#crap I gotta make another tag again

[rindemption]

Oops

I want to do a Dark Urge game, but Dexon is a little too evil for me to play him often (I don't like being mean in video games). Sooo... here's Jevan. More chaotic than outright evil, a little impish, deceptive when he can get away with it. A bit reactionary, but if violence doesn't exactly seem appropriate he'll try to hold back. Not when someone draws a sword just because he's drow though, that's crossing a line.

[myveryownfanfiction]

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

tags: @illiana-mystery

warnings: smut, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it kids), swearing, mention of John being abused

John stared at me as I let him in my apartment. His eyes roamed my body as I walked past him, wearing shorts and a crop top. He smirked as he sat down on my couch, arms crossed and jean jacket thrown across the back.

"So how long you going to hide out here this time?" I called from the kitchen. I heard John's boots hit the ground as he got comfortable.

"How long will you have me?" He called back. I grabbed something to drink and some food before heading back out into the living room. John looked over at me, his eyes roaming me again as I set the food down in front of him. "Thanks." he mumbled as he grabbed the plate. "He padlocked the fridge again." I stared at him before taking a deep breath. "Yeah I know." John reached over and squeezed my hand.

"So you know the drill." I said, shifting in my seat. John's eyes flew to where the hem of my shorts rode up. "John." I said. He looked up at me, smirking and shifting as he pushed the plate away.

"Yeah?" He asked, licking his lips and staring me down. I rolled my eyes and got up to walk away. John grabbed my arm and pulled me into his lap. "Where you going?" He laughed, running his hands under the hem of my shorts. One hand moved to rest at my waist, his thumb ducking under the waistband of my shorts and rubbing circles close to my stomach.

"John." I whined, squirming to get away from him. He held me fast and tugged me closer. I could feel him getting aroused. "John." He pulled me closer and kissed me forcefully.

"Think you can walk around here dressed like that and I would sit by with my hands to myself." He whispered, breath fanning over my lips. "I should have known when I walked in I would end up in your bed tonight." I giggled as I ran my fingers through his hair.

"You were going to end up in my bed one way or another John." I teased. He chuckled as he looked up at me. "It was just a matter of time. And what we would be doing." I leaned forward and whispered in his ear. John growled as he moved. I yelped in surprise as he shifted us so I was on my back and he was hovering over me, pinning my hands to the couch and wrapping my legs around his waist.

"But here's the thing sweets." He whispered in my ear. I groaned as his hair tickled my cheek. "We're not going to make it to your bed. See I just gotta have you right here. Right now." My head fell back as John started to kiss my neck. I ground my hips against his as he moved one hand to push my crop top off. Breaking contact with me for a second, John smiled devilishly at me before tossing it across the room. "Much better." He mumbled before kissing along my chest. I fidgeted as John kept a hold on my wrists.

"John." I moaned as he gently bit my neck. He hummed before letting go of my hands to take off my pants. He tossed them over the back of the couch. I reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head, hair flopping into his face as I did. John chuckled before shaking his head to get the hair out of his face. "Take me John." I mumbled as he reached for his belt. I ran my fingers through his hair before pulling him into another kiss. He pulled back with a gasp as he lined himself up.

"Alright?" he asked, licking his lips and watching me carefully. I nodded. "Words sweets."

"John. Please." I whined, moaning as he thrust into me slowly. "Cut the torture crap John. Just fuck me!" John kissed me, pulling away as he bit my bottom lip.

"That what you want?" He asked, eyes flashing playfully. I moaned as he ground his hips against mine. "Hmmm? Want me to fuck you? Hard and fast?" John pulled out before snapping his hips against mine, drawing another moan from me. "Scared your buddy is gonna walk in on us doing it on the couch like last time?" John licked a line up my neck and pressed an open mouth kiss to my jaw. He started to suck and nip at the skin until I knew there would be a mark tomorrow.

"For fuck's sake Bender. Fuck me!" I yelled as I tried to grind against him and follow his thrusts. John snickered and snapped his hips against mine. I moaned, tugging on his hair. John growled and thrust into me as fast as he could move his hips. My head fell back, mouth open in a silence scream. John pressed kisses along my throat, licking the expanse where he would nip along the skin.

“just like that baby.” He panted. “Just like that. Taking me so well. Just a bit more. Bit more.” I tried to find purchase on John’s back, digging my nails into the muscles. He groaned, hips canting against mine as he laid down on me. “Cock drunk are we?” He teased when I barely reacted. He reached up and cupped my chin, making my head nod as small broken moans escaped me. “Awe poor baby.” John chuckled breathlessly. “Gonna give it me? Gonna cum?” John groaned as I came. He kissed me as his hips stuttered. “Little more and I’ll be right there. Little more. Fuck.” John’s voice cracked as he spilled in me. He rested his head against my shoulder, breath fanning across my collarbone.

“fucking Christ John.” I breathed out. “Please tell me you didn’t ruin my couch.” John laughed and lifted his head. He shrugged and kissed me again.

“piece of shit couch anyway.” He smiled at me. I glanced up and shook my head.

“I’m just gonna throw something over that. Can’t keep sewing that one spot.” I said, eyes shining. “You ok?”

“yeah.” John said, slowly pulling out and grabbing his boxers from the floor. “I feel better oddly.” I smiled and sat up. I kissed his cheek and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. John leaned into me with a smile.

“good.” I said, leaning my head against his. “Then my plan worked.” John laughed.

“your plan?” He asked, kissing my cheek.

“yeah. Why else do you think I had a crop top and shorts on John?” I teased. John shook his head and cupped my cheeks. He kissed me deeply before resting his head against mine with a smile.

“what would I do without you?” He asked.

[writing-until-i-drop]

What's In A Name? Chapter Three

Meg Harding and Kate Carter were inseparable until their friends died five ago, then she ran to New Orleans to save lives as a paramedic. But when Javi calls on his two oldest friends to help him collect data, counting on their matching natural instincts for tornadoes, Meg goes home for the first time in years. That's where she meets Tyler and the rest of the Wranglers, the YouTube storm chasers her dad likes to watch, and finds herself fitting in more with them than with Storm PAR. Meg only plans to stay for the week but will it be easy to leave when the dust settles?

If a certain cowboy has a say in it, nothing about leaving is going to be easy.

A/N: Meg and her dad agree that a storm's brewing and Tyler has to make sure him and Meg are on the same page about something.

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

Kate hadn’t mentioned the late time of night Meg had returned to the room, her head too consumed by something else, which Meg was selfishly glad for. She had drank entirely too much, listening to the Wranglers telling their own crazy tornado stories. At some point she had ended up on Dani’s lap, giving her “hurt” cheek about a dozen kisses before the others had decided to get in on the fun, asking for their own injured cheeks to be kissed. Boone had pulled Tyler into the fray as well, telling Meg that the mostly silent cowboy had hurt both of his cheeks somehow. The man had turned bright red when Meg grabbed him by the chin, unashamedly kissing both of his cheeks. Meg had also gladly given Ben a kiss over his bandaid, something that Boone caught a picture of for their Instagram page.

Dressed in another pair of jeans and a cropped Muskogee State shirt, Meg left Kate to get ready, giving her parents a call.

“Hey, Pumpkin, how’s the weather?” Her dad picked up on the second ring, always eager to get a call from his only daughter. The sky looked innocent enough but she could feel it, the instability in the air, just waiting for God and Mother Nature to roll the dice.

“Mm, feels like something’s comin’, dad.” 

“That’s my girl, radar’s looking boring right now though, so don’t get your hopes up.” 

“Nah, dad, if you were here, you’d be feeling the same thing I’m feeling.” Her dad laughed, agreeing with her. “Kate gave Jav a week of chasin’ to get some data for this project he’s working on and I’m tagging along.”

“Is it nice being together again?” He sounded hesitant, “I remember how it was getting together after Dusty passed.” The Dust Man. He had been struck by lightning during a chase and hadn’t survived. Meg had been twelve and devastated, Preacher had held her hand through the funeral, explaining to her that afterward, they’d play some of the music Dusty loved so much and him being gone wouldn’t hurt so much. It had been her introduction to the idea of a second line, which was eventually what led her to New Orleans in the first place. 

“Yeah, Jav’s trying his best to talk about old times, and Kate, well, she’s trying.” He hummed in acknowledgment, “We were in a pretty good storm yesterday, you should’ve seen it.” 

“I saw it, on the live stream I mean,” Of course he had. Meg rolled her eyes. “Did you see the fireworks?” 

“I had a front-row seat to the show, Tyler’s crazy.” 

“You met him?” God, her dad sounded like a twelve-year-old girl fawning over Taylor Swift.

“I did, spent the night swapping stories with his crew. Which reminds me, what’s in Rabbit’s hangover cure?” 

“Oh dear, you must be desperate if you’re relying on that.” 

“Rabbit is good, Rabbit is wise, and don’t tell him I said that.” Her dad laughed again, giving her crap as she made her way into the small convenience store attached to the motel.

“Strong, black coffee, orange juice, and a little bit of salt. And, Pumpkin? Please eat some crackers too, that’ll help with nausea.” 

“You got it.” She saw some of the other chasers enter the store, also looking a little worse for wear, Boone in particular looked tired. “I gotta go.” 

“Love you, Pumpkin! Stop by before going back home,”

“Love you too and I will.” Meg grabbed one of the big, styrofoam cups and filled it a majority of the way with coffee and then got an OJ out of the cooler, topping off the cup. By the roller food were packets of salt, which she dutifully added.

“What the hell are you making, Doc?” Lily looked like she was going to puke watching Meg try the concoction.

“Hangover cure my Uncle Rabbit swears by, it’s not as bad as it looks.” It wasn’t great but Meg remembered Rabbit making it after any night spent drinking in whatever local bar they could sneak an underage Meg into. Meg had spent a lot of nights sipping on a coke, watching her parents and their friends get rowdy. “How are you feeling this morning?” 

“Man, when Dexter brought out the whiskey, I should’ve gone to bed.” 

“Me too,” Meg winced, taking another sip of her coffee. “You feel the storm coming in?” 

“Feel it?” Lily asked, making herself a cup of coffee with a heap of sugar in it. “You feel tornadoes?” Meg shrugged, taking another sip.

“Yeah, it’s like a gut instinct. I can feel the weather in my bones, telling me when a storm’s formin’, or if a cap is going to hold out. Just something I’ve always been able to do.”

“So, why didn’t you study it?” 

“Why look at charts all day when Kate’s got it covered for me?” Lily nodded in understanding, capping her cup.

“Now that I get, so, can you feel a storm coming in? I need to make a few adjustments to Cairo if we’re going out today.” Meg just smiled and Lily’s face lit up, “You’ve got to ride with us, Doc. You’re too fun for the polo squad.” Meg laughed, her head pounding in protest.

“You’ll have to save me a seat another day, darlin’, here, let me give you my number.” 

When Kate came running away from Tyler Meg couldn’t help but laugh, watching Tyler catch on and start hustling towards his own team. By the time Javi and Scott got the team together, Tyler’s team was already hitting the road.

“Damn, Tyler’s on it,” Javi stepped on it, driving like a bat out of hell to catch up with the Wranglers. In the back seat, Meg turned off her volume and opened up the live stream of the Tornado Wranglers with closed captioning. 

“Ah. Kate must have seen the storm too. They just passed Dexter and Dani,” Lily narrated from the backseat of the truck. She was keeping their earlier conversation about a storm brewing to herself, at least for the live stream, which Meg appreciated. Javi started asking Kate what she saw and it was comical, watching and listening to Kate and Tyler start talking about tornadoes in the exact same way. It was like they were sharing a brain. 

“Come on, come on,” Meg looked up to see the funnel forming, teasing whether or not it was going to connect with the ground rotation.

“You’ve got this, baby,” Meg encouraged. 

“Yeah, baby!” Javi smacked the steering wheel in excitement and Meg pounded on the back of his seat. On her phone, the Wranglers were having a similar reaction. Lily’s drone footage was amazing, capturing the moment when the tornado split into twins with impressive quality. “You ready?” Javi asked Kate,

“Let’s get our data.” Meg hollered in excitement, locking her seatbelt as she reached forward to mess Kate’s hair. “Mud Bug!”

“That’s my girl!” Javi and Kate did their little handshake right as we pulled up beside Tyler. Ben waved at Meg, who waved back. “Come on, Javi,” Kate encouraged and Javi stepped on it, only to have Tyler speed past them a second later. 

“Alright, guys, let’s stop playing games. Let’s cut these guys off,” Javi hit the gas and Meg let out a shriek of excitement, clapping her hands like a little kid.

“There ya go, Jav. Maybe next time I can drive,”

“No!” Kate and Javi shouted together, “I want my truck in one piece, Meg.” 

“Whatever,” She huffed, faking offense. As they pulled next to Tyler’s red truck again Kate and Meg both made the tornado movement with their fingers, making Tyler roll his eyes. Kate whooped in excitement and Meg was over the moon, it really did feel like the old days. Except if it was the old days, Addy would have mooned Tyler as they drove past while Parveen tried to stop her.

“Alright, which one’s gonna stay?” Javi asked and Meg rolled down her window, the loud noise making him shout as she tried to get a feel for the wind. “Which one’s it gonna be, girls?”

“Okay, I’m on it,” Kate started doing her thing, looking between the data and the sky. 

“Right, but something doesn’t feel right,” Meg announced at the same time as Kate told Javi to go right, which he relayed to his team. Then the wind shifted.

“Left! Go left!” 

“What?” Javi shouted, Kate glanced out the window,

“Go left! Take a left!” She shouted and Javi cranked the wheel, turning up dust. Meg slid across the seat despite her seat belt at the sheer momentum of the action. On her phone, she saw Tyler making fun of the decision and she decided to have a little fun, typing in the chat.

Should’ve gone left, Sweetie Pie - Doc

“Doc says you should’ve gone left, T,” Boone announced to the truck, flipping the camera onto Tyler. He looked somewhere between amused and annoyed,

“Well I’ll bet her an iced tea she’s wrong,” Meg snorted, typing back.

It’s a date, cowboy - Doc

“She said it’s a date, T! Wooo, come on, baby, give us a show and prove to Doc our boy’s got the better instincts.” Not likely, Meg thought, rolling her eyes. She switched off the stream, a text from Lily coming through.

Lily: Shameless, Doc. Flirting in the chat like that

Meg: I was giving advice, HE was flirting

Lily: Meg 1 Tyler 0

Meg snorted, hearting the message. 

Everything seemed to be going perfectly, they had picked the right twister to follow, the PARs were in place, and then the tornado had decided to change direction. Mother fucker. Being grazed by the tornado had been equal parts exhilarating and confirmation that Meg could in fact feel fear. Javi had put up a fight when Kate and Meg wanted to help the townsfolk but quickly gave him, his hesitation ate at Meg though. The Javi she knew back in college would never have taken even a second’s pause before doing the right thing. 

The Wranglers were in town also, handing out provisions and helping people find their belongings. Meg had sent a text to her dad that she was alright and immediately began helping the EMTs bandage minor wounds with the gear from her personal kit. Javi and the rest of Storm PAR had left the second Kate did, Javi had checked to make sure Meg could get a ride to wherever Kate had driven off to and she assured him she could. 

Hours passed before Meg finally agreed to take a break at Lily’s insistence, chugging down a bottle of water while sitting on a curb.

“How are you feeling, Oklahoma?” Tyler offered her a bag of chips that she waved off,

“Give those to someone who needs them.”

“Darlin’, I haven’t seen you eat or drink anything in six hours.” Had it really been that long? The sun was starting to set, proving him right, Meg shrugged. Tyler narrowed his eyes at her, pushing the chips into her hands. “Eat something.” She pushed them away again, slowly moving to her feet. Her back ached from all the standing she had been doing patching people up, her high tops did not have the same arch support as her work boots and she was paying for it. “Are you always this stubborn?”

“Only on days that end with Y. There’s no time to be thinkin’ about myself, these people still need help.” Tyler grabbed her elbow, dragging her back in front of him when she tried to walk back towards the ambulances.

