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sodasback · 4 years ago

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Bet

JJ Maybank x Reader

Reposting from my deleted account with minor edits.

Not my photo. All credit to original poster @pop-punk-maybank <3

"You wanna put some stakes on this, Maybank?" You asked, feeling especially cocky.

"You think you can beat me at beer pong?" JJ asked incredulously. You had to admit it was pretty arrogant of you to think you could beat JJ, aka beer pong king of OBX.

"Oh, I know I can babe." You doubled down. JJ smirked.

"Alright, what do I get when I win?" JJ asked confidently, putting his hands on the table and purposely flexing his muscles as he leaned forward.

"Whad'you want?"

JJ smiled. "After the game is over, you have to jump off the dock, into the marsh." You frowned. You were a little let down by the anti-climatic nature of his dare; it was unlike the blonde.

"I didn't bring a bathing suit." You quickly retorted, shaking your head, knowing that wasn't an option.

“Yeah, I know. You aren’t wearing a bra either.” JJ smiled devilishly. A chorus of “oohs” came from the group that was gradually gathering around. Your mouth dropped open a little.

You closed your mouth and glared at JJ for a second. “Bet.” You said and gasps of disbelief and giggles left the small crowd. Even JJ raised his eyebrows, a little surprised at your answer, but he regained his confident front quickly. “And if I win, you have to show me the video Pope took of you from last weekend.”

JJ immediately dropped his smirk. Pope and John B shared glances, obviously knowing what JJ says/does in the video. “Yeah, that’s not happening.” JJ said looking away.

“Only if you lose.” You reminded him and JJ looked up at you. “What? Is JJ Maybank scared to lose at beer pong to a chick?” You challenged.

Laughs and more “oohs” came from the small group of party-goers.

JJ looked at you for a minute. “Fuck it. Fine. Let’s do it.”

The game got set up.

“Last chance to back out, Y/L/N. You ready?”

“I’m always ready for your JJ.” You teased. He shook his head, knowing the tactic of trying to distract him with flirting all too well. You looked at each other in the eyes and took the first shot at the same time to see who would go first. Your ball bounced off the rim of the solo cup and of course, JJ’s sunk in one. You took a breath in and JJ smiled and cocked his head at you.

“Get used to passing those back to me, Y/N/N, because you’re not gonna keep them at all tonight.”

“Yeah, keep talking shit, JJ. We know this is the only way you’re scoring tonight.”

JJ’s first shot of course went right in. “Drink up, babe”

You smiled and grabbed the first cup, downing it easily. “How’s losing taste?” He asked, getting cockier by the second.

“Just shoot your shot.”

He does and sinks another one, shit-eating grin only growing more. “Balls back.” He smirked. You glared for the umpteenth time that night, but matched his smirk as you rolled the balls back and downed another cup.

“You regretting this bet now?” JJ asked as he sunk another one.

“There’s a lot of game left, Maybank.” You continued feigning confidence.

Finally, JJ misses one. “Fuck” JJ whispers under his breath. “Alright, Y/L/N, let’s see what you got.”

You shot and made it, grinning at JJ. “Okay, okay. it’s just one.” JJ says and gulps down the first drink. You sink another one. “Balls back.” You smile.

You waste no time sinking the 3rd one. “Getting nervous, J?” You ask. But before he can answer, you’re missing your 4th shot, “Not really.” JJ replies cooly.

The game went on and of course... JJ won.

“Never shoulda bet against me, Y/L/N.” JJ gloated smugly. “I definitely should have raised the stakes though, because jumping into the marsh with your clothes on isn’t really that satisfying for me.”

“Who said I was gonna keep my clothes on?” You asked seductively as you shimmied out of your denim shorts, but leaving your cheeky underwear on. JJ gaped at you for a second before regaining composure and smirking at you. You turned your back to him and took your top off before swan diving off the dock.

“Fuck that’s cold!” You yelled when you resurfaced and approached the ladder to get back on the dock. JJ had a towel ready for you, but when you went to grab it, JJ pulled it back, just out of reach with that shit-eating grin on his face. You shot daggers at him with your eyes.

“First, say: ‘JJ is the sexiest, funniest, smartest guy I know and I was completely wrong for thinking I could beat him at anything.”

If looks could kill, JJ Maybank would be one dead pogue from the scowl you were giving him.

“Fuck that. JJ, give me the fucking towel.” You said reaching for it again and not realizing your bare chest was coming out of the water. JJ smirked down at you and licked his lips, before you threw your arm over your chest to cover your boobs. He chuckled to himself, “The water really is cold, huh?” he teased,

“JJ.” You said sternly.

“You gotta say it.”

You inhaled deeply, “JJ’s the sexiest, funniest guy and I was wrong for thinking I could beat him.” You muttered and slurred quickly under your breath.

“What was that Y/N/N? I didn’t hear you.”

“Fuck you ...JJ is the sexiest, funniest, smartest guy I know and I was wrong-”

“Completely!” JJ clarified.

“-completely wrong for thinking I could beat him. Now give me the fucking towel, Maybank.”

JJ held the towel out, unfolded so it completely covered the view of you climbing the ladder so no one could see you, but he didn’t turn away, instead he kept eye contact with you even as you struggled to cover your boobs while climbing up the ladder. Once you emerged, he wrapped the towel around you and smiled. You held the towel around you as you kept eye contact with JJ a little longer than usual. You looked away first and cleared your throat. Getting nervous, you stuck your hand out for a handshake. “Good game, Maybank.”

“Good game, Y/L/N.” He said sweetly. And with his guard down, you easily pushed him off the dock and into the water. You laughed as did a lot of the party who witnessed it.

JJ surfaced, “Oh you are so dead, Y/N! You know that right?” JJ said dangerously as he quickly paddled over to the ladder and you started to retreat.

You and JJ ended up in a tickle/wrestling match, after he chased you. And as the party continued, JJ only seemed to cling to you more. You couldn’t help but think that maybe the relationship between you two was more than just shameless flirting, that maybe it could be something more. JJ let you borrow some of his clothes after you both ended up in the marsh, so you could be warm and comfy. You were in his lap with is arms around your waist, sitting around the fire, when your brother texted that he was on his way to pick you up.

“Time to go?” JJ whispered to you, resting his chin on your shoulder as he read the text on your phone.

“Yep, it’s that time.” You sighed and leaned into him for just a second before standing up. JJ followed you away from the fire. “So I’ll see you tomorrow night at the movie thing? I’ll bring back your hoodie all washed.”

“Oh no, don’t worry about it. Looks better on you anyway.” JJ smiled as he brought a hand up to your cheek and ran his thumb along your jaw. You couldn’t suppress the butterflies swarming your stomach. You both looked down at the other’s lips when a horn honked loudly.

Both of your heads snapped in that direction and JJ’s hand immediately fell from your cheek. “Y/N let’s go!” Your brother yelled from his truck

Now, Jj was the one who cleared his throat awkwardly, “Okay, so yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You laughed at the awkwardness of the situation, “Bye”

JJ bit his lip, shoving his hands in his pockets and smiling before turning back to the party.

You walked over to your brother’s truck. “I’m just gonna go inside and go to the bathroom real quick.”

This earned an eye roll from your brother.

When you walked out of the bathroom and out of the Chateau, you saw JJ grabbing a drink from the cooler ...and he wasn’t alone. Your heart sank as you saw him handing a girl you’d never seen before a drink, both smiling and laughing before JJ followed the girl and sat next to her around the fire.

Maybe it was all in your head. Would JJ Maybank actually be more interested in you than just a friend he flirted with? He did flirt with everyone after all. You just thought maybe it was different with you. Did it really only take 5 minutes for him to move on to the next girl?

“Hey, you okay?” A voice asked, pulling you out of your heartbreaking thought spiral. It was Pope. He was headed inside to get some water. Pope followed your gaze to where JJ and the girl were, the tears in your eyes threatening to slip out.

“What?” You asked after not really processing what he said as you finally broke your gaze off JJ and looked at Pope who gave you a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, I’m fine!” You said wiping your eyes. “My brother’s waiting to take me home, so I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow?” You sniffled.

Pope smiled sweetly, “Yeah, see you then Y/N.”

You got into your brother’s truck and he started driving back to your house when you got a text from Pope.

Pope: I know you lost, but I’m gonna show it to you anyway.

Then another text came through, this one was a video. The video of JJ from last weekend.

In the video, all 3 boys were out in the hammocks, visibly drunk, or high ...or both. JJ being the worst of the 3.

Pope was holding the phone. “So JJ, your turn: who’s the one girl on the island for you?”

JJ scoffed drunkenly and it was clear that he didn’t know Pope was filming: “Bro, obvusly it’s Y/N/N dude. Y/F/N fucking Y/L/N. I’d simp so hard for that girl. ...I just want to buy her flowers. I think she likes peenie...ponies...pennies ..whas it called?”

“You mean peonies?” Pope clarified. John B looked at Pope and realized he was filming and gave Pope a knowing smile.

“Yeah those. Penonies, pen- whatever. I just want to treat her like a princess. Like sleeping beauty ...Y/N loves taking naps. Or Belle... she reads a lot n stuff ...or ooh Ariel, that’s the one. She’s just like Ariel ...like a mermaid.”

“Y/N has y/h/c hair” Pope stated but JJ ignored this.

“Yeah anything else, J?” John B asked wanting JJ to continue.

“I dunno dude. I just want to brush her hair n feed her grapes.”

John B and Pope couldn’t help but laugh, “Feed her grapes?” John B asked laughing.

“Yeah, dud-” and with that JJ finally turned and realized Pope was filming, “Arr you fucking recording this?!” JJ asked starting to reach over and wrestle with Pope.

“Oh my god. I cannot wait to show this to Y/N.” Pope laughed.

