#donuts at staff meeting this morning

[flickeringflame216]

blessings roll call!!!

[cupofsapphics]

The Coffee Shop

[ melissa schemmenti x reader ]

warning(s): none

summary: a new coffee shop opened near abbott and something, or rather someone, keeps a redhead coming back

a/n: feeding you guys one fic a year is so generous, right? right?? also forgive me you guys, it's been a while since i wrote... so mel might be a bit ooc

word count: 1.7k

Mondays were always a pain for the staff at Abbott. Work to catch up on, plan lessons, and more. Just like every other morning, Janine walked into the room with a bright smile. “Guys, did you hear about the new coffee shop that opened down the road?” 

Barbara gave her a glance and shook her head. “I’m satisfied with my regular coffee.”

Ava suddenly bursts through the door. “Girl, no wonder you always be lookin’ so miserable. That new place serves one hell of a coffee, y'all should try.” She grins as she puts countless spoons of sugar into her coffee.

Barbara and Melissa shared a skeptical look before getting up to go set up their classrooms for the incoming kids. Undeterred, Janine turned to Jacob “I’m thinking of checking it out tomorrow, do you wanna come?” 

“I’d be happy to, I’ve been planning to go over there anyway.” Jacob gushes. 

The next morning, the two pulled the door open to the shop and were taken aback by the sight before them. Compared to the frigid air outside, the cafe felt welcoming. The walls were plain white, but many paintings adorned them. Strings of warm lights hung from the ceiling, inviting passersby to sit and relax. You just opened the cafe a mere 15 minutes ago and the ring of your doorbell caught your attention as you were cleaning the counter.

“Hi! Welcome to my cafe, what can I get you?” You beamed as you leaned on the counter with both of your arms. Business has been slow ever since you started the shop, so it was nice to see people come in.

“Just a cappuccino, please,” the woman says excitedly and moves to sit down at one of the tables. You nodded and turned to her friend to find him staring at cookies, donuts, croissants, and muffins through the glass. You clear your throat and his attention redirects back to you as he orders quickly to join his friend at the table. You quickly get to work and start preparing.

You approach them, with the two drinks and snack in hand. Putting them on the table, you ask, “Are you guys from the school across from here? I don’t get a lot of customers, so it would make sense if you guys work nearby.” They take a sip as they listen to your inquiries and their eyes widen as they drink more. 

“Yeah, we’re from Abbott, the school just across from here. I’m sorry, but I just got to say, this coffee is absolutely amazing,” Janine rapidly finishes as she drinks more. You hear a muffle from her companion, which you could make out was along the lines of, “I know right.” You let out a light chuckle. The woman sticks her hand out and says, “By the way, my name’s Janine, and my friend over there is Jacob.” At the mention of his name, Jacob pauses from eating to give you a small wave. 

“Nice to meet you guys, I’m Y/N.”

Janine and Jacob talked to you for a few more minutes before they had to go back to prepare for their classes. They promised to come here as often as they could for their coffee. Over the course of a few weeks, you became good friends with both of them and often joined them for meetups outside of work.

--

You got a call from Janine about a week ago about having some drinks and snacks out for the staff at Abbott to enjoy. She asked if you could provide them and bring them over. “I’m sorry if this is kind of last minute,” she says nervously. “It’s okay, Janine. I’ll bring them over next Monday,” you replied reassuringly.

Monday came quickly and before you knew it, you found yourself in front of Abbott Elementary with armfuls of coffee and food. Scrambling to the counter, you ask the person in the front for a pass (Janine said you needed one) and made your way towards the staff room. There were already a good amount of teachers chatting amongst themselves. Janine made her way up to you as she took the boxes off your hands and set them on one of the tables. “Everyone, this is Y/N. She owns the coffee shop across from the school and was kind enough to bring us some coffee and food to get through the morning!” Janine rambles eagerly. 

Everyone’s eyes were on you as you gave a small wave and started to hand out some coffee. You let your eyes drift to a redhead with glasses focused on grading some papers. Noticing no coffee next to her, you made your way toward the table and gently put down a cup next to her. The sound made Melissa look up, preparing to give a cold response. However, she was surprised to find a sweet and unfamiliar face. 

Not expecting her eyes to look so mesmerizing, you practically stutter out, “Hi, I noticed you didn’t have any coffee cup next to you, so I just wanted to give you one.” Melissa blinked for few times, not used to kind gestures from strangers, let alone pretty ones. She didn’t reply until Barbara elbowed her side and she jolted back into reality. “Thanks for the coffee, sweetheart,” she murmured. You could feel your face turning beet red at the nickname as you nod slowly and make your way back to the table where Janine sat. 

Melissa smirked at your reaction, watching you turn and walk toward Janine’s table. In the corner of her eye, she saw her friend shaking her head. “Melissa Schemmenti, you sure are something,” Barbara states as she returned to her morning crossword. The redhead shrugged. She already had her coffee for the morning, but she wouldn’t mind another one if it came from you. 

Taking a sip of her new coffee, Melissa paused, licked her lips, and turned to Barbara. “Oh my god, this coffee is unbelievable.” Her friend raised an eyebrow as she took another sip. Melissa thought that it was about time she paid a visit to the coffee shop across the street. 

--

It was a busy morning for you. Your alarm didn’t go off and when you got to the cafe, you found the sink in the back having some issues. You were scrambling to fix the pipes somehow when you hear the doorbell ring. Panicking, you quickly made sure there would be no leaks and stood up, moving to wash your hands. “Hi, welcome to the cafe! Give me one second and I’ll be right with you,” you said promptly. You came out to the front but slowed down when you recognized who it was waiting to order. There she was in all her glory with her leather jacket and fiery hair. Realizing you’re still at work, you snap out of it. “What can I get you?” You lean on the counter waiting for her order.

Approaching the table, you handed the captivating woman her coffee and felt the redhead’s hand brush against yours. Your face was painted with a light blush, causing the woman to grin. “What’s your name, hon?” God, this woman was going to kill you. 

“The name’s Y/N. Nice to finally know the name of the gorgeous lady I saw the other day,” you replied. You weren’t sure where this confidence came from, but those questions disappeared when you witnessed her eyes widen at the unexpected answer. The moment was quick though, for she recovered and quipped back, “Well, nice to meet you Y/N. The name’s Melissa. What’s a pretty girl like you doing working in a coffee shop?”

From then on, Melissa came every morning before her classes started. It didn’t matter the circumstances: rain, hail, shine, snow, she would still be there every single morning chatting away with you. She said that it was because the coffee there was just unmatched by any she’s had anywhere else. You’d like to believe that if it weren’t for the fact that you two exchanged flirtatious remarks every single day. 

--

Another dreaded Monday came for everyone and it became a regular sight to see Melissa walking into the staff room with a coffee from the shop across the street. The redhead sat down in her usual place next to Barbara who glanced at the coffee but said nothing. Everyone was wondering the same thing, but no one wanted to say it. Janine, brave as ever, decided to break the silence. “So… you must really like the coffee from the shop that Y/N runs right?” Melissa looks at Janine and then proceeds to look at the coffee cup. A soft smile appears on her face as her thoughts drift to you and all the moments the two of you shared over the past month or two. “Hello, earth to Melissa!” Janine says with a confused expression. 

Melissa looks back up at Janine. “Yea, she makes the best coffee I’ve had in a while,” she says hastily as she goes back to her grading. Jacob turns away from Melissa to mutter to Janine and Gregory. “The coffee’s not the only thing that Melissa keeps going back for..” Gregory snorted as Janine tried her best not to laugh. 

Melissa heard what Jacob said and she thought about it for the entire day. Sure, the coffee was amazing, but it definitely wasn’t the real motivation for coming to the cafe every single day. Melissa finally came to the realization that Jacob was right. The next morning, the redhead practically barged through the door and walked towards you. The sudden impact of the door startled you as you see Melissa coming towards you with an unreadable expression. You couldn’t help but feel nervous as she rounds the counter and kisses you. To say you were caught off guard would be an understatement, but not wanting to give the wrong impression, you kissed her back. After what seemed like forever, both of you pulled away and a comfortable silence filled the room. 

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” Melissa let out a light chuckle before deciding to respond. “What do you say to dinner at my place tonight, hon?” The smile you offer her gives Melissa the answer she’s looking for.

[merakiui]

༺♡༻ 𝓋𝒶𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃𝓉.

☆ welcome to the lunar love hotel, where bitter/sweet secrets are scattered amidst shimmering stardust! ☆

𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚌𝚔 𝚒𝚗 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

☆ the lunar love hotel will be open and accepting guests from genshin impact and twisted wonderland throughout days 1-28 of february 2023. once the month of february has ended, the lunar love hotel will no longer be accepting guests.

☆ all guests will be written as +18. all orders will be nsfw (or sfw if specified) and x reader.

☆ for the convenience of our staff, please be patient and polite when checking in. additionally, please be specific with your order details from the menus listed below. if a reader’s gender is not specified, it will be written gender neutral.

☆ you may order two treats from each menu with up to three guests (separate or together). please make all distinctions clear when necessary.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　guest lists 　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

genshin impact - lumine, aether, kaeya alberich, lisa minci, jean gunnhildr, rosaria, diluc ragnvindr, albedo, venti, eula lawrence, mona, beidou, ningguang, keqing, tartaglia, zhongli, ganyu, xiao, yelan, shenhe, kaedehara kazuha, kamisato ayaka, yoimiya, sangonomiya kokomi, thoma, gorou, arataki itto, yae miko, raiden shogun, shikanoin heizou, tighnari, cyno, candace, nilou, dehya, alhaitham, kaveh, kabukimono/scaramouche/wanderer, il dottore, colombina, sandrone, la signora, pantalone, il capitano, arlecchino.

twisted wonderland - riddle rosehearts, ace trappola, deuce spade, cater diamond, trey clover, leona kingscholar, jack howl, ruggie bucchi, azul ashengrotto, jade leech, floyd leech, kalim al-asim, jamil viper, vil schoenheit, epel felmier, rook hunt, idia shroud, malleus draconia, silver, sebek zigvolt, lilia vanrouge, rollo flamm, neige leblanche, che’nya.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　miscellaneous menu 　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

type of writing & dynamic.

☆ assorted macarons - headcanons

☆ layered cake - oneshot (more than 1k words)

☆ flower bouquet - ficlet (under 1k words)

☆ lacy lingerie - established relationship

☆ sparkling champagne - ex-lovers

☆ cherry wine - rivals/enemies

☆ strawberry ice cream - friends with benefits

☆ sweet lollipops - [insert your own dynamic]

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　midnight menu　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

yandere/dark content.

☆ red velvet cupcakes - non-con

☆ lemon squares - dub-con

☆ sea salt caramels - drugging

☆ custard donuts - forced pregnancy/baby-trapping

☆ banana pudding - kidnapping

☆ red bean mochi - stalking

☆ chamomile tea - somnophilia

☆ sugar stars - [insert your own kink/scenario or a prompt from the morning menu]

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　morning menu 　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

non-yandere/fluffy content.

☆ pineapple parfait - honeymoon

☆ fruit smoothie - confession

☆ apple pancakes - date night

☆ cinnamon rolls - marriage proposal

☆ cream puffs - aftercare

☆ blueberry muffins - love letters from them to you

☆ coffee - meet-cute

☆ candy hearts - [insert your own prompt]

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　lunar love hotel masterlist 　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

☆ malleus draconia - flower bouquet, red velvet cupcakes, red bean mochi.

☆ tartaglia, kaedehara kazuha, azul ashengrotto - assorted macarons, sparkling champagne, red velvet cupcakes, red bean mochi.

☆ floyd leech - layered cake, sweet lollipops, candy hearts.

☆ jade leech - flower bouquet, sea salt caramels, sugar stars.

☆ rollo flamme - layered cake, red bean mochi, blueberry muffins.

☆ ruggie bucchi - flower bouquet, strawberry ice cream, cream puffs, fruit smoothie.

☆ rook hunt - flower bouquet, red bean mochi, banana pudding.

☆ vil schoenheit, jade leech, floyd leech - flower bouquet, custard donuts.

☆ malleus draconia & azul ashengrotto - assorted macarons, lacy lingerie, sea salt caramels, lemon squares.

☆ kaedehara kazuha, scaramouche, azul ashengrotto - assorted macarons, sea salt caramels, chamomile tea, sugar stars.

☆ scaramouche - layered cake, sweet lollipops, lemon squares, sea salt caramels.

☆ idia shroud - flower bouquet, lemon squares, sugar stars.

☆ floyd leech - flower bouquet, cherry wine, red velvet cupcakes.

☆ alhaitham - layered cake, red velvet cupcakes.

☆ floyd leech & jade leech - flower bouquet, banana pudding, lemon squares.