“And they’ll get help, darlin’, but you passing out isn’t going to be the help they need. Now am I going to have to hand-feed you these chips?” 

“I bite,” She snarked, grabbing the bag and stuffing a handful of chips in her mouth. Tyler chuckled, mumbling something that sure sounded like I bet under his breath.

“You always this reckless with yourself?” She was about to say no but the multiple times she had been reprimanded for running into a non-cleared scene to rescue a child, strapping on her bulletproof vest with her partner Nick hot on her heels flooded through her mind. The rules of waiting for police to clear a violent scene were there for a reason but when a child was dying in that scene and she could get to them? Well, some things were worth the risk. 

“Says the guy who intercepts tornadoes in a homemade TIV.” That caught his attention, “Yes, Sweetie Pie, I know what a tornado intercept vehicle is and yours is a hell of a lot less safe than Reed Timmer’s.” Reed Timmer was another storm chaser, whose TIV was more like an armored tank. It was safer but not as good for off-roading as Tyler’s pickup. 

“Alright, so maybe I’m the kettle calling the pot black but my point still stands.” Honesty, Meg appreciated a man who could admit hypocrisy, even one that was becoming as frustrating as he was cute.

“And I may be less than mindful when it comes to takin’ care of myself,” She stuffed the empty bag of chips into her pocket, “But if you’ll excuse me, Dr. Phil, I’m sure there’s people with worse injuries than an empty stomach.” Tyler let her walk away but she felt his eyes on her while she worked. But when the police started announcing that curfew was going to begin, he was the first one by her side.

“Come on, Meg. Let me get you that iced tea I owe you,” He held out his hand to help her out of the rig, and with a roll of her eyes, she accepted it. Tyler helped her into the passenger seat of his truck like a gentleman, making Meg blush when he reached around her to fasten her seatbelt. Before turning the ignition he looked over at her, big green eyes making her heart skip a beat. “It’s important to me that you know we didn’t charge any of those people for what we gave them today.” Her heart melted right there in the passenger seat of his truck.

“I know that, Ty,” She reached out, rubbing his shoulder. Tyler’s expression was soft, one she hadn’t seen before. Not on the few minutes of his live streams that she had caught here and there or even the night before while hanging out with his crew. There seemed to be many different sides to Tyler and this one, this one looked like he was trying to bare his soul to her. Meg wanted to cup his face and run her thumb over the stubble there, to soothe him, and herself in equal measure. There was something about Tyler, besides his obvious cowboy charm and good looks, that made her want to be near him. To understand him. “I think what you do is amazing, okay? Yeah, you’re reckless and shoot rockets in places you shouldn’t, but you’re also always telling people what to do if a tornado warning is issued for their area, and you take care of them on what’s probably the worst day of their lives.” 

Meg’s hand slid up to his cheek, wiping away a stray tear with her thumb. Tyler leaned into her touch and she spent a few moments stroking his cheek, soaking in the warm and fuzzy feeling of Tyler’s eyes on her. 

“You still owe me an iced tea though,” She teased when the air between them became too heavy to breathe without thinking of leaning forward and kissing him. Meg would bet money on the fact that Tyler Owens was a fantastic kisser, her cheeks burned just thinking about it as she tried to redirect the atmosphere around her like the inflow of a storm. Tyler cleared his throat, starting up the truck, a blush on his tanned cheeks.

“Yes, ma’am, I do.” After a few minutes on the road, Meg caught him glancing her way out of the corner of her eye. “What if that iced tea came with dinner too?”

“How about a rain check?” Tyler’s shoulders fell and Meg couldn’t take the sight of him looking so sad, reaching out to squeeze his knee gently. “As much as I’d love to eat dinner in your truck bed, I’ve got a friend who needs checkin’ on.” When she tried to pull her hand back, he took it in his, holding her hand with his elbow on the center console like her mom and dad did.

“What if I pick up some pizza and then take you and Kate for a night out?” He sounded hopeful and Meg hated to admit it but as his thumb smoothed across the back of her hand, she had a feeling she’d find herself saying yes to anything Tyler suggested.

“That sounds like a good night, Sweetie Pie.”

Next Chapter

Taglist: @theforevermorereject @beltzboys2015-blog @writingrose @sinners-98-world @nerdgirljen @candlejuice @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby

[woofs-silly-ships]

Oh boy, it’s that time again

(Haven’t done it much here but when a big piece of media comes out, you usually get a hyperfixated ramble post right after I finish it and a deep dive a day later. This is the deep dive lol)

Warnings: discussion of abuse and neglect, solitary confinement, and ptsd/childhood trauma. And ofc spoilers for WOTFI 2024 and just smg4 in general

Oh yeah and since I’m tagging this as selfship, the selfship stuff is at the bottom of yall want to just skip to that lol

I think I need to preface this by saying I still loved literally all of the WOTFI besides the ending. The song was freaking awesome (I’ll get into that later), the challenges were perfect, the clown designs for the main cast were amazing, etc. I’m just trying to get the negativity out first lol

But yeah ok, gotta get the elephant in the room out of the way first: what the trio chose to do with Puzzles was absolutely awful.

I was mostly shocked that Meggy seemed just totally ok with it considering SHE JUST SAW FIRSTHAND HOW ABUSED PUZZLES WAS??? She literally met his child self and saw how weary he was, how he flinched away from her touch like those are clear signs of abuse and it seems like Meggy should’ve known that

So why the frick didn’t she object? Mario is always doing stupid crap so that makes sense, but you would think Meggy or even SMG4 would do something???

But why is it abuse, you ask? Well, Puzzles has one major issue, and that’s that he has no friends. And then Meggy became friends with his child self, therefore logically setting him on the path to redemption. But obviously Puzzles has done some awful crap and should’ve been punished in some way, maybe something like having to stay exclusively in the showgrounds for a while until he shows improvement, with the gang there to support him (just came up with that off the top of my head lol). But you know what they decided was the best possible punishment for this man? Solitary freaking confinement. The punishment notorious for literally causing prisoners to go insane due to lack of interaction. And you just had to give that specific punishment to a man WHO LOST HIS FREAKING MIND AS A CHILD DUE TO LACK OF INTERACTION?? DO YALL SEE THE PROBLEM WITH THIS???

I’m not even mad that they did that, obviously it’s wrong but these are fictional characters making that decision, and characters can be misguided. You can have characters that literally violate everything on a basic dni list or something, characters can be evil. My issue is when it is glorified or romanticized. And that’s pretty much exactly what they’re doing here

Another line that came out of Meggy’s mouth that really hurt me was when she said that maybe he’d get better in there, stop being so obsessed with ratings…. is she stupid? The whole reason why this all started is because Puzzles was an abused child with no friends who basically hyperfixated on wanting to fulfill his dream of running a park (and later tv production as well) but was shut down by his father and isolated himself with a tv all day. Meggy had just managed to heal his inner child and see the good in him. And then they act like finally giving him what he needs to heal and then VIOLENTLY RIPPING IT AWAY FROM HIM AND LOCKING HIM IN A ROOM (MIGHT I ADD, LIKE HE DID AS A CHILD DUE TO TRUAMA, THERE IS NO WAY THIS ISNT BRINGING UP SOME GENUINE PTSD FROM HIM) IS GOING TO JUST MAGICALLY FIX HIM??? NO! AND THERE IS ZERO INDICATION IN THE MOVIE, NOT EVEN A HINT, THAT THE TRIO MIGHT BE IN THE WRONG.

I’m sorry, but this is abuse and also extreme neglect of what Puzzles needed to change.

And also, Puzzles being a villain doesn’t make any of this ok. Didn’t we already learn that with SMG3?? Villains that have clear issues like this can be reformed over time, it just takes work. But no, apparently they’re not gonna do that

Genuinely speaking: if they wanted betrayal via Mario, they should’ve had him just straight up kill Puzzles or something right then and there. Or keep the original story but have the others seem horrified of what Mario did.

Also that scene really should’ve been given more time to breathe, I know this is the haha funny Mario spaghetti show but that doesn’t excuse going from villain being likely reformed to villain being arrested and the park exploding in a matter of 5 god dang seconds. Sure that would’ve been funny if this was some random side character or minor reoccurring villain, but this was literally the man behind 3-4 arcs and the star of 2 more, and a clear fan favorite character. Even if he wasn’t gonna die, they should’ve treated it like Axol or One Shot Wren, where both the audience and characters are given time to mourn and see what was happening, see character reactions, all of that. Even a stupid line from a couple of the police officers would’ve worked perfectly. Just time to process what the frick just happened.

My only other issue besides, well, all that lmao, is that the actual movie was just nothing like the trailer, like there were scenes exclusively in the trailer and that felt really weird to me

Ok, negativity out of the way now :D

The song!!! I was kinda hoping for a rap but yeah this fit way better lol, haven’t seen anybody talk about it but the puzzles design with just the head and hands is freaking epic omgggg

Also I loved how the parts sung by the trio are kinda more akin to children’s movie songs (describing exactly what’s happening on screen, the sad “I know there’s good in you” part, etc) and then Puzzle’s parts are just hahaha I’m gonna freaking turn your corpses into gushing mounds of blood-

Also GGRRRR I WANT TO DRAW THE CLOWN DESIGNS SO BADDDD!!! THEYRE SO DANG COOL!!!

And also UGHHH THE MERCHHH I WANT IT SO BAD BUT IM B R O K E 😭

The challenges were also really fitting, didn’t see any users I recognized but those that got in were perfect

And no SMG34 fuel sadly :(, eh can’t always get the gay old men lol, maybe next time

And yeah this is my selfship blog so gotta let a few of the demons out:

THE FREAKING FACE HE MADE BEFORE ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!! IGNORING WHAT HAPPEN AFTER HE WAS SO GOD DANG CUTE AND I JUST WANTED TO HUG HIM AND CUDDLE HIM GRGGRGRGR HES SO DANG SILLY-

Anddd that’s about it! This post will probably get like, 2 notes but who tf cares!! I just needed to ramble a lot lol

[littleseasiren]

Alpine

Summary: Your long-time crush Bucky has a secret, a tiny white kitten. She's the cause of some interesting situations between you and the handsome super soldier. When Bucky's secret gets out, will it bring you closer together or break you apart?

Pairing: Bucky x reader

Warnings: Mainly fluff, mention of animal cruelty, threats of revenge on the abuser, Tony being an idiot until the reader makes him see sense.

Words: ~ 5800

A/N: Grammarly is my beta reader, so any mistakes are my own. Comments and reblogs will be appreciated. Please let me know if you want to be added or removed from my tag list. Thanks for reading!

"Bucky!" Your voice echoes in the empty hallway. 

The super soldier looks like he is going to ignore your call but halts after a few seconds. He turns around, eyes wide open in innocence.

"I didn't do anything..." he mumbles softly. "I gotta go."

He turns around once again and starts walking to his room, his steps rushed.

"Wait!" You run in front of him. When he doesn't stop, you walk backwards, keeping him in your sight. "Where were you? We were supposed to have lunch together?"

"Crap," he sighs. "I'm so sorry doll. I got held up and forgot."

"It's ok. I saved you a plate. Why don't you come with me then you can eat it?"

"I, uh... can't." 

"Why? What's wrong?"

His eyes don't meet yours. "I just don't feel well. I gotta go." 

He sidesteps you when a strange sound comes from his zipped-up hoodie.

"Bucky, what was that?" You run after him, his strange behaviour making you suspicious.

"It's nothing." When he sees you don't believe him he rubs his forehead in apprehension. "Uh, it was my stomach."

"Bucky, for a spy, you suck at lying to me." 

When another sound is made, you realize it kind of sounds like a meow. When your eyes widen in shock, he firmly pulls you into his room and locks the door.

"Please, don't tell anyone." His eyes beg you, the blue seeming to hypnotize you until he carefully zips down his hoodie and pulls out an ivory-white ball of fluff, and holds it in his hands. The ball of fluff meows and turns to look at you. You gasp when bright blue eyes meet yours, the kitten seeming tiny in Bucky's large hands.

"I know we're not allowed to have pets. Trust me, I didn't plan on getting one. She just happened."

"She? It's a girl? Are you sure?" You move closer to him, reaching out slowly and rubbing the little cat's head and ears, making her purr softly.

"Yeah, I had to take her to a vet. He confirmed it." Bucky shifts his hold and that's when you see it. A small pink cast is on the kitten's back leg, along with a bandage on her small tummy. You can't stop gasping. Something bad had to happen to the little girl.

"What happened to her?" You ask Bucky as you both move to sit on his couch. From his hoodie, he pulls out a small bag and puts it on the table next to him.

"Humans happened to her. I was on my jog when I saw this car speed into an alley. He threw a box into the dumpster and just sped off. At first, I just thought he was a prick that needed to throw away some trash. But then I heard a faint noise. The closer I got to the dumpster the more I could hear. The box he had thrown away? It had her in it, all bleeding and crying for help. I couldn't just leave her there. So I took her to the vet to be patched up. Thought maybe they would be able to look after her, but since it's the holidays, they are full. So I had to bring her home." 

You can't help but tear up at the thought of what the little kitten had gone through. "People like that should never be able to have pets, ever. They should cut something off too, just to remind him what he's done."

Bucky chuckles next to you but his eyes are dark with anger. "If I get my hands on him, he'll be lucky to make it out with his life. People that abuse animals belong in the ninth circle of hell."

"That's for sure." When she cries out loudly, you both startle. "She must be hungry. Did the vet say what to feed her?"

"Yeah, he said I have to give her this formula for now." He picks up the bag and shows it to you. "He says she's almost 4 weeks old, but since she's a bit malnourished, I need to feed her a little bit every 3 hours. I need to gradually begin to increase the time between feedings before I start introducing wet foods too."

When she cries again you both chuckle at how cute she is. "Guess it's feeding time," he smirks at you as he stands up and walks to his small kitchenette. "Do you want to hold her?"

You almost squeal in delight, your smile lighting up the room. "Yes, please!"

Bucky decides to call the kitten Alpine, due to her snowy colour. You completely agree with him, the name fitting her like a glove.

The two of you work together to feed Alpine before you offer to go out and buy toys and kitty litter for her, secretly hiding it beneath bags of clothes.

When you come back, the two of you set up her supplies and settle in for a long evening of watching movies and feeding the cutest cat in the world.

You wake up to warmth beneath you and a small pressure on your lower back. 

You moan softly, feeling safe and peaceful when a gentle touch runs down your side. Your eyes blink open in surprise and find blue eyes smiling up at you.

"Bucky, I-" you move to get off the big supersoldier but he stops you by grasping your shoulders gently.

"Easy doll, Alpine's going to fly off you if you get up. She's laying on your back."

"Oh," your eyes widen at the situation you find yourself in. You're laying on your stomach, your head on Bucky's shoulder as he lays beneath you. Your stomach to his chest, legs intertwined with a sleeping kitten on the small of your back. 

You've never been this close to Bucky before, seeing for the first time the sprinkle of tiny freckles on his face, his full lips and perfect white teeth open in a smile. Why is he smiling?

Your cheeks burn in humiliation as you realise you've been staring at him and he's noticed.

Before you can apologise, he's talking, voice a little hoarse. "I'll lift Alpine then you can climb off. Just give me a second. I'll try not to wake her..."

"Ok," you whisper, eyes unable to meet him. When his arms creep up your sides, you have to hold in a moan that threatens to burst out of you at his touch. The man you had a crush on for months was touching you, but not in the way you wanted him to.

You pretty much hold your breath when his biceps sandwich you on both sides as he gently scoops up the sleeping kitten in his hands then holds them high in the air as you wiggle out from above him.

When he whimpers you look up at him but his eyes are the epitome of innocence so you must have imagined it. There was no way he liked you too, you weren't so lucky.

His muscles ripple beneath his shirt as he slowly stands up and walks to the new cat bed you had bought earlier, softly laying Alpine down as she continues sleeping.

When Bucky straightens and your eyes meet, you can't help but smile at how gentle he is. A lot of people think he's a miscreant, a bad man born from years of fighting, but he is the sweetest, kindest man that you have ever met. And Bucky holding a small kitten in his hands, so gently like she was made of glass? It just made you love him more. 