There was more wrestling between JJ and Pope before the video stopped.

You smiled down at your phone. “Thanks Pope <3″ you replied back.

Taglist: @railmerafe @moniamaybank @hernameisnoell @moonrisebeach @october-cameron @abbyj1822

#jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank x y/n #jj x reader #jj x y/n #JJ fluff #jj outer banks #Outer Banks #outer banks imagine #obx #obx fanfiction

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wheresmybuckyhoes · 4 years ago

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Game Night

Summary: Bucky and you are basically enemies. That’s the only word you can think of to describe it. What else would it be?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, drinking, unprotected sex (do not do this irl), smut, slight angst

I really love a good enemies to lovers at the moment and wanted to give it a go. Let me know what you think. As always, enjoy! xx

‘How about truth or dare?’ Wanda suggested innocently, earning her a series of exasperated groans. You threw your head back in playful annoyance, a drawn out ‘Wandaaa’ leaving your vodka - tasting lips. ‘I meant more like monopoly, or something a group of horny teenagers wouldn’t play’ Tony sighed, throwing back the last of his whiskey, followed immediately by ‘Steve it would mean so much to me if you would get me another bottle of this’.

Meanwhile, you noticed the one and only piece of shit Bucky narrow his icy blue eyes at you from across the table you were all crowded around. You mimicked his expression before turning towards Wanda as you rolled your eyes. You could practically feel his eyes delving deep holes through your back. ‘I say we play. I’ve had at least...’ at this point you held up your hands in front of your face as you counted on your fingers like a dumb child, Wanda raising her eyebrow. ‘...like at least, enough shots to be drunk so I won’t remember this anyway’ you shrugged as you reached for the bottle of vodka only for Sam to pull it just out of your reach. ‘Sam...’ you tried to bargain but Tony’s loud voice cut you off as he spoke, cradling his 4th glass of whiskey delivered so gracefully unto him by a frowning Steve.

‘As the leader of this group of fucks, I decree that I go first. Capsicle, truth or dare’ he asked pointedly, gesturing to Steve with his glass. ‘You guys are so immature...truth, if I must’ he replied gloomily, taking a tender sip of his orange juice. ‘Are you a virgin?’ he simply asked, earning an uncontrollable giggle from you and Wanda. Before Steve even opened his mouth, Tony added quickly with a smirk ‘a virgin is someone who has never fucked anyone, by the way. Oh, and fucking is what you want to do to y/n. I know you don’t always know all the current lingo, old man, but...’ Steve answered quickly before Tony could continue embarrassing him, and you choked on the wine that had magically appeared in your hand. ‘No, Tony. I’m not, and I’m going to bed’. Steve got up and straightened his shirt, placing his glass gently on an Avengers branded coaster, heading out for the night to his floor of the compound. You didn’t notice the slight frown which flickered over Bucky’s face as you kissed Steve on the cheek as you said goodnight. But you also didn’t notice Tony and Sam fighting over the last bottle of whiskey, so who can blame you.

You played a few more rounds of truth or dare as the night grew dark and the others grew tired. After the first few rounds Sam and Tony got up and left, soon followed by Wanda who was drunk beyond words. You hugged her affectionately before helping her to the elevator and going back to sit down. You forgot Bucky was there.

You groaned dramatically as Bucky smirked at you, collapsing dizzily onto the leather couch and tipping the last bit of vodka you had retrieved from Sam’s grasp down your throat. ‘Fuck off, Barnes’ you seethed. ‘Don’t you have some people to kill?’. He chuckled to himself, pushing himself up from the floor to stand up and cross his arms. ‘Don’t you have some validation to seek from literally everyone?’ he taunted, staring your right in the eyes. You looked down. The bitch knew very well you only wanted validation because when you were trained in an abusive institute not so different from hydra, the only thing that kept you alive was their validation, and he knew that he could get under your skin with ease. But you refused to show it. You looked up and found his opal eyes again.

‘It was my turn, wasn’t it? Truth or dare, asshole?’ you asked, chucking the empty bottle of vodka at him. He caught it swiftly with his vibranium arm, walking over to you and leaning down to place the bottle beside you on the couch, face inches away from you. ‘Dare’ he whispered, leaning back and moving to stand in front of you. He smelt like burnt marshmallows, fiery whiskey and rain. You mentally slapped yourself and reminded your brain how much you hated him.

‘I dare you to stop being such a little bitch’ you stood up, staring up at him with flames in your eyes. ‘Maybe if you didn’t act like such a brat all the fucking time, I wouldn’t have to be’ he mocked, tilting his head to await your reaction. The sheer amount of hate your felt for him at this moment, together with the large quantities of alcohol running through your veins, gave you a dangerous confidence boost. ‘Maybe if you weren’t a little pussy who lost his arm and sanity to some weird scientists because he fell off a train, knew how to fuck let alone talk to girls and didn’t make every single person who he meets want to run away and scream, I wouldn’t act like a brat all the fucking time’. Well shit.

You were breathing raggedly, chest rising rapidly up and down, hands balled up in two tight fists by your side. Bucky’s eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, a flicker off hurt passing over his handsome features. He shook his head and sighed. ‘Shouldn’t have said that, y/n’. ‘What do you mEEEAAN’ you yelped as he moved to pick you up and throw you over his shoulder, as if you were weightless. You kicked him in the chest, hard. ‘Put me down right the fuck now Bucky before I...’ he reached his room and threw you down on his bed, shutting the door behind him. ‘Before you what, hm? Because let me tell you something, darling. I think you don’t hate me. No, you just know I don’t want to sleep with you unlike Steve, Sam and Tony and it hurts. It hurts your precious little ego. But if it stops you from acting like a little bitch all the damn time, I guess I can fuck the bitch out of you’ He climbed onto the bed, as you crawled back, until your back was against the headboard and you were cage in between the wall and the super soldier in front of you. ‘Would you like that, doll?’

You gulped nervously, averting your eyes only for Bucky to grab your chin both roughly and gently at the same time and lift your head up so you were staring him in the eyes. ‘So now you go all quiet on me’ he taunted. You could hardly breath. Your mind was telling you that you hated him with all your heart, but your heart was telling you to get this man’s dick inside of you. Before you could silence the tell - tale beat of your heart, Bucky leant in and kissed you roughly. Your body relaxed into the kiss, and your hands subconsciously flew up to tangle in his chestnut locks. He was actually a really good kisser. You pulled away. You reached a hand out to unbutton his jeans, but Bucky caught your wrist. He chuckled to himself, metal hand gently wrapping around your throat. ‘So now you want me to fuck you? Thought you said I didn’t know how?’ he asked as a small whine escaped your throat, feeling your core burn in desire. You furrowed your brows and frowned at him. He squeezed at your neck. ‘Use your words, doll, or I’ll just leave you here as the pathetic mess you are’ he threatened, eyes clouding with lust and desire.

‘Holy shit Bucky, just fuck me already or fuck off’ you cried out. He didn’t need telling twice. He released your throat, using both hands to undress you in an instant before removing his own shirt and jeans. He hooked a finger in the band of your panties and slid them down your legs, over your heels and onto the floor behind him. He took a moment to gaze longingly at your naked and vulnerable body, muttering an almost inaudible ‘beautiful’. All that was left between your pussy and his dick was the boxers he was wearing. As soon as he took them off, your eyes widened, and you felt your cheeks redden. ‘That’s not going to fit’ you said, a sort of breathless whisper.

Bucky leaned in, kissing you deeply and sliding his tongue into your mouth. You almost screamed when you felt his fingers encircle your clit, moaning into his mouth. ‘I still...fuck...hate you’ you grumbled as you felt his hard on brush against your inner thigh. He rolled his eyes as you did earlier, dipping his head slightly to kiss your neck, expertly sucking on your sweet spot, marking you up with hickies. He slowly inserted a finger, followed shortly by two. They only slightly stretched you out, and you clawed at his back as he moved them faster and faster, curling them slightly to hit your g - spot. ‘B...Bucky, I’m gonn... gonna cum’ you moaned, pulling his head eagerly as you kissed him desperately. Bucky kept up with his rapid pace, bringing you right to the edge. You felt the pleasure build up and up until you were ready to cum, and that is obviously when Bucky decided to pull his fingers away completely. ‘What the FUCK’ you screamed, sitting up in surprise, legs squeezing together from the sudden lack of friction. He covered your mouth to silence your cries, and leaned in real close. ‘If I give you the most mind blowing sex of your life, and I stop treating you like a piece of shit, will you stop acting like a bitch?’ he asked, pushing you back down onto the bed, removing his hand when he was done talking. ‘For fucks sake Barnes, yes. Fucking yes. Now please fuck me’. you whined.

‘It would be my pleasure’. He slammed into your now lubricated pussy, stretching you all the way out. It burned, but at the same time it felt like nothing you had ever felt before. Not a single man you had ever been with had been this big, but you wouldn’t want Bucky to know that.

He moaned in your ear, causing you to clench down hard, and Bucky started to thrust quickly chasing his own orgasm. He continued to circle your clit with his thumb as he slammed into you over and over and over again until he had you chanting his name like a prayer along with a generous string of obscene curses. He lifted your legs onto his shoulders to angle himself so that he was repeatedly hitting your g spot and your orgasm finally hit you like a truck. ‘oh SHit Bucky fucking christ holy fucking shit’ you gasped out as Bucky thrusted deeply into you, cumming deep inside. You felt your legs shake as your eyes rolled into the back of your head in ecstacy, Bucky’s hand finding your mouth to at least try to quiten some of your moans. Although he had stilled inside of you, filling you to the brim, he continued to rub at your clit as he worked you though your orgasm. Your mind was filled with ecstasy and you could see stars. You both came down from your high eventually, Bucky collapsing in a sweaty heap beside you.

