#girl you are supposed to pull carts full of milk stop making friends with the little ducklings that passby!!

[ratatatastic]

puppy.jpeg

his hair is starting to poke out his helmet/hat which means we get ever closer to HER

you know HER

[tobi-momo]

"The Setter's Help" Chapter 2

Pairing: Kageyama Tobio x Volleyball player!reader

Synopsis: With a big game coming up, the confidence in your setting has gone down significantly. Knowing the setter on the Karasuno boy’s volleyball club is good at what he does, you ask him for help. Will he help you build your confidence and skills or will he just tear it down more?

Genre: Romance, fluff, some crack, angst, hurt/comfort

Chapter Warnings: Depictions of throwing up (nothing graphic at all whatsoever), cursing, a little angst, not really that proofread\

Word Count: 2.04k

Taglist: open! send an ask :)

a/n: kasdkjaskjdh updates are going to be pretty random but again this is a short story, not gonna be longer than 8 parts i think (if it even has 8 parts) sry if you see mistakes just ignore them plss

“Up. Up. Up!”

“Kageyama-kun stop yelling! I’m doing it!”

“No you’re not! Up!”

You push yourself up from the ground repeatedly, sweat beading off your face onto the gym floor, your arms trembling and slipping on the wet surface. Your heaving annoyed him. How could you not take this much of a workout? He’s been doing it everyday for years, you must be too weak to handle it.

“Kageyama-kun we’ve been doing this for three hours! I’m exhausted! You were supposed to help me with my setting, not make me pass out on the floor!” His head veers to your pale face, pupils scanning every detail on your face, finding distress and exhaustion in every glance. He rolls his eyes, turning his head back away from you, sighing.

“Fine, whatever,” he mumbles, letting you get up off the floor. Your sore body makes it to the bench, where you grab your water and open the lid, starting to chug the water faster than your body could handle.

“If you keep doing that you’re going to throw up you know,” he says, only what you could see as an amused face watching you gulp down the water. Once your water bottle was empty, you could only describe the feeling in your stomach as…not normal. Nausea and twingeness flood your senses. “Wait, you’re not actually gonna do it are you?” He looks at you incredulously, eyes wide as he backs up, a hand raised hesitantly, pointing in your direction. You continuously shake your head, denying him before deciding to move your feet towards the bathroom, speeding up before crouching down at the toilet.

Kageyama just stood there, watching you disappear again. He was starting to wonder why he even took this job in the first place. Was this going to be an everyday thing: you not wanting to follow his directions and then end up suffering consequences like these? Hmm, maybe he should reconsider.

You on the other hand, couldn’t believe what just happened. You just- did you- holy shit- yeah, you did. You could almost laugh at how embarrassing that was. You didn’t want to completely admit to yourself that it did occur, but you couldn’t hide from it. You were still sitting on the bathroom floor when you decided to pull it together and walk back to the gym.

The gym where Kageyama was nowhere to be seen.

Did he leave? Why? Was he waiting for you? Since when was practice over? When did he leave? Were you taking too long?

“Kageyama? Kageyama-kun! Hello?” You scurry across the gym, grabbing your things before rushing outside. There he was, by the vending machine. “Kageyama! Why’d you leave?” You question him as he nonchalantly presses the buttons on the big machine, ignoring you. It irritated you. You huff at his silence, getting impatient with him. You cross your arms to your chest, leaning your back against the wall while you wait for him. “So I’m just gonna assume that this is the end of practice for today?”

“For tomorrow, too,” your eyes widen dramatically, “and the next day, and the next day, and the nex-”

“Okay, Kageyama! I get it! But why? What did I do wrong?” Your frown is evident, the frustration and self-disappointment bleeding through your expression, even if you had turned your head to the side to try and hide it.

“I can’t really teach you anything. You don’t really learn anything well. You don’t follow directions, you don’t like my workouts, you don’t like…”

His words fade out; your thoughts murky yet so clear. He didn’t want to help you anymore. You weren’t even good enough to learn. You. Weren’t. Good. Enough.

“You can’t even-”

“Okay!” You shout, shutting him up, “It’s fine, Kageyama-kun. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter anymore, anyways,” you face the floor, a firm tone masking your madness while your fists ball up.

‘That’s weird,’ he thought, looking down at your figure. He couldn’t see your face, but your voice made it seem like you were mad or something. Why would you be mad? He’s just telling the truth, you don’t need to be upset.

“Thank you again for the help, Kageyama-kun. I’m not gonna ask you to help me anymore so just-” you pause, turning your back towards him, “good-bye.” You walk away. You had disappeared from his sight once again, leaving him at the vending machine. He shrugs, bending down to pick up his milk carton, then strolling away. He tried to think of something he said wrong, trying to figure out what buttons he pushed, but no matter how hard he racked his brain, nothing came out of it.

~.~.~.~

“Yo, Kageyama! You’re late,” Tanaka shouts at the tall boy, smirking because he knew he wouldn’t be late on purpose. Something kept him back. “Where were you? Were you with someone?” He puts his hands on his hips, bending down and raising his head right below Kageyama’s. “Was it a girl?”

“Girl? Where?” Noya speaks up, rushing to Tanaka and Kageyama, frantically turning around in circles trying to find a single girl.

“I think our Kageyama here has a friend,” he whispers to Noya, who leans his head toward Tanaka’s, nodding in understanding, “a lady friend.” Noya’s eyes widen and he backs up, sizing Kageyama up and down. Tanaka’s eyebrows lift, a satisfied expression on his face while Noya walks all the way around Kageyama, wondering how he got a girlfriend.

“What? No I didn’t. Stop that-” He tries to save himself from the teasing and the looks, but his face couldn’t contain the obvious tint or red on his face. Imagining himself with a girl was weird, he never thought about that. Imagining himself with you? Well, that was impossible. He didn’t like the thought of that. You were annoying, obnoxious, you never shut up, you’re loud, you don’t follow instructions, how would he ever tolerate a girl like you? “Stop- I don’t have a girlfriend!”

“Ohhhh, so you do like a special someone, then?”

“No! I don’t!”

“Do you think he’s telling the truth, Tanaka-san?”

“Mm, it’s hard to tell, Noya, It’s obvious he’s hiding something though,” Tanaka responds, a hand on his chin while he thinks of possible women that could win Kageyama’s heart.

“You are so right, Tanaka, we should definitely tell everyone that our lower-classman friend here has a girlfriend.” Tanaka dramatically gasps, clasping his hands together.

“We definitely should.” Before Kageyama could even raise his hand to stop them, they sprint off, jumping around the rest of the team as he watches his friends turn their heads to him incredulously. They all froze in place, staring. Kageyama just stood there, his eyes flickering to each person with the same expression. Noya and Tanaka snicker in the back while he tries to find an excuse.

“I’m- I’m not dating anyone! I don't even like her!”

Their eyes widen further, including Noya and Tanaka. They weren’t actually expecting there to be a girl.

“I just helped her with her sets today, that’s it!”

Their heads tilt in unison, confused. The silence is deafening, almost as if he could hear the air move.

“Stop standing like that!” He yells, trying to veer from the subject. He turns to his side, walking over the ball cart before chucking the balls at the crowd, all of them hitting Hinata.

“Ow- ow- OW! KAGEYAMA STOP IT!” He screams once he hits the floor, his teammates finally moving to another subject.

This was gonna be a long practice.

~.~.~.~

You wearily make your way to practice, dragging your feet and watching the ground as you open the doors to the gym the next day. You were mad at yourself, disappointed. You had one job to do. Listen to him. You literally made him quit within twenty-four hours of having him help you. What was wrong with you? Maybe you should just forget about it, forget about him. You wanted to, but the way your stomach clenched in embarrassment as you thought of it made you not want to even show up. But your team needed you. You hoped.

No. No. No no no no no. You weren’t doing it right. Your sets weren’t as accurate as they were before, and you were barely even watching the ball. Your feet tumble on the floor, your coordination messed up as you run across the court to set this ball. Finally getting under it, you back set it to right-front, watching as the ball didn’t make it to the player. She adjusted, and the ball went over, but your set kept her from hitting it with all her power. You couldn’t get yourself together, damnit. Why couldn’t you just do it right for once?

You sigh in frustration, getting back in position while listening to your coach tell you off.

You could do it. You can do it. You got this. You can set the ball correctly and hopefully not shank it. Putting your hands below the ball, you push it up to the middle-front, watching her take her approach and smack it down on the empty side of the court. You sigh of relief, this time, not mad at your set. You shake your hands in front of you, hearing your coaches praise of “there we go! That’s what I’m talking about!” although you were pretty sure that was directed at the girl who actually hit the ball. She was the one who got it over anyways, not you.

He watched from afar, his eyes staying on your figure the entire time you guys were practicing, noticing how your face cringed at every move you made, wincing at every wrong push. You were better than this, he thought, knowing that you weren’t showing your full potential. What was wrong? Was it because of yesterday? He caught the way you shook your hands when you got nervous. It annoyed him. He wanted to just grab them to stop moving. Would that work? Would you stop being nervous if he just helped you? Was that all it took?

The whistle blows, ending your practice. You were let down, to say the least. Your skills must’ve gotten worse. God, you were helpless. Made you want to just hide away forever. Drearily walking out the doors, you halt in front of the specific boy you didn’t want to see, holding a milk carton with a sports bag on his shoulder.

“I saw you play,” he mumbles. You pinch the bridge of your nose, wanting to just crawl up in a ball right then and there. “That back set you did wasn’t powerful enough.”

“I know, Kageyama. I’m trying, though, so please get out of my way.”

“Wait, let me show you something.” He sets his bag down, heading into the gym where you had just left. You groan, following him in. “Come here.” You roll your eyes, but set your bag down and meet him on the court. He puts you in your setting position, telling you to watch him. He bends his knees, holds his arms up and sets an imaginary ball backwards. It was different from what you’ve been doing, your arms didn’t extend far enough. His back didn’t bend that far either. Huh. Curiously, you do the same, trying to imitate his exact movements. He walks to your side, grabbing your hands and moving them to where they need to be. He then places his hand on your back, telling you not to bend so much. You nod and oblige, following his hands and his movements. “Good. That’s good.”

“Wait, really?” You ask surprisingly, shocked that you pulled through. “I did it right?”

“Well, almost,” he backs up; you stand straight up as you watch him form his words, “there were some little things that need to be worked on but you still improved from earlier. And you actually listened this time.” You stifle a chuckle, turning to leave the court. “Where are you going?”

“My practice is over, and you helped me with that, so I was gonna go home,” you respond, looking at him confused.

“We aren’t done yet.”

a/n: kasdasd sorry its long LMAOKDDFG but HERE

taglist: @luvrboykento @elektrosonix @haikyuutothetop @combat-wombatus

send an ask to be a part of the taglist !

Masterlist

[slipping-through-my-fingertips]

Klaine it up! 2, 7, 12, 21, 50

Okay...I got this. PROMPTS FOUND HERE

2 - you accidentally sprayed them with yogurt when you open the lid the wrong way. 

This was not Kurt Hummel’s first time opening yogurt but it might’ve well have been. He was sitting at a picnic table in Central Park on his lunch break from Vogue.com having just picked up a BLT, sweeten iced tea, and strawberry yogurt from his newfound favorite sandwich shop. It just happened to be two blocks down from the Vogue offices too. 

After eating half a sandwich, he found himself watching three young girls practicing their hula-hooping skills. Of course, while entranced by the colorful swirls of plastic, Kurt grabbed his low-fat yogurt and pulled at the lid, and the minute he did another man was being dragged by his golden retriever over to Kurt’s table. 

Before he could stop it, a splash of light pink yogurt was splattered across the front of a bright blue polo. 

“Shit, I am so sorry,” they both said. 

Kurt had a lap full of puppy and the man covered in yogurt. 

“She’s really friendly and has a fondness for bacon,” the man said, gesturing to the sandwich. “And who can blame her.” 

With that comment, Kurt pushed his meal away slightly. Out of reach of the dog’s mouth. 

“I usually am way more careful with my food,” Kurt said. 

The handsome man only laughed, “it’s no big deal, do you happen to have a napkin?” 

“Oh yes!” Kurt reached into his bag to grab one. 

“Thanks,” he said, “come here, Lacey.” 

The puppy sat right at his side and waited. Kurt stood up to wipe the yogurt away while the man kept Lacey still. 

“I can...” he started to say but Kurt was already pulling away having cleaned it up the best he could. 

“Lacey and I also share a fondness for cute boys but I don’t suppose...” he trailed off, blushing. 

Kurt still wasn’t used to being flirted with but this wasn’t small town, Ohio. 

“And who can blame you,” Kurt replied, already grabbing a pen and paper from his bag to write on. 

THE REST OF THE PROMPTS CAN BE FOUND BELOW THE CUT

7 - you both do the side-to-side dance when you try to pass them in the grocery store aisle

Kurt told his dad to pick up an extra heavy whipping cream three days ago when Burt asked if Kurt needed any other ingredients for Thanksgiving dessert. He told him. 

“I only need 3 things: dark chocolate, heavy whipping cream, and almond extract.” 

Burt had gotten everything but Kurt needed whipping cream for both the chocolate mousse itself and the whipped topping he planned to make. Now he was at the crowded grocery store one day prior to Thanksgiving. Exactly where he didn’t want to be. 

 Of course, every grocery store made you walk all the way to the back of the store for dairy products. I’ll just grab milk and eggs real quick, you think, then suddenly you have a cart full of snacks you didn’t need. 

Kurt found the red and white carton fairly quick. He backed up and started to make his way to the self-checkout. Before he could think about the temptation of potato chips, he was stopped by another body. 

They both stopped and shifted their feet to make way for the other. From right to left and back again for several seconds before both falling into pits of laughter. Kurt looked into deep hazel eyes that twinkled at him. He wondered how long he could do this dance just to stare at them some more. 

“That’s my fault, I came around the corner too quick,” he said. 

Not quick enough, Kurt thought, we could’ve fallen to the floor. You on top of me would be quite nice. 

“No, it’s all me,” Kurt replied, “I should’ve been watching where I was going.” 

He fumbles into his pocket for a business card. Isabel’s one-month anniversary gift. 

“If you’re in town longer than tomorrow, I’d love to buy you some coffee as an apology,” Kurt said, handing the card over. 

“Oh.” Kurt watched him scan the card, flipping it over in his hands. “I’d love to, Kurt.” 

A shiver ran down his spine. Maybe he should thank his dad for forgetting the cream. 

12 - you kick a ball and your shoe flies off, hitting them in the back of your head

Blaine used to hate having an older brother. Growing up, he felt constantly in competition with Cooper’s larger-than-life personality. Now that Cooper had settled down in LA with Lisa, his wife, and had two wonderful kids, having an older sibling didn’t seem too bad.

It was summer break, Blaine was free to leave the confines of his NYU dorm room. He was trying to get lost in the sunshine of California to forget he was about to start his final year of college. Time with his niece and nephew was sure to put any nervousness out of his head. 

They were playing soccer in the park when it happened. It was bound to. Everyone in LA was hot. It was like the law. 

Cute boys and Blaine’s non-existence coordination weren’t a good mix. 

Blaine went to kick the ball and caught sight of a bicep. An unusually pale bicep. A rare sight in sunny Los Angles. Arms, Blaine fantasized, he’d love to see wrapped around him or possibly pushing his legs apart. 

He was sure he tighten his laces. This is why Blaine Anderson didn’t wear sneakers. Missed the ball by an inch but the force of his kick sent something flying through the air directly towards the cute guy: a sneaker. 

It happened so fast, Blaine heard the yell of surprise before realizing his sock was exposed. Once he realized what happened, he rushed over to the man. 

“Fuck, I am so sorry,” Blaine said. “Can I do anything?” 

“Well, an aspirin would be great,” the man teased. 

Blaine sat in the grass and chuckled. Still extremely embarrassed. 

“Not exactly the fairytale I always dreamed of.” 

“Fairytale?” Blaine asked, scrunching up his nose in confusion. 

“Cinderella,” he said, like it was obvious, “a lost shoe as it were.” 

“I’m not Cinderella,” Blaine told him, “sorry to say. I’m more of a Blaine.” 

“Kurt.” 

“It’s nice to meet you.” 

“I do believe this is yours,” Kurt said, handing over the shoe. 

21 - Almost spilling a drink because you met their eyes and got distracted thinking how cute they are. 

His dad always said pour your drinks yourself. Blaine became that friend who grabbed drinks for everyone for this reason exactly. He wasn’t sure what the occasion was exactly but his study buddy from his songwriting workshop invited him. It was at some loft in Bushwick but Blaine didn’t mind the adventure. 

Until tonight he had no reason to venture to this part of the city. 

“Blaine!” Elliott exclaimed, pushing a solo cup into his hand, “Drink up, karaoke at eleven!” 

Then he disappeared into the crowd. Blaine headed straight for the kitchen and poured the toxic mixture down the sink. He found a new cup and started reading the labels of the bottles spread out across the counter. Mixers and any alcohol of your choice seemed to be available. 

Rum and coke sounded good. He went into the fridge for a cold soda first. Blaine was happy the kitchen was empty he wasn’t quite ready to start making friends. As far as he knew, Elliott was the only friendly face here tonight. 

He poured the rum in for some semblance of tracking his alcohol intake. The last time he got drunk, he dialed the professor he TA-ed for, who thankfully overlooked that incident. Blaine cracked open the coke and while he poured surveying the living room. 

People were dancing to an upbeat pop song that Blaine strangely didn’t recognize and others were mingling in doorways or sat on scattered sofas and chairs chatting. He caught a pair of blue eyes in the crowd. 

The man they were attached to was stunning. If he hadn’t blinked, Blaine could’ve mistaken him for a marble statue carved by the gods. They didn’t lose eye contact as he walked towards the kitchen. It wasn’t until the man stood on the other side of the counter that Blaine noticed his hand was covered in soda. 

“Papers towels are behind you,” the man offers. 

Blaine set the now empty can down and spun around for paper towels to clean up his mess. 

Just great, he thought, make a fool out of yourself. That’ll score you some points. 

He cleans up his hand before wiping down the puddle of bubbling coke on the counter. 

“I don’t think we’ve met,” he continues, “and this is my party so I like to know all my guests.” 

“Your party?” Blaine stutters. 

“It’s my birthday.” 

“I’m Blaine,” he introduces. “Elliott invited me. We have a class together.” 

“Oh, you’re Blaine. From songwriting workshop.” 

“That’s me.” 

Elliott’s obviously talked about him before to this man. This gorgeous, completely out of Blaine’s league man. 

“God, he’s relentless,” he says. “I’m going to kill him.” 

“Um, might I ask why? I can leave if there’s an issue.” Blaine knows when he isn’t welcome. 

“No, no,” he replies, “don’t go. It’s just he’s been trying to set us up for months now.” 

It all clicks.

“Oh god, you’re Kurt.” 

“That’s me, the birthday boy. and you are Elliott’s idea of the best gift ever.”

Blaine blushes. “I don’t know if I can I've up to that but if I can have the next dance I can try.” 

Kurt nods. “I’d like that, Blaine. A lot.” 

50 - getting paired up on an amusement park ride that requires even-numbered riders

All of Kurt’s friends hated rollercoasters. Rachel didn’t like heights, Elliott refused to do anything with loops, and Santana, well, she was too caught up in her new girlfriend to be bothered. 

“I only wanna hear screaming tonight,” she told him. 

So, Kurt waited in line himself. Some fun day at Coney Island this was turning out to be. He was so glad he was spending the day with friends. Kurt rolled his eyes. 

The woman directing the ride gave Kurt his row number and moved down the line. Behind him someone tapped on his shoulder, Kurt turned around and found himself looking at a curly-haired man around his age. 

“Guess we’re both odd men out then, I’m the single rider in my group today.” 

“Oh, um, no, my friends were too chicken to even ride,” Kurt said. 

“I’m really surprised Wes and David are good to go. They both hate being upside-down.” 

Kurt smiled.

“I'm Blaine, by the way.”

“Kurt.” 

The ride emptied out and Kurt crawled over to the far seat. They buckled themselves in and listened to the instructions to keep all body parts inside at all times. Then, the bar came down and the ride launched. 

After the ride ended, Blaine and Kurt were chatting all the way down. Wes and David trailing behind them.

“That second loop really threw me,” Blaine was saying. 

“I saw,” Kurt exclaimed, “I thought you were going to fall out of your seat.” 

“Downfalls of being short and compact.”

When three more people joined their day at the park, no one questioned it. 

[janeyseymour]

Not A Child

Katherine Howard is not a child. She just wants you to know that.

WC: 3035

Katherine Howard was not stupid. She wasn’t a child. Yes, she was young, barely an adult. But her age was just a number. Did she maybe have childlike tendencies sometimes? Absolutely. But who didn’t? It enraged her when people infantilized her. She was nineteen and doing more than most nineteen year olds would even dream of doing at this point in their lives. For heaven’s sake, she was starring in a hit musical, handling press and being in the media’s eye, being an activist and social justice warrior- all on top of being a full time college student with outstanding marks. She barely had time to eat and breathe, much less take time for herself. However, she always made time for her friends. It was known that no matter what Katherine was going through that day, she would absolutely put her worries and problems aside for her friends and the other queens.