The heavy look between the two of you is broken when someone knocks on his door. 

"Bucky? It's me," Steve's voice calls out from the door. You freeze, not knowing what to do. You quickly duck down next to the sleeping Alpine, hidden from view by the couch.

You hear Bucky walk to the door and crack it open slightly. 

"Hey, what's up?" Bucky asks casually, making you smile at his words. He's definitely picked up some slang since he joined the Avengers.

"Hi, Buck. Is Y/N here with you?"

"Uh, no she's not here. Why would she be?"

"Well Buck, unless you started wearing her perfume then I'm guessing she's here." You can hear the smirk in Steve's voice.

You take a deep breath and rise from your position behind the couch. "Hi Steve," you say with a small wave.

"She was...uh...helping me with something," Bucky says to Steve, arms crossed in discomfort.

"I bet she was." Steve's grinning like an idiot, his eyes twinkling with laughter. 

"Tony needs your help on a project," Steve says to you as he looks around the room once again. "Are we going on our run?" He asks a brooding Bucky.

When it seems like Bucky is going to object, he quickly continues, "We'll be quick Buck. Thirty minutes tops."

Bucky sighs but relents. "Fine. Give me ten minutes then I'll meet you downstairs."

Steve winks at you as he exits, gleaming.

Finally, you and Bucky are alone again, neither of you knowing what to say.

The silence is broken by a small cry, Alpine letting the two of you know it is feeding time.

"You go doll. I'll quickly feed her then meet Steve and come back as soon as possible. Hopefully, she'll sleep while we're away." He smiles at you, his blue eyes twinkling with some emotion that you can't place.

"Ok, I'll try and be quick too, but with Tony, you never know. See you soon," you add as you exit the room.

A little more than half an hour later, you're back in Bucky's room, calling out softly but no one answers. Thinking he's not back yet, you enter his bedroom in search of Alpine.

She's on his large bed, napping peacefully when the bathroom door opens and Bucky walks out in what appears to be the tiniest towel that he owns.  

"Oh, hey doll. Didn't know you were back yet. I just forgot to grab my clothes."

"Uh-huh." You nod automatically, eyes focused on the beautiful man in front of you. His sculpted chest is the first thing you see, his muscles so much bigger up close. In the corner of your eye, you notice his scarred shoulder where it meets his metal arm, but you gaze away quickly, knowing it makes him uncomfortable when people stare at it.

Your eyes focus on a bead of water in the centre of his chest, slowly rolling down his sternum and between his well-defined abs, the ridges causing the drop to roll slower and slower until it reaches the edge of the towel he's holding in a clenched fist.

When he clears his throat, you snap out of the trance his amazing body seduced you into. Cheeks on fire, you glance up at him, seeing a confused smile on his face. 

"You alright doll?" His voice is rough, husky even. 

You bring an unsteady hand to your beating heart, hoping he won't hear how hard it's pounding. Eyes wide, you stare at him. How long had you been ogling him? Before your treacherous eyes could dip down again, you take a small step back.

"Me? Oh, fine." Your hands clench together as you do your best to concentrate on your words. "The, uh, cat... Yeah, I need to feed..." Crap, your eyes move down on their own, this time noticing just how large his right arm is, the muscles bulging as he holds onto his small towel.

"You need to feed... the cat?" He's smirking now, his blue eyes shining in the morning sun.

Focus! "Uh huh," you mumble before turning around and starting to walk out of the room. It takes you a second to realise you forgot one crucial element to your plan as you spin around again and pick up Alpine before shutting the bedroom door behind you. 

You catch your breath as you lean against the door, Alpine reaching up with her small paws and rubbing her head against your chest in comfort. "Oh, Alpine. My mind went completely haywire in there."

The second you said the words, anxiety fills you once again as you pray that Bucky didn't hear you speaking to Alpine. Having a super soldier as a friend was sometimes very tricky...

When the bedroom door opens, you're busy playing with Alpine, making her run after a feather tied to a string. You feel his eyes on you but you do your best to avoid looking at him. He watches the two of you for a moment before his voice fills the room, his body moving towards the door. 

"Um, I'll go get us some food. You must be hungry?"

"Thanks, Bucky. That will be nice." You look up at him and give him a quick smile before moving your attention back to Alpine.

"Ok, I'll be right back, you two." He says as he opens the door then stops instantly, seeing Steve standing outside.

"Uh, hey Stevie. I'm gonna go get some food, you want to join?" He mumbles quickly, trying to distract Steve from what he had said earlier. 

"You two?" Steve's eyes are wide open, a look of astonishment on his face. "Please tell me you don't have two women in there?" Before Bucky can say anything he continues. "You've always been kinky, but two at the same time? Maybe you should see-"

"Steve!" Bucky shouts, breaking Steve's tirade. You watch the exchange, too stunned to do anything. Steve is instantly silent until a loud meow comes from in front of you. 

Bucky sighs as Steve pushes through the door and drops down next to you. "Why is there a cat in here?" He whispers to you.

"Bucky rescued her. The ass that had her decided he didn't want a cat anymore and threw her out like trash. Bucky saved her and brought her here." You inform him as he sits cross-legged on the floor. 

"I know we're not supposed to have pets, but I couldn't just leave her. And the shelters are all full." Bucky joins the two of you on the floor and smiles as Alpine rubs her head on his knee before moving to Steve slowly.

The kitten looks up at him before slowly moving closer as Steve extends his hand, giving her a chance to sniff him before she rubs her side on his stretched fingers.

"Hi sweetheart," Steve says as Alpine climbs into his lap slowly, the cast on her leg making her slow. "She was injured then?"

"Yeah, I took her to the vet before I bought her here. I swear if I ever see that-" Bucky clenches his jaw so hard, you're afraid he'll break something. You reach out and hold his hand, showing him you understand. "I'll throw him out like the trash he truly is. Except he won't be alive when I do." He huffs out.

"You've always had a soft spot for animals, glad that hasn't changed Buck." He scratches Alpine's head before he starts giggling. "So, technically, I was right. You do have two women in your room. One's just a feline."

"Yeah, we all know what you were thinking Steve. So much for Captain America being a gentleman." 

"Haha, I am a gentleman. I just never said I was innocent. And neither is he. I know him, he's still kinky. There was this one time one of his dates asked him to-" 

"Steve!" Bucky whisper-shouts. Steve just winks at you in reply. Just what did she ask Bucky, you ponder.

Bucky blushes when his eyes meet yours for a second.

"Why don't you leave me with the cat and you two go grab some food? The others are becoming suspicious of your absence." Steve says as he strokes Alpine softly.

You and Bucky glance at each other and nod in agreement.

"Her name is Alpine," Bucky says on the way out. "She's been fed, so just keep her company. Thanks, Steve."

"And please don't tell anyone about her, she's our little secret," you add on the way out.

Bucky's making his way to the kitchen when you pull him to the side. If your hand stayed on his arm a few seconds too long, you chose to ignore it.

"Um, maybe I should go in first, then you follow in a few minutes? Or do you go in first? If they see us entering together..." your voice trails off, the implication of your words clear to him as his eyes widen and his breath catches.

"Uh, yeah sure. You don't want to give them the wrong impression." His jaw clenches for a second, eyes turned down before he continues. "Maybe I'll check if Sam is still in his room first." He turns around and starts walking in the opposite direction, his sudden departure astounding you. Just what was his issue now?

He and Sam enter the kitchen a few minutes later, his gaze fixed on the plate of food he fills. 

"So Bucky, haven't seen you around today," Natasha says in a sultry voice. You know she's with Steve, but you can't help your hackles rising at her tone. Were you jealous?

He glances at the two of you swiftly before focusing on his food again. "Yeah, I've been busy."

"Very interesting... Y/N's also been busy today."

"Well Nat," your voice is full of irritation, "we are Avengers. So we should all be pretty busy, don't you think?"

The beautiful redhead just looks at you before bursting out laughing. After a few seconds, you can't help but join her. 

Sam and Bucky just look at the two of you in confusion.

"That was good honey," Nat says between giggles as you continue eating. 

By the time lunch is done, Bruce and Tony had made an appearance too. 

You were just grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge when Bucky approached you,  the others having left earlier.

"Doll, I gotta ask," Bucky says as he bites his lower lip, "Before when you said I make your brain go haywire... did you mean that in a good way or in a bad way? I know I can be a lot to handle sometimes..."

You suck in a deep breath, your heart racing. So he did hear you earlier. You start to deny it when you see the look in his eyes. Did he really think you could ever think anything bad of him? 

"Oh, um. I had hoped you wouldn't hear that." He's standing close so you have to tilt your head up to look him in the eyes. "But I meant it in a good way." When he doesn't seem to believe you, you continue. "Bucky, you were standing in front of me with just a tiny towel on, of course, I meant it in a good way. You know you're attractive..."

Blue eyes light up as he smirks at you. "So you think I'm attractive huh? So when can I see you in just a tiny towel? To even the odds?"

"Keep dreaming big guy," you reply as you gently punch him on the shoulder.

The two of you giggle together before Bucky looks at you with adoration in his eyes.

"Maybe I will..." 

When you don't answer he clears his throat softly.

"Um... hypothetically, if I stopped being a wuss," he swallows hard, "and I asked you out on a date, what would your answer be?"

Some part of you wants to tease him and make him suffer, but you don't. "Hypothetically, if you asked, I would say yes. Definitely yes."

"Yeah?" His smile is huge, making the corners of his eyes crinkle. 

Sam appears in front of the two of you, trying to reach for the fridge.

"Sam, not now!" Bucky groans at the man, lightly pushing him away.

"But I want a cupcake!" Brown eyes cry out.

"You just had lunch! You'll get indigestion! Now buzz off!" Bucky forces him to turn around and pushes him forward, making Sam huff in frustration.

When Bucky looks at you expectantly, you simply nod in answer. "Yeah, Bucky. But you still have to ask me," you tease him.

"You little minx! Fine." He takes a deep breath, "Will you go on a date with me? Tonight if you're free?"

"Of course Bucky." Your smile drops, making Bucky anxious. "But who's going to look after Alpine? Can we ask Steve?"

"Yeah, he and Natasha can look after Alpine." 

You stare at Bucky, trying to understand him. "Nat and Steve?" You inquire.

Bucky snorts in reply. "There's no way that punk hasn't already told his lady about Alpine. The fact that he's dating a spy hasn't helped him be able to keep secrets. Not from Natasha."

"Are you sure of that? I think we should give Steve the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure he can keep Alpine secret for a while..."

"You wanna bet doll? $100 says she already knows."

"Sure, but let's make it interesting. Let's see," you tap your index finger on your chin, "if I win, you have to... take me shopping."

Bucky groans in defeat. You know he hates going shopping. "And if I win? What do I get?"

You eye him up and down, "What do you want?"

The corner of his lip lifts in a half smile. "You really shouldn't be asking me that."

"Keep it PG, Bucky!" You say as you tap his shoulder. 

"Fine," Bucky lifts his hands in defeat. "If I win, you have to kiss me."

"Deal!" You're way too fast in your answer, making Bucky laugh. "Come on, let's see who wins!" You hook your hand into his elbow as the two of you make your way to his room.

Steve's guilty look is the first thing you see when you enter the room. Natasha is lying on her stomach next to him, running her finger on the floor, laughing as Alpine chases after it.

"Steve! How could you?" You cry out in mocking anger. "I defended you, yet you caved so easily?" 

"Sorry! I tried but she saw right through me!" 

"See doll? I've known him forever, he's a weakling!"

"Hey!" 

"Well, it's true isn't it Steve? You lasted like, what, two minutes?"

"Five," Natasha giggles next to him. "Good thing I like that he can't keep secrets from me."

Bucky's eyes are beaming with the promise of your kiss. "So, when do I get my reward?"

You grab his shirt and pull him down to you, clasping your hands around his neck. You lean in closer, your breath mixing with his, before you lean to the side and kiss him on his cheek. 

You're giggling as you pull back, a look of astonishment on his face. "Hey, that's cheating!"

"Sorry Bucky, you never specified where the kiss had to be." You giggle as you join Nat on the floor. Your gaze fixed on Alpine stumbling around.

Bucky is smiling as he joins the small group on the floor. Alpine's movements become slower and slower before she admits defeat and climbs into Bucky's lap. A tiny white ball of fluff on Bucky's thick thighs.

"Guess it's time for a nap," Steve says as he helps Natasha up from the floor. 

You know you're in trouble when Natasha's green eyes meet yours. "I think it's time we had a chat."

Bucky picks Alpine up slowly, making sure not to wake her as you, Natasha and Steve depart.

"So, what's going on with you and Bucky?" Natasha asks as soon as you are far enough away to prevent Bucky from hearing. Steve had left to get lunch.

"He asked me out on a date," your stare ahead, a big smile on your face.

"Finally! You two have been pining for each other for months! And the kiss on the cheek?"

"That was a bet. He believed Steve had already told you and I thought he would keep Alpine secret a little longer. So he won and I owed him a kiss."

"Uh-huh. Anything else happened with him? I picked up some tension between the two of you at lunch."

"Um, I might have fallen asleep with him last night. When I woke up I was lying on top of him with Alpine sleeping on my back. We had to wiggle to get up without waking her." You bite your lower lip, "Then this morning I was looking for Alpine when I kinda walked in on him getting out of the shower in a tiny towel. I swear Nat, seeing those muscles up close almost made me pass out!"

"Seems like Alpine is the perfect matchmaker! She's getting the two of you into great situations!"

Natasha is bubbling with laughter as the two of you make your way to the training room. You are eager to work off some nerves before your date.

 "Ok Alpine, what about if I take her to a fancy restaurant for dinner?" You hear Bucky's voice softly through the door, a small meow being the only answer. 

"Yeah, you're right. It's a bit normal for a first date right? I don't want her to think I'm boring." It's quiet for a second then you hear his voice again. 

"A movie?" Another meow, softer this time. 

"Nope, she won't be able to sit still unless it's a very interesting movie. So what then?" 

"I know, I'll -" 

You knock on his door, not wanting to hear what he has planned and spoil all his fun.

You hear him say something on his way to the door, and Alpine seems to agree enthusiastically if her loud purr is an answer.

When Bucky lets you in and closes the door, you see Alpine sitting on his shoulder, nails holding onto Bucky's shirt for stability.

"Hey, doll. Watch this!" He's beaming as he takes a seat on the couch and removes Alpine from his shoulder. He puts her on the couch and wiggles his left hand. She drops down into a crouch then runs up his metal arm, her back leg struggling along, nails fitting into the grooves of his metal arm perfectly until she's back on his shoulder again, a loud purr coming from her tiny body. "Pretty soon she's going to be able to do all kinds of things. There's no stopping this lady!"

When Alpine's gaze falls on you, she meows and rubs her head against Bucky's neck then stares at you again.

Getting the picture, you move closer to the two of them and bend down to rub her adorable head. Her tail is curled around Bucky's neck as she leans forward into your touch, purring loudly in happiness. 

Bucky pulls you softly forward, making you sit on his knee, his arm around the back of your waist holding you close. His smile is enchanting, a similar grin forming on your face. When he leans down closer, your breath catches. This is what you've been waiting for, a kiss from Bucky Barnes will certainly kill you with pleasure. You've barely begun to feel his lips on yours when his bedroom door shoots open, Steve's imposing figure standing in the doorway.

"We got a problem, Buck." He hastily says as he closes the door and moves closer to the three of you. You climb off Bucky's lap and sit down next to him, watching as Steve approaches.

"Wanda and Vision just came back from their mission. Wanda has a concussion so her powers are a bit wonky. Natasha and I were busy whispering about how to help you keep Alpine a secret. Wanda heard our thoughts and got so excited that you have a cat that she repeated it out loud and... Tony heard. He's on his way here now and he doesn't look very happy."

You gasp in surprise and turn to see Bucky running his hands over his face, knowing what is to come.

"Maybe we can hide her?" You begin to say but are interrupted by the knocking on the door. 

"He won't believe it," Steve sighs in defeat.

"You two just stay out of it, ok? I can take whatever he throws at me. He hates me already anyways." Bucky stands and walks to the door. Alpine held onto his shirt, cuddled up into his neck. 

