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#eventually they all gave up and duck suggested watching the ring. the end
bruhstation · 2 years
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casa tidmouth halloween special. enjoy
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the-kr8tor · 3 months
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HOBIE BATTTT HOBAT BROWNNNN- also I raised my brow so high at the last sentence. Daily Hobie HC! Two words. Laser tag. The moment you suggested it, Hobie's face lit up. Both you and him rounded everyone up. Hobie with his bandmates, and you managed to get a few of your friends, as well as Pav, Gwen and Miles. After a bit of introducing and getting to know each other, the entire group went was sectioned off into two pre-made teams, before you all went into the arena. Most of Hobie's team consisted of his bandmates and Pav and Miles, while you had Gwen, Yuri, Gayatri, and a few other friends on your side. Hobie and you had conspired to definitely put Miles and Gwen on opposite teams to see if they'd shoot each other out, as well as Pavitr and Gayatri. Once all of you were suited, and given the laser gun, which Hobie undoubtedly knew would give you a power rush, the person who was going to supervise the area took your team, setting you up on the other side of the large field. As the surveillance person hurriedly ran back to their post, immediately turning off the lights and allowing the vibrant, flashy lights to illuminate the way, the games began. The first round was a capture-the-flag round. You and the rest of your team hurriedly ducked into the obstructing obstacles, sneaking your way to the other team's base to capture the flag. However, halfway through, Yuri had been shot out of the game by Hobie, a wide, devious smirk on his face as he stuck his tongue out at the way Yuri sulked her way back to the base's defeat center. You can tell the moment Hobie has his sights on you, since his footsteps go quiet. His intentions are to ambush you, but little did he know, you're one step ahead.
Your laser gun ready in hand, you immediately flip around, shooting his detector a second before he could shoot yours. Hobie's flabbergasted, playfully pouting as you gave him a teasing wink, and for the fact he had just lost to you. Sucks to suck, baby. With a snicker, you keep moving. Eventually, you all resort to crouching behind the last obstacle before nothing else to hide. You all had to act fast, as Hobie's team was quickly closing in. Hobie watched as you bolted out, your gun held tightly to your chest as you reached out for the flag, the rest of your team coming out and covering you, their guns up and shooting at the rest of Hobie's team. You silently laugh as you hear Gwen and Gayatri wince, both having shot their boyfriends out. Soon enough, you pull the flag out of the slot, holding it up. A buzzer rings across the arena. Fuck yeah, one point to you guys. As the rounds continued, with both teams fighting for glory, at the end... Your team wins by one point. Sweating, panting, you and your team have gotten a major power boost from the triumph. Hobie is playfully salty, but also scared at how hyped you are.. As you all take off your vests and hand back the guns, Hobie is not surprised to see you practically bouncing off your feet with the adrenaline of winning. His eyes widen as you bound up to him, boasting about how his team lost, and how you're just better with a lighthearted, competitive tone. With a feigned-bitter eyeroll, he leans down and attempts to shut you up with a long kiss, earning a few groans from the rest. This time, it was your turn to flip the bird at them, your arm springing up, to which Hobie had to slap down. -🐦‍⬛
HOBAT BROWN!!!! THAT'S IT THAT'S THE OFFICIAL AU NAME HAHHAHAHHAHAHA
Daily Hobie HC!! 🎉
Laser tag!!! Oh I want to play now!
Lol that's so evil of Hobie and R to separate the couples 🤣
LET'S GOOOOO!!! R WINS!!!
No mercy for their partners too HAHHAHAHA
R flipping them off while smooching their man was so real 😂 I bet after the game they're so tired and starving that they practically devoured their pizza and wings which is the best after game food for laser tag 🤣 (based from my experience!)
Hobie might pout for a bit right after but after a few kisses here and there (and bribing him with his own personal pizza) he'll be back to being regular hobie who would challenge your team again next time!
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scarlettriot · 3 years
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Fair Festival Time!
As the summer months are coming to a close I thought it would be fun to do some Fair-specific MHA Headcanons as well as some Fair First Date Headcanons (GN Y/N)
First Dates are below the cut.
Headcanon WC: 433
First Dates WC: 1,541
Total WC: 1,974
. Mina and Denki buy the all-day rides wrist bands and are hitting up everything as many times as they possibly can and trying to bring as many friends along with them. Eijiro and Momo are the two most willing.
. Katsuki is really talented at just about any game that requires him to throw a ball of some kind. He's not in it for the prizes though, he'd win a 6ft tall teddy bear and hand it off to Ochaco without a second thought. All Katsuki wants is to watch the bottles or basket blow up.
. That being said, he gets A LOT of joy out of the dunk tank.
. Izuku is super patient with carnival games, he rules at any game where you have to memorize where things are. He brought home a bunch of goldfish that he won (gave most to Eri).
. Speaking of this adorable child! Eri just wants to try ALL THE FOOD! She walks hand in hand with Mirio and Tamaki to all of the food stalls and pointing to all the delicious treats she wants to try. They do keep an eye on her, they don't want her getting a tummy ache and ruining her fun.
. Shoto is instantly in love with frozen slushies. He wants one in every single flavor and he gets one in every single flavor! After trying them all he's decided that lemonade and orange are his favorites.
. Hanta tapes Mineta to the Zero Gravity ride when he catches him trying to be a little perv.
. Hanta then goes and checks out all the vendors with Toru, both buying some cute, locally made products.
. Circling back to games, Eijiro kills it at the strong man game. Gets giddy every time he hears that bell ring. Doesn't even need a prize.
. Mezo is really good at ring toss, even with his extra arms, he still throws them one at a time to get the most experience out of the game.
. Tsu and Koji spend a lot of time around the animals. While most of the animals tend to follow Koji around because of his quirk, Tsu has a small gathering of ducks around her at all times and she thinks they're adorable!
. Mina has gotten her face painted.
. Ochaco and Izuku got a caricature sketch done together and somehow they made Ochaco's cheeks more round and Izuku's hair more fluffy!
. Denki got lost in the funhouse, Tenya had to go get him out.
. Kyoka hangs out where the musical performances are nearly all day long. When Katsuki isn't being extra competitive, he usually joins her.
Fair First Date Headcanons
Featuring: Izuku, Katsuki, Denki, Hanta, Mina, and Eijiro
Warnings: Smooching
These are all pretty damn corny. I'm feeling sappy so this is what you get!
Izuku
. Izuku is all smiles, all day long with you.
. He wants to enjoy every minute of it so he will suggest you get to the fair early in the morning! He plans every part of the day, schedules times for snacks and when you should be indoors enjoying activities to beat the heat of the day.
. Makes sure you're putting on sunscreen throughout the day and staying hydrated! The last thing he wants is you getting heatstroke or something!
. He's not great at all the games but he still gives them all a try! Especially the ones you seem to enjoy.
. Ends up holding your hand when you get lost in a hall of mirrors. Nervously let's go once you're out but is very blushy when you grab for him again.
. Now, he had this day all planned out, so, when you're on the Ferris wheel at the end of the night and the fireworks begin just as you reach the top, you shouldn't have been surprised.
. He's holding your hand, brushing his thumb against yours when you both turn to say something to each other and your faces are just so close together.
. This time, he makes the move and kisses you.
. You two end up making out for nearly the entire show, a little startled when the Ferris Wheel starts moving again.
Katsuki
. You had to bug Katsuki pretty relentlessly to go to the fair. He didn't like the idea of the crowds and it was gonna be so damn hot but when you told him about all the games, how they were so difficult to actually win, he changed his tune real quick!
. You still compromised a bit though, waiting until the warmest part of the day passed.
. He made a b-line for the rows of brightly colored tents, holding onto your hand and pulling you along behind him.
. And, damn it, you'd been right. They weren't all easy to win! He eventually found a groove though, and learned he excelled at names that he had to throw things at.
. You had SO MANY stuffed animals by the end of the night!
. Fireworks started going off while you two found a picnic table to eat your dinner at with your massive collection of prizes.
. He'd popped a fried pepper into his mouth and you noticed him watch a little boy, struggling at a game nearby. He was sitting just so he could see the backs of the bottles and noticed they were rigged. There was no way a kid could knock them down, he didn't have the strength.
. Katsuki didn't say a word to you. He just got up and walked over to the kid. You couldn't hear their conversation but soon enough Katsuki was standing behind him and helping him throw the ball. You just barely saw sparks of his quirk propelling it forward.
. The bottles fell, the boy jumped up and down with a huge grin, accepting the massive snake plushie and hugging Katsuki's waist before he returned to you, again, not saying a word.
. You slipped into the seat beside him, kissing his cheek and telling him how sweet of a thing that was. There were grumbles of, "better not tell anyone..." Before he kissed you for the first time that night.
Denki
. Denki had no plan. He didn't even know a fair was happening until Hanta had said something about it but as soon as he did he knew he wanted to go, and he wanted to go with you!
. You got there shortly after opening, running for the ticket booth to purchase unlimited ride wristbands. And then set off!
. Hours. You spent hours riding every single ride there!
. It was only when you felt heat on your shoulders and saw the redness the sun had caused on Denki's cheeks that you thought you should maybe get out of the sun for a while.
. After filling up on food, you decided the funhouse would be a good way to stay cool! Wandering around the mazes and rooms, grabbing onto Denki as you fell into a ball pit. He didn't let you go after that.
. The sun was setting and you two were back at it with the rides! Lines are longer now than they were earlier in the day, leaving the two of you with more time to talk rather than just running around like two crazy people.
. It was after you got off the teacups. Your heads dizzy, laughing so hard your sides hurt, clinging onto one another so you could stay upright when Denki grabbed your face with both hands and kissed you smack on the lips.
. The kiss only lasted a couple seconds before you both needed air again. But, on the way to the Music Express, you both peppered each other with kisses, unable to contain yourselves.
Hanta
. He asked you a week ago if you'd like to join him, not really for the rides or anything like that, he was really interested in all the craft booths!
. You went at opening, grabbed some cold drinks, and started walking down the vendor's alley stopping at every stall and stand to admire the wares.
. You admired the way Hanta could strike up a conversation with anyone. His easy, laidback personality showing through as he gushed about leatherwork and delicious-smelling candles.
. Of course, you left with bags full of goodies!
. By the time you actually made it back around to the fair rides and attractions, your stomachs were screaming for food.
. You settled in to watch a few shows, chatting happily among yourselves until before you knew it the sun was beginning to dip.
. Finding a spot at a picnic table you were ready to watch the fireworks show but before they began, Hanta plopped a bag down in your lap, a sneaky little grin on his face.
. Inside, you found one of the candles you were in love with from earlier in the day but decided to save your money... well, two could play at that game. You dug around in your bag and handed him a small box. Inside was a necklace you'd seen him eyeing but passed up.
. Your thank you was in the form of a sweet kiss as the show began.
Mina
. Excitement buzzed through Mina all day long, the anticipation of going with you to the fair had her practically bouncing!
. While she was very eager, she also wanted to go later in the day. More people, more fun, that was her way of looking at it!
. You two were attached by the hand the moment you walked through the gate. Setting off for rides first, your heads bonking together on the tilt-a-whirl with a laugh.
. Next, she wanted to get her face painted and yours too! By the time it was done, Mina had elegant swirls of gold and red making her look like a proper Alien Queen and you had a mask designed of ornate patterns spirally over your nose and over your cheeks.
. You'd been splitting a funnel cake when pops of fireworks started exploding overhead. Stopping in the middle of the pathway to watch them.
. A few people muttered in annoyance but Mina was completely entranced, you pulled her off to the side, behind a few of the food vendors, so she could watch in peace.
. It didn't take you too long to turn your head skyward either.
. That was when Mina struck.
. The moment you were distracted, she grabbed hold of your cheeks, smudging the paint, and kissed you. The reflection was the fireworks in her eyes were as bright as her smile when you finally pulled away for air.
Eijiro
. The plan was to get there when the fair opened but you both took your sweet time, getting sidetracked with talking along the way meaning you actually arrived in the early afternoon.
. Not a problem, still left you with a ton of time!
. Eijiro let you lead the way, was your partner, rival, or cheering squad for whatever game you tried playing. But then he found the strong man game...
. It wasn't like you were surprised he could ring the bell but your eyes still went wide when he did. Grinning like he'd just taken down a group of villains all on his own when he presented you with a huge stuffed shark he'd been awarded.
. It was after you both scarfed down some food that you found a rock climbing wall and knew you had to tackle it! High up in the air, almost to the top, was when you lost your footing.
. Someone would have caught you, you both knew that but still, Eijiro's hand shot out and grabbed you first.
. After the minor scare, you found a spot in some grass to watch the fireworks that had started on the walkover. Laying back, the shark plush in your arms, your head on Eijiro's chest. You could hear his heart racing faster and faster.
. When you sat up to ask if he was okay, if he didn't like the fireworks, he just jolted forward and kissed you quickly. Not scared, just nervous. You assure him there was no need, kissing him again, before settling into his arms.
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obsessive-ego · 3 years
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Talking in you sleep
Musical beetlejuice x reader
Reader says Beetlejuice's name 3 times in their sleep, but hes already in their home
Sfw
Idk been thinking about this for ages
Just a small fic
It was an accident
It was no secret to anyone that you talk in your sleep, not full sentences, just a word or two, nothing too abnormal, you didn't know about this little quirk of yours until a certain foul mouthed undead demon wormed his way into your life, he was the one who told you.
...
"Ya know you chatter on in your sleep?" He'd  chuckle as if he found something truly embarrassing to bug you about.
"How'd you know? Am I that loud you can hear me in the livingroom?"
"Nah, I watch you sleep" he said it so plainly as if it wasnt super creepy.
The ghoul eventually upped his late night habits from watching you sleep, to sleeping in the same bed as you, he did this so often you stopped setting up the couch for him and just accepted your fate to be spooned every night by a creepy old dead guy who you may or may not have a crush on
...
The nights you've babbled in your sleep always brought on annoying mornings of beetlejuice teasing you, probably lying through his teeth over how you moan his name in you sleep to get you worked up for his own amusement, unfortunately you couldnt prove you didnt since your dreams never really stuck with you long after waking.
Hell with your late night chatter you even manged to summon beej once in your sleep, a night he was spending over at the Deetz, you manged to say his name 3 times in a row, spoken, unbroken, in your sleep, and boy was your face red when you woke up and saw the bastard in question sitting inches from your face with the widest shit eating grin you've ever seen on his face, that was an instance you couldnt deny saying his name in your sleep and dreaming about him, you missed him, of course you think about the demon when you two are apart, even the few days he's with the Deetz and the maitlands.
Tonight wasnt one of those nights, beetlejuice has spent the entire day glued to your side, chatting your ear off about all the scares he and lydia pulled in your absence, his stories always made you smile, the way he practically glowed green with excitement as he retold his showmanship to you.
The night went on with bad jokes and fun stories as the demon filled you in on all the fun you missed while you were doing boring adult breather things and how the two of you should mess with some unlucky breathers so he could show you how amazing he truly was, as if you needed proof that the ghoul was a ham who loved to show off.
As the two of you sat on the couch laughing away, forgetting the movie that basically became White noise to your conversation, a yawn escapes your lips
"Getting tired babes? Am I really that boring" the ghoul teased pinching you cheek
You groan and pull away "well, yeah, unlike you mister freeloader, I worked all day" you shrug before letting out another yawn
"Freeloader? Oh sugar, your words hurt" the ghoul fakes hurt, giving you an over exaggerated gasped face, with his hands over where a person's heart would be "I thought we had the mutual understanding that I was your trophy husband"
You give the demon a soft laugh "you wish-"
"Every night baby~" he purrs pink stripes slowly appearing in his hair
You freeze, it wasnt uncommon for beetlejuice to openly flirt with you, but that doesnt mean it didnt make you freeze up everytime, you werent exactly the type people lined up to date, nor were you very popular growing up, so the sudden and intense attention the demon gave you always made your heart pound.
"Uh, um, I think I'm gonna head to bed" you stammer before getting up "night beej" you mumble before disappearing into your bedroom.
The demon stifles a laugh, god slash satan you were a delight to get worked up, not to mention easy. He loved it, his favourite little breather was always so hot when they were an embarrassed mess.
The ghoul decides to finish the movie the two of you had on in the background, before heading to bed with you, he didn't need to sleep, just enjoyed being snuggled up to that soft warm body of yours, and it was more rewarding to sneak in after you were out cold, bed would be already warm, and with the added thrill of not wanting to wake you.
As the credits roll beetlejuice snaps his fingers and tv goes dark, the ghoul raises from the couch and gives a yawn and a long stretch as if he was exhausted. The demon makes his way to your room, standing outside your door he pauses at the sound of your voice
"Beetlejuice"
It was soft, barely audible, but herd it, guess you were still up, beetlejuice phases through your bedroom door, to be greeted by your sleeping form.
He stifled a chuckle, you were dreaming of him, tomorrow was gonna be great, the ghoul was already busy thinking about ways to poke fun at this in the morning, moaning out his name in you sleep? What kind of dream were you having babes? He could see your face now.
"Beetlejuice" you mumble again in a whisper
"Whoa there babes, you know the rule, one more time and I'm out" he whispers making his way to your bed.
"Beetlejuice" you sigh
"Y/N!" was the the only thing he had time to shout before vanishing.
His shout was enough to make wake you, but not enough to clue you in to what you just did, you grumble out a swear before rolling over and going back to sleep.
The next morning you wake up, a tad confused to not have a snoring dead guy weighing you down, normally on nights beetlejuice would stay over he'd slip into bed with you after you've fallen asleep, using your chest as a pillow.
You dont think much of it at first, heading to the kitchen to make some coffee before getting dressed, you did notice there was no beej there either, waiting for you kettle to boil you give your little home a quick sweep for the demon, nothing.
He's vanished to do his own thing before, he was a grown man, sometimes he'd duck out and mess with the neighbors in your apartment complex, but he would at least leave you a note or something.
You started to worry, what if something awful happened to him? Then it clicked, lydia must had summoned him away to hang out, that had to be it, and with that thought all dread left you so you could carry on with your day, since bj wasnt around you took the opportunity to get a few odds and ends done.
The day drags on into the late evening, you were enjoying the peace as you catch up on some reading.
Your phone rings, looking at the screen you see its lydia, that's odd, she normally texts you if anything
"Hello?"
"Y/n I need to ask beetlejuice something"
"Isnt he with you?"
"What? No-"
Dread returns to you chest, you havent seen him since last night, he left no note, he wasnt with lydia, did something awful happen? was he bored with you? You felt like you were going to be sick
"Y/n?"
"I gotta go" was all you could say before hanging up,
"Beetlejuice!"
Nothing
"Beetlejuice!"
Again nothing, he normally came after the second yell, anxiety for your dear friend make you since to your stomach in fear for the worst, you steady yourself and take a deep breath and say it for a third time
"Beetlejuice"
With a puff of green smoke there stood the ghoul, unfortunately sporting a purple hue
"Bee-"
"It took you that long to notice I was gone?"
"No, I-"
"Why did it take so long then? Enjoying your time without me?!" Red streaks began to show up amongst the purple
"I thought lydia summoned you back-"
"And you waited till now to check?!"
"I DIDNT WANT TO BOTHER THE TWO OF YOU" you yelled back, beetlejuice is taken abck by your volume, you take a deep breath "if I knew why you were gone I would have said something sooner, what happened?" You say calmly gently taking the demon's hand, red now fading away, though the purple stayed
"You sent me away, you said my name 3 times in your sleep and sent me back to the netherworld" he refused to look at you as if you did this on purpose to mess with him.
"Bee, I'm sorry, I would have never done that on purpose, i- i love having you around, and I, god, i miss you when you're not here, with me" now it was your turn to refuse eye contact, admitting such a cheesy thing, you wanted to just die, not that it would help.
The purple hue is quick to leave the ghoul's form in replacement with a much softer pink, you missed him, music to his ears.
"Sugar" beetlejuice grabs your chin and forces eye contact
You give him a soft smile seeing that he was no longer purple, but also when he pulls you into a rather over exaggerated dip and sloppy kiss "so how bout we make up for some lost time and you can make this little misunderstanding up to me, what do you say babes?~"
You only stutter and choke on your words as the demon spins you around
"Would you like to scare some delivery guy and watch a bad slasher?" You finally get out
The demon pauses for a moment, as if to think about this offer.
"Normally I'd be delighted honey, but I think you owe me~ how bout you have to sit on my lap the entire film~" he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at you, you swallow the lump in your throat, this was gonna be a long night
Bonus
The two of you were snuggled together on the couch, Beetlejuice's arms were around your waist, his head on your shoulder, your bum on his lap.
"So babes, whatever you dreaming about last night?"
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littlefishbigsea · 3 years
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Gwynriel Small Scene
The Necklace
A note: This is a snippet from a larger story I’ve been building upon. The goal is to eventually publish chapters via a side blog and ao3. I hope you enjoy. 🖤
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She pushed him away, the palms of her hands flat against his firm chest. He stumbled back, caught off guard by her rejection. Chest heaving he leveled her with with his patina gaze.
“You don’t get to kiss me,” Gwyn sneered, drawing the back her hand across her mouth as if to wipe away his transgression.
“Oh?” He challenged. Back straightening, the shadowsinger rose to his full height and squared his shoulders.
“You’re a liar.”
“So are you,” he growled.
“What are we doing, shadowsinger?”
“Sparring,” he smirked. “Obviously.”
He sprung. Using his expansive wing span to bear down on her in a fraction of time, Gwyn barely had enough space to bring up her dagger and block his oncoming attack. She slid to the left, reversed her blade and aimed for his side.
