#genuinely can’t tell if everyone else knows this and I’m just an idiot catching on super late lmfaooo
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guys I can’t tell if I’m stupid for not having pieced this together before now but IS THE LAB IN THE VENOM 3 TRAILER AREA 51???
because 1) it’s famous for being the place where the government is supposedly keeping aliens
2) the base totally looks like it’s in the middle of the desert
3) it explains why Eddie and Venom would have ended up in the middle of the desert and also Vegas— if they escaped Area 51, Vegas is like… the closest big city I think. still doesn’t explain why Mrs. Chen would be there but it makes more sense than a Dan/Annie wedding being the reason imo
4) Eddie made a comment in Venom 2 about getting locked away in Area 51. It was probably just trying to capitalize on the Area 51 memes and meant to be a joke but like,,, it would make sense
#genuinely can’t tell if everyone else knows this and I’m just an idiot catching on super late lmfaooo#if I am. well. oops#eddie brock#venom#venom symbiote#venom movies#venom movie#venom 3#venom the last dance
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Hazbin Hotel would be so much more interesting if charlie’s naïveté and surface-level kindness were treated as the actual flaws they are and didn’t work. Heads up, this kinda just turned into a text wall of charlie neg and ranting so don’t read if you don’t want to see that.
How she currently is, she just doesn’t make that much sense in the setting. I’ve seen ppl say that charlie is a fresh take and contrasts the edginess, but I just don’t see how she is possible. You’re telling me she’s been in hell for 200 yrs but still has this childish and naive personality, is still disgusted by the sinners being cannibalistic, violent, and even just horny, and is so detached from those she calls “her people”? She was born in hell, shouldn’t that make her more used to the sinners’ depravity and not less? She doesn’t seem to have a good grasp on what the sinners want or how they behave. It would make more sense if the show leaned into the toxic positivity white savior nepo baby angle (or rather, actually portrayed it as a *bad* thing) and rather than naïveté, her ignorance was out of self-centeredness and/or lack of true empathy for the other sinners. She would be more interesting as a character too imo.
She looks down on the other sinners (and honestly so does the show?? When she’s showing lucifer around and introduces him to her friends, they’re framed as unappealing as a joke… these are the characters the audience is also supposed to care about.. and many of the bg chars, such as the cannibal town residents, are portrayed as simple-minded brutes), there’s a lot of condescending “….ooookay” type of lines and she constantly has to think of nice ways to frame the clearly negative things she thinks about others. So why does she want to save them so much? The more reasonable explanation is a sense of white savior-ness than actually caring about them.
She’s eager to excuse whatever sir pentious did (which I’m assuming she doesn’t know?) and let him in, despite how he makes the other residents (including her own gf!) uncomfortable. And yes I say excuse, because she never inquires about his past sins or discussed him repenting. It seems to start with sorry, but also end with sorry too. This could’ve been made interesting if she simultaneously looked down on but also excused all sorts of heinous acts. Like val is the most openly manipulative and scummy character, he licks her arm, and yet she’s still apologetic about ruining things (Side note, if she’s genuinely apologetic, then she’s actually an idiot because why is she talking to the boom-mic employee *while they’re filming???*).
She doesn’t know what she’s doing and has no concrete plan but gets incredulous at ppl who don’t blindly trust her. Angel has to leave in ep 4 and she gets SO frustrated over it, like you seriously expect everyone to drop all of their other commitments for you? She has her webster definition notecards for the meeting with heaven and has to improvise and rely on angel being good at the club but she gets mad that lucifer isn’t 100% behind her plan?
Also, trust falls? Really? Then she goes “why isn’t this working? We’ve tried everything!” But on that note, the actual episode portrayal is kinda exactly what I’m going for. Not only do the trust falls not work, charlie says, “I love all of you so much,” pulls her puppy eyes, and only vaggie catches her. It’s surface level and shallow, and does not win anyone else over.
In contrast, vaggie’s attempt at building trust, throwing everyone into a battle, *actually works* (despite vaggie only being in hell for 3 years and being heaven-born, she already knows how things work better than charlie!) and yet charlie talks about it as though it already failed. She says “we work best as a team,” with the underlying message being “I can’t trust you to do things on your own.”
If she was waiting so long to reconnect with lucifer, then why hasn’t she called him in years?? Altho I’m currently rotating lucifer in my brain so I might be a bit biased
“If angels can do whatever and stay in the sky” they can’t?? Your dad is RIGHT there. I. What
She has a power dynamic with every other character except lucifer since she has her demon powers, not to mention she’s giving them a place to stay. When vaggie says she appreciates that charlie doesn’t use her powers, charlie doesn’t say “it wouldn’t be right,” she says it would be too *mean.* But if someone pushes her buttons, who’s to say they wouldn’t slip out (see her flip on a dime after val hits angel. Obv it’s justified in this case, but it shows that she’s willing to use her powers on sinners)? Again, it would be interesting if the show actually leaned into this angle. Imagine if she put on a nice front, never swore, seemed genuinely touching and understanding, but the second someone annoys her she annihilates them and becomes threatening and violent. Then she turns around and is nice again. Too much like alastor? idk
Also, many characters refer to her by calling her lucifer’s daughter, so clearly ppl know that if they cross her they’ll face his wrath by proxy (this also fits in thematically with what lute tells her in the first episode, that she’s exempt from the exterminations bc nepotism privilege). So realistically, everyone else would be a bunch of sucking-up yes-men bc they’re afraid of her. Which they kind of are when push comes to shove?
At first, she doesn’t help at all during the war and lets everyone else fight for her. Doesn’t want to get her hands dirty ig, even though all of this was caused by her in the first place. She only starts fighting at vaggie’s urging.
Like husk points out, every meeting charlie has with the angels makes things worse for all the sinners. Despite lucifer’s warnings that the meeting with heaven won’t work, and against vaggie saying to calm down, charlie basically picks a fight with heaven at the risk of *everyone else EXCEPT HER.*
What were charlie and lilith doing to stop the exterminations before lilith took her 7 year leave? Hell, what was charlie doing during those 7 years? Why does she have 0 connections outside of vaggie, who she only met 3 yrs ago? Why does she have to introduce herself to rosie, rather than her already knowing her name?
Also in ep 7 she says to alastor “I can’t believe how you can do exactly what you told me you would do!” (standing by and watching everyone fail at redemption) almost like she wasn’t paying attention to him at all.
“Why would vaggie hide that she was an exterminator” -> Rosie asks “how did that make you feel?” “It made me mad and doubt if she loves me” like I get it, it was a betrayal, but IS she stupid
Ready For This is charlie manipulating a town of ppl to join the army. Her pitch includes “on the way to the hotel the scenery is nice and you can make friends :3” and “have you ever wanted to die for a cause? Notably I myself am spared from being killed but uh that’s your problem.” Alastor pipes in that you can eat the angels and that’s what actually moves the crowd, because he understands them.
Her perspective on violence and where she chooses to draw the line is really confusing. Why does she care about sinners being violent to each other if they’ll just respawn? She stops alastor from beating up sir pentious at an arbitrary point, but is fine with him eating and presumably killing the gangsters who come after mimzy. (Edit: forgot to point out yet another example, that she was fine with vaggie tossing sir pentious and angel off the balcony but stops her from tossing niffty as well for no reason.) Why is she so apologetic to the angels actively killing sinners but was distraught over vaggie having partaken? Why was she opposed to the CANNIBALS being eager to eat the angels and saying “idk, they seem kinda murder-y” WHAT. What? I’m struggling to even begin to describe how ignorant that is during a WAR. What did she think was going to happen, that she wouldn’t have to fight anyone herself? Why did she stop her dad from killing Adam but doesn’t react strongly to Niffty finishing the job? If it mattered so much to her, the lack of reaction seems strange to me.
Isn’t it just so poetic that her weapon in the war is a shield that she uses exclusively on herself, which she hardly even needs due to her contractual immunity?
Why doesn’t she think to use her powers to build and maintain the hotel? That doesn’t require any violence or domineering. Yet when lucifer comes over it’s run-down and falling apart. Or ask lucifer to help her build it? She was concerned that asking for the meeting with heaven was such a big ask—why not start with this small thing? Father-daughter bonding.
Why does the show end w lucifer + the sinners congratulating her, and in particular, rebuilding the hotel? Hell doesn’t know that sir pentious got redeemed, so from their pov charlie’s idea didn’t work at all.
Can you tell that I’m writing this while I’m rewatching the show?
Aaand that’s that. Her char has always come off to me as somewhat condescending/fake, but I keep finding more and more things to dislike about the way she’s been written. Unfortunate. Honestly tho I might enjoy watching her more if I read her through this lens. You could probably write a similar post for most/all other chars in the show, limited only by the amount of screentime they get lmao
#ps it would have made a bit too much sense for the character fucking named ANGEL to be redeemed at the end of the season#he was the one charlie was making her entire case about in ep 6#like sir pentious was never brought up#and angel was one of the ogs of the hotel#and had ep 4#but ig the show thought better of it#rewatching the pilot and angel would’ve been so much more interesting ;u; he’s so one-note now…#hazbin hotel critical#hazbin hotel#meta#charlie morningstar neg#honestly with lucifer as my blorbo I probably shouldn’t be shittalking charlie#he’d annihilate me#sorry man I just want your daughter to have a bit more confidence… yeah that’s it#.txt
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sooo.... anyone else ever wondered how different ATLA would have been if aang had been frozen at age 16 instead of age 12?
yeah... me too 😌 my multichap kataang fanfic "the teenager in the iceberg" follows the events of the show, but with only aang aged up, while everyone else remains their canon age.
to put it clearly, katara falls first, and aang falls harder 🤭 (and they both get a lil jealous hehe)
enjoy the excerpts from chapter 6!!! (the jet episode!!)
⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩
“We’ve got a big plan to score big against the Fire Nation.” Jet kept his face straight ahead, his hooks swinging, and Katara could see the bit of wheat he still held between his teeth over his shoulder.
“Sounds…big.” Aang said the words somewhat sarcastically, earning a choked giggle from Katara, but Jet didn’t quite seem to catch the nuance of it all.
“Oh, it will be.” He hacked aside a final overhanging branch. “Here we are.”
“...A bunch of holes in the ground?” Aang shifted his weight and raised an eyebrow, only to immediately drop to a defensive position when Katara swatted him, hard, on the arm and gave him a glare. He raised his hands in a “don’t shoot” position, and schooled his features into neutrality by the time Jet turned around.
⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩
Aang paused his movements at this, letting the water he was bending drop to his feet, coursing through cracks in the rock floor beneath them. “Katara. You can’t genuinely believe that. Sokka is an idiot, but he’s not dumb.”
Katara raised an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“That Sokka can be goofy, sure, but I trust him and his perception, 100%. He doesn’t miss things. If anything, he sees and notices things most people don’t. If he doesn’t trust Jet….” Aang sighed, resuming his bending forms. “I just feel like you’re getting too close to him. Jet, I mean.”
“And what would the problem be with that?” Katara could hear her voice rising, her temper flaring.
“He’s a bad guy, Katara.”
“You don’t know that!”
“He hurt you!” Katara shut her mouth at the raw emotion in Aang’s voice. He was breathing heavily now, his fists clenching as wind whipped around them. He bit his lip, took in some deep breaths. “He hurt you,” he repeated, this time more gently. “I didn’t protect you quickly enough.”
⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩
Tonight was different. She still couldn’t sleep, that much was the same, but as she rose to drill her forms by the river, she felt a hand clamp around her forearm. She almost screamed, but when she whirled around to face her would-be attacker, she exhaled in a whoosh, relieved that it was only Aang.
“My bad,” he whispered, cringing at his choice to grab her arm without warning. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
Katara dropped back down onto her sleeping bag, neatly crossing her legs. Aang did his best to ignore that she was only in her wrappings now, that the moonlight was sparkling on her bare skin, like a spirit in a painting of old. “I was just…wanting some air.”
“C’mon, Katara, don’t even try. You’re an awful liar.” He flashed a grin, and in the dark, the starlight set his teeth aglow. “I know you’ve been bending at night.”
Katara blanched at this. “How?”
“Light sleeper?” Aang shrugged. “Plus, you’re not great at sneaking out, either. You’ve stepped on me pretty much every time you’ve gotten up to practise.”
⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩
“I, um…” Aang trailed off, and even in the dark, she could tell he was trying to hide a blush, could tell he was embarrassed. “I got you something.” He quickly backtracked, his voice somewhat frantic. “If you want. You might not. Want it, that is. And you don’t have to, and I’m not sure if it’ll even-”
“Aang.” Katara caught his hands in hers, looking into his eyes earnestly. “What is it?”
⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩
♥ the rest of the (ongoing) fic can be found here!! ->
happy reading! <3
#atla kataang#kataang#atla fanfic#atla fandom#ao3#avatar the last airbender#writing#ao3 recs#ao3 works#ao3 link#ao3 writer#confessions#oneshot#fluff#eventual romance#atla sokka#katara#aang#toph beifong#kataang fanfic#trope flipping#quillthrillsatlafic#aged up aang#16 year old aang
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IZU ANON IS BACK!! So I spent the day in Paris and saw SOOO many couples so I felt inspired (that’s a lie I’ve been lurking around your blog but felt weird requesting so much so close together and didn’t want to overwhelm you so I waited😞) anyways
Hc’s for Soulmate!Izu x Tatooed!Reader because I’m sickly inlove with soulmate au‘s
Especially writing that shows up on the others skin<3 The reader just drawing super ugly cats and doodles all the time- I feel like Izu would be the more artistic one and reader would suck at it but still do it all the time (this is more me telling you my hcs rather than requesting them from you but i literally can’t talk to anyone else about this please bear with me😭) and Izu would like draw SUPER realistic and detailed all might portraits or something and then reader like get’s a villain tattoo because they’re ✨different✨like that and Izu freaks out and somehow finds them through that??? This is like half a fic omg i just got carried away😭 feel free to ignore this I just absolutely went off I’m so sorry ily
izu anon…… your mind….. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
i’m utterly in love with this idea.
i feel like the tattoos won’t transfer BUT!! the stencil that they USE for it does!! (ykwim?? the purple/blue ink they use??)
so one silly little day, he’s just relaxing yk. it’s his day off and he is using it to catch up on a show todoroki’s been raving about (which is unusual for todoroki so you KNOW it’s good!!)
our boy has his old ratty blue t-shirt and worn out grey nike shorts on. feet kicked up on his ottoman, his calves exposed. (do you see where i’m headed?)
now— imagine his surprise when he gets up and notices the purple/blue print of a villain on his right calf!!! (im thinking late 80’s)
he genuinely panics— like he’s seen these stencils before— a few were super badass honestly.
BUT A VILLAIN??? A VILLAIN???
he kind of feels sick because like— what if his soulmate is a villain?? (you’re not, you just like tattoos)
he immediately takes a picture of it!! he plans on looking for you— aka stalking every single tattoo artistry page and the people they tag in their posts, also their criminal data bases, and looking at everyone’s right calf when he goes on patrol.
he’s hoping that IF you’re a criminal/villain, he could help you to become— well, NOT that.
he also goes to bakugo about this and asks if he saw anyone get a tattoo of it recently (because bakugo definitely would get tattoos, i just know it. it’d be all skull and fire themes too) (plus he recently got one) bakugo just says, “the fuck? you think i know everyone with a tattoo? what kind of dumb thinking is that?” and poor poor izuku is panicking because he upset bakugo (he actually didn’t, bakugo was just taken aback by the picture) izuku apologizes profusely (bc that’s his thing) and bakugo go just tells him to stfu and that he MIGHT know who tattooed the image because he recognizes the style. sooooo he takes izuku to the parlor and introduces him to…….
YOU!!!!!!! yes, you tattooed yourself!!!!
you’re bakugo’s tattoo artist!!!
“dumbass, show me your right leg” bakugo yells in your small parlor, like an asshole. this makes you roll your eyes— you’re used to him, you’ve been tattooing him since you both were 19, which was when you finished your ‘tattoo training’. “keep talking to me like that and i’ll drop you from my cliental list,” you turn around after you finished sanitizing your station (bc all good artists do!!) “just show me your damn leg for the sake of this idiot,” he points towards izuku, that’s when everything goes in slow motion, and pro hero deku shines bright. he’s omitting a vibrant color and it’s nearly blinding (omg maybe your quirk is seeing/sensing auras)
(also, we’ll just say you’re wearing shorts for the sake of this)
you walk out from behind the barrier of the station and put your right leg on display. that’s when izuku chokes— it’s full of all the stencils he’s seen and… the villain tattoo. “fucking idiot, why would you tattoo a villain on you? you hate them,” bakugo slaps the side of your head, cause he’s an asshole. “cause it’s badass! plus it’s an old school villain, no one really knows ‘em.” you shrug and smack him back, narrowly avoiding his fresh tattoo (you wanted to hit it so bad) “anyways, why did you wanna know? and speak fast cause i have a client coming in twenty.” he forcefully takes izuku’s phone out of his hands, and shows it to you. “why am i looking at a blank screen? bakugo i don’t have time for this,” you push his hand back. “you didn’t let me unlock it,” izuku secretly rolls his eyes, you caught it though. he pulls up his gallery and shows a picture of his leg with your stencil on it.
your eyes narrow— not wanting to believe it cause like, you’re a small business owner and there’s no way a big time hero could be your soulmate. “yeah no, i have no time for bullshit. did someone send you this or something? trying to turn me in for a damn tattoo?” bakugo grumbles bc he’s ANNOYING (i love him) and grabs a pen. “draw something.” “you know i can’t with no reference. i’m shit without one.” “JUST DRAW! ON YOUR HAND! NOW!” “stop yelling all the damn time.” you grumbled and begrudgingly drew a horrible looking bunny. like— absolutely terrible !!! looking bunny onto your hand. bakugo, being the ass he is, RIPS off izuku’s glove and shoves his hand in your face. “bakugo. there’s nothing there. seriously you’re wasting my time, i need to set up. i don’t have time for jokes.” you go back to your station and start getting the ink ready. izuku rolls his eyes again— at his friend, not you. “that was the wrong hand,” he says in a slightly sassy tone, which was funny to hear from a pro hero. izuku takes his OTHER glove off and walks to you. “here,” he places his hand in front of you and you drop your tattooing gun.
“oh,” was all you said before walking into the back of your shop. you screamed a ‘what the fuck’ and walked right back out. “well, hi.” your smile is very awkward because like— how are you supposed to respond to that?? it’s not everyday that your soulmate ends up being a pro hero. “uhm… so can we meet after your uhm, next appointment?” he asks, very very shyly, it was like he was a high schooler all over again. you just give a head nod and write your personal number on the back of your business card. “uhm see you.”
months after that fateful day, you and izuku are officially together! he’s drawn you many designs for tattoos. (either for yourself or your clients)
now— izuku may be a very talented artist but when it comes to tattooing? absolutely not. he tried tattooing a small heart in between your fingers as a little practice thing and— let’s just say, it looks like a jacked star. (pls he felt so bad)
while it was a little ugly, you still loved it because he was the one to do it <3
OMG AND THE FIRST TIME YOU TATTOOED HIM— he tried not to cry. like— THIS MF USED TO BREAK HIS BONES DAILY!!! THIS MF FIGHTS BAD GUYS FOR A LIVING!!!! but it’s okay!! not everyone can handle getting a tattoo and that’s perfectly fine!!
ps most of his tattoos are all might hero based.
IZU ANON!!!!! i thoroughly enjoyed this <3
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Aftermath Ch 8 - A Life Worth Living
Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Read on Ao3
Chapter 8 - A Life Worth Living
Marinette had been dreaming of her first date with Adrien Agreste since she was fourteen years old. The reality of sitting opposite him, sharing an ice cream sundae, was both everything she had imagined and nothing like it at all.
She had always wanted to take him for ice cream. That part hadn’t changed. But when she was fourteen she couldn’t sit next to him without exploding out of her skin. And now, he was one of maybe three people where she felt like it was maybe almost enough to just be herself.
She took a spoon of mostly whipped cream and licked it lazily off her spoon. Adrien took an overly large bite himself, leaving a white trail across his upper lip, causing her to laugh.
He grinned back, unashamed. “What?”
She gestured to her own lip. “You left a bit behind.”
He licked the white streak away. And then burst into laughter.
His joy was infectious. “What’s so funny?”
“I can’t believe I’m here. With you! ”
Her eyebrows rose. “With me?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Did you know that everyone, and I mean everyone, had a crush on you at some point in collége or lycee?”
She laughed. She did know at least some of that. “Did you know that I used to have the biggest crush on you? ”
His face transformed into genuine shock. "What? No way!”
She took another spoonful of ice cream, taking care to pull the spoon down to catch all the cream. “It was debilitating and embarrassing.”
His mouth stretched into a soft smile - the one that was so fond and patient, the same one that had made her trip over herself all through troisième.
“And why I couldn’t talk to you in complete sentences for like a year.”
“How did I miss this?"
She laughed. "No idea! Literally everyone else knew."
His smile faded. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"For?"
"For being such an idiot."
"We were fourteen!" she countered. "Everyone is an idiot at fourteen."
He took her hand from across the table, threading his fingers through hers. "Even so, your feelings were real. I'm sure I hurt you without realizing. And I'm sorry."
"Thank you, Adrien. That's very sweet. I promise my memories of that time are only fond."
Life had been so simple then. She hadn’t realized how wonderful it had all been.
He had paid for dinner, so she insisted that the ice cream was on her. Afterwards, they walked back to his apartment together, hands tangled together and she reveled in the warmth of his palm against hers, the pressure of him being right at her shoulder, flashing smiles that made his eyes sparkle and her cheeks heat. She had wanted this for so long. It was strange to finally have it now.
But how long would she get to keep it?
Adrien was here right now, holding her hand like she was the most precious thing in the world, smiling at her like she hung the moon.
Would he still do that if she knew that she was Ladybug? That she had almost single handedly destroyed his family and his life?
She clung to his hand tighter.
They reached his door and he hesitated. “Would you… uh… like to come inside?”
She raised her eyebrows at his show of nerves. Sure, now they were dating, but she had been inside his apartment almost every day for the last year plus. Hell, she had decorated it.
But his cheeks were flaming red, his eyes were so bright with something she couldn’t put a name to. It was almost like he wanted–
Oh .
She should say no. He didn’t know who she was. She needed to tell him, but she couldn’t. Not tonight, not after they had gone on a single date. Tonight was too perfect and the relationship was brand new.
But she wanted to, and she wasn’t strong enough to resist - not with him looking at her like that . If it was all destined to come crashing down anyway, why not add salt to the eventual wound to earn whatever moments she could?
She squeezed his hand. “I would love to come inside.”
He fumbled for his keys, and only ended up dropping them instead.
She giggled.
“Are you seriously laughing at me?” he asked, his cheeks pink, but his smile was still wide.
“I would never,” she teased.
They did eventually manage to unlock the door, and once inside, she sat down next to him on the couch like she always did. Except he slid over next to her until there was no space between them. His fingers trailed patterns on her arm and hand as she texted her maman that she would not be coming home and not to worry.
She tossed her phone down, only to catch him staring at her with yet another giddy smile stretched across his face. He was so happy, she almost couldn’t stand it. She hadn’t seen him like this - joyous and silly every moment - since before his father’s public unveiling. And god, it felt good that she was the one to put that expression on his face.
And it was terrifying. What if she couldn’t live up to the image of her he had in his head?
He also wasn’t saying anything! Just sitting there, grinning at her like a fool.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I love you,” he said.
Her eyes whipped back to his.
He wasn’t supposed to love her. Not yet. Not when there was so much she needed to tell him.
“Wh-what?”
She had thought she had more time.
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m sorry. Was that too soon? I know this is technically our first date, but given how close we’ve been since forever and especially over the last year, it doesn’t feel like the beginning of a relationship.”
And damn her traitorous heart, she felt that too. Even if she didn’t say it, she knew she already loved him.
She had never stopped.
She squeezed his hand, smiling. “I don’t think it’s too soon,” she whispered, “because I love you, too.”
That was why it was so hard knowing she had been the one to destroy his whole life.
But maybe she could make up for it. That had been her plan all along hadn’t it? To give him everything he needed to heal and be whole once again. And when she was with him, he was better.
They both were.
She leaned in, their lips only a breath apart. She glanced down to his lips, and then up to his eyes that were crinkled at the corners because he couldn’t stop smiling. “More than that, I love us.”
He smiled, and he was so close, she could feel the breath of his words. “I like that. I love us, too.”
She closed the distance between them.
How many times had fourteen-year-old Marinette imagined what it would feel like to kiss Adrien Agreste?
It wasn’t a small number.
But fourteen-year-old Marinette hadn’t been ready then for the reality of holding him, of his heart pounding against her own, his breath on her mouth and throat, of how carefully he cradled her hands in his own like they were made of glass. And she certainly hadn’t been ready for the reality of everything that came with him.
He felt so deeply, but so rarely had a place to share those feelings. He held so much pain and he did it with such grace, but he shouldn’t have to. He deserved the space to fall apart, to be held and cradled. He had always seemed like sunshine to her, but she realized now that he often needed someone to remind him why it was worth it to keep shining.
And now that she was here, now that they were here together, she hoped more than was wise that maybe she could be that person for him. She wanted so badly to be that person for him, to love him, to make him feel as whole and precious and worthwhile as he made her feel every single day.
If she didn’t know how to say any of that, she could still let her mouth and tongue do the talking in other ways.
When they broke away to breathe, she kissed the corner of his jaw, then his ear, before sucking gently on his pulse point. He shivered under her touch and that was its own reward.
Her hands went to the buttons of his shirt. She had regained some small dexterity in her hand, enough to pick up and hold things without gripping it in a locked fist, but his buttons were impossible. She yanked at them in frustration. He laughed, and took care of them for her between kisses.
“We don’t have to go this fast,” he said against her lips.
Marinette laughed. She had never been patient. “Adrien, we’ve been moving slower than molasses for over a year.”
He grinned into the next kiss, which spoiled the kiss a bit, but made her chest warm with affection.
“Unless,” she pulled away just enough to search his face. “Unless you don’t want to go this fast.”
He cradled both sides of her face and smiled softly before kissing her again. “I’ve dreamed of this for longer than I care to admit,” he said.
“I’m willing to bet I’ve got you beat there,” she breathed between kisses.
He laughed again, and it was the most delightful, wonderful sound in the world. And feeling its vibration against her skin, made it all the more amazing.
And she wanted more than anything to make him feel the same way. So she worshipped every centimeter of his body, determined to find every way she could to make him shudder in pleasure. Loving him physically came as natural as breathing. She didn’t care if he returned each gesture or not, but he did, and she let herself relax and feel his hands on her, let herself ride and writhe in ecstasy with him inside her because he took so much joy from it.
And it was a moment where they were one, where they existed together.
…
Marinette basked in the loving warmth of her relationship with Adrien. So much of their dynamic was exactly the same as it had always been, but there was also so much new to delight in.
Making breakfast together was a lot like making lunch or dinner together except now there were kisses between their laughter and conversations. Coming over to his apartment to find some new accessibility device was fairly typical as well, but now his purchases were a bit more frivolous and arrived wrapped in shiny paper and bright colored bows.
“What’s this?” she asked, placing her hand on the wrapped box.
He grinned. “Open it and find out.”
She huffed, picking at the tape with one hand. He had definitely used far too much tape. “If you’re waiting on me to open this, you’re never going to see my reaction.”
“You’re doing fine,” he insisted.
And he wasn’t wrong. Her injured hand held the box in place - it wasn’t even locked closed in a fist, but cupped over the corner of the box. She finally found a gap in the tape with her good hand and tore it open in satisfaction.
She opened the box to find the most odd shaped object covered in colorful buttons.
“A video game controller?” she guessed, her smile fading a bit.
He grinned. “Read the fine print, Mari.”
“A one-handed video game controller,” she realized. She grinned. “I didn’t know that was a thing!”
“It’s custom made. I got help from your OT to figure out what configuration would work best, and obviously you’ll have to learn how to use it, so my UMS winning streak is safe for a while yet.”
She threw a pillow at him. “Ooh! Just for that, I’m going to take you down this weekend!”
It took eight weeks of practice, but the first time she won she cried. And he held her, kissing her forehead, laughing.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said.
“I never thought I’d have this again,” she managed through her tears. “Thank you.”
She was quickly growing addicted to falling asleep in his arms, his skin warm and flush against her own. She’d press her ear to his chest and listen to the soft sound of his heart beat until sleep overtook her. She’d wake up somehow more comfortable, cocooned around him completely. It had become her absolute favorite place to be, which made it really hard to go back to her own bed in her own home to sleep. At some point, she realized she was spending far more nights at his apartment than in her own room.
Falling asleep with her skin flush against his was definitely a new part of her routine that she absolutely coveted. It made it hard to want to go back home to sleep, and at some point she realized she was spending more nights at his apartment than at home.
“So… umm… can I move in?” she asked him that night over dinner.
His spoon froze in the air halfway to his mouth. “I thought you already had.”
She blinked at him once, then burst out laughing. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
In the next instant, he came around the tiny table, and dropped to his knees, and took both her hands in his.
“Marinette–”
She leaned forward, on the edge of her seat.
“–would you do me the honor of becoming my roommate?”
“Your roommate?!” she screeched, pulling away from his hold.
He fell over in a fit of laughter. “Well, you’re already my girlfriend!”
“Exactly! I feel like I’m being demoted!”
He caught her hands again and kissed each of her knuckled. “Never,” he said so softly. And she pulled him into an actual kiss.
Once she was officially moved in, they still kept going to the bakery every other day to continue Adrien’s baking lessons with her father. There was something magical about watching them work dough together side by side, covered in flour.
And the look on her boyfriend’s face when her papa announced that Adrien’s latest attempt at passionfruit macarons was good enough to sell was priceless. His eyes were huge in total disbelief.
“Really?” Adrien breathed. “You’re not just saying that?”
“Son, you can be certain I would not risk the reputation of my bakery just to make you feel better about your baking skills.”
Marinette snorted. He absolutely would if it clearly hadn’t been so important to Adrien to master this particular skill.
Adrien had been so excited he had immediately plated half of the batch and was in the process of giving them away in the tiny dining area.
“Would you like a free sample?” he asked a little girl, but glancing at the father for permission. The man nodded, and the girl shyly took a sandwich cookie.
“Are you serious about Adrien?” her papa asked her.
The little girl lit up at her first bite.
“More cookie!” she cried.
Adrien beamed.