Tony looks Bucky over, eyes hardening in anger. "Barnes, I give you food and shelter, pay you for going on missions, I take care of you even though I can't stand to see you some days. And all I asked for were a few rules to be followed. One of those rules was no pets. Am I correct in my assumption that that is a cat on your shoulder?" 

Wanda, Natasha and Sam creep into the hallway, watching the scene unfold.

"Yes, Tony. I'm sorry. I found her and the shelters are full for Christmas. I didn't have anywhere for her to go."

"Well, either the cat goes now or you both go. Your choice." Tony doesn't even blink when he gives his ultimatum.

Bucky's brows drop in concern, eyes wide open. "You can't be serious Tony. Give me some time-"

"I don't care Barnes. The cat goes right now."

"Tony you can't!" You shout from the doorway, Steve behind you.

"I can do whatever I want. This is my Tower in case you've forgotten that. I'm willing to overlook your involvement in this but don't make me regret it. Any of you." He says as he faces the others.

"It's ok doll," Bucky says softly as his fingers rub your hand for a second. When he faces Tony again his jaw is clenched with anger. "I'm not going to abandon her too. Alpine and I will be out in 10 minutes."

Bucky walks into the bedroom, his meaning taking a few seconds to sink in before everyone pushes into the room, talking a huffing Tony with them.

"Bucky no," Steve calls out as Bucky grabs a bag in his room, starting to fill it with a change of clothes.

You face Tony, your anger making you shake with adrenaline. "I thought you were better than this Tony. Bucky found Alpine being thrown away like trash, her leg broken, ravenous with hunger. She's barely a month old. Now you're going to punish him for doing the right thing? For following his heart and taking care of a helpless animal? You are an asshole if you punish him for that. You're just letting your anger towards Bucky cloud your judgement. If Bucky and Alpine have to go then so will I."

"Doll don't-" Bucky starts but you interrupt him.

"No Bucky, I don't want to work for someone who hates innocent animals and would prefer to keep them on the streets. I refuse to work for anyone like that. I'm just disappointed that the mighty Tony Stark is like that." You glare at Tony, brown eyes meeting yours for just a second.

"Don't leave without me Bucky. I'll be back in five minutes." You start to walk out of the room but Tony stops you. 

He stares down at you for a moment before he sighs in defeat. "Her leg's really broken?" 

"Yes, it's really broken. Bucky saw a man stop in the alley and throw the box in the trash, luckily he heard her cries and rescued her. He took her to the vet and the vet fixed her up. She's a tiny kitten, Tony. If it was you who found her, would you have just left her there?"

He doesn't answer you as he turns to Bucky's bedroom. "Let me see her."

Bucky gently wraps his large hands around her tiny body, being careful of her cast before he softly puts her in Tony's outstretched hands. He watches Tony like a hawk, analysing his every move to make sure he doesn't hurt his baby kitten.

Tony brings her closer to his chest, his right hand stroking her head softly as sky-blue eyes gaze at him in appreciation. "I don't hate animals. I just can't have everyone running around with their pets. This is a dangerous place, and we can't have dozens of animals staying here. If I allow one person to have a pet, the others would want them too."

"Maybe Alpine can be the Team's cat? She already has a bond with Bucky but animals have so much love, they give it to anyone who loves them in return." You grasp Bucky's hand and give it a squeeze. "Besides, a cat has a mischievous side too, the more people who engage with her, the more fun she'd have. It'll help her stay out of trouble."

"You'd be willing to share her?" Tony asks Bucky hesitantly. 

"Of course, I hate having her cooped up in my bedroom, the more she can explore, the better. Besides, this cutie needs all the love she can get. Together we can show her that not all humans are bad."

"Fine, Barnes and Alpine can stay." Tony relents, making the others cheer in response. "But I'm cuddling with her in the living room first!" Tony calls out as he walks out of the room, mumbling to Alpine that he will buy her the best of everything, including a big climbing set as soon as her leg gets better. The rest of the team follows Tony, each adding to the list of what has to be bought for the best kitten in the world.

"So Bucky, you get to stay, after all." 

"Thanks to you, doll. What you said was amazing, I've never seen someone rip into Tony so easily." Unsure blue eyes meet yours. "Would you have left with me? If he hadn't changed his mind?"

"Yeah Bucky. I would have. What I said was the truth. I'd go anywhere with you." 

"You're so sure I'm worth it? That I'm good?"

"Bucky, you saved a helpless kitten. You did it because you cared, not because you wanted praise or attention. Hell, you tried to keep it a secret! Anyone who cares so much about animals that they are willing to walk out on what they know just to keep them safe can't be bad. It's impossible. You're the best Bucky. And now that Alpine has a whole family to look after her, I think it's the perfect time to go on that date you owe me."

"Of course, doll. Anything you want."

"Anything?" You smirk at him, wickedness in your eyes.

"Anything," he replies as he drops his head down, hands wrapping around your waist. Your arms circle his neck as you stand on your toes to meet him, kissing him like you've wanted to for months. And he's all too happy to reciprocate.

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[sev-on-kamino]

Y’all thirsty? No? Let’s change that! We’re talking ✨Commander Fox✨ today.

I’ve got Fox on the brain, and you know me: I’ve gotta make that everyone’s problem. (MINORS DNI)

Fox’s priorities: his job, his brothers, making sure the caf machine is always in working order, and making sure no one ever finds out he’s been sneaking Grizzer treats for months (notice that his own well-being isn’t on that list😒)

He hasn’t finished a hot cup of caf in months.

He and Wolffe have a call once every couple of weeks, as time allows, to catch up. Wolffe fusses at Fox for taking crap care of himself, and Fox pretends to be annoyed, but he loves it.

They text in between calls, and it’s mostly just roasting the shit out of each other

Big “I wasn’t sleeping I was resting my eyes” energy

He has a weakness for sweets, like “ooh a piece a candy” right into a trap kinda weakness. Thorn has been known to include sweets with his reports when he knows there’s some shit in there that’s gonna get Fox’s blood pressure up.

Stomach sleeper with one leg out from under the blanket

Amazing card player, like take him to the casino today (Only Cross and Tech are better than Fox imo)

Lowkey loves fucking with people. Wolffe and Thorn the most of course.

He’s a hardass but he will do the sweetest shit for people he loves. Just don’t call too much attention to it because he’s got a reputation to maintain 😒

It ventures into NSFW territory past this point, Minors DNI 🔞

Fox x Reader HCs

some of these are mad specific because of my in progress series 😅

He’s awkward in the transition from friends w/ benefits to an actual relationship

He’s very much the “you? in love with me? sounds fake but ok” type

Even if he’s in love with you, he won’t believe it. You have to show him all the time. He needs hard evidence 🧐

He’s a “let’s be alone together” partner. You’re doing your thing, he’s doing his thing. He likes that he can see you, and that he can reach out and touch you whenever he likes

When he cares for someone, they’re getting all the sweet pillow talk, take notes while he’s in a sharing mood

The post-nut clarity can either take him to a really great place (ah, this person I’m with does care for me and want me for me), or a horrible place (oh, I’m just another notch in their bedpost and why are they still here???)

He enjoys orgasm control/denial

He defaults to positions where he can see your face the whole time because you look pretty while he’s ruining you

Once things are established, and he’s grudgingly accepted that you truly care for him, and he’s done resisting feelings for you, you’ve unlocked soft!Fox

Soft!Fox only exists behind closed doors but he’ll make you fall in love with Fox all over again

More on soft!Fox in a future post 😌

tagging: @secondaryrealm @dystopicjumpsuit @iamburdened @sunshinesdaydream

[hoffstrap-yuri]

Cat for Tat

ao3 // masterlist

Summary: Peter was not sure how he would prove to his roommate that a cat could understand the innate human instinct to be a bother to, him, Peter Strahm.

Tags/Content: Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Crack, Animal Transformation

Rating: T for Teen (For now subject to change)

Status: Chapter 2 of ??. Chapter 1 can be found here. Chapter 3 can be found here. (EXPLICIT CONTENT BEGINS HERE)

Author's Note:

Can you tell I'm procrastinating on my long fic with this fic? xD

Once again inspired by the lovely @dixxiemaegraphics art of Hoffkitty. That and the dynamic of Lindsey and Strahm as besties/siblings is so important.... to me. May include a cameo if you blink.

Please enjoy!

“Would it kill you to teach him tricks? At least then he could entertain us.” Strahm scoffed. It’d been over a week of Mark’s terror inflicted onto the house. His current favorite activity, much to Strahm’s dismay, was coughing up hairballs into the agent’s shoes while the agent wasn’t looking. He even moved his work clothes into his closet, but it didn’t deter the cat one bit.

“He knows some tricks!” Lindsey huffed, wrestling with the cat for the return of his squishy toy mouse. “Please let me have it…. I’ll throw it and you can run after it again.”

“He’s just doing it to upset you. Watch.” Strahm squatted down next to the cat who dropped it at his feet before Strahm chucked it down the hallway. The fat fluffball skittered down the hard wood to get his toy and brought back to Strahm. He kept it in his mouth, anticipating another game of tug of war with the man. Strahm shook his head before telling the cat. “Nope, I’m not gonna play this game. Either you’re going to drop it, or you don’t get it thrown.” The cat admitted begrudging defeat and dropped the toy in front of Lindsey, expecting kinder treatment from his doting mother. She threw the toy and watch him run as fast as his little legs would carry him across the apartment. When he returned, he dropped it at her feet immediately with no fuss. “See?”

“He must really like you.” Lindsey smirked a little

“If he liked me, little fucker wouldn’t be vomiting on my clothes every chance it gets.”

“Oh, I was thinking of taking him to the groomers today.”

“Gonna put him in another awful bow?”

“No. But you gotta admit that he’s all scruffy looking.”

“I don’t care what he looks like, Linds.” Strahm rolled his eyes

“You can’t tell me he hasn’t grown on you, a little bit.”

“He hasn’t. But him getting cared for by you is better than kicking another cat out to the street.”

“Hm. I think you just don’t want to let him know how much you love him.”

“I don’t love him.” Strahm repeated, “You need him in his crate?”

“Yeah. If you could.”

“Okay.” Strahm sighed and pulled his sleeves down and reached out to grab underneath the cat’s ample stomach. Despite putting the beast on diet food and making sure that only one of them was feeding him at his scheduled times, Mark seemed to show no signs of getting smaller. Maybe the doctor had gotten his gender wrong and he was full with a whole litter. That or his fur was really just that thick. Mark didn’t protest as Strahm slung the animal into his crate, only letting out a soft meow in protest. He rubbed up against the grates on his cage, looking for some form of contact with his “step-owner” as Lindsey had called Strahm. Strahm gave in to the cat’s pathetic little charm and slipped a finger between the hole to rub against the side of the animal.

“Oh crap…” Lindsey muttered under her breath

“What?”

“I’m supposed to be in court this afternoon for a case… Peteeeeeeee?”

“No. No I won’t.” He already knew where she was going with her plead

“It was hard enough to get him an appointment, please I don’t know when I’m going to have time to get him in and…” She got more exasperated as her begging went on. Peter walked over to her and covered her mouth with the palm of his hand, closing his eyes. He wanted to be annoyed by his partner but he loved her at the end of the day, and like a dutiful older brother he said:

“Fine. I’ll take him.” He took his hand off her mouth and her eyes sparkled

“Thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re buying dinner tonight.”

“You got a deal.” She smiled back at him

“Okay, looks like you get the lap of luxury.” He picked the crate up and jostled it a bit. Mark hissed at him, having jostled him too hard. “Sorry” the apology being as sincere as Strahm could be. He carefully carried the cat down to the car before placing it in the back seat. He put the belt around the crate, just in case. He wasn’t sure whether or not it was something he was supposed to do but thought what was the worst that could happen. He turned the car on and drove to the groomers that Lindsey had made the appointment at. When he got there he talked a little bit with the punk at the front desk. Stupid looking kid probably no more than thirty. They waited in the lobby for a minute before a woman around the same age as the guy at the counter came out and asked for Mark. Strahm brought him into her room.

“Was he sedated?” She asked, letting Mark sniff her finger before getting all up in his fluff. He purred loudly as she properly pet him. Even showed her his belly. She cooed over him and swept her choppy bangs back behind her ears before looking back up at Strahm, waiting on an answer for her question. His eyes focus on the scars on her arms, hoping for her sake that she had gotten them from a very vicious cat.

“Um… no. But you’ll probably wish he had been.” Strahm laughed nervously, “I’ve never been with him to an appointment. He’s my roommate’s cat.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” She raised an eyebrow as she questioned everything about Strahm. After giving him a quick clip of his nails, she brought Mark over to the wash station and carefully wet him, making sure he was comfortable with the temperature and the running water before going all out with a shampoo. Much to Strahm’s amusement the cat was just pure fat but also had a lot of fluff as well. “Oh my god, you’re such a good boy…” She crooned. God did that stupid cat eat up the adoration and praise from his groomer. “Okay, you might not like this sweetie, but it’s the fastest way to dry you off.” She shoved him into a box with a dryer attached to it and fluffed him up with the air current. He managed to look even more puffy than he had before the bath. When the girl let him out of the box, Mark came running into her arms for cuddles. “Aren’t you just the sweetest little guy?”

“He’s only nice when you don’t have to live with him.” Strahm muttered under his breath. She continued giving him affectionate little scratches around the collar Lindsey had bought for Mark.

“Oh, that’s weird.” Her finger stopped on a spot on the back of his neck and cut out some of the fur around it. “There’s a little mark here… almost looks like a jigsaw piece.” She motioned for Strahm to come over to her and he glanced over her shoulder.

“Weird.”

“A mark from your previous owner, Jigsaw Kitty?” She asked Mark, who rolled around on the table in ignorant bliss. She continued singing a little tune with “Jigsaw Kitty” in it while she cut the fur down to manageable fluff for both him and his owners. “How does he look?”

“Fine. I think. Let me send a picture to his owner.” Strahm squatted in front of the table as the woman opened a fresh squeeze tube of some kind of cat treat for him. He took the picture and sent it off with a question mark to Lindsey and waited for a response. “So…”

“So?”

“How much do I owe you for this?”

“Um… our guy up front handles the numbers. I just do the services.” She laughed to herself

“Okay, okay.” He nodded. His phone buzzed, and not a minute too soon. Too many damn emoticons in her message, but they were all smiley faces… at least Strahm thought. He handed his cell phone over to the younger woman to decode for him.

“She said it’s good.” She handed him the phone and waited for him to put it back in his pocket before scooping Mark up and slowly putting him back in his cage. She wrote out a ticket for him, and handed it to him. He thanked her and went up to the front desk. He paid for the grooming session and brought the cat home to his beloved mother. Mark began screaming and scraping his nails against the grates of his cage when he realized he was almost home. Strahm rummaged through his pocket as fast as he could, but it wasn’t fast enough. Lindsey opened the door and unlocked the beast from his carrier, scooping up her chubby baby into her arms.

“Oh I missed you.” She held him tightly, running her hand against the back of his head. He nuzzled into his owner’s body and meowed as she pampered him with affection. “You look so fluffy. Look at you!” She dangled him around, “Ooh what a long boy you are.”

“You’re welcome, by the way.” Peter mumbled under his breath, feeling about as popular as chopped liver.

“Thanks Pete.”

“How did the court appearance go?”

“Turns out it was a deposition, and it went well.” She replied

“So, you’re still buying dinner?”

“Yeah, just write down what you want from Crystal.”

“Were you getting the drunken noodles?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good.” He scribbled something down on the paper and handed it to her. She tossed it onto the counter before pulling out the basket of toys for her cat. How she managed to collect so much crap would always be a mystery to Peter but he didn’t have it in him to argue about it. He plopped onto the couch and when Lindsey asked him whether or not he was going to take a nap he replied that he would ‘Just rest his eyes’. A couple of hours later and he heard the crinkling of a plastic bag next to his head and he just barely opened his eyes to see what the noise was.

“Food’s here.”