Azriel smacked the blunt end of her dagger with the back of his forearm, knocking it off course. Grabbing her wrist, she chouldn’t stop her shriek as he slammed a thigh into her stomach, knocking her flat onto her ass.
She rolled and kicked out at the same time, ramming her foot into his ankle. He wouldn’t fall though. She knew that. So, she brought her leg up to kick him again, this time his inner thigh.
He went down. She was vaguely aware of the pain in her own limbs but she kept at him, throwing herself onto him. He grabbed her wrist before she could snatch his dagger away. They froze like that, staring each other down as Gwyn bared her teeth and strained against his superior strength. Azriel’s lips twitched upward at one corner and she growled in frustration.
Yanking up a leg in a feat of feminine flexibility, she hooked her leg through his elbow, wrenching his arm down with her full weight. Her wrist screamed, near breaking when he didn’t let go. His back arched just before his hips thrust up, flipping her off and over him. Using the momentum, she rolled before he could pin her. She scrambled after her dagger.
Gwyn skidded across the ground sending dirt into the air and grasped the weapon at the edge of the ring. She’d just straightened when Azriel lept up in a single graceful move and landed before her. Her mouth twisted and he glared back.
Both breathing hard, she gripped her dagger and sank into a ready stance. Az smirked, copying her movements. Gwyn swallowed. This no longer felt like sparring, but rather something personal leaking into what should have been simple, routine dagger practice.
They attacked at once. Gwyn’s legs ached but she managed to dance away from his first strike. She stabbed. He blocked. She kicked, ducked, and tried to jab him in the kidney but he blocked again. Jumping back she let loose a volley of offensive moves. Azriel was impossibly fast, blocking every one - then his dagger shot out, the handle knocking into her shoulder, sending her spinning backward.
She moved with the spin, turning her body so that she wouldn’t fall and kicked out at him again, attempting to plant a booted foot in his belly. Yet, he managed to twist away and caught her leg. She punched at his knee with the handle of her dagger and he dropped her.
Gwyn scrambled back, spinning to face him. He tensed, not attacking. The arrogant smirk is gone and now he just looks frustrated. She gives him a ‘what the fuck is your problem’ look. What was he waiting for? She inhaled sharply. How could she best him? It was like he knew her movements before she did. Damn it. She didn’t know how to beat him. Brute strength wouldn’t work, and her strategies were getting her nowhere.
Azriel sprung. Her time to think was up.
The attacks he unleashed were swift. Gwyn blocked and dodged. She didn’t catch everything and though it burned her pride, she knew he wasn’t using the full scope of his abilities. There was no matching him. Not yet. The shadowsinger was just that good. When his third strike caught her in the diaphragm she dropped to her knees at his feet, clutching her belly, unable to breathe. She trembled, exhausted. He started to take a step back to give her time to recover.
Before she could gasp a single breath, Gwyn shot up and tackled him, shoulder to stomach. He staggered, wings flaring, catching him before he fell. Her strength gave out and all she could do to keep from falling was grip handfuls of his shirt. A loud rip sounded as the side seam tore. She dragged herself to her feet, bouncing away from him on the balls of her feet.
Azriel pulled his torn shirt off and chucked it in a single sweep of his arm. Gwyn could only stare. The tattoos that curled over his shoulders wound down his chest, a curl over his heart. She licked her lips and pushed her shoulders back. With her chin lifted, she gestured for Azriel to come for her. His answering grin was a dark, wild thing. He stepped forward in a slow prowl. Then lunged. She leapt at the last second to meet him. Crashing into her, he grabbed her at the same time she grabbed onto him.
Their combined momentum was so powerful that they both slammed hard into the ground, Azriel above her. He managed to cup the back of her head to cushion the impact of their fall. His other hand was fisted in her shirt, holding her still. Both of her legs wrapped tight around his middle, her hands pressed into his chest.
Time slowed. Noise disappeared. Azriel was pressed hard against her, his bare chest hot, slick with sweat. He breathed deep, chest rising and falling. The hand at the back of her head closed slowly, pulling her hair into his fist. He pulled her head back until their eyes met.
Gwyn grabbed the shadowsinger’s head and yanked his mouth down to hers.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss. Not like what they’d shared in the past. Azriel’s mouth met hers with raging heat. She arched into him as he shoved her further into the ground, mouth moving, fierce, carnal, and demanding. His strength was all around her, holding her, pinning her helplessly. Her hands rose and she sank her fingers into the hair at the back of his head, pulling him closer still, demanding. Always wanting more. His hand tightened in her hair, angling her further, deepening their kiss into something wilder. She felt undone.
Eventually, Azriel pulled back with one last nipping bite to her lip. Molten warmth spread, pouring through her. Faces inches apart, both panting, eyes fierce, they held. Gwyn wasn’t sure if she should unwind her legs from around him. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.
He pulled away, her legs untangling from his waist. With a single push, Azriel was on his feet. His hand reached out and she slid her palm against his. He pulled. She found herself standing against him, hand still holding hers.
Fingers brushed the underside of her chin, tipping her head back. She stared at him uncertainly, his mask back in place. The shadowsinger was unreadable, even with his fingertips still resting against her chin. The sudden desire to pull his mouth back to hers warred within.
“Gwyn-“
“Are you in love with Elain, Azriel?”
His breath caught. She didn’t often call him by his name, preferring the title. It was what he was, who he was - but the intimacy of hearing his name on her lips gave him pause.
“Do you love Balthazar,” he tossed back.
“Why? Jealous?”
A wolffish smile spread his lips into a unkind grin. “If I thought even for a second that boy was competition, perhaps I would be.”
Her eyes widened, growing frustrated, no longer distracted by his lips or their sparring, Gwyn reached beneath her shirt. With a strong yank, she pulled the infamous necklace free of her neck, tossing it the ground where it landed at his feet.
“Don’t do that.” Azriel’s voice was low, threaded with shadow.
“I wasn’t the one you intended to give this to,” Gwyn accused. “So, I’m giving it back.”
“It’s yours, Gwyn, I gave it-“
“To Elain!” She shouted, hands fisting at her side. “Or was it meant for Mor first, I’m confused.”
So, was he. He sighed, defeat settling in him. His wings dropped, though not hitting the ground, and he leveled her with a look.
“You’re right,” he said. His voice was ice-cold silk that slid under Gwyn’s skin and down into her bones. “I did give it to Elain. She didn’t want it,” he confessed. Gwyn’s lips parted in surprise.
“Why give it to me, then?” Her voice was quiet, soft.
He shakes his head, a wrinkle in his forehead appearing. His shadows surfaced around him, wrapping him in darkness.
“Don’t you dare hide from me,” she hissed, watching as the shadowsinger all but disappeared from her sight.
“I gave the necklace-“ He stopped, shadows trembling around him as if they waited expectantly for him to continue. “After Elain returned it, I gave the necklace to Clotho. She suggested I give it to you. She thought… I thought you might like it.”
She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting but it hadn’t been that. Not exactly.
“Why me, Azriel?”
He stared at her, shadows coiling and unraveling. A blushing glow bloomed high in his cheeks.
“I thought… I don’t know what things have been like for you after - I thought, with all the ugly things dealt you…” He pushes a scarred hand through his hair, scattering the dark strands into chaos. “It’s an uncomplicated design and if you hold it the right way it catches light. I thought you might wear it and look at it from time to time, find comfort in its beauty. To bring something lovely to your life that… It was stupid-“
“You thought I’d find it beautiful. The way you did.” She hadn’t meant to interrupt. The thought had slipped, the confusion and disbelief in her voice thick.
He looked at her, brow furrowed. “Yes.”
She focused on the small pendant at his feet. It’s chain coiled elegantly, catching in the moonlight. Lovely in its simplicity. Gwyn couldn’t quite take a breath. Just a necklace - something beautiful he’d wanted to share. With her, even if it had not been his first intention. A gift that wasn’t meant to be but had turned into something meaningful they both treasured.
Except that he had convinced himself she wouldn’t want it if she’d known the truth. She watched him, no longer guarded, his raw vulnerability darkening his eyes. He’d expected rejection.
It took everything he had to hold still, to keep his hands at his sides, to resist the urge to reach for her. Azriel didn’t know what he’d do if he touched her. It wasn’t out of a desire for pleasure, hers or his. He wanted to touch her because something hot and pulling tightened in his chest and it hurt to breathe. Without conscious thought, his hand rose toward her as though drawn up by an invisible string. As if she wielded her nymph magic and he was caught in her spell. Ready to drown in the pool of her eyes.
Scarred fingers brushed across her soft cheek, her skin warm, flushed. His touch trailed lightly across the side of her face and his hand curled around the back of her neck. Running his thumb along her jaw and to the corner of her mouth, Gwyn knew he was going to kiss her again.
Before he leaned in, before he could capture her lips with his, a cold thrill ran down his spine and splintered into shards of ice. He stiffened, knowing who he’d find watching them. His instincts screamed. They weren’t alone.
He caught movement over Gwyn’s shoulder. Not hidden, but in plain view. Watching. Waiting. Stamping her foot against the rings dirt floor, sending little puffs of dust cloud into the air. That silhouette was unmistakable, as was the arctic chill that ran down his spine.
Nesta Archeron.
With Azriel’s attention fixed on her, the female arched a single brow. Silver flames danced within the depths of those eyes. Her gaze moved from his to where his hand still lingered at Gwyn’s face.
Shit.
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a-dorky-american · 2 years
Note
Got a pocket full of headcannons about you and Alfred
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-Alfred sometimes wakes up people by pounding two frying pans and does that “I didn’t get any sleep cause of you, you’re never gonna get sleep cause of me” thing
-Scout was the one who encouraged Matthew to propose Alfred did too but his way included fireworks
-every Christmas whenever Alfred goes Christmas shopping either with Scout or his dads or Matthew and they announce Santa is coming, Alfred will 100% go “SANTA!!! OH MY GOD!!”
-Alfred proposed with a ring pop (idk your favorite flavor is but he does know your favorite flavor)
-some mornings Alfred surprises Scout with breakfast in bed and Scout does this as well but only on Alfred’s birthday
-Alfred always hugs Scout super tight whenever he gets scared of a horror movie or game
-Scout loves to surprise Alfred with McDonald’s after a busy day (especially gets them a McFlurry to share)
-one of Alfred’s favorite things to do is sing the duck song and always wants someone to join in, this ends with Romano cursing about how messed up it is
LMAO! 😂😂😂😂
-Yeah, he's definitely done that a couple of times ever since I showed him that vine. I usually try to ignore it lol.
- We both encouraged Canada to propose to @piscesgirl2020. I suggested Niagra Falls when the sunset was just right. America's was similar to mine, but it involved fireworks shooting out from the top of the waterfall that spelled out "Will you marry me?" While Canada thought the suggestion was cute, he eventually went with my idea (but he said he could bring sprinklers if Ari said yes, which he did (he even gave me one 🙃)).
- Omg, YES! Ever since he's watched Elf, he won't stop referencing it around Christmas time. He did it one time when we were in the middle of Market Square and everyone wouldn't stop looking at us... It was embarrassing.
- America makes the BEST pancakes and sausage! It's always a joy to be surprised in bed with his cooking! For his birthday, I make him waffles, sunny side eggs, and bacon with a glass of orange juice (no pulp tho. He doesn't like pulp.) I usually use Canada's maple syrup (sorry Canada), but in my defense America does it too.
- In all honesty, we hug EACH OTHER whenever we watch a horror movie or play a horror game. I get just as scared with that kind of stuff. As much as that man is suffocating me, I'm suffocating him just as much lol. 😅
- It's the only time I EVER go into a McDonald's for anything lol. Whenever I notice that America is in a bad mood, I sometimes stop to get him a happy meal. I get myself Panera, but I do indulge in a McFlurry for the two of us to share as a dessert. As my Grandpa Tony always said, "You gotta finish off with something sweet!"
- I am guilty of joining in on the Duck Song. It's just so catchy! Romano can say all he wants about it, but I'm spending quality time with my boy, damnit!
@koolkat9 @piscesgirl2020 @newhetaliafan @elithegnome feel free to jump in on the headcannons!
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renegadepack · 3 years
Note
hi! for the mini-fic ask you just reblogged, jacob/bella and "things you said at the kitchen table"? (sorry if there's a process for requests that i don't know)
this is basically the process! send me an ask with the prompt, characters, and what you’re wanting (mini fic/headcanons/moodboard/etc.) and i got you! my main ask is that it’s one request per ask. (you can send me requests until tumblr cuts you off, as long as each request is its own ask.)
Bella had always loved to cook, but she didn’t realize how fun it could be with someone else by her side. And Jacob was an amazing cooking partner. He was skilled with a knife (“Cutting carrots is a lot easier than intricately carving a small piece of wood,” he had explained when she expressed awe.) he didn’t mind being on prep duty while Bella stirred the pot or flipped veggies in a pan; he found it soothing. They would use the time to talk, or listen to music together. Bella loved it now. On more than one occasion, they had let the food burn while Jacob pulled her away from the stove to dance around the kitchen.
One night, in the middle of Summer, Jacob wouldn’t let Bella near the kitchen. He wouldn’t tell her what he was making, or why. When Bella would ask, or make a guess based on the sights and smells filling their large kitchen, he would shoo her away. Eventually, she gave up, retreating to their room to read until his little surprise was ready.
“Bella!” he called, about a half hour later. She sighed, tucking her bookmark between the pages and setting the book back on her nightstand. “Bella?” he called again. 
She laughed. “Just a minute!” On her way out the bedroom door, she grabbed her favorite sweatshirt off the floor. It had once been Jacob’s, but she had claimed it years ago when they started dating. It still hung past her knees, but that just made it cozier. He stood at the end of the hallway, a smile breaking across his face when he saw her.
“You look cute,” he said, bending down to kiss her.
“Only the finest fashion for me. So what’s all the secrecy about?” she asked as he took her hand and led her to the table.
He stammered a bit before finally saying “I just wanted to do something nice for you.” She smiled, ducking her head to hide her blushing cheeks. “I made lasagna. First meal we ever cooked together. Emily gave me a bread recipe. I think I messed it up. It’s not as fluffy as she said-” Bella cut him off by stretching up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
“I bet it’s delicious,” she said, his lips pressed to her forehead. “No need to be so nervous. It’s just me.” He chuckled, running his hands through his long hair before pulling out a chair for her.
They sat down and dug in, enjoying the food Jacob had prepared. He had gotten a lot better over the years and it really showed. Like normal, they both had plenty to say, but Jacob’s smile never quite reached his eyes. Bella helped him clear the table, leaving the dishes in the sink for the next day. To her surprise, he brought out a cake that had to be from Emily’s bakery. It looked immaculate: deep chocolate icing with berries dotted all around.
“What’s all this for?” Bella asked. “It’s not my birthday. Or our anniversary.”
“Um,” Jacob said, setting the cake on the table. He reached his hand into his pocket, seeming to fiddle with something before taking a deep breath. “You know I love you.”
“Yes, that’s a known fact.”
Jacob laughed. “I have a speech here, honey. Let me get through it.”
Bella pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “Just give me the signal when I can speak.”
“Sure, sure. Uh, anyway. I first met you in my father’s yard, watching you hop out of Charlie’s backseat with a book in your hand. Of course, the plan was we would play together, but you shushed me every time I suggested we do something else. All you wanted to do was read your book. I tried to watch TV but could only watch you. From mud pies as kids to recklessness as teens, everything with you has been an adventure. And I’m so happy to have you in my life. Um,” Jacob paused, having to gather courage for his next line. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, with it a small box. In the next motion he dropped to one knee, presenting the ring to Bella.
“You’re the only one I want to have adventures with for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”
Bella could only say one word. “Yes.”
more fic // request fic
“things you said” prompts
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imo-chan-imagines · 4 years
Text
『 As your boyfriend | FKBU Headcanons 』
Characters: female!reader, Kambe Daisuke, Kato Haru
Tags/warnings: Fugou Keiji Balance: Unlimited (anime), 18+, strong sexual references, fluff, angst, Haru's PTSD, headcanons, daddy kink and cockwarming (kind of?) for Daisuke, breeding kink for Haru *coughing intensifies*
⚠️ 18+ CONTENT! MINORS: PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT ⚠️
A/N: Felt like writing some more for these boys because ~holy shit~ do I love them, and I maybe went a teensy bit overboard. Oopsie! 🤭 But anyway, have y'all seen episode 6?! Let's freaking gooo! (No spoilers, don't worry) Thanks for reading! Enjoy! Imo~
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Kambe Daisuke
First up: daddy kink. I know it, you know it, we all know it. So let's not beat about the bush
Quite dominant and firm with you (see: daddy kink)
But he absolutely loves spoiling you
Expensive gifts, like one-of-a-kind necklaces, seductive perfumes, satin dresses, lace underwear, etc.
He loves dressing you up and showing you off
But he also loves spoiling you in bed more like ruining, I am deceased
A lot of butt grabbing in public hnng
He likes it when you don't wear any underwear because it makes for easier quickies like bent over the sink in the bathroom at his favourite club
He likes you sitting on his lap in front of people, too aye papi
American gangster vibes, honestly
He's not really one for soppy, romantic PDA, but he loves you letting people know that it's him you want and nobody else
He loves the look on people's faces when you call him 'daddy' that grin will be the death of me
Especially the look on Haru's face, lmao. He blushed like a tomato and couldn't speak a coherent sentence for a whole hour
Hickeys. Lots and lots of hickeys. And don't even think about covering them up
Daisuke loves sleeping naked and has a habit of walking around the house in just a towel when he gets out the shower fight me
He's also completely oblivious to what it does to you
A MASSIVE bed with super soft, satiny sheets. They feel like clouds uwu
He gets HEUSC to remind him of important dates, like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
Date Ideas: Unlimited sorry, not sorry
From fancy restaurants, to exclusive movie premieres, to late night helicopter rides to the other side of the country, Daisuke can and will pay for anything if it makes you happy
He also lets you introduce him to lots of new things, like trying different kinds of street food on dates, going rowing on the pond in the park, having a go at karaoke, renting bikes and cycling round the city, going hiking at the nearest nature reserve or wilderness, etc. adorable
He's like a curious kitten when he's trying new things, putting a lot of trust in you to guide him through it
He always looks perfect in the photos you snap, even the ones he wasn't aware you were taking, and it's a lowkey frustrating that he nearly always looks prettier than you
But it's not his fault, so you'll only pout for a little while
His face is pretty hard to read most of the time, but you eventually get used to it and pick up on all his little mood indicators
His ears move when he's happy, and you can't convince me otherwise
He'll hold your heels for you when your feet hurt on a night out
He smells of leather and sandalwood, and his kisses taste of expensive whisky and cigars
He loves it when you bite his lower lip while making out
He's kind of possessive, but in a protective way
He never thought of himself as a particularly jealous person, until one night he came back to the bar and saw some other guy hitting on you the attention was definitely unwanted on your side
It made his blood boil – clenched fists, piercing glare if looks could kill
But he managed to stay calm and maturely tell the guy to get lost, with his arm snaking round your waist
Daisuke made it very clear that it wasn't you he didn't trust. It was that he didn't trust that guy – or any guy, for that matter
His favourite ~position~ is on a table or other surface with your legs over his shoulders
He's a god at eating you out
He's a god at everything in the bedroom, tbh
Saint Laurent condoms, because he's that fucking extra I'm screaming
His hair always falls out of place when you're fucking it's so hot and cute, wtf
It's a lot of glitz and glamour on the surface, but when it's just the two of you, you know just how much you mean to him
The King of Aftercare™
He used to suck at aftercare until he properly tried it. Then he realised that he needed it as much as you did le cry
Back rubs, forehead kisses, playing with your hair, soft whispers in your ear
He holds you so tightly that it gets hard to breathe, and you can feel his heart beating hard against your back
Sometimes he likes to just stay inside you after finishing
He enjoys the feeling of you around him, and honestly, you like just feeling him being inside you cockwarming, kind of?
Soft little nuzzles with his nose in his sleep even better when he's fallen asleep while still inside you
He's not perfect, but being with you makes him try to be better
Help, my heart's so full 🤧
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Kato Haru
This man is a sweetie pie, honestly
Not just boyfriend material, but husband material put a ring on it, hun
Lots of home cooking, and it all tastes so good you honestly believe he could just quit being a cop and open up a restaurant
He loves cooking with you, too. It's fun bonding time
Sometimes he stands behind you and guides your hands etc. it sometimes goes a little further, if ya know what I'm saying 👀
Knows how to do all the chores and housework, and actually does his share look at my practical hubby
Random pillow fights that turn into cuddle sessions
He talks in his sleep waaahh, so cute
Sometimes it's utter nonsense, like 'Don't let the donuts escape'
Other times, it's things like, 'I love Y/N so much,' or 'Let's have babies,' while he's holding onto you, and you just melt
Spooning. So much spooning
Lots of budget date ideas, like building pillow forts, watching sunsets and stargazing from the balcony, going for hikes and runs together, going for picnics, feeding ducks at the pond, etc.