So one day when a friend from college was having a tough time, she begged Jane to let her go out on a drive that night with said friend after the show (not that she had to ask her. She just understood that the blonde had worries about her being behind the wheel after a day of work and school). The silver queen hesitated and sighed with an, “Are you sure you’ll be alright? I know you’re tired.” When Kat assured the third monarch she would be fine and promised she would text if she was going to be out past midnight, the older woman conceded her car keys. The fifth queen gave her a shocked look- she didn’t think Jane would hand over her keys so willingly.

“You are an adult Kat. I trust that you know yourself well enough to know that you’ll be okay. If you get too tired, don’t hesitate to ring. You know I’ll make Lina come with me to pick you two up and get you both back home safely.”

“Oh yeah. I am an adult. Thank you M-” The younger woman stopped herself. “-Janey.” She hugged the woman she was quickly forming a mother-daughter bond with. “I love you.”

“Love you too dear.” Jane watched the pink haired girl fondly before closing the door and settling herself on the couch with Catherine.

“What’re we watching tonight?”

“You mean what am I watching tonight?” When the third queen looked at the other, Catalina laughed. “Oh please. We both know you’re going to be in that pretty little head of yours worrying about Kit until she gets home safely tonight.”

Usually, the two in the car would blast music and sing to their hearts’ content. How Katherine was able to sing at the theatre and belt her soul out in the car while still maintaining a healthy voice was beyond everyone- the fifth queen included.

On this night though, Bella was not in the mood to sing. Instead, she spilled her heart out to the pink haired girl, who remained quiet and listened. After the college student was finished venting, Katherine thanked her for letting out her emotions around her- something she had learned from Jane herself. 

“For what?” the emotionally drained student laughed bitterly.

“I just, I know it can be hard to trust someone enough to spill out all of those emotions. It can be really hard.” She smiled softly at her friend, knowing the feeling.

“Hard to trust people in general, or hard to trust you because you bounce around like a five year old on campus?” Bella tried to joke, but the words cut deep into Katherine’s soul. Was that what people really thought of her?

“Oh trust me, I am more than capable of acting like an adult. I mean, I have an entire career in theatre and I’m a full-time college student with outstanding marks,” the pink-haired woman huffed out. The rest of the car ride was silent.

When Kat entered the queens’ house, she wasn’t surprised to see Catalina dozing off with her head on Jane’s shoulder, and the blonde was wide awake.

“You’re home early love,” the blonde noted.

“Yeah.” The teen ruffled a hand through her tresses, a small frown forming on her face. “I’m going to bed.”

“Would you like to spend the night in my room with me?” Jane asked hopefully.

“I’m good. Thanks though.” The youngest queen hurried up the steps.

“Love you,” the silver queen called up the stairs. She didn't get a response.

Over the next few days, the other five noticed a difference in Katherine. She held herself in a different esteem. She walked- no more did she bounce around on her tiptoes. She didn’t ask Jane for help with her hair- instead she simply let her hair cascade down her shoulders. In the mornings, she wouldn’t be found in the light grey room- she would be in her own. And when she came down for breakfast, she would reach for the coffee instead of the orange juice or milk Catherine and Jane had set out. She didn’t call Boleyn “Annie”. She didn’t call Seymour “Janey”. No more was the Katherine Howard who would walk out of her bedroom in the morning in pajamas and no makeup, rubbing her eyes as she made her way over to Jane for a good morning kiss on the forehead. The pink haired queen would emerge from her room with her hair and makeup perfectly in place, dressed for the day, and not immediately rushing for her forehead kiss. Katherine was not as excitable as usual, instead forcing a tight lipped smile when she was expected to before going back to a blank expression. The show just didn’t have the same bite that it had before.

“Hey Anne? Do you want to go grocery shopping with me?” Jane asked out of the blue.

“Wait, really?” the green queen practically shouted with surprise. “B-but I’m never allowed to go grocery shopping with you! Can I pick out some of the food?”

“You can pick what we have for dinner, and one other thing that isn’t on the list,” Jane sighed. Taking Anne grocery shopping had stopped promptly after the time the second queen unknowingly filled the cart with junk food the third queen never intended on buying- the third queen only discovering the additions to the cart as they were already in line to checkout. But, she knew there would only be one way to get her predecessor away from the others long enough to uncover any information Anne might have. The green and silver monarchs made their way out the door and into the car when Jane began to interrogate Anne.

“I’m going to get right to the point,” Jane stated bluntly as she pulled out of the driveway. “What’s going on with your cousin?”

“I figured you had an ulterior motive,” Anne laughed before turning serious. “I honestly don’t know. She hasn’t been herself lately.”

“She hasn’t called me Janey since last Tuesday.”

“She hasn’t called me Annie since last Tuesday either.”

“She doesn’t ask me to help her with her hair anymore.”

“She didn’t ask me to fuck around and help her with her political science homework like she usually does.”

“She hasn’t been coming to my room with me at night.”

“She hasn’t?” Anne asked, shocked. “Since when?”

“Last Tuesday.”

“So, something definitely happened last Tuesday. She was fine before the show and during the show, right?”

“Yeah. But when she got home from her car ride with Bella that night, something was off. She didn’t even tell me she loved me when she went to bed that night.” Jane couldn’t help but feel a little hurt.

“I know she’s my cousin and all, but I think maybe you should talk to her. You and her have this whole mum-daughter dynamic going. Maybe she’ll-”

“We what?” The driver slammed on the brake and threw Anne a bewildered look.

“Oh right Janey,” the woman with space buns laughed. “Like you haven’t noticed that the girl practically follows you around like a duckling. Anyway, I think you should talk to her. She tells you more than she tells me at this point.”

“I’m sorry. I can-”

“It’s not like I care. It’s nice seeing Kat have someone mother her for a change.”

“Hm,” Jane sighed. Pulling into a spot and placing the car in park, she stayed seated for a moment, thinking about what Anne had just said.

“Earth to Jane Seymour? Hello?” The green queen waved a hand in front of her face. 

“Sorry hun.” She moved to get out of the car.

“So, can we have mac n cheese for dinner? But like, your homemade mac n cheese? Not that boxed sh-”

“Language Boleyn. We are out in public.”

“Not that boxed... stuff that Kat likes.” The woman in green smiled.

“I suppose,” Jane sighed.

“And I still get to pick out one thing that isn’t on the list, right?”

“Yes Anne, just as long as it’s not something too expensive. One thing.”

The two made their way out of the store in record time amazingly. After a small argument over whether the bulk box of gummy bears was “one thing” or not, the trip went on without a hitch.

“Hi girls, there are a few more bags out in the car if anyone wouldn’t mind helping and getting them for us.” 

“What the hell Anne?” Catherine mumbled as she passed her successor who was struggling to bring in her bulk box of gummy bears.

“I got it Lina.” Katherine made a beeline for the door as she pushed the first queen into the recliner nearby. The pink haired woman came in with every bag in one go.

“You didn’t have to do that honey. Everyone else could’ve helped,” Jane breathed out.

“It’s fine. I can put everything away too. Only fair since you and Anne went grocery shopping for us.” The other women in the room shared knowing glances with each other. The blonde knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to bite the bullet and have a talk with the youngest in the house.

“I can clean up dinner since you cooked Jane.” Katherine went about clearing off the table before going about washing the pots and pans that were used. The other queens shared a knowing glance with Jane before exiting the vaccinity. 

“Thank you for your help today love,” Jane said warmly. “Is it alright if I help out?”

“But you already made dinner.”

“I really don’t mind helping out.”

“But-”

“You wash, and I’ll just dry. Deal?” Kat shrugged but handed the blonde the towel nonetheless.

“I can make dinner tomorrow if you want,” the fifth queen offered. 

“What’s going on hun?” Jane got straight to the point. “I appreciate you helping out and everything, I really do, but you haven’t been yourself since last Tuesday.”

“What do you mean? I’m just picking up on the things I haven’t been doing. Just trying to be more helpful, you know?”

“It’s more than that hun. What’s going on?”

“Just figured I could be a little bit more of an adult, that’s all,” Kat shrugged as she reached for another pan.

“You’re only nineteen hun. You know you’re allowed to be a kid, right?” In reality, Katherine was the one person everyone thought deserved to indulge in childish behaviors. Having had to grow up so young in her past life, she should be able to have a little fun this time around.

“Well, I don’t know. I just figured...” Kat trailed off.

“You’re allowed to just be you hun.”

“It’s not like anyone likes me anyway,” the fifth queen mumbled.

“What was that love?” Jane feigned not knowing what she had spoken. When the pink haired girl didn’t respond, the third queen stopped her from grabbing another pot, making her look at her. “Listen, we’ve all noticed over the past week something is wrong. I mean, you barely come to me for your morning kiss anymore.”

Kat sighed. “Isn’t it kind of childish that I run over to you for a morning kiss?”

“Are you speculating that it’s childish that Catalina, Anne, Anna, and Cathy do the same thing?”

“Well, no. Of course not.”

“So why is it childish for you to do such a thing?” Jane had a point there.

“And I don’t really help out with any of the chores around the house,” the pink queen tried again.

“I don’t know about you, but I see that Anne doesn’t really help either. Or Cathy for that matter, always locked up in her study trying to write. We should really make her come out of there more often,” the silver queen laughed quietly.

“Isn’t it silly that I bounce around places instead of walking?”

“Anne has wheels in her shoes,” Jane countered. “Now, I’ve pretty much pinpointed when something must’ve happened, so be honest with me please honey. What happened on that drive on Tuesday with Bella that’s making you think this way?”

“I-” Kat thought of what she was going to say so that her housemates didn’t go into overprotective mode. “Just some things were said. That’s all.”

“Like?” The blonde waited.

Kat sighed. “So uh, when we usually go on drives, we just sing and sometimes talk.”

“I still don’t know how your voice is so healthy,” the third queen quipped.

“I don’t know either,” Kat let a small smile wash over her face. “But uh, on Tuesday, she spilled her heart out to me. Just told me about all the different things she’s had to deal with and is dealing with now.”

“That’s wonderful that she trusted you enough with that love,” Jane offered an affirmation.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So, I thanked her for trusting me with that information, and she asked me why I was thanking her. I told her that I know how hard it can be to trust people enough to talk about the really tough times in life. And of course, we both know I know that to the highest degree. And her response was, ‘Hard to trust people in general or hard to trust you because you bounce around like a five year old on campus?’ And you know, those words cut real deep. I know she was trying to make a joke or whatever, but it hurt.”

“Did you tell her it hurt your feelings?”

“Well, you know I’m related to Anne. I don't quite have the Boleyn temper, but the Howard temper isn’t much better, so no. I bit my tongue because if I said anymore than what I did say, I would’ve gone ape shit.”

“What did you tell her?” The older queen decided to ignore the fact that Katherine had just used the expression, ‘ape shit’.

“I just kinda said, ‘Oh, I’m more than capable of being an adult’.”

“How do you actually feel about this?” Jane treaded lightly.

“Why do people think I’m a child unable to live in this world?” She looked to Jane with tears in her eyes. “I’m fully capable of being an adult, and I’m doing so much with my life right now, and people still think I’m an idiot. I’m not an idiot Jane. I’m not.”

“I know that sweetheart.” Jane wrapped the woman up in her arms.

“Do people not understand how damn hard I work to be where I am? I’ve been going through it and barely sleeping because I’m so busy working my ass off. I mean for god’s sake, I’m at the top of my class while starring in a hit musical. Does that not count for something? Do people not understand that for a nineteen year old, I’m doing so much more with my life than most people my age? I’m so much more than just a silly nineteen year old with bright pink hair that bounces around and acts silly. I do that stuff on purpose if we’re being honest here. When push comes to shove, I can be a god damn adult. And I am. And I get shit done.”

“I know you can honey.” The blonde pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re doing wonderful things, and I am so unbelievably proud of you- as well as all of the other girls.”

“I mean, like I know that.” Kat pulled back a bit to look at the silver queen. “But what is it going to take for people to take me as anything other than a joke? Am I just a joke at this point?”

“Oh love,” Jane pulled the younger queen back into her arms. “You are not and were never a joke.”

“Well, I don’t know what people want from me anymore. People don’t like the silly side of me, but people also don’t like the adult side of me. It’s like it’s never enough no matter what I do.”

“We do Kat. you are enough. Every side of you. The “adult serious” side and the silly goofy side- all of it- is enough. I promise you honey. You’re enough, just the way you are.”

“Thank you.” The fifth queen tightened her hold on the blonde.

“Are you going to talk to Bella about your feelings?”

“I mean, maybe. I don’t know. It happened a week ago. Isn’t it kind of pointless to bring it up now?”

“I don’t think so love. You know what they say: you can’t heal if you keep pretending you’re not hurt,” Jane recited back a quote she had seen on social media the other day.

Katherine thought over the older one’s words before nodding. “I guess. But maybe not tonight. Do you think we could just- I don’t know, have a me and you night?”

“I think that’s a great idea hun. Why don’t we finish up these dishes together, and then we can curl up on the couch and watch a disney movie?” the older monarch smiled before she added on quickly, “And no, liking Disney is not childish. I quite enjoy it too, and you wouldn’t call me childish, now would you?”

“You’re the last person I would call childish... aside from maybe Lina.”

[lunavadash-creates]

Soulmate AU

Little, 2 chapter story about Arno and his soulmate :D  Chapter: 1/2 Pairing: Arno Dorian x OC Warnings: some angst Next chapter Read on my AO3!  "Elise, wait!" Arno shouted and soon laughed, as he saw red-haired girl jumping over the vegetable cart. She was fast and agile, precise and confident, so she was always the one winning all their races. She only shot him a quick smirk but never slowed down to wait for him.Arno tried his best, but he always focused on his surroundings too much as he was too afraid of risk. He wanted to keep Elise safe, even if there was no safer place for them than Versailles. It was a city they grew up together, through the good and the bad, always side by side, supporting each other and sharing all those secret kisses. Arno loved Elise, and he couldn't wait to be with her officially.His soulmate tattoo was still a black outline of a single cornflower just above his wrist. It was small, subtle and it fitted Elise just right. He still remembered that the very first flower he gave to her was precisely this one - a single cornflower in a beautiful, deep shade of blue.

 On that day Elise told him that is was her favourite flower, but sadly, Arno’s tattoo remained empty.Arno shook off those memories and focused on his race with Elise. He really wanted to win this time, so he decided to risk more than usual. He jumped on barrels standing next to the tavern and soon stood on a roof of a building. He saw Elise running in the distance, and he dashed himself, ready to catch her.He never expected that the slick roof tiles wouldn't support his weight enough, so he fell off the rooftop suddenly, landing on his back on the hard, dirty ground. The impact took away all the air from his lungs, making him stunned for a few seconds. Above he saw only the blue, cloudless sky. A second later pain pierced his left arm. It wasn’t broken but definitely bruised."Are you alright?"A silent voice made Arno shiver. He tried to stand up as fast as possible and looked at the lady in front of him. He was dumbfounded. The woman, or maybe a young lady, in front of him, was beautiful. Her brown hair in a shade of milk chocolate was combed in a single brain and she was wearing a black dress. She looked at him with concern in her big, green eyes and in the same moment, Arno felt a wave of warmness spreading through his body, accumulating in his wrist. He looked down at his left hand and saw that his tattoo was full now. The cornflower had an elegant, green stem in the colour of the lady’s eyes, and the flower turned blue. But not some average blue. It was the most beautiful shade of deep blue, almost purple, Arno had ever seen. He raised his gaze toward the woman, who was also looking at her hand. On her left wrist, there was a tattoo of a carnation flower. It was white as snow, and the frame of each petal was in a dark, pink colour. Arno recognized this flower immediately. It was the same flower his father put on the grave of his mother."I'm-""No." Arno interrupted immediately. He was angry. And when he looked in her eyes and felt his heart turning into a tight knot, he got even more upset. It wasn't supposed to be like this!She couldn't be his soulmate. He refused to believe it! He had Elise - his beautiful, lovely Elise that was winning their race. He couldn't be with some random, meaningless girl."No. It can't be you! You can't be MY soulmate!" He screamed. The girl took a step away from him, stunned and shocked. Hurt and disbelief visible in her green eyes that were now shining. She was holding back tears."I will never accept you. I will never love you. You will never be part of MY life. I don't care who you are. We will never be together!" He growled and saw the tears run down her cheek.But he didn't care for her.He didn't care for a stupid tattoo.He couldn't.Arno woke up from a nightmare suddenly, sitting in his bed. His shirt was wet from sweat, his breath sharp and shallow. He felt the pain in his chest, one he knew so well. And then he looked at his left hand. The cornflower was still there, reminding him of his greatest failure. The blue of the flower became a bit weathered, contours not as sharp as they used to be. And the worst part? His soulmate, the woman he was supposed to spend his life with. The woman who hurt him the most was sleeping a few rooms away from him. And she wanted neither to talk to him nor to see him. She wanted him to disappear from her life."I will make sure you will keep your promise, Monsieur Dorian and will never be a part of MY life," She growled at him when he saw her for the first time after all those years. It was the first thing she had ever told him. And the last as she denied speaking to him at all.Arno couldn't sleep anymore, but fortunately, it was already early morning. So, he decided to clean himself before putting on his robes. But as he washed his face, another deep sigh escaped his lips as he saw his tattoo even more weathered than before. The flower looked like a waned picture - grey and blurred. If Arno didn't know it was, once a beautiful, cornflower he wouldn't be able to tell it now. It looked like a picture from a little child - a flower but one that can't be found in the real world.He ran his fingers gently over the tattoo, thinking about Vivienne. She was so close and yet so far away from him. In return, he soon felt a pinch in the wrist and winced. She always did that. She could feel when he was touching the tattoo and thinking about her, so every time, she made sure it would only bring Arno pain. Whenever he caressed his tattoo, she pinched it back.His heart was aching, and he could only blame himself, his stupidity and arrogance. Everything that was happening between them was his fault.Soon he left his room. He needed a distraction, and the best thing he could do was to devote himself to the cause. He was going on a lot of missions lately, accepting every task. But yet, his thoughts were always going back to Viv. To his soulmate.It was late evening when he came back to the Café Théâtre, he was bruised and tired, but still had been holding a flower in his hand. It was single cornflower he found on his way back and thought it was some kind of a sign as he had never before seen that flower in Paris. So, he took it and decided to give it to Vivienne. Or at least try to. So far, she had never accepted a gift from him. Even when he was leaving them directly in her room, she had always been throwing them all away. He found so many bouquets of flowers in the garbage can. The jewellery on necks and hands of workers of Café Théâtre and children eating all bonbons, all those were presents from him. He tried to say sorry, but she never stopped to listen to him. He tried to write letters, but he always found them in his room again, unopened. But he didn't want to give up on her. He already did this once, and now he had to face the consequences."Arno!" he heard the voice of Dimitri. He, Gerard and Philip were his friends. His best friends - the people who had been there for him whenever he needed. Because of them, Arno was not only an assassin, but also found a sense in his life. Without them, he would never be able to pull himself together after what had happened to Elise."Where are you going?" asked Philip."You look you terrible. Where you again running away from dogs?" asked Gerard, mocking him with a wide smile. Demetri was first to notice the flower in man's hand and frowned."You definitely shouldn't do this. Vivienne said she doesn't want you. Stop trying, or she will kill you eventually."The other Assassins looked at Arno surprised, noticing the flower in his hand.When Arno joined the assassins, Gerard was the first to find out that Arno had a soulmate. But at first, Arno didn't want to talk about it. He was still in love with Elise even though his feeling were fading away, changing. Arno felt like he finally understood that they weren't meant for each other, but it was hard to accept. Because he still remembered that pretty girl in a blue dress, looking at him with tears in her eyes.He told them accidentally when after Elise’s death, they found him drunk. He pointed at his tattoo, that already was going grey. And then he lost it and told them about the girl who he had hurt so much. About tears, he saw. About words he said. And then he told them about the worse part. He told them that the assassin who just came back to Paris, Vivienne, was the one who was meant to be with him.Demetri knew Vivienne the best. They often worked together, and they were good friends. He knew that she had a soulmate, one that she hated the most in the world. So, he tried to do the only thing to help he could; keep Arno and Vivienne far away from each other, which was hard as they served in the same Brotherhood. In the end, Demetri knew the reason why Viv didn't want to be with Arno. But he promised her not to tell anyone."Arno. You are our friend, but I'm afraid you have to finally accept that Viv will not accept you.""I know I hurt her but...""There are no buts. Go to Viv if you must but leave her alone if she will tell you no again." Demetri moved away, letting Arno through.He knew how this would end because both, Arno and Vivienne, were too stubborn to listen.Arno found Viv in a training room but didn't dare to interrupt her training. He just watched her moves. She looked like she was dancing the dance of death and destruction, the sword was cutting through the air with a whistle, steel shining in the last rays of the sun slipping through the windows. Her moves were fast and precise, but as soon as she saw him, she stopped and looked at him displeased. Arno saw drops of sweat shining on her forehead, few strands of chocolate hair sticking to her face. But she looked beautiful. If only those green eyes looked at him with something else than hatred..."I'm sorry to interrupt you," Arno said, taking a few steps to close the distance between them but Vivienne raised her sword before he got too close. She never let him near and so it was this time."What do you want again?" She asked anger in her voice made Arno's heart sink in his chest. But he couldn't give up. He showed her the flower. A single, blue cornflower, one that should be uniting them.Viv lowered her sword and came closer to Arno reaching for the flower.For a few seconds, Arno felt happiness blowing inside his body as he thought that maybe, maybe they can make peace with each other. He looked at her with a smile and hope in his brown eyes. He wanted to show her that his feelings were genuine. He wanted to be with her. To love her.But Viv took the flower and torn it to shreds, dropping remains on the floor under Arno's feet."Are you stupid?! What is so hard to understand when I say I don't want you! Stay the fuck away from me, I hate you! I don't want your stupid flowers, your presents and pathetic letters. You will never be a part of my life, so give up already. I wish I never met you!"With that final note, she left the room, leaving behind her one torn flower and one broken heart.Arno dropped on his knees, taking in his hands remains of the flower. He didn't know why his vision was blurry until one single tear fell on his tattoo. His fragile heart shattered into millions in tiny, sharp pieces digging into every organ and every tissue of his body. He bled. He knew he did when he took all the pieces and close them in his hand.Demetri appeared next to him soon, kneeling next to him and putting his hand on Arno's shoulder. Neither he nor Philip and Gerard wanted to see him broken again."I think you should know why she did that."