“Thanks.” He responded in a tired grumble. He patted the spot next to him as he was about to get up and his hand landed on top of the cat. He gave Mark a couple of pets before getting up, stirring the cat up to follow him into the kitchen. Mark threaded between his legs while Strahm tried to avoid stepping on Mark’s tail. The cat nuzzled against the inside of Strahm’s leg while the agent grabbed a couple things out of their containers. Lindsey pulled out her phone and snapped a picture while Strahm wasn’t looking. She would definitely send this to him when he said ‘I don’t give a damn about that stupid fat cat’ in a couple day’s time. Mark meowed and pawed at Strahm’s leg as Strahm started walking back towards the living room with his plate. He kept his plate high above his head, knowing that Mark was trying to steal something from his plate. The cat desperately cried out like he’d been starved for weeks as Strahm sat next to Lindsey and Lindsey chose a channel. He jumped onto the couch and settled in Strahm’s lap, giving him the biggest, wettest eyes his little kitty face could muster. Strahm only replied with a stern “No.” before he hopped onto Lindsey’s lap when it was clear he would gain nothing from the agent. He gave Lindsey a look before watching her resolve fade and giving into the little devil. Mark happily stole the piece of shrimp from Lindsey’s finger tips and licked at the remnants when he was done.

“Don’t enable him.” Strahm warned her. “You’re probably the reason he hasn’t lost any weight.”

“I know, I know.” She sighed, relaxing into the couch. When Mark came back begging for another piece she played keep away with her plate until he went scampering over to the other side of Strahm. He shoved his forehead into Strahm’s leg before curling up by him. Stupid thing. Stupid cute thing. Strahm had no choice but to give his butt a little pat before getting up to do dishes. Lindsey picked Mark up from his spot, seeing he was about to throw a fit over losing Peter’s presence and curled up with him under a blanket. After he finished the dishes he went to tell Lindsey he was going to bed, only to see her passed out in a similar sleep to what Strahm was hoping for that night. He turned on his heels and went to his bedroom, leaving the door open a crack. God knows what hell Mark would raise if he was deprived of the chance to suffocate Strahm in his sleep. He slipped under his bed sheet and lied on his back for a moment before slowly drifting of to sleep. He was half-asleep when he felt the weight shift on the bed. Someone was next to him.

“Linds? Y’kay?” He asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. What he did not expect was to find a fat, barely dressed man in the spot next to him. His eyes shot open and was ready to jolt out of bed when the man, staring back at him with icy blue eyes, held him down by his shoulders. “Who the fuck…”

“Meow?” The man answered. Strahm felt like he’d been thrown into the Potomac. Surely this guy in his bed couldn’t be Lindsey’s fucking cat.

[one-winged-dreams]

Hungry

ship: what do angels dream of (angeal x adriel), adriel & zack (platonic) source: final fantasy vii au: werewolf SOLDIERs word count: 1419

I FINALLY FUCKING FINISHED IT, JESUS CHRIST.

It's not a VENT FIC per se, but it's definitely how I feel sometimes because of the t. Featuring my favorite boys of course.

tag list: @dearly-beeloved @camellias-and-coriander @rebel-wolf13 @sunstar-of-the-north @mahitoslittlebird @goldenworldsabound @edencantstopfallininlove @sosoftandsweet @dorothys-wife @faerie-circle-ships @kylars-princess @little-miss-selfships

"I thiiiiink… Someone's hungry."

Adriel's ears flicked as he was suddenly poked on the cheek, his first reaction being to jump, flinching in the opposite direction away from his assailant.

Zack. Of course.

His face flushed as he processed what had been said, waving his hands and shaking his head.

"No, no! I'm fine, I promise! Just a little tired!"

Mostly soundlessly, his stomach protested his denial, churning for sustenance even as he insisted otherwise. Unfortunately, MOSTLY soundlessly meant nothing to Zack, his own heightened hearing picking up the low snarl of voracious hunger.

"Uhuh," he replied skeptically, arching an eyebrow and putting his hands on his hips.

"I p-promise, I can wait! I ate a couple hours ago, it's still too soon! Dinner isn't for another… Few hours," Adriel's protest weakened as he was forced to swallow a mouthful of saliva. Even the THOUGHT of food was enough to make his head spin, his eyes defocusing for all but long enough for it to be embarrassing. His mind was assaulted by the violent need to tear into SOMETHING, and, as all SOLDIERs were forced to do, he made himself think of something more civilized than a large animal.

Not that it helped, as his stomach agreed that it would take what it could get on the grounds that it got it SOON.

"Fighting it won't help, you should know better than that by now, Adriel," Angeal's voice accompanied a hand on top of Adriel's head, right between his fluffy ears.

This only proved to redden Adriel's face further, a small squeak escaping him at the touch. Gaze turning upward and to the side, he offered the 1st class a wobbly-lipped pout.

"B-but-!"

"No buts, there's no need to make yourself miserable. If you eat now, you'll probably still be hungry when dinner rolls around," Angeal sighed, looking him over for a moment.

Zack nodded along with Angeal's words, "Oh for SURE. It's that time of the week anyway, right? Your HRT is just making it worse. You gotta fuel that, PLUS the condition, PLUS all the work you've been doing. Even talking about this is making ME hungry, let's go down to Sector 8."

Approaching the 2nd class, Zack grabbed Adriel by the shoulders, whirling him around and pushing him in the opposite direction, eliciting a much-expected protest.

"Zack!? It's FINE, really!"

"It sure is! Once you get some food in you, anyway. Besides, Angeal's buying!"

The 1st class in question sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. Pups, the lot of them.

It was late enough past lunch and early enough before dinner for the diner to be mostly empty, a few stragglers notwithstanding. Zack and Adriel sat on the same side of the booth, Angeal on the other. Amongst the three of them, Adriel's head rested on the table, past the stage of humiliation where the smell of food had a small strand of saliva connecting his lips to the surface beneath his head.

"Make sure you get something with protein, you're not hitting us with that 'just some fries' crap again, you hear?" Zack wrapped an arm around Adriel's shoulders giving him a little shake.

"Stop pressuring him, Zack," Angeal scolded, his eyes not lifting from the menu.

"I'm just making sure he's got enough fuel in him! Don't want him withering away on us!" Zack proceeded to transition from shaking the 2nd class to patting him on the back, inciting a small whimper.

Adriel offered the weakest, most pathetic "Okay…." imaginable, the picture of misery.

"Actually, you know what, I'm ordering for us. What we need is beef, we're getting burgers," Zack spoke matter of factly, pointing to the one spot of the menu everyone present had all but memorized.

Angeal sighed and shook his head with a "Fine." Adriel wearily lifted his hand, his fingers circled into an 'okay' sign.

It didn't take very long for the waitress to come by, it was more than obvious that they were ready for food, SOLDIER uniforms painting it plainly. And Zack was more than eager to offer his show of loyalty as he confidently listed everyone's order preference to the letter. Adriel teared up a little, offering a silent blessing in Zack's direction.

The only thing left to do was wait.

"Hang in there, buddy, we'll get you fed before you start taking chunks out of the table," Zack teased, ruffling the still slumped over 2nd class's hair.

"Zack," Angeal spoke his name in a warning tone, "Don't tease him so much."

Finally, Adriel wearily lifted his head, looking somewhat dazed. Everything smelled so… Much.

"It's okay, Angeal. I'm," he swallowed more saliva, "fine. You guys were right, I'm having a hard time holding it together."

Angeal's gaze softened, reaching over to place his hands over Adriel's.

"You'll be okay. Just focus on me… And Zack, if you can stand it," it was Angeal's turn to tease, glancing over at the other 1st class who had casually averted his gaze in an attempt to give the two lovers some privacy.

Though he WAS unable to suppress the grin on his face.

Suddenly Adriel's ears perked, his head whipping off to the side as he caught an even stronger scent. A scent that Zack could swear made his pupils dilate. And lo, holding a tray, the waitress returned with their food, apologizing for the wait as she knew SOLDIERs had quite the appetite.

Angeal reassured her it was no trouble, though he could see the way she was regarding Adriel's intense gaze at her tray. Nervously, she placed the plates on the table, directing her, "Just let me know if you need anything," at Angeal specifically before darting off.

This was incentive enough for Zack to clap Adriel on the back, eliciting a yelp and breaking his intense gaze directed at the, albeit dead and presented unnaturally, meat in front of him.

"You made it, buddy. Good job, here ya go," Zack offered his support by way of praise and sliding Adriel his plate WITHOUT outwardly obvious fear of his arm being ripped off.

Directing another stern look, Angeal warned again, "Zack."

Zack lifted his arms, wide blue eyes blinking innocently.

"WHAT? I'm not teasing him, I promise! I'm proud of him too, you know. Can I not express that? You jealous?"

A jealous man Angeal was not, but a squint and more furrowed than usual eyebrows warned Zack further to cease his joking around, the latter partially surprised Angeal hadn't outright growled at him for it.

"Fine, alright. Can I at least tell him he's-"

Interrupted by the carnage before him upon turning, Zack could only blink a few times before realizing his mouth was open. He had been just in time to hear the low, rumbling growl cease as Adriel swallowed the last bite of what was once a perfectly constructed burger. Bits of bun were all that remained, avocado splattered across his tray almost graphically in a manner that painted a picture - this poor burger had faced an end most gruesome.

"You… You've got a little-" Zack pointed to his own cheek, mirroring the spot where a chunk of green remained on Adriel's face.

The second class's head snapped to the side, regarding Zack with a look so feral that both 1sts were unsure if Adriel was going to come out of it anytime soon.

But then those mako eyes softened, wide, eyelashes batting like a doe as Adriel brought his hands up to cover his mouth.

"Oh gosh, is it bad? I'm sorry, I- Ahhh, this is so embarrassing…!" he whimpered, grappling for a napkin with one hand while the other obscured the lower half of his face.

Zack could only laugh, there was no suppressing it.

"Oh come on, it wouldn't be the first time we've seen you with any type of gore on your face - vegetable or otherwise. Wait, vegetable, right? Fruit? Angeal, what's an avoca-"

Quickly silenced by an actual growl from his fellow 1st this time, Zack pursed his lips together in a tight line, shutting up.

Angeal then turned his attention to Adriel, offering the softest and most affectionate of expressions in contrast.

"Feeling better now?"

Adriel nodded as he wiped the fruit pulp, as it were, from his face.

"Mh, yes, much," he spoke softly, looking between the two before cocking his head to the side and twitching his ears.

"What do you think is gonna be for dinner?"

[sfb123]

Hands Down

Chapter 1: "Dear No One"

Catch up here!

Pairing: Liam x Riley

All characters belong to Pixelberry

Summary: Can Liam and Riley still find their way to each other despite Riley turning down Maxwell's invitation to Cordonia?

Rating: G

Word Count: 2,591

Song Inspiration: Dear No One - Tori Kelly

A/N: We're officially off and running, thank you all so much for the warm reception of the prologue. Your excitement is making me even more excited to get this out to you!

A/N 2: Spoiler alert, there's no Liam in this chapter. But I promise it's still worth reading.

A/N 3: Thank you @txemrn for pre-reading.

Tags are below the cut/in the comments. If you'd like to be added or removed, please let me know!

Riley was on cloud nine as she walked the familiar path back to her apartment, making a mental checklist of everything she would need to do over the next month. She was excited and nervous, but this was everything she had ever wanted. 

Over the last few months, Riley had been focusing on school. It was her last year of college, where she majored in dance and minored in education. When she wasn’t studying, she was working. In addition to her job at the bar, she was assisting at the dance studio that she had attended as a child. 

The last month had been the busiest: finals, graduation, and the studio’s annual recital. Once all of that was finished, she jumped right into working the studio’s summer camp, all while spending her nights working at the bar. However, today was the day that made it all worth it. After the students had left for the day, the owner of the studio pulled Riley aside and offered her a full time teaching position when classes started up again in the fall.

This job was exactly what she had been working for. When she was growing up, the studio was her favorite place to be. The students and teachers were her friends, her extended family. When she was nine, she decided that she wanted to teach dance, and be what her teachers were to her for other kids who were trying to find their place in the world. She would have been happy teaching anywhere, but to be able to teach at her studio, her home, was the ultimate dream.

She entered her apartment, dropping her keys on the table by the door. She plopped down on the couch, her head falling back as she let out a wistful sigh. 

“Finally!” Her friend and roommate, Daniel said as he entered the living room. “I need your help,” he lifted his arms, each containing a dress shirt on a hanger. “Which one?” He held them up to his torso one at a time.

“Another date?” 

“You know it,” Daniel smirked. 

Riley rolled her eyes as she pointed to the green shirt. “That’s three dates this week.” 

“Four, you forgot about my double header Saturday,” He corrected her. “How was camp?” 

The corners of Riley’s mouth turned upwards, a wide grin slowly spreading across her face. “Pretty well, Christie offered me a full time teaching position when the season starts up in September.”

Daniel’s fingers froze in place on the button he was trying to secure. “Shut. Up.” Riley nodded her head, unable to contain her excitement. “Ri, this is amazing!” He rushed to the couch, she stood just in time for him to wrap her in a bear hug. “That’s my little Debbie Allen.” 

“So, now that I’m going to be teaching full time, I’m only going to need the one job.” She said tentatively as she pulled out of his embrace.

“Yeah, I kind of figured that was coming.” The moment was interrupted by the chime of Daniel’s phone. He pulled it from his pocket, and took a quick look at the screen. “Oh crap. Riley, you know I’d stay and celebrate, but I’ve gotta-” 

“No, totally. Get out of here.” She playfully punched him on the arm. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Oh please,” Daniel groaned. “If I did that, I wouldn’t be going out in the first place.” He leaned down, kissing her on the cheek before hurrying out of the apartment. 

Riley sat back down on the couch and picked up the remote, turning on the television and sighing to herself. Getting this job was the best news she had probably ever received, her dream was coming true. She should be celebrating, but she was sitting home alone, watching reruns. 

She understood; the world didn’t revolve around Riley Brooks. Her friends all had plans; she would never ask them to cancel for her. It was moments like this where she missed having someone to celebrate with. Since her last relationship ended, she had put dating on the back burner; she wanted to focus on her studies, but more than that, she felt she needed to take time to heal her heart. However, Riley had always been a hopeless romantic, waiting for Prince Charming to come sweep her off her feet. 

And when he finally did, she was too scared to pursue it. 

If she were being honest with herself, that was part of the reason she had kept so busy in her final semester. She was trying to ignore the nagging regret that had consumed her since she rejected the invitation to compete in the Cordonian social season. Not a day had gone by since her night on the town with Liam that she hadn’t thought about him. Missed him even. But she had blown her chance. The social season will be coming to an end soon. Liam was about to choose his bride. A woman that would probably make him forget all about her. Riley pushed past her thoughts of the man she could never have, and turned her focus back to the television.

***

A few days later, Riley was at her father’s house for a family dinner that had been put together both as a congratulatory gathering to celebrate her new position, and because her sister Danielle had an announcement to make. 

“Did you tell her to be here earlier than the rest of us?” Riley’s mother, Tina, asked her ex-husband as they sat in the living room of Riley’s childhood home. 

“I told her to be here thirty minutes earlier than I told you two,” Riley’s father responded. “She must have caught on.” 

As if on cue, the front door opened, and Danielle entered, followed by her girlfriend Sophie. They walked into the living room, unphased by their tardiness. “Hi everyone!” Danielle said to the annoyed and impatient faces of her family. “Jeeze, good to see you guys, too.” 

“It would have been better to see you forty five minutes ago, when you were supposed to be here,” Riley teased. “Can we eat now? I’m starving.” 

“No, not yet. We have an announcement!” Danielle said, raising her right hand to halt her family. “So as you already know, Sophie and I were out of town for the last couple of days. But what you don’t know is that it was to celebrate our engagement!” 

With that, she and Sophie each raised their left hands, showing off matching oval halo diamond rings. Tina sprung up from her seat, pulling Danielle and Sophie into a hug. 

“This is wonderful,” her grip tightened. “I’m finally going to be a mother of the bride!”

“Way to make it about you, Mom,” Danielle’s voice was muffled against her mother’s shoulder.