☆ jade leech - flower bouquet, red velvet cupcakes, banana pudding.

☆ scaramouche - flower bouquet, strawberry ice cream, lemon squares, custard donuts.

☆ azul ashengrotto - flower bouquet, chamomile tea, lemon squares, fruit smoothie.

☆ floyd leech & jade leech - assorted macarons, lacy lingerie, sea salt caramels, pineapple parfait.

[x-aefx]

ONE TIME THING - BELLA RAMSEY (PART2)

Pictures above are not mine

Summary: unbeknownst to you, you meet actor Bella Ramsey. You two hit it off but your paths lead two different directions.

Bella Ramsey x female reader

Warnings: none (?)

Taglist:

She/they pronouns for Bella.

★★

You were confident in saying that today was the busiest you had ever seen the café. Every table occupied, every chair sat on, crowds of people surrounding the tv that hung on the wall cheering or making other loud commentary every so often.

You could never understand the obsession with sports, looking around you, you didn't think you ever would.

You sighed tiredly as the third person in the last few minutes had knocked into you. Pushing through endless amounts of bodies you made your way to the door labelled "staff only". Untying your apron from your waist you made a grab for your coat and handbag. When you had all your belongings you made your way back into the main area.

You had no desire to stay any longer than necessary.

The place was loud and so warm that it felt suffocating. When you had safely secured the box that was left for you behind the counter into your arms, you sped for the door.

Once the door closed behind you, trapping all the noise from inside, you felt a relief like no other. It was like you could finally breath, think, again.

Luckily Aaron's apartment was only a short walk away so you decided you would go straight to his rather than your own, as it was a good 20 minute walk and you were exhausted.

Fighting your way through the crowded street and avoiding the puddles on the footpath you kept walking at a fast pace until you reached the familiar apartment complex. The building was large and the people whom resided in it were nice. Stepping into the elevator (thankfully empty) you pressed floor 4 and patiently waited.

You always told yourself you should always expect the unexpected when it came to Aaron, to not be surprised at his antics but being so tired left your guard down.

"fuck off you fat bitch!"

Stopping briefly at the sound off your best friends voice followed by an unnatural sounding screech, your steps slowed slightly once you began cautiously walking again. You instinctively clutched the box in your hand out of worry.

Poking your head around the corner as to not reveal yourself fully to whatever danger may be present, you frowned.

Rubbing your eyes with your hand whilst the other loosened it's grib on the box you suppressed a groan.

"this world tests me everyday." You grumbled.

You walked into Aaron's apartment as he looked at you in shock and over exaggerated horror.

"there was a predator the size of my FOOT RIGHT THERE! " Aaron yelled after you.

"really? Is it going to the match?" You set the box onto the kitchen counter, opening it up, the sweet smell of donuts hit you pleasantly.

Whatever Aaron was going to say next was lost on his lips

"I love you so much" Aaron muttered as he eyed the donuts hungrily. You snorted.

"right, wanna start season 6?" You shrugged your coat off and left it on the back of the nearest chair, making yourself comfortable on the couch as you carefully held your donut whilst you moved. Aaron hated crumbs on the coach.

"You bet! Were going to finish season 6 Today! I'm tired of constantly dodging spoilers." Aaron joined you on the couch.

You doubted you would get through the entire season in a day, you were working at 8 o'clock tomorrow, you couldn't be up the entire night.

You tried your best to avoid spoilers but you had heard season 6 was when the show starts to dip. So far, you didn't agree. Every so often Aaron would impersonate a character (very loudly) you hoped the neighbors couldn't hear, he wasn't exactly quoting nice things.

When episode 6 finished you felt your eyes slowly begin to droop, the busy morning you had was beginning to catch up on you. Stretching your legs out you stiffly got up from your seat on the couch, you had been sitting in it for hours straight.

The yawn that escaped your lips caught Aarons attention.

"Oh No no! We're getting through the rest of the season! You can't fall asleep now!" It was like he could read your thoughts, he was quick to dismiss whatever excuse you could throw at him.

"I have work tomorrow!" You whined.

Aaron weighed your words in his mind for a few short seconds.

"one more episode?" Aaron negotiated.

You knew you should be getting to your own home now, but you had to admit the show was good and spending this much time with Aaron was rare when you both worked. Rolling your eyes you give him a small nod before turning around to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. Faintly you could hear his cheers.

Opening the cupboard as episode seven played you pulled out your favourite mug, setting it on the counter you took out the hot chocolate powder and warmed up the milk, every so often looking up at the tv.

Leaning against the counter you sipped at your hot drink as you watch the tv. Your eyes moved over to Aaron, you laughed quietly to yourself as he sat completely still with eyes wide and focused on the show his mouth was slightly agape.

Setting your mug down you debated which donut looked better, there was two left; one chocolate covered with chocolate sprinkles, the other had white icing and red velvet crumbs sprinkled on top. You decided on the chocolate one.

"welcome to bear island."

Your reached for a napkin as you listened to the tv.

Turning you watched as Sansa talked, Sansa was always your favorite after Arya.

"I remember when you were born my lady. You were named for my aunt Lyanna. It was said she was a great beauty I'm sure you will be too."

"I doubt it. my mother wasn't a great beauty or any other kind of beauty. She was a great warrior though. She died fighting for your brother Robb."

"I fucking love her oh my days!" Aaron laughed as he watched Sansa and Jon share a shocked look. Noticing the silence of his friend Aaron turned to look to you. Grinning at your shocked face.

"what? Weren't expecting one of your faves to be grilled by a child?" Aaron teased.

His words didn't register in your mind, infact you hadn't heard them, not his voice or the voices of the characters on screen. Now it was you who was standing still watching the tv like a hawke with a slightly opened mouth.

That character on screen was too familiar. The face of the stranger you had sat beside on the bus flashed in your mind. But they were older looking and they're hair was shorter. You closed your mouth and stood straigher once you came back to reality. Your brows furrowed. They looked so much alike.

"who's that?" You kept your eyes on the screen with your finger pointed.

Aaron obviously knowing you were talking about the unfamiliar character on screen, was quick to answer.

Clearing his throat dramatically as he placed a hand on his chest.

"that is the Lady Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island. If you were paying attention you would-"

"not the character the actor! Who plays her?"

Aaron shrugged his soldiers.

"why is that so important all of a sudden."

"I'm pretty sure I sat beside them on the bus on the way to work this morning." You said flatly. There was no point beating around the bush.

Aaron stared at you in silence for a moment.

"I see." Came his calm reply as he turned his focus back to game of thrones.

"I just told you I sat beside one of the actor from your current favorite show, and all you say Is 'I see' ?"

You were confused. You thought Aaron would be running around the apartment in joy.

"you didn't meet them. You thought you did, but you didn't."

You scoffed. Pulling out your phone from your back pocket you opened up Google.

'who plays Lyanna Mormont in game of thrones?'

"Bella Ramsey?" You muttered the name, more to yourself.

You went out of Google and typed in the name into Instagram. Clicking on the first account that popped up you didn't have to scroll for long.

The minute you seen their most recent post, it clicked in your head. Seeing the recent photo of them at the met gala rather than an old one from when they were on game of thrones confirmed your thoughts.

"I fucking met Bella fucking Ramsey on the bus without fucking knowing and embarrassed the shit out of myself."

You didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

You met Aarons wide-eyed gaze.

"fuck my life!"

--

When you arrived home you had told yourself you would forget this whole situation and go straight to bed.

That night you got the worst sleep of your life. You estimated you got a total of an hours sleep.

Eventually you gave up and decided you might as well get an early start to the day. Getting ready for work didn't take that long and since you woke up early you would have plenty of time to walk to work today.

You had to admit it was nice walking in the early morning. The number of cars that drove passed you weren't particular high, just the odd person on their way to work much like yourself.

Listening to music helped the walk go quicker, you soon arrived at work.

No matter how early you thought you were, Emma always proved to get to the café before you. Sometimes you thought she had slept the night.

Emma has been working at the café longer than you have. She was a favourite amongst customers with her enthusiastic personality and caring nature. She was impossible not to love. Sometimes you couldn't help but think what was a girl like her was doing working at this café. A face like hers deserved to be on billboards. You were certain she must've had over a dozen boys waiting outside her door every day.

"Morning!" She greeted you in her cheery voice.

You smiled at her, "mornin" you greeted her back.

As you made your way out back you silently prayed the day would go by quick and without fuss. You knew the lack of sleep would catch up on you sooner or later if you didn't make yourself a coffee.

--

"have a good day" you smiled as you handed a regular, an elderly man by the name of Tom and his wife Maria, their tea and scones.

"we will. And make sure not to tire yourself out deary." Maria warned, you knew it was coming from a good place.

"come now my love. I'm sure she doesn't need us distracting her from her work." Tom playfully rolled his eyes at you. maria if she could would talk to you, or anyone for that matter, for hours. No exaggeration.

"hey there's a customer waiting outside, I would do it but there's a woman who's about to beat that shit out of me if I don't drop everything to tend to her immediately." Emma groaned, tucking a piece of her auburn hair behind her ear. You looked back to the woman with matching red hair that stared at Emma inpatiently.

You cringed. "Say hello to your mum for me." You whispered as you gave her arm a comforting squeeze.

Making your way outside to the only person seated you took out your small notepad and pen, ready to take their order.

You couldn't see their face as they sat with their back towards you, a black cap on their head and a blue, red and yellow flannel. Their head was dipped, you guessed they were on the their phone.

You cleared your throat as you stood Infront of their table. They looked up at the sudden disruption.

When bella recognized your face they broke out in a grin.

When you recognized Bella's face you stared in surprise. You certainly weren't expecting this. For bella to show up when you were working, though you did tell them (a stranger) that you worked here. That didn't mean you thought they would actually show up.

They're probably just here by coincidence. It doesn't mean anything.

"I did say I would have to visit, did I not?" Bella was the first to speak.

"yeah um, its just it's still a shock." You mumbled.

"sorry I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. Actually thinking about it, this probably seems really weird to you-"

"it's not weird it's just a bit awkward I mean-"

"definitely a bit awkward I understand. I just enjoyed talking to you-"

"I enjoyed talking to you too."

Bella went to say something but stopped once your words fully registered in her head. she smiled.

"so is there anything I can get you? Or did you only want to talk?" You teased her lightly.

The smallest hint of red appeared on her cheeks.

"just the tomato soup please."

You scribbled the order down and promised them it would be ready soon.

"I'm Bella by the way" bella stopped you before you could go back inside.

"I'm y/n"

"nice to meet you, y/n."

--

Barely 10 minutes had passed and the shock had yet to wear off. The cafe has become busier so to your dismay you didn't see bella since you took their order, Emma had brought out their soup.

You went from table to table scribbling down orders and bringing them to the kitchen. Thankfully you had a decent amount of energy in you despite only running on one hour of sleep.

Exiting the kitchen you began cleaning the bar. Oddly you found this to be sort of nice. There was only one or two people seated on the stools as many only came for the alcohol which wouldn't commonly be ordered in the afternoon. One man in particular recalled a childhood story loudly to the younger man beside him.

"sorry, a customer wanted to give this to you. I asked for their name, they said you would know who it would be from. " Melanie, another waitress tapped you on the arm. You looked down at their outstretched hand, a small folded piece of paper.

You frowned but thanked Melanie for bringing it to you as you took the note from her.

You were quick to open it.

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

Something came up, but I really would like to get to know you more.

000-000-000

-bella

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

Part one⬇️

Part three⬇️

[pinkanonwrites]

Coffee Break

I wasn’t joking about getting really into Hi-Fi Rush, especially Chai. <3 I haven’t found any Chai/Reader fics yet, so I wanna thank y’all for joining me as I wander into this brave new frontier! And as I said in my friend’s Hi-Fi Rush stream, “the world gave me two silly failboys with a robot arm at once and im gonna dual wield them like samurai swords”

1,800+ Words

GN! Reader, Barista Reader, puns, pining Chai (I totally see him as the type to be so pathetic with a crush, but as soon as he knows you like him back he goes back to full cockiness)

"Alright, mission report. Just picking up a coffee, no big deal. Order something simple, yet masculine. Something that screams 'confidence.' Make some small talk, throw in a wink, end with something open to meeting again, nothing too final. 'See you next time?' No, no, way too forward. 'Catch ya later?' Ooh, now we're talking. Just the right mix of laid-back and friendly. You got this, big man. You totally got this!"

"Chai, what the hell are you doing?"

If Chai let out a very uncool yelp at Peppermint getting the jump on him like that, at least she had the decency to do it before he was within earshot of you. He wheeled around, stumbling into her and shoving her back around the building corner he was peeking around as he watched you work.