[selfwriting-sugarquills]

Heat in the rain pt. 3: One of those job things.

(Oof, we’re getting into the fluff now! Also, slightly unrelated but: I have a headcanon that the twins drink an absurd amount of coffee, that’s all - Hope you enjoy it! xxx) 

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 

Description: Reader decides they should get “one of those job things” (points if you get the reference- well I did use the gif so it shouldn’t be hard lol), and heads out, while she’s gone Fred urges George to confess his feelings. 

Warnings: None, just a load of fluff

Word count: 2257

 It was ten-thirty am on Sunday when the twins shuffled out of George’s bedroom looking tired. You were already sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of tea while reading a newspaper, before you sat a stack of three other newspapers, all open on the same pages, 

“Morning,” Fred yawned, scratching his hair lazily, he beelined for the fridge whilst George headed for the kettle, making himself a cup of coffee. He took a sip and sat down beside you, 

“What are you up to?” He asked, his voice gravely and sleepy, he rubbed his eyes as he squinted at the pages, 

“Are those job articles?” He asked, scooting closer to you, you smiled at him, 

“I figured I should get a job as well, make some money, get back on my feet” You took a sip of your tea, Fred pulled out his wand and behind him, eggs started cracking themselves into the heated pan on the stove, some potatoes leftover from yesterday were being chopped by an enchanted knife and bacon was separating itself from the pack and placing itself delicately onto the pan as well, popping and sizzling with the eggs, 

“You know, Y/n, if you wanted a job, you could just ask us,” Fred said, pouring himself some coffee as well, “Yeah we’d be happy to let you help out with the shop,” George added, eyes glancing up from the newspaper he’d stolen from your pile, 

“That’s sweet, guys but I couldn’t work for you, I’m already living with you for free,” You said, “It wouldn’t be fair be take from your pay as well,” You pulled the newspaper a little closer to you, 

“besides,” You pointed to the newspapers, “There are some pretty good jobs out there, I think,” 

Fred walked over beside you, looking over the black and white pages, 

“Like what? window cleaning?” Fred asked, grinning, “or dog walking?” he broke into a laugh, 

“Well, I wasn’t gonna pick those,” You said, slapping Fred gently on the arm, 

“Madam Malkin’s is hiring,” George said, pointing to an article in the newspaper he was reading, “That might not be too bad,” He added, grabbing a pen you circled it, 

“Thanks, George,” You said, giving him a smile, “You’re welcome,” He answered, sipping his coffee, “But if everything fails you better apply at the shop,” 

“Or just apply now, you know we’ll hire you immediately,” Fred said, scooping some eggs and bacon onto a plate, “Out of the question!” you said, downing the last sip of your tea and standing up, “But I have to head out now, I have to write a killer resumé without mentioning that I have zero experience,” you explained as you headed towards the door, collecting your jacket, George stared at you tying your shoes, 

“And you can’t do that here because?” He said, drawing out the last word, you beamed up at him slightly mischievously, he didn’t let it show, but something inside his chest squirmed when you looked at him like that, “Because,” You said, mimicking the way he’d said it, “you two won’t be working today, which means you’ll be here,” You tied a scarf around your neck as the two twins stared at you, still not getting the point by the look of their faces, “and I have learned from years of trying to study with you two that you can’t be quiet for more than five minutes, so: I’m going to a more quiet place,” finally, you grabbed your bag. 

Fred frowned a little, then said, “Fair point,” smirking behind his coffee cup. 

“What about breakfast?” George asked, 

“I’ve already eaten, I was up at 7,” You said, causing them both to gawk at you like you’d grown a second head, 

“Okay,” Said Fred, swirling the coffee around in his cup with a frown, looking like he was trying to solve a riddle, “Why?” He then asked, looking up at you, 

“Believe it or not, Freddie, some of us like to get up before noon,” 

“Us meaning you and all the roosters in England, I suppose,” Fred laughed, George joining in, 

Chuckling a little as well, you opened the door, 

“Enjoy your Sunday!” You yelled behind you as you stepped out onto the stairs. 

*** 

Walking down Diagon Alley, you glanced at the storefronts as you passed them by, taking in the fresh winter air. It was a busy scene, which wasn’t unusual, however with Christmas coming, it was even more crowded than usual. You walked for a while, trying to find somewhere that would be quiet enough for you to work out your essay, you’d figured a library at first, but you didn’t feel like walking all that far, you stopped in front of a small café, looking through the windows, something about the warm lights, plants and the various other small trinkets drew you in. 

Stepping inside you sighed quietly as you were taken out of the cold and instead stood in the warm, coffee-filled, air. A woman behind the counter greeted you, then moved on to make someone else’s drink, you eyed the menu hanging on the wall for a bit, then something caught your eye, a small note was stood on the counter, 

“Looking for baristas to work Wednesday-Sunday, 

if interested, please ask after Beatrice.” 

“Can I help you?” The woman behind the counter said, you glanced at her name tag and saw that she was the Beatrice mentioned on the note, 

“Uhm yeah, I’m looking for a job and I was wondering if you’re still hiring?” The words slipped out of your mouth almost automatically, Beatrice’s lips split into a warm smile, 

“Sure, when can you start?” She asked you blinked, 

“Erh, don’t you have to interview me first?” You asked, Beatrice, grinned even wider, “I probably should but truth be told I hate job interviews, too formal,” She explained, “How do you like your coffee?” She asked. You took a moment to think, this was all happening very fast, however, Beatrice had that kind of warm, welcoming energy about her, so you decided to go along with it, 

“Uhm, can you make me a flat white, please?” you said the first thing your eyes saw on the menu, your voice still slightly timid, “Sure thing,” Beatrice said, beginning to scoop some coffee powder into a small cup, you noticed how she didn’t use magic to prepare the coffee, she looked up at you and seemed to notice your slightly questioning look, 

“My mother was a muggle, she owned a coffee shop too,” Beatrice pulled what looked like a small lever, “-and even after she married my dad she swore that coffee tasted better when it was made by hand, even if magic is faster,” She explained, a look of fondness in her brown eyes, “And I have to say that I agree,” She chuckled a little, pouring some milk into the cup and handing it to you, “There you go, now let’s go over there and we can talk a little, not an interview though, just a conversation,” She said, chuckling again at the last bit, you smiled as you followed her to a comfortable corner of the café. 

***

In the shop, the twins were in the very back of their store, having been bored upstairs, so now, they were stacking boxes onto shelves and unboxing others, placing their content onto a small cart, meant for restocking the shelves in the storefront, 

“So,” Fred said, opening a box, 

“So?” George said, stacking a few boxes on Wonder Witch onto the cart, 

“Are you gonna tell her how you feel soon?” Fred asked frankly, George paused, put down the boxes and spun around meeting his brother’s grinning face, “What do you mean?” George said. He knew exactly what Fred meant.  

“C’mon Georgie, you’re not still pretending that you don’t love her, are you?” 

“I never pretended anything,” George said, sulking a little, 

“Oh sure,” Said Fred, a smirk growing on his face as he turned around and opened another box, “And you two never left the yule ball early to snog in the common room either,” He said, the immediate silence from his twin told Fred that he’d struck gold, 

“How do you know about that?” George’s voice asked Fred, who still had his back turned to him, Fred strained not to laugh, 

“I have my sources,” Fred said mysteriously, still stifling a laugh, George went back to the pink boxes, then regretted doing so. He knew damn well that those products were inspired by you, as you’d given them the idea for it at breakfast one morning, he remembered clearly how he and Fred had been exhausted from trying to come up with new ideas, and for the first time in a long time, with little luck, he still remembered how his stomach had done a somersault when your e/c eyes met his and asked, 

“Why don’t you try and make something for girls? like, colour changing mascara or something?” You hadn’t been trying to look pretty when you’d said it, mouth half-full of toast, but to George, you’d looked so gorgeous as you sat there, bathed in the morning light, streaming in through the big windows in the Great hall, he’d had to stop himself from leaning over the table and pressing lips to yours, 

“I don’t think she feels that way about me,” George heard himself say, his eyes still fixed on the boxes, 

“If she didn’t then why did she agree to ditch her actual date to the ball, sneaking off to snog you?” Fred asked, glancing at his brother, who still seemed fixated on the boxes, Fred came to a halt as well and turned to face his brother again, 

“George, I’m pretty sure there’s a reason she came here, and I’m pretty sure that reason revolves around you,” Fred said in an unusually quiet manner, “The worst that can happen is that she says she doesn’t like you in that way, and even then, she’ll still be your friend,” 

“We don’t know that” Said George hopelessly, Fred took a step towards him, 

“We do know that, George, otherwise she wouldn’t be here in the first place,” Fred clasped a hand onto George’s shoulder, “You just have to buck up some courage and grow a pair,” He said, George looked at him, looking a little too beaten down for Fred’s taste, “And then what?” He asked quietly, causing Fred to laugh, “Tell her, mate.” 

***

Exiting the café you felt positively euphoric, Beatrice turned out to be the nicest, calmest and most charming person you could have ever imagined as a boss, during your talk she’d introduced herself as a single mother of a young son, who was starting pre-school soon, hence why she needed some extra hands, who loved everything coffee related, though her secret obsession was baking, she’d laughed when she’d told you how much time she spent watching muggle baking shows, besides owning the shop, she’d always wanted to go on a tour of France, visiting various hotspots for cuisine and wine. When it had been your turn to speak, you’d told her everything, feeling safe in the little nook of the coffee shop amongst pillows, blankets and flowers, she hadn’t spoken when you’d told her about your whole situation with the war and your parents, she’d simply put a warm, soft hand on top of your own as a tear slipped down your face. All in all: She’d proven to be a fantastic person. You were pretty sure, as you turned a corner, heading towards the twins’ shop, that meeting her and getting the job there was the universe trying to make up for the many misfortunes that had hit you in the past half-year. 

Walking into the flat you were met by George, who seemed to be doing some of the accounting work that came with owning the shop, he glanced up at you and gave you smile, 

“How was writing?” He asked as you shrugged off your coat, “Well, not that great, since I didn’t write a resumé at all, however,” You said, walking up to him, “I got a job instead!” You announced, beaming at the redhead who looked at you with raised eyebrows, “Really? that’s amazing!” He said, standing up to hug you, “I know! I start on Tuesday,” You said, wrapping your arms around George. 

There was something different about the way he hugged you, you thought, it was… slower? softer? You couldn’t really name it, but something in the way he held onto you so gingerly compared to the way he used to hug you (which you’d once described as trying to hug a bludger coming at you with full speed, same went for Fred) however he also kept his arms wrapped around you for way longer than he’d ever held onto you, well safe for one time, you blushed as you remembered suddenly all too well how the yule ball had played out for you, the feeling of George’s lips pressed against your own, his hand steadily placed on your waist, the other on your face, softly caressing your cheek with his thumb - It all came to you as he held you, his head resting on top of your own, you felt your cheeks burning. You didn’t say anything. 

What you didn’t know was that George’s mind was also racing, fleeting memories of you smiling at him, quickly touching his hands and arms to get his attention in class, hugging him tightly after winning a quidditch match, the way your hair looked in the sunlight as you came running onto the pitch to congratulate him and, of course, you kissing him in front of the fireplace in the common room, the feeling of your soft lips engulfing him, making him lose all sense of time and space. 

Fred was right, George thought,  all he had to do was tell you.

__ Taglist: @lilcutekittykat​ 

[wongpuppy]

ANGEL, wong yukhei

↳ Rating completely heart warming fluff

↳ Pairing singledad!Yukhei x Y/N

↳ Word count 10.8k [ one-shot ]

↳ Summary singledad!Yukhei couldn’t believe his luck, having two angels in his life

  You read off of your shopping list, crossing off eggs and milk before looking back up the shelves for your favorite cereal. 

  “Excuse me, can you get cereal for me?” You look down to a soft pat on the back of your thigh. A little girl dressed in a gray shirt and short, denim overalls, pouting innocently up at you. “I can’t reach Froot Loops. I like your shirt color!” 

  She points up at your light pink cropped sweater. You giggle and crouch down to her height. “Thank you, pretty girl. I’m Y/N, whats your name?” 

“Xiaoli.” She plays with the frays on the bottom of your sweater. 

  “Thats a pretty name. Why are you alone, Xiaoli? Someone’s supposed to be watching you, right?” 

  The little girl opens her mouth to answer but only to get cut off by a deep, masculine sigh. “Xiaoli, angel, I told you to never let go of papa.” 

  A tall, dark haired man comes through the isle and catches you off guard big time. He was out of this world beautiful. Big, brown eyes were completely focused on the little girl in front of you. “Are you okay, baobei? Come here, let me see you.” 

  “Yes, papa, I’m okay.” The little girl walks towards him and you watch as he crouches down with strong, protective arms reaching out towards her, his concerned eyes scan across Xiaoli’s face and frame. You stand up with a gulp. 

  “She wanted me to get the, uh-” you turn and grab a box of Froot Loops, “- cereal she couldn’t reach.” 

  This was the first time the guy looks at you, and it really made your throat go dry. He stands up at his full height, towering over you and the little girl clutching his hand. Looking at him head on, he really was a sight you would never forget. You could already catching yourself get up in the warmth from his doe eyes. His tan skin almost glowed and damn, you thought to yourself, this really is the most gorgeous guy in the world. You watch his eyes widen slightly and the left side of his lip to flutter up. 

  “Yeah, Froot Loops’ her favorite.” He holds one of her hands and stands back up. He holds out his free hand towards you with a breathtaking smile. “I’m Yu-” 

  “My papa! This is my papa. Papa, this is Y/N!” Xiaoli cheers and dances a bit. He can’t help but blush lightly at Xiaoli and smile sheepishly at you. 

  “Sorry, she’s a pretty hyperactive kid, kinda took that from me, I’m afraid.” He licks his lip, and you mentally die at the sight. “My names Yukhei.”

  You can’t help but laugh a bit and shake his hand. “Don’t apologize, she’s the cutest girl I’ve ever met.” 

  When your hands meet, a shy smile falls on your face when Yukhei looks back at you with a warm smile that makes his eyes squint at the ends. Theres an unexplainable type of comfort that comes from his holding his hand, and it makes waves of electricity rush through your veins. Letting go was exactly the last thing you wanted to do. 

  “I like her papa. Her shirt is pink!” Xiaoli tugs on Yukhei’s free arm and smiles up at you. 

  Yukhei beams down at her with a loving look in his eyes that makes your heart melt at the sight. “And pinks’ her favorite color. Your names Y/N, right?” 

  “Yeah.” Your cheeks redden on their own at the scene in front of you. “Its nice to meet the both of you.” 

  Its just then that you notice the both of your hands were still enveloped and you blush even harder. Yukhei catches on and laughs a bit after pulling away with pink cheeks. “The pleasures ours.” 

  The two of you smile at each other for a second (or five) then look away when Xiaoli tugs on Yukhei’s arm and mutters ‘papa’. He looks down at her with a raised eyebrow then his lips form an ‘o’. 

  “We are kind of on a tight schedule, it’s almost her nap time.” 

You shake your head and sigh to yourself, thinking Yukhei was just going to be another beautiful memory. “That’s completely okay, it was nice meeting you-” 

  “I mean,” Yukhei scratches the back of his neck and motions for the shopping basket he left on the floor. “If you aren’t doing anything, do you mind helping us get the rest of our groceries?” 

  Xiaoli squeals in excitement and jumps around. You watch Yukhei’s grin slowly get wider when you nod. “Yeah, I’d love to! I’m not in a rush or anything.”

  “Great.” Yukhei’s teeth are straight and white, shining at you through a large grin. It feels as though golden hour sunlight was hitting you directly. “That’s great. We just need to get biscuits and pudding.”

  The three of you set off for the aisle, you letting him put his basket in your shopping cart, and him then requesting to push the cart. He puts Xiaoli in the grocery cart’s kiddie seat, and you smile seeing her dance in her seat. 

  “Do you go to Seoul University?” Yukhei grins at you as he asks, taking any and every chance he can to look at you.

  “Yeah, I’m a senior. What about you?” You blush when he’s still looking at you, never having anyones pure and unbothered attention as much as Yukhei was giving you.

  “Same. I’m an athletic training major, you?” Yukhei maneuvers the cart in the biscuits aisle and looks for a specific brand. But when you talk, he immediately turns to face you.

“I’m a linguistics major. What brand are you looking for?”

  You watch his eyes widen at your words before narrowing them with a smirk. “Are you messing with me? Linguistics major? Study of languages, right? That’s so cool!”

  He looks at you with a dumbfounded smile before shaking his head at himself, attempting to get rid of the rosiness on his cheeks. “Um, just any soft baked strawberry bar.” He looks back at you with that same wide smirk. “Do you know any Canto?”

“Yeah, I’m fluent.”

  Your cheeks get progressively more red the longer Yukhei grins at you with a slightly dazed look in his eyes. “Th-That’s insane. That’s the first language I learned properly, my most comfortable. Not a lot of people are fluent in it.” After a few seconds he scratches the back of his neck with a pinkish hue to his cheeks. “That’s really cool. What else do you know?”

  He quickly averts his eyes towards the shelves of cereal bars, cursing at himself for so obviously nervous just talking to you. 

  Yukhei was never like this around girls, and to be honest, he definitely knew his way around them. But hearing himself stutter and feeling the heat crawl up his neck to his cheeks was odd, new. And Yukhei knew entirely too well what that meant. 

  The both of you scan through the shelves and he picks out two different branded soft baked bars. Yukhei looks behind you and sighs in relief when pudding was on the same aisle.

  “Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and English. I’m doing an Asian concentration.”

  “Holy shit.” Yukhei utters low enough so Xiaoli doesn’t hear, stopping in his tracks to look at you with his jaw very obviously slacked. “Y/N, that’s insane. You’re officially the most impressive person I’ve met in my life.”

  You know your cheeks were resembling cherries by now and you lightly nudge him. “Oh, stop it, Yukhei. You’re pretty impressive yourself, you know.” He raises his eyebrows at you after looking around the puddings.

“How so?”

  “Well, you know, raising Xiaoli, it must be hard on you and your girlfriend to be doing that in University-“

  “Oh.” Yukhei stops his movements and laughs a bit nervously. He looks at you with a little confusion in his eyes, wondering how you never heard any of the rumors about him. “I’m single, Y/N. It’s just Xiaoli and I.”

  Practically everyone knew about Yukhei and Xiaoli, as he was never shy about being a single parent at such a young age. After his high school girl friend at the time found out she was pregnant, she immediately freaked out and ended the relationship, leaving Yukhei to take care of a little girl on his own. He never regretted it once though, seeing Xiaoli as more of a gift than anything else. 

  “Oh, I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have or anything, Yukhei.” You play with your fingers, a nervous habit, and sigh. But to your surprise, you feel Yukhei lightly put his left hand on your right shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, Y/N, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

  He gives you a sunshine grin, something so bright and wonderful it made you feel warm on the inside. You smile back at him and giggle a little, unable to formulate a normal sentence while having this beautiful man look at you with his twinkling eyes. He bites his bottom lip in a big grin before giving your shoulder one last squeeze and letting go.

  And you know that feeling of something warm and hot touching you for a while then letting go and that spot feels instantly freezing cold for a second before going back to normal? Thats what it felt like when his hand left your shoulder. You shiver.

