#election day is really hanging over my head

[interpolationz]

my dad talked several times leading up to voting about how he didn't know if he could bring himself to vote for trump....i had actually become hopeful that he would abstain, or go third party at least

[mars-ipan]

Tomorrow Is Election Day And I Am So Fucking Stressed

[deliciousangelfestival]

The Imperfect Couple - 18

Character: politician!Bucky x ex-wife!reader

Summary: A separated couple must pretend to be happily married while the husband runs for Vice President, dealing with old issues and political pressures during his election campaign.

Warning: Triggering conversation. Mentioned about sexual assault.

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist || If you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-fi 🙏🏻

Author Note: After this, you will hate Steve more.

Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

The news spread like wildfire: The First Lady has passed away from a sudden heart attack. The entire nation reeled at the announcement. It was a tragic day for the country, and the collective grief was palpable. You and Bucky struggled to believe it, exchanging shocked glances as you watched the news unfold on screen.

The twins, pale with grief, approached their father with questions in their eyes. “Why, a heart attack?” one of them whispered.

Steve’s expression was controlled, his answer calm. “Because with that, everyone will stop asking,” he replied. A sudden heart attack is understandable. Even General Carter died of one.

Just as Steve had predicted, people accepted it readily. “A heart attack? That’s horrible,” they’d say, before letting the matter rest. It was as if the finality of the explanation sealed Peggy’s fate in a way no one dared to question. And yet, to you, something felt out of place.

Only two weeks earlier, there had been news that Peggy had collapsed, and the doctors advised her to rest. You found yourself shaking your head as you spoke to Bucky. “She was so healthy, so careful with her lifestyle. Doesn’t it feel… odd?”

Bucky’s gaze was hard, thoughtful. “It does,” he admitted. “It really does.”

🌸🌸🌸🌸

The day of Peggy’s funeral arrived, a somber, overcast morning where gray clouds seemed to hang like a veil over the city. Dressed in black, the crowd of mourners filled the space around the somber cemetery, their faces etched with grief and disbelief. The country mourned the First Lady’s loss, and people lined up to pay their respects to Steve and the grieving family. You and Bucky observed from a distance, your expressions reflecting both sorrow and skepticism.

Caroline and Julius were also present, looking somber as they approached Hazel and Julius, standing silently nearby. Carol, her face set in sadness, touched Hazel’s arm gently. “Let’s go give Steve our condolences,” she whispered.

“You two go ahead,” Hazel murmured, looking away. Her eyes shifted, and a shadow of guilt crossed her face. She couldn’t bear to look at Peggy’s sons, William and Charles, standing on either side of their father, too young to fully understand the depths of their loss.

Carol frowned. “Hazel, don’t be stubborn,” she said softly. “Come on, Julius.” The two of them moved toward Steve, leaving Hazel standing there with her head bowed, biting her lip.

Julius, his voice low and respectful, extended his hand to Steve. “We’re deeply sorry, Steve. Peggy was a remarkable woman.”

Carol echoed his sentiments. “Yes, Steve. She’ll be missed so much. Our hearts are with you and the boys.”

Steve nodded, his face a well-practiced mask of grief. “Thank you both. Peggy loved you both very much.”

As the guests continued offering their sympathies, Natasha appeared at Hazel’s side, touching her arm and gesturing discreetly. Hazel hesitated but glanced over, catching your eye. You nudged Bucky, motioning in Hazel’s direction, but he shook his head. “Let them go,” he said quietly. “Not here, not now.”

Following Natasha, Hazel found herself being led to a private corner, away from the public’s eyes. Steve was already waiting, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. As Hazel approached, she looked pale, her posture small, as though she wanted to shrink away.

“Why do you look like you want to hide?” Steve asked, arching an eyebrow, his voice a low murmur.

Without a word, Hazel handed him her phone. Her hands were shaking. Steve took the device and glanced at the screen. What he read there made his expression falter, if only for a moment. The message on the screen was Peggy’s final words:

"I’ll give him to you. But know that each time you’re with him, I will always be the thorn between you two."

Hazel’s voice trembled as she spoke. “I found this after she…after she died. She sent it before… God, Steve, she’s gone because of me.”

Steve stepped forward, gently placing his hand at the back of her neck, pulling her head to his shoulder. “No, Hazel,” he murmured, his voice smooth and unyielding. “None of us lifted a finger. It was her choice. Her own doing.”

Steve held her tightly. “You’re my only anchor now,” he said softly, his hand stroking her hair. His tone was oddly calm, as if nothing truly rattled him.

Hazel gave a slight nod, though her face remained haunted. Steve’s grip around her tightened, but his gaze held a glint of satisfaction, a twisted sense of relief. Peggy’s demise, as he saw it, had finally cleared the way.

Later, as guests continued offering their condolences, Bucky made his way to Steve. His handshake was firm, his voice steady. “Steve,” he said, his eyes meeting his in an unreadable gaze. “My deepest condolences. Peggy was… well, she was a force.”

Steve’s expression was solemn, though his eyes glinted with something inscrutable. “Thank you, Bucky,” he replied smoothly. “I know Peggy always respected you.”

Bucky paused, holding Steve’s gaze a second longer, as if searching for something beneath his composed exterior. “If there’s anything you or the boys need, don’t hesitate to let us know. We’re here for you.”

Steve gave a small nod. “I appreciate it, Bucky. Really. This will be hard for the boys, but we’ll get through it.”

Bucky’s jaw tightened as he stepped back, his gaze never leaving Steve’s. “Take care of yourself. And of them.” He glanced briefly toward William and Charles, whose solemn faces seemed carved in stone, their small hands clutching each other as they mourned.

When Bucky returned to your side, he was silent, his eyes hard with an unspoken realization. Both of you had been deceived by Steve’s flawless facade for years, but now, something dark and undeniable seemed to lie beneath.

🌸🌸🌸🌸

Three Weeks Later

Carol sat on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the TV screen where Steve’s face appeared at an international summit, calm and composed, every bit the statesman. She frowned, resting her chin on her hand. “It’s not even a month since Peggy’s passing, and already there’s talk about him looking for a new partner,” she muttered with a casual nonchalance. “Should I introduce him to one of my friends?”

Julius, seated across from her, snapped his head up, a look of disbelief etched onto his face. “Carol… you were Peggy’s friend. How can you talk like this?”

“Because I was her friend, I want what’s best for Steve,” Carol replied, dismissively scrolling through photos on her phone. “Peggy would want someone from our circle by his side, someone appropriate. Maybe Emily? Or Kelly?”

From across the room, Hazel’s voice interrupted, quiet but firm. “Mom, you don’t have to go through all that trouble.”

Carol looked up, her eyes sharp. “Oh, but I insist,” she said with a sigh of self-importance. “Steve’s in his prime. Women would kill to be with him. Even women your age, Hazel.”

Hazel paused, her teacup clinking against its saucer as her hand trembled slightly.

Carol turned to Julius with newfound excitement. “Maybe we should introduce him to your cousin who just got divorced. She’s still young, and she can bear children—Peggy would approve of someone in our league taking her place. Steve has a mistress. I don't want that woman took Peggy's place.”

"Carol. Stop," Julius said, his voice sharp, cutting through his wife rambling.

A flicker of annoyance sparking in her eyes. “What? Imagine having someone actually related to the President by blood," she insisted, folding her arms, her tone dismissive as if Julius didn’t understand the gravity of her idea.

Julius took a step closer, his face tightening. "We already have," he replied quietly.

Carol looked at him in disbelief, then scoffed. “I don’t mean Bucky," she shot back, waving a hand as if the idea were absurd. "He's still just the Vice President. And I don't even want to think about him having kids with that woman.”

Julius’s expression darkened, his jaw clenched as he leaned closer. "He won’t forgive you if he hears that," he warned, voice low and tight, the threat clear. He knew how much Bucky loves you, even Bucky already gave a warning to Caroline, she still won't accept it.

She felt the heat of his words but only tilted her chin up defiantly. Julius took a deep breath, struggling to contain his frustration. "Carol," he said in a grave tone, “I’m giving you a warning. This is the last time." His hand closed into a fist, and the silence that followed was thick, crackling with unspoken tension.

“Mom. You can stop now,” she said, her voice edged with a firmness that made both her parents turn. “There’s already someone from our family related to the president”

The room fell silent. Carol’s fingers froze on her phone, and Julius looked up from his drink, confused. Hazel met their eyes steadily.

“Nate,” she said, her voice just above a whisper, yet each word felt as though it struck with the force of a hammer. “Steve is Nate’s father.”

There was a stunned pause, a dead silence before Carol’s phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a loud clatter. Her face turned pale as her mind scrambled to process the revelation, her hand covering her mouth in shock.

“All this time,” Hazel continued, her voice quiet but steady, “you wanted to know who Nate’s father was. Now you know.”

Carol’s face twisted, disbelief transforming into a horrified expression. She lunged forward, gripping Hazel’s shoulders tightly, her nails digging in. “Tell me this is a joke,” she hissed.

“You… you always kept things to yourself, dropping these bombshells when we least expect it. You came home one day, huge belly, and just announced you were pregnant, like it was nothing.” Her voice wavered, a mixture of anger and desperation. “You made me hide my face from our friends, miss every gathering because of you!”

Hazel stayed silent, even as her mother’s words lashed against her.

“Haze—Hazel,” Julius interjected, his voice a strained whisper, barely able to meet her eyes. “Is this true?”

She nodded. “Yes, father.”

“But why him? Of all people… what could he possibly give you that we haven’t?” Carol’s voice quivered, the shock laced with bitterness.

Hazel met her mother’s eyes, unflinching. “Because he listened to me. He understood me.”

Julius’s face hardened. “We gave you everything, Hazel. How can you say that?”

She drew in a breath, her expression bitter. “That’s the problem. You gave me everything I never asked for. All I ever asked is for both of you as my parents to listened to me.”

Carol scoffed, her face paling as realization settled in. “Listening?” she muttered, rubbing her forehead as if it hurt. “You keep talking about that. I don’t even know what you mean.”

Hazel’s hands trembled slightly, but she steadied herself, her tone cold. “Do you remember when I told you my ballet teacher kept touching me? That’s why I quit. But you didn’t believe me because he was ‘experienced,’ and you said I was overreacting.”

A silence so heavy settled in the room that even the ticking clock seemed deafening. Carol’s face twisted with a fleeting look of guilt, but it passed quickly.

Hazel’s gaze shifted to Julius. “And you—do you remember when I told you I was drugged by your best friend’s son at that party I didn’t even want to go to? You made me go. I came home, barely able to stand…” Her voice broke, the words hanging heavily in the air.

Julius covered his face with his hand, his shoulders slumping as the reality crashed down on him.

“I am your daughter!” she yelled, the hurt and anger of years pouring out. “And all you did was listen to their excuses. That was my breaking point. That’s why I left.”

Julius’s face fell, and he murmured, almost to himself, “Then… you met Steve.”

Hazel nodded, her voice softening slightly. “I was vulnerable. And after hearing me out just once, do you know what he did?” She looked at her parents, her gaze hard and unwavering. “He made sure that ballet teacher never danced again. And that boy? He’ll never see daylight without a drug in his system.”

Carol heard the news that the former ballet teacher got into an accident, leaving him unable to move his fingers or toes. As for Julius, he heard from his friend that the son ended up in rehab. His case is worse than Shawn's.

Carol gasped, horror dawning in her eyes. “You’re the woman Peggy mentioned. The mistress…”

Hazel’s voice was a whisper, calm yet unyielding. “Yes. I’m the other woman. The homewrecker. Whatever you want to call me, I am it.”

For a moment, a heavy silence settled in the room. Hazel scoffed, looking from her mother to her father. “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? Your grandson is the President’s son, your son the youngest Vice President. Now you can tell that to all your friends.” She shot them a hollow, bitter smile, watching as her words landed. Carol looked down, her face flushed with shame, while Julius couldn’t bear to meet her gaze.

Turning, Hazel strode from the room, leaving her parents in stunned silence. For the first time, the weight of Peggy’s suicide note no longer haunted her. Steve had been right. Peggy’s death wasn’t her burden to bear. And with that realization, she walked away, shoulders straight, head held high.

In the deafening quiet that followed, Caroline sank onto the couch, feeling a mix of shame and a deep, gnawing guilt. She was beginning to understand. All those times she had cursed the “mistress” Peggy hinted at… it had been her own daughter.

“Julius,” she whispered, voice cracking as she reached out for her husband’s hand.

But there was no answer. Julius sat, staring into space, his face ashen. When she touched his shoulder, his body slumped.

“Julius!” she screamed, shaking him, but he didn’t respond. Her world spun as panic surged, echoing her daughter’s revelation with one devastating blow after another.

Julius suffered a stroke and required emergency surgery, leaving the family on edge as they gathered at the hospital. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting a harsh glow over the sterile waiting room. You and Bucky arrived, and he turned to you, his brow furrowed with concern. “Where’s Hazel?” he asked, scanning the area for any sign of her.

“Don’t. Mention that name,” Caroline snapped, her voice taut with tension. “That girl has ruined Peggy’s marriage.”

Bucky’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You knew?” he pressed, the shock evident in his tone.

Caroline's eyes flared, realization dawning on her. “Wait! You knew all this time?” She stepped forward, her hands gripping his collar, her fury palpable. The Secret Service agents on standby instinctively moved closer, but Bucky raised a hand, stopping them. “Stand outside. This is a family matter, and keep this secret,” he commanded. They nodded reluctantly, stepping away but keeping their ears perked for any sign of trouble.

“No wonder why Steve chose us,” Caroline sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as the weight of the situation settled in. “But I still can’t accept this. No, I don’t. He used Hazel's innocence.” Her laughter was manic, echoing off the walls, a bitter sound that filled the room.

“Does he think he can underestimate me? He’s just a nobody without a strong background. He’s nothing without the Carters.” Caroline’s voice dripped with disdain as she spat the words, but when she noticed Bucky’s silence, her eyes narrowed.

“You have a plan, don’t you?”

Bucky nodded, his expression serious. “I do.”

“Good. Me too,” Caroline replied, her tone fierce. “I won’t accept being humiliated.”

🌸🌸🌸🌸

Bucky turned his gaze to you, his expression shifting from determination to concern. “Dear,” he said, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

“Hmm?” you replied, sensing the gravity in his tone.

“I’m telling you right now,” he began, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that sent a shiver down your spine, “from this moment, everything is going to turn ugly. You might end up hating me in the end.”

You felt the knot in your stomach tighten. Why is he telling me this?

“I told you before, you could stab me, poison me,” he continued, his voice unwavering. “I meant it. You could do it when you felt that I was way out of line.”

He’s serious, you thought, a mix of fear and disbelief coursing through you.

“You should’ve said this before I married into the Barnes family,” you shot back, your tone sharper than intended, but the weight of his words hung heavily in the air between you.

Bucky’s eyes softened slightly, yet his resolve remained. “I never wanted you to be caught in the crossfire.”

His jaw tense, and he took a deep breath as if preparing for the weight of the world. “If this is too much for you,” he said, his voice steady but low, “you could leave.” Also, the one-year agreement to help him is coming to an end.

The finality of his words struck you like a punch to the gut, and you felt a flicker of panic surge through you. “No. I won’t leave,” you responded fiercely, the conviction in your voice surprising even yourself.

Bucky’s brow furrowed, and he studied you, as if searching for signs of doubt in your eyes. But all he found was unwavering resolve. “You really mean that?” he asked, his voice almost a whisper, a blend of surprise and hope.

You nodded, a small smile breaking through the tension. “The first time, it was me helping you become vice president,” you reminded him, your heart racing with the unspoken promise that lingered between you. “Now, I’ll be beside you as you become president. I won’t let this position slip away to another woman.”

“Then let’s face this together,” he murmured, his breath warm against your skin. The space between you charged with anticipation, every unspoken feeling bubbling to the surface. The world outside faded away, leaving just the two of you in this moment.

A slow smile spread across Bucky’s face, warmth radiating from him. The tension that had permeated the air shifted into something different—something electric. In that moment, the world around you faded, leaving only the two of you and the undeniable connection you shared.

Bucky leaned in slightly, closing the distance between you, and your breaths mingled in the charged space. The weight of your words hung in the air, promising both conflict and a shared future. You reached out, your fingers grazing his jaw, feeling the warmth of his skin under your touch.

He moved closer, tilting his head slightly as if to capture the moment forever. The longing that had been building between you ignited, and without thinking, you both closed the gap.

The kiss was genuine, filled with unspoken promises and a shared understanding of the battles ahead. It was tender yet passionate, a release of the tension that had held you both captive for far too long. As your lips met, time seemed to stand still, the world outside forgotten. In that moment, you were not just allies in a political game but partners, united in a bond deeper than either of you had anticipated.

When you finally pulled back, your foreheads rested against each other, breaths mingling in the charged air. You could see the reflection of hope and determination in his eyes, and for the first time in a long while, you felt like you could face whatever challenges lay ahead—together.

Author Note : The next chapter will be the end.

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[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

new hs history teacher(/basketball coach ofc) steve who is being shown around the school by gym teacher chrissy.

she takes him around the building to show him where the teacher's lounge is, the cafeteria, what bathrooms to avoid at all costs, and to where her office is if he ever needs anything.

"If I'm not here, I'm probably in Robbie's class over in the language department."

"Robbie?"

"Robin, my partner. She officially teaches ASL, but she likes to join in on the others' lessons whenever she has downtime."

Finally, once they've covered the whole length of the school, she brings him to his room. "So this is you, and right next door is Eddie, our Criminalistics teacher." gesturing to the still-dark window of the door directly across from his in the alcove. 

There's polaroids covering nearly every inch of the outside of the door, pictures of what he can only assume are students with the same dark-haired man.

"Criminalistics?"

"It's a science elective," she explains, "It focuses on the basics of forensic science!"

"Wow that’s…really?"

She nods enthusiastically, "It’s super interesting,” she nods, moving to unlock the empty what-will-be history classroom. “Eddie’s here on even days, and in the music room on odd days for the guitar elective classes."

"Anything I should know about my wall neighbor?" he asks as she pushes the door open.

It looks like she's going to say no, but something flickers across her face and she winces minutely.

"Oh god, what is it?"

She looks at him sheepishly, "How do you feel about metal music?"

--

Since his tour in mid June, Steve's completely overhauled his classroom. 

The only room available to him was the one down here in the science hall, but he made do, plastering removable whiteboard contact paper to the tops of the lab tables and a little reminder at each spot for the students about his less-than-stellar hearing, to make sure they speak up when answering a question from the back of the room.

And ever since he got his room, he'd been waiting for the day he finally meets his neighbor.

He met Chrissy's Robbie the same day he had the tour, and they clicked instantly (No seriously, how did he ever function before Robin?). Chrissy had made the comment about them being platonic soulmates one night in August when they'd gone out for one too many drinks, and it's stuck ever since.

Speaking of: "What are you still doing here, dingus? It's almost five."

"Yeah, I know, I know," he says, waving her off.

Robin comes in from the hall and plops herself down on one of the table tops instead of helping him hang a map behind his desk. "You're still adding stuff to your walls?"

"Well, I haven't been here for a couple years already, Bobs," he grits out as he stretches up on his toes to hang the far corner of his map. Finally, the eyelet hooks over the many-times-painted-over hook embedded in the concrete wall. "So yes."

"Well you can finish up tomorrow, we," she emphasizes the word by dramatically waving the same sign with her hand between them, "Have a burger date to get to." 

--

The following day, the day before the school year officially starts, Steve arrives early to his classroom, only to find his neighbor's classroom lit up as well.

The be-polaroided door is propped open all the way, the sound of heavy drums and guitar streaming out the door along with the faint smell of moth balls and a spicy incense.

His own room forgotten, Steve steps through Mr. Munson's doorway.

Eddie is standing behind his desk at the front of the room, but hunched over it scribbling onto something.

When Steve's shoe squeaks against the tile floor, Eddie says "Hey, what do you think, identifying skeletal remains, or blood spatter first?" without looking up at him.

"Skeletons, of course." Eddie's head snaps up to look at him. His huge dark eyes are much more striking in person than in a photo. "Much more interesting, yeah?"

Eddie blinks at him. "You're not Chrissy."

"You're correct."

Eddie blinks again, "Who're you?"

"Oh, sorry, hi. I'm Steve. I'm your new neighbor." he gives the other man an awkward wave when he still doesn't move. "Sorry, should I--" he says, gesturing over his shoulder with a thumb.

"No!" Eddie interrupts, standing straight and hurrying out from around his desk. 

He extends a hand and jogs lightly up to Steve. His pen is still laced into his fingers, the end of it chewed flat. "Oh shit, sorry, sorry," he tucks the pen behind his ear, "I'm Eddie. Munson."

"I know," Steve smirks, taking Eddie's hand. "I've been waiting to meet you."

"Oh have you?" he smirks.

"Yeah, Chrissy told me you're her best friend and I wanted your advice on maybe asking her out."

Eddie's face hardens immediately, the warm milk chocolate of his eyes curing into a solid dark, the easy smirk morphing into a cringe as he looks Steve up and down.

He opens his mouth to say something particularly scathing, Steve's sure, but he cuts him off before he can. "I'm kidding, man, I know she's with Robin."

His expression softens just a bit.

"Plus, she's not really my type anyway, even if I were hers."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm more into brunettes." Steve winks, finally releasing Eddie's hand. "I still have a bit more to get done, but I'll check in with you later?"