One time, a duck chased him around the pond because he had the bread, and he had to run for 20 minutes before it gave up thank God for all that cardio
The Master of Flat Pack Furniture™ – because he takes his time and actually reads the instructions
Daisuke had a ™ so Haru needed one too
Takes good care of you on your period and actually knows about different sanitary products
He smells really fresh and clean, like Imperial Leather soap and air-dried laundry as long as he hasn't been on a stakeout, lmao
He loves taking showers with you, but like, actual showers
The first and only time you had shower sex was hot and steamy until:
1. You realised that water does not a good lube make and 2. He slipped and accidentally shoved his dick in your ass instead
You fully passed out, and he was so frantic that he bundled you into the car and drove you straight to the ER you were in just a towel, might I add
You both look back on it now and laugh, but he was genuinely scared
Shower sex = never again
But he loves it when you straddle his lap and start grinding on him bonus points if you kiss his neck and run your hands through his hair
He's a pretty vanilla boy when it comes to sex, preferring positions like missionary and cowgirl, and liking a fairly even balance of power
He got super embarrassed and flustered when he finally mustered up the courage to suggest having car sex
And then even more embarrassed and flustered when you actually ended up doing it
He was blushing so hard the entire time and came really quickly, which only added to his embarrassment but you thought it was cute
He has really sensitive nipples which you use to your advantage
He absolutely loves hates it when you send him nudes or try and sext him while he's at work, because he gets a massive boner and will either have to live with it and probably get laughed at by those goobs in the office, or deal with it in the bathroom, which feels wrong to him on so many levels
Doesn't really stop you sending them though, because whenever you do, he comes home and fucks you really well
One thing that's not vanilla about him is how much he likes cumming inside you breeding kink, welcome to the party. Please take a seat
He didn't tell you about it for the longest time because he was embarrassed about it and was afraid you'd think it was gross or something please cum in me, sir
He was so relieved when you were understanding about it and open to the idea of indulging him
But he genuinely really wants kids some day he'd be a great dad
His PTSD doesn't stop him being a good boyfriend, but he's convinced that it does
Most days he seems okay, like he's over it, even
But sometimes you'll wake up in the middle of the night and find him curled up in the bath, shaking and crying into his knees my poor baby, I can't
Excuse me while I go and cry into my pillow for a while
You're his safety net
When he feels like he's drowning, you keep his head above the water until the waves eventually calm and recede, and he can breathe again
He hates putting so much on your shoulders
But you swear to him that you wouldn't want to be doing anything else, and that you're not going anywhere
This got so angsty, my heart can't take this 😭
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© imo-chan-imagines 2020
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Text
Lovely Noya
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❀ AN: I’m been trying to upload this since yesterday here’s hoping this works !!  This prompt is based off Lovely Complex, so yes Noya is Otani in this but the plot was changed to fit Noya’s personality. Reader is 5′8 and Nishinoya  5′2 or 4′10 with his hair down as Wiki states. 
✿ Warning: None fluffy goodness. Tall Fem Reader x Nishinoya
❀ Summary: Of all the different times Nishinoya saw you how was he suppose to know that you were leaving a piece of yourself inside his heart?
✾✾✾✾✾✾✾
1 time.
 Nishinoya rested his face against the wooden desk as the sensei went on and on about how important 2nd year was going to be for graduation and eventually college. But really, he tuned it out, the defeat at Inter high still fresh in his mind. He opened his muted brown eyes to watch as the clouds hazily moved across the horizon. He jerked out of his musing when his seatmate next to him suddenly got up, the chair scraping across the floor, and in doing so creating such a horrific sound that he couldn’t help but wince.
“L/N, read the next paragraph please,” the sensei commanded.
“Haiiiiiii.”
Nishinoya couldn’t help but sit up straighter, did girls know how cute they sounded when they talked like that? He proceeded to pay attention as Y/N continued to read in accented but clear English so much so he couldn’t help feeling envious. Despite years of having English as a mandatory class he still sucked at it.
“And that’s why the Dutch succeeded in trading with a closed-off Japan where other nations failed,” Y/N finished and tucking her skirt, sat elegantly back down in her chair.
“Alright, who’s next to read?”
Nishinoya ducked his head and prayed silently it wouldn’t be him.
“Akira, read the next paragraph!” the gruff teacher barked.
Nishinoya let out a big sigh of relief and slumped over. He heard muffled giggles and he saw Y/N covering her mouth with her hand. When she finished, she looked over to see him staring at her. She jolted in surprise.
“Oh gomen, you just looked so relieved,” she said with a grin.
Nishinoya just grinned back at her. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to girls laughing at me.” He realized with a depressing clarification and slumped even more.
Y/N blinked at him and leaned forward resting her face on her palm. “What do you mean by that?”
He quickly shook his head. “N-never mind that, Y/N. We should pay attention now before we get in trouble.”
She flashed him a quick smile showing off a dimple only on her right cheek.
“If you say so. And I’m glad I don’t have to correct you on my name! I don’t really like my last name, Noya-kun.”
N-noya-kun??! His cheeks flushed red and he tucked his head behind his textbooks so she couldn’t see the effect her simple words had on him.
L/N Y/N was someone he never shared a class with, and he wasn’t close with her either. Well, he wasn’t close with any girls, but still, the fact they were neighbors would mean they should at least exchange pleasantries, right? But she always arrived before he did and left later than him, so they never really got a chance to communicate. In fact, this was the first time they had an entire conversation since school started. Maybe he should make more of an effort to talk to her. She seemed pretty nice and he could always use more female friends since he had none.
He was jolted out of his thoughts as the bell rang and signaled the class had ended. Nishinoya leaped from his chair with a “yatta!” and quickly picked up his bag. Just as he was about to go rushing out of the classroom, he remembered his previous notions about making friends.
“Bye-bye, Y/N!”
Y/N looked up startled, just as she was putting away her books and a small smile blossomed on her face.
“Mata ne, Noya-kun!” And she turned back to her bag.
Just in time too as his face once again quickly felt hot and he ran off trying to reach the volleyball gym in record time.
4 times.
 Nishinoya sat glumly in his seat as everybody trickled in for the morning classes. Asahi, the ace of their team, hadn’t shown up again, not even seeing Kiyoko-san’s face had lifted his mood that morning. Their loss was even harder to cope with Asahi not showing up like a coward.
He glanced up when he saw Y/N pull out the chair next to him and sit down at her desk.
“Ohaiyo, Noya-kun!” she greeted cheerfully.
“Hey….” he replied and sighed.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing just some volleyball club stuff….”
“Oh! You guys had a tournament in March. How did it go?”
Nishinoya furrowed his eyebrows and asked, “wait how did you know about the game? Are you a volleyball fan too?”
Y/N waved off his inquiry. “No, I’m on the student council and I know pretty much all of the clubs’ activities for budget concerns.”
“Right well, we lost.”
Y/N’s face wilted and the smile on her face vanished. It looked wrong on her somehow, he wanted her to smile all the time.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but you’re in your second year! You have the tournament a few months from now on and even next year to do better.”
“I suppose,” he muttered and fiddled with the pencil on his desk.
Nishinoya peeked at Y/N from the corner in his eye and saw that she looked like she wanted to say something several times but stopped herself.
“Hey, can I ask you a question?”
Y/N perked up. “Of course!”
“There’s a teammate that took the loss really badly and he’s not showing up to practice anymore! And the thing is it’s not his fault we lost but he’s taking it personally. The team relies on him a lot and everybody’s down. I don’t know what to do.”
He didn’t know why he was asking her or why he was even opening to her, but it was a question weighing on him heavily. Sure, he was a boisterous guy that never let things like defeat keep him down, but Asahi was different. Nishinoya didn’t understand what the ace was going through, and he was kind of confused on how to make things right. Especially since he was harboring his own guilt. But it felt right to ask her. Especially since Y/N was a popular girl that many of their classmates relied on.
“Well, maybe you should start by talking to him and telling him how you feel.  Start with exactly what you just told me and eventually persuade him to come back,” she suggested.
“Are you sure it’s as simple as that?” He couldn’t help but be skeptical. Where were the dramatic crying and wholesome man hugs?
“Yup! Every time the student council members argue amongst themselves, I always act as a mediator being the Vice President. We always start by being honest with each other and then finding a compromise.”
Nishinoya nodded. “Alright! I’ll go talk to him right after classes are done.”
Just as he was about to ask her if she could help him with last night’s homework (more like copy), Mai-san, their class representative, had interrupted them.
“Oy Y/N-chan! I have a couple of questions about the upcoming spring festival’s budget,” she waved Y/N over to her desk.
Nishinoya watched as Y/N stood up and made her way across the classroom. He was startled to notice her height for the first time. How tall was she exactly? She made him feel like an ant underneath her heel. Furthermore, how the hell did he not notice until now?
He watched as all the girls and even a few guys in their class gravitated to Y/N’s friendly nature. She was a natural-born leader that reassured many by her presence. She felt like a gentler version of Daichi-san, to be honest.
As the morning bell rang, all the students made it back to their desk on time. When Y/N sat down at her own, he leaned over and whispered, “Y/N, can I see your math homework from yesterday?”
She didn’t even look at him as she replied while writing down notes, “you can’t keep relying on me, Noya-kun. Otherwise, you will fail your tests.”
He softly brought his hands together and bowed. “Onegaiiii! I promise I’ll make it up to you! How about a popsicle?”
She reached over and pulled one of the notebooks before passing it over to him.
“Try not to make it too obvious, ok?”
“Don’t worry! I’m great at copying we won’t get caught.”
Y/N shook her head. “I wish you would be just as good at math as you are at copying,” she muttered under her breath.
When Nishinoya finally finished he couldn’t help but let out a relieved shout.
“Oy Nishinoya! What are you doing? Pay attention or you’ll start failing before the semester even begins!” The sensei barked at the interruption.
The class broke out into giggles and Y/N couldn’t help the small smile at Nishinoya’s expense as his face crumbled from being scolded.
 6 times.
 Nishinoya blinked slowly as he laid on the couch watching another comedy rerun of some old comedy duo that were famous in the ’90s. He quirked his head when he heard another noise. This time the doorbell rang clearly and awoke him from his stupor.
He scratched the itch on his behind as he slowly made his way to the front door.
“Alright, alright! I’m coming no need to keep ringing the doorbell.”
He reached and unlocked the door before turning the knob. There stood Y/N on his doorstep still wearing her school uniform.
“Y/N, what are you doing here?”
She shot him an annoyed look and planted her hands on her hips.
“When I told you to go talk to your teammate, I didn’t tell you to start a fight and get suspended, Noya-kun!”
He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “Gomen! But in my defense, it wasn’t a fight, and I didn’t mean to break anything.”
She tsked and reached in her bag to pull out some papers.
“Here, that’s the work for this week that you missed. I live close by, so I got the responsibility.”
He tried to sound enthusiastic as he thanked her, but her face gave him the impression she wasn’t buying it.
“You aren’t going to do it until the last minute, am I right? And you won’t even do a good job on it either because you would be in a hurry to finish it.”
“T-that’s not true and you know it,” he lamely defended himself before conceding. “Ok, fine you win.”
“What am I going to do with you?” she asked shaking her head. “Can I come in?”
Nishinoya was startled at her request for a minute before consenting. “Sure!”
He watched wide-eyed as her head almost touched the doorframe, she was that tall and he couldn’t help but stare up at her as she passed.
“Ne, Y/N how tall are you?”
“172 cms. It’s not that tall though. Chichiue’s even taller. He has to bend down so that he doesn’t hit door frames most of the time.”
Not that tall? Nishinoya wished most of the time he was able to at least reach the glassware on the lower shelves in the kitchen and she said 172 cms wasn’t tall! Genetics just aren’t fair, are they?
As Y/N collaborated to help him finish this week’s homework, he failed to notice the stars in Y/N’s eyes and the soft blush on her face each time their hands touched. And that would prove to be her undoing.
 10 times.
 Nishinoya cackled at Tanaka who was still lamenting tripping over a volleyball in the gym.  His shaved head still sported a nasty bump that was beginning to purple, with a mischievous grin Nishinoya reached over to poke it. Tanaka let out a yelp and smacked his hand away.
“Don’t do that!”
“Gomen Ryu, it looks like you have another head growing out of your skull,” he gasped out between his chuckles.
“Ah! If it isn’t Noya-kun!” a voice called out.
He turned around to see Y/N walking towards him. She was probably heading home as well.
“Yo Y/N! You’re going home early today?”
“Un! The President let me go since I finished my work early.”
Nishinoya turned around to see Tanaka pulling at his sleeve and looking at him eagerly.
“Oh, this is L/N Y/N my classmate and this is Tanaka Ryunosuke, my teammate.”
“Nice to meet you!” Y/N said cheerfully and bowed.
Ryu however just bowed in a hurry and turned away. Y/N gave Nishinoya a curious look which he only shrugged at. He had no idea why Ryu was acting weird.
Suddenly he remembered the favor he owed her from when she helped me finish his work. He fumbled through his pockets, pulling out a Gari Gari-kun’s winner popsicle stick.
“Here, Y/N! My treat for you!” he said eagerly and put it in her hand.
“Wow. A free popsicle when I took time out of my day to help you,” she deadpanned.
He only chuckled nervously and scratched his head. “I know. I know. I owe you.”
“Never mind I’ll just think of something later. I’m going to head home now. Bye-bye!”
Nishinoya just waved to her and watched as the taller girl left.
“Noya you bastard! How could you do this to me? How could you hide such a cute girl from me?” Ryu burst out dramatically as soon as Y/N left.
“Y/N? Cute?” Noya murmured to himself like he hadn’t considered the possibility.
“You’re joking, right? That’s Y/N, the vice president of the student council. Even third years think she’s pretty and you’re telling me you haven’t noticed? Are you feeling ok?” Tanaka placed his hand on Nishinoya’s forehead trying to check his temperature.
He just batted away Tanaka’s hand and shrugged.
“I guess I just didn’t notice because I don’t like her that way? She’s super helpful and always taking care of me, but she’s not someone I would consider a girlfriend material, you know? More like a friend or even a sister.”
He saw Tanaka giving him a look that he couldn’t decipher before it disappeared. So, he just brushed it off.
“I mean the only girl for me is Kiyoko-san! She shines brighter than any other girl in the school, so it’s not a surprise that I didn’t really notice Y/N.”
Tanaka gave him a nod in agreement. “That’s true! No one can compare to Kiyoko-san,” he said before slapping Noya harshly on the back.
“Ahh! What was that for?”
“For not telling me your friends with a cute girl like Y/N!”
The two best friends tussled with each other for a few more minutes before going about their way home.
 14 times
 Another one and another Friday gone, Nishinoya stretched happily and got ready to leave for home. Next week is the training camp and he was beyond excited to play volleyball once again.
“Noya-kun! Do you have a minute before you leave?”
Nishinoya looked up at Y/N and nodded with a huge smile.
She handed over a bag that she grabbed from inside her desk.
“Here, I’m not sure if your allowed to have snacks at the training camp so I grabbed you some.”
Nishinoya looked through the bag to see some potato chips, chocolate, and other variety of snacks.
Y/N was nervously twitching as she watched Noya look through the bag.
“Sorry if you don’t like them, I wasn’t sure what you liked besides Gari Gari-kun popsicles.”
“N-no!... No. It’s just no one ever has done this for me. I’m just a little shocked is all, Y/N” he said a bit emotionally.
Y/N’s raised her eyebrow. “You’re not going to cry, are you?”
“Of course not! I just have something in my eye,” he cried out while he wiped his eyes.
Y/N let out a giggle. “Well, make sure to train hard. I want to see Karasuno go to the Nationals, ok?”
“Yosh! I’ll do my best!”
She just waved happily and turned to leave the classroom. Nishinoya hurried to show off his goods to Tanaka in the gym.
He ran all the way there before finding his shaved friend just about to enter the gym.
“Yo, Ryu! Look what Y/N gave me!” Nishinoya proudly showed off his gift.
“Whoa, all of that? Did you blackmail her?” Tanaka asked teasingly.
“Nah, she said she wants to see our team at the Nationals and told me to train hard! It’s like I have my very own cheerleader.”
Tanaka looked at Noya tentatively again and Noya’s face dropped at the expression.
“What? You keep looking at me like that.”
“Nothing. I just find it interesting that Y/N’s so nice to you. Do you think she likes you?”
Nishinoya’s face burned at the accusation and he quickly denied it.
“No way! Y/N’s just nice like that and she’s helpful with all her classmates. I mean she and I have gotten close lately, but I don’t think she likes me like that.”
“But does she give snacks to other boys? Or help them study? Does she treat them the same way she treats you?”
The questions left Nishinoya a bit speechless and unable to respond coherently.
“S-still I don’t think she likes me, Ryu! There’s just no way!” He burst into nervous laughter and swerved around Tanaka to head up to the changing rooms.
As he climbed the stairs all he could think about was, ‘Y/N’s pretty and tall there’s just no way she would like me. Absolutely no way!’
 16 times
 Most of his class was heading out to their Thursday lab class that occurred in another building. He was sluggishly making his way to chemistry which he wasn’t ok with. Because no Friday should ever end with a class as awful as chemistry (still not as bad as literature though)!
He wanted to practice volleyball some more after their practice match with Nekoma. Next time he was going to receive all the serves headed his way. His thought process was broken by high pitched squealing.
“Ehhhh? Is that Y/N-san’s boyfriend?” a girl called out.
As soon as he heard the word “boyfriend” and “Y/N” in the same sentence, his head snapped so quickly towards the group of girls talking that he could feel a kink in the back of his neck.
He looked towards Y/N and what looked like a familiar boy. Wait, was that Tsukishima? Since when did she know him?
“No way! I think he’s a first year. Look she’s handing some papers to him. It’s probably student council business.”
Sure enough, Y/N handed Tsukishima a huge stack of papers to which he took and bowed to the older girl in thanks.
“Oh, that makes sense. But don’t they look so cute though? Look, their height difference is only a few centimeters. They match so well,” his classmate said eagerly to her friend.
Nishinoya waited to hear the group of girls disagree with a frown. Only for that frown to get deeper when he heard resounding approval. Did they not know how rude Tsukishima was or how crappy his personality was? Y/N wouldn’t ever be happy with a guy like that! She needed someone who could appreciate how caring she was, not someone who would take advantage of her kind nature.
With that in mind, he rushed to rescue his friend before Tsukishima could get his claws in her.
“Hey Y/N, aren’t you going to chemistry? It’s time,” he said as he budged into their conversation.
Y/N’s eyes widened and checked the watch on her wrist. “Shoot! You’re right. Anyway, Tsukishima-san make sure to deliver that to your sensei.”
Tsukishima only nodded respectfully. “Will do. Ja! Senpai and Y/N-senpai.” He threw a weird, confused look at Nishinoya who kept sending him hostile glares.
As soon as he left, Nishinoya grabbed Y/N’s wrist and pulled her away.
“Stay away from him, Y/N. He’s on the volleyball team and he has a very nasty personality.”
“Huh? Do you mean Tsukishima-san? Are you sure? He was pretty polite to me,” she replied as she kept up with his pace easily.
“Oh, that’s a façade trust me. He always has something smart to say sooner or later. I still can’t believe he had the nerve to talk crap about Rolling Thunder!”
Y/N let out a giggle. “Rolling Thunder? What’s that?”
Nishinoya’s face lit up as he proceeded to explain how cool his super-duper receive was. And how he was called the deity of Karasuno’s volleyball team.
Soon enough the two had arrived at the lab and sat down at their assigned seats. Chemistry passed by him slowly as the teacher droned on and on about molarity. Even the lab that involved freezing and melting water by a flame turned out to be boring. Finally, the lab ended, and he was just about to zip out of there to head to practice when he heard the same group of girls again.
“Ne Y/N-san, which one of those boys would you date? Mai here thinks you suit Nishinoya-san, but I think you would suit that tall blonde boy that you were talking to earlier.”
Another voice interrupted, “aren’t Y/N and Nishinoya-kun close? I think it would make sense.”
“Yeah, but he’s so short! How would they even kiss? Don’t they have like a 10 cm height difference? It would be too weird.”
The girls burst into laughter and his heart dropped.  He knew the idea of Y/N liking him was too farfetched and even if she did it wouldn’t work out. So, without hearing what Y/N had to say he left the area in a hurry.
 20 times.
 He could feel the pressure surrounding the court, suffocating him and the team. They had to defeat Aoba Johsai to get to the finals. Apparently, his team had beaten Seijoh before in a practice match, but it was without their usual setter. “The Grand King” as he was called by Shoyo. A competent setter really made all the difference, huh. Well, Oikawa was better than competent, but Nishinoya really didn’t want to admit that right now. He was annoying in middle school and he was annoying now.
He blew a breath through his teeth as he once again caught a serve by Oikawa. The power of the serve had struck his forearms making them alarmingly red. He could feel the spirit of his team dimming as the rally continued. What should he do? He was getting the serves, but they were still trailing behind Seijoh.
“Fighto! Noya-kun! Fighto!” a familiar voice called out.
He looked up to see Y/N cupping her hands and cheering for him. Nishinoya felt relief flooding through him. She had let him know that she would be a bit late and she had missed several of their matches already. But now she was finally here. His lips trembled and he could feel his vision get watery. Quickly blinking the moisture away, he felt his spirit rekindle.
“Yosh! Everyone don’t worry about the match! I’ll protect the court, so you guys make sure to get those points! After all, I got your back,” he finished off with a wide grin.
Immediately, he could see Daichi relax and let out a small smile. Hinata and Kageyama exchanged a look and nodded. Even Tsukishima’s tense shoulders seem to drop a little. Their spirits renewed, the team quickly readied their stance and faced Seijoh once again.
 21 times.
 The defeat weighed upon the team as they moved through the building to get to the bus. They were going to head back to Karasuno and go to a nearby restaurant afterward. The team was quiet contemplating their loss silently, each of them coping with it differently. As for himself, he felt disappointed and upset of course, but there was still a drive burning inside of him. Seeing the libero on Seijoh cross the line and actually set up the ball, was inspiring. He wanted to try it out for himself for future matches like in the Spring High. However, there was still the somber atmosphere and he knew it wasn’t the right time to talk about future training just yet.