  “Now, I just need to get a cake mix.” Xiaoli claps excitedly with a large grin, hearing the words cake.

“Vanilla cake! Vanilla cake!”

  Yukhei squeezes her cheeks lightly and coos at her. “Only the best vanilla cake for my princess.”

  You swoon at the sight. This man was definitely out of this world. “Is it someones birthday coming up?”

Xiaoli nods enthusiastically and throws her hands up. “I’m gonna be 5!”

  “Her birthday in four days.” Yukhei gives her a warm smile then turns back to you with a quieter voice. “And as excited as she is, today’s the first year I’m baking the cake, so I’m not even sure we’re going to have one.”

  You giggle as the three of you set off for the baking aisle. “I can help with that, if you want. I love baking.”

  “Really?” He has a dazzling smile on his face that leaves you breathless and you nod a little too dazed. “You’re honestly a lifesaver, Y/N, I was planning on baking the cake in three days so its still nice and fresh for her birthday.”

“I don’t mind at all.” You give Xiaoli a smile. “Anything for this little angel.”

  Xiaoli’s grin just gets wider and she pulls you in for a hug. She turns her face so she’s facing Yukhei, left cheek squished against your arm. “I like her, papa.”

  Yukhei feels his heart do something weird the more he looks at the sight in front of him. He knew his daughter always gave everyone she meets the benefit of the doubt, liking them all instantly. So he knew exactly when his daughter took a special liking to someone. Watching her tiny legs try to reach out beyond the kiddie seat and wrap around your hips, it was the first time Yukhei felt his heart flip. “I can see that, baobei.”

  This was all very foreign for a usually in control guy like Yukhei. He rarely put himself in a situation where he didn’t know what was going to happen, and right now, that’s exactly how he felt.

  “I think your papa’s a little jealous, honeybun.” He watched you say to the little girl with a smirk directed at him. Yukhei immediately felt his own smirk grow.

  “How did you know, Y/N?! Oh, no! My secrets out!” He playfully throws his hands up and groans exaggeratedly.

  Xiaoli, with all her innocence, falls for it and wiggles out of your touch and whines for the touch of her dad. 

Yukhei immediately feels warmth all over.

  It was crazy what Xiaoli’s birth did to him. Every year of his life since has been the best years and he’s never felt a love so deep, cemented, powerful.

He immediately takes her in for a hug and kisses the top of her head.

  You quickly turn away with your heart beating at the speed of light. You felt like you were watching something private; a surreal, different moment that you’ve never seen anything like before. With your strict, workaholic parents, you’re childhood was always spent in a big house all by yourself. They substituted feelings with gifts and many missed birthdays and graduations. 

  Seeing such a devoted parent and obvious moment of love struck something deep inside you. 

  You clear your throat and turn to all the different brands and flavors of cake mixes in front of you. Scanning the shelves, you pick out the vanilla Betty Crocker cake mix, a good amount of pink icing, as well as white and pink sprinkles.

  You turn back to Yukhei and Xiaoli with your hands full. “I picked out the best brands I know. And put the icing in the fridge when you get back home.”

  Yukhei grins at you and laughs a little seeing your hands all full. “You’re so cute, Y/N. Thank you, I appreciate this all a lot, really.”

  You giggle a little breathlessly watching him motion you over to your shopping cart. You blush and walk over, Yukhei immediately taking everything one by one out of you arms and into his basket.

“Its no problem, Yukhei. Anything I can do to help.” He grins at you and when he looks into your eyes, he feels his heart squeeze. He’s never fallen so hard, so fast for anyone before, it made him feel a little helpless.

  “I think we’re done now.” He quickly turns to Xiaoli and bops her nose lightly. “How’re you feeling, angel?”

  “A little sleepy but okay.” She gives him a cute toothy grin and wiggled her legs. “How are you, Y/N?”

  “I’m great, sweetheart. Thank you for asking!” She grins and reaches out towards the frays of your sweater again. You laugh and move closer to her so she could be able to play with them.

  “If you don’t mind,” you don’t even realize how close Yukhei and you are, your feet just inches away. “Can I have your number? To plan out when to bake the cake and everything.”

  You feel your heart beating at 200bpm. His eyes twinkled under the grocery store lights and your mind was permanently in dream state.

  “Yeah, Yukhei, of course.” A flush fills your cheeks. “Here, give me your phone.”

  He grins at you for a second before nodding and getting out his phone. You internally squeal when you see his background to be a baby picture of Xiaoli. The two of you exchange phones and put in each others numbers, with shy grins exchanged back and forth.

  “Do you want to walk to check out together?” You put your own phone in your pocket and Yukhei does the same. He grins at you and you nod with a shy smile.

“Y/N, whats your favorite color?”

You turn to Xiaoli with a smile. “I like the color blue, angel.”

“Papa likes blue, too!”

  Yukhei grins down at her while he pushes the cart. You walk beside them with a grin of your own. “That’s right, baobei, you remembered!”

“Of course, papa!” She gives him a toothy grin and you giggle at the sight. 

“She has the exact same smile as you.”

  Yukhei turns to you with a warm smile and pink cheeks. “You think? It looks much better on her, I think.”

  You shake your head and laugh, nudging him with your shoulder. “She really is adorable.”

  “I know.” He looks at her with so much warmth in his eyes, you thought you were going to melt on the spot. “She’s my guardian angel.”

  You feel your heart almost stop in that second, not even beginning to understand how much Yukhei really did love Xiaoli. It was so different than anything you’ve ever experience, in a parental figure and male figures in general. The sweetness in Yukhei’s voice every time he talked to her, the gentleness in his eyes; you were so caught up in awe. 

  “Registers 2 and 3 are free.” He turns to you with a side grin, taking small steps towards you. “It was really nice meeting you, Y/N.”

  You bite your lip and nod, giggling to yourself. “You too, Yukhei. I’ll text you today so we can plan out Xiaoli’s cake-“

  Yukhei takes you in for a hug and you’re frozen for a second until his warmth spreads everywhere through your body. You’re a little shellshocked at the moment, your heart beating so rapidly, you were certain he could feel it. You move your arms up around his neck after a few seconds. This felt good, way too comfortable for a first-time-encounter. His arms wrapped around your torso and yours around his neck felt like it was made to be there.

Everywhere he touched left goosebumps on your skin, and it was addicting. 

“I want a hug!”

  Yukhei pulls away quickly, looking at you with a shy grin. “Sorry, I didn’t really know what I was think-“

  “Don’t apologize, Yukhei.” Your arms are still resting on his shoulders and you smile up at him, ears very red. You pull away slightly and move closer to Xiaoli and take her in for a hug with Yukhei. “Big hug!”

  Yukhei’s chest rumbles in a deep laugh that makes your cheeks redden, and especially more when you realize the three of you were in a tight, tight embrace.

“The two of you are the cutest people I know.”

  You feel so complete at the moment, you couldn’t believe you just met this guy. It was like something internal, and it definitely made your insides tingle.

⇝⇝⇝

  You had just finished all your classes, opening the front door to your apartment when you feel your phone buzz from a call. When you take out your phone and see Yukhei’s name flash across the screen, you couldn’t help the butterflies that flew around your stomach. The two of you just met yesterday and the thought of him already made butterflies spring in your chest. 

  “Hey Y/N!” Yukhei sounded rushed on the other end of the call, like he was doing something else while talking to you. You grin to yourself as you listen to him. “What’re you up to in the next hour?”

  You shrug off your backpack and walk into the kitchen. “Yukhei, hey. I just got back to my apartment, finished all my classes. Why, whats up?”

 The boy on the other end sighs and clears his throat. “Well, I was hoping you could do me a huge favor. If you can’t, though, its totally fine. I just have an exam in, like, 20 minutes and my neighbor, Yuta, can’t look over Xiaoli last minute and none of my friends are free-“

 “Of course I’ll look after her.” You shake your head, giggling at his rambling. “Its no big deal.”

 “I owe you so much, Y/N.” You hear a set of keys jingle on Yukhei’s end with a slight groan. “I have to leave now, please tell me you live close to campus?”

  You can’t contain your laughter at the sound of his rushing, telling him your apartment address.

  “Come on, angel, you’re gonna stay with Y/N for a bit.” You hear Xiaoli squeal in the background and you grin to yourself. “We’ll catch ya’ in a sec, Y/N. I’ll text you when I’m down.”

“I’ll be waiting! See you in a bit.”

  You clutch your phone to your chest with a dreamy sigh and a childlike squeal. Last night, the two of you texted like high school crushes all night, talking about random things and details about each other. When you learned that he had to wake up at 8am every morning to drop Xiaoli at her daycare, you immediately forced him to sleep (much to his discontent) when the clock hit 2am.

  You cleaned up the place and got as many of your toys into a basket in the living room for Xiaoli, which wasn’t a lot but would have to do. 

  Your phone goes off and you throw on an oversized jumper before grabbing your keys.

Yukhei: We’re out :) @4:22pm

Y/N: Coming!! @4:23pm

  You race down the hall and into the elevator, twiddling your fingers together all the way down. You blush once you see Yukhei and Xiaoli leaning against a car. Yukhei sees you and waves at you with the widest grin, making you feel like you were at the center of the universe. You walk over with rosy cheeks and face set in a permanent smile.

  “Y/N!” Xiaoli jumps when she sees you and immediately runs over, meeting you half way. You’re crouched down to her height when you take her in your arms and let her wrap around you, all the while grinning from ear to ear. 

“Hi sweet angel, I missed you!”

  “I missed you too, Y/N!” She takes your face in her small hands and kisses the center of your forehead. You coo at her, kissing her cheeks and muttering thank you a hundred times.

Yukhei dies at the sight. As if his day old crush couldn’t get any stronger. 

  He looks between the two of you with powerful emotions being sought out from inside him, watching his daughter and you getting along so well.

“I owe you, again, Y/N. I’ll only be an hour and a half, two hours max-“

  “Take your time, Yukhei, really. I’ve got this.” You wink playfully at him. “The only reason I’m talking to you is to see Xiaoli anyway.”

  Yukhei feels his heart do the thing again -- another flip. He wants to reach out hold you tightly against him, feeling so overwhelmingly grateful. As much as he wants to, Yukhei still felt the embarrassment of the giant hug he gave you yesterday and holds back the yearning. Get a grip, Yukhei, you’re so whipped.

  “You know, I actually really don’t mind that.” Yukhei smirks softly at you and the two of you are grinning at each other hopelessly until you remember the time.

  “You can come over and chill after you finish, if you want to.” You blush, was that too straightforward? “I have cookies upstairs.”

  You watch both Yukhei’s and Xiaoli’s identical eyes go identically wide and you feel a little speechless at the sight.

  “That’s the key to my heart, Y/N.” Yukhei grins at you and holds a hand against his chest with an exaggerated swoon. “I’ll definitely come over for a cookie or five.”

  Before he leaves, Yukhei takes a few steps closer to you and you feel your throat close up when he leans down towards you. He’s so close and he’s just getting closer, the air between the two of you almost electric.

  You snap out of it when all he does is kiss the top of Xiaoli’s head, who is still clung onto you. But before you could release the breath you were holding, Yukhei pulls away but only slightly so the two of you were face to face.

  Seeing him this close with the sunlight hitting him in all the right angles, God was definitely playing tricks on you. The way his eyes scanned across your face and stuck on your lips for a few seconds too long made your heart do batshit crazy and unexplainable things in your chest.

  “Your exam, Yukhei.” You wanted to smack yourself, sounding so breathless and out of it.

  He looks at you, with sparkles in his eyes and doesn’t move for a millisecond before he nods to himself with a small grin. “Right. My exam.”

  Yukhei shakes his head, embarrassed at how lost he got looking at you like that. He felt like he could look at you forever and never get bored. He rests a hand on your shoulder and squeezes it. “I’ll text you.”

  Then he’s off, sprinting to his car and waving at you and Xiaoli before driving to campus.

  You look down at Xiaoli with a sneaky grin. “Now, who wants some homemade cookies?”

She grins happily and claps her hands. “I do! I do!”

  “Lets go before the cookie monster gets them all!” You playfully speed walk towards the elevators, making the little girl in your arms giggle the whole way up.

  The two of you spend the next hour and forty-five minutes over episodes of Dora the Explorer, cookies, toys, and many bursts of laughter. Xiaoli and you talked a lot more than you thought you would, it was crazy how similar the little girl and her dad was. She was probably the funniest kid you’ve met, managing to make you laugh at even the smallest things. 

  Before you bumped into Yukhei and Xiaoli, having a kid was something you never saw for yourself. It wasn’t that you didn’t like them, you just never thought of yourself finding a partner and being able to really settle down to have kids. Maybe it was your cynicism or lonely childhood, you just never thought you would be a good enough parent to raise a child. But being around Xiaoli and a real father figure who loved his daughter so strongly woke up the most basic human desire in you.

For the first time in a while, you wanted a real, loving family for yourself.

  Your phone buzzes and you catch yourself smiling dumbly when Yukhei’s name pops up.

  “Hey Y/N, I just finished my exam!” You could hear the happiness in his voice and it made you feel all giddy and warm inside. You move ever so slightly on the couch to get a bit more comfortable while Xiaoli snoozed on your chest.

  “Hey Yukhei! That’s great, how do you feel about it?” Your whispered voice makes Yukhei laugh for a second on the other end.

  “It was hard as shit to be honest.” Yukhei whispers back, and you can hear him fumbling with his keys on the other end. “Why’re we whispering?”

“Xiaoli’s asleep, loser.” You chuckle when you hear him gasp on the other end.

“You’re so mean to someone who just went through a lot of ass-whooping.”

  “You curse a lot more on the phone.” Xiaoli gets more comfortable against you and you grin.

  “I don’t like cursing around Xiaoli, but I’m a young adult, I like to drop a shit or fuck here and there.”

  Hearing a guy curse never seemed like something insanely hot or anything to you, but suddenly hearing Yukhei utter such crude words made you blush heavily.

  “I can’t believe you’re graduating senior.” You whisper with barely held in laughter. “Hurry back soon, theres one last cookie left and I’m a little hungry.”

  “So mean.” You can feel his smirk through the phone. “I’ll be home soon, honey!”

  The phone call ends and just like that, you feel like you’re living in a different world, a world where you called Yukhei yours. With Xiaoli sleeping so peacefully on you and Yukhei’s playful flirting, you felt like this was all so unusually familiar to you, so strangely comfortable. You felt like this was something you could do for the rest of your life, being around Yukhei and Xiaoli. 

  You text him your floor and door number, along with where the second key was (under the cactus pot), stating that Xiaoli looked so cute and peaceful asleep, you didn’t want to wake her up. Yukhei didn’t mind at all obviously, happy his little angel got to sleep more.

  You’re so concentrated on Dora and Boots on the TV screen that you missed Yukhei’s text that he was outside and almost didn’t hear the front door open and close. That was until you see Yukhei in the corner of your eye, his casual black hoodie and sweats paired with a new backwards cap. His eyes scan your living room with a warm smile.

  “Nice place, Y/N, lots of light.” He looks at each and every piece in your living room, the sparse but organized furniture contrasting to the spread of toys on your couch. Eyes roaming around every nook and cranny, but when your hushed voice reaches his ears, his attention is all on you.

  “Thank you, decorated it all myself.” You go to give him a goofy smile but the way he looks at you and Xiaoli makes you freeze up, he looks at the both of you so warm and whole, you feel complete inside and out.

  “Planning to steal my daughter, Y/N?” The way he says it with his deep voice sent shivers down your spine. He looks at you with a playful and wholly content smile, you felt like you don’t even need the sun anymore.

  “That’s been my plan since I met you, Yukhei.” You drop your head against a pillow and smile up at him. “How was your exam?”

  Yukhei lets his backpack fall off his shoulder and sprawls out opposite of you on the sectional couch, careful not to wake Xiaoli up. He sighs and relaxes against the velvety pillows.

  “I think I did good, definitely passed it.” He rolls his eyes at you. “You’re lucky you don’t have to take advanced human biology.”

  You let out a breathy laugh then motion for the cookie plate on the coffee table. “Xiao and I left you congratulatory cookies.”

  Most of the time Yukhei would instantly look over at food, but he doesn’t move and stays looking at you. He smiles instead, caught up in the name you gave his daughter. “Xiao?”

“A nickname.” Your cheeks turn pink. “She wanted a nickname.”

  Yukhei’s eyes seem to soften more and more until he clears his throat and turns so that he was laying on his side and looking at you. “I want a nickname.”

  You rack your thoughts and try to set your focus on anything other than the way Yukhei was grinning and toying with his bottom lip at you. You groan lightly. “I don’t know you well enough, I can only give nicknames to people I’m close to.”

  “Oh?” The tall boys eyes twinkle, his smile never leaving. “So the two of you are besties now?”

  You nod and look down at her with a warm gaze. “I honestly feel like she knows me. I’ve never felt so much love from someone.”

  Yukhei’s brows furrow at how you look at Xiao like she was the most precious thing to you. “What about your parents?”

  He catches the way the corners of your lips dip slightly. His hands stutter in their movement as he holds them up. “I’m so sorry for asking such a personal question, you don’t have to answer that-”

  Your quiet laugh stops his sentence. Shaking your head, you offer him a small smile. “Its fine, Yukhei. They were good parents but not there... Emotionally.”

Yukhei’s silent for a second. “You don’t have any siblings?”

“Nope.” You shake your head and swallow thickly. “Just me.”

  The sprawled out boy stays quiet, watching how you would rock Xiaoli lightly, Yukhei couldn’t help but think to himself that you had a natural motherly instinct.

  He couldn’t begin to think about a family that wasn’t one filled with constant love and care. Yukhei grew up in a tight-knit family that showered him and his younger brother with endless love. Xiaoli often spent time with his parents, and was a kid filled with all the love he’s gotten from his family and not just him.

  But then he thinks of a younger you, picking up and putting together the little pieces of your childhood you told him about. A little you memorizing and teaching yourself foreign languages to fill up the silence left from your parents.

“We’re your family now.” 

  Yukhei’s eyes widen when he realizes he said that out loud. He knew your childhood was a bleak one, and most of the love you’ve received coming from your friends rather than your parents. He wanted to help you in any way he could, and if it was just spending time with you and Xiao, he would trade everything in the world for it. “I mean, looks like Xiao already thinks you are even if we just met yesterday.”

  You’re too caught up in your thoughts to really think about his words, lightly brushing strands of hair off of Xiaoli’s face. “I feel like I’ve known her forever.”

  Yukhei feels his breath get stuck in his throat, your voice dripping with sweetness, adoration, honey. He takes the time to really take in the both of you on the couch, wondering if he’s ever seen his daughter so smitten with anyone other than him. He laughs to himself, head shaking and voice deep.

  “I don’t think Xiao’s ever slept on anyone except me. She’s so comfortable with you already.”

  His laughter is what snaps you out of your thoughts, grinning from ear to ear at his words. You keep looking at her, unable to get enough of her cuteness. “Thats one of the nicest things anyones ever told me.”

  Yukhei’s grin grows to the size of yours as he keeps his gaze set on the two of you. He doesn’t look away the whole time, doesn’t even want to blink, cementing this part of his life forever. In that point, he’s never felt so full.

  “Papa?” Xiaoli’s hands are balled up in fists when she rubs her eyes to wake up.

  Yukhei’s eyes drag from you to the little girl in your arms. A dazzling, gentle smile set on his face. “Hello there sleeping beauty.” He pats his chest and opens his arms for her to come to him. “What did you dream about?”

  You watch Xiaoli stumble across the couch to get from you to Yukhei, collapsing onto his broad chest. Your heart rate picks up watching her sit criss-cross on him, and he doesn’t look uncomfortable in the slightest.

“Unicorns, papa! So many unicorns. And I was a queen!”

  Yukhei’s smile is tender as he looks up at Xiaoli. He pinches her cheeks. “Thats not a dream! You’re a queen here, too!”

  The little girl giggles and puts her hands on his baseball cap. “I don’t have a crown. Can I take yours?”

  “No no no.” Yukhei takes her hands from his hat and kisses them instead. “Papa messed up his hair. If Y/N sees, she won’t like me-“

  Sneakily, Xiaoli slips her tiny hands out of Yukhei’s and she takes the cap off his head, giggling like crazy the whole time. Yukhei gasps loudly and groans comically at how Xiaoli held his hat above her head. “Oh, no! You’re too tall for me!”

  Your apartment is filled up with Xiaoli’s bubbly laughter and so is your heart. Your apartment feels so foreign, it didn’t even feel like just yours anymore. The way Yukhei and Xiaoli play on your couch make you forget all the times you’ve cried in that same place. 

  The Wong’s managed to fill your apartment with so much love, you forget all about your loveless childhood and previously lonely, empty apartment.

⇝⇝⇝

  The next time you have the pleasure of seeing Yukhei and Xiaoli is two days later, when you were supposed to help with baking her birthday cake. That was precisely why you stood in front of their door with a nervous bounce to your step and your bottom lip being gnawed on since you woke up this morning. 

