’t show it. Maybe it’s there, and he’s just really good at hiding it.”

You no longer enjoyed this conversation. Now it just hurts - because Steve doesn’t even know what he’s doing to you. He’s giving you hope, and that’s a dangerous thing to have. It was something you couldn’t let yourself have.

You needed to get away from this conversation and honestly just let it die out. You needed to breathe in the fresh air, finally let yourself take a full breath instead of this constricted, shallow breathing you were currently experiencing.

“Do you wanna go for a bike ride?”

Steve snorts, shoulders rising and falling as he does. “Now? It’s almost midnight and we have school tomorrow -”

“I’ll go by myself then.” You’re already slipping in your tennis shoes before Steve can even argue, throwing a jacket on to protect yourself from the cold night.

Steve nearly jumps out of his chair, brown eyes amused and a smile tugging on his lips. Usually he was the one forcing you to sneak out with him, so this was a nice change of pace.

He meets you outside, watching as you wheel your light blue bike away from the side of the house and to the driveway.

“Where are we going?” He asks, throwing a leg over his own bike and gazing at the soft smile on your face.

“Anywhere.”

That's how you both find yourselves now, wide smiles on your faces as you ride through the quiet town. You were used to the quietness of Hawkins, but not like it is now. There’s not a soul in sight, the only thing illuminating the road in front of you being the yellow street lights.

Eventually, you find a nice hilltop to stop at, and the both of you practically collapse onto the grass.

You’re panting slightly from the ride, but you don’t even care. All you can focus on is the starry sky, thousands of different constellations making themselves known to you.

Sometimes, you think Steve is like a constellation. Beautiful to look at and widely studied, but untouchable. Only a select few got to go up and be with the stars, and you weren’t one of them.

“It’s beautiful out here,” You whisper, hands intertwining on your stomach comfortably.

Steve gazes at the side of your face from where he lays next to you, hands behind his head. “Yeah,” He breathes, forcing his gaze away from you and to the stars above, “It really is.”

You’re not sure how long you’re out there with him, you just know by the time you get back home you’re exhausted.

You and Steve barely spoke a word to each other that whole time, only occasionally pointing out a star that shined brighter than the others or made a funny shape.

But, as you collapse onto your bed and drift into a dreamless sleep there’s one thing you’re sure of.

You are in love with Steve Harrington, and you think you always will be.

❣︎

June, 1986

You’ve chosen to completely ignore Steve, even when he attempts to talk to you. You’ll simply stick your nose farther into your book and walk away from him.

You’ll give him some grace though, because he never takes your rejection harshly. He simply watches you walk away with a sigh and turns to talk to Robin about something.

Robin watches you turn tail and practically run away from Steve for what feels like the thousandth time this week, and she’s had enough. “Steve.”

He turns to look at her lazily, hip resting against the counter top and arms crossed against his chest. He’d attempted to ask you what you were reading today because he noticed it was different than the one he’d seen you with for the past couple of days, but as soon as you saw him approach you shot him an icy glare and walked to the other side of the store. He could see you now, sitting in the window nook comfortably.

“I’m not sure if you’re noticed, but you’re not really making any progress here.” Robin scolds in a hushed voice. She wants you to be happy, and for the past year you’ve been anything but. She’s had to comfort you through too many crying sessions, had to stay over because you couldn’t be alone way too many times, and had to watch you close those blinds for the last time and never open them again.

Robin remembers how you were before Steve went and messed everything up, and she selfishly wants that back. Don’t get her wrong, she still loves you more than life itself, but she knows what you’re like when you’re happy, and right now this is not it.

Steve crosses his arms over his chest, “I know that, Robin. But she won’t talk to me.”

She scoffs, “Can you blame her? You broke her heart! Personally, I wouldn’t talk to you either after something like that.”

Steve stares at the floor in front of him, shifting his position so his back is leaning against the counter instead of his hip.

Steve hates thinking about how he treated you during your senior year. Actually, he hates to think about how he treated you nearly all of highschool. You didn’t deserve it, and you were an angel for putting up with it. But, sometimes angels get pushed too hard.

He still remembers the tears that stained your cheeks as you begged him to explain himself, remembers the hoarseness in your voice as you screamed at him to leave. But, he thinks the thing that hurt the most was watching you close those blinds for the last time.

That was when he knew it was over. Anytime you’d argued in the past you’d always kept the blinds open, it was almost like a peace offering, like your silent way of telling him you guys would be okay.

“I don’t…” He swallows, “I don’t know how to fix it.”

Robin can’t help but feel sympathetic for him. She understands why you refuse to talk to him, hell, she’d probably do the same thing. But, she also knows Steve and she understands how much he regrets his decisions back then. She knows how heavily he was influenced by the people around him and the constant pressure to be King Steve.

“You need to show her you’ve changed, not just tell her. I could tell you I had a boyfriend but once you saw me kissing a girl you’d know I wasn’t being truthful.”

Steve can’t help the snort that slips from him at her comparison. But, he knows she’s right. What good is it to sit here and preach to you that he’s a changed man if he doesn’t do anything to prove it to you?

You on the other hand couldn’t even focus on your book. You’d reread the same page twenty times in the last five minutes, and you still had no idea what was going on! Steve was too distracting - and not just because you hated him.

You didn’t want to admit it to yourself, but sometime in the last year you’d forgotten just how attractive Steve was. The moles that dotted his neck like they’d been crafted by Aphrodite herself, and the way his eyes glimmered a honey brown whenever the sun shined on them. His lips, so pink and sculpted to fit the frame of his face. And don’t even mention his muscles or you might just faint on the spot.

You steal a glance towards him from the corner of your eye, watching as he talks with Robin about something you can’t make out. His head is hung low though, so you can assume it’s nothing good. Maybe she was lecturing him for bothering you, and if you were lucky he’d finally listen.

But, unfortunately luck never seemed to be on your side, and he’s approaching you faster than you can run away. “Y/N.” He has you cornered, your back against the window as you glare daggers at him. What the hell did Robin say?

You refuse to answer, instead choosing to go back to pretending to read your book. Steve doesn’t say anything, he just places his hands on his hips and stares down at you.

You're stubborn though, so you refuse to look at him, no matter how badly you might want to. Steve, seemingly getting the hint, just lets out a loud sigh and says, “I’m going to get food from Bennys, do you want anything?”

Fuck. You loved Bennys. But, you didn’t want Steve to let you saying yes get to his head, so you just let out a harsh no.

“You haven’t eaten since you got here four hours ago, that’s not healthy.”

“I’m not hungry.” You respond dryly. Glancing up at him through your lashes. His lips are pursed and he’s got that look on his face he always gets when he’s annoyed. He shrugs, “Suit yourself.” And then leaves without another word.

For a moment, you’re almost shocked. You’d expected him to fight with you more about it, but you’re not mad that he didn’t.

You practically shoot up and beeline for Robin, who’s already gazing at you like she’s been prepared for this. “God, I hate him!” You groan, rubbing the bridge of your nose.

Robin snorts, hopping onto the countertop and picking at her nails, “Because he offered to buy you food?”

You shoot her a glare, “Because he’s pretending nothing happened between us.”

Robin chews on her bottom lip, glancing up from her chipped nails to a fuming you. “I think he’s just trying to be nice.”

“Since when were you his biggest defender? You were begging me to leave him not even two years ago!”

Robin winces at the memory. It was true, she used to absolutely loathe Steve with everything in her, but that was before and this was now. People change - and Steve Harrington was a prime example of that.

She stays silent, knowing there’s nothing she can say at this current moment that’ll make you feel better.

You force yourself to take a deep breath and lay your forehead onto the counter top, elbows wrapping around your head as you do. You’ve been arguing with yourself on where you stand with Robin lately. On one hand, she’d deliberately offered the one man you couldn’t bear to see a job at the one place you’d felt safe from him without even asking you first, and essentially ruined it for you forever. On the other, she was just a girl helping someone she loved get a job somewhere that wasn’t a shit hole like most of the places in town.

It just wasn’t fair that that place has to be here.

You sigh, squeezing your eyes shut, “I just need a second by myself. I’ll come back out if things get too busy.”

Robin just nodded, eyes glued to the floor as you walked past her and into the employee area.

Robin knows you have every right to be mad at her right now, but if risking your friendship was what it took for you to be happy, she’d do it everyday.

By the time Steve gets back the sun has already started to sink below the clouds, and there was only an hour left of your shift.

You were still in the back room, eyes puffy and red with the remnants of tears. It embarrassed you to admit, but you’d let a few tears and sniffles escape you. You were just so frustrated with your situation.

Steve walks behind the counter nonchalantly, large hands reaching into the white plastic bag and pulling out three styrofoam boxes.

Robin furrows her brows at this, only expecting two. “What’s the third one for?”

Steve’s silent for a moment, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Did you really think he was gonna let you go hungry? He knows you - knows you love Bennys like you love breathing. It’s the only reason he got it.

“Y/N.”

“But didn’t she-”

He shoots her a look that shuts her up as she realizes what he did. Her eyes crinkle as she smiles, and opens her box. “Do you want me to take it to her?”

Steve thinks for a moment about what you would want. Logically, he knows you would want Robin to bring it to you, but what would you have wanted before he screwed everything up?

“I’ve got it.”

He grabs your box in one hand and his own in the other, taking a deep breath before he pushes the door open with his hip. You're sitting there, arms crossed over your chest and nails between your teeth. A nervous habit of yours.

You look up, clearly expecting Robin, but your gaze immediately hardens once you realize it’s him. You push your chair out from under you harshly, it screeches across the floor as you do. You grab your jacket that hangs on the back of it and go to walk past him, but he blocks your path. “I brought you something to eat.”

“I said I wasn’t hungry.” You attempt to push past him, but he doesn’t let you. Instead, he gives you that knowing, motherly look of his. The same one he used on Dustin Henderson when he babysat him junior and senior year. “You haven’t eaten since noon, and,” He glances at his watch, “it’s almost seven, Y/N. Pretend it’s not from me, I don’t care, just please eat.”

You're at a standstill for a moment, the both of you staring at each other. You know Steve’s right, but you hate it. It makes you feel nauseous that he knows you so well.

Finally, after much hesitation, you finally sit back down in your chair. Your arms are still crossed and you’re refusing to look at him, but Steve can breathe easy knowing he’s finally getting at least something from you.

He sits across from you and slowly slides your box over to you, which you open lazily.

You wanted to yell at him to go - to leave you alone to eat in peace - but it almost felt nice to feel his presence again. If you focused on it long enough, you could almost pretend it was still that blissful time before senior year. When everything had been perfect.

Steve watches as you open the box and inspect the food carefully. He can tell by the way your eyes widen slightly that you’re surprised by what you see.

“Is this..” You trail off, heart constricting in your chest.

He nods, “You really thought I wouldn’t remember what you like? Please, give me a little credit.” He teases.

You never even knew he had it memorized.

A ghost of a smile plays on your lips, head flooding with memories of late winter nights spent at Bennys with Steve.

You allow yourself to glance up at him, cheeks flushing when you find he’s already staring at you. As soon as his eyes meet yours he smiles, a genuine, crinkle-at-the-corner-of-the-eye smile.