"Oh--yeah, for sure, I'll be here." Eddie stammers out, his cheeks tinged pink.

Steve fist pumps in his head as he heads to his door, You still got it, Harrington.

[xrag-dollx]

𝑩Ü𝑪𝑲 𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑯 (𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓)

~ Kai Anderson x fem!reader

SUMMARY: Reader gets humiliated by Kai after he failed his night of a thousand tates. Reader's getting punished for it.

WORD COUNT: 1,980

WARNINGS: smut, rough and unprotected sex, public sex, knife play, Kai being a dominant ass :) (not requested if you're under 18!)

A/N: got inspired by Rammstein's song "Bück dich!" sooo I had to write something Kai related (he gives me huge Rammstein vibes ngl) Also this is my first ever Evan character fic 🙃

"Bück dich", befehl ich dir Wende dein Antlitz ab von mir Dein Gesicht ist mir egal Bück dich"

"Bend over! is what I command you

Turn your face away from me

I do not care about your face

bend over!"

The last days were hard for you, at least being together with Kai. He had no success in his upcoming disaster for his „night of a thousand Tates“, so he had to re-think his strategy. It was quite time consuming for him to re-construct a whole new plan and, of course, nerve-wrecking. So he was treating you basically like an object for the past few days. Yet, you got used to it. Was there a desire inside of you to burn him alive? Yes. Do you still love him? Yes. But you just couldn’t let go of him. You just didn’t really know why. Was it because he was so charismatic? So damn attractive? He had you with a flick of his wrist the first time you saw him…

 It was last summer as he held one of his public speeches for his election as a councillor. You were immediately hypnotised by his whole presence, the way he spoke, the way he gestured along his speech…he was simply mesmerizing. You believed every single word of his, everything he made up. That’s when you fell down a spiral of delusions. He made you feel better, he promised you a successful life, actually being worthy! But now, you’re just worthless…

He was dragging you by your hair downstairs his basement as you went on all fours, crawling down the cold and creaking stairs. This will surely leave some bruises on your knees, but as if that wasn’t just the beginning of Kai’s fit of rage.

„SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!“

He yelled at you as he violently tucked your hair by every line he spoke. The immense pain on your scalp was running through your every nerve of your body, as far as you still had some and your nerve system didn’t go numb yet by the pain you received on a daily basis. Tears of pain and inner rage were streaming down the sides of your eyes, leaving stains of black mascara on each side of your cheeks. You went silent completely, as you weren’t quite sure if he’d kill you in the next moment. You couldn’t help but let out a few huffs as your teeth clenched to restrain the pain.

Tears blurred your sight as he dragged you to the middle of the room as you got surrounded by his followers wearing their silly clownmasks. Kai chuckles in amusement, his head was tilted to the side as he looks at you with a dirty grin…

„Look at her... Such a dirty, little whore…you get what you deserve. After all, you’re the reason we failed the night of a thousand Tates. You’ll pay for that...“

You kneeled onto the wooden floor as your head was hanging down. You remained silent.  You just wanted to avoid to look at Kai nor his filthy followers. Just puppets of Kai‘s and victims of their pitiful selves…

„Now… wanna give me an explanation?“

Kai looked at you… you could feel his impatience was roaming the room. Tension was building up. But you refused to speak. Not even a minute was passing by and Kai pulled your head up by your hair in an instant, as he forcefully made you look at him.

„Our whore isn’t speaking…hmh…“

He threw you onto the floor as you were sobbing and still refusing to talk to him.

„Suit the action to the word, the word to the action!“

Kai spoke out as he raised his hand and snapped with his fingers as madness was coming over him…

„Chair!“

Kai demanded as one of his followers handed him a chair as he was placing it in the middle of the dimmed room as light spots shone from the ceiling, giving it an oppressive atmosphere.

He took a sit. The silence was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. It exchanged the oxigen you needed to breathe. He pulled you up by your hair as you grunted, he pulled you over his lap, your blank ass facing him as it got exposed by your lose skirt. You could feel the dimmed light beaming down as it was just right above you, it made you feel like you were an exhibit in a museum. It made you uncomfortable. So did the followers, standing around Kai and you in a circle like mannequins, as if they were about to stare holes into your flesh.

„You won’t speak…so this will be your misery you’ve put yourself in.

You could feel how Kai’s hand prowled over your exposed skin, as he softly trails over your ass with his cold fingers. He closely leaned into your ear, his breath just stroking the delicate skin…

„You went away with it for too long…you’re disappointing…you’re worthless…you’re nothing, you hear me?“

His voice was so low and calm, still so terrifying. It creeps into your ear as it oscillates with a soft reverb. You were waiting for his next move. Maybe you’re going to die today, you already prepared yourself mentally for it.

„I’ll say it one time, and one time only. Don’t you dare to look at me. If you do, this’ll be your last day. Am I clear?“

Your blood froze as he spoke out these sentences. You knew he could be serious. But maybe he was fooling you. Something he enjoys to do to torture somebody’s nerves to death.

You shook your head in agreement. You could hear a soft chuckle escaping his throat. He reached into his pocket of his jeans as he pulled out a jackknife. You could hear the prominent ‘click‘ sound as he flipped the knife.

„I’m gonna call you ‚whore‘ from now on…fits better after all, doesn’t  it?“

His stupid small talk only made your stomach turn. You could actually feel how a dirty smile formed on his lips. You’d rather play a reverse card on him only to stab him with his knife. Then you’d be a free woman. You thought. But instead, you kept as silent as possible, not to upset the blue haired psycho any further. You could feel the cold blade was grazing tantalizing over your ass, and with a swift move, he cut your panties on one side, and one cut through the middle part. He removed the garment from your body as your shivered, dropping it onto the carpeted floor.

„Oh? What do we have here? A needy whore?“

He spoke as he spotted your aroused entrance, as it was begging to get fucked by Kai. But you couldn’t help but to pull yourself together not to make any noise. All you could do was to stare onto the floor…what was his next move? You thought. It could get worse, definitely. You were waiting for it. You reflexively wanted to turn your head up to Kai but there was that one damn demand of his…and you didn’t want to die yet, so you kept silent instead. You felt how Kai was spreading your ass cheeks, as he spits directly onto your asshole. You were slightly trembling, as you felt how the warm liquid was touching your exposed skin. You knew what he was about to do…you knew it would contain pain…

„On your knees and bend over, now!“

He spoke in a loud and demanding manner, but you didn’t move, not a bit…and it made Kai lose his mind…

„I SAID NOW, YOU FUCKING WHORE!“

He shouted as his usual bariton voice became scarily angry. He grabbed a fistful of your hair as he pulled you off his lap to throw you onto the floor and made you go onto your knees as he basically forced you to do it.

With trembling arms and knees, which held you up with the last strength you had, you forced yourself not to faint as a mixture of sweat and tears was running down your cheeks.

„AND DON’T YOU FUCKIN‘ LOOK AT ME!“

He shouted as he undid the buckle of his belt, removing it from his jeans, as you heard the belt sliding through the belt loops.

Your mind wandered though hundreds of possibilities of what he was about to do…is he going to-

But ‘til you could finish your spoiled thought he already did it; he placed one firm and painful whiplash onto your bare ass as the pain electrified your nerve system. You cried out in pain as you collapsed….you could feel the sheer bliss of Kai’s oh so beloved clown puppets (as they were not more than that), you could actually feel how they were laughing internally, as they weren’t even moving one bit.

„GET UP! C’MON!“

He hissed as he harshly grabbed your tousled hair, using it to put you back to your previous humiliating position, as you did so as you positioned yourself back on all fours.

„Tss…you’re so pathetic…“

He murmured as he was slowly walking back and forth in front of you in such a teasing way as he looked down at you in a rather pitying manner, a smile almost invisible yet visible graced his lips as his gaze did not leave you for even a nick of a second.

„…You dissapointed me…“

Kai spoke while he unzipped his trousers, as he stopped in front of you, his eyes, pitch black were looking at you with such anger, he was able to kill you just with his gaze if he wanted to. You knew you couldn’t look at him so you carefully listened to his degrading words instead.

„You cannot destroy me…“

You heard him speak while rustling noises filled the room; Kai took off his pants along with his boxers as he now placed himself behind you.

„But I’ll destroy you…“

With these words he rammed his rock hard dick right inside of your asshole, your mouth was agape as you let out a drawn out moan.

„Yeah, moan for me you stupid whore, take it all… you want it so badly, right?“

He huffed as he mercilessly pounded into you like an animal, as he grabbed your hair for friction.

„Hmmh…you’re so worthless…so…ugh…fuck…“

Kai groaned as he fucked you ruthless from behind, as he grabbed your ass with his veiny hand, while his other hand was pulling your hair towards him.

„Repeat after me… I’m such a failure“

He spoke as he wanted you to blame you for everything. You’re the reason he failed his masterplan. But everything you wanted to do was to stop Kai from the worst before things went out of hand …He was just going crazy. But you just obeyed, or you’d get killed.

„I-I’m such a…uggh…failure..hmmh..“

You breathed between each thrust, as the pain made your body numb. Sweaty straints of hair decorated your face.

„Yes, you are…argh…shit…I’m gonna -„

He couldn’t even finish his sentence as he reached his orgasm as you felt how his warm seed filled you up, Kai loosened his grip from your hair as he pulled his dick out of your asshole, leaving you unsatisfied with physical and psychial pain. You collapsed onto the floor as your breath was trembling. The circle of Kai’s followers split apart as they marched upstairs and left the basement without a word. Kai put his jeans back on, as he was using his foot to flip you onto your back as you were totally wasted, lying on the floor sobbing and crying out of pain you received by Kai. Kai couldn’t care less about your condition, as you were one of his many mannequins. He took you for granted for his own pleasure.

„This is what you get for not obeying…whore.“

He spoke, his voice…dark and frightening. He spit right into your face before he left, leaving you on your own. You wiped the tears mixed with Kai’s saliva out of your face, thoughts were passing your mind like bullets of regret...

 Why do you still love him?

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

(Wanna say thank you to @fear-is-truth and @doll3tt33 for being my biggest inspirations ❤🙏🏻 you gave me the courage to write 😽)

Gonna tag my favourite blogs @am3ricanh0rrorwh0re , @silverzoomies , @taintandviolent

《 gifs belong to their owner, xrag-dollx all rights reserved. Copying my work is prohibited》

[hiyori-ii]

Interview with An Underground Hero Pt. 1

Pairing: Aizawa Shouta x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1,561

Tags: fem!reader, pseudo!chikan, some grinding, public indecency, post-canon, aizawa is horny and he hates it, slight age gap, reader is in her last year of uni

Author's Note: I have NOT been able to keep Shouta off my mind. He haunts me day and night. In an effort to take back my sanity, I give you this.

a03 link

Shouta’s fingers are stiff as he shoves them into his pockets, the air icy despite the bright sun overhead. The platform is crowded with early morning commuters and he can’t help but curse his luck.

“Ah! Aizawa-san! Good morning!”

Your hand is raised high above the crowd, waving excitedly to catch his attention. Your student I.D. swings back and forth in your grip and he instinctually sinks further into his scarf, desperate to get away from the attention.

You’re out of breath as you slip between two salary-men, “Ha! Made it! Thank you so much for agreeing to meet me here this morning Aizawa-san.”

“I’m so honoured to be interviewing you today!”

————————

When he had first been asked to participate in an interview, the phone was halfway back on the cradle with a firm, ‘No thank you, I don’t do press,’ before you could blink. 

‘W-wait! Wait! This isn’t for the press! W-well, sort of. It’s for school! My school! I’m writing a paper for my final project on heroics and ethics and you’re the perfect person to speak to!” 

The threat of a headache is brewing behind his good eye, begging him to just hang up and get back to grading papers. 

‘Fine. Meet me next Friday at 6:45am on the central line at Tatooin Station. Bring your student I.D. or I’m leaving you behind.” 

He barely hears your squeal of joy before the line cuts, his head already throbbing. 

————————

His acknowledging grunt is barely audible over the sound of the train pulling into the station, people eager to find a spot for the commute ahead already beginning to shuffle closer to the yellow line.

Despite his chilly demeanour, your smile never slips; if anything, his lack of enthusiasm makes your eyes light up even brighter, “Do you always take the train into work, Aizawa-san?”

The two of you have shifted closer to the train doors, and when they finally open you’re both ushered in quickly by the wave of people pressing in behind you.

Without much thought, Shouta guides you across the car and toward the opposite door, eager to get as far away from everyone else as possible.

“Not usually, no. I live on campus but I was on patrol in the neighbourhood last night.”

You’ve both settled up against the sliding doors and Shouta’s thankful for the moment of reprieve. His eye burns from overuse and his right knee is screaming at him to take it easy.

You’re quiet for a moment too long and he risks catching your next wave of questioning to study your face. You’re obviously younger than him but the dark circles under your eyes tell him a thousand tales of sleepless nights spent pouring over research papers and mandatory readings. He wonders how old you really are, noting the claw-machine bag charm dangling from your study bag before taking in your attempt at business casual - a too tight blouse peaking out from under your knit sweater and a skirt that probably fit right a few years ago but now sits high on your waist to accommodate the zip closure. At least you’ve elected to wear dark nylons to make up for the short hemline.

“If you’re too tired to meet today, I’d be happy to reschedule to some other time.”

Your hushed tone pulls him from his thoughts and he can feel his neck flush in embarrassment. ‘Get it together, Shouta, what the hell is wrong with you?!’ 

“N-”, he clears his throat, “No, that’s alright. I’m fine.”

Your lips purse and you look at him like you don’t believe him. Observant. That journalism degree suits you well.

Before you can say anything else, the train is slowing to a stop and the doors open to a flood of even more passengers.

You’re barely able to voice your surprise before you’re being crushed up against the car door by a drowsy middle-aged man with a too large briefcase. Your eyes flicker over to Shouta and despite the bemused grin on your face, he can tell you’re uncomfortable.

Without thinking twice, he’s already making a spot for himself between you and the man, placing his palms above you on the glass window to gently press backwards and open up just enough room for you two to breathe.

When he looks down to ask if you’re alright, you’re already staring up at him, eyes wide and ears brightly flushed.

Ah. Right. Now he’s got you cornered.

He clears his throat again, more aggressively this time, and you snap out of your stupor. “Ha, thank you Aizawa-san. I was totally about to be crushed there!” Your voice has pitched higher and you’re actively avoiding his gaze.

He uses one hand to pull at his scarf, desperate to cool the flush threatening to crawl up his neck, “Don’t mention it.”

The train jolts forward as it accelerates and you both sway with the sudden lurch. You stumble, feet staggering to keep your balance and you quickly reach up to grab onto the loose fabric of Shouta’s jumpsuit.

Your neck is stretched to the side as far as you can manage to avoid eye contact. The apples of your cheeks are stained with a deep flush and your heart is thundering against your ribs; you’re worried he can feel the heat radiating off your thighs from where they’re spread around his right leg.

Meanwhile, alarm bells are blaring in Shouta’s head. Every single moment of irrational lenience over the last week has led him here; he should have never agreed to this interview, should have never gotten on this crowded train, should have never gotten between you and that man ‘cause now all he can focus on is the smell of your hair and the heat of your pretty thighs spread over his bad leg.

Another sudden lurch as the train switches tracks and his knee finally gives out.

He stumbles, not expecting to loose his balance and finds his thigh wedged tightly between your own. Your surprised squeak sends a shock of electricity down his spine and he can feel the press of your tits against his ribs, your laboured breath fanning the gap of skin peaking out from beneath his scarf.

“Shit, sorry, give me a second, my leg- ”

The half-awake business man behind Shouta sways in his comatose state and that ridiculous bag knocks his hips directly into yours.

“Ah!”

The pretty little gasp that slips past your lips has Shouta snapping his head down to look at you, watching as your eyes squeeze shut and your mouth screws up into a tight line.

Oh fuck.

He’s such a pervert.

He knows you can feel the press of his cock against your hip, knows you know he’s hard because of you. And as if he couldn’t get any more pathetic, the whine you let slip is like a phantom pull, drawing him forward to grind into the heat of your body.

He expects you to slap him. To call him a pervert. Call off the interview and report him for sexual harassment.

He doesn’t expect you to let your weight settle down against his thigh. Doesn’t expect you to finally look over at him out of the corner of your eye with tears swimming in your lashline and let your mouth fall open on a silent moan. Couldn’t have dreamed of you reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck and pull him closer to that pretty mouth of yours.

“Please don’t stop.” 

Your voice comes out in a whisper, lust dripping from each syllable and he caves. He blames the pain behind his eye, his shitty knee, the lack of sleep, he blames it all for the way he buries his face into your neck and bites the tendon there. Blames it for the way he reaches down to grab at the meat of your hips and pull you higher up against his cock.

You’re so caught up in the feeling of him rocking against you that you don’t even register the doors opening behind you.

Suddenly you’re tripping backwards and Aizawa is stumbling forward with you, his legs tangled with yours as you’re forced onto the platform by the passengers getting off. You finally catch yourself, back bent and your free leg pushed behind you to balance your weight. When you look up Shouta is there above you, handsome face bright with embarrassment and shock.

You hear a few people complain about the two of you just standing there and you pull away from him, standing straight and frantically trying to fix your clothes in an attempt to ignore the tension settling.

Shouta is left blinking at you completely speechless. What the fuck just happened. 

He opens his mouth to apologize, to say something, anything to acknowledge what he did to you but you beat him to it, smile tight on your pretty face, “So, uhm, would you like to walk the rest of the way?”

He stares for a moment in complete disbelief, his cock twitching in a desperate attempt to keep going, to pull you back toward him and finish what you two started.

“Yeah. Let’s walk.”

You pointedly ignore the dark wet patch just above his bad knee.

[hyunniesgirl]

Call it what you want

Pairing: Hyunjin x fem!reader

Summary: You and Hyunjin were never on the best terms but when you're cheated on and your ex is trying to get you back, Hyunjin does everything he can to prevent it from happening.

Genre: enemies(ish) to lovers, smut, fluff

Words count: 4,038

A/N: all my gratitude and appreciation to my bestie @baby-yongbok who proofread this chapter for me 🩷 thank you so much for the help girly!!!

Warnings for this chapter: gaslight, drinking, mentions of violence, sexual tension, insecure thoughts(if there's anything missing let me know)

Chapter two: Drunk

Previous chapter: shameless

Next chapter: the most precious thing

+18 minors do not interact!!!

You couldn't sleep a wink thinking about the whole situation. ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ Is the only thing that comes to mind when you think about your love life.

You're just so angry and not just because you were cheated on. You can't believe you got so worked up after kissing Hyunjin and his reaction was nearly nonexistent? NOTHING?

Of course you didn't expect it to be the best kiss of his life, he was doing you a favor after all but you got pretty excited and he didn't even get flustered? That's kinda offensive.

After your break up, Eric tried talking to you at school so your friends came up with a system so he wouldn't bother you until you felt ready to face him. You found out after a week that someone filmed Ryujin and Changbin beating the shit out of your ex after you left the party and that made you feel pretty satisfied, it's nice knowing that your friends have your back. So that's the reason he doesn't try getting close to you when your friends are around. Now you are never alone, you always have one of your friends in one of your classes and because you're finishing your course you could choose some electives that overlap with theirs. And luckily most of your class courses are with Chaeryeong.

The problem and the reason why you're so mad is that Hyunjin is sticking around too much, more than he ever did. He is always around the exact friend that's having class with you and you're starting to think that he's doing it on purpose. You’ve had to deal with seeing his disgustingly handsome face every fucking day and it’s been nothing but torture considering the kiss and all of its aftermath. Almost a month has passed since you and Eric broke up. The day after you told him to fuck off, you unblocked his contact just to inform him things were over between you two if it wasn't already pretty obvious.

After communication class you were pretty exhausted, so you and Changbin went to the cafe in front of the school so that you could repay him with a drink of his choice for going out of his way to help protect you from your ex. That's when Hyunjin comes barging into the shop. Why does he always look like he's glowing? He's wearing perfectly fitted clothes as if they were custom made just for him, his hair falls in glamorous waves, it's longer than most men wear but it's just right for him. Long story short: he's hot. You have to admit it and it's really annoying, actually. Why does the guy you dislike have to be so stunning?

"Hey", he says, taking his sunglasses off, bumping fists with Changbin and nodding at you in an attempt to greet you.

"I'm going to order, I'll get yours", he says, seeing the pager light up and buzz on the table.

He asks for a large Iced Americano and the attendant gives him your order. He sees that there's some writing on the coffee sleeve of your drink.

"Hey, saw you and thought you're cute. If you want to hang out sometime, call me: xxx xxxx-xxxx" Hyunjin scoffs, his jaw clenching. He tears the paper apart and throws it in the trash before heading back over to you and Changbin.

"They forgot to put a cup sleeve on mine", you say pouting as you take the drink from Hyunjin's hands. He finds you so cute it's difficult not to smile.

"I can get an extra when I get my order", he suggests and you frown, a strange urge to accept his kindness but you're too proud for that.

"No need, it's not that hot." That’s a lie, it is really hot, but you don't want to accept his help.

"I'm going to meet Chaeryeong, so you can wait for the drink with him, Binnie." You say as you put your bag on your shoulder and wave goodbye. Hyunjin's eyes follow you as you leave, watching you until you are out of his sight.

Chaeryeong was not far, so you thought it wouldn't be a problem to go alone looking for her. When you hear Eric's voice calling for you, you pretend like you didn't and just walk faster looking around for your friend, until he grabs your arm forcing you to look at him.