   Of course, Yukhei and you have been texting as much as the two of you could but with you having an exam today and him tending to Xiaoli, it was not much. But you didn’t mind at all, the only problem being your nerves about having to see the Wong’s similarly wide smiles and booming laughter. 

“Oh! Yukhei, someones at the door for you!” 

  You snapped out of your thoughts at the opening of Yukhei’s door and a guy around your age standing in the doorway. He gives you an apologetic smile, picking up the fact that he had completely caught you off guard. “I’m sorry about that, I’m Yuta! Yukhei’s neighbor, you must be Y/N.” 

  You’re about to open your mouth when the man of the hour appears behind the shorter, blonde boy with a wide and toothy grin. Your heart skips a beat, and you instantly feel your cheeks redden. 

  “Y/N, I didn’t hear you knock.” He nudges Yuta to allow you into the apartment and you chuckle shyly, fiddling with your fingers. 

  “I was just about to.” You force yourself to look away from Yukhei’s bright eyes and towards his neighbor with a friendly smile. “Yuta, Its nice to meet you. Seems like someones been talking about me, hm?” 

  Yukhei laughs lowly and a little nervously, making Yuta smirk at you. Before he says anything, the three of you turn to a familiar squeal of a little girl. 

“Y/N!” 

  From around the corner, Xiaoli sees you with a larger than life smile that makes you instantly smile back, already crouching down with your arms open wide for her to run into. “Xiao, angel!” 

  When her small arms wrap around you, you hug back and immediately feel all your anxiety fade. “I missed you, Y/N.” 

“And I missed you, lai fa.” 

  Yukhei feels his all his breath leave him when he hears the tender beautiful flower fall from your lips, making him fall all together. His heart beats erratically and uncontrollably, as if adrenaline was pumped straight through his veins. It isn’t until Yuta pats his shoulder that his gaze snaps away from Xiaoli playing with your hair that he realizes the near heart-eyes his face took shape of. 

  “You, my friend, are done for.” Yuta mutters to the still shellshocked dad, snickering behind his hand. He clears his throat, getting your attention away from the little girl in your arms. “I’m afraid I have a date to get to, but it was nice finally putting a face to the stories, Y/N.”

  You get up with a side grin, Xiaoli clutching onto one of your hands. “Will I be seeing you for Xiao’s birthday party tomorrow?” 

  He nods immediately, beaming down at the little girl. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” 

  Taking for into a hug, you step away from them and stand beside Yukhei with a raised brow and a minuscule smirk. “So, been telling stories about me, Yukhei?”

  “Not me, Xiaoli.” He chuckles nervously again and avoids your gaze, “you know how she is. Loves to talk.” 

“Takes after her papa.” 

  Yukhei’s cheeks and ears are a crimson red, thankful for Yuta getting up and announcing his departure and having you look away with a smirk plastered on your face. ‘Yeah, definitely done for’ the taller boy thought to himself watching you wave bye to his neighbor. 

“Are you going to read me good night?” 

  Yukhei instantly looks away from your dimpled smile and towards his daughter who directed the question to Y/N, with a pout and raised brow. “You don’t want me to read to you?” 

  She giggles and shakes her head, her long dark brown hair whipping around. “No, papa. Y/N tonight.” 

  “I seriously love her so much, Yukhei.” You say without looking at him, eyes and attention completely focused on the angel in front of the both of you. You reach down to fix her bangs with a hand resting on her cheek after. “Of course I’ll read to you, Xiao.” 

  After she grins and dances on the spot, she runs around the corner and presumably to her room. Before you can follow, a hand on yours makes you and your heart stop. 

  “If you don’t stop this immediately,” Yukhei utters with a soft voice and dangerously beautiful grin, “I’m afraid I would not be able to let you leave.” 

  He takes a few steps closer to you, closing the distance between the two of you to just a breath away, and it completely takes your breath away. Your mind is in shambles, unable to think about making any form of intelligent noise, instead being grounded on the spot with an awestruck look. 

“Y/N? Papa? I can’t find Tigger!” 

  Yukhei’s eyes that were previously trained on your lips move up to your eyes with a barely audible tsk. He drops your hand to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear, his palm rest resting on the side of your neck for just a second, making you question how you were still breathing at that point. “I’m coming, angel!” 

He steps away from you with a playful glint in his eye. “You good there, Y/N?”

  You have to blink a couple times to regain any normal human motor function before you nod with a bashful chuckle. “You’re a very dangerous man, Wong Yukhei.” 

  All he does is shrug, nodding to where Xiaoli called for them with a small smirk. “I can’t help it, Xiaoli is almost as smitten with you as I am.” 

  He leaves without another word, making you stay grounded on the spot, playing his words and voice and everything in your head before a disbelieving laugh comes from you. You follow where Yukhei goes through the hallway and into a little girls room, very obviously Xiaoli’s due to the pink walls adorned with flowers decorated here and there. She’s laying in her pink bed with a pout and crossed arms. 

  “What happened to sleeping with Snoopy?” Yukhei asks, rummaging through a pile of toys beside a miniature table and chair set. 

“Tigger was lonely.” 

  You hold back a coo, watching Yukhei hide the tiger toy behind his back as he approached Xiaoli’s bed with an exaggerated frown. You lean against the doorframe, not wanting to interrupt the scene in front of you at all. 

“I can’t seem to find him, baobei.” 

  The sweet girl’s pout only deepens and when her eyes nearly whelm up, Yukhei immediately pulls the Tigger toy from his back and in her line of sight. He crouches down to her bed and pats her head, combing his hands through her hair. “Don’t cry, angel, he was just hiding behind me. He’s here now, see?” 

  When her face lights up, his does as well and it brought back that same yearning you felt deep in your chest when you realized that you wanted a family of your own. It pulled at your heart strings, the way Yukhei gazed at his daughter with so much affection. 

“I want Rainbow Fish tonight, Y/N!” 

  You are brought away from your thoughts with a warm smile as you nod at Xiaoli, coming into the room and kneeling beside Yukhei beside her bed. “Is that your favorite story, lai fa?” 

  She nods a bit tiredly, a small smile still on her face as she cuddles the toy and nestles into her pillows. Yukhei chuckles breathlessly, reaching over you to get the book from her bedside table, handing it to you with an affectionate gaze. He sits beside the small bed, being big enough to lean against it with his head resting on his palm. 

  “A long way out in the deep blue sea there lived a fish...” You started to read softly, turning the page here and there, making sure to follow along with your finger for Xiaoli’s benefit. 

  Pointing the pictures when necessary, you were too focused on the story itself to catch the way Yukhei watched you with all the softness in the world. His chest thumped every time you would look back at Xiaoli, even going as far as quietening your voice when you noticed her eye lids getting heavier. Yukhei could not stop looking at you, feeling so entranced by the gentleness of your tone, the quirk of your lips as you read the children’s book, the love in your eyes whenever you looked at Xiao. 

“Yukhei? She’s asleep now.” 

  Blinking, Yukhei’s daze was cut off by your whispers and raised eyebrow. His cheeks flare up as he quickly leans over to the figure of his daughter peacefully asleep. “Sweet dreams, baobei.” 

  You watch him kiss her cheeks, eyelids, and forehead with a racing heart and clammy palms. The act leaving such an impact on you, you felt your eyes whelm up and you look away once you catch the softest ‘i love you forever’ from the tall, beautiful man in front of you. Getting up, you turn the lights off, leaving her bedside nightlight on after you remember Yukhei telling you she couldn’t stay asleep without it. 

  The two of you carefully walk out her room, Yukhei leaving the door partly open before motioning to follow him. “You didn’t have to do that, Y/N. I appreciate it, really.” 

  You just smile and giggle, nudging the beautiful man as you walk beside him. “Stop thanking me for the smallest things, Yukhei. I’d do anything for her.” 

  His reply doesn’t come in the form of words, instead stopping his tracks and turning to you. Theres a rosy hue to his cheeks that instantly makes you blush too, the look forcing all the butterflies in your stomach to go crazy. Yukhei slowly raises his hands over your cheeks and holds them gently. His smile is almost shy, eyes squinting at the corners as he looked down at you with nothing but adoration. 

“Can I kiss you then? Will you accept that as a thank you?”

  Your throat goes dry and you know your face was fire hydrant red, never feeling your cheeks as hot as they did as that moment. You nod dumbly, not trusting yourself to speak and break the way Yukhei gazed at you like everything you’ve ever wanted in life. 

  His face inches forward ever so slightly and just when his lips brush against yours, theres a phone ringing that makes you jump and Yukhei sigh loudly. Keeping one hand on your cheek, he uses the other to reach in his pocket and pull out his phone, answering without taking his eyes off of you. He gives you an apologetic but cheeky smile. 

“Can I help you, Sicheng?”

  You chuckle quietly when Yukhei sighs and a deep voice talks on the other end, making him roll his eyes. Dropping his hand from your cheek, he looks down at you with a pout, his socked left foot nudging yours from where the two of you stood. Your cheek instantly feels ice cold and you wish that you could feel his warm, big hands on you for as long as possible. “Yeah, it’s tomorrow at 2pm. Isn’t Yuta with you? Why couldn’t you ask him yourself?” 

  You couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation, as Yukhei switched to speaking in Cantonese and it was probably the most attractive thing your ears where blessed with; hearing him speak in his mother tongue. 

“Assholes, both of you. Good bye!” 

  The boy in front of you shakes his head before looking at you with a roll of his eyes and a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that. You ready to bake this cake?” 

  You watch him tread to the kitchen that was at the end of the hall, a skip to his step and whistling lowly under his breath. You tried and tried to push back the whirlwind of thoughts and feelings that arose from the near Earth-shattering moment but it just kept coming at you, making you flustered all over again. 

  You’ve had a couple boyfriends in your 21 years of life, but none of them standing out or erupting waves of adrenaline and adoration to come from you. And before you bumped into the Wong’s, you’ve been feeling a slow hole of loneliness grow in your chest. Countless nights spent crying yourself to sleep over the thought of being so emotionally unfulfilled was immediately swept away the moment Yukhei looked at you the way he did with his hands on your cheeks. 

  Yukhei always had a smile on his face around you, but not such a loving and caring twinkle that left you breathless every time you thought about it. 

“Are you okay, Y/N?”

  You look up to warm hot chocolate brown eyes and your lips impulsively perk up on their own. Nodding, you make your way to him and ignore the feeling of completeness you felt being around Yukhei, putting all your focus on the cake mix that sat on top of the kitchen tables. 

“I may or may not have eaten a few spoons of the frosting.”

  Laughter flows out of you easily and carelessly, the innocence in the tall man’s voice making you shake your head but endlessly thankful for having the chance to meet a guy like Wong Yukhei. Without thinking about it, you lean up on the tips of your toes and place a quick but mind numbing kiss on his soft cheek, the action making him freeze instantly and you turn red all over. “If this cake turns out bad then, I’m putting all the blame on you.” 

  Yukhei, in all his dazed glory, can only nod at you with wide eyes and a slack jaw, not prepared for the flash of confidence that came out of nowhere. You can’t help but chuckle shyly at his state, never leaving a boy speechless, especially leaving a man like Wong Yukhei without the ability to think properly. 

  The next four hours was dedicated to baking and decorating the vanilla cake, taking almost twice as long due to the presence that was Yukhei and all his laughter and wide-smiled glory. The two of you talked and joked around as if you’ve known each other for years and not a mere few days. It was easy, the way conversation never seemed to seise and moments of silence feeling anything but awkward. 

  From childhood stories and embarrassing teenage phases to revealing hidden talents and the reasons behind visible scars, the two of you were far too engrossed in each other to notice the worsening weather outside until the finished cake sat proudly on a large golden platter. 

“Oh shit, was that lightning?” 

  Yukhei’s words make your eyes go from the amateurly decorated pink and white cake to windows that showcased heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. You look down to your phone that read 11:45pm and muttered a curse. “I completely forgot a storm was coming tonight, and how is it nearly midnight already?” 

  Walking over to his large living room windows, you see the roads below nearly flooding, with cars having to drive extra slowly but still making it look ever daunting. You pout at the sight. 

“Are you going to be able to drive back in this weather?” 

  Yukhei’s deep voice comes from behind you and you jump at the sound, blushing at how close he was to you. Shrugging and looking at the both of your light green socks, the car keys in your back pocket feeling like a 100 lbs. “Probably, I just never have driven in weather this bad.” 

  Theres a moment of silence between the two of you, only filled up by the loud booming of thunder and constant heavy rainfall. 

  “You can stay the night, if you’d like. I would prefer if you did.” Yukhei looks anywhere but your eyes, feeling heat crawl up his neck. “Just to be safe, I mean. I can sleep on the couch and you can take my bed, and I have extra clothes that are small enough and could fit you. I just need to get them for you-”

  His rambling is cut off by your low chuckle and equally as rosy cheeks. You nod without another thought, making the tall man beam at you bashfully. “Your nervous rambling is adorable, by the way.” 

  “I’m not adorable.” He mutters with a pout and blush still heavily evident on his face. Yukhei coughs a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “Let me get you some clothes and check on Xiao, she isn’t scared of storms but I just want to make sure she’s still asleep.” 

  During the time spent baking and decorating the cake, the two of you would take turns checking up on the sleeping little girl. She slept soundly the whole time, but you couldn’t blame Yukhei for wanting to make sure she was still asleep and okay. When he excuses himself from the living room, you can’t help but look around the space, taking it all in for the first time. 

  The moderately furnished room was decorated here and there with framed pictures and occasional polaroids of Xiaoli, Yukhei, his family, and friends. Spotting Yuta in a few of them, you smiled as you picked up a particular selfie Yuta took with Yukhei holding and looking down at a younger Xiaoli with the fondest of smiles on his face. With missing teeth and messy bangs, Xiao beamed at the camera and you wanted to combust on the spot, catching each of the similarities the younger girl shared with her dad. 

  “Do you want to watch a movie and order out some food? I’ve only got leftover Mexican in the fridge and I honestly don’t know how long it’s been there.” You set the frame down and turn to the sound of Yukhei’s voice, where he held out a pair of boxer shorts and a large hoodie. He has a sheepish grin when you meet his eyes. “I like sleeping in freezing temperatures. And I didn’t have any smaller shorts or pants, but if you aren’t comfortable in this I can look deeper in my closet for something else-”

  “Yukhei.” Your smile is wide and made your cheeks hurt, finding him so fucking adorable when he nervously rambles, you couldn’t handle it. You take the clothes from his outreached hands. “These work just fine, thank you. And you choose the food, I pick the movie?” 

  He nods excitedly, twisting the rings on his fingers (another habit you found so absurdly cute). “You can change in my room, it’s right beside Xiao’s. Do you prefer Chinese or Vietnamese?” 

  Your stomach makes an audible noise at the sound of Vietnamese and you give him a meek grin. “If you want pho as much as I do right now, I’ll probably cry.” 

  Yukhei bites down on his bottom lip hard, not wanting to smile as freakishly big as he felt like he would. “You’re so cute, Y/N. I’ll order that then.” 

  Nodding and listing what you preferred in the pho, you go down the hall and into his room, laughing at how Yukhei it was. Everything was clean and organized, no clothes on the floor or a single object out of place. Different sports memorabilia and space-related posters were up on the walls and sprawled across his desk. With a picture of a baby Xiaoli on his bedside, your cheeks kept getting progressively redder the more you spent investigating his room. 

  Quickly changing and laughing at your reflection in his mirror, the hoodie long enough to be a dress, with the shorts barely peaking at the bottom, Yukhei’s clothes basically ate you whole. You pitter-patter through the halls, your leggings and shirt clutched against your chest when you reemerge into the living room. 

“I kind of feel like watching a horror movie, do you mind if we do?” 

  Yukhei is chilling on his couch and looks up from his phone once he hears your voice. He does a double take seeing you drowned in his hoodie, nearly choking on air and feeling super flustered. “Um, yeah, I don’t mind.” 

  You raise an eyebrow at his stutter, and grin playfully scooting next to him on the couch. “Like my outfit? It’s new.” 

  “You look adorable.” He stutters out, shaking his head when he just feels his face going crimson all over again. When he chuckles, its deep and makes your legs go numb. “Fuck, keep the whole thing. You look so damn cute, Y/N.” 

  Your cheeks flush and when he doesn’t stop looking at you with that damned side smile, a giggle falls from your lips. “Stop looking at me like that, Yukhei.” 

  Yukhei just shakes his head, inching closer to you with a coy smile. “I can’t help it honestly.”

  With the softness of his voice, his twinkling eyes, and the way he licked his lips once he looked down at yours. You couldn’t hold yourself back anymore, all conscious thoughts flying out of your head the second you leaned forward and closed the distance between the two of you. 

  And fuck, the millisecond your lips met his velvety soft ones, it felt like it was just the two of you, somewhere far out of this world. You pull away for a moment, and when his eyes that were previously closed flutter open, the butterflies erupt in your chest all over again and you don’t hesitate before kissing him again. 

  Kissing Wong Yukhei was like being wrapped in a fluffy blanket straight from the dryer, the warmth spreading like wildfire throughout your whole body and making the tips of your toes tingle. One of his hands are at the back of your neck, tangling itself around your hair as if he wanted to only get closer to you. The other arm engulfing you so tightly onto him, you could feel his heart beating rapidly through the hoodies the both of you wore. Your heart raced at the same pace, the two organs almost syncing up. 

  His lips felt like magic and you were in awe, every crash of your lips feeling just as explosive as the last. Your arms are wrapped so tightly around his neck, you thought there might be marks. 

  Yukhei kissed you so passionately you couldn’t believe kissing could ever feel like this, and how you’ve never experienced anything like it before. It felt invaluable, caught up in the whirlwind of this beautiful mans arms and lips. 

  When the two of you pull away, its all heavy breathing, swollen lips, and glossy eyes. And just when you thought kissing Yukhei couldn’t be any more surreal, you were by far unprepared for what came after. 

  The way his glassy, twinkling eyes scan your face with a slack jaw of pure unadulterated awe. The two of you too caught up in a daze to realize how tightly you still held onto each other. 

  You’ve kissed and been with a good number of men before, but none of them were Wong Yukhei. 

  Yukhei kisses you again and again, before you catch his adam’s apple bob and a slow, captivating smile stretches across his lips. 

Lips you wanted to kiss over and over again. 

“You’re a very dangerous woman, Y/N.” 

  Your throat feels dry, breathless when you laugh. The hand on the back of your head slides to your cheek and your own play with his soft, brown locks. “I couldn’t help it, Yukhei.” 

  A doorbell bursts the bubble around Yukhei and you, bringing you back to Seoul and back to his apartment. He groans under his breath, hands still never leaving you. “That’s our food.” 

  When he still doesn’t move and doesn’t look away from your ever increasing rosy cheeks, you nudge him with a chuckle. “You should probably go get that then.” 

  Yukhei pouts, eyes lingering on your lips before he can’t help but kiss them again. It was terrifying how addictive the softness of his lips were and how well they fit against yours, but you were thankful knowing he was just as obsessed with it as you were. 

  The rest of the night is a blur. Both of you wrapped against each other, arms and legs entangled as if to make up for the years the two of you never met. A random but forgotten horror movie playing in the background and two large bowls of pho between you, it felt like looking away from each other would be committing a sin.

  For the first time that night in many years spent sleeping alone, you fall asleep on a guy’s chest. But as you quickly learned in the mere four days you’ve known Yukhei, he was by far no ordinary guy. 

⇝⇝⇝

  You wake up to the smell of coffee and pancakes, Yukhei’s couch feeling just as comfortable as a bed with the amount of comforters and blankets the two of you nestled yourselves in the night before. 

  You sit up to stretch and immediately burrow back into the thick blankets, the living room nearly freezing. 

“Morning angel, how many sugars do you want in your coffee again?” 

  Yukhei’s voice makes you a double take, the morning blessing him with extra deep vocals that made you flush a crimson red. “Uh,” your croaky throat makes you cringe slightly, “just two please. Morning Yuki, how was your sleep?”

  His head pops out from the kitchen with a bright, surprised smile. “Did you just call me Yuki?” 

Your eyes widen and you laugh nervously. “Maybe. What about it?”

  Walking into the living room stirring a mug of coffee, Yukhei looked like he walked straight out from the gates of heavens. His dark hair fell over his forehead in a messy, curly fashion that instantly brought you back to the events of last night. 

  “I like it, you finally gave me a nickname.” He sits beside you, handing the mug with a slow smile. He leans back on the couch, looking at you fondly as you sipped on the coffee, surprised he made it perfectly like you wanted. “I slept perfectly. What’d you dream about?” 

  Your mind goes crazy, remembering the same question he asked Xiaoli after she napped in your house. You take the mug with both hands, relishing its warmth. “I don’t remember, really. Last night was a dream on its own.” 