“Congrats, kiddo,” David said, prying the couple away from Tina. 

“Thanks, Daddy.” 

Riley approached them next, “Congratulations, Dani.” She pulled her sister into a hug before turning to Sophie. “My condolences.” She said to her future sister-in-law, who chuckled in response. “No, seriously. We’re stuck with her; you’re choosing to be with her.” Riley joked. 

“Ow!” She yelped when she felt a slap on her shoulder. Her head turned to the side to find her mother scowling at her. “Congratulations.” She muttered as she dramatically rubbed her arm. 

“Thank you,” Sophie replied. “Thank you all. You guys have always been so welcoming to me, and I’m really excited to become part of the family.” 

“Oh please,” David scoffed. “You’ve been a member of the family for years now. This just makes it official.” He patted Sophie on the shoulder. “Now let’s eat!” 

As everyone made their way to the dining room, Riley lingered behind. She was happy for her sister, she really was, and Sophie was perfect for her. A perfect addition to the family. It just served as another reminder that, despite her professional achievements, there was still something, or someone, missing. 

Throughout dinner, the conversation focused on Danielle and Sophie’s news. Everyone wanted to know how it happened, what Sophie’s family said, and if they had made any wedding plans. 

“We’re going to keep it pretty small,” Danielle explained. “Just close friends and family. It helps that Ri won’t need a plus one,” she joked. 

Tina and David chuckled while Riley narrowed her eyes at her sister. “I’ve been focusing on finishing school, and getting a job,” she protested. 

“We’re both still in school, and managed to get engaged,” Danielle shrugged. 

Riley crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, but I was in my last year, and I have been working toward a very specific goal. You have switched majors three times, and you’re only in your second year!” 

“Alright,” Tina’s mother interrupted. “That’s enough. This is supposed to be a happy occasion. You both have major milestones to celebrate, and there isn’t one that is better or more important than the other. Your father and I are proud of both of you,” she assured them. “And who knows? A couple of years from now, we will probably be sitting around this table celebrating Dani’s new career, and Ri’s engagement.” 

Riley and Danielle mumbled their apologies as they typically did when they would get into arguments. As their attention moved back to the meal, David decided to redirect the conversation. “So Ri, how many classes do they have you in charge of?”

“I’m teaching ten of my own, and assisting five.” She replied, pushing her food around on her plate. 

As much as she appreciated her father trying to bring things back to her, she couldn’t help but feel like she had been overshadowed by her sister’s news. Once again, she felt that pang of loneliness in her heart. 

At the end of the night as everyone was saying their goodbyes, Tina pulled Riley aside. “Ri, are you alright?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” 

“You got quiet after your fight with your sister.” 

Riley sighed. “It’s just annoying. I came in here all excited about my news, and I just felt kind of overshadowed.” It was a half truth, she felt silly telling her mother the rest. 

“Riley, you have worked so hard to get where you are, and I couldn’t be prouder of you,” her mother assured her. “As for the other part,” Riley arched a brow, “I’m your mother. I know you better than you think.”  

“I know it’s hard to be alone, especially after having someone for a while. But you have been focusing on yourself, and that’s more important than anything else. You have to love yourself before you can love someone else.” 

Riley rolled her eyes. “Sure, Mom.”

“It’s a cliche for a reason. Besides, you and your sister are different people; you always have been. You’re the level headed one, the one who plans and worries. Your sister just,” she waived her hand back and forth, trying to come up with the right words. “She just goes with the flow. You’re doing everything right, and you’re going to get everything you want.”

“How do you know?” 

“Again, I’m your mother. I know things.” 

Riley chuckled and pulled her mother into a hug. “Thanks, mom.” 

***

The next night, Riley and Daniel entered the bar together for their shift. They were greeted by their manager Eli, his welcoming smile quickly morphed into a scowl when he realized that it was them, and not a customer. 

“It’s about time,” he hissed.

Daniel rolled his eyes while Riley took a deep breath. Eli was never in a good mood, so she knew there wasn’t going to be a right time to talk to him. She decided to rip the bandaid. “Eli, can I talk to you for a minute?” 

“You had better make it fast. We have customers that need to be taken care of.” Without another word, Eli stormed toward his office. Riley looked over to Daniel, who offered an encouraging smile. “Today, Miss Brooks!” Eli called from the back of the room, catching the attention of some of the patrons. Riley trotted in the direction of his voice.

Once she stepped inside, Eli closed the door behind her. “Let me save us both some time. The answer is no.” 

“The answer to what?” Riley asked, confused by the statement.

“I’m not a fool,” he began. “And despite what you and your friend think of me, I am not oblivious to the things going on around here. I know you just received a bachelor's degree, however I also know that it is not in a field that would benefit this establishment in any way. Therefore, your degree does not entitle you to a raise.” 

“Oh,” Riley replied in a surprised tone. “No, it’s not that. It’s about my graduation, but I’m not looking for a raise. I actually received a full time offer to teach, and it pays enough that I will only need the one source of income. So I… Well, this is my two week’s notice.” Riley had never quit a job before, and she hated confrontation, so the words spilled out of her at a rapid pace. “But I’ll have my regular availability, and I could probably do some extra hours if -”

Eli lifted his hand to halt her word vomit. “I don’t need your life story.” He said coldly. “Your resignation is accepted.” Riley let out a breath, she felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. “That doesn’t mean you just coast for the next two weeks.” He reminded her curtly. 

“Oh no, of course not.” She replied quickly.

“Then get back to work!” 

Riley exited the manager's office, the sound of the door opening pulled Daniel’s attention away from the customer he was waiting on. He locked eyes with her. She gave him a shrug and a half smile as she made her way to her post behind the bar. He scribbled down the order and hurried to Riley.

“Well?” He asked, nudging her with his shoulder. 

Riley chuckled as she slid a pint of beer across the bar. “It’s done. I will only be a waitress for two more weeks.” 

Daniel gave her a questioning look as he passed his customer’s order to the kitchen. “Then why do you look like your dog just died?” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Riley, this is amazing! You’re starting your dream job, and in two weeks you’ll have your nights free, you’ll be able to have a social life again!”

“Right,” Riley scoffed. “A social life, because I’m so good at those.” 

“That’s what you’ve got me for.” Daniel grinned. “I’m going to get you out and having fun. Maybe even get you on a date or two,” he winked. 

Riley rolled her eyes at her friend. “Yeah, sure.” 

“Listen,” Daniel started in a more serious tone. “Baby steps, I’m not going to force you to go to parties every night, or surprise you with random blind dates, but you deserve to be happy, Ri. Not just dream-job-college-graduate happy, you deserve to be everything happy.” 

Riley smiled softly. “Thanks, Daniel. You’re the best.” She pulled him into a hug. 

Their tender moment was interrupted by the ringing of the kitchen bell, notifying them of an order that needed to be delivered to a customer’s table. “That’s me,” Daniel said as he pulled away and went to the kitchen to gather his order, promptly returning with a plate in each hand. “Let’s get you through the next two weeks first,” he encouraged. “After that, everything’s going to change.” 

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[demondwellersword]

nothing breaks like a heart.

joey wheeler x f!reader

warnings: starts as fluff but ends as angst without a happy ending

song: nothing breaks like a heart by mark ronson ft. miley cyrus

notes: sequel to this fic. thank you to @euphorical-angel (i hope it’s ok to tag you!) for your very sweet tags and your inspiration to write this! this one is a lot longer, but i hope you all enjoy nonetheless! (also, i may write a part 3 with the end part from the reader’s pov)

It was perfect. Every last detail from the moment Téa had introduced you to the moment he’d finally asked you out, it was all like something out of a movie. Joey had always firmly believed—and said so himself on many occasions—that all that love at first sight nonsense was a load of crap, but you had done wonders at changing his mind with just one short conversation. He’d had the opposite of luck with women but decided to make it his mission to pursue you anyway, making up any excuse he could just to attend the same events you did. 

After two excruciating months of hiding Joey finally worked up the courage to ask you out on a date, dressing nicer than he had for his own sister’s wedding. He had begged Yugi to take him to a banquet at KaibaCorp, willing to swallow his pride (and his hatred of Kaiba) just for the chance to talk to you. Yugi obliged, warning Joey on the car ride to the event that he would have to be on his best behavior around Kaiba if he wanted even a sliver of a chance at talking to you. It was rumored that you were Kaiba’s personal favorite employee, one of his hardest workers and closest confidants, so it wasn’t often that he wasn’t seen around you at events like this. 

The banquet was nearly over and Joey still hadn’t spoken a word to you, and he doubted he’d get another chance after tonight. He’d been little more than play the part of Yugi’s shadow, barely listening to the banal conversations about business that surrounded him. As much as he loved Duel Monsters he couldn’t stand the behind-the-scenes information, and its inescapable nature had begun to wear on him. He told Yugi he’d be outside if anything happened, and made his way downstairs to the small gathering of benches and trees behind the building. 

Summer was just beginning to turn to autumn, and the first cool breeze of the season greeted Joey when he opened the back doors. He breathed in the fresh air and loosened his tie, freezing when he saw someone already sitting on one of the stone benches. He felt all the food he’d eaten violently turn in his stomach when he registered that it was you sitting there, the skirt of your stunning silver gown pulled up so it wouldn’t get dirty. Joey wondered if Kaiba had gotten you that dress, or if you’d picked it out yourself to compliment the midnight blue tuxedo he’d been wearing. 

He took a tentative step forward, feeling lightheaded the second your head snapped around to see who was approaching. You gave him a smile that made his heart skip several beats, the sound of it thumping in his ears almost loud enough to drown out your offer for him to take a seat next to you. 

“I didn’t even know you were here,” You admitted sweetly, giggling softly when Joey chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly in response. 

“To be honest with ya I got no clue what’s goin’ on here, I just tagged along with Yugi to uh...” Joey trailed off and lowered his voice, desperately hoping you wouldn’t be able to hear, “to get a chance to see you.” 

Blush spread across your cheeks as you shyly looked away from Joey. “I...Well, I’m glad you came, I wanted to get the chance to talk with you again too.” 

Joey internally cheered, hoping that he wouldn’t fumble the question that hovered in the back of his mind, just waiting to be asked. “So, uh, ya like Duel Monsters? You gotta, considering who you work for ‘an all.” 

“Yeah, it’s a little dorky, but I do. Seto taught me how to play when I first started working here, and I’ve actually gotten to enter a few tournaments. Now I’m nowhere near as good as you or him, but I do a pretty okay job.” 

“Wait...me?” No one had ever called Joey a good duelist except for his friends, and certainly no one who was as close to Kaiba as you were. “You really think I’m that good?” 

“Now this is going to sound really nerdy but uh...when I was getting into the game I went back through some of the records and watched some old duels from some televised matches. Of course I knew how good Seto was because, you know, he was my main partner, but it was amazing seeing how well you and Yugi Muto played then too. I even...” your blush deepened tenfold, “I even went up and asked your friend Yugi for his autograph when we first met. Seto made fun of me for it, but I couldn’t not ask. He’s one of the best duelists I’ve ever seen.” 

“Yeah, Yugi is pretty great.” It seemed Joey was still stuck firmly in the shadow of Yugi and Kaiba, even in the eyes of the girl he liked. 

“Don’t get me wrong though, out of all the decks I think I like yours the best. Plus I love a good underdog story, and yours is probably the best one Duel Monsters has ever seen.” You waved your hand, obviously embarrassed by how much research you’d put into the game. “But enough about my silly analysis, it doesn’t matter too much anyway. I’m glad I got the chance to talk to you, even if I’m pretty bad at making conversation.” 

Joey’s heart hammered a frantic pace in his chest. “I really like makin’ conversation with ya, though. You got a real nice way of explainin’ stuff you’re into, even if ya think it’s boring to everyone else.” 

“Oh that’s....that’s very nice of you, Joey. Thank you.” 

He felt his whole body warm at your words, the feeling quickly giving way to a nervous sweat when he saw you scoot closer to him on the bench, your thigh almost pressing against his. It’s now or never Wheeler, make your move! 

“So, uh, (Name).” 

“Yeah?” 

“Are you uh,” Joey swallowed thickly, “are you free next Friday, maybe? I uh...I was wonderin’ if you uh, wanted to go out to dinner with me or somethin’...if you’re busy then I understand and you don’t gotta say yes or no right now, but—“

“I’d love to, Joey. Here, I’ll give you my number and we can work out a time and a place, how does that sound?”

“That sounds perfect...” Just like you.

*

In the months that followed Joey found himself falling deeper and deeper in love with you every day. The way you stared at him when he was doing the most mundane of tasks, looking at him like he’d hung the stars themselves. The way your face lit up when you won a game of Duel Monsters, always so proud of how far you’d come in so little time. The way you collapsed into his lap after a long day at work, falling asleep almost instantly, not even stirring when he picked you up and carried you to bed. The way you looked in his old t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, walking through your kitchen as you made dinner and talked strategy with him. 

In the back of his mind he always worried that he wouldn’t be enough for you, that one day he’d lose to Kaiba again, but it seemed you were always there to quell his nerves just when he needed you most. He couldn’t have asked for anyone better than you, and he never wanted the feeling to end. 

It was a year before the two of you talked about moving in together, deciding that you’d move into his apartment that winter. You spent every weekend in December moving box after box into his house, warmed by the thought that soon you’d get to sleep next to him every night, sharing the home the two of you had always dreamed of. The first month was an adjustment to be sure, full of minor spats and spells of silence, but when the dust finally settled it was the happiest Joey had ever been. He was sure Yugi and Tristan were tired of him gushing about you to them, but he just couldn’t help it. It was as if the heavens themselves had come down and blessed him with you, and he’d be damned if you didn’t know it every single day that you were together. 

By a year and a half you’d become one of the highest ranking members of Kaiba’s personal team, and by far the best liason the company had ever seen. Though you were spending more time with Kaiba than ever before you still made a point to spend time with Joey every night, speaking promises into the dark of your room that you would keep choosing him for a very long time. 

And it was this very promise that brought Joey to where he currently stood: outside a jewelry store, thinking about where he wanted his life to go next. He had a much more modest job than you, but he wasn’t exactly pressed for cash, making enough from work and tournament winnings to comfortably support himself. He loved you, and loved living with you, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he wanted something more. He wanted a real house, not just an apartment. You’d talked about kids in passing once, but never as a serious topic. You came to all his duels and cheered him on, but he wanted to be the stuff of legend. But the only way he could see that legend play out was with you by his side until the bitter end. 

And the only way he could do that was, well, by asking you to marry him. 

Joey spent months after his epiphany agonizing over the perfect way to ask you to marry him. It seemed that your relationship was going better than ever, and at the two-year mark he felt more sure than he’d ever been that he wanted to marry you. He spent countless nights sitting in one of the lawn chairs on the balcony on the phone with Serenity, asking her opinion on every proposal idea that popped into his head. She assured him that the perfect idea would come to him, but it had already been over a year and not a single opportunity had presented itself. He was beginning to doubt that it was even a good idea in the first place, but every time he saw you smile at him it confirmed to him that he was making the right choice, no matter how long it took to actually act on. 

Finally, after a year and a half of planning, Joey finally had the answer. He’d saved up earnings from his last four duels to take you out on a fancy night on the town, something better than Kaiba could’ve ever dreamed of giving you. He would take you to your favorite restaurant, then to an outdoor market you’d excitedly been telling him about for days. He’d buy you whatever you wanted no matter how expensive, and at the end of the night he’d present you with the ring he’d been holding onto for three months now. He’d flown Serenity all the way back to Domino City just to help him pick it out, and every time he snuck a look at it from its hiding place in your closet it filled him with nothing but boundless joy. He was surprised you hadn’t caught onto his plans yet, but it seemed he had how busy you were with work to thank for that. 

When the day finally came he could barely contain his excitement as he got ready with you, distracted from his own routines by how gorgeous you looked. You’d done up your hair the way he liked it, opting for a more toned-down version of the makeup routine you usually used when the two of you went out to the clubs for the occasion. You were wearing one of your favorite outfits, waving Joey off when he asked if you were worried about it being too casual for such a nice restaurant. You proclaimed you’d seen people with double your income wearing much worse, quickly stopping any more conversation dead in its tracks. 