Marinette didn’t take her eyes off of him. “I would have thought it was obvious. I don’t think there’s anyone else for me.”
She tried not to think of Chat Noir. Because even not knowing his name, some corner of her traitorous heart believed they could have had something, too. But it didn’t matter. She had Adrien now. And even if Chat Noir wasn’t dead, he was lost to her.
And she definitely tried not to think about the fact that she had somehow still not told Adrien the truth about herself, about what she had done to his father.
“I’m so happy for you, cupcake,” her papa said, his arm coming around her. She relaxed in his hold. Her papa always gave the best hugs.
She and Adrien stayed at the bakery for dinner. Her papa spent the first half of the meal bragging about how much progress Adrien had made in the last few months as a baker, turning her boyfriend into a pink peach who couldn’t stop smiling.
“Have you ever wanted to be a baker? Like, professionally?” her papa asked.
Marinette froze mid-bite, her eyes widening, staring at her father.
Adrien’s mouth fell open. “Uh… I hadn’t really ever thought about it.”
“So think about it,” her father prompted.
“Give the boy a moment, Tom,” her mother chastised, but she was smiling too.
Adrien visibly swallowed. “I think, yeah. I would be interested in becoming a baker. Thank you for teaching me so much!”
Tom grinned. “How would you feel about taking over this bakery?”
Adrien froze again, and Marientte almost burst out laughing. He turned to her, his eyes so soft and hopeful.
“Why are you looking at me?” she asked him, smiling.
“I can’t say yes if you’re not okay with it. I wouldn’t ever want to usurp your inheritance.”
She shook her head. “I haven’t ever wanted to run the bakery. Do you know how early I would have to get up?”
Everyone laughed.
She took his hand. “Seriously, if this is something you want, I would never stand in your way. You wouldn’t be taking anything from me. And my parents have agonized on more than one occasion about what would happen to the bakery once they retire.”
Adrien lit up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she said, watching the excitement wash over his face. Her own smile echoed his expression. It was magical to watch everything come together for him.
She wished she had that, too.
Adrien squeezed her hand. “Hey, you okay?”
She smiled at him. “Yeah, of course. I’m so happy for you! Now, I just have to figure out what I could do,” she whined.
“When was the last time you felt truly inspired by what you were doing?” her maman asked. “When doing things didn’t feel like a chore?”
“Honestly, the only time I’ve felt anything like that was when we were putting together Alya and Nino’s wedding.”
Adrien’s face lit up again. “Maybe you could be a wedding planner.”
She blinked at him.
He was bouncing in his seat, his eyes swirling in excitement. “No, think about it! It's something where your design eye gets to flourish, and you have an amazing talent for thinking on your feet and solving sudden problems with something as random as a spoon.”
She found herself imagining it. Everything he said was true, but more than that she would be helping people find the magic in their special day, focusing on love and family.
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at him smiling at her. She nodded, unable to speak with her throat clogged with feelings.
Her maman pulled her into a side hug. “Oh, Xīngān băobèi.” She kissed the top of her head. “You’d be wonderful at that if you wanted to pursue it.”
“And we’d still probably get to collaborate on occasion,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
“I think I would find it really rewarding,” she whispered. “I don’t know though. I’ll have to look into it.”
Adrien nodded enthusiastically, and she went to him, resting her head on his shoulder. There was an ease and comfort in having him there to lean on even when she was happy.
Being with him was so much easier than she’d ever thought it would be.
The hole in her chest felt like it could maybe heal.
Or maybe that it already had when she hadn’t been paying attention.
Her earrings lay almost forgotten in the secret compartment of her purse hanging by the door. Marinette often didn’t remember they were there until she was fumbling around for her keys.
…
“Do you want me to come with you?” Adrien offered. “Because I can come with you.”
She shook her head. “No! What kind of impression would that make to a potential client?”
“I don’t have to come as your boyfriend. I can be your business partner.”
“It’s fine. You have that holiday special menu to finish. I got this. I’ll text you when I’m done.”
Marinette wasn’t sure she actually had this. She had exactly one wedding under her belt, which she hadn’t done alone. Alya and Nino had let her use all their pictures to create at least a tiny portfolio, but it was clearly all from the same wedding. But she also wasn’t planning on charging a whole lot in exchange for help in building out a more versatile portfolio. And the couple knew that.
But when she was sitting across from the bride to be gushing and building off each other’s ideas, she wondered why she had been so worried. It just felt right, and she walked away from the meeting unsure of what they’d decide, but absolutely confident that this was something she wanted to pursue.
She couldn’t wait to get home to tell Adrien. She thought about texting him, but she found herself wanting to tell him in person. She made it through the interview! And she could do this.
But before she got there, her walk was interrupted by screams and smoke.
Every part of her body tensed, fueled and primed, wanting to take off to go battle the akuma.
But there were no more akumas. There couldn’t be. Marinette had recovered the butterfly herself.
Fire trucks blazed past, one after another, sirens blaring. She knew it was just an ordinary disaster, and that Ladybug didn’t need to do anything, but part of her was itching to act anyway.
And it occurred to her that she could.
The earrings were in her purse. There was nothing stopping her.
She glanced around. No one was looking at her. Everyone’s attention was on the burning multistory building. She darted into an alleyway, feeling a little nostalgic.
She dug through her purse and found the earrings. Putting them into her ears felt strange, like revisiting her childhood home after having lived away for so long - intimately familiar and yet, new all over again.
Tikki manifested in sparkling light. Her face transformed from horror to absolute delight.
“Marinette! You’re okay!”
“There’s no time to talk, Tikki! Spots on!”
The transformation buzzed over her skin. Crackling energy surged through her veins, and she took off almost before the transformation was complete. She jumped the height of buildings like it was nothing, reacted to every pull from her yo-yo faster than thought, and ran as fast as the cars below her. Tears pricked at her eyes. She had forgotten what this felt like. She hadn’t realized she missed it.
She shot off towards the tower of smoke, straight through an open window ignoring the crowds below. The heat hit her first, the caustic ash in the air second and she dropped to the floor coughing. Even the ceramic tile was hot to the touch even though it wasn’t on fire - she could feel it through her boots and her gloves. She needed to be fast, but she didn’t know how she was going to find anyone through the thick curtains of smoke.
She moved deeper into the building past curtains of flames, the heat assaulting what little exposed skin she had on her face.
She had no idea how to tackle the flames or to find the survivors. What was she doing here? She wasn’t a hero.
Not anymore.
A hysterical sob broke through the roar of the flames, and Ladybug was moving before her thoughts had caught up.
It didn’t matter if she was a hero. She was here and she could do something.
“Hello?” Ladybug called out. “Can anyone hear me?”
“Oh my god! Y-yes! Please help!” A female voice cried out.
She followed the voice, and soon found a teenage girl, huddled in the corner of a room. The stairwell had been blocked by a fallen burning beam.
“Ladybug?!”
Despite everything, Marinette grinned. “In the flesh.”
The girl weighed nothing in her miraculous infused arms, and Ladybug delivered her safely to the ground where she was informed by a fighter on the ground that they couldn’t access the top two floors of the building.
She shot off again. She pulled three other people from the building one after another. The last, a small old man that almost reminded her of her grandfather, except that he was more than willing to cling to her as she lowered him to the ground. Roland would have pretended he hadn’t needed her help.
“Ladybug! I thought I was going to die! Thank you.”
She found herself smiling at him. “You are most welcome!”
This part had also been incredibly satisfying.
“Ladybug! Ladybug! It’s been years! Where have you been?”
She glanced up into the eyes of an approaching reporter.
“Is there a new paranormal threat?”
But she wasn’t here to answer questions. And she didn’t have to. She gave her best imitation of a Chat Noir salute, and then launched herself into the sky once again.
She swung from building to building, the window buffeting her hair and ribbons around her. She had spent so long wanting to be a part of the sky, wanting to be free. She had forgotten that she already was. That’s what being Ladybug meant - that she could fly.
She flew across Paris’s skyline, making a point of stopping at her favorite vantage points and just letting the nostalgia wash over her. It was amazing how much of the city remained unchanged. That despite everything falling apart, life just kept going on.
Her life had kept going on even if it hadn’t always felt like it.
Because of Adrien.
She shot off again, wanting to go home, wanting to see him.
She landed behind their building, and dropped her transformation. She left the earrings in.
Tikki fluttered up and down her form. Marinette giggled at her antics. “Marinette! How long has it been? You look mostly the same, but your hair is a lot longer.”
She touched the green streaks in her hair. “Almost two years. I think? I don’t know. That time was fuzzy.”
Tikki nodded. “But you’re doing better now?” she asked, her voice bright and hopeful.
Marinette smiled. “Yeah, I think I am. I missed you,” she said, cupping her hands around Tikki and bringing her up to her face.
Tikki nuzzled her cheek. “I missed you, too! Tell me everything!”
Marinette laughed, petting her head. “There will be time for that later.”
She needed to see Adrien, to tell him how much she loved him, and was grateful to him for helping her build her life back into something worth living. And maybe she’d tell him all of it. Maybe he’d be okay with who she used to be. She wanted to share all of her life with him, to hold nothing back. If she told him everything, Tikki would be able to hang out in the open. They’d have all the time in the world to catch up.
Her stomach fluttered with nerves, but she made herself open the door anyway.
The apartment was eerily quiet. She found him in the dark in their bedroom, sitting on the bed, staring at his phone. The light from the screen lit up his tear-streaked face.
“Adrien?” She flipped on a light.
He started hard and dropped the phone.
He didn’t move to retrieve it, so she walked to the side of the bed and picked up the device. It was playing a video of Ladybug landing with one of the fire victims, and launching herself back into the building.
She stared at it for several seconds before making herself hand it back to him.
He took it, but dropped the phone on the bed rather than continuing to watch the video.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He shook himself loose and smiled brightly at her.
“Yeah,” he said, wiping his face. She would have believed him if the tear streaks weren’t still glistening on his cheeks. “Yeah. I’m okay. Thank you. I just—“ he laughed.
She wanted to ask what he was thinking, what he was feeling, but she was suddenly terrified. He was crying. After watching a video of Ladybug’s return. What if he was upset with her? What if her jaunt around town had only served to remind him of everything she had taken from him?
What if he hated her?
Her heart was beating so hard, she thought her ribs might break.
“I just…” He turned to her fully, still smiling but also still crying. “I want to te—“ then he frowned, reaching for her hand. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”
I’m Ladybug.
She wanted to tell him. It was just two words. She could do it.
But he was crying at the mere sight of her alter ego.
What if his feelings about Ladybug extended to Marinette?
And suddenly she couldn’t breathe as all the reasons she had never told him before came crashing down on her all at once.
“Marinette?”
The pins and needles began in her fingers, but they soon spread to her toes, and her vision swam.
Suddenly, he was right at her side, his arms circling around her, one of his hands cradled the back of her head.
When had he moved?
“Hey, hey,” he breathed softly into her ear. “I’m right here. Just breathe. Breathe out slowly.”
She tried to do as he said, but she was sobbing so hard. Even her tongue felt thick in her mouth.
“In for four,” he said. “One two three four. Now hold for four. One two three four.”
His hands stroked her face and her hair. She let her cheek fall to his chest as she tried to do what he said. But her hands were locking up and it hurt. She forced herself to breath out as long as she could, and then to hold.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the pressure in her head released. Experience told her it would be a few more minutes before feeling came back into her hands and then to her toes. But instead of feeling relief, she burst into tears and clutched onto him harder, burying her face in his chest.
“Are you back?” he asked softly, kissing the top of her head.
She nodded against his chest.
“What happened?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Do you know what triggered it?”
“No.” The lie tasted bitter on her tongue. She promised herself it would be the last lie she ever told him.
“What do you need?”
She needed to tell him the truth. She wanted to share every part of her life with him. But she couldn’t risk losing him either. How would she survive without him now?
“Umm… I would l-like to lie d-down.” She was shaking still, like a leaf in a storm. Even her voice felt raw.
He shoved the quilt to the far side of the bed to make space for her to lay down, then immediately tucked it back around her. He laid down on the other side on top of the quilt, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“Anything else?”
“Maybe some pastries?” she suggested, knowing they were out and he would either spend an hour in the kitchen making something, or an hour out picking them up from her father, and either way, it would give her the time she needed.
He frowned. “Are you sure you want me to leave you alone?”
She tried to smile, praying that it actually came through - that he would believe her. “I’ll be okay now. If anything happens, I’ll call for you and you can come running back.”
“Okay. I’ll be in the kitchen. Can I bring you anything? Water? Tea?”
“A kiss?” she asked.
He pressed his lips to hers and lingered for a moment. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too.” she said back.
He kissed her forehead, then her hand, and then rolled out of bed and out of the room.
As soon as she heard the sound of glass bowls clinking against the counter, she rolled to her side, sobbing. “Tikki,” she begged.
Tikki was at her cheek in seconds. “It’s okay, Marinette.”
Marinette shook her head. “I-I’m so sorry.”
Tikki nodded sadly.
“I can’t tell him yet.” She wasn’t sure if she ever could. “I want to tell him so badly, but I can’t. And I don’t want to lie to him. Not more than I already am.”
Tikki stroked her cheek. "It's okay, Marinette. I understand."
Marinette laughed and cried harder, trying to be quiet.
"I just... I love you so much. But I can't be Ladybug anymore."
She had loved being Ladybug that afternoon, but she couldn’t do it now. Not as long as Adrien didn’t know.
"I know. It's okay,” Tikki said again. “Thank you for giving me today, for letting me see you living your life. I won’t have to spend all of millennia worrying about you now."
“You won’t? Even after watching my panic attack.”
Tikki made a face. “The difference between now and when you renounced me is you’re clearly not alone anymore.”
Marinette’s throat lodged closed. "I'm going to miss you so much,” she choked out.
"When you're ready, you can come visit."
"Tikki, I–"
"It's okay if you're never ready."
Tension bled from her shoulders. "How do you understand so well?" Sometimes it had felt like Tikki didn’t understand anything. Other times, like now, she seemed to be able to read her mind.
"I've done this more than a few times."
"Will you remember me?"
Tikki looked affronted. "I remember all of my chosen. You are each so unique, so special. And you Marinette, you are beautiful. I have learned so much from you."
"You've learned from me? "
"Of course! Just because I'm the embodiment of creation, it doesn't mean I know everything."
Marinette clutched the tiny kwami to her chest. “Thank you, Tikki. For everything.”
Tikki fluttered in front of her. “Before you renounce me, may I ask for that update?”
Marinette giggled through her tears, and she nodded rapidly. She told Tikki everything about her and Adrien’s slow recovery. From getting him from his hotel room, to visiting him everyday, decorating his apartment, until he had been okay enough to visit her, go on walks, and drag her to therapy. Most of it felt so mundane, but Tikki sat there on her knee through all of it absolutely riveted.
“Oh, Marinette! That is all so lovely! I’m so proud of you!”
Marinette found her eyes tearing up again. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for today,” Tikki said.
Marinette’s nodded. “And thank you, too. I love you, Tikki.”
Tikki came fluttering to her cheek giving her the equivalent of a kwami hug. “I love you, Marinette. You’ll always be special to me.”
The oven beeped, signaling it had been pre-heated. She was out of time.
“Tikki, I renounce you.”
Tikki disappeared in a sparkling dazzle of pink light. Marinette removed the earrings and held them in her hand and let herself cry.
But her tears were different than they had ever been before. She grieved for what was and what was lost, but for the first time, she felt like maybe she was also moving forward.
And that wasn’t a bad thing.
…
Adrien seemed okay the next day. Ladybug never came up in conversation, but he did get his hair touched up later that week. Marinette never worked up the courage to ask him about it or to share her secret either.
He planned his first holiday menu, and she got her first client. They gave each other advice to get through problems and hiccups, and in between still found time to play video games, read out loud to one another, and cook dinner together.
She came home completely wiped after a difficult meeting with her bride’s soon to be mother-in-law. “Adrien! How do you feel about ordering in tonight?” she called the second she was through the door.
But he didn’t respond.
“Adrien?”
She turned the corner to the living room, and froze. Every surface was covered in a sea of flickering candles and rose petals.
“Adrien?” she called again, a smile blooming on her face.
He still didn’t respond. That was the way he wanted to play it, huh?
She stepped forward to the main display on their coffee table. A red envelope with her name in gold lettering waited in the center of a spiral of petals. She opened it and slipped out the card.
The day you decided to give me a second chance .
Her smile grew. He was sending her on a scavenger hunt, was he? She found a particular black umbrella buried in their closet, and sure enough there was another red card.
A misappropriated gift .
The clue led to a blue scarf with another clue.
The day you visited me when I smelled terrible.
She frowned. He was referring to her visiting him in the hotel when the fallout of his father’s unveiling was still fresh. But what did they have that was associated with the hotel? She couldn’t think of anything, so she just started searching everywhere, wondering where Adrien was hiding. He wouldn’t have gone far. She just had to find him.
She finally found the next red note taped to the shower wall.
The day I finally asked you out.
That one was easy. They had a whole shelf on the bookcase dedicated to memorabilia and pictures from the Cesaire-Lahiffe wedding.
I love us.
She went back to the couch and when she didn’t immediately see anything, she flipped over every cushion. The card was on the back of the pillow she had been leaning on the first time she said that to him.
I love you.
That was it. She flipped the card over, but there was no other clue.
She turned around, thinking he might have finally tripped her up, only to run straight into his chest.
She squawked in startlement, but his arms were immediately around her, steadying her.
“Hi!” she greeted brightly, feeling silly.
His eyes smiled back, green and shining. “Hi,” he echoed, almost laughing. He was joy personified and she couldn’t look away. He took her hand, and kissed the knuckle of her index finger. “I want you to know that I was trying to write a whole love letter on the back of those cards, and I kept failing because I don’t know how to put any of what I feel into words.”
Her stomach had turned to butterflies, and she was smiling so hard it hurt. “You seem to be doing okay, so far.”
He laughed. “Thank you. I literally don’t think I would have survived the last few years if it weren’t for you.”
She shook her head in disagreement. He would have figured it out. Maybe it would have taken longer, and more tough love from Nino, but it would have happened. She knows that it would have. His resilience was something she had always admired about him.
He kissed the back of her middle finger. “You are so amazing. I owe you so much.”
She shook her head. “You owe me nothing.”
He kissed the next finger on her hand. “Just the same, thank you for coming over here every day until I could face the world again. For your endless impossible levels of patience when I was unable to talk or get out of bed, for teaching me to take care of myself, for holding my hand through every time I managed to venture outside, for seeing the best in me when I couldn’t see anything but darkness. For giving me a home to live in, and giving me my life back.”
She squeezed his hands. He had done all those things for her as well. He had read to her when she was trapped in bed, taught her that she could make things and play video games again, that she could be in the world, and that she could get better.
“You inspire me every day with your fearlessness and determination. When I’m around you, I feel like I am worth something–”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “Adrien, you’re everything. You’re worth everything.”
He kissed her fingers again. “Marinette, if that’s true, it’s only because you make me better. And I want that to keep happening forever. I want every single day with you.”
His smile was brighter than she had ever seen it. She was so happy seeing him this alive, this vibrant. She felt like she was floating on a cloud, and one small breeze through the window could send her flying away higher than even her Ladybug earrings would allow her to go.
“Will you marry me?”
She surged forward on her toes, kissed him hard while wrapping her hands around his neck. She kissed him again and again, she kissed his mouth, his jaw, and his neck. She kissed every inch of his face that she could reach.
He laughed. “Umm, is this a yes?”
She nodded rapidly. “Yes,” she managed.
And then he was kissing her , and she lost herself in him.
He probably wanted to plan some intricate, if small, wedding, but she half hoped they could just elope the next holiday weekend. She’d ask him tomorrow.
For now, she was blissfully content to fall asleep in his arms. His hold had come to mean acceptance, safety, and hope for tomorrow. She couldn’t remember ever being so happy.
But that night she dreamed of Chat Noir. Once upon a time, it had been his arms that meant safety. In the days and weeks before Hawkmoth’s defeat, she had been dreaming of the day she’d be able to share her name and her life with him. She remembered his boyish smile, his stupid ill-timed puns, and the one time she had kissed him.
She woke up in tears.
…
#miraculous ladybug fanfiction#marinette dupain cheng#adrien agreste#pre reveal#post hawkmoth defeat#hurt comfort#healing journey#anxiety#panic attacks#ptsd#happy ending#aftermath#my own content
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NAOMI: CASA AMOR DAY 4
what are you most looking forward to about reuniting with the other villa? what are you dreading the most?
“ i know it’s going to be hard to see dylan again. clearly a lot of things have changed since we saw each other last. so, that’s going to be a really hard conversation. it’s been easy to try to assume i know where his head is at, since i feel like i know him, but at the end of the day – i don’t know. maybe i don’t really know at all, ” she frowns. “ but i literally can’t wait to catch up with marcus. i hadn’t realized how much i talked to him every day i was in here until he wasn’t in here. it’s probably been good for us to get some space after what happened and we can get right back to our usual bullshit. i have so much to tell him, ” naomi smiles fondly. “ and, yeah, i know, ” she rolls her eyes, a deadpan look at the camera, “ josh. ” she leans back, “ at this point, i don’t even know whether to be excited or whether to be dreading it. maybe both. definitely both. i’ll figure it out when i see him. ”
if you were to stick, why would you? why would you consider switching?
“ with everything that’s been going on with me, it’s made the most sense to just . . . keep that to myself, not mix anyone else up in the shitstorm i have to deal with when everyone returns, ” she grimaces. “ the postcard definitely seemed to indicate that i should be exploring other potential, but i started doing that so late that i still don’t really know if there’s anything there. ”
is there a bombshell that’s at the top of you ‘list’? who would you bring back?
“ charlene’s made a real effort with me since yesterday, which is nice. i’m still figuring out if we’d really click or . . . how genuine it is, honestly, ” this is hilarious when naomi is fake as hell but i digress, “ but maybe i’d know more if i hadn’t spend the past few days closed off while the guys were cracking on, ” she points out. “ just wish i knew how things were going to go tonight, because bringing someone back could be the right choice or it could be a massive mistake. i do like her, and i don’t want to hurt anyone else. ”
if none of the bombshells could come back, who would you miss most?
“ angel, for sure. i’m feeling pretty good about it, though, because i think callie would be a complete idiot not to bring him back and she totally knows it. ” naomi shrugs, “ but yeah, i’m really glad we became friends. ” and they have such different lives, naomi doesn’t think they’ll ever really get the chance to chill on the outside like they can now.
what conversations do you need to have most when you reunite?
“ i think everyone’s sick of me talking about josh, but i really need to talk to josh. i don’t even know if he deserves it or if it’s all been total bullshit, but i need to know where his head’s at more than anything – i think it’s been pretty clear that it’s driving me fucking crazy. i can’t stop thinking about the other night. but seeing that photo just gave me this sinking feeling he hasn’t changed, so, ” naomi flashes the camera a tight-lipped smile. “ and i need to talk to dylan. it feels like make or break for us, really, which is hard . . . even before we got together, he always had my back or went out of his way to check on me. he made every day easier for me, and i feel like i’ve just made things harder on him by, well, only communicating half of what i was feeling all the time. ”
what are you feeling about the decisions of the other islanders? who do you think has made the best connection?
“ i think it’ll be kind of crazy. like, seb and rhys totally want each other, but it could go either way – they seem like the type to friendship couple with the bombshells to ‘give them a chance’ or whatever. either way, i think it’s gonna be a shock for poor bash, ” naomi is curious to see how everyone from the other villa takes it, considering rhys and seb will be totally new to all of them. however, this is the drama that she’s most excited to watch pan out, because she’s pretty confident it’s going to work out for everyone involved anyway. “ i think . . . dante makes romi happy, ” naomi smiles placidly, not offering anything more than that. “ and honestly, jenny and jude seem kind of suited ? except for the fact that she’d fully drop him if josh decided to give her the time of day again, ” she suggests this matter-of-factly, like two plus two equals four. “ and, yeah, like i’ve told callie, i think her and angel seem really good together. he’s so into her, and i think they’re kind of on the same page about everything. i’m just not sure how much frankie coming back is going to shake that up, but . . . i like them. ”
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Can I yap here? Imma yap here.
I wish we could dead the idea that “oh people are stupid on the internet” “humanity is stupid” etc. because it’s really brining out some of the most arrogant and vile behavior on social media.
Like idk I’ve been watching people pop off about hurricane milton berating people for not leaving etc. but not even just that it’s everywhere. And people wonder why people online are rude, never seek further context etc. and I truly believe it’s because they have normalized this idea that everyone around them is stupid because “stupid people online”.
Assuming that you have more common sense, more knowledge etc. because you have one nugget of information and you come across like an asshole. Like the majority of people you interact with online believe it or not are not idiots. But yall be waiting, salivating at the opportunity to run into one of these mythical idiots to put them in their place and actually end up being the one to look dumb as hell.
The obsession with condescendingly proving one’s superiority online is so goddamn irritating. When half the time yall don’t have the range to be making those judgement calls. Don’t have the depth of knowledge, or discernment to actually grasp situations but just hopping on the bandwagon of the next half baked idea yall see.
I have done this too, and guess what, I’ve been severely humbled by it. The amount of times I’ve gone into a situation, heard a few key phrases I thought meant someone was not as informed, or not as progressive, radical, smart etc. as me because I had a half baked understanding of an ideology and got severely checked because turns out they were more experienced, nuanced and practiced than me. And I opened my mouth to talk out the side of my neck instead of asking questions. But some of y’all can’t even be humbled. Some of yall double down.
It’s so fucking irritating. Can’t tell some of yall NOTHING. Some of yall are mediocre or average at best thinking everyone else around you is stupider. Or you’re used to being the only one with a progressive, radical, or even sensible view because maybe that’s all you’re around irl. But once you get in a niche you are often times not the most informed. Don’t have the depth to discern or take in nuance. You listen to argue not listen to learn. You’re already primed to think the other is stupider than you. WITHIN yalls own communities.
And genuinely yall be the ones contributing to the very same things yall shout as a media literacy problem, etc. like babes, you’re actively participating in the conditions that breed that behavior. That doesn’t mean take in every bad take. But it literally hurts no one to ask questions first. It literally hurts no one to tone down the condescension, on the simple principle of: if you are wrong you look like not just a dumbass but a rude dumbass.
Please I beg, give up your gotcha points for actual communication skills. And when someone is committed to understanding you, or on some true dumbassory bullshit, then block them. Most of yall do not have the range or credentials to be acting as arrogant as yall are. Even when yall are right, a lot of times it’s: wow I just learned this new thing last week how dare you not know this too, type vibe. It’s actively harmful to building any kind of literacy any kind of growth.
You cannot shame people into being smarter, and you are not that far above the people you think are stupid to be abandoning them. You’re average at best. Y’all need to practice some damn self reflection and emotional regulation to figure out why the only way you feel validated in your thoughts is through the vilifying, and putting down another person.
Why the main way you only know how to connect is through mutual grievances and dog piling. Why that’s your ONLY or main tool. I say this because I’m angry and frustrated. But also because I have to do this too. I have to catch myself doing this and asking these same questions.
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Play Pretend (II)
summary: In the aftermath of Munich, Bucky struggles to go back to how things were before. But now that he knows how it is to love you, he's not sure he can. pairing: bucky x reader word count: 5.8k warnings: smut (18+), mutual pining idiots a/n: here is the final part! make sure you catch up at part 1 first! gif by @crispychrissy
Bucky couldn’t get the image out of his head for days after the mission in Munich. Pictures of you laying so beautifully beneath him, the slight curve of your lips as a moan slipped past, skin so soft it begged to be touched and soothed and worshiped. He couldn’t let go of how you sounded, how you cried out his name or the gentle whimpers spoken so sweetly against his ear. He couldn’t stop craving you wrapped so tightly around him, your hands caressing down his arms, his back, his shoulders, your unbridged desire to touch every part of him, even the parts he despised.
Memories that found him in his sleep in the early hours of the morning, in the shower when his legs were weak and tired, at the breakfast table when you strolled in wearing a t-shirt down to your thighs and the evident curve of your breasts bare beneath the fabric.
Bucky tried to push the thoughts away. He tried to stop thinking of what happened in that cold, abandoned Hydra base. He tried to bury that longing somewhere deep, somewhere he’d never be bothered by it again. But it always came back in the image of you in that cell.
It plagued him. It taunted him.
He wanted more.
He didn’t know how to admit it. Not to himself, and certainly not to you. So, he did his best to suffocate those feelings, those cravings for something real, but they still found their way to the surface.
They spilled over on movie nights with the team and Bucky would find himself inching closer to you, in the gym when he took just a second longer to lift his weight from your body after a winded match that ended on the surface of the mat, on walks around the compound when he found himself wanting to capture your hand in his own as your fingers brushed by.
Those feelings slipped from his smothering hold on missions when he watched your back far more than his own, when he’d missed an obvious target in an attempt to clear your enemy line and ended up catching three bullets himself. He lost composure whenever you didn’t respond on coms or when you’d stumble back onto the quinjet with an injury you’d been hiding. He dove headfirst into fires and threw his body up as a shield and spent every night in agony wondering if you knew that he’d give his whole life to you if you’d asked.
It made him stupid. It made him reckless. It might actually get him killed.
But it hadn’t started in Munich. No, that was just the catalyst of it all. Bucky had loved you long before that drug infiltrated his system and left the two of you in an impossible position. He’d managed to keep his feelings at bay for years; hiding behind quick witted jokes and friendly banter and a genuine friendship and it had been enough. Honest, it had.
Only, now he knew what it was like to be with you. He caught a taste of what it would be like to make love to you and he didn’t know if he could ever forget and move on. It had been weeks since Munich and it still felt like it happened yesterday.
He had to do something to keep it from consuming him, even if it broke your heart. Even if it broke his, too.
***
“What the hell do you mean you can’t work with Y/n anymore?”
Steve groaned, pinching at the bridge of his nose. It had been a long day of debriefing with about a dozen agents making demands he was unwilling to compromise on. This, separating his best team, was among them.
“It’s just not a good idea, Steve,” Bucky said, arms folded tightly over his chest as he watched Steve pace relentlessly down the conference room.
“That’s ridiculous, Buck.” Steve slumped into the chair beside his friend. “You two are the best insurgent team I have.”
“Just trust me. You’ve seen how I’ve been in the field lately. I can’t keep a straight head around her, okay? Not after—�� Bucky clenched his jaw, turning away.
Steve sighed, hanging his head. “You ever gonna tell me what happened in Munich?”