  Yukhei’s laugh is as deep as the Mariana’s Trench, holding up a hand to cradle and rub your cheek with his thumb. His cold rings complementing the heat of your cheek and the warmth of his palm. “So cute. I’m glad you stayed last night.” 

  A small yawn breaks the contact between Yukhei and you, both your eyes going to Xiaoli’s small frame in one of Yukhei’s old high school track and field shirts. She rubs her eyes with one fist, the other still holding onto the same Tigger toy from last night. “Good morning.” 

  Yukhei instantly coos, opening his arms wide for the little girl to come into. “Look who’s awake! Its my baobei’s birthday!”

  She hops on his lap, sitting criss-cross with a tired but excited smile, holding her toy to her chest. You pinch her cheeks when she turns to you. “You’re 5 now, thats so exciting, lai fa!” 

  Grinning, she drops the tiger to hold onto your cheeks and gives you a big kiss on your forehead. “I’m happy you’re here, Y/N!” 

  “See, its not just me.” Yukhei says with a gentle, soothing voice that makes your heart flutter. He rubs Xiao’s back with one hand and rests the other on your knee, squeezing it every now and then. “What do you want for breakfast, angel?” 

  “Cake! Birthday cake!” She squeals, clapping wildly. Yukhei laughs, letting go of your knee to fix and comb through her messy bangs and hair, pulling it up to a ponytail. “Did you get a cake?” 

  “Y/N and I baked one just for you, baobei. Its extra special because its your 5th birthday!” 

  When you turn away from Yukhei’s dashing smile to Xiaoli and your facial expression drops when her eyes whelm up. You instantly move closer to the two of them, holding onto her hands. “Why are you crying, Xiao? Do you want a different cake?”

  She pouts and shakes her head, tears slipping from her eyes. “No, I’m happy, Y/N. So happy. This is the best birthday ever.” 

  Yukhei quickly wipes her tears, shushing her from tearing up more with a wispy look of his own. Kissing each cheek, he pulls in the both of you for a hug, rocking back and forth ever so slightly. The previously freezing living room feels almost too warm now, feeling Xiaoli’s arms wrap around the both of you. She giggles when you pinch her cheeks again, leaning more into your chest. 

  He looks down at you with a larger than life smile that makes you want to stay with the Wong’s for as long as you could. Kissing the top of your head, Yukhei mutters under his breath my angels, my angels over and over again, as if trying to cement the complete fulfillment he felt at the moment. 

  You’ve never felt so whole as you did being in the arms of Wong Yukhei and surrounded by the giggling of Wong Xiaoli. 

[hannahindie]

Angels Can’t Cook

Characters: Castiel x Reader, Dean Winchester (brief) Word Count: 2,514 Warnings: Some language, Cas being freaking adorable, Dean being a little shit. You know, the usual. A/N: I wrote this for @roxyspearing’s “We have a gif for that” challenge! My gif is below, and though it didn’t quite go the way I originally planned, I absolutely love how it turned out.

Beta’d by my wonderful writing soulmate, @trexrambling: “Famous last words. Also, that flower lady is my new favorite side character.” Dude, me too. Maybe I should write a fic with just the side characters coming together to save Sam and Dean. hahah

and also @pinknerdpanda, who is my literal twin: “HxlhskyrhlAgdjhflfi. *Flails* I love this so much!!!” I thoroughly enjoy making you flail.

As always, tags are at the bottom. If you’d like to be added, please let me know!

“Sir?” The store employee cautiously approached the man standing in front of the meat case. “Sir, do you need help?”

The trenchcoated figured turned to face her, his eyes narrowed and head tilted, “Is this the best burger that you have?”

“Umm, yes, this is all the ground beef that we have.”

“Is it...organic?”

She forced herself to pull her eyes away from his bright blue ones and looked down at the case. “Well, some of it is. There are signs next to each one that tells you which is organic and which isn’t.”

He looked back down, his head still tilted slightly as he stared at the options. “What is the difference between organic and non-organic? Are they not all made from slaughtered cows?”

The girl looked back at him, her eyes wide as she wondered if he was being serious. “Umm...well, it’s more about what they’re fed and how they’re raised...and that sort of thing…” she trailed off.

He looked up and locked eyes with her again, “I see. Do you care about organic beef?”

“I mean...I care that the animals are treated well, although non-organic is cheaper so I guess it comes down to how much money I have for groceries that week. If I can afford organic, I try to support good farming practices.” Why was she telling this stranger about her shopping habits?

“I do not believe money will be an issue today, so in light of how Y/N feels about farm animals, I think I will choose the organic.” He picked up two packages of ground beef, then looked back to the girl and smiled, “Thank you, Lilly. I appreciate your help today.”

He left the confused girl behind and wandered off towards the fresh vegetables, his eyes trained on the crumpled piece of paper in his hand. His shopping cart was full almost to the brim, but he wanted to make sure that he found everything Y/N might like. He had spent the past three weeks observing her food choices, things she loved and things she absolutely hated, and was fairly positive that he had gathered enough information to create a dinner that she would enjoy.

“Why don’t you do something nice for her? Actions speak louder than words, man. Actions.” Dean’s voice echoed in his mind as he gathered corn on the cob, cucumbers, and a large container of spring mix and added them to his cart and, after a moment of deliberation, threw in a container of raspberries, a dozen apples, and a couple of kiwis. He made his way to the front of the store, but a bright splash of color caught his eye, and he changed direction.

“Can I help you?” He looked up to see an older woman with wispy silver hair pulled into a bun smiling at him.

“I am not sure. I would like to surprise my...friend. I do not know her favorite flowers, though.” He frowned, disappointed that he had not thought of it earlier.

“Hmm...well, let’s see.” The woman came from behind the counter and, only giving his overflowing cart a cursory look of thinly veiled amusement, began looking through the premade bouquets. “What’s she like, this friend of yours?”

“She is like a summer storm, warm and strong, but also like a hidden meadow, beautiful and wild.”

She looked up at him in surprise, “That is...very descriptive.” She put her hands on her hips as she thought, “None of these are going to work. Wait just a second, hon.” She disappeared into the room behind the counter and Cas stood silently, his eyes roaming the store as he waited patiently for her to come back.

“Alright, how about something like this?” Cas looked towards the voice and couldn’t help but smile widely at the bouquet she was holding out. It was filled with wildflowers, a rainbow of color sprinkled with baby’s breath, the stems held together with a burlap ribbon and fastened with a small pearl brooch.

“That is beautiful. I cannot think of a better way to describe Y/N using a floral arrangement. How much will that be?”

She looked from Cas to the cart, then back to him, “Is all that food for her?” He nodded proudly, and she smiled. “The flowers are on me, hon. She’s a lucky gal to have such a good...friend,” she said with a wink. Cas nodded and made his way to the checkout. This was turning out to be easier than he had anticipated.

Cas looked down at his flour caked hands and sighed. His assumption of this being easier than he’d anticipated was turning out to be short lived. He looked at the recipe again, then back down at the sticky mess that was supposed to be dough. Y/N had mentioned that when she was younger, her mother had baked the best bread she’d ever tasted. Of course, he didn’t have that recipe, but he figured any homemade bread would be suffice for what he had planned. What he didn’t plan was how difficult it would be to get it the right consistency. Baking was much more exact than the other things he had cooked today, and he was about to give up on the idea of serving warm, fresh bread with the soup course of his extravagant dinner plans.

“What in the everloving hell happened in here?”

Cas gathered the sticky mass of unusable dough and dumped it unceremoniously into the trash can. “I am making dinner for Y/N. You told me that actions speak louder than words, so I am taking an action, Dean.” He walked over to the sink and began scrubbing his hands.

“Yea, but I didn’t mean you had to destroy the kitchen in the process! Y/N just cleaned in here, she’s going to to murder you, man.” Cas turned around in time to see Dean wrinkle his nose as he looked down in one of the bubbling pots on the stove. “What...what is that?”

“It is tortellini. Y/N said she loves tortellini, and since she orders it at every restaurant that serves pasta, I believe that my assumption of it being her favorite food is accurate.”

“You're not wrong, but how long has this been boiling for? You’re supposed to take it off and drain it, it only takes, like...five minutes. They don’t even look like tortellinis anymore, it’s just soggy noodles and floating cheese.” He turned off the burner and moved the pot from the hot surface. “What else are you trying to make?”

Cas gestured to another pot on the stove as he pulled out the loaf of french bread he had bought as a backup, “Mashed potatoes. She loves mashed potatoes, so I made them from scratch. I found some that you could add water to, but it did not feel as personal that way.”

Dean nodded, “Not bad, buddy.” He grabbed a wooden spoon and scooped out a mouthful. The moment it hit his tongue, Dean groaned and spit it back out. He glared at the flavorless mass as it hit the floor with a wet thud.

Cas looked at him, his brows knitted in concern, “What is wrong?”

Dean wiped the offending potatoes from his mouth and tossed the spoon down on the counter, “Do you even know what salt is? Pepper? Any kind of seasoning at all?”

“They are mashed potatoes, I thought that that was all I needed to do.”

Dean’s eyes widened, “You thought you...just what...where’s the butter? Where is it?” He flung the refrigerator door open and began digging around. “Do we have milk? You’ve got to use milk and butter, Cas, or else it’s just...smashed potatoes. There’s no flavor, just a sad paste that no one wants to eat.”

“I do not need help, Dean, I am managing just fine on my own.” Cas grabbed a bowl and began pouring salad into it. He started cutting up carrots with a little more force than was necessary.

“I’m sorry, but I gotta disagree. It looks like all you’ve managed to do-” he stopped abruptly, and Cas glanced over to see a look of horror on Dean’s face. He looked from the stove top back up to Cas’ face, his mouth hanging open. “What...did...you...do?”

“I cooked steak,” Cas said with a shrug before returning back to his carrots.

“No, no, no, that’s not what you did. You made leather...you...destroyed...how? How did you do that? Cooking is not that difficult. You know what, it’s fine, it’s okay. You don’t eat, so obviously that’s the problem here. It looks like you bought enough food to feed us for a month, so I’ll just cook something up real quick and you can take the credit.”

“I said I can do it myself. I am making dinner for Y/N, not you.”

Dean rolled his eyes, “No, you are making poison for Y/N. None of this is edible, man. Just let me help. Angels just aren’t cut out for this, obviously. I’ll cook it, you deliver it.”

Cas slammed the knife he’d been using onto the counter and ripped off the apron he was wearing, “Bite me, Dean. I was only trying to do something nice for Y/N, like you told me, and clearly I have made a mistake.”

“Aw, come on, I didn’t mean anything by it…” He trailed off as Cas disappeared. “Bite me? He’s been around me for way too long.” Dean turned back and looked at the kitchen, his hands on his hips. “And of course I’m going to have to clean this up before Y/N comes back.” His eyes land on the bouquet of flowers Cas had carefully arranged in a glass jar he had scrounged from the pantry and smiled. Cleaning up the mess would be worth it if those two got their shit together.

“What happened in here?!”

Dean flinched, then turned and gave Y/N a smile, “We were, uh...experimenting with food. You know, like those..uhh...gastro pubs you hear about all the time.”

She crossed her arms and frowned as she surveyed the mess, “Gastro pubs? And who is we? You had better clean this mess up, because I’m not doing it. Ugh, I can’t believe you. Gastro pubs…” She turned and walked out of the kitchen, still mumbling to herself. Dean grabbed a towel and a fresh trash bag, resigning himself to his fate.

“So much for that nap I was going to take,” he grumbled as he began tossing things into the trash.

Y/N was laying in bed, still frustrated by the mess she’d found in the kitchen. She had spent hours in there, cleaning and organizing, and Dean had destroyed it in one fell swoop. “Gastro pub,” she muttered as she angrily flipped the page of the book she was trying, and failing, to read. She wasn’t sure why it had frustrated her so much. Dean was usually pretty good at cleaning up after himself, but she was exhausted, and all she wanted was a little appreciation for what she’d spent so much time on.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she laid her book down, “Come in.”

The door creaked open slowly and Cas walked in, a large pizza in one hand and a beautiful bouquet in the other. “Hello, Y/N. Would you like some dinner?”

She smiled and nodded towards the empty spot next to her on the bed, “Sure thing, Cas. That’s really sweet of you.”

He sat the flowers on her desk and shut the door behind him, “I am sorry about the mess in the kitchen. I know that you spent a lot of time cleaning, and I promise I will make sure it is spotless.”

She tilted her head, “What are you talking about?”

“Dean said that I should do something nice for you, and so I decided to make your favorite foods for dinner. It has become very obvious that I do not have the skills necessary to do that. Reading instructions is one thing, actually doing it is quite another. I may have gotten frustrated with Dean and left the mess behind.” He sat the pizza between them on the bed, “I hope that pizza is okay. I will go clean up after myself.” Cas moved to stand up, and Y/N put a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Stay...please?” He settled back onto the bed and Y/N flipped the box open, “Why did you want to do something nice for me?”

Cas cleared his throat and looked at her from the corner of his eye, his fingers drumming nervously against his thighs. “Dean said that actions speak louder than words, and I thought perhaps cooking your favorite things would be a good way to show my affection for you.”

Y/N froze, her pizza lingering halfway to her mouth, and she swallowed thickly as she sat it back down. “You have affection for me?”

He looked down at his hands, “Yes, I believe that would accurately describe how I feel towards you.” He was surprised when Y/N covered one of his hands with her own. He looked up to see she was staring at him, a small smile turning up the corner of her mouth.

“Well, that’s good, because I was starting to think that maybe I was the only one that felt that way.” Cas’ brows raised and Y/N’s heart began to race. She had wanted to say something to him for months; but how does someone tell an angel of the Lord that she’s falling in love with him?

“You...also feel affection towards me?”

Y/N nodded, her hand moving from his own to his cheek, his five o’clock shadow rough against her palm, “Yea...I do.” His eyes searched hers, and for a moment she was lost in the bright cerulean depths. She wondered, not for the first time, how something could be so blue. She moved the pizza onto her night stand and shifted so that she was facing Cas. She leaned in and kissed him softly, smiling against him when she felt his arms wrap around her waist. After a moment, she pulled back to look at him, “I didn’t know that angels knew how to kiss.”

“I am not sure that they typically do. I have learned a lot from the pizza man.”

“The pizza man...you know what, I’m not going to question it.” She kissed him again and gasped when he flipped her onto her back.

“What about the kitchen?” Cas whispered, his blue eyes locked with her y/e/c ones.

“Sounds like a job for Dean, if you ask me,” she said with a wink. “Besides, I think you’ve got another job to do in here.”

“I would not call it a job-”

“Shut up and show me what the pizza man taught you.”

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[syalmazhafira17]

Lady of Heir

When the lady of heir from a conglomerate family hit her 20′s.

TW: none! but if anyone feels uncomfortable about kissing, there’s a scene where it mentioned kissing.

Word Counts: 3840

A/N: Here’s November Week #3 writing piece. Here’s the prompts for this writing if you want to check out. And there will be no November Week #4 and December Week #1 writings nor prompts because I had an exam to focus on to in order to save my grades for this semester. Thank you, happy reading 💓!

XOXO,

Syalma

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

Have you ever think what it was like to came from conglomerate family? Rich, getting everything you want, being daddy's girl, getting praises, everyone chasing you to be your husband, everything will got to your hand in just one snap? Well, it wasn't always like that. You might have lots of money and power, but those things will be put aside once you are the only heir on the family. Just like...me.

I'm the only heir of my family. My grandfather gave his empire to my father, and in the family, I'm the only heir. Usually, in families like us, the heir is either the oldest boy, or just boy. If you have relatives a year younger than you, and he's a...well, a he, while you are the oldest girl, your relative will be most likely to be the heir. But that wasn't the case in my family, I have no cousins, so from early age, my family have taught me to be the perfect heir, to be the lady, and to marry someone to take the label of heir so the power will always from man to man, and my name as a heir will be forgotten just like God knows how many of my ancestors have been a lady heir.

But no, I won't ever let any boy to take the label of heir from me, I don't want to discourage future ladies on my family to be the next heir and let go of the chance to be the heir, I want them to fight for it and took the label. So I worked very hard to impress my grandfather and my father to let me be the lady of heir. To break those unwritten rules that planted deeply on their brains, and let the world know how a girl could rule the entire empire.

Apparently, that years of hard work got nothing paid off. As soon as I hit 20, the family already chosen the man I was supposed to be married with. He was a man from my grandfather's friend, he was 26, and he was mentioned as a 'charismatic, clever, and kind' man. At first I played along, maybe he will be as good as my parents mentioned him as, but no, ladies and gentleman. He was not. He was way far from 'charismatic, clever, and kind'. Well, he did behave in front of my family to took their hearts and be on his side, but when nobody's around except me, he open the mask he was wearing and let his true self shown to the world.

"He was asking you for a walk on the park in a couple weeks, would you accept that?" my grandfather asked calmly behind his huge wooden desk. Despite his pension, he was still working for a few things, and he doesn't seem tired to do so.

"Could I say no as my answer, grandfather?" I said. Knowing the answer would be, I still fight for the simple no I gave him.

"What kind of lady will be saying no for a picnic at the beautiful park, with his fiance?" my grandfather seems so calm.

"I'm not his fiance and I will never be," I said sternly.

"Well, missy, this is your story plot, this is how it supposed to be. You will marry him and he will be the heir of this family and empire the entire family have been working on for years," my grandfather said in anger.

"Well, I'm not a character! I don't need plot! I have my own life! I just want to say one no, why is it so hard to accept that?" I yelled back.

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH! You are a lady, not a screaming machine. I don't need my heir to be a misbehaved lady! You will lose your rights to step in this house if you say no the man one more time!" my grandfather raised his hand. I looked him deadly in his eyes.

"I never say any no to you! This is my first time, and it's not for you!" I yelled, brushing the warning he gave me. I left his work room with angry stomps and ran outside.

Maybe I'll regret my run from the house that afternoon, but maybe not. Just right outside the front barrier of the house, a cart full of milk stopped. I almost smash myself to it, but managed to stop.

Someone jumped off the back cart and an apologising look plastered on his face. A look and a face that made me had a flashback of years ago when I was teenager. The scene just like this, I felt a deja vu.

*"Hello, I'm sorry to parked here, are you alright?" he asked, his eyes shine a kind eyes.*

*"Yes, yes, I'm okay, nothing to worry about," I nodded, looking down to my feet and looking up to meet his brown eyes. "What's your name?"*

*"My pleasure Miss, I'm Frank," he simply said, pulling his hand outside. "And you are...?"*

*I shook his hand. "Greta," I answered.*

*"Nice to meet you, Miss. Greta. I bet you are the lady of this house?" he asked.*

*"Could say that, yeah," I nodded agreeing.*

*"My bad, Miss Greta," he bowed. "I'm Frank."*

*"Oh no, please don't call me that, just call me Greta," I said.*

*"My pleasure, Greta," he said. I chuckled.*

"Frank, isn't it?" I smiled, meeting his eyes. The man nodded.

"Miss Greta," he bowed.

"Oh no, please don't," I shook my head.

"Sorry, my bad. How are you doing?" he chuckled.

"I'm doing pretty fine, actually. How have you been?" I asked back.

"Pretty good as well," he nodded.

"What have you been doing? It has been ages since I met you years ago," I commented.

"Still doing the same, been with my uncle out the town for a couple years for some studies, came back, figured to just drop milk in the house. Hopefully meeting the Lady herself, Greta Kensley," he shrugged.

"Well, you are one educated man, aren't you? Even though still manages to almost smash me to his cart," I joked. He laughed.

"Looks like I am," he agreed. We chatted a bit, before moving on walking around the main part of the town.

"Nothing much changed here," he highlighted. I nodded.

"I'm sorry if this sounds very personal, but why you move out of town?" I asked carefuly.

"Nothing too personal, Gre. I'm just following my father's **path**, nothing personal," he answered.

"A bussinessman?" I asked. He nodded carefully. "A lot to be sorted out, isn't it?"

"Yes, and milk was a big part of it," he chuckled.

His family was a supplier of the house's milk, The Abraham Milk Company, has a son named Frank Abraham, his dad, grandad, ancestors, they were legends in milk-making company, and Frank has the luck to be in the main part of the family bussiness. Though from rumours the money he had been making with his father corrupted by the outside layer of his family, left him and his father living with tight money.

"How's Sir Abraham?" I asked, I haven't met his father before, even though his milk company's cart always parked on the same place every morning.

"He was- he already pass away, that's why I came to my uncle's, really," A long pause before he answers.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," I felt guilt building up inside me.

"That's okay, have been over it. It's nice to catch up with you Gre," he said, a code that he wanted to be left alone for a moment. And I respected that, and without saying another word, I walked away from him.

Ever since Frank been back to the town, we hang out a lot. Talking about things, my 'planned to-be fiance', his life on other country, his milk bussiness.

"I never met him before! I mean, he wasn't a nice guy either," I squealed. I never felt this free before, not trying to filter my mouth and manner, just spit out everything on my head.

"Well, you shouldn't date or worst, married him," he simply said.

"My grandfather would never agreed on that. He thought if I agree, then I will marry a poor boy, owning a corrupted milk company? I have taste, too," I laughed histerically, not noticing Frank's emotion changed. Now I regret everything.

"I'm sorry if I'm the 'poor boy owning corrupted milk company', maybe yeah, you should be best friend with other conglomerate sons," he said coldly before packing up his things and ran down the hill.

"Wait- no! That wasn't what I meant. Frank, no!" I tried to chase after him, running down the hill where we went picnic earlier, now I'm chasing after him to apologise. But he walked way quicker than me, stopping me on my track, regretting everything, and crying in the middle of the beautiful day. I wish I could rewind.

I never spoke to him again after that day, until a couple weeks passed and the day the 'picnic' supposed to be happen arrived. Even I already said a stern no, he still came anyway, and my family dragged me to follow him and have a picnic from dusk till dawn.

I stayed silent throughout the carriage ride to the hill. Looking outside, deciding that the view of green grasses way more interesting than his arrogant face in front of me. He rambles about wedding and proposals along the way, but I didn't pay attention to it, I place an annoyed face, but he didn't even seems to notice.

"It's not like we have to rush," I simply said just for politeness. If he will be a brat, than at least I can show him some manners just to show him we're both clearly won't get married.

"Well, we are, both families are ready," he said.

"But not me, thanks," I gave him a thin sarcastic smile and looked away. Seeing his face just made me want to punch it, in a not-very-lady-like manner.

"For a lady you are beautiful, but not your mannerisms," he commented. He already made my patience at the very end of it.

"For a man, you aren't even handsome, and you can't even look into the mirror of yourselves," I said sarcastically, and then knocking to the front, taking the rider's attention.

"Could you stop here? I just want to go to the back for doing ladies things," I said. He nodded.

I jumped off the carriage, and ran to the bushes, and panicking. I just ran from the carriage, so I have approximately 15 minutes before they will get concerned and drag me back to the carriage. I look around, I'm in the middle of nowhere. Nothing as far I saw. I crawled underneath bigger bushes, and praying if only there's another cart passing by, as concerning as it seems, I'll take it, as long as I'm not in that damn carriage with the arrogant face so-called my fiance.

Until a familiar cart caught my eyes. The Abraham Milk Company. Frank. My mind got woozy. He came. I jumped off the bushes, being as careful and as quiet as I could to gave Frank a code. Thankfully, he sees the end of my dress, he push back his cart closer to me, as natural distance as it could be with the arrogant face's carriage. He pushed open his cart.

"Quick! Come in or he'll notice me," he whispered-yelling at me. I immediately jumped to the cart and hid myself from the window's view, until we got far enough from the carriage.

In the cart, my head wandered around the moment a couple weeks prior. He didn't say anything, he just tap his fingers on to the steering wheel. I can't help but asked him a question to myself, can you forgive me? For what I did? It certainly wasn't something easy to forgave.

**"Why are you helping me?"** I asked after we already got far enough from the carriage.

"Because you are in danger?" he answered.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about the other day, it came out very wrong, I wasn't meant to say that," I said after a long cold silence.

"Hah, it doesn't matter. It's the truth anyways, can't say it was a lie," he let out a sigh.

"I genuinely apologizing here, and you answer with that?" I protested.

"Yes, something's wrong?" he asked back.

"Nothing, thanks for helping me getting out of that damn carriage. I'll never want to meet him again," I pushed my back to the plushy seat. He chuckled.

"I thought the Lady of Heir doesn't curse?" he said.

"Well, for some special reasons, I just cursed, nothing's wrong with it, just letting my anger out," I answered back.

"Well sure thing you already decide to not meeting him again, seems like a kind of guy that really just want to fight, arrogant," he commented.

"Can't agree more," I agreed. "Wait, where are we going?" I asked after realizing we're definitely getting off the road for back to the city.

"To my house, of course. Can't go straight to the city or we'll get into troubles," he said casually.

"Don't worry, Gre, I have a house," he continued. Sarcastic, but I can't say anything, it's his right after the last time we met.

The rest of our drive to the house was silent, not suffocating silence, but more comfortable, little sweet nothings conversation being thrown, but nothing far for more than two sentences. We stopped at a house, a small one, but welcoming and feels like...home. I stepped out of the cart and wait for Frank to park the cart nicely before following him inside.

"This is...the milk recipe, isn't it?" I looked over to the hanging paper on the wall, ripped and old, but have been taped and inside a broken frame.

"Yes. Was written when our milk had the prosper, don't really know they said it as secret recipe when it displayed proudly," he simply said before putting his belongings away.

I nodded slowly. And looking around the house, like I said, small house, but homey.

"Are you just going to sit there? Or do you want to change? Don't get me wrong. I have some old clothes of my sister's," he said. I looked down, my dress probably doesn't look at its best, dirty and heavy with sweats.

"Sister's?" I asked. Maybe I don't know Frank that much.

"Not really, just a girl from orphanage my father picked up when I was little. She went outside the country and never came back. Think I heard she already get married," he explained. "So do you want to change?"

"Yes, please. Thank you," I nodded.

"My pleasure. Here the dress, not much, I'm sorry. The bathroom just here," he gave me a set of house dress around my size and points to behind a curtain.

"This is more than enough. Thank you once again, please," I excused myself for changing behind the door to the house dress Frank gave me. And I fold my dress into a tight ball and went out.

"So...you're done?" Frank pops up after I came back.

"Yes. And I think I want to stay here for a day, think I haven't got the strength to fought my grandfather," I said. "If that's okay."

"It's okay, figured I get lonely here, too," he said. "You can sleep in my room, if you want," he continued. "I mean, in a good way, not-not something negative or sexualizing," he stuttered.

"I know," I chuckled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he nodded.

I wasn't doing as much in the house, and when Frank dropped me off my house the next day, I felt sorry for myself, but I have fun ran away from the guy.

But my heart went twisted when I saw him with his father, standing in front of my parents and my grandfather. I could hear them protesting and upset about my ran away action a day prior.

"I can't keep up with this kind of rebellious action. She isn't good for my son. She is a rebel, our engagement broke, and I never wanted to work with your family. Ever again," his father said. "She isn't a good wife, she will never be a good wife. Look at her rebel. How could you gave me your only daughter to my son? She clearly not a Lady of Heir."

My anger burned. It's on my wit's end. I stomped over to him and his father.

"Well, **what did you wish for?** A very lady-like wife? No, it's not me. I am an independent lady, and I'll never want to be engaged to your double sided face son! Before you stomp over my worth as a lady, maybe you need extra pair of eyes to see your own son! He is an arrogant son, and I wasn't surprised to see that, seeing his own father just like him!" I yelled.

"And look! She wasn't even having a lady-like manner! And she cheats with that poor man over there!" his father yelled back at me, pointing to Frank.

Frank walked up to me.

"I don't want to ruin your little family reunion over here, but I think your son took my girl, not the other way. I'm her boyfriend long before you guys even met," Frank said, grabbing my waist, and kiss me on the lips to prove his point. I played along to his scenario and kissed him back.

Everyone's mouth hung open. The guy let out an ear piercing scream.

"BUT DADDY I WANT HER," he exclaimed. Tears streamed all over his face like a toddler doesn't get what he wanted. Me and Frank broke off our kiss to see at his face, and hold back our laughter. Embarrassed by his son, his father left with angry face.

"Remove your banner off from my house and I need my compensation from working with your family, 90 percent of it," he said before stomping and drove away with his son still wailing in sadness.

"So...are you really dating?" my mom said excitedly. Looking at me and Frank. We looked at each other.

"Uh, no, sorry. Was losing my mind," Frank scratches the back of his neck.

"Kissing my granddaughter in front of my eyes, huh?" my grandfather, to my surprise doesn't even yell or angry, just in a joking tone.

"Eh, that wasn't meant to happen, just- acting to save her," Frank stuttered.

"Good," my grandfather said.

"I really need to get back now, wasn't meant to get into your family's trouble, should be going by now," he said awkwardly.

"No, you saved us, and expose his stupid son, you should wait to dinner before you go back," my mom said sweetly. "Think Grety won't mind," she smirked towards me.

"Mom! Nooo," I said, covering my face that started to burn up. Everyone laughed except me and Frank, awkwardly grinning to each other with red faces.

But Frank really waited until dinner, he can't turn down the offer. Because that would mean pick a fight with my granddad. While he waits...he discussed bussiness with my grandfather and my father. I could hear his soft raspy voice radiates through the wall.

"It's a very systematic plan, he really count on how much profit he could get," he commented. I just entered the room.

"Of course he is, looking at his son and his behavior earlier, not sure if he could get far from that," I joined the conversation.

"Well, you are the victim lady of heir, sure, your opinion count," my father said. I laughed.

"Now, why don't you guys take a walk in the backyard before dinner? Pretty lovely view out there," my grandfather teased. We both nodded shyly and ran from the room to the backyard.

We ended up walking in silence on the backyard. I shuffled awkwardly. My face heated up. Why do I feel this way? I walked with Frank before, but I never felt this way. What is wrong with me? I asked myself before Frank's face popped off in front of me.

"**Is everything okay?**" he asked.

"Y-yeah," I stuttered.

"Well, um I'm sorry for the sudden kiss earlier. You can do absolutely anything, you have the right to do that," he scratched the back of his neck. "Um, just want to save you. He was an arrogant one."

“So you’d risk me hating you for the rest of my life so I can be safe?” I asked.

"You could say that," he giggled. "But- I'm really am sorry."

"Forgiven," I chuckled.

"Eh, just want to lift up this weight off my heart. Know we might couldn't be end up together, we both from different **origin**, but need to say this. I...really like you," Frank said. My eyes widen.

"Are you...?" I said in unbelieving tone. He nodded shyly.

"Don't want to ruin the moment, actually, but dinner's ready," my mom suddenly said from behind our backs. I jumped in shock.

"Uh, okay. thanks mom," I nodded before she left me.

"I guess, dinner first," I said awkwardly.

Dinner was quiet awkward, we both didn't interact much. Until my mom brought up the topic.

"So...in the backyard earlier, heard a very sweet conversation," she said.

"Mom..." I whined.

"When will you took my daughter?" she asked.

"Eh-" Frank chuckled awkwardly.

"What happened?" my father joined the conversation.

"Mom, Dad, we both already adult," I said.

"Now, tell me a reason. Why you kissed my beloved daughter in front of my eyes. Think I got where this going," my father said, looking directly in Frank's eyes.

"To save her from that awful so called her 'fiance', I guess?" he said.

"Why? She is a capable adult, and she was very...scary earlier," my dad demanded.

"Because otherwise you'll never agree on me dating your daughter," he said sternly, looking back at my father's eyes.

"When will you propose her?" my grandfather suddenly joins in.

I could feel my face started to blush and so does Frank's.

[miraculoussideblog]

Ways to Say I’m Sorry- Chapter 2

Chapter [1][you are here]

[AO3]

Chapter 2: Honey/Tomato

Chloe stood in the grocery store staring at the high quality organic honey she used to love. It was ten Euros for 147.87 ml of the sweet treat. It would take of a third of her new food budget of thirty Euros for the week. There was half jar of cheap honey in the Dupain-Cheng’s apartment anyway. She had to be smart or else her poor spending habits would bite her in the ass again.

Maybe next paycheck.

The first two weeks working at the bakery had to be the hardest weeks of her life. She burned herself making coffee more than once, she screwed up an order for Nadja Chamack and spilled an entire bag of flour in the kitchen. Marinette had to take some money out of her paycheck to pay for the damages. Now she had little money, two dozen cupcakes and flour in every nook and cranny.

Despite her mistakes, Marinette was patient. They barely spoke about the past, and didn’t even attempted to rebuild their friendship. She fucked up. Running away when things got tough. With her father in jail and her finding out her Ladybug the girl she tormented throughout her youth, she had to get out of Paris as fast as possible. Hawkmoth launched his final attack that night.

The news broke that Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste the next day. New spread fast to London. She couldn’t bring herself to call Adrien. She didn’t know what to say. Mr. Agreste’s tried to steal his son miraculous for years, almost killing him and others in the process. Her problems seemed so trivial.

Chloe turned on her heels and bumped into someone’s chest. “Ugh, watch where you’re going,” she snapped.

“You ran into me.” Nathaniel stood in front of her carrying an empty shopping basket. His hair was down today, nearly falling over his eyes.

“Are you following me?”

“Yes,” he shrugged.

She rolled her eyes. Nathaniel’s sat in the bakery every day for an espresso and chocolate croissant. Like clockwork, Chloe would set his treats on his usual table as he walks in. They barely spoke. He’d sit there on his tablet doodling God knows what while she struggled to get her job done. Why he came to the shop every day was beyond her.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing,” he smirked. “It’s just Chloe Bourgeois shopping at a grocery store. It’s unheard of.”

“Shh,” she pressed her fingers to her lips. “You’ll blow my cover.”

“I don’t understand why you have to hide,”

“Because, if my misfortune pleases you, the the people I’ve bullied in the past will get a kick out of this. Some aren’t as nice as you and Marinette.”

“Fair,” he frowned. “Did have other friends though.”

“Lila?” She scoffed. “That girl only clung to me because of my status. She was hardly a friend.”

“What about-”

“No,” she cut him off before he could say her name. “Drop it okay.”

“Okay,” he glanced into her nearly empty cart. “I see you got first paycheck?”

“Yeah, it’s smaller than I wanted it to be because of that flour incident. But I’m tired of eating bread. I found a budgeting website, and if I want to get my own place soon, I’ll need to save up now. I just didn’t think shopping on a budget would be this difficult.”

“What’s on your list?”

“List?”

“You didn’t create a shopping list before you left? How will you know what you need?”

Chloe shrugged. “The Dupain-Cheng’s empty out the fridge before they went to China. I’ve been eating leftovers from the bakery for two weeks.”

“So you need to stock up on the basics first. Come on,” he pulled her cart to the dairy section. “If you already have bread from the bakery. You need milk, eggs, cheese, meat and vegetables.”

He began throwing items into her cart. Chloe had to stop and check the prices. The numbers were racking up fast. By the time they got to the produce section, she was over budget.

“Nathaniel, stop.”  she pulled the cart away from him. “This is too much. I can’t afford vegetables now. We got to get rid of something.”

“Forget your budget,” Nathaniel said. “You’re stocking up, you won’t need to buy some of these things you next shopping day. You can’t go on extreme budgeting if you have nothing to begin with.”

“I don’t know…”

Nathaniel picked up a ripe red tomato, and placed it next to his face. “Please, Chloe,” he said in a high pitched voice. “I’m packed full of vitamin C and other nutrients.”

“Stop before you embarrass yourself.” Chloe grabbed the tomato and put it in a bag along with two others. “Aren’t you supposed to be shy?”

“I am shy,” he said. “Just takes a while for me to get out of my shell.”

“And when did I crack yours?”

“Somewhere between you falling into a fountain and now,” he smiled.

Chloe turned as red as that tomato. She quickly turned her head to cover her face. Why was this man having an effect on her? She couldn’t let him get to her, she had enough on her plate as is.

She and Nathaniel finished shopping and checked out. The total cost of all the groceries was twice her budget. She reluctantly handed the cash over to the cashier. “I better not regret this Klutzberg.”

“You won’t trust me.”  Nathaniel picked up some of her bags. “Do you need help walking this back to your apartment?”

Chloe sighed. She did buy more than she intended. “Fine, if you insist.” She flipped her hair back in typical Chloe Bourgeois fashion.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “Lead the way, your Majesty.”

  Sometimes he was too kind for his own good. Nathaniel placed the grocery bags on the counter and slumped on the table. After accepting his offer to help, Chloe made him carry everything the six blocks to her apartment and up two flights of stairs.

Chloe locked the door behind her and placed her purse on the hook. “Coffee?”

“No,” he gasped for air. “Water...please.”

Chloe went to the cabinet. “Did I get too much?”

“No,” he took a deep breath. Chloe handed him a glass. He chugged it down quickly. “You did fine. You’ll save more money making everything in bulk and eating leftovers.

“Shit,” Chloe mumbled.

“What?”

“I got so focused on spending too much money. I have no idea what to make.”

Nathaniel sighed. “Do you know how to cook?”

“Following a recipe shouldn’t be hard. I think I can turned on a stove.”

The image of the bakery engulfed in flames flashed in Nathaniel's mind. “Let’s see what you have and we can whip something up.” He began digging through her the grocery bags.

Chloe took hold of his hands. “You’ve helped me enough. Please, just tell me whatever you’re after.”

“Can’t I help you without an ulterior motive?” Nathaniel said. She was helpless without him.

“No,” she muttered. “Everybody wants something from me...or wanted something, past tense I guess.”

“See, you’re poor now, what could I possibly want from you?”

Her lips twitched. “I guess, better tasting espresso.” She chuckled, but a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes.

Nathaniel squeezed her hands gently. He was in too deep. Helping her should have stopped after getting her a job. But everyday his sketchbook fills more and more with pictures of her smile. Despite her shortcomings, Nathaniel believed she could be happier in this life than her old one. Back then, only one person truly cared about her. Now she had two.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Nathaniel pulled away. Boundaries. He needed to establish boundaries. He’d help her cook, get a few things started, than it was back to admiring her from afar. He pulled a tomato out of the bag. “I can make a mean chicken parmesan.”

“Ohh, Italian cuisine,” Chloe walked over to the couch and sat down. “It pairs well with Merlot, I’m sure the Dupain-Cheng’s have alcohol stashed somewhere. Just a small glass with dinner should be fine.” Chloe picked up a magazine from the side table and began to read.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “Get up Your Majesty. I’m not a personal chef, you’re going to help me with this.”

“Fine,” Chloe dropped the magazine on the couch. “You can’t say I didn’t try.”

Nathaniel laughed. There was still a bit of the old Chloe in there, but new Chloe appeared when it really mattered. “Let’s clear the groceries we don’t need first.”

Over the next hour, Nathaniel and Chloe cooked her dinner. There was really no time for chatting, just step by step instructions on how to properly cook chicken and pasta sauce. When he tried to talk about school and the past, she would change the subject quickly, by making joke about burning the food. After an hour of cooking lessons, Chloe’s chicken didn’t come out half bad.

“This smells amazing,” Chloe dug her spatula into the dish and pulled

“Now you a a meal for three or four days.”

“When I was rich, we would just toss food after one day.”

“That’s wasteful.”

“Now I know.” Chloe blew on her fork before taking a bite. Nathaniel watched her eyes roll back in delight. “This is literally the best thing I’ve eaten in weeks.”

“And you did it yourself.”

“With your help,” she smiled. “Do you want some?”

Nathaniel stood up from his seat. Cooking with her was one thing, but dinner? A line had to be drawn. “It’s getting late, I shouldn’t have stayed this long anyway. I have a couple projects I need to finish.”

“Come on, just ten more minutes. Tell me about your projects.”

Nathaniel paused. This was the first time she genuinely showed interest in his work. “Fine, five more minutes, but not food.”

“You must be famished,” she made a plate for him and slid it across the counter.

“You need the leftovers.”

“You can’t possibly think I’ll eat all this in three days.,” she placed a fork next to him. Nathaniel politely pushed his plate aside. “Fine, but it’s there if you want a bite. Now what are you working on?”

“I have several commissions out for my designs and a couple paintings here and there. But my passion project is actually this new webcomic that I’m working on.”

“Can I see?”

“I don’t have my tablet on me, but maybe next time. It’s about a superhero who defeated the final boss and what he’s doing in his everyday life. It’s goofy, but I was inspired by what happened to Paris’ heroes. They spend years trying to defeat this psychopath, gaining new allies on the way. And now that the fight is over what are they doing now? I see Ladybug, Chat Noir and Volpina out on patrol now and then, but Queen Bee has disappeared off the face of the earth. I can’t help but wonder what she’s doing now...sorry I’m rambling.” Nathaniel looked over at Chloe. Her expression was blank. “You okay.”

“Fine,” she nodded. “You’re still really into superheroes?”

“Yeah, they’re the coolist. I’ve read hundreds of comics in my life, but witnessing the action happen on the streets or in my own classroom could never compare.”

“Yeah,” she said softly. “What a rush.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she paused. “Back in lycee, I wasn’t a nice person. Bringing up those akuma attacks just...I don’t know.”

“I guess you were targeted a lot early on.”

“Yeah, by you too.”

Nathaniel frowned. “Oh yeah.” He had no memory of the event. His classmates filled in bits and pieces of the story. He attacked Chloe several times, nearly killing her with a hair dryer. “Sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” she said. “A psychopath took advantage of your negative emotions and made you do terrible. Believe me, I’ve been there. Almost half of the city has been there.”

“You’re right,” he nodded.

“I know we haven't gotten along well in the past, but thank you for taking care of me. I know I’m a mess and I have no idea how to repay you.” She reached over and squeezed his hand gently. “Thank you for being my friend.”

Nathaniel’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He check the caller ID Red #1.

Shit.