"Babe, I was calling you, didn't you hear me?", he asks and for a moment you think you're crazy. Didn't he cheat on you? Didn't you break up? Why's he acting like nothing happened?

"What do you want?"

"I missed you", he says, getting closer, giving you puppy eyes and caressing the arm he is holding.

"Don’t pretend like everything is okay." You shake your arm out of his grip. "We broke up, I don’t want to talk to you anymore."

"What did I do that was so wrong?" He asks, His expression void of embarrassment

"What did you do? Are you fucking joking right now?"

"Don’t you think you’re exaggerating?" He asks, pouting. "It meant nothing to me, if you just let me explain-"

'Is he trying to look like the victim while I’m the jealous girlfriend? Doesn't he have a conscience?' You knew this would happen, you knew he would try to talk his way out of this. You take your phone out of your pocket and show him the picture you took of him at the party. His eyes grow wide.

"I’m not going to let you gaslight me into thinking I'm crazy." He tries to take the phone out of your hand but is stopped by a very angry Changbin.

"I see I should have beat you more", he spits, coming in between the two of you. "Get her out of here"

Hyunjin comes over to you, he puts a hand on the small of your back and leads away from the both of them. You're worried about your friend, he could get into trouble if they fight, so you can't help but to take a few glances in their direction until you are too far to see them.

You feel tears running down your face and you can’t seem to stop them. You’re so angry, so hurt. If Eric had only admitted what he did, you wouldn’t hate him so much, but he’s just pretending you’re overreacting and trying to get his way. Everyday you try to push aside the hurt you’re bearing, the feelings of insecurity and anxiety. You have to convince yourself that you did nothing wrong, that he’s the one at fault. You’re afraid of falling in love again, scared of having to go through all of this heartbreak and pain again. Love shouldn’t be like this, love should be light and carefree.

"I can’t believe he showed up when you were alone", Hyunjin says, pulling you out of your worried and anxious thoughts. You look around and notice how far you are from Changbin now.

"I expected it" You say, sighing as you wipe your tears.

"He’s such an asshole, trying to deceive you like that." You scoff, feeling mad. He's not that different.

"Do you think you’re better than him?" You ask and he looks at you, frowning.

"You lead girls on over and over" You continue. You’re trying to hurt him. You want him to feel the hurt that you felt. You know it’s not fair, but it has not been fair to you either. Why do you have to be the only one feeling miserable? He stares at you for what feels like an eternity, sighing before answering.

"I never give false hope to other people", you take a deep breath, you really thought he would lie to you, say he doesn't know what you’re talking about.

"I never accept the confessions of the girls who have feelings for me", he continues, "and the ones I occasionally go out with know I won't date them, it's not my fault that they think they can change me or whatever they choose to take that risk." He sounds hurt, exactly the way you wanted, so why do you feel even worse?

"I don’t see how I’m like him." He finishes, making you feel like your chest is sinking.

"I-"

"We finally found you!" You hear Changbin’s voice and you look towards the sound, he and Chaeryeong look tired, they’re breathing heavily and sweating.

"We searched for you everywhere, why didn’t you answer your messages?", Chaeryeong asks, hugging you.

"I didn’t realize how much time had passed." You say as your eyes stay locked on Hyunjin. He’s avoiding your gaze again just like he did at the party, looking to the floor and making your chest ache even more.

"I’m sorry for worrying you", he says, "I gotta go"

You see him walking away, not glowing so much anymore. You wanted to call his name and apologize, say you shouldn’t have snapped at him like that, but you’re too proud for that. Too proud to apologize to one of the people that came to your rescue when you needed it the most lately. You suck. You really do.

•••

Hyunjin didn’t come around for the next week, your friends even complained about how distant he was. It couldn't be because of your conversation, right? He wouldn't be like that because of something you said. He didn't like you, it doesn't even make sense for him to care about what you say. When the weekend rolls around and you barely see him you feel weird, if you didn't know any better you would think that you're missing him and that wouldn't make sense.

Chan was cooking for the night, your Saturday had been awfully boring, so when he proposed a dinner at his house you accepted right away. His cooking is so good you're salivating with just the smell of onions and garlic. Changbin and Minho are playing Just Dance while Seungmin and I.N. are playing pokémon. Chaeryeong is by your side, complaining about a class you're not into, while Jisung and Felix are helping Chan. The only ones missing are Yeji, who's coming with Ryujin and Hyunjin, that you were informed is not coming.

"Why can't Hyunjinnie come, again?" Changbin asks while waiting for their points to be calculated on the game.

"He said it's school stuff but I bet it's because of a girl", Jisung says and you feel that weird ache in your chest once again.

What does it matter to you if he's with some girl? You not only rejected his request to be friends, you also said some pretty bad things to him. You deserve it if he never looks at you again, you still can't believe you said that to him, just because you were feeling bad doesn't mean you get to treat people that way. You sigh to your own thoughts receiving a suspicious look from Chaeryeong.

"Nah", Minho answers, "he's been hooked on the same chick for quite some time now".

You look at Minho, frowning. You didn't know Hyunjin liked someone. So why was he kissing someone else at the party? Weirdly enough, you swear you saw Minho eyeing you.

****

The moment that Chaeryeong introduced you to them, Hyunjin knew he was done for. Everything about you was appealing to him: the way you smiled talking about the things you liked, how you fixed your hair after the wind messed it up, the way you bonded with all the guys and tried finding things in common with every one of them so that you all would get along.

He couldn't help but stare, your voice was so sweet and your eyes sparkled when you laughed. He tried to be subtle but everytime you joined their group he had the same reaction like a fucking teenager that can't talk to a pretty girl. So when you began acting distant only to him, he felt bad and offended, he didn't think he did anything to make you dislike him. After a while he became distant too so that you wouldn't feel uncomfortable, eventually you both started doing things to annoy each other. He only started bothering you so that you wouldn't just ignore him, he wanted you to acknowledge him even if it was in a bad way.

Hyunjin never disliked you the way you thought he did, when you started going out with Eric he was absolutely heartbroken but he wanted you to be happy even if it wasn’t with him.

So he put his feelings aside and started going out with other girls, maybe if enough time passed he could like someone else. You didn't see it, but his eyes were always on you. Always looking at you to make sure you were happy. He was right behind you when you found Eric at that party, after you walked away he could see your faltering steps, that's when he saw you fainting and caught you just in time. He told the guys about what happened before carrying you out of the house and taking you to his car, trying to be gentler than he ever was even with his paintings while adjusting you in the front seat.

You frowned even when you were unconscious, he couldn't even imagine how hurt you would be when you woke up. So he waited and waited till your eyes opened and he was relieved to see you were alright. He thought it wouldn't be good to drop the act at that moment, you could think he was pitying you. After you left the car he was sure you would cry your eyes out all alone and he couldn't do anything because the two of you weren’t close. So he urged your friends to message you asking to come by but they already had done that and you had rejected their offers. Of course you did, you like to look tough, someone that doesn't need others, but anyone that knows you a little better sees you're a softie.

When you showed up at the studio while he was painting he couldn't believe you actually came looking for him. He was so surprised to see you that he clumsily dropped the paints he was holding. He was planning to get closer to you, close enough so you would like him and when he knew you were over your shithead ex boyfriend he would go for it. Even if you didn't want to go out with him at first he would keep trying to woo you… Of course, he didn't want to force you to like him, he would wait for you to discover your feelings.

Everything went down the drain when you asked him to kiss you. Every bit of his self control just disappeared and when your lips touched his he was sure that you were it for him, the way just touching your soft lips made him feel like he was on fire, your hands wandering through his hair felt like the death of him. He could feel himself getting hard when the door opened abruptly, you silently left the closet and he fixed his pants so as not to show what was happening there. Hyunjin was embarrassed, if just one of your kisses could make him feel that way he could only imagine what it would feel like to actually have you. He couldn't stay there much longer, it was impossible to look at you without approaching you to get something more. But you weren't even looking at him, if you could just glance at him it would be enough, if you just looked at him he would be satisfied. Your eyes were staring at the floor, you didn't look pleased at all.

Did you regret kissing him? Was it that bad you couldn't even look at him? No one ever complained about that, so he thought he was good. Did he ruin everything?

He got out of the room, Hyunjin just couldn't be there for another second looking at your face full of contempt. He went downstairs looking for one of his friends and found Chan taking shots of tequila with a group of his juniors.

"Hey, wanna join us?" He asks and Hyunjin nods, maybe with one or two drinks he would feel better.

Hyunjin shouldn't have mixed drinks, he couldn't walk straight and his head was spinning. To make things worse he could swear he saw you coming in his direction so he went the other way to avoid you, he was afraid to say something stupid. That's when he found Chaeryeong, he asked her to help him get some water because he was not sure if he would be able to walk to the table where the drinks were. The moment his friend looked away someone grabbed him by the collar and kissed him. He wasn't sure of what was happening or if he was just imagining. He put his hands on the person's shoulder and stepped away feeling dizzy. Minho was close by so he dragged Hyunjin out of the party and gave him some water while he got some fresh air.

"Y/N", Hyunjin was babbling and Minho rolled his eyes.

"What is it?" He looked at his friend seated on the grass with his head between his legs, "Are you still hanging onto your crush on Y/N? Didn't you say that you would give up when she started dating?"

Minho asked those questions but he already knew the truth, his friend had never really stopped liking Y/N.

"Kissed her", Hyunjin grumbles rolling his tongue.

"What? When?"

"During that- that game" Hyunjin trips over his own tongue as he tries to answer.

“Dare…truth.. that one.” He answers, looking over at Minho with glazed eyes.

"And how did it go?" He asks, curious.

"Good, it was so so good I could die"

"Well, if you die you won't be able to kiss her again", Minho jokes seeing drunk Hyunjin pout with tears in his eyes.

"I wan kiss her again though" Minho laughs.

"Of course you do" He sighs bending down and slipping Hyunjin's right arm around his shoulder and lifting him, "Let's go home now so you can think about how to kiss her again"

Hyunjin could barely open his eyes when he woke up the next morning, he was really thirsty and his head felt like it could explode at any minute. However, he had one thing on his mind: Win you at any cost.

So he called all of your friends and asked which classes they picked this semester casually asking if any of your other friends were attending that same class. That's how he found out your schedule and sure, that sounds pretty stalkerish of him, but that's the only way he could get close to you without raising suspicion.

When you told him that he was the same as your ex he wanted earth to swallow him whole, he was so mad at himself for making you feel that way and he was hurt that you thought of him in that way. He couldn't look at you anymore, he was too hurt for that. He avoided you for the next week, afraid to meet your gaze and be faced with indifference or even worse, disgust. He didn't even attend the dinner Chan was doing because he couldn't bear to be in the same room with you. That's until he got drunk enough to make his liver beg for mercy, he couldn't even think straight anymore, so he went on a walk for some fresh air and he walked and walked until he was under a really familiar vertical garden.

•••

You got back from dinner after midnight, you are already in your pajamas ready to go to bed when you hear a "clank" coming from somewhere. You can't figure out the source of it so you ignore it until it happens again, you realize that the sound is coming from the door at the balcony. You get close trying to see what is causing the noise, You look down and notice a couple of rocks on your balcony. ‘Who the hell is throwing rocks at my window in the middle of the night?’ You open your window ready to curse at the culprit, when you look down you see Hyunjin looking at you with puppy eyes.

"What are you doing?" You ask and he smiles.

"I wanted to see your face" He answers simply.

"What are you talking about? Why would you want to see my face in the middle of the night, Hwang?"

"I like it when you say my surname" He giggles, "And the answer is: because you're beautiful" You blush wanting to die, why are you blushing? This guy is drunk for sure, bothering you in the middle of the night. So if you know that, why are you blushing? And why do you want to smile?

"Now that you got to see my face you can go home" You say, trying to close the window.

"Noooooo", he screams and you are sure he woke up half of the neighborhood. "I WANNA SEE YOUR FACE UP CLOSE"

"Shut up" You look around to make sure there's no one turning on their lights to see what's happening and when you look at him again Hyunjin is climbing the fence where the flowers are tangled in your vertical garden.

"What are you doing?" You whisper yell at him but he ignores you, continuing to climb until he's on your balcony.

You cross your arms in front of your chest looking at him, he's taking deep breaths but looking really proud of himself.

"I could have opened the door for you if you wanted to come up" You say.

"Oh" He says and smiles shyly, "I'm sorry, I wanted to be romantic" You feel your face hot before you can ask what the hell he's talking about. He looks totally disheveled, messy hair, clothes that look like pajamas and glasses he only uses at home or when he's tired and doesn't want to wear his contacts.

"Care to explain why you’re here?" You smell the alcohol on him so you can already guess.

"I already told you, I missed your pretty face", he answers, pouting like a child that has to answer to their mother after doing something wrong.

"No, you said you wanted to see my face and then said I'm beautiful, you didn't say you missed me" You pick at his words trying to think of a way to send him home without your friends knowing about this situation because you know that if they find out you're done for. They're gonna pester you for the rest of your life asking why Hyunjin would come after you while drunk and to be honest that's a question that you would like to know the answer to too.

"Ah, you're so smart, that's why I like you" He says walking and looking around your room.

"Is that right?" You ask, amused, maybe having him here while drunk isn't so bad.

"Yesssss, and you're pretty and nice and really funny and good at everything you do", you smile without even realizing, what is this guy doing to you?

"Okay, now you have to go home, alright? I have to sleep"

"Let me sleep with you, I'm really good at it" You choke on the air you inhaled, coughing violently.

"What?"

"Humm, I'm good at being the big spoon and I don't take much space in the bed and you can even sleep on my chest and I'll hug you" He's saying that and has the audacity to blush.

You decide to call the guys that lives with Hyunjin, you're not scared of their questions anymore because you're too afraid you're actually going to accept his proposition. You try Minho, and Changbin but no one's answering. Shit. You look back at Hyunjin and see him lying down on your bed.

"For god's sake, Hyunjin" You try shaking him to wake him up with no success. You sigh, what are you going to do now?

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

All characters in my writing are from my own imagination and don't represent nor reflect in any way the people in real life.

Taglist:

@hhwangsmoon @inara-a

[eddiexmunsonlover]

One Step Away From You (Chapter 11)

BSF!Eddie Munson x PlusSize!Fem!Reader

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Chapter Summary: Overwhelmed by your feelings for Eddie, you don't learn your lesson and begin to pull away from him again. But with the help of Steve and Robin, Eddie's not letting you get away so easily this time. WC: 7.6k Warnings: MDNI. Honestly just an emotionally heavy chapter. Anxiety, triggers to previous 'relationship'. Angst, fluff, hurt, and comfort. Well, here it is everybody. The chapter we've all been waiting for! I honestly teared up a bit writing this. I really hope you all enjoy it and feel it was worth the wait, angst, and tension I put you through. Series taglist: @eddie-is-a-god @siriusmaraudeers @amandahobblepot @littlexdeaths

Thursday, February 13th, 1986

“Soooo, how long exactly are you planning on keeping this up?”

Robin’s voice pulls you from your concentration, looking up from your History notes to be met with her expectant gaze. Your eyes flicker around your surroundings in confusion.

“What? …Studying?”

“No, dingus! This thing with Eddie!”

You sigh, shoulders slumping in defeat as she continues rambling. 

“This whole slowly pulling away from Eddie because you think it’s going to magically make your feelings for him disappear. Because that went SO WELL the last time-”

“Robin” you hiss as your eyes dart around the two of you, trying to determine if any of the other students taking shelter in the library instead of the lunchroom can overhear.

“What? It’s true! You’re only hurting yourself and him.”

“It’s only temporary, Rob.” you reassure, making a feeble attempt to both subdue her and bring your focus back to your notes.

“Temporary… right. Well, what if the damage done in the process isn’t?”

Your hands rub over your face in frustration, huffing before you meet her stare.

“Look, it’s not the same as last time. It’s not like I’ve completely shut him out. I’ve just taken a step back, that’s all. Just until I feel like I can handle being around him so much for the rest of the school year.” 

Instead of being met with her continued ramblings, she just stares at you with raised brows. An expression that reads ‘I see right through your bullshit’. Before she can say so, the screeching ring of the bell signaling the end of the lunch period provides the perfect exit to the conversation you’ve been avoiding from both her and Steve.

“This conversation isn’t over!” she insists with a hushed whisper as you enter the school halls.

“Bye, Robin!” you exclaim before parting from her side, heading down opposite ends of the hall to your next class.

Over the last 3 weeks since the events of the concert and Eddie’s birthday, you’d begun to pull away from him. Slowly, bit by bit. Electing to spend more lunch periods with Robin in the library. Spending more evenings with Steve and Robin or your mom. Even visiting your dad a few times. Picking up more work shifts. Some you needed to go to right after school, less carpooling. Nothing that couldn’t be written off with excuses. 

You needed to save money ahead of college in the fall. You’d noticed you were spending less time with your mom and other friends and wanted to change that.

You still carpooled some days, still sat at the Hellfire table for lunch, still attended Hellfire meetings and your movie nights after, but your presence around Eddie had been dwindling.

Enough to be noticeable, but still around enough to not be alarming, you hope.

You don’t know what else to do.

After the night of Eddie's birthday, you felt so overwhelmed with the feelings you’ve been suppressing for so long. Feelings and desires for him. Overwhelmed by his presence. His meaningless pet names and soft touches. 

You’re tired of it, and so are your two other closest friends. Steve manages to bring Eddie up every time you hang out, insisting you just tell him how you feel. 

He doesn’t understand.

You can handle rejection, you’ve dealt with it plenty of times throughout your life. What you can’t handle is rejection from Eddie. The thought alone devastates you, keeping you from confessing the feelings for him you hold so close to your heart, on top of fear it would unravel your friendship.

You turn the knob entering the combination to your locker, switching out your books for your afternoon classes. A sliver of pink flashes through your vision, a card falling to the ground, slipped through the slits at the top. You stare at the pink paper next to your feet for a few seconds, uncertainty filling your mind. 

A Valentine's gram. 

They’d been advertising it all week ahead of Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Tables set up in the front atrium and cafeteria to send candy grams and letters to other students. You take a sharp inhale through your nostrils before reaching down to grab it, twirling it in your hands before getting the courage to open the note.

You’re the most beautiful girl these cynical eyes have ever seen.

Your Secret Admirer

Reading the words over and over again you gulp, forcing down the quickly rising lump in your throat as painful memories are triggered. Heat rises in your cheeks, eyes quickly darting around you. Scanning the halls for anyone watching, snickering with their friends at the prank. 

But no one’s watching you, everyone going about their business. Casually chatting with friends or hurrying down the halls to get to their next class on time. 

You shove the pink note in your bag, grabbing the last of your books before slamming the locker door shut. Trudging down the hall to your next class. Avoiding the eyes of your classmates, even Eddie, as you slump into your seat. 

Memories of this time last year creeping into your mind. 

Justin.

He’d left a note in your locker for Valentine’s Day too. 

“You’re so beautiful.

Meet me by the bleachers at 3”

The day after Valentine’s when you let him be your first and only, just for it to all be a joke. A heartless prank.  

The note in your locker brings back that pain, embarrassment, and anger. The similarities, the anniversary. It poisons your mood for the day, unable to bring yourself to focus at all in your last  classes. Zoning out as you stare at the board, memories of Justin, your friendship and feelings for Eddie swarming your mind.

You’re so consumed by it you don’t hear his footsteps approaching from behind as you leave the classroom.

“Hey, you! What’s up?”

“Oh. Hey, Eds. Not much.”

“You alright? You look a little-”

“I’m fine. Look I um, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” His steps stop with yours as you exit the front doors of the school, quickly lighting a cigarette and taking a drag before you continue. “I’m not going to be able to make it to Hellfire tomorrow.”

“W-What do you mean, is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine. My aunt asked me to cover, the guy that took over my Friday night shifts is sick. I’m sorry.” You shrug defeatedly. 

Another lie added to the list of excuses you’ve fed him over the last few weeks to avoid being around him too much. You asked your Aunt for the shift, but he doesn’t need to know that.

Sighing, his hands go to his hips as he looks around the parking lot.

“Well, you’re going to have to find a sub.”

“I’ll find a sub, Eddie.” You say exasperatedly, rolling your eyes. Before he can comment on your clearly sour mood, you try to dismiss it with a shake of your head. “Look, I gotta go to work. I’ll catch you later, alright?”

You don’t wait for a response as you begin the walk from the school to your truck, hearing his dumbfounded “Alright” from behind you.

Not bothering to let your eyes seek him out as you pull out of the school parking lot.

You hate this.

Hate lying to him. Hate trying to spend just enough time with him to subdue worries or complaints. Hate that you’re doing what you’ve always done; holding everything in, avoiding conflict and procrastinating the inevitable. It’s what you’ve always done because it’s the only way you’ve been taught how to handle your problems. Left to your own devices to figure it out.

You hate that you don’t know how to handle this any other way.

Most of all, you hate that you’re hopelessly in love with your best friend.

Friday, February 14th, 1986

There’s something wrong with you and Eddie knows it. Despite your efforts to pull away from him as slowly and subtly as you can, he’s noticed your growing absence over the weeks. Always giving an excuse that seems to make sense, but he can’t get rid of the gut feeling that something else is going on. He’s asked, but you always tell him everything’s fine. 

You’re just tired, busy, working, trying to spend more time with family. 