He pulled you into his body protectively, feeling his softening dick rest against your back. His arm was secured tightly around your waist, and you felt your heavy eyes shut as his warm breath on your neck comforted you. ‘Still hate me now?’ he asked, kissing the top of your head gently. ‘I’ll consider tolerating you for now. Ask me again tomorrow night’ you giggled sleepily in response. ‘Why tomorrow night?’ Bucky whispered as he also felt his own eyes close, a wave of exaughstion sweeping over his muscular body. ‘After we fuck again, of course, and again the night after that, and the night after that, and every night after that.’

#bucky barnes smut #Bucky Barnes #bucky fic #james buchanan barnes #the winter soldier #bucky x reader #marvel smut #tony stark #Steve Rogers #wanda maximoff #falc #falcon and winter solider series #white wolf

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hongnanglen-arina · 4 years ago

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Good care | Hong Joshua

Genre: Fluff, implied smut

Pairing: Joshua x fem reader

Warnings: alcohol (:

Words: 2k

A/N: Hi there! This is my first drabble request. Sorry for taking so long but I recently changed jobs so.. yeah haha... but I had so much fun writing this :3 hope you like it! ♡

⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅

“This is the last one.”

Joshua let his gaze travel through the room after placing the said box next to the others. After you two celebrated your marriage half a year ago, you found a perfect place and finally moved in together. It had enough space for the two of you to dive into your hobbies but also for future plans. Hearing his words, you walked out of the bedroom and into the living room where your husband was standing next to his friend.

Soonyoung was kind enough to help you with the moving. He joked that it would be a free workout and seeing how much both of them were sweating, it was true. Their shirts were soaked and you felt relieved that Joshua didn’t choose a white one because it would surely be see-through by now. As you passed by to reach the open kitchen area, he gave you a small peck on your cheek and let his fingers brush through his damp hair.

“I’ll get you something refreshing to drink. Soonyoung, are you staying for dinner? I thought about ordering something since our fridge is empty except for drinks.”

You grabbed two cans of beer, giving one to your husband and earning another soft peck on your other cheek, causing you to smile sheepishly.

“Oh, that sounds nice but I have to decline. I have to prepare for the dance class tomorrow. Don’t wanna be laughed at by the kids, you know?”

“Didn’t you say earlier that you’ve already mastered the steps?”

“Well… a little more practice won’t hurt.” Soonyoung laughed and thanked you when you offered him the other can.

Apparently both men were very thirsty because they finished their beer in seconds and it didn’t take long until Soonyoung said his goodbyes to you. Placing the empty cans on the kitchen counter, you looked up to see your husband close the apartment door and walking back to you.

“Is my little girl hungry?”

Snorting, you let him wrap his hands around your waist, placing your own on his chest and feeling the damp fabrics beneath your palms. “I’m not so little anymore, you know?”

Joshua poked your nose with his, a smile on his lips. “You will always be a little girl for me… my little girl.” He was about to kiss you when you turned your head to the side, grabbing your phone to order food and you suppressed your giggles when you heard him let out a soft whine.

“Hey, I’m hungry!” You said and couldn’t hide your grin as you saw his pout.

“I’m hungry, too.”

“See? Very good then. How about that family pizza we saw from the place downstairs?” You opened their website on your phone and felt Joshua move a little closer, nuzzling his nose in the crook of your neck. “I’m not hungry for pizza, babe.”

“We can’t survive with just love. Humans need food also,” you giggle when his kisses started to tickle your sensitive skin.

“But at our wedding, I swore to take good care of you always.”

“You always do, Shua.”

“But I need to do that now.”

“You can do it after the food.”

Joshua pulled back a little to face you, shaking his head no, the pout back on his lips so you gave him a quick peck. His satisfied noise changed to a whine when your lips left his again. He was so cute when he was needy.

“Say, are you drunk?” At your question, he shook his head no again, pointing at the empty cans behind him. “I only had one can, that’s not enough to knock me out. You should know that by now.”

Laughing, you showed him your tongue and wiggled your way out of his arms, his eyes followed you curiously. “Where are you going, babe?”

“Getting our food!”

“You ordered already?”

“Hahaha yes? You were too distracted to notice I guess.”

“Wait.” You stopped in your tracks and waited until Joshua was next to you, taking the keys out of your hands. “I will get the food, you can relax. Won’t be long.”

Opening your mouth to say something, you watched how he quickly got dressed and opened the apartment door, sending you a flying kiss before closing it behind him.

Blinking, you smiled to yourself. Such a gentleman.

While you waited for him to come back with the pizza, you put your clothes into the wardrobe in your bedroom, going through the stuff in your boxes. You lost track of time when suddenly the apartment door opened. “Your man is back with the food! Sorry for the wait but you sent me to get the food when they got your order seconds before. But that means, it’s hot. Just like me.”

Suppressing a laugh, you stood in the door to the living room, a can of beer in your hand which you opened after Joshua left, leaning against the frame as you looked at Joshua placing the pizza on the little coffee table, motioning to sit down and to join him on the floor. Smiling, you did as he told you but as he was opening the box, you crawled closer to him, one hand on his thigh as your lips were barely touching his ear. You could feel how Joshua’s body had stiffened, waiting for whatever you were about to do. You decided to tease him a little and let out a soft moan before saying, “Do you want more beer?”

You pulled back and met Joshua’s dark eyes, poking his inner cheek with his tongue. “You little vixen…”

“Is that a yes?” Not waiting for an answer, you got up with your almost empty can to get new ones, swaying your hips, well aware that your man was watching you.

When you sat down again, Joshua was leaning back on his hands, licking his lips. You opened both cans and placed them on the coffee table. It seemed like Joshua was thinking so you asked him.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Oh… nothing.” With a mischievous grin on his lips, he handed you one slice of pizza before taking one for himself. You were curious but the hunger was stronger so you started eating. You decided to ask him later.

After a while you forgot the question as you two talked about the day and your future together. Each of you had the last slice of pizza in front of you, on the coffee table 4 empty cans of beer. Most of them were from Joshua. The warm feeling of the alcohol clouded your mind a little. You only had 2 cans while Joshua just emptied his 4th. Holding your 3rd beer, you felt Joshua’s hand carefully stroking over your blushed cheek.

“Now we can do whatever we want, whenever we want.. wherever we want…” You looked up from your food and to the man beside you who was winking at you. Giggling, you took your beer and drank from it, unable to stop smiling. This was exactly what you wanted, what you two have dreamt about for the past 3 years. It was a little difficult to have alone-time since you two were still living with your parents. So mostly you met up outside or at home whenever your parents weren’t there which made you feel like teenagers but you had no other choice. You couldn’t count how often you had rented a hotel room just to sate your needs.

But now you didn’t have to worry about it anymore. You had your own home.

“We should celebrate it, don’t you think?”

Lifting your can, you looked at him confused. “But aren’t we doing exactly that right now?”

Showing you his slightly red face, Joshua shook his head no at your words, moving a little closer to you. “I don’t mean that.”

He took the beer out of your hand and turned it around so he could take a sip. Your eyes automatically traveled lower and saw how he swallowed the alcohol, absentmindedly biting your bottom lip.

After Joshua placed the can on the table, he gave you his full attention again, brushing your hair behind your shoulder. “So now your cute little belly is full, time for dessert.” He started to kiss your exposed neck, making you giggle sheepishly.

“Shua…”

“Yeah?”

“Aren’t you tired from moving?”

“Not at all.”

A relatively hard suck just below your earlobe caused you to gasp out loud, holding onto his broad shoulder, feeling him smirk against your skin because of your reaction.

“Your cute noises tell me that you want it too.”

The way he was talking proved that he was drunk. And a drunk Joshua always meant a sexy Joshua. Feeling his teeth graze along your neck and leave love marks on your shoulder and collarbone, you closed your eyes and bit down on your lip. The alcohol in your system combined with his slow and sensual treatment tried to trick you in believing that you were more than tipsy.

“Shua…”

“My little girl likes it, mh?”

“Mmmh…” Your fingers were massaging his scalp while his lips were sucking at your skin, earning soft mewls from you.

“Should we take it to the couch? The floor is a little hard for what’s to come, don’t you think, babe?” Joshua placed a last kiss on your neck before looking into your eyes, his dark brown orbs hypnotizing you in an instant. His bedroom gaze sending shivers down your smile as he stroked your cheek again, admiring your blushed face. “You are so pretty.”

Normally, you would tease him for his slurred words as you found it funny but being with him like this in your first own apartment on your first day was different. His gaze dropped to your slightly opened mouth and he couldn’t stop himself from connecting his lips with yours for a passionate kiss. Exchanging moans while your tongues were fighting for dominance, you felt his big hand on the back of your head, deepening the kiss which slowly became messy.

Your knee hit the coffee table, causing you to break the kiss and as your eyes lock, you two chuckled. “It’s time to change to the soft couch.” Sheepishly nodding at his suggestion, you slowly got up but had to help your husband. He surely had too many cans.

“Is dessert okay in your current state?” You giggled and he gave you a playful glare.

“Oh babe, I’m capable of so many more. Just you wait.”

His hands were everywhere on you on the short walk over to the couch and you almost missed out on when he removed his shirt, pulling you on top of him when you two flopped down on the soft furniture.

Joshua grabbed your ass and instantly moved you against him, making you hiss into the kiss. “S-shua… let me get some blankets. I… don’t want to ruin our new couch on our first day.” You propped yourself up on his chest, watching him lick his lips and think for a second.

“But come back quick. Your man is quite impatient.”

Nodding with a grin, you stood up and ran to the bedroom, opening a box where you thought you had seen blankets in before. You were lucky with the third box and took two of them back to the other room.