You eat in silence for the rest of your shift, but Steve doesn’t care. Being with you is more than enough.

❣︎

November, 1981

Sophomore year is difficult for you.

Your grandma died just three days before Halloween, and it hit you hard. Steve was with you nearly all the time, not even saying anything, just holding you as you sobbed.

He never quite knew what to say to make you feel better because none of his own family was in his life. As far as was concerned, you were the closest thing he had to that.

Today marked a full week since your grandma passed, and you’d just gotten home from the funeral. He could see you now through his window, laying on your back unmoving in your bed, black dress still heavy on your body.

You’re not even crying, just staring at the ceiling. You’d always heard that grief presented itself in thousands of different ways, but you’d never been subjected to it yourself until now.

Memories of your grandmother and her infectious smile played on repeat in your mind, and sometimes if you focused hard enough, you could pretend she hadn’t died.

Your eyes squeezed shut as you did so, replaying a memory of her from your eleventh birthday party. You’d been crying for some reason you can’t even remember, and she’d stumbled upon you on the floor of your bathroom.

“Oh, Hunny, what happened?” She cooed, closing the door and sliding down next to you. She winced as she did, her knees popping the whole way down, but she didn’t complain. She just threw an arm over your shoulders and pulled you into her.

“I-I’m scared.” You whimpered, hugging your knees to your chest.

“Of what?”

You sniffled and looked into her loving eyes, “You’ll think it’s silly.”

She chuckled, forehead wrinkling with the movement, “No, I won’t.”

You swallowed, scratching at your arm nervously. “Are you sure?”

“I’m your grandma, I’d never laugh at you.”

You swallowed, letting your forehead hit your knees solemnly, “I don’t wanna grow up.” You admitted.

She didn’t say anything for a moment, which made you feel even worse. Getting older was natural and there was nothing you could do to stop it, but it’d hit you that you were growing out of your childhood.

You’d never be as innocent as you once had been, and at some point in your life you’ll never be mommy’s little girl again. And you hated that you just had to accept that.

Your grandma sighed, fingers drawing shapes onto your arm, “I know it’s scary growing up,” She murmured into your ear, “but it’s also good for us. We learn more as we grow, and we get to experience so many new things. Take me and your grandpa for example, we met when we were twenty five. If I'd never grown up, I never would have met him and fallen in love.”

The mention of your grandfather put a smile on your face. He was a sweet old man with a dashing mustache and a love for your grandma so strong you could feel it without even knowing him.

“I guess you’re right.” You sighed, laying your head against her side. She always knew how to make you feel better, it was like her special talent.

That’s why her death hurt so much, because you’d been talking to her less and less the older you got. It wasn’t something you did purposely, but with the move and all the new things that were happening in your life calling her had just never been at the top of your list. Now you wish it had.

You don’t even hear the knock in your door, you only notice Steve’s there when he’s scooting into bed next to you. You welcome him calmly, automatically falling into his open arms. He strokes your back comfortingly, leaving a soft kiss on your hairline. “How’re you feeling?”

You make a noise in the back of your throat, a mix between a whimper and a groan that shatters Steve’s heart. He hates seeing you hurt like this.

“That bad, huh?” He mumbles, squeezing you closer against him.

You choke out a sigh, “I just wish I would’ve called her. I had every chance too and I never did. What kind of- of granddaughter does that?” Your eyes are brimming with tears again, a sob tearing from your throat as you press your face closer into Steve’s neck. He smells like home.

He doesn’t mind that you’re soaking through his white shirt, in fact he barely even notices. “C’mon, Sweetheart. There was no way you could’ve known, and blaming yourself isn’t going to make you feel any better.”

“I-I just… I just wish I would’ve been better.” You hiccuped.

Steve immediately shakes his head, “No, no,” He stands and takes your hand, gently forcing you to your feet, “You’ve gotta get outta here, no way staying in this room all day is healthy for you.”

You sniffle and glance around your bedroom. Its usual warmth feels cold and empty.

“Where would we go?” You ask, gazing at Steve as he wipes your tears with his thumbs. “Anywhere.”

That's how you ended up at Bennys. Steve had recently gotten his license so you no longer had to bike everywhere.

The cloudy sky combined with the glaring overhead lights must wash you out, but Steve’s not sure you’ve ever looked prettier. The black dress compliments you perfectly, and call him selfish, but he thinks the glossiness in your eyes accentuates them so nicely.

You solemnly drink a sprite, biting on the straw occasionally and leaving a permanent indent in the plastic.

You’d heard of Bennys, apparently it was a Hawkins staple, but you’d never been yourself before now. For how popular it apparently was, it's not very busy, just a few stragglers.

You can see the chief of police, Jim Hopper, and a few of his cop buddies in one corner, a couple in a booth across from them, and two old fishermen at the bar.

“I’ve never been here before,” You murmur, watching as Steve’s head lifts from the menu to look up at you. “I’ve only been once with Tommy and Carol,” He says their names with so much disgust it nearly surprises you, “and it was really good.”

You knew Steve wasn’t the biggest fan of his friends, which was still something you found pretty weird. Why be friends with them if you couldn’t stand them? But you also understood Steve’s situation. He had affirmed his status as King Steve at the beginning of the school year, when he’d fought Mitch Mikealson and won. Ever since then he’d gotten more cautious with being seen with you.

And, yeah, it hurts sometimes to see him pretend you didn’t exist. Before, he’d still give you the occasional wave or smile, but now he didn’t even spare you a glance. But, you’d always remind yourself it was fine, because only you got to have the real him. The soft Steve, who’s boyish charm and honeynut eyes made you melt everyday.

You let out a soft huh, glancing over the menu before finally deciding on something. A plain cheeseburger with a side of cheesy fries. How American of you.

After you’ve given the waitress your orders, you both sit in a constricting silence. Steve isn’t sure of what to say to you right now or even how to approach the obvious elephant in the room, but you could hardly even focus on that.

If there’s one thing your grandma's death has taught you, it’s that you can’t let time escape you. You’d pushed off calling your grandma for months, and then suddenly you couldn’t anymore. What happens if you put off telling Steve how you feel for him, and then suddenly you no longer could? Would you feel regret like you do now?

You think you’ve known Steve long enough now to decipher how he’d react. A soft rejection, but without a loss of friendship. You think things would continue how they normally do - maybe a bit awkwardly at first but, still, as they normally do.

Then you consider the other option, which you thought to be the less likely one. On the off chance Steve does like you back, then your entire relationship would change. Would he kiss you in front of his friends? Scream from the rooftops that you were his and he was yours? Or would he hide you away, protect his reputation from your influence?

You weren’t sure.

“What’s going on in that big brain of yours?”

You smile softly at the phrase, glancing up at him through your lashes. He's leaning onto his elbows on the counter, cheeks squished between his hands. You think he looks innocent like this, and a glimpse of his seventh grade self flashes in his eyes, a time before King Steve even existed.

“Just… thinking.” You murmur, playing with your fingers in your lap.

Steve frowns, assuming you’re talking about your grandma, and he says, “I’m really sorry, Y/N. You know I'll be here for you every step of the way, right?”

You warm at his words, stomach twisting in knots. “I know,” You breathe, “we’re best friends. We have to be there for each other.”

Steve's heart constricts at the phrase. Best friends. Was that what he’d always be to you? He wants to be so much more - he wants to sweep you off your feet, show you just how much he loves you. If real love is something teenagers can’t experience, then he’s not sure he ever wants to, because whatever it is he’s feeling for you right now is practically engulfing him whole.

“Yeah,” He smiles weakly, “Best friends.”

Your eyebrows knit at the solemn look on his face, watching as he swishes the straw in his drink with his fingertip.

“Steve-” You begin, but the waitress is approaching you with your food before you can finish. Steve’s grateful for the interruption, not sure if he’s ready to answer whatever it was you were going to ask.

He distracts himself with his food, and you do the same. You're not sure why, but something about the way Steve said best friend made you feel uneasy. Did he not think you guys were? Or did he… did he want something else?

You blink the thought away, forcing yourself not to think of it.

But… what if…

You think of your grandma, how the regret of not calling her filled your entire body until you could barely breathe. Did you want that to happen with Steve? No, you didn’t. So there was only one solution.

The moon is up by the time you get in the car, and you allow Steve to drive you to your spot.

The hilltop where you first rode your bikes to last year had become almost like a comfort place for the both of you. You went anytime either of you were upset, and you always sat in the same positions. You, with your hands laid comfortably on your stomach and him with his hands behind his head. It was basically a routine at this point.

But, tonight, it’d be different. Because you were either about to ruin your friendship with Steve forever, or start something you’d never be able to turn away from.

You’re both silent, but while Steve seems peaceful, you’re anything but. Your mind is running wild with what-ifs, and you anxiously chew on your bottom lip. Just do it, you think, just do it.

“Steve?” You mumble, placing your hands behind your back and sitting up. Steve follows your lead, an eyebrow raised as he does. “Yeah?”

You squeeze your eyes shut and pull your knees into your chest, dress riding up until its hem is at the middle of your knees. “If I.. If I tell you something, you promise you won’t judge me? And- and nothing will happen to our friendship?”

He laughs nervously, “What’re you talking about?”

Just do it, you chant in your mind, Just do it.

You suck in a breath, “I love you. A lot. Like- more than I think should even be humanly possible, and I think I always have. It’s like- like this weight in my chest everytime I see you, you know? Because you’re you and I'm, well, I'm just me. And I tell myself there’s no way you could ever love me back but then you started acting all weird in the diner and I just- I had to know.” By the end of your rambling you’re panting softly, refusing to even look at Steve. You're too afraid of what you might see.

But Steve feels as if an angel herself has just blessed him. You love him?

You love him?

He feels too shocked to even move, heart practically beating out of his chest as he stares at you. The moonlight brings out your features so nicely, and your lips just look so- so kissable.

It’s crazy. He knows it is. But he’s waited so long, and he’s not sure how many times he can imagine the softness of your lips before he needs to feel it. So he does.

He connects his lips with yours so fast you barely even register it. It’s a soft peck, barely even a kiss really, but it’s perfect to you.

He pulls away quickly, hand on your cheek as he stares into your eyes. Only half of his face is visible in the darkness, but it’s enough for you. Because you’re plunging back in like you’ve been starved.

It’s messy, with clattering teeth and wandering hands. You find purchase in his hair, tugging slightly, and he lets you, groaning slightly at the feeling. His hands ghost of your waist nervously, and you reach down and place them comfortably on your hips.

It should be sinful how good he tastes - like strawberries eaten next to the pool on a warm summer day. “S- Steve,” You gasp between his lips, barely able to get the word out before he’s immediately diving back in.

You indulge in it for a few seconds more, before you’re gently pushing him away from you. He pulls back completely, removing his hands from your waist in a panic, “What’s - What’s wrong?” He pants.

You shake your head, assuring him it’s nothing like that. You take a breath, “What does… does this mean that you..?”

Steve has a big dopey smile on his face, tucking a peice of hair behind your ear, “That I love you?” He mumbles, “Because I do. So much. More than I think you’ll ever know.”