Bucky’s lip was chewed raw; scars over broken wounds, teeth digging into painful cracks. It was a nasty habit he picked up after Munich. He wasn’t used to this kind of nervousness; a deep and unsettling feeling churned to stone in the pit of his stomach.
“Reassign me, Steve,” Bucky asked again, firmer. He could feel Steve’s eyes burning on him, tracing every inch of his face, searching for a tell, but he wouldn’t find one. Bucky was trained better than that. He knew to keep his features cold, stoned, even if his heart was pounding against his chest. He wondered it Steve could hear it, too.
The silence hung heavy in the air.
“Alright,” Steve finally conceded. He shook his head reluctantly. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Bucky sighed a breath of relief, the weight of months filled with a longing he couldn’t tame and painful twist in his heart slipping from him in seconds. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.” Steve stood up from his chair, gathered the papers from the desk and made his way to the door. He paused just at the frame, turned around slowly to find Bucky had relaxed a little too much for his liking and added, “you’re going to be the one to tell her.”
“What?” Bucky scrambled out of his chair, nearly losing his footing and all composure as he stood to face Steve.
“You’ve been partners for years,” Steve shot back tensely. “She’s had your back on countless missions, saved your life on more than one occasion, and—come on, Buck— you guys are friends! The two of you spend every day together, even when you’re benched! You don’t want to give me an explanation? Fine. But you sure as hell owe her one.”
Bucky shook his head rapidly, hands clenching at the fraying edges of his t-shirt. “Steve, I—”
“Just talk to her,” Steve said, a heavy disappointment lingering in his voice. His lips parted, as if there were more he wanted to say, but decided against it. He hung his head, pat Bucky firmly on his shoulder, and left.
***
Had he always been able to hear his own heartbeat like this?
It was pounding in his ears, thunderous, deafening, and he swore just about everyone else on the floor could its thumping as he approached your room.
The door was open ajar with a small glimmer of sunlight streaming out into the dimly lit hallway. You were singly quietly to yourself – humming, maybe – as you sat on the edge of your bed, staring down onto your phone. You didn’t seem to notice him at the door. He knocked.
Your head popped up, surprised at the sudden intrusion and your eyes only narrowed upon finding it was Bucky standing below the doorframe. You looked at him for a moment before you turned back to your phone without saying another word.
He deserved that.
“Can I come in?” Bucky asked sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. He was still staring into the room through the small slit in the door.
You shrugged. “Depends. Are you still avoiding me?”
A sharp sting burned in his chest as Bucky tried to unclench his jaw. Truthfully, he had been avoiding you for days now. Ever since he made up his mind to ask for a reassignment. It didn’t matter if Steve shipped him off to Alaska or the Amazons or out into space with the goddamn raccoon; all he knew was that every minute he spent beside you was agony and he needed to get away from it – away from you – before it consumed him whole.
None of that was your fault. You didn’t know why he was suddenly too busy to spar on your usual weekdays or join the team for movie nights. He never told you why he suddenly started pulling away, cutting off all contact as if you hadn’t been friends for years before Munich.
“I’ve got something important to talk to you about,” Bucky replied, clearing his throat.
You sat up, sitting the phone down by your side as you recognized the tone in his voice. Clinical. Mission oriented. Business. He didn’t want it to sound so cold, but he wasn’t sure he could do this if it wasn’t.
Bucky stepped into the room, prying the door open gently with a slow squeak on its hinges as he closed it behind him. He’d been in your room dozens of times before, but somehow, in this moment, it felt like an invasion of privacy, like he wasn’t supposed to be there.
He took a deep breath, trying to keep focus. He took a few steps forward and gingerly sat on the edge of your bed, keeping careful distance as he wrung at his hands in his lap.
“I’m being reassigned.”
You furrowed your brow. He could practically hear your heart skip a beat.
“What? No. They can’t do that!” You shook your head, determined. There were traces of disbelief on your face – anger, too. Your hands gripped tightly into the sheets at your sides. “They can’t just reassign you, Buck. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Y/n, you don’t understand,” he started to say, but you were already on your feet, pacing around the room. It was how you calmed yourself when your thoughts were racing too fast. The stabbing pain in Bucky’s chest only seemed to dig deeper.
“I know the field has been messy lately, but that happens to everyone! They can’t split us up because of a few extra trips to the med bay,” you argued, wearing trenches into the carpet of your bedroom. You stopped abruptly. “Who gave the order? Steve? Tony? I’ll take this up with Fury if I have to, okay? I won’t let them—”
“Y/n, stop. Please.” Bucky hung his head. His right hand was red as his left clasped and tugged at the skin. He couldn’t find the courage to meet your eye but he could tell from the way you stilled that you knew what he was about to say. “It was me. I asked for reassignment.”
It didn’t seem to hurt any less though because your stance still faltered. It was barely noticeable, not to the human eye, but Bucky’s sensed were advanced thanks to his time in Hydra. He saw the way your body weight shifted just slightly, how your breath caught in your chest, the slight flicker of your eyes. Shock. Betrayal. Hurt.
“You said it yourself,” Bucky reasoned, trying to find excuses where there were none, “there’s been too many ER trips lately. I keep getting hurt.”
“Because you insist on using your body as human shield, Buck!” you retorted, arms flung out to the sides. “Just knock that off and we’ll be fine!”
Bucky shook his head, his lips curling ever so slightly though it didn’t touch his eyes. “It’s not that simple.”
“Of course, it is!” you argued. You started pacing again. “Don’t be an idiot, Barnes. I’m not losing my partner. Go tell them you were joking or concussed and not thinking straight!”
“I’m not going to do that.” Bucky clenched his jaw. His right hand was starting to lose feeling from how tightly he was gripping it.
Why couldn’t you make this easy on him? You were supposed to be angry with him for ignoring you for the last week. You were angry with him and yet you still fought for him. He couldn’t make sense of it.
The pacing stopped again, though this time it came in slow, like a realization that found its way piece by piece until it melded into a visible image.
“Was it something I did?”
Bucky jumped up to his feet, instinctively wanting to walk towards you but you held your ground. He froze, standing several feet away.
“No,” he said firmly. “God no. You didn’t do anything wrong, Y/n.”
“Then what?” You raised your arms out to the side in question. “We’ve been partners for years, Bucky. I’ve relied on you all that time to have my back, to keep me alive out there, and—and—” you groaned rather loudly, “you’re my best friend! You can’t just up and decide you’re done with me and move on!”
Bucky frowned. “That’s not what this is.”
You shook your head, arms folding tightly over your chest protectively. “Sure feels like it.”
The silence between you was unbearable. Bucky didn’t have a good excuse. You were right to be angry with him. He was abandoning you. He was a coward. He was running away from a painful situation to avoid facing it head on because he was terrified to lose you. Though, as you pressed the heels of your palms into your eyes, pulling them away a moment later to find a soft glisten of reflection in their wake, Bucky started to wonder that were already true.
“Oh God,” you exhaled, a heavy realization in your voice as you turned to him. Your shoulders slumped. “This is because of Munich, isn’t it?”
Bucky flinched. He tried not to, but you noticed. A look of absolute devastation crossed your features as your lips parted, sinking down onto your bed.
“I knew things were different after that mission. I mean, how could they not be?” You leaned over against your thighs, letting your hair fall down to shield your face where Bucky could not see. “I crossed a line. I shouldn’t have given in. You couldn’t consent with that shit running through your veins. Not really. So— fuck – I completely understand if you can’t be around me after I—”
“That’s not what happened,” Bucky interjected sharply, shaking himself from the fear coursing through him as he crossed the room to you. He knelt down beside your bed and waited patiently for you to lift your head and let the curtain of hall fall away from your face. “I could have fought it. It hurt like hell, but I would have survived it even if we… if we hadn’t…”
He let his voice trail off, his cheeks turning a slight side of pink. He sighed. “The point... is that I wanted to. I really wanted to. And that’s the problem.”
You narrowed your eyes, confused.
Was he really going to tell you? Wasn’t this what he had been trying to avoid? Throwing away years of friendship to confess deeper feelings he was all but sure you’d never reciprocate?
But there was something about the way you were looking at him. With tears glistening in your eyes and a grief he couldn’t quite place nestled into the lines on your forehead, Bucky began to wonder if walking away would give him any relief at all. He wasn’t sure he could ever leave this room again if you were left blaming yourself for his crimes.
Bucky slowly placed his right hand on your knee, rubbing his thumb gently along the dimple. Your eyes followed his movements, watching curiously until he found the courage to speak.
“We’ve been partners for a while,” he started, clearing his voice when it came out shaken. You nodded. “I feel like sometimes I know what you’re thinking just by looking at you and when we’re out in the field, even in the middle of chaos, it’s like you can tell what I’m doing before I actually figure it out myself. We’re really good together. Out there. It’s hard to find that these days.”
You didn’t say anything and for that, he was grateful. He needed to get this out before he shut down completely.
“I think we only got that good because we’re… uhm… we’re close, you know?” Bucky took a deep breath, releasing his grip on your knee when he realized he’d started to squeeze it a little too hard. Your hand was sitting on your thigh, but you’d inched it closer to his, enough so the tips of your fingers overlapped onto his.
“We’re friends.” Bucky paused at the term, deciding it wasn’t strong enough. “It’s more than that though. I trust you with things I wouldn’t even tell Steve. You were the first person I felt like I could be myself around. Not the Bucky that Steve remembers or the one Hydra manipulated. This one. Whatever that means.”
Your whole hand covered his now, as much as it would allow. He glanced up to find your fingers curling under his, a slight squeeze to tell him you were still listening. He exhaled another breath and the pressure in his chest felt a little lighter.
“What happened in Munich didn’t awaken anything or… or open my eyes to something I didn’t know was there,” Bucky continued, his eyes trained on your legs, unable to find the courage to face you. “I’ve known how I felt about you for a long time. I was okay with it. I learned to live with it and manage it because being your friend and being your partner was too important to lose. But…”
He felt your hands squeeze his again.
“But after Munich… I don’t know how to go back. I don’t think I can.” Bucky didn’t dare to meet your eye. He could feel the words slipping past his lips before he had a chance to pull them back in. A waterfall of confessions he couldn’t hope to control. “It’s why I’ve been so reckless in the field, why I keep ending up in the med wing. I can’t shove it down anymore and it punctures me right through the goddamn heart when I see you surrounded by armed agents or when there’s a weapon aimed at you and my instinct is to run towards you. Screw what happens to me.
“I know you’re good at your job,” Bucky stressed, shaking his head. “I know you can handle yourself and you don’t need me to protect you but… but I want to. I want to keep you safe and hold your hand when you’re getting stitches and curl up beside you at night just so I can remind myself you’re real when the nightmares get the better of me. I want… I want more than I should.”
He could hear the skip in your heartbeat, how it gradually picked up in pace the longer he spoke. Your breathing was shorter, too. Shallower. Bucky was certain it was all confirmation of the story he’d been telling himself for years.
“This… How I feel… It’s not good for us. As friends. As partners. I’m trying to do us a favor and just remove myself from the equation.”
Bucky still had yet to meet your eye. He’d turned to examining every detail he could find on the fabric of your sleep shorts, in the sheets you sat upon, in the divots and dimples and blemishes on your thighs. He wasn’t sure he’d have the resolve to leave if he looked at your face.
Several beats of silence passed by and Bucky wondered how it was possible you hadn’t lashed out at him yet. He expected you to be angry for driving a wedge between you with something as reckless as love and affection. He expected you to turn your shoulder, reject him for everything he was, because it was one thing to befriend the Winter Soldier, another entirely to love him.
Bucky slowly rose back to his feet, letting his hand slip away from your knee and your gentle hold on him fell away. He mistook your silence for acceptance, maybe even agreement. He cleared his throat, starting to back up towards the door.
“So, um,” Bucky said nervously, trying to fill the silence in his escape, “that’s why. I hope you can forgive me some day for all of this. I’ll, uh, I’ll go.”
Bucky barely had his hand on the knob when he heard the soft squeak of your mattress springs as you rose to your feet.
“You’re wrong.”
The sound of your voice startled him, enough to get him to look back at you before he could stop himself. Your hands were clenched at your sides, eyes red with tears, bottom lip chewed raw.
“Y/n, I—”
“You’re wrong,” you said again, almost angry and somehow that was a relief. It would make it easier for him to leave if you were angry, but you had different plans. “You’re wrong if you think you’re doing me some kind of favor by leaving.”
Tears were on your cheeks now and Bucky’s stomach lurched. This wasn’t what he wanted. This was agony.
He took a step closer to you. “You have to trust me, it’s not a good idea for us to—”
“You’re wrong,” you continued, cutting him off again as you rubbed at the tears under your eyes. “You’re wrong to assume that I don’t feel the exact fucking way about you and—and if you leave, Bucky, I swear to God it will kill me.”
Bucky froze. His heart stopped beating completely, might have plunged down through his stomach, broken through the floorboards and buried itself into molten lava and dirt, because of all the things he was expecting you to say, that was not one of them.
“Don’t do this,” you implored, voice a little broken, barely above a whisper. “Please don’t go.”
Bucky was at a loss. He didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t prepared for this. He never even considered you might beg him to stay, that you might feel for him in the way he felt for you. It never once crossed his mind. It felt like a dream.
“I miss you.” Your voice was so small and still, it nearly tore him straight in half. “I miss how we used to be. I miss seeing you smile and your stupid jokes at the most inappropriate times in the field.” You laughed to yourself, under your breath, and even through the tears it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard. But you sighed, the smile falling away. “I miss you when you’re not here. All the time. So much it hurts. I feel like I’m going out of my mind when I’m not with you. You’re my best friend, but I… I also… I miss Munich.”
Bucky’s eyes widened and you only caught a glimpse of him for a second before your face was in your hands, trying to shield yourself from him.
“I know it’s wrong,” you murmured, muffled by your palms. “I know it’s not right to miss a moment when you were in pain and made to feel something you didn’t ask for, but… I think about it a lot and... how much I want more.”
Stunned silence. Throat dry. Heart pounding.
“What are you saying?” Bucky finally found the courage to ask.
You lifted your head, finally meeting his eye and there was a relief there as you looked up at him. Your shoulders eased. A soft smile returned to your lips and it nearly melted him completely.
“The same thing you are, I think.”
He swallowed. “Oh.”
Bucky watched, near frozen, as you crossed the room, bare feet padding softly over the carpet until you were only inches from him. The space between you closing as your hands slid up his arms, resting against his shoulders, cupping at the sides of his face, just observing, just feeling. There was no venom in his veins and yet, Bucky felt electrified under your touch. His heart stammered in his chest as your fingers wove at the strands of hair at the base of his neck.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” you told him and he wondered for a moment if he stopped breathing entirely. "No Hydra chemicals. No foreign influence. Just us, okay? You and me.”
Bucky nodded, a little stunned.
Slowly, you inched up closer to him, your eyes drawing closed until you were a breath from his lips. Just barely grazing upon his own, waiting, and Bucky let his hands slid up against your back, tugging you closed against him, and captured your lips in his own.
It was different than the first time in Munich, less rushed, less desperate, but instead filled with a longing that had spanned years between you, coated in affection and heartache and need for one another beyond anything a serum in a lab could fabricate.
Your hands wove into his hair, his arms pressing you firm against his chest, and it was like you were holding onto him for dear life. Your feet began to carry the two of you backwards, dragging Bucky towards the bed, and you yelped as your knees caught on the edge of the mattress, sending the two of you spiraling onto the bed.
“You alright?” Bucky laughed, brushing away the hair in your eyes as he propped himself up on his elbows caged around your shoulders; most of his weight laying upon you in the sweetest comfort of pressure.
“I'm perfect,” you replied, bright smiles and joy radiating from every pore. It was contagious.
“We can stop here, if you want,” Bucky offered sincerely. He was riding a high he never thought he’d ever experience and anything you’d be willing to share with him was a gift within itself. He’d kiss you for hours if you’d let him.
“And if I don’t want to stop?” you questioned, staring up at him with a hunger in your eyes. Your fingers trailed down his t-shirt, dancing around the hem of the fabric at his hips. “If I wanted to keep going... If I wanted you...?”
“I’m yours, sweetheart.”
A simple answer. A true one. He’d never been more certain of anything in his life.
Bucky knelt back, tugged on the fabric of his shirt between his shoulder blades and pulled it over his head. You watching him as he tossed it to the corner of the room before he settled back down against you. Your hands ran along the lines of his muscles, over the scars and imperfections, and for once, Bucky didn’t shy away from the hands of a woman. It didn’t feel like a twist to his gut, he didn’t hold his breath. No – instead, it felt renewing, healing almost.
His hands slid under the waist of your shirt, inching it higher as he rand his touch along the curves of your sides, until you leaned up for him to help remove the fabric. It joined his shirt at the edge of the room.
Perfect and bare. Stunning in your nakedness. A privilege he never thought he’d be granted.
“You want to take a picture or...?” you teased him, noticing how long he’d been staring at you.
Bucky laughed, shaking his head. “Don’t temp me. Besides, I’m hoping I won’t need a picture to see you like this again.”
“Definitely not,” you confirmed, tugging him down to meet your lips again.
It was laced in smiled and laughter and ages of holding back from one another all rolled into one. A freedom of taking your time, of enjoying one another, and learning to memorize your bodies. Bucky would have wondered if he were dreaming if not for the way you wrapped your legs around his waist, grinding against his hardening cock – no dream could produce a feeling like that.
With his lips on your neck, Bucky played with the hem of your shorts, waiting until you lifted your hips just enough to give him the access to slid them down your legs, removing the last remaining fabric along with it.
Bucky kissed his way down your body, mapping a trail from your neck, to the hills of your breasts, to your ribs, to the comfort of cushion at your stomach, to the crevices at your legs and inner thighs. He paused for a moment, setting his cheek against your thigh as he drew his fingers between your lips, separating them to give access to the sweetest parts of you.
You flinched a little as he touched your clit, a gasp emitting from your lips as your hands curled into the sheets. Bucky grinned, encouraged by your reaction as he began to circle the pads of his fingers at your entrance. Listening for the subtle changes in your breath, the moans the slipped past, and the curl of your fingers, Bucky leaned in and wrapped his lips around your clit.
“F-fuck, Bucky,” you whined, hands snaking into his hair and gripping tight against his scalp.
He smiled at the feeling, at the way you cried his name, and he pressed his slicked fingers inside of you. Perhaps it was the haze of the foreign chemicals the last time he had you under him like this, but he didn’t remember you being so vocal, so sensitive to his touch. It was a rush and he had to keep himself from rutted up against the mattress as added a third finger, curling them just enough and massaging at the walls as they squeezed tight around him.
Tongue lapping at the wetness, sucking around the sensitive bud of nerves, fingers perfectly drawing out the high as it built at your core, it only took moments before you crashed. You cried out his name, legs wrestling against him in the sensitivity as he drew out the feeling as long as he could, moving slower and slower until you stilled under him.
“Fuck,” you exhaled, a laugh entranced in your voice.
Bucky grinned, pleased with himself as he crawled his way back up the bed to meet your lips. He didn’t bother to wipe the remnants of your high from his mouth and you didn’t seem to mind as you kissed him, certainly tasting yourself upon his lips, and it only made him want you more.
“You’re turn,” you smirked, trying to slide out from under him as you licked your lips, but Bucky held you down.
“Next time, okay?” he countered and you sunk back into the mattress with a pout on your lips. “I don’t think I can last if you get your mouth on me.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” you teased, running your fingers down his stomach until he began to shiver.
“Yes,” he chuckled, swatting your hands away playfully. He winked. “I’m gonna die if I don’t have you right now.”
“Jesus, Buck, don’t even joke,” you laughed, hiding your face in your hands.
“Hey, someone's gotta,” Bucky grinned as he tugged down his pants, kicking them off to land amongst the rest of the discarded clothing. “If it got me here, I’ll happily make light of a fucked up Hydra breeding experiment.”
“Would you have told me if it hadn’t happened?” you asked, voice a little softer, peering out from behind your hands.
Bucky stilled, his grin falling into something gentler and he shrugged. “Don’t know if I ever would have had the courage. I never thought we’d be here. Never could have imagined you’d feel the same way.” He leaned down to press a kiss to your shoulder. “Would you have said anything?”
“I don’t think I really knew until you threatened to walk away,” you admitted.
“Well,” Bucky sighed, pressing a trail of kissed along your collarbone as he settled between your legs, his length pressing against your thigh, “good thing I’m not going anywhere.”
“Better not,” you murmured against his lips as you drew his mouth to yours.
Then, as he felt the hitch of your breath against his lips, he sank into you. Stretching walls and guiding your legs to wrap at his waist to offer an angle that left your jaw slacked. Your eyes fluttered closed, lips parted, and Bucky felt a rush unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Even through the smoke filled haze of that serum in Munich, he’d never felt an ounce of the relief as he did in this moment. To be completely and entirely yours.
He felt you squeeze at his shoulders, urging him to move, and slowly, he rocked his hips against you. Slow and steady. Needy. Until your nails dug into his spine and Bucky couldn’t prolong the tender build up any longer.
Chasing and chasing; higher and higher. Bucky could tell you were close from how tight your walls were clenched around him. It took near everything he had not to come on the spot, but he held on, waiting, watching as your lips parted, as the most beautiful sounds he’d ever heard slipped past, and you cried out his name.
“Oh fuck—fuck—Bucky, don’t stop.” Your breath was hot against his cheek. “I’m so close. I’m—ah—”
A hitch in your breath and your whole body seemed to fall slack. It only spurred him on. Hips snapped, fingers rubbing quick circles at your clit, until you were whining and shaking under him, until he was satisfied with the blissful look on your face and he let himself go.
He spilled into you, rutting his hips in a few final, lazy thrusts as he sank into the crook of your neck, panting. Dizzy and content, riding a high that extended beyond his body, Bucky hummed into your collarbone as he felt your nails draw patterns along his back in gentle sweeps. It tingled on his skin, send shivers along his spine, and he never wanted it to stop.
“Hey, Y/n?”
You paused, just for a moment, before you resumed tracing the lines on his back, over muscles and scars alike. “Yes, Bucky?”
He could hear the teasing in your voice, the light-hearted laugh, the warmth that made him fall in love with you and his heart clenched. He wrapped his arms under your shoulders, the full weight of his body still pressing you down to the mattress, still buried inside of you.
“Promise me this is real.” An embarrassment crept up as he said it, though the drawing on his back didn’t skip a beat. “You and me. I’m not dreaming or stuck in my head. This is real, right?”
Your hands slid up along his shoulders to his neck, and then to the sides of his face as you guided him off your chest to meet your eye; more beautiful than he’d ever seen you, with a glimmer of sweat and an afterglow radiating in the smile lifting your cheeks.
“This is real, honey,” you told him, leaning in to kiss him sweetly on the lips.
“Okay. Okay, good.” Bucky grinned, cheeks flushed in heat. He settled back against your chest, resting his cheek to your heart as you resumed drawing the lazy patterns on his back.
Perfectly content.
Warm. Safe.
Home.
---
Thank you so much for reading! ❤️ If you enjoyed this fic, please consider supporting me at my ko-fi account ✨
#bucky barnes x reader#bucky x reader#bucky barnes x you#bucky barnes x y/n#bucky barnes x female reader#bucky barnes smut
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A new servant desperately struggles to understand what exactly Merlin is:
A cryptid? Arthur's boyfriend? Simply a dude? The court jester? Something else entirely? Who knows, certainly not the new guy.
The first time the new kitchen-hand, Tristan, saw The King’s dark-haired servant sprinting down the corridor, he couldn’t tell if the man was laughing or crying.
He was fast, faster than Tristan thought possible for someone whose arms were so full of laundry, but he politely steps out of the way, coming to the conclusion that he must’ve been late for something. At least... he did think that, until he turns the next corner to see three of The king’s most trusted knights peering out of windows and into random doors. Tristan freezes in the corridor, he’d heard that servants were treated extremely well here, but he’d only been employed for a few days and he didn’t want to risk anything by pushing past or addressing his betters.
One of the knights, Sir Leon, his brain helpfully supplies, spots him stood there, and his annoyed frown quickly morphs into a friendly smile:
“Pardon me, sorry, I don’t suppose you’ve seen Merlin around anywhere, have you?”
Tristan’s eyes go wide and the grip he has on his tray tightens, but he forces himself to take a breath and answer, trying his best to keep his voice even:
“Merlin is... The King’s manservant? Tall, with dark hair?”
Another knight pushes forward, he looks to be the oldest, with dark hair falling in an almost deliberately tousled way around his bearded jawline. His charming grin seems just a little too wide to be genuine, but Tristan isn’t quite sure if that’s because he’s about to take pleasure in punishing someone, or if he’s just being polite to a stranger:
“Yeah, yeah that’s him, seen him? Arsehole turned our shirts pink in the wash, and something tells me it was deliberate.”
Tristan gulps at the accusation and he takes a shaky step back, but before he can even think of defending the stranger that he now thinks must’ve been crying, the last of the three knights, a giant, if Tristan believed in such things, steps forward:
“Don’t worry, we won’t beat him too much.”
He says it with a grin and a quirk of his eyebrows, but once again the kitchen-hand can’t tell if it was cruel or genuine, if he was being sarcastic or not.
“Uh... yeah, he turned left at the end of this corridor, but I didn’t see where he went after that, I apologise.”
Sir Leon waves away his apology with a smile, looking to the long-haired knight with a raised eyebrow:
“The stables?”
The man grins widely, nodding his agreement as he turns his grin to the giant. Sir Leon offers Tristan another soft smile, murmuring his thanks before moving past him, elbowing the other two to prompt them in to thanking him as well. The three of them march down the corridor with almost vindictive smiles on their faces, and Tristan prepares himself to see a vacancy note, or possibly a funeral invite, posted on the notice board by the next morning.
When he passes a window that evening to see the King’s manservant being carried on the giant’s shoulders as five other knights pelt them with gloves, a grin on every face, he decides that... well... it’s probably best to just not to ask.
~
The next time he sees Merlin, a few days later, The King is also there.
This is the first time Tristan has been in Arthur Pendragon’s presence, and though the other servant’s all rave on about how awkwardly kind he is, he’s a bundle of nerves. Not even Cook’s stories about how often she whacks The King’s knuckles with a wooden spoon when she catches him about to pilfer something stops Tristan’s heart from racing.
The King was overseeing a few of the servants decorate the main hall for a feast, and whilst Tristan is certain that that’s not something The King normally does, he doesn’t question it, just thinks that maybe the other servants had been telling the truth, and he was a genuinely nice, but normal man.
Merlin stands at his side, and though Tristan can’t hear their conversation, the two of them are clearly bickering over something. The servant can’t help his curiosity, wanting desperately to move closer to find out what sort of things The King allows his servant to bicker with him about; luckily, the table right next to them has yet to be laid, so he moves towards it quickly. He doesn’t even glance at them, terrified of being caught out, but perhaps Merlin surviving the knights non-wrath the other day is encouraging him, and his steps don’t falter. Their words come in to focus, and he has to stop the confused, and slightly horrified, frown from spreading across his face:
“Arthur, I swear to the Gods, if you make me wear that hat again, I’ll piss in your wine and serve it to you in front of a crowd.”
The King scoffs just as Tristan shakily begins laying down the cutlery:
“That’s treason, Merlin.”
“Do I look like I care? Not only will I piss in your wine, I will not hesitate to push you over a balcony at the first opportunity. This hall is high up and it’s a long way down to the gardens. He drank toxic wine and turned loopy and tipped himself off a balcony and went splat! That’s what people will say. I’m not wearing the Godamn hat.”
Tristan has to focus extra carefully to stop himself from gasping; Merlin just threatened to kill The King... that’s got to be a death sentence. Pissing off some knights that he’s obviously friendly with is one thing, but threatening to kill The-
“Ha ha. Very funny. If you can’t tell, Merlin, I’m being sarcastic, I know you struggle with complex concepts like that.”
Merlin just rolls his eyes, crossing his arms as he says with no hesitation:
“My mind is more than capable of coping, My Lord, it’s your belt I worry about being able to cope nowadays.”
Tristan bites his tongue to stop himself from yelping and turns away so neither of them can see his horrified face. The King just makes an outraged noise in the back of his throat, and Tristan can hear Merlin snort in laughter at whatever expression Arthur was wearing to match such a noise:
“Go to the stocks. I want you there for three hours.”
Tristan lets out a confused breath; Merlin threatens to kill The King, and gets playful sarcasm, but he implies The King might be a tad overweight, and gets sent to the stocks for three hours? How is that-
“Yeah... no. Not happening. The feast starts in less than two hours and I still have to help Guinevere organise some stuff in the courtyard, do Gaius’ rounds for him, then put an extra hole in your belt and help you get dressed because, despite being a grown man, you’re still an idiot who’s incapable of putting clothes on in any sort of decent manner.”
Tristan finds himself relaxing a little. This seems to be the norm for them, but surely... surely The King had a line somewhere, and a servant just flat out refusing to be disciplined must be where it lies?
Arthur just scoffs, and Tristan angles his head in such a way that he can see him roll his eyes:
“Fuck off.”
Merlin grins, seeming to cast a suspicious gaze over the room to make sure no one was watching and somehow completely missing Tristan stood just there, before saying quietly:
“You love me really, you prat.”
With that, Merlin reaches up to yank at a lock of The King’s hair before hurrying off in the direction of the courtyard before Arthur can react. The King jumps slightly, clearly caught by surprise as an annoyed flush rises on his face, but Tristan just frowns in confusion when his shock gives way to a softly amused smile.
Huh.
~
The next few times Tristan saw Merlin made him fear for the servant’s safety. He was being taken on hunts by The King and his knights, that’s meant to be for squires, to learn the ropes and gain experience in tracking and riding.
He supposes it isn’t entirely unheard of for a servant to follow their master on a hunt, but with the way Merlin complains without pause, and The King in turn complains about his complaining, he thinks it would better for everyone if Merlin just... didn’t go. When he brings it up to another servant, a lovely woman named Guinevere who had helped him get unlost at least three times in his first week, she just laughs and smiles at him pityingly:
“I wouldn’t worry, those two have been like that forever, they’re practically inseparable.”
Tristan responds with a rather intelligent sounding:
“...What?”
Gwen laughs softly again, shaking her head and patting his shoulder consolingly:
“You’ll get used to it, they’re just... like that.”
She gives him one more smile before turning to wave the boys out of the gates and walking back to the castle as if this were the most normal thing in the world. Tristan supposes that it probably is.