But when you arrived in front of Joshua, you saw him fast asleep, rolled to the side, even snoring slightly. You felt a little disappointed but understood. He carried all the heavy boxes all day long and was still so sweet and caring to you despite his exhaustion. And tomorrow you still had to rearrange some of the stuff.

This was the first day. You had so many more to come so you could call it a day and join him on the couch. Smiling, you gently placed Joshua’s head on a pillow which caused him to stir.

“Mmmh… y/n…” He turned around and opened his arms, eyes still closed as he waited.

Giggling, you unfolded the blankets and joined Joshua on the couch, covering the both of you under the soft fabrics.

He was fast in pulling you closer and against his chest, his hand lazily stroking your back.

You patted his head lightly. “Good night, Shua.”

#caratwritersclub #kpopscape #seventeen scenarios #seventeen fanfic #seventeen drabbles #hong jisoo #svt joshua #seventeen joshua #joshua #kpop ff #kpop drabble #svt drabble #svt fluff #joshua fluff #carat #svt scenarios #kpop scenarios #kpop #seventeen

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softyoongiionly · 5 years ago

Text

BlackHeart Bakery

Who says Halloween can’t be romantic?

Pairing: Emo! Jungkook x Reader

Word Count: 3.7k

Genre: fluff

A/N: HI OMG IM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE. I love you, I hope you like it. I’m sorry it isn’t longer but, I still can’t wait for you to read it.

-you never imagined that the quirky lil bakery down the street from your university would change your life

-But it did

-“Omg shut up, you’re so dumb.”

-“Rawr xD”

-“Did you just say rawr xD out loud??? That totally defeats the purpose of its existence...”

-“Don’t cite the deep magic to me witch, I was there when it was written.”

-“And now you’re quoting the chronicles of narnia- alright just go back to sleep you big dummy...”

-“Mmm but you married a big dummy so what does that say about you”

-“Jungkook don't spoil it oh my god!”

-“Like they don’t know what’s coming already- spoiler alert losers! I get the girl.”

-“I hate you...”

-“Mm yeah- I love it when you talk dirty to me baby. The last time you said that- we ended up fuc-“

-“Ok! That’s enough! Our story begins...”

-Jungkook’s bakery was quite famous around your city

-If people didn’t come for the gaudy Halloween decorations

-They came for the music

-Exclusively pop punk, if you’re wondering

-It was like 2009 everyday

-Which was comforting, considering the world has gotten a little

-Tricky

-Since then

-But anyways

-If they didn’t come for the music or the decorations

-They came for the AMAZING espresso

-And the spooky themed treats

-But if you’re being honest

-You think the main thing that keeps them coming back

-Is Jungkook

-If his sweeping black hair didn’t get you

-Or the adorable cheeky twinkle in his eyes

-It was the tattoos and the piercings

-He looked like he walked right off of a black veil brides music video set

-He was hot

-This was obvious

-But he didn’t seem to think so

-You had come to the conclusion that he was oblivious

-he shoved his feet into his big black doc martens every morning

-Slipped on his beaded bracelets and studded chokers

-Pulled his fall out boy t-shirt over his

-Massive

-Tattooed

-Biceps

-And just thought hm

-I’m pretty average I guess (lol)

-That’s a direct quote from him btw

-Men truly are hopeless

-Jungkook opened the bakery two years ago

-He had mentioned to you that he had saved up money from his 3 part time jobs to put a down payment on the building

-Which was wedged between a sex shop

-And a thrift store

-And honestly his bakery

-Blackheart Bakery, if you’re being specific

-Fits right in

-Jungkook refuses to hire new staff

-“They won’t do it right.” He whined to you one day

-“One time I tried to hire this guy and he put the sugared googly eyes on the cookie skeletons ALL WRONG”

-“How do you put googly eyes on wrong?” You had giggled

-“you just do- i- See? This is exactly why I can’t hire anyone...”

-You had started chewing on the end of your pencil in the midst of your laughter

-It was an unconscious habit

-And it makes Jungkook shift uncomfortably, his hands moving off of the top of your table

-“Don’t do that...” he had muttered, smirking to himself as he walked back behind the counter

-he did that a lot

-He’d mutter something

-Mildly flirtatious under his breath and then

-Just walk away

-It was quite confusing

-But honestly you had a feeling he was just a filrty person

-You certainly weren’t the only girl he smirked at

-Not that you pay attention

-Ok

-Maybe you do

-Kinda

-Pay attention

-but it’s not your fault!!!!

-You just

-Can’t help but feel a little jealous

-You kiiiiiinda have a little thing for him

-Ok

-Maybe it’s a big thing

-Maybe it’s a massive

-Gigantic

-Towering

-Crush

-But look at him!!!

-You simply couldn’t be blamed

-It was his fault

-Yep

-That’s what you’re going with

-It was Jungkook

-And his tight t shirts

-His ripped jeans

-His dangly earrings

-His tattoos

-His big

-Stupid boots

-Ugh ok

-Focus

-You have work to do

-The whole reason you began coming to Jungkook's cafe was so you -could find a consistent place to study for your exams

-You were in school to become a teacher :)

-And teachers have to study very very hard

-Educating the youth is no easy feat

-Jungkook had asked what you were studying during the first week you arrived at his spooky house of baked goods

-“Oh I’m an education major”

-“Ahh so you’re getting an education about...education.” He concludes

-“I love it.”

-“So meta.”

-“Are they educating you on the disparities between impoverished children and wealthier children?”

-His wide eyes were brimming with genuine curiosity

-You kind of got a kick out of how candid he was about such heavy conversation topics

-“Not as much as they should be but, I’m actually writing a paper on a similar topic right now...”

-This caused a brilliant grin to come over his face

-It was almost blinding really

-And it made your heartbeat all wonky

-“Of course you are. You look smart like that...”

-He had backed away from your table then, seemingly satisfied

-Had you passed the vibe check?

-“I’ll leave you to your paper.” He nodded to your laptop but as he walked away, he pivoted back towards you on and the heel of his combat boot, “welcome to Blackheart Bakery by the way, let me know if I can get you anything.”

-Another brilliant smile is sent your way

-“Thank you.” You had smiled back, sending a tiny wave his way

-Which in turn, made HIS heartbeat all wonky

-You’re cute

-Like really cute

-And despite how often it may seem like his eyes are elsewhere

-They are ALWAYS on you

-Every chance he gets he is glancing your way

-Smirking to himself at how endearing you are

-Brow furrowed

-Lips pouted in concentration

-Completely oblivious to his gaze

-He has to remind himself to look away

-He doesn’t want to be a creep

-“Creepy men deserved to get kicked in the teeth...”

-He’s said this to you before when another patron had made you uncomfortable

-Jungkook kicked him out immediately

-“If you don’t leave, I’ll have no choice but to kick you in the teeth. One, because I can’t compromise my personal philosophy and two because you’re making my favorite customer uncomfortable.”

-Oh look there goes your heartbeat again

-WONKY

-The guy leaves in an angry rush, flipping Jungkook off in the process

-Saying something about leaving a bad Yelp review

-He doesn’t care tho

-He definitely doesn’t want to be a creep

-You’re just so

-Pretty

-Ugh

-He rolls his eyes at himself behind the espresso bar

-The latte in front of him neglected

-In need of a bit of foam

-“Focus Jeon, she’s just a chick...”

No wait

-“She’s just a woman. A woman who I respect, like I respect all women...”

-He’s been watching a lot of feminist theory on YouTube

-He likes staying educated

-And also fuck the patriarchy

-The man waiting for his drink has arched a brow at this point, wondering if his barista has lost his mind

-“Uhhh medium...” he checks the cup for his awful hand writing, “ghostly toasted marshmallow latte!”

-“Thanks.” The guy mutters, throwing a judging look Jungkook's way

-He gives him a lazy salute as the guy struts away with a briefcase in tow

-“Thaaanks.” Jungkook mocks him, his face scrunching up in annoyance

-Stupid man

-With his stupid briefcase

-As Jungkook is pulling out a batch of cream cheese frosting stuffed pumpkin muffins

-Or as Jungkook calls them

-PUNK-in Muffins

-Movement at the counter catches his eye

-is that

-”oh shit...” He grunts, hastily wiping his hands on his apron and rushing over to the counter

-normally he would meander

-stroll

-or even slump to greet any new guests at this hour

-and by this hour

-he means 45 minutes before closing

-Jungkook’s bakery is open til midnight on weeknights

-9pm on Sundays

-and 3am on Saturdays (for the culture of course, gotta keep it spooky)

-tonight happens to be a Friday night and the person awaiting his assistance is

-you

-”You’re still here?” He gawks, the black polish on his nails glimmering as he punches in a few keys on the register

-You offer him a tired and slightly amused smile, “No. Y/N died around 4:30, you’re speaking to her ghost. Please leave your message after the tone.”

-Jungkook cracks a smile, his palms resting on flat on the counter, “Do ghosts check their voicemails?”

-“Oh of course not but, I will be checking yours because you have access to caffeine.”

-Jungkook laughs

-no...he giggles

-and it’s fucking cute

-but you digress

-“I feel like I should cut you off...this is your 4th latte; I’m pretty sure you’re 80% caffeine at this point...”

-“Noooo, don’t do that.” You whine slumping against the counter, “I just need to finish this one page...”

-He quirks a brow as he scribbles something on your cup, unimpressed with your statement, “You said that three hours ago. I’ll make you another one but I’m not putting an extra shot in.”

-Your face turns up in protest but he click his tongue against his teeth , shaking a manicured finger at you

-“Ah ah- nope. I don’t want to hear it. You either take that or I’m making you a hot chocolate and shutting the buildings power off.”

-With a dramatic sigh, you concede

-“Ugh fine. Here-” You go to hand him your debit card but he shakes his head

-“Put that away.”