It’s those words that confirm what you’d thought for the past two years. Steve is your soulmate, someone you were always meant to find. Suddenly, you’re thankful for the move. Something that had once seemed life ruining has been the opposite - it brought you to your reason for living.

“Then what does this mean for us?” You question.

It’s then that Steve realizes this might not be all great like he thought it would be - because Tommy and Carol were still in the picture. He couldn’t just walk into school holding hands with you as if they hadn’t spent every waking day making fun of you. He never joined, always choosing to stay silent during their tangents, but he never stopped them either.

He swallows, studying your face. Would loving you be enough for him? Could he throw it all away, the parties, the friends, the popularity - if it meant he’d be able to be with you?

He’s not sure.

But what if he can have both? The popularity and you. He’d just have to keep your relationship a secret just like you had been doing for years, it was that simple! But, he doesn’t want to ruin the moment with you right now and get into that. So instead, he kisses you slowly again and murmurs, “We'll figure it out as we go.”

❣︎

July, 1986

It’s been two weeks since what you called The Tolerable Act. AKA, the day Steve Harrington brought you food and also made himself more tolerable.

You wouldn’t be going out of your way to talk to him, but if he approached you you no longer ran. Your responses were always short - but they were responses. Baby steps.

Today, when you walk into work Steve is already there stacking books and organizing shelves. His eyes are almost immediately drawn to you, and not just because he loves seeing you - no, this time, he notices something.

He thinks his heart drops into his stomach for a moment once he sees the guy with you. You're all smiles and giggles, playing with the hem of your lacy white shirt.

Jason Carver stands casually in the doorway, arm thrown above his head as he leans over you. Steve can’t see what he’s saying from here, but whatever it is, it’s making you blush.

Steve’s not even sure what comes over him - but he’s dropping the rest of the books he was organizing messily onto the shelf and speeding over to you before he can even think it through.

Jason notices first, his eyebrows furrowing as he eyes him. Steve gives a tight lipped smile, brown eyes darting between you and Jason.

Steve never really disliked Jason - he was a nice guy. A little pushy at times, but overall he didn’t seem too bad. But, now, watching Jason flirt with you like he knew anything about you made Steve’s stomach twist in the worst way.

Jason didn’t know you. He didn’t know anything about you! Steve knew it was selfish of him to expect you to be hung up on him forever like he was hung up on you, but did you have to bring Jason here?

“Harrington,” Jason said sultry smooth, bringing his arm down and stuffing his hands into his varsity jacket. He’d graduated last month and was still wearing that thing? Steve thought that was a douchey move. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

Steve hummed, “Started a couple weeks ago.”

Jason smirked, “Still working at dumps like this place, huh?” He joked. Steve could see the intentions behind what he said - they were a poke at Steve still living with his parents and not making it into college. He glances at you, but you don’t say anything, instead choosing to keep your eyes on the carpet.

“Still wearing your highschool jacket in public, huh?”

Jason’s gaze hardened just barely, enough for you to not notice, but Steve did. They both just stared at each other for a few moments, almost like they were challenging each other.

“Jason -” Both boys tore their gazes away from each other and onto you, “I’ll see you tonight, okay?” You usher, silently pushing him out. Jason bent down to kiss your cheek, eyes never leaving Steve’s as he did.

Once he was gone, you turned around and tried to make your way past him to clock in, but Steve stopped you. “Jason Carver? Really?”

Your nostrils flared, eyebrows knitting together as you gave him a harsh glare. “Who I talk to isn’t any of your business anymore.”

“That guys a total asshole!”

“And you aren’t?” You retorted, “I’m not sure if you remember, but let me remind you that-”

He cuts you off with a sigh, large hand running through his hair. His shirt rode up as he did, and you had to force yourself not to look at his tanned skin. “I remember.” He mumbled, “But, at least I've tried to better myself. Jason hasn’t! And he doesn’t deserve you, you’re so much better than he ever will be. I can’t believe you don’t realize that.” He took a breath, studying your face.

Jealousy is something Steve wasn’t used to feeling when it came to you. He’d always known that you were his and he was yours, and nothing would ever change that.

But, watching Jason Carver pull all those little giggles and shy smiles out of you that he used to - it hurt more than he liked to admit. His dad would tell him to: “grow up, she's just some girl after all.”

But you aren’t. Steve doesn’t think you ever were.

“Stop doing that!” You choke out. You’re more than fed up “Stop pretending that you’ve changed and that everything is- everything is fine! You played me for years, Steve. And as soon as I'm back together again you just show up here and remind me why I-” You pause, eyes going glassy and nose turning a shade of red, “why I can’t love you anymore. And it hurts - God, it hurts - but, I won’t allow myself to fall apart like I did again. And Jason- Jason likes me. I know he does. So don’t fucking ruin this for me.”

Steve’s silent, arms crossed over his chest as he processes your outburst. He knows he deserves it and it’s something he thinks he needs to hear, but that doesn’t make it any easier. You played me for years, Steve. Did you really think that?

Still, against his better judgment, he watches you as you turn your back to him and stomp into the back room.

You finally let out the sob you were holding in as soon as you’re out of sight, back hitting the cold stone wall. You hate him. Him and his stupid, stupid face and his horrible jokes. You hate that he can make you feel so many inexplicable things with just one sentence - He doesn’t deserve you.

If Jason doesn’t deserve you, then who does?

You avoid Steve your whole shift, and it’s easy, because Steve avoids you too. Robin called out sick which meant it was just the two of you and that made things so much worse.

You can feel his gaze lingering on you every time the clock ticks closer to your date, and it sends a shiver up your spine each time. If it’s because of your nerves about seeing Jason again or your undeniable longing for Steve, you’re not sure.

Once Jason arrives, Steve watches from behind the counter as you take Jason’s hand and let him lead you to his car, a toothy grin highlighting your face.

He sighs, crossing his legs where he stands and leaning onto his forearms. He feels helpless, like he’s an onlooker in his own life, watching you pull farther and farther away from him and not being able to do anything about it.

Jason’s car pulls away, and you watch as Bookish disappears from your line of sight. It feels foreign - leaving Steve behind to go with another guy. If you’d told yourself two years ago this was what your relationship would become, you never would’ve believed it.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Harrington?” Jason asks, stealing a glance at you.

You chew on your lip, cherry chapstick lingering on your tongue. “We used to be really close, but we kinda just…” You swallow and play with your fingers in your lap, “grew apart.”

Jason hums, fingertips drumming against the wheel as he drives. “You guys seemed more than close back there.”

You’re stumped. You can’t understand why Jason is so interested in this topic, which is something you really don’t want to talk about with him, and understandably so. You think up a quick excuse, “He’s just protective.”

He scoffs out a laugh, “Protective? No, it was more than that. It was like he- he loved you or something.” He says it like there’s no way that could be true. Like The Steve Harrington couldn’t ever love a girl like you.

“I don’t know. Maybe. Can we talk about something else, please?”

Jason doesn’t say anything and just drives silently. He’d told you he was taking you somewhere special but didn’t specify after that - and as you watch him drive deeper and deeper into the woods you’re beginning to get nervous.

He parks next to Lovers Lake, turning in the radio and immediately shifting his seat back.

You’d heard stories of guys doing this - taking a girl out to hook up with and disguising it as a date.

He's leaning over right as you realize what this is, and you pull away quickly, head nearly hitting the window. “Jason, I thought we were going out?”

“We are. I just thought.. we could have fun first.”

You swallow. This was wrong, you knew it was. Didn’t you deserve to go on a real date like other girls do? What made you so different from them?

But… Maybe this was a real date. Maybe this was what other girls did. And if that was true, shouldn’t you indulge? You’d always been aware your relationship with Steve was different than most other highschool relationships, so maybe you were finally getting a taste of the reality.

You kiss him first, practically surging forward. It’s hard and sloppy. It’s too much. It’s wrong.

You remind yourself that this is what real girls do.

You kiss him harder, holding back the whimper that begs to escape from your throat as he slips his tongue into your mouth. He tastes like cigarettes and mint - nothing like Steve.

He pulls you by your hips over the center console awkwardly, your legs banging against the dashboard as you move, but he never breaks apart.

You settle on his lap, letting him push and pull you anyway he wants. He’s in no way soft - wandering hands never asking for permission as he slips them under your shirt. This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong-

“Jason-” You breathe between his hungry lips, attempting to push away, but he grabs the back of your neck and forces you against him again. Your hands push at his chest hard, and he’s so shocked he lets you go.

“What’s your problem?” He pants, eyebrows knitted together.

You want to sob- because what the hell are you doing? Kissing Jason Carver in his car in the middle of nowhere? This is wrong. If this is what other girls do, then you don’t want to be like them.

“Can we-” You suck in a breath, shifting uncomfortably on his lap, “Can we just take a break? Maybe actually talk and try to get to know each other?”

He stares at you coldly for a few moments, blue eyes searching your face for something you’re not sure of. Then he’s laughing - as if you’ve said the funniest thing in the world. His chest convulses as he does, and he attempts to kiss you again but you pull away.

His laughter immediately stops and his face contorts into anger, his nostrils flared. “Are you kidding me?”

“Jason-” You attempt, but he’s pushing you off of him before you can get the word out. You land in the passenger seat uncomfortably, legs at an awkward angle but you feel too unnerved to move.

“You came onto me first!”

He was right, you had kissed him first. It was your fault he thought he’d be getting something else tonight. “I know and i’m sorry, but-”

He cuts you off with a laugh, tongue running over his teeth like a hungry animal. “I mean- there’s no way you’re being serious right now, right?” He asks, “Why the hell do you think I brought you out here? To talk? I thought you were smarter than that.”

Your eyes go wide, jaw hanging open as you process his words. Had you really been so stupid?

He points an accusing finger at you, “If you think any guy is going to want you beyond just fucking you then you’re in for a treat. Now get the fuck out of my car.”

“Jason-”

“Get out!”

So you do. You stumble a bit as your feet hit the grass, barely having any time to close the door before he’s speeding off.

The tears come before you can stop them, arms wrapping around yourself as you stare out into the lake.

The water makes the air feel cooler, so goosebumps form across your skin and cause a shiver up your spine. You don’t know how to get home from here - or to the bookshop. But there is one place you can think of.

You're not sure how long you walk, you just know by the time you reach the hill your feet hurt and your calves feel practically numb.

You collapse onto the grass with a soft groan, immediately hugging your knees to your chest. The tears had long since stopped and were replaced with occasional hiccups, eyes glassy but the tears never falling.

You stare up at the sky, finding comfort in all of the familiar constellations. Lately they’d been the only constant thing in your life, the one thing you knew would always be there and would never go away.

You hate that Steve was right more than you’d like to admit. He doesn’t deserve you, you’re so much better than he ever will be. What right did he have to say something like that to you? It makes you almost nauseous.

Steve Harrington had become something of an anomaly to you over the past year. You’d been told thousands of times that he’d changed by Robin - hell, Steve himself had been making an effort to show you that he’d never make the same mistakes he had again, but it was like you couldn’t accept it.