The next time Tristan sees Merlin leave the city gates with the knights, Sir Elyan, Sir Mordred, and Sir Lancelot this time, it’s distinctly worse. Because he’d caught sight of the patrol rota last time he ran food down to the training ground, and he was certain that those three had a city patrol right about now.
Before he even has time to gape in shock, he hears Merlin’s pleading voice as he trails Sir Elyan like a lost puppy:
“Please, El, I promise to stay out of the way, I will do anything, but I swear to the Gods if I have to spend one more minute around that prat, I’ll hurl myself from the battlements.”
Swearing to the Gods and threating to hurl various people, including himself, from significant heights seems to be some sort of theme for The King’s manservant. Before Tristan can consider the implications of that, Sir Elyan turns to Merlin with a wide, teasing grin on his face:
“You know, I would’ve let you tag along for free, Merlin, but now that you’ve promised me something I feel the need to take advantage.”
Tristan tenses at that, a shot of ice spiking down his spine. He has keen eyes and sharp ears, he knows that Sir Elyan is the lovely Gwen’s brother, Sir Mordred seems to have an... odd worship for the servant, and he’s definitely picked up on the close bond between Merlin and Sir Lancelot, but is this where Camelot’s image comes crashing down in Tristan’s head? He knew that it was better here for servant’s than other Kingdoms, but there are always people who’ll take advantage of their position, no matter where you are. Merlin’s shoulders just drop and he asks in a sulking voice:
“What do you want?”
Tristan grits his teeth, moving his gaze so no one would catch him glaring at the knight as he tries to figure out a way to help, a way to get this virtual stranger out of being... abused, in such a manner. If he’d carried on glaring, he would’ve noticed Elyan’s soft smile and amused raised eyebrow:
“Next time you gather herbs for Gaius, bring back some more of those flowers that you got for Gwen. She said they added vibrancy to the house, whatever that means, but they make her happy, so...-”
Merlin just giggles and nods and Tristan relaxes, looking back to them with a confused smile on his face. That was... actually kind of sweet, he can definitely see the resemblance between the knight and his sister:
“-AND I want whatever Arthur’s having for dinner tonight, his food always looks way nicer than ours.”
Merlin lets out a faux annoyed groan, but then rolls his eyes and grins, nodding:
“Consider it done. Can we go now? I really don’t want to risk him seeing me and giving me some stupid chore to do.”
Elyan laughs and nods, and the four of them begin making their way out of the courtyard and into the city. Sir Lancelot finally joins the conversation, clearly amused as he says:
“You know it’s literally your job to do chores, right?”
Merlin turns to glare at him as Sir Mordred and Sir Elyan laugh, and Tristan only just hears his reply as the castle gates shut behind them:
“Fuck off.”
Tristan decides it would be pointless to bring this up to anyone again, he figures he’ll probably just get the same answer as last time.
~
The next confusing incident happens only a few days later. But Tristan supposes that at this point... it really shouldn’t be confusing. Gwen was right, he did just... get used to it.
He heard the steps pounding down the corridor before he saw him, but they were coming fast and hard, so he presses himself against the wall, holding the tray to his side to protect it as best he could as Merlin comes skidding round the corner.
He stops just long enough for Tristan to calm himself by spying the wide grin on his face, but he’s quickly sprinting down the hall again, laughing as he waves whatever it is he’s got clutched in his hands. The second set of loud, rapid footsteps stops Tristan from stepping away from the wall quite yet. Just a moment later, Sir Gwaine follows Merlin’s skidded path around the corner, though the heavier man overshoots slightly and he runs into the wall opposite Tristan with a crash and a deep groan.
The rebellious knight gives a wide-eyed Tristan an awkward nod before pushing himself off the wall and following Merlin’s blazing trail, screaming down the corridor:
“I warned you Merlin!! Don’t come between a man and his ale, now give that back you bastard!”
Tristan hears Merlin’s laughter grow louder, even from the two corridors away that the other servant had managed to race to.
He shrugs to himself, waiting for a moment to see if anyone else was going to come barrelling around the corner before sighing, and continuing his journey up to the visiting Lord’s chambers.
It was unusual, he thought, how quickly he’d come to terms with the fact that a servant was sassing The King and pranking the knights and inviting himself on various hunts and patrols that he really had no business on. Unusual indeed.
~
He’d learnt to ignore it. Or at least brush it off.
In the two weeks since Merlin had (presumably) stolen Sir Gwaine’s skin of ale, he’d seen the servant call The King a long list of imaginative insults (what the hell is a dollop head?), walk around with Sir Leon’s cloak on because he was a little chilly, accuse someone of treason (and somehow been right about it), and threaten to kill at least seven people; including, but not limited to: The King himself, The King’s already dead father, some stuck up Noble (though that was under his breath, Tristan just happened to be stood next to him), and Sir Percival.
And Gwen was... absolutely right. He's just... like that. He's Merlin, and that’s what Merlin does.
So when he turns a corner in a rarely used to corridor to see him pressing The King against a wall, snogging the life out of him, Tristan simply turns around and walks back the other way. Both of them look fairly happy with the arrangement, and they’d probably chosen this corridor for the exact same reason Tristan had: it was out of everyone’s way, and was unlikely to be inhabited.
He thinks it’s odd, how... un-odd he finds it. He absent-mindedly thinks that, with the way they acted around each other, he really should’ve seen this coming. A sudden thought occurs to him, and he ducks into a storage cupboard, laying his tray down carefully as he rummages through the boxes. He lets out a quiet “Yay” when he finds what he’s looking for, carefully picking up his tray with only one hand and nudging the door open again with his hip.
He walks back towards the corner he had just turned (and turned again) making a conscious effort to keep his steps quiet; he places the danger sign, usually used where walls had collapsed or windows had been smashed, in the middle of the corridor, a clear indication of “Do Not Enter”.
He nods smugly at his quick thinking and easy handy work before mentally planning the quickest route to the kitchens and following it hurriedly.
He casually wonders if he has time to circle around to the other end of the corridor so he could put another sign down before Cook gets angry at him for being late. Probably not. At least, not before they... finish up and move on. Hmm. He suddenly panics about the thought of them seeing the sign and knowing that someone had spotted them but... well. Hopefully they would just appreciate it and move on.
Yet again, he decides not to bring this up to anyone. He may or may not have overheard a few of the knights making some sort of bet, and he may or may not want to watch on with amusement as they fail to realise that all of them have already lost.
Tristan smiles to himself; working here had turned out to be rather entertaining, in the end.
~
THE END
I know it’s short, but I really didn’t know what else to add without it sounding like I was just repeating myself over and over😅
I hope y’all enjoyed it!!
#merthur#merthur crack#bbc merlin#merlin#arthur pendragon#emrys#merlin/arthur#knights#the knights of camelot#knights of the round table#sir leon#leon#sir percival#percival#sir lancelot#lancelot#sir elyan#elyan#sir gwaine#gwaine#mordred#good mordred#sir mordred#gaius#gwen#guinevere#merlins just like that#merlin is a top#no matter how much arthur denies it#crack
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The Beginning of The Date
Ch. 1: “How Old Are You?" Ch. 2: Four Days Later
Warnings: None except Five being a cutie and both of them smiling like idiots. There’s not really any mentions of S3 spoilers in this specific chapter
I really didn’t want this to go up on my birthday but wtv
Word Count; 1,500+ Five Hargreeves x Reader
Summary: It’s finally time for your date with Five, and you’re both nervous to say the least.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
10:54 A.M
Five had shown up early, of course, since he didn’t know what else to do with himself. He was excited and, obviously, never got to go on dates with girls. It also didn’t help that he really liked this one. He doesn’t know how talking to you these past days has got him so head over heels for you but he’s enjoying it.
The butterflies. The staring at pictures of you. The replaying of your voice memos. It was basically what he was using to get through the craziness that had been surrounding him in the past month. Especially with how genuinely concerned and caring you seemed. Before he knew it you slipped into his subconscious and started all those sweet dreams he hated waking up from. All of them ranged from you running your fingers through his hair while encouraging him that he’d figure everything out soon enough to simply just kissing and holding you in his lap.
The soft sound of shoes approaching interrupted his thoughts, but finally this time it was you. Your eyes nervously scan the ground and your surroundings before meeting his’. A smile tugged at his lips and soon a matching one graced yours.
“Hi”
“Hello. You look” he paused as he took you in again, “breathtaking”. “Thank you” you chuckled and did the same, “you don’t look too bad yourself”. “Ready to go in?” He asked and moved to open the door for you when you nodded. You let out a small thank you as you walked past him. “Have you ever been here before?” You asked him as you two got in line. “No I haven’t. It looks nice though. Peaceful.” He hummed as he looked the place over.
There was a bit of a line right now but most people seemed to just be ordering to go. The two employees behind the counter working in tangent to get everyone’s food ready and out. “So how did you find this place?” Five asked after he scanned the place. “I found it a few months ago when I was walking around the city. It didn’t look that nice from outside because that thing there used to be broken” you explained and pointed at the front, “I had actually came to use the restroom and when I walked in I was very surprised”.
When it came time for you to order you had Five go first while you fully decided what to get. However, Five being the gentleman that he is, was of course going to pay for you. “No, Five you don’t have to” you objected, promptly being interrupted by Five. “I’m not giving you an option. Now go ahead and order whatever you want” he smiled and nodded his head at the cashier. You returned the smile, shaking your head before telling the cashier your order and letting Five pay. “Thank you” you hummed as you two waited for the first part of your order and scouted out somewhere to sit. “Well I did owe you from the Diner, but anytime” he replied with a shrug.
You took your items and headed to a secluded corner booth by a window you two settled on. “This corner feels so cozy and nice. The decoration is cute in here too” you smiled as you looked around some more. “Yeah. It sure is pretty here” Five replied but never took his eyes off of you. In Five’s opinion, you probably make every place you walk into 10x more beautiful.
You managed to catch him staring at you and can’t help but blush and avert your eyes. They soon returned to inspect Five and the clothes he wore. He had on a simple black button-up shirt tucked into his khakis and simple pair of dress shoes but damn he looked good. “You look nice” you smiled at him and meet his eyes. Now it was his turn to blush. “Thank you” he hummed and opened his mouth to say more, but was cut off by the barista calling your names for the order.
“Here, I’ll get it.” Five said before you could even offer. “You don’t need help?” You asked him as he pulled himself out from the booth. “I think I’ll be fine dear” he chuckled and walked off to get your drinks.
‘Dear’
There’s that little pet name again, accompanied by the butterflies. It was such a simple name. A common word you use to start letters. So why did it make you want to either explode or grab and kiss him until you were passed out from the lack of oxygen? Fuck, you wanted to kiss him. You wanted to do a lot more than kiss him- especially with how he talks and looks at you- but you’d gladly settle for kissing. You’d wondered if he’d been thinking about you as much as you had about him.
Was he also waking up from dreams about them that left him feeling warm and fuzzy? Did he smile and roll over immediately after, trying to chase the sweet vision he was having? The way he’d been acting these past days would make you think yes, but that doesn’t always mean anything. You’d been trying not to let those negative thoughts start to plague your mind, but it was hard not to spiral sometimes.
Luckily, Five returned.
“Everything alright?” He asked as he sat down, noticing how tense you had gotten. “Yeah, just overthinking about some stuff” you shrugged and drank some of your drink. “But now that you’re back you can help me forget about it” you added and gave him a reassuring smile. He chuckled before taking a sip of his coffee, and to his surprise, it was above decent. Maybe it was the stress and mania of the last weeks that had worn him down, but this shit. This shit was low-key hitting.
“Damn, is it good?” You teased when you noticed him taking longer and longer sips. The satisfied look on his face replaced by one of amusement and mock offense at your words. “What? It’s the closest thing to decent coffee I’ve had in a while” he defended and took another long sip, causing you to let out a quick “ha” followed by quiet giggles. Five wish he could’ve saved this moment somehow. He wanted to replay it over and over again whenever he wanted. To get to bask in your laugh and smile and the fact that he’s the reason behind it. Hell, he wanted that to be the last thing he heard as the lights go out of his eyes.
“I’m sorry I had to” youfinish up your laughs and clear your throat, your eyes finally meeting Five’s again. “ t’s fine” was all he replied, continuing to admire you. “Glad you like the coffee” you hummed, unable to resist letting out another grin. “Me too. Hard to find anything above halfway decent” he sighed, finally placing his cup down. “It’s just black coffee. How different can it be?” You asked with furrowed brows, causing Five's to shoot up in genuine shock. “What did you just- of course, there’s a difference!” He snaps playfully.
A moment of panic hit him after the words left his mouth, afraid that he still might’ve been too harsh. Again, he didn’t exactly have any experience with dates or girls. Your amused chuckle and return of a playful eye roll quickly got rid of any negative feelings, replacing them with… joy? excitement? lov-? “Sorry I’m no black coffee sommelier” you sassed back and took a drink of yours, “I honestly don’t even drink black coffee unless it’s filled with sugar”. Now it was Five’s turn to laugh. Something he hasn’t been able to genuinely do in so long.
“No wonder you got that” he nodded toward your drink and you shrugged shamelessly, “I like what I like”. “Makes sense” Five smiled softly, causing you to furrow your brows in confusion. “What do you mean?” You asked, unsure if you should feel offended yet. “Well, considering how our first encounter went, it’s no surprise that your taste preference matches your personality,'' he said, making himself comfortable in his chair. You, of course, let out yet another wide grin at his words before following his lead and making yourself comfortable. “I guess you’re right” you replied and took a long sip of your drink, nervously scanning the room to avoid his stare.
A beat of silence passed while you did so, Five taking the opportunity to shamelessly look at you more. “Do you have a favorite or preferred coffee?” You finally asked when you turned to look back at him. “I, uh,” he started, needing to take a moment to snap back to reality. “No. No, I don’t think I do, haven’t quite found one yet at least” he finished, smiling softly when you caught him looking at you.
“Sounds like you’re just picky or don’t actually like black coffee” you teased. “I take offense to that” he joked and this time you both laughed together. “Well, soooo sorry to offend you” you shrugged nonchalantly, keeping the playful tone you’ve both set.
“Have you tried cold brew, yet? I have a strong feeling you’d like it”
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Next Chapter Release: TBD
A/N: My Borderline has been acting up a lot and my family/home life has also been shit which is why it’s taken me so long to update. I’ve also felt very burned out and I kind of fell off of The Umbrella Academy. [ I stay thirsting over Aidan though. I’m ngl ] I’m still trying my best to write, but I also don’t want to half ass anything/I don’t think I’d be able to get myself to post something that I’m not really proud of. (Ryan Bergara voice): That being said I didn’t want to keep hoarding all of this, and I also didn’t want to feel bad about not posting on my birthday, so I last minute edited and formatted it to post the fucking day before (Ryan Bergara voice again): because I have adhd and had to use all of my energy to survive life and my family. (Any questions… big boyz?)
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#five hargreeves imagine#five hargreeves fluff#five hargreeves imagines#five hargreeves x f!reader#five hargreeves x plus size reader#five hargreeves x y/n#five hargreeves x reader#tua#the umbrella academy#the sparrow academy#Five Hargreeves#tua imagine#the umbrella academy imagine#lina once wrote
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karma;
❥ 16k words | nsfw | eren x fem!reader
❥ content - eren eats reader out,, eren also fucks reader ;)
❥ you don’t care much for eren’s fuckboy habits until he fucks over your friend, and you’re left to deal with the consequences. and eren’s left to deal with a revelation neither of you saw coming
this is based off the song karma by summer walker, so feel free to take a listen!
"i just don't get it— like how foul could you be? if he didn't like me that's all he had to say, not play me like i'm some dummy,"
"historia," you stopped her ramble with a sigh, lifting your hand up as a gesture to say 'stop'.
"i told you, you should've just got with me." ymir snorted, throwing her hand around historia's shoulder, the blonde pouting, her eyebrows furrowing.
you place a hand on historia's lower back and gave her a condescending look. "i told you that you shouldn't mess with him, i wasn't trying to be dramatic or anything when i said that— i know eren... i gave you a heads up and you ignored it."
historia rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "i didn't ignore it, i just... thought it'd be different."
you scrunched your face up and pinched the bridge of your nose. "why exactly did you think it would be different?"
"instead of giving historia shit, _____," ymir emphasized your name, squinting her eyes at you. "why can't i just rock him? a good punch to the face is maybe just what he needs—"
"ymir, punching him will not solve anything. plus, i doubt historia wants you to punch him either."
"she can speak for herself, idiot. historia, my love, would you like me to knock eren out?"
historia sighed. "no, i don't want anyone to get knocked out. this is so confusing... and not to interfere with your friendship or anything but how can you just go hang out with him right after?"
you looked down at historia, removing your hand from her back and giving her a raise of your eyebrow, looking forward to wear the three of you were headed. you were going to hang out with eren; he was your closest friend who you met in middle school, and now shared a dorm with. it was finally spring break, and as his bestfriend you were invited to spend some time with him and his family for the vacation. eren had you pack bags for the weekend and wanted you to meet him in the front of the building, so that's where your feet were taking you while you conversed with your friends you met on your way. "historia, i said i told you not to fuck with him, what happens between you and eren doesn't have anything to do with me." historia frowned at you and looked down at her crossed arms and you felt a small sense of guilt curdling in your stomach. "i'll talk to him though."
"right now? cause he's right there." ymir said using her head to tilt towards the benches once she pushed the large doors to the outside open. you looked up and ymir was right, from a distance was eren standing up next to a shag of blonde hair and two other people that you couldn't identify as they weren't facing you. almost on cue, eren looked up, head whipping to your figure and a small smirk creeped up on his face until his eyes landed on the two next to you, that smirk dissipating almost just as fast, and him quickly averting eye contact, mumbling something that caused the rest of his acquaintances to turn their heads around. you shook your head and patted historia's shoulder noticing she was glaring at eren, but not as hard as ymir.
"yes, now... uh, i'll catch you guys later." you said waving off to them. "don't worry too much about him historia." and with that you began walking off towards eren. you studied his appearance, hair lazily threw back into his signature messy bun while stray pieces shied away from it. he wore a simple grey sweatshirt with black sweatpants to complete the lazy look, white sneakers on his feet, and when you trailed your eyes back to his face a boyish smile was present.
"hey." eren said simply, arms stretched out to pull you into a warm hug that you reciprocated, your arms wrapping around his midsection as he snuggled you into him, resting his chin on the top of your head.
"hey, eren." you cheesed, pulling back to wave to the rest of the group. "eren's brother," you watched zeke chuckle from where he was seated. you used your finger to point to yelena after, "yelena, pieck and porco!"
"i'm assuming you know my name and you're just being a fool." zeke announced, making you giggle and place your hand on top of his blonde locks. although you didn't see the upperclassmen much, you had no problem remembering their names, especially zeke and pieck as you saw them the most.
"right, of course i know your name, zeke." you smiled. "but what's the gathering about eren?" you motioned to the clutter of people, looking towards eren who's eyes were already on you.
zeke was faster than eren, answering the question before him causing eren to narrow his eyes at his older brother. "eren, my favorite brother here wants to take my car to see his mom and my dad."
you laughed at his words, the enunciation on the last part of his sentence making eren's eye twitch. "first of all i'm your only brother." eren said, rolling his eyes.
"and you guys share the same dad." you grinned as zeke nodded his head at your clarification, another burst of laughter being let out by you and pieck who shook her head at zeke's antics.
"hi, _____, it's been a while since i've seen you." pieck said, waving her hand as well, her head laid down against the surface below her.
"hey, pieck," you slid down onto the bench taking a seat beside her, porco's hand snaking around her back instinctively. "yeah it has, but that's because you're a year above me." pieck chuckled and nodded her head.
"precisely..." she hummed, moving a strand of raven black hair out of her face, eyes trained in the direction ymir and historia walked off. "who were the girls giving eren the dirty eye?"
your eyes followed pieck's. "oh, historia... and ymir." of course, her out of everyone would notice that. you silently praised pieck for being so observant. you looked up at eren to see him avoiding your gaze, his bouncing left to right.
"what did eren do this time?" zeke asked you, propping his head up on his palm as if he was genuinely interested in the conversation, although you were sure it was just to make fun of eren. pieck gave a confused look, her eyebrows coming together as she glanced between the brothers and you.
"more like what did the girls do to eren." yelena said calmly, a bored expression present on her face, her arms crossed leaning forward on the table.
you averted your stare at eren and propped your arms up on the table like yelena. "well, the blonde girl likes eren and they were talking or something, and um... he was messing with some one else at the same time. she's not happy about that, even though i told her not to mess with him."
"so what i'm hearing is it's her fault for messing with him after you told her not to? lesson learned." yelena scoffed, her large eyes portraying a mocking sorrowful expression.
eren shifted uncomfortably at the new eyes on him, letting out an exasperated sigh. "listen,"
"eren, you really can't defend yourself here." zeke cut him off, eyes widening to poke at eren's expense.
"i didn't know she liked me!" eren blurted out, hands flying out from his sides.
"so your brother's a dumbass too?" porco snorted, eren glaring at him with a huff, crossing his arms back.
"pock—" pieck started, being cut off by eren's rising tone.
"i'm not kidding, i didn't know!"
"so you didn't know a girl who you fucked and kept texting you after had feelings for you?" your retort was quick, head inching forward as your eyes narrowed at eren as if he was dumb causing eren to glare at you too, his lips in a thin line at your statement before placing his hand out for zeke to place the keys in his hand.
"okay, whatever, let's go."
"someone's upset." pieck added before placing her hand on your shoulder. "bye, _____, see you at the club tonight?"
"club?" your ears perked. oh, the club. as well as vacation for spring break, majority of your first and second years decided to takeover a club not too far from campus before people left off for their families. you had already packed a dress for the event when you packed your bags last night alongside eren. the event had just slipped your mind. "oh, yeah, yeah. if eren still want's to go."
zeke slapped the keys in eren's hand, you getting up from the bench with a wave to the remaining three, going to stand beside eren. zeke stood up as well, bringing you into a suffocating hug, his beard grazing your forehead before pulling back with a pat to your shoulder. "well, see you. tell miss carla i said hello because eren won't."
you smiled at zeke before eren grabbed your hand with his free one, giving it a small tug. "don't worry, i will zeke."
with a small "c'mon," from eren, he began pulling you away, you trailing after the boy until the two of you reached zeke's parked car. "you really need to get your own car." you murmured to eren as he opened the back door for you to throw your bag in, alongside his, then the passengers side before walking around to the drivers.
"nah, zeke's is good for now." eren slid into the driver's seat, adjusting the chair before starting the car, giving you a one over to make sure you were comfortable, noticing the way your face shriveled up at the smell of the car. "smells like cigarretes?" he asked you, a small smile upturning on his face, his expression almost softening.
you turned your head towards him with a reciprocating smile at his observation. "yeah, but it's okay. your mom's house isn't too far anyways." eren pulled out of the parking lot, letting your last statement resonate in the air while he watched for cars behind him, hand on the back of the head of your seat, brows furrowed in concentration while you opened up your phone, scrolling through your socials. you noticed the party tonight was the talk of today, almost everyone of your mutuals on your feed talking about it. it didn't sound too bad, and you didn't mind going either, getting to see your friends was enjoyable. "so we're going to that party?"
eren's eyes shot to your face from the rear view mirror, lingering for a little before going back to the road ahead. "as long as you want too— i mean, i want to. why? you don't have something to wear? i thought we packed last night."
"dummy, i'm just confirming with you. i have something to wear, you literally watched me pick out my clothes."
eren stayed silent for a couple minutes while beginning to grin at you unconsciously. "yeah, i saw it, the dress. i was gonna say you could borrow one of my moms if you didn't have one." he joked, looking to you to watch you give him a raise of your brow and an upturn of your lip.
"you're such an idiot." you looked back down to your phone to switch apps. "who's gonna be there that i know? i know sasha will probably go, i haven't seen her lately."
"me." eren said matter of factly, not even looking your way for a reaction.
you rolled your eyes, hitting him on the shoulder lightly. "i'm serious."
"im serious too."
"eren!" you whined his name, his look fixing on you again at the sound of his name before shifting away just as quickly.
"you know, the usual... sasha will probably be there, armin probably wants to see annie or something... connie... maybe jean, or reiner or whatever."
"or whatever." you mocked eren, lowering your tone to try to get his voice spot on, causing him to slap your thigh hard, you yelping and dropping your phone to rub at the abused spot, your leer shooting daggers at eren. "i'm telling carla when we get there."
eren only laughed, bringing his hand back to your thigh and moving your hand to soothe the supple skin with a flitting rub while you pouted at him. "she'd hurt me if i hurt you."
"you did!" your voice raising slightly, hand moving his away but not before pinching the skin on top causing him to hiss.
"sorry." his hand returned to your hand sitting on your leg, giving it a small squeeze of reassurance while he studied your face just in case you had a negative reaction.
you let his palm linger, the feeling almost comforting, and... and what? you couldn't pinpoint it, but for the majority of the rest of the ride, his hand stayed until he had no choice but to remove it when steering. a sense of anxiousness was relieved when he did, but you couldn't figure out why.
彡
"go inside, i'll get our bags, my mom will be happy to see you." eren said, signaling to his front door with your hand, and you nodded walking to the small house. a sense of nostalgia was washed over you. you vaguely remembered coming over to eren's house so often and spending so much time with him, mikasa and armin. of course, mikasa being so busy with her own studies could only visit so much, but there were many times she came back to visit alongside you and eren, armin occasionally visiting as well although he had family to go back to as well. you and eren constantly did almost everything together, from indulging in video games he used to side eye you for wanting to play with him, to helping his mom in the kitchen with a grumble from eren, to getting into heated arguments and having to sit on the couch with carla since eren would kick you out of his room, only to be scolded by carla only minutes later. it was all enjoyable memories, even the arguments, and thank goodness to the closeness of the college to eren's old house. you were able to visit and relive those memories so often, a sense of warmth washing over you each and every time.
not only were you thankful for the proximity of carla's house, but you were thankful for her constant efforts to keep you and eren close. she was the one who suggested requesting a shared dorm, the one who constantly asked eren to bring you over, the one that never failed to ask about you every time she called eren. if you and eren ever lost your bond she'd be the first to know.
you walked up the steps, the door already unlocked as carla anticipated your arrival. as soon as you opened the door the significant scent of linen and apple flooded your nose, along with whatever she was cooking up. the mass of carla's dark hair was in your line of sight once you turned your head to the side, her body stood in front of the stove, and she whipped her own head around hazel eyes almost bulging out there head when she spotted your figure at the front door. "_____!" she exclaimed, immediately dropping the pan she was holding back onto the stove and rushing to you, embracing you in a loving hug. "my baby, i missed you so much! eren brought you!"
and eren, always on time stepped in behind you, his tall figure towering over you and his mom with two bags in his hand.
"and my real baby, oh i missed you both so much." carla pulled away giving you chaste kisses on side of your face, her long eyelashes fluttering against your skin as she cradled your jaw with her nimble fingers. her apron decorated around her waist smelled of fresh cooking, but her perfume lingered as well giving off a haze of peppermint.
she moved towards eren, her hands cupping his face and pressing a kiss to his cheek as well, moving her fingers to tug on his ear playfully before drifting down to his shoulder, patting his chest then pulling the bags out of his hand. "mom—" eren murmured, twisting his face at his mom's protectiveness as she dragged the bags out of his hand, going over to place them beside the staircase before coming back over, hands clasped in front of her guests.
"no, you just came, no need to try to put stuff away yet." carla said with a cheery smile, still elated at the arrival of the two of you. "i'm so glad you're here, i just finished cooking so let's all sit and eat before you try to do anything else." she began walking back towards the pan she left on the stove, head turned back with a knowing look at eren who would try to go put the bags upstairs. "come sit." and you and eren made your way to the round dining table, four seats present, yet only three would be filled.
"where's dad?" eren asked as he sat down, pulling the chair out for you first while you fiddled with your fingers, watching carla plate the lunch she prepared.
carla's movements slowed as she sat in thought for a couple seconds. "oh... he's at work, like always you know." eren looked down, nodding his head.
"so how's school going?" carla asked, heading over to place down a bowl. "chicken pasta salad, it's good, eat." she used her head to motion towards the food.
"it's going good, luckily i don't have that heavy of a workload like others, it's bearable, but of course still hard." you replied, as she brought over plates and cutlery, setting them down in front of eren and you, both of you immediately scooping some pasta onto your plates.
"and you, eren?"
"it's fine, mom."
"how about football? is that going good?"
"yeah, it's good too." you winced at eren's lack of effort in the conversation, hitting his elbow with your own, him giving you a confused expression before he placed his full fork in his mouth.
"zeke told me to tell you hi." you told carla as she came to sit in front of the two of you, plating her own food, eyes widening at the mention of zeke's name.
"really?"
"yeah."
"well then how's zeke doing too then?"
"i don't know, i don't see him much, eren could probably tell you." you gave eren the opportunity to talk, looking at him to cue him to say something while you took another forkful of the pasta.
"he's probably fine too, i don't see him much either." eren replied with a shrug of his shoulders, picking at his food, and you sighed.
"how's sharing a dorm going? i hope eren's not too much, i know he can be a ruckus."
"it's good too, he's a better roommate than i thought he'd be at first." you let out a small laugh, remembering eren's old antics, how messy his room used to be, the dark green of his walls and the miscellaneous decorations he used to have sprung around. you couldn't wait to go upstairs and check that out again. "he's still a little messy—"
"but she always nags me to clean up so that doesn't matter." eren cut you off before you could attempt to compliment him and you rolled your eyes.
"i wasn't gonna say anything bad. yeah he cleans up a little more now but i always have to pick up a sock or something. plus, i'm the one who has to clean up before someone comes to visit. like mikasa or armin or something." you chose not to mention the countless girls that'd come in and out too.
carla pursed her lips looking up at eren with a slightly disappointed look. "you always have to keep your workspace and your room clean, eren. especially in the presence of others, i didn't tell you that all the time for no reason."
"i know, i know, mom."
"no you don't because if you did you'd keep your area clean in respect for ______." carla placed more of her food in her mouth with a shake of her head before moving her failing ponytail to her back from her shoulder, then looking up at you. her doe eyes were just like eren's, he was the spitting image of her and it's one reason why you could never forget her face. "how's mikasa and armin?"
"they're good too, mikasa couldn't come this time, she has too much going on i guess— but she's fine!" a slight moment of worry crossed carla's face, eyebrows turning up and lips frowning as she twirled her fork in the food in front of her.