"Peppermint! Heyyy… What are, uh, what are you doin' here?"

She cocked a single, dark eyebrow in his direction. "Uhh, getting a coffee? That's what the cafe is for, isn't it?"

"Pshh, yeah, totally. Totally… Coffee."

Truth be told Chai wasn't even that big of a coffee fan. If you slapped a hot coffee and a tall can of a chilled energy drink on the table in front of him he'd definitely choose the sugary-sweet brainrush over the bitter bean water. But he wasn't lurking awkwardly around the courtyard outside the Vandelay campus cafe for coffee. He was doing it for you.

Roxanne Vandelay had always enjoyed the comfort and connections of human staff, something Kale was quick to phase out in his hostile takeover. When she stepped back into the director’s seat one of her first orders involved repopulating the island with human and robot staff alike, making sure even the smallest and most insignificant stations on Vandelay Island had everyone and everything they needed to run smoothly. Apparently, the on-campus cafe was included among those stations. Once the program that nuked the coffee machines to only run decaf was cracked the cafe once again became a hotspot for curious droids and exhausted techies chasing their much-needed fix. Chai, on the other hand, really had no need to stop by other than for an occasional morning donut. Which is when he first saw you.

He was just leaving the cafe when you all but ran into him, hair a mess and an apron slung over your arm. When he nearly fumbled his donut you reached out and snatched the tissue-wrapped treat from its inevitable demise, shoving it back into his hand.

“Ah! I’m so sorry! Please have a good day!” You gave him a smile and a slight bow before dipping under his arm and into the breezeway, leaving him reeling in your wake. He felt… electrified. His fingertips where they brushed yours and the shoulder that you bumped as you scooted past tingled like he’d just touched a live wire, just struck a perfect chord. He couldn’t even string a sentence together before you were out of earshot, and you left him stumbling blearily back to Peppermint’s new office with what was certainly a wonderstruck grin upon his face.

That was the first and only time Chai ever ran into you. Every time he tried to approach the cafe from that point on he locked up like he was at his middle school talent show, sweaty, hands trembling. It drove him crazy; he could batter giant murder robots with nothing but a piecemeal guitar and a rhythm in his chest, but he couldn’t even bring himself to talk to one barista?

But today was the day. Or, it would have been the day, if Peppermint hadn’t thrown him off of his rhythm like that.

“Then why are you hanging around the corner like a freak?” She countered.

“No reason! Just… enjoying the weather! You know how it is; I’m a free spirit, Peppermint! Gotta go where the wind takes me.”

“Riiiiight. Well, not all of us can be free spirits, Chai. Some of us need to get back to work. So if you’d excuse me…”

“Waitwaitwaitwaitwait hold on a moment! Not yet!” Chai scrambled to grab Peppermint but she was already stepping around the corner, only to get the perfect view of you as you played rock-paper-scissors with the other droid behind the counter, (probably to figure out who got to go on break first.) She looked at you, then back at Chai, then back at you, then Chai again, her confused expression twisting into a mirthful smirk with each back and forth glance.

“Ohh, so that’s how it is. I get it. Never really took you for the ‘secret admirer’ type, Chai.” She gave him the smuggest grin, one extremely reminiscent of the one he gave her when he first learned about Peppermint’s little thing for Korsica.

“This isn’t how anything is, so don’t try getting all smug with me!” He waggled an accusatory finger at her from behind the corner, pink starting to creep across his cheeks. “And it’s not a ‘secret admirer thing.’ I’m just, y’know, picking my moment! Biding my time. Like a tiger.”

“Do you want to eat them or date them?...Actually, don’t answer that. I don’t wanna gag.”

“I wasn’t even gonna say anything!”

“You didn’t have to, I could see it on your face. Now c’mon, rockstar.” With a determined expression and a fistful of Chai’s signature scarf, Peppermint began hauling him towards the doors of the cafe. “It’s your lucky day, you got your own personal wingwoman to keep you from making a fool of yourself.”

“Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute! C’mon, you don’t-Peppermint!”

Before he could even protest, much less fight back, she had already dragged him around the corner and through the glass doorway and to the counter of the cafe. Only then did she relinquish his scarf, whispering over her shoulder just loud enough for only Chai to hear.

“By the way, if you run away now I’m never gonna let you live it down.”

Shit.

You hadn’t been looking at the door when Peppermint dragged him in by the scruff, thank god, but you were certainly looking now. As you glanced up to the counter and caught her gaze your bored expression morphed into a friendly, familiar smile. “Hey Peppermint! Same as usual?”

“You got it. And something for wonderboy back here, on me.” She snuck a hand behind Chai and shoved him towards the counter, nearly making him fall flat on his face. As soon as your eyes met his Chai could feel his brain fire into panic mode, opening his mouth but no sound able to come out. He snapped it shut again, hoping he wasn’t as visibly red as he felt.

You blinked once, twice, before your eyes widened and flooded with recognition. “Oh my god, donut boy!”

“Uhh… what?” Peppermint asked. Only then did you seem to realize you’d actually said that aloud, hands flying to clap over your mouth as your expression twisted in horror.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry. That’s just what I call you. I mean, to my coworkers.” You rambled between your fingers, no longer able to meet Chai’s gaze in your embarrassment. “I almost ran you over that one time and I haven’t seen you here since, so I was really worried I freaked you out or something. I’m really sorry! I was in a hurry, and I didn’t even really apologize or anything, I just... What do you want to drink? It’s on me. Really.”

Chai swallowed hard, opened his mouth, and spit out the first four words that came to mind.

“What do you like?”

You looked relieved, anxiety practically melting from your stance as you smiled at him in a way that made him feel like his legs were made of jelly. “I’ve got a few favorites! What’s your name? I’ll call when it’s done.”

“It’s-It’s, uh… Chai. It’s Chai.”

“Alright! Gimme just a few minutes, okay, I’ll get everything ready for you.”

“Cool.”

As he and Peppermint stepped off to the side of the counter, she leaned over and murmured to him.

“Coulda been worse. And your voice didn’t crack or anything. Good job rockstar.”

“I think my heart is gonna explode.” He hissed back.

“This is scarier than almost getting mauled to death by a robot werewolf?”

“Way scarier.”

Peppermint hummed, a small smile on her face. “They remembered you, though.”

You remembered him. Not only did you remember him, you wanted him to come back so you could apologize, then felt bad when you couldn’t.

“God, get that look off your face. I can practically hear the wedding bells in your head.” Peppermint elbowed him hard in the upper side, blowing away his fantasies of brushing fingertips and cupping warm drinks like dust onto the wind.

“Killjoy. I thought you were supposed to be helping me?”

“I did, and look how easy it was! You owe me big time.”

“For shoving me into a counter?”

“Drinks for Peppermint and Chai!” You interrupted their bickering with a wave and a smile, beckoning them over to the counter. “Tall Café Americano for Peppermint, and for Chai…” You pressed a tall, frothy drink dusted with cinnamon into his hand with a shy grin. “Chai Spiced Latte. Hope you like it.”

Chai couldn’t decide if he wanted to climb over the counter and propose to you there, or just keel over and instantly perish on the cafe’s stained carpet, so instead he nodded and gave you a strained “Thanks!”

“Oh! I threw in something extra too, on the house. You like donuts, so I hope you’ve got a sweet tooth.” Into his other hand you placed a little brown paper bag, the kind used for to-go treats like scones and muffins.

“Oh yeah he does. We’ll see you around, alright?” Peppermint gave you a nod and jerked a free thumb in Chai’s direction. “I’ll drag this one along next time too.”

“Looking forward to it.” You smiled, leaning over the counter to rest your chin on your hands. Peppermint almost groaned, but was able to keep the vaguely disgusted noise inside. Great, now she had two pining idiots to look after. Birds of a feather, she supposed. “I’ll see you guys around, then.”

“Yeah…” Chai drawled in a dreamy tone. “I mean, yeah! Catch ya later… alligator…?” Both he and Peppermint visibly winced but you just giggled, and if Chai could get the sound of it tattooed into his eardrums he absolutely would.

“In a while… Crocodile.~”

“...You two are disgusting.” Peppermint groaned as soon as the cafe door swung shut behind her. “Aren’t you glad you had me around to get your ass moving?... Chai? Hellooooo? Earth to Chai?”

But Chai was far beyond the call of Earth. Inside the little bag you’d handed him was a single cake pop, frosted red and decorated with a little black music note. Scrawled across the napkin tucked around it was a name and a phone number, along with a little doodle of a kitty face tucked into the corner. No, Chai was most certainly in heaven.

“We’re gonna have a spring wedding.” He sighed. “Do you think they like rock music?”

Peppermint groaned, taking a long, slow swig of her coffee. “What have I gotten myself into…?”

[lianabrooks]

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A GARGOYLE Bonus Scene!

This is a bonus scene from the ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A GARGOYLE Collector's Edition.

I'm sharing it here for funsies.

You can buy the regular edition anywhere you buy books.

BUY THE BOOK

THE TABLE READ (Max's POV)

(set 18 months prior to Chapter 1)

Two degrees Celsius was, technically, above freezing, but not enough to convince me that leaving my cozy warm bed for an oh-eight hundred table read was sensible. I managed to shuffle from my suite to the hotel conference room without running into anyone. Unfortunately, that’s where my luck ended.

The largest conference room at the resort was packed with the cast of Shattered was going over the first of the season four scripts. Swirling around them like fireflies around a mulberry were the various support teams; wardrobe minions handing out goodie bags with measuring tape and reminders, personal assistants taking behind-the-scenes photos for social media between hair touch-ups, and the hotel catering staff working desperately to make sure every surly son of a bi-

“Taeyong-a!”

“Max,” I said automatically in a perfect American accent that had cost me more money than I wanted to admit. Foreign-born Korean, fluent in English, French, Korean, and Japanese. That’s what they would remember. Lots of education and dark, dangerous looks.

Although not today, because I wasn’t changing out of my warm, black sweatpants and hoodie for anything short of an actual red carpet today.

Kim Jihun bounced beside me looking more like an over-eager puppy than the lead visual of a Kpop group and Shattered’s resident hero. Everything from his ink-black hair to his shining eyes screamed Idol. “Max,” he said, a perfect mimic, “how are you?”

“Awake before noon.”  I  gratefully took a mug of something warm from a passing assistant. “It’s cold. I’m out of my blankets. I’m dealing with people.” I swept the room with my signature disgruntled scowl, daring anyone to meet my eye, and clashed.

Burning bright brown eyes met mine as a stranger walked into the room. Her brown hair bounced off the collar of her olive trench coat as a wide, wool plaid skirt swirled around her ankles, and her chin lifted in defiance above the lovely bow of her cream blouse that I had an urge to untie. There was a fight in her eyes, and I was invited.

Suddenly the morning was looking very good indeed.

I let my gaze slide in lazy caresses down the length of her, wondering just how hard I’d have to work to get that bow undone. I ran my tongue along my lips, tasting the morning coffee that would never satisfy my growing hunger. Working my way back up long legs to that proud chin and high cheekbones I met her angry eyes.

One eyebrow arched up in perfect dismissal.

I smiled.

The woman’s lip curled in an unheard, “Ugh.”

“Yummy. Breakfast.”

“Where?” Jihun looked around in confusion. “Is it donuts?”

“No.”

The woman looked around, wide-eyed and furious, as the rest of the cast slowly worked their way to their spots at the table. After a moment that seemed less like hesitation and more like resignation, she took a spot by the name Iris Muhly.

“Oh!” Jihun perked up. “My new secondary love interest. She’s cute.”

“She’s delightful.”  I  sipped my coffee and reached down to swap cards with Hakan Gazi, their resident Turkish actor and show veteran.

“What are you doing?” Hakan muttered.

“Trading you views.”  I sat down directly across from Iris, staring blatantly.

She met my gaze and held. Unafraid. Unapologetic. Untamable.

I smiled.

She rolled her eyes.

“I don’t think she likes you,” Jihun whispered.

“That’s fine.” I was the villain. I was supposed to be memorable, not lovable. “She’ll come to the dark side eventually.”

[fleurcareil]

Second month recap: July

Driving away from Sleeping Giant on 1st August means I've already completed two full months in the road!! Wow!! 🤩 And most amazingly, I still feel fantastic and am not ready yet to start going home by a long shot... 😁 in fact, I'm starting to get a bit concerned about everything that I still want to do in the remaining time, but I'm sure I'll figure it out!