Your heart had subconsciously built up brick walls to protect yourself from ever being hurt like that again, and any mention of Steve Harrington threatened to tear them down.

You sigh, forehead dipping down to rest on your knees. You’re not sure how you’re going to get home, but right now it’s the last thing in your mind.

“Y/N?”

You’re head shoot’s up, neck craning to see the eyes of the person in front of you.

It doesn’t surprise you once you realize it’s Steve, because who else would be out here this late?

“Hi.” You mumble, head immediately going back to lay on your knees comfortably.

He sits down next to you cautiously, plastic bag falling next to him as he does. He subconsciously makes sure to leave enough distance between the both of you so he doesn’t scare you off. “Where’s your date?”

You close your eyes, breaths coming in shallow as you shift uncomfortably. Your head lols lazily to the side, allowing yourself to get a full view of his face. His eyebrows are raised and his arms are behind him and holding his torso up.

“Probably out being a douche somewhere.”

He chuckles, “That bad, huh?”

You nod, a soft smile playing on your lips. “Definitely wasn’t the best date ever.” Not like you had many to compare it to.

“I won’t say it even though I really want to- but just know i’m thinking it really, really hard-”

You roll your eyes, “Just say it.” You huff.

He doesn’t hesitate, “I told you so.”

You mentally conclude that Steve should not be allowed to be right ever. “What are you doing here?” You ask.

Steve’s gaze falls to the grass below, throat bobbing as he swallows. “I needed to clear my head.”

You hum in response and decide not to push it, instead letting your knees stretch in front of you as your hands fall behind you. Your eyes fall to the white Walmart bag next to him and you gesture to it with your head, “What’s in the bag?”

Steve reaches over and pulls out a six pack of cheap beer, the kind you drank when you were trying to get stupid drunk. “I wasn’t planning on having any company, so I hope six’s enough for you.”

You snort, watching as he rips one out of its packaging and hands it to you. You ignore the brush of your hands as you do.

It pops open loudly, and you immediately bring it to your lips, ignoring the burning in your throat as it slides down roughly. Steve does the same, and you both sit in a comfortable silence and drink your respective drinks.

You’re not sure if it’s the alcohol, but you can’t stop looking at him. Thoughts of how pretty he is run through your mind - but so do others. Like questions of how you became strangers who knew everything about each other so quickly.

“Do you ever wonder about what things would be like if.. if we hadn’t broken up?” You question quietly, eyes lingering on the side of his face.

He doesn’t move for a moment, lips thinning out into a line. He breathes in through his nose, “Sometimes I do. But every time I remember how things are between us I have to stop, because lying to myself almost hurts more than the reality.”

Your hands tighten into fists by your side, and you force back another gulp of the warm drink. “How did we even get here?” You suddenly laugh out, “It doesn’t even feel natural.”

Steve shrugs, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Honestly? I’m not really sure. Sometimes it feels like one day I was waking up with you and then the next I wasn’t.” Well, technically that is what happened.

You're not sure if it’s the alcohol that gives you courage, but you finally admit, “Sometimes I hate you for turning us into this.” You mutter, “Sometimes I hate myself for not trying to fix it. But, sometimes I think that is how things were always going to turn out - that maybe we were never meant to be in each other's lives and we somehow screwed up Gods plans and this is our punishment.”

“I don’t think he means it as a punishment.” Steve breathes, finally letting himself look at you, “I think it’s more of a lesson. A reminder, maybe.”

You snort, “Well, I hate this lesson, and I’m ready for it to be over.”

“Me too.”

You don’t argue when Steve scoots closer to you so your legs are touching, shorts rubbing against each other awkwardly.

You and Steve share an actual conversation - one without any arguing or resistance from you. It’s a conversation like you used to have.

You don’t argue when Steve offers you a ride home, showing that his beer is still half-way full. You don’t argue when he tells you good night, in fact you bask in it.

That night when Steve goes to bed, he watches your light flick on and your shadow approach the window. You stand there for a while - contemplating he thinks - and he hopes that you do it. That you open the blinds and show him that everything would be okay again.

But you don’t. You flick the light back off, and go to bed. Leaving the blinds closed.

taglist: @stevesxwhore @billielourdslays @carinacassiopeiae

[vxnuslogy]

— a proper knight.

pairing: dainsleif x gn!reader

premise: fading memories of bygone pasts are no stranger to dainsleif, but if there were two things he still remembered it's his journey with an outlander, and his beloved mentor who loved flowers.

— warnings: slight angst if you squint

— author's note: khaenri'ahn people will always hold a special place in my heart. this has been in the drafts for so long and it's finally going to see the light of day!!! thank you ray ( @mikashisus ) for proofreading this <3. art credits to @.birdsofpasssage on twt. | 2.1k words.

a knight has seven virtues: courage, justice, mercy, generosity, nobility, hope, and faith. dainsleif often wondered why faith was a virtue he must have to become a knight, it seemed silly to have in a nation that believed in no god, but he was proven wrong when he first saw you.

“the nation’s finest knight,” “khaenri’ah’s greatest talent,” and “the light bringer.” these were all the titles given to you in your many years of serving this nation. just like how his father told him, khaenri’ah’s finest knight was fearless, just, and merciful. you embodied the hope this nation craved—a guiding light. he often wondered what exactly you saw in him to take him as your apprentice. but when he asked the question, you gave no reply and asked, “what’s your favorite flower?”

dainsleif was confused—was this flower loving knight really khaenri’ah’s greatest talent, the same harsh instructor everyone feared? dainsleif let out a heavy breath when he realized he might have signed up for the wrong job. but like the first time he saw you swing the sword, all his initial doubts were quenched. you simply loved flowers because they contrasted your brutal animosity on the battlefield—a reminder of the fragile and beautiful home you grew up in and the weight of khaenri’ah’s fragile hope of the world.

yes, you were harsh, and yes, you criticized every swing of his sword, but you cared. deeply so that you would drop to one knee in front of a crying knight who profusely apologized for retiring—the burden of being a hero was too great. you would take the burden of others out of their hands and carry them yourself, even if it meant burning out the light the people gave you. 

that day, dainsleif found a new purpose for being a knight: to ease your burdens and see you rest under beds of the flowers you loved the most, free from all worries. so he trained, long and hard until all his bones began to quake and beg for rest, and even then he never stopped. he trained until he adopted your way of fighting in the bloodshed—even when bloodied and on the brink of death, turn to your comrades and give them hope; a reason to fight until the end. he learned to bask in your silent company, weaving inteyvat like second nature, as if these delicate flowers could bind both of your souls together in a silent promise. 

you were quiet in your affections and bitterly cold in your duties, but even when dainsleif hangs his head low as you appoint him his title, he feels the gentle grip on your sword. he hears the crowd cheer and applauds, he takes this as a sign to raise his head, and he’s grateful for the neutral expression you’ve instilled in him since his trainee days. one soft look in your eyes that’s directed at him and he’d go down on his knees and kiss the ground beneath your feet—offer you the stars that hang in the sky and demand a seat reserved just for you in celestia’s abode.

the both of you sneak away from the festivities and dainsleif takes this chance to ask, “why the title of twilight sword?”

he believed you wouldn’t answer—you never did—and to no one’s surprise, you simply placed an inteyvat behind his ear. gloved hand brushing his hair back and securing the fragile flower in place with khemia. 

“you’re still young, my stubborn apprentice,” you start, voice carrying years of wisdom unknown to him. “you’ll understand when you’re a proper knight.”

dainsleif furrowed his brow in contemplation. wasn’t he already a proper knight? the title given to him should prove it, so what did your words mean? dainsleif should’ve stayed in the garden until dusk arrived. cherished the already scarce moments he had with you, but you can’t blame him for the hurt you had caused because how dare you view him as a little boy. 

he’ll never have the chance to yell at you or even get mad because, by the next few days, his home will be bathed in a crimson catastrophe. dainsleif couldn’t even process anything properly as you jumped into action—carrying the sword in your hand, cape flying with the wind as you barked orders. “protect the people! you are all knights, experienced or not, your duty is to protect your home.” your voice reverberated in the chaos before diving into the battlefield head first.

you were nowhere in sight and dainsleif had never felt so helpless in battle. all the confidence he's built over the years comes crumbling down as he forces his band of knights to retreat—their defeat was already set in stone. but he couldn’t give up yet so he stayed in the fray, swinging his sword, searching for survivors, and hoping to catch up to you. he knows he’ll die if he doesn’t retreat but he can’t bring himself to be sheltered when you’re still out there, fighting for your life.

the sky burned a deeper crimson as the fury of the god’s raged on. amid the battle, you stood there, all on your own, a figure of unwavering resolve and devotion. dainsleif watched in silent agony as you took down monster after monster, racing against the time you don’t have. he knew, dainsleif knew deep down you would not come with him, and that thought makes him falter. how can you, the person who taught him to fight for all he’s cared about, suddenly teach him how to leave everything behind?

“[name!]” he shouts, voice being lost amid battle, as he runs in your direction. dainsleif feels a bile rise to his throat as he tears his gaze away from the bodies littered at your feet. the flowers you dearly loved were now revolting. “we need to retreat.”

“i cannot,” you cut down his hope like a knife. you turn to face him, all the hope he once admired in you now gone as you walk farther away from him. “leave, dainsleif. let me handle the rest.”

“i won’t leave you here to die in vain.” he catches your wrist and tugs at you in the direction of safety. “we’ve lost, light bringer. please, retreat with me.”

you break his hold on your wrist, your gloved hands stained with blood cradle his face before shoving him harshly and desperate. “my duty lies here in khaenri’ah and i will die upholding it. but you are different my stubborn apprentice, allow yourself to be more than just the twilight sword.”

“what am i supposed to protect if you aren’t there to encourage me?” he questions, unsure of his purpose if you weren’t there to help him.

but you only smile—kind and reassuring. “you will make a fine knight one day, dainsleif. do not let this one defeat sway your resolve. i did not train you to give up easily. now go,” you push him further and further as the monsters roared and the gods rained their fury.

the weight of your decision was palpable—dainsleif couldn’t bring himself to breathe as you jumped into battle once again. he wanted to be your sword, the one to aid you in battle even when he’s no more than a rusty piece of scrap metal. he wanted to scream at you, how could you abandon him so easily when he’s spent all these years staying by your side? but you still turned back, eyes no longer as hopeful as before but they still flickered faintly. 

“carry on, dainsleif,” you whisper to him from a distance, amidst all the screams and crimson sky, dainsleif still hears you. it was not a command—it was a promise.

dainsleif’s last memory of you was the beds of inteyvats beneath your feet and the tears that stained your cheek. that was over 500 years ago, and the memory of that cataclysm was still a fresh wound in his mind. in those 500 years, dainsleif traversed through teyvat, following every and any trail of the abyss order to put an end to this madness. all the while, he found himself picking flowers from each nation, pondering which would be your favorite.

he’s always imagined your second meeting to be bittersweet; a harsh cut to the heart with you laughing at someone while dainsleif stood on the sidelines. but that wasn’t you at all, because when you do meet for the second time, it’s by a bed of sumeru roses and wild flora as you indulge in the aranara’s amusement. 

dainsleif has always thought you were meant to be like this, not a valiant knight covered in scars and blood, but an angel bathed in moonlight as you sang the kids a lullaby and wished them a good night. you were meant for flowers and crowns, not a sword or shield. 

he takes one step, then two, and then he fully stops. dainsleif wanted to approach—the yearning to catch up with the mentor he grew to love—but he was scared. who was he to disturb your fragile happiness? you had survived a great catastrophe and are now living a happy life, he no longer had a part to play in your story. this guilt for failure was his and his alone to carry. who was he to disturb your quiet sanctuary when he left you behind for 500 years?

“not going to say hello to your old mentor?”

dainsleif feels an arm drape across his shoulders, bringing him down to face your height as your other hand comes to pat down his blonde hair. “i taught you to be chivalrous and courteous. don’t tell me you’ve forgotten in a measly five-hundred years?”

500 years wasn’t a number to scoff at, yet here you were, the same hair that was swept away from your eyes and the same confident stance. you let him go and the two of you fall into a silent walk. to where? dainsleif’s not quite sure. he didn’t want to drag you into his scuffle with the abyss, he’d much rather have you stay somewhere in sumeru where you’d be safe. but he knew, deep down dainsleif knew, you wouldn’t pass up the chance to know what truly happened that day.

“you’ve been blessed with a new life,” he mentions and motions to the cryo vision on your hip. “you can leave khaenri’ah behind now.”

you only shook your head. “teyvat has treated me well these past five hundred years, but i’d much rather come back home.”

dainsleif presses his lips into a thin line and says nothing. what could he say, after all, throughout the years he’s been with you, not once has he ever convinced you to retreat. he was snapped out of his daze when your hand came to pat the back of his head. you no longer wore gloves, and dainsleif swore he could feel every callous and gentle press of your palm.

“you’re so grown up now,” you say in jest, eyes twinkling with uncontained amusement. “don’t take my last statement about you to heart, dainsleif. you have always been a proper knight, i just didn’t want to see you go so soon.”

he stays silent and allows you to pat his head like a child. when the two of you start walking again you tell him your reason for his title.

“twilight is when light and darkness merge,” dainsleif’s eyes never once left yours as you talked. you just smile and continue. “it’s a period where the world becomes uncertain, just like you. that’s why dusk is the one to give birth to dawn.”

dainsleif lets out a small sound between a scoff and laugh. “i still don’t understand why you carry the title of dusk. why not let someone else carry the burden?”

you chuckle and look over to the horizon. “i simply do not wish for someone to suffer as i have.”

“you’re foolish,” he mutters and you hum in reply. he tears his gaze from you and instead looks over to the rising sun in the distance. “why did you choose me that day?”

“you were the only knight who would willingly cross hell before he arrived in heaven.” 

dainsleif furrows his brow in confusion. even after 500 years, you still spoke in riddles he couldn’t decipher without any hints. “i have no desire to go to heaven if you’re not there. my duty will always be bound to the abyss.” 

“like a mentor, like a mentee, still so stubborn to uphold a duty that’s long passed. but even then, you’ve become a fine knight, dainsleif.” you compliment.

“i had a stubborn teacher, but they were the best of the best. the greatest knight in khaenri’ah.” there was a joking air to his response and you let out a chuckle. your hand comes to rest at the back of his head and gently pat it as you both look away from the rising sun.

“well, shall we go back home now?”

© vxnuslogy 2024. do not plagiarize, repost, or translate any of my works without my knowledge or consent in other platforms or websites.

[rakhalofthestars]

Trust Fall

Synopsis: Boothill loves eagles and wishes to mimic their courting ritual with you <3

Tags: Boothill x gn reader, Boothill's backstory mentioned, Pre-IPC boothill, Fluff, Humor, Light angst, Established relationship, courting rituals, Boothill is native american and latino a/n: This fic also has a bit more heavy usage of cowboy slang than all my other fics

Warnings: None !!

wc: 1 496

The people of Aeragan-Espharshel had many different beliefs, each one spread through word of mouth from parent to child. From the burning hot sun that gave life to the organisms on the planet to the tiny, hard-working ants. There were stories and legends behind each and every single thing, each having their own little tidbit of wisdom to learn from. Nothing was too small or too big for the people believed that we play our own part in the cycle of life, no matter our size or role. These beliefs reflected the tribe that inhabited the planet and the respect and love they held for the land.

Naturally, it’s no surprise that there would be stories and beliefs surrounding the eagle, which was seen as the mightiest of all birds. Its feathers symbolized that which is highest, bravest, strongest and holiest. Eagles were the symbol for a warrior.

It must be why you could find the bird all across Boothill’s person. The eagle feathers in his cowboy hat, which he had once fondly told you to have found one day with his siblings whilst running through the grassy fields. The small eagle on his left shoulder, attached to the burnt red sarape that he had managed to salvage from that fateful night. The small eagle insignia on his favorite 9mm gun, one that he had commissioned to be made from brass. The eagle on the back of his leather jacket which he had carefully painted using bleach, having even added a little cowboy hat to the bird to match him. You can easily remember how eager he had been to show you his more artistic skills, at least when it came to drawing eagles.

Boothill had always admired eagles. It was one of the few aspects of him that remained from who he was before the bombing. Before everything had quite literally turned into ashes.

Him and his fellow gunslinging friends of the past would often sit by a fire at night and yarn the hours away. Boothill would be lying on the soft grass, chewing on a piece of straw, his expression thoughtful for once as he’d stare up at the vast universe up above.

“Bee in yer bonnet, [REDACTED]?” One of them would always ask, having noticed the absence of his voice amongst the crude songs they’d have started singing by then.

“Jus’ thinkin’...”, would be his short reply, followed by one or two or the whole bunch prodding at him to spill the beans.

“Share yer wisdom, why dont’cha, O’ Great [REDACTED]”, they’d all tease and the young cowboy would laugh along good-naturedly.

“Was jus’ thinkin’ that I’d like to be one a’ them eagles up in the sky. Be as brave and courageous as them.”

“See, this is why I tell y’all to keep an eye on him. He’s an odd stick, ain’tcha [REDACTED]?”

But no matter how much his friends would tease him, Boothill’s admiration for eagles would never fade. He’d look to the great birds of the sky whenever he felt at sea. An age old habit that would stick until he fulfilled his role in the cycle of life. It’s what he did when the IPC had first arrived on his planet in their foreign and menacing spaceships, spouting off what he and countless others had thought to be taradiddles. It’s what he had done when trying his damndest to keep the corporation away from disrespecting the soil he had grown up on. It’s what Boothill does now when the weight of carrying out revenge gets too heavy for his shoulders, no matter whether they were flesh and bone or cold, hard metal.

Unsurprisingly, the man knew countless facts about these mighty birds. He had made sure to infodump about them when he took you bird-watching on planets that were similar to his home, thus housing the same or similar species of birds and the like. You were always curious and wishing to know more about your partner and his roots and who was he to deny you?

“See that one right there? That’s a bald eagle”, Boothill murmured softly one time against the shell of your ear once, pointing to the sky.

“How can you tell all the way from down here?” You asked, squinting into the binoculars that you were holding in your hands.

“Well, sugar, it’s because of that white noggin of theirs. No other eagle got that same appearance.”

“Did ya know that the eagle sound you hear in Penacony’s films ain’t actually the sound they make?”, Boothill would continue, ready to tell you the same little factoids and stories that his parents had told him.

You listened while watching the eagle. Well…you weren’t really focused on following the bird’s movements anymore. You were too focused on how the cowboy’s voice had softened its usual gruffness and laced with the aching feeling of nostalgia and homesickness.

During such moments, you usually rarely interrupted the man. It was clear as day to anyone with functioning eyes how much this meant for him.

However, your eyes caught a change in the eagle’s movements and you let out a surprised gasp when you see another bald eagle locking its talons with the one you had been following. To your horror, the birds had begun hurdling down towards the hard ground below, spinning in some form of cartwheel.

“Oh no! Are they fighting?”

Boothill looked questioningly at the sky, looking for what had caught your attention and chuckled fondly.

“Naw, don’t worry darlin’. That right there is what we call a death spiral. It’s like a courting ritual. Think of it as a type of trust fall.”

“What’s the point? Won’t they get hurt?”

*I just said it’s a trust fall, didn’t I?” An exasperated tone which quickly backtracked upon receiving a fierce glare from you.

“As I was sayin’... it’s a trust fall. That pair trusts each other to let go at the last second unless they wanna bite the dust….See?”

You had sighed with relief to see the bald eagles separating just before hitting the ground, quickly flying back up to the sky.

“Thank goodness… You still haven’t explained why they do it though?”

“It’s for courting each other. Eagles are one helluva adrenaline junkie. S’pose they want a partner who can give ‘em that rush.”

The two eagles interlocked their talons once more, spinning once more in the air as they fell. You watched in awe while Boothill watched you carefully, an idea taking root in his mind.

“Say…I reckon we should give it a shot too, sugar”, the man suggested and flashed you a toothy grin.

“Absolutely not. We’re not eagles, Boothill”, you refused almost immediately.

“Oh c’mon sugar, have some faith in yer man!”

The two of you went back and forth on the matter before eventually forgetting about it. At least, that was the case on your part. Boothill on the other hand…

–

“Your bounty is complete. How would you like to land?”

“...Good question.”

In truth, Boothill wasn’t too worried about the landing since he already could see you zooming towards him on an air-hover, ready to catch the cyborg. Oh, you were mad as a march hare alright.

“I’ve told you time and time again to have a better plan for these things!” You nag at him, your pretty face contorted with exasperation.

“Don’t get yer britches in a stir, sugar. I know what I’m doin’ “, Boothill drawls, looking too carefree for someone who was free falling through the air.

“You sure? ‘Cause it sure as hell doesn’t look like it!” You roll your eyes, following him down towards the ground on your hovercraft.

“I do, thank ya kindly. I got trust in you and mahself.”

“Take my hand then, you bag of bolts!”

“Not yet.”

It takes all your strength to not just up and leave the cowboy to fend for himself in such a situation but the thought of him potentially becoming a metal pancake stops you. You decide to trust his judgment, against your own better judgment. This wasn’t your first rodeo after all.

The two of you speed towards the ground, Boothill simply leisurely holding onto his hat while you were locked in completely, waiting for his signal.

Just a few seconds before you two would’ve crashed into the rock-hard ground below, Boothill whistles and with all your strength, you pull him onto your air-hover and promptly speed the vehicle back up into the sky once more.

“This is the last time we’re doing this”, you sigh, wiping the sweat off your brow.

“Come now, lovely. Ya gots to admit that it’s fun!” Boothill grins as he wraps his strong arms around your waist and nuzzles his face against your neck. You grumble at his actions but leave him be, opting to savor his closeness instead.

“Haven’t gotten your fill yet, lil’ eagle?”

“How can I, when I trust ya’ll catch me each time?”