"hopefully she can come next time, tell her to relax. poor girl, always has so much on her plate. i remember when she used to be here she constantly had to do eren's chores for him, what a doll."
eren scratched his head, looking down at his almost empty plate. "i did work too, she didn't do everything for me."
carla ignored eren's add on."and armin?"
eren answered before you could. "he's good too."
"i hope so, he's such a sweet boy." carla hummed. "so how long are you guys staying? and how long's your break?"
"only a week, we'll be here for this weekend cause zeke is gonna need his car back." your plate was almost finished as well, fork scraping against the ceramic.
"yeah, but later today we're heading back up to go to a party." eren said nonchalantly, eyeing his fork as he spun it in his hand.
"i hope that's okay with you— if you don't want us to go we don't have to." you hastily added in consideration for carla, eren's green eyes narrowing at you with a small frown. he clearly wanted to have some fun tonight.
"no, no! that's perfectly fine, you'll be here for the whole weekend, i'll let you kids have your fun." carla smiled. "i'm just glad you came earlier than waiting until after the party cause i know you'll get back late and i'll probably be sleeping. who's birthday is it?"
"it's not a birthday." eren stuffed the last of his food in his mouth, chewing before continuing. "just a spring break party before everyone goes home."
"oh? so that's what you do in college nowadays?" carla laughed, peering at eren's plate, content that he finished his food. you joined her in laughing, ushering yourself to finish up as well, knowing eren might get impatient with your pace at eating.
"i guess. there are parties all the time. but how have you been?"
carla beamed at your asking. "i'm good! nothing much, i wait for grisha to come home, although i'm usually just here alone. i have my hobbies though, i'm fine. i've been trying to make friends with the neighbors too, they have some younger kids that are enjoyable." as you listened to carla you finished your food as well, her getting up to gather the empty plates and take them to the sink. "thank you for asking, _____. eren, honey can you put the top on the pasta and put it in the fridge? i'll make dinner later just in case you want something else when you get home tonight."
eren pushed his seat back, standing up to do as his mom said, wandering towards the fridge. "that's fine, we should just give you a break, we'll eat the pasta again when we get back, you can just relax, right eren?" you said, watching carla and eren maneuver around the kitchen while you got up to wash your hands at the sink beside carla.
"yeah that's cool too. you don't have to cook mom."
carla pouted endearingly at the two of you with an "awe," leaving her lips. "the two of you are so sweet. i'll clean up, you can go upstairs now." and with that you and eren left her to her own devices, eren grabbing the bags at the stairs and almost pushing you up the stairs.
"that was good, i'm full." you sighed, as you walked beside eren down the hall until he opened the door to his old room. the walls were still a muddy green, a decision you're sure he probably regret now. miscellaneous posters decorated his wall, an oak desk sat idle in the corner of his room beside a collection of simple books. his bed was made, navy comforter sprawled out on the bed and plump pillows sitting pretty. his bed was big enough for the two of you to share, but carla always asked if you wanted to sleep in mikasa's room when you came. you always declined. "look at your certificates." you pointed to the certificates framed on the wall as eren set the bags down on the floor beside his desk.
"shut up." eren grabbed your wrist, pulling you towards his bed until you collapsed onto it beside him. “'m tired." he groaned, his face down into the cover below him, arm slumped over your waist where you laid. you were going to pester eren about his situation with historia, but you decided to leave him alone for the time being.
"you can take a nap before we leave."
eren turned his head to the side so his cheek was smushed against the bed instead, looking at your form, your head pointed towards the ceiling. "you wanna take one with me?"
you faced eren, giving him a stank face before poking his cheek. "just cause you're tired doesn't mean i am. i'll lay here though, i'll wake you up when we should start getting ready." you slipped your phone out of your pocket to check the time. "you have until like five thirty-ish. it's four."
eren squeezed your side, that same anxious feeling rising as he did so, pulling you a little closer, eyes shutting. "take a nap with me."
"no."
"c'mon."
"eren, i'm not tired." he opened his eyes again, piercing green blue hues staring at you head on. he removed his arm from around you, picking his head up and scooting up to his pillow, now facing away from you with a huff. "whatever, i'll wake you up later." he didn't respond, and around fifteen minutes after, once he was asleep you got up from the bed.
shuffling downstairs, you turned the corner to the living room, seeing carla seated on the couch watching tv. "hi, mrs. carla." you said lowly, her head turning back fast as usual, and simpering when she saw your face.
"you're okay?" her hand moved to find the remote, turning down the volume on the tv as you came to sit beside her. her soft hand found yours, grasping it. "enjoying the stay so far, right?"
"of course. eren's sleeping so i wanted to keep you some company."
"that's too sweet of you. he's doing fine too, right?"
"yeah, probably just tired from staying up all night. he was up pretty late yesterday." you reminisced on the small argument you had with eren just the previous night before, you pestering him about his reluctance to sleep, him making you irritable being on the phone with who knows in the dead of the night.
carla nods her head in understanding. "so tell me more about the party."
you look up to the ceiling in thought as she rubbed your knuckles. "well, eren wants to go more than me. i wouldn't have minded staying here if he wanted too, but i guess he wants to see some people."
'hm, are you going to see some people?" she wiggled her shoulders in a taunting manner, and you chuckled in response.
"nope, just gonna chill."
"well... don't get too drunk or anything. i want my babies safe...” she looked at you with large eyes, curiousity present on her face. “are you seeing someone?" she asked abruptly.
you were slightly caught off-guard by the question, but were a little glad carla felt so comfortable basking in your private life. "we won't, don't worry. but um, no i'm not."
"i see... is eren? anything he's not telling me?" you pondered, not wanting to tell too much about eren's own personal relationships despite it being his mom. i mean— would you want someone telling your mom about you breaking girls hearts? you decided to enlighten her a little bit, make her feel like she was somewhat apart of eren's romantic life.
"he doesn't tell me much either, to be honest. i guess he's just trying his luck with girls. he has no problem catching their attention anyways, so i don't think you have to worry much about that."
carla looked at you, an unreadable expression visible on her face through the small moment of silence. she let go of your hand, putting hers back in her lap. "i'm glad you know it too." she half joked, looking to her lap. "... trying his luck?"
you shrugged your shoulders, feeling a tad bit uncomfortable, letting your hand come up to scratch at your jaw. "something like that... i don't know, he's just doing his own thing."
carla's eyes darted back and forth between you and her legs, trying to find something to say, mouth opening and closing every time she thought she had came up with the right words. "_____, i really like you, and enjoy your presence you know. you're really great to eren, i appreciate that. i want you to keep looking out for him, i want the best for him. whatever he has going on, help him figure it out, be the best version of himself as possible."
your words were so vague but you felt like she saw right through them. her words were so vague and you had trouble deciphering them.
"... of course, yeah, i'm looking out for him, he's my bestfriend."
"yeah... that's also true." carla sighed, and you hope she didn't notice the confusion that crossed your face for a brief moment.
saving you from the slightly awkward silence, carla turned the volume up on the television, the two of you sitting and watching whatever was present on screen.
soon enough, eren's foot steps were heard, both you and carla turning your head to see eren standing at the bottom of the steps, and irritated tired look on his face. he rubbed at his eyes, moving away some of the stray hairs in his face before slapping his palm back down to his thigh.
"what are you doing?" his voice was rumbly and deep from sleep, tone impatient.
"talking to your mom?" your response was more of a question, carla patting your thigh for you to get up.
"its six thirteen."
"i left my phone upstairs with you, grumpy." you glanced to carla. "he's always like this when he wakes up."
"i can recall." a chuckle left her lips as she shooed you away. "the two of you can get ready."
so you followed eren back upstairs, toeing behind him until you got to his room. you scurried to get your attire and products from your bag, and with your belongings in hand, you went off to the bathroom to get ready and give eren his own privacy.
soon enough you were dressed and freshened up. your strapped blush silk dress adorned with ruches up the side hugged every curve of yours, while your hair sat pretty. you sighed in content, grabbing your perfume bottle and spritzing yourself, the smell of vanilla engulfing your senses. you looked at yourself in the mirror appreciating the way you looked, your lips glossed, and your earrings dangled just above your shoulders.
from the mirror view you could see eren come in behind you, his eyes trailing down your body from your reflection in the mirror. you didn't bother facing him, only stepping slightly to the side to take a look at him as well, a plain black shirt on his upper half, accompanied by black jeans as well, and some sneakers. his pendant hung in his hand, gold watch to match on his left wrist. of course, he never did much to his hair, as it was still pulled back in the same ponytail from before his nap.
"sit down on the toilet." eren side eyed you before sitting on the lid of the toilet, you coming up in front of him to pull the hair tie out of his hair. "your hair's a mess, and i'll put the necklace on."
surprisingly, no complaints from eren arose, he sat quiet as you carded your fingers through his brown locks, pulling his hair back into a neater bun, flyaways still decorating his face in a more purposeful manner. hair tickled the back of his hair as well, but you liked the messy look. you grabbed the pendant from his rough hands, unclasping the back before putting it around his neck, him leaning forward to give you a better angle while he stared down at your feet. "better."
eren looked over you from where he sat on the toilet seat, a calm face present. "aren't you gonna get cold? or your feet might hurt." he pointed to your white heels detailed with clear.
"i'll be fine," you dusted his shoulder before he stood up, once again towering over you, seemingly more intimidating now that he stood straight up. "i have a jacket that i'll put in the car."
you and eren made your way back downstairs, your jacket and phone now in hand, eren likewise. carla practically gasped at the sight of you two, her eyes growing like saucers at your attire. "you guys look so cute!" she came over, taking your hands into hers. "all grownup."
"mom..." eren exasperated, grabbing your wrist to pull you more towards the front door, away from carla.
"eren, it's okay," you pulled out of his grip, turning back towards her. "thank you so much."
carla smiled, heading towards eren. "and my handsome boy," she swiped at his shirt, making sure there were no dust particles on it much like you had did earlier, then tugging at the key pendant on his neck, straightening the necklace. "you guys be safe, i love you."
eren placed his hand over his mom's, moving it down from the chain and back into her own vicinity. "yeah, love you too." his hand made a 'come on' gesture, and with a tilt of his head, you were following him again. "let's go."
彡
"eren, wait." he didn't hear you, still making his way around the crowd of bodies, annoyance creeping up in your veins as you tried to keep up with him. "eren!" still, no response, only him still moving forward making you groan in annoyance. you rolled your eyes for the umpteenth time, and let them land on the bar next to you. "hitch!" you called out, her and the blonde next to her turning towards the sound of her name being called, who you soon recognized as annie.
hitch waved you over excitedly, almost bouncing in her seat at the sight of you. you made your way over, sitting beside her as she pulled you into a tight hug. "____, hey! didn't really think you'd be here."
"why not?" you hummed, bartender looking your way to see if you would hint that you wanted a drink.
"not sure, i just thought you'd be chilling in your room right about now. i was just telling annie about some boys, there's a lot of cute ones here if you want to get some."
"i'm good." you peered down at her drink, clear liquid detailed with greenery, a lime sitting on the side of the glass. "what are you drinking?"
"a mojito," hitch wiggled her eyebrows as she recalled the drink in a sing song voice. "wanna try it?" she pushed it towards your lips. you shrugged your shoulders sipping at her straw without a care. the drink stung a bit, your face twisting as you shook your head.
"i'll just get a martini. what's annie drinking?"
"dunno, probably water." hitch moved a piece of her hair behind her ear, glancing at the clear liquid in front of annie. "oh, yeah. like i was saying..." her voice trailed off to you as you began to talk to the bartender, ordering yourself a martini.
you sipped on your drink, only half listening to hitch. every time she tried to confirm that you were listening by going "right, _____?" you would nod your head even if you couldn't remember the last thing she said.
"_____, _____!" a familiar raspy voice was calling your name, pulling you out of your thoughts. you, hitch and annie once again looked towards the source of the sound, sasha's hand outstretched in your direction as she came forward, dragging along connie. "hey, you're here!"
you shot sasha a smile, putting down your drink and embracing her into a side hug, waving at connie as well. "hey, sash! yeah, how'd you know?"
"i went to go find connie so he could buy me a drink, and i saw eren and asked if you were here too. he said you didn't know where you were though, but what a coincidence." sasha made herself comfortable in the seat beside you, connie staying standing as there were no more seats to the left of sasha. "what's that?" she pulled your martini forward, putting it to her lips with no hesitance, beaming at the taste. "this, what's this?"
you laughed at sasha's antics, her presence making the event at hand all the more better, you missed hanging out with her, only having night classes with her the semester before. "it's a martini."
"yeah, connie, get me this!" connie let out a sigh and went to the other side of the bar where there was seating to comfortably order and wait for sasha’s drink. "he's so nice, i literally forgot my wallet, and that would've been so tragic if they had some good food here." sasha hummed, reluctantly pushing your drink back over in front of you. "how long have you been here?"
"not for long," you responded, taking another sip of your drink. "maybe like thirty minutes or so, eren left me like as soon as we got here so i've just been sitting with hitch and annie." you gestured to the girls beside you, hitch engaging annie in more conversation who almost forcibly listened, seeming to care less, although hitch told her anyways, getting the occasional nod from the blonde.
"oh, i've been here for like an hour now, i met this really cute boy. i don't know his name but he's blonde, and cute, like really cute." she clasped her hands together at the thought of the boy. "i danced with him, he was so nice, i need to find him again tonight." when connie returned with her drink she thanked him profusely, hugging his arm dramatically before letting him go so he could return to his other friends, waving off to you once more.
"well, find out his name maybe."
"i had it, i just forgot!" she pondered. "i think it started with an m, or an n or something, i don't know." you laughed again, taking another drink of the beverage in front of you ice basically being left in the glass, sasha beginning to drink hers as well. "you should come out to the floor and dance, it's literally so fun. plus, everyone else would probably wanna see you. historia is here! jean is too, and like— some other people."
"are you gonna finish your drink first?" you had no problem going out to dance, although you rather just watch from the outside.
"i'll take it with me. is that a yes? c'mon!" sasha exclaimed, picking her drink off the table and pulling you from your seat. you and sasha made your way through the surplus of bodies until you felt the surface under your heels change. you didn't see anyone you knew but you were sure sasha did as she perked up then looking back at you. "there's the boy, look!" you followed her direction of sight a boy with a middle part, blonde strands flopping at the sides of his forehead. he was cute for sasha, and the joy that glowed on her face made you smile.
you truly did miss her, and the excitement she brought into your own life, coercing you to go out to eat with her, begging to come over after classes despite it being night, and pushing you to attend parties and events.
"can i go over to him?" sasha begged, tightening her hold on your arm before making puppy dog eyes. "look," and with her finger she pointed towards a connie, him speaking while moving back and forth to the song playing loudly, music filling your ears. "connie is over there, i'll take you over." you sighed but couldn't help but cast a smile at her, her hickory ponytail bouncing as she took you over to connie.
connie was in the midst of talking to jean, who you recognized right off the bat, his ash brown hair scaping his neck, eyebrows lifting when he saw you approach with your friend. "connie— and jean, hey, jean. look who's here." connie glanced at you, then to sasha.
"i saw her earlier." he said, pausing from talking, his movements slowing. "but, hey again, _____." connie punched your shoulder lightly in a joking manner.
"well, i didn't," jean's hand rested on his chest as he spoke before pulling you into a hug moving the drink in his hand to the side as he did so, cheesing at you. "hey, _____. when did you get here?"
"when eren got here, if you've seen him."
jean's smile disappeared, an "oh," leaving his mouth blankly. "you look nice. how's everything?"
you stepped forward, closer to jean and connie as sasha left your side to go talk to the mystery boy. you grinned at the compliment, showing your appreciation. "thanks... i'm good, how about you?" you only really heard about jean through eren and sasha, also seeing him around campus more often than not. he was good company for the times you've been around him, but you and mikasa had to constantly get him out of scuffles with eren although they were pretty good friends.
"good, that's good. i'm good too. you're just now getting on the floor?"
"yeah, thanks to sasha. why? you wanna dance with me or something?" you joked, nudging jean's shoulder, earning a small laugh from connie as well that you could barely hear.
"jean you better watch it, this my girl." connie interrupted playfully, snaking his hand around your waist and pulling you closer in spite of jean. jean glared at connie before letting his drink run down his throat again, adam's apple bobbing.
"yeah, yeah, _____, wanna dance?" you complied, connie letting go of you and off to do his own thing as you came more up to jean, moving side to side with him as you mouthed the lyrics to the song. you relished in your movements, being able to loosen up and just dance, jean fluently following your movements as well, frequently mumbling the lyrics he knew. when granted you turned around letting your back hit jean's chest, his lip upturning as he looked down at you, watching you do your own thing. his free hand came down to your side to hold you in place as you danced, feeling the song playing. he studied your face from what he could see, noticing how carefree and relaxed you look. "looks like you needed a night out." he said loudly so you could hear.
"i guess. it's just nice to be able to see all of you at once, just letting myself live a little, especially since i don't get out a lot."
"you really don't. you should talk to sash more, have her bring you to some more parties or something like you used to always come to."
you bent over slightly, only so that you were no longer pressed flush against jean, letting your rear grind against him a bit. "you miss me? you can invite me out too you know, just depends if i'm feeling it that day or not."
"so you're asking me to text you more?" jean took your movements lightly, hand still resting at your side, his own body surprisingly cool albeit your actions, continuing to drink the beverage at hand.
you snorted picking yourself back up and adjusting your dress, swaying your hips once more. "jean kirschstein; always a flirt." jean and you both laughed, and he tapped your hip before gesturing towards the bar.
"you know it— but, i'm gonna get a refill, you enjoy yourself." jean began walking away, pep in his step and you chuckled to yourself, standing around until you took it upon yourself to find someone else you knew.
you walked slowly, looking for a familiar face, sasha almost nowhere to be found. you contemplated going back to the bar to sit down with hitch and annie again, or go converse with jean again, but you spotted armin wandering around almost aimlessly in the crowd as well, your face lighting up at the sight. "armin!" you called out, and thank goodness for his sharp ears, the blonde turning around almost immediately at the sound of his name. his smile was large and he came over,
"______!"
you brought armin into a side hug, a funny look on your face. "armin, hey. you looking for someone?" you asked, referring to his walking around just seconds before you called for him. the blonde scratched the back of his neck, nodding his head with a nervous laugh. "yeah, um... annie, i was looking for annie." your mouth dropped into an 'o', eyebrows lifting up in surprise. you remember eren foreshadowing that armin would be there for annie, and it made you giggle.
"annie?" you smirked, watching his eyes dart around the club, avoiding your eyes. "well, i think she's at the bar talking to hitch. want me to come with?" you weren't planning on grabbing another drink, as you could already feel some of the alcohol buzzing through, but you of course weren't drunk, and you needed it to stay that way.
you felt a hard slap of a hand on your shoulder, whipping your head back to see sasha all bugged eye standing behind you, a concerned expression crossing your face. armin, noticing the drift of your attention gave a curt nod. "no, it's fine, i'll find her." then walking off in the direction of the small bar.
"_____, guess what, guess what!" sasha exclaimed, turning you around by your shoulder, her cheeks high from smiling hard, face flushed from the countless drinks you assumed she must've had since you saw her, another one present in her hand as you spoke. you could only wonder who bought her it.
"hi, yes sash, what's up?"
"the guy— he's literally so cute, and guess what!" she repeated, eager to have you try to guess her next statement.
"um what? you got his number?"
she profusely shook her head, bangs whipping back and forth as she stabled herself on your shoulder, pulling down the dress she was wearing before leaning into your ear. "he can cook too, he told me he's a chef, i mean can you believe that? i don't even know if i want to take him home." she giggled before pulling away, eyes going up to the ceiling in thought. "i should probably get his number too, shouldn't i?"
"well if you're not gonna take him home then you should probably get that now."
"oh, no," her hand paused on your chest while she took a swig of the alcohol in hand. "i'm taking him home for sure, i just got to get the number too, he's so sweet!"
sasha's energy was a lot, her eyes darting around once more. "look, eren's coming over," she pointed with her drink behind you and you turned back to indeed see eren heading over to the two of you, his eyes pointed down at his feet as he watched his step around the excess bodies of sweaty people clashing around him, careful not to step on any feet. "i'm gonna go use the bathroom because i really have to pee, then i'm gonna get his number, ok?" sasha said, you saying an "okay," as she stumbled away to find the bathrooms.
just as she stepped away, eren stepped forward, him placing his hand on your lower back to push you more towards him and get you away from other people. "hey," he said in a louder tone for you to hear.
"hey." your feet moved with eren's as you noticed he was side stepping in an effort to dance less awkwardly, making you hold back a laugh.
"are you enjoying the party?"
"yeah, its nice. i've seen a lot of people so far."
eren peered down at you, eyeing you with another indecipherable look, his tongue sliding over his bottom lip and his eyes squinting slightly. he moved his hand to your side in effort to turn you around, leaning down to your ear. "enjoy yourself a little more, dance with me, i haven't seen you all night."
you looked at eren, his head near your ear causing the deviate hairs on the side of his head to tickle you. "i am... and that's your fault, you left me almost as soon as we got here."
eren ignored your last statement, pressing his palm to the dimples of your back. "lower." he droned, curiosity crossing his face as he wondered if you would comply or not, although he was just messing around.
"eren!" you slapped his arm, another foreign feeling coursing your skin as he tittered in your ear before pulling back.
"what? you're my bestfriend, i'm just messing, plus you'd be at like— my legs anyways." eren gave you a testing gaze, watching you lift a brow up at his slick words. with courage, you challenged eren, pushing back on him a little more, letting your backside brush against him in the slightest playfully. eren's hand stiffened on your side before he turned you back around.
"did you feel that in your legs?" you didn't think eren would take you seriously. you could play around with each other like that, and sometimes you did.
"woah, stop..." he let out a shaky laugh, it sounding more like a huff of breath. "uh, i'm gonna go head over for another drink... do you want one too? i'll pay." his voice came out almost in a pleading manner, but you shook your head brushing him off.
"it's cool, one of us has to stay sober— i wouldn't want you crashing zeke's car either, he'd kill you."
"whatever... but, you sure?"
"yes, i'm sure... i'm gonna go find somewhere to sit anyways, i'm kind of sick of standing."
"i told you your feet were gonna hurt."
"i didn't say they hurt, i said i was sick of standing, stupid. go get your drink." you pushed eren forward a little bit, him looking over you one more time before letting you go, heading in the direction of the same bar almost everyone you had encountered had sat at at least once today.
you wanted to find somewhere to sit, and it wasn't too hard, a broad seating area with small lounge couches and seating in the corner of the club, and sitting one of the couches was pieck, surveying the area, a peaceful expression on her face as she sat with porco. you mentally high fived yourself for spotting another one of your acquaintances, striding over, watching pieck's face practically glow at your arrival, porco not caring much. "pieck," you held your hands out, gesturing to the dark haired girl. "comes to a party, and lays down with porco for half of it."
"so you finally found me." was the first thing she said, intertwining one of her hands with yours and pulling you down to sit with her, laughing at you. "i was out there earlier, and now i'm drinking. pock here wouldn't even let me be out there for too long if i wanted too."
"and let those filthy hands touch you? damn right." he grumbled, arm swung around the back of the seat the three of you were seated on.
"see? pock; forever the life of the party." pieck mimics your earlier tone, using her hands to gesture out like you before the two of you burst into fits of laughter. "but, i saw you being the life of the party and dancing out there."
you scoffed. "barely, i danced with only a couple people, that's all."
"sasha, jean, eren." she leaned forward, bumping you with her hand that held her drink.
"why'd you say eren like that?"
pieck looked to porco, almost snorting at your obliviousness before looking back at you. "he was watching you when you were getting down with jean, then you kind of... got down with him too." her eyes got wide mockingly, before she giggled at her own words, downing some of her alcohol.
"barely," you said again. "i'm just friend's with both of them— and jean is just naturally flirty i guess. i'm just chilling, like you."
porco looked over at your last sentence, eyeing pieck with a muddled guise, her catching on before lightly rubbing his hand that sat on his thigh in security. "not chilling like that, pock, she means i'm just sitting around."
"i'm not stupid, i knew that."
another burst of short lived laughter from you and pieck, porco rolling his eyes at the two of your antics. "well eren and jean are over there now."
you glanced over at the direction of pieck's gaze, spotting eren seated beside armin and annie, and a new face you didn't even see all night, historia talking to eren with a black haired girl next to her, arms crossed. jean stood on the other side of them, leaning on the counter seeming to be listening intently. something seemed off about the conversation but eren seemed to be nonchalant about it so you didn't think twice. "so annie was still at the bar? i guess hitch left her." you said mostly to yourself, recalling when you told armin where the stoic girl was earlier that evening.
"yeah," pieck still heard you. "look at annie and armin," she used her drink to gesture towards the two.
"cute, almost makes me want to get in a relationship, surrounded by all these lovebirds." you said jokingly, specifically aiming your sentence to pieck and porco next to you, and not so much annie and armin as you weren't even sure if they dated.
"i could pluck a couple candidates for you."
"who?"
"i don't think you'd like my answer."
you shook your head at pieck, only letting the comment linger on your mind for a bit before letting your eyes wander back to historia and eren. they seemed to be having a heated conversation from the distance you were at, historia's drink in hand as she spoke to eren, her hands flailing at the same time while eren drank his own, seemingly half-listening. "was historia always here?"
pieck looked ahead to the bar as well. "i'm assuming you mean the blondie from this afternoon? i remember her, but i don't recall seeing her until probably just a couple minutes ago, why? you're gonna go over and say hi?"
"nah, she's a sweetheart though; she'd be happy to see me regardless, but, i think she might be a little annoyed with me because of what happened between her and eren. if i pass her later then yeah."
historia frowned as both her and you, despite your distance watched eren turn around to armin and jean, saying something that made jean burst out laughing and armin and the raven haired girl next to historia's jaw drop. what jean said after was inaudible from where you sat, but you could just see the words "eren," formed on armin's lip. your eyes widened as when eren turned back around historia's hand flew forward, drink wrapped around her fingers letting the contents inside of the cup spill forward onto eren's shirt, the red shade of the liquid seeping into it.
you gasped and pieck did too, her moving her hair out of her face to make sure the events that were splayed out were really happening. "oh my gosh," you muttered, standing up and taking long strides over to the bar.
armin's hand wrapped around eren's wrist, tugging him back before he could lose his temper on the small girl in front of him. "eren, leave it!" you could hear armin say, worry in his tone as eren shook out of his grip. but before he could do anything else in response you were in front of him, your eyebrows furrowed and your hands placed on the front of eren's shirt, avoiding the wet spots as you pushed him backwards a little.
"eren, hey, eren, stop!" you raised your voice slightly, his eyes still trained on historia who you stepped in front of, her stepping back, with the other girl, who you could now tell was mina, but you could only remember her so vaguely, hearing about her from eren more than seeing her more often than not.
eren looked down at you, his expression softening only a tad bit when he saw your own angered one as you tried to calm him down. you twisted your neck back to look at historia with a disappointed look, her looking almost surprised to see you here as well, as if she genuinely didn't know you'd be here. "historia..." you sighed more so to yourself before looking at eren's shirt again.
"_____, i can take him to the bathroom to help him." armin proposed, coming up beside you and examining eren's shirt as well. luckily because of the dark color it only looked like a water stain, but you knew it was irritating eren nonetheless.
"it's fine, i'll take him, thank you arm—"
"no, let's go, get your stuff." eren interrupted you, turning towards the barstool he was sitting on previously to grab his phone. his tone was low and domineering, almost telling you that yes, you were leaving right now, not that you had any complaints; you were already getting tired, hence why you took a seat with pieck.
"um, i left my stuff in the car, and i have my phone." you felt your chest to make sure your device was still tucked away, and it was, eren grabbing your upper arm and for the thousandth time that day, tugging you away. you could only look back with a sorry gaze at armin, noticing jean's still shocked expression, and realization dawning on historia's own face. you would have to shoot pieck a text later that night as well, as you could no longer see her as eren dragged you out the club.
once you took step outside the cold breeze hit your arm, but one of your arm's were still held captive so you couldn't rub your limbs to try and soothe the aching cold, getting annoyed by the way eren was pulling you along with him. "eren, let go." you pulled your arm back, and easier than you thought, your arm slipped out of his grip as the two of you reached the car. this time he didn't open the car door for you, both of you getting into your designated sides simultaneously, eren starting his brother's car again.
"what happened?" you asked almost immediately, eyes still looking down to the splotch of alcohol on his black top. you knew it would turn into a stain without the proper care of the material.
eren basically ignored you, looking over to your side once before beginning to drive off letting silence fall over the two of you. you huffed and looked out the window, resting your head on your palm and just letting eren's temper wash away with the car ride. you'd coerce him to tell you when the two of you got back to carla's house.
彡
eren unlocked the front door, letting you get inside first. all the lights were shut, his mom most likely sleeping, yet the two of you were still quiet.
eren almost immediately began stripping off his shirt, first starting by placing both of his keys on the counter, alongside his phone, while you placed your own belongings beside his. he took off his tee, pendant slapping against his chest once the shirt was off. you used your right foot to kick off your left heel and did the same with the reciprocating leg.
before he could toss his shirt onto the table chair you reached out, grabbing it and going to flip on the kitchen light, heading over to the sink. eren studied your movements slightly surprised by your immediate efforts to help him, which to him should be no shock; you were always willing to help eren, always one step ahead of him before he could make mistakes, always rushing after him before his mistakes as well.
he came over beside you as you studied the stain, your delicate hands stretching out the fabric to examine it further. "what was she drinking?"
eren looked up from his shirt to your face, you too concentrated on the shirt to notice. "how am i supposed to know?" you gave him a browbeaten stare, him shifting uncomfortably before speaking again. "i don't know... it was something red i think."
"i'm gonna hand wash it and put it in the dryer. next time you wash clothes you can wash it too." you murmured, turning on the sink water before drizzling dish soap onto the black material. eren watched you silently, almost in awe at your domestic movements, your hands moving faintly yet firmly when you scrubbed at his shirt. he decided to break the silence instead of continuing to watch you.
"... i was just talking to armin and jean, and then she came over with her friend."
you immediately scoffed, breathing air through your nose at his last words, not even looking back at eren. "her friend? you know her name eren, i know you do."
eren stared at his shoes, tapping his fingers against the counter he leaned against. "yeah, mina. well they came over, and she was just talking to me like normal—"
"eren." your tone was almost threatening— like a mothers warning. you were glad he finally felt the need to tell you about the events that your mind was pondering on, but the way he sounded like he was attempting to dumb down the story itched you wrong. eren could tell by the tone of your voice that you were slightly upset, and he decided not to push any further.