-You want to protest but given the fact that he’s made the rules thus far during this interaction, you doubt you’d be able to stop him.

-A smile appears on your face then, appreciative of his generosity

-“Thank you.”

-He merely grins, waving you off before rolling up the sleeves of his black Blink 182 shirt

-as soon as his tattoos are out

-all the moisture leaves your mouth

-you try your hardest not to stare at him

-expertly, he eases the espresso shots into the milk, tongue poking between his lips in concentration

-and you

-being sleep-deprived

-and a little loopy

-decide to

-flirt????????

-if you could even call it that

-which you could but you shouldn’t

-“For the record, when I finally dig my way out of this of mountain of death I’m stuck in, I will definitely take you up on that hot chocolate...”

-Jungkook’s brow quirks at the tone of your voice, his hands suddenly itching with nerves

-was that

-was that flirty?

-should he flirt back?

-“My hot chocolate is legendary. You won’t be disappointed.” His lips display a small grin as he places the lid atop your finished latte, “Also mountain of death is a great name and I WILL be stealing it.”

-You giggle

-again

-“and I WILL be suing you for copyright.”

-He laughs now, wiping up the bit of milk he spilled

-the sinewy muscles in his forearm tensing and untensing

“Good luck getting me to show up to court.”

-and that’s kinda how it was between you and Jungkook

-for like six months

-it was a little bit flirty but never anything to push either over you over the edge.

-and speaking of being on edge

-recently, you had gone from vacationing in your timeshare on the edge

-to signing a 35 year mortgage contract

-4 bedrooms

-2.5 bathrooms

-of pure

-unrelenting

-stress

-you could feel it in the middle of your back

-shoving itself up between your shoulder blades

-your body seemed to ache with it

-the worst part being

-it was Halloween

-You should be out with your friends, having fun

-wearing itchy costumes and drinking sugary drinks

-but instead, your headed towards the bakery to work

-Jungkook was behind the counter, smiling happily at a family dressed like the cast of scooby doo

-from what you could see he was wearing a skeleton onesie

-his jet black hair tousled perfectly above his head

-he looked adorable

-(and hot)

-He notices you instantly, his face turning up in surprise

-you offer up a small wave and head over to your table

-you know he’s going to say something about you being there but

-you don’t really have much of a choice

-this work has to be done

-it takes him a second to spot you but when he does

-he seems to perk up

-his smile brightening as he looks back towards his customer

-as you’re setting everything up, you feel a presence (not the spooky kind) at the end of your table

-it’s Jungkook and he has your regular order in one hand, along with something wrapped in skeleton-patterned parchment paper

-“I know, I know.” You acknowledge before he’s even able to chide you for being here

-He smirks “What are you doing studying on the holiest day of the year??”

-You giggle

-“The holiest day of the year huh?”

-“Of course. Halloween is the one night a year that the homies can dress like total -sluts and no one can say anything about it.”

-This makes you giggle again

-“And you went with slutty skeleton huh? I love it- it’s like as naked as you can possibly get.”

-He chuckles, gesturing to his costume

-His floppy black hair getting in his face

-“Damn right baby.”

-The way he grins tells you the pet name is a joke

-But the deepening of his voice gets to you anyway

-“Thank you for this. I promise I’ll get out of your hair early tonight.”

-“The only thing I’m worried about getting out of my hair is this white spray paint. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

-He’s put a streak of white spray paint in his raven locks

-Why? You’re not certain

-Does it look good on him, like everything else does?

-Absolutely

-Its been a few hours since your night of studying began

-Jungkook’s dropped off two free lattes since you’ve arrived

-As well as a slice of his ‘I write cinnamon not tragedies’ bread

-Which was equally hilarious and delicious

-You caught him glancing over at your table a few times but you didn’t think anything of it

-He’s probably just checking to make sure that no one needs your table

-His bakery is packed most nights but Halloween is a special night at Blackheart Bakery

-He has a trick or treat counter set up with free (homemade) candy

-A photo op complete with a fake haunted house backdrop

-A Halloween playlist

-And a bunch of discounts on his signature lattes and food

-you watch him amongst the chaos

-He is completely unfazed

-He seems elated at the amount of customers he has

-he grins and laughs at something a man dressed like Thor says at his counter

-he seems entirely in his element

-you realize that the denial tactics you’ve been trying out haven’t been working

-because this floppy haired, tattooed, slutty skeleton/baker kind of has a hold on your heart

-you’ve been friends for a long time now

-he always makes sure you’re taken care of

-he always asks if you’re ok

-he always gives you this little grin

-it feels like a secret sometimes

-but maybe it’s been his way of letting you know where he stands

-he’s been bringing you lattes and pastries for months now

-he never charges you full-price

-he always reminds you not to work too hard

-he

-fuck

-he likes you doesn’t he?

-you look back over at the counter to see him bending over and handing a skeleton cookie to a little girl dressed like Captain Marvel

-he laughs at something she says

-his eyes focused entirely on her and whatever she seems to be proclaiming to him

-your heart goes wonky again

-alright

-enough is enough

-you’re doing this

-Jungkook’s done so much of the work thus far

-it’s time for you to seal the deal

-and if he rejects you, well…

-you can just crawl into a hole and never come out again

-easy peasy

-You can feel his eyes on you as you get up to take your place in line

-luckily there isn’t anyone else behind you

-rejection with an audience would certainly be worse

-Jungkook has his witty comment ready for you as you approach the register

-“I know for a fact you haven’t finished your third latte and I’m not making you another one until-“

-“I’m not here for another latte.” You laugh, trying to ignore the thrashing of your heartbeat

-“No? Well, are you finally going to try my Welcome to the Blackened Chicken Parade Burger then? I’ve been asking you for like three weeks…”

-god he’s fucking cute

-“I’m here to ask you out.”

-Jungkook swears he feels his heart stop

-“You’re here to…”

-He repeats the first part of your response as his he didn’t hear you

-his black fingernails anxiously tapping against the countertop

-“I’m here to ask you out- on a date.”

-Jungkooks face seems to go through various stages of confusion before a shy smirk presents itself on his pretty mouth

-“Me? You’re asking me-“ He places a hand on his chest, “-out on a date?”

-“Yes!” You laugh, slapping the counter a bit too hard, your nerves getting the best of you, “Are you down?”

-He shakes his head but his answer contradicts his movements

-“So down, beyond down. There is no one on Earth who is more DOWN than I am. Yes. My answer is yes. 50000% yes.”

-you can’t help the smile on your lips

-“great. So are you free next Friday then?”

-He grins with his teeth this time, nodding emphatically

-“Consider the shop closed.”

-and so it was

-you returned to your table moments later

-feeling on top of the world

-you did it

-you asked Jungkook out

-and he said yes

-and now you

-NOW YOU HAVE A DATE WITH JUNGKOOK

-LOOK AT YOU GO

-TAKING CHARGE

-you try your best to engage with your studies but with Jungkook on your mind

-its really hard

-roughly two hours later, things at the bakery have finally started to slow down

-“Hey uh- Y/N?”

-Jungkook's voice that pulls you out of your studying trance

-he’s standing at the entrance of his back room, waving you over with his hand

-and who are you to deny him?

-you make your way over there, annoyed at the instant increase in your heartrate

-he stands awkwardly to the side and gestures to the boxes on the metal rack

-“I just remembered that I’ve never given you a tour of the place. I give all my regulars a tour of the stockroom and my office and uh-”

-he cuts himself off and clumsily cups your cheek

-he pulls you into a kiss

-a really good kiss

-his lips are so warm

-he smells like cinnamon

-you could literally die happy

-The ridiculous nature of his first attempt to kiss you, makes you giggle into his mouth

-you feel him smile, his hands smushing your cheeks together as he pulls away

-“Ok I lied. There is no tour. I’ve just been watching you focus on your computer for the last two hours and you’re just really fucking cute and-”

-this time, it’s you who cuts him off

-“You better give me an actual tour next time. How else am I going to steal your secret recipes?”

-he scoffs in mock offense

-“Ah ha! So that’s the only reason you asked me out huh? Should I be calling you Plankton instead of Y/N? Ew no wait- that would make me Mr. Krabs and he’s a dirty capitalist...”

-You laugh, “Oooh good point. Guess you’ll just have to be Karen, my computer wife.”

-This makes him laugh now and the sound warms your soul

-“I could live with that- I like your last name better anyways.”

-with another kiss, your adventure with the emo baker of your dreams begins

-It may have been Halloween but it sure felt like Christmas to you

389 notes · View notes

embrassemoi · 4 years ago

Text

Surrounded by the Moon and Stars ✷ 26

Pairings: Sirius B, Remus L, [F]Reader CW: Language, prejudice against MB, blood/injury, sexism A/N: as always, unbeta'd

【 Masterlist: Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 】

Chapter 26: Human Anatomy

━━━━━━━━━༻✩༺━━━━━━━━━

May 4th, 1976

Following the Mary incident, there were two Death Eater attacks in Birmingham plastered all over the Daily prophet now clutched in everyone’s hand. Y/N watched from the sidelines as Lily gripped her copy so strongly that it began to tear where her fingernails were.

Distantly, she could hear Marlene and Dorcas attempting to distract them by fighting over the last Chocolate Frog. Y/N ignored them, her mood dampened from the news and played with her food idly. That was until she felt Sirius nudge her underneath the table, quietly placing the now stolen Chocolate Frog into her hand.

It was clear that she and Sirius reached a standstill. Ever since his outburst, he hadn’t been avoiding her — they still snuck around — but his witty and snarky comments were gone. He’d become more reclusive, shy, even, and couldn’t keep eye contact for too long. A few times, she even caught him entertaining other women and it caused her to stiffen up, laugh bitterly and chip away at any logic, reason — manifesting in irritation and resentment.