[machveil]

I have no prompts at the moment, it was a long day at work, hope your classes are going well and you're staying warm and having good food. -🐸

you know what 🐸 anon, I’ll give you a prompt today and then write more - hope the rest of your evening is relaxing!

don’t imagine Boyfriend!König who, after a couple weeks, is finally comfortable enough to initiate touching you. his nerves have calmed down after multiple instances of reassurance from you - he can finally work up the courage to hold your hand, slip his arm around your shoulders, press a kiss to your lips

don’t imagine him finally working up the courage to touch you in bed. spooning you, a big, calloused hand resting over your stomach while his nose nudges your jaw. don’t imagine him pressing a kiss to the nape of your neck before grinding against you

CW: König getting handsy, groping, needy Boyfriend!König moment

Boyfriend!König was too nervous to initiate affection at the start of your relationship. he’s big, he’s rough, he’s worried he’s too much. he doesn’t want to smother you, hold you too tightly, make you uncomfortable. it takes a while for him to loosen up - a lot of sweet words and gentle reassurances for him to realize you won’t break under him

Boyfriend!König is still a reserved man, but he’ll nervously move to hold your hand, palm a little sweaty. he’s blushing hard under his mask, butterflies in his stomach when you squeeze his hand gently. icy blue eyes darting every which way but your direction, silly, lopsided smile tugging at his lips when you wrap your arms around his

Boyfriend!König that likes looping his arm around your shoulders. he’s silently baiting you into pressing a soft kiss to his bicep, a mock gasp leaving him when you do, “Ah— what was that for, Schatz? Hm?”, voice delighted he as stares down at you. if you kiss his bicep enough he might put you in a loose headlock to make you laugh

Boyfriend!König that bends down to kiss you, he’s even worked up the courage to do it in public - given there’s not a lot of people around. he thinks this might be his favorite thing, eyes fluttering shut as he cups your cheeks. if you’re truly alone, just you two, he might pick you up to kiss you. strong arms easing you up, hands on the underside of your thighs

Boyfriend!König is cuddly after the sun sets. when the sky is a gradient of dark blues, stars dotting the heavens, he’ll have you snug against his chest. he likes holding you against him - happy knowing you enjoy it just as much as he does

he was worried when you first started dating, “What if I roll over and crush you, Liebling? Was ist, wenn du verletzt wirst?”. it calms his nerves when you rub his back, cooing at him that he won’t smother you. “Besides, if you do roll onto me I’ll just scream.”, he couldn’t help but snort at that, soft laughter shared between you two

so he spoons you, shared warmth radiating between your bodies. he’s pleasantly warm, your back to his chest. he’s got a strong arm draped over your waist, his hand pressed to your stomach. it’s so domestic for him, contentment settling in his heart as he presses a kiss to your jaw - sniper hood long discarded when he stepped into your home

maybe it’s the domesticity that gets to him - the way his heart flutters from the proximity you have. maybe it’s because you’re pressed against him, his hips shifting against you. he’s pressing his face to the nape of your neck as he murmurs something, voice low as he grinds against you. it’s all so perfect to him, warm and cozy and soft

“König?”, your own voice a little lower, shifting to look over your shoulder at him. you stop when he nips your shoulder, sucking gently at your skin as his hand moves to knead the fat of your hip. the soft whine that leaves him makes you pause, a smile gracing your lips, “You okay?”

all he can manage is a soft ‘mhm’, sloppily kissing where he nipped before speaking, “Ich liebe dich— you’re so soft, Liebling.”, he dumbly mumbles, “Jus’ want to touch you, please?”. he’s groaning when you let him, an appreciative roll of hips against your ass as he mouths at your neck

[aphroditelovesu]

Winter Solstice | Yan!HOTD

❝ 🐉 — lady l: Merry Christmas, my dear readers! I wish you a great day and a prosperous New Year! I hope you enjoy this Christmas special with our yandere family from HOTD! Good reading, forgive me for any mistakes and once again, have a great holiday to you ❤️🎄.

❝warnings: yandere themes, mention of death and obsessive and possessive behavior.

❝🐉word count: 1,941.

A long, long time ago, when the Earth was young and the days were short, people looked up to the sky with wonder and awe. They watched the Sun rise and fall over the horizon, its heat bringing life to the earth and its dark nights bringing a deep sleep to the world.

In the ancient realm of the seasons, each cycle marked the eternal dance between light and dark. As winter approached, a whisper spread through nature. Leaves fell from the trees, animals sought shelter and the nights extended, enveloping the world in a blanket of darkness and cold.

It was the time of the Winter Solstice, a magical moment when the Earth seemed suspended between extremes. People gathered around campfires, telling stories of times gone by, sharing warmth and hope amid the impending darkness.

On the eve of the longest night of the year, eyes turned to the sky, waiting for the miracle. Slowly, the Sun began its journey towards the horizon, fighting the darkness with its golden light. The stars twinkled above, bearing witness to the celestial spectacle.

And then, in the most sublime moment, the Sun began to rise, rising majestically into the sky. The colors of dawn painted the landscape, and people celebrated the rebirth of the Sun, knowing that light and warmth would return to the world. It was a symbol of renewal, hope and the continuous cycle of life.

On the Winter Solstice, people came together to celebrate the courage of the light that faces the darkness, remembering that even in the darkest moments, there is always the promise of rebirth and the light that returns to warm the hearts and illuminate the souls ways.

It had always been your favorite time of year, you loved how the snow fell from the sky and painted everything white, the food, the exchange of gifts and most importantly, it was when your whole family was together. You appreciated more than anything the few moments of peace that your family spent during that date, all happy and together. Like a big, loving family.

Having them all together was what you loved most as you grew up. All the disputes, the fights seemed to disappear during this time of year. Your heart and mind were at peace.

The green of the forest and the fiery red of love and passion. Its fabric was as soft as a spring breeze, a harmonious blend of silk and cotton that moved like leaves dancing in the wind. The predominant green was reminiscent of treetops, its hue varying from a lush emerald green to softer nuances, like newborn buds. The waist was accentuated by a deep red belt, as if it were the blush of the petals of a passionate rose. The intense tone stood out, creating a magnificent contrast with the lush greenery, and a decorative bow added a touch of elegance.

Something beautiful and elegant, with both of your family colors. Of the Targaryens and the Hightowers. There was some small, discreet blue embroidery that symbolized the Velaryon, subtle but standing out in its own way.

You turned to your maid who was looking at you with affection, you smiled at her, ''What do you think, Diane?''

She smiled widely, ''You looked incredible, my princess/prince. A suitable choice for a dinner with your family.'' There was a hint of worry in her tone, but you just held her hands and squeezed them gently.

''Don't worry, Diane. Everything will be fine.''

She nodded, ''Yes... Do you want me to accompany you to where the banquet will be held?''

You politely denied, ''No, but thank you.''

A hint of disappointment flashed in her brown eyes, but she just smiled and after a simple bow, she left the room. You took a deep breath and looked at the ring that adorned your finger, a gift from your grandfather, Viserys. He was sick and you swore to yourself that you would do everything to make this dinner enjoyable for him. He deserved it.

Just as you expected, everything was impeccable and your family was already waiting for you. A majestic dining room, adorned with golden chandeliers that hung from the vaulted ceiling, casting soft light on long solid wood tables.

The walls were covered with richly embroidered tapestries, depicting scenes from Targaryen history and grand festivities. The polished stone floor gleamed in the light of the torches that adorned the walls, reflecting the grandeur of the space.

In the center of the room, a long table stretched out, covered in an immaculate linen tablecloth and decorated with wildflower arrangements and heraldry of noble families. Silver candelabras exuded a soft glow, while golden goblets glittered in the dancing light of the flames.

Music filled the atmosphere as skilled musicians played lutes, flutes and harps, entertaining guests with happy melodies and lively dances.

''(Y/N)!'' Your mother's excited voice called out to you and you smiled at Rhaenyra, who quickly hugged you, placing her head against the crook of your neck, ''You look great, sweetheart.''

''Thanks, mom. You look great too.'' And indeed, she did. Rhaenyra wore a dark red dress decorated with gold that fit her perfectly. She pulled back a little and smiled at you.

''(Y/N)! We're here.'' On one side of the table, your younger brothers sat. You looked at Jacaerys, Lucerys, and little Joffrey, who were smiling at you. You kissed Rhaenyra's cheek and went to sit next to your brothers. Or you tried, for that matter.

For you were quickly pulled to the side as Aegon grabbed you and pulled you closer to him, Aemond, and Helaena. You smiled at your aunt and uncles and greeted them.

''Sit with us.'' Aegon asked and pointed to an empty chair next to Helaena who was smiling sweetly at you. You looked nervously at your brothers, who were staring at Aegon with disdain.

Aemond frowned and placed a hand over your shoulder, ''Come, stay with us.'' His tone said there was no room for argument.

Luckily for you, the doors opened and revealed Viserys along with Alicent, both smiling when they saw you. You apologized to your aunt and uncles and quickly walked over to your grandparents, helping Viserys sit down.

''Ah, (Y/N)... You look great!'' Viserys praised you, as soon as he sat down. You smiled at him and kissed his cheek in thanks.

Alicent pulled you into a tight hug, ''My husband is right, you look great. This shade of green suits you very well.'' She murmured and walked away hesitantly, adjusting your clothes. You kissed your face.

''Thanks. You look amazing too.'' She smiled in response and held your hands, squeezing them gently.

After a few minutes of talking to your grandparents, you walked over to your father and uncle, who were sitting next to each other. Laenor smiled widely and pulled you into a tight hug, not wanting to let go. He only let go when Daemon cleared his throat, irritated.

Laenor rolled his eyes and let go of you, staring at Daemon with an iron gaze. Daemon returned the same look and you acted quickly before they fought.

''Happy Solstice to you both.'' You said, twiddling your fingers nervously. Daemon smiled and patted you on the shoulder twice, pulling you into a hug. You hugged him back.

''Happy Solstice, my child.'' Laenor said after you and Daemon parted ways.

''Happy Solstice, (Y/N).'' Daemon said, looking at you softly. You thanked them and apologized as you left them, wanting to greet your other family members. You spotted Baela and Rhaena sitting near your brothers and quickly walked over to them.

''Finally. I thought you would never come and talk to us.'' Baela complained and got up from the chair and hugged you tightly, ''I missed you, cousin.''

You returned the hug tightly, smiling at her words, ''I missed you too, cousin.''

Rhaena cleared her throat and stood up, hugging you as you and Baela separated.

You smiled at the squeeze and said, ''I missed you too, Rhaena.''

Joffrey got out of his chair and jumped into your arms, laughing loudly when you caught him in a tight hug.

''You're getting too big for me to keep doing this.'' You laughed and rolled him over, placing him on the floor. Russing his dark hair, you smiled when he laughed. You hugged Luke, who seemed especially clingy today. Jace also hugged you tightly and wished you a Happy Solstice.

After talking for a while with your brothers and cousins, you went to greet your paternal grandparents. Rhaenys and Corlys were sitting next to Otto, oddly enough, and the three of them looked at you with affection.

''Grandmother.'' You kissed Rhaenys's cheek who kissed yours back.

''Grandpa.'' You hugged Corlys and he hugged you back and complimented the blue details on your outfit.