This too was perfect, down to the last minute detail. The weather was perfect, the food was perfect, even the traffic was perfect. Joey didn’t want to jinx it by saying nothing could go wrong, but he had a good feeling about what he had planned for the end of the night. 

The two of you wandered around the night market for a few hours, sampling all kinds of desserts and drinks as the night stretched on. You had each gotten each other a few gifts, even opening packs of Duel Monsters cards right there by the stall, but nothing was as exciting to Joey as the box currently feeling as if it were burning a hole in his pocket. Every time his hand brushed it when he went to put his wallet back he felt anxious electricity run through his fingertips, and his anticipation for the perfect moment only grew. 

Finally you reached a gathering of trees near the market, deciding to sit down for a break so you could both rest your feet for a bit before you made your final sweep and headed home. Joey was as nervous as he was the first day he’d asked you out, if not more. He rotated the box in his hand while you looked through your bags, rearranging them so you had less to carry. He felt as if he was going to pass out right then and there, weakly clearing his throat to get your attention. 

He knelt down on one knee, pulling the box out from his pocket. “(Name), I swear I’ve loved ya since the day we first met. Hell, I think I even love ya more now. You’re the best person I’ve ever met, and I couldn’t dream of spendin’ even a single day without you by my side. You’re the only person who’s ever really believed in me, you know that? Every duel I play I look for you cheerin’ me on in the crowd, and I want it to be that way for forever. So I guess what I’m tryin’ to ask ya here is...will you marry me?” 

Joey’s eyes searched your face for an answer, the weight of your silence crushing him more with every passing second. He saw the tears welling in your eyes, looked at the way you gripped one hand with the other, and he felt the nervous pit grow in his stomach. “(Name)? C’mon, you gotta say somethin’. Please.” 

“Joey I....I’m so sorry....” your breath hitched, makeup smearing as tears streamed down your face, “I’m so, so sorry, but I....I can’t. I just can’t.” 

Joey’s other knee slammed into the ground, but the pain was nothing compared to what he felt in his chest. He gripped the ring box in his hand, desperately trying to keep himself from crying too. You....you had said no. Why? Was it too soon? He could try again later. Was it not the right ring? He’d buy another. Was he not making enough money? He’d find a new job. Anything, anything he had to do for one more chance, he’d do it in a heartbeat. Whatever it took, he just couldn’t lose you. Not yet. Not like this. Please, not like this.

“I...I’m so sorry. I have to go.” 

*

Nothing was the same after that. Joey spent most nights alone now, with you either sleeping on the couch or at one of your friends’ houses. You were distraught too, but nowhere near as bad as he was. He’d dropped out of every duel he’d signed up for, barely able to drag himself to work if it weren’t for rent. You barely spoke a word to him, still offering no explanation as to why you’d rejected his proposal. 

You’d started moving your belongings now too, silent when he asked you if you’d found a new place. You could barely even look at him, he didn’t know why he was expecting any sort of conversation. All he could do was wait for the final box to leave, and then you’d be out of his life for good. Then what? Try and pick up the pieces, start life over with someone new? He could barely stomach the thought of you moving out, how the hell did he expect to date someone else? He doubted he would ever get any real closure, but he could at least ask you what he’d done wrong before you left. 

“(Name), I can’t watch you go without askin’ you this first,” Joey began, barely holding back tears as he watched you stand in the doorway, setting the box you were holding down as you waited for his question, “why’d ya say no?” 

Your eyes darted away from him. “Joey I....you know I love you, right?” 

“Not anymore,” He spat, feeling instantly guilty when he saw the look on your face. 

“Well, I do. But I just....it’s not the right time. I don’t know if it ever will be. I’ve loved the last few years we’ve spent together, really I have, but I just...I don’t know. It doesn’t...I still don’t know what I feel, I just know that this doesn’t feel like the right thing to do.” 

“Say it then.” 

“What?”

Joey stood up, tears welling in his eyes. “Say that I wasn’t enough for ya, then! Tell me that I’m annoyin’ or-or that I suck at duelin’ or something! Anything, anything but that you’re just leavin’ me like that. Please.”

You crossed the living room, cupping Joey’s face with your hand. “I’ll always have love in my heart for you, Joey, but right now isn’t the right time. And I don’t know if there ever will be a right time, and that’s what scares me. I don’t know what I want yet, and I don’t want you to suffer because of that. I’m so sorry.” 

You pressed a kiss into his cheek, picked up your box, and left for the final time. So desperately did Joey want to chase after you, shouting as loud as he could that he didn’t care if you didn’t know what you wanted, because you’d figure it out together. He wanted to stop you before you even made it to your car, wanted to make you change your mind before you’d even left the living room, but all he could do was sink to his knees and sob. 

Everything was imperfect now, an empty shell of what it had been before. Everything was shrouded in a thick darkness now that your light was gone, and Joey didn’t know if it would ever lift. He didn’t know where you were going, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer. He hoped whoever you found next would treat you well, but that was the most he could offer. For now he had to begin to figure out how exactly to live his life without you. 

An impossible task, to be sure. 

[nightskyfangirl]

Two Kids, Two Sides of the Island: Chapter 1

Summary: A series of times that Rafe Cameron and JJ Maybank, two kids from opposite sides of the island, found an unlikely ally in the other when they didn’t have anyone else. AKA I see a lot of similarities in these two and wanted to see them interact more, but as friends.

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst

Also on Ao3. Link in comments

Story is below cut.

Rafe hated shopping. Usually Rose or Dad paid Hayward to bring the groceries out, but for whatever reason Dad had sent Rafe out with the credit card. Something about growing up and responsibilities. It was bull. He knew for a fact that Sarah would never be required do this. Rafe didn’t see the point. He wasn’t ever going to have to shop for his own groceries anyway. But he saw it for what it was. His dad was staying at the house today and this was an excuse to make sure Rafe wouldn’t be there at the same time.

Rafe looked down at the next item on the handwritten list. Bagels. Rose was on some weight loss kick and a magazine convinced her that bagels were the key. Rafe read the signs above the aisles, eventually finding the one with the breads.

As soon as he walked around the corner, he saw a Pogue kid he recognized from school. The kid was trying to stuff a loaf of bread in his too-small shirt. It looked stupid. The kid must have felt Rafe watching him because the kid looked up and locked eyes with Rafe.

Rafe grabbed a pack of bagels and moved on to the next aisle to grab the next thing from Rose’s list.

Eventually, Rafe had to grab a cart, but now he had all of the items and started towards the front. He did a double check on the list – he didn’t want to have to come back, and his dad would just use it as an excuse to point out another thing he screwed up. His dad would probably use it as an excuse to take the keys to the car his dad had bought Rafe for his 15th birthday last week.

Finding every item on the list in his shopping cart, Rafe walked towards the shortest line. The woman in front of him had a screaming baby on her hip and after only a few seconds, Rafe was starting to wonder if waiting behind her and listening to the wailing kid was even worth the shorter line.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a jar of peanut butter rolling towards his foot. Rafe lifted the toe of his shoe, stopping the rolling jar.

“You know you gotta pay for that, right?” Shoupe asked, holding the pogue kid from the bread aisle by the arm. The pogue must have dropped the jar when Shoupe grabbed him.

“Dude, I was gonna pay—”

“Then what’s it shoved in your shirt for?” Shoupe took the hidden loaf of bread and dropped it on the floor too. “And I'm an officer. Don’t call me dude.”

The blonde glanced down at the bread before looking back at Shoupe. “It’s my stuff, I can carry it how I like.”

“Yeah, you and your dad have the worst alibies and excuses. He’s raising you to be just like him, isn’t he? Maybe I’ll give him a call and tell him his kid has been shoplifting again.”

“Shoupe, I—"

Rafe picked up the jar and started towards them. “Shoupe, what’s the problem?”

The pogue and Shoupe both looked up at Rafe surprised.

“Not your problem, Cameron.”

“Yeah, it is. You just dropped my bread on the floor.”

Shoupe frowned. “You with him?” Shoupe asked, looking at the Pogue. The blonde looked between Shoupe and Rafe, unsure how to answer.

Rafe answered instead, “Yes, he’s with me. And you’re holding us up.”

Shoupe let go and put his hands up, still watching the pogue with doubt before looking at Rafe. “My bad.”

“Yeah,” Rafe rolled his eyes, and walked back to his spot in line. Some older woman had jumped line in front of Rafe’s cart and Rafe briefly considered sharing words with her.

“I didn’t need your help, Kook.”

Rafe didn’t bother looking over his shoulder, he knew who it was. “Just put your crap up here so Shoupe doesn’t know I was lying my ass off.”

Grudgingly, a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter was placed on the convenience line.

“Seriously, why did you do that? I know who you are. You don’t help anyone but yourself.”

Rafe shrugged. “My Dad believes in charity.”

“I ain’t your charity case.” Even with Shoupe still watching them from a distance away, Rafe was starting to wonder if this kid was about to throw a punch. He looked away from Shoupe and started unloading his own groceries.

“Whatever man. You’re a friend of Kie’s right? I did it for her.” Out of the corner of his eye Rafe could see Shoupe. “What’s your name anyway? If Shoupe starts asking questions I need to at least know your name.”

“JJ.”

“Rafe.”

“I know.”

Rafe asked the woman ringing up the groceries to put the bread and peanut butter in a different bag, then swiped his dad’s credit card and grabbed all of the bags.

He took the receipt and started to the door that Shoupe was practically guarding. Rafe gave Shoupe a smile as they walked past that just made Shoupe’s frown deepen.

“What were you stealing that for anyway?” Rafe asked, as they got outside of the store and out of earshot from Shoupe.

JJ shot him a look. “Wanted a sandwich.”

For the first time, Rafe actually took a good look at JJ. His clothes were way too small for him and there were bruises peeking out from under the collar of his shirt. Rafe knew from his own life what kind of hits caused bruises that dark. Of course, Rafe’s clothes hid it a little better.

The other kids in their grade were starting to hit growth spurts – Rafe had been one of the first – but JJ still hadn’t. Rafe suspected the fact that JJ had to steal groceries to eat was a big reason for why.

Rafe looked away as they got to his car. “Whatever. Next time you see Kie, just tell her she can still come home, alright? Kook life may not be perfect, but at least we don’t have to steal bread.”

JJ’s face flushed red. The embarrassment quickly turned to anger and, once again, JJ looked mad enough to punch Rafe. Ignoring that, he handed the bag to JJ. “Shoupe is still watching you, man. Don’t do anything stupid just yet.”

Once JJ had the bag, Rafe turned on his heel towards his car. He put all of the groceries in first – balancing the milk on top of the bagels, effectively crushing them. As he shut the door behind him, he glanced over his shoulder to where JJ had been. Bag of groceries and all, he was gone.  

[eyeofhurakana]

Holy crap... Nearly all the fluff fics hit 100 notes. Wow…

Thanks so much, everyone! Honestly, I’m pretty stunned. I just got back from vacation and this was a very pleasant thing to come back home to. Plus all the comments and reblogs were fantastic to read. XD Ya’ll are a great bunch and I’m happy to be here. 

Soooo it’s that time again~! Response time!  

From Last Week's Responses

@avast-me-alien XD You are so funny. Oh my gosh. And thank you for your words! I’m super happy to hear that my writing helps sate that Sampo Koski Itch. I am delighted to make even more as this game carries on. 

About Tag Lists

@avast-me-alien Absolutely! I will ensure that you are well-fed, fellow Sampo admirer.

@https-jjessica Ahhhhhh... I want to tag you but Tumblr won't let me. What in the world...? And thank you so much for the compliment! *swells with happiness* Now if I can just figure out how to tag you... Do you have another tag that I can use to notify you? (I get the feeling that Tumblr will magically work after this posts, but just in case... if it doesn't tag you, then let me know. I'll do my best to fix it on my end.)

From Chapter 2 of “Bouncing Brings Us All Together”

@mleegi Thank you!! Plus, bless your kind soul for your patience. I am still rehashing the final chapter. I’m so darn picky. I’m sure it’ll come to me soon enough. It’s gotta have the Koski flare before I give it the green light to post. =D

@rebeccawinters I’m so happy to hear that! Ahhhh! I hope the final chapter meets expectations. Thanks so much! 

From Chapter 1 of “Unlike Fiction”

@baby-lisuga I will! I'll make a post for everyone being tagged when I get the chance!

@rebeccawinters Daaaang. The keyboard spazz response is always a great compliment. XD I’m glad you are enjoying him. 

@haliyamori YEAH. I KNOW. I’m the one writing this and even I’M MAD. Tsk tsk, Gepard. TSK TSK.  

From Chapter 2 of “Unlike Fiction”

@lunasun Oh my god. I know, right? I gotta make a mini blurb where the reader just squeezes his exposed hip, catching him by surprise. Oh, and about getting kidnapped… Honestly, any time spent with Sampo is time well spent. Worth it.

As for why the reader isn’t with him anymore… Well, that’ll get explained soon enough. But I’ll be nice and drop a hint. “What does Gepard have that Sampo does not?” If you can answer that, that’s pretty much the reason. 

@hansel-the-pierrot Yessss. I always love hearing these comments. He’s so perfect. This is why I can’t stop writing him. XD UGH. He’s just so much fun. The fact that he’s so easygoing is great.  

@eugeeneshwed No problem! I gladly contribute to the Koski cause and feed my fellow Sampo admirers. Heavens know that ya’ll need it. 

@https-jjessica For real. I was just doing single pulls on the regular warp and was stunned when he came home again. Now he’s eternally in my party. That DoT is no joke. 

@rebeccawinters *spazzes* Ahhhhh! Three comments!!! This is like getting a 5 star in one pull with no pity! Oh my gosh! Thank you!! I’m so glad you like him as well as the fic! It’s such an honor to make people obsessed. XD It truly is. As for having a tag list, I'm working on it and I'll definitely have you added on. I'll make a separate post for it too so everyone can see where they stand on the list. And oh my god, you are such an amazing fan. Being blog-stalked for updates is like... the ultimate compliment. <3 I can't stop feeling so giddy now. Thank you very much for this.

@helloyuki Awww. Of course. I’m glad you liked it. =D

@worriedvision Awwwwww!! Thank you for the endorsement! Whoo! Definitely got a smile out of me.

XD AHHH! I thought the same thing! But that’s what makes him wonderful, eh? Always keepin’ us on our toes. 

Me too. Ugh. This man won’t leave my head. Though I bemoan this with an endearing tone, of course.

Anywho, thanks so much to everyone that commented, reblogged, or even just remembered to poke that little heart button. Seriously, you're all wonderful and I hope that we can all run around HSR's universe with E6 Sampo Koskis.

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here bestie and it looks like we're going to be in for another round of reduce, reuse, and recycle next episode 🙄🙄🙄. The stupidity of this is truly astounding, so since we only have 2 days before this shitshow hits the screen I have chosen to fight stupid with ridiculous and wish to share my optimal scenario for getting rid of guest stars and dumb plots.

First Buck is on a dinner date with Natalia, who pumping him for details about his "death", when Kameron and Connor come over. They have no sense of boundaries so they say they have news about the baby Buck donated sperm for. At first Buck is worried Natalia's going to freak out but she gets weirdly interested and asks when he did that. He explains it was before his death and Natalia starts staring creepily at Kameron's stomach and spouts some nonsense about Buck's death was in exchange for creating life and repeated refers to the "death baby". Kameron backs away and stutters out that they just wanted to tell Buck they ran some tests and Connor is the dad after all. Natalia is instantly dismissive and goes back to eating while Buck politely excuses himself and runs from the restaurant.

Cut to Eddie on the beach in heavy pining mode monologuing to himself extensively about how he wanted a sign and Buck on a date with Natalia who "sees him" clearly is a sign its not meant to be. He spots Marisol and starts reluctantly making his way to her when Buck, still fleeing his date, slams into him and knocks him over. He starts going off about how nuts Natalia is but stops when he noticed Eddie glaring at the heavens mutter "goddamnit..".