The excuses would satisfy anyone else, taking them at face value, but he’s known you long enough to know when you’re holding something in, something that’s weighing heavily on your mind. He can’t deny that your fading presence hasn’t triggered a fear, a fear going back 3 years when you pulled away from him completely. You were thousands of miles away then, but he’s watching you do the same thing now right in front of him, only slower. That realization and the fear that it will reach the inevitable point where you cut him off completely again has had him in an internal panic for the past weeks.

Spending nights alone in his room racking his brain for anything he could’ve done to cause this. The excuses and less time spent together started 3 weeks ago, soon after his birthday and the concert the week before that. He relives those nights. 

The concert. He admits he let himself get carried away in a few moments. Letting the energy and environment take over, touching you more than he usually would. Hoping you’d see it as nothing more than him being a protective friend, and at the same time hoping you’d see it for what it really is, his feeble attempt at sending you signs of his feelings he’s too afraid to admit. Too afraid those feelings would scare you away, cutting him off from your life again. 

Maybe that’s exactly what’s happening now. You saw his actions for what they are. He was too forward, too creepy. It overwhelmed you. He feels so damn stupid, jeopardizing your friendship like that by putting his selfish desires first.

And who knows what he did the night of his birthday, drinking too many Rum and Coke’s to remember. He cringes at the thought, regret filling his mind and body.

Maybe he took it a step even farther in the wrong direction with that Valentine’s note left in your locker. He’d convinced Gareth to write it for him, you’d recognize Eddie’s handwriting but not his. He knew you’d see it before your afternoon classes, hoping at the least it’d just put a smile on your face. But there was no smile in sight when you walked into English class, a frown and a look of sorrow etched into your features. 

He knew he’d fucked up. When you told him you’d be missing Hellfire, despite your seemingly reasonable excuse, he can’t help but think the reason is really him.

Your usual seat at Hellfire is taken by Max. He wonders what you did to convince the girl to take your spot as she looks among the members in skepticism. Your absence at Hellfire leaves a hollow feeling in his heart. You’d never missed a campaign since you joined, the thought that this wouldn’t be the last scares him. Despite worrying that he’s done too much and has pushed you away, he feels like he has to do something. Fear driving him to fight in some way, but he isn’t sure what to do.

That uncertainty drives him to the parking lot of Family Video after Hellfire to seek out the help of your other best friends. Watching various customers leave under the neon sign, couples renting romance movies for the holiday. His rings anxiously tap against the steering wheel as he gathers his courage, waiting for the right moment. The less people in the video store, the better. A Friday night on Valentine’s Day probably wasn’t the best choice, but he can’t stand being stuck in his own head any longer.

Van keys in hand, he slams the driver’s door shut before striding toward the glass doors.

“Welcome to Family Vid-” Steve begins his usual work greeting, cut off guard looking up from the stack of tapes to see Eddie approaching the counter. “Ah, Munson. Here to rent another gory slasher?”

Robin’s ears quirk up at the mention of Eddie’s name, disregarding the customer in front of her asking about the latest Tom Cruise flick as she peeks over the video stands toward the counter.

“Uh, no. I’m actually here to talk.” Eddie mutters as he looks around the store, appearing frazzled. Skin clammy and hair more wild than usual. His eyes meet Robin’s, which widens before turning back to her customer, failing to appear nonchalant.

“Talk?” Steve crosses his arms, acting surprised. He already knows, though, what exactly Eddie wants to talk about. Given the increasing distance you’ve put between you two, Steve knew it would come to a head eventually. He didn’t exactly expect Eddie to seek him out for it, however.

“Yeah, about Y/N. I don’t know, something’s wrong. She’s not around as much anymore and I know there’s something going on.”

“Oookay. Have you tried talking to her about it?”

“Do you think I’d be here right now if I hadn’t?” His nostrils flare and lips tighten as frustration fills him. He takes a breath to calm himself. “Everytime I ask her, she says everything’s fine. She has to work more shifts, she’s spending more time with you two. But I know there’s more to it.”

Robin joins the duo, sliding up to the counter to eavesdrop more closely, inserting herself in the conversation.

“Alright… I’m not exactly sure where we fit into this, Munson.”

Eddie flashes him an incredulous look. He’s going to have to pry it out of him.

“She won’t tell me what’s going on, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t told you two what’s going on.” He points a finger at them accusingly, his impatience beginning to rise.

“Ha. Nope, no no no no no no” Steve scoffs, raising his hands in an attempt to remove himself from the situation. With her customer checked out and heading out the doors, Robin steps beside Steve to face Eddie.

“Look, Eddie. As frustrating as this situation may be, believe me, I know. What kind of friends would we be if we blabbed her business behind her back, things she’s told us in confidence?”

He knows she’s right, but it only lands him in the same spot he’s been, stuck. Leaning his elbows on the counter, his head falls in his hands as his mind swells in frustration and overwhelm. He rubs his eyes, taking a shaky inhale.

“I don’t know what else to do. I’m stuck… I’m scared she’s just gonna pull away completely again. I just can’t take that.”

The sound of his voice, the subtle shakiness and cracking in it. The sight of him with his head in his hands, helpless. It hits Steve right in his chest. His hand shoots to his forehead, squeezing his eyebrows together in disgruntlement before he sighs.

“Look, Robin’s right. But” he shares a look with her. “We’re willing to help.”

Eddie’s eyes peek over his hands to observe them, seeing their genuine expression he removes them from his face completely.

“Well, you got any bright ideas?”

Steve shares another unspoken look with Robin and it’s nearly enough to send Eddie over the edge.

“Let me ask you something, Munson.” Steve begins, taking a step closer to the counter between them, arms returning to cross over his chest. He reads Eddie for a moment before continuing.

“You love her, don’t you?” He asks plainly. It catches Eddie off-guard, forcibly blinking his eyes repeatedly before shaking his head. Scoffing out a laugh.

“I- Well of course I do, she’s my best friend.”

He gets nothing but silence from the duo. Robin’s head tilts ever so slightly, Steve’s eyes squinting as they examine him. 

It’s more than that. He knows it, and they know it. But Eddie grows defensive under their prying gaze and question. That small spark of jealousy reigniting as he looks at Steve.

“Ha. Oh, I see. You’re just trying to see if you’re going to have some competition getting in your way, huh?” he accuses, posture straightening and puffing his chest out. But Steve only returns the accusation with a look of confusion, furrowing his brows.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous, Munson. Don’t get me wrong Y/N’s a great girl, but we’re nothing more than friends.”

“Yeah. Platonic… with a capital P!” Robin adds.

The air filling Eddie’s chest deflates with a huff, almost a sigh of relief. His calloused hand rubs over his face.

“Well, based on that reaction I think I have the real answer to my question.” Steve remarks, sharing another look with Robin.

Eddie looks around the empty video store before slowly nodding his head.

“Yeah. I love her. Really love her.” he admits, a small weight off his chest with the confession.

Steve releases a sigh of his own, slumping his back against the counter as he tries to think.

“So? What do we do?” Robin presses him, hands flared out by her hips. 

“Just-” A hand flies up to stop her. “Let me think, alright?”

Silence falls among the trio as Steve is lost in thought. Weighing their options as he feels the eyes of Robin and Eddie on him. Waiting for him to come up with a solution. A few moments pass before he slowly begins nodding his head, a small smirk appearing on his lips before his eyes look up to meet theirs.

“Yeah, alright. I’ve got an idea. But let me make one thing clear…shit, who am I kidding. If this plan fails it’s going to bite us all in the ass. So let’s make sure it doesn’t, alright?”

It’s another one of those nights. Despite your body being exhausted from a busy Friday shift at work, your mind is nowhere near winding down. Freshly showered and in a clean set of pajamas, you survey your room for something to do. The second your eyes land on your purple bass guitar, it’s decided. Losing yourself in music is one of your go-to’s for nights like these, providing plenty of distraction from your thoughts. 

Sliding the guitar strap over your head, you switch out the tapes in the stereo and press play. As Hang on to Your Love by Sade begins, your fingers flawlessly follow the bassline you’ve played countless times in the nearly 2 years since the Diamond Life album’s release. Your eyes close letting the music flow through you, singing along, head and body moving with the beat under the purple glow of your string lights.

In Heaven's name, why are you walking away?

Hang on to your love

In Heaven's name, why do you play these games?

Hang on to your love

Take time if you're down on luck

It's so easy to walk out on love

Take your time if the going gets tough

It's so precious

So if you want it to get stronger

You'd better not let go

You gotta hold on longer

If you want your love to grow

Gotta stick together

Hand in glove

Hold tight, don't fight

Hang on to your love

You sing and play along as your feet move you around the room, hips swaying to the beat. You let your mind focus on the rhythm, fingers following the repetitive baseline. Making an effort to not focus too much on the lyrics, less the irony slap you in the face. You know they’re right, deep down. Having the courage to follow the truth of it is another story.

He sits in the driver’s seat after the engine goes quiet, collecting his thoughts. Going over the plan he made with Steve, all the things he wants to say to you. He steps out of the van, closing the door behind him before heading toward the trailer. Unlocking the front door, he spares a glance toward your trailer, your window. Purple light shining through the sheer curtains. 

You. 

The faint outline of your figure clad with your guitar. Body swaying to the bassline you pluck with your fingers. He sighs, pulling his eyes from the sight and closing the trailer door behind him.

Secluding to his bedroom for the night with hope that Steve’s plan works.

Saturday, February 15th, 1986

A smirk plays on your lips, watching as Steve’s BMW pulls into your driveway. Steve and Robin waving at you from the front seat.

“Come on, it’ll be like old times last summer. Driving to work together, and you know, we can go for a drive around town after, listen to music, get some ice cream then have a movie night!” Steve propositioned you over the phone an hour ago. You figured he wants to do something to lighten your mood, take you back to the late nights your little trio would have last summer after your Scoops Ahoy shifts.

Which has led to you sitting in Steve’s backseat as he drives down Hawkins main road to drop you off at the restaurant before the two head to their own shifts. Giggling to yourself as you listen to their usual bickering from the front seat.

“Alright, give the store a call when you’re done and we’ll pick you up” he smiles as you get out of the car, quickly returning the gesture to him.

“Aye-Aye, Captain. See you guys later!” They wave bye before watching you part, releasing a deep sigh when you disappear into the restaurant and he shifts the car in reverse.

“I really hope this doesn’t blow up in our faces” Robin mutters from the passenger seat, fingers massaging her forehead before looking at Steve.

“Tell me about it… she’s gonna kick my ass.” He spares one last look at the restaurant before driving back onto the main road toward Family Video.

You can’t deny you feel excited for your after work plans, the prospect of being able to live in the moment with your friends and not in your head with stress. Business keeps at a steady pace throughout the day, offering you plenty of distraction from those thoughts and that nagging feeling in the bottom of your stomach you can’t quite place your finger on. 

When closing time comes around, the dinner rush that’d hit has left you feeling exhausted. With aching feet and a sore back, you scuffle over to the restaurant telephone. Dialing the number to Family Video, you glance at the clock. 10 minutes past their closing time.

“Uh, Family Video?” Robin’s voice greets you with hesitation, usually avoiding answering any calls that come in after closing time. Expecting your call, she hopes she didn’t just accidentally answer a customer.

“Hey, it’s me. I’m finished here if y’all are ready?”

“Oh! Yeah, right! Weeee are about to leave right now. Be there in a few!” Your brows furrow at the fluctuations in her voice.

“Uh alright, see you soon”

“Kay, bye!” Her cheeks puff out as she slams the phone down on the receiver.

“Nice. Real smooth, Robin.” Steve remarks with a shake of his head.

“Well you should’ve answered then, dingus!”

You put the phone back on the receiver before turning to collect your belongings from the back room, saying your goodbyes to your coworkers and clocking out. A few minutes later you’re wandering out the restaurant doors into the cold February air. A quick look around the parking lot tells you they’re not here yet. You decide to take a seat for the first time since the start of your shift, figuring you have enough time for a quick cigarette before the BMW pulls up any minute now.

5 minutes later, the cherry on your cigarette has met the filter and still no sign of Steve and Robin. Your foot bounces anxiously against the loose gravel beneath your feet. The video store is only 3 minutes down the road. Maybe they got caught up in closing tasks? But Robin said they were leaving right then on the phone… 8 minutes ago.

The roar of an engine on the quiet road pushes through your thoughts, turning your head when you hear tires crunching on loose gravel.

But it’s not Steve’s BMW you see. It’s the oh-so familiar van. 

Eddie.

Your stomach drops at the sight as he pulls up right in front of you, leaning over to lower the passenger window.

“Get in, I’ll give you a ride home.”

“I um,” your palms rub against your thighs as you rise from your seat, looking down the streets before meeting his gaze. “I already have one. I’m waiting for Steve and Rob, we have plans tonight.”

He doesn’t respond, only stares at you with an almost sympathetic look. As you read his expression, his lack of a response, the realization hits you under his gaze. Inhaling sharply as you look down the streets, lips tightening into a firm line.

“Goddamn it, Harrington.” you mutter under your breath. 

He set you up.

After your call to Family Video, Steve hastily called Eddie, setting their plan to ‘corner’ you into motion.

You take one last look at the empty streets, knowing that BMW isn’t coming. With a huff, you walk toward the passenger door of the van, climbing in. Eddie doesn’t waste any time pulling out of the parking lot and back onto Main Street, heading in the direction of the trailer park.

An uncomfortable silence falls between the two of you, only the low volume of a Black Sabbath tape flowing through the van.

Your anxiety grows when Eddie continues driving past the turn leading to the trailer park. You quickly look at him. “I thought you were taking me home?”

“I will. Just going somewhere else first.” he returns simply, eyes never wavering from the road to meet yours.

You hastily light another cigarette in an attempt to calm your nerves and the anxiety sitting in your gut. Mind racing as you try to determine your destination. When the van turns onto a dirt road you’ve been on a few times before, you know exactly where he’s taking you.

Soon enough you see the moonlight glimmering off the water as the coverage of the trees lining the road clears up to the shore of Lover’s Lake. At the end of the road, he turns the van and backs it up so the backdoors will open to the shoreline. The sound of the soft lapping of waves is the only thing you hear when he kills the engine. 

Eddie hesitates his next move, sitting idly in the driver's seat. Looking down as he fidgets with the rings on his fingers before opening his door, climbing out of the van and shutting it behind him. Leaving you sitting there dumbfounded in the passenger seat.

This is it. They haven’t given you a choice in the matter. Both Eddie and your friends have had enough of your avoidance. Side-stepping Eddie for weeks and your feelings for even longer.

You’re sure this is his confrontation, not letting you leave until you’ve satisfied his questions.

Maybe he already knows your answers, the real answers. Who knows what Steve and Robin told him. You don’t believe they’d spill the beans so easily, but maybe they’ve grown so tired of witnessing this dance with Eddie that they’ve told him the truth themselves. Your heart doesn’t believe they would, but your anxiety isn’t consoled by that belief in this moment.

You hear the creak of the backdoors of the van opening from behind you, followed by the subtle shift in movement with Eddie’s body. A quick peek confirms it, his back towards you as he sits on the edge of the van, watching the water with a lit cigarette.

With a shaky breath you open your door and climb out, taking slow steps walking the length of the van till you’re at the back. Arms crossed against your chest, the toe of your shoe lazily digs into the dirt.

“What are we doing here, Eds?”

He takes a long drag of the cigarette, head hanging as he tries to find the right words, the right way to approach this.

“I… figured it was a nice place to talk.” His eyes finally look up to meet yours for the first time since he picked you up.

“To talk?”

He sighs, rubbing his free hand along the black denim covering his thigh.

“Y/N… I know there’s something going on that you’re not telling me. You’ve been pulling away, you’re not around as much and-and you give all these good excuses but I know there’s another reason for it. I can feel it.” His brown eyes are pleading as they look into yours before you divert your gaze away toward the lake, the speed of your heartbeat rising.

“I just… I can’t do this” you shake your head as you face the ground, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth to chew anxiously.

“All these years you’ve been able to tell me almost everything. What’s so different now, huh? With whatever it is that’s going on?” he pushes, the pleading in his eyes now seeping into his voice. “Did I do something?”

“God. No, Eddie. You didn’t do anything.”

“Then why can’t you just tell me?”

“Because… Because it’ll change the way you look at me, Eddie. Our friendship, everything. It won’t be the same.” you insist, fighting the panicked feeling from filling your stomach and rising up your throat. Your words and the distressed look creeping onto your face brings him to his feet, moving to approach you.

“Hey. Look at me.” His hands grab onto your arms, holding you in place to face him.

“Nothing could ever change that. Change our friendship and how much you mean to me. Hell, even after not speaking to me for 3 years, you’re still my best friend. Losing you is the last thing I want, and these last few weeks I’ve been terrified that’s exactly what’s happening. I can’t lose you again, Y/N. So please, just tell me what’s going on.” His voice is soft and sincere, only adding to the overwhelming emotions coursing through your body.

Panic. Fear. Worry. Guilt. Shame.

Scared to finally reveal the feelings you’ve held and hidden for so long. Guilt at seeing and hearing through his voice the hurt you’re causing him. It’s enough to push you in the direction you know you need to take. You can’t keep doing this to yourself, to him. Neither of you deserve it, but certainly not the boy you’ve loved for so long who stands before you, pleading for you to let him in and stop casting him out.

“Okay. Okay. Fine… I’ll tell you just- just give me a minute, okay?” You look into his eyes, offering a plea of your own. He nods softly, removing his hands from your arms and taking a step back, returning to his previous spot on the back edge of the van. Elbows on his knees, eyes following your figure as you begin to pace back and forth in front of him.

Your movements falter bringing yourself to one spot in front of him, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. You tilt your head back, facing the sky as you close your eyes. Taking a deep breath, attempting to hold back the tears threatening to slip. Your head falls back down to face him, ready as you’ll ever be.

“When I told you why I stopped talking to you for those years I was away… I didn’t exactly lie, but I didn’t tell you the whole truth either. It’s the same reason why I’ve been distant these last few weeks.” You begin, arms wrapped around yourself for comfort as he sits there, listening intently. 

“And the reason is that…I love you.” You confess with a shaky breath, daring your eyes to meet his. His brow furrows as he looks at you, confusion etched across his features.

“I-I don’t understand. I love you too… you’re my best-”

“No, Eddie…” you cut him off with a sigh, frustrated with yourself most of all. That you’ve held this in for so long, regardless of how he’s going to take it.

“I don’t just love you… I’m in love with you. I-I always have been.”

There it is. 

The culmination of years of feelings, memories, touches that linger for seconds longer than they should, pain, and lust. Finally out in the open. 

A weight is off your shoulders but the confession doesn’t subside the anxiety swirling in your body, pushing you further.

Your feet move you to pace again, refusing to look at Eddie. Avoiding an expression that’ll break your heart before the words even come out of his mouth.

“I just, I couldn’t handle the pain and the feelings for you when I moved away, that was the real underlying reason why I stopped calling. I thought out of sight out of mind, you know? That my feelings would go away but they never did. A-and moving back just made those feelings for you more intense and then with the concert and your birthday, it was just so overwhelming” you ramble, barely taking a breath as the manifestation of your anxiety flows from your lips. The more you talk, the more you delay the inevitable response you expect from him.

“I know it’s foolish but I just did the same thing again. Thinking if I just put some distance between us it would go away. A-and I never said anything because I know you could never feel the same way about m-” 

You’re so focused on overexplaining yourself, staring at the moving ground below your feet that you don’t notice when he stands from his spot. 

He moves in front of you, hands returning to your arms to stop your pacing before they move up to softly cup your red, chubby cheeks. You barely have the time to process what’s happening before his lips come crashing down onto yours. It feels like time stands still, your mind in shock.

A gasp escapes your mouth before you press your lips just as hard against his. The feeling of his soft lips releasing all the tension held tight in your body, relaxing your chest and shoulders as one of your hands slides up to tangle itself in his messy curls. A motion you’ve fantasized about doing for so long. 

His actions speak louder than words ever could. Conveying years of suppressed feelings, wants and desires for you. Years of heartache from all the things he’s wanted to do with you, lost time from tiptoeing around your feelings for each other for so long. It’s all come to this very moment. He puts every ounce of the years of love, desire, and lust he’s held for you into the kiss.

Your eyes squeeze shut hard, but it doesn’t stop the tears from sliding down your cheeks. Hitting his thumb before he gently wipes it away. The gesture only causes more streaks to stain your cheeks.

You feel like you’re dreaming. This can’t be real, but his touch grounds you. Losing yourself in his lips, not stuck in your thoughts for the first time in weeks. 

Just him. 

Consuming every fiber of your being.

His lips part from yours, but his touch lingers. His forehead and nose press against yours. Thumb wiping away the stray tears on your cheeks as you look into his dark irises. Falling silent as you catch your breaths. 

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that, sweetheart.” He mutters softly, moving a hand from your cheek to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. Catching sight of the gloss covering his eyes, tears filling his waterline and threatening to spill.

In those few seconds, the guilt comes flooding back in.

“I’m so sorry, Eddie. I didn’t know how to handle it or what to do. I didn’t think you could ever see me as more than just your friend.”

“I’d call you crazy for not being able to see it this whole time, but I guess that makes me crazy too”

“Safe to say we’re both crazy… and stupid”

“Very stupid”

You smile at each other like idiots, holding one another in a tight embrace. Enjoying the touch you’ve both craved from each other for so long. 

“Don’t feel too bad about it. I didn’t know how to handle it, either. I never thought you could love me that way.”

You scoff at the admission, looking over all the features you’ve loved for so long, illuminated in the glow of the moonlight.

“I’ve always seen you for you, Eddie. When no one else has… and I love every part of you.”

He takes a shaky breath, closing his eyes with a small smile. A single tear falling down his cheek. 

You’re right. You’re the only person outside of Wayne who’s seen him for who he truly is- good and bad, strengths and weaknesses. That someone could see him at his lowest lows, see his faults and traumas, see the real him through his reputation and still love him, and not just despite all those things. Truly love him. He never thought that was possible.

And here you are, telling him you’ve been in love with him this whole time.

Confidence overtakes you, letting yourself lean in to kiss the single tear, stopping it from falling further down and meeting his jawline.

His eyes slowly open, thumb caressing your cheekbone as he looks at you with such endearment. 

Everything in this moment makes you feel lightheaded.

The weight off your shoulders at finally confessing your feelings, let alone Eddie reciprocating them. The lingering sensation on your lips of his. His breath fanning against your face. The way his eyes are full with so much love and adoration.

Now that you know what it feels like, you only want more. You press your lips to his again, moving against each other seamlessly, almost they were made for his. The kiss is gentler than the first, taking your time with each other but holding just as much passion. His arms wrap around your waist, holding you tight against his firm, warm chest.

When your lips part again, your hands slide behind his head. Nuzzling your face into his neck, standing there in a tight embrace with nothing but the soft sounds of the lake, your heartbeats and breaths surrounding you. Despite feeling like time has stood still in your heart-to-heart with Eddie, it flies by later into the night. The outing to the lake has served its purpose, lost in each other’s touch until the late February air sends shivers down your spines.

“It’s getting cold out here, hun. Let’s head home, yeah?”

You nod against his chest, regretfully pulling apart from him before his hand snakes down to intertwine his fingers with yours. Guiding you to the passenger door of the van that he quickly opens for you, helping you in.

Comforting heat quickly fills the van as Eddie pulls off the dirt road. The roar of the engine sends a relaxing vibration through the seats. The familiar melody of Black Sabbath playing through the speakers. Eddie’s warm hand reaching to hold yours as street lights pass overhead. The long day behind you of school, work, and an emotional night with Eddie.

They all come together, taking their toll and lulling you into a state of relaxation as exhaustion kicks in. Your eyelids grow heavy and you don’t have the energy to fight it. 

He glances at you from the driver’s seat. Hearing your heavy breaths and the movement of your chest with them. Head slumped against the headrest. 

He doesn’t think his heart has ever felt so full, warm and swelling at the sight.

As he brings his eyes back to the road, he makes a mental note that he’s going to have to thank Steve and Robin big time.

“Sweetheart”

Your heavy eyelids flutter open at the sound, warmth rubbing against your thigh. Through blurry vision you recognize you’re still in the van, only now parked in Wayne’s driveway. To your side, Eddie stands in the open frame of the passenger door.

“Hey, we’re home.” his voice is so soft, yet husky.

You attempt to rub the sleep from your eyes before you greet him with a tired smile, sliding your hand in his as he helps you out of the van.

“I um, I hope I’m not being too forward asking this but- do you wanna stay with me tonight?” he asks hesitantly, puppy dog eyes staring into yours.

“I’d love that. But, I’ve been sweating all night and I smell like grease…”

He laughs, glancing down at your hands held in his before looking back up to you.

“I don’t mind if you don’t.”

“Well good, cause I don’t think I could stand long enough for a shower if I wanted to.”

“Better get you inside before you collapse on me, then.” he smirks, wrapping an arm around you. Hand resting on your waist as you trudge up the steps into Uncle Wayne’s trailer.

You thank yourself for keeping an emergency change of clothes in Eddie’s closet, keeping your desire to be comfortable in mind for movie nights after Hellfire meetings. You slip into the bathroom, changing into the spare pair of sweatpants and a tank top as quickly as your tired limbs can manage.

Entering Eddie’s room, you’re greeted with the sight of him already laid in bed with a lit joint between his lips. Dressed in a faded Motorhead shirt and boxers. 

You’ve shared sleeping quarters plenty of times over the years, but now with your feelings for each other in the open and the sore tingling that lingers on your lips from his, shyness overcomes you. With rosy cheeks you shuffle your way to the other side of the bed, climbing in beside him before he passes the joint to you.

Gladly accepting the hit, smoke fills the bedroom with a comfortable silence falling between you. His arm extends behind your head, beckoning your cheek to rest against the warm, bare skin of his bicep. 

“Sooooo” he begins, exhaling smoke from his lips before his eyes fall on you. “Does this mean you're my girl now?”

His voice falls soft on your ears, almost shy as his lips form a small smile. You blush at the question, diverting your eyes from his as you take the joint from his fingers for another hit.

“I’ve always been your girl. Even when you didn’t know it.”

“Well that makes two of us then” he smile widens before faltering. “Well- not girl. I mean, your boy?... I guess… whatever, you know what I mean.” 

You giggle and he swears it’s his favorite sound in the whole world. Admiring the way your smile spreads to your round cheeks, making them pop out even more. If he didn’t already know you’d slap his hand away he’d pinch them, something he did one too many times to tease you in your younger years.

You turn on your side fully facing him as he takes the final hit of the joint, putting it out in the ashtray on the bedside table. Looking over his features, smiling when he catches you. Your hand reaches out to push his loose curls away from his face, breath catching in his throat at the sensation of your warm fingers grazing against his cheek.

“You’re so beautiful, Eds” you breathe out, causing blood to rush to his cheeks. 

“You’re the most beautiful girl these cynical eyes have ever seen.” he recites like poetry, gazing adoringly at you.

“That was you?” Eyes widening at the realization.

“Who else did you think it was?”

“I don’t know… I thought it was just some prank.”

“Yeahh… you didn’t look too happy in class after I figured you’d seen it.”

You shake your head thinking back on it.

“It just brought up bad memories of that guy I told you about, Justin. All that stuff that happened with him… it was this time last year. Valentine’s Day and all.”

You watch his chest rise and fall with a sigh. A mix of anger and love filling him, seeing the lingering effects that asshole has left on you. His free hand reaches out to grab yours, thumb gently caressing the skin on the back of it.

“Hey” he calls your attention back to him, begging your eyes to meet his again. “You don’t have to worry about anything like that ever happening to you again.” he declares reassuringly.

You never thought you could love him more before tonight, and here he is yet again proving you wrong. When his head slowly creeps closer to yours, you don’t waste a second meeting him half way. Lips colliding in a slow kiss, soft breaths escaping each time your mouths part before meeting again, closing the distance between as your chest presses against him. 

When sleepiness inevitably begins to take you over again, he wraps both arms around you and holds you against him. Your own sliding around his waist as your head finds a place on his chest for the night. Countless nights sleeping next to each other, Eddie finally gets to close the distance and hold you the way he’s always wanted. Chin resting atop your head, he’s the closest he’s ever felt to pure bliss.

With Eddie wiping away all your worst fears of what finally revealing your true feelings for him would look like, you easily give in to letting your heavy eyelids close. The rhythmic sound of his heart beating against your ear soothing you to sleep.

[ahyperactivehero]

Please please please a drabble I've been in a constant state of panic. Maybe a fluff fic of Edwin and Charles at an amusement park or carnival? ❤️

sorry this leaned somewhere between fluff and... sad? not really, but there is a touch of it, which i feel like sort of fits with the day everyone has had.

much love to you, @edwinspaynes and thank you for the prompt <3 <3 <3

(i took drabble prompts during election night and am currently getting them out. everyone, please stay safe my loves <3)

Drabble 3

May, 1990

Charles hadn’t realized how much his enjoyment of carnivals or amusement parks depended on the types of foods he could eat until he couldn’t enjoy them.

He’d practically begged Edwin to come with him, but now that he was here, he wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t play any of the games– the person manning the booth couldn’t see him. He couldn’t eat any of the food– it would pass right through him and it’s not like he could taste it anyways.

So what was there left to do? He eyed all of the rides nearby, but quickly ruled them out one by one. He might have convinced Edwin to come with him, but he couldn’t picture him on any of the rides.

He sighed and kicked at the dirt. He didn’t even know why he was making a big deal about any of this. It’s not like it really mattered. Not when he was alive and certainly not now that he was dead.

“Do you–” Edwin started and then trailed off. “Is there a ride you would like to go on?” He looked around, his eyes landing on a group of teens walking by and followed them as they passed through them. He did that sometimes, his attention getting caught on something and just running away until something brought it back.

“Nah, mate,” he said with a forced smile he hoped Edwin couldn’t see through. “S’not really that important.”

Edwin furrowed his brows, that very distinct line appearing between them. “But you were excited?” he said, his voice tipping into a question.

“Not really,” Charles lied. “Just thought it might be cool to check out.”

That same confused look stayed on Edwin’s face. “But I–” he cut himself off and fixed his bowtie, which was already very much in place. “Very well.”

He smiled again and bumped his shoulder, completely content to head to the Hall of Mirrors and leave. Edwin, it seemed, had other plans.

“If you did want to ride something, however, need I remind you that any and all rides are open to us,” he said, waving his hands in a way that gestured to the rides around them. “It is not like ghosts need wait.”

“Wouldn’t wanna make you do anything you don’t wanna do,” he said with a shake of his head.

That line only seemed to deepen. “What makes you think that?” he asked. “Besides, aren’t we here because…”

Charles frowned and tilted his head. “Here ‘cause what?” 

Edwin cleared his throat. “Well, it is your birthday, is it not?”

Blood that no longer existed seemed to freeze in him as he stared at Edwin. “What?” he asked, his throat locking up.

Thin, nimble fingers darted up and down Edwin’s coat before settling into fists against each other. Nervous, flighty energy rolled off of him in waves, nearly strong enough to make Charles sick.

“Perhaps I was mistaken,” Edwin said. “I– well, I just thought.”

Charles thought back to the last time he had looked at a calendar. It was hard to keep track of what day it was when you never needed to sleep. Or had any sort of usual schedule. Or real purpose in this afterlife.

Not that he didn’t think hanging out with Edwin was brills, because it was. And he definitely rather be doing absolutely fuck-all with him than moving on, but that didn’t mean some things weren’t hard.

“No,” he said after calculating it in his head. “You were right.” 

This would be the first birthday since his death. The first one that he’d celebrate without a word from his mum or dad. Not that he was exactly keen to hear from his dad, but it was the principle of the thing, wasn’t it?

“So,” Edwin said, looking over to one of the spinning rides. “Do you want to ride?”

“Nah,” he said again. He turned away, already planning his route back to the closest mirror when Edwin piped up.

“What if I did?” he asked.

He nearly tipped over from stopping so fast. Charles turned, looking at Edwin with unchecked disbelief on his face. “You wanna ride?” he asked, unable to stop himself from looking Edwin up and down. Had anyone ever rode an amusement park ride with a bowtie on before?

That strange, calculating look came over Edwin’s face. The same one he got when something had especially sparked his interest. Last week it had been one of Charles’s favorite songs; even though Edwin had claimed to dislike it because it was just ‘noise.’

That hadn’t stopped him from catching Edwin humming it under his breath later that afternoon.

“I must admit I am rather interested in them,” he said, glancing at Charles from the corner of his eye. “It seems as though everyone is enjoying them, but I find myself unable to understand why.”

Ah, so that was it. Edwin always did love a question.

“Bit of fun, innit?” Charles said. “Kinda like riding a horse or a bike or skateboard.”

Edwin nodded. “I do like horses, although I fear I am not sure what a skateboard is.”

Right. Should have guessed that.

“So you really wanna go?” Charles asked. Even he could hear how desperate he was for Edwin to say yes.

Because Edwin would say yes, if Charles asked. That was something he’d found out rather quickly about the boy. No matter what it was, he almost always agreed to try something, even if he was sure he’d hate it. How long he was committed to trying tended to depend on the action.

But Charles didn’t want to have to ask. He knew it wasn’t fair, but he wanted someone who wanted to willingly do what he wanted to do, even if that was as simple as riding the whirling ride in front of them.

“I wouldn’t have said so if I didn’t want to,” Edwin said, and Charles was sure that was the case.

“Right!” Charles said. He clapped his hands together and shuffled Edwin towards the ride. “Let’s go then!”

Thankfully there seemed to be one empty as they approached. Otherwise, Charles shuddered, they might have had to sit in a seat where someone else was sitting. Which was fine, but definitely not the best experience– for ghosts or living people. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to people being able to walk through him.

“So, you hold on right here,” Charles said, pulling the bar down across both of their laps. “And then you lean right or left and it helps spin you faster.”

Edwin’s lip jutted out in thought. “And we want that?” he asked.

“Yeah we want that!” Charles said, feeling more and more pumped. “It’s what makes it fun.”

Edwin nodded, agreeing to try it.

Once the ride started it quickly became obvious that they wouldn’t need to lean. Since there was supposed to be no one inside, the ride moved crazily– around and around until Charles was sure he’d be sick. 

“Ghosts cannot get sick,” Edwin said, as they climbed off the ride. His green tinged face spoke otherwise.

“Anything else you wanna try?” Charles asked, glancing at the other rides.

Edwin did the same. “I picked this one. You pick the next,” he said. 

And Charles didn’t point out that actually Charles had picked that ride. It didn’t seem to be worth mentioning. 

He picked three more rides, each one turning their stomachs more and more until Edwin finally waved off. “I think I need to sit,” he said, all but collapsing onto a bench outside one of the lines. 

Charles nodded and sat next to him. Who knew vertigo could affect ghosts?

“Gotta be like a rule book somewhere to this all, right?” Charles asked, seemingly out of the blue.

Edwin pulled his head up from between his knees to look at him. “Amusement park rides?” he asked.

“Ghost rules, I mean,” he said. “Like, who knew we could get sick?”

“We cannot,” Edwin said, although his head was back between his legs, so who really knew what was true anymore.

“Just saying. Seems like it would be useful,” he said.

Edwin bobbed his head slightly. “Maybe you should write it,” he said.

Charles laughed, far more loud and boisterous than he had intended. “Me? Write a book? Oh that’s rich.”

Edwin looked at him. “I don’t see why not. You’re intelligent, you love to question me when I tell you something about ‘ghosts rules’ as you so call them. I think you’d be perfect for it.”

That was just ridiculous. “If anyone should, it’s you, mate. I’ve seen the way you read, and you’re always writing in that notebook of yours. You’re already halfway to writing the book!”

A small, genuine smile touched Edwin’s lips. It was rare for Charles to see, something that he could usually only coax out of him at the most unexpected moments. He’d love to know how to get more of them, how to be the one to always make him smile, but he’d settle for what he had gotten so far.

“I think I have a different career in mind,” he said. 

This was the first Charles had heard of this. Who had ever heard of a ghost with a career before?

“What is it, mate? Gonna be a full time scarer at a haunted house?” he asked, elbowing him.

That smile again. “No,” he said. “I’m thinking about being a detective.”

Well, Charles thought, that was probably the best idea either one of them had had yet.

[drewsbuzzcut]

Times You Were “Just Friends”

(…But It Progressively Gets Worse)

Kent Johnson x f!reader (3.8k words!!!)

Warnings: some curse words, alcohol consumption, mentions sex and alludes to sex, kissing, giving hickeys and i think that’s it

Friends spend days on days together when they just meet, right?

You and Kent met during his last year at umich. He was in one of your electives, and the seat next to him was the only one available. There was a sort of connection immediately. You both kept stealing glances at one another, quickly looking away when the other would turn to look. His eyes were glued to you as you were concentrating on taking notes. You’d blush under the intensity of his stare, and he’d smile at the color in your cheeks. It’s the prettiest shade of maroon he’s ever seen. From that first day, you two have been inseparable. Kent easily got your number after stating it was always in good interest to exchange numbers with someone in your class to study or talk about work, but he really just wanted any excuse to talk to you. It led to multiple conversations in coffee shops, late night dinners at the dining hall, and a strong bond between the two of you. Only as friends, of course.

“I’m heading out, probably won’t be back till late so don’t wait up,” you tell your roommate and best friend.

“Seeing Kent?” She asks, a knowing smirk taking over her face. She knows there has to be something going on between the two of you.

“Maybe,” you mutter, not making eye contact.

“You guys have been hanging out a lot. When’s he going to ask you out?”

“We’re just friends,” you groan.

“Y’all are not just friends! Not when you hang out during every moment of free time y’all have. I’ve also seen the way you both look at each other. Something is going on,” she exclaims.

You shake your head, bidding goodbye and blowing her a quick kiss, wanting to escape her thoughts as soon as possible. You were just friends.

“Finally, you’re here!” Kent cheers, pulling you into his arms and into the house. His long arms wrap around your shoulders and yours wrap around his waist. He holds you tightly, and you smile up at him.

“Sorry,I took the long way to get here. Did you pick the movie?”

“Yes! I also ordered your favorite pizza.”

“You’re amazing. Carry me to your room? My legs hurt,” you say.

He doesn’t say anything else, just tosses you over his shoulder and takes you to his room, ready for your movie night.

Friends use pet names, right?

It took a lot of convincing and bribing on Kent’s behalf to get you right where you are right now. Seated in a movie theater, watching a scary movie. You hate scary movies, but Kent really wanted you to join him.

You’re almost 45 minutes into the movie, and you’re jumping at every little jump scare displayed on the large screen. At the moment, you’re crowded into KJ’s space, covering your ears, and practically shaking with nerves.

“Are you scared?” He asks nonchalantly.

You cast a glare in his direction, though you’re not sure he can actually see it in the dark room. You sit up straight, feigning frustration. You cross your arms over your chest and stare straight, ignoring his slightly worried glances.

“Don’t be scared, baby,” He whispers against the shell of your ear, and you have to fight off the chill threatening to come over your body. It’s the first time he’s ever used a pet name with you, and you hate to admit that you like it.

“I wouldn’t be scared if you just held me,” you mutter.

He lifts up the armrest between the both of you, guiding your body to lean against his. Soon enough, you’re wrapped in his arms, warmth, and smell. You could honestly fall asleep.

“I’m your baby?” You ask, looking up at him with doe eyes.

“You’re my baby,” he reaffirms, kissing your forehead and redirecting his attention back into the screen.

You smile shyly and relish in his affection, not so scared anymore.

Friends let themselves into each other’s apartments, right?

“Are you in class? There’s a surprise here waiting for you. I don’t know what it is or who it’s from,” your best friend says through the phone, looking at a sleeping Kent on your bed. She has a little smile, knowing that when you see him you’ll melt.

“I just got out. About 5 minutes away. How did it get into the apartment?” You ask confused.

“I brought it in,” she continued her lie, not trying to give anything away.

“Be there soon,” you say, hanging up and rushing over to your apartment.

When you get in, you rush to your room only to find Kent spread out on your bed, dead asleep. You smuggle the laugh bubbling out of you, melting at the sight of a large hockey player cuddled up in your bed, surrounded by pink sheets, soft blankets, and a few plushies.

“I thought you said you didn’t know what it was?” You turn to ask your best friend.

“Surprise!” She says in a whisper shout.

You turn back around, setting your belongings on the floor before crawling on your bed. You move slowly to not wake the man, swiftly resting part of your body on top of his. You feel his hand subconsciously rest on the small of your back. You card your fingers through his hair, pecking his cheek a few times. It results in a small, sleepy smile. Kent wakes up, stretching and readjusting himself so that his head rests on your chest.

“Hi, baby,” he mutters, lips moving across your collarbones.

“Hi. I didn’t know you were coming over,” you whisper.

“Came over to cuddle, but forgot you had a class. Practice was rough today,” he explains, cuddling deeper into you.

“I’m here now,” you say, completely unaware of your best friend snapping pictures of you two, being “just friends.”

Friends get handsy, right?

You and Kent are hanging out at a party someone was throwing off campus, but you’ve both have been doing your own thing the whole night. He’s been with his teammates and friends while you’ve been talking to this group of girls. As the night starts to dwindle down, you realize that you haven’t seen him for a while, so you go searching for him.

You find him at the kitchen island, a beer in his hand and a bright smile on his face. You adore his smile.

“Hey, I missed you,” you wrap your arms around his shoulders from behind, giggling at the look of shock on his face from not expecting anyone to pop out of nowhere.

“Jeez, you scared me,” he says with a small laugh.

“Sorry,” you apologize.

He brings you around so that you’re in front of him, hands landing on your waist.

“You’re beautiful,” he compliments.

You smile at him, still getting used to the frequent compliments from your friend. You just trace the outline of your favorite features of his. Starting at his nose and tracing his lips all the way down to the sharp edges of his jaw.

You both stare at each other in silence, despite everyone who is still around you both, talking and singing to whatever song is playing.

“Y/n!” You snap out of your haze, turning around to see one of the hockey girlfriends. You quickly embrace her in a hug and make small talk. As you continue talking, you feel KJ’s hand wrap around your stomach, pulling your body closer to his, so that you’re standing between his legs. Without thinking about it, your hand rests over his, intertwining together while you move to sit in his lap.

You don’t notice the knowing glances from everyone, because friends can sit on each other’s laps, right?

Friends sleep in the same bed together, right?

“Is it okay if I take off my shirt?” Kent asks, cheeks burning red.

“Well I’m not sleeping in your bed if you’re going to be wearing a shirt,” you tease, throwing one of his pillows at him.

He charges at you, gathering you in his arms and throwing you on the bed. He smiles wide at the sweet sound of your laughter. Wanting to continue to hear the sound, he starts tickling your stomach.

“KJ!!! Stop! Stop!,” you yell while also laughing.

“Are you guys having sex?” You hear from behind KJ’s bedroom door.

You whip the door open, eyes wide and ready to hurl something at Ethan as he stands there with a smirk.

“Does it look like we’re having sex?” You ask unamused.

“No but it kinda sounds like it.”

Before you can go at Ethan, Kent appears behind you, hand wrapping around your stomach to pull you into his body.

“We’re going to sleep, goodnight,” KJ says, pulling you towards the bed after closing his room door.

“Can I wear your shirt?” You dangle his discarded shirt in between two fingers.

“You better wear my shirt, or you’re sleeping on the floor,” he says playfully.

You fake laugh and mock his words, walking to the restroom to get changed.

“Woah, gimme a 360. You’re a smoke show,” he shouts.

“Shushhh…they’re going to think we’re fucking,” you jump on the bed, crawling your way up to where he’s laying. You rest your chin on his chest, letting your leg rest over both of his.

“I’m not opposed,” he jokes and you quickly cover his mouth with your hand.

“Goodnight you goof,” you giggle, turn off the light and cuddle right into his warm body.

“Goodnight, beautiful girl,” he says, kissing your forehead and rubbing your back.

Friends kiss, right?

“Thank you for rescuing me, although I don’t think I’ll survive the embarrassment that I’ll no doubt be feeling for the rest of my life,” you exaggerate.

You had a date tonight, but he stood you up . You ended up calling Kent and he was quick to pick you up.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If anything that guy should be embarrassed, he’s totally missing out,” he states, grasping your hand in his and caressing your knuckles with his thumb.

“I just want to experience a perfect date, you know. I want to be walked to my front door and be kissed like he’s been waiting to kiss me the entire night,” you pout, not realizing that you’ve already arrived at your apartment.

“Do you trust me?” He asks.

“Of course I trust you, KJ,” you answer back.

He pulls you into a hug, his head resting in the crook of your neck. You rub his back, cuddling a little closer because it’s freezing out. He notices your shivering and he cups your cheek, swiping your cold bitten skin. Your eyes are connected, staring so deeply into each other’s. You see the moment his eyes stare at your lips. You feel time freeze. You can hear your blood pumping in your ears and everything just disappears. His lips are on yours. The slight chapped skin of his lips pairs so well with your smooth ones. Kent has to resist the urge to moan when he tastes your cherry chapstick. Your heart is practically beating out of your chest and you know that when you separate, your lips will ache to be back on his. Friends can share platonic kisses, you’re sure of it. Your lips are puffy and scarlet when you both pull away. You look alluring, as you always do.

Kent stares at you with wide eyes, not really believing that he was brave enough to follow through with his plan. You grab ahold of his jacket, pulling his lips back to yours. You throw your arms around his neck and he lets his fingers tangle in your hair. Your kiss gets interrupted by your giggles. You pull away and rest your forehead over his heart.

“Do you feel like having a sleepover?” You ask with a shy smile.

“You mean I get to sleep in your comfortable as fuck bed? Hell yeah!” He lifts you in his arms and grabs your key to unlock the door, beyond ready for a sleepover.

Friends wear each other’s initials, right?

“Open my gift first,” Kent says, handing you a small, perfectly wrapped box.

You both decided to exchange only one gift the day before you both went home for the holidays. You were actually really nervous about getting him a gift, not wanting to pick something so sentimental, but also not wanting to pick something out that held no meaning. You were friends, it shouldn’t have been too hard.

“Any hints?” You ask, teasingly while shaking the box to see if you could hear what it could be.

“No, just open it and see.”

You unwrap the box, removing the lid to see the most precious necklace sparkling. It was a simple “K” pendant attached to a simple, silver chain. You trace the letter, repeatedly blinking, trying to process this moment. You feel your eyes tear up, but you don’t allow any tears to fall. Your heart is beating so fast, there’s no way a present should have this effect on you.

“Do you like it? It’s totally fine if you don’t. We can always exchange it for something else,” Kent rambles.

Before he can say anything else, you pull him into you. Your arms thrown around his shoulders and your face resting in his neck. His hands land on their rightful spot, the small of your back, holding you close, so afraid of you not liking his gift. You lean up closer to his face, attaching your lips to his. You move your hands to rest on the back of his neck to play with the hair there to soothe him. You feel his body melt into yours.

“Baby, I absolutely love it. It’s so beautiful,” you whisper against his lips, feeling that familiar, overwhelming wave of happiness when he smiles into your kiss.

“Really?” He asks bashfully, looking down.

“Yes, I love it so much,” you respond, hands on his cheeks so that he’s looking into your eyes.

“Can you put it on for me?” He nods, turning you around and clipping the necklace on for you.

“Looks beautiful,” he says, tracing the letter and your collarbones. You shiver at his touch.

“I’m never taking it off,” you admit, leaning in for another short kiss.

Friends fall in love, right?

The day had been fun-filled with endless activities.

During spring break, Kent thought it’d be a good idea for you to meet his family, as he was going back home for a family member’s wedding, and of course you weren’t going to deny him. It was so much fun and you found that you really enjoy being around his family. They brought you in so easily and made you feel like you belong right off the bat.

Today is the wedding, the reason why you met his family in the first place. You and KJ attend all the familial outings for the day. Early morning breakfast, a midafternoon game of golf, and now roaming around the wedding venue before the ceremony starts. You’re dressed in a simple, pink slip dress, and Kent is dressed in a nice, navy blue suit with a matching pink pocket square.

“You’re perfect,” he whispers to you, tucking a strand of your curled hair behind your ear.

You’re standing in the venue’s beautiful garden. It’s one of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen.

“You flatter me too much,” you say, hand resting over his heart. You hope your blush does a good job at covering the natural blush caused by his words. You don’t think you’ll ever get used to his compliments.

“It’s true, though,” he states, pulling you into his arms. Your chin rests on his shoulders as your high heels give you somewhat of a boost. His hands rest on the small of your back, stroking the thin material of your dress.

“You’re the most beautiful person here,” he adds.

You gasp in fake shock.

“But your cousin is the bride,” you say, finally looking into his eyes.

He rolls his eyes playfully, tickling your sides so that you press yourself into his chest.

“Like I said, the most beautiful person here. In the world, actually,” he finishes, kissing your temple.

“Better keep the pda to a limit, or your family’s going to think we’re more than friends,” you tease, tugging on his hair.

“Let them think what they want,” he muses, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

“C’mon, we need to head inside, the ceremony is about to start,” you say, hand falling into his hand to guide him inside.

The ceremony is beautiful, everything decorated in nice colors and patterns. It’s something out of a magazine.

You and Kent sit in your seats, eating, chatting, and watching as the newlyweds dance together. The time passes by so quickly, you almost forget that you haven’t danced with the one person you’ve been wanting to dance with the whole night. However, your attention gets drawn to the man when you feel him intertwine your fingers together.

“Want to dance?”

“Yes,” you agree without a second thought.

You both allow the music to guide your bodies in every direction on the dance floor, tuning out every stare and whisper being directed at you. You know there are people wondering about the state of your relationship with Kent, but you’re both just really good friends.

“I’m going to miss you,” you hear him whisper.

You know what he’s talking about, and you wish you could ignore it. Soon he’ll be leaving to Ohio to join the bluejackets. You’re proud of him, but you also don’t want to be without him.

“I’m going to miss you more. Who’s going to be my napping buddy? Who’s going to make sure I eat when I’m stressed? Who’s going to spend endless hours with me when we have nothing better to do? Excuse me,” you mutter, trying to pull away from his embrace. You didn’t need to cry in front of him.

“Where are you going?”

“Restroom.”

“Please stay. You can cry in front of me. I don’t care,” he holds onto you tighter, leaning his head down to press kisses into your neck.

“Want to head to the hotel?” He asks, referring to the hotel room he booked for the two of you.

Once you nod your head, he’s pulling you outside to wait for your uber. The whole ride is silent and thick with tension. He knows your disposition when you’re sad. You start to shut down and crowd into yourself as a way of protection. He wants nothing more than to comfort you, but he doesn’t want you to pull away completely.

You hightail it to the hotel room, bursting through the door and kicking off your shoes. You fight with the zipper of your dress, on the brink of a breakdown when you can’t reach the zipper. You turn to see Kent watching you in concern.

“Can you please unzip me?” You ask, voice so fragile.

He takes the zipper between his fingers, slowly lowering it while also letting his cold hands graze your bare back. He moves your hair to rest over your shoulder, bending down to place kisses on the back of your neck. Your breathing becomes labored and you feel your hands twitching, wanting to reach out for him. You feel his teeth nip at your skin which then gets soothed by his tongue. Your eyes roll to the back of your head when he starts to suck on the one sweet spot. He moves to kiss on the tops of your shoulders, also sucking to make your blood rush to the surface of your skin. Tossing your head back, you let out a sigh, one of your hands reaching back to grab onto him. When he’s done and there’s a red bruise appearing on your flesh, you turn in his hold. You pull off his jacket and quickly unbutton his button up. You pull on his belt, so that his body leans into yours and you both fall onto the bed, your lips locking.

He moves his body to rest in between your legs, his hands pressed into the bed above your head to hold himself over you. You trace the contour of his abs, lingering around the few bruises and scars that litter his skin from playing hockey. You grab the back of his neck, pulling him flush against you, and kissing him again. You let your hands wander the expanse of his back, enjoying the way his muscles flex under his skin.

The next morning, you’re waking up to Kent gliding his fingers along your back, your skin breaking out in goosebumps. His arm is snuggled underneath your head and is probably asleep and sore, but it’s comfortable for you.

“Are you awake?” He breaks the silence, fingers stilling and tension replacing the overall serene atmosphere.

Instead of responding, you turn in his arms to face him. The arm you were sleeping on now rests on the small of your back. He moves the hair away from your face, letting his eyes take you in. The sparkling “K” necklace rests perfectly in the dip of your collarbones. Collarbones that are littered with love bites. He closes his eyes, picturing the way your body arched into his when he made you his own, and the way your breathy moans are the most heavenly sounds. You see his lips turn up into a smile, you smile in return.

“You’re my best friend,” he says, staring deeply into your eyes.

You can feel your smile dim. “Best friend,” you forgot that that’s all that you are. His best friend. After so long of telling everyone, including yourself, that you were just friends, this time hurts the most.

His thumb swipes over your cheek and then swipes over your bottom lip.

“You’re my best friend and I love you so much,” he declares, resting his forehead on yours.

Your heart starts beating faster and suddenly you want to cry. It’s your turn to let your hands rub along his shoulders and back. Your eyes are still closed, convinced that this is all some insane dream. Because you don’t tell your friends that you love them, not the way Kent said it so tenderly and so sincerely. He’s just as in love with you as you are in love with him.

Your sniffles alarm him, making his head shoot up to look at you.

“It’s totally fine if you don’t feel the same. I probably shouldn’t have sprung this on you so suddenly,” he rambles, starting to choke up.

You shake your head, but he continues rambling, so you do the only thing you can do and quiet him with a kiss. You repeatedly peck his lips and all over his jaw and neck.

“I love you. God, I’m so in love with you,” you proclaim.

“But… How are we going to make this work? You’re leaving soon,” you mutter.

“Distance doesn’t matter, not when it comes to us. You’re my baby. I love you and I’m not letting you go. We’re going to be fine. It’ll all work out,” he swears and you believe him.

a/n: I had a lot of fun making this one, so I hope you all enjoy!!!

[celezztia]

Taking a stab at writing, I haven’t done it in a while, but I want to help contribute a Professor! Vampire Donna AU and maybe in the future a few spicy one shots, because we are all thirsty.

(I will format this better as I go on, but do enjoy)

Professor! Donna x Fem reader

(May contain fluff, smut, angst in the future, but first chapter is sfw)

After many trials and tribulations, I had managed to score a scholarship to a college in Romania; Miranda’s All Girls University: though you hadn’t hear much of the campus aside from what the schools website conveyed, who are you to pass up an affordable education?

Had you stayed in America, you would spend years paying off these debts, but now your saved money was going towards travels, airplane tickets, apartment down payment and such .

You were the one that applied, got accepted and the first day of college you were ready.

Though as ready as you thought you were, your new life was far more interesting than you had imagined.

You signed up for a Botany course, a few math and English, and an elective in theater. You figured your years in high school being a techie would come in handy.

The professors were fairly bearable, though the Art History professor was quite striking. Intimidating and cold, but as long as you listened, she never really called you out to answer.

Now as you walk towards your Botany class, you pushed the heavy doors open, grunting a bit as you pushed it open.

It was a vast room, build almost like a media center with levels of desks that led down to the board and desk where the professor sat. She was scanning a stack of papers , a pair of red reading glasses hanging off her nose.

You decide to sit in the front of the classroom; mainly because you did always enjoy the sciences, even if you were more right brained.

The room filled slowly, and a few students began talking quietly to one another, the sound of pencils tapping against the desks.

A group of girls came in together, laughing and chatting.

You clicked your phone open, looking at it for the time.

8:02.

The professor sat at her desk, unmoving from her papers as she spoke.

“Do try to enter here in a graceful manner, class had already begun.” She said curtly, her nose crinkling as she continued to read paperwork. The girls quieted down and dispersed among the classroom.

As they sat down, the older woman stood, pushing her glasses back onto her head.

She was quite tall, slender, dressed in all black; a turtleneck, slacks, and a cardigan that draped to her ankles.

Her hair was in a mostly tight bun, a few raven strands fallen to frame her pale face. A discolored scar splotched across her left eye.

She began to pace around, the sounds of her heels clacking against the wooden floor filling the classroom.

“Good morning. I am Professor Beneviento. Please make sure to keep the chit chat to a minimum, or at least to your breaks. I would like to think that I have enough patience for all of you. This class is about the science of plant life, not the unnecessary jargon. Is that understood?”

She waited for a response from the class.

It took a second, but after some nods, she continued.

You couldn't help but absorb her.

She commanded a room fairly well, yet seemingly suave in the process. Her voice was soft, but had a slight roughness that made her sound older than she actually was.

You kept your pen glued to your notebook, hanging off every word this woman spoke in case you needed to jot it down.

The class ended sooner than you realized, and as you grabbed your books and placed them into your bag, Professor Beneviento walked up behind you, leaning over your shoulder.

Your heart jumped to your throat and you dropped the papers in your hands, the pages scattering everywhere.

“Shit!” I exclaimed, as my notes and pages in my binder flew in different directions.

The professor chuckled softly, and began to help you pick up the papers.

I apologized quickly and thanked her as we finished picking them up.

"Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to scare you."she spoke softly as she handed me the stack of papers I haphazardly threw everywhere.

Her voice was as much less commanding than usual. Up close, you realize her eyes were almost crimson. Maybe that was a gene in Europe, you weren’t going to have your first impression of you questioning her features.

Well… second influence at least.

I nodded nervously, realizing how much she towered over me.

She was a lot thinner than I thought, and a lot prettier.

Her dark hair framed her pale face, a few strands falling from her tight bun, her eyes were a striking red, her lips pouty and pursed.

“Y-You’re okay! I just get spooked easily.” I say, my face dusted with pink.

I could’ve sworn the older woman grinned at me for a split second after that comment.

“Your accent, you must be American, yes?”

You nodded.

Her eyes lit up a bit.

"That's good. We have a few other international students this semester. I know this university is pretty new, but I can assure you this is a great school. If you do ever need help with anything, I will do what I can to accommodate.

What is your name again, coda dolce?” She asked, a thick Italian influence in her tone.

You smiled and told her, her expression remaining fairly stoic, but her eyes had softened.

“My name is Y/N, ma’am.”

"What a lovely name. You'll have to pardon me, Y/N, I have to run to another lecture. But do come to me with any questions.”

You nod, and she gives you a smile and a nod before walking past me and exiting the lecture hall, the scent of honeysuckle following.

[nininikki]

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐌𝐑. 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 | eren jaeger x black reader

IV. it’s all coming back to me now

✧ summary! — your complicated feelings for eren come to a head during his star-studded ball.

✧ warnings! — alcohol consumption and mentions of it, mentions of sexual activity (piv), mentions of male masturbation, adultery, age gap—reader is 29 and eren is 40, some POV switching, angst

✧ author’s note! — WHEW, it’s here! after looking at nothing but this google doc for the past few days my brain is so damn fried so all i can say is THANK U ALL SM for all your love and for just existing &&& i really hope you like it! 💘🫶🏽💋💋

✧ word count! — 3.6k

14 MAY, SIX MONTHS AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

“i mean, it sounds stupid now, but…you should’ve seen the man.” mikasa said, her face screwed up in a scary smugness. “from my perspective, at least. it was like…” she took a big gulp of sparkling water down her throat, and chewed on some ice cubes to wash it down. hurt channeled at the network of veins on her neck, and you still hadn’t quite processed the fact that you were the cause for it.  “it was like night and day.”

***

14 SEPTEMBER, TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 

“and ms. (y/n), who exactly are you wearing tonight?”

no matter how he tried, eren just couldn’t help the way he stared as you smoothed your hands over the skirt of your dress. it was pink, and just the right shade—the kind that reminded him of soft cotton candy melting on his tongue. the beauty—the grandness—of your ensemble was akin to walking through an entire forest of showering cherry blossoms.

“none other than mugler, of course.” you responded, flashing the oh so lucky reporter an award-winning smile. despite evening shadows that had begun dusting against his front lawn, the flush of crimson crawling over the collar of his leather jacket and peeking at the top of his neck was striking. 

what was he doing? there was an onslaught of guests piling in—all ranging from a-list celebrities to politicians with enough influence to make or break his campaign at any given moment. eren supposed he should care. and he was really, really trying to. had you not been so you, or had he not been so stupid, simply looking at you wouldn’t be such a strain. then, as quickly as that thought crossed his mind, he condemned himself for even allowing it to. he was the reason for his unfaithfulness (or, more technically speaking, his desire to be unfaithful). 

it was he who had fought tooth and nail with his very own resolve after each and every one of your phone calls, trying to keep his hands above the buckle of his belt long enough to rationalize the thoughts coursing through his head. it was he who, no matter how he tried, couldn’t find the will to fight those same temptations under the cold spray of shower water—tugging his painfully erect cock until the faint whisper of your name left his lips and the remnants of his disloyalty trickled down the shower walls. it was eren who wouldn’t be able to get the sound of your laugh out of his head even if he struck it against those same shower walls forever.

just as eren began to take his eyes off you, they landed on his wife, who was just scurrying past nearby and looked utterly delighted to see him. “ah, there you are!” mikasa’s hands found his, and she craned her neck up at him to receive a kiss on the cheek. in the time it took him to oblige her wish, her lips were in perfect position to whisper, “levi wants us to dance later.” against the shell of his ear. he understands then that his mission for tonight is to be married. he was going to sweep mikasa off her feet on the dance floor and laugh with her over a couple glasses of champagne. but first, he was going to kiss her on the cheek and tell her how radiant she looked, because that’s just what good husbands did.

***

“aren’t they cute?” hange cooed in your ear, their watchful eye turned subtly toward eren and mikasa. he was stamping a kiss over her cheek, and then spinning around to assess her outfit. if your lip reading skills served you well enough, he was saying something along the lines of, “you look amazing.”

upon catching mikasa’s diamond wedding ring glinting in the light of the setting sun as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear, you briefly considered choking from the onslaught of bile climbing up your throat. “the cutest.” you chirped out instead. hanged snaked an arm around your waist a little tighter than usual, and you let them. you were gonna need it. “c’mon, i think the party’s heading inside.”

***

the jaeger ballroom was something of a spectacle. carved into the arched, sky high ceilings were designs so ornate they looked to be paintings. opulence filled the air, along with the chipper aroma of freshly poured champagnes and the staticky buzz of tipsy chatter. 

“i can have you five movie deals by the end of the night.” hange hypothesized aloud, their eyes hungrily scanning the throng of stars socializing about. 

“is now really the best time to be pimping me out?”

“honey, i can’t think of a better time than now.” their eyes lit up at the sight of an esteemed director laughing heartily over what couldn’t have been his first glass of champagne. “now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“oh, hange, please,” you half pleaded. the last thing you needed was to be alone with all your thoughts. 

hange only retracted their arm from the comfort of your waist and kissed at your temple. “you’re gonna thank me for this, don’t worry.”

you tried not to let your shoulders drop before the eyes of so many people as you carried yourself over to the bar. it was delightfully vacant and ensconced beneath just enough shadows to grant you a little bit of privacy. as you maneuvered yourself and your dress upon a chair, the memory of eren and mikasa gushing over one another poked and prodded at your brain incessantly, as if with the intention of making it explode behind your skull. 

you couldn’t help but wonder if the glances you two sneaked to one another in public, or the conversations shared during the late hours of the night, or the mutual feelings that surely plagued his thoughts as well as your own, were all just…that. a secret, an affair, a rendezvous. something dirty and scandalous and not meant to purge past the dark of night. 

who were you kidding? of course they were. no matter how little he loved his wife, (although, you couldn’t be a hundred percent sure eren didn’t love mikasa. and that made you feel a little sick) she would still be his wife. and you’d still be…well, you didn’t quite know. 

“hi.” came eren’s voice behind you, accompanied by a tap to your shoulder. you were so nestled within your head that you were hardly even startled. 

in a few lithe strides, he was standing in front of you. “hey, you,” he really did look so perfect tonight. and it didn’t help that he was looking at you like you were perfect too. “how’s your ball going?”

eren’s voice took on a joking air as he surveyed the area. “not too shabby, i’d say.” for whatever reason, when he brought his gaze back to you, they seemed as if they’d never leave. “what about you? what do you think?”

as you pondered over an answer to his question, you couldn’t help but notice the way he took the plush skin of his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment before releasing the now smoothly damp, blushing flesh from its confines. only one word came to mind. “beautiful.”

at that, eren’s eyes pressed shut for a moment before opening again, seemingly miles brighter than before they closed. “that makes me happy to hear.” embarrassingly, your entire body warmed at the lower octave of his voice, and for a moment you hated that he could do this to you. “and, hey, speaking of beautiful things,” he nodded towards you, and if it were possible, his voice was even sexier when he said, “i haven’t been able to stop looking at you all night.”

somehow, your composure was still intact. “is that so?” 

“absolutely.” eren beamed. “if you’ll let me, i’d love a dance with you at some point.” 

as you took a moment to let his words seep into your skin as they always did, his attention was drawn to something on the other side of the room, and without much forewarning, he quickly said, “excuse me, (y/n).” before whisking away. 

***

“put your hands on my hips.” mikasa murmured, and then smiled politely when eren did. he hoped it wasn’t too painfully obvious to the onlookers that mikasa was skilled in ballroom dance and he was not. “everything’s going well. i’ve spoken with investors, and they’ve all seemed promising.”

eren whispered before spinning mikasa in a circle. “good to hear.”

they danced in silence for a few beats until mikasa said, “you could try and look at least somewhat in love.”

eren fought the urge to drop his smile, and spun mikasa into a dip. mikasa’s face came up flushed, smiling, and framed by a few out of place hairs. “really hard to do when you’re in my ear about investors.”

still beaming, she said between her teeth, “well, not everyone can just sit on their asses all day. one of us has to care about your career.” 

“god, you’re unbelievable.”

“am i wrong?”

the song ended, and the pair tried not to make it so obvious they were eager to get their hands off each other. eren could see a tangible effort put in by his wife to keep smiling, no matter how artificial, and he wasn’t sure whether he feared or admired it more.

***

you were out of there. from the moment he took mikasa’s hand and led her out to the dance floor. from the moment he twirled her body around in a graceful little circle. from the moment you watched them look into each other’s eyes in the way only a husband and wife did. you were so out of there.

sneaking away was easy. by now, everyone (including hange, who you could see had now taken to flirting with a random caterer) was drunk off their asses, and likely couldn’t tell you from a can of paint.

once you were outside, breathing began to feel manual. the diamonds around your neck were strangling. the jovial sounds of the party inside still rang in your ears. you weren’t far away enough. so, you ran. you ran through the vast, flourishing garden that lie behind the spacious property. you ran until the soles of your feet ached with each step. you ran until the memory of eren dancing with mikasa didn’t hurt so much.

you didn’t stop until you were in an area ensconced by trees. it’d have been completely dark if not for light emanating from the beaming moon. a tall stone fountain trickled nearby, and you wasted no time sitting on its edge. as your heart tried to climb out of your throat, a late summer breeze swept through the trees and covered your bare shoulders in goose flesh.

you wondered how you would muster the courage to go back to the party. you wondered how you would even find your way back. the gardens were a tall, grassy maze that you had hardly any business running through in the first place.

“(y/n)?” you heard a voice call. or rather, the voice—his voice. you had half a mind to brush it off as some kind of hypothermic delusion until eren smoothed through the entryway. his gaze caught yours from where you sat at the fountain, and incommunicable relief passed his eyes. “there you are,” if there was still any doubt that he was real, it was all extinguished when he wandered into the moonlit area towards you. hands folded politely behind his back, his hair a little messier than usual. “you had me worried for a moment.”

“guess i owe you a dance, then.” you attempted to joke, fighting off the shiver that threatened to rack your limbs.

“you owe me more than that, i think.” the glimmer of the moon made him look like an angel, and the firm tone coloring his voice did nothing to help. “like an explanation, maybe. as to why you’re out here.”

“how’d you even find me?” you challenged. “this place is,” you waved your arms high above your head as if to showcase its size. “massive.”

“i actually own the place, if you didn’t know.” you fought the urge to smile at his wit. eren took his hands from behind his back to unveil a pretty pink chanel heel. he only needed to hold it up for a second to know it was yours. “and i think you dropped something off on the way.”

you pulled up the skirt of your dress to see one foot still clad in its respective heel while the other was only sheathed in your nylon stockings. how much adrenaline had been coursing through your body for you to have not noticed? still inspecting your practically naked foot, you held your hand out to take the shoe from him, but he disregarded it as he kneeled before you. “no, let me.”

there was something especially intimate about this. about how delicate eren was being with you. his hands were big, but so capable of being gentle. the skin of his palms were so warm against your ankles, the tips of his fingers so light against your soles, you almost found yourself giggling at the pleasantness of it.

once he was finished, you stood, admittedly a little too flustered. “thank you.”

he seemed to barely acknowledge it, only nodding as he rose to his feet. “now, are you gonna tell me why you’re out here?”

for what felt like the first time the entire night, you finally allowed your shoulders to sink under all the emotion they had been carrying. “it’s silly.” eren’s gaze was unwavering, but soft nonetheless. he had the kind of eyes that made you want to tell him everything.

you turned your back to him, unsheathing yourself in the warmth of his stare. could eren hear the rapid thumping of your pulse? could he hear it skipping when he said, “i’m sure it’s not.”

“no it’s, uh,” gingerly, you began walking around the fountain, and you could hear his footsteps trailing close behind. “being jealous of a man’s wife, that’s…that’s, um, really stupid of me, actually…” your mouth was clumsy as it fumbled over the words, and you could only conceal the stupidity of your confession with a sardonic chuckle. “i should go.” you whispered, turning to face him again, with no intention of leaving.

“don’t.” eren protested. through your peripheral vision, you saw his hand reach for yours, and you were unsure whether you should flinch away or push yourself closer. 

your voice was a hair away from breaking. “there’s nothing for me out here.” you knew what you were saying. you understood its implications. eren was far from nothing, but he was also a fool if he believed the feelings you shared could ever go beyond this patch of land.

“how could you even say that knowing how i feel about you?” eren braved a step toward you, searching for the passion—the devotion—in your eyes that was so evident in his.

“how you feel about me?” the utter absurdity of it made you laugh, and it was then you registered the moisture building in your eyes. “yeah, like that means anything.” 

“and it doesn’t?” 

“it can’t!” the words escaped you in the form of a bitter, scratching scream. eren’s eyes only softened. “you’re married, so it can’t mean anything.”

“i think,” absolutely nothing could prepare you for the feeling of his fingertips brushing against yours. once, twice, then three times. something about each little touch made it a bit more real. now, your feelings were more than that. now, he was touching you. “i think it already does.”

it all happened so fast. you barely got the chance to think, this is such a bad idea before his fingertips were skating briskly up your arm and both of his hands—so big, and oh so capable—were on either sides of your neck. caressing the skin there, assessing the thunder of your pulse, pulling you closer until the tips of your noses brushed against one another.

the first syllable of his name left your mouth in a choked whimper, and that was all you could let before eren kissed you. 

soft. that was the only possible word. his lips were tender and sticky with champagne. you could tell he was testing your waters first—brushing his lips against yours ever so gently, allowing you to get a taste of one another before he went in for the kill. he planted a soft one on your bottom lip, then another when you felt yourself trembling. then he was at your top lip—also trembling with newborn nerves but still just as eager. “tell me to stop and i will.” eren breathed into your mouth.

you considered it for a moment. you considered letting the warmth of his hands leave your skin, letting him go back to the party, letting him leave you. his eyes were serious, and you could tell he was considering it too. you closed your eyes, grazed your lips over his just a fraction or so, and that was all the answer eren needed.

when he took your lips properly for the first time, it felt as though they were no longer yours. eren kissed you passionately, slowly, as if kissing was all you would ever be able to do. and you let him. as his tongue slipped between your already parted lips, you let yourself get lost in the champagne taste that lingered on it. you let him kiss you for so long that you’d started to get dizzy from how little you were breathing. and you loved it.

you loved having his mouth on you. you loved little wet sounds that emanated whenever he took his lips off yours. you loved how he was holding you—one hand at your nape and the other cupping your jaw. you loved how good he was making you feel. “eren, more.” you had managed to say between kisses.

and it seemed he was more than happy to oblige. he took his lips over your neck as if they belonged there, nipping and sucking at that same frenetic pulse point like he was hungry for it—hungry for you. you held his hair back as he worked down your neck and over your collarbones. eren’s eyes darkened as he smoothed his lips up and down the valley between your breasts. not yet kissing, but running his mouth over the delicate skin. “can i kiss you here?” he asked, voice muffled by desire as he palmed your left breast.

“uh-huh,” you nodded, and eren had dropped down on one knee for better access. smoothly, you maneuvered the straps of your dress off your shoulders just in time for eren to pull you in. 

his hands on your waist, his tongue making busywork over your pert left nipple, his name on your lips. “you like it when i touch you here?” he asked, the tip of his nose nudging the spot where his mouth had just been. you nodded again.

eren took a hand that had been on your waist and let it drop over your ankle. “what about right here?” then that hand was moving up your calf. “and here?” towards the back of your knee. “you like this too?” up the doughy flesh of your thigh, where he took his time fondling the nylon-covered skin. “oh, yeah, i know you like this.” he murmured as you squirmed.

“you’re so warm,” eren groaned as his remaining joined the other under your dress, both kneading your thighs whilst teasing the skin between them. the tip of his thumb grazed over the crotch area of your stockings and you shivered. “can i feel you here?” 

yes. the answer was so obvious that you’d hardly felt the need to say it. just as your mouth began to open around the response, a monstrous clap of thunder roared across the sky, followed by a burst of lightening, which was then followed by gentle rainfall.

it was like the rain had been trying to sober you. all the warmth, all the lust, all the irrationality—all rinsed away by the rain and its growing freneticism. hurriedly, you readjusted the shoulders of your dress and helped eren to his feet. “we should get out of here.” you sighed, swallowing a gulp. “before we get too wet.”

eren only nodded, his hands having settled on your waist. you waited for him to take them off, for the moment to be over, for your need to touch him to finally dissipate. you waited and waited, and it seemed he was doing the same.

finally, eren moved to slip his suit jacket off his shoulders and set it carefully over yours. “here, let me,”

“you shouldn’t.” you tried, already attempting to shrug the expensive material off of you.

eren persisted, “i want to.” as he tugged it over you more securely. “now, let’s get out of here.”

***

it was only eleven o’clock. the rest of the party, still inside and blissfully ignorant to the rain, weren’t there to see eren escort you into your car. 

“is your manager still in there?” eren asked once you were nestled safely in the backseat.

how angry would hange be if you left them there for the remainder of the night? how angry would they be if you pulled them away from a good party (and potentially even better money) just because you’d gotten a little carried away with eren in his garden?

“i’ll call them in the morning.” you decided.

tags ✧˖*°࿐ — @nyanglock @beyondsuki @punkologist @taylarxse @ittostan @rensbby @madsoncrack @shawtynoire @braxxinterlude @kai7911

© NININIKKI. do not translate, copy, or modify my works in any way shape or form.

[loaksky]

hello! would you consider writing modern avatar stuff? if ur cool w that can i request modern human neteyam relationship headcanons?

wait hold the phone yes i would actually ! wanted to hold off on posting this to include headcanons about what modern!neteyam would be like in a relationship, but i’m so eager to come back ! instead here’s some background about him & reader leading up to the relationship (part 2 pending if you guys want it) ! headcanons under the cut & for all intents + purposes, i picture college-neteyam ! additionally, in my brain, it’s canon that teyam as a human would be poc, hence the reference pictures i included below ! <3

so i definitely see neteyam having a very soft aesthetic, he’s such a sweetheart tbh

fs think that the two of you would have a meetcute in university & then end up being college sweethearts

his major is something specific like environmental engineering or child psychology ? he’s definitely really smart and excels in all of his classes !

which brings me to how the two of you would meet ? perhaps he’s taking an elective course in pottery and your major is in art with a concentration in three dimensional composition

the class is considered a lab, so the professor emails out the syllabus and students come and go as they please during class hours to work on their compositions.

halfway thru the sem, you and teyam stumble upon each other in the storage room between two classrooms, fetching different pieces that need to be glazed + fired.

“sorry, you can—”

“nah, you first—”

you laugh and neteyam’s smiling because WOW you’re really cute + had he known that someone as lovely as you was in the same section as him, he’d probably hang around the classroom more.

from that moment on, neteyam’s always lingering during the class’ meeting time, even if he’s already finished with his projects for the week because he wants to get to know you SO bad, but he’s way too shy.

(probably still canon that he’s phenomenal at literally everything, but i think it’d be so cute if he had 0 legitimate rizz bc he’s so used to kinda just bein’ him and pulling bc he’s a jack of all trades type of guy)

“what are you making?” you ask him one day and he snatches his airpod out of his ear so quickly even though he’s not listening to anything.

“ashtray” he answers quietly, a lil self-conscious because he’s come to find out that you’re absolutely amazing at sculpting and while you do this for your future, he does it is as a pastime / elective to graduate. “but like i don’t smoke or anything yknow, i just thought that i’d be a good thing to–”

you’re staring at him with the corner of your mouth quirked and he shuts up quickly, scratching the back of his neck nervously as he slumps on his stool.

“you should score using a crosshatch,” you tell him simply. “makes the pieces stick together better.”

he looks down at where he’d been scratching the damp clay laterally and your hands hover over his, head tilting to the side.

“can i?”

oh yeah, yeah! sure,” he splutters, leaning back a little to watch you work your magic.

can’t help but watch the way your fingers work over the clay, knuckles smudged with glaze and dust coating the silver of your rings.

he watches your hands, but soon he’s watching your face because you’re concentrated so hard on making sure you’re using your best technique for the little ashtray.

lo and behold, the pieces stick together so perfectly and smoothly, ready to be fired in the kiln, and neteyam’s grateful.

“thanks,” he sighs almost dreamily.

“yeah, of course. glad to help,” you tell him.

when you return to your own project, you slam back the rest of your melting drink and neteyam’s eyes are squinting the get a read on what it is you order.

you’re pleasantly surprised when you turn up to pottery the next session to work on a new project, and neteyam’s there with two coffees, one next to his wheel, another near yours.

“what’s this?” you hum, tying your apron with a messy bow.

“a thank you,” he says shyly. “for helping me last time.”

your eyes widen when you see your favorite; a chai with almondmilk, vanilla, and a shot of espresso.

“how’d you…”

“it’s what you were drinking…” he responds. “last week. i think.

“oh…” you trail off, cheeks hot because he noticed ???

“you don’t have to—”

“NO!” you yelp, a tad loud. some of the other students working on a few last minute projects peer at the two of you and teyam’s grinning like an idiot when he sees the way you tuck your hair behind your ear and reach for the drink. “this is good! it’s great. thank you so much. i actually missed my run this morning.”

“yeah, of course,” he sighs, rolling his lips together as the two of you kinda get off to a clunky start.

the silence between the two of you is a lil awkward, but you decide to break the ice since teyam’s technically played his hand and the ball’s in your court.

“are you an art major ?” you ask.

“uh, nah,” he'd say, rubbing his sweaty palms on the thighs of his baggy jeans because HE SHOWED UP TO CLASS 15 MINUTES EARLY and the agony of not knowing if you’d show up made him so nervous. “environmental engineering.”

your eyebrows raise ever so slightly, lips forming an ‘o’ bc wow that must mean he’s super smart.

“wow, that’s insane,” you say quietly. “what made you take pottery ?”

“only elective that didn’t make me wanna claw my eyes out,” he laughs nervously. “what about you ? what’s your major ?”

you seem to mull over your thoughts for a moment, obviously a little hesitant to answer.

“3d art...nothing special...” you trail off.

neteyam begins working with the slab of clay waiting for him in the center of the wheel, cheeks going hot because the words leave him before he can stop them.

“no, no. i think that’s really cool. art is a really challenging passion to have & i admire people willing to dive in full stop.”

the comment makes you smile, fingers pliant over the wet clay.

neteyam wants to DIE because he can’t read whether or not your smile is genuine or if you’re grimacing because he’s the biggest idiot ever.

he supposes it’s the former when you two are parting ways, signing the attendance log and you decide to bite the bullet and write your instagram handle on the bottom corner of the page and tear it off to hand to him.

he’s barely able to get a ‘thank you’ out before you’re racing out the door with your gifted coffee in hand.

you’re so giddy when you run out of the building and your phone pings in the front pocket of your satchel and you see that teyam.sully has followed you.

after that day, you two become really friendly !

neteyam frequently dms you about class, but eventually, he starts sending you vids and memes, saying that they made him think of you.

it becomes so obvious to both of your friend groups that you’re crushing on each other, but both of you are too painfully shy to say anything despite every green flag.

soon, looking forward to seeing each other during class turns into neteyam subtly asking you to hang out.

you make a comment about one of his hoodies and he mentions that he thrifted it.

“wait really??” you’re pausing your work to look at him. “i love thrifting!”

he smiles wide, word vomiting before he can stop himself.

“yeah? i know a couple of good places if you’re down.”

you say yes, DUH !

looking back at it, maybe that’s your first date because he picks you up from your dorm & bc you guys live in a fairly walkable city, you commute to the thrift and you’re SO giddy because the backs of your hands keep brushing every time some impatient pedestrian pushes by you guys on the narrow sidewalks.

you guys end up spending HOURS and teyam’s internally screaming because you find a shirt that has a peeling heart with the phrase ‘if lost return to wife’ and he happens upon the match to it a couple aisles down that says ‘i'm the wife’.

when you’re not looking, teyam buys the shirts and stuffs them in his canvas bag.

DUDE IS WHIPPED.

he wants you SO bad.

after the thrift, you guys get pizza, and after that, ice cream, and JESUS he doesn’t want the day to end because being with you is so easy.

over the course of the rest of the semester, the two of you make it a routine to hang out at least once a week and you’re always looking forward to it.

dates excursions include; trips to the museum to see recent exhibits, weekly pizza parlor dinners, study sessions at the 24 hr cafe a block from the school (in which he always walks you home after), park days where he reads books on environmental sustainability and you secretly draw portraits of him.

in these times, he learns that you want to become an art teacher, your favorite cereal is froot loops with the marshmallows, your all time show is amazing world of gumball.

almost cries laughing when he finds out that you have a secret pet turtle you hide in your dorm named franklin.

acknowledges that he’s falling, but falls even harder when the florist who owns the flower shop you two always pass hands you the prettiest little bundle of flowers and you spend the entire trek to the park, handing out individual stems to couples, children, and the elderly, telling them to have a beautiful day.

it all comes to a head near the end of the semester when he realizes that he can’t keep dancing around his feelings for you and the feelings he’s almost certain you have for him.

tells you to clear your schedule for the upcoming friday night and dresses a little nicer than usual when he picks you up.

brings you two to the planetarium in the city and, instead of watching the exhibit, he spends the entire time watching how you light up.

he knows in his gut that you could be it for him.

he’s loved getting to know you and spending so much time with you.

he’s so immersed in this feeling throughout the entire night.

probably wipes his sweaty palms over the thighs of his pants before shakily taking your hand as the diagram of the constellations shift.

can’t help but smile when your fingers squeeze his and you seem to shift closer to him as the narrator starts the presentation.

and he’s especially quiet after the exhibit, fingers still twined with yours as the two of you walk down the bustling sidewalks of the city center.

two of you probably stop by a dessert cafe and sit outside on a bench in the spring air, enjoying the buskers as you share a little cake.

you’re talking about home and how you’re excited to see your family again and he can’t help but imagine bringing you home to meet all his siblings and his parents because he knows that they’d absolutely love you and—

you’ve paused your speaking, thumb brushing the corner of his mouth and he’s SHORT CIRCUITING.

“shit, that was weird i’m so—”

his palm cups your jaw, thumb on your cheek, pad of his pinky and ring finger soft against your neck.

“can i?” he whispers.

TRIANGLE METHOD !!

he glances at one eye, gaze dropping to your lips before glancing at the other.

you already know what he’s referring to, could feel the romantic tension between the two of you since the beginning, but only become sure of it in the recent weeks.

”can you what?” you swallow.

he breathes a short laugh because the knowing smile that quirks your lips is a dead give away.

“can i kiss you?” he asks softly, absently setting your abandoned dessert somewhere behind him on the bench.

“yeah,” you’d nod, leaning into him. “please.”

before the two of you go your separate ways for summer holiday, he shows you the shirts he bought at the thrift store the first time around, but insists on keeping the shirt that says ‘i'm the wife’.

neng © 2023

[springdaybreaks]

score a date | l. jn.

how the captain of the hufflepuff quidditch team managed to score a date with a certain ravenclaw.

tags: hogwarts!au; hufflepuff!jeno x ravenclaw!reader; fluff; tiny bit of angst if you squint

note: another self indulgent piece that has been burried for months in my drafts😀 this one's a short one but the amount of plot holes makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall lol. no warnings besides inconsistent grammar and tenses.

so, lee jeno

everyone took one look at him and thought he'd be sorted into gryffindor

they may or may not saw him telling haechan to stop annoying renjun and smacking haechan for annoying him, so-

but the sorting hat sorted him into hufflepuff

his parents said it make sense that he's been sorted into the house

he's a hardworker and is loyal to the ones he's close with

he doesn't really seem to be ambitious, but he actually is!

he just doesn't chase after it like slytherin!haechan

the professors adore him

he's always offering them his help

not to gain their favor or save face but purely because he's just that kind

"professor sprout, let me carry that bag of soil for you"

“professor flitwick, do you need some help distributing the feathers?”

snape has kind of a soft spot for him since jeno came early most days for his potions class just to help set the cauldrons

when he doesn't have quidditch practice or urgent tasks he'd even stay behind to clean them sometimes

but of course snape would rather die than admit it

his friends told him to join the tryouts for the quidditch team on their second year as a joke

jeno: okay (.◜◡◝)

but he really got in

becomes hufflepuff team's beater along with the third year lucas

got chosen as the team captain in his fourth year by the hufflepuff head boy, taeyong, before he graduated

he's just THAT good

we all know he loves animals

so it’s natural that he takes care of magical creatures as his elective

and excels at it

even though everyone says hagrid kind of sucks at teaching

he’s sad that he couldn’t see the thestrals though

also it's not all weird that jeno wants to become an animagus

that's why he works extra hard in transfiguration

and mcgonagall loves him so🥴

people thought jeno is all brawns and no brain

but his grades are almost all outstanding

with some exceeded expectation and a couple of acceptable

he's quite smart actually

is dubbed as the 2nd cedric diggory because he’s handsome, athletic, and smart

but of course being friends with the dreamies, it’s chaotic sometimes

he's been slytherin!jaemin's friend since they were kids

but somehow became quite close with ravenclaw!renjun ever since he helped him to deal with slytherin!haechan back in their first year

and he shared a train car with slytherin!haechan on their first day

haechan loves bothering jeno, but became fast friends with him because they have the same tastes in games

everyone at hogwarts know them as the dreamies

a group of girls likes them and call them dreamies because they're "dreamy"

very original

but they don't mind being called that so-

when you see one of these four, the other three wouldn't be too far behind

although they have quite different tastes and interest, they get along well

jeno has this friendly rivalry with haechan over their quidditch games

they bicker a lot, but haechan would be the first one to defend him if someone speak ill of him

no one does

doesn't take muggle studies, but would get muggle music recommendations from jaemin who took it

and sometimes you can hear him humming along the latest muggle music

hangs out with renjun if he wants to relax and just enjoy the day

renjun invites him to paint together once every few weeks

and he thinks that it's nice he's friends with renjun because he'd make them do their homework together

doesn't really go to the library except for rare study times and looking for his cat

he doesn't read the school's rule book but he's pretty sure students can't bring their pets to the library

but his cat can be quite mischievous and would disappear often

sometimes she'd be walking next to him one second and gone the next, following merlin knows what

his cat is probably still very curious of the place since he's only got her last year

and that brings us to you

you are one of the smartest ravenclaw in your grade

some even said that you're the brightest student in hogwarts after the legendary hermione and doyoung, the ex ravenclaw prefect and head boy that graduated a few years ago

of course you're smart, your muggle iq test could attest to that

but you always pair it with hard work

although people do call you snobby sometimes just because you wouldn’t do their homework for them

it pisses you off sometimes because you declined because you sincerely want them to learn!!! and be able to use the knowledge in the future!!!

you don’t mind though

bc being smart has its perks, like how people won’t bother you being a half-blood

and somehow the professors doesn’t mind that you don’t use a quill to write

except for snape

you’re used to the muggle world so pens and pencils are more convenient

but just for compromise, you use a fountain pen your father got you instead

anw

you were trying to get your homework done before supper, opting to do them in the quietness of the library rather than the currently crowded ravenclaw common room

jaemin somehow got into the ravenclaw common room and is currently on a raging whining spree bc the house elfs in the kitchen won’t give him coffee with 8 shots of espresso in it

you can hear it across the common room

at least the library is always quiet

so there you are quietly working through your homework in your favorite corner in the library; where it was quite hidden from madam pince and always got just the right amount of sunlight whenever the weather's nice

you’ve been at it for quite some time so you’re stretching your body

and then you feel a furry thing rubbing against your legs

you don't know whose cat she is

but she often follows you in the halls when she manage to escape from the dorms

and somehow slips through the unpleasant madam pince

but she appears quite often these days

at first she'd be sniffing you

and then she started curling up near your chair

when she found you again after not seeing you for a few days, she begins rubbing herself against your legs, asking for rubs

and proceeds to make herself at home on your lap

you just let her be

and continue doing your homework while occasionally caressing her fur

it's been a few weeks of this happening but you still haven't found out who her owner is

but one day you were just doing your homework as usual with the cat curling on your lap

and you hear a rather loud sigh nearby

"bongshik, there you are!"

you look up and

there stood lee jeno

of course you know who he is, but it's not like you know him

you know that he's doyoung's favorite junior ever

and currently said to be one of the best quidditch players in hogwarts

and he and his group of friends got enthusiastic following

but being in the same house as his friend and mutual friends, you feel like you know him already

you hear things about him quite often bc you're friends with jaemin and renjun

and jaemin sometimes boasts that he has couple items with jeno

not to mention they almost go everywhere together

like twins

some of the professors even got their names mixed up sometimes

but now jeno's alone and is staring at his cat curled up in your lap

"oh, is this your cat?"

"yes," he sigh, "i've been looking for her everywhere"

you handed the cat over as he come close

"sorry if she's been bothering you"

you stroke her head and she purrs in content

"it's alright, she's just been keeping me company. she's a sweetheart"

well that's a surprise

because bongshik isn't really a super friendly cat

it even took like a week for her to get comfortable with jaemin, who's been friends with jeno since they were kids

"she must really like you then."

after that, whenever he realize bongshik's gone missing, all he had to do was find you

because wherever you are, bongshik's probably trailing after you

even when you're not in the library

one time jeno was just about to eat supper when he spot his cat walking in the great hall

but instead of walking to him, her owner, bongshik walked to you

when exam season's coming up, you find yourself holed up in the library almost every day

and jeno, who's always looking for his cat, found bongshik curled up next to you every. single. day.

and somehow, he got lazy of worrying and finding his cat

besides, it's getting closer to exam season

so he starts doing his homework with you in the library

he does it almost every day that he got questioned by his friends

when his friends learned that he's been holed up in the library, they weren't exactly surprised

because jeno's probably the smartest out of them

but they know there's something else going on

bc even though jeno's really smart and he likes to read books on his own,

he's not the type to stay in the library for long periods of time nor every single day

like he's been doing for the past week

so haechan-

being the mischievous little shit he is

persuaded renjun and jaemin to spy on jeno one day

even though jaemin refused and told him to let him be

and well oh well

they found out he's been hanging out with you

jeno thought you'd be teased endlessly by haechan and instinctively lied

"oh they're just helping me with some tricky spell for charms! anyway, thanks, y/n!"

you two weren't that close but it kind of hurt that he doesn't want his friends to know that you two were friends

if that's what the two of you are

anyway

somehow jeno's lies of you helping him with homework got around school

and now you have a few people asking you for help for theirs

you told them you'd gladly help them as long as they don't make you do them

so now even some underclassmen come to you for help

quite a lot that you had to make a time-dedicated study groups

"well it'd be nice to get paid for teaching you guys, a sickle for each session wouldn't hurt"

you really said it as a joke

but some underclassmen really paid you for your help and it spurs the others to do the same

but even as you decline to take their money, they somehow managed to slip it into your bag or intentionally left it behind near your work station

your favorite underclassman gryffindor!jisung even snuck in a few candies to the library for you

ever since you managed to turn tour tutoring sessions into a small 'business', of course you see jeno less and less

but you two still greet each other in the halls

and library, whether when he's looking for bongshik or just doing his homework

one day you were running late to your session

jeno was seated not far from where you usually do it

and heard some of the girls in it talking about you

"merlin, if i'm not failing in charms and defense against dark arts, i wouldn't have to ask y/n for their help."

"yes well, i had to act like i like them just to get into the tutoring session too. what a inconvenience."

"they even charge us for this! other people doesn't even charge and just help us with it"

"yes, she's such a bitch too. you know she refused to help at the start? and now she only do it because of the money"

it's not really his business

but he feels annoyed and kind of riled up to hear them talking bad about you

and he really heard from jisung how you always declined their money and how you were just joking about the fee

but people just paid you nonetheless and eventually you were too tired to decline because they kept insisting

jeno's annoyed and packed his things

he'd rather do the rest of his homework in his dorm than here with their chatter

but when he passed the shelves behind the tables, he saw you

standing there clutching your books

merlin, you must've heard them

but you just sucked in a deep breath and forced a smile

even greeting him before coming over to the designated tutoring spot and apologizing for running late

somehow the sight of it makes his blood boil even more

and admiration, really, because of how kind you are

the next time you saw jeno again was before his match when the crowded halls made you two bump into each other

"oh, i'm sorry!"

"sorry!"

"oh- it's you."

"i- yeah. hey. how are you?"

jeno mentally smack himself for sounding stupid. as if he doesn't know you, as if he didn't spend time with you for weeks in the library. as if the thoughts of you don't plague his mind

somehow he developed a crush on you

and now he's gonna make himself look stupid

you shrug, "eh. so so. kind of busy because of the tutoring though."

you eye his quidditch uniform and the broom clutched in his hand.

"match day?"

"yeah." he hesitated before asking you, "you coming to watch?"

you tilt your head in confusion, "me?"

oh hell, he is in so deep for you. how could you look cute looking confused like that.

jeno feels his ears warming

"well, i am talking to you, aren't i?"

you raise your eyebrows in surprise.

"huh."

now it's his turn to be confused, "what?"

you just shake your head and laugh

"didn't know you could sound like a jock, lee."

"come on lee!"

his teammates are waiting for you at the end of the corridor. lucas are wiggling his eyebrows at the two of you with a teasing smile. haechan, who have somehow blend in with his team, shoots him a teasing look

as if to say 'mhm, i knew you liked her'

jeno ignored them and turns to you instead

"so will you come?"

"mmmm, i dont know. what if you suck?"

you teased

well- you know you are kind of flirting rn but ssssttttt

jeno's eye light up in amusement

and challenge

"you gonna give me anything if i win?"

you shrug nonchalantly, well- tried to, "i think you already have everything you want, captain. don't think i can give you anything else satisfactory."

a smile tugd the corner of his lip

"what about a date then?"

your eyes snapd to his in surprise.

"i- you... date? what?"

"yeah. a date. with me. next hogsmeade trip?"

you gape at him stupidly, "you want to go on a date with me?

he laughs, "well, i wouldn't be asking you right now if i wasn't."

"hurry up lee!"

his teammates roars. although some did snicker when haechan made kissy face at the two of you

"so, what do you say?" he keeps his eyes on you

"you want me to say yes?"

"badly."

a shy smile tugs your lips

hell jeno would take haechan's relentless teasing any day if it meant you'd give him that smile again

you steel yourself and look at him in the eyes

"then i guess you better win, captain."

© 2023 springdaybreaks.

[eiightysixbaby]

Happy Saturday! 🖤💜

You just got a new kitten and, as much as Eddie hates to admit it, he’s really jealous of the little fuzz ball. She’s a very affectionate and needy kitten, always wanting to be held by you, or burrowed into your chest, or in your lap. That wouldn’t be so bad if she wasn’t also jealous over you. Whenever Eddie tries to cuddle with you when she’s awake, the kitten will make a low warning sound in her throat and then spit at him if he doesn’t back off. While it is quite possibly one of the most adorable things he’s ever seen, he can’t help but think, “Hey, I was here first!”

One evening while he’s hanging out with you at your place, you end up having to run something over to a friends house and Eddie elects to stay put since it’s his day off and he doesn’t feel like going anywhere.

Not too long after you leave, your kitten ends up crawling up on Eddie’s chest and playing in his hair until she falls asleep.

When you get home, that’s how you find them; Eddie reclined back on the couch with hearts in his eyes, gazing at your kitten as she sleeps stretched out on his chest. 😻

Eddie the cat dad warms my heart!!!! 🥹

you come home from Robin’s and are surprised when the kitten doesn’t come bounding to the door to greet you, so naturally you go in search of her. you’re seriously wondering if Eddie had to like, lock her in kitten-jail cause she was being too mean to him. that’s when you spot Eddie snoozing on the couch, one hand resting beneath his head, the other wrapped around none other than your kitten’s lanky little body as she lays on his chest.

you take a second to collect yourself over the cuteness, audibly cooing at the sight. you wake Eddie gently, pointing to the cat when he opens his droopy eyes. he just smiles at you, nodding eagerly and he’s clearly so excited the cat has taken a liking to him.

from then on, that cat is arguably more Eddie’s than she is yours. she follows Eddie everywhere, attacks his legs as he walks around the house, curls up on his lap anytime he makes himself comfy on a piece of furniture. he’ll walk around with her perched on his shoulder, and he even gets her one of those cat backpacks so he can take her on walks outside. she meows outside the bathroom door when he’s in the shower, and meows even louder when she’s banished from the bedroom for your and Eddie’s “adult activities”. she hates being without him and it warms your heart so much.

Eddie would be the cutest cat dad, I just know he has a soft spot for all animals and he’s so kind and gentle.

[imtrashraccoon]

I love snow days but the last several winters have been mild where I live so we mostly just get freezing rain. For the Americans out there, -15°C equals 5°F.

@owl-bones

First Day, Previous Day, & Next Day.

Bad Sansuary: Dust - Rival

Word Count: 1,947

The weather was awful outside. Like minus fifteen and billowing snow that made walking, let alone driving, quite dangerous. So you'd done the smart thing and elected to stay home from work. Thankfully, your coworkers had apparently all made the same decision, so no one would be judging you when you did go in next.

So now, you were currently sitting by your window with your thickest blanket and a half finished mug of hot chocolate. You liked watching the snow fall outside and completely cover everything in a white blanket. You also liked knowing that you were nice and cozy inside rather than out in the freezing cold.

Then you heard one of your floorboards creak, like someone had stepped on it. You glanced sharply in the direction of the sound to see who or what had caused it.

You immediately made eye contact with none other than Dust, standing in the middle of your living room with his hands in his hoodie pockets.

"hi..."

"Hi."

He stared at you for a moment and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. While you could tell he was tired today by the dark circles underneath his sockets, he didn't seem nearly as bad as some of the other times.

"so, uh, what's up?" he asked quietly as he walked over to the window.

You shrugged and took a sip of your hot chocolate. "Not much really, I'm just watching the storm and seeing if anyone's stupid enough to be outside in this weather."

"fun..." His tone of voice actually sounded completely serious rather than sarcastic, which for a moment threw you for a loop. He sat down on the floor next to you and leaned his skull against the window panes.

A smile played on your lips and you couldn't resist teasing him a little bit. "So what's the deal today? Colleague driving you up a wall again? Boss working you too hard? Did Axe finally find out you've been secretly hanging out with his best friend?"

His mismatched eyelights flicked to you and he cracked a wry smile. "nah, although the colleague has been as pleasant as ever."

You chuckled and finished up the last of your hot chocolate. "Are you just here to take up space on my couch or something then?"

He glanced over at your couch with an almost wistful look. "that sounds pretty tempting actually..." he muttered.

"You're like a stray cat or something with how often you hang out here now."

He gave you a weird look but didn't deny it. "your place is quiet and comfy..."

You hauled yourself to your feet and wrapped the blanket tighter around your shoulders. On your way to the kitchen to put your dirty mug in the sink, you called back, "Did you want anything while I'm up?"

"nah, i'm fine..." he answered.

By the time you'd returned to the living room, Dust had predictably made himself at home on your couch. He'd done it so often by now that you swear the cushions practically molded to his body whenever he sat down on them.

"As much fun as laying around and doing nothing all day sounds, I'd rather spend time doing something with you." You tapped your chin thoughtfully before an idea sprang to mind. "How about a board game? Those are always good for stormy days like today."

He briefly raised his head from the couch cushions and you thought there seemed to be a glimmer of curiosity in his eyelights for a moment. He shrugged but didn't make any effort to get up.

"depends on the game..."

You opened the small cabinet where you kept the few board games you owned and some old puzzles that were doomed to be forever unfinished. "I got Uno, a couple decks of playing cards, Chess, Dominoes, Monopoly..."

"you know how to play chess?" he asked suddenly, ignoring every other suggestion.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I was in my high school's chess club a while back."

You figured Chess was probably the best game to play with Dust anyways as it required little effort and wasn't generally a chaotic game. Now that you thought about it though, he kind of seemed like a very particular type of person. He liked his coffee black with nothing added, he didn't crack jokes at the drop of a hat, and he apparently liked Chess.

You ended up hauling the coffee table a bit closer to the couch so that both of you could be comfy while playing. Dust chose to be the black pieces which left you with the white ones, not that you minded as it meant you would go first.

He seemed a little unsure of where some of the pieces went, but soon figured it out without needing to ask. You couldn't help but notice how purposefully he set up his pieces and he'd even sat up straighter to do so. His hood and gloves stayed on though, which at this point, you would've been weirded out if he took them off for any reason.

"Have you ever played before?" you asked before the game actually started. While you figured he had at least some knowledge of the game, you didn't want to assume how much he actually knew.

He made a so-so motion with his hand before answering in an off-handed kind of way. "yeah, a couple of times, it's been a while though..."

"Same actually," you hummed. "May the best mind win..."

The game proceeded fairly quickly at first. You were playing carefully to try and get a read on his skill level, while Dust just sort of randomly moved his pieces around the board wherever he felt like. It was a bit confusing as you got the impression he wasn't actually trying, especially when he'd make a pretty obvious mistake like leaving important pieces exposed.

"Checkmate," you said while sliding your bishop into position.

Dust stared at the board for a moment, double-checking that, yes, you had just won the game. Finally, he seemed satisfied and nodded slowly.

"fair enough."

You took a deep breath and stretched your shoulder muscles. You still had it, even after all these years.

He began setting the pieces up again and glanced up at you expectantly. "rematch?" he asked.

There was a sort of spark in his eyelights that you couldn't quite place. Almost like he was excited or maybe passionate was a better word. It kinda thrilled you to see and you couldn't deny him now.

"Sure, why not?" you shrugged.

You ended up playing several more games over the next few hours. While you managed to win one, Dust seemed to have found his momentum and won every other game from then on. It was kind of impressive actually, seeing him study the board and then move pieces you hadn't expected him to. You quickly realized he was probably playing at least three or four rounds ahead of each move.

You didn't mind losing to him though. It had been so long since you'd played against anyone actually challenging and you were having fun. With each consecutive game, he was getting faster at beating you and you were beginning to realize that you'd vastly underestimated how clever he was. It could also be that he was just really good at figuring out patterns though.

One surprising thing was that he started talking during the games and not just trash talk or making related comments either. He was actually talking about himself for once.

"you know that idiot colleague of mine?" he asked and shifted a rook over slightly.

"Mhm?"

"he seems to think he's better than me at everything and constantly challenges me to these stupid contests..."

You moved one of your pawns up a space and glanced at Dust to signal that it was his turn.

"he also has to be a constant pain in my coccyx and can't help purposely annoying me at all hours of the day."

"Sounds lovely..."

"it's really not... he even goes so far as to steal exp from me whenever he gets the chance." He moved one of his pawns in front of the pawn you'd just moved to block it. "i hardly stand to be in the same room as the guy..."

"I assume that's a bad thing because of the...withdrawals, as you coined it?"

"it's mostly just an annoyance but yeah."

You fell silent for a moment as you considered your next move. Dust had already taken one of your knights and both of your bishops so you weren't left with many ways to attack him. Finally, you just elected to shift your king towards the corner where he'd be more protected.

"That sucks, why do you even work with the guy if he's so awful?" you asked.

He shrugged and scanned the board for a moment. "don't have much choice i suppose... we all essentially owe our boss so we gotta keep doing whatever he wants." When you frowned slightly, he added, "it's not so bad really, i'd be stuck in an empty world for the rest of time if he hadn't found me. at least this way, i get to do stuff and travel around a lot."

"I guess that's not too bad then..."

"killer's from pretty much the same type of world as me, although he's probably even more messed up."

"I assume that's your colleague's name...?"

Dust blinked when he realized that he'd even mentioned it. "yeah...and before you ask, no, his parents didn't call him that either." He cracked a crooked smile at you before moving his queen out.

"Very funny."

"i don't actually hate the guy though, even if i probably should. we get along when it counts... i've got his back and i know he has mine, if that makes sense?"

You hummed in acknowledgement but continued to stare at the board rather than actually respond. He had you in a tight spot all of the sudden now that his queen had come to play. Actually, he'd slipped up and left one of his bishops next to one of your pawns.

So, you slyly captured his piece and smirked at him to rub his mistake in his face. "Makes sense to me," you finally answered.

He didn't even look upset and slid his rook over across the board. "checkmate."

You stared at him blankly and took a deep breath. "Wow...you're like a Chess prodigy or something." You stood up to stretch your legs before adding, "That was fun but my brain's tired. You're a great opponent though, I haven't had to think that hard to beat someone in years!"

For a moment, his permanent smile widened into a more genuine one and his mismatched eyelights seemed to sparkle. His expression shifted back to a passive one seconds later though, which was slightly disappointing. He looked good when he was happy.

When you were cleaning up your apartment later on after he left, you had a sudden thought. Did Dust like you? He had willingly hung out with you today rather than appear out of nowhere all creepy like. Maybe you were starting to get through his cold exterior shell?

You weren't about to count your chickens before they hatched. If he wanted to be friends, you would wait patiently for him, and until then, you would continue being a listening ear if he ever felt the need to open up more. He kinda seemed like the type to bottle everything up until the stress from doing so becomes too much to bear any longer.

It was strange, but you felt like some progress had been made today.