“Noya-kun!”
Nishinoya looked back to see Y/N running towards him. Daichi placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You have five minutes. Meet us at the bus.” He nodded in reply and the team left without him.
“Hey Y/N, I’m sorry…,” he began.
“Why are you sorry?”
He looked up at her face to see it scrunched up in confusion.
“B-because we lost. You told us to go to Nationals and we couldn’t go.”
“Are you kidding? You guys were amazing! I don’t know much about volleyball, but so many people in the audience were surprised by Karasuno. Apparently, Aoba Johsai is an amazing school, and the fact you guys lost by two points? I’m-m. I don’t know what to say! I’m speechless,” Y/N spat out in a rush, giddy in her excitement.
Y/N bent down a little and wrapped her hands around his waist. She pulled him close and he could feel her body heat against his.
“I’m so proud of you. I had no idea you were so good at volleyball,” she whispered.
His heartbeat sped out of control and he started to feel dizzy from the smell of her sweet perfume and the feeling of her soft skin against his. Why was he feeling this way? Wasn’t this how he usually felt around Kiyoko-san and other cute girls? The realization hit him hard. Was he actually starting to like her? And not just in a joking, faux way he did with Kiyoko-san, but in a way that involved heart fulfilling confessions?
Nishinoya could feel himself panic and his body stiffened at the close contact. Y/N noticed right away his body’s reaction and stumbled back quickly.
“Oh gomen. I-I got too excited,” Y/N said as she blushed.
“It’s fine,” he trailed off watching as Y/N nervously played with her hair. He eyed the prominent blush on her face. Why was she acting like….. Oh. Oh. He wanted to immediately deny it like he had done with Tanaka all those weeks ago, but it was hard to when the evidence was right in front of his eyes.
He had to go. He had to go now!
“Listen Y/N, the team’s waiting for me. I have to get on the bus.”
She smiled and replied, “of course. I’ll see you at school tomorrow?”
School? Oh, hell he didn’t even think about that.
“Yeah, sure,” he got out before leaving her behind. He had a lot to think about.
 25 times.
 Nishinoya wasn’t trying to avoid Y/N on purpose. He still greeted her in class, but he was just no longer engaging her in inane conversation like he did every day. He had a lot to think about. Again, how he didn’t notice her feelings earlier; he had no idea. She wasn’t obvious but when they were alone her earnest gaze was hard to ignore.
As he tried to get himself together, Nishinoya knew he was making Y/N upset by ignoring her. But he couldn’t help himself. Sure, he was the definition of a man who was girl-crazy, but it was all in good fun. He wasn’t seriously pursuing anyone even Kiyoko-san knew that. But this situation was very real and very complicated. In the end, it could cost him the one female he managed to somehow befriend. Still, he wouldn’t have known that Y/N was going to use the opportunity to be honest.
“Noya-kun, can we talk alone?” Y/N asked one afternoon as he was readying to flee the classroom.
“O-oh, I’m not sure. Daichi-san might make me do laps for being late,” he replied flustered at her request.
“Please. It won’t take long,” she pleaded.
Hearing the urgency in her voice, he could no longer refuse. “Alright.”
They walked out of the classroom and she led him behind one of the older science buildings.
She stood in front of him, clenching and unclenching the grip on her bag before she hesitantly spoke.
“N-noya-kun, I have something to tell you.”
Nishinoya felt his eyes widened.
“I know we have become really good friends over the last few months. But I can’t help myself. I really like you! Please accept my feelings!” she said before bowing to him.
“I can’t, Y/N. I don’t really think of you that way. I’m sorry.”
Y/N stood up and looked a bit shocked. Her face that was previously flushed with nervousness drained and became pale.
Nishinoya bowed in return and said, “I’m really sorry. I hope we can still be friends.”
Still looking quite aghast she replied in a small voice, “I-I…. of course, Noya-kun. I just need a little time that’s all.”
He hesitated for a minute as he tried to explain why he was saying no. That he was confused with his own feelings, but before he could begin, Y/N ran off without another word.
“Y/N! Wait up!” He ran after her and caught her wrist, forcing her to turn around and face him.
Her face was wet with tears. “Please, I have to go.”
Stupefied at making Y/N cry, he let her go without another word.  He only watched as she got farther and farther away, he couldn’t help but think that he made a mistake.
 25 times
 He could distantly hear volleyball hitting the gym floor and the sound of someone saying, “nice kill.” But it all seemed to fade away.
Daichi hollered, “alright, let’s do another penalty drill.”
Nishinoya absentmindedly followed his teammates doing another round after they lost again to Fukurodani.
“Oy Noya, this way. We have to run up the hill now. Practice is done for the day,” Tanaka said as he dragged him.
“Right. Gomen,” Nishinoya muttered.
As he ran up the hill, he didn’t notice Tanaka looking at him worriedly. He approached Nishinoya after he was lying at the bottom of the hill and panting for his life.
“Let’s talk, me and you. There’s something bothering you,” Tanaka blurted out.
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine. Just the losses are getting to me that’s all.”
“Bull! I’m your best friend I know these things.”
Nishinoya looked around to see the rest of the Karasuno members busy trying to catch their breath or getting water.
He sat up and plucked the grass on the hill. “Y/N confessed to me before the training camp.”
“What?!” Tanaka yelled out.
Nishinoya got startled by Tanaka’s volume and crushed the grass blades in his hand by accident.
“Shhhhh! Quiet!” he ordered, “do you want everyone to hear?”
They turned around to see the rest looking at them weirdly before assuming it was just the duo being their obnoxious selves and going back to relaxing.
“Noya, you bastard! You got a girlfriend before me! I’m happy and sad at the same time,” Tanaka blubbered trying to hug Nishinoya.
“Ugh! Get off me, Ryu! You’re sweaty and it’s too hot.”
He sighed with relief when his excitable friend finally got off him. “And no, I didn’t. I rejected her.”
Tanaka burst out laughing. “I’m sorry I think I heard you wrong. I thought you just said you rejected a pretty girl asking you out.”
“I did reject her! And she ran off crying.” Nishinoya said desolately.
Tanaka ran his fingers over his shaved head, trying to pull his nonexistent hair in fury.
“What?! Why?! This was your chance and don’t give me that bullshit about not liking her that way! You do I can tell! When you and I talk about Kiyoko-san, you get all excitable. But when you’re talking about Y/N you’re actually quiet and serious for the first time.”
Was he like that for real? He had no idea. All he knew was that he had messed up. That day after he rejected her, Y/N was polite as if they were acquaintances. There was this barrier between the two despite being their desks only a few feet away. She never ignored him, but she kept this façade by ignoring personal questions and answering noncommittally whenever she could.
“But you still haven’t told me why you rejected her,” Tanaka continued.
“Because! Y/N’s 172 cm and I’m what 159 cm? Why would she want to date someone like me anyway?”
“Baka!” Tanaka hit the top of Nishinoya’s head. “Didn’t you say that height doesn’t matter and that you’ll fight with your life?”
He clutched the top of his head and moaned. “Ryu, you bastard! That’s with volleyball! You can’t apply the same thing with dating, dumbass!”
“Yes, I can! You think that if Kiyoko-san was over 190 cm I would stop pursuing her? No way! I would still build shrines to my gigantic goddess every single day if I have to! Who cares about height in volleyball or love? Besides, Y/N already knows about your damn height. She sees you every single day and she still confessed! Doesn’t that mean she doesn’t care in the first place?”
The words echoed in his head. Ryu was right! He was so caught up in his insecurities that he hadn’t realized that Y/N never cared about his flaws. Never once did she call him out on his height or even comment about it. The only time she did get annoyed with him was when he refused to study or asked to copy her work again.
“Ryu, you genius! You’re right!” Nishinoya said cheerfully pushing himself on Tanaka’s shoulders.
Tanaka put his hands on his hips and threw his head back as he laughed gleefully. “Of course! You better fix things with Y/N when we get back. Until then get your head back in the game, Noya. Karasuno needs our libero.”
He felt his spirits being uplifted, the rejection no longer weighing as heavily as before.
“Yosha! I want to practice some more. Wanna help me with something, Ryu? I have something I wanna try,” he asked thinking of the tactics that libero used during the Seijoh match.
 26 times
 He could hear Y/N’s tinkling laughter as she covered her mouth to giggle whatever dumb shit his classmates were telling her. She never covered her mouth with him instead laughing with tears in her eyes desperately trying to breathe while he laughed along with her. She never had to pretend in front of him. But the fact she would rather entertain whatever they were asking her instead of hanging out with him before morning classes began, hurt. But could he blame her? Why would she want to talk to someone who rejected her? Still, at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel that maybe Y/N’s feelings weren’t as genuine as he thought they were. Because there she was acting normally with other people.
He let out a sigh of relief as the bell rang not because he was excited about class. Rather it meant Y/N had to return to her seat and all the boys surrounding class president Mai’s seat also had to go back.
“Hey Y/N, how was your break?” he asked tentatively.
She spared him a glance and a muted smile.
“Good.” She reached inside her desk and pulled out her textbook.
He couldn’t help the annoyance bubbling up. School just restarted! There was no way she had any work to review, but Y/N was putting on an act like they were about to be handed their midterm exams.
Before Nishinoya could say anything, their gruff sensei had entered and started class. He honestly couldn’t say he learned anything that day. Too anxious rehearsing in his mind on what he would say to Y/N.
When it was finally lunchtime, he made his way to Tanaka’s classroom for some reassurance. Nishinoya was going to corner Y/N before she went home. Hopefully, it would end well and with Y/N as his girlfriend if he had anything to say about it. Again, too nervous to eat, he just gulped down some bread and headed back to his classroom.
He let out a groan when he heard those gossipy classmates of his again. Didn’t they have anything better to do with themselves? Maybe study like the responsible students they all pretended to be?
“What do you mean Y/N has a confession? In the courtyard? W-who is it?—”
Nishinoya didn’t even bother to hear the rest and ran out like someone just announced their volleyball club was being discontinued. He didn’t even bother apologizing to the students he was pushing through to get to his destination. His mind being preoccupied with one thought only.
‘There’s no way I’m losing her to anyone else!’
He arrived in the empty courtyard to see an unfamiliar boy and Y/N standing alone. An unfamiliar tall boy. Y/N and he were the same height.
Nishinoya scowled deeply and stomped towards the two.
“Oy! Y/N doesn’t like you get lost!” he growled out.
Y/N jumped and turned around to look astounded by his appearance.
The boy’s eyebrows furrowed, “um who are you?”
“The guy that Y/N likes and confessed to! So, she doesn’t need or want your second-rate confession,” he snarled as a dark aura surrounded him.
“Though, I would be happy to rearrange your face if you don’t leave right now.”
The boy paled and unceremoniously turned around, walking away at a fast pace. He could be heard murmuring, “what’s his issue I was only passing on a note?” But neither of the two particularly cared.
“Noya-kun! How could you?” Y/N asked aghast.
“Me? What about you? You only confessed to me about two weeks ago! How could you?”
Y/N’s cheeks flushed and Nishinoya’s own cheeks reddened in response. Neither of them had spoken about what happened since that day.
She fidgeted a bit before replying, “i-it doesn’t matter! You don’t like me anyway that means I’m free to date whoever I want.”
Nishinoya took a deep breath knowing it was time to tell her the truth about his feelings.
“You’re wrong. I do like you! In fact, I like you a lot! Probably more than you ever thought possible.”
Y/N’s eyes widened. “But you rejected me! Why did you do that if you liked me?”
“Because I was worried about what people might think of a pretty girl like you dating someone like me. I was insecure about my height. I didn’t think you and I would work out,” he explained quietly.
“Noya-kun, I knew about the short delinquent with the blond streak since first year. And I never cared about that. I like you because of how much passion and persistence you have. You think I didn’t notice the different pain relief patches on your arms? You think I didn’t notice how much you gave your all during your match against Seijoh despite losing? Or the fact that you’re horrible at literature but still study because I asked you to? I could go on and on-“
Nishinoya felt his heartbeat race out of control. No one had ever said something so nice about him and especially not a girl. A girl that had been on his mind for weeks. No, not weeks. But if he was being honest since the day he had met her.  
“Please go on. Tell me more about why you like me,” he said with a huge smile.
“I—no way! It’s too embarrassing!” she squealed and hid her face behind her hands.
“Oh please? I’ve never had a girl tell me she liked me twice!”
Y/N peaked between her fingers. “Did you mean it? Do you really like me back?”
Nishinoya motioned for her to bend down. Y/N, out of curiosity, did as she was told. He tugged her hand when she got closer, to connect their two mouths. She let out a noise when she felt his chapped lips against hers. He took her quiet sigh as a good sign and pressed harder. There was no earth-shattering moment nor was she suddenly the center of his gravity like people would say. But her soft lips felt warm and inviting so he discreetly asked for permission by sliding his tongue between her lips. Their tongues tangled and danced despite neither knowing what to do. It was messy and awkward, but they didn’t care as their enthusiasm and passion overcame their inexperience. When breathing became necessary, he reluctantly separated while she let out a small whine unable to disguise her disappointment.
“Now do you get it? I really do like you.”
Y/N nodded happily and gave Nishinoya a quick peck.
“Wait, what do you mean by short delinquent? Who called me a delinquent? What the hell?” he asked out of the blue.
She burst out laughing and laughed even harder at Nishinoya’s miffed face.  
 27 times
 Nishinoya marveled at the feeling of her soft hand holding his coarse callous filled hand.
“I’ll wait for you after your practice. We can get some Gari Gari-kun popsicles,” Y/N said.
“Are you sure?” he asked worriedly. She already came in early for the student council. She didn’t need to stay late too.
“It’s fine don’t worry.” She stepped down the staircase and looked back up at him. “What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to be late for practice?”
Nishinoya looked down at her curiously and smirked. With him standing on the upper stair, now their heights looked equal for the perfect angle.
“To do this,” he murmured before pulling Y/N in for a quick smooch.
She didn’t hesitate to grant him entry and let him explore for a while before pulling away. Her eyes sparkled looking lovingly at him.
“Ja!” he called out before running down the stairs. Nishinoya only sent a haughty look to an embarrassed Shoyo and Kageyama who were looking at anyone but him. A hysterical Tanaka came running up to him.
“Noya! You became a man!” The two best friends hugged and thumped each other on the back.
Daichi and Sugawara came out of their gym only to see the second-year duo crying and hugging each other, while Hinata and Kageyama were suspiciously red.
“I don’t know what’s going on here, but I better see you in the gym warming up soon or there will be hell to pay,” Daichi said as he gritted his teeth. He headed back inside shaking his head.
Sugawara puttered over to Hinata and poked him.
The twitchy first year screamed and relaxed when it was only his senpai.
“What’s going on here?” he whispered to Hinata.
“O-oh. Um. It seems Noya-senpai got a girlfriend.”
“Phfft. Funny joke, Hinata. Seriously what’s going on?” Sugawara asked again.
This time Kageyama interrupted, “no it’s the truth. We saw them on the stairs just now. K—k-is”
The flushed dark-haired boy unable to finish his sentence just threw his milk carton away and walked off muttering something about “warming up” and “volleyball”.
“Huh. It must be the truth then,” Sugawara uttered disbelievingly watching as Nishinoya and Tanaka were now talking about double dates as they entered the gym.
 28 times
 Hinata got on his bike and was now ready to go home when he spotted a familiar boy with a blonde streak. He was about to call out for him when a taller girl stepped next to him. Noya-senpai’s face beamed with happiness and grabbed the girl in for a hug. The two then walked off hand in hand as the sun set behind them.
‘If Noya-senpai can get a girl like that there’s hope for me too!’ Hinata cheered. With that positive thought in mind, he biked vigorously home ten times harder.
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absentlyabbie · 3 years
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a family and (mis)fortune fic
on ao3
moments growing up in the life of tommy merlyn, part-time wayne foster child. (eight)
—————
Tommy wasn’t his dad. He couldn’t keep up the cold shoulder long, and it hadn’t worked anyways. His dad could go ice all over and ignore you until you were apologizing for anything you could think of that might have made him mad, hoping you’d get the right one eventually, and realizing as you went down the list how much you’d deserved the punishment.
Bruce and Alfred just politely left him alone and went about their business. Tommy didn’t know what he’d expected, really. He’d only been here days, and he was nobody, really. What did they care if he was quieter than before?
Dick, though, was like Ollie at his most obnoxious but times a hundred. If Tommy’s cold shoulder worked on him, it was only because he was the same as Ollie and didn’t like being deprived of attention. And just like Ollie, mad was still attention and he had just as much fun being a jerk as being friends.
Tommy felt like such a pushover that it worked on him, every time. He wasn’t any better, really. Being the focus of somebody’s attention was always an opportunity not to be passed up. He never knew when it might happen next.
And unlike Ollie, Dick had a way of making you feel like his attention was all about you. And Tommy knew it made Oliver sound bad, and he wasn’t, he really wasn’t. He couldn’t help the way things just sort of revolved around him most of the time.
(That was at least a little bit Tommy’s fault, too. It was always easier when it was about Ollie. It was awkward and just… too much when they made things about Tommy for too long.)
Tommy at least appreciated that Dick knew what buttons not to push once Tommy had stopped giving him the silent treatment. He seemed mostly determined for them to just pick up where they’d been before, getting to know each other, kind of, almost getting to be friends.
(Even though Tommy was still kind of mad at, well… everyone, but he couldn’t help thinking how Dick was still his favorite part about being stuck here.)
Dick was homeschooling this year, apparently, so they did homework together in the library sometimes. Tommy wasn’t going for-real back to school—in Starling, at least—until January, but he still had to do all his reading and assignments and tests. Dick even helped him with math, Tommy’s mortal enemy. He was disgustingly good at it.
It just sort of… all fell apart like that. Dick just wore him down with a direct assault of annoyingness, finishing him off with a Mortal Kombat-style friendship fatality. Alfred just sort of. Snuck in there. Tommy wasn’t even sure when he stopped giving Alfred the cold shoulder, only that he didn’t think he meant to. He just kind of realized all of a sudden that he and Alfred were normal again (or whatever “normal” was after only a week) and had been for a couple days.
Bruce was easier, a little. He just… let Tommy keep giving him the cold shoulder until he gave up. And after a few more days, it just seemed silly to aim it at just Bruce when he’d already forfeited like a sucker with Dick and Alfred. But nobody made him talk about it, or punished him for it, or called him a brat, or anything. It was just weird.
So much here was weird. Like, Gotham was super weird. Sometimes Bruce would have the news on at night and they’d talk about Batman—who was cool, but still weird—or about the insane criminals blowing things up or trying to poison the water or bombing a whole city block with laughing gas. Tommy doubted he’d ever get used to it.
All of a sudden, Tommy looked up and realized it was Thursday and he’d been in Gotham for nearly two weeks. Two weeks of a completely foreign city, too much unfamiliar house with too few also unfamiliar people in it. Two weeks since he’d been allowed to talk to Ollie, because the adults all agreed that Tommy needed time to “settle in” without unnecessary reminders making him more homesick.
He’d expected the time to drag on like torture, and while there were stretches it had felt that way, for the most part it all just kind of rushed past him.
Of course, now that he’d realized he only had a few more days of the best-friend-phone-call embargo, he was sure every minute would feel like three hours.
Except, for once, something broke Tommy’s way.
The phone ringing didn’t make Tommy look up from the kitchen table where he was doing a worksheet on the water cycle. The phone rang all the time here. Bruce was apparently very popular, for some reason.
Tommy ignored it as Alfred left the pot of soup bubbling gently on the stove to pick up the kitchen line, his low, polite British voice just pleasant background noise.
Until he said Tommy’s name.
Tommy’s head snapped up so hard his neck twinged, but he just stared at the back of Alfred’s neatly pressed shirt, his head bent as he listened to the caller talk.
“Yes, he’s right here, in fact. Of course. One moment, if you please.”
Tommy was all but vibrating.
Alfred, finally, turned around. His expression was all mild pleasantness as always, but there was sparkle in his eye, and Tommy almost thought his mouth was trying not to smile. “Master Tommy, you have a phone call.”
Tommy leaned so far forward in his seat the edge of the table bit at his chest. “For me? But… I thought…”
Alfred lowered his chin and raised one eyebrow. “Indeed. Now do come take the phone, it’s rude to leave someone waiting, and I’ll need to rescue the soup in another second.”
Tommy stood up so fast his chair screeched on the linoleum. Wincing, he rubbed suddenly sweaty hands down his jeans and tried to make himself walk calmly to the phone—
what if it wasn’t Oliver, what if it was someone he didn’t know, what if they asked him things he didn’t want to answer
—which only last for about three steps, the last few a scramble with hands already reaching and an excited grin busting across his face.
Alfred handed over the receiver with a wink, already headed back to the stove as Tommy shoved his face against it. “Hello?”
A beat of silence that could have been years. A beat where his heart didn’t.
And then: “Toooommmyyyyy!!”
Tommy jumped in place with a delighted whoop, then answered, “Oooollllllliiiee!!”
Finally. Finally. With Oliver’s voice in his ear, things felt just a little more right again.
Bruce stood in the kitchen entryway, shoulder leaned against the doorjamb, one ankle crossed over the other and his hands in his pockets. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched Tommy, oblivious to his presence, show more energy and animation than Bruce had seen since Starling.
He had agreed with Moira and Robert—though he suspected Moira was the main driver of the decision—that it could be most helpful to Tommy to keep the boys from calling until Tommy had a couple of weeks to adjust to Gotham, to adjust to being away from everything he knew. It had made sense to Bruce that the reminder of Oliver, couple with the distance, might only make being away more painful.
But after watching Tommy react to something with that front of coldness and silence over an explosive anger and some hurt Bruce could only guess at, he had buckled. He was doing enough to Tommy, taking him even part-time away from the only life he’d ever had. He still truly believed it was better for him than any other alternative, but now, he couldn’t see a way that letting Tommy drift through these halls without feeling connected to anything would be anything other than harmful.
So he had called Robert. Moira, of course, would have been a harder sell, and while Bruce expected he could have negotiated her down, the idea of negotiating for the smallest piece of Tommy’s happiness felt… distasteful.
Robert Queen was a disaster of a husband and father, and a mess of a CEO, but he did genuinely seem to care for Tommy. After a short conversation, Robert had ended up suggesting the early phone call himself.
Watching Tommy now, Bruce knew they’d made the right decision. He could even hear Oliver from here, all the way across the kitchen, as the boys talked a mile-minute at high volume, half the time running over each other in their excitement. Tommy seemed practically lit from within.
Bruce didn’t quite understand the connection between the boys. Dick had teased him about growing up without other children, but he’d been right, really. Bruce hadn’t had siblings, hadn’t known his cousins, and little about his life had positioned him for close friendships. But his understanding was irrelevant. There was so little good in Tommy’s life, so little genuine, healthy connection of any kind. Bruce would be damned if he severed this one.
At the stove, Alfred shot him a knowing look—and an approving smile. Bruce ducked his head gratefully.
Abruptly, something changed in the light, bright atmosphere built by Tommy’s enthusiasm, and Bruce zeroed back in.
“Wow!” His tone had gone brassy, the excitement and happiness ringing with a false note. “Seriously, the premiere? For Pagemaster? It’s not even out yet! That’s… oh. Cool. I mean, yeah! I’m, I’m glad it’s good. Yeah, I’m sure I’ll see it eventually.” A hollow laugh; Bruce winced. “Hey, no spoilers. No, no it’s cool. We’ll just… we’ll talk about it later. Right. Sure. Yeah, I know. I wish we could’ve gone together, too.”
Bruce and Alfred shared another look as the conversation began to wind down from there, this one sadder and more concerned. Tommy had deflated at the mention of the movie. The first missed experience he and Oliver would have otherwise shared. That it would only be the first seemed to be settling around Tommy’s shoulders like a leaden cloak.
In the bargain Bruce had struck with the Queens, he had sought, ultimately, to achieve minimal disruption to the healthy parts of Tommy’s life. School. His key friendships. He knew, of course, that it would be far from a seamless transition, and that it wouldn’t be easy to make the initial adjustment. But strategically calculating the cost-benefit balance of a child’s loneliness and unhappiness was a far different thing than watching it live and breathe in front of you.
Bruce watched solemnly as Tommy said his much quieter goodbyes. He pulled the phone from his ear and simply, stared at for a second, lost and at a loss. Bruce couldn’t see his face from this vantage, but he saw as Tommy’s shoulders twitched back and rose with a deep breath before he set the receiver firmly in the cradle.
When Tommy turned around, he startled to see Bruce in the doorway.
Bruce tried a smile for him. “Good call?”
“Yeah.” Tommy pushed the word a little too hard, but what followed was a little more relaxed. A little truer. “I’m really glad I got to talk to Ollie. I… I miss him.”
Bruce pretended not to notice the break in Tommy’s voice, and Tommy looked away with a sniff. Turning his head, unfortunately, didn’t hide the shine of tears filming his eyes.
In his chest, Bruce’s heart squeezed like a fist.
He would blame this odd pain for what happened next.
Putting on a warmth and brightness of his own, Bruce asked, “So what was that movie you two were talking about? Anything good?”
Tommy’s eyes cut up to him surprised before dropping back to the floor, one shoulder shrugging. “Uh. I guess. I haven’t seen it yet, it’s not even out yet. Ollie’s dad knows somebody who works with somebody or something and he got them tickets to the premiere yesterday. I mean. I guess Ollie liked it.”
Bruce hummed thoughtfully. “What movie?”
Another of those jerky little shrugs. “The Pagemaster. It’s got the Home Alone kid in it and monsters or something. Part of it’s cartoon, like that old Roger Rabbit movie.” He scuffed his toe over an invisible spot on the tile. “We saw the previews a couple months ago. We… we thought we were gonna see it together.”
That damn pain again.
“I could take you.”
It was out of Bruce’s mouth before it registered in his brain, an appalling anomaly. At the stove, Alfred’s head came up in alarm, his eyes wide and unabashedly questioning Bruce’s sanity.
But Tommy, in front of him, had raised his head, some uncertain, dubious hope pinching at the corners of his eyes. “Take me?”
In for a penny. Bruce cleared his throat. “To see the movie. You and Dick, of course. When is it in theaters?”
Tommy’s eyes were slowly rounding, a new light in his face. “Next week. Like, Thanksgiving Day, actually. You’re really gonna see a movie with us? Can we go then? And I can call Ollie after?”
Shit.
Bruce had hoped to salvage this offer by taking Dick and Tommy to the movie and trusting Dick to be responsible for an hour or two in the actual theater. There was no backing down to that now without denting Tommy’s burgeoning joy.
His voice rasped a little on the way out as he said, “Yes. On Thanksgiving. And you can call Oliver after.”
“Thank you!” Tommy shouted, throwing himself abruptly forward to wrap his arms around Bruce’s middle.
It lasted only a second, and Tommy didn’t even seem to register he’d done it as he was already running out the door, yelling Dick’s name.
“You’re welcome,” Bruce murmured belatedly.
Alfred cleared his throat loudly and Bruce turned to him with a grimace. “I know.”
“Do you?” Alfred asked sternly, brows raised and eyelids half lowered. That damn look still managed to make Bruce feel about four feet tall. “Or have you perhaps taken leave of your considerable senses?”
Bruce sighed and slumped harder against the doorframe. “You saw the look on his face. I can’t take it back, Alfred.”
Alfred’s sigh was much more dignified. “But can you go back? Can you truly?”
Bruce tensed, the hands still in his pockets tightening into fists. “We’re not going there.”
Alfred waited until Bruce looked him in the eye. “Will that matter?”
Bruce straightened, freeing one hand to rub at the tension in his neck. “It will have to. He needs this. And I need to give that to him. I owe him this much.”
Setting the soup pot on a cold eye of the stove, Alfred patted his hands on the front of his apron and stepped towards Bruce, grave understanding darkening his gaze. “It is a kind, good thing you are trying to do for that boy. Even if he may never know the value of this particular gesture.”
“He doesn’t have to,” Bruce insisted, with perhaps a bit too much heat. “It’s not about being grateful. He has been more than grateful enough for too long. Let him take this one for granted.”
Alfred considered him for a long moment before, finally, gracing him with an approving nod.
It was the right thing to do. It was still the right thing to do. Bruce hadn’t stormed down to Starling out of the blue and bulldozed the Queens and the child welfare system to take Tommy in without knowing it would be hard. He wasn’t afraid of hard.
This was why he had done it. Why he had been unable to simply go about his life after knowing Rebecca’s son, that frightened, lonely, small boy at her funeral, cringing from his father’s displeasure, was orphaned and alone in the world.
Tommy deserved, for just a moment, to be a child. To be only a child. Not a chameleon, adapting to every expectation that confronted him. Not a castoff, unwanted, a burden to be shuffled from unwilling hand to reluctant hand.
A child.
For almost any cost, Bruce would give him that.
It was the very least he deserved, and what he had been denied for much too long.
—————
@memcjo @klaus-hargreeves-katz @its-a-pygmy-puffle @keabbs @princesssarcastia @obscure-sentimentalist @icannotbelieveiamhere @p0cketw0tch @andyouweremine @storiesofimagination @acheaptrickandacheesyoneline @cronusamporaofficial @batsonthebrain​ @adeusminhacolombina @nothinglikeweplanned​
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omo-time · 3 years
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A Zhongli centric fic because somehow nobody else has done it
(omorashi, please don’t read if it’s not your thing)
It was a warm and sunny day in Liyue Harbour when Zhongli and Childe had gotten a request for help from Traveller all the way in Qingce village. It was decided that they would stop to eat first before they would head out on their very long walk. Since it was their regular spot, they both decided on eating at Wanmin restaurant.
As they sat down at a table for two, Xiangling cheerfully came to take their order.
“Mr. Childe and Mr. Zhongli, it’s good to see you again! What will you have today?” The girl asked the couple, but mostly directed toward Zhongli as he usually made the food decisions.
“He’ll have Jueyun chili chicken, and I’ll have the Bamboo shoot soup, with tea for both of us please.” The man said politely. Xiangling scribbled on her notepad and nodded before disappearing into the kitchen area. The two were now alone.
“I wonder what Traveller needs us for all the way in Qingce, usually they can handle things on their own,” Childe remarks, putting an elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand. Xiangling comes by and places their teas in front of them quietly.
“Yes, I wonder as well, especially since they were so vague in the message...” Zhongli replies thoughtfully. It was a fairly peaceful village, so he couldn’t picture anything going wrong that Traveller couldn’t have dealt with by themselves. “Oh well, they have been a great help to us and so we shall help them in return.” Zhongli continued. Childe nodded in agreement.
Their food had been taking a while, to the point where the two had finished their teas and had talked for a good half hour. Zhongli begun to feel the slight familiar twinge of the tea going through his system. It was nothing to worry about, he thought, he would make it to Qingce with ease and if it was bad enough by then he would find a restroom there. Simple.
Xiangling came back eventually and set their food in front of them. “Enjoy your food!” She exclaimed before disappearing once more.
The couple did indeed enjoy their food, but they had to eat at a quicker pace in order to make it to Qingce village in good time.
When they’re done, Zhongli takes out his wallet and leaves the money on the table. No, he didn’t forget his wallet and he isn’t broke. Childe got up first and stretched. Zhongli however got up more slowly and he felt a mild discomfort when he stood upright. He didn’t say anything though, he just made a mental note.
“Ready to go?” His boyfriend smiles over at him, gesturing to the path that led out of the harbour. Zhongli’s expression softened and he nodded at the other.
A bit after they had departed the harbour and begun their journey to Qingce, Zhongli had begun to fidget as he walked. Adjusting his hair, playing with his rings, subtle things. He still kept his usual ramblings to Childe going, all in an effort to distract himself from the slowly growing discomfort in his abdomen. He was starting to hope inside that they would walk fast enough to make the trip shorter than usual. Childe didn’t really notice anything wrong with his boyfriend’s behaviour, and so he didn’t say anything.
As time passed more, Zhongli’s need had increased twofold and had become more of a pressing matter. The man had begun to walk with his thighs pressing together a decent amount, and his fists were balling and unballing.
‘Ah... I should have thought twice about ordering soup before a journey such as this...’ Zhongli thought, by now aware that it was only going to get worse from here, and that his subtlety was reaching its limit. Thankfully, Childe hadn’t noticed anything yet.
Zhongli was at the point where he had begun to glance around in search of a possibly suitable place to relieve himself, however, his glances were fruitless. He and Childe were on the main path where people were known to walk by, meaning not a lot of buildings around. At this realization he let himself give a sigh. He was just going to have to wait and hope that they would make it to the village in time.
It was when they were 1/2 of the way there that Zhongli had begun to lose his composure. At this point he had completely stopped talking, instead beginning to slowly and quietly pant, and would sometimes stop to press his legs together and immediately catch up again. Childe did notice this time, and decided to say something.
“Hey, are you doing okay? If you’re tired we can take a break, I can see you pausing sometimes.” The tall redhead offered, stopping where they were to chat about it.
“No! Ah... we should try to be punctual, let’s continue.” Zhongli didn’t react well to being stopped, as standing still would only make his desperation worse.
“Oookaaay, well... just let me know if you want to stop,” Childe finished the conversation off. Zhongli really did just want to stop and go somewhere, but his best bet was making it to the village and that was the goal he would cling to. Nothing else.
It was then at the 3 quarter mark that the brunet god was beginning to lose control. As they were chatting a little, Childe managed to make Zhongli laugh, which ended up washing a wave of desperation over the latter. He softly gasped and instinctively went to shove a gloved hand between his legs, underwear becoming ever so slightly damp.
‘Please please just let this pass, we’re almost there, I can make it-aaah I have to go so badly...’ these kinds of thoughts raced through his head before Childe had turned around and rushed back to him.
“Ah! Zhongli... if you had to pee you should have just said so.” Childe scolds him, but with a soft tone. He was now pretty worried about his desperate boyfriend, knowing that wetting himself was likely the last thing on earth he’d want to do. Zhongli fixed his position to appear more normal.
“Please, let’s just- ngh... keep going, I’m okay.” He insisted, beginning to walk again hoping the redhead would just follow him. He did, but not without saying something else.
“Zhongli, seriously, there’s bushes on the side of the path! You could probably duck behind one and take a leak there!” the man suggested, gesturing sideways to where there were indeed bushes.
“I refuse to do something so... undignified.” the other refused. If it was one thing Zhongli wouldn’t do (at least anymore), it’s go to the bathroom outside. Childe couldn’t do anything but shake his head and continue. It was his loss, really, but he was still worried.
By the time they were practically there, Zhongli had been shaking as he walked, muscles tired from squeezing and holding in and trying to keep composure. He wanted to avoid using his hands as much as possible, especially in such a dangerously public place. He however didn’t have much choice when stumbling over a rock caused a stream to escape, creating a dark spot on the top front of his pants. Almost instantly he had to grab himself tightly, absolutely desperate to stem the sudden flow. He realized in this moment that there was no way he could hold it any longer.
“Childe! Childe- ahh I’m.. leaking, please-“ Zhongli called out at a low volume, face burning up at admitting such a thing, pure desperation just seeping into his voice. Childe whipped around and tried not to get absolutely flustered.
“Ah, fuck, um....” the redhead cursed, rapidly looking around for something that could at the very least hide them. They were literally outside the village, so there had to be something.
Childe lays his eyes on something like a rock wall, which would almost perfectly shield them both from view.
“Here,” he said shortly, grabbing his shaky boyfriend’s hand and he frantically led him to the other side of the rock. As soon as Zhongli was able to lean back against the rock wall, he managed to pant a quick
“I can’t, Childe I can’t- hahh...” and he was gone. His already dark pants rapidly grew darker and glistened with warmth. Zhongli let out a very low and quiet moan as he absolutely soaked himself at full force, covering his face with a single hand.
Childe turned his gaze away to give the god at least a little privacy, cheeks tomato red at what was unfolding before him. It was a full minute before he heard Zhongli give a breathy and shaky sigh, indicating he was likely finished. Childe turned back around and watched his boyfriend take his hand away from his face, which was absolutely swimming with heat from embarrassment. As a 6000 year old god, these things are definitely not supposed to happen anymore.
“You shouldn’t... see me like this...” Zhongli had said as actual tears stung his eyes, not exactly crying but he was dangerously close to. Childe was quick to take the man’s hands into his own and look him in the eyes.
“Hey, there’s water all around the village, and we’re literally right here so let’s go take a dip. If Traveller asks why we’re both wet I’ll say I pulled you in with me. Okay?” Childe said, giving Zhongli a kiss and not really waiting for an answer before sneaking them both around to the water’s shore.
They sat together in the water for a little bit to let it wash everything away, and then they both headed around to where Traveller wanted to meet up. They did in fact ask why the two were wet, but Childe held true to what he said and gave the excuse.
Luckily, Traveller was none the wiser.
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Humans are Space Orcs “Snow”
Another suggestion you guys gave me :) Hope you like it! 
Maroz 324’s sky was cold and blue overhead. It’s distant binary stars hung high in the sky over the flat, cold alien landscape painted in shades of blue and white. No footprints, or tracks of any kind crossed it’s surface, and remained that way until the shuttle roared down from the bright morning sky and towards the chilled surface.
The GA (Galactic Assembly’s( scientific landing crew felt the weight of the ship as it settled onto the ice, and unbuckled themselves from their seats turning towards the wall to grab their gear. The crew consisted of two Vrul, one Tesraki and a Rundi as it usually was…. That was all accept for the humans, who ducked through the door and into the room, tall and menacing with their forward facing eyes and glittering white teeth.
The human pilot, wearing an eyepatch, and accompanied by a Vrul and Drev of his own paused in the doorway, “We ran some diagnostics on the planet surface. The ice is made mostly of well…. Water which is obviously a good thing for us. As for temperature and atmospheric readings, we have mostly nitrogen, bu at least 21% oxygen. Not a whole lot of carbon. Outside reading on the ship shows that there seems to be no liquid water present on the surface, and as such indicates no bacterial presence, though that may mean nothing at this point. Temperature is a balmy -20 degrees Fahrenheit or -28 degrees celsius.
“Balmy, is this your humor, human?” one of the scientists wondered pulling on a contained environment suit with respirator, temperature control, and a crap-load of other life support equipment, “Subzero temperatures make this planet a deathtrap, unlivable. An extremely hostile environment.”
The human just smiles a calm smile,“Balmy at this point means, wow my face isn’t going to freeze off and shatter upon contact with the air.”
“But ... that's exactly what -20 means.” 
Behind him, the other humans were falling into the room pulling on multiple layers of clothing. The human before them did the same. Two pairs of pants, and boots, and then another strange fibrous layer, and then a large fluffy jacket above that. There seemed to be no room for life support aboard their uniforms. In fact, the scientists were skeptical whether the suits were airtight enough not to lose air rather than contain it. The human pulled on a cap over his head and delicate ears, which were sure to freeze in the cold. There was no question that humans weren't meant for low temperatures, seeing as they lost heat quickly, and had no hair to keep them warm.
That might be why it seemed as if their gear was so primitive…. Perhaps because they had to develop subzero life support systems early on. The original human pulled on two pairs of gloves flexing his fingers inside the suit before donning a strange set of eyewear which he perched atop his head.
As far as they could tell ,he wore no respirator, and there was nothing protecting his eyes from freezing inside his head. The rest of the scientific group had donned their gear…. The same gear they would have worn in the vacuum of space, and then motioned towards the airlock. The humans shuffled forward with a sort of swishing squeaking noise, and the scientists followed behind them. The lead human carried a specimen tube on his back with another vrul encased on the inside looking surprisingly bored as if he was used to the human’s atics by this point. 
They were growing rather nervous watching them, “Aren't you going to put on your helmets?” one of them wondered through the intercom.
The humans looked down at him. Through their noses and mouths were covered by strange fibrous material, the way their eyes scrunched hinted at amusement.
Behind them, the airlock hissed shut, “Why would we do something like that.”
The human hit the button and the cabin depressurized. The scientists looked on in horror expecting humans to fall to the ground dead, but they seemed more than ok. One of them walked towards the door as a decontamination spray bathed them in a fine layer of mist. The door lurched open with a clunk, and a wave of what must have been freezing cold air flooded into the cabin.
Together, the scientists looked up in shock expecting the human’s eyes to immediately freeze and shatter inside their skulls, or at least to see their skin turn blue. No such thing happen, together, the humans walked out into the snow with a soft crunch crunch. To their shock, the main human pulled the material down from his mouth, and then breathed deeply. Hot air plumed from his mouth in smoke like rings.
“Ah…. nothing like a little cold to invigorate the self.” he took another deep breath. For a moment they stared on in surprise, shock and awe, that was before the man began to cough violently doubling over for a moment, probably ready to keel over and die.
The other humans began to laugh at him.
HE pulled the material up over his face, still coughing, “Note to self, air very dry, lungs on fire,.”
The scientists stared on in wonder as the human quickly recovered.
“What…. But…. how/”
The human turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, “Are you kidding. Where I come from it can get -40 degrees towards the beginning of the year. So cold you can turn boiling water into water vapor in seconds.”
“But ... but how…. You have no fur.”
“What do you think the jacket is for.”
“But your lungs.”
The human reached up and prodded at his nose with a hand, “That’s what this puppy is for keeps the air humid and warm for the lungs. I advise breathing through the nose in cold situations rather than the mouth.
“Your eyes….”
“Tons of blood flow, and there are nice and cozy inside my sull, stop worrying so much.”
He turned towards the planet hands on his hips, “I don’t know about you boys and girls, but I would consider this planet habitable, at least worth harvesting water from. So maybe some sort of base here.”
The scientists just stared as the (life support-less) humans marched into the snow.
“Think about it, one of the humans muttered watching as the scientists took their readings, “No one has ever set foot here…. Ever.” 
The lead human tapped his chin with a musing expression, “Mmm ... good point.” It was then that he left off a strange animal bugle and ran straight onto the tundra hopping and dancing and running around in circles on the white plane of ice and snow almost slipping and falling on more than one occasion. It didn’t take long before the other humans were running after him engaging in primitive and aggressive play with each other. 
A human took a running start and then dug his heels into the icy snow going skidding past another human who had flopped down on her back to open and close her arms and legs while laughing. 
A human leaped over her and then went rolling into the snow sending an explosion of white powder up after him rolling to a stop only to copy the woman before. The scientists, who should have been collecting samples, just stared on in wonder and confusion as the humans happily played in the snow and ice.
Two humans tackled another one and forced his face into the snow before scampering away only to be chased by their snowy counterpart whose warm skin was melting the snow on his face only to have it freeze against his skin. 
“What are they doing.” One of the scientists asked in wonder.
The Vrul inside his test tube sighed, “They are frolicking I believe is the term. Humans love snow, or at least some humans love sow. That one there is making a snow angel, those ones there just performed what is called a ‘whitewash’.”
The scientists turned to the Vrul hunkered down inside his specimen tube, “how do you know all of this?”
He sighed “The first time I visited earth, it was during a blizzard.”
“You’ve been to earth!” They exclaimed in unison.
“More than once unfortunately.” He droned watching as one human snuck up on another with a handful of snow shoving it in their face when they weren’t expecting it. He came over sputtering and spitting snow out of his mouth, “Ok, Ok, this means war.” The aliens looked on with worried expressions as the human trudged over to the ship where the heat of the engines, still cooling had melted a plot of snow in a wide circle around the craft. He dug his hand in towards the edge scooping up a handful of snow and began packing it together.
Together the scientists came forward with curiosity, “How did you do that.”
The human looked u in puzzlement, holding out his ball of snow, “What…. You didn’t know that it sticks together.” he tossed the ball of snow up and down in a single hand, “Well my friends, you are about to be introduced to a human game that has been near and dear to our hearts from times of great antiquity.”
He turned towards where the other humans were still ‘frolicking in the snow’ and violently snapped his arm around in an overhand circle. 
There was an explosion of snow on the back of one of the human’s jackets and he stumbled nearly falling flat on his face. He turned eyes narrowed, and then came barreling towards the human who had thrown it.
“SNOWBALL FIGHT!”  
The entire tundra broke into chaos around the ship, and the scientists ducked for cover as balls of frozen liquid began flying through the air at incredible speed. The first human was nailed in the face ending up on his back in the snow holding a hand to his nose.
The other humans only stopped to see if he was ok before continuing on in their mission. Two took up position behind one of the struts holding the ship up, one of them throwing the snowballs, while the other made them and handed them off with unwavering accuracy. 
Eventually someone was smashed over the head with a snowball the size of his own head and the two ended up tumbling to the snow rolling end over end as they tried to stick each other’s faces in the cold, wet ground.
The scientists were making no headway and were forced to yell at the humans to knock it off hoping beyond hope that this was not some sort of primitive mutiny by the humans. It was so violent and aggressive.
“ALL OF YOU KNOCK IT OFF!” The humans stopped, and everyone turned to find the Vrul in the test tube with both of his arms crossed, just like the humans, “can’t you see you are ruining the  scientific field and contaminating it., “Either you play nice with each other, or you are all going back inside.” 
To their surprise, the humans slumped and muttered to each other giving the scientists time to go out and begin sampling away from the ship where the chaos had taken place. Behind them, two humans had begun rolling a massive ball of snow, which didn’t seem like it should have stuck together, but totally did. Another one sat in the snow and absently crunched on a snoball.
“Get that out of your mouth!” The vrul in the test tube demanded, “You don’t know what could possibly be in it.”
The human looked up at him licking his lips, “Don’t eat yellow snow.” He held out the snowball, “This snow is white.”
“It is from another planet.”
“What is yellow snow.” A returning scientist wondered, “I did not know that snow came in different colors.”
The human grinned malevolently, “Oh yes yellow snow. I know how to make it too. A serious process.” the other humans began giggling. The vrul inside his specimen tube did not seem pleased.
Behind them two of the humans had managed to stack three snowballs one on top of the other.
“What are you doing.
The humans turned to look, “Do you like it? This is our snowman.”
“Snowman?” They wondered in confusion. Another human walked up from behind with two snowballs and stuck them onto the middle snowball.
“Now it is a snow woman.” 
He received a face full of snow for his trouble.” 
Another human inched by on his back pushing himself through the snow on his back like some kind of strange arctic inch worm. The other humans, and aliens alike turned to watch him go, the humans with amusement and the aliens with confusion.
Apparently, despite being spawned in the dessert, or savanna, humans greatly enjoy the cold, when snow is involved, they will eat it, play with it, throw it at each other, bury themselves in it burrowing around like snow worms. No one understands why this is, by all rights it should kill them, but humans are adaptable basterds, and I suppose that the ability to live in a cold climate would give them no end to the water that they might need.
Still it is very strange, there is something about snow that brings out the primitive human, which will then display a strange sort of ritualistic play .
There will have to be more research done about this in the future, but for now it will have to remain a mystery. 
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soybeantree · 4 years
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pairing: do kyungsoo x mutant!(reader) genre/warning: it ends in fluff? word count: 4k+ description: sequel to ‘yin and yang’. “does all of this scare you? do I scare you?” just a week long assignment. they told him not to ask questions and to tell no one of what he saw there. honestly, his thoughts hadn’t even drifted to what could possibly be going on inside. for sure he never even considered you.  a/n: august installment of our ‘trying to write a kyungsoo story for every month that he is gone’ 
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Following Sensei's movements, you track the flow of energy through his body and force yours to mirror his. Even after three years, the task is difficult. With each breath, you release excess energy and bring the remaining under control.
"You're agitated." The words are a vibration on Sensei's lips, but the sound waves find you. Your brain translates them into words. Unfortunately, the reverse is impossible. You meet Sensei's eyes and shrug. The movement earns you a reproving glance and a shift in your internal energy. Breathing out, you refocus.
These sessions are a brief reprieve from the onslaught of testing and training which have defined your life since the success of your experiment. You dread their end, but as the energy of your guards approaches, you finish your movement and come to a stop. Sensei stills beside you. He hums, a soft, simple tune. His farewell. You smile and harmonize with him as the doors open to the meditation room. Your guards wait on either side, two perfect pillars of order. You bow to Sensei and walk through the doors. The guards fall into step behind you, ready to ensure you have no misstep on your way to your training session. As if you have ever deviated from your schedule.  
The scientists have boiled down your skills to two categories: energy expulsion and energy absorption. You long ago learned how to light bulbs without popping them and progressed to powering an entire building. However, solving the energy crisis was never the intention of your experimentation.  The military personnel want a weapon, and as they have yet to find a way to weaponize energy expulsion, they have switched your training to energy absorption. 
Energy absorption is easier than expulsion. Energy seeks you out. Grabbing hold of it and coaxing more out requires little effort. However, releasing the excess energy in non-catastrophic ways proves more difficult which is why your sessions with Sensei continue. Even with Tai Chi though, the training always leaves a prickling of pain across your skin and, depending on the amount of excess, can leave you incapacitated for days.
Incapacitated days are few and far between now which is why your training has progressed from pulling from a continuous source to spontaneous absorption...i.e. grenades. They pull the pin, drop the grenade, and you have to absorb the energy before it creates a hole in the floor. So far, you've had to move to a practice room with a dirt floor because concrete holes are too annoying to fill, and for your safety, they erected a blast wall between you and the detonation zone. 
Today's training goes the same as every one for the past month. Your ears ring with the sound of the explosions and fresh holes litter the practice field. Plopping down, you focus on the energy at your back. The scientists stalk about, arms flying as they jabber back and forth. Pulling on the energy of their words, you catch the thread of their conversation.
Grenades are low impact and would be the most common explosive encountered during a tactical mission which was why they had started with them. However, your continued failures are leading them to consider alternate methods of practice. A timed explosion would allow for preparation and as you practice instantaneous energy absorption, it would become easier to apply to the grenade scenario. 
Opening your eyes, you let the ringing in your ears deafen you. Your guards approach and escort you back to your room. As you drive through the compound, you pass by the remnants of the building which had housed you during the early years of your experimentation. Failed experiments have led to the building's destruction. As always, the building tugs on the memories of the one who allowed your success.
Three years have failed to erase Kyungsoo. If you allowed yourself, you could bring him to mind in perfect clarity. Your veins hold his energy signature. Dwelling on him has no benefits though. Hopefully, he left the army and returned to his life and family, forgetting about you. 
Three years is not enough time to forget about you. As long as he lives, Kyungsoo knows he will never forget about you. His mind continually drifts to you, and the promise he made to himself. 
His mind often drifts when he really needs to focus. A fist flies at his face, and he nearly dodges the impact. Chanyeol, his sparring partner, laughs at his bewildered expression and retreats to the back of the practice ring where two water bottles wait. Keeping one for himself, he tosses the other to Kyungsoo. After a quick swig, Kyungsoo tosses the bottle back and resumes his fighting stance. While no longer a soldier in the army, he works hard to maintain the physique and the skills he learned during his time in the military. He will need them both to rescue you. 
For the remainder of his service, Kyungsoo had pandered to the higher ups and formed all manner of connections in the hopes that he would hear something about you. His work went unrewarded. Whichever military officers worked in conjunction with your experimenters maintained high levels of secrecy.
Chanyeol stalks forward arms at the ready. Kyungsoo watches his feet, his shoulders. He refuses to be caught unaware again. A shoulder falls. He ducks beneath the coming swing. His fist rises and catches Chanyeol in the ribs. Before the taller man can retaliate, Kyungsoo jumps back. Sweat beads his forehead. He wipes it away before it can blind him.
Becoming a civilian again had come with many challenges. The chief one being that Kyungsoo had forgotten how to be a civilian. He returned to his job and his family, but he felt like a stranger living someone else's life. And always his promise lingered in his mind.  The promise pushed him back into action. He began to extend his connections. Several times, he caught a whisper of you, but never anything to lead him back. As days turned to months and months to years, he lost hope that he would ever find you. He cleared his desk, removed the spider web of clues from his wall, and closed the file on you. 
The sparing comes to an end when Chanyeol pins him to the ground. With a tap, he accedes victory. Chanyeol is quick to his feet and offers a hand which Kyungsoo gladly takes. His muscles ache and his breath comes in spurts. 
"You're getting better." 
Kyungsoo accepts the encouragement with a nod. Months of practice often feel wasted, but he refuses to give up hope again. Following Chanyeol, the two head out to the next area of practice, marksmanship.
After closing your file, he returned to the monotony of life. Every day bled into another, until one day. He sat waiting at his bus stop, reading a random book someone had suggested to him. A young woman sat beside him. Kyungsoo had been taking the same bus at the same time since returning to civilian life. He knew every passenger on his route by sight. This woman he had never seen before. Something about her made the hairs on his arm rise. 
Putting away his book, he stood and started the walk back to his house. Before he could make it five steps, he found his way blocked. He didn't need to glance behind him, but he did. The woman stood there, her face devoid of all emotion. With a nod of her head, a hood covered his face. 
For a day and a night, she and those with her kept him in isolated captivity. They wanted to know about you. The experiments performed on you, the extent of your abilities, where you were. He maintained his silence, his promise to you to protect his safety.
As he resigned himself to his fate, he noticed the woman's scars. She stood and stretched, revealing a glimpse of her midriff. Her scars were not the same as yours, but they reminded him of them. When he met her eyes this time, he found they mirrored yours.
"You were experimented on." The words surprised both of them. The woman nodded, a solemn movement. The discussion which followed led to his release and the formation of an alliance. 
The woman belonged to a "band of misfits". They were experiments (and those sympathetic to them) who had been freed from their captors and who sought to free others. Their information network had brought them word of you and eventually him, a civilian with direct contact to you. In exchange for providing them with all the information he had about you and your experimenters, they would allow him to work beside them when it came time to free you. The work would be far from easy, the woman assured him. This fact could hardly discourage him. He had the chance to fulfill his promise and would push forward no matter the difficulty. He joined the band of misfits and made a home for himself with them on Frankenstein's Island. 
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Absorbing energy from a timed explosion is easier than a grenade. You watch the clock tick down, and as it nears zero, you open yourself up. The energy flows into you at the moment of explosion, leaving the bomb an ineffectual husk. 
The success of your practice prompts the experimenters to push you further. The bomb before you could level a building. As such, they have moved their observation area to a building on the opposite side of the compound and have evacuated the entire area surrounding your building. You remain in the practice room with only cameras for company. Their red lights blink at you as you stare through an inconsequential pane of bulletproof glass at the bomb which is ticking to zero.
The numbers are green. The clerks probably gave no thought to the color of the numbers on the clock. When you were in high school, the clock on your nightstand had green numbers. You would lay awake at night watching the numbers and wishing they would blur into oblivion. These numbers could blur into oblivion. During that last night with Kyungsoo, you had told him the reason you had agreed to become an experiment. He had saved you then, but he’s gone now. The numbers are disappearing, offering you a second chance. 
Your success bolstered the confidence of the military officers, scientists, and doctors. They renewed the experiments with unbridled fervor. Subjects came in by the bus load. None of them had Kyungsoo. None of them had success. In your rooms on the other side of the compound, you felt their energy lose form. Dying won’t stop the experiments, but it will free you from them. 
The seconds dwindle away. 1 stares at you, the moment stretching beyond time. You close the floodgates. 0. The energy slips from its shell painting the world in red and orange. Dirt and dust skip along, carried on the wave. You sit ready for the blast to tear you apart, but the energy swirls around like a dog greedy for his master’s attention. It slams into you, flooding your senses. The defenses you spent years cultivating crumble. The energy burns through your veins, erasing all sense of self. You are energy.
Months of planning come to conclusion in a single moment. The date of extraction had been set. Plans had been made, reviewed, memorized. But in a single moment everything changes. He is in training when the news comes. There was an explosion at the facility, you may be dead, the extraction would happen today. Whether you could be saved or not, they would destroy the facility. 
The Rescue Center on Frankenstein’s Island is a flurry of activity. The steel building reverberates with the thud of boots and hum of chatter. The Rescue Party moves through the space in a synchronized dance as each part prepares for the coming mission. Kyungsoo follows Chanyeol to where the Extraction Team waits. The team’s gear sits in five neat piles, ready for them. They dress with swift ease. The plan cycles through Kyungsoo’s mind as they head for the first transport. Twenty-eight minutes by helicopter, thirty-four by truck, fifteen by foot.
They shift from helicopter to truck in practiced movements. The rumble of the truck’s engine, the dips and divots in the road, they take him back. For a moment, he sits three years in the past. He is on his way for another night of guard duty. You’ll be waiting for him at the end of the road, needing his help, wanting his company. Instructions come from the front reminding him that this time when he leaves, you will be with him. 
“We follow your lead.” Chanyeol reminds him as the truck creaks to a stop. Chanyeol heads the extraction team, but for this endeavor, he defers the responsibility to Kyungsoo. During the planning stages, Kyungsoo mentioned that after his first encounter with you, he developed a sense of you. Whenever he came to the compound, he knew where you were. A useful skill for 
the head of an extraction.
He nods, smothering the fear that time may have robbed him of his sense or that death has robbed him of you.
A dense forest borders the back of the compound. Autumn has carpeted the ground with a thick blanket of leaves, but a recent rain dampens them, silencing footfalls. Kyungsoo breathes deep and reaches for your connection, stretching his senses. Heart hammering in his chest, his hope withers before blooming to life. You’re there in front of him, a small flicker at this distance. He stops and, facing the team, gives the signal that you’re alive and ahead. A ripple of relief travels through the men. They continue forward, their feet flying across the slick forest floor.  
The compound’s fence looms ahead of them. They halt within the tree line and wait. An explosion and the ensuing shouts are their signal to enter. 
Lost in the haze of energy consuming your body, you reach for anything to center yourself. Sensei stands beside you, his energy signature pounding in your head. He is speaking, but his words are lost on you. Whatever he’s trying to do is worthless. No amount of Tai Chi will balance the energy within you. While you had hoped for a quick death, this death is more fitting. You are as you were that first day, and this time Kyungsoo isn’t here to save you.
An explosion breaks through your haze. You scream at the out pour of energy, but it fades. The explosion is too far away to add to your current torment. You sink back into your internal hell, ready to let it rip you apart, when you feel him. The pain rippling through you threatens to steal your sense of him, but you cling to it, focusing every ounce of your will on it.
“He’s here.” You rasp as you push yourself up. The movement sends the world cartwheeling around you in a swirl of color. A steadying hand on your shoulder keeps you from pitching off the bed. “I have to go.” Each word rises like a stone through your throat. You stand and nearly topple. 
“You need to lay down. It’s not safe.” The words still carry no meaning, but the hand on your shoulder hardens, keeping you in place. You shrug it off and meet Sensei’s gaze.
Kyungsoo is here. It’s not safe for him here. You have to get to him. If they find out about him, the buses will forever roll through the gates. The words refuse to rise, but you pray your eyes succeed where your voice fails. His grip loosens as his hand slips to your elbow.
Pain laces every step as you struggle down the hallway. The world continues to spin around you as energy seeks you on all sides. Without Sensei, you would crumble. He continues to support you, careful to keep a layer of clothing between your skin and his. Direct contact acts as a conduit. This he learned the hard way during a session. He had grabbed your hand to steady you when he should have let you fall. The shock he received ensured he would never make the mistake again. 
People further complicate your journey. They block your way and attempt to return you to the room. You reach for their skin. While the military personal failed to find a way to weaponize energy expulsion, you had. You reveal your secret. Energy flows from you into your hindrances, setting them ablaze in your vision. They scream or maybe you do. The contact is brief. They drop, tearing themselves from your grip. Sensei releases you after the first victim. The ground comes up to meet you, and several moments pass before you realize you’re no longer moving.
His hand returns to your elbow and brings you to a seated position before slipping his arm around your waist and lifting you to your feet. You continue down the hallway. Any other who blocks your path meets the same fate as the first. Sensei holds tight to you each time. 
The grounds are a maze of buildings, and Kyungsoo wishes he had explored them further with you that last night. Aside from that night, his exposure to the compound had been the route from the main entrance to your building. He had never seen the back side through which he now navigates. 
Keeping his focus on you, he weaves through the buildings, his team following behind. The area remains clear, the forces being pulled to the attack. The team still moves slowly, remaining cautious of stragglers. They round a corner, and Kyungsoo stops. The building before him is not the one he visited each night for over a week, but it is where you are. The sense of you surges through him. His muscles ache as he forces himself to remain still and wait. He points to the building and signals to the team that you’re inside. They shift into position, pushing him back as Chanyeol takes the lead. Carefully, they move across the open space. Guns at the ready, they sweep the area.
“Fall back!” The shout comes seconds before a spray of bullets fills the air. Feet scuff against dirt as the team retreats back to safety in a building’s shadow. Lungs heave, but they are all whole. 
Chanyeol checks over them with a sweep of his gaze before sending Minseok around the back of the building to scout the building on their right. He inches around the corner to view the building opposite. The firing has stopped and everyone’s breathing settles to silence.
Minseok returns to inform them that the building beside them has five guards on the roof. 
Chanyeol adds five from the building opposite to the total. The odds are against them. They will get picked off crossing No-Man’s land, and even if some make it across, they’ll never make it back. Even now, the guards will be calling for back-up. Whatever they are going to do, they have to do it soon or abandon the mission. 
The cacophony of bullets pulls them from half formed plans. They peer from the shadows towards the doorway opposite. There you stand. Even from this distance, Kyungsoo can see the ripples of red and orange rolling across your face. Your body sways, kept up only by the man at your side. The bullets pock the ground at your feet, a warning. One which you fail to notice, but the man beside you does. You struggle against his grip, but he keeps you firmly beside him.
The team retreats further into the shadows, but Kyungsoo remains his attention transfixed on you. His body burns, the energy within him rising in recognition. You still. You hold your head straight as your eyes meet his. A brief smile tugs at your lips, but before it can bloom, your face falls. Your head lolls forward and your body slumps. His heart quakes.
Energy still courses through your body. As he watches, it increases. You’re pulling it in, absorbing it when you should be expelling it. Your confession floods his memory, and he wants to scream and rush across the distance to take your hand in his.
“The guards.” Chanyeol’s whisper focuses him. The guards are swaying and falling.
“What’s happening?” Baekhyun voices the collective question.
“She’s draining them.” Kyungsoo answers as he steps into No-Man’s land, his gun hanging limp at his side. 
The scuff of his footsteps echoes between the buildings, startling the man beside you. He shifts you behind him, and you crumble. Kyungsoo hurtles to your side, and when the man tries to stop him, he shoves him away. Your body convulses with the influx of energy. He can feel your heart racing as it approaches its finish.
“Don’t touch her.” The man warns. “You’ll die.” His hand wraps around Kyungsoo’s wrist.
“No, I won’t.” Kyungsoo pries the man’s fingers away, his gaze continually fixed on you. With his hand free, he reaches for yours. The touch is light, a brushing of finger tips against skin, but energy rips through him, filling every inch of his being. The world burns to life around him. 
He can see the energy burning through everything and feel its ebb and flow.
He closes his fist, breaking the contact, and the world shifts back. You lay still. You’re only movement, the rise and fall of your chest. Slipping one arm beneath your head and the other beneath your legs, he stands and faces his companions. They wordlessly follow him as he returns the way they came.
Life passes in a blur around you. Not since the final experiment have you absorbed so much energy. In its absence, you have become an empty shell. Your cells struggle to replenish the vacuum. Waste energy grazes by your skin, but it takes more energy to coax in than it’s worth. The doctors and scientists have abandoned you. It’s for the best though. This is what you wanted all along. If only you could have taken the whole damned place with you, when you went.
Life becomes clearer. Your body begins to work again. The doctors who come to check on you are unfamiliar, and you wonder if you did take down the whole damned place. Your questions lie dormant though, your tongue refusing to form the words. Its unwillingness is due more to the drugs they pump in than your weakness. 
As you lie straddling consciousness, memories filter in. The training, the explosion, Sensei, Kyungsoo. That last memory feels like a dream. Kyungsoo had come for you. He was standing there at the corner of the building and staring back at you. But Kyungsoo left years ago.
You wake, fully conscious. Energy swirls about you, and your mind gives it shape: machines, people, a building. As you shift through the shapes, you find one who is out of place. Pushing aside the last remnants of the drugs, you sit up and strain your senses. Your mind remains steadfast though. He’s here. The dream was a reality. They found him. They have him.