It was a game of cat and mouse and Y/N was the cat. So the gesture was surprising. She took it from him, smiling as she ripped open the package and split it into two, giving him the larger half. He gave a reticent smirk and went back to his desert.

Sirius Black was confusing.

She saw Remus had put down his copy of the prophet, who pressed his lips together to hide his amusement as he looked between the two. His brow rose; she looked anywhere but him.

It was nearing the end of dinner when James finally joined, just coming from his career consultation. He went over to Ravenclaw’s table first, talking admittedly with Emmeline before making his way over. He was uncharacteristically nervous as he sat down beside Y/N.

“Saved you a plate,” Peter greeted. A large plate of spaghetti hovered in front of him. Normally James would’ve dug in within seconds, but instead prodded at a meatball with his fork. Everyone noticed but ignored it.

“What took you so long?”

Sirius grinned. “I bet McGonagall was listing off the Quidditch teams that want him. Which one is it? Appleby? Puddlemere?”

“I call Ballycastle,” Marlene warned, “I want their spot!”

James remained quiet.

“Don’t tell us you’re going to live off your trust fund,” teased Remus, but it had a questioning tone.

James’s gaze flittered to Lily’s paper before he spoke.“They all reached out.”

Everyone gave a loud round of applause and cheers; Y/N ruffled his hair while Peter conjured one of the floating candles to explode into confetti.

“That’s amazing! Congratulations, Prongs! You deserve —” “I’m turning them down, for now.”

Everyone went still, smiles fading and utensils dropping.

Remus was the first to speak. His eyes glossed cautiously around the table before leaning in. “Want to go somewhere a little more private? To talk?”

James took a deep inhale, peering over to Mary’s empty seat. Still shaken up, Mary had been hiding away in her dorm. As Marlene liked to say, she was pulling a sickie, and nobody could blame her. Then James’ eyes strayed towards Y/N.

“I told McGonagall that I’m enlisting once school’s done.”

Peter placed a tentative hand on him, “What did you say?”

“Er… after everything that’s happened…” He took a deep breath, “I’ve been thinking… I don’t want to live in a world where the people I care about are judged — innocent people are being… slaughtered... I can’t — I can’t just sit here and let it happen! And the war won’t end — not unless people are there to fight.”

Lily ripped her newspaper as she snapped, “This isn’t the time for jokes, Potter. You can’t just say that and —”

“I’m not joking,” James states calmly yet firmly. “Quidditch can wait until the wizarding world is safe.”

Nobody spoke until Dumbledore dismissed dinner.

“I said the same to McGonagall,” Sirius added. Everyone’s head whipped towards him.

“Is this a sick plan you two haven’t told me about?” Remus scolded. His voice was laced in something Y/N couldn’t place but teetered on the edge of indignation.

Sirius shook his head. “No. Never mentioned it to him. It’s just… I want to fight people like… my… family.”

The phrase echoed in her head: my family… What did that mean?

“Then that’s what I’ll do too.” Marlene states.

Dorcas whipped her head towards her. “No, you won’t.”

“Potter’s got a point,” Marlene says. “What good will my influence — power and position I’ve got as a Pureblood do if I don’t put it to use? Besides, my brothers have all enlisted already. They help with the Ministry and Dumbledore.”

Y/N and Lily stayed quiet, both shared a look — the first time either made direct eye contact since their fight. It communicated worry and pure dread.

━━━━━━━━━༻✩༺━━━━━━━━━

May 14, 1976

“You pincushion. You’re going to break if you aren’t careful!” She’d been waiting outside the hospital wing for Remus who hobbled his way out with a pink flush.

The Marauders and girls were taking ‘partnering up’ seriously. The Marauders escorted any Muggleborns around the castle at night; James, Peter and Sirius using their blood status while Remus used his height and prefect title as leverage. Even Marlene made sure every first or second year was escorted safely too.

In particular, ever since the mention of enlisting and Mary’s attack, James and Sirius were ruthless — merciless to anyone that showed even the slightest allegiance to the other side. More hexes, jinxs and pranks ensued.

Remus tilted his head as his body shook with quiet laughter. “Just a tumble.”

“Clumsy giant.”

He ignored her, going to take her bag off her shoulder to carry.

“Now you’ve lost it — give it.”

“I’m fine,” he grunted, going to dangle the bag so she wouldn’t be able to take it. But Remus staggered forward a bit, having to stop walking and balance himself out. Y/N noticed, sighing as she linked her arm with Remus’, letting him lean against her for support as they walked.

He did seem peaky, she worried, he waved it off. The Marauders did say he’s ill…

“Are we picking up Butterbeer?”

“Mary and Marlene are getting it.”

“Oh… Mary… How is she?”

Y/N sighed as they turned and left through a secret passageway and into the yard. Today was the last Quidditch game of the year. “I’m not sure… we’re not exactly close and Marlene refuses to spill.”

“I’m glad she’s… okay — out and about. What about you?”

“Me?” She turned to Remus.

“No one has tried to hurt you, have they?”

“Nope.” Best to lie.

Remus loosen up at that. His head tilted to hear her clearer, body hunched over as if he’s trying to get closer.

His soft messy curls were strewn messily around like he just rolled out of bed. “Do tell if someone does. I know you can defend yourself but we all need to be there for each other.”

“Of course. You too?” He hummed.

The hot sun beat down against them as sweat began to form on her forehead. Remus wore a light sweater — just by looking at him, he made her feel uncomfortably warm.

“You’re not hot?” Y/N asked.

He dropped his head a bit and a sudden far-away look filled his eyes. “Erm — not really. I just prefer it.”

She instantly felt bad from his reaction. “Well, at least you look dashing.”

He nodded, smiling before making grabby hands. Y/N glanced sideways, already fishing out her cassette player from her pocket.

“All you do is use me for this thing.” “Hush.”

They walked together down the path, arm in arm, over bumps and dips. Both laughing at the other before Y/N noticed a fairly large ball of black trailing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was as tall as Flitwick and as long as Marlene’s broom.

Y/N felt herself stop, pulling away from Remus who was about to open his mouth. A rush of excitement filled her. “Is that a dog?!” She already let go of Remus, motioning him over as she dashed off into its direction.

The dog must’ve heard her footsteps before she came to a stop in front of it. Now, slowly walking up, her hand stuck out and waited for the dog to approach.

“Hi there, buddy!” She smiled largely as the dog sniffed her. There was the slightest hesitation before its head rubbed against her hand, moving happily as its tail wagged. Its head bowed, presenting its neck as a sign of submission. It even nudged her. She rubbed the side of the dog’s body. Its fur was shaggy, matted with a bit of dirt which had her nose wrinkled.

Remus eventually appears, watching them but once the dog notices him, it goes rigid, pulling away from Y/N, even going as far to growl at her. Although it’s weak, she still rips her hands away as the dog keeps its gaze on Remus.

“No! Please come back?”

The dog stopped growling, letting her pet him again but bared its teeth to Remus. Remus doesn’t seem to care as he watches the scene intently, a smirk crosses.

“I didn’t know Hogwarts had a dog!” Y/N scratches behind its ears. “You must be Kettleburn’s, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, he’s been around,” said Remus.

“Oh yeah? You seem like such a good boy!” Y/N then stands, picking up a stick before waving it, throwing it far. The dog bolts to retrieve it. “Why didn’t you tell me there was a dog?”

“I’m more of a cat person.”

The dog comes dashing back, stick in mouth as it runs circles around her. She goes to bend down, fingers gliding through its matted fur before getting caught. “You’re kind of disgusting.”

The dog looks at her, its eyes adjusting to open wider while Remus bursts out laughing. Y/N glances at him, questioning his unusual behaviour before reaching to grab the stick from its mouth. She transfigured it into a dog brush and went to work.

"... Kettleburn has really been neglecting you."

Remus’ hands go up to wipe his happy tears before dropping down to sit beside her. She can even feel his body shake with laughter. “You sure you don’t want to leave this mutt be?”

The dog growls at him, Y/N giggles.

“I don’t think he likes you much.”

His face level with the dog. “Don’t like him either.” The dog barks and Remus practically howls.

“So…” he has a sly smirk that tells her he’s up to no good. The light catches onto his eyes, glinting with golden specs like they were infused in him. “You and Padfoot have been chummy lately.”

The wagging tail halts and Y/N stops combing as they both stare at him. The dog pulls away from her grasp and growls at Remus. This time, it’s guttural and deep, sounding like a warning and losing its playful tone.

“I — ugh —” She falters, mentally slapping herself. “We’ve been getting along since Oats. Studying, spending time together… I got tired of fighting.”

“Mmm, I bet.” His voice is condescending. “I heard you want to be a Healer.”

“Yeah?”

“Say then, do you guys study —” The dog goes and bites down on his jeans, tugging harshly, drawing her attention but Remus continues to study her.

“Look at me, not at him,’” he says cockily. He leans in a challenging manner that has her flustered. He repeats, “Do you guys study… I don’t know… human anatomy?”

The dog barks madly — so loud that they’re getting stares from passing students. Y/N swore she could’ve died there while Remus bellows with laughter: his question answered. She bolted up, remaining silent and marched away from him who hobbled behind her, yelling out false apologies.

━━━━━━━━━༻✩༺━━━━━━━━━

Gryffindor, unsurprisingly, had another amazing win against Ravenclaw. James had improved as Captain drastically — confident with his position and team. Marlene improved too, she was almost as fast as the Snitch itself and never let a single Bludger slip past her while James scored goal after goal.

She and Remus still stuck by each other, walking down the rickety wooden stands as they observed the sea of red robes swarming the pitch. James pulled Emmeline into a kiss before he was holstered up by the Gryffindor team. Sirius was cheering him on while Peter was missing, having to leave right after the match for detention.