I forgot to check the odometer but it was probably at around 67500 so that means I drove another 6,000 kilometers in the second month and slightly under 13,000 km in total. I still stick mostly with camping two nights in a row in a park (where I drive the absolute minimum), followed by a series of motels/inns/hotels when I drive larger distances, typically 3-4 hours a day interspersed with several breaks at viewpoints, small hikes, towns etc to get a feel of the area. I generally aim to arrive at my sleeping place by 6-7pm latest so that I have enough time to settle in before it gets dark (long summer hours help!) but once in a while I get there earlier around 3-4pm to get a lazy afternoon. And sometimes I only start at 10-11am taking it easy in the morning, especially when it's crappy weather 😅. The joy of absolute freedom to choose how I spend my days!! 🥰❤

I can hardly believe where I was at the end of the first month as that feels such a long time ago... in Matane in the Gaspesie, Québec. So last month, I did the entire Labrador loop which included a large section of unpaved road and more boreal trees than I ever imagined 😝. Got delayed on the cargo boat back to Québec so that resulted in some last minute changes to hotels and tours, then the ever-impressive sea along the Cote Nord all the way west to Québec City, several pretty national parks in central Quebec that were unfortunately impacted by flooding, a stay-over in Montreal and then along the Ottawa Valley via North Bay - Sudbury - Sault Ste Marie to the spectacular scenery of Lake Superior! 🎉 The diversity in the natural environment from maritime to boreal, from sea cliffs to inland canyons & massive lakes is so incredibly huge, and I'm only half way, as the Prairies and the Rockies are still ahead of me! 😍😍

What is constant though throughout is the friendliness of the people I meet, whether it's the staff at the visitor centres and in the parks, other campers or restaurant guests, or even if it's only a short "great day isn't it?" when you're passing each other on the trail or on the water. Canadians are rightly proud of their local area as well as their country, and are truly wanting to share that with others.

I've also come to realize I'm not alone in wanting to pursue my dreams as many have done so before me; from the scallops farmer in Québec to the inn owner in Ontario, several have shared with me their life trajectory often having moved away from the busy corporate/urban life to focus on what's important to them. No one has perhaps dared to tell me I'm crazy 😜 and it's surprising how many people can in some way relate to Chile 😅 so that makes me hopeful for the future!

Lastly, I wanted to share my reflection on the role that cross-country retailers like Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons and to some extent grocery stores and gas stations play in comforting travelers like me and unifying Canada as truly one country... as part of my job, I've ofcourse always known that CT has 507 stores across Canada but I've never felt what that means until now. When driving for 100-300kms in the middle of inhospitable forest without cell reception and literally only a handful of sideroads and buildings, it's comforting to know that at the end of it there will always be a place to e.g. buy a cup of tea & a donut or propane & kindling 😅. Typically, both CT and Tim Hortons will have signs 5-10km upon approach of a town (though mostly run down and overgrown 😉) and there's a real sense of relief & joy that I've been feeling seeing those signs; a combo of gladness that my car didn't break down or was hit by a moose/bear, and of happiness to be back in the familiar human realm (something like that, not sure how to explain). Secondly, it's also unifying to see the same brands in so many different places, as that creates a bond between all Canadians (in contrast, if you would drive equal distance in Europe you would likely have crossed a border with each country having its own brands/language etc). Having the same stores with the same products everywhere you go in Canada creates a commonality that clearly says: I am in Canada 🇨🇦 (actually, because CT stores are built on a standard proto design, I bought firestarters in exactly the same aisle in Pembroke as in Dryden 🤣)... I don't think this comforting & unifying aspect is apparent when you live in an urban area or only travel locally, but this roadtrip has increased my appreciation of both these Canadian brands (and I'm really not a big Tim Hortons fan although the branch in Marathon was phenomenal) .

I've rambled long enough now and need to light the fire 😃, so here's my top ten-ish of best experiences for the second month in chronological order. Scroll to my previous blogs for pictures!

1. Driving the Labrador loop including the expansive boreal forest and the Manic-5 hydro dam, QC/NL

2. Staying at Battle Harbour Island, NL

3. Seeing icebergs on the trails at Red Bay and L'Anse au Clair, NL

4 Taking the cargo boat from Blanc-Sablon to Kegashka, QC

5. Touring the Mingan archipelago (both west and east islands), QC

6. Whale watching at Cap de Bon-Désir & the Marine Discovery Centre, QC

7. Hiking the Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes at Grands-Jardins, QC

8. Meeting Nabil and spending the day in Vieux-Montreal, QC

9. SUPping at Barron Canyon & Restoule, ON

10. Hiking the pictographs trail at Lake Superior & the coastal trail at Pukaskwa parks, ON

11. Paddling on Lake Superior, ON

12. Guided PoW camp hike at Neys provincial park, ON

There's a few that I omitted such as the Manitou waterfall in eastern Québec, park La Mauricie and the Ouimet Canyon that are must-do's if you're in the area but I can't simply name everything that I did! 😉

I'll need to create better Gmaps next time I have internet on my laptop!

2nd month travel;

Total travel since 1st June;

[thenightlymirror]

I went into work today, and right after the morning meeting, my boss says, okay you’re driving one of the vans over to this cemetery in the city. He takes his truck. I get there. Stand at the desk where a red haired Russian woman is on the phone for a minute. There is also an older white man in shorts and a Cubs t-shirt sitting on the couch in the lobby. When she is finally off the phone, I hand her the keys to the van. She is very confused, so I have to explain the details to her a few times.

Jim comes in and immediately begins talking to the man on the couch. He was a former district manager who now spends his time in retirement between here and his second home in the Philippines. (Who can say?) The cemetery manager comes out and I tell him I’m Jim’s chauffeur today. Jim tells him “He’s going to be sitting around for a while.”

They go to the back to talk.

I can hear Marcy’s deep T-voice back in the office somewhere. They pop out. “I was hoping to see you today.”

They walk right past me. “You didn’t.”

I step outside and see them shoot down the path on their one-speed. I stare at granite for a while. Take photos of lichens on the old civil war monuments. It takes a few minutes to shake off the embarrassment of not really being as cool as Marcy, and being so nakedly corny and over-eager to talk to them. I should probably be a meaner person.

I walk in again. Use the bathroom. Find some coffee. I see that there is an arrangement room prepared for a rather large meeting. I decide those donuts are probably not for me then. I sit on the chair outside, and make small talk with the staff who pop out to see me. I don’t know anyone. I recognize the office manager. She’s smiles and banter for a bit, and other people see that I’m popular so make little jokes back and forth as well. As this is happening, a trail of big wigs start filing in.

All the sales managers of the east coast are in town to visit for this meeting. Dear god.

Marcy is attempting to cross the lobby and halts awkwardly trying to laser through their meat with their eyes. I encourage them to use violence. We talk for a bit in the middle of this vortex about lichen farming, and agree that steeled granite would be the best medium. They have a theory on tributaries engraved in the naked granite to facilitate growth. I’ve been mostly curious about fertilizers, and believe supersaturating the steeled granite in piss might actually be the secret ingredient. Our conversation is interrupted by the cattle exiting the arrangement room with their engraved cemetery shot glasses with Malort mini bottles.

Jim’s truck is gigantic and the inside looks like the future. He takes me on a tour of the cemetery. I’ve totally forgotten until this moment that he is also the manager here. When the hell does that happen?

I make small talk about lichens.

We stop at a hot dog barn and I chat up the boy at the counter. He’s quiet and I’m asking his opinions on the existence of extraterrestrials to amuse myself. Jim tells him, “You know you don’t have to speak to this guy.”

“He’s not your boss,” I tell the kid.

When we get outside, Jim says “I thought you were about to ask him his sign.” I wasn’t thinking about it, but I was technically just flirting with a guy in front of my boss. This was a strange job where I was basically hired on the collective understanding that I was an unrepentant gay man. Tempered by Jim also having to witness me fall in love with several of my female coworkers.

I only wrote to mention this moment.

Later, the new receptionist stopped by to chat as I listened to REM at my desk, and I told Margie to tell her some Studio 54 stories since New York was mentioned. Marla asked about all the writing on the wall behind Margie’s desk.

We have a height wall. Marked in pencil. Everyone’s names. Micheal Jordan hovering over the top of everyone’s heads. She wants to go up there, but Carl insists she has to wait 90 days. Jim is amused, and thinks she should go up now.

“UP AGAINST THE WALL!” I shout, and pencil her in. The sales manager also gets marked. Move the chair. UP AGAINST THE WALL! That’s our boy. That’s our boy. I’ll do this fair. He’s worked here for 20 years and never been marked. He seems like a man who was recently visited by Christmas Past.

[kariachi]

Quick OC daemon au because I needed words. Bit from a typical Monday morning at Monette's.

~~

First thing Monday morning and the side table in the breakfast nook is loaded down with simple breakfast staples. Hardboiled eggs, small stacks of donuts, muffins, bagels. A tub of cream cheese with some smoked salmon. Toast, butter, cinnamon sugar, and jam. The coffee machine is up and running, water and juice sat beside a bowl of various fruits. Everything purchased the day before, a final errand before the week began to make sure everything went off to an easy start.

As Monette made sure the table was properly set- plenty of space for Monika’s mug to sit within reach of Nereus’s coils without elbows knocking, a glass for Chloe but their Legend preferred to start the morning soaking in a dish of coffee, an extra cushion for Mitra since fae preferred to sit level with the tabletop- Cadyl thumbed through the relevant portions of the week’s schedule.

“Having dinner with Kyle and Zora tomorrow, so we won’t be here,” he said from his spot beneath the table, all the more convenient for her to round the thing, “today is normal, Wednesday is normal, we’ve got that big dinner on Friday-”

“We have to remember to check that Ama and Mitra have any help they’ll need arranged.”

“They’re normally on top of those things. We told Chloe and Legend we’d need them in Saturday to help Monika and Nereus clean up…”

“Texts are on the phone if you want to check, darling.” He darted out to take the phone from her purse once she was in the right position, quickly making certain. “Farrel and Godiva are taking this Thursday and Friday, right?”

“Right,” Cadyll answered as he got back to the planner, settling back in. “Jamie and Aquila never did get back to us about whether they’d be staying here Thursday or just wanted to meet for lunch.”

“Oh, they’ll show up at some point and be offended we didn’t read their minds,” Monette said, making a few final adjustments to the floral centerpiece. Farrel and Godiva just did fantastic work with the grounds and garden. “We’ll ask Ama and Mitra to bump up the servings Thursday and to make sure if they show up for lunch or flake entirely it’ll be something we can take in for lunch Friday, or that they can have for their own dinner if they prefer.”

“Hopefully they prefer,” Cadyl grumbled, slipping out from under the table in unison with his other half heading for the door. “Hate having the same meal two days in a row.” Monette just chuckled, grinning wide as they went to wait for everyone to arrive for the week’s staff meeting.

“I’m sure we’d survive somehow.”

[that-fema-corps-blog]

Day 119

November 29, 2022

Our team’s last day at the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC), with slightly over 50 visitors. We brought in donuts for everyone who worked there as a thanks. Right before we left, the DRC managers gathered all the DRC staff, thanked our half of the team for staffing the sign-in area, and have us their best wishes. Then we ordered and picked up food for our teammates and headed back to the hotel.

We had a short early dinner team meet to discuss the plans for tomorrow. We are one of the only FEMA Corps teams that got extended in Puerto Rico, while a few other teams are flying out tomorrow. Some of our teammates will wake up at 4AM to drive everyone to the airport. A couple more people will drop off extra vehicles at a more reasonable time in the morning. I am free to sleep in.

Someone in FEMA Corps was celebrating a birthday, so three teams gathered to get ice cream from a place a few miles away. The store had a sticky note art wall:

After saying some goodbyes, it was time to call it a night.

[msmatx]

12.15.22–12.22.22 — Week Twelve

It’s sufganiyot season…finally! I cannot resist a jelly-filled donut, nor can my kids. Hero’s class had a family Hanukkah party after school on Wednesday night. Atlas walked him to school and stayed with him while I rushed from a class I could not miss. Sadly, I missed him singing with his class. Thank goodness Atlas filmed it for me to watch with Hero before bedtime later that night. Before we left his school they handed out donuts.

On Thursday I was so exhausted from the week that I let them take their one day off of school that day [instead of Friday]. They were thrilled to go to campus and have lunch before my class.

Friday I made them go to school because I couldn’t fathom having them home for 14 days straight [a combination of me giving them a day off, Shabbat, Marc visiting, and then Hanukkah break]. Hero and I wait patiently downstairs most mornings for Atlas to gather his backpack…to avoid any angry yell-y drama.

On Saturday we had a playdate with a 2nd grader, Yonatan. I met his father one day after drop off; turns out he is good friends with my favorite professor. A+H rode their bikes while I ran to meet them at the indoor trampoline park located at the TLV pier. After the kids jumped for an hour, we all walked a few blocks to the arcade. Then the boys had to ride their bikes home. It was a long day but so much fun.

Sunday night was the first night of Hanukkah! On our walk to dinner, it was wonderful to see all the lit menorahs in the apartment and store windows. It also happened to be the World Cup final so the kids watched the end of the game with the wait staff [of a completely empty restaurant] on a laptop. We could hear people cheering and screaming as the final score was made while we walked back to the apartment. Atlas tried beef tartar for dinner.

[narraboths]

10 for SC for the kisses prompt.

(I love your writing very much! Thank you for sharing!)

They do love their grand gestures. Dramatic saves, protective suits, rooms filled wall to wall with flowers, reasons why a Super and a Luthor becomes the synonym for power couple, instead of sworn enemies. They make history with them, after all.

But sometimes, it's the little things. The ones that just happen, no forethought, no elaborate planning; things that come to them like second nature. 

(Kara reaching out to rub the tensing muscles in Lena’s back before a big speech, Lena absent-mindedly smoothing out the tired crinkling of Kara’s brows with her thumb when Kara’s perched on the couch next to her, stuck on a tricky paragraph in her article. Kara handing a cup of coffee to Lena the second she pads out into the kitchen in the mornings, morose and still half-asleep, Lena turning the heat off under the pancakes that Kara was going to burn in another second. Kara always holding out her hand for Lena’s when they walk, and Lena already reaching to take it.)

–

Their first kiss happens like that, too, just another beat of life. 

They’re in Lena’s office, another one of Kara’s just dropping by to say hi, and I bought some donuts too! visits, a ploy they both know is to make sure Lena takes a break and consumes something other than coffee during the day. Kara’s already saying goodbye – she really has to run, she’s expected back at CatCo, but they’re still holding onto each other, smiling, giddy with a sugar rush and the fake seriousness of Kara’s tone when she reminds Lena “it’s movie night, don’t be late” and the teasing in Lena’s voice when she replies “I wouldn’t dare”.

They don’t remember who initiates the kiss. It’s a small thing, feather-light, over in a second, something neither of them thinks about when they lean in to say goodbye. The moment doesn’t even register, at first, because it feels so natural, so right – it takes a frozen second of incredulous looks and did-that-really-happen for it to sink in. (Their second ever kiss, a stumbling, giggly, breathless affair that sweeps the table and ends on the couch, happens a minute later).

–

Their first public kiss is much the same. 

It’s CatCo, this time, not L-Corp, Lena striding through the bullpen for a meeting with Andrea, but she stops by Kara’s desk on the way. Kara raises her head at the sound of Lena’s approach, then rises a little from her seat, beaming like she always does, a regular sight for the CatCo staff. But Lena only halts for a second now, cupping Kara’s cheek as she murmurs hello, darling and bends down for a quick peck. Then she’s already marching on towards Andrea’s office, not even breaking her stride, and Kara’s already back in her chair, a dreamy look on her face, maybe, but hard at work again, ignorant of the shocked murmurs around her. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment.

The half of the bullpen who most certainly did not miss it has a terrible time trying to convince the others that dude, I’m not making it up, Lena freaking Luthor KISSED KARA really did happen on their average Tuesday afternoon.

[from-a-reckless-writer]

RE: the tags about being tempted to post a half finished fic and guess the ending, well you are a reckless writer for a reason

this is long overdue, so here have a fic.

It has come to the point that nothing fazes her anymore.

A kidnapping? Been there, done that. It means calling Sam Arias to intimidate the board of members into temporary submission.

An explosion at the office? Just a typical Tuesday. It means relocating to the 23rd floor and sharing the desk with two other interns for 2 months tops.

An assassination attempt? It means bracing herself for at least 3 deliveries of donuts and coffee for the two following weeks that Kara Danvers would be protectively hovering over L-Corp, until her boss snaps and shoos her away back to CatCo.

She’s seen it all, endured it all and she sure as hell is prepared for it all. She’s got three different ironclad statements ready to publish for whatever PR disaster will most likely turn up that week. She’s got contacts from the FBI, DEO, CatCo, Daily Planet, Gotham Gazette-- hell she even has Lillian’s personal cell (just in case the Luthor matriarch ever tries anything y’know? ) and yes, even the number of that 'Mexican place at 5th and Spring, you know the one Kara likes, Jess?'

She’s got two pairs of heels, a raincoat and four sets of outfits neatly folded in a duffel bag, at the back of the office, reserved for any emergency that requires a change of clothes.

The point is, she is an independent Asian-American woman who has worked her ass off for the better part of the decade and has long learned to take no shit from anybody.

Not even stupid superpowered Kryptonians.

See, it takes a lot to be her. It takes unlimited patience to put up with a woman like Lena Luthor, not because she’s a terrible person. Oh no, no, the complete opposite, actually. She is so overwhelmingly kind to a fault, and she doesn’t want nor let anybody see it. It’s infuriating to see sometimes. Okay, fine, she sides with the Krytonian on that one matter. But oh, ho, ho, not today. Today, she’s mad.

She’s livid, actually and it’s all Supergirl’s fault. (and Lena Luthor's too.)

Jess has had her fair share of ‘I-Should-Not-Have-Been-Here’ moments, like that one time she forgot to knock and stumbled unto Lex mid-yell with Lena whose eyes were shimmering but was still keeping a rigid posture.

Or that one time when she thought her boss had long left the office, only to be greeted with quiet sobs and an empty bottle of scotch rolling on the floor. Or that time she happened upon Lena, skirt and sleeves on fire with fumes rising from a green solution.

Apparently, her staff from the lab refused to let her in after three days of their CEO holding herself in isolation with the experiment. Lena had gotten the great idea of smuggling the chemicals to her office instead. Luthors are nothing but determined. Jess still remembers the adrenaline rush of holding a fire extinguisher—as if she were the chosen 5th grader for a school fire drill—and shoving her boss out of the way.

Like she said, nothing fazes her anymore she’s seen it all, except maybe, this one. Yep, definitely this one. This one just made a hot ball of fury unfurl at her very core. This one might just take the cake.

Jess was just going about her day, returned from a hearty lunch and feeling reinvigorated from that dose of sunlight and fresh air. It was a quiet day today, she noticed, which should’ve been a foretelling.

Nothing really is ever quiet. Well, when it comes to L-Corp, at least.

She’s been sitting on her desk for about a good fifteen minutes and finished with screening a few papers from their new contractors, when it occurs to her that the latest blueprints from R&D are still on her desk instead of already being reviewed by her boss.

She grabs the drawing tube and quickly makes for her boss’s private office. They’ve spent enough time with each other that Jess could just come and go as she pleases, instead of having to knock each time. Saves both of their time, that way.

Although, usually, she buzzes through the intercom first to double check, but it was 1:20 P.M and she knows Lena doesn’t have anything scheduled after lunch. So, she pushes the door, confidently strolls in and promptly stops in her tracks.

Jess stops breathing for a moment, blinks once, twice, stares at the scene before her.

Lena Luthor sat atop her work desk; blouse open, eyes closed, cheeks flushed, neck currently being ravaged by Supergirl with legs wrapped around the waist.

She probably should’ve just turned and left while they haven’t seen her yet. That would’ve been the smart decision, right? Yes. Yes, it was so very clearly The Right Decision.

Of course, she doubts she could look Lena in the eye for the next few weeks after that, but at least she wouldn’t know that Jess walked in on them during an er- make-out session? Office tryst? Oh God, she shudders internally. It sounds even worse.

Incident? Yep. Yeah. She’s sticking with incident. Indecent incident sounds more apt really.

She should’ve left. Would have left, if her eyes didn’t just land on the desk—well, more like Miss Luthor’s as- backside—and felt the stirrings of rage make itself known. Because there, underneath Lena’s ass (Backside!! Jess, that’s your boss!) is the squished—probably crumpled—pages of a contract.

A contract they’ve spent 5 months securing!!

Jess decides to do what everyone else would have done in a situation such as this; she clears her throat. Loudly.

Classic move.

Supergirl’s head immediately shoots up and Lena’s eyes snap open.

“Jess!” Supergirl squeaks and she sees the exact moment the realization hits Lena. Her eyes widening at her girlfriend’s exclamation, whips her head to the side, spots Jess, hands scrambling to a panic to close all the buttons of her blouse.

She hears Lena hiss, “Fuck, shit. Oh my God. Shit. How did she even- You have superhearing!!!” as she pushes Supergirl—who lets herself be pushed, stunned by the intrusion, face redder than a tomato.

Lena gets off the desk, fixes herself all the while to futile results. Her hair is tugged down from her usual ponytail, her neck and chest is marked, her lips swollen.

Supergirl's hands twitch at the sides and Jess sees her gulp as blue eyes frantically dart to Lena and her, and then Lena, and then back to her.

Lena finally turns around after those few awkward beats.

"Jess," she begins, clearly trying hard to put on her business bitch persona, but come on, there's a hickey under her jaw for fuck's sake.

"It's not what you-"

Jess doesn’t let her finish, she stomps her way across the office and forcefully puts the drawing tube on the desk. It makes a hollow thump.

“Jess I-”

“Supergirl, do you know how long it takes to finalize a business proposal, pitch it to the board, persuade the board and finally have a contract drawn?”

Supergirl gulps again. Lena’s eyes are wild next to her, she doesn’t like not knowing what the next best move is, Jess knows this all too well.

“Uhhh- no?”

Jesus Christ, you’d think after years of shadowing Cat Grant, she'd had at least learned a thing or two. Then again, if somebody is full on glaring at her after getting caught red-handed, Jess doubts she could answer coherently too.

“That’s right,” Jess says, “You don’t.”

“Jess,” Lena repeats pointedly. She knows that tone. It’s a warning.

“Ms. Luthor.”

A period not a question mark. It’s a challenge.

"I've spent all my evenings working late on that, do you know how many dates I've had to cancel? Just so I can secure a meeting with Qatar and simultaneously sync it with Beijing's time? My boyfriend hasn't seen me in two weeks!” Jess bursts out.

“Two weeks, Supergirl!” She gets close enough to jab a finger to the Girl of Steel’s chest. A feat she will gladly tell all her coworkers later when she’s calmed down enough.

“Not to mention, the 10 other people who worked their ass off trying to make sure that Miss Luthor's presentation is airtight, bulletproof and waterproof!” Lena has the decency to look a little guilty at this point, nothing big though, just a slight tug at her lips, but it was enough for Jess.

“IT TOOK ME 3 FUCKING MINUTES TO PRINT THAT GODDAMN CONTRACT WHICH MIGHT NOT SOUND LONG—” Jess raises a finger in emphasis, “BUT BELIEVE ME WORKING IN L-CORP? A 3 MINUTE DIFFERENCE CAN MEAN AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT OR PSYCHOPATH PRESS!”

Supegirl of all people should already know this! For fuck’s sake!

Jess’s chest is heaving. She takes a deep breath, kneads her knuckles to her eyelids, “So, please if you're gonna have sex in the office, please, pleaseeeee clear the desk first. And at least, lock the door.”

She stares them both down, till Lena gives her a solemn nod; cheeks and ears still red. Supergirl squeaks out an, “U-understood, Ma’am.”

“Good. Glad we’ve come to an agreement.” Jess gives them one final nod before finally fulfilling what she came in here to do, “Miss Luthor,” She turns to Lena, “here are the R&D blueprints. Good day, to you Supergirl. I'll be going now. "

When she finally goes home, tells her boyfriend, and wonders aloud if she’ll still have a job the next morning, he tells her she’s such a badass.

And well, Jess can’t disagree with that.

*****

"Did I just- Did I just get yelled at by your secretary?? D-did she just chew us out?"

"She did, and she deserves a raise."

[svchengss]

hey barista! | l.dh

summary | befriending the barista from your local cafe doesn’t seem too bad

pairing | lee donghyuck x fem!reader ft. jaemin who’s a rlly cute side character in this :(

genre | fluff, angst, slight humour (?)

warnings | a kiss?? i don’t think there’s any but if i missed anything do lmk !!

word count | 3k+

s. tg | @hyuckefi [my apologies since i didn’t release a proper teaser for this 🙏🏻]

author’s note | this is my first fic exceeding 1k words so if u enjoyed reading this, please leave some feedbacks !! rb’s are also appreciated :D ALSO I SUCK AT SUMMARIES LMAO PLS IGNORE THAT

just another day of working at palm coffee, the same old routine. cleaning the countertop and tables before opening up the cafe, prepping the ingredients - more for top favourites! - and examining the machines to make sure they’re working properly. that’s some of hyuck’s daily routines as a barista. he didn’t mind them though, he loved his job. he couldn’t specify the reason why but all these tasks are genuinely interesting to him.

seeing you drop by the cafe is a normal occurrence for him. since you are a regular customer after all, the rest of the staff already know you well. heck, they’re even good friends with you. jaemin hangs out with you more than he does despite being jaemin’s childhood friend. except for him, he doesn’t really know why. he’s not really shy, considering the fact that he’s a social butterfly. he just couldn’t bring himself to say anything to you, the only times he did so was to take your orders when the rest of the workers were busy in the store.

upon hearing the doorbell chime which signals a new customer entering the cafe, hyuck blurted out the usual line. “hello, welcome to palm coffee! how can i help-“, looking up from the cash register only to find you in a disheveled state. “-you?” he eyes you up and down, noting how a few strands of your hair were out of place, the nude lipstick smeared on the left corner of your mouth and your outfit looks really rushed. 