''Otto.'' You greeted your great-grandfather, who smiled warmly at you. He seemed relaxed and calm, more so than he normally was.

''Shall we have dinner in honor of this happy day?'' Viserys's loud voice sounded in the room and everyone focused on the King. There was a bit of tension about where you should sit, but you chose next to Viserys and Rhaenyra, who shook your hand under the table.

Servants brought silver trays loaded with delicious delicacies. Large roasts of meat browned on skewers, exuding a tantalizing aroma of exotic spices. Tables were adorned with fresh fruit, from crimson apples to juicy grapes, and freshly baked bread that looked like it had come straight from the oven.

Plenty of wine circulated among everyone and soon everyone was laughing and talking. Your heart felt lighter when you saw your entire family happy, getting along for the first time in a long time.

After the banquet, you all went to one of the rooms of the castle, where the gifts were. The exchange went well, you received gifts from everyone individually and you presented them with what you carefully chose. Ser Criston was present and you gave him a gift too, under the watchful eye of your family, a pure Valyrian steel sword. He smiled in thanks and said he would give you a gift later.

When it seemed like the exchange of gifts was over, Otto said, ''We have a special gift for you, (Y/N). From all of us.'' He gestured to your entire family, who looked on expectantly. You took the gift from his hand, a wooden box with gold details, which was well packaged.

As soon as you opened it, all the color in your face disappeared. It was a head, a human head. You felt like you were going to throw up when you recognized the head. Diane, your servant.

''W-What is this?!'' You groaned, the words stuck in your throat as you held the box, your legs shaking as terror invaded your body. Everyone seemed calm, even Viserys.

''This is our gift to you, my child.'' Rhaenyra said and approached you, placing a hand on your shoulder, ''To remind you not to approach anyone.''

''They can't be trusted,'' Alicent began to say, ''Diane couldn't be trusted. Criston was the one who cut off her head and Rhaenyra, Helaena and I cradled her. The choice of the box was Daemon's.''

They looked at you expectantly, as if they hoped you really liked the gift. Your hands were shaking so much that the box fell to the floor, Diane's severed head falling to the floor.

A perfect ending to a loving Winter Solstice with your family, from their perspective.

[wandasreallover]

New beginnings (wanda maximoff x reader)

Summary: you and wanda decide that its time to really start your lifes away from the avengers and build a life together

Warnings: none :) although it is criminally short

▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎

In a quiet little town nestled between rolling hills and pristine lakes, Wanda Maximoff found solace. Gone were the days of battling intergalactic threats, waging wars with her fellow Avengers, and living a life painted in shades of chaos and conflict. Here, in this calm suburban existence, she had managed to forge a life imbued with sweet moments and the soft laughter of love—a life shared with you.

The sun sent golden beams of light streaming through the kitchen window as Wanda hummed softly to herself, the melody familiar from days spent in a past that felt both distant and near. The smell of pancakes filled the air, mixing with the scent of fresh coffee that bubbled away nearby. You quietly entered the kitchen, barely able to stifle a yawn, your sleep tousled hair an endearing mess.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Wanda said, her eyes twinkling as she turned to face you. The soft dominance that often colored her voice was present as she gestured for you to sit at the table. "I made your favorite."

You began to argue that you could help, but deep down, you cherished these mornings that felt like they belonged entirely to the two of you—a private sanctuary that felt so wonderfully normal. As you obediently took your seat, Wanda poured coffee into a mismatched mug that you loved—the one with tiny flowers along the rim.

Watching her flit around the kitchen, her presence strong yet tender, you were struck by how she managed to balance her powerful past with such everyday delights. It was a learned art, one rooted in deep affection and the shadows of heartache she had left behind. She had closed the door on the life of an Avenger, not out of reluctance but born of an earnest desire to create.

After breakfast, you both stepped outside into the crisp morning air. The neighborhood bloomed in spring colors; vibrant flowers lined the paths, little kids’ laughter echoed, and the sun illuminated the sky like a freshly painted canvas. You breathed in deeply, feeling the weight of your choices—the leap you both made into this new life—in every inhale.

Wanda walked beside you, her hand laced with yours, projecting a presence that garnered respect and love from those who passed by. It was as if she carried with her an unspoken authority, an underlying power that told the world she was not to be trifled with, while also exuding a warmth that pulled people closer.

“Wanna take a walk by the lake?” you asked, glancing sideways at her.

“Absolutely,” she replied, her smile contagious.

As you made your way to the lake, the scenery shifted into a more tranquil backdrop. A wooden dock stretched across the water, swaying ever so slightly with the gentle embrace of waves. This spot became one of your favorites, an oasis where you could unwind and reflect on your life together.

Sitting on the edge of the dock, your feet dangled just above the water. You watched the ripples dance across the surface, mirroring the ebb and flow of emotions you dared to confront in your heart. Turning to Wanda, you asked, “Do you ever miss it?”

She paused, adopting a contemplative expression. “Sometimes,” she admitted, her voice soft yet strong. “But I’m grateful for the life we’ve built. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

It was her honesty that gave you courage. You had feared the day would come when this simplicity would feel confining, but not once had you felt that with her. The love you shared flourished in this quietude—a different kind of adventure.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple, Wanda turned to you, her emerald eyes glinting with mischief. “Want to see who can skip a rock the furthest?”

You raised an eyebrow, a smile breaking across your face. “You’re on!”

Wanda gathered a few smooth stones while you took your position on the edge. With a fierce flick of her wrist, she sent her first stone sailing across the lake, her triumph immediately evident as it skipped further than you had anticipated. You laughed, determined to give her a run for her money as you picked up a stone of your own.

Again and again, the competition carried on amidst laughter and playful teasing. It wasn’t just about the stones; it was an reprieve, a return to a simpler time when the world around you felt full of promise and light. When you saw her face light up with every throw, you fell deeper in love with her spirit—the way she embraced every moment, such that even mundane games became magnificent adventures.

As the light of day waned and twilight rushed in, you both settled back on the dock, breathing heavily but contented. Another moment shared, carved into the history of your lives together, winging farther away from the turbulence of your past.

"Tell me about your dream," you suggested, nudging her shoulder playfully.

Wanda was quiet for a moment, lost in thought. "A little flower shop, maybe. A place to bring color to people's lives. I’d love to arrange flowers every day—something beautiful and delicate.”

“There’s warmth in that,” you said, smiling at the vision. “You’d be wonderful at it.”

“Maybe we’ll do it together.” She looked at you, eyes sparkling under the glow of the moonlight, the intimacy of your shared dream igniting the space between you.

As you drifted back, lost in conversation and occasional silences wrapped in warmth, you felt a new fluttering sensation in your chest—the undeniable thread of happiness weaving close.

In this quiet life, protected by the mundane and the extraordinary, Wanda and you had built a stronghold, a humble haven where love lived not just in grand gestures, but in the soft dominance of shared mornings and the laughter that echoed across the lake.

You had both said goodbye to what was, but here, now—the essence of home was alive, tethering your hearts and souls to a brighter chapter full of promise. Each day brought new reminders that sometimes, the most profound changes start small, nestled within the ordinary, but forever echo through time.

[doumadono]

Synopsis: The BNHA boys confess their love to you for the very first time

MASTERLIST

Izuku Midoriya

Izuku had been feeling his heart race whenever he was around you, his girlfriend, but he was nervous about expressing his feelings.

One evening, you were sitting together on a bench at the park, watching the sunset after a long day of hero training. The colors of the sky reflected in your eyes, making you look even more beautiful, in his little opinion.

Izuku took a deep breath and, mustering up all his courage, he gently took your hand in his. He looked into your Y/E/C eyes and said, "You know, being with you makes me feel like I can do anything. You've always believed in me, and I can't thank you enough for that. I… I love you."

Your eyes widened in surprise, and then a bright smile spread across your face. You pulled him into a warm hug, replying, "Izuku, I love you too. You've always been my hero."

Katsuki Bakugo

Bakugo had never been great with words, especially when it came to expressing emotions. But he knew he had to tell his girlfriend how he felt because keeping it inside was driving him crazy.

You were spending a day at the city center, and Bakugo had been trying to build up the courage to say those three words all day long.

As the sun was setting and the sky turned shades of pink and orange, you were walking down the street, hand in hand. Bakugo suddenly stopped and turned to face you, a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Listen, dumbass," he began gruffly, "I… I care about you a lot. More than I thought I would. Hell, I… I love you, okay? So don't go getting any ideas about leaving me or some shit like that."

Your eyes softened, and you hugged him tightly. "I love you too, Katsuki. And I'm not going anywhere, my fierce warrior."

Shoto Todoroki

Shoto had always been reserved, and expressing his feelings was a challenge for him. But his girlfriend had shown him what it meant to love and be loved, and he wanted to reciprocate that.

You were at a peaceful park, sitting on a bench and sharing some ice cream after another day of your internship at his father's agency. Shoto was staring at the ground, trying to find the right words.

Finally, he looked up at you, his heterochromatic eyes filled with warmth. "You've brought so much light into my life," he said softly. "I never thought I could feel this way about someone. But I do. I love you."

You smiled, and a tear of joy escaped your eye. You reached out and touched his cheek gently. "Shoto, you have my heart. I love you too, with all of it."

Hawks (Keigo Takami)

Despite being a pro-hero, expressing emotions didn't come naturally to Hawks. But his feelings for you were undeniable, and he wanted to be sincere in his confession.

He decided to write a heartfelt letter, expressing all the things he admired and loved about you. He left it on your doorstep with a bouquet of your favorite flowers (yes, deep inside, Keigo was a true romantic at heart).

Later that day, he received a call from you. You were thanking him for the beautiful letter. Hawks asked if you liked it, to which you replied with a teasing tone, "Well, Mr. Hero, you're supposed to be observant, right? What do you think?" Hawks couldn't resist the playful challenge and responded, "I think… I think you did. Y/N, I love you." He felt the weight of his heart lifting as he admitted his feelings.

Dabi (Touya Todoroki)

Dabi had always been distant and reserved, but his girlfriend saw through his tough exterior and understood the pain he carried.

One evening, you were sitting together on the rooftop of LOV hideout, watching the sunset. The warm colors of the sky seemed to ignite a spark of courage within him.

Dabi turned to you, gently intertwining his fingers with yours, and whispered softly, "You know, I've always believed that my heart was frozen, but you… you've been thawing it all along. I never thought I could love someone so deeply, but I love you, Y/N."

Your eyes widened in surprise, but you could see the sincerity in his words. You reached out and gently touched his cheek, "Dabi, you don't have to say more. I can feel it too. I love you too."

Shigaraki Tomura (Tenko Shimura)

Shigaraki had always been awkward with emotions, but as he grew closer to you, he found himself wanting to be more open with you about his feelings.

You had just finished a long and eventful day of planning their next move as villains. With everyone else occupied, Shigaraki and you found a rare moment of peace in the dimly lit common room.

As you sat on the couch, your head resting on his shoulder, Shigaraki felt a mix of comfort and vulnerability, something he rarely experienced. He could feel his heart pounding as he debated whether or not to share his feelings. His fingers absentmindedly traced patterns on your arm, and he finally gathered the courage to speak up. "Hey... There's something I've been wanting to tell you," he began, his voice unusually soft. "You mean a lot to me. More than I ever thought someone could. You're always there, supporting me and understanding me. And... I love you."