After the big finale emergency Eddie and Buck are stuck on an uncollapsed portion of the bridge with no way down to the ground. Buck starts to say this whole ordeal has made him realize and appreciate the people in his life more while giving Eddie A Look. Before he can finish though a helicopter comes in with L dangling from a harness and she says some crap like "need a ride" while winking at Buck. Eddie casually shoves her away causing her to spin comically in a circle and then asks Buck "You were saying?".

Hope you enjoyed this as a break from thinking about what is to come and some of the takes floating around out there. Also since you're the actual writer here I'd love to hear of you have an ideal scenario, we might as well have fun with this mess until forced to do otherwise.

Sorry this is so late at night my friend! It was my niece's birthday and I was out of town with every intention of being home by 8 or 9 tonight to answer this before an early bedtime so naturally it was after 11 before I actually got home 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yeah, none of the news coming out about Buck or Eddie's storylines interest me because it's all just a rinse and repeat of season 4 at this point and I'm so so very tired.

I enjoyed your version of events! There's a reason "gotta laugh to keep from screaming" is a tag I use often! 🤣 This gave me quite the giggle reading over it the other night! I wouldn't call myself *much* of a writer though if I was less brain dead I'm sure I could come up with something (6 year-olds man. They will wear you OUT!)

But ideally I would love to see sassy, petty, bitchy Eddie come out about Buck not being able to make it work to meet up with Natalia because those scenes always give me joy, and I would LOVE for literally anything to come out about the donor baby not being Buck's like I need this storyline to end in such a way that we can all just forget it happened and never have to deal with it again. I would also love if L appearance gets cut down to absolutely nothing. Like, a nod across the accident scene where SHE is the blurry background figure for once and then she also disappears never to be heard from or about ever again.

I didn't watch the sneak peeks but I saw some stills and memes about the Madney ones so at least I'm looking forward to that stuff and the calls look like they *could* be interesting but also like they could just be used to push more of Buck's stupid plot with Natalia so we'll see I guess. I'm disappointed with the news that as of yet, KR is still supposed to be moving with the show but they've got time to hammer out the details. I'm sure it will be like RNM did where it's "oh I left for such and such other, better, opportunity" which is fine I don't even care how they spin it as long as she leaves but if she's still around for s7....eh. I'm too tired to try and cross that bridge just yet.

Good luck to us tomorrow, and next week and then maybe I can breathe and work on my fic and actually get somewhere on it!

[eternalxblossom]

Here is the link for faking it anniversary https://www.tvinsider.com/1132365/faking-it-10th-anniversary-katie-stevens-rita-volk/ i really wish the show come back. I honestly forgot about this show but seeing rita and Katie and 10th anniversary I rewatched faking it and now im nostalgic as fuck. I watched many shows and movies but nothing was like faking it season 1. It was pain killer for my soul. I just want a season 4 that karma is amy season 1. Fuck i shouldn't rewatch it now i want to die i know it is just a show but honestly it ruined my life.

Wow, this was a wild ride! Highlights for me:

Stevens says. “So Rita Volk, if I could do it again, I would kiss the crap out of you!” / Then we did and, on my side at least, I just truly fell in love with her as a person and would not have chosen to go through this experience with anyone else.”

Gotta say, I love Katie Stevens for this. <3 Moving on, Carter is the ultimate troll, sis/bro (sorry I don't know your gender!). And here's why:

“We talked a lot when we were making the pilot about how this is a romantic comedy about your friendship".

I honestly believe Carter just wanted them to stay friends but moved in another direction and BAITED people because no one in their right mind would renew the show otherwise. He completely played everyone, yet stuck to his kinda boring vision. You can't in one breath compare them to Ross/Rachel, with the whole push-and-pull thing, and then turn around and be like "isn't friendship great?"

Nope. If he was honest and marketed Karmy as a friends-beat-everything-in-spite-of-it-all story from the freaking pilot, no one would have an issue. These actresses were too good for the way he wrote the story, and that's the real shame.

Him saying this at the end is just to feed people false hope, it's not genuine, he had PLENTY of time to go that way but he never intended on delivering - " So now thinking about making them get back to just friendship, I just don’t know. I’m like, why can’t it be friendship and…?”. He just wanted to have the cake and eat it too. In the end, Carter's ego and him taking his FOREVER time with the pacing led to the show's cancellation, nothing else.

I'm so sorry you are still grieving the loss that is what this show's potential could have been, but I would advise you to maybe look for better written ones and try to find closure that way. Or, if you ever need to vent, feel free to shoot an ask and we can revive the Faking It tag here. :)

[blue-eye-samurai]

@dicapiito another day, same shit. Ugh 🤦🏻‍♀️ will this crap in the tags ever end? Why can’t we (cis women of color) ever have nice things and openly enjoy them without others (mainly white queers) trying to take our limited resources away from us?

@fishnamedreggie I’ve gotta say, it’s really weird how you think Mizu isn’t canonically a cis woman. And by weird, I mean that it’s incredibly misogynistic and racist to brazenly say this stuff about characters who are canonically women of color. Even the show’s own creators refer to Mizu by SHE and HER pronouns.

And the writers knew right from the very beginning that y’all would assume Mizu is ANYTHING except a cis woman. Cuz “Well, clearly anyone who’s this badass must be a guy,” right? WRONG. So, so wrong.

Y’all see a non traditionally feminine character who binds their breasts and automatically decide that character HAS to be trans masc or nonbinary. That’s called projection — you are seeing whatever you want to see in that character and you’re doing it while also purposely choosing to erase the context of that scene.

Hell, y’all are purposely choosing to erase history here because we cis women (especially cis women of color) have been disguising ourselves as “men” for literal centuries. And why? Mainly out of survival, but also because presenting as a “man” makes it much easier for us to achieve our goals while navigating patriarchal societies.

And if you had actually bothered to pay attention to Mizu’s facial expressions during that particular scene, you would have noticed that she doesn’t look disgusted by her changing body. At worst, Mizu looks concerned (because again, mommy says she must ALWAYS be a “boy”) by this unexpected development, but mostly she looks curious about her growing breasts and actually hesitates before she starts binding.

Mizu does all of this out of SURVIVAL, not because she hates her body.

I mean, seriously?? What exactly is the appropriate cisgender reaction to growing breasts? How exactly is a child supposed to react in that situation, especially when that same child has been forced to live publicly as a boy/man their entire life because they had to?

Like, do y’all genuinely think we cisgender girls are all overjoyed and not at all confused about our changing bodies when we first hit puberty?? Lol. If that is the case, then let me reassure you that most of us are not thrilled to suddenly go through these major changes.

Again, Mizu is canonically a cis woman of color. That is literally what this whole show is actually about. If you watched all eight episodes from beginning to end, then you should have realized that Blue Eye Samurai is not about a trans man. Y’all should really be able to still enjoy your headcanons without talking about them as if they were actually canon.

i’ve gotta say, there’s no way that mizu is a cis woman. did you see their face when they first started binding on episode 2? they genuinely forgot what they look like, or that’s what boys don’t look like. they had such a not-cis reaction to their tits like don’t try me

[primofate]

Genshin x fem!reader [Volleyball Team AU - Inspired by Haikyuu!] You cheer something embarrassing + The rival team comments about it

Note: My fixation on this AU continues... I just think there’s so many scenarios to explore. 

Scenario: Your friend has dared you to cheer something embarrassing for your boyfriend. Everyone hears it, including the rivalling team...

Warnings: not proofread, some swearing and profanity, slight sexual innuendo if you squint (Tartaglia’s)

Other works in the Volleyball Team AU Series: Click Here

#1 Zhongli (Captain/Wing Spiker/Ace)

Zhongli is pretty well-known among Aces.

He knows you’re up there on the stands and for him that’s good enough. Is not the type to keep looking up there to check if you’re watching. He’d rather be focused on the game.

So when you shout out his name just as they’re about to start, his head snaps towards you and you can see surprise on his face.

“Zhongli!!!” literally all eyes are on you now, the coaches, the managers, the other team. “Y-You’re--”

Your friend nudges and whispers at you “Louder you moron! He won’t hear you if you stutter!”

“YOU’RE THE CAPTAIN OF MY HEART!” 

You cringe and just bury your face in your hands, your friend is laughing uncontrollably

There’s silence in the court, BUT THEN HIS TEAM GOES WILD “CAPTAIN ARE YOU BLUSHING?!” “QUICK SOMEONE TAKE A PHOTO” “HE’S MALFUNCTIONED!” 

Zhongli has a blush on his cheeks but gets his team in order “ROUND UP!” but they’re all silently snickering or giggling.

They form a circle and put their hands in together. Zhongli shouts “FIGHT!” a lot louder than usual.

His team grins. Their captain is fired up, so they’re fired up too. 

Just before he’s about to take first serve he makes it a point to look your way, and give you a firm nod.

Then the captain of the opposite team comments about your cheering. “Wah! I wish I had someone cheering me on like that,” is looking at you with heart eyes.

Zhongli exudes a dark aura and everyone covers their head in fear of getting hit by the ball “Eyes over here,” he grumbles towards the other captain who just smirks.

#2 Diluc (Vice Captain/Wing Spiker/Defense Specialist)

“Diluc! THE ONLY THING STRONGER THAN YOUR SPIKE IS MY LOVE FOR YOU!”

Oh yea gurl. Even your friend is embarrassed and ducks behind the railings to hide her face.

“That’s kinda...cheesy...” Kaeya mutters under his breath and scratches his cheek.

Childe is glittering all over, “It’s so cheesy but I’m kinda jealous,” They both turn to Diluc.

Yea he’s gone. From neck to hairline he’s red all over and steam is coming off from his ears.

His teammates crack up.

He’s so out of it the rest of the team needs to clap and hit his back to get him back into the real world.

“Oi, get yourself together, your girlfriend’s watching!” He snaps out of it at that and puts on his game face.

The other team comments, “She’ll find out my spike is stronger!” 

Diluc is livid that they’re trying to outshine your cheers and spikes like never before.

#3 Kaeya (Middle Blocker)

“KAEYA! YOU CAN BLOCK SPIKES BUT YOU CAN NEVER BLOCK MY HEART!”

has a shit-eating grin the moment he hears it. 

Cups his hands around his mouth and shouts back. “YOU CAN’T BLOCK MINE EITHER!!! I LOVE YOU!!!”

The whole team is just...what in the world is this cringey-ness unfolding in front of them...?

Team doesn’t know whether to be motivated or to puke.

But Kaeya is there to the rescue. He’s so hyped that there are flowers hovering around his peaceful face. “Come on, come on, we gotta show Y/N who the kings of the courts are here, don’t let me down,”

Half-way through the game one of the opponents ask him, “Hey, that your girl up there? She’s kinda cute,”

KAEYA ISN’T EVEN FAZED Y’ALL “She is, isn’t she?!” Probs will show you off more, to his team’s displeasure. 

After the game (which they obiviously won) he bear hugs you and is proud of how much you cheered for him.

#4 Albedo (Setter)

“Bedo!!! YOU SET MY HEART ON FIRE!”

You say this just as the ball touches his fingertips, he slips up a bit at the embarrassing cheer and they end up losing that point.

“Oh crap,” you mutter under your breath and duck under the rails to hide while your friend laughs, pointing at your hidden form when Albedo looks up to the stands.

“Don’t mind, don’t mind!” his teammates slap his back to reassure him that they can get the lost point back.

Tartaglia is the one that zooms in on Albedo’s face, “How are you not making any reactions at all?”

Albedo stares at him for a moment. “...Because she merely stated the truth,” 

Kazuha laughs at how logical their setter is but adds, “He slipped up, I think that’s enough of a reaction,”

Albedo pouts a little but continues with the game. 

A little later on the setter of the other team tries to provoke him. “Hey, you didn’t even give your girlfriend any reaction. Watch out, I’m pretty sure I can give better ones,” 

Albedo is so pissed he actually spikes the next ball with his eyes on that bastard.

#5 Tartaglia (Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

“TARTAGLIA!!! YOUR SPIKES MAKE ME WEAK IN THE KNEES!” 

Another one who has a shit-eating grin on his face.

Shouts back at you “THAT’S NOT THE ONLY THING OF MINE THAT MAKES YOU WEA--” is FREAKIN slapped by Zhongli at the back of his head.

You kind of thank his captain that he wasn’t able to finish that sentence but damn it’s still embarrassing.

Kaeya and Tohma is snorting with laughter

Xiao and Albedo does not get it.

Someone from the other team begrudgingly comments, “Dude you don’t have to flex her that hard,” 

Tartaglia is the type to take the bait, a dark look on his face while looking at the opponent. “That’s right, be jealous, no one’s cheering for you huh?”

Whacked by Zhongli the second time and pushes his head down and apologizes for this man-Childe

#6 Kazuha (Decoy/Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

“KAZUUU!!! YOU JUMP JUST LIKE MY HEART DOES WHEN I HUG YOU!”

Laughs aloud sheepishly but waves his hand at the stands where you are. 

Is secretly stoked and fueled.

But his other teammates are still teasing him about it. “Wow she must be having some kind of heart attack whenever she hugs you then,” “Come on Kazuha! Show us how far you can jump!”

Laughs sheepishly again and waves his hands at his teammates, “Okay, alright, that’s enough,”

But man is FLYING during the game, literally. The team is kinda scared about how high he’s jumping today and wonders if you’ve cast some type of magic spell.

They’re all thinking ‘...if I get a girlfriend will I perform better too?’ with these glum looks on their faces.

The opposing team’s member remarks, just speaking out loud. “She’s right he really does jump high for someone so small...”

Kazuha smirks at them, although there’s still a friendly smile on his face. “Y/N knows me best,”

#7 Xiao (Libero)

“XIAO! RECEIVE THAT BALL THE WAY YOU RECEIVE ME IN YOUR ARMS!”

low-key the other teammates start to add-on to the teasing. “Wow, how DO you receive her in your arms, Xiao?” “You like cuddles or what?” “So do YOU initiate the cuddles or does she?”

“ENOUGH!” he’s a blushing mess and pushes away his team members to try and focus on the game. 

He shoots you a half-glare while you’re over at the stands but later on he’s prolly gunna give you cuddles the way he likes it.

Every time they’re on time out or break the terrible two (Kaeya and Tartaglia) tease him by wrapping their arms around Xiao and repeating what you said “Receive that ball the way you receive me in your arms!!” “Hug me Xiaoooooo!”

Xiao just punches the both of them on the head.

Albedo deadpans the terrible two and says “That’s a very good way of showing that you’re jealous no one is cheering for you,”

They both sulk on the side of the court.

The other team’s spiker comments, enough for Xiao to hear. “Gee she’s kinda cute,”

Xiao doesn’t even hold back, with fire in his eyes, points at that guy. “You! You won’t get any ball past me!” 

#8 Tohma (Pinch Server/Middle Blocker)

“TOHMA! YOU CAN SERVE THAT BALL BUT I CAN SERVE YOU SOME LOVE!!!”

Tohma laughs heartily and turns to his teammates, “Hear that guys? Guess it’s time for me to go and get served some love,” 

He’s literally just in seventh heaven and is about to nope it out of there to meet you at the stands but Diluc grabs the collar of his shirt and drags him back. “The game isn’t over...”

Deadass pouts the rest of the game, but is so motivated to finish that most of his serves are unstoppable.

And then in the middle of the game, someone from the other team waves back at you. “I CAN SERVE YOU SOME LOVE TOO!”

Tohma serves that ball straight at the guys head, his eye is twitching in annoyance.

Is possibly the happiest that you came to his game and swings you around when he meets you. “Thanks for cheering babe!”

Taglist: @softlybeloved @bobaducky @normalisthenewnorm @how-simpy @atasi-luna @berryqueue @hallohun @milkypompon

Hello Hello! Technically this could be counted as fluff, but I understand that not everyone is fond of AUs, so, if you don’t mind being tagged to something like this, please fill in the survey again (I’ve added AU as an option, just click that one if you’ve signed up for the others before!)

https://forms.gle/VZmJXQssHcv7YzQc6

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Masterlist

https://primofate.tumblr.com/post/653296890583154688/masterlist-for-mobile-version-main-links