"well she started talking to me about everything, her and mina were like... interrogating me about the situation, how i... played them," the words felt almost foreign coming from eren's mouth. you could almost see him visibly cringing from the angle he was at beside you. "and then i said something that she took the wrong way, i said it to jean and armin, then she threw her drink at me." the more he talked the lower his voice got until it was merely above a whisper, almost as if the embarrassment was only just dawning on him.
you let the quiet simmer for a little longer, ringing out the fabric in your hand before rolling up the material and making your way to the laundry room, eren following behind like a lost puppy. you brushed your hand against the laundry room door, turning to eren for confirmation that it was the right room if you could remember, and he nodded his head. with a sigh you threw the garment into the dryer, setting it to dry for only twenty minutes then letting the dryer run.
eren once again let his eyes follow you as you stepped in front of him crossing your arms, your brows coming together creating a crease between them, and your eyes squinted at him. "so why'd you do it?"
no response, only emeralds darting around the room to avoid your own strong gaze. you weren't angry, no, as cliché as it is you were merely disappointed— maybe even irritated, and of course confused.
"hm? what'd you get out of hurting them?" you stepped closer, eren making no attempt to step back.
"... i dont know, i—"
"you don't know? you just doing this for fun? cause it's not fun for them, and it's not fun for me when random girls always come up to me, like historia; telling me about what you did." you pointed an accusing finger at his chest. "like, i just don't get it eren." your hand came up to your face as you pinched the bridge of your nose.
eren was almost at loss for words, only being able to listen to you speak, and only able to observe the array of motions that came and went on your face in a single minute, observe how you tapped your foot against the hardwood floor, or the way you tucked your lip between your teeth in frustration every time you took a pause in telling him off.
"eren... i'm not saying she was right for throwing that drink on you, because she's not, but you," another brief pause, and your eyes meeting eren’s, a sympathetic look on them. okay, yeah you weren't mad, you just wanted to know what was going on through eren's head. "you can't keep just doing them girls like that, thinking that nobody's gonna bite back."
"______, i'm sorry..." he didn't want you to be disappointed, he didn't want you to be upset with him. it was some kind of heavy guilt that turned his stomach. he took it upon himself to grab one of your hands, and surprisingly you didn't pull away, his fingers rubbing your knuckles in an attempt to soothe your nerves. "'m sorry,"
"eren, you're apologizing to the wrong person." eren genuinely didn't know what to say, he knew you weren't the person to apologize to but he wanted your forgiveness as well. you let go of his hand moving it to the key around his neck, fiddling with it between your fingers as a mere distraction. he watched your soft fingers move, and it gave him a sense of comfort and fidelity, a warmness in his chest.
"i know..." his tone was filled with culpability, and it made you feel bad despite the position he put your friend in.
"you know, your mom talked to me earlier." you unconsciously slid your hand up his chest to his shoulder. your touch, your touch was enticing to him whether you knew it or not. "she said she wanted me to help you out and help you be the best version of yourself as possible." your other hand went on your hip to steady yourself further, but eren pulled it away and brought it to his other shoulder, you giving them a squeeze that made his stomach flip. "so that's what i'm trying to do, because that's what she wants, and because i love you."
eren practically choked when the words left your lips. not that he's never heard it from you before, no, being his best friend for so long it was such a casual thing to say 'i love you', and it was actually repeated more often than not. but now, why did it feel any different now? "i love you too..." he said hesitantly, bringing his own hands to your forearms, massaging the skin much like he did your thigh the previous morning. "you're not mad right?"
"no, if you can do better for me i won't be." truth being, he'd do anything for you. you let your hands glide up until you were cupping his face, giving his cheek a playful pat to show you weren't mad at him, then coming back down to tug at his chain, like his mom did earlier. "c'mon, let's go get changed."
and it hit him— he was awestruck.
it all made sense, fleeting touches he would give you, the way he relished in your skin on his, wanting you to be in his presence— better yet in his arms. the way your own touch on his; like you putting his necklace on for him, or you fixing his hair, how he would look at you in awe as you did so, how it gave him a sense of calmness. you were always looking out for him, and he didn't realize he was looking out for you too, always a protective grip on you, pulling him along with you, watching you from afar when he had the chance, searching for you when you've been away for too long. and you, when you would check on him, fix his attire, fix his necklace, taking after what you've learned from his mom just showed the mutual bond the two of you had, but the longer the bond stayed cordial, the longer he longed for you more. so when your hand slipped from his necklace and you began to walk around him he couldn't help but whine your name lowly and tug you back towards him, abruptly spinning you back around and letting his hands hold your jaw as he pressed his lips against yours, not considering the impact of the action in that brief moment.
you were caught off guard, the feeling of his full lips on yours felt oddly good, but it wasn't right— no it wasn't right at all to you, but to eren it felt completely right, like you were made for him, his other hand pulling you closer by your waist, the silk material of your dress underneath his hand making him squeeze tighter as if his hand would slip away.
you tried pulling away, and eren could feel it, your reluctance and your hands trying to push him away, but just a little longer, a little more, a little bit more time for his lips to engulf yours, until you both had to pull back for air, your nails leaving crescent moons on his chest from your efforts to push him away from you. he heaved, a croak of your name coming out as you shook your head despite the feeling of the kiss you shared sending the butterflies in your stomach abroad. "eren, no... i can't, you‚"
"no," he was desperate, his voice having that same pleading tone from when he asked you to get a drink with him at the bar. "it's not like that, this is different!"
your eyebrows pointed upwards, something in you did want to believe him but you couldn't. but then again, what would make him want to do that? when did he ever start finding you appealing? was it the kiss just now that made you realize that this wasn't the eren you always tried to take care of? that this wasn't eren jaeger whos ears would get red when his mom would tug on them, or who convinced her to paint his walls an ugly green, or the eren that'd kick you out of his room? this was eren, who grew his hair out to his shoulders, who joined a sports team and gained abs that rippled under his shirt which you finally noticed, eren who would make small sexual innuendos that probably had more lying underneath it than you thought.
this was eren that kissed you, and you kind of wanted to kiss him back.
"i promise." his lips were flushed, much like his face, small wispy hairs from the bun that would never stay put for too long swimming around his face. his palm still lingered on your waist but his other hand was now gripping one of your wrists on his chest. he never knew how to keep his hands to his self, and that only increased now. you didn't even realize he was inching closer, practically begging for more contact. "my mom would kill me if i played you anyways."
and so you let his lips collide with yours again, your mouths moving in synchronization this time around. eren's hands fumbled for the laundry room light before he tapped your thigh signaling you to wrap your legs around his waist. you knew his intentions but you still obliged. he shut the door and you wrapped your arms around his neck as he carried you to the kitchen light, doing the same as the previous room, him carrying you carefully in the dark, taking his time to get upstairs quietly with you in his arms until you both were in his room, him finally settling you down on the bed and turning on a dim lamp on his desk.
"shit," he mumbled watching you splay out in front of him, although your knees were touching as you laid back to hide yourself slightly while eren fumbled taking his shoes off. your dress was sliding up your thighs, and if you opened your legs you were sure eren would get a clear view of the cotton underwear you changed into that morning.
eren didn't want to be too hasty, he wanted to show you that this was gonna be about you and your pleasure, to show you that this wasn't another one of his flings and that you were important, you meant something to him but he just couldn't see it until now. so he towered over you, watching the way you bit your lip anxiously and it made his heart skip a beat, you were so cute, and he always knew so but the thought only audibly hit him now. he massaged your knees, one of his favorite soothing actions to do to you, until he slowly pulled them apart, feeling you tense up. "it's okay..."
so you moved along with him, and likewise, your dress slid up some more, eren pushing it up to your stomach, you lifting your hips to help him do so. he eyed you, making sure you were comfortable, and he couldn't help but lean down to kiss your lips once more, before pushing you further up the bed so he could lean over you. "you want this too, right?"
you nodded your head, letting out a shaky breath as his kisses trailed down your neck, eren using his arms to support himself as he leaned between your legs. you could feel the denim of his black jeans pressing up against you slightly and you clenched, your knees hitting eren's sides. "you gonna let me treat you right, make you feel good?" more kisses down your sternum, until they reached the cleavage of your breasts, eren looking up at you with those recognizable doe eyes, and you pulled his head back up, fingers brushing against his ears.
"yes, eren." his name, his name on your lips never sounded so nice.
eren turned his head sideways to kiss your palm before giving you a boyish smile then tugging at the straps of your dress. "want me to take this off?" he was so verbal, it made you feel so safe and secure. when you nodded your head he began to slowly pull the fabric off of you. he took his time, feeling every inch of your body, every curve beneath his hands, the softness of your flesh against his knuckles. he almost groaned out seeing your body almost bare in front of him. you were so pretty, it almost wasn't fair that it took him this much time to take action. "pretty." he spoke under his breath, but you heard it, and your hand slowly went to your mouth to hide your smile, your other one wrapping around your own waist to hide yourself, and eren caught on, moving your hands. "stop hiding, beautiful."
the compliments went right up your spine, your eyes fluttering as he skipped over your bra and let his kisses head down south, peppering your stomach in them. he let his fingers run up against your sides, eyes looking up to you for a second to make sure you were comfortable to where his hands and mouth were headed. eren's fingers dusted the waistband of your underwear, his teeth grazing the material as well before he pulled back, letting them snap against your skin, you hissing in response. "eren," you whined, feeling yourself grow even slicker from his onslaught.
"yes?" he said almost tauntingly. you could feel his hot breath over your lower abdomen, and you felt like you were being tickled. he decided to be a little slower, moving his hands to your thighs instead, rubbing at them, his fingers ghosting over your skin the closer he got to your heat, and when your mouth dropped open, the smallest moan came out of your mouth when he let his palm rest over you, he couldn't help but rut his length onto your thigh a little through his jeans.
when your legs spread more between him, he took it upon himself to go back down to the same position he was in, holding one of your legs apart by your knee while the other one attempted to pull your panties over your legs. eren was growing excited watching your hips lift up and your underwear fly across the room. his eyes were dark, hungry almost as he watched you try to close your legs again, but his hand was still holding them open as he stared at your glistening cunt. "damn," he breathed out shakily, jade eyes swapping between the view of your face staring at the ceiling in slight nervousness, and your pussy, sitting pretty in front of him, for him. "let me taste you."
you nodded your head almost too fast, and that urged eren on, him settling himself in between your legs. "you're so sexy," his thumb gave your clit a few test rubs watching your hips buck up slightly, and you could feel yourself pulse, aching for more contact, but eren was being painfully slow. he let his thumb drop down lower until it slide between your folds, gathering your slick on the digit, pride filling his body at how much coated his thumb. "you're so wet because of me." way to fill his ego. you rolled your eyes with a small chuckle that made him reciprocate, the childish smile returning on his face.
"stop..." you said, letting your hand fall to your stomach, the small moment of laughter making you a tad bit more comfortable. eren closed his eyes, pressing his tongue against your clit before flipping it and dragging it down to your entrance. before you could even buck your hips up his hand flew to your side, his fingers pressing into your skin, holding your hips in place, a whine leaving your lips that egged eren on. "fuck," the new sensation of his tongue on you, simply sitting on your hole had you wriggling underneath him. he opened his eyes to watch you, your head thrown back on your pillow, mouth agape your hand now kneading at your breast, bra pulled down around you waist, and eren couldn't help but smirk against your throbbing heat.
"you like that?" his lips moved against you and you visibly shuddered, causing eren to chuckle.
"yeah..."
eren pressed a kiss to your clit before finally letting his tongue slip into your hole, a small gasp eliciting from you as you felt yourself clench around the wet muscle. he audibly groaned, the way you tasted and felt around him making him tighten in his pants. he pushed his tongue in and out, relishing in each of your gasps and the moans you tried to hide. he pulled back for a brief moment, bringing his fingers up to spread your lips. "don't hold back, i wanna hear you." and he slid his tongue up your slit before sliding it back in, essentially tongue fucking you, your back arching as much as possible under his restraint.
"eren, fuck— more," you hissed. it felt almost teasing, you needed something bigger, something to fill you up and fuck you good, and the thought alone along with eren's tongue venturing inside of you made you even wetter, and eren could feel it, slurping at your juices. the vibrations made you yelp out, his grip on one side of your hips tightening while he readjusted his fingers in a v-shape to hold your lips apart.
eren gave you a small break, pulling back for a brief moment to let you calm down before gently sucking on your clit. he let his tongue sit on it then went back down, this time taking his index and sliding it into you, a drawled out moan leaving you. your eyes squeezed shut, and no— no, it still wasn't enough, but it felt so good.
eren smiled to himself, seeing you shaking in pleasure, knowing it was him doing so, and let his fingers do some work, kissing up your thighs then nibbling on the skin slightly, your other leg sliding up and down on the bed and your toes curling. he pecked kisses back down your thigh until his lips met your clit again, lapping at it lightly and letting the cold air hit it before pressing his open mouth against it and sucking, small hums of content leaving him.
"i can't," you could feel yourself throb as eren pumped his finger in and out of you, curling them to hit that sweet spot inside of you and you almost cried out, that familiar feeling of an overload of pleasure creeping up on you. "i'm gonna come," and god, did he want to feel you cream all on his mouth.
"gonna come for me?" eren added another finger, feeling you squeeze around him as he continued to thrust them into you, letting his lips come back to lick at your heat as he fingered you faster while his other hand trailed up and down your sides instead of holding them down. you let one of your hands come back down into eren's hair, finding a grip on the brown locks and pushing his head down further, eren humming in content, sucking harder for your pleasure.
"yes, eren, yes!" you blabbered, the heat in your lower abdomen twisting around as you grind against eren's face until your orgasm tumbled over you, your hips stuttering, back arching while eren slipped his fingers out, taking both of your thighs on either side of his head and helping you come down from your climax while he licked at you until you were back calm yet your breathing uneven.
eren pulled off of you with a pop, his eyes meeting yours, but you only looked for a split second before you let them go down to his lips, covered in your wetness, and he smiled, his tongue slipping over his top and bottom lip. "you taste good, that was good..." he climbed over top of you until his fingers were prodding at your lips, asking for entrance so he could have you taste yourself, and you complied, lips parting and his digits slipping in while your tongue swirled around them. he curved his fingers, pushing them further down your throat as far as possible before slipping them out and coming down to kiss you, the taste of you even more apparent as your mouths met. he slipped his tongue in, grabbing your jaw and kissing you fervently, tongues dancing together for a bit before he reluctantly pulled away, pressing his forehead against yours. "good job."
your hands made quick work of pulling off your bra completely despite the ache from keeping your legs apart while eren shifted backwards off the bed as you watched him unzip his jeans, pulling down his pants until he was left in grey boxers. he pulled those down too, his cock slapping against his lower abdomen without shame and you nearly drooled when he took it in his hand, rubbing up and down the length while coming back over to his bed. you grabbed eren's hand, trying to keep your eyes off of his length making him let out a low laugh. "you scared?" he joked as you brought him down next to you.
"shut up— no, i'm not." your hands moved to his chest pushing him down to his pillows but eren sat back up, placing his own hands over yours.
"woah, it's okay, you don't have to." he realized you wanted to suck him off, but he didn't want to make it about him tonight as to not give you any ideas that any of this was temporary. he wanted to take it easy and pleasure you like he just did, make you feel good, and make you cry out his name, not vice versa. "you lay down." eren flipped the two of you, until you were back underneath him, and he took it upon himself to rub your breast, letting his thumb and index twirl one of your nipples between his fingers. his mouth came in contact with your other boob, talented tongue going to work at your reciprocating nipple for a brief moment before pulling back. "i don't know if i have a condom."
you glance up at eren, a frown forming on your face. you knew he messed around a lot and that somewhat worried you. "you don't have condoms here or something?" your eyes darted around his room.
"it's my mom's house, no i don't have condoms." eren was growing impatient, precum visibly leaking out his tip so he took it upon himself to smooth it down his length while he thought. "i'm clean though, i swear." he added. "i haven't had sex in a couple weeks either." you gave eren a wary look. "i'm not lying."
with a roll of your eyes you nodded your head and shifted around, but eren stopped you halfway, hand pulling your hip back down to the bed. "nah, i want to see your face, gorgeous." just as fast as he slipped out of his alluring mood, he slipped back into it and your lip twitched as his hand ran down your side until it was back at your thigh, eren pulling your leg further from the other. he looked down to position himself in front of you, mouth in an 'o' shape at the sight in front of him. he was about to fuck you, and fuck you so good. "you ready?"
"mhm."
so eren slid himself inside of you, both of you groaning simultaneously until he was buried at the hilt— and this is what you longed for. you felt so full and it felt so nice, the way he stretched you out was indescribable and your mouth hung open, small gasps coming out as your hand gripped at eren's forearm near your head. "fuck, you okay?"
albeit your eyes being squeezed shut and eren feeling like he was splitting you open, you nodded your head hastily, nails digging more into his skin. it had been awhile since you had sex yourself, so the feeling almost felt like your first again. "yeah... you're just, so— big..." you managed to breathe out. you should've kept your mouth shut, you could practically see eren's ego inflate, his lip twitching trying to suppress his smile.
he brought his palm to your face, smoothing over the skin with his thumb. "yeah? well you're so tight," eren pushed a little further until his tip was brushing your cervix, then his body coming back a little bit until his head was a distance above your pussy, collecting spit in the front of his mouth before letting it slowly drop down onto your clit, rubbing it in to soothe you further as he pulled out a bit, tantalizingly slow. "i'll go slow at first."
eren pushed in and out slowly like he promised, but it didn't last for long, his pace quickening fast, but luckily he continued to rub you in circular motions to help ease the pain until it melted into pleasure. "can't believe you're letting me fuck this pretty pussy of yours." he groaned out, his hips rocking against yours.
the way you wrapped around him, squeezing him impossibly tight wasn't fair. you felt exactly how he thought you would, maybe even better, and every thrust of him inside you had him holding back more and more. "shit, _____." his voice came out in a whimper, and his elbows were brought down to the bed while your legs wrapped around his waist in an attempt to pull him closer.
for you, the sensation was incredible, the way he pulled out just before he was no longer inside of you, then pushed in until you could feel him against your cervix, every time he hit it pleasure shooting up inside of you. it had your skin feeling tingly and your hands flying to grip at the sheets, small wails of pure euphoria coming out of you and edging eren on. "eren," you cried as his teeth began to nibble on your neck, sucking on it as well in efforts to mark you. his necklace sat cold against your chest as he sucked on your neck and increased your pleasure.
"yeah, i love hearing my name from you like that, say it again." he almost demanded, pumping into you harder, your body rocking on top of the bed with every time eren slammed his hips into yours, your wetness collecting on his pelvis. "again," he popped off from your neck watching the skin slowly darken, and he knew there'd be a hickey soon enough.
"eren!" you whimpered, rolling your own hips down into his, eren supporting himself on his arms again, bringing one up to wrap around your neck, giving a test squeeze. "fuck..." you choked out as he tightened his grip, almost surprised at the fact that you weren't trying to push his hand away. his fingers tapped against your neck before he pressed harder, coming down to kiss you again, tongue licking at your bottom lip, your breathing shortening from the lack of oxygen coming in or out. he pulled at your lip before making every thrust of his powerful, pulling out slow then coming back in strong.
"so you like when i choke you like that?" he mumbled against your lips before pressing his against your jaw. "you're so dirty... never thought you'd be like that." and finally he let you take in air, palm moving from your neck to your breast, giving it a nice squeeze.
eren lift your hips up a little bit so he could find that spot inside of you— and when he finally hit it you all but screamed, his hand slapping over your mouth and eren's eyes widening. "shut the fuck up!" his tone serious, as you forgot that his mom was only rooms over. you gave him a sympathetic look in apologies as he slid his hand from your mouth.
"'m sorry, but you feel so good..." you pouted trying to kiss him up in excuse. it had to have worked the way eren leaned forward so he could brush against your sweet spot again, this time you gasping.
"yeah? i feel so good?" he repeated.
"yeah."
"'atta girl," you were consumed in ecstasy, the praise, the stimulation, the feeling of his pendant against your skin, everything was surrounding you and that familiar feeling of your orgasm approaching began climbing again, you just needed a little more. "taking this dick like that— and liking it too." eren unwrapped your legs from his waist, his pace speeding up again. "i bet you want me to fuck you like this more often."
you groaned, your hand snaking down to rub at your clit again, and only after a couple rubs were you seeing stars, your back arching again, every nerve in your body being pinched as you came all over eren. a cry of his name came out over and over again and your eyes rolled to the back of your head.
he didn't stop, no, he was close himself, and the way you were pulsing around him as if you were trying to milk him was helping him to his end. your body went almost limp as you let eren finish. "fuck, fuck, i'm almost there too," he bucked his hips into you a few more times before pulling out and letting his hand finish him off, rubbing himself profusely until spurts of white came out flying onto your chest and stomach. "shit." he panted, and you were too, your breathing unstable, chest rising up and down after your orgasm. "shit."
eren rolled over until he was laid down beside you, your eyes struggling to stay open. eren let his rake over you, from the mark on your neck, to his cum splattered on your midsection, to the small sheen of sweat that covered yours and his body, causing some of his flyaways to stick to his forehead. he sighed in content before getting up to go grab a rag to clean you up.
"don't go to sleep yet." he said as he wiped and cleaned you up with a damp rag, cleaning himself off as well.
"why?" you mumbled with your eyes closed as you turned around so your face smushed against eren's pillow.
eren grabbed his boxers slipping them back on and contemplated handing you your underwear as well or letting you stay comfortable. seeing you wake up bare would cause a problem for him that he didn't want to deal with so he grabbed your underwear and helped slipped them on you, then rummaging through his bag for one of his shirts. "come on, let me put this on you." you reluctantly obliged, picking yourself up from his pillow and lifting your arms so he could slip his shirt over your head before climbing into his bed next to you, pulling you flush against him.
"you okay... was that okay?" there he went, checking up on you.
"yeah, you okay?" and there you went, doing the same.
"yeah... that was real good," eren kissed the top of your head. "i meant it when i said this is different." he rubbed your back, pulling you even closer, his legs tangling with yours as the two of you cuddled under the covers. it didn't feel as wrong to you anymore. a little weird? yes, but his words were reassuring. "i want something with you... i do. you do so much for me, we're always together, my mom loves you— i love you... i don't know, i just wanna be with you."
your heart was pounding in your chest, even through your tiredness. "can you show me you can be better first? work for me?" you didn't want to just hand yourself to eren that easy. "i want you to show me how much you love and care for me. get yourself together, settle down, then i guess you can settle down with me later."
"later?" it pang eren's heart a bit that he wouldn't be able to call you his just yet, but he was determined to do what it would take to get you.
"later."
彡
"_____, wake up, my mom made breakfast." your eyes opened slowly at the sound of eren's voice. you turned over to see him dressed, sweatpants and a shirt on his body, hair slightly damp from what appeared to be a recent shower. "get ready, i'll wait."
with hesitance, you got up and got yourself cleaned up and ready. you threw on some leggings and a sweatshirt as you didn't recall any plans with eren nor his mom that evening, and with that you and eren head downstairs, eren's hand holding yours as he pulled you down, but he didn't drop contact with you when the two of you got into the kitchen. instead of holding your hand, he hopped up on the kitchen counter pulling you between his legs where you stood.
"good morning, when did you two come home last night?" carla asked from her position at the stove, flipping a pancake before grabbing three plates from the cabinet next to her and then turning around to face the two of you. neither you or eren missed the suspicious glance she gave you when she saw your stances, holding back her question so you could answer hers.
"probably around twelve... we left early." you said.
"i thought so, i heard something last night but i remembered it was probably just the two of you so i went back to sleep." carla slipped the last pancake onto the stack then handed eren the three plates to place on the kitchen table. "am i missing something?" she said giving you two a one over as she gave him the plates.
"no. there's three people and three plates." eren said as he placed them onto the table, and you rolled your eyes at his stupidity.
"no, like... you guys seem comfortable today." realization hit him as he turned around to his mom trying to hide his stupid grin, which told you to not let him speak.
"uh, me and eren talked yesterday." carla raised an eyebrow at you as she walked past you to put the stack of pancakes on the table, you following behind her to take a seat.
"about?"
eren glanced at you then to his mom as she brought over a container of syrup and some forks and knives. "i'm trying to make _____ my girlfriend." he said blatanly, watching his mom freeze up as she put a fork and knife beside your plate.
"really?"
"yeah... he is." you couldn't decipher her reaction, until a small smile appeared on her face as she pat your shoulder and took a seat with you and eren.
"i'm glad." she hummed. "it took you guys long enough... but why is he trying?"
you avoided carla's eyes, concentrating on pulling a pancake to your plate as eren seemed nonchalant about the whole ordeal. it was his mom, so of course he'd be less nervous about it than you.
"i told him i wanted him to get some things together first."
carla nodded in understanding as she began cutting her pancakes. "i see. that's good, just let me know if anything okay?"
"okay." you and eren said the same time causing carla to giggle.
"i'm talking to _____ not you." her tone had a hint of excitement to it.
she was happy, and something inside you was too.
you weren't sure if eren getting a drink spilled on him was karma or luck.
#eren yeager x reader#eren jaeger x reader#eren x reader#eren jaeger#eren jaeger smut#eren yeager smut#eren yeager fluff#eren smut#eren aot#attack on titan#eren fluff#eren x reader smut#eren jaeger x reader smut
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Can I request a uzui x shy reader where reader is his fourth wife but she feels left out a lot so she distance and avoid Tengen and her co-wives. When reader comes home one day she surprised to find uzui home by himself because he was meant to be out with the others and she was going to try avoid him again but as he wants an answer to why shes acting the way she is and turns into a smut in the end? :>
Did I get carried away with this? Maybe. Could I have written more? Absolutely. But I have to practice self-control.
‘i want to be part of your constellation’ / Uzui T. x Reader
warnings: NSFW, cunnilingus, Tengen’s fat tiddies
words: 2,492
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Sometimes, being a Pillar’s wife is hard. They’re constantly away, fighting battles and saving lives; there’s always that lingering chance that they may never come back. It’s a dangerous life, but a respectful one nonetheless.
This is what drew you to Tengen in the first place – despite his brash, asshole attitude, he’s selfless. It was during an attack at your parents’ farm when you first met him; appearing like a night in shining armor, he rescued you from a bloodhungry demon, his movements powerful yet graceful all at once. As a thank you, your parents offered your hand in marriage to the handsome stranger. Surprisingly, Tengen agreed, but it wasn’t like you were going to deny marrying someone of his status and exquisite looks.
However, you didn’t know about the other women in Tengen’s life. As you quickly found out, he had three other wives, all of who he met while in the shinobi forces. Of course, you weren’t a fighter like them, nor did you have that close relationship from sharing the same background. No, you were the docile one of the group, the one meant to take care of the home while the others went to fight demons and the like.
Even two years later, things haven’t changed. You love Tengen, and the other girls are basically your best friends, but the chasm separating you from them couldn’t be more evident. Sure, you’re part of the “family,” but it doesn’t necessarily feel like it. You’re the quiet one, the one that keeps to themselves, the one who’s in charge of a happy homelife. And so you distance yourself from everyone else, stick to the sidelines while they’re out saving the world.
Granted, you’re used to this lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt. If only you’d been a shinobi or a slayer, things would be different. You’d know what the life is like, the feel of a blade as it passes through a demon’s neck. But no, you’re always stuck with carrying a pouch of wisteria on your body to keep yourself safe. At this point, you don’t whether Tengen makes you keep it because he wants you to be safe or because he views it as his obligation.
With a sigh, you turn towards the sky, the endless blue a clear difference to your bitter gray mood. The tote hanging from your shoulder is heavy with fruits and vegetables from the market, but you’re excited with the possibilities of all the tasty meals you could create. Even though you can’t fight to save others, you can feed them; you also know for a fact that you’re the best cook among you co-wives.
When you return home, you slip off your setta and pause, listening to the familiar silence. Like usual, the others are away, most likely fighting off some lowly criminal or preparing for a battle against a demon. Either way, it seems like you’re going to be spending the majority of the day by yourself. It’s sad that this is what life has come to; when you first married Tengen, you were hoping for more excitement, not lonely thoughts. You don’t want to come off desperate, though, so you continue to remain to yourself. At the end of the day, it’s not that big of a deal – that’s just life.
Wandering towards the kitchen, you become caught up in these thoughts, these negative feelings. You don’t want to make yourself cry – you really don’t – but your heart is saying otherwise. All you want is to belong. You want to mean something to this family, not be the impromptu mother waiting for her rambunctious children to come home. You become so lost in your head that you fail to see him standing in the kitchen, lips wrapped around a ceramic cup.
Coming to sudden stop at the threshold, your attention jumps back to the present. Tengen merely sends you an amused look over the rim of his cup before he knocks his head back and empties its contents. Why is he here? Shouldn’t he be with the others? He said he wasn’t going to home for a while! Did something happen? Are the others okay? Why-?
“You’ve got that dumb look on your face again,” Tengen teases. “Stop thinking so much.”
Huffing, you step into the kitchen, drawing the tote off your shoulder and setting it down. “You surprised me, that’s all. I thought you were busy.”
“What, am I not allowed in my own home? That’s kind of cruel, don’t you think?” The smirk he flashes you sends a pleasant shiver up your spine.
“I never said that,” you hastily respond. Your eyes scan over his Corps uniform. You’re quickly finding yourself feel bad for taking up his time when he’s bound to be busy; Pillars have the toughest jobs of them all, and every single moment is precious. “You’re usually never this home early,” you mutter. A sigh slips through your lips. “…I should… uh, I need to do laundry.” You despise how pathetic you sound, but the knowing look in Tengen’s eyes is making your nerves go haywire.
Stepping away, you prepare yourself to leave, but Tengen moves way too fast for your eye to catch. Before you’re out the door, his hand is around your wrist, spinning your around and tugging him towards his chest. You yelp as you collide with solid muscle; wrapping his meaty arms around you, Tengen holds you close, his nose buried in your hair.
“Don’t act like I haven’t noticed you moping around more than usual,” he mutters. Pressed to him like this, you can hear his heart thumping steadily in his chest. “It’s not flamboyant of me to ignore what’s bothering you.”
“Tengen-“
“Let me finish,” he interrupts, but his voice is soft. “I want you to be honest with me. Are you lonely?”