Closing your eyes, you grab hold of every stray piece of energy. You rip it from the machines surrounding you. They squeal as they die. The energy races through your veins. The world comes to life behind your lids. Kyungsoo is two floors below you. The building comes to life around him as you focus on the bits of energy which touch its every corner. There. A staircase. Two doors down from you. 
Your legs protest as you sprint down the stairs, and you fear how long you have been asleep, how long they have had Kyungsoo, what they have done to him. You push your legs harder and sharpen your focus as you reach Kyungsoo’s floor. Five other people are in the room with him. Direct contact is the best option to disable them, but the meager energy you pulled earlier will only provide a shock, nothing powerful enough to incapacitate. Draining them also requires more energy than you have. Regardless of your current state, you will see Kyungsoo safely from this place.
The door swings open as you reach it. A woman stands wide eyed in the frame, and you reach out grabbing her wrist. She collapses with a howl, and you jump over her. Sweat beads your forehead and you breath in gasps, but you rush towards the next captor. 
“OT9, no!”
You freeze hand inches from skin. A chuckle slips out as tears mix with sweat. Turning, you face Kyungsoo. From head to toe, he is whole. No cuts, no bruises, no wires. Jeans and a sweater have replaced his military uniform, but his face is still calm and controlled in the midst of chaos. “What’s going on?” You whisper. “Why are you here?”
“You’re not at the compound. You’re safe.” You collapse, and Kyungsoo is there to catch you. The others leave while Kyungsoo settles you in a chair and begins to explain about trying to find you, how the Misfits found him, Frankenstein’s Island, and the rescue. 
“You’re an idiot you know.” You say as his story comes to an end. He blinks at you. “You should have returned to your life and forgotten about me.”
“You’re pretty memorable.”
You calm the fluttering of your heart by reminding yourself that any person who can pull energy and release it like a bomb would be hard to forget. “What’s next then?”
“The island was founded by experiments for experiments. They have a program that you can go through which will help you adjust to life after experimentation. After that you can choose to stay and make a life here or go to the mainland and reinvent yourself.” He states matter-of-factly.
Laughing, you lean back in your chair. “I’ve missed you, Kyungsoo. I was also talking about you, not me. What’s next for you?”
“I’m staying here.” He holds your gaze. “I want to continue working with the misfits and stop people who do what was done to you.”
“So, I’ll get to see more of you while I go through this program that they have?” He blinks, his shoulders sliding back, and nods. You nod, too, grateful to face the ensuing chaos with him by your side.
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mulletcal · 4 years
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if walls could talk -- ceo!calum chapter 1
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description: calum is the son of a very powerful ceo / owner of a PR firm - they had an agreement that calum could live his life as a young adult until his father retired.  calum didn’t expect his father to retire so soon, nor did he expect to meet a woman who would spill out all of her deepest, darkest secrets all because of some turbulence.
warnings: light mention of sexual situations, other than that nothing much.
word count: 3.4k
a/n: this is something i’ve wanted to post for so long.  i attempted a majority of a rewrite at one point, but here we are! please let me know what you guys think? also huge thank you to @softbabiestan​ and @calum-uncrowned​ for reading / suggesting edits along the way 
------
“This just doesn’t feel like the right time to do this.”
Those words had been said to Charlotte more times than she could count, in both her personal and professional life.  This time, it was the former, but that didn’t make the blow to her confidence any smaller.
Charlotte had been sent to New York in hopes that maybe she could convince this firm to sell to them.  The PR firm that she worked for was the top in the country, but they didn’t get there based solely on the fact that they were an amazing company.  Anytime another PR firm seemed like they were about to overtake them for the top spot, Everyday Joy Communications would make them an offer they’d be stupid to turn down.
“Please, Mr. James, if you’d just look at the graph that we’ve done up for you--” Charlotte started, but she was cut off by the man standing up abruptly. 
“Your company has been trying for over a year now to buy us out, and each time we’ve said no. It’s very clear to us that your company’s morals don’t align with ours, I’m sorry you wasted your time in coming here today.” Straightening out his jacket, Mr. James moved around the table to shake Charlotte’s hand once more, clearly eager for her to leave.
She had gathered her things in silence, but as she turned to leave she heard Mr. James clear his throat. “Miss--” he began, inhaling deeply before continuing, “You may want to tie your jacket around yourself. It appears your skirt ripped.”
Nodding her head, she left the room without so much as a ‘thank you’, the embarrassment crashing over her in a wave.
As if this day couldn’t get any worse.
***
The CEO of Everyday Joy Communications has announced his retirement.
One would think that in the occurrence of a life-changing event, you’d at least get a call beforehand.  But that wasn’t the case for Calum, the article reading as a slap in the face to him.  Calum was supposed to be allowed some warning, something that would allow him to get his life in order before he was set to take over, but no.  Here he was, receiving numerous texts, calls, tweets, and e-mails from those he knew asking what the next steps were, and if Calum was finally going to step forward and ‘actually contribute’.
When his father’s company first started gaining success, Calum had chosen to live in New York, rather than stay in Los Angeles.  He enjoyed the bustle of a busy city, but LA was full of people who wanted what was in your pockets instead of what was in your head.  Opinions didn’t matter unless they were linked to some financial gain, and it never sat right with him.
He was pulled from his thoughts by his phone ringing, his father’s contact info flashing across the screen. “What do you want, Dad?” The words were dripping with false affection, his father’s sigh evident on the other line.
“I wanted to tell you, Calum, I--”
“You seemed to be able to figure out how to pick up the phone now, how come you couldn’t before?”
The silence on the other end was deafening before his father offered another sigh, “You still have a week to catch up on things before you fully take over.  And you know that I’m just a phone call away.”
“Yeah, and what time would be best to call you? In between tee-times, or before you go in for your deep tissue massage.” Calum had come to the conclusion to hang up before his father had a chance to answer.  Buying a plane ticket and facing this head on would be better than working himself up in his loft.
As if sensing his distress, his dog Duke came padding into the kitchen, looking at him quizzically.  It wasn’t often Calum had an angry tone to his voice, and it confused the small dog.  Scooping him up into his arms, he sighed as he pressed a kiss to the side of the dog’s head. “How do you feel about moving to LA buddy?”
---
“Hello?”
“Ash, guess whose ugly mug you’re gonna see a lot more?” The overly excited tone in Calum’s voice was very much not him, and it gave away everything Ashton needed to know in that moment.
“Mm… Gonna take a shot in the dark here and say you?” Ashton spoke with a soft chuckle. Calum could hear the click of his phone, and he was assuming he was either turning his volume up or down - if he had to guess it would be down, because he knew that Calum was frustrated.
“M’sorry there’s no prizes involved, but you’re absolutely right!  I don’t know if you’ve read, but my father is headed into an early retirement, which means-”
Before he could continue, Ashton finished his sentence for him, “- You gotta break out the big boy pants, I know.  Is he expecting you to take over right away?”
Calum let out a sharp exhale from his nose, fingers dragging softly through Duke’s fur as he sat cross-legged on his couch, “I have a week to settle in before I take over fully.  I don’t understand how he thinks a week is enough time to shadow him in the office before I just…  Take over.”
“You did work there in the summers when we were in high school though, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but I don’t feel as though it’s quite the same.  Plus, that was eight years ago now. The things have changed at the office - expanded departments, new protocols.” Calum sighed, leaning his head to rest against his couch.  “It’s just a lot.”
“I know, but hopefully your staff will cut you some slack, plus you have the best coffee in the world less than a block away.” Ashton was right, that was a very small benefit - he was sure whenever was something was overwhelming he could sneak away to his friends cafe for a coffee.
The rest of the conversation was uneventful, Ashton trying to take his mind off of his impending flight later that evening.  The conversation went on for longer than Calum had expected though, because his alarm went off to remind him to drop Duke off at the Doggy Daycare he would be staying at as he moved his life away.
“Shit dude, I gotta head out to go take Duke to his lil’ doggy hotel,” Calum joked, ignoring the tugging at his heart strings at the fact that he would have to leave his baby behind for now.
“Okay mate, I’ll see you soon, yeah? Bring Duke by as soon as he gets in from his week away from his dad.” Ashton teased, them finishing saying their goodbyes before hanging up the phone.
***
‘Now boarding flight 32C to Los Angeles, California…’
“Finally,” Charlotte murmured to herself, gathering her carry on and making her way towards her gate.
There had been a three hour delay, and at that point Charlotte was ready to be home, curled up in bed watching shitty rom-coms.
As she stepped onto the flight, the stewardess looked her up and down with a sympathetic smile. “Long day?” She asked, placing her hand on Charlottes’ forearm.  Any other time, the gesture would annoy Charlotte, but she wasn’t one to take out her bad day on others.
“That obvious, huh?” Charlotte deadpanned, shoulders sagging ever so slightly.
“How about an upgrade to first class? No one checked in for that seat, and it’ll be our secret.” 
If angels existed, this woman - Angie - would be one of them.  With a small smile, and a squeeze of the hand on her forearm, Charlotte headed to the seat she had motioned to.
When she got to the seat, she saw a man on the outside of the aisle with his hat pulled low over his eyes. His strong jaw seemed tense, only relaxing as soon as Charlotte let out a soft ‘excuse me’.
Then, strong jaw man was talking, and Charlotte thought it had been to her.  “Do you wanna get drinks, then?” The man had asked.
“Oh, yeah I’ll--”
That was the first time she saw the man’s eyes, deep brown and looking up at her in confusion before motioning to his Bluetooth ear piece.  
What idiot still used those? 
Charlotte’s head ducked in embarrassment until he eventually hung up.  “I’m sorry about that, I thought you were talking to me…” Her words were meek, almost inaudible as she angled her body towards him.
“S’fine, you didn’t see the device.” The more he had spoken, the more Charlotte wanted to hear.  His voice was enticing, the type you knew could command a room if the occasion called for it. She kept thinking of ways to potentially get the man to speak to her again, but she was at a total loss for words.
All was well when the plane actually took off, and Charlotte was content to enjoy the rest of the flight in moderate silence until a violent shake of the plane jolted her eyes open.
 “Oh my God, what was that?” She asked, turning to look at the man beside her whose brows were furrowed in confusion.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain. We’re experiencing some slight turbulence. If you could please remain seated with your seatbelts on until the light turns off. Thank you.’
“See, it’s just some turbulence --” he started to say, his calm voice being cut off by her exhaling sharply next to him. “Do you really think he’d tell us if we were about to die, dude?” Charlotte snapped, trying to focus on anything but the fact that they were about to die. 
“I think… I think he’s legally obligated to, no?” The man’s thick brows furrowed further, the tiniest quirk of a smile playing at his full lips.
Charlotte narrowed her eyes at the man, this logical, beautiful man. Another particularly violent rock of the plane had her gripping on to the mans’ arm.
“I can’t die. I’m too young -- I haven’t accomplished anything with my life,” Charlotte breathed, squeezing her eyes shut.  “I mean, I haven’t had kids, I’ve never even been in love. My boyfriend is a joke to human kind. I don’t even know if I have a G-spot…” She definitely regretted the words as they slipped out, her hand tensing even more.
“Excuse me?” There was an almost comical tone to the man’s voice as he cracked a small smile.  As if he couldn’t get more perfect, his teeth had to be straight and white too?
“That’s not important--”
“It seems like something you feel is extremely important to you.” Who was this smug stranger beside her? And why did he find such joy in her discomfort? “My boyfriend -- He… Doesn’t know how to use his mouth. The way he uses his tongue, I told him I liked it. I told him that I’ve never experienced anything like it. Which is true, but it’s a dreadful experience…”
The conversation continued like that, and somehow Charlotte found comfort in telling this complete stranger her secrets. Especially about the meeting she completely messed up earlier in the day, how her skirt had ripped, and how much she hated her co-worker. It wasn’t until she overhead the stewardess speak did she realize that not only was the turbulence finished, but so was the flight itself.
“Why didn’t you tell me we had landed?” Charlotte asked, almost breathless from her constant monologue.
“It seemed like you had a few things you wanted to get off your chest. And let me tell you, I don’t think I know any of my friends as well as I know you, especially not even knowing your name, doll.”
Charlotte was about to tell him, but the man, this stupidly handsome mysterious man was up and out of his seat before she could even open her mouth. 
“Darling, we’ll keep this between us. I don’t need to know your name. Thanks for sharing all your dirty little secrets,” He had said with a wink before leaving the plane completely.
What the fuck did she just do? ---
Monday morning wasn’t any easier for her, memories of the plane ride haunting her thoughts the entirety of Sunday.  Charlotte wasn’t sure she’d be able to maintain her focus when meeting the new CEO if she could barely be attentive enough to brush her damn hair.
It was amusing to overhear the rumours that made their way around about the new CEO, and if Charlotte was having a better morning she likely would have joined in the fun. Sipping her coffee quietly, she glanced over at her friend as she began to speak.
“I heard once that he has a rolodex of prostitutes that he keeps for when he feels in the mood, doesn’t do relationships.” Charlotte rolled her eyes at Rachel’s words as they watched out of the large windows for the man’s arrival. “Holy shit he’s even hotter than people said he was…” 
It wasn’t long before the rest of them ran to their desks, appearing as though they were doing work as the new CEO headed up the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, they seemed to take the air from Charlotte’s lungs with them.
It was him. She saw his profile first, and she could have recognized that jawline from a mile away, or the seemingly ever present pout on his full lips. It was the handsome stranger from the plane, the one who now definitely knew about all the shenanigans that went on around the office when they all thought the person above them wasn’t paying attention. The stranger she spilled all her deepest, darkest secrets to. Their Director of Operations, Beth, came out of her office, a bright smile on her lips as she embraced the man.
 “Calum, the last time I saw you, you were just graduating high school --” she recalled fondly, the smile on the man -- Calum’s face was radiant as she pinched his cheeks. “Alright everyone, listen up. This is our new CEO, Calum Hood. As you know, he is David’s son, and he’ll be working from our offices to ensure everything is running smoothly.  You haven’t let me down before, don’t start now.” The words were said with a sweet smile, but everyone knew you didn’t mess with Beth.
“Thank you, Beth --”
A whisper from behind her did not fall on deaf ears, “His fucking accent though…”
“Keep it in your pants, Rachel,” Charlotte whispered back, her attention going back to the warm brown eyes that had now landed on her.
“-- I may be my father’s son, but I most definitely am not him. This company, at the very least, should have some fun. So if any of you have a suggestion or two on how we can improve, I’ll be in my office all day getting myself sorted.” Calum’s eyes scanned the room, freezing when they landed on Charlotte. Giving her a simple nod, the man’s warm smile was replaced with a tense one before he turned to walk into his office.
***
After seeing her, there was no way for Calum to focus. He’d hate to admit it, but ever since that plane ride he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that girl. The confessions she made to him left him wondering so many things -- at least if she stopped in he could thank her for exposing so many secrets of the office.
Throughout the day, various people stopped in his office to introduce themselves; each woman coming across more desperate than the last.  He supposed he shouldn’t think that when these women were working for him. He’d be stupid, though, to pretend like he didn’t notice each lingering glance they’d give, or each lean forward to try and show off their clevage. 
A soft knock on his door towards the end of the day was the one who held his attention the most -- because it was her. He still didn’t know her name, but seeing her today, he felt a strange pang in his chest that made him want to know it. Calum knew he should have let her tell him on the plane, then maybe in another world if they hadn’t serendipitously worked together he’d be able to find her.
“Mr.Hood?” Her voice was softer than he remembered, but maybe Calum was just thinking of it in the form of terror she had expressed to him the other night.
“Call me Calum, please. And your name?” Calum asked with a quirked eyebrow, a small smile forming on his lips. 
“Charlotte,” she stated with a small smile as well, stepping into his office further. Her outfit was more indicative of her personality than her travel clothes had been -- her blonde hair pulled into space buns with wisps of hair falling into her face, the front of her pastel pink button up tucked into a pair of bright blue floral pants. Pastel pink and blue were not exactly a colour combination Calum would have gone with personally, but it suited her.
Calum realized then that he was checking her out, and by no means in a subtle way. “Uh, sit, please,” he gestured to the chair across his desk, wanting to make her more comfortable.
“I wasn’t sure I even really needed to come in here today, given the circumstances of the other night. But Rachel told me it’d be weird if I didn’t come to introduce myself to our new boss…” Charlotte had begun to ramble, and Calum couldn’t bite back the smile that pulled at his lips, the genuine kind that always made his eyes crinkle at the corners. Something about the smile made Charlotte’s breath catch in her throat, her body almost visibly stilling.
“It probably would have been weird to your co-workers, but if you’re uncomfortable here working directly with me, I can arrange it so you’re transferred to a different office,” Calum’s response was more an HR response than anything, wanting to make her more comfortable. But also maybe, just maybe, Calum was itching to reach up and brush the blonde hairs from her face. Transfer so that she wasn’t directly under him in the business sense, but could be directly beneath him in other ways.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the woman speaking up once more. 
“No, no. It’s not that--” Charlotte started, pulling her lip between her teeth. “I just don’t want it to be weird for you. I did after all tell you a lot about myself.”
“Speaking of a lot -- How’s your boyfriend?” The question was out before Calum could stop himself, the topic itself completely catching Charlotte off guard as she stilled for the second time in a span of 5 minutes.
“He’s uh, good. He works here also, in the IT department. I don’t know if I told you that part.” A blush spread across the woman’s cheeks, and Calum found the whole interaction endearing.
“You didn’t happen to mention that, no.”
“Yeah, you’ll probably meet him as you work your way through meeting the rest of your staff--” Her sentence was topped off with a shaky laugh, brushing a stray strand of hair back behind her ear.
Calum wondered very briefly if she was nervous around him because of the things he knew about her, or because she happened to be as attracted to him as he was to her. It was inflating his own ego, of course, to think the latter. Who said having high hopes were a bad thing though? “Anyways,” Charlotte said, standing up abruptly, “I should go. Getting towards the end of the day, and I promised my roommate we could binge season 2 of Sex Education.”
The irony of that statement was not lost on Calum, what with her exposing rather intimate details about her sex life to him only a couple days prior… And now she was going to go and watch a show called Sex Education? 
“Hold on,” The words sounded choked as they came from Calum’s mouth, likely conveying how desperate he felt to keep the conversation going. “What’s uh -- What’s his name? Your boyfriend, that is. I’d like to be aware of the relationships going on in the office.”
Charlotte grinned then, a mischievous glint in her eyes that had Calum sweating, “While we don’t have time to unpack all the relationship drama going on here, my boyfriend’s name is Gavin… Goodnight Calum, I’ll see you in the morning.”
With that, she was gone, as if their whole interaction had been a dream. and Calum was so fucked.
tag list:  @cals-wildflower​ @talkfastromance4​ @softbabiestan​ @roseycal​ @calum-uncrowned​ @boyfriend-cal​ @wildflowerirwin​ @irwindoll​ @gosh-im-short​ @atlcalm​ @thesubtweeter​ @heavenisapeach​ @ridingcthood​ @loveroflrh​ @wokeupinjapanisabop​ @talkfastdrummer​
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Silohuette (Part 4: Embryo)
Dark!Bucky x Reader
The food was cold by the time you finally calmed down enough to eat. It was very good though, better than anything you’d had in a long time. High-end dining, as far as you were concerned. Your captor was either trying to show off and splurge to impress you or had a lot of money in general. Of course, he’d been outside of Stark tower so it was feasible.
Speaking of which, he seemed familiar. Of course, you’d seen him in the bar, but you felt like you’d seen him elsewhere, though where you had no idea. Maybe he just had one of those faces. Or maybe, and considering the situation you’d say this was a valid concern, he’d been stalking you. Perhaps you’d caught glimpses of him and hadn’t realized it.
It had seemed like happenstance that he had hopped into your cab. But if it was coincidence, why had he had the rag and what you could only guess was chloroform?
The way he had talked when you asked him why you were here indicated that this was premeditated, that he chose you. Was he just waiting until he’d happen to stumble upon you in the right situation? It didn’t seem likely; most people wouldn’t carry chloroform on a regular basis.
You rubbed your hands over your eyes, shivering. The thought that someone had watched you and knew everything about your life without even realizing it made your stomach turn. You squeezed your eyes shut, afraid for several moments that you were about to loose the lunch you’d been provided.
You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. With a grimace, you realized there was still glass in your clothing trapped in unpleasant places. You needed to shower. With a shaky sigh, you stood and reentered the room you had woken up in, then ducked into the bathroom.
You shut the door tightly, surprised to find a lock on it. Of course, it wasn’t very sturdy looking, not the kind of lock one would put on a front door, but it was better than nothing. It gave you a semblance of privacy.
A folding door pushed away to reveal a spacious clothing closet. The racks were empty, but there were folded t-shirts and sweatpants on the shelves towards the back. Alongside them were a few sets of bras and underwear, all plainly coloured and unadorned. There were no shoes in sight, but there were several pairs of fuzzy socks, much like the ones you wore at home.
Upon further examination, you realized they were all your size. There were a few that were a few sizes too big, but the colors and patterns indicated that they were sleepwear. You shivered slightly, realizing your captor somehow knew you preferred sleeping in loose clothing. How much about you did he know?
You glanced down at your rumpled, messy clothing and gave a dejected sigh. As much as you didn’t want to, you’d have to wear the provided clothing. You pulled out a grey shirt and black sweats, and after a moment’s hesitation, a pair of blue and white striped socks. You closed the folding door and sat the clothes on the counter by the sink.