Of all the times to call, it had to be now. His stomach dropped as the guilt finally set in. If Chloe finds out, whatever friendship and trust they’ve built would fall apart quickly. The buzzing stopped, but he knew he needed to call back right away. “I’m sorry, I have make a phone call. I’ll see you soon.”  He headed for the door.

Chloe stood up and walked him to the door. “I’m sure you’ll be at the bakery again tomorrow.”

“You know me, I’m still waiting for that perfect cup of espresso.”

“You’ll get it...eventually. Good luck with your project.”

“Thank you, if you need anything, you know where to find me.” Without thinking Nathaniel pulled her into an embrace. She smelled like flowers and honey, the scent soothed him. Chloe squeezed him tighter, this was probably the closest thing she had to human contact in months, he thought.

He slowly peeled away. “Goodbye.” Chloe closed the door behind him.

“What was that?” Nathaniel turned around, pressing his head against the door. His heart pounded in his chest. What was happening to him.

His phone buzzed again, pulling him out of his train of thought. He answered on the second ring. “What do you want Sabrina?”

[wavervelvett]

fakiru, 9?

fakiru + things you said when i was crying

There are a thousand reasons to leave and only one to stay, but that one is the one he vowed to live his life with, so he’ll just have to suck up everything else and take it because she’s worth it all a thousand times over and more.

He’s dealt with a lot worse, anyway, Fakir reasons. And Ahiru is spending the rest of her life as a duck. He has no right to complain.

Still. That doesn’t make it easy.

He pulls himself out of the academy. He doesn’t see much point in it now, with Mytho and Ahiru both absent from its ranks. And of course he regrets it within a week. Ballet had always been something he had to pick up in order to stay close to Mytho. He hadn’t had a passion for it. But without it, his limbs are full of anxious energy and he finds himself dancing in bare feet late at night in his bedroom while Ahiru sleeps on her designated pillow, just trying to alleviate some stress. He misses the full practice room to lose himself in, the snug fit of his shoes, the music pumping in his blood. But it would be ridiculous now to try to get readmitted to the program when he’s so close to graduation age and just left two weeks ago. So he dances at night while Ahiru sleeps and never complains during the day, because of course she must miss it as well. Talking about ballet will probably just make her feel bad, and he’s done enough of that in his life.

He moves out of Charon’s house about a month after everyone forgets. Fakir had hoped that maybe some people would retain their memories of before, but Charon is just like every other townsperson. He’d bound Fakir’s wounds from that day while giving him a lecture on getting into fights, and then wondered why Fakir had a duck with him. He doesn’t remember Ahiru. He doesn’t remember Uzura. Fakir’s parents died in an accident out of town, not an attack of crows. That would be ridiculous. The sort of thing that only happens in stories.

It’s slightly ironic that Fakir would suppress his memories regarding his parents for so long only for Charon and everyone else to forget as well so soon. But either way, living with Charon while Charon continues to simply not understand is frustrating, and then simply depressing. Plus, he’s sick of explaining to everyone why he carries a duck with him everywhere. After a month of helping Charon in the shop, he goes and gets a job carrying heavy loads at a bakery and pays the landlord for a rundown cottage near the edge of the lake. Ahiru seems very content to bob in the water, so Fakir makes sure she has plenty of food before leaving for work. His time off he spends fixing up the cottage. It’s an exhausting few weeks where all the days seem to blend together, but by the end of summer the cottage has a new roof, a fireplace, sturdy walls, a serviceable kitchen, and the rotten beams in the pier have been replaced. Now, Fakir can carry a chair out to the pier right beside where Ahiru sleeps and spend the day there. He reduces his hours at the bakery a little so he has time in the afternoons now to sit by the lake with his quill and paper, and things are a little better after that. Besides his writing, all they can really communicate with is quacking and vigorous wing pointing, so it’s a relief to begin to scrawl the story of the town across his various journals and hear her voice in his head once more, feel how she feels, that strange and intimate connection he’s still getting used to. Even if what they talk about is mostly gossip, he’s missed it so much.

Fakir pleads with Ahiru to stay safe in her lake while he’s away, and she grants him that. Maybe she understands that Fakir has almost lost her too many times recently to feel at ease knowing she’s wandering about alone where there are carts and oxen and horses and even people who eat ducks and really Fakir can work himself into a panic just thinking about it. So, for now at least, Ahiru’s trips into town are done from the safety of a basket, and the shopping gets packed around her as Fakir moves from shop to shop. He gets quacked at if he doesn’t buy enough corn or bread and quacked at if he doesn’t include milk.

“You don’t even drink milk!” he whispers with exasperation, holding the basket up to his face while the amused clerk looks on. She gives him a look that is amazingly nuanced for a duck, and he sighs before coughing up the coins to pay for milk as well. Fine. If she wants him to drink milk, he can drink milk. After a few weeks, some of the shops begin offering him bread for free. Apparently his devotion to his pet is ‘charming’. That’s embarrassing, but alright in the end.

What’s not alright in the end is when he runs into Ahiru’s old friends from school. He doesn’t have a clue what their names are and they’re so friendly with him he’s rather scared to ask. One of them seems to be trying to have a normal conversation, but the blonde one won’t stop crying about his ‘bad boy charm’ or whatever that’s supposed to be, and then the semi-sane one is staring at Ahiru and asking way too many questions and it’s all Fakir can do to get them both out of there without the blonde one clinging to his leg.

Ahiru barely moves the whole way home. Fakir gets out a quill and paper, but even then, she doesn’t want to talk. He understands. Her two best friends, and neither recognized her.

She saved the whole town, and he’s the only one who remembers.

Autumn chill comes tumbling in, and Fakir can spend less and less time down by the lake before his hand begins to ache. He keeps that from Ahiru. The self-inflicted stab wound that he’d never really properly taken care of might not have healed itself as well as he wanted. There are ways he can’t move his fingers without intense pain, and the hand itself has a tendency to hurt and go numb. He works on improving his coordination with his left hand, but between the strain he puts on his hand at work and the cold weather, he’s lucky to get a few hours a week in writing, and then most of that time has to be devoted to recording the town’s history, instead of talking with Ahiru. She might not understand all the reasons behind why he has less and less time for her, but she doesn’t confront him over it. She stays out of the lake by the fire and doesn’t move for hours on end. Entire days can pass where the most they exchange are glances.

She sleeps right next to him every night on her own little pillow, but he misses Ahiru. He misses her smile, and her freckles, and her bright eyes. He misses the stubborn pout of her lip and her clumsiness and the feel of her safe in his arms. He dreams of waking up to her turned human once more. One night he comes home to see her little duck form attempting to dance by the fire.

“Do you miss it?” he asks, hanging his coat behind the door. She stares into the fire for a moment and then nods, very slowly.

“Just dancing or being human?”

Again, a nod. Both, then.

Fakir lies awake that night, watching Ahiru breathe steadily while she sleeps. Why did she even stay? He knows Mytho would have taken her along as well, to his kingdom of written word where surely Ahiru could have been a girl once more. She could have been happy there, with Rue and Mytho, people who actually remember what she did for them. Ahiru could have danced ballet again, and never had to see those friends who forgot her so easily. She could have laughed and smiled and been able to talk with people other than a moody writer whose hand doesn’t even work right. How long does he have anyway? He knows he should see a doctor but the wound has healed and it seems it’s the tricky stuff on the inside that’s making his hand hurt so. There’s nothing to heal that with. He’ll just slowly lose the use of that hand. And what then? Does he still write the town’s story? Keep on with this task assigned to him through his ancestry? What would happen if he just stopped writing? Would the town survive, or is it still trapped, in this small way, by Drosselmeyer’s machinations? He doesn’t want to test it. In that case, there is the serious problem of lineage. If the town will need writing, then who after Fakir? He stares at Ahiru and tries to imagine inviting someone else into his life, even if just for purpose of an heir. No, no, no, no. He would never do that to her. And there’s no one in this town except Ahiru who he could even imagine being with. Obviously not in duck form, but still. So does he track down Autor and try to get him to remember? He’d only seen Autor once, when he was at the academy gathering his things to leave, and for a moment he’d attempted a smile for someone who did pretty much save his life, but Autor’s eyes had passed right over him. How would he react to Fakir arriving at his doorstep and insisting he needs to ‘write’ the town and have lots of little babies to continue on with it?

Is there any way out of this for him? Or is Fakir stuck in this town forever?

But, and this is a big but, because he hasn’t even dared to think about it yet, he doesn’t know how much longer Ahiru is going to be around. Fakir flips over onto his back and covers his eyes with his arm. Yes, she’s a magic duck, but ducks only live so long, and Fakir knows that if Ahiru dies, there’s nothing that can keep him here, story or no story. Town be damned.

Why didn’t Ahiru leave with Mytho? She could have been happy and human and dancing, and lived a long, long human life. Mytho would have allowed it. She was Princess Tutu, after all. She belongs in the storybooks.

Why didn’t she leave?

Why didn’t she leave?

She’d felt so safe in his arms. He thought he could protect her. He should have been able to protect her.

Fakir sniffs and registers the slide of tears down his cheeks. Lucky he’s always been a silent type of crier. He’s also been a complete fool. Thinking that he could get some sort of fairytale ending as well, when it hasn’t even been six months since they defeated the Raven and already everything is falling apart. He’s falling apart. And how is he supposed to provide for Ahiru in this state?

He ends up sitting at the dining table, palms pressed against his eyes to try to stem the flow of tears. He bites down on his shirt to prevent any embarrassing noises from escaping. He can’t cry like this. He needs to be stronger.

The clunk of wood on wood has him halfway out of his seat, hand reaching for a sword at his hip that hasn’t been there for half a year. A quick succession of quacking makes him fumble for the windows and pull the curtains apart. The moonlight reveals Ahiru, standing by the fireplace with her foot on a log she just knocked out of the basket. She quacks again, a little impatiently.

Fakir wipes at his face with rough palms. “Bossy,” he says, trying to keep his tone light. Maybe she didn’t see him crying. Although Ahiru has the unfortunate habit of doing just that.

He makes the fire with practiced movements, and within a few minutes he leaves it to grow as he takes Ahiru with him back to the table. He offers her some corn kernels that are always left in a little bowl there, but she gives him another distinctive look that lets him know he hasn’t gotten away with anything. Fakir sighs and hides his face in his hands. He still has tears left in him, and that’s no good way to start a conversation. “It’s nothing.”

She nudges her head into his arm. Fakir gives Ahiru a pat, but she shakes her head vigorously and dislodges his hand.

“I said it was nothing!” Fakir snaps, and shoves his chair from the table. He goes to stand in front of the fireplace but he can feel her eyes on him. He casts his own eyes around the room, looking for something to distract himself with. The journals catch his eye, the completed ones stacked in the corner and stained with ink. He kneels beside the ever-growing pile and runs a finger down the spines. He’s doing the best he can, he really is, but…

“I should have been able to change it,” he whispers. “If I’m Drosselmeyer’s descendant, then I should have been able to change the end of the story to let you stay human. That way, you could have gone back to the school, and your friends, and ballet. Anything better than being stuck in this tiny hut with only a pond to entertain you, day after day because that’s…” He feels the tear slide hot down his cheek as his voice turns muddled. “Because that’s all I…all I can give you. I’m so sorry, Ahiru. I’m sorry.” He sniffs and turns away from the journals. Ahiru is still peering at him from the table. Fakir shrugs helplessly and swipes the tear from his chin. “You deserve much more than I can ever be.”

Since Ahiru can’t reply, all he gets are his words echoed back at him. Ahiru—sweet, clumsy, opinionated, compassionate Ahiru—is stuck with him for the rest of her short duck life. She wants to be a girl again. She wants to dance again. She wants to see her friends again. And she should be remembered by this town as a hero. And if that’s not possible in this world, then…

Fakir covers his eyes with one hand and sinks to the floor. There’s no hiding that he’s crying anymore, and now with no need to be silent, he loses all control. He stuffs both hands over his face to try to contain the tears, draws his knees to his chest, feels the ache in his throat and his lungs, tastes salt upon his lips.. “I don’t understand,” he manages to say between heaving breaths. “Mytho would have let you go with him. You are Princess Tutu. You should be living in his fairytale land, laughing and dancing instead of…instead of this.” He lowers one hand to gesture around the cottage. “I can’t give you the kind of life you deserve. Because you deserve so much more.” He dares peeking through his fingers at where Ahiru still regards him from the table. In the flickering light from the fireplace, it’s difficult to tell if she’s giving him one of her duck looks. “I didn’t need you to stay,” he rasps, slowly shaking his head. A lie, but she doesn’t call it on him. “We only needed me to keep writing the story. You don’t have to be here. So why…” He bites down hard on his lip, enough to taste blood, to keep his voice from wobbling. After a moment, he hides his face in his drawn-up legs. “Why did you stay?” he asks, shutting his eyes against an answer he doesn’t want to know. “W-why…?”

For a moment the only sound is the crackling of the fire, and then the distinctive whump of Ahiru half-falling, half-flying to the floor. She pecks at his bare foot.

“Ow!” Fakir complains, and lifts his head. “You don’t have to——” He stops talking. Actually, it’s more like everything about him stops. His brain, his lungs, his heart, his ability to do anything but stare. Ahiru must sense it, because she opens one eye to examine him as she stands there in position, wings curved gently upwards beneath her chest.

“You…you mean that?” She quacks a little frustratedly at him and improves her stance. It’s a little difficult for a duck, but Fakir knows the mime for love when he sees it.

“You’d stay here, in this world, where nobody remembers you and you’ll be a duck forever…” Well, he might as well remind her what she’s buying into. “Because you lo—because you—you love—because of me?”  

She lowers herself back down from the tips of her feet and nods.

Now, for him, it’s an obvious thing. He loves Ahiru. He loves her now and suspects he always will, no matter how long she is with him. Even if he never admits it in his life. Even if he could only try to express that love in a single dance at the bottom of a lake. It doesn’t matter. That love stays warm in his chest, protected by his ribcage and tucked beside his heart. So he knows he loves Ahiru, but with one thing and another and Mytho and Rue and the whole duck thing, he’d given in to never knowing if she felt the same, even if it was just an inkling of a feeling. Now he knows. But he never wanted to.

Not like this.

His hands drop to the floor and his feet slowly give out across the wooden planks, legs extending spread out so not to bother Ahiru. Fakir stares at the little duck lit up by the firelight. Shaking his head slightly, he manages to rasp, “So you’ll stay here, because of me. I…I…” He shuts his eyes tight and feels the tears really begin to flow. His nails scratch at the floors as he balls his hands to fists. “Why? Why would you…why would you do something…why would you love me? I’m just…” He clutches both hands right to his chest. “I’m just a hopeless, loner writer whose hand doesn’t even work right anymore! I can’t…” His hands fly back up to his eyes. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep writing. I don’t even know if I’m doing it right! You should have gone with Mytho and been happy with him. Found someone better to love.” His voice cracks along the words. “Not me. I can’t give you enough. I can’t give you anything! Just a tiny cottage and a slice of a pond. That’s all.”

Hands back down to floor, out of exhaustion more than anything, which means his eyes are free to see Ahiru consider the problem for a moment and then, slowly, gesture to him with her wing before gracefully transitioning into the mime for love once more. Fakir frowns and peers closer. “I…I lo-lo-love…” Ahiru settles back onto her feet and tilts her head to the side, waiting. “Do I love you? Is that it? Is that—?” She shakes her head and completely throws him off. “B-because I…do…what do you mean ‘no’?”

This wasn’t at all how he’d dreamed of these confessions.

She quacks and flaps her wings in annoyance, and then sets off waddling down the room to Fakir’s desk. She flies up onto his chair, and then scrambles up to where he’d last abandoned his journal and quill. Fakir uses his shirt to wipe his face clean and follows obediently, sitting down and reaching for the quill. Her wings snap out and stop him. She moves with more strength he knew she had, flipping his hand over and nosing over the scar there. She looks up at him, tilts her head, and makes a quiet peeping sound. Fakir breathes in deep and tries to prevent his voice from cracking. “It…it didn’t heal right. I can feel something wrong when I move my fingers…” He flexes them for example. “And it hurts to write for more than ten minutes at a time.” Ahiru just stares for a long moment, and then slowly butts her head into his palm, smoothing her feathers over the scar. Maybe, Fakir thinks, this could have been a kiss, if Ahiru had lips with which to do that. “I can write now, though,” he tells her softly, and takes his quill in hand. The ink blots on the first few words he writes, but he’s gotten used to how he needs to write the town, and how to write his and Ahiru’s story.

“Late at night, the writer lay awake…”

He’s still not used to how writing about himself and Ahiru gives him a strange omniscient feeling, like all her thoughts and feelings are flowing straight into him to be jotted out upon the paper. The moment the quill touches down, he can sense her emotions as if they were his own, almost overwhelming in their sincerity. Concern for his hand, a deep sadness for not being able to comfort him better when he cries, and…well, it’s not exactly anger, but frustration that Fakir doesn’t understand what she’s trying to say. Resignation that there’s nothing they can do right now to change that situation, but frustration just the same.

Fakir rubs his free hand over his face again, trying to erase the tear tracks. She doesn’t need to be able to comfort him. He needs to be stable, to not break down like this in the middle of the night.

Wait, shit, he’d written those thoughts out. He can’t even rely on the privacy of his head when there seems to be no filter in between what happens and what he writes. Ahiru turns to read before he can scratch it out and quacks in quick protest.

“Well, I should be! Better!” Fakir protests. “And you! You should be a girl again and dancing with Mytho and Rue and their fairytale life!” He pushes his chair back. “You love me, and I love you back, but, b-but…” Damn it. Once he starts crying he’s never able to get it to stop. “But sometimes that isn’t enough, Ahiru! Sometimes life is just too complicated and not a fairytale, not in this world. Which is why you should have gone. I don’t know how long I’ll have to write the town’s story for, I don’t know what to do if I need to find someone else with Drosselmeyer’s bloodline to continue for me and I don’t know how I could force that sort of burden on anyone anyway. And everyone thinks you’re just a duck, and nobody remembers! They don’t remember…” He covers his eyes again, like that’s fooling anyone. “Charon, Autor, everyone at the school. They’ve all forgotten. You and Mytho and Rue and everything that happened. They see me, and I’m just the odd orphan kid who carries a duck around. Is that what you want for the rest of your life? To be stuck with me?”

There’s no response. After a minute, he lowers his hand.

She’s crying. Oh God, he made her cry too. Those big blue eyes that remind him the most of when she was a girl. All filled with tears.

“Ahiru…” He dives out of his seat and lands on his knees before the desk. She shakes her head and turns away. Fakir bites hard down on his lip, but then her foot sends the quill rolling down the desk right to the edge. She wants to talk.

Fakir wipes his face on his shirt again and raises himself so he can fill the quill with ink. He touches back down to the paper.

“The duck could only remember what the writer had told her, deep within the lake. That it didn’t matter to him if she was a bird or not, because that’s who she truly was.”

“I don’t care that you’re a duck!” Fakir yelps, wrenching his hand away before it can give anything away. “It’s just…you’ve told me you miss being human. So…do you care that you’re a duck?”

Ahiru turns back to him, not meeting his eyes as she taps her foot against the paper. Fakir sighs and puts the pen down once more, lets the words run free.

“Of course the duck had understood what staying with the writer meant. Leaving with the prince and princess would allow her to remain as Princess Tutu, and live happily within their realm of fantasy. But staying with the writer meant staying beside the boy she loved, and feeling his love in return, and that was worth everything.”

Fakir stops and his eyes flicker over to her. He can feel the sincerity of the words he’s scribbling, can feel the bravery she needed to summon them, the determination to make Fakir understand, because he’s such a stubborn dolt at times. That last part is definitely directed at him.

“A stubborn dolt? Thanks.”

She quacks loudly and taps her foot incessantly against the paper.

“The writer might lose use of his hand, the town might forget all about her existence, they might be known as the strange boy and his duck who live out on the lake, but that didn’t matter to the duck. She would not ever trade it for the fantasy world. Because she had promised…”

Ahiru watches him write out the final words and then waddles over to stand right in front of him. Like this, they are beak to nose.

“You mean that,” Fakir says. There’s no question. Not when he felt the words like that. She nods.

Fakir turns his face away and wipes his nose on his sleeve. He sighs and tries to steady his breath, and then pushes up off the floor. He holds his hands cupped near the desk. “May I?”

Ahiru quacks, content and soft, and steps into his hands. She doesn’t protest when he draws her to his breast, and instead he feels her wings embracing him in return. He can feel her cold little beak against his neck. Always so tiny, no matter what form.

Eventually it feels natural to begin to rock back and forth, slowly turning in a circle. It’s not ballet, and by no means a proper sort of dance, but for now, he can’t stand to let her go.

Nothing is fixed. Real life doesn’t work like that. The problems of tonight will still be here in the morning. But maybe they’ll look better in the dawn. For now, they keep dancing.

The final words on the paper trail off into a scribble, pen abandoned and leaking ink in a trail from the final period.

“I will stay by your side forever.”