At that, your heart drops to your stomach. You haven’t been that obvious, have you? Jaw falling agape, you’re desperate for words, to tell him no, you’re fine, but nothing wants to come out. Tengen releases a sorrowful sigh and pulls away just enough so that you two are looking eye-to-eye. He’s always been huge, standing tall and broad; in moments like these, the sheer size of him is more than intimidating. His biceps alone could crack a watermelon.
“Idiot,” he mumbles. Your face scrunches up when he flicks your forehead. “I shouldn’t have to confront you about something like this.”
You pout up at him. “It’s just… I’m not like you guys,” you confess. “I can’t fight, I can’t defend myself… All I’m good at is being a homemaker.” You drop your gaze to his chest. Now that you’re finally getting everything off your chest, all the pent of thoughts and feelings begin to gush out. “I feel like an outsider most of the time. You and the other girls are always running around together and doing amazing things. All I do is sit around and do chores. I can’t…” Biting your lip, you squeeze your eyes shut. Now is not the time to be crying. If you want things to change, you have to remain strong, not burst into tears.
A hand cups your face, then, lifting your head so that you’re forced to look at Tengen. “Be quiet. So what if you’re not a fighter? That doesn’t make you any less flamboyant.” His thumb brushes over your cheek. “You’re the one I can rely on to be here when I need someone. You always get this dumb smile on your face whenever I come home from a mission.” Dropping his head down, he presses his forehead to yours. “I know you’re safe here… Do you have any idea how scared I would be if you were out in the field with us? You’re important to me, baby. When I’m not here, you’re on my mind constantly.”
Your heartbeat quickens. You can’t deny the genuine glint in his dazzling eyes, the slight curl to his lips.
“In fact,” Tengen continues, pulling away entirely. In a swift movement, his large hands are clutching your thighs, raising you up and swinging you around; you let out a surprised squeak as he places you on the table and presses his large body between your legs. “I can’t stop thinking about you. You’ve always been so soft, so sweet…” His warm breath fans over your face, making you swallow thickly. “And you’re so small. I’ve got to keep someone like you under protection, don’t you think?”
Before you really have the chance to say anything, Tengen swoops in, his mouth seeking out yours. He’s always been such a bold kisser, sweeping his tongue into your mouth with no hesitation whatsoever. He tastes like wine, so rich and delectable, and his tongue is so warm, so inviting. Your head is spinning, your breaths leaving in short gasps. His hands are all over you; gripping your hair, trailing down your back, sneaking underneath your yukata-
A groan bursts from your throat as he fondles your breasts, the pads of his fingers rolling the hardened nipples and pulling them. Tengen curses as he breaks the kiss, the lightest of blushes on his face. He bites his plump lower lip as he shamelessly plays with you, his pupils blown wide. His hips press in close, his groin bumping into yours; he’s already hard, deliciously so, and your mind goes entirely blank. You want nothing more than his cock to slide in, to absolutely tear you apart.
“You feel that, baby?” Tengen husks. “Don’t think your unimportant to me. You’re so fucking sexy, so flamboyant…” His tongue darts out, sweeps over his lips. “Let me make it up to you. You won’t feel lonely anymore, got it?”
Furiously nodding your head, you allow Tengen to yank open your yukata, revealing soft skin. Your eyelids flutter as he places his mouth to the exposed flesh, his lips and tongue equally hot. Chest rising frantically beneath his touch, you grip onto him for support as he kisses your breasts, his tongue dragging across your nipples. You keen as he promptly sucks it into his mouth, his teeth sinking down lightly as his hands unceremoniously rip your underwear from your trembling form.
“Oh, gods, Tengen,” you purr. “Please… Don’t stop…”
“Wouldn’t dream about it,” Tengen drawls. Sinking to his knees, his mouth leaves a wet trail down your body; there’s bound to be marks, you’re sure of it, but you don’t care. His mouth feels way too heavenly yet sinful, the pleasured grunts pouring from his lips pure music to your ears. “Give me a taste…”
You cry out when he licks against your slit. In a fit of desperation, your fingers clutch onto the silvery strands of his hair, accidentally loosening it from its ponytail. Tengen groans into your quivering pussy as you yank at his hair, his name leaving your lips in high-pitched whimpers. Any other time, Tengen would play the part of the ultimate tease, but not now. No, he wants to please you, to have you screaming his name and begging for more.
He eats like a man starved, his mouth just ravishing your cunt; the noises coming from in between your legs is nothing short of sinful, leaves your blood boiling. Your velvety walls clench around his protruding tongue, each curl and flick sending delicious shivers up your spine, down to the tips of your fingers and toes. Tengen’s always been a god with his mouth, and it’s no wonder how he has four wives. You try not to think about the other girls too much; it’s quickly turning into a battle that you’re hopelessly losing, but then Tengen moves to suckle on your clit while his fingers replace his tongue.
A sharp cry rips its way out of your chest. It feels so good. “Ah – Tengen – fuck,” you whine. Hearing the pleasured noises from your beautiful lips spurs him on; redoubling his efforts, Tengen grabs onto your hip as his fingers push in even further, finding your soft spot with pin-point precision. You rapidly come undone around his fingers, your walls clenching around him as your slick gushes out. A breathless moan of his name echoes throughout the room.
“Just as sweet as I remember,” Tengen husks. The deep rasp of his voice has you clenching again; with a chuckle, Tengen removes his hand and stands up.
“I want you,” you coo, “please, Tengen. Fuck me.” Reaching out, you hastily undo the top of his uniform, push the articles of clothing down his shoulders under his torso is completely bare. Tengen’s chest practically rumbles with a purr as you drift your hands over the swell of his pecs, the divots of his abs. “So gorgeous,” you murmur. Tengen starts to chuckle again, but it quickly dwindles into pleasured grunts as you squeeze his pectorals and pinch at his pert nipples.
“Shit,” Tengen hisses. His hips buck forward, the hard outline of his cock brushing against your sopping cunt. In quick, fumbling movements, he undoes his belt and drops his hakama low enough so that his cock pops out. You practically drool at the sight; he’s been going around commando all day, and fuck you wish you knew that earlier.
His bulbous head pushes inside, his cock slowly filling you up. The stretch is delicious; you feel so fucking full, your velvety walls eagerly sucking him in. Clutching onto his shoulders, your fingernails dig into the thick cording of muscle, your eyes basically rolling back in your head as Tengen snaps his hips forward, his cock sliding in to the hilt. He pauses for a second, allows you to adjust to his massive size. Once you give him the go ahead, all caution is thrown to the wind.
Your husband in no longer a man, but rather a savage beast. He fucks into you thoroughly, his cock dragging against all your sensitive spots as his cockhead pounds into your cervix. He’s hitting you so deep, stretching you so wide, you’re seeing stars. His lips find your neck while his hands hold you by the ass, keeping you place. You have no choice but to cry out his name, moaning until your throat goes hoarse.
Hiking your thighs onto his hips, he urges you to lie flat on your back. Like this, he presses his palms against the surface of the table and completely concentrates and fucking you into oblivion. It’s working, rightfully so, for your drooling and babbling his name, your nails scratching down his back and leaving angry red trails.
“I’m gonna fill you up, baby,” he purrs. “Show you that you’re really mine. I love you, got it? Don’t ever think otherwise.”
Tears flood your vision – whether they’re from pleasure or the new onslaught of emotion, you don’t know. Either way, you cling onto him tighter. You’re not going anywhere, and Tengen makes sure of it.
#kny#kimetsu no yaiba#demon slayer#kny x reader#kimetsu no yaiba x reader#demon slayer x reader#tengen uzui x reader#uzui tengen x reader#kny tengen#request
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ok ok so my request 👉🏻👈🏻
it’s the most obvious thing but i have a full crush on bakugou, so can you please write about him x male reader, where the reader is like.. having nightmares or almost doesn’t sleep because of his quirk (idk like maybe he can hear something special or predict anything bad, doesn’t really matter) but feels safe around bakugou so he always falls asleep around him or even oN him and katsuki is like “😡(❤️)shit whatever” and the reader is kinda shy about that but totally ok with their friends being like “wow bro that’s kinda gay :> ” because he is comfortable with “oh that’s because i aM the gay✌🏻” and his classmates love him and everything and would never mock.. but one time someone from another class was really really rude bcs of that or said that katsuki hates it so the reader starts to avoid bakugou and bakugou geTS MAD about it because reader is just his and no one else’s >:0 maybe a little confession from him in the end, maybe some.. *gay coughing* angy k*ss from him
please make it angsty but with a fluffy ending please please and thank you very much in advance💙 sorry if it’s too big i can’t explain my thoughts properly thaha
Bruh I just realized how long this request is 💀💀 also look at me, writing it like decades after you requested it 😭 pls enjoy I’m actually quite proud of it (also isn’t that gif perfect hahah get it bc the prompt was abt like sleeping and bakugou’s sleeping and-yeah I’ll let u read now)
——————
Bakugou x reader - Angry Insomniacs
⚠️Warnings - mild arguing, it’s not that bad
Pronouns - male, he/him
——————
“Why are you always fuckin’ sleeping on me?”
It first started during the Sports Festival. The chicken race and cavalry battle really took a toll on (Y/n), and he was suffering harsh quirk drawbacks. That, being drowsiness.
Somewhere on the stands, (y/n’s) eyes grew heavier and heavier until he realized he had fallen asleep. He also didn’t realized until he woke up that no one disturbed him when he was near Bakugou. Be it fear, or just plain respect, (Y/n) seemed to get the best rest when he was with Bakugou. Not even Iida dared to wake him up when he dosed off on Bakugous shoulder.
He always made it a point to be in Bakugous vicinity when ever he could, taking naps with his head buried in his arms next to Bakugou at lunch, or having his head resting on his shoulder in the dorms.
“Oi! Don’t drift off on me!”
“Mm? Sorry, Bakugou.”
(Y/n) rubbed his eyes as he weakly pushed off the common room couch, stretching and yawning as he did so. “Can I sleep in your room tonight?”
“N-no, dumbass! Fuck kinda question is that, shit-for-brains?!”
“I’ll see you there later then, Bakugou.” (Y/n) gave a slight nod, Bakugou practically foaming at the mouth already, before trotting off the continue his nap in his own room.
Before heading to his room though, he walked into the kitchen to grab a post-nap time snack. Tsuyu, who was already digging in the fridge, stepped back so (Y/n) could grab whatever he wanted.
Tsu eyed (Y/n’s) slightly tousled hair. “Did you take another nap on bakugou-chan? Kero.”
(Y/n) hummed out a “yes.” Tsu hummed back in acknowledgment. Kaminari and Kirishima, unintentionally, started listening in from their place in the kitchen after hearing Bakugou being mentioned.
Tsuyu put a finger to her lip. “Ne, (Y/n)-chan, why do you always take naps on Bakugou-chan? It’s always him, kero, and you go out of your way to make sure it’s only him.”
“Why?” (Y/n) pulled off the carton of milk stubbornly hanging on to the fridge. “Because I like Bakugou. Duh. And I sleep better near people I like.
Kaminari gasped comically while Kirishima sputtered and choked on his words. Not just listening anymore, Kaminari but in. “L-like? Like, ‘like’-like?!”
Kaminari and Kirishima joined Tsuyu and (Y/n) near the fridge. (Y/n) nodded out an “mm-hm.”, whilst grabbing a cup from the cabinet.
“So you’re like...” Kirishima made wild, indecipherable, gestures with his hand. Eventually, after realizing no one was taking the hint, brought his voice down to a whisper.
“...like...gay..?”
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell us?!” Kaminari grasped at his blond hair. (Y/n) thought for a moment, poured himself a glass of milk, and shrugged.
“I don’t know. You never asked.”
“And you’re so comfortable just telling us now? Why, kero-kero?”
“Because I’m gay as fuuuuuck.” (Y/n) took a swig of milk like it was a shot of whiskey. “And it’s not like it was a secret or anything.”
“Though I don’t think Bakugou knows. He’s too angry about me sleepin’ on him all the time to actually care about me.”
(Y/n) polished off his glass of milk. He set the cup down gently into the sink. “Eh, it’s not like I actually care for what he thinks about me.”
“See ya, I’m gonna finish my nap.”
“Uh-bye”
“Bye-bye.”
“Bye, kero.”
———
(Y/n) yawned as his head lolled off of Bakugou’s shoulder. He hissed, dusting off his shoulder angrily.
“Go sleep somewhere else!”
“I’m just goin’ to the bathroom, Bakugou, I’ll be back. Keep your shoulder warm for me.”
(Y/n) weakly stood up from his chair, and sluggishly walked out of the cafeteria. Damn, his feet felt heavy. Maybe if he hurried to the bathroom, he’d get back in time to catch a few more minutes of sleep before Bakugou exploded on him or lunch ended.
(Y/n’s) shoulder accidentally caught on someone else’s, making him stumble back and rub his shoulder. Monoma tilted his chin up in a mocking fashion.
“Ara? Is that (L/n) (Y/n) from class 1-A I see?”
(Y/n) nodded, only half processing his words as he continued on his way to the bathroom. Monoma followed somewhat behind, spewing words and one-liners that went in one ear and out the other. That is, until,
“Honestly, you would’ve thought that angry blond kid would’ve told you by now”.
(Y/n’s) ear perked up. He halted to a stop, Monoma following suit and shoving his hands smugly in his pockets. “What’s this about Bakugou?”
“Oh? He really didn’t tell you, huh? That’s...” Monoma stifled a condescending snicker. “...surprising.”
(Y/n) stepped closer. “C’mon man, tell me what?”
Monoma sighed. “Well,”
“I heard that Mr. Blasty, matter-o-factly,” Monoma jabbed his pointer finger into (Y/n’s) chest. “Really, really hates it when you sleep on, or near him. Actually,”
“I think he just hates you in general.”
(Y/n) furrowed his brows. He’s lying. He’s lying. He likes him, doesn’t he? Bakugou likes him, or else he wouldn’t have lead him on for so long, right?
Because he wouldn’t let just anyone sleep on his shoulder...right?
“You’re lying.”
“Well, believe what you want, honestly,” Monoma made a show of crossing his arms dramatically. “But you should see the way he shit-talks and glares at you in you’re sleep. It’s not like he can push you off though, you’re ‘just so persistent you’ll never leave him the fuck alone’.”
(Y/n) shoved his hands in his pockets. Monoma raised his hands in defense. “His words, not mine.”
(Y/n) turned on his heel and began to speed walk to the bathroom. Monoma yelled out from his spot in the empty hallway.
“Oh? You don’t want to hear what he thinks about your little crush on him?”
(Y/n) froze. He was under the assumption that everyone but him knew, could he be wrong? He pressed his lips into a fine line, turning around as composedly as he could. Though, he couldn’t mask the fearful curiosity in his eyes.
Monoma grinned. It was an unpleasant, sarcastic grin, one that didn’t look peaceful or pleasing at all.
“Well, I doubt that there’s anything to to say at all, so does it really ma-“
“What...what does he say about me?” (Y/n’s) voice quivered. He knew he was falling into Monoma’s trap, that he was just trying to provoke him, that he was looking for any kind of reaction, but his curiosity got the best of him. It really did, because Monoma’s words stabbed spears into (Y/n’s) heart, word by word.
“Blasty thinks it’s fucking disgusting how you like him, like, as another dude. Like honestly, he thinks you take him for an idiot for thinking he actually didn’t know! And the fact you sleep so close to him know full well you want to get in his pants?! He thinks you’re a pervert! A lazy shit! A fag! Ahahaha!”
Monoma loud cackles were cut short when he suddenly slumped over. He sunk to the ground, revealing Kendo, holding one big hand up and the other to her waist. She most likely knocked Monoma out once she heard his condescending retorts from the cafeteria.
Kendo sighed, bending down the haul Monoma’s arm over her shoulder. Her heavy glare softened once she caught sight of (Y/n’s) buggy eyed face starting at the ground where Monoma was.
“Sorry...he didn’t say anything too harsh, right?” Kendo’s words were gentle, but they sounded practically inaudible to (Y/n’s) traumatized ears.
He wordlessly staggered past her, heading back into the cafeteria to grab his lunch and sit elsewhere. He supposed he wouldn’t bother Bakugou anymore. Since he’s so damn ‘persistent’, he figured he’d stop bothering him for the rest of the day.
He wished he wasn’t so curious about what Bakugou thought of him. Like people say, ignorance is bliss. He could’ve gone his whole high school career without knowing Bakugou hated his every being. How was he going to face him in class knowing every pointer glare, every scoff, every insult was genuine?
(Y/n) felt his throat tighten. For the first time in years, (L/n) (Y/n) was fully awake.
——
It was the first time in many months that (Y/n) didn’t sit in the seat next to Bakugou, napping in his presence. He’d done it every day no fail, that is until this week. Actually, this is the 6th consecutive day he didn’t take a nap at all.
(Y/n) sat placid in his assigned seat, eyes wide and trying to keep awake. He couldn’t sleep without thinking of Bakugou, and every time he did it was always him scoffing and turning his back on him.
Every few seconds, (Y/n) would jolt harshly in his seat, rocking back and forth like a drug addict in withdrawal. He stared at his desk with eyes that could kill someone, and he dug his hands into his forearms to keep himself somewhat awake.
He didn’t hear Kirishima calling his name until he snapped his fingers infront of his face. The snap rang like a gunshot, surprising (Y/n) from his trance so badly he jolted back like he got electrocuted. Kirishima raised an eyebrow.
“You...ok man...?”
(Y/n’s) dry eyes landed fixed onto Kirishima. He relaxed, and let out a breath he didn’t know he was taking. “M’fine...”
His voice cracked like it hadn’t been used for days. (Y/n) let his eyes drift back forward, hunching back over and huddling his body like he was trying to squeeze himself to death. When Kirishima gave him a skeptical glare and crossed his arms, (Y/n) let out a small “m’ just tired, that’s all...” and gave the most pathetic smile known to man.
“If you’re so tired,” Mina, rested her arms on the back of (Y/n’s) chair. “Why don’t you sleep on Bakugou like you do every morn-“
“NO! I-I can’t do that!” (Y/n) whipped his head back, gripping the back of his chair so hard his hand turned white. Mina and Kirishima flinched, noticeably caught off guard with his sudden outburst. “I...can’t...I can’t do that...”
(Y/n) suddenly looked very awake, contrasting the way he looked like he was struggling to keep his eyes open the whole time they were in class.
(Y/n’s) breath steadied as he shut his mouth awkwardly. “M’sorry...for yelling...didn’t mean to...”
(Y/n) scrubbed at his eyes. The rush of adrenaline was already wearing off. Mina set her dainty pink hand on (Y/n’s) hunched form. “Why not...?”
“I just can’t.”
(Y/n) said nothing more. He went back to his occasional jolts awake and scrubbing his heavy eyes every 2 minutes. Kirishima sighed, shaking his head towards Bakugou, before shrugging his shoulders then forming an ‘X’ with his hands.
Bakugou clicked his tongue angrily, turning and facing back forward in his seat.
——
(Y/n) was practically seeing stars by the end of hero’s class.
It was a relatively simple assignment, 1 on 1 sparring, but it caused a lot of quirk use.
He fought both his tired eyes and Midoryia, but ultimately failing due to his harsh quirk drawbacks. Midoryia barely had to break a sweat to have (Y/n) come toppling down.
(Y/n) was ushered back into the horde of students murmuring “don’t mind” and “you did great!”, but he just slithered past and stood a few feet away from them, all the way in the back of the field.
All might was explaining something (Y/n) couldn’t quite hear. Not only because he was standing so far away, but because his hearing had been considerably wonky, not to mention the hissing, ringing sound irritating his eardrums.
“Oi.”
And even if the ringing had stopped and he could hear, his brain was too tuckered out to remember anything past five seconds ago.
“Oi!”
Gosh, speaking of his brain-
“OI! SHIT-FOR-BRAINS! YOU GONNA KEEP IGNORING ME OR YOU GONNA TELL ME WHY YOU’VE BEEN AVOIDIN’ ME?!”
Bakugou set off a small explosion. The blast wasn’t nearly as loud or powerful as in combat, but to a tired mans ears, it sounded like nukes. The ringing in (Y/n’s) ears spiked, and he cupped his ears tightly.
“B-Bakugou, nows not-“
“OH, YOU TRYNA TUNE ME OUT BY COVERIN’ YOUR EARS NOW?!” Another explosion. Bakugou’s gauntlets had been out for repairs since his last hero training, so (Y/n) could clearly see the glowing red and yellow spark from his fist. The ringing spiked again. His vision burned with sparks.
(Y/n) winced, saying nothing, and brought his hands to rub at his eyes. Bakugou eyebrow twitched.
“STOP IGNORING ME!”
Bakugou brought his hand out, his gloved hand starting to glow red with his next explosion. (Y/n) couldn’t take it anymore.
He stumbled forward, and grabbed Bakugou’s wrist. He shoved it out of the way, but his hand still ignited and set off a blast that propelled them straight to the ground.
“G-get off-a me!” Bakugou tried pushing (Y/n) off with his free hand.
(Y/n) pinned Bakugou’s glowing right hand by the wrist, using his other to hold down his other shoulder. (Y/n) would’ve never done something as ballsy and stupid as this, but he was too tired, too done, too much in pain to care.
“What are you actually trying to say!? All that stupid extra yelling and petty insults, they get you fucking nowhere! Spit it out! Or does trying to intimidate every single fucking person you meet just self-satisfaction?!”
Bakugou growled. He grabbed at (Y/n’s) shoulders, pushing off of him and pinning (Y/n) to the ground in his place.
“Then what about you, huh?!” Bakugou was angrily spitting at (Y/n’s) face. “Why the fuck did you stop getting enough sleep for your quirk?! Are you just that dumb that you stay up at night?!”
“I don’t wanna hear it from a stupid fucker like you, who can’t even take care of himself!”
(Y/n) hissed. He freed his dominant hand from Bakugou’s vice grip and pushed at Bakugou’s face, grabbing a fistful of his hair. “All you ever do is shit talk! Shut up! No one thinks it’s fucking cool!”
“What the hell are you even talking about?!”
The two wrestled on the ground, angrily grabbing and tugging at each other, and rolling around on the floor. There were shouts of “get Aizawa-no, get midnight-sensei!” and “All might, stop them!”, but the two were so caught up in their fight they couldn’t hear anything.
“Can’t you ever learn to mind your fucking Business?!”
“What the fuck does that even have to do with this!”
(Y/n) flipped Bakugou over one more time. He pushed him down by the forehead, pushing his head down into the ground while Bakugou flailed and kicked from underneath him.
“SHUT UP! WHY DO YOU EVEN FUCKIN’ CARE, BAKUGOU?! WHY DO...w-why do...wh...”
A sweet, sweet smell flooded (Y/n’s) senses. It smelt relaxing, tantalizing, it smelled like sleep. It smelled like sleep. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to sleep so bad. Maybe he could just...
(Y/n) slowly sank from his spot on top of Bakugou, flopping on top of his body and going completely slack. Bakugou’s eyes widened, and he covered his nose.
Midnight strutted from above the two, waving away a few stray wisps of her mist. Bakugou hacked out a new breath, while (Y/n) laid on top of him, peacefully asleep for the first time in days.
“Well, it seems like you two already know without me saying it.” Midnight motioned over to two small robots carrying a stretcher. “I’ll just take him to recovery girl and he should wake up in-“
Bakugou pursed his lips and wrapped his arms around (Y/n’s) sleeping figure when Midnight extended her arm towards them. He tightened his arms around (Y/n).
“I’ll do it. S-since this piece of shit attacked me first and...I’ll just do it-!”
Midnight eyed him knowingly, before waving him off and mumbling something about ‘youth’.
——
(Y/n’s) eyes fluttered open. His body felt like it was broken in every way possible. It was so sore, it hurt even thinking about moving. (Y/n) laid there, with his eyes half open, contemplating whether or not he should close them again.
Would he be able to sleep, though? Even if he’d started sleeping near Bakugou as a ‘don’t-wake-me-up’ measure, it slowly stopped being just that and more a matter of he felt safe and comfortable around him. In a way, he’s become a bit dependent on him, which is probably a bad thing, but he didn’t care.
Sleeping with Bakugou felt best. But that wasn’t an option, now was it?
(Y/n) pursed his lips, an involuntary groan rumbling from his tired vocal cords. He continued staring at the blinding nurse office lights, staring until he saw spots in his vision.
“Stop doing that-do you wanna go fuckin’ blind?”
(Y/n) flinched. He hated the way that familiar, aggravated voice still stirred butterflies into his stomach. He glanced to his side, as if to make sure he wasn’t just hearing things.
He met eyes with Bakugou.
“Bout’ time you fuckin’ woke up. Been waitin’ forever, shit-for-brains.”
(Y/n) averted his eyes back up to the blinding floodlights. Bakugou scowled. “Oi! Don’t ignore m-“
“How long were you here for?”
Bakugou went silent. It was his turn to avert his eyes, albeit more angrily.
“...I was here since you fuckin’ fainted in class, idiot. I even carried your stupid body here from the dumbass carrier bots.”
(Y/n’s) eyes softened, unlike Bakugou’s, who glared at the floor just beside the chair he was sitting in. (Y/n) checked the big black clock mounted on top of Recovery Girl’s desk.
It was 6:00 pm.
If Bakugou was telling the truth, he’d been sitting there waiting for him to wake up for 4 hours straight.
“Bakugou-its been hours since class ended-you should be at the dorms by now-! Why did you-“
“Well if you told me why you suddenly started avoiding me we wouldn’t be here right now!”
(Y/n) let his mouth fall closed. Bakugou scoffed. “Well?!”
(Y/n) opened his mouth, but it clamped shut when Monoma’s words echoed in his mind. Bakugou looked at him with an expectant face.
“I can’t tell you.”
“WH-“ Bakugou sputtered angrily. “COURSE YOU CAN! THE FUCKS STOPPING YOU!”
“Nothing I-I just can’t!”
“WHY!? WHY NOT?!”
“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!”
“OK AND?! I LOVE YOU TOO!”
“THEN WHATS THE PROBLEM HERE!” (Y/n) shouted, before he cupped his mouth in realization. Bakugou’s eyes went wide aswell. “Wait I didn’t mean that-“
“YEAH! WHATS THE FUCKIN PROBLEM HERE?!” Bakugou recovered from his initial shock, already back to yelling. (Y/n) furrowed his brows with a blush.
“Wh..wait so-“
“I LIKE YOU, YOU LIKE ME, SO WHY THE FUCK DID YOU STOP SLEEPING ON ME?!”
“Wait but...” (Y/n’s) voice was barely above a whisper. “Don’t you, y’know...not like it...when I do that-?”
“DUMBASS! WHERE’D YOU GET THAT FROM?!” It seemed like Bakugou got angrier and angrier each passing second. It was hard to tell what (Y/n) found so attractive about him.
“From...from Monoma...?”
Bakugou looked angrier than ever. (Y/n) raised an eyebrow. “YOU-I CAN’T BELIEVE-! I-! FUCK IT!”
Bakugou snarled and practically shoved his face onto (Y/n’s), angrily stealing his breath away with a kiss. The kiss, surprisingly, was soft and gentle, despite Bakugou’s previous intensity. It seemed to calm Bakugou down, and cheer (Y/n) up.
The two slowly parted for air. It was quiet for a second, something that rarely happened near Bakugou.
“I thought you hated me...”
“W-why the fuck would I hate you...dumbass.” Bakugou rested his forehead on (Y/n’s) shoulder. His spiky tufts of blond hair tickling (Y/n’s) face.
“Because Monoma said so...?”
“I’m gonna kill that bastard.” Bakugou snarled, climbing into the cot (Y/n) was in. He pushed (Y/n) back down into the pillow, pulling up the white blanket and laying down next to him. He guided (Y/n’s) head-a tad bit forcefully-to his chest. “...after we sleep.”
Bakugou shut his eyes, half irritated and half embarrassed, while (Y/n) chuckled tiredly. He nuzzled his head into Bakugou’s chest.
“Goodnight, Bakugou.”
——
Extra:
Monoma walked into class 1-B the next morning. He yawned, still a bit tired, when he ran straight into someone.
“Hey, copycat fucker.”
Monoma looked up. The class was empty, with no one but Bakugou standing infront of him.
Fuck.
Needless to say, Bakugou got another 3 days of house arrest.
——————
Bru this was so long ong
#bakugou katsuki#mha bakugou#bnha bakugou#bakugou imagine#bakugou x reader#katsuki bakugo x reader#bakugo#bakusquad#bakugou x male reader#bakugo x male reader#bakugou angst#bakugou x y/n#mha#mha fic#bnha#bnha fic#bnha x male reader#mha x male reader#mr scifijiz
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Stolen - Lando Norris x Reader (Chapter Two)
2.9k words, rated E for everyone :)
Lando’s voice, amplified by the TV speakers, echoes around the humming Red Bull garage. “I’m fine but I’ve been better. I can say that I’m not in perfect condition, I’m not gonna lie. Some work to do mentally of course. I talk about that a lot, and mental health and mental strength is very important. I’ve not been sleeping that great and so on… not ideal and I’m feeling a bit sore, but I’m not the guy in the worst position after Wembley. I’ll work on it, I’ll make sure I’m in the best shape possible, and I feel like I can still go out and focus on what I need to do, and that’s the main thing.”
Your mind races as you listen to the boy plastered across the many screens revisit his experience at Wembley. He sounds awful; something about his cadence making it even more obvious that he is really, truly shaken up. The wavering pitch, awkward pausing, fumbling for words; everything about the way he presents himself is serving as a brutal reminder that being physically unscathed is no indicator that harm was not dealt. Even as the interview moves past the topic of last week’s Euro Final, you notice the shift in demeanor and your heart aches. You worry that bringing the watch to him is a bad idea, that it could prompt unbidden memories and disquieting feelings. You understand how big of an event Silverstone is from your dad’s tangents alone, especially for an English team with an English driver, so you reevaluate whether your decision to come was selfish, one made solely to alleviate your own sentiments of guilt rather than to verily right your believed wrongdoings.
On the journey to Silverstone, your dad had made multiple attempts at lessening your stress, even opting for variations of the if he steps out of line I will put him right back in his place father speech. Unfortunately fruitless, your father’s attempts mean you remain just as anxious as when you had first discovered that you managed to obtain a stolen wristwatch.
You’re not sure whether it’s the crisp morning air or your nerves that sends chills across your flesh, but your attempt to ground yourself subtly doesn’t go unnoticed by your dad as he passes you in the garage.
“Time is ticking,” he informs you, a smirk playing on his lips. “No pun intended.”
You roll your eyes in an attempt to downplay your apprehension, but your voice gives away any and all signs of the false confidence you hope to portray. “Can you do it for me?” you plead.
“I can’t just stroll on over to the McLaren garage without an invitation or proper reason, especially not a couple hours before free practice starts. It doesn’t look good.”
“It’s not like me walking in there instead would look any better,” you retort, gesturing to the Red Bull logo plastered across the chest of your black polo. “Your branding isn’t what I would call subtle.”
“Look, the McLaren team are a good sort. They’ll help you out if you just explain the issue and show them the watch. I’m sure Lando will understand too, he seems like a pretty nice bloke,” your dad reassures you.
Sighing, your eyes meet the floor, fingers intertwined with each other as you fidget incessantly. Before you can speak up in further defiance, however, an additional set of footsteps grow nearer and you freeze at the voice which speaks up.
“Christian, how much longer until our media slot?”
You lose your breath momentarily, locking your gaze onto your shoes as you wait for the person to pass by.
“About five minutes, Max,” your dad replies. “We were just about to head over.”
When you hear the footsteps grow fainter, you risk looking up, thankfully being met with only the observance of your father. You don’t even realize that you’ve tensed your body until your dad points it out.
“Relax,” he says. “He’s not going to say anything here, especially not on a race weekend.”
Nodding, you feel your shoulders ease up but you remain quiet.
“Anyways, like I said, our media briefing and interviews start soon and we’re after McLaren this weekend so they should already be back in their garage,” he says, realizing that you still appear troubled by the task ahead of you. “I promise you, everything will be fine. Just go over there and I’ll meet you back here when we’re done. The quicker you head over, the quicker you’re done with it and we can all move on." With that, your dad walks away and you reluctantly leave the Red Bull garage, adjusting your shirt as you straighten up.
You take a brief glance at your phone, turning it off after you try one last time to keep the picture of the boy imprinted in your mind. Eyes darting rapidly, you attempt to scan the paddock for anyone looking remotely like him while you make your way towards the bright orange and blue indicators of the McLaren garage.
The frequency of orange-clad individuals grows the further you stray from the safety of Red Bull’s garage, and you feel your heartbeat begin to increase. Worried that someone would stop you before you could approach the one person you had traveled all the way to Silverstone for in the first place, you quicken your pace.
You’re mere meters away when you spot him. Pushing past a few people while trying to keep your eyes trained on him, you watch as he turns around to talk briefly with the woman next to him.
Huffing, you muster up the little confidence you have and tap him on the shoulder.
His confusion is evident and the blonde woman next to him does not look pleased to have been interrupted. The silence is palpable as they stare at you, expecting an explanation for the abrupt ending of their conversation.
“Hi,” is all you can deliver. You’re at a loss for words while the woman next to him seems to lose what little patience she has with you. Everything you had rehearsed beforehand, gone. Your mind is foggy and your mouth feels dry as you try to compose yourself. “Um, can I talk to you for a second? It won’t be long, I promise.” Your voice breaks at the end and you wish you had never agreed to get on that stupid red-eye to Silverstone in the first place.
Lando offers a look of sympathy and then turns to the woman next to him. “Charlotte, could you just give us a second?”
Pursing her lips and turning on her heel, the woman walks away, heading towards the mouth of the McLaren garage. She’s far enough away that you’re out of earshot, but close enough that you feel her gaze linger as Lando turns back to face you.
“Hey, don’t worry,” he tells you with a smile. “We can take a picture if you want or I can sign some stuff for you.”
“What? No.” You shake your head, mentally slapping your palm against your forehead and forcing yourself to get a grip. Idiot. “Fuck, sorry, that sounded so rude! It’s just-” you rush to explain.
“Oh no, it’s okay!” he stammers. “I should’ve guessed from the Red Bull shirt anway.”
You both share an awkward laugh before you compose yourself and reach a shaky hand into your bag.
“This is going to sound so weird, but I was online shopping for a new watch the other day because I lost mine, and I’m pretty sure I bought the one that was stolen from you. I didn’t know anything about it, I swear. I just...well, here,” you say, offering the watch and its temporary box to Lando.
He looks at you, taking the box only to go wide-eyed at the contents inside.
“I have all the information that I was able to get, but the ad was taken off of eBay and I really wanted to do the right thing and give it back to you. Please don’t be mad.”
“What the hell?!” he exclaims, earning a few looks from people passing by and catching Charlotte’s attention once more. “Sorry, sorry. How did you get this?”
Amused, you laugh quietly while he studies the watch intently. “That was my dad’s reaction too. Basically there was a listing for it on eBay and it was sort of an impulse buy,” you explain. “I didn’t see the news coverage of what happened until afterwards and I felt awful. I’m really sorry you had to go through that, I genuinely had no idea.”
Shrugging, he plays it off. “Nothing I can’t handle.” It’s hard to miss his sudden change in attitude from the interview you watched moments ago and you can’t help but wonder whether he has your or the watch’s presence to thank.
There is a brief moment of silence between you both before he continues. “How much did you pay for it?”
“It was so cheap, honestly,” you say. “Nothing compared to the original price, I’m sure.”
Charlotte, alerted by Lando’s attention-grabbing reaction to being reunited by his watch, returns to where the two of you are standing. “Oh wow, did you find a replacement watch for him?” she asks you, clearly impressed by the apparent likeness.
“No, Charlotte”, he corrects her. “It’s my one. Look.” He hands the watch to his PR manager, who receives it so gently you think she’s afraid it might shatter in her hands. Flipping the watch between her fingers, she studies the small engraving on the underside of the face.
“Oh my god,” she whispers.
Lando nods. “It’s the exact date it was given to me, there’s no way anyone else could know that and make a copy of it.”
You feel the need to justify yourself to her. “It was listed online and I bought it before I knew anything about the situation. I didn’t even really know who Lando was until I saw what happened on the news, I swear.” You anticipate her anger or disapproval, preparing yourself to withstand the lecture you’re about to receive and mentally promising that, as soon as it’s over, you can run back to your dad and tell him you just want to go home.
But it doesn’t come.
“I can’t believe it!” she exclaims. “We all thought we’d never see it again and you found it on accident.” The smile she gives you sets your mind at ease. “Technically, this is a police matter now, so I’ll have to hand it over to the right people, but this helps us tremendously. Did you get any information about the seller?”
You explain the situation to her, about how the listing was taken offline but you have a printout of the messages and address the seller gave you, which you hand her from your bag. She lets you know that someone may get in touch soon to ask questions but not to worry, that it’s only a formality. Eventually, she asks if you’d like to watch free practice from a spot in the mobile hospitality unit, but you politely decline, explaining that you needed to get back to your dad in the Red Bull garage instead.
Charlotte smiles fondly at Lando and presses the brim of his cap down over his eyes. “Come on, you, we have to go and get ready now anyway.”
He takes off his hat, cheeks flushing as he makes an effort to quickly brush the curls lining his forehead, placing it back on and dismissing Charlotte with a wave of his hand. “Okay, just give me a minute.”
Once the two of you are alone, he pulls out his phone. “Do you have Venmo? I’ll pay you back, it’s not fair that you had to waste your money.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it.”
Lando seems unconvinced. “It’s really not a problem.”
“Seriously, it’s all good.”
“Well,” he continues awkwardly. “I have to go, but are you here for the whole weekend or...?”
You shake your head. “Just today. I’m not into Formula 1, I find it a little bit boring.”
“Seriously?! The fastest cars in the world and you’re calling it boring? Why even come to something like Silverstone if it’s so boring?” he feigns offense, doing air quotes as he imitates your apparent disdain for the sport.
Laughing quietly, you shrug. “I have family at Red Bull, so it was basically just luck and convenience that you were in the U.K. this weekend,” you clarify. “I don’t really understand Formula 1, that’s all.”
“Fair enough, it’s not for everyone I suppose,” Lando replies. “So who in your family works at Red–” The end of his question is drowned out by the sound of his name called by an evidently disgruntled, impatient engineer.
He sighs. “I’m sorry, I’ve really gotta go, but, um,” he exhales with a nervous laugh. “I still feel like I need to repay you in some way. Do you want to go get a drink after the race on Sunday? I’m busy for the next few days but Sunday night I’ll be free. Only if you want to, of course, I don’t want to, like, pressure you or anything.”
You laugh, appreciative that the nervousness was shared. “That– Yeah, that sounds fine. I’ll give you my number.”
He types your details into his phone before apologizing once more, thanking you again, and rushing off into the garage.
——
On Sunday, you let your dad believe he’s the one who convinced you to stay for the entire race weekend, but it’s the promise of Lando’s company later that night and the endearing text messages on your phone that prompts the desire to see this weekend through. You had spent the previous nights on your phone, going through driver and team Instagram accounts, as well as the F1 website, to get an idea of what to expect. Typically, it would pain you to look through motorsport news pages, especially with so many of the reports centering around Max and his vie for the championship as of late, but you manage.
You notice almost immediately while settling into your spot at the back of the garage that the energy does not match your own. You are enthusiastic and eager, while the rest of the team is stressed and rushes around you. Presumably, it’s because race day impacts their livelihoods and paycheks whereas it only dictates your family’s dinner topics, but, nevertheless, your excitement refuses to simmer.
Unfortunately, if it was weird for you to be seen at the McLaren garage before the first free practice, it would be infinitely more suspicious for you to be lingering around on race day, so you were not able to catch Lando at all since your initial meeting on Friday. However, you made sure to message him good luck beforehand, to which he thanked you and expressed excitement for your upcoming night.
“If you need anything, just ask. I’ll be on the pitwall,” your dad says, snapping you out of your whirring mind. He notices your obscure behavior, quick to comment on it. “Is it weird? Being here after so long?”
You nod, shrugging. “Unusual, for sure. So much has changed since the last time I came and watched, but I’m excited, though.”
“Well, it’s always good to have you here.”
Reciprocating your dad’s grin, you silently send him on his way. He exits quickly and leaves you to your own devices. Though, your own devices look to consist of impatiently waiting for the race to start and scrolling absentmindedly through your phone. Ironically, your boredom with pre-race antics appears to create quite the dichotomy against the chaos exuding from the garage you find yourself encompassed in.
Regardless, your attention is regained when frequent cuts are made to the drivers in their cars, and you recognise that the race will be starting soon. You are temporarily startled when the cars begin moving without hearing an official announcement, but quickly realisee that it is merely a formation lap and no one else around you seems to be paying all too much mind to it.
When the cars return to their positions on the grid, you watch eagerly as the lights flash and the announcers begin yelling. You keep your eyes trained on the orange car towards the front of the grid, watching Lando so intently that you almost miss what happens to the cars in front of him.
Your eyes go wide as you watch the events unfold: the Red Bull car out front collides with what you identify as a Mercedes, spinning and slamming into the barrier. Gasps chorus across the garage as the screens replay slowed clips of the crash as an announcement states that the safety car has been deployed. They replay it from every conceivable angle, your astonishment at the severity is present upon your first viewing, but it’s only after the sixth clip that it clicks in your head that the person in the car is Max.
“For the second time this season, Hamilton and Verstappen clash and tangle on the opening lap, but, this time, it is ending in dramatic consequences for the championship leader.”
If you had perceived the pre-race behavior in the garage as chaotic, this was a whole new level of absurdity.
People rush around you while orders are shouted and frustrations are verbalised.
Your dad is angry.
The last time you recall him behaving like this was when your younger sister had broken the wine glasses he had bought for your mother on their honeymoon. You, however, ignore his yelling and remain encapsulated by the TV, releasing a breath you didn’t know you were holding as the events unfolding finally, finally register in your brain.
Car number 33 is in the wall and out of the race, and your ex-boyfriend is inside, silent and unmoving.
____________
tag list @lovebynorth @its-astrotea-love
#f1#f1 fanfic#f1 blurb#f1 x reader#f1 smut#f1 writing#f1 imagine#f1 fluff#formula 1 fanfic#f1 one shot#formula 1#formula 1 imagine#formula 1 blurb#formula 1 writing#formula 1 smut#formula 1 fluff#lando norris#lando norris x reader#lando norris fanfiction#lando norris fluff#lando norris smut#lando norris blurb#lando norris imagine#lando norris fanfic#lando norris writing#max verstappen#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen imagine#max verstappen fluff#max verstappen smut
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youreyeslookliketheocean’s DSMP Fic Recs!!
Figured it was about time for one of these... :)
Mostly SBI-centric because they’re my favorite dynamic. I’ll probably add to this list as time goes on, and I also want to go back through my ao3 history and find some lesser-known fics I really enjoyed to rec them all. But for now...
* oneshot ** unfinished work
** the lights go out (my heart goes still) by curseworm
With his old home unwelcoming and his new one gone, Tommy is alone. After hours of staggering through the freezing snow, he finds a cabin.
Technoblade’s cabin.
He hides himself away in the deepest corner he can find, taking only what he needs to survive, wasting away in the cold and the dark. He’s petrified at the thought of being found out, terrified of what he thinks Techno would do to him.
When Techno finds his injured teenage brother huddled in a filthy little cave beneath his basement, the rage he feels is immeasurable. The voices demand blood, and blood he will give them. Dream won’t be getting away with this one.
(On the other side of the world, in a country that floats on a man-made lake, Philza gets himself in a bit of a pickle.)
** The hearth down under by Crystalquill
A tiny change gives Tommy the courage to flee to the Nether instead of the cold tundra, finding an unlikely ally in the midst of a fiery hellscape.
But tiny changes can alter the course of history. The SMP will never be the same.
(Lots of cool Nether worldbuilding in this one!!)
to be a wanderer, wandering by hydrangeasheart
Tommy's feet drag in the snow.
It's so, so cold. He's so cold. His toes are freezing. His exposed shins feel like they’ve been cut open-- even the one that’s bandaged. His wings have gone numb, which is almost, almost good, because now he can’t feel the shifting, broken bones inside of the left one, just under feathers and muscle.
He doesn’t know why he’s still walking.
-
Or, Tommy leaves the exploded ruins of Logstedshire behind, and walks until he finds somewhere safe.
And things keep going from there.
(A canon-divergent AU, splitting off somewhere around when Tommy started hiding out below Techno's house.)
that’s, like, a hundred miles by No_one_you_know (and then “as long as i’m here”, and “he’s my brother, i just raise him”)
Dream would kill him. Dream was going to kill him- he was going to- no, he wouldn’t. Dream was his friend- friends don’t hit each other- Dream was supposed to take care of him- Dream /was/ taking care of him.
It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think. He couldn’t clear his thoughts as he stumbled to the family computer, pulling up a tab on google and frantically typing the name into the search bar.
The words Technoblade Watson stared back at him, the little black bar at the end of the letters blinking slowly, mocking him.
Why, of all people, did it have to be Technoblade?
in short: the one where dream sucks as a parental figure, tommy runs away, and visits his least favorite family member technoblade.
passerine by thcscus(blujamas)
Do I really need to put the summary here? Pretty much everyone knows this fic. Also, though, if you enjoy this one you should totally read thcscus’ connected fic, “shrike”!! It’s only at 2 chapters right now but it’s already really good and has this dark, foresty aesthetic I love...
not with a bang but with a whimper by dip_dyed_ghost
He knows Tubbo doesn’t care about him anymore. He knows that. He’s been shown that. But it doesn’t stop Tommy from caring about him. He brushes the pads of his fingers over the compass’s glass and wonders how he’s doing, if he’s tired of it all yet, if he needs help. He watches the way it points strongly in the direction over the ocean. He hopes he’s alright.
Even after everything, he hopes he’s alright.
During his exile, Tommy finds a drugged and hurt Tubbo on his doorstep. He can’t not help him.
(This one has a neat take on potions, in my opinion. Also it’s only 4 chapters so it’s a quick read!)
take this compass, follow it home by lightning_anon
Tommy's a fuck up, he can't pay attention, and never sits still. He taps his hands, pushes people away, and has never had a best friend. He's a screwed up, forgotten kid lost in the foster system. He's also just been placed with a new family. Tommy knows how this goes, he never ends up staying long. After all, no one wants a fuck up like him.
Why would this house be any different?
Or: the obligatory sleepy bois foster fic, but with a focus on the neurodivergent kids that inevitably get lost in the system.
(Genuinely want to see more books like this in original fiction. It’s part of what inspired my newest og wip, “To Build a Home.” So sweet and I feel like I had my eyes opened to some neurodivergent tendencies I never knew existed. I read this in a day and can’t rec it enough.)
bloodlines by youreyeslookliketheocean
Tommy’s an orphan on the run from his previous guardian. Philza’s a king who prides himself on keeping his kingdom in an era of peace. Wilbur’s the crown prince, and Techno’s right beside him as his adopted brother. When Phil’s kingdom of Pogtopia is threatened by the bloodvines—a strange, brainwashing plant infecting many of the surrounding kingdoms—the four must work together to keep the kingdom, and their family, safe. --- A royal au sbi fic... + the bloodvines, for spice.
(Yes I’m self-promoting. But, in my defense, I’m very proud of it. If you checked it out it would mean the world to me :’))
Heat Waves by tbhyourelame
Dream has always held a gentle admiration for George, but when their nuanced friendship trickles into his sleeping mind, he awakens to a new world of conflicting emotions and longing. Lost in the midst of a heat wave, he continuously listens to a song that works itself in to the very core of his heartache. Floridian nights, unsent messages, spiraling infatuation, and terrible, terrible weather.
Another fic I think pretty much everyone knows about. Listen, listen... I was once an idiot who said “Oh no, I’ll never read Heat Waves. It’s irl, not characters, and it’s probably cringe”... No. I was so wrong. This fic is wonderfully written, with a pretty quick moving plot and great characterizations. You do need an ao3 account to access it, though. Just to let you know. (Also read “Helium”, unfinished and hasn’t updated in awhile, but it’s the continuation).
Guitar Strings and Keyrings are What it Takes to Build a Home by Anonymous
Techno was adopted by Phil when he was 12 years old.
He'd been enjoying his morning before Phil came to him asking if he would mind them taking in another kid. Against his better judgement, Techno agrees and ends up with two new foster brothers who he was determined to not get attached to, no matter what.
Tommyinnit’s unbeatable method of avoiding sudden death by eneliii
“I uh,” Tommy starts, not knowing how to break this to the hero lightly. He hates to be the bearer of bad news. “I think your powers are broken? It’s not a bad thing of course, but like, I swear you tried to mind control me and it like, totally failed. Which is fine, honestly, don’t feel insecure. Everyone’s power stop working sometimes… I think.”
Sheesh, this is very awkward. Why is no one else talking? Why is Philza looking at him like he grew three heads? Why is the Blade staring at him so intensely? Why is Willow still frozen?
“Did I, did I hit a nerve? Yikes,” Tommy hisses, “Well um,” He steps back, bracing his legs and bending his knees, “This was like super fun, but I’m - I’mma head out.”
or,
in which Tommy manages to annoy the hell out of Phil, Techno and Wilbur by being both impossible to catch and irritatingly endearing.
or or,
a crack fic where Tommy is a vigilante and Phil, Techno and Wilbur are the heroes hunting him down.
(Feel like I am obligated to say how incredibly funny this fic is. Seriously. I have a distinct memory of sitting on my neighborhood park’s swing, giggling hysterically, while reading this. Well...until the end... but we won’t get into that...)
** bones in the ocean by bunflower
“Your reputation precedes you, y’know.”
“Does it, now?” Philza watches him coyly from where he’s now leaning against the wall, arms folded around his chains and gaze half-lidded, his lips curled in an arrogant, cat-like smirk.
“The Angel of Death, the ferryman of the Styx, the terror of the western seas. One of the most feared captains ever to sail, and yet, I have to wonder… how did a man like you end up all on his own? We searched the area where you were found—not another soul in sight. So,” He fixes him with a long look, allowing the silence to hover like a dark cloud, the words rolling off of his tongue with all the venom and smugness he can muster, “—tell me, Philza. Where is your crew?”
OR: Technoblade is a naval captain, and Phil his unwilling prisoner. Somehow, they manage to come out of it as friends in the end.
(Is this fic considered popular like passerine/Heat Waves now? Cause I feel like it’s reputation precedes itself, at this point... Pirate au.)
****
Okay! That’s it for now. Like I said, though, I want to add to this over time and also dig back for some older things I’ve read. Also, if you have any recs feel free to send them in! I’m about to go back to school and therefore might not have time for reading fun stuff, but whenever I get the chance I’d love to check them out!!!
Happy Reading!!
#dream smp#dream smp fanfiction#dream smp fanfic#dsmp#dream smp fic rec#dsmp fic rec#fic recs#the lights go out my heart goes still#the hearth down under#to be a wanderer wandering#that's like a hundred miles#passerine#shrike#not with a bang but with a whimper#take this compass follow it home#bloodlines#heat waves#guitar strings and keyrings are what it takes to build a home#tommyinnit's unbeatable method of avoiding sudden death#tumoasd#bones in the ocean#sbi fic rec#sleepy boys inc#sleepy boys fanfic#dream team fanfic#dream team#ao3#fanfiction
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white rabbit.
50 Wordless Ways to Say “I Love You”: 2. Tucking the sheets around them when they stir during the night.
Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 1,874 words
Warnings: Swearing, panic attack
His idiot siblings are going to give him a goddamn aneurysm.
The hum of the Commission briefcase – which is now in 2019 without a single person attached to it – rings in Five’s ears, mocking. He resists the urge to scream and tear all of his hair out. All that work – wasted!
“Now what?” Luther asks as Five paces up and down the alley.
What do you think, you doorknob? “Now nothing, Luther, all right? Make your peace with God.”
“What? What about Allison and Vanya?”
“Screw them both. They should have been here.” Five’s irritated pacing turns into a run, and he furiously kicks a cardboard box. God, the alley smells like vomit and shit. Everything is shit! “Ugh!”
“What about Diego?” Klaus slurs out his two cents from his place on the ground. Useless puke bag. “He's quite a responsible young man, no?”
“Something must’ve happened to them,” says Luther.
Fuck that. Wherever they are, they’ll be dead soon enough. Does nobody understand that? Dead! Dead! Dead!
“Screw Diego, all right? Screw everybody!” Five seethes. “[Y/n] and I were better off in the apocalypse.”
He turns on his heel, trying to suppress the rising panic in his bones. Something catches his arm.
Your brow is furrowed when he meets your gaze, mouth set in a thin, worried line. “Five,” you murmur, voice soft.
A tiny sting of regret worms its way into his chest at your expression. But then he thinks of the briefcase, and the Handler, and he quickly looks away.
“Five!” Luther admonishes, casting you a concerned glance. “Come on.”
His brother’s tone grates on the last of Five’s nerves. Gritting his teeth, he advances on the large man. Your hand slips away.
“You know what, Luther? It's every sibling for himself now.” Five throws his arms out in a grand gesture, then makes his way over to the door. “How ’bout that?”
Yanking the door open, he storms into the building.
Five tries to think as he stomps up staircase after staircase, but he can’t hold onto a thought for more than a few seconds before it disappears into a muddle of static. Concentrate. He just needs to get to the flat and think of a new plan, yeah, again, and try to save the world for the millionth fucking time – he stumbles over a step and then rights himself, legs numb. His chest feels tight. Come on. Keep moving. Think, think! God!
You’re calling his name. He doesn’t answer.
There is another way. A Hail Mary. But what if they waste that last chance too?
He swears underneath his breath, heart pounding. Blood roars in his ears. He tightens his grip on the railing and tries to even out his breathing.
Shit. Now is not the time. He needs to get out of this stairwell. Everything is so cramped and it’s not helping at all –
“… Five.”
You’re behind him, and then you’re in front of him, and Five meets a blurry set of eyes for the second time. Breathe. Breathe.
“Do you want to go back outside?” you ask softly.
No more stairs. “Flat,” he manages to reply, gesturing messily at the door a few feet away. Just somewhere with some space. In. Out.
You nod.
Several minutes later, he’s sitting on the bed in the room that Elliott had given him, blazer folded over the footboard, face damp with sweat and tucked into the crook of your neck as he completely breaks down.
Your hands treat him gently, rubbing circles into his back and wiping his face. He grips your shirt until his knuckles are white.
“You can get through this,” you say to him. “Just breathe with me, okay?”
Five tries. He really does. A shudder wracks his body. You inhale. He inhales. Exhale. Exhale.
“Good job.”
Something wet runs down his cheek. Fuck.
Both relief and shame fill him when you dry his cheek with your sleeve.
It’s absolute shit, however long it lasts – Five doesn’t know how long. Too long. But you’re there the whole time, holding him like you’ve done before, and it helps even though he’s too embarrassed to admit as much. You help a lot.
As the hammering in his chest finally slows to dull thuds, he takes in another deep, slow breath, and loosens his grip.
“I’ll get you some water?” you ask. He moves his head in some semblance of a nod. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
Carefully, you detach yourself from him; the mattress creaks as you stand up and leave. Five swallows, staring down at his hands. The air feels slightly chilly on the side of his face that had been pressed against you, and he uses the comforter to quickly scrub away the dampness. His eyes ache.
You return soon enough with a glass of cold water. He sips slowly at first, then gulps the rest of it down. You put the empty glass onto the nightstand and brush his hair away from his eyes.
“You need to rest.”
The word brings a brief wave of longing. Then stress follows soon after, and Five steels himself. “I need to come up with another plan,” he mutters.
Even though he’s not looking at you, he feels the sudden burn of your gaze as you put your hands on his shoulders. “After you rest.”
“The apocalypse –”
“Is still a few days from now.” Your words take on a honeyed, coaxing tone. “There’s not much else we can do today, so sleep. Please. I’ll take care of things while you’re away.”
You press down, and despite his previous protest, Five doesn’t resist.
“… Thanks,” he vaguely hears himself mumble.
When his head touches the pillow, it feels as if all his muscles give way. His eyelids immediately feel heavy.
The last thing he’s aware of is you taking off his shoes.
—
Five is thoroughly conked out by the time you pull the blankets over him, and after giving his forehead a tender peck, you tiptoe out of the bedroom and shut the door with a quiet sigh.
Now on to business.
The rest of the Hargreeves siblings, as well as Sissy and Harlan Cooper, sit up slightly as you stride into the living room. You make a point of looking at each one of them individually, cross your arms, and then speak.
“I believe explanations are in order.”
Diego is the one who speaks first. “I ran into Lila,” he says, maintaining eye contact with you. “She tried to drag me to the Commission while I was burying Elliott.”
“I see,” is all you say. “Allison?”
“Some men came in and attacked Ray and me at the house,” she explained. “Otherwise, I would have been on time.”
“Did you kill them?”
“I made them leave.”
“All right. Vanya?”
“Carl called the police to stop us on the way here. I had to deal with them.”
Sissy and Harlan are not supposed to be here. Based on the hard look Vanya is giving you, she knows that. You close your eyes and breathe out softly.
“All right. Well, I can’t change the past, and the briefcase is already lost, so I’m not going to shout about how everything should’ve gone,” you eventually tell them, eyebrows drawn. “I just want to talk to you about Five.”
“What's wrong with him?” Diego asks.
Klaus answers for you. “He’s pissed.”
Luther agrees solemnly. You frown.
“He’s stressed. Yes, he’s angry, but he’s mostly stressed and worried sick.” You uncross your arms. “Do you know what he did to get that briefcase?”
The siblings blink at you.
“He assassinated the board of directors,” you say. “I know you don’t know much about the Commission, but what he did was a big deal and very dangerous. And he did it for you. He does everything for you, because you’re his family, and he cares about you.”
“He has a hard time showing us,” Diego mutters.
“And you guys seem to have a hard time showing him,” you return. “It just … it feels like you see the apocalypse as Five’s problem. And maybe mine as well, but not yours. I understand that you’ve had to adapt and make a life here, but none of you except for Sissy and Harlan belong in this time. Whatever we’ll have to do from now on will require all of us to stay together. We can’t risk another doomsday.”
“Doomsday?” Sissy speaks up, alarmed. “What’s this about a doomsday?”
Vanya shifts. “It’s …” She touches Sissy’s hand gently. “It’s kind of a long story. I’ll tell you later, okay? You and Harlan don’t have to worry about it. We’ll fix it.”
“We will,” you confirm, nodding at the pair. “As long as everyone does what they’re supposed to.”
Luther looks at you curiously. “Why are you telling us all of this and not Five?”
Why, indeed. Glancing back in the direction of the bedroom, you think of Five tucked away in bed for the first time since he landed in Dallas. Hopefully, he hasn’t snuck out. You’ll have to check on him soon.
“He’d be too stubborn to admit it. It took me a long time to find out how much he sacrificed to help me in the apocalypse. And the Commission.” You smile frankly. “What’s more, he’s resting now. It’s been a long two weeks.”
“Shit,” Klaus mutters. “I forgot about the time thing. The old man must be one apocalypse away from a heart attack.”
“Yes. He’s not invincible.”
Everyone looks down awkwardly.
“We’re sorry for not making it. We didn't know. And we’ll tell him that.” Allison folds her hands tightly in her lap. “So what do we do now?”
Again, not much. Shrugging, you gesture to the couches and chairs that they’re sitting on. “Rest. Get cleaned up. Five and I will need to explore our options once he’s awake.”
With that, you turn and start making your way back to the guest room.
Vanya’s tentative voice stops you when you’re halfway through the kitchen. “Let us know when he wakes up?”
The other siblings voice their agreement. A genuine smile touches your lips. “I will,” you answer, pleased.
The murmuring in the living room fades as you continue walking. When you reach the bedroom, you gingerly open the door and poke your head inside.
Five is exactly where you had left him, tucked in with the blankets up to his chin and dead to the world. Soft snores reach your ears as you creep closer. Good. Seating yourself at the edge of the mattress, you run your fingers through his hair.
For the rest of the evening and most of the night, you watch over Five, keeping quiet and re-tucking the sheets around him whenever he stirs. He doesn’t open his eyes once. His siblings drift in occasionally, individually or in pairs, each of them looking every bit like they’re entering a lion’s den until you smile and beckon them closer. None of them speak, but they don’t need to. You can only hope that Five won’t be too angry with them in the morning.
A lot of work will need to be done then. But for now, your partner needs to sleep.
#wordless ways to say i love you#source: @50-item-writing-prompts#five hargreeves#five hargreeves x reader#five hargreeves imagine#the umbrella academy five#the umbrella academy#tua#five x reader#five imagine#tua fanfic#fanfic#reader insert#fluff#hurt/comfort#tw panicking#tw panic attack#fem!reader#five x fem!reader
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