You leaned in to press a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Tomura, I love you too."

dividers by @cafekitsune

[xeeljii]

T :3

Thanks for the letter! -`♡´-

────୨ৎ────

ᯓᡣ𐭩 T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

CW: 18+, f! reader, toys duh!, se.x tape ...

“It is my birthday!” Those words had gotten you into this and now you were too riled up to stop halfway through. There is something so lascivious on the way his eyes close in on your entrance, completely fascinated by the way the muscles gives and tightens around the toy he is currently pushing inside you, phone camera on his other palm held tightly but with trembling hand. 

“You are sick.” You say but it drifts onto a high pitched moan that has you gushing around the pink rabbit vibrator.

“This is not even my toy.” He replies with a big smile on his sweet lips but he doesn't even look up at you, still too entranced in his own game. 

When you had finally accepted to move in with Joost he had found the old forgotten toy amongst your things as he helped you unpack in his apartment, he had teased you relentlessly purely because he enjoyed seeing how red you got but finally you had snapped and said if he was so curious about it you could try it out. He was against the idea of at first, not truly understanding the appeal when he could just touch you directly and make you cum in his mouth, his fingers, his dick, the skin to skin contact always his favorite part.

But the days went by and the idea grew slowly slowly inside his head, the more he though about it, the more new things he wanted to try and soon he started fantasizing about using the toy to make you cum again and again and again only focusing on you. So eventually when he built up enough courage to swallow his earlier words of not being interested he had asked if he could use it on you and when you said yes he had pushed it even further.

“Can we make a video?” Big shinny sky blue puppy dog eyes looking at you, beaming with love using everything at his disposal to plead his case.

“What? No!” You immediately raised your voice. "Why even-" 

“For when I'm on tour please." He had been sitting on the edge of the bed and started crawling up to you when he spoke. "I miss you so much.” He finally bent down and rested his head on your lap pressing himself close to you and wrapping his arms around your hips not letting you move.  

“JOOST!” You chastised when you felt him rubbing his face against you core already riling you up.

“Please" He whined still head on your lap mumbling words against you. "Plus it is my birthday soon, it can be my gift.” He had proposed it so proud of himself like it was the best idea he ever got.  

“You are an animal.” But you already knew you were only prolonging the inevitable, he had broken any protest as he usually did with his big puppy eyes, so you just threw yourself back against the mattress.

“Only yours.” 

And now you are in your current position, legs spread as wide as they will go, Joost nestled in the middle so utterly hypnotized by the shiny wet heat between your thighs. He is naked expect for his boxers that are straining against his hard length, the tip is wet with precum, the thought that you can have him like this fully untouched adds to the pleasure.

"So pretty." He licks his lips like he is a starving man in front of his favorite meal, it makes you tremble. He pushes the toy deeper into you, the constant vibrations against your gummy walls feel so overwhelming and the closeness has the external arm of the toy applying tortuous pressure to your clit. You try so hard to hold it, close your eyes so you won't have to face him and try to push away from his touch but he just keeps his hand steady and raises the intensity.

Everything is white noise, you feel your back raise from the mattress on instant reaction, the heat in your core snapping and burning you from the inside, you hear distant screams, it must be your voice but you feel so overwhelmed in your body you can't be sure. Your cunt is gushing all around the toy, your release spills down his hand trailing down his knuckles until it reaches his wrist. The vibration on your clit becomes too much, tears spill from your eyes as you close your legs around his hand and push away, he finally lets you.

Joost removes the toy softly and turns it off, throwing it away somewhere in the bed, but he doesn't let you rest for long. You feel his strong but gentle hands prying your thighs open again then in your dizzy mind you remember the phone on his hand. With one palm he spreads you open, exposes your glistening heat and your poor overstimulated hole that is clenching on nothing to the lens of the camera, his thumb rubs soft gently at the lips of your pussy just feeling your sweet release.

"You are really sick." You mumble barely above a whisper, still feeling your spine tingly with electricity from your orgasm.

“Now another one without the real thing.” Joost says cheery tone as he leaves the phone on the bed next to you just for a second , only long enough to take off his boxers and reveal his hard dick, wet red tip catching your eye.

“JOOST!” You complain, try to fight it, then he looks at you beaming smile on his face and you already know you won't say no.

And so he grabs the phone on his hand again and you let your delicious torture start.

[youngsadlesbian]

TEENAGE DREAM — wanda maximoff.

pairing: wanda maximoff x reader

summary: you managed to live out your teenage dream with wanda maximoff.

a/n: this came out of nowhere in my mind and i couldn't help but write and post it, even though it's super random lol. hope you like it 😉

word count: 1k

warnings: none, just pure fluff.

The first time you saw Wanda Maximoff, she was alone on the edge of a rooftop at the Avengers compound, looking out at the horizon. The sun was setting, casting a warm golden glow over everything. You were new to the team, still getting used to the extraordinary world you were now a part of.

You approached her hesitantly.

"Hey," you said softly. "Mind if I join you?"

She turned to you, her green eyes reflecting the colors of the sunset. A small smile played on her lips.

"Sure," she replied, moving over a bit to make space for you.

You sat down beside her, letting the comfortable silence envelop both of you. There was something serene about Wanda, a calmness that belied the power you knew she possessed. As the sun dipped below the horizon, you felt a sense of peace you hadn't experienced in a long time.

In the weeks that followed, you found yourself increasingly drawn to Wanda. She was kind, thoughtful, and incredibly intelligent. Despite the chaos that often surrounded the Avengers, being with her was like a breath of fresh air.

One evening, after an especially tough training session, you decided to take a walk around the compound. The sky was clear, and the stars shone brightly above. As you walked, you talked about everything and nothing, sharing stories from the past and dreams for the future.

"Do you ever miss your old life?" Wanda suddenly asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

You thought for a moment before answering. "Sometimes. But I wouldn't trade this for anything. Being here, with you... it feels right."

Wanda smiled, her eyes gleaming in the starlight.

"I'm glad you're here," she said softly. "You've made everything... better."

You felt your heart swell at her words. Reaching out, you gently held her hand.

"You too, Wanda. You too."

As the weeks turned into months, your bond with Wanda grew stronger. You found yourself falling for her more and more each day. Finally, you gathered the courage to ask her out.

"Hey, Wanda," you nervously began one afternoon. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me. Like... on a date."

Wanda's eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled warmly.

"I'd love to," she replied, a hint of enthusiasm in her voice.

You planned a simple yet thoughtful evening. A picnic under the stars, complete with her favorite foods and a cozy blanket. As you spread out the blanket and unpacked the food, Wanda looked around, her eyes shining with happiness.

"This is perfect," she said, taking your hand. "Thank you."

You spent the night talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. As the night wore on, you found yourselves lying side by side, gazing up at the stars.

"Have you ever wondered what's out there?" Wanda asked, her voice soft.

"All the time," you replied. "But right now, I'm more interested in what's right here."

Wanda turned to you, her eyes meeting yours. Slowly, she leaned in, and you met her halfway. The kiss was gentle, sweet, and filled with all the emotions you both were feeling. It was a moment you would never forget.

After that night, you and Wanda became inseparable. You trained together, fought together, and supported each other through tough times. The other Avengers noticed the change in both of you and were happy to see you both so content.

One night, after a long day of training, you and Wanda were curled up on the common room couch, watching a movie. When the credits rolled, Wanda turned to you, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" you asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"I was thinking about the future," she replied. "About us."

You felt warmth spread through your chest. "About us?"

"I want to build a life with you," she said softly. "I want us to be together, no matter what happens."

You smiled, pulling her closer.

"I want that too, Wanda. More than anything."

From that moment on, the two of you worked towards that future. You supported each other on missions, injuries, and the day-to-day challenges as Avengers. And through it all, the love you felt for each other only grew stronger.

Life as an Avenger was never easy, and there were times when stress and danger took their toll on both of you. But no matter how tough things got, you always had each other to lean on.

A particularly tough mission left both of you physically and emotionally exhausted. As you were together in the medical wing, tending to your injuries, Wanda held your hand.

"We'll get through this," she said firmly. "We always do."

You nodded, grateful for her strength.

"As long as we're together, I know we can face anything."

And face it you did. With every battle, every challenge, you faced it together. Your love for each other was a constant source of strength and comfort, a beacon of hope in the darkest times.

Years passed, and you and Wanda continued to build your lives together. You moved into a cozy apartment in the city, creating a home filled with love and laughter. Despite the demands of your roles as Avengers, you always made time for each other.

One night, as you were on the terrace, watching the sunset, Wanda turned to you with a smile.

"Remember our first sunset together?"

"How could I forget?" you replied, holding her hand. "It was the moment I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

Wanda's smile widened, and she leaned in to kiss you. "I feel the same."

As the sun set, you knew that no matter what the future held, you and Wanda would face it together. Your love had stood the test of time, and you were ready for whatever came next.

Your life with Wanda was filled with countless moments of joy and celebration. From birthdays and parties to quiet nights spent together, each milestone was a testament to the love you shared.

On one particularly memorable anniversary, you decided to recreate your first date. You set up a picnic under the stars, just like that night many years ago. As you laid out the blanket and unpacked the food, Wanda's eyes sparkled with delight.

"This is perfect," she said, holding your hand. "Thank you for always making me feel special."

You smiled, pulling her close. "You are special, Wanda. Every moment with you is a gift."

As you lay side by side, looking up at the stars, you felt a deep sense of contentment. Your love for Wanda had only grown stronger over the years, and you knew that no matter what challenges came your way, you would always have each other.

As time went on, you continued to grow together, both as individuals and as a couple. You supported each other in new endeavors and challenges, always striving to be the best versions of yourselves.

One day, while working together on a new project, Wanda turned to you with a thoughtful expression.

"Have you ever wondered what the future holds for us?"

"All the time," you replied, smiling. "But I know that whatever happens, we'll face it together."

Wanda's eyes softened, and she reached out to hold your hand.

"I love you more than words can say, detka."

"I love you too, Wanda," you said, pulling her close. "And I always will."

Life had its ups and downs, and there were moments when the challenges seemed insurmountable. But through every trial, the two of you faced it all together, your love being a constant source of strength.

A particularly difficult period tested your resilience like never before. You had been trying to get pregnant, and it turns out that you couldn't. Wanda presented a certain difficulty with this. As you lay together, Wanda whispered words of comfort and reassurance.

"We'll get through this," you said firmly. "We always do."

Wanda nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "As long as we're together, I know we can face anything."

And face it you did. Through every storm, every setback, the love you felt for each other remained unwavering. You emerged stronger, more resilient, and more deeply in love than ever before.

As the years passed, your love for Wanda only deepened. At some point you realized your dream of being a mother. The twins, Billy and Tommy, filled your life with a light that you didn't know could exist. Logically, it brought another dynamic to your routine, but you learned to love every peculiarity of it.

With Wanda by your side, you knew you were capable of anything.