As you removed your shirt, your muscles protested. Whatever he had drugged you with had not agreed with you, and your entire body seemed to be in rebellion. With trembling hands, you finished undressing and stepped into the tiled shower-stall. The water helped soothe your muscles, but the longer you stood there, you noticed a nausea building in your gut.
You washed quickly, growing more frantic as the sick sensation grew. Small bits of glass landed on the tile and were washed down the drain. Your heart fluttered as you stood under the water motionlessly, trying to blink away the blurriness that came rapidly over your vision. You nudged the water off with your knee, your vision edging black.
Grasping at the shower curtain, you stumbled out of the stall, dizzy. You knelt down next to the toilet just in time, loosing what you had just eaten. Your head was pounding and your vision seemed to be pulsating inwards and outwards. You flushed the toilet and pulled yourself to the sink to clean your hands and rinse your mouth with water.
You’d just barely managed to redress in the clean clothing when the ringing began, intense in your ears and as loud as a thundering train. You gritted your teeth, your stomach rolling but thankfully empty, and pushed out of the bathroom. The ringing grew into a roar, your ears feeling as though they would burst.
The bed seemed to be both too close and yards away. You stumbled forwards, closing your eyes to fend off the dizziness. It felt as though your head was feeling with water, sloshing and making you sick. Finally, your fingers touched the soft sheets and you dragged yourself into the warm confines, burying your head under the pillow just as your brain gave a final heave and left you unconscious.
Bucky hadn’t intended for you to have an adverse reaction to the sedatives he’d put in your food. He had checked the camera feed just as you were collapsing on the bed, your body going limp within seconds. He rushed down there, nearly tripping on the stairs and almost cracking the hand scanner on the outside door in his franticness.
He yanked the pillow off of your head to find you totally out, eyes rolling. Your pulse was steady though, if quite fast, and you were still breathing strongly. He groaned as he sat down next to you, rubbing his flesh hand over his face. He’d only had you here less than a day and he’d already screwed up.
The sedative had been intended to relax you and make you slightly more susceptible to suggestion. Only a bit, of course. He wanted your eventual decision to stay with him to be (mostly) your own. He’d read on the bottle before he ground up the small pill that some people may experience dizziness and nausea, but he hadn’t expected it to happen to you. After all, most side-effects seemed pretty rare or mild these days.
Seeing you unconscious the second time was worst than the first. The first time, you’d looked like you’d just been sleeping, peaceful. This time, you looked as though you were in the grips of some horrid illness. Your skin was notably pale and sweat beaded on your forehead. You gave a soft whimper in your sleep, making his heart clench in his chest.
He brushed your hair away from your eyes, thankful they were closed now. Seeing them move like that had been disturbing. Your face relaxed slightly at his gentle caress. He stroked his fingers over your cheek, watching with a melancholy smile as you relaxed more. There was no way you’d react that way if your were awake. He sighed. Someday, he reminded himself, someday.
As though you were made of fragile porcelain, he carefully slid his arms under you shoulders and knees, just as he had done to carry you into the house. He held your trembling form against his chest. Slowly, the shaking stopped and you relaxed against him. He slid downwards until he lay stretched out on the bed, grasping you against him.
Cautiously, he pressed his lips to your cheek, placing a timid kiss on the soft skin. Your warmth and soothing scent was lulling him into the most relaxed state he’d been in quite a long time. He had intended to leave after you had stilled, but the temptation to stay there longer was too strong to resist. He tucked your head against his shoulder and yawned, allowing his eyes to close.
A few minutes couldn’t hurt. He’d be gone before you woke up.
You woke up with a start, jolting into consciousness as though you were bursting through the surface of a pond. You gasped for breath, muscles clenching and fingers curling. You shuddered as your lungs frantically worked to pull in enough oxygen.
Finally, your heart-rate slowed. You had passed out in such a panicked state that it seemed to have carried over into your waking. You squeezed your eyes shut, inhaling deeply, much slower this time. Something shifted behind you. Your eyes flew open once more.
A pair of strong arms was wrapped around you, a body pressed against your back. One arm seemed noticeably cooler than the other. You couldn’t see the hand, but carefully, so as not to wake who you could only assume was your captor, you moved the shirt sleeve covering the appendage aside.
You stared in bewilderment at the smooth, shining metal. Was he an amputee? You’d never noticed anything like that. His movements always seemed so fluid, natural. Of course, now that you thought about it, you realized something. He had always kept his left hand in his pocket.
The arms were slack enough that you could slowly inch away. You pushed yourself up with your arms and moved across the rumpled sheets, keeping as quiet as you could. You released your breath, nothing happening as you moved away. He was asleep.
His arm slid off of your body. There was a nearly imperceptible whirring sound. You turned your gaze to his face. His lips were parted just slightly, glistening pink. His eyes were shut and his brow was just slightly furrowed. You caught yourself staring much longer than intended before ripping your gaze away.
He breathed deeply as he slept, chest rising and falling slowly. He was well-muscled just as you though, much more so than the average person, even a person who went to the gym.
It clicked into place in an instant, realization hitting you like a bolt of lightning. James ‘Bucky’ Barnes, The Winter Soldier. A captured member of the armed forces, turned into a super soldier killing machine. Deadly, ruthless, soulless. And now, on top of all that, working for the Avengers. Best friends with their famous Captain America. Fought against Thanos. Failed to prevent the snap that had taken everyone you loved.
You choked back a sob.
A heartless killer had taken you.
No, a beaten and broken man had taken you.
You stumbled off the bed and out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind you. You collapsed on the couch, sinking into the cushions as you buried your face in your hands. The hopelessness of your situation hit you tenfold.
Not only were you stuck in a locked, password protected living space, your captor was much stronger than you thought. A super soldier. An assassin. A killer. Working with Tony Stark, he’d have whatever he wanted to keep you captive with, to torture you with. Would he kill you? Was he not as reformed as the famed Steve Rogers claimed?
Were you going to die down here? Taglist:
@the-soulofdevil @imaginedreamwrite
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anony-mony-moose · 4 years
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Let’s Stay Together - Izzy Stradlin x Reader (Part 2)
Y/N starts her new job, agrees that Izzy’s water is hot, and narrowly dodges an interrogation from Duff
warnings for swearing, mentions of drug use, and very mild Duff abuse (specifically his toe)
also on ao3 :)
------------------------------------------------
“First off, you gotta be able to clean dishes.”
“Oh don’t worry about that.” I delivered my most charming smile. “I’m a dab hand when it comes to soap and water, Angus.”
Izzy huffed quietly in amusement as he set down a chopping board, and I had to work to keep the pleasant expression on my face.
“I don’t doubt it, Y/N/N.” Angus replied jovially, eyes twinkling under his undulating brow. “Only other condition is I have to like you enough to be around you five days a week.”
I bit my lip and sighed dramatically. “Shit, well if it’s not meant to be... Where’s my coat?”
He belted out a laugh and strode further into the kitchen, slapping my back (and politely ignoring the way I jumped about a foot in the air).
“Come on, we gotta get you set up before the orders start. It’ll get real busy soon. You wouldn’t think so, on a Thursday afternoon...” He continued as he led me to the sinks at the back, marching past Izzy who shot me a wink and laughed silently at the mock-bewildered face I pulled.
There isn’t much you can explain about washing up, further than pointing to a sink and then some dishes, but Angus gave it a shot anyway, doling out helpful tips like, “This one’s the cold tap, that one’s hot. Be careful, alright? The hot water is pretty damn hot.” Eventually, mercifully, his commentary ran dry and he bustled over to dice veg with Izzy at one of the counters. A few hours passed with me scrubbing my way through various pots and pans, occasionally enjoying Angus’ happy chatter about this and that whenever service calmed down. He had something to say about just about everything, that man.
Although you wouldn’t know it from the way he spoke, Angus Walker was only in his early thirties. Smoking one too many packs a day for about ten too many years had reduced his voice to a low scratchy rumble, and it matched perfectly with the strange little rambling tales he liked to share. His funniest kitchen war stories usually centred around his time starting out in Chicago. They were also evidently his favourites to tell - he’d get properly invested, slipping into thickly accented voices for each character. The way he reminisced, you’d think he was referring to things that took place fifty years ago.
Although not especially close, we’d been familiar since I first arrived in LA. Of course, since Izzy got the job doing food prep for him at Andrea’s, we bumped into quite regularly - it was usually Angus who answered the back door, and he was very generous with Izzy’s smoke breaks whenever I came calling. Weirdly enough though, Duff had also previously worked for him at a bakery, which was conveniently only ten minutes up the road from the call centre I was temping at at the time (another job which bit the dust pretty fast). I used to pop by everyday over my lunch hour to chat with all the staff in the break room. Duff made a habit of stuffing my pockets on my way out with all the goods that didn’t survive the ovens, constantly trying to feed me up, and even back then Angus would always turn a blind eye.
All round, he was just a really nice bloke. Didn’t half harp on though, I mused, tuning in to follow the end of a lengthy discussion about the guy I’d replaced.
“Damn sight better to have you on the team, anyway.” He concluded, pottering away to rummage around for something in the walk-in. I turned and caught a knowing smirk from Izzy.
“Comin’ out for a smoke?” He asked, jerking his head towards the door.
I nodded and swivelled round to check with Angus.
“Sure honey, take all the time you need! I’ll hold down the fort over here!” He hollered in reply and I stifled a small laugh. I had a feeling he was just grateful for a new, even marginally more responsive ear to chew off as he worked - Izzy could be an absolute brick wall when he set his mind to it.
We stepped outside into a light drizzle and the man in question burst into laughter, ducking with a delighted grin as I clouted him round the back of the head.
“You are a such a fuckin’ flirt!” He wheezed, only spurred on by my unsuccessful attempts to look unamused. His shoulders shook as he plucked a crumpled pack of Marlboro’s from his back pocket, still chuckling as he passed one to me.
“Angus doesn’t mind.” I mumbled, glancing away to hide my smirk. 
He cackled again. “No, he fuckin’ doesn’t.”
Our elbows knocked together, a short fit of giggles escaped me before I could properly stamp it down. My voice trembled when I replied, “My skills really are wasted on this shit, huh?”
All it took was a glance and we both devolved into hysterics again.
You could probably forgive us for feeling a bit crazed that afternoon. Neither of us had got even a glimpse of sleep, having been kept up all night by Slash and a steady supply of pills from his various pockets; the man really did have everything stashed away in there. The day had broken and morning was well on it’s way to noon when Slash finally left to restock, Izzy and I tagging along just for something to do. I didn’t have much memory of our bleary walk around town to find a dealer, apart from a single clear image of the cold, grey sunlight dancing over Izzy’s face. A little weird, granted, but I figured that could be easily blamed on the pills.
It was a bit of a miracle that we actually to made it to Andrea’s on time. It was even more of a miracle that we weren’t just turned away in our bedraggled state. Getting a good look now we were outside, Izzy still looked objectively awful, with big red rings shadowing his eyes and a slightly twitchy quality to all his movements. An unruly part of my brain helpfully reminded me that despite this, he was still extremely attractive. Another, more unruly part suggested that, yes, I definitely still wanted to shag him like this, and hey presto, now I was imagining him pinning me against that metal door and fucking those hangover jitters out of me. Christ.
No sleep, an ever-intensifying comedown, and an incorrigible imagination – the real miracle would be surviving to the end of this shift.
*****
“Sheena is-“ The words garbled as I dunked my head back under the showerhead to rinse. “A punk rocker, no-o-o-o-ow!” My feet slipped a little, stumbling over an empty beer can which floated above the drain, and I splashed my face to wash off the soapy water, still singing cheerily. “She’s a punk, punk,” I climbed out of the tub to snatch up the towel from the floor, (“A punk rocker!”) giving myself a quick once over  (“Punk, punk-“) before hitching it up around me. (“A punk rocker-er!”) I shook my hair out enthusiastically and immediately winced as that stubborn hungover headache clattered around my skull again like an enraged bull, battering away at my temples. I could hardly wait to meet the guys and get a drink inside me, if only to get rid of the incessant pounding in my head.
I plugged on determinedly with the song, neatly bringing the chorus to an end as I left the bathroom (spoiler: she is still definitely a punk rocker). A wry grin was leering at me from the other side of the door.
“Is she now?”
I hid a smile and squeezed some more water out of my hair as I pushed past to search out some clothes.
“Yeah, weren’t you listenin’? I thought me and Joey made it pretty clear.”
A loud thunk sounded from the window. He brushed behind me to answer it, hand flitting over my bare shoulder briefly, and I swallowed as I sifted haphazardly through the accumulated rubbish on the floor for my skirt. I sighed, standing up to ask Izzy if he remembered where we’d lobbed it before, and the unkempt stranger outside jeered suddenly. How he had the energy, I had no idea. The sheen of sweat on his forehead hinted at a pretty nasty case of dopesickness – after all, that was why he’d come knocking.
“Shit, Stradlin, what else you got hidin’ in there?” My nose scrunched up in irritation, any sympathy vanishing instantly, but Izzy beat me to it.
“Fuck off.” He hissed and reached out to give him a harsh shove, and the man stumbled backwards, startled.
“Jeez, man, I was j-“ The window slammed shut in his face and he gawked through the dirty glass for a second before dashing off into the alley, probably remembering the fresh dose of smack in his hand. Izzy lingered, glowering at his retreating back. On second thoughts, maybe it was the glower that sent him running.
“Um, have you seen-“ I began as he turned and said, “I should’ve beat his fuckin’ ass for that. Sorry.”
I blinked, taken aback by the ferocity in his tone. “It’s fine, Iz.” He eyed me dubiously. “Really. I would’ve said the same thing, I mean-“ I flounced a hand across my body, adopting a terrible imitation of a Californian drawl, “Have you seen this bod?”
He snorted and produced my lost mini-skirt from somewhere in his unmade bed, offering it to me as he changed the subject abruptly.
“How was my shower?”
“Uh... Functional?” That was… An oddly pointed question. “I’m clean as a whistle now, so…” I yanked a pair of tights up over my arse and stepped into the skirt.
“Hot enough for you?”
So that was what he was getting at. I smirked drily and rolled my eyes as I clipped up my bra. “Put Nicky’s to shame.”
“Good to hear.” He handed me a dark blue shirt and watched me slip it on with a smirk to match mine. “You ready to head out?”
I glanced up, pausing my buttoning, to raise an eyebrow. “Feelin’ impatient, Izzy?”
His hands covered mine to fasten the last few buttons up to my chest, surely feeling the way my heartbeat revved up a little in anticipation. He dipped his head, just enough to lock eyes with me, that wicked smirk still firmly in place, and practically purred, “Always.”
*****
“Y/L/N!”
Duff waved me down as he left his apartment block, leaping out into the road and racing over to meet me outside Izzy’s building, barely avoiding a motorbike as it whizzed past.
“Hey, man.” His grin was infectious, bright even in the persistent spitting rain, and it managed to take some of the bite from my grumbling reply.
“You’re a bit chipper for this time in the afternoon, aren’t you?”
“You left very early last night.” No time to waste on small talk, apparently.
I started walking purposefully in the direction of the Strip, not sparing him a glance as he plodded along beside me. I didn’t have to see his face to know that there was still a teasing grin plastered all over it.
“You weren’t the only one.”
“I wasn’t?”
He raised his eyebrows, almost managing to keep a serious expression.
I bit down a giddy smile (Jesus, where was that coming from?) and dug my hands into the pockets of Izzy’s coat. “Piss off, Duff.”
“I didn’t even say anything!”
I narrowed my eyes at him pointedly, (yep, there was the grin) and stopped to help shield him from the wind as he lit a cigarette. He repeated it and passed one to me.
“Cheers.” We strode on, my hair whipping and snapping around me like a whirlwind. I huddled further into the leather, firmly ignoring the unmistakeably Izzy scent that was ingrained in the collar, and the heat it sparked inside me.
“Gee, that’s a nice jacket you’re wearing.” Duff continued gleefully, a generous helping of sarcasm injected into his voice. I sighed and shook my head in exasperation. “Now where have I seen it before?”
I shot him an amused look. “What’s up, McKagan?”
“Who, me? Ohhh, nothin’ at all, zilch. Just makin’ a couple of observations, that’s all.”
“Sure about that?”
“Totally.” He paused as I dodged a frenzied woman in a pantsuit. “So many different things to observe, don’t you think?”
I snorted. “I don’t know, Duff, but I bet you’re gonna tell me.”
“You and Izzy disappear together last night, now you’re wearin’ his clothes this morning,” I checked, a little alarmed to find that I actually was wearing his shirt again today, while Duff threw his hands up in the air. “God, what could it all mean?”
I spluttered, laughing, and ducked under the awning of the liquor store to take one last drag of smoke before heading in. Of course, he followed me.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” The change rattled in my hand as I scoured the shelf in front of me, hardly paying attention to Duff swanning around on the side of the aisle.
“I’m just sayin’,” He called, “If I didn’t know better I’d say you two were gettin’ pretty cosy.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed another cheap bottle of rum, sidling past him to deposit everything at the checkout.
“Hey Al, how’s it goin’?” I sighed, counting out the last of my quarters on the tabletop.
“He givin’ you trouble, sweetheart?” He nodded gruffly over my head at the giant blonde softie behind me, currently inspecting the label of a bottle of red wine.
I laughed, trying to imagine what Duff might look like to an untrained eye. He could be pretty scary when he needed to, after all. “No, he’s fine.”
“What’s goin’ on?” Duff’s hands landed on my shoulders and I flinched a little despite myself.
“If you’re sure.” Al muttered under his breath, patiently divvying up my assortment of coins and dollar bills. “You got another fifty cents, honey?”
I winced. That was all the cash I had. Duff’s touch disappeared from my shoulders to delve into his jean pockets, rooting around hastily.
“Sorry man, that’s all I got. I’ll leave the-“
“No, no, don’t be silly. Owe me it, alright?”
“But hey, I have-“ I silenced Duff with a light stomp on his toe.
“Thanks mate, I really appreciate it.” I gathered up the bottles under my arm, promising to be back with the remainder soon.
“Hey, forget it Y/N. Tell you what, keep that fifty. Buy some fuckin’ breakfast next time, okay?”
I snickered and waved as we turned to leave. “Will do! See you later!”
The bell above the door jingled chirpily as we left and Duff paused to spark another couple of cigarettes for us before stepping back out into the street. I frowned as he continued back the way we’d just come. He hadn’t really just left his apartment to follow me to the shop, had he?
“Are you goin’ home?”
“Nah, I’m late for work.” He said, looking remarkably unfazed.
“Shouldn’t you be walkin’ the other way, then?”
“I’ll walk you back first.” I opened my mouth to protest but he forged ahead before I could. “Didn’t get to the bottom of my observations yet.”
I sighed and waited for him to continue, but he stayed quiet instead, even when Izzy’s building came back into sight.
“What do you want me to say?” I said finally. “I thought everybody knew already, we fuck now and then. It’s not exactly big news.”
We stopped outside the door and I puffed away the last few tokes of my cigarette as I waited for him to reply. He was smiling fondly at me, and I found it infuriating for some reason.
“And you’re sure it’s just sex?”
“Uh, yeah.” I frowned. “Is that not what I said?” 
He was still smiling and appearing quite entertained by my confusion, and I shook him off, wrinkling my nose, when he reached down to ruffle my hair. 
“You know, you’re a real dumbass, Y/N/N.”
I scowled. “Yes, thanks, I did know that.”
He rocked back on his heels to fix me with a calculating stare.
“What does Izzy think?” He said carefully. Huh? 
“What the fuck d’you mean, what does-”
“Shit!” Duff blurted, eyes widening comically. “I gotta get to work!” He turned on his heel and started sprinting back into town, shouldering through the midday stragglers and throwing out frantic apologies as he barged past people. In the space of about ten seconds, he was gone, flying out of view round the corner with a final shout of “Come see me when you get your head outta your ass!”
I stood there, dumbfounded. What the hell did he mean by that?
Curiously enough, he wasn’t the only one who’d suggested… Well, whatever it was he’d been trying to suggest. Axl had pulled me aside when we were out the night before last, bellowing in my ear that he was happy for me and Iz, of all things. If that wasn’t unsettling enough, him and Slash had taken to calling Izzy’s apartment ‘the love nest’ since I’d started hanging around there constantly, bedding down with Izzy every single night this week - as if I needed a reminder. I spent more time there than I did anywhere else at the moment, and it was getting a bit ridiculous. I’d been offered a roof to crash under for one night, and here I was, a week later, making myself a permanent fixture. He hadn’t mentioned it yet though, which seemed kind of unusual for someone normally so blunt.
I was still lost in thought as I twisted the cap off one of the bottles and gulped down a bolstering mouthful of whisky, trudging into the hallway to rap on Izzy’s door. The whole thing was very weird, I decided, screwing the cap back on. Very weird, indeed. And here I was, returning again. Bloody hell, what a disaster.
But then the door swung open, and I was greeted with a greedy kiss, emitting a pleased (if a little surprised) moan. Izzy was just as gloriously naked as I’d left him, with keen hands pulling me inside and pushing me up against the back of the door to kiss the breath out of me, already stripping me of his jacket and depositing it in a heap on the floor next to the booze.
“You were gone a long time.” He gasped, somehow still managing an air of nonchalance, even as he tore my (his) shirt up over my head. I wriggled out of it and launched myself back into his embrace, pressing up for another filthy kiss. His hands carded through my damp hair, and he broke away panting, confused. “It’s rainin’?”
I huffed, laughing a little, and dragged him with me towards the bed. “You wanna talk about the weather right now?”
His mouth stretched out to form a grin, and crashed back into mine - and all thoughts of Duff and his oddly foreboding questions swiftly evaporated.
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