James then glanced back, along with Marlene, who waved while the two students grinned widely, sticking their thumbs up, fist-pumping in the air as a sign of congratulations.

But it wasn’t long until trouble came their way. Y/N wasn’t sure how Remus knew, but he suddenly went mute, his head perked up and swivelled around. In a fluid motion, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her flush against him; his hand wrapped around her protectively as he shifted his body to cover her and then bucked down; just before a Bludger came barreling their way.

Remus whipped his wand out, pointing at the Bludger that was hurling back, turning it into a balloon.

“The fuck?” Remus breathed out.

From where they stood, they were obscured by the shadows and wooden stands. The crowd couldn’t see them and the Gryffindor team was too occupied to notice. Cackling sounded from one of the exits. It was Crabble, Snape and two other Slytherin’s she didn’t know the names of.

“How cute! Ickle Lupin protecting his Muggle bitch!” Crabble said, flashing a dark smile.

“What did you call me!” Y/N shrieked, still in Remus’ hold before he finally let go.

“Watch what you’re saying,” Remus cautioned, voice dropping low. He stood tall as waves of authority emitted from him while he held his wand tightly, stepping in front of her. His broad shoulders squared. “Thirty points from Slytherin. You don’t want detention, do you?”

“That’s all you got? House points?” Snape taunted. “Loopy Lupin — acting tough in front of his girl.”

“Heard she’s fucking Potter,” the Slytherin said. He had blue eyes and dirty-blond hair.

“I heard differently,” the other nameless Slytherin blurted. He licked his lips in a snake-like motion. “Have you seen the way she and Black are around each other so much now? A Mudblood and a whore!”

She drew her wand.

“Aw, trembling itty, bitty baby!”

“That’s enough, Barty,” drawled Snape. Barty held his wand, toying with it before he lifted his wand, ready to cast a spell.

“Expelliarmus!” Remus shouted at him. Barty’s wand flew from his grasp but wasn’t lucky before the unnamed boy shouted, “Levicorpus!”

Instantly, Remus was grabbed by the ankle, hauled up into the air. Y/N saw him wince, all his belongings thudding to the grass.

“Aw, Rosier,” Snape said coolly. He took a few steps in a twitchy manner, “Stop playing with the poor mutt!”

But before the Slytherins had an opportunity, Y/N shot a spell at Remus, floating him down gently while Snape and Crabble directed a spell at her.

“Protego!” She cried as an invisible shield expanded between her, Remus and the Slytherins. The barrier was so powerful that they all stumbled as Remus went to retrieve his wand.

“Lupin can’t even protect himself! You had to let a girl do it too!” Crabble shouted.

“A Mudblood and a Half-breed! A match made in heaven.”

Angrily, Remus stood, a black ball of light shot out from the tip of his wand at the feet of the Slytherins. A small boom rumbled the ground, sparks of fire emitting but not enough to start a fire. They jumped back and Snape threw another spell.

“Ad sectis!”

Y/N barely had time to block it as a gust of wind knocked them back. It wasn’t a spell she knew of. Remus sent another hex at them but was blocked.

“Dangerous bloke, that Loopy Lupin,” Snape jeered, directing his words at Y/N while the Slytherins laughed. “You ought to be careful who you run around with. Let alone your boyfriend.”

“Shut up!” Remus shouted. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Where do you think he goes every month?” Snape taunted before backing up from them, rejoining the other Slytherins who left, all bellowing, “AHH-WOOOO!”

The reverberation from Remus’ spell drew the Marauder’s attention as they arrived. James saw them, marching up side by side with Emmeline and Sirius. He wore a large smile as he pressed several kisses to the side of Emmeline’s head. “Whiskers! Moony! Did you see that score!”

Remus and Y/N breathed in deeply, dazed and shocked. Remus stumbled over but she clutched his arm to keep him upright.

“Don’t listen to anything they said,” implored Remus.

“Wait… James,” Emmeline said, “I don’t think somethings right.”

“Moony, you’re awfully pale…”

“Shit! Are you guys bleeding?”

Y/N’s eye travelled to a large slash that travelled up Remus’ jaw and leg, blood seeping out at an alarming rate but the cut was shallow. Y/N in turn only then realized the damp liquid was now travelling down her arm. Her arm was also slashed, not deep, but the amount of blood was concerning.

All their voices began chatting over the other as the girls arrived by now; Dorcas rushed up to Y/N, prying Remus off of her as James and Sirius took Remus and sat them on a nearby bench.

“— happened?”

“— Y/N — Remus —”

“Lift your leg —”

“— get to the wing —”

“Merlin’s beard!” Lily shouted. “Give them some space!” Her eyes were on Remus but shifted to Y/N. Hesitantly, Lily walked up to her and bent down in front of her but still kept her distance.

“Okay, we need to get you patched up.” James stood, looping an arm around Remus and stood up.

Marlene rubbed her shoulder while Lily spoke, both James and Sirius doing the same for Remus. “Would you like us to come?”

She shook her head as the girls reluctantly left, but clutched Lily’s wrist as she stood. In a small voice, she asked, “Stay?”

Lily nodded her head and bid her goodbyes with the girls.

“Right, okay. I’ll see you later?” James said to Emmeline who pressed another quick peck to her cheek. Instead of the hospital wing, Remus asked, and was very adamant, about being brought to his dorm where they hauled in Y/N and Lily.

Sirius managed to get the bleeding to stop and worked on Remus before going to patch up Y/N who sat in James’ bed. The curtains were drawn just close enough for them not to be seen while Lily and James feverishly spoke to Remus.

“Ah!” She hissed as Sirius wrapped her arm carefully. Her free hand went to grip on his arm and he looked up at her apologetically.

“M’sorry — and we’re done.” Sirius tosses a quick smile, “You did amazing.” Sirius placed his material to the side and went to hold her hand gently. “What happened? Don’t you dare tell me a lie because this is serious.”

“I thought you were Sirius.” That joke never got old

Sirius broke out into a grin before it quickly vanished again. “Who did this?” He urged voice hardening yet kind. “Please, trust me.”

And she did.

Y/N reluctantly retold the story. Sirius went stiff. She grabbed his arm to bring his attention back to her. “Don’t do something that’ll make it worse. Don't you dare go looking for revenge. Promise me.”

He nodded his head but looked conflicted. At the same time, James pulled back the curtains; Y/N ripped away.

She looked around the room. “Where’s Lily?” “I told her to leave,” Remus cuts in. “I didn’t think that she would’ve liked to hear about the Snape part.”

Her eyes locked with James who wore the same expression as Sirius; he knew. And so she repeated herself, enunciating every word to the boys. “Don't. You. Dare go looking for revenge.”

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penaltbox · 5 years ago

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flights, fate, and football games (4+1) - quinn hughes

*or 4 times you were in the same place and didn’t know it + 1 time you were in the same place on purpose*

if you like it let me know :) reblog it, send me a message, leave your thoughts in the tags. thanks in advance!

word count: ~3k

Same restaurant/Post playoffs

You wave at your two best friends as soon as you enter the restaurant, surprisingly being the one who was late this time. You hit more traffic than you expected, but Pop’s was not to be missed.

The little Ferndale restaurant was one of your favorites and you needed the time to wind down after the crazy week you’d had. You hear a guy’s voice behind you talking to the suddenly excited hostess as you walk past her to get to your table, but never glance back at who it might have been.

“Wow, for once we aren’t the late ones,” Abby smiles, nudging Hannah with her elbow.

“Oh, aren’t you guys funny,” you roll your eyes playfully, but take a seat with them, “it wasn’t my fault though. Traffic was insane on the highway. It’s like everyone forgot how to drive at once.”

“I hit some traffic too, no worries,” Hannah smiles, glancing over your shoulder, “did you somehow miss those super cute boys that came in behind you though? The one was so your type.”

Your eyes widen a little as you turn around to quickly survey the area you’d just come from. There’s no one waiting at the front of the restaurant though, so you turn back with a frown.

“I mean, I heard a guy’s voice as I walked in but I didn’t think to look back at him. Why? Was he really that cute?” You ask, looking around the restaurant to see if you could find who she was talking about.

Abby sighs, “I can’t see where they went either but Hannah and I noticed them as soon as you got here. We should have got you to turn around somehow.”

You shrug, checking over the menu and deciding between a pizza or the bolognese instead, “I guess if I was supposed to have seen him then I would have.”

You would have looked around for him more but the waiter showed up and you were dying to get your hands on a glass of wine to start your weekend off.

...

“Quinn, I swear if you don’t start talking to cute girls when you see them I’ll end your career,” Will points across the table.

Josh holds his hands up and laughs, “guys, come on. We all know Quinn isn’t smooth enough to seal the deal anyways.”

This gets the other two laughing, but Quinn doesn’t find it as humorous. He rolls his eyes and tries to fight off a smile. He opts for focusing his attention extra carefully on the menu rather than fueling the fire that was already started.

“Hey, by the end of summer you never know. Maybe you’ll be able to land a girl. It might take a small miracle, but we’ll help you out if we can,” Will grins, thinking it’s the funniest thing in the world.

“Great,” Quinn nods, thinking matchmaker Will sounded like a living nightmare, “I’m sure that would go well.”

He tries to brush it off, but the thought lingers a little longer. He’d find someone one of these days. His mom always told him he shouldn’t rush a good thing. It would happen when it was supposed to.

Your brother’s hockey practice/Early June

“I swear to god, Adam, you need to get moving,” you mumble, watching your brother get beat in yet another drill.

The air inside USA arena was definitely colder than outside and you were wondering how you’d managed to get stuck picking him up that night. He seemed off though so maybe he’d asked your mom if you’d get him. Sometimes he needed to talk, and definitely not to your parents.

The whistle blows loudly and you watch your little brother skate off with his head down. He’d been lucky to make the U17’s but you could tell he was struggling. It made your heart hurt and you knew the drive home would involve the long route that day.

You wait in the lobby, responding to your group chat that had somehow blown up while you watched the end of the practice. You’re in the middle of a message when an oddly familiar voice catches your attention.

You pick up your head and look around just as a group of guys head down the stairs to the locker rooms. You don’t manage to see any of them but something about the voice you’d heard seemed to catch your attention for some reason. Where had you heard that voice before?

Adam comes barreling out of the doors, an annoyed look on his face, “let’s go.”

“Hi to you too, asshole,” you scoff, but the look on his face matches the tone he’d given you. Something was wrong.

You grab your keys and walk out of the arena, glancing over at your only sibling, “Adam, what’s wrong? Wasn’t there another practice after that you wanted to watch or something?”

“No, some alumni guys rented the ice next and pushed the 18’s back an hour,” he mumbles, his hands dug down in his pockets.

You reach over and ruffle his hair, despite the fact he’s well taller than you now, “come on, we’re getting ice cream before we get home. And you can tell me what’s got you so worked up on the way.”

A smile takes over his face finally as he reaches your car, “okay fine. So there’s this girl in my chem class but she’s dating a football player.”

“Ew,” you laugh, playing along with the story, “also if you’re playing like shit because you’re mad that a girl you like is taken then I’m kicking your ass”.

“Hey, it was one bad practice. Just don’t tell dad,” he looks over, “surprised you didn’t want to stay and watch the next practice though. You know it’s the guys who went on to play college and pros and stuff right?”

You almost smack him when you see how smug he looks, but you hold off for once, “the last thing I need is some trouble maker hockey player to deal with. I already have you.”

“Suit yourself. Every girl I know loves Hughes though,” he shrugs.

The name sounds familiar but you don’t think twice about it for some reason. Of course you wanted a boyfriend but you weren’t sure you wanted your younger brother setting that up for you.

…

“Try not to suck tonight, okay?” Jack laughs, shrugging his bag a little higher on his shoulder as he picks on his older brother.

Quinn laughs and shoves him sideways, “try not to get run over. Are you gonna put any weight on this summer, bud?”

“You’re both getting lapped,” Alex interjects, walking between the two and entering the arena first.

Quinn notices you leaning against the wall in the lobby and does a double take. Had he seen you before? Why did you seem so familiar? You had to be waiting for someone if you were there, he knew the 17’s had the ice, so maybe you were younger than he thought.

He shakes off the odd feeling he gets from seeing you and turns to find his brother grinning. Quinn knows he’s been caught staring and he immediately bumps Jack into the wall.

“Don’t even think about it!” He says, hurrying down the stairs as Alex holds the door.

“I’m just saying!” Jack yells after his older brother, “I could go play wingman for you!”

Quinn thinks that sounds like the worst thing ever, if he’s being honest. The last thing he needs is to rely on his brother to set him up. He could see that going wrong in a million different ways.

The airport/pre-4th of July

You sigh, slouching down in your seat a little further as you take a sip of your coffee. You wish your anxiety didn’t have you at the airport almost two hours before takeoff, but here you were.

You watch a few planes take off, ignoring your surroundings for a little while as you wonder where the people might be going and why. You respond to a text from your aunt in Boston, who you were going to visit, and quickly get lost in your thoughts again.

You let your eyes start to wander after a bit and they land on a cute boy a few rows over. He’s sitting with a few other boys around his age and you glance over at their gate. New Hampshire? What was even in New Hampshire?

You watch him for a few more minutes, but shake your head before looking back out the window. You certainly weren’t brave enough to go talk to him and you didn’t want to get caught staring. Something about him seemed so familiar but you brush it off, figuring you were just imagining things.

…

Quinn drops his backpack and sits heavily into the creaky airport chair, arguing with Luke about what they’d do first when they got to the cabin. There was no winning the argument but Luke liked to be a pest and Quinn had learned from being gone so much that sometimes he just needed to let his little brother bug him while he could.

Airports were so boring and he’d luckily stalled enough that his parents didn’t have them all there three hours early for once. Quinn lets Luke “win” the argument finally, agreeing that they’ll go on the boat as soon as they get there.

Quinn’s attention wanders and he looks around the airport, his eyes seeming to focus on the gate heading for Boston. His eyebrows pull together as he tries to squint and see the line of people boarding. He swears he sees a familiar face but he’s not so sure.

There’s no way it was the same person he saw at the arena a few weeks ago, right? He blinks hard and suddenly he’s hit with a water bottle in the chest.

“Dude are you good?” Jack questions him, waving a hand in front of the older boy’s face.

Quinn looks at his brother quickly before checking where you’d been standing, only to find you’d already boarded the plane, “yeah, knock it off. Can’t you leave me alone for like five minutes ever?”

Quinn is mildly annoyed that his brother pulled the stunt when he did and he’d lost sight of you before he could be sure. Maybe you were from Boston and you were headed home. That wouldn’t explain why you were at USA arena unless your brother played there, too.

He turns to Luke then, elbowing the youngest Hughes to get his attention, “do you play with any kids from Boston?”

Ann Arbor/football game/late August

You laugh as you try and keep up with Abby and Hannah, excited for one last year at the school that held your heart. You were convinced you could never leave Ann Arbor and luckily for one more year you didn’t have to.

The weather was perfect that night as the first football game was set to kickoff in no time but the three of you had left a pregame a bit later than you planned for. You’re being rushed through the crowd by Hannah, who has a tight hold on your hand, when Abby suddenly veers off.

“Hold on, I need to say hi to him!” She yells over her shoulder, causing Hannah to stop in her tracks and you to slam into her back.

The two of you stumble a little but fix yourself, standing and watching where Abby had run off to. She moves to a group of guys and your stomach turns a little with worry, hoping she actually knew who these people were.

You’re about to march over when you see the boy. The one from the airport. You shake your head a little, trying to make sure you weren’t imagining what you were seeing, but he really is there. Abby is talking to his friends and he’s got a soft smile that makes you want to know more about him. He’s not as outspoken as his friends and his hands are stuffed in his pockets like he’s not sure what else to do with them.

Hannah catches you staring and laughs, “that’s Quinn by the way. I know you’re looking. Abby met those boys a couple months ago while she did her classes on campus. Can you believe they’re the ones we saw at Pop’s at the beginning of the summer?”

“They’re who?” You ask, your brain speeding through the memories, but all that keeps coming up is Quinn.

Pop’s, the airport, and now here. Was he the guy from the rink too? Was that the voice you’d recognized. There was no way you’d been in all the same places for the last three months and never talked to each other or actually truly met. What kind of fate was playing around with you two?

You glance back over at Quinn only to find him looking at you, too. Your cheeks feel instantly hot and you bite your lip, looking away quickly. You hated that you reacted so quickly to something so simple. Maybe he was looking at Hannah, you tried to reason with yourself. Or maybe he recognized you too.

…

Quinn is shocked when a bouncy little blonde runs up to Josh and says hello to him. She’s happy as can be and Quinn would be lying if he said she wasn’t cute. She quickly introduces herself and motions back at her friends, talking a mile a minute, when Quinn realizes he’d definitely met her earlier that summer.

Her and her friends were going to the game but if the boys wanted to hang out after they’d be having a small party at their place and they were more than welcome to come. Quinn gives Josh a little nod when the taller boy checks with him for plans and Josh smiles at the girl he’d been talking about for weeks now.

Quinn looks around the crowd of maize and blue, looking for the friends she’d mentioned, and his eyes freeze on one in particular. You’re so familiar in that moment and suddenly you’re the prettiest girl he sees there. It was the same feeling as the rink, the airport, and now here in Ann Arbor. What were the chances that he’d ran into you this many times but never talked to you?

He sees you and your friend watching in their direction and he catches your eye. You blush and bite your lip, making him smile right away. That had to be the cutest thing he’d seen in a long time. He forgets that Abby has mentioned her friends and he’s about to walk over and talk to you when Josh grabs his arm.

“Come on, we have to go this way to get to the field,” Josh says, nodding in the opposite direction of the girls.

Quinn is about to argue, but sighs instead, “yeah, okay. Did you say we’re seeing them again later?”

+1 Your friends set you up/late August/post football game

“You wouldn’t stop staring at him. Don’t even try and lie about it now!” Hannah accuses, pointing her finger at you.

You feel like you’re dying of embarrassment and Abby can’t stand up straight because of how hard she’s laughing over the situation. You were being bullied by your best friends and none of you could contain your laughter over it all. There were more than a few people watching the scene as you made your way around the field, trying to find which section your tickets were for.

“Stop, I don’t even know him!” You say, though it’s only a partial lie.

Abby snorts a little and carefully wipes a tear away from the corner of her eye, “holy shit, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard. Yeah, Quinn is awkward as hell but I think you two would be amazing so you’re definitely meeting him tonight.”

She’s quick to pull out her phone and text Josh, already making a plan with him to get you and Quinn cornered in the same area. You can’t fight her on this. Once Abby set her mind to something it was going to happen so you were just along for the ride at this point.

The football game goes by too fast considering it was the last first game of the season you’d ever get as an undergrad, but the three of you are in such good moods that you hardly have time to be sad about it.

You leave the game a few minutes early to try and beat some of the crowds as you head back for the house you all shared. You almost forget the boys are coming over as you head to the kitchen and grab a drink. You figured you had a little while before they’d show anyways.

Popping the top of your can, you take a big drink and sigh. You hear Abby’s little giggle behind you and you whip around confused. You’re suddenly face to face with Quinn and you immediately blush in embarrassