#don't get me wrong i loved their awkward teenage crush moments too

[bloodraven55]

i think this is my fav lumity moment in the finale bc i love how you can tell they've been together a while by this point just from the way amity kisses her cheek without any hesitation and luz instinctively puts her arms around her even tho her attention's on the others

[scrollonso]

First Kiss (Race 13)

A strollonso AU where 18 year old rookie Lance Stroll falls helplessly in love with the notoriously mean world champion. (3.5k words, angst at first, just a little overthinking, then fluff, Fernandos a big sap, sloppy kissing, they're desperate, choking, daddy kink kinda, dry humping, unprotected sex, overstim) [@v3lnys @biancathecool] {Now that they can be cute this is so easy to write}

last part - masterlist - next part

It'd only been a few days since Lance and Fernando had seen eachother so it made no sense for them to be as excited as they were but that didn't change anything.

Lance had persuaded his father yet again to book the same hotel as the Spaniard, not wanting to spend a moment away from him now that they were together.

They were together, right?

Lance hadn't gotten a straight answer, ahen he asked Fernando what they were he felt stupid, he really felt like a teenager as he looked up to the man and uttered the words.

Fernando said he was whatever Lance wanted him to be but he wasn't sure, did Fernando want to be with him? Was it just casual sex? Is this casual to him? Does he do this with everyone? He felt like his head was spinning as he shoved his face into the pillow of his hotel bed.

Lance was getting bored waiting to see the Spaniard again, knowing he'd been booked a later flight so he wouldn't arrive for ages (he texted Lance 10 minutes ago saying he was 15 minutes away)

His stomach was in knots as he thought about seeing Fernando again, worried things would be awkward, worried Fernando was going to say he made a wrong choice, he felt childish for worrying about things like this. He knew Fernando was more mature than the people he'd had little crushes on, nicer than all of them too, but he couldn't stop worrying that he was going to change.

He was torn away from his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door, jumping out of his bed and peeking through the peeper before opening the door to the Spaniard. He was about to pull him in when Fernando came forward, pulling the Canadian into his arms

"Missed you so much, mi vida" He whispered, squeezing Lance as the boy giggled

"I missed you too, Nando" He responded, closing the door behind them. Lance's hand found its way to the mans head, running his fingers through his overgrown hair

"How are you? Was the flight fine?" Fernando spoke, pulling away to look at him as they spoke

"I'm good, Nando, we were just texting a few hours ago" Lance smiled, still playing with the mans hair "The flight was good, wished you were there"

"Really? Am here now" Fernando hummed, hands settling on the boys hips "Why did you want me there?"

"Not for anything dirty!" Lance said, hitting Fernandos chest and pulling away with a scoff "Dirty, dirty, dirty!"

"You don't wanna go again, Lancito?" The man frowned, trailing after the boy with a whine, it was funny to see how Fernando acted away from the cameras

"I'm jet lagged" Lance lied, turning away from Fernando to hide the smile on his face

"I could help" Fernando whispered, kissing the boys jaw between his words, earing giggles from the ticklish rookie

"Later" He answered, turning to face the Spaniard who looked fairly pleased with the answer

"I can live with that" He smiled, placing his hands on Lance's cheeks as he brought him closer for a kiss, the Canadian happy to give him what he wanted this time. "You look lovely" He felt the Spaniard whisper against his lips, breaking out into giggles, flustered at the sweetness.

They got to the paddock together, walking and talking before they parted ways to get ready for quali, both of their teammates quick to notice what was going on

"So," Nico started, looking at Lance from his side of the garage "Anything exciting happen last week?"

"Uhm" Lance thought, lifting himself up onto the counter behind him "Not that I can think of"

Nico scoffed, shaking his head as he listened to Lance, mr "i'm not gay"

Fernando was pissed, he'd just gotten pole then his team informed him he was given a 2 second time penalty for some bullshit ass reason. Those two fucking seconds bringing him from p1 to p15.

His irritation subsided when he heard a cheery Canadian coming his way, calling his name in a sing-song tone

"Nandooo"

"Hola, Lancito" He hummed a response, turning around to face Lance as he pulled out the chair next to him

"So, on pole again, feel good to be back?"

"Not anymore" He responded, seeing the confused look on Lance's face "Me and Michael got a time penalty for each part so I'm p15"

"What?" He scoffed, Lance confused at the decision "What'd you do wrong?" He asked, the man just shrugging, Lance felt bad especially considering how he'd just walked in talking about Fernando being p1

"Is alright, am winning the championship still" Fernando added, feeling bad at the sight of the sad boy, glad when his face lit up, knowing Fernando was right.

The race started and Lance was off to a good start, passing De La Rosa once again and getting closer to Button ahead of him, it seemed to be going well until turn 6 when his rear wheels locked up, sending him spinning into the barriers in a matter of seconds, all he could do was groan.

"Are you okay, Lance?" Brad asked, Lance feeling like he'd heard that constantly all season

"Yep, I'm fine, sorry." He responded, getting out of the car just in time to see his boyfriend drive past

He was in his drivers room, laying on his stomach since him and Nico both retired at this point of the race.

He was about to fall asleep when he heard a knock on his drivers room door, sitting up to see who it was "Huh?"

"Lancito, can I come in?" His eyes lit up, Fernando being greeted by a very enthusiastic looking Lance

"Is the race over? That was quick."

"Did not finish, they put my wheel on wrong." Fernando laughed as he stepped in, Lance closing the door to meet the man on the couch

"Isn't this your first retirement in a while?"

"23 races, yeah." He hummed as he sat down, leaning his head on the wall behind him, race suit unzipped half way down to his waist

"I'm sorry, Nando, are you okay?" Lance frowned, leaning his head on the Spaniards shoulder

"Mhm, I do not mind" He nodded, turning to look at Lance as his arm snaked around his waist, pulling the Canadian against him, planting gentle kisses on the side of Lance's face

"You sure? If you were upset I was gonna offer my help.." He whispered, head settling in the crook of the older mans neck to conceal the giggles from the feeling of the mans facial hair brushing against his cheek, leaving soft kisses near the tattoo on his neck.

"Did I say I don't mind? I mean..." He dragged out his words, resituating himself as he pulled Lance onto his lap "I'm so upset, Lancito," Fernando frowned, making eyecontact with the Canadian "It's so sad, I really wanted to do well"

"Oh, my poor Nando," Lance cooed, lips curving up as he leaned forward to plant a kiss on the mans forehead, hands settled on his shoulders

"Can you make me feel better, Lancito?" He questioned, looking up at the boy on his lap, pleading eyes admiring the sight of him from above

"Since you're so hurt I guess it's the least I could do" He spoke quietly, well aware of how thin the walls around them were. After he got quiet Fernando was quick to connect their lips, done with waiting for him, it was already enough torture to keep his hands off of Lance all day that now that he could he wasn't planning on holding back.

He started slow again, gentle, not wanting to make the boy overwhlemed but as soon as he could he brushed his tongue on the boys lip, grinning slightly as his lips parted, taking it as a chance to slip his tongue in, refusing to wait before exploring his mouth.

Lance whined quietly, hands gripping tighter onto Fernandos shoulders as he took breaths between each kiss, not wanting to stop the man but he hadn't exactly gotten the hang of kissing yet.

As the kisses got sloppier the two got more desperate, Lance whining quietly as he rocked himself back and forth on the stronger mans lap, adoring the different feeling of this kiss, he liked how it felt to have Fernando somewhat manhandle him.

He was no longer being careful, no longer treating Lance as if he was glass that could shatter at any moment, he was rougher. His hands were gripping him tighter, guiding his hips as he finally pulled back, Lance whining at the loss of the Spaniards lips on his.

"Shh, be patient mi vida" Fernando whispered, turning to lean back further, liking Lance on top.

"Nando, please" He begged, seeing how quick Lance was to get desperate caused Fernandos dick to twitch, Lance grinding down as a response.

The Spaniard groaned, the feeling of Lance pressing down on him made him feel like he was on cloud nine, he knew if he kept moving how he was the boy could easily make him finish untouched. Fernando was truly in awe at how much of a natural Lance was, how quick he was to catch onto things and get good.

"Fernando" Lance muttered, leaning down to rest his head between Fernandos neck and shoulder again

"Si, Lancito?" Fernando spoke "What do you want, mi sol?"

"You, Nando" He breathed, the shorter mans eyes closing at the feeling of Lances lips brushing against his lips "Please, need you so bad" He spoke quietly, part of him scared of being caught but the other eager to know what would happej if he was.

"Okay, baby" Fernando nodded, propping himself up on his elbows as he moved the boy to sit up, wanting to look at him "Move like you were before, Lancito, can you do that for me?" He asked, the Canadian nodding eagerly as he did what the man asked, supporting himself with his two hands on his boyfriends chest as he rocked his hips, eyebrows furrowing at the friction, he'd never considered himself to be horny before but as soon as he found out how it felt to have Fernando in him it was all he wanted.

As Fernando started to guide the boy Lance couldn't stop the noises he made as a response, embarrassed at how loud he'd become at barely anything.

Fernando bit his lip, one hand leaving the boys side to wrap around his neck, pulling him down by it as if he was picking a kitten up by his scruff as he connected their lips again, Lance breathlessly whimpering into Fernandos lips as he began to move faster, deeper, body needing more.

"Fuck, Lancito" Fernando breathed, hand tightening around Lance's neck, pleasently surprised at just how receptive he was to it. "Sound so pretty, mi vida, who's making you feel this good, Lancito?"

He whined, eyes lidded as he struggled to continue, legs beginning to ache as he rocked back and forth "You, papi" Lance couldn't help himself as the name slipped out, Fernando absolutely adoring it.

The man loved knowing he was the only person to ever make Lance feel this way, the only one to ever have Lance on him like this

"Nando, please, please, need you in me" His grinding slowed down, practically stopping as he panted, the grip on his neck loosening, Fernando not wanting to stop the boy from catching his breath. It was endearing, how quick he got out of breath considering he was a literal athlete.

Fernando leaned to kiss the boys jaw, leaving wet kisses and bite marks on his skin as he pulled his race suit down more, wasting no time before pulling the waistband of his underwear down as well, just enough for the cold air of the room to hit his cock

"Lancito, need you to get up if you need me so bad" Fernando couldn't help but laugh at how quick Lance was to listen, being off the mans lap in seconds. "Take it off for me, baby, need your suit off"

The Canadian listened again, finding his way back onto him after he finished

"So good for me, Lancito, always so good for me, baby" He praised, fingers brushing over the tattoo on the boys torso, the two drivers' cocks pressed together as he waited for Lance to get situatied "Tell me when you're ready, mi sol, we need to be quick." He leaned back again, half lidded eyes watching as the pale boy moved on top of him

"I'm ready, please, need you."

"Put it in, Lancito." He instructed, hands moving down from his bare hips to Lance's thighs "Do you think you can do that for me, princesa?"

The boy nodded, quick to lift himself up and line the Spaniards cock up to his hole "Do I.." He began to ask, unsure if he was doing anything right on his own.

"Just sit, baby, you're doing great" Fernando reassured him, hands moving up and down his thighs as he felt his tip be pushed inside, the two of them breathing shakily at the now familiar feeling.

Lance shut his eyes tight as he felt himself sinking down, hands gripping onto Fernandos shoulders as he took him in fully, the Spaniard unable to tear his eyes away from the sight, seeing how Lance's eyebrows furrowed at the feeling and lips parted slightly as he panted drove Fernando crazy.

"Fuck, Lancito." He groaned, hand wandering to Lance's neck again as he leaned forward to finally kiss him, not noticing how he'd absentmindedly began moving the boy on his lap "Taking me so well. You're so billiant, mi vida"

The boy whimpered, not satisfied with the slow pace Fernando had set so he took matters into his own hands, bouncing himself on the Spaniards cock.

"God" Fernando groaned quietly, grabbing onto Lance harder as he let the boy set his own pace.

The taller boy leaned forward, bringing Fernandos hand back up to his neck, missing the pressure.

"What do you want, Lancito?" He asked, hovering his hand over the rookiee throat "Use your words, princesa."

"Choke me, please papi." He whined, his movements getting sloppier as his legs began to give out, struggling to keep a steady pace.

Fernando obliged, not going to deny Lance of something he asked so nicely for. He tightened his grip on his throat as he sat up slightly, leaving the two drivers chest to chest, their position familiar.

"Doing so good, Lancito, such a good boy for me" He cooed, praising Lance as he connected their lips again, adoring just how desperate he'd become after not having Fernando for a week.

The kisses were wet, neither of them in a position where they could be gentle, gentle was the last thing Lance wanted now that he knew how it felt to be choked and bit by the Spaniard.

Fernandos eyes lingered to his hand adorning the boys neck as he pulled away from the kiss, settling on the now red and purple marks he'd left on the boys jaw and neck, leaning forward to kiss them softly, even as they got rougher the last thing he wanted was for the boy to be hurt by him.

"Nando" He whined, laying his head in the crook of the mans neck

"Yes, mi sol?"

"I can't-" He started, practically just sitting with the mans cock in him "Need your help, Nando"

Fernando couldn't help but smile, kissing the boys cheek as he lifted him up, laying him on his back on the sofa.

"Look so pretty under me, Lancito" He purred, connecting their lips in order to contain his moans as Fernando began to move, pleased with the string of sounds that left Lances mouth as he did.

He set a steady pace, one hand tight on Lances neck as the other settled on the rookies waist, adoring the sight of the boy under him being reduced to whimpers and whines.

He parted their lips to get a better view, needing to see just how much Lance relished in the pleasure Fernando was bringing him.

Fernando loved knowing he was the first to make him feel this way, the first to hear his perfect moans as he thrusted in and out. The Spaniard adored knowing he was the best Lance would ever had.

The Canadian felt the eyes on him, whining as he brought his arms up to cover his face to hide the pink tint covering his cheeks.

"Nando" He moaned, unable to stop himself from being loud as Fernando fucked into him

"Shh, you need to be quiet, mi sol" Fernando whispered, hand gripping the boys throat harder to pull his head up "Can you be a good boy for me? You don't want to be caught, do you?" He raised his eyebrows slightly, knowing the boy was still learning what exactly he wanted.

The Canadians breath hitched at the idea, cock twitching on his stomach as he heard the man above him scoff

"Would you like that, hm?" He cooed, moving Lance's hands away from his face "You want someone walking in and seeing just how much of a mess you are under me? How pathetic you look begging for my cock?"

He tried to respond, his words getting caught in the back of his throat, the thought of being caught causing Lance to react more than either of them thought it would.

Fernando continued thrusting into the boy, feeling himself slowly getting closer as the Canadian mewled. His sounds were so sweet, music to the Spaniards ears. He leaned down to nip at the skin on his neck, not bothering to care about the full garage on the other side of the door as Lance panted his name.

His hand left the pink drivers waist, wrapping his fingers around the base of the boys cock, knowing they needed to hurry up.

He began stroking his member at the same pace as his thrusts, enjoying the feeling of his hips bucking into the Spaniards hand, head arching back as he felt his orgasm creeping closer

"Fuck, fuck Nando, I- I- God, I'm gonna..." He struggled to form a sentence, gripping onto the material he was laid back on

"Cum, Lancito, Cum para papi." He instructed, biting harder onto the skin surrounding his collarbone, his goal to leave marks on the boys skin, claiming him.

As soon as Fernando told him to cum for him he did, his load coating both of their chests, Lance prepared for Fernando to slow down until he didn't, hand continuing to stroke the boy at the same pace

"Nando" He moaned, body shaking at the overwhelming amount of pleasure, the two cumming together seconds later, filling the room with gasps and pants at they both caught their breaths

"Fuck, Lancito, Took me so well, Such a good boy for me, mi vida" Fernando spoke, praise spilling out of his lips as he slowly rode out his high, feeling how full Lance was.

Lance moved his arms around Fernandos shoulders, pulling their chests together as Lance blushed, something so romantic about just laying in eachother presence after doing something so..... so.

Fernando found a hand towel and wet it, figuring the two had laid still for long enough. He sat Lance up, whiping off the boys torso before cleaning his own

"Nando?"

"Si, mi sol?"

"I love you"

Fernando smiled, setting the towel aside now that the two of them had been cleaned off. He leaned forward, softly planting kisses across the boys face, adoring hearing the giggles that came out of him as a response

"Stop, stop, stop" He breathed, wide smile on his face as he tried to push the Spaniard away "You could at least say it back"

"Te quiero mucho, Lancito" He spoke, patting the boys hair to lay smoothly on his head as he spoke "Now, If we stay here any longer people are gonna start worrying"

"I guess you're right" The Canadian whined, getting into the jeans and team shirt he'd came in while Fernando put his race suit back on, the two walking out of the drivers room as if nothing had happened.

As if everyone in the garage hadn't heard them and were now acticaly trying to not look at the bruises on the Canadians neck or make eyecontact as the drivers left together

"I think you were a little loud, mi sol" Fernando teased, Lance hitting him on his shoulder before hiding his face in his hands

"God, Nando, that's so embarrassing!"

"You sure seemed to like the idea before" Fernando hummed, wrapping his arm around Lance as he headed to the Renault garage, needing to change before the two could go back to their hotel.

[petrichor-idyllic]

hey!! i love ur work. could u do hcs for the boys fighting for the readers attention?? 🫶🫶

Of course I can.

Pronouns weren't specified so gender-neutral reader.

GIVE ME ATTENTION

MASTERLIST | MULTI-CHARACTER MASTERLIST

SUMMARY: See above. Gender-neutral! Reader x Glader boys.

You're the most popular Glader around, and it seems like all the boys have a thing for you, so, how would they get your attention?

WARNINGS: Inappropriate language, dumb teenage boys, possessiveness and other slightly problematic themes (I don't condone but it's fiction).

THOMAS

Considering that Thomas moves at a million miles an hour and has Teresa (*cough* and Newt *cough*) as potential love interest(s), I don't think Thomas would actually fight for anyone's attention.

I know, I know, that defeats the point of the prompt.

But, if anything, especially in the books, Thomas is kind of actively trying to avoid attention.

And failing monumentally.

So, I think if he'd want your attention, he'd seek it out in private.

He wouldn't be the type to chase you around the Glade, pining for your attention.

He'd wait until there'd be a moment alone.

Maybe when you're enjoying your own company, chilling after a long day's work, Thomas would approach you.

And he'd get your attention that way.

In an intimate, one-on-one way.

Just simple conversation getting to know one another and some light, and kinda awkward flirting.

Which I guess is a good (and healthy) way to get someone's attention.

Good job, Thomas.

NEWT

Maybe it's because there isn't much romance in the series, but I can't see Newt fighting for attention in the traditional sense either.

He's the second in command and has enough on his plate.

I can, however, see him going out of his way to offer you more guidance.

Or he'd act nicer to you and let you get away with more stuff.

He'd probably give you gifts and convince Frypan to give you more food.

He'd basically use his influence over the Glade to give you an easier time.

It'd be subtle.

And you might not even realise he'd been doing it until you'd ask Minho or somebody and it'd get spilled.

That's probably when you'd develop an actual relationship.

MINHO

Now, unlike the previous boys, Minho absolutely would be the stereotype of dumb, slightly overly-cocky teenage boy trying to get his crushes attention.

He'd flex around you.

He'd crack more jokes than usual around you.

He'd also try and act cooler around you at the same time.

You'd "bump" into him at random occasions.

He'd tease and poke fun at the other Gladers to make himself seem better.

Though that being said, he would not be good at flirting.

It'd be the kind of cheesy flirting that would leave you rolling your eyes and having to stop yourself from laughing.

Though, if you'd ever flirt back, he'd lose his cool and be turned into a stuttering, flustered mess.

Not such a cool guy after all, huh?

GALLY

Gally would be a problem.

More of a problem than usual.

He'd get in fights and insult people in front of you to try and make himself seem seem tougher and more "manly".

Not attractive and definitely not healthy.

You'd often grace his presence and then someone else would end up bruised and bloody.

Alby hates you.

Even though you've done nothing wrong.

He'd also try extra hard at work around you.

Lifting heavier things, barking more orders and pushing himself to his building limits.

"Oh no, it's too hot doing all this manual labour- better take my shirt off" typa energy.

Definitely more of a physical attention seeker.

Though, I think that'd probably scare you off more than anything.

Or maybe not.

I don't know what you're into.

FRYPAN

You'd be well-fed, to say the least.

Fry would get your attention in a similar way to Newt.

By providing you with food and anything you need.

Though, he'd be more open and complimentary.

Despite popular belief, he'd probably be the best out of the boys when it'd come to flirting and making you notice him.

He's not shy, but he's not an idiot who succumbs to his emotions and starts acting really different because he has a crush.

He'd ask you what you'd want to eat.

You'd accidentally end up picking the meals for the Glade everyday.

People would start asking you to get Fry to make their favourite foods.

Like Gally, he'd put far more effort into his work.

But in a healthier way with less violence.

Definitely a sweetheart, and no threat.

Thank God.

ALBY

He simply would not.

Not even Movie! Alby.

Sorry.

Ahhh I'm back.

This definitely isn't my best work but I'm also working on part 2 for "on my own"- which is a lot of hard work because I have to actually follow the plot lmao.

Anyway, I hope you liked these dumb lil headcanons :))

[allfillernothriller]

Welcome to Unhinged Hours, a series of posts that will be tagged as such in which I will overshare my cringiest and most awkward thoughts because I've no self-control over my need to vent. And who knows. Might help someone else.

Don't mind the dubious syntax and weird grammar.

[cw brief mention of abuse]

When I was 17-19, I was mortified to discover I was attracted to (much) older people. During my early twenties, the majority of my crushes were in their thirties. I knew the age gap was too big and I was too young, so I did nothing about them and naively thought this was something that would fix itself with time. I thought "at least I know I find people in their thirties attractive so I just have to wait to reach mine and date people my age then" (lmao good one past me). Well. As I'm inching ever closer to said thirties, it's more and more evident that the issue clearly did NOT fix itself, those old crushes are nearing their forties and I haven't stopped carrying them in my heart. They're attractive in new ways. When I look at pics from back when I first developed a crush, I find that my current 27yo self isn't physically attracted to their 32yo self I was originally attracted to anymore. And I know for a fact that 21yo me wouldn't have found 38yo [redacted] hot. But current me is still attracted to current them (38yo [redacted] is indeed very hot). And you might wonder what's the issue here, so lemme tell you. I've been frequenting online feminist spaces for a decade. I've read countless accounts of teenage girls and young women who were manipulated and abused by older partners. I've read an inordinate amount of warnings, the gist of all of them being “don't date older folks during your formative years, don't believe them when they call you 'mature for your age'”. And let me be crystal clear — I still think it's relevant and infinitely important to relay those accounts and protect girls and young women, and help them spot red flags and predatory patterns. It absolutely is, I am not blaming feminism for my existential struggles. I am simply giving you context. The thing is, I've internalised this as “don't ever pursue older folks, period” (which is a completely different thing, I knew that then and still know it now but couldn't help it) and as a result I've been lugging around self-inflicted guilt and shame for years (and don't I love the internalised biphobia that adds to it when the person happens to be a man /s). And these crushes I've been telling you about? They're one-sided! They've never expressed any interest, so that's always been a safe situation for me, but did that prevent any self-loathing from taking root in my brain? Course it didn't! I can't seem to shake the feeling that there's something wrong with me and I've grown tired of this. Scolding myself over human emotions is getting fucking old.

That brings me to today's crisis — at which point in one's life does it get easier to accept? How old is old enough to stop caring about the age gap? When will I stop blaming myself? How do I drop the guilt?

Because if it was "just" the fact that I'm still swooning over the same people (who are now soon-to-be 40), that would be too easy, wouldn't it? But nooo I just had to go and get a new crush on someone who's already in their forties. Where does this end, please?

(You might've noticed that the overuse of the word 'crush' and choosing to focus on the physical aspect of attraction here is a poor attempt at a euphemism. I mean some of them are simple crushes, as for the others... past a certain point, still calling them crushes is just denial on my part. I'm basically fooling myself.)

“This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if you've got a moment, it's a twelve-storey crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour porterage and an enormous sign on the roof saying 'this is a Large Crisis'.” (Blackadder Goes Forth, ep. 6)

[miss-andromeda]

2012 TMNT 😁

The first character I first fell in love with: 

This should be a no-brainer...I think you know him. Tall, purple bandana, gap between the teeth, way too smart for his own good...yeah, it's him. 😌💜

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: 

Honestly, Raph! I started the show thinking very surface-level of him; awesome ninja, anger issues, stuff like that. Then when I started rewatching the show, I started to see how vulnerable and soft he could be with his brothers - along with unbelievably sassy he can be. Seriously, dude has some of my favorite one-liners in the whole show.🤣❤️

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: 

Oh, this is gonna be interesting...I'm gonna be blunt here, Leo. Don't get me wrong, I like him a lot and he has some amazing moments, but he doesn't necessarily have the snark that makes Raph and Donnie stand out, and the sunshine and humor that makes Mikey so endearing. I love Blue, but he's 4th place out of the four. 💙

The character I love that everyone else hates: 

Hmm...probably Shredder. I've seen people say that his motivation is pretty lame (which, in some way, it kind of is) but he's not just a bratty child. He's a really twisted villain and seems to really believe his motivations are completely justified - and you can't deny he's completely ruthless in battle. Really exemplifies the concept of the head of the Foot - and honestly, I think he's a great villain.

The character I used to love but don’t any longer:

Probably April. I liked her a lot when I was younger (the concept of girl power and she's got a potential romance with my favorite turtle? Sign me up!), but once I got older...she really grated on my nerves. Don't get me wrong, I like her in season 1; she's an inexperienced teenager who's dealing with the pain of having her dad be kidnapped and is meeting some new friends along the way. Season 2 onwards? I wanted to strangle her. Not just because of the love triangle (although that is a part of it,) but also because she lost a lot of that awkwardness that made her likable in season 1, and just became a cliche girlboss. But she wasn't even likable there; she just felt like the token female character needed to add "diversity" to the group.

The character I would totally smooch: 

See my first answer. 💜

The character I’d want to be like: 

Probably Raph; minus the short temper, I'd love to have the skills he has and the undying love with an animal - be it Spike/Slash or Chompy. Plus, the sass. ❤️

The character I’d slap: 

Well, I already mentioned April, but I like her in season 1 so that saves her. And it's kind of a cliche choice to pick a villain, so let's pick someone that I've despised since the beginning - even when I was a dumb kid.

Casey.

Does he get better in later seasons? Yeah, I'd say so; he becomes less in your face and more...just annoying, but kinda like Mikey annoying where you can't hate him. But in season 2, I wanted to strangle him too - and admittedly, still kinda do. He's way too obnoxious for his own good, is way too gross in his flirting with April (he's not chauvinistic or anything, but you just roll your eyes a lot of the time), and doesn't back up his bragging or anything with actually being likable, unlike Raph.

So yeah, he's the one.

A pairing that I love:

If you asked me this when I was a kid, I would've said Apritello - April and Donnie. Now, I don't shame anyone if they ship them, but let's just say I way prefer my version in All's Fair in Love and Science (shameless self-promo 😅) where they love each other platonically and April shamelessly teases him about his crush on my OC, Andi.

But to answer, a pair that I love? Mikey and Renet, personally. She captures that inexperience as a Time Master wonderfully, and she never comes off like an idiot - she's just trying to find her footing. And Mikey's so in awe of her that it's kind of adorable. They both have that same kind of childish, free spirit that makes me just want to protect them. 😅🧡

A pairing that I despise: 

Okay, there are two.

One is the aforementioned Apritello. I used to like them as a kid, but watching it in hindsight is just cringeworthy. Don't get me wrong, I am all for Donnie having a crush (and admittedly, I'm a sucker for the love at first sight trope), but did they have to make it so forced and awkward? And I understand April feeling uncomfortable and not wanting to ruin their friendship about his feelings for her, but that's what communication is. And by not having that, she just kept leading him on and making him think he had a chance - only to either ignore him or just continue treating him like just a friend. It was so forced and awkward and...ugh.

And for the obvious - Leorai, Leo and Karai. Okay, who thought it was a good idea to imply that two siblings could have a romance - and have it be canon that one sibling had a crush on the other? Don't get me wrong, I love Karai; she's bar none my favorite female character in the show. And like I said, I love Leo - but the crush he had on Karai is what brings his character down for me. If they wrote him as impressed by her skills and seeing the good in her from a platonic point of view, it would've been sweet - and added another layer to Leo's character. But no, they went with the pseudo-incest perspective and made us all creeped out.

----------

Thank you for the ask, girl! ❤️

@kikithedreamerwriter @m1dnyt3-w0lf @margoteve @jasminarts01 @thelaundrybitch @raphsmuneca @happymoonangel @android-cap-007

[skiesforest]

what do you mean by “all characters are grown up” in your art?

Hello, I am tired of having to explain myself to everyone one by one :(

In short words: since I was a teenager artist, I loved drawing south park characters, but never liked having to draw literally kids doing extreme stuff like "dark humor", riding motorcycles, handleling fire, etc etc... so I always drawn them grown up. please PLEASE look at my art on instagram, I usually post more there and there's a HUGE difference between my kids/teenage art vs adult art. The anatomies are totally different to start off. When I draw kids/teenage I rather draw cute things. When I illustrate characters that are doing extreme stuff like riding bulls, getting an extreme crush on or dating, I rather make my characters grown up, because fictional adults can handle those fictional moments.

I PLEASE BEG beg you personally to please look up my art, see the huge difference between my art focused on kids/teenagers vs adults.

And PLEASE please I don't feel well to keep explaining to everyone :( I frel very heaft broken since that online harrasment on Twitter, I felt guilty of things that I wasn't suppose to feel giilty about, I always loved 90s humor from Cartoon Network, my inspiration comes from there.

I am trying to draw, but I feel like a harsh feeling inside my chest everytime, because I feel afraid again to get judged.

I am sorry if I haven't defended myself. I was too in shock, depressed and paralyzed. I am dealing with triggering things on irl and seeing my happy place torn down really left me a "homeless" feeling inside. Rottmnt was the only thing I basically lived for and got distracted in this cute little fantasy world I was happy about.

Now if you think drawing grown up characters is sexualizing them, well you're wrong. You don't need to make fake rumors of "borderline fetishes" or weird things. I wasn't sexualizing my fanart. I draw nsfw stuff, but is clearly I just draw my own OC's or my friends ones. I know my purpuses when I draw fanart and let me clear that I only want to make comedy and funny things to brighten up someone's day who enjoys the charactes so much as I do.

They've made me a horrible impression of me, I feel ashamed some people met me because of that drama and I want to personally apologize everyone one by one.

I am not going to lie, I feel very very heartbroken, but despite all those rotten moments, there was still lots of support and love. I THANK YOU so much guys, with tears, seriously!!! ❤

So PLEASEE anons on tumblr, I don't want more questions that I have to explain myself this way, because is awkward and makes me feel attacked like what happened on twitter :( maybe I could answer much sweeter in the future after the adrenaline inside me leaves, but I am not going to lie, I felt attacked reading this question, even it doesn't have a second intentiom behind it.

[green-socks]

Endless Nights

Pairing: Benny Miller x gn!reader (no descriptions or pronouns)

Summary: You and Benny can't seem to get enough of each other's company. Could tonight be the night you find the courage to do something about that crush?

Words: 2,101

Warnings: Nudity but not the sexual kind, food/eating. Almost zero editing and a tired writer.

Notes: I don't always participate in Writer Wednesday, but when I do I take one look at the picture, get an idea and then go completely off the rails. Sorry. So the pic doesn't really have a lot to do with the rest of the fic but I hope that's okay. For this week's @autumnleaves1991-blog Writer Wednesday, thanks for organizing it every week!

I had the idea for midnight shopping at the supermarket with Benny and then realized I didn't want the night to end there... So it didn't. I actually like this piece, even if it probably suffered a lot from my fast writing and non-existent editing. Reader is mentioned having shorter legs than Benny but other than that I think there are no descriptions or pronouns used of reader, lmk if I'm wrong.

MASTERLIST

You and Benny have been driving around aimlessly for a couple of hours already, taking turns in picking the music, and talking about this and that while sometimes falling into a companionable silence. It still amazes you how easy and comfortable everything is with him. You have never felt like this with a crush before, used to the feeling of always obsessing over what you felt like you could and couldn’t say or do, or spending a lot of time and energy into trying to figure out what the other thought.

No, with Benny you don’t have to pretend anything or force yourself to keep the conversation running in fear of those horrid awkward silences, because both of you know that you can talk for hours on end when the mood strikes. You met through mutual friends only a few weeks ago, but the connection was clearly there. As was the obvious mutual attraction.

Strictly speaking, though, you and Benny are just friends. Nothing has ever really happened to indicate otherwise in any case. But friends don’t usually try this hard to find any excuse just to hang out, nor do you stay up late every night talking to your other friends. And when you hang out in a group you always seem to gravitate towards one another. What’s more, somehow it always seems to be just the two of you left at the end of the night, often not even noticing the others leave.

Your interactions always border on the line of obvious flirting with your touches and already formed inside jokes, but neither of you ever dare do anything that couldn’t be brushed off as innocent behavior between friends. You guess you’re both just kind of scared to take the leap - you have been burned before, and so has he.

It’s not that you doubt your own feelings for Benny, or indeed his feelings for you. Even you have to admit that he does seem pretty interested in you, but you still wave away your friends’ squeals of “he’s totally in love with you!”, mainly not wanting to get your hopes up too much.

Because a small part of you still finds it a little hard to believe; someone so handsome and funny and kind wanting to be with you? What if he likes you, but just not as much as you like him? What if you were just a second choice for someone you really like until something better comes along - again? That scares you, both of you.

Tonight has been like many other nights lately; you had been to the movies with some of your friends, but after the movie ended you had been grasping at straws to come up with a way to continue the night so they (Benny) wouldn’t go home just yet. Benny had helpfully suggested just driving around and seeing if any ideas came to mind.

Santiago in turn had rolled his eyes at you two knowingly (making both you and Benny fluster and try to fake complete nonchalance) before saying good night and leaving with the others, who apparently didn’t feel the compulsive need to continue spending time together.

--------

The sun has gone down already but you two are still enjoying each other’s company too much to go home yet.

You end up in the 24/7 supermarket parking lot, craving a midnight snack. You are reminded of your teenage years, when you used to hang around different parking lots, popping into the store to buy a soda or a candy bar, spending all day outside with friends.

The only other customers doing their midnight shopping are tired people just off their shifts or young people staying up late just for the hell of it, much like you and Benny are, in fact. You wander around the huge store together, pointing out different products you’d like to try and reviewing stuff one of you already has tried.

Before long you realize that you have already spent almost forty minutes idly wandering around the supermarket, collecting new soda or chip flavors to test. Neither of you thought to grab a basket at the entrance, so your arms are starting to get a bit full.

“Benny, do you think this might be enough?” you ask while struggling to maintain your hold on the different bags of chips.

Benny looks back at you from where he is pondering over whether to get some ice cream. “Huh, I guess. I do still wanna get a sandwich, though!” he exclaims and promptly takes off in the direction of the deli counter where they sell sandwiches and salads left over from the day.

You try to keep up with his long strides, certain that you must look a bit comical half-running after a man with your hands full of treats. Oh, well. Benny often complains about how much focus it requires of him to “modify his steps” to fit your much shorter legs, and he always forgets about it when he gets excited.

When you catch up with him, he has already picked a sandwich for himself and one for you. “I got you salmon, that’s your favorite, right?”

“Yeah, thanks!” you say a little breathlessly after your speed-walk, taken that he remembers.

As you finally get to the cash register and start loading your stuff in your bag you see Benny sneak one more candy bar among the rest of your purchases. For someone in such good physical shape he sure does like his candy.

“Where to next?” Benny inquires as you get back to the car.

“Hmm, how about this one waterfront type swimming spot? It’s pretty secluded, has a pier, and there’s a nice view to the sea. I sometimes like to sit there on the cliffs to watch the sun go down,” you suggest, and offer him directions to the place.

It’s a short drive and you show Benny where to park his car. Even though it’s somewhere around 1 a.m. and the sun went down hours ago, the night is still light enough that you can easily see where you’re going and it doesn’t feel like you’re just sitting in the dark.

You settle down on the small pier with your sandwiches and sodas and chips and munch away happily.

Benny hands you the candy bar you saw him grab earlier at the cash register “for dessert”. It has a cheesy text on the packaging about giving this to someone special. He grins and shrugs, “I know you love these”.

It’s such a simple gesture but you can’t help feeling really flattered and even more smitten with him than you already were. You don’t read too much into the text on the packaging, but even the fact that he would buy you a candy bar he knows you love - just because - warms your heart.

(What you don’t know is that the candy bars have lots of different texts to choose from, and that Benny specifically picked “give this to someone special” instead of “give this to a friend”. There was also “give this to someone you love”, but Benny worried that might scare you off.)

--------

After you’re both done with snacking you try to think of what to do next, still reluctant to pronounce this night to be over, you get an idea.

“You know what I would really like to do right now?” you ask Benny, looking out over the water that looks so tempting. “Go swim,” you announce, turning to look at him.

“You don’t have a swimsuit with you, do you?” Benny asks, turning to look at you too.

“No… But there’s no one here,” you point out with your eyebrows raised in challenge.

Benny looks at you for a few beats with a blank expression on his face, before shrugging “Alright,” and throwing off his hoodie and t-shirt, jeans following next. “What are you waiting for?” he shouts over his shoulder as he jumps from the pier into the water.

You’re left sitting there with your mouth open, blinking rapidly as you try to catch up with the fast turn of events. Shaking your head, you stand up and shrug off your clothes before quickly running after Benny and getting into the refreshing water.

The night is still warm, and the water feels wonderful. You swim to catch up with Benny.

“You know, it’s pretty dark here but I’ve basically seen you naked now,” he remarks, waggling his eyebrows, and you snort with laughter.

“Benny, you’re not allowed to make me laugh in the water or I’ll drown,” you try to say sternly.

“Oh sweetheart, I wouldn’t let you drown,” he answers in a surprisingly serious voice.

Suddenly the energy between you is full of.. something. Something new and buzzing, sort of scary but also exciting. Something you can’t quite explain. You’re swimming around each other, looking at each other intently, but not daring to say anything that would break the moment and burst the bubble.

Someone else does that for you.

A couple of teenage girls, you’d guess around 18 years old, stumble on to the pier and immediately notice you two in the water. The other girl lets out a shriek and tightens her hold on the towel around her, and before you can even try to reassure them that everything is fine, they run off giggling and shrieking some more. Evidently, they had had the same idea for a nighttime swim but found the place already occupied.

“Yeahhhh, maybe we should put some clothes on before someone calls the police,” Benny suggests dryly.

You two climb out of the water giggling and grinning broadly. You don’t have any towels with you since you didn’t exactly plan this impromptu skinny-dipping session, but Benny gives you his hoodie to help keep you warm.

Sitting back down next to Benny you’re even closer together now than earlier, ever so slowly inching closer and closer to each other. Both of you think you could pass it off as huddling for warmth if the other were to question it, but somehow you know that won’t be an issue.

Soon enough you’re snuggling together on the waterfront overlooking the sea. You stay quietly like that for some time, maybe fifteen minutes, maybe more. It’s hard to tell when the world is so still and quiet around you.

Suddenly you think that this is it, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. In all honesty you sort of enjoy the pining stage of new relationships, but right now you feel like you might burst if you keep these feelings inside you any longer.

You turn and burrow your head into the crook of his neck and decide that you will have to take the leap now. You start pressing gentle kisses on his neck and hear Benny’s breath hitch at the first contact of your lips on his skin. He goes still as a statue, but you can feel more than hear his unsteady breathing at your actions. You’re practically vibrating with nervous excitement as you work your way up to his jaw and towards his lips.

Taking one final deep breath you close your eyes, not daring to look at Benny in the eye right now, as you bring your lips to meet his.

The kiss is sweet and unhurried, and yet your head is swimming and your whole body is buzzing with it as you melt into each other. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever felt, which just proves that everything really is different - better - with Benny. You pull away when you find yourself quickly out of breath just from feeling so much.

You finally dare to open your eyes to find Benny gazing at you with a dazed expression that surely mirrors your own and you slowly beam at each other, not feeling the need for words just now. Maybe you couldn’t even find them if you tried.

You settle back against his chest and the two of you stay like that for the rest of the night, sometimes spending long moments just kissing each other, sometimes talking quietly, sometimes just enjoying each other’s presence.

--------

Around five in the morning, when the sun is already getting up, you finally start to really feel the need for sleep. But this time it doesn’t feel wrong to leave and go home, since you’ll be going home together.

Later that day you wake up to a good morning, sweetheart in Benny’s arms where you fell asleep on his couch, tired but happier than you’ve ever felt in your life.

[rikumorimachisgirl]

Title: Eyes on you

Pairing: Shaw x You

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 2,901

A/N: You (Y/N) are not the MC in MLQC. This is a plunny that's been bugging me for quite a while, I had to write it. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own MLQC or its characters, but I do own the concept of this fic.

There were a few mysteries in this world that the esteemed Archeology Graduate Professors at Loveland University can't explain - for instance, the formation of the Stonehenge, the exact location of the lost city of Atlantis, the origin of the Nazca lines… and your presence at the Metro Art Gala dressed to the nines, positively gleaming as you strode arm in arm with your classmate and Thesis partner Shaw, who seemed like the perfect gentleman that evening. Thanks to your work at the Loveland Museum, you scored two invites to the gala featuring the recently discovered works of a well-known artist - an event any Archeology fanatic wouldn't let pass. The two of you walked along with LFG's Exhibition Hall, pausing occasionally to admire one of the recently discovered sculptures by the Renaissance artist D'Romani. As you both looked at the intricacies of the artwork in front of you, your charming companion would lean in slightly and whisper something in your ear, causing you to roll your eyes or stifle a giggle. 

To the guests in the prestigious gala, the two of you looked like two young people at the cusp of falling in love, but the members of the Faculty of the Graduate School of Archeology saw it differently - this was a real-life mystery if they'd seen one. 

As your eyes swiftly swept through the entire room, you could see that your professors only had one question in mind - how'd this happen? How did two people as different as day and night, who argued with each other throughout Graduate studies, end up amiably enjoying each other's company tonight? 

You drew a sharp breath and sighed. The answer was simple: Your Thesis defense was right around the corner. You needed him to cooperate, you were willing to go to great lengths to make it happen. And your Thesis partner (unfortunately) was ready to take full advantage of the situation. 

***

"Tell me why we're doing this again, " you said through the door that separated you and your date, as you were putting on the dress you bought (or invested on, as he casually stated) for tonight's gala, which he insisted on attending with you. It was six in the evening on a Friday, and you had just arrived home after cramming your workload at the Loveland Museum and foregoing your meal breaks just so you could leave work at exactly five-thirty. 

"I already told you a couple of times - you want me to cooperate with you so you can pass our Thesis, and I need a reason to be around her," the purple-haired man waiting at the other side of your bedroom door called out nonchalantly. "You can drop your fantasy about me asking you out because I'm attracted to you."

You hissed silently at his snarky remark and counted to ten. You haven't even left your apartment yet you already wanted this night to be over. "How do you even know she's gonna be there?"

She - the Miracle Finder Producer, the object of your Thesis Partner's fantasies, and as fate would have it, his brother's girlfriend. 

"They're doing a show featuring our Thesis adviser. Didn't he tell us about it during our last consultation?" He asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"I wasn't listening," you shot back, as you took off your ponytail and started styling your hair with your curling iron. You chose a one-shoulder fitted black dress that stops right above your knees, so you thought of wearing your hair down for a change. 

"Ah, yes. You were too busy looking at your notes, trying to prove me wrong as always."

You closed your eyes, as you continued to make big beach waves and prayed to the gods you wouldn't commit murder tonight. 

"How much longer are you gonna take?"

"Excited much?" You asked, smirking while you now removed your glasses and put on your contacts. "You sound like a teenager excited to see his crush in a school fair!"

"Don't compare me to you!" 

"I don't have designs on anyone in the party," you called back. "Unless your brother's attending the event, that is. From what you've been telling me, he seems like a great guy."

Silence. You arched an eyebrow as you strained your ear to listen for any sign of life outside your bedroom door. What must your grunge-rock skater boy-turned-date-for-the-evening be thinking? 

"Do you want to pass our Thesis or not?"

You struck a victory pose at his remark. Finally, one point - you, Shaw - about twenty. 

"Are you done yet? This suit is really uncomfortable. Damn, why do people even wear these?"

"Because they're decent?" You shot back. "You know, you can always go home if you're not comfortable in your attire because when we get there, you need to act decent, too. Can't have your usual swagger in a formal affair."

"Just hurry it up already!"

You rolled your eyes as you applied your nude-colored lipstick to finish off your look before putting on your black stilettos, and stuffing your phone, wallet, and your makeup in your purse. 

"All done," you replied, as you finally emerged from your room. 

***

A part of you wished that the dynamics between you and Shaw were different. While he was a pain in the neck, and too carefree for his own good, you also thought he made for a good intellectual sparring partner, quite attractive, and it was hard to deny that he's got your heart beating double-time whenever he got too close for comfort like he was at that very moment. 

"My, you two kids seem to be having fun tonight."

You gasped, at the sound of the voice behind you, and you felt your date nudge you ever-so-subtly while straightening.

"Hey, Professor Adler," he said in his usual unruffled tone, his lips stretched into a smirk as he held his hand out to your Anthropology professor and Thesis adviser, who watched you both amusedly. His gesture made your eyes shot wide open, you thought they'd fall right off. Shaw shaking someone's hand? That's one for the books. 

"Shaw. Fancy seeing you here," the stout middle-aged man greeted while shaking your date's hand. "This isn't your usual scene though."

"Yeah, I know, but I can't exactly turn a pretty lady down, can I?" 

"I can see that," your professor said as he looked at you appraisingly. "Well, well, you clean up well, Miss (y/n)."

You fought the urge to squirm at the older man's words when you heard your date cluck his cheeks with his tongue and suddenly felt his arm around your shoulders, pressing you protectively close to his side. 

***

"All done!" You happily announced as you stepped into the living room of your small apartment where your date was impatiently waiting for you. 

You could've sworn he was stunned for a second or two before he shook his head and tried to regain his usual impassive expression. Finally, he stood and walked closer to assess you better. 

"You're not wearing your glasses. I thought you said you're practically blind without them?" 

You cocked your head to one side. Out of all the things he could've complimented or called out, that's the first thing he noticed? 

"Wouldn't it look awkward if I wore glasses to a formal event?"

"Your hair is all curly," he continued as if you didn't say anything. "And your shoes are so tall, won't you trip? Also, surely you have a jacket to go with that dress, right?" 

You stared at him in disbelief. Why did this carefree, bass-playing skater boy turn into your dad all of a sudden? 

"Uh…"

"Well, at least you're not wearing red lipstick. You don't have to try too hard to look sexy. Geez! I've got plans of my own this evening, so don't expect me to be your bodyguard," he continued to mumble as he circled around you. Before long, you felt something warm and heavy on your shoulder. His coat?

"It's just until we get to the venue," he shrugged as he led you to the car he borrowed for tonight. "I don't want people seeing you freeze to death."

You sighed, your shoulders slumped as you followed your date to the car. You already expected he wouldn't throw you a compliment for looking like a proper human tonight, and you cursed yourself for feeling gutted over it anyway. 

 ***

"So, which one of these sculptures did you like best, Professor?" You sighed in relief as Shaw changed the subject, his arm still wrapped around you, making you blush furiously. 

"Oh, I have to say I liked Eros and Psyche best. In case you haven't seen it yet, it's located a little further down the hall near the bar area," the older man was starting to explain when someone tapped his shoulder from behind. 

"Excuse me, Professor Adler," a gentle voice called out, making both the professor and Shaw jump. From behind the old man, a pretty petite with brown hair and big brown eyes, and the biggest smile on her face stepped up. "My name is MC from Miracle Finder."

Almost immediately, Shaw withdrew his arm around you, almost causing you to stagger backward. He straightened up and feigned disinterest. 

"Hey. It's a little rude how you stepped in while I was talking to the Professor," he said, his tone teasing. 

"Oh, I didn't notice you here. Do you mind if I talk to your Professor? We've invited him for an interview about the exhibit," the girl said sweetly. 

Based on how unconsciously coy she acted around Shaw, and the way he kept egging her, there was no doubt that this was the girl he was crushing on. You felt like the odd person out all of a sudden and needed to step away. 

You backed away slowly, careful not to rouse their attention because it would probably suck if you knew how Shaw would introduce you to his little crush. As soon as you were in a safe distance, you turned and walked aimlessly down the hall, pausing briefly at paintings or sculptures that caught your fancy, looking at its intricacies as you did so earlier. But somehow, it wasn't as fun as it was before, so you moved on quickly, to give way to the other guests who also wanted to view the artwork.

Finally, you came upon the bar and decided to rest your tired feet at the far corner, hidden from the rest of the world. Sighing, you slipped your feet off your stilettos and quietly watched as the guests around you - mostly couples - happily chatting away as they enjoyed the beauty of the art around them and the wonderful music that filled the air. You knew somewhere in the crowd, your date was fawning over his lady love, probably getting in the way of her filming your professor. 

Tch. 

You knew he liked her - he always told you he did. And why wouldn't he? MC was pretty, seemingly sweet, and dainty - the kind of girl any guy would like to protect. And you. You were the opposite. You lived for your work, were 'one of the boys', and didn't need anyone to protect you - that's just how you were - and now you started to realize that maybe guys don't exactly like that. At least not Shaw. 

Wait, what were you thinking? You scolded yourself as you shook your head. Why were you even thinking of what he liked when you don't even like him to start with. Or did you? 

"Ugh. What the hell is wrong with me?" You groaned when a cold bottle of beer and a frozen glass was placed in front of you. 

"I was gonna ask you that myself." 

You straightened up in your seat and shot a look at the guy seated beside you. Dressed in a nice grey suit, he smiled as he raised his beer bottle in front of you. 

"You look like you needed a drink. I hope the beer is okay. They don't have fruit beer or soda," he said calmly, his amber-colored eyes never leaving yours. 

"Y-yeah. Beer is perfect," you replied while pouring the amber liquid into the glass. "Thanks," you muttered before raising the glass to your lips to gulp down some liquid courage. 

"I saw you with Shaw earlier -"

The name on his lips drove you to a coughing fit, as you choked on your drink. "Sorry, " you mumbled in between coughs. 

"No, I'm sorry," the brown-haired guy said, as he cautiously and politely patted your back. "I didn't mean to bring that up. I was just curious."

"It's fine," you replied when you finally regained your composure. "Yes, we're just classmates in Grad school who decided to check this exhibit out for the heck of it."

"Classmates, huh?"

"Yeah, that's what we are," you said, taking a sip off your glass. "Grad school classmates."

"Are you telling me or telling yourself?"

You looked up and saw him smiling. There was something about Dreamy McHandsome who was seated beside you that felt so familiar yet different at the same time, but you couldn't point a finger at what it was exactly. 

"We're classmates, and we're working on our thesis together. But we're not friends - far from it even. We hate each other's guts."

"Can't blame you for doing so," he shrugged as he drank his beer. 

"Yeah. He dragged me here so he can get with someone he's been crushing on for so long," you rambled on, frowning. 

"Oh? And who might that be?"

"The Miracle Finder Producer. You know, the pretty girl in a blue top and white skirt. He's been going on and on about her for weeks…"

"You mean my girlfriend?" 

His girlfriend. You choked on your drink once again. "Y-y-your girlfriend? You mean to say…" You gasped. Has the beer made you stupid? You've barely drunk half of it, you thought as you fought to regain your dignity. This was Shaw's brother you were talking to - and boy, we're they blessed with good genes…

… And the same social awkwardness, you noticed, judging by how he kept his hand at your back, but not exactly touching it, as if trying to assess if he had to pat you or not. 

When you finally calmed down, he cleared his throat and gave you a small smile. "Don't worry. She talks to me about their conversations. I know what that guy is playing at, and I most definitely know he's not after my girl," he said, his voice broke no room for doubt. "My name is Gavin..."

"Yeah, I know…"

"You - what?"

"Oh," you said, tapping on your glass nervously. "Shaw kinda mentioned it in passing before."

"I see."

"So, what were you saying earlier about Shaw?"

"Oh. From what my girlfriend tells me, he's got his sights set on…"

"Ahem," you heard someone say loud enough for you and Gavin to turn your heads around. And there, standing behind you, was an angry-looking Shaw. You sat up, your gaze shifting between the two brothers as the air started to thicken with tension. "I talk to someone for a minute and the next thing I knew, my date walks out on me and right into the one person I'd hate for her to meet."

"Well, if you were just honest with her as with a lot of other things in your life, maybe she wouldn't have left your side earlier," Gavin retorted flippantly. "Is she finally done with filming?"

Shaw simply grunted in reply as he watched his older brother finish his bottle of beer and stand. "Well, Miss, there's a lot I've heard about you. Seems somebody couldn't stop talking about you, but I'll leave it at that." 

With a wink and a mischievous smile upon his face, the brown-haired guy sauntered off to look for his better half, as you and Shaw watched in awkward silence. 

He cleared his throat and glanced at you. "Hey."

"Hey," you replied, shakily. 

"So, about what that jerk said -"

"Yes?" You asked, feeling your heart hammer against your chest by the second.

"Whatever he said is not true," he said dismissively, as he took his coat off and draped it over your shoulders. "I told you before, I don't find you the least bit attractive."

You felt tears starting to sting your eyes, as he continued with his harsh commentary. "You're tough, highly opinionated, and you always want to come out on top. I don't find those attractive at all," he said. "I prefer a damsel in distress. I want someone clingy… someone, needy."

"I know that -"

"Oh do you?" He teased, his amber eyes twinkling. "You seem to know a lot about me."

"We've been working together for months now," you said. "Of course, I'd know more about you."

"I see," he said, as he took a step closer to you and touched your cheek, rubbing the stray tear that had managed to slip down the side of your face. "So, you must know I'm also a good liar. After all, I've kept all these feelings to myself for quite some time."

He snickered when he saw your frown deepen and he bent down just as he had done so earlier, to whisper. "I made you think I liked someone else when in fact," his low voice made you shiver. "I've always eyes for you."

The End.

[amelee23]

Vintage Kiss, Nearly Missed | Park Minhyuk

Pairing: Female reader x Rocky (Park Minhyuk)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Warnings: None

Length: 2k words

Summary: MJ loves to mess with her by putting her in situations that don't fit her nature. She tried getting used to it, but this time around MJ hit the jackpot when it came to a dare that would change her relationship status with Rocky.

⭐

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Becoming friends with the members of Astro was the start of a tireless journey. She couldn't believe how many things came to fruition because of Myungjun's jokes - and considering his wacky mind, it wasn't a normal day if she didn't feel the rush of adrenaline at least 5 times. The stupider it was, the stronger the temptation to make it true; costume parties, comedy skits and competitions of all sorts. Life with them was always exciting, Myungjun made sure of it from the get go - as they were extremely different in nature, he had a knack for turning things in her life around. Although getting used to such fun was pretty heartwarming - it wasn't what suited her best. She came to love the thrill but calmness was her motto. And well, it ended with her getting a 'boyfriend' because of it. 

It happened through the mystery drink challenge - whoever got the most bad ones was to be punished by receiving a ridiculous dare from Myungjun. (As if the drinks weren’t enough of a punishment by themselves.) As much as she prayed to the angels above for her opponent, Moonbin, to be the one to grimace - the oyster taste hit her tongue and she knew she was done for. As for the loser, Myungjun made sure to hit her where it most hurt - he made her become a 'nurturing girlfriend' to one of the members of Astro for 3 days. (Originally it was a two weeks but she fortunately had amazing negotiation skills.) They were all staring at her expectantly so she would choose who she wanted to take care of - but it was as if Myungjun knew that she had taken a liking for a certain someone.

Minhyuk's eyes widened out of their orbits when he was chosen. He was good at cooking, independent and strong, so why feel the need to nurture him? She could have chosen anyone else, like Sanha for example, kid can't cook to save his own life-

He couldn't understand it no matter how much he thought about it - perhaps she chose the lesser evil, or she just wanted to hang out with him. Either way, he couldn't refuse the dare so he was just another one of Myungjun's victims. 

---

She couldn't pretend like she had made lunch boxes before - she really hasn't, and making them for Rocky was extremely embarrassing. The cute sausage octopi failed her, and she gave up without even trying on making anything fancy. She made a heartfelt steak (she could never do wrong with meat when it came to men) with some salad on the side. She also bought some snacks they could enjoy when they're together. The girlfriend act had to be perfect or else she would have to feel Myungjun's wrath. 

Minhyuk was, in one word, impressed. He didn't think she'd go through with the joke, less be hugged the moment he opened the door and given free home-made food. Myungjun made sure to spy properly and evaluate the merch and remind them they need to go on a cute date too.

"Date? That wasn't part of the conditions!" She suddenly snapped completely out of her calm state, her brain going in a frenzy. 

"It is now!" Myungjun rebutted with a laugh. Minhyuk was standing in between them, confusion written all over his face. 

"We can watch a movie?" He suggested, to have an easy getaway from what his hyung suddenly wanted. 

"No 'lets watch a movie and not actually pay attention to each other', yeah? It better be a real date, yeah? And it better be cute!!" Myungjun's tone increased in volume with every following question. 

"Got it, got it, sheesh." Minhyuk once again had to jump in to clear the waters, as things were getting a little too heated. "We'll go on a date… do you know how to roller skate?" 

Caught off guard, with Minhyuk looking straight into her eyes with such intensity, she furrowed her brow and thought back if her parents ever took her out to do such a thing. 

"I don't think so. Just ice skating, I guess."

"Great, then we'll go try it out together." A flash of something unknown to her occupied Minhyuk's eyes for a second. She had no idea what he was thinking - or where the idea even came from. Maybe it was in the attempt to save her from Myungjun, or he simply wanted to go roller skating and had no one to tag along with him.

In a nutshell, Minhyuk didn't understand why he was chosen and she didn't know why he was so willing to take her on a date. The answer was staring both of them straight in the face, but perhaps they had something more in common besides calmness - they were both thick headed. But they had no time to think about that as Myungjun was yelling at them to cuddle on the couch. The 'nurturing' part wasn't even there anymore. Not that the girlfriend part was - MJ was basically making two friends be awkwardly close to each other physically. Even if they had crushes on each other - thing which they both denied - they felt too cramped and forced to enjoy it. 

Evening came by eventually, after about 10 different incidents when they had to dodge each other and pull away as if burned because Myungjun was pulling pranks. But right when they saw the waters had calmed and they could sigh relief, Dongmin proved them wrong. The look on Minhyuk’s face hearing Dongmin ask “So are you guys gonna wear cute matching outfits tomorrow?” was of utter betrayal. Of course Myungjun loved the idea, and the unfair number of conditions to the losers punishment only kept increasing.

“What about those cute overalls you bought with me?” Moonbin suddenly asked her. “Since Minhyukie likes that type of stuff too, maybe you can both dress vintage? It would fit with roller skating, honestly.” she looked at Moonbin as if an Angel just descended on earth to save her. She ought to thank him later.

“That doesn't sound half bad.” Minhyuk commented, but Myungjun didn’t really look satisfied with Moonbin’s solution. Nevertheless, they just shut him up and proceeded with planning ahead some cute vintage outfits. They were excited about it, almost alike kids.

They said their goodbyes when dark came over the streets, and she headed home to put together the outfit that she promised Minhyuk she would wear. A slight palpitation took over her chest and she clenched the clothes close, as if she was a teenager all over again, even if this date wasn’t even real to begin with. Still, she knew she had to catch a blink of sleep if she didn’t want to be a zombie tomorrow, even if the emotions got the best of her with the moon up high.

Minhyuk had no fancy car to pick her up with, and no fancy facial expression either. Their greetings were very friendly and normal - but an unfamiliar awkwardness overtook them as they walked side by side to the skating rink in the city. Minhyuk indeed matched her blue jeans overalls with high waisted baggy blue pants - but he chose to wear a white shirt while she wore pink. They stole glances at each other the whole way -  as if to check if the situation they were in was even real. It very much was, but they only realized it when they had arrived and were getting their skates at the reception - the workers there were very much treating them like a couple. A wave of warmth crept up her face, but also a bit of paranoia; because Myungjun was always there to check on them if they were being lovey dovey, and now he wasn’t even there, but she felt the tingles of romance in her belly. Perhaps it was strictly because he wasn’t there that the feelings felt free to surface.

Minhyuk tried to act all knightley by letting her hold on to him as she stepped into the rink -  but he was the first one to lose balance. Trying to flex his years spent in ballet, he acted as if nothing happened and didn’t even try holding onto the railing like she was - perhaps he was trying to impress her. She, on the other hand, had no thoughts of impressing anyone. Her legs were wobbly and she didn’t seem to get along with being on so many wheels.

They were supposed to have a romantic date but eventually Minhyuk separated from her and she only noticed when she felt him whoosh by her - that he caught onto the trick of roller skating way before her and he was just showing off by that point. Even all of the other couples were staring at him.

“Are you gonna do a triple axel next?” She jokes, but Minhyuk just smiled like a kid in response.

“I’ll even do a quadra.” He boasted, a dimple showing on the right side of his face. Right as she was about to stop him - because she knew from the beginning it was a bad idea -  she saw him start skating faster so he could try and go into a turn. She braced for something that would end up in even a trip to a hospital, but thankfully the speed made him lose control and he just ended up slamming into the side of the rink he was heading towards. Slowly, along the railing, she headed towards him to check if he was okay, and saw he was cursing under his breath and holding his hand tightly.

“Sh*t, I hit my hand on the railing.” He mumbled, and she spotted the red spot he was talking about.

“That’s what you get!” She rebutted. “I don’t know what got into you.”

“I thought you liked people who do crazy weird things?” He asked, a childish curiosity in his eyes. His gaze was a lot more serious, though.

“Me? I like chill and calm, honestly. That’s why Myungjun steps on my tail so often. He can’t stand me being so passive and getting overly sentimental about my plants.” Minhyuk took in her words with pure thirst, a light suddenly coming on in the shine of his eyes.

“You get sentimental over flowers?” He asked, the smile he once wore reappearing on his lips. It was extremely charming, and one of the reasons she found herself often swooning after him. “That’s so cute.” As if the air got knocked out of her lungs, she couldn’t say a thing as Minhyuk approached her silently. She dared look up into his eyes and was met with a happiness that was hard to describe. They would have had the most movie-like romantic kiss, if Minhyuk didn’t once again lose balance on the skates when he leaned in to kiss her. She caught his torso and stabilized him, giggling with her entire heart. Softly grabbing onto his hand, she placed it on the railing next to them so they both be supported, and stole a quick kiss from his lips before dashing away to the exit of the rink.

“Let’s grab some shaved ice on the way home!” She told him from afar. “Both to eat and for your swollen hand.” Minhyuk shook his head but continued to smile, carefully following the railing to catch up to his now girlfriend. It was foolish of him to believe he needed to change anything about himself to be liked back by her. All that became apparent as her soft calming voice filled the ice cream shop they nestled at to enjoy each other’s company - her body was finally relaxed, her gaze filled with love and affection. From now on he knew to stick to his own ways around her, even if they were old fashioned - or he would be missing out.

[jonroxton]

can you talk about chlark beyond chloe? personally i think it's weird that the writers kept adding kisses and weird romantic moments without any pay off. i don't know much about the fandom back then but i think the writers were baiting fans since clark/chloe seems to be the second most popular ship after clex. second i personally think chloe would never be happy with clark or anyone tbh and she doesn't seem like the type of person who would have kids so the finale was weird to me.

this got looooong :)

0. it WAS weird, and the choice to never not once go for it with them was to the story's detriment. I'll get into it a little later on in this post.

Re: shipping in sv fandom. there was definitely drama (clana was HUGE when the show was airing and every ship was basically derailed by it lol) but I stayed in my clois lane with a small circle of fandom friends much like I do now. a good measure of clois fans were fans of lois and clark from other mediums, come to sv just for lois and clark, myself included. we were pretty insulated as a fandom even back then. I do remember seeing more Chlark after the S5 finale (when Chloe kisses him goodbye), but those dropped off after Jimmy was introduced right away in S6. The most drama I encountered was with Chloisers: Chloe fans who believed wholeheartedly that Chloe was Lois. They hated SV!Lois and were convinced she would die so Chloe could take her name and job and place by Clark's side, thus a Chlark endgame. this was a popular theory amongst that fandom even into s9, when the clois ball started to roll for true.

bait and switch

a lot of Chlark is rooted in this notion that chloe WOULD be the best thing for Clark, the ideal Lois, the true best friend, the human hand guiding him through Earth's troubles. she would be could be the BEST possible lois archetype for Clark. it's not a wrong interpretation. she was specifically written as a lois-and-lana-proxy (teenage lana is a reporter in some AUs and even some as an adult as a tv correspondent) and she's given many lois-ish traits (tenacious, secretly crushing on clark and in denial), but this interpretation is deeply flawed. first, because lois does eventually enter into the picture and she has her own defining traits that, when compared to chloe, make chloe seem much shallower than realized. secondly, within the complete context of the story, her position in the greater narrative is not as ~the one who got away, the way it did very early on in S1-S4, but one who clark tolerates.

they're friends because clark is forgiving and chloe has staying power. their friendship is riddled with insecurities and unknowns the characters create for themselves. their dynamic is defined by conflict, not resolutions. this is not made easy by the fact that chloe is such a strangely written character, but ultimately she is positioned as a counter to clark achieving his happiness. not a thematic narrative foil but an obstacle clark eventually relents to.

2. and it has been so from the get-go

S1 is the best season for them and the single season which actually considers Clark's side in this dynamic. everything about them later on can be explained with how they are in this season. and that's the problem. when they're 14 it's nice teen angst drama and works perfectly to establish the dynamic. when they're 24 it's at best a pattern, at worst regression. we expect certain behaviors, dismiss them too, when it's children, at least I do. clark and chloe never move beyond the dynamic they establish in s1 and early s2. in essence, clark and chloe remain children around each other. they have many discussions in the later seasons that make at least one appear petulant.

so S1 clark has just been told the greatest secret of his existence and he imprints on lana hard that same night (right AFTER jonathan tells him, he meets lana at the graveyard and talks to her for the first time EVER, a lot of childhood imprinting going on in SV). all of s1 follows clark's heartache over lana, watching her from afar and figuring out a way to be near her. this pain is exacerbated by the fact that he believes he caused her her greatest grief: the death of her parents via the meteor shower which he arrived in.

here the first beat of the chlark dynamic is established: chloe's job and passion – the wall of weird and her pursuing the meteor infected oddities of SV - directly affects clark in a negative way (he's suicidal for much of s1-s3). so her crush on him is countered with her unknowingly causing him great grief. om top of that: clark becomes part of this passion of hers and she eventually begins to pursue him as a story to be uncovered, very superman yes. here tho, it causes nothing but strife for them and paints chloe in an awful light (and clark too, highlighting his refusal to open up). I personally enjoy this aspect of them in s1. bc they're so young I give em a free pass and it's a good conflict playing around with old superman tropes, but it makes for a fraught friendship.

3. the second beat

is that neither chloe's crush on clark, nor his asking her to stop pursuing his truth, do anything to stay her. her tenaciousness becomes intrusiveness and inconsideration (many of her accomplishments irt the daily planet are directly bc she betrays clark). she simply will not listen to her friend and does not believe his livelihood and autonomy is worth losing a story over. this is literally the opposite of comics/live action lois lane, who in various versions drops the clark reveal story to protect him. this passion turns vindictive pretty early for chloe, who eventually pursues stories about clark out of jealousy and entitlement (against lana also).

4. the third beat

is that clark doesn't ever see chloe as romantic prospect except this time in s1. the tornado trapping lana pulls him away from any solidifying of the clark/chloe dynamic, and that's that. but we know clark was willing to go for it in early s2 when he apologizes to chloe about running off on her. it's chloe who decides not to go on with the relationship. clark is visibly confused, but also 15 so he can't see that chloe is putting on a brave front to protect herself from clark running off again. I liked this too as it's another play on superman tropes, but my sympathy for them stops here.

5. and stays here

these beats are the entirety of this dynamic. everything about chlark can be distilled down to their childhood. it's why I don't hate them completely, bc I have a lot of love for kids who hurt in such a way and that time is never easy. in s8 (I think its s8) when we get a flashback to when they meet as kids (more imprinting!). little tenacious cute chloe kisses insecure clark bc of the funny awkward tension, acknowledging it, and then immediately takes it back because they're better as friends. (also they’re like 11 lol)

every single romantic moment with them is undercut either by chloe herself, or by the presence of other storylines/romances the writers wanted to pursue. the lack of integrity in chloe and the lack of interest in clark, regardless of how sincere their connection or how messed up, is a central part of their dynamic that needs to be reconciled with their friendship. and its exhausting bc there is never a point they are ever truly comfortable around each other.

6. to a fault

knowing the secret doesn't change chloe's methods. it doesn't make chloe clark's great confidante. if anything, it complicates matters for both because their relationship then becomes about the greater good and clark's great destiny. everything chloe does becomes about that, which in theory sounds awesome, but is executed much the same way as s1!chlark: by reiterating behaviors that highlight the negative aspects of that loyalty and the negative aspects of their characters.

the single time they do actively examine what this loyalty means and how chloe's hero complex complicates things for chlark is with s8 and davis. she protects davis with the skills of subterfuge and secrecy she developed as clark's friend. and it costs her jimmy and a lot of her personal integrity as a character. tho ironically it makes chloe the strongest she's been as a character. this is the first time clark is forced to view chloe as an enemy and he never quite recovers from discovering the dark depths she’s willing to go to. 

it's an arc dealing with the established beats: how far chloe is willing to go for a kryptonian (very far), how much she's willing to do for him (A LOT and all of it illegal), and what it costs her (jimmy). it deals with her jealousy (always second choice) and her motivations (uncovering the truth). this great want that she struggled with for years is turned on its head and examined, revealing just how weird and dark her hero complex is because obviously davis is not clark. davis/chloe served to highlight more than any other arc how it's really too bad that clark never saw her that way, because she has so much love to give and when channeled, it's a great force. only it's a great force for evil. clark has to confront that it’s not just lex but his other closest friend who is willing to go so far. they backtrack hard in s9 and s10 but they keep this underlying wariness in clark towards Chloe throughout. it’s not anything new, but it’s no longer subtext that clark doesn’t fully trust chloe.

7. And that's the rub

in the end. chloe and clark have many storylines they're in together and chloe's important.... to develop clark and as a counter to clark. clark never instigates anything, not once, for 9 years! when the show did give us Moments TM, clark is reacting, not actively making choices to connect to her. if anything, clark is incredibly awkward about chloe when they become intimate. he doesn't seem to know what to do with her crushing on him (the elevator scene is a great one to show just how awkward chloe makes him feel). more than that. clark never tells her his secret. and later on, chloe doesn't tell him half the crazy wild shit she does to protect him bc she knows he would disapprove. I still hold that the only reason they work is bc clark is a forgiving character and would give her chance after chance after chance. that's the watsonian explanation, but the doylist explanation is that the writers just never cared to explore them beyond this point.

8. and what was beyond that point?

they would've been a great counter to lexana in S6 and early clana (clark finally having a gf who knows). it’s playing the clark/Chloe as a straight lois/clark proxy before actually pursuing lois and clark. it could’ve been the precursor to davis and caused an even more personal conflict! the kiss at the end of s5 was their chance. they could've written chlark devolving much the same way lexana did in s6 (or not). but again. the writers never went that far and clearly never wanted to. it kept chlark forever in this stage of childhood friendship always on the brink of collapsing, tittering either way. it's also tough to speculate bc clark's just not into her. in fact he becomes more and more wary of her, to the point where he believes she can do horrible things, and he's right. the stories continually make their methods complete opposite.

they go out of their way to show chloe realizing how happy clark is with lois. and even play a joke on the fandom by literally turning her into lois and seeing the sparks between her friends. it's almost... cruel but it does serve to show how clark is when he's smitten and he's never looked at chloe that way except during the dance when they were kids. other unrequited dynamics have at least some spark from the desired, but nil from clark. clark is into chloe in late s1, but she shuts him down, and when he seems to be into her again (damn that s5 kiss was a good one lol), she shuts him down again. it's just a weird writing choice all around, and that they kept nuggets of it throughout the show is the thing I cringe at most whenever I rewatch.

9. bait and switch 2

with hindsight it is definitely ship baiting and that sucks for that dynamic bc without it their friendship would’ve been the stronger, or at least not full of so much negativity. all it did was remind everyone that chloe’s been duped since she was a kid and that clark is both stupid and strange for never noticing and letting her get away with shit just bc she’s the most loyal. I don’t ship them and even I get frustrated lol

[hazbbyhaz]

sleepless || harry styles

twenty three

pairing: Harry Styles x OC

synopsis: story circle

disclaimer: that bloke Eric, harassment, cursing

One of the luckiest things to happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood

Avery had never stayed at a party till the very end. She wasn't a fan of the loud noises, the crowded space, the drunks. The atmosphere itself made her anxious. As the hand of the kitchen clock finally hit twelve, she assumed the party would start to die down. She thought people would slowly funnel out, all bidding their goodbyes and frantically making their way to the tube. Their thoughts, no doubt, thinking about the inevitable hangover they will face tomorrow. But, that didn’t happen. If anything, the party intensified. While she knew that she could go home, she didn’t want to. If she did, she would fall asleep. If she left, she would be alone.

A few minutes earlier a small group of people had formed, all of them sat around the living room. Harry, who was exhausted from showing Avery his amazing dance skills, had led her to where he was previously sitting, both of them sitting side by side on the sofa.

Francis, who sat opposite them, held up a cupcake with blue frosting and sprinkles all over it. "Okay, who made these cupcakes because they are so good! I need the recipe."

"All the credits to me," Another boy spoke up, he had black short hair and there was a golden earring dangling from his earlobe. "can't give you that recipe though, it's my mothers." He shrugs and Francis groans dramatically, making everyone laugh.

Avery sat in silence, taking everything in around her. The atmosphere started to grow on her. Harry grew worried by her silence, asking her multiple times if she was feeling okay, but she was having the time of her life. She loved hearing about everyone's family reunions, annoying relatives and friends who got married. It was so different to her life and she wished she could tell a story about her family. But she couldn't. Even Harry chimed in talking about one Christmas night when he was six and tried to catch Santa, tripping over the cable for the electric candles on the tree and causing the whole thing to fall over.

"Okay" Francis speaks up. "I want to hear the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in your childhood or teenage years. Starting with..." His eyes skimmed through the room before deciding on a ginger haired girl. "Zoe."

The stories went all over the place. From awkward kisses to first dates and failed pranks or trying to impress crushes. And before she realized, it was Avery's turn to tell her story. Her first instinct was to let them skip her, but no one in the group was having it. There wasn't anything to say, she had been homeschooled and her childhood had been not even close to any experiences here.

"Uhm... I don't really know... what to-"

"Oh come on, pet." A sudden movement in the corner of her eyes makes Avery move closer to Harry in fright. She gripped his forearm, Harry immediately noticing and taking her hand into his own, rubbing his thumb in gentle circles on the back of her palm. Eric had sat down next to her on the tiny sofa, apparently deciding to join the little circle as well. "Don't act all innocent. Tell us, what did you do as a child?"

"If you'd let her talk she'd be able to answer, mate" Harry chimed in, throwing an annoyed look at Eric.

"Nothing comes to my mind right now." She quickly rambles, trying to just get out of this situation. Being the center of attention must be high up on the list of worst things in the world she thought. The eyes of all these people fixed on her made her incredibly uncomfortable.

"Oh, so she is all innocent" Eric exclaims, his breath smelling like beer and his words almost unnoticeably slurred.

She could sense Harry roll his eyes beside her before he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Tell something about Oliver, love."

"Oh yes!" Avery grins, embarrassed for a second at how loud her voice was. "I have a cat and he used to balance on the rail of my balcony. There was one time where I had just gotten out of the shower, still in just a towel, and I saw him balancing outside on the railing. I got super scared that he would fall off, so I ran out and grabbed him, and in the process my towel dropped which ended up in me flashing an old lady living opposite me."

"Oh my god, that sounds horrendous!" Francis laughs.

"It was horrible, I didn't step foot on that balcony for a month." She giggled less aware of all the eyes on her. They continued on but Harry was still chuckling from Avery's story. "Oliver really is a bastard, huh?"

"No" Avery laughs. "He's so cute, I just had to forgive him."

Harry shakes his head but there was still a smile on his face. His eyes meet hers and he studies her face for a moment. "You look a bit tired."

"I am" She confesses, leaning her head against his shoulder. There was no reason for denying it, especially not when she was talking to Harry.

"Do you wanna try and get some sleep tonight?"

"Not really" With the party, and Harry sleeping over the night before, there surely was a lot on her mind and Avery wasn't eager to simply sleep it all off.

"I can put a pot of coffee on?"

She sits up with a grin. "That would be amazing."

"I’ll make you a cup." Harry knew that what he was doing was wrong. He shouldn’t be encouraging her sleeping habits, or lack thereof. But, making the night most bearable for her was his top priority, and if this was how, then that was that. Case closed.

"Thank you."

He gets up and disappears in the kitchen shortly after. Avery turns her attention back to the stories being told by all the strangers sat around her. Now that Harry isn't around, she felt irritable and increadoubly out of place now that he was gone. She groans internally because she knows that she has been relying on him too much. She was dependent on him. She felt as if she was no longer independent.

When it came to her job, paying bills, doing taxes, and managing her things, she had always been independent. She had to be. But as soon as she got confronted with social interactions, she simply couldn't stop her heart from beating or her thoughts from racing.

"So.. Avery,'' Eric beside her starts, turning his body towards her and leaning back against the armrest of the sofa, a new bottle of beer in his right hand. "How old are you?"

She fiddles with the hem of her sweater, feeling his burning gaze on her. "22" Avery whispers, focusing her attention on the guy with the black hair who is telling some story that she is too far away to hear. She was trying to show Eric that she really ins't interested in talking to him, but he doesn't get the hint.

"You live on your own then, right? At 22? That's impressive."

She nods, still avoiding his eyes, trying to concentrate on the story.

"Is it far from here?"

"Just a couple tube stops." Just don't look at him, ignore him.

"Hey, loosen up a bit, hm?" Eric jokes and his hand squeezes her thigh, making her jump cause she wasn't expecting him to be so bold.

"Please don’t touch me." She mumbles, scooting closer to the other end of the sofa. Eric simply shrugs, moving closer to her but before he can say anything else, a ball of crumpled paper hits his head. Avery looks up and notices that Francis was the culprit.

"Hey Eric!" He yells over. "Cut it out. You're being annoying."

Eric rolls his eyes at Francis, ignoring his request and turning back to the girl beside him, but Francis doesn't stop. "I mean it. Leave her alone or get the fuck out, okay?"

After huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf, Eric finally gets up and walks towards a little group by the fireplace on the other side of the room.

Avery lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. Finally feeling relieved knowing that he was away from her. She got up, about to thank Francis, before realizing that he had completely disappeared. Lost in the abyss of the party. So, Avery slowly made her way to the kitchen, knowing that Harry would be there.

Harry was leaning against the kitchen counter, texting someone on his phone, his brows furrowed. As Avery enters he looks up, his eyes becoming a bit brighter and his brows unfurrowed. "Your coffee is almost ready." He says, assuming that was the reason why she came to the kitchen.

"It's boring without you." She felt how her body had calmed down substantially, her heart had turned back to a normal beat and her mind slowed down.

"Everything in life is boring without me," Harry says and she chuckles tiredly at his ego. "Come over here."

Avery scrambles over to him and Harry opens his arms, pulling her small frame close to his chest. She allowed herself to close her eyes and take in his scent as Harry rested his chin on her head. Avery guessed that he would leave somewhen, maybe soon and there would be no one to blame for it. No one at all. Because if she can't stand herself, how could she expect someone else to be around her.

"Whatever happened to you, Ave, no matter what it was, you didn't deserve it. I know you didn't." She freezes but Harry doesn't let her go, instead he starts to draw small circles on her back. "I noticed how you were acting earlier when everyone was telling their stories. You seemed so... eager to take it all in as if.. I don't know..." He murmurs, she feels the vibration of his chest against her cheek.

"It doesn't matter to me what it was, and you don't have to tell me, but you didn't deserve it."

She had never told anyone. Not her previous boyfriends, not Tom, she could barely admit any of it to herself. For a moment, she thought about not replying at all.

"But don't you think bad things happen to bad people?"

"Oh Avery... I think you can be anything you want to be in life. Anything but a bad person."

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[funkymonkeywrotesth]

Show me the ropes (oc story)

for my girlies who're still waiting for their first kiss

-------------------------------------------

"It's weird you don't have a boyfriend, or rather, never had one at all..." He tipsily sat on the edge of the old bunker, a new beer in his hand and his legs dangling in the air.

I sat down beside him, chuckling. "It doesn't surprise me anymore." The whistling of the wind in the valley bellow was the only thing breaking the silence between us for a few moments. My woozy self took that moment to clear my head from the whiskey shots taken minutes before.

"How come?" He took a swig of his beer and looked at me.

I thought for a second before answering, chosing my words. "It's not like I never wanted a boyfriend or anything, I just feel like I somehow missed that train." I smiled weakly into the distance.

"How can you miss a train for having a boyfriend?" He laughed, kicking my foot with his.

I laughed as well. It probably didn't make much sense in his head. But in my head it had a perfect explanation.

"Well, I think there were some critical times for that that I somehow have missed and never got around to again. In elementary, for one, while other girls had crushes and had boys like them, I didn't really think about that. I was more focused on making friends and creating friendships that I hoped would last forever. I think this was a first train missed.

"The second was probably highschool. All my friends got their first boyfriends, had their first kisses and all that comes with that. I, on the other hand, had none of that. There was not a single boy interested in me throughout highschool. Or at least none made an effort to make it known they were interested in me. I was never asked out, never flirted with, never made a move on... And you see, in my teenage girl's mind that meant that I wasn't good enough, pretty enough. There must have been something wrong with me. Why else would other 16 years old girls be going on dates, making out and sleeping with people, and not me? I was clearly the problem here. I started blaming my looks, as a teenage girl does and deep down I still probably do. It doesn't help that I have the body of a  prepubescent teen with no curves and a flat chest." I laughed bitterly, looking down at my feet dangling from the edge.

"Now people tell me that they were scared to ask me out because I was very confident, but they don't know that this was exactly what crushed my confidence later on. I know every time you compliment me I joke that you should stop stroking my already big ego, but in reality I'm very insecure."

I should have stopped there but my tongue was lose from the whiskey shots and the more I spoke the lighter the weigh on my shoulders seemed to get. So I babbled on.

"And this is gonna sound very weird but every time you compliment or flirt with me I feel good and bad about myself at the same time. Your flattery is great, don't get me wrong, but every time it makes me blush and feel embarassed it also makes my 'compliment deprived' self feel like a 12 year old being told by a boy for the very first time that she looks pretty. And this just makes it even more apparent to me that I never got any attention from boys before, which makes me feel even worse about myself."

I laughed cynically at that, casting a glance in his direction. He took a sip of his beer again, looking at the valley below. I was feeling embarassed telling him all this but I couldn't seem to stop myself. My mind was a little fuzzy from the shots, which apparently decided to only now start kicking in. I was already stumbling over words due to my awkwardness and the alcohol didn't seem to help there.

"So this is how my highschool went by without me ever getting to experience what it feels like to be in love with someone or having someone interested in me. I never got my first kiss and now I'm too embarrassed to even think about it. It's not like I don't want to kiss anyone, I do, but I can't just go around making out with people at parties because I still feel like for the first kiss it's very important that it's meaningful." I shurgged, avoiding looking in his direction. My ears were on fire and my heart was beating out of my chest, yet I felt like I had to continue.

"By now I am set on my big dreams and I found a great excuse why I'm single and can't let anyone close enough. And it really is not an excuse anymore. It was in the begining, but now my view of the future changed completely in the way where it doesn't include a boyfriend or a husband. I've come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be fair for them to be put second behind my plans, and it also wouldn't be fair for myself to give up on my dreams for a boy. So now I'm stuck in this loop of wanting to be held and kissed and not wanting to have to deal with things that com with having a boyfriend." I took a breath to steady my heartbeat, finally glancing to the side to meet his eyes.

He was watching me intently, searching my face for something. His gaze was intense and after a few seconds I couldn't take it anymore so I stood up. The ground below me rocked a little because I was now quite drunk. I turned on my heel to get a little more distance between us. I felt like I had to get away from the things I said and that ment taking a step away from him. I was turned away with my back facing his, just standing there for a while. I knew he was my way home so I couldn't just leave, but now I felt the weight of my words and was starting to regret telling him all this. Hell, I have bearly known him for a few weeks. He was silent. I must have said something wrong, I have somehow hurt him, made a bad image of myself. I fucked up.

I was gonna take a step further away when he stopped me, asking, "So what you're saying is that you don't want a boyfriend but still want to be with somebody?" I heard him take another swig of his beer, but he didn't turn towards me.

"I guess, yes." I thought about it again.

"So a friend with benefits?" This didn't sound right.

"A friend who would be kind enough to show me the ropes, be there when I need more than a friendship and less than a relationship, and let me go when I need it." There. I think I worded it right.

"Yet, I think expecting this from someone would be very selfish and I cannot do that to anyone I'd like to call my friend."

There was silence again. Our backs were still turned towards eachother and none of us made a move to turn around. I couldn't bare to look at him in the eyes for the fear of finding a look of disgust or dissapointment. A few more moments passed in silence and I didn't mind. Better the silence than words of repulsion.

A large chug.

Crushing sound of the beer can.

Rustling of clothes.

Footsteps against the grass.

"Sometimes it's ok to be a little selfish." His voice was right behind me but I didn't turn around. I remained silent. What does he mean?

"It's ok to be selfish if both people are being selfish together and they are aware of eachother's intentions." I could now feel his breath on my shoulder.

His words were barely a whisper when he spoke again, so close to me I could feel the heat of his chest on my back. "I wouldn't mind showing you the ropes if you let me."

My eyes widened and my breath cought in my throat. I heard a buzzing in my ears as they got hotter. I must have drank more than I thought to be hearing such things.

"What do you say?"

I wasn't hearing things. He really did say that. He must be really drunk. I hung my head low, whispering, "You're drunk. You're not thinking straight. We'll talk about this tomorroow."

I took a step forward. I wanted to give him space to think through what he said again and maybe he would think it's stupid when he's sober. In the back of my mind there was a thin thread of hope he wouldn't.

"I'm not drunk." I stop. "I had less to drink than you so I could watch after you. I'm not drunk. Tipsy, yes, but not drunk. Not drunk enough to not know what I'm saying or doing. Not drunk enough to not think about my actions and their consequences." He took a step forward.

"Let me show you what you're missing. Please." Another moment of silence. "Let me kiss you." There was something in his voice that didn't let him get past a whisper without a crack. I, on the other hand, couldn't get my voice out of my throat at all. There was heat rushing up my neck and to my ears, my heart was beating out of my chest and my palms were cold yet sweaty. I gulped dryly, praying for my voice not to crack. "First kisses should be spontaneous. You took the fun out of it." I wanted to laugh a little, it was a joke afterall, but I couldn't. This already took more courage then I expected. I hoped he would know it was a joke even though there wasn't much humor in my voice.

I heard him chuckle, take a few steps forward me and the next thing I know I'm spun around to face him. His index finger is on my chin, lifting my face up to meet his. He's close now. Very close. My heart is beating in my ears and my only focus is him. He smells like beer, yet so familiar that in different circumstances I would likely feel at peace.

He brushed his lips over mine and my breath hitched in my throat. Moving away a little, he stopped to look at my eyes for a second and chuckled before crashing his lips into mine.

His lips were soft and warm, and as he moved them against mine he knew exactly what he was doing. I, however, just stood there a bit intimidated and too determined not to make a fool of myself that I didn't dare move.

He stopped the kiss for a second, not moving more than an inch from my lips. "Kissing is a sport for two, you know." I laughed, finally losing a bit of the nervousness. He laughed as well and suddenly we were both laughing into eachother's lips as he kissed me again. This time I tried to put in a bit of my effort as well, trying to match his pace. His index finger moved from my chin, grazing my neck before he settled his hand on the base of my neck, tangling it into my hair. His other hand was on my hip and I was hyperaware of his tumb drawing small circles on my hip bone. My hands were barely touching his shirt, not having moved since he pulled me in. I didn't know what to do with them so I awkwardly kept them there, emabarrassed to move them where I wanted in fear of doing something wrong.

My overthinking seemed to stop my lips from moving, since I heard him grunt into my mouth. "Stop thinking so much. Just do what feels natural," he muttured before hungrily crashing his lips into mine again.

This kiss seemed to be a lot more eager than the previous. His hand that was on my hip moved across my waist and he pulled me into him so I was flush against him. I took his advice and let my hands do what they wanted, sneaking them onto his shoulders and one behind his neck. I played with the strands of hair on the nape of his neck and gently tugging. He grunted into my mouth and pressed his lips even more into mine as I smiled against his mouth, loving his reaction. I tugged again.

As I was smiling against his mouth, he bit into my bottom lip, getting a gasp from me. It was his turn to smile.

Kissing him was fun. A lot of fun. And I didn't want it to end.

[bnhababyyyy]

Bro’s before that kinda bro

Todoroki x reader

Part: 1/?

Summary: You have a crush on your friend but he just doesn’t get your feelings. It’s up to you to figure out how to woo him.

You loved Todoroki.

And he loved you just as much……

As a friend possibly could.

He obliviously missed all the signs you had been giving him, poor boy couldn’t even tell when you were flirting with him. Any other sane person would be able to tell what you had been doing all this time. Every attempt, shot down innocently because he truly didn’t know what you were hinting at.

You thought one of these days you were going to break and just straight up confess to him because of how unnoticed your efforts went. It took every piece of your being to not outright confess your feelings for him and make out with him on the spot.

It was especially bad when one night your cravings for some sweet snacks got the best of you making you reluctantly go to the kitchen. You were surprised to see Todoroki sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone with a cup of tea on the table. He didn’t seem to notice you coming down the stairs, making you decide to scare him a little.

You covered your mouth to hold back any giggles as you tip toed over to his unguarded position. You stood behind him for a beat of a moment before abruptly grabbing both of his shoulders. He whipped around and grabbed one of your arms before you could even pull back.

He looked up and dropped his shoulders just an inch with a small glare being shot your way. “I didn’t know I should be on my guard at night too,” he yawned.

You ran your hand through your hair as you let out an awkward laugh “Well, think about it, I’m preparing you for any sneak attacks!”

He went back to his phone rolling his eyes.

You began walking to the kitchen before you got the chance to forget those snacks. “But hey what are you doing up this late? It’s like almost 12.” you asked as you raided the pantry for a cookie or anything of the sort.

He turned his head over to where you were, “I… couldn’t sleep,” he said in a lower tone shifting uncomfortably, “What about you?”

You had known Todoroki long enough to know that two things were weird about what he said, first his tone was off and second he never stays up this late. You peeked your head over the pantry door with a cookie in your mouth, “What do you mean you couldn’t sleep? Did something happen?” You asked ignoring his question.

He averted your gaze to his lap, “No it’s nothing, don't worry about it.”

You gave him a concerned look before sighing and squeezing yourself between him and the couch’s armrest.“Scoot! Something’s obviously bothering you and I wanna help you out.” You said wiggling a bit on your side .

He shuffled over giving you a small smile that literally took your breath away. You tried your best to calm your now heightened heart beat. You cleared your throat, “Take as long as you need though. I’ll listen ok?”

He nodded looking back down at his hands in his lap, “I had an odd dream. Something that freaked me out.” You cocked your head silently asking him to continue.

He glanced at you before looking away again, “It was about Endeavor. More like a memory I guess… He was arguing with my mom and she said that I,” he took in a breath, “that I was going to be just like him. That I am like him and how she didn’t want to look at me because of how I just keep growing more and more similar to him.”

You sat there shocked at what he said, before you could comfort him and give your apologies he continued.

“And then I looked in the mirror and I looked exactly like him, or I was him. The reflection in the mirror mocked me saying I couldn’t escape him and I’d be wanting to be better but would end up hurting others and destroying everyone else’s relationships with myself just like he did. That I’d end up being hated, never achieving my dreams that I’d die alone and he would always be there to haunt me. I woke up after that and I just…”

You nodded understandingly feeling extremely shocked at how his PTSD from childhood had manifested into such a scary nightmare as a teenager. You felt incredibly heartbroken at what kind of dream he had. His father damaged him so badly as a kid Todoroki was still dealing with the trauma.

He looked so broken in front of you. You wanted to reassure him that he had just had a bad dream. That he resembled nothing of his father.

But the words just didn’t form and you sat there not knowing what to say. It was completely silent. You both dwelled in the freshly expressed emotions quietly. Neither of you moved, you both continued to look at the ground. You glanced up at Todoroki, opened your mouth to speak, and decided not to. Instead you hesitantly put our hand on top of his. He jerked his hand a little and moved his head to look at you.

“Todoroki, thank you for telling me what happened,” you looked up at him, rubbing small circles on his hand. “I know it was hard for you to do that. You’re nothing like your father though I… I never saw him in you. You’ve proven to be so much better than him. If no one else is proud of you for that then I am. I’m proud of how much you are yourself and you strive to be better.” You gave a heartfelt smile at his shocked expression.

He looked away and you swore that if you squinted he had a slight slight slight slight blush and a HINT!!!! Of a smile. You died on spot he was just so lovely.

“Thank you.” He mumbled giving your hand a tight squeeze. Wow did he know what he was doing to you? You internally wheezed and felt your heart beat so loud you couldn’t tell if Todoroki was talking still.

‘I wish we were more than friends. Why are you doing this to me.’ You thought to yourself. Well at least you thought you thought that thought to yourself. He looked up at you confused.

“What do you mean (y/l/n)?” He asked with furrowed brows.

Your eyes widened and your mouth dropped to the floor. No way did you just say that out loud. The absolute love of your life, your amor, your crush, just heard you confess that you basically like him. You felt your face heat up and you retracted your hand from his as you suddenly felt abnormally sweaty.

You silently freaked out too shocked to even move. “Uhm I-I didn’t mean to say that out loud I’m so sorry I don’t know what I’m talking about!” You rambled.

He cocked his head to the side. “Did you want to be best friends? I don’t know why you’d be sorry about that. We can be best friends if you want that.”

You sat there even more shocked. He. was. so. dense. You sighed rubbing your temple. You didn’t know whether you should feel disappointed or saved. You shook your head taking it in as a good thing he was so dense.

“Uhm yeah. I’d like that a lot actually,” You smiled.

He nodded his head returning the smile. “Good. I’d like that too.”

“Well I’m glad we got that out the way!” You got up brushing yourself of any crumbs. “Uhm talk to me if anything else starts to bother you again alright?” He nodded back. You stood there staring at him.

“Did you need me to walk you back?”

“Oh No! No it’s fine really! I can go back myself! Uhm alright good night see you in class!”

“Goodnight to you too.”

You hurried back to the girls dorms and into your room before you could blurt out any more confessions. You laid in bed completely shocked about everything. He was so oblivious to your feelings. But you didn’t want to ruin your friendship. I mean yeah being best friends is great. For people who want to STAY FRIENDS. Not for people like you who have been crawling out the friend zone hole forever.

You tossed and turned in bed. Sighing you decided to text your bakusquad chat about what had just happened.

Your hand wavered over the call button for him. You didn’t want to bother him, but at the same time what Mina said is true. If he truly didn’t want to answer he wouldn’t. So no harm in trying right?

You gathered all the courage you possibly could and pressed on his contact. You waited as you heard the facetime ringtone go on over and over. Until it stopped and his face popped up on the screen. You audibly gasped in surprise to see that he even picked up the phone.

“Hey. I didn’t know you’d answer.” You said, still thoroughly surprised.

He smiled that smile that makes your heart topple over itself. “No I wouldn’t ignore your calls. What’s wrong?”

You we’re so mesmerized by the angle of his face that the camera showed off. He held it in his hand at a bit of a low angle really detailing his jaw line. He was probably sitting at a desk or something because he kept putting his phone down into his lap to do something.

“No no nothings wrong, I'm good!”

“Then why’d you call?”

“Oh right! I needed help with the test tomorrow. Did you know what would be on it?”

He finally shifted the phone onto his desk so that it was sitting up on something. You could fully see his face and torso. His room was dimly lit and he had a book and papers on his desk. So he was studying too.

“Yes I’m working on it now, did you want me to send you the answers?” He asked while flipping through what seemed like a math book.

You nodded, “Please! I didn’t know we had a test until 2 minutes ago! I’m looking at the study guide now but I cannot think of the answers.” You knew you’d be pulling an all nighter, so him sending you answers would help a ton. You decided that you’d have to pay him back somehow tomorrow.

After he sent the answers you two occasionally talked here and there but often sat in silence. It felt nice not needing to talk to him to fill the silence. Another thing that made you fall for him even more, you felt way more comfortable being around him than a normal friend would feel. You tiredly moved your eyes towards the clock to see the number 3:25 AM across the alarm.

“Oh god it’s 3 already. Are you pulling a-“ you yawned. “An all nighter too Todo?” You asked, stretching your arms out.

.

..

…

……………...

No response

You quirked your brow and switched your screen from the photos he sent to the facetime call. You internally squealed at the sight in front of you. He was passed out on his desk, his face laid sideways with his arm under it as a headrest. You couldn’t really see his face but you thought he still looked cute.

“Goodnight,” You whispered as you ended the call. You then rolled up your sleeves taking a shot from an energy drink Mina had given to you in case of ‘Dire emergencies’. You decided to seriously get to work and finish your studying for at least a passing grade.

….........................

You passed out 15 minutes later.

Master list — Next

[burntchickennuggetskrrt]

Dream in a Dream (One shot)

pairing : jeno x reader

reason: because it's jeno's birthday 🥺💚

warnings: please forgive me for any errors that you might meet along the way. i did not proofread this and just wrote this because it's jeno's birthday ㅠㅠ don't get mad at me for my lack of vocabulary or my grammar mistakes ㅠㅠ

✩｡:*•.───── ❁ ❁ ─────.•*:｡✩

"Are you going to the coffeeshop again?" Your bestfriend asked whilst you were checking your reflection in her vanity mirror.

"Yeri, stop saying "again", it's not like i always go there." You reapplied your lipstick to finish your light make-up look.

"Yn, you basically go there every fucking day just to check out the barista for the last 2 months, who are you even kidding?" Yeri rolled his eyes at the embarrassment that is her bestfriend, yes, you.

"Geez, chill down, Susan. It's not like i have nothing else to do. I mean, it's not my fault that my body needs caffeine every single day." Of course that's just your shitty reasoning which Yeri catches without blinking.

"Bitch, don't even give me that same lame excuse. Just say you're a simp and go." Yeri is tired of you simping around this barista for the last two months without doing anything about it.

"I AM NOT SIMPING OVER HIM! I'm just admiring art." You sighed dreamily as you remember the handsome barista who takes your order and makes them with those beautiful hands.

"Yn, you're not admiring art, you're a creep! I told you to say hi and introduce yourself and not just order coffee and sit on the farthest corner oogling at the poor guy." You rolled your eyes at the stupid suggestion of your bestfriend. How could she even think of you introducing yourself to that beautiful boy? You can't even function well when he give you that beautiful smile that makes his eyes formed the shape of a crescent moon.

"Just do it. It's been two months, Yn. Two months of me listening to your simp words of how beautiful his smile is, or how his eyes would go minute when he smiles, or how he looks like that meme of a smiling dog, or how his arms looks so wonderful in his uniform as he "skillfully" make your order with those "beautiful hands"--", your bestfriend's flow of words was put on a halt as you covered her mouth as she protested.

"STOP. I know, okay? I'm pathetic. I can't help it. He's beautiful, like really beautiful. I'm pretty sure Ten only hired him because he will make his cafe famous. I mean, he's not wrong. Ever since he started working in there, Dream in a Dream got more customers, teenage customers." That's basically the reason why you were not able to find confidence in properly introducing yourself, not when there are tons of pretty girls gawking over him on a daily basis.

"Yn, you are fucking beautiful, plus your personality is fucking wonderful. If he doesn't like you by now after the countless times you sashayed your ass in there, he's dumb and he's not worth your attention." Yeri put and emphasis on the words she has spoken just so it can be etched in your mind.

"Damn, hype woman, chill. But thanks Yeri, I mean I have developed this huge ass crush and I'm scared that when I make a move the illusion will break and he's nothing like I imagined him to be." Of course that's just part of your worries, because the main one is still related to how you're not confident enough.

"Are you boo boo the fool, Yn? Of course you wouldn't know about that if you won't talk to him. You'll just end up putting more and more illusion in your head if you continue on lurking around instead of speaking to him. The worst case scenario is he will decline you because he has a girlfriend, though it will suck more if he declines your invite and yet he's single, like bitch, he just plainly doesn't like you."

"See this is why I'm not sure if you're my bestfriend! You hype me and then you bring me down!" You sat beside your bestfriend on her bed as the other just continued lying down.

"I'm just giving your the possible scenarios that would happen if you ask him out or just talk to him after his shift. Or maybe just ask him if he's single, so you can stop simping and wasting your time."

"He's worth my time." You heard Yeri fake-gagged at your response.

"Simp culture." You smacked her ass playfully before you stood up and walked towards the door to signal your departure. But before you left you looked back at your bestfriend and she's looking at you warily.

"Fine, maybe I'll say something more to him later, aside from my order."

"You better be, or I'm revoking your bestfriend benefits."

--

The walk towards Dream in a Dream was stressful since you kept on weighing Yeri's advice. Can you really dare to speak to the beautiful barista?

Even before arriving to the counter, you already saw him looking like some shining, shimmering, splendid prince who got sent by the King to work in a cafe for his humility training or something.

And like some coming age movie, he slowly looked up from the cash register and your eyes locked and he smiled at you, fucking smiled at you. Can i have that smile forever? You can only dream.

"Hi Yn, how are you?"

"Hi Jeno, I'm fine, I guess. Thanks for asking. How are you?" You felt your stomach did a some tumbling stunt as you heard your name rolled down his tongue perfectly.

"Better now that my favorite customer is here." Damn, those beautiful eye blinding smile again. You've seen it countless of times and you still can't get over it. Why are you like this?

"Liar." You smiled shyly at the boy you are obviously fucking whipped for.

"Can you two stop flirting in front of my salad?" The little moment was now gone, fucking Ten and his single ass being all bitter. He's basically just seating on his owner's table not so far away from the counter, yet he still noticed.

"Damn Boss, stop interrupting. You're making me miss my shot." Jeno just smiled at you apologetically but you on the other side is obviously on some trance. What the hell?? What does he mean by missing his shot? Jeno, shoot your shot! I'll be yours way before you could ask me out! You're obviously being delusional again, but who cares? A girl can dream.

"I don't care if you flirt all you want. Just not in front of my salad, and not when you're working. We have customers, Jeno." Ten's obviously just playing around, not that you and Jeno will notice. The owner obviously noticed your admiration for his 2 month old barista, you've been a constant customer since then, never missing a day and always visits on Jeno's shift.

"Got it boss. Sorry about that, Yn. My boss and his boyfriend had some fight, so he's being too sensitive." Jeno said to you in a fake whisper. He's too close, you thought.

"That's fine, Jeno. You don't have to excuse his annoying ass. Anyways, I'll take the same order." You smiled and gave your card to the boy to pay. But Jeno waved his hand instead.

"Don't pay. This is my treat." He again smiled sheepishly, he should really stop doing that. You've already have this huge crush on him, no need to get it bigger.

"Ten will kill you. Let me pay please."

"What he doesn't know won't kill him." He winked at you like his eyes is not already small from his smile.

"Are you sure? Because it's really fine, Jeno. You don't owe me anything."

"Believe me, I do. So just say yes, please?" Damn, Jeno, if this was him asking your hand in marriage you would say yes without stuttering. But you thought, a coffee would be a good start. And what does he mean by he believes he owes you something?

"Fine, Jeno. But just this time." You brought back your card back to your sling bag and Jeno mayhaps that said something like "yippee" or "yeheey", you really don't know, he was too cute for you to stay sane.

--

You were mindlessly sipping your drink whilst looking at the people outside outside Dream when Jeno started walking towards your seat, you did not notice him though, at least not until he spoke.

"Yn?" Your daydreaming was put to an end when you heard Jeno's voice calling your name.

"Oh, hey, Jeno." You smiled ever so shyly, just like you always do when he's the one you're talking.

"Oh, hey... so I was wondering... my shift will be over in like 30 mins. Do you mind, uh, going out with me? Like just walk around the park and maybe have some dinner?" The boy scratched his ear just like he does when he's feeling shy and/or awkward.

You look at him like he just said some foreign language you haven't had the honour to learn. What did he just say? Go out? Park? Dinner?

"Earth to Yn?" Jeno spoke softly like he's talking to something small and fragile, which obviously at this point, are the words best to describe you.

"What did you just say?" You replied in almost like a whisper; but Jeno is looking at you closely so he was still able to hear what you said and that's when Ten walked by.

"He's asking you out on a date, idiot. Isn't that what you wanted?" Ten laughed as he made his way back to his table.

You swore to the heavens, that you will be snitching Ten to his father about all his shenanigans. He's like the worst cousin in the world, i mean not really, but he sort of is, right now.

"I swear to God, he's like the worst cousin." You sighed, exasperated.

"He loves you though, he always talk good things about you behind your back."

"Oh, does he now?" You raised your eyebrow for emphasis and Jeno smiled shyly in return.

"Yes, he does. I may have indulge him because I like hearing things about you."

"Oh." That was the lamest reply you have given ever since your birth. STOP EMBARRASSING YOURSELF, YN!

"Before my confidence ran out, what do you think about my invitation?"

"Oh... Yeah, s-sure. As long as you don't bite." Maybe at least now now.

"I won't. Unless you asked me too." He winked, fucking cassanova knows what he's doing. You can feel the heat creeping up your cheeks.

"I'll see you in 30 mins then?"

"Yeah, sure, Jen." Jen? Who gave you permission to give him nicknames? Get a grip of yourself, yn!

--

30 minutes later, Jeno came back. Now with his casual clothes, still looking some dashing model from a magazine.

"Ready to go?"

"You bet."

Whilst you were both about to go out the door, Ten shouted something that made you winced.

"Jeno, you can take a day off tomorrow. Sorry for making you work on your birthday, bud." Ten smiled apologetically but Jeno just smiled like the good boy that he is.

"No worries, boss. Thanks for the day off! We'll get going now. Let's go, Yn."

"Oh, yeah. Just give me a minute. I'll catch up to you. I remember I have to say something to Ten, a message from my Mom." Jeno eyed you curiously but he let it passed and told you he'll just wait outside.

You walked back to the counter and saw your cousin with sitting casually with his feet up on his table.

"Hey, Ten. Can you give me that cupcake? And maybe some candle."

Ten gave out a laugh before standing up amd getting what you ordered.

"You're fucking whipped, Cous. Be fast though, you're not the only customer eyeing him."

"Shut up. I'm trying, okay? Yeri is already on my back. Stop yourself from hopping in."

"Well, you always need a very hard push. Don't pay me for now." Ten put the cupcake in a small box with Dream in a Dream logo. You put the box carefully in your sling bag and borrowed Ten's lighter with a promise of returning it tomorrow.

When you walked out of Dream in a Dream, you saw Jeno casually leaning on his motorcycle. He has a motorcycle? Damn, he looks hotter. What the hell, yn?

"Hey, right here." Jeno waved his hand as if you'll never catch him in a sea of people. But you always do, he has that presence, at least that's the case in your eyes.

"Are we riding that?" Jeno laughed at your expression.

"Yes we will be riding this. Don't worry yn, I'm not a reckless driver." He winked. STOP WINKING, JENO.

"I still have a lot of dreams, so that's good to hear. Let's go?" Jeno nodded and gave you a helmet before putting his. Does this mean I can hug him? You felt your cheeks grow hot again with that thought.

You indeed end up hugging him during the ride to the park; since he also advised for you to hold tight. It was not a hard instruction, and definitely not against your own judgment.

--

Jeno found an empty bench near the children's playground and you both sat in there silent for a few minutes before you heard him clear his throat.

"Thank you for coming with me, Yn. It means a lot to me. I'm almost technically a stranger, but you still came with me." You looked at him and maybe it's the light playing tricks on his handsome face but you could've sworn his cheeks is a little red.

"No worries, Jeno. You're not really that of a stranger. Ten knows you. I've known you for like 2 months. So that's hardly a stranger." You gave him a genuine smile, happy that Jeno invited you, or it would've been you embarrassing yourself to invite him.

"2 months, 3 days, 15 hrs, and 2 minutes."

"Huh?"

"That's the exact time I've gotten to know you." Jeno looked down, embarrassed at how he remembers clearly the time you first entered Dream in a Dream, like you're some fantasy brought to his reality.

"Oh... wow, that's quite precise." Your eyes where everywhere but on him.

"Yeah, you could say that. I almost messed up your order and would've been fired if Renjun wasn't there to help me out." Jeno smiled remembering his friend who now take an early shift.

You find your courage to be honest now that Jeno is being honest. What could go wrong, right?

"Don't worry, Jen. I messed up too. I ended up ordering Matcha Latte when I hate that drink with all my heart."

"You do? So that's why you never ordered that drink again. I remember extending my shift that day to practice how to make it perfectly though."

"You did? You're so silly." You laughed at Jeno not because he's being silly, but because he is looking like some cute puppy doing something silly, you still find yourself liking him even more.

"Yeah, people do crazy things when they're in love." It slipped Jeno's mouth before he could stop it. It felt like it was the most natural thing to say. But after looking at your shocked expression he almost feel his heart sinking. But then you smiled and hope trampled the fear as fast as it could even crawl further.

"I guess they do. So you love me, then?"

Jeno hummed before answering.

"I guess you could say that."

You raised your eyebrow.

"So you're not sure?"

Jeno sighed before looking at you straight in the eyes, with the most serious look you have seen on him.

"I love you, Yn. I'm not just sure if it's the first thing I should say after mustering up to talk to you the first time."

"Jeno, can you close your eyes?"

"What?"

"Can you close your eyes? Please?"

Jeno felt weird by the sudden request. The boy thought what if you'd run away after his sudden confession? He thought he can't blame you if you do that, he was being stupid for confessing on day 1.

"I won't run away." You said as if being able to read Jeno's thoughts. He sighed but proceeded on closing his eyes.

You immediately took out the box you've carefully arranged in your bag and lit the candle using your stupid (yet somehow still helpful) cousin's lighter.

"Jeno, you can open your eyes now." You felt the excitement in your voice, it was weird being able to hear it. But you didn't care, who cares if you're going too fast? You can get to know about each other after today.

Jeno saw your smile first before his eyes dropped on the red velvet cupcake you are holding with a candle on top of it. He find himself smiling, not just because of the effort you've exerted, but because of how beautiful you look.

"Happy birthday, Jeno. Before you make a wish, I have a fun fact for you... Did you know that I have been going to Dream in a Dream every single day for the past 2 months, 3 days, 15 hrs, and 20 mins now because I fell in love with the newly hired barista?"

Jeno laughed hard, like that kind of laugh a boy gives out which sound anything but soft. He has head thrown backwards due to laughing and you just stared at him, dumbfounded yet still in love.

"So to simplify that fun fact, you love me?"

"You could say that. Now make a wish before the wind blows your candle out."

Jeno moved closer and closed his eyes.

He doesn't have a wish anymore, he's got one already answered. He's got you. But he still finds himself wishing, because humans are after all selfish creatures.

Please, please, make this work. I love her, please make her love me more in the future.

Then Jeno opened his eyes and blow his candle. You smiled at each other like some giddy teenagers even if Jeno just turned 20, which means he's a young adult now.

"Do you mind saying it again?"

"Saying what, Jen?"

"I love that nickname by the way. Tell me how you feel about this barista."

"Demanding but fine, since it's your birthday. I love you, Lee Jeno."

"Damn, that feels good to hear. I might be asking you to say those 8 letters in the next coming minutes. But for now, let me tell you that I love you too, Yn."

He gave you a kiss on the forehead and a tight hug. It was perfect.

Two months ago a dream was born in Dream in a Dream. Two month later on the day Jeno was born, it became a reality. Now you'll find yourself celebrating two special events every April 23rd; Jeno's birthday and the birthday you now both share, hopefully for a long time.

- end -

✩｡:*•.───── ❁ ❁ ─────.•*:｡✩

an: that's all. it's short i guess but i really wanted to write some one shot, so thank God it's jeno's birthday and i have an excuse. hope you enjoy it! - 고양이 🐈

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEE JENO! EVEN IF YOU ARE NOW A 20 YEAR OLD ADULT, YOU ARE STILL A BABY TO ME 💚 (i'm same age with the nct pig liners 😉) love you, baby!

[prxttypxrker]

[secrets: part six]

[part] one two three four five

The more he thought about it, the more he justified his actions. If you went on to becoming friends with his heroic side or something more - which would’ve made things very awkward - then he would be spending at least half of his time worrying about whether you made it home safe or not. However, the friendship was something he couldn’t lose. He only had three people he was close with, especially at school, and you were one of them. Was he really willing to throw it away because of a secret?

When he walked through the doors of the school that morning, he made a beeline for where Michelle’s locker was located. He normally met you at the front before going inside, but after a few minutes of waiting he figured you were already in with MJ. However, you were nowhere in her vicinity. Peter reached her and looked at the girl with an anxious look, causing her to look at him oddly. “What's up with you?”

“Y/N - have you seen her?”

“I have - we walked here together.” MJ stayed silent after that, and the brunette widened his eyes just a bit.

“Are you not going to tell me?”

“Nope.” She closed her locker and readjusted the strap of her bag, giving her friend a sarcastic smile before heading in the opposite direction he was facing. He scrambled to catch up with the pace she was walking, keeping a hold on the straps of his bag until he was right beside the decathlon girl. She didn't even pass him a glance after noticing he was still there, ignoring his presence for as long as she could. Feeling his gaze on her, she sighed and crossed her arms. “Look, she's pretty hurt by whatever you've been doing. So if you want me to tell you, you'd have to fix the problem.”

The brunette boy gave what she said some thought. It was an obvious solution, but not a simple one. If anyone against Spider-Man found out about your connection to him, it would cause more than a distraction. There was a good chance you'd be targeted; possibly kidnapped or injured just to spite him. His conscious just wouldn't allow him to tell you anything, but he knew it had to be done eventually. The fact that the risk of losing you was so high because of a secret was ridiculously... ridiculous? There was a reason heroes kept their identities hidden from everyone around them. Yet Peter couldn't help but think of some supers who had friends or family find them out and ended up being a huge asset to that side of their lives. So with a deep sigh that caused Michelle to raise an eyebrow in his direction, he looked over at her and nodded his head. “I'll fix it.”

•••

It still took longer for him to get anything out of MJ about where you were. Class didn't start for another half hour, so that gave him enough time to get there, tell you who he was talk to you, and hopefully come out being friends without anything else going wrong.

Once Peter made it to your location, he stopped and caught his breath as he stood before the closed door. Through the small window all he could see was an empty chemistry classroom save for your figure hunched over an open textbook and several types of equipment. He didn't move, only started to overthink. Each and every possible scenario that could happen roamed around in his mind as if they were regular memories. You could be in awe or shock. You could love the fact that your friend is a superhero. You could get upset because he didn't tell you and he really did lie during all the incidents that had happened. You could even stop speaking to him as a whole because of how big a secret it was without you even knowing. It all kept him in place and frozen in anxiety.

Any confidence the teenager had faded away in an instant when you noticed the unmoving person on the other side of the door and raised an eyebrow. With a slow wave and confused expression, all he could do was give you the same gesture with a nervous grin to match the way he was feeling. He continued to look between you, the doorknob, and down both ends of the hall before catching a glimpse of you starting to speak. Your voice was muffled, but he was able to hear it well enough to know what you were saying. “Are you coming in or not?”

“Oh! Uh, yeah.” Peter nodded his head, but still didn't move an inch. He tried to build his confidence back up as much as possible, which only confused you as the only thing you saw in that moment was him closing his eyes. With a deep breath on his end and a shrug on yours before you went back to work, he opened the door and walked through, making sure to close it behind him. He made his way over to the desk you were hunched over, not surprised when you didn't make any movements to properly acknowledge him. “So... hi.”

“Hi.” It was silent for a few seconds, but those seconds felt like forever to the boy with another identity. He just wanted to blurt it out, but he knew that with the amount of distance this has caused, it wouldn't help soothe the result of telling you.

“What are you doing?”

You looked up at him. “My grade is still slipping, so Mrs. Simms gave me an independent project.”

His ears perked up at the sound of an opportunity presenting itself to him. Maybe if I help her she'll be more relaxed! Peter moved himself to the other side of the surface so he was right beside you. His eyes scanned the contents of the book. “What do you need to do?”

“Um..” You stared at him while he continued to flip through pages of the section the textbook was open to. It was obvious you weren't too keen on speaking with him, as that seemed to have been the way of the world the past few weeks anyway. Yet here he was, wanting to stay and likely help out despite the weird tension around you two lately. “Just to create something new? I don't know. She seems to think I have this huge potential.”

“You do.” He looked at you, bent over the equipment and chemicals placed around the lab bench. The expression on your face was neutral, but he knew just how much pressure you felt, and it weighed on him. He was part of any stress you were having. From unintentionally neglecting the friendship to showing up as Spider-Man and implying they couldn't be friends to you knowing he was keeping something from you. Not to mention the pair of you were usually science buddies, which was partially why you did so well. Since the internship began, there was no time to study or work on an assignment together outside of class, so there was a fair chance that discouraged you from trying harder on your own.

You chuckled and stood straight, “I'm glad one of us thinks so." Your gaze traveled back to Peter's to find him already looking at you. Despite the drama that's gone on for weeks now, the crush you had on him never went away. However, you were still frustrated with the main issue of things being kept from you even with the several, weird Spider-Man situations going on. “Anyway—what is it that you needed?”

It seemed like you spooked him when his eyes widened, but really he just nearly forgot the actual reason he went looking for you in the first place. “O-oh, yeah. Um. I wanted to talk about what happened on Friday.”

It was quiet for a moment, then— “Okay, so talk.” You moved to another desk and used the surface to pull yourself up so you could sit on it.

Peter turned enough for him to face you fully, the nerves making their appearance again when he realized he was about to expose himself as the neighborhood's hero. There was no easy way to tell someone that you were the guy in red and blue swinging around and shooting spider webs at bad guys. Especially when that someone was important to you. Even with the amount of anxiety the current predicament gave him, he just wanted to get it all out. He took in a large breath, and opened his mouth. “I'm Spider-Man and I really hope you aren't angry but I swear the only reason I didn't tell you was because I wanted you to be safe so I'm really really sorry for everything but please don't hate me.”

The words tumbled out like a tsunami. Somehow you were able to catch each and every word in his rapid vent, and it only made your own breath hitch in your throat. It all made sense to you now. He wasn't just “friends” with the suit clad hero who saved your life, he was that hero. That was why he had Ned try and give the spider boy a bad name at lunch. That was why he was always late to hangouts or missed them entirely. Why he didn't have time for you guys after school. He was off doing brave and heroic things to keep Queens and other cities as safe as he could. Though, it also meant he was the one who came to you that night and—behind the mask—told you you couldn't like him or be friends with him. You even asked him after that night if he knew anything and he denied it when it was clear he was the only choice for how the hero knew that information. He wanted you to be safe, but was it really so dangerous when you were best friends with him?

[shysneeze]

Dance With Me? (Remus Lupin x Reader)

Request: Hi can u write a remus fic where the yule ball is soon so instead of a normal lesson they have dance lessons and the shy reader doesn't want to dance because they have a limp/walking disability remus asked them to dance and they keep taking the piss out of them self and feel stupid but begin to enjoy them self till someone picks on them and remus runs after them and it's all fluffy idk write it if u want thank you bye xx

Warnings: bulliying (from lucius malfoy),

Author’s Notes: Idk how I feel about how this turned out, it was quite difficult to write and I have no clue if it is what you wanted but I hope it’s not too bad :)

Remus, like most others, has prepared himself to the dance lessons to be excruciatingly boring and torturous. The great hall is unusually empty, ridded temporarily of its seats and tables to accommodate the day’ s compulsory lessons in preparation for the umcoming ball.

The air holds a certain buzz in it though as he arrives with his friends though, a manifestation of all the awkward excitement and nerves of teenagers forced to dance.  People have already began to partner up,  joyful couples already holding hands, the best friends who’ve already come as a prearranged due, and the nervous admirerswaiting anxiously by the stands as their friends nudge them towards their crushes. 

The minute his eyes land on her from across the room, he knows he’s about to fall into the latter category. (Y/N) (Y/L/N) sits alone, smiling sadly as her friends partner up around her, as people pass her by without even a glance of consideration. 

She fiddles nervously with the ends of her crutch, what she’s sure has doomed her to watching from the sidelines. Her forlorn eyes drop to her lap defeatedly, stirring a feeling of longing in Remus’ stomach. 

Behind him, Sirius begins to grin, staring between the girl and his friend. Remus jumps at the feeling of his hand clapping his shoulder, grimacing when he notices Sirius’ smirk. 

“Go on, Moony.” He starts. “Ask her.” 

“Don’t make it sound so simple.” Remus scolds. “She won’t say yes.” 

"Shut up, Remus." He snorts. "Go bloody ask her or I will." 

“Shut up.” 

“You think I’m joking.” Sirius continues. “But she’s a pretty girl and if you’re going to be stupid enough to let her go, I won’t mind sliding in.”

Remus glowers at him, ignoring how the logical part of his brain tells him not let it get to him, instead trusting the strangely jealous part of him, the part that has him shrugging his friends arm from his shoulder determinedly and walking across the hall. 

It’s not until he’s halfway towards her that he realises he’s no idea what to say, beginning to practice the question in his head over and over until it sounds natural, though it never does. He’s only pulled out of his daze when her voice interrupts him and alerts him to the fact he’s already arrived. 

“Are you okay there, Remus?” She asks in concern. “You look a little distracted.” 

“Oh.” Remus blinks at her, gulping down his nerves. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“Can I help?” She smiles sweetly. “With whatever is distracting you, I mean.”

He can picture exactly how Sirius might deal with the question, how he’d use it to smoothly transition into a question of his own; “Yes actually... how about a dance?”, but even the thought of repeating them seems absurd to Remus. 

“I was just wondering you wanted to dance together?”

Her face falters with an emotion he can’t decipher, though he’s hoping desperately it’s no disappointment. Her mouth opens with an anticipated explanation that he’s sure is to be a rejection.

 "You want to dance with me?" She asks in a small voice after a second. “Really?”

 "Yes?”

“Why?”

“Um...” 

“Sorry, I don’t mean to interrogate you I just...” She gulps. “Is this a pity thing?”

“Of course not.” Her assures rapidly. “No, not at all.”

“I’m bound to be a bad dancer, Remus.” 

It’s exhaled in a small, disheartened sigh as her eyes drop to the her crutch solemnly. Then, she looks up with a sad smile and a flippant shrug that breaks his heart. 

“You can’t possibly implying that I’ll be any better.” He attempts to joke. “I’m bound to step on your toes at some point.”

She lets out a breathy laugh, head tilted in contemplation. He waits nervously for her answer, his chest tight with a held breath that he’s subconsciously waiting to release only with her reply. 

"Are you sure?" 

He exhales a relieved sigh, grin twitching at the corner of his lips as he nods encouragingly. His heart leaps in his chest as she holds out her hand expectantly for his.

"Positive."

He holds her hand in his and carefully pulls her to her feet, steading her as she wobbles for a second before leading her confidently toward the makeshift dance floor, where the rest of the class has began to line up according to McGonagall’s instructions.

As the first bars of a soft waltz begins to play, so to do the couple begin to dance. It starts smoothly, hands clasped together, nervous smiles and longing looks. Then, as quickly as it begins, Remus’ feet betray him and they stumble together for a second.

 "I'm sorry, Remus." She apologises quickly. “My legs just don’t work.”

“I was the one that tripped over my own feet.” He assures. "And your legs do work, just differently from everyone else's and apparently better than mine do right now." 

She snorts, a sound that to anyone else would be dreadfully unattractive, but instead has Remus’ heart pounding, pride at being the source erupting in his belly and grin recovering itself on his lips.

A certain pressure has relieved itself from them, their desire to be perfect already gone as they begin to laugh with each fumbled step. They ignore the disapproving look it earns them from McGonagall, although they occasionally catch her chuckling every so often at the pair. 

Their laughter carries on even after the music has finished, as they come to a stop folded over each other in a laugh with their hands still clasped. Its a laugh he’s very quickly fallen in love with.

As they begin to quiet, his hand still on her waist with matching grins, something in him is encouraging him to seize them moment, his lips parting in anticipation of his next question when it’s cut off before he’s even began by someone else. 

“Loony Lupin and (Y/L/N).” Lucius Malfoy begins with a scoff. “The perfect pair.”

The pairs smiles both drop at once at the echoing sound of Lucius’ friends cackling at his observation. Remus’ heart drops instantly at the look that falls upon (Y/N)’s face.

"I must say though, her?” Malfoy smirks.” That must be low for even you, Lupin." 

Her hand in Remus untangles itself, the one in his shoulder sliding loosely to grip his arm to steady herself, but he can see her urge to pull away. Remus rounds on the blonde bully with a sneer.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Remus growls. 

Lucius scoffs, crossing his arms and stepping closer with a cruel grin. (Y/N) stiffens in his arms and he can hear her audibly gulp. A protective feeling bubbles in his chest, he backs them away slightly and nudges her behind him gently.

“Am I wrong?”

 "Are you ever right?" Remus quips. "(Y/N) is tens times a better person than you'll ever be and you have no right to say other wise."

"Don't tell me you like her?" He sneers. "Merlin, you really are mad." 

“You’d be mad not to like her.” Remus blurts confidently. “She’s kind, she’s funny and incredibly out of you’re league, Malfoy.”

Malfoy’s grin drops instantly, followed swiftly by those of his friends. He reaches for his wand within his robes, causing Remus to do the same defensively. Around them, people begin to form a circle in anticipation of what might come next.

"You have some nerve-" Malfoy starts.

Remus goes to reply when McGonagall appears from beyond the crowd, warning glare in her narrowed eyes. Malfoy’s determination has suddenly disappeared at her arrival. 

“Mr Malfoy and Mr Lupin.” She begins. “Care to explain what is going on to gather such an audience?”

"Nothing, Professor." Malfoy is quick to deny.

 "I hope not." She tuts. "Detention would be a horrible place to spend the Yule Ball." 

She walks away at that and the disappointed crowd disperses across the room. Malfoy gives Remus one last glare before turning to his friends again, who pat his shoulders commiseratively. 

Remus turns to do them same, suddenly panicked at the realisation that (Y/N) is no longer by his side. He meets Sirius’ eyes across the hall, who nods hims towards the door where (Y/N) is making her escape. 

He gives his friend a grateful nod before rushing to follow the girl from the room, catching up with her as she’s walking along the corridors. He pauses only to call her name, halting her in her tracks .

“Remus...” She starts, waiting for him to come closer. “I’m so sorry.” 

"Don't apologise." Remus says sternly. "You have no reason to apologise."

He’s still on edge, his words tumbling out rough from the anger that Lucius has left him with. She gives him an uncertain look, taking a moment to assure herself that his anger isn’t meant for her. 

“Hey.” She frowns softly, reaching out with her free hand to touch his arm. “Are you okay?”

His body relaxes at her touch, a skill he never knew she has until now. He softens his face, letting his anger leave in a sigh and nodding apologetically. 

“Sorry.” He mutters. “He just...” 

“I know.” She smiles sadly. “Trust me.”

The flippancy of the statement makes him feel momentarily enraged before he manages to reign it in again. Lucius has pulled this before, it’s written all over her face, displayed by her flippant shrug.

"Thanks." She finally says. "For standing up for me." 

"You didn't deserve any of that from him." He exhales. "You don't deserve anything like that from anyone." 

She gives his arm a grateful squeeze and smiles slightly, something simple that has his heart racing. Then, a moment of doubt appears plain on her face, her head tilting questioningly. 

“What you said in there...” She starts. “Is it true? Do you like me?”

"What would you say if I said yes?" I ask nervously. 

A small smile graces her face and she puts a hand on each of his shoulders, crutch falling to her feet. He can feel the heat creeping up his neck at their proximity, though that thought and every other though in his head disappears the moment their lips meet in a chaste kiss. 

"If I say I like you know, will you do that again?" He exhales as she pulls back. “Because in which case, I mean it, I like you more than I've ever liked anyone before because you're so bloody perfect sometimes it feels like a dream to be even talking to you, never mind dancing with you."

His rambling is interrupted by her incapacitating smile, the smile that makes his cheeks flush and his heart race. 

 "I like you too, Remus." She smiles softly.

Her hands still on Remus shoulders, her face inches from his, she leans in, her lips meeting his again passionately. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her body closer against his, savouring every second of the kiss until they pull apart with matching grins.

"Does this mean you will go to the dance with me?" He asks.

 "I would love to, Remus."