“sorry, what was your name again, hyuck right?” you quickly glanced at the nametag hanging nicely on his apron. “i’m in a rush right now, can i get a,” you scanned over the menu behind him, “uh, white coffee, please?”. 

“that will be six dollars. you can use the restroom in the meantime to, you know, touch up your makeup and stuff,” he takes the bills from your hand, putting them in the machine in front of him before flashing you with that warm smile of his. you wished him a quick thanks before disappearing into the back of the place.

now that was embarrassing.

your eyes scanned over the hall to find your friend before hearing her shout your name from across. damn, why does she have to be so loud? stares were directed towards you as you walked up the stairs to your designated seat. all the chatter going on in the lecture hall became quiet as soon as your professor placed her things on the desk, which means class has started. 

after hearing a two-hour lecture and writing some notes - where suddenly song lyrics and scribbles appear - the words you’ve been waiting to hear finally echoed through the speakers. 

“class is dismissed, thank you everyone for listening,” mrs. hui’s voice later being flushed out by the buzzing voices of the students walking out the hall, determined to finish their own activities. you stuffed your ipad and papers into your light yellow jansport backpack before going out to meet vic who’s waiting for you outside. 

“i’m exhausted, what did she even teach just now?” vic sighed to her heart’s content. you can’t blame her, today’s topic was quite complicated. circuits analysis or something? you can’t really wrap your head around it, your brain being stuffed with all the information. vic kept on ranting  about the problems she faced from the moment she woke up, making you giggle at some comments she made. 

“wait for me, i’m almost done,” he folded his apron neatly before shoving it into the drawer and grabbing his bag from the counter to join jaemin, who’s waiting at the front door with the keycard. hyuck accepted jaemin’s request to help him with some shopping for his sister’s birthday party next week. obviously, the rest of the staff were also invited. 

jaemin divided the shopping list into two, allowing hyuck to find the rest of the things with ease.

“now where are the streamers…” he muttered out loud enough for himself to hear, crouching down to browse through the party decorations on the shelf. or he thought so, as you could hear him sighing clearly in dire need of the certain decoration, that you decided to help him out. 

“um, hyuck? i think the party streamers are in the aisle beside this one? you look a bit troubled there,” you chuckled lightly. the heat flushed to his cheeks, feeling dumbfounded. 

“really? uh, thank you for the help,” he gave you a small grin that could hardly be seen if you didn’t spot the corner of his lips. and with that, he’s long gone with his shopping basket.

you are fond of the atmosphere you’re in right now. the decorations left you in awe - white and pink silk hanging from the wall with silver letter balloons spelling out happy birthday stitched onto them. you can see jaemin’s sister, eun-ji, being carried out of her room with a small flowy white dress and wearing a golden bow on her head, her brunette hair being tied into ponytails. the na family really adore their youngest girl.

meanwhile, there are only a couple of adults your age attending the party -  jaemin’s co-workers, some of his other friends which you aren’t familiar with and hyuck. he looked rather chill, with an oversized beige sweater and white jeans to suit the party’s theme. you’re not quite bad as well, your hair combed nicely and kept neat with a headband, a white sundress with strawberry patterns on it fit nicely on your figure, complemented with a heart-locket necklace placed on your collarbones. before reaching jaemin’s house, you made sure to drop by a local store to get some gifts for eun-ji. she’s a very well-mannered kid which made you adore her very much.

“y/n? very glad to see you here,” hyuck said as he approached you, offering you a plate of cake which he cut.

“i could say the same to you too, mr. lee,” you let out a soft laugh. he made sure to keep a mental note over how pretty you looked today.

“y/n, hyuck! glad you two broke the ice, did you know how hurt i was seeing you two act like strangers whenever y/n came by the cafe?” jaemin enveloping you into a small hug before fake pouting. you can only laugh at the fake debate the two guys in front of you were having. after conversing with hyuck and jaemin for quite some time, you realised that he’s a cool person to talk to, where all this time, you thought he hated you for some reason. before leaving, you made sure to thank mrs. na for hosting the party and off you went home. 

following the previous encounters, hyuck felt much more comfortable around you - even hanging out with you during his shift where you would do your assignments at the cafe he’s working at. every now and then, he would also invite you to hang out with him and jaemin. however, what he didn’t realise was how he slowly pent up feelings - romantically. 

ding dong!

he pressed on the doorbell button with a box of doughnuts in his left hand. the three of you were supposed to be having a movie night, but jaemin got caught up with his groupwork which leaves the two of you alone. 

“hey hyuck! come in,” you gestured, arranging the cushions on your sofa to make it look more organized. the interior of your rented apartment is calming, the light grey walls suiting the navy blue sofa and furniture with darker undertones. the walls are also not left empty, with modern art portraits hanging from it. 

“i brought donuts, your favourite, right?” he opened the box, placing it on the coffee table while you set up the television. you wished him a quick thank you before grabbing two canned drinks from the refrigerator, handing one to him and pressing play on the remote control. you two weren’t quiet throughout the whole movie, with snarky comments on how hot the actors were or how stupid they were being were made. 

he didn’t know you were sleepy though as all of a sudden, he could feel the weight of your head on top of his shoulder. it was a rather awkward situation as he didn’t move at all so you could sleep comfortably. before long, he joined you and dozed off to wonderland. the next morning, you were more than embarrassed to find yourself cuddling up to him, with the next movie still playing on the screen.

seeing your figure outside the front door made hyuck more excited to greet you today. after making a quick order for a green tea latte, you fished out your purse from your handbag, feeling frantic if you’ve lost it outside. luckily, you were the only customer in line as the rest of them were already seated and carrying out their own businesses.

“sorry, but i think this might be yours,” you turned around to find a tall-looking guy handing out your black purse. a wave of relief washed over your soul, thanking the latter profusely.

“mind if i buy you a drink? i hate feeling like i owe someone,” you offered, which he gladly accepted. 

“i’d like a double espresso, please,” he kept his hands into his pockets. 

“and your name, sir?” hyuck looked mildly bothered.

“yukhei,” he ran his slightly blonde hair through the slender fingers. hyuck hated how cocky he looked, feeling more annoyed than ever over the scene that was played in front of him just now. he hated how yukhei looked at you. 

why should he get jealous? he’s just a mere friend to you, that’s all. you have to stop overreacting, hyuck. 

those words kept running through his mind all day.

“dude, are you okay? you looked-” jaemin opened the staff room, interrupting him from the self-talk he was having, “-distracted,” finishing up his sentence. 

“nope, i’m just fine,” he said, bringing the honey smile back onto his face. jaemin nodded before disappearing back to the front to serve the customers. 

stop being so jealous, hyuck. you’re just a friend. not more, not less. 

“jaemin, how do you know if you like someone?” that question is kind of shocking to him, especially if it’s coming from hyuck. of course, he’s had a crush before but it was during middle school. just a silly, little crush. growing up, he’s never had one - not even in high school.

“you’ve asked the right person,” jaemin managed to do his obnoxious voice, even while driving the car. he’s right, he is the matchmaker of the friend group, just how many relationships worked out because of him? eyes still focused on the road - he’s a responsible driver of course, he began to explain the feeling to hyuck, making his points loud and clear.

“first of all, you start feeling a little too happy whenever you’re around them. and no, this is not the oh-we’re-best-friends-forever type of happy, it’s the i’ll-make-you-the-happiest-person-on-earth one. not to forget, you will also experience some kind of turbulence in your heart, expect them to be jumping around a bit. or a lot, whichever suits you the best.

you also tend to feel nervous around that person. like, stuttering your words in obvious or non-obvious ways, feeling faster heartbeats than usual, you name it. oh! if you’ve ever felt jealous whenever they are around someone else, i mean, in affectionate ways, you might have one. however, my tip is for you not to act out of your mind. you don’t want to ruin whatever relationship you have currently, do you?” even when driving, he still managed to deliver his points with full precision and accuracy. 

nodding his head, hyuck took some mental notes to be thought through when he gets home. 

hyuck stared at you, whose figure is snoring soundly on his lap. he assumed you must be feeling exhausted, mid-terms just ended after all. while threading his fingers through your hair, he remembered what jaemin said to him weeks earlier.

1. being happy around them

like jaemin said, it is normal to be happy around your friends. but being with you, it kind of gave more joy for him. not to mention that he started to catch himself smiling over your texts and being reminded of you over small things - your favorite donut topping, the name of that one stray puppy you gave. 

2. feeling nervous around them

his heart would beat a lot faster whenever you get closer towards him, whether accidentally or to mess with him. 

3. getting jealous over someone else

he shouldn’t be jealous of how yukhei looked at you. but he seriously can’t help it. and the way he’s always there during your hangouts. he doesn’t care if he seems petty, yukhei just isn’t in his favour.

his deep thoughts came to a halt when you called out his name, eyes still half-closed, attempting to open them a bit more. 

“did i interrupt you or something? gosh, i’m so sorry,” you quickly stood up but he pulls your body back onto his lap, asking for you to stay.

“what are we?” that question caught you off-guard. the same one that has been at debate in the back of your mind these days. 

i don’t know hyuck, it’s complicated. 

“what do you think we are, hyuck?” you shot the question back at him, your gaze piercing through his soul.

“i don’t know. it’s just-” 

“are you sure?” a deep sigh left your lips. have you been interpreting his body languages wrong? did he only see you as a normal friend, nothing more? 

“sorry, i’m not feeling well. see you later hyuck, bye,” you tried your best to shoot the sweet smile of yours but only a faint one seemed to appear. once you stepped out of the room, he buried his face into his hands. 

god, what have i done?

“don’t feel too down, y/n. maybe there’s something more that he couldn’t bring himself to say?” vic suggested, handing you some tissue.

“i don’t know, i seriously have no idea. why can’t he just say it?” you continued to sob into her arms, she pitied you, especially in your condition right now. but she can’t do anything to help you, other than consoling and listening. 

jaemin knew something was wrong, from your rare visits to the cafe to hyuck not being himself lately. something was definitely wrong and it’s between the both of you. sure, hyuck might be saying that he’s fine again and again, but his expressions can’t lie. the sweet smile of his is long gone and his jokes are no longer heard. whatever it is, jaemin is determined to solve it. he just wants his best friends back. 

looks of dismay can be read all over hyuck’s face when the person facing him is no other than the guy himself, yukhei. still, he tried to control his composure, not making his inner feelings any more obvious.

“so what brings you here?” he took a sip of the mineral water, still making his throat rough from the tension hanging in the air. 

“look, i’m not here for any fights. i know you like y/n, everybody can see it. and honestly, you were oblivious to your own feelings,” he rubbed his hands together. the latter’s puzzled face made him continue his words.

“i’m not trying to make her like me, or whatever you’ve been assuming. sorry if i gave the wrong message but you are the one who should make a move. i can see from the way she looks at you, the feelings are mutual,” he straightened up the denim jacket outside the white shirt wrapping his figure. 

letting out a heavy sigh, hyuck’s face begins to soften up. “no, i should be the one who’s sorry. i’ve been such a prick to everyone around me lately, especially you,” he took of the cap from his head, messing up his hair. 

“no problem, bro. it’s understandable, i guess. now good luck with her, please treat her well,” the two guys exchanged a fist bump for the problem solved. jaemin leaned his back against the wall, smiling and feeling satisfied.

you called out jaemin’s name but to no avail. he invited you to his apartment but seeing that the lights are out, it’s clear enough that he hasn’t finished whatever he was doing yet. just as you were about to leave, you saw hyuck at the other side of it, both your faces mirroring the same look of confusion.

“so, uh, how have you been doing these days? it’s been a while since we talked,” he chose to break the silence. now, you two were sitting facing each other by the balcony. inhaling the breeze, you paused for a moment before responding to his question.

“i’ve been feeling, not as usual. definitely not happy but not that sad,” you pushed some of the loose hair strands hanging on your forehead behind your ears before asking about his.

“you know what, i’m just going to be direct with you. i, lee donghyuck have been holding feelings for you since i don’t know when. yeah sure, i wasn’t really sure at first about what i was going through. i guess i was just scared of how you would react,” he scratched his ears which are not feeling itchy at all, but rather an attempt to distract himself from the overwhelming emotions deep inside him. 

not wanting to waste time any longer, you placed your right hand onto his cheek, standing on the heels of your feet to bring your two lips together. the kiss was short before he pulls you back in for another, this time a more passionate one. he could feel you smile against his lips before enveloping your body into his arms.

“i’ve missed you, you know?” he whispered, his voice tender, directing right into your ears before you replied with how you missed him more. the both of you continued to whisper sweet nothings while embracing each other’s presence. 

jaemin looked at the both of you from a distance, his heart swelling with pride. 

— another pair of lovers matched, cupid jaemin signing out.

[beyondspaceandstars]

Coffee & Meetings

Relationship: Dark!Bucky Barnes x Innocent!Reader Warnings: stalking, drugging TW, manipulation, Summary: Prequel to Pastries & Memories - Bucky sees you day after day at a bakery and decides you’re just perfect for him. All from Bucky’s POV. A/N: someone suggested this on ao3 and i really liked that idea so I hope i did it well! I am thinking about expanding this to a bit of a mini-series... :)

Masterlist

Six months earlier…

He first saw you on a Monday. A bright, sunny, lovely Monday morning. He hadn’t even been looking for you — hell, he hadn’t really been looking for anyone.

Bucky was planted at a little table in the corner of a coffee shop, sipping on a dark roast, watching people come and go on the sidewalk. It had become his new morning routine, an interesting yet annoying suggestion from his therapist. She had become concerned he was too into his previous routine. She wanted him to step out of it for a bit, expand horizons, maybe even find a hobby. The craziest thing he had done yet was this — drinking overpriced coffee at a local shop.

He had to admit, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Sometimes he looked forward to this new start to his day. Everyone at the shop was always nice to him, amazingly. They didn’t mind him dilly-dallying, nursing his coffee, as he people watched. They even had a bakery attached which was part of the attraction to the place for Bucky. He had smelled their pastries one morning and was hooked.

As Bucky sat watching the people, he was contemplating getting an almond croissant to go when something caught his attention. From the corner of his eye, like a little flash, he had seen someone that made him perk up.

It was her. It was you. You were standing in front of the bakery entrance debating on going in. You looked between the coffee and the bakery sign. You checked your phone then you walked in. Bucky watched as you entered the bakery, your face bright with the kindest smile he had ever seen as you greeted the cashier. He didn’t have to hear your voice to know it was contagiously joyous.

You were like a little tease standing around all those baked goods, flicking your hair over your shoulder as you pointed at which donut you wanted. Bucky suddenly felt hungry for something else. Especially when you bent over to point at the strawberry glaze on the bottom row.

But then you were gone as fast as you had come. He watched you from the window as you got back on the path to wherever you were headed, he guessed your job. Your hair blew in the wind. Your skirt bounced as you walked proudly, your hand grasping the box of donuts tightly.

Oh, yeah, Bucky thought, this new routine was definitely what he needed.

***

You quickly became the most exciting part of Bucky’s day.

With his cup of coffee and hawk-like gaze, he’d sit at the little coffee shop table, watching the world outside the window. You’d come strolling by fairly early, looking so classy and professional. He figured you worked in an office which seemed very unnecessary for a girl like you. You didn’t need to work, he decided. You were too beautiful, clearly too bright, for that.

But you never seemed to recognize this yourself since you were constantly strutting past in your blouse and skirt, stopping in every day to collect some new pastry for your coworkers.

The way you talked to the bakery staff was what really won Bucky over. You were so gentle and patient when the kid behind the counter fumbled with the boxes or accidentally grabbed the wrong item. You’d still shoot them your lovely smile and make light conversation as they rang you up.

You were too generous, especially noted by the strawberry cake you had purchased one more for your work. Whoever was on the other end of your kindness better appreciate it, Bucky thought. He also didn’t miss your obvious love for strawberries.

Bucky watched you for a while, almost for two whole months, in that coffee shop seat drinking in every inch of you. The baristas didn’t seem to mind his lingering. He always made sure to order two cups as some sort of compensation for letting him sit there and watch his girl. Yes — his girl, that was what he had marked you as in his mind. You hadn’t noticed him yet but Bucky wasn’t sweating it. All in due time, he silently promised you.

It took Bucky a few days to gather what was needed. You still weren’t noticing him but he was way past being bothered by that. He had been screwed by life enough to know that sometimes you just have to take what you want. Sitting around waiting and hoping was for men who had patience. He was over it. Little worked out for him so now he had to make it work.

The morning of the commencement of the plan, Bucky stood in his kitchen double-checking the items needed. Content with it, he carefully drew up the correct amount of light sedation into the syringe. It wasn’t anything crazy and apparently affected the mind first, body second. You’d be on autopilot for a bit, walking more like someone who was just having a rough day. But that wouldn’t be an issue because Bucky would be there. He’d be able to escort you to his apartment, simply appearing as the concerned, protective boyfriend among the sidewalk pedestrians. He got a bit giddy just thinking about it.

Moments after you were properly sedated, he’d need to administer you another drug in a timely manner. This one would be focused on memory loss. He’d discovered it on some corner of the black market while originally on the look for types of sedation. Apparently, this drug was part of some sort of failed spy mission in Europe. The seller swore it boasted good results, citing studies conducted. Bucky looked into it and agreed. After some clumsy navigation in the world of online shopping, it was his within a few days. The concoction seemed like it would do that job.

The goal was to pretty much scramble your brain just a little bit. Nothing crazy like making you totally forget key components of yourself but still hit a point where you didn’t have enough to fight Bucky’s word on, well, anything. This drug wore off, though, so he would have to come up with ways to get it in your system over the course of your relationship. It was still worth it to him. He wasn’t stripping you off your personality, just some little details here and there. You’d still be his shining girl, just only now focused on him.

The final items laid out were various feet of rope. Bucky was being overly cautious with this. He didn’t know if anything actually was going to work. What if you woke up and realized you weren’t in your apartment? That you were being watched over by a stranger? You were bound to panic but he understood that. If need be, he could restrain you while he figured out the right way to go about it all. It would never be to hurt you, of course — in fact, he felt it was more for your safety than anything.

After another run of the mental checklist, Bucky gathered the syringe and headed out to the coffee shop. The idea was fairly simple. After you came in for a box of pastries, he’d head out behind you, try to chat you up a bit. He had some old moves he could flex. Once you got comfortable enough, he’d make the move and then lights out. By the end of that day, you’d be making yourself comfortable in his apartment.

Bucky practically fawned over the idea as he walked. He had taken some steps earlier in the week to add some things for you in the apartment like ladies’ toiletries and new outfits. He had even finally purchased a real couch. All for you, so you could have a home. A real home. With him.

Bucky was still lost in his daydream as he sat in the coffee shop, looking between the clock and the window. He waited and waited and waited. The syringe growing heavier and heavier in his pocket as the seconds went by.

The clock struck a new hour. Something Bucky never planned for was unfolding: it didn’t look like you were coming today. He almost about lost it there. Almost went into the streets stomping away in anger. Everything was perfect, how could you just be the only missing piece? Did something happen? Were you okay? Gosh, he should’ve got to you sooner—

Your hair suddenly came into view. You were walking furiously, just glancing at the bakery this time before deciding not to go in. You looked anxious which certainly wasn’t like you. He wanted to crush whatever was making you feel such a way. But Bucky had to snap his thoughts back. You weren’t coming into the bakery. He wouldn’t be able to follow you out, to casually build-up to this moment. His heart was pounding. He panicked.

In a moment of stupid impulsivity, Bucky quickly left the coffee shop and began racing to catch up to you. He took long strides, quite amazed by how fast you walked in those heels, but it didn’t take him very long to now be right on your tail. Few more steps and he was able to pop up right in front of you. You jumped at his sudden presence. Bucky smiled, finding you so amusing.

"Sorry to bother you, ma’am, but I think you dropped something." He lied through his teeth so gloriously, way too easily. It was just the right comment to get you to stop in your tracks but didn’t completely scare you off.

Your brows furrowed, adorably confused. You looked down, searching for whatever it could be. "I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t think I did."

Sir. The word stuck with him a bit. Maybe after some coaxing, you could always be calling him that. Bucky didn’t have much time to think about this, though, as you began to step around him. You had taken his moment of silence as a way to evade him. Smart, but frustrating. A mix of annoyance and anger shot through him. He grabbed your arm and pulled you into him quickly. You let out a yelp in surprise. He ignored it and before you could ask any questions, the syringe was plunged into your neck. To outsiders, it looked like a couple in some weird embrace, but to Bucky, it was just the beginning of something beautiful.

He got you back to his apartment fairly easily after that. You were eventually out cold and the next step of the process could begin. He was pretty much banking on the memory loss solution. Not a very religious man, Bucky still said a silent prayer as he administered it.

He took a step back from his bed, watching you look so at home knocked out on it. It was a wonderful sight, one he was saving in the back of his mind, even though he’d now see it every single day. Feeling quite content with how smoothly that all had gone, he had nothing to do now but wait for you to wake up.

Bucky took this free time as a chance to begin cutting off connections you had. Thankfully, your bag held your laptop along with other necessities like your phone and wallet. He was pretty thankful he wouldn’t have to try to get into your work to grab your devices. That would rely too heavily on whether or not you overshared. No one would believe he was the concerned boyfriend if just last week you ranted about how single you were.

Sliding onto a stool at his kitchen counter, Bucky set up your laptop. The first thing he noticed was your lack of password. You were too trustful, too good, and that was only example A. Bucky suddenly felt so relieved he had you in the safety of his apartment. There were lunatics out there.

Bucky navigated your laptop fairly easily. While he was pretty new to the technology scene, he could at least find the basics and you weren’t exactly running some government-level device. With a few simple taps and clicks, he was writing out messages to your boss and family.

He put in your letter of resignation, something short and vague, to your boss at the public relations firm you were an assistant at. Lower level work, not even anywhere near the big dogs. No wonder you constantly brought in treats for everyone. You were hoping your kindness would get you ahead. Bucky shook his head at your naivety.

A simple Google search showed him you were not the only assistant to the head of the firm. You probably wouldn’t be missed. The pastries, maybe, but you? An assistant? Someone would take your place within the week. Bucky was turning out much better for you than he had realized. He mentally patted himself on the back as he moved onto looking into your family.

Scrolling through your email contacts, it appeared you only had a sister for immediate family. No mentions of parents and… sure enough, another search brought up an obituary for your mother. No mention of a father. Even better, he thought. You needed that strong, guiding force.

A few scrolls through your current email thread with your sister and Bucky found out she was studying abroad. Could this all get any better? Nothing was in the immediate area of a threat. He responded back to the last email your sister had sent. Copying your language the best he could, he dropped some hints that you wanted a vacation. In just a few more exchanges he could drop the news that you were off in paradise. Correspondence could easily fizzle out and your sister would be too caught up in her European dream to notice an absence.

If this ever called for any more attention, Bucky figured he could easily invite her over. It’d take some training but you’d eventually remember your sister — or, what Bucky would plant in your head about her — then you’d happily host a dinner. Introduce your two favorite people to one another. He bought himself enough time to spend with you.

Of course, Bucky realized he got very lucky with you. He had done some minimal research beforehand but everything had been behind sign-in walls. He didn’t know if he was really ready to break into social media and instead decided to risk it. If all had gone to shit, like you having a real big, caring family or a prestigious job, there wasn’t anything a little talking couldn’t fix.

But Bucky had also kind of already knew you as he watched you day in and day out. He had felt that dire need to be comforted, to be loved, to be cared for, to be protected behind those cheery smiles and generous small talk. You always tried too hard as if you needed everyone in the world to love you, to praise you. That wasn’t it at all. You just needed him. And he needed you.

Lost in his dreamy thoughts, Bucky nearly jumped out of his skin (leave it to you to be the first person to actually scared him) when your soft voice called from the bedroom doorway.

"Excuse me," You said, nervously fidgeting as you slowly walked from the hall into the kitchen. "W-What’s going on?"

Bucky shut your laptop quickly and hopped down from the stool. He gave you a warm smile which you seemed to try to return. So obedient and caring already and you didn’t even know why — yet.

"Hey, doll," he said, keeping his voice steady and gentle. "You okay? You laid down for a nap earlier. I was worried you were getting sick." He placed a hand on your forehead pretending to check your temperature. Thankfully, you allowed it. After a moment, he pulled his hand away with a curious hum.

You frowned, obviously confused, much more than you were earlier. You looked totally clueless at the situation. It was the best reaction Bucky could’ve ever hoped for.

You glanced around the living space. "I- Yeah, I think I’m alright… I’m sorry, I can’t seem to remember much. Who are you?"

Bucky chuckled, "I’m your boyfriend. Bucky. And this is our apartment. You remember, don’t you, honey? Maybe you’re just still a bit sleepy."

He watched as you blinked a few times, probably wrestling with whether to admit you really didn’t remember anything or to go with the lie. If you were a good girl, like he predicted, you’d settle with the lie.

"Oh." You bit your lip and eventually nodded. Jackpot. "Of course. Again, I’m sorry. I must’ve been really tired." You glanced over at the clock. It read just before noon. "I’m a bit hungry. Would you like anything, B-Bucky?"

He smiled. "A sandwich would be great, doll."

You nodded once in acknowledgment then began hunting for everything you needed in the kitchen. You looked a bit confused at first but slowly Bucky saw you get the hang of it. He took his place at the kitchen counter again, sliding the laptop out of your sight.

He sat there waiting and observing as his new girl began making him lunch. It was a sight he had dreamed of, but Bucky also knew this was too perfect too soon. You were bound to stumble within time but that was okay. He would have to fine-tune the details later but he was already complying some ideas on how to shape you into who you were destined to be.

Yes, he had a long way to go, but it would all be worth it if he got to come home to you standing in his kitchen whipping up a special treat like the sweetest housewife to ever exist. Because that certainly would be the next step down the line — making you his darling wife.

[ray-ray-writings]

Hey. Hey you. Idea time.

Teacher aus, not enough. Like after the whole Mr. WasTaken stuff where Dream was acting like a teacher and everything!? Just imagine a whole school Au!

Techno teachin English and he adores his kids but he’d be damned before he admits it. That one teacher who’s like “learn from history before it repeats itself.” Hates being forced to do a Shakespeare unit.

Sapnap teaching P.E. And encouraging even the less athletic kids to at least do something physical in his class. You know he pulls a prank with the Fitness Gram Pacer Test more than a few times.

George being a history teacher, I don’t know he just super fits the vibe of that one teacher you always adore who’s like “don’t worry too much about this class.”

Bad boy halo as a science teacher, man’s is the kind of teacher to give candy out to the kids who answer the questions so he can encourage attentiveness. (He teaches physical science and Skeppy teaches geoscience across the hall)

And like, much much much more, but the most important part here,

Could you totally do a reader x Dream where Readers an English teacher and Dreams a Maths teacher? :)

With all the love- 🌻 strikes again.

🌻 you have my whole heart. All of it. Because you literally have requested my dream au (pun sort of intended). Literally like this is going to be so self indulgent because I love this with my whole heart and the amount of times I have fantasized about this (especially with me studying to be an English teacher and Dream with his statistics and stuff) is too many times to count. So you literally have given me an excuse to be hella self indulgent on my own blog and I could kiss you on the mouth for it. This is a few like headcanon type things and a little bit of plot at the end. 

I do have my own ideas of what role everyone has in the school and if anyone is interested I will definitely post those too! But for the main part, you just need to know the reader is an English teacher and Dream is a Math teacher. (But also completely agree with our beloved’s ideas about some of the other boys here and I definitely have assigned everyone their own subject haha)

We’re going to just start out with this general note: Everyone in the school ships you. Teachers, Staff, Students, Principal Philza, all of them want to see you and Dream end up together. You two hang out and playfully flirt all of the time. 

Dream is almost late to school every morning. He has a horrible sleep schedule and so it causes him to wake up 30 minutes before he needs to be at school. You know this and so every morning you bring Dream coffee and something for breakfast. A donut, fruit, oatmeal, scone, just a little something to help him get until lunch. He is very grateful for it and always accepts your offer. When you first started doing it, he always felt really guilty about it. But you kept doing it and refused to take his money and so he came up with a new way to pay you back. 

You two share the same prep period. Prep period, if you didn’t know, is a free period that teachers have where they don’t have a class to teach and they can use it to lesson prep, prep materials, grade papers, or just relax. So your prep period is two classes after lunch and so you always get a little bit snackish around this time and so in order to pay you back for you bringing him breakfast, Dream brings you a little snack every day. Something small, bag of chips, granola bar, some crackers, just a little snack to get you through the rest of the day. You two also spend your prep periods together. Sometimes you chat about your days, students, lessons, standards you have to meet. Sometimes you two just work in silence on your respect tasks. Usually if a student wants to talk to you during your prep period and they can’t find you in your room, they immediately check Dream’s right after because that’s where you would be. And the same for him and his students, if they need something and he’s not in his room, he’s definitely in yours. 

You two also have lunch duty together. You two are in charge of monitoring the cafeteria and making sure that there are no fights breaking out, no food fights, just making sure everything is okay. So often times, you two take a walk around the cafeteria and just watch all the kids until all have been seated, and then you two grab some lunch for yourselves and eat together. Sometimes, kids will come over to where you’re sitting and chat with you, a lot of the time when that happens they’re trying to push you two together. You just roll your eyes and laugh them off. 

You two crash each other’s classes all the time. For random reasons too. It started when Dream had left a few copies of a worksheet on the printer and you just so happened to print some things and pick them up. His classroom was on the way to yours and so you decided you would be a good co-worker and drop them off for him. So you did, not bothering to knock before you enter. All eyes snap to you as you walk into his classroom. Dream is in the middle of teaching. His arm is extended as he points to something on the blackboard. His emerald eyes meet yours and he looks shocked but he smiles. “Teacher Y/L/N… Is there something I can help you with?” You smile back at him and hold up the worksheets, “Sorry to interrupt. Left some on the printer Mr. WasTaken,” you tell him, walking over to his desk and setting the papers down. “Ah. Thank you, I appreciate it.” You give him a small shrug, “Of course. Have a good class. Pay attention!” You call to the class cheerfully before heading out and heading to your own classroom. 

That day you opened a door you couldn’t shut. Every once in a while now, while you’re in the middle of teaching, the door will swing open and Dream will waltz in with a paper or something in his hand and go over to your desk before giving you a wave and a wink and heading back out. So you decided to do it too, even if you have nothing to give him. Students look forward to your classes now because they never know if the other one of you will make an appearance. One time, Dream walked in and you were so engrossed in teaching that you didn’t even notice. He walked over to your desks and took a seat and just lost himself in watching you teach. About 10 minutes later there is a knock on your door, startling everyone out of their focus. The door opens and there’s Tommy with a wicked grin on his face. His eyes immediately find Dream and he smirks, “Mr. WasTaken… Would you like to join the rest of us in class?” Dream manages to keep the blush off of his face, but he is internally dying. To save some embarrassment he says, “Yes I’ll be there in just a moment. I had a question for Teacher Y/L/N and I didn’t want to interrupt. Go back to class Tommy.” Tommy rolls his eyes but complies. You rush over to Dream and duck your head near his and speak in a low tone, “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize you came in, what was your question?” Dream is a little baffled and thrown off, because he doesn’t have one. “Oh. I’ll just come back later and ask. Sorry for the interruption.” And before you can say anything else, he’s out the door. 

You and Dream often charapone school dances. You two, much like when you have lunch duty, patrol around and make sure everyone is having a good time but is also behaving themselves. Students are always trying to push you two together during this, asking Mr. WasTaken if he’s going to ask you to the dance or at least ask you to dance. He always laughs and says no, no he’s not. Until one time he does. 

He definitely gets his students in on it. He buys a bunch of flowers and has the students line the hall making a path from the entrance doors to his room. So when you arrive in the morning and begin your usual path to his room to drop off breakfast, you’re surprised to find a line of students offering flowers to you. You carefully take each flower and make your way down to Dream’s room. When you get to the end you find Dream standing there with a cheesy grin and an even cheesier sign. ‘I would love it if you could say that you was taken to the dance by Mr. WasTaken.’ You can’t help but let out a laugh and nod at the sign. “Yeah?” Dream asks to confirm. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll go to the dance with you Mr. WasTaken… by the way, it’s you were taken to the dance,” you tease him lightly, reaching out and giving him a small hug before handing him his breakfast. He takes it, rolls his eyes, and hands you the sign. “English teachers.” 

The day of the dance comes and you and Dream arrive together. He picks you up from your house and brings you a bouquet of flowers, red roses and sunflowers. Your outfit would match his and you would look stunning. It would literally take Dream a few tries to snap out of the trance you put him in. But he’s the perfect gentleman, opens the car door for you and closes it before getting in and driving to the school where he does the same thing, opening the car door and helping you out before closing it. 

You two would have arrived a bit earlier before the dance actually started to make sure everything was taken care of. You two would definitely jokingly get your photo taken by the professional photographer that they hired for the event. It was a joke, but the picture came out so good and was just too good to pass up. 

You two don’t leave each other’s side the entire night. You two just stick side by side the entire night, just watching the kids. You two join the students sometimes on the dance floor, vibing to the fast pace songs they played. Every time a slow song came on, the students tried to push you together and get you to dance together. “Who asks someone to be their date and doesn’t slow dance with them?” But you two just ignore the students and shoo them off to dance with each other and stuff. It’s not until they announce the final song of the night does Dream actually finally get bold enough to ask you to slow dance with him. Your face heats up at the extended hand and the hopeful look on his face but you accept it and the two of you dance. You somehow manage to end up in the middle of the room and even though there are plenty of people slow dancing, all eyes are on you two. You don’t care though. At some point, you lean forward and rest your head on Dream’s chest. You could very clearly hear his heart racing faster than you would think possible and you can’t help but wonder if it’s because of you. 

As the song ends, you manage to pull your head away from him. You look up at him and find him already staring at you. You two just stare at each other for a few moments before Dream makes a bold move. He carefully leans forward and presses his lips to yours. You immediately kiss back, ecstatic that your feelings were returned. Around you, the entire gym bursts into cheers and applause and “FINALLY!!!!” 

You pull away from Dream, giggling a little bit at the reaction of everyone. Dream doesn’t let you get far though. He tilts his head forward and connects your lips once more. “I just got you, I’m not letting you get away from me that easily.” You just giggle at that and kiss him back. 

You two don’t pull away until the song is completely over. When you pull apart and look around, you find everyone staring at you. Some students even have their phones out and were recording you. The two of you just laugh and roll your eyes. “Dance is over… Get out,” Dream jokingly calls out to everyone causing waves of laughter to rumble through the crowds as everyone snaps out of their trance and begin to move. You and Dream stay to help clean up a bit after the dance before the two of you leave, this time hand in hand. 

Dream would drop you off at home. He walks you to your front door and waits as you unlock the door. It’s quiet for a moment as you two try to figure out the next step. Dream finally clears his throat and offers you a sheepish smile. “I’ll see you Monday then?” You almost immediately answer with a ‘yep sounds good’ but stop yourself. “Actually… If you weren’t too busy, do you want to come in and watch a movie or something?” Dream grins at the offer and nods. “I’d love to… Thank you.” 

The two of you head inside and just hang out for a while. You watch movies and cuddle on the couch. It gets to be really late and you refuse to let Dream drive home this late so he sleeps on your couch. The next morning you have a nice breakfast together before Dream tells you he really should get going, he still has some tests to grade. You of course understand that teacher grind and so you walk him to your door. Dream gives you a kiss before heading out and telling you he would see you tomorrow. 

Walking back inside, you find his suit jacket laid over the couch. You decide to hold on to it. You’ll see him tomorrow anyway, you’ll just give it to him then. So the next morning rolls around and you arrive at school, the suit jacket adorning your shoulders. It makes everyone stop, look, and smile. You don’t even notice really. You make your way to Dream’s classroom, walking right in as normal. Dream glances up to see who it was before looking back to his work but he immediately looks back up in a double take. And he just stares. You extend the breakfast out to him and he doesn’t take it. Just stares. You’re confused. 

“Dream?” He extends a finger and points at you, “You’re wearing… that’s my… that’s mine.” he manages to stutter out. You look at your shoulders and realize. “Oh. Right. Sorry. Here,” you say, trying to shrug off the jacket and hand it to him, but he stops you. “No, no, no. It’s fine… It’s better than fine. It looks good. Keep it on… Please?” He sounds so genuine that you pull the jacket back on, over your shoulder. “Okay… I’ll see you at lunch?” You ask, heading toward his door. He gives you a grin and a nod, “It’s a date.” Well that’s new…. But not unwelcome. “It’s a date.” 

You two begin dating shortly after that. You also find out that there were two betting pools going on. One between teachers and staff and the other between students. The teacher that won? Techno. The student? Tubbo. Had you found out sooner, you probably would have been offended but now it just made you laugh. Your new relationship didn’t change anything really. You still did all of the things that you usually did, you just now could kiss each other. You definitely didn’t do PDA in front of the students for obvious reasons, but you two couldn’t be happier.

Thank you again so much for letting me do this  🌻 anon. This was very self indulgent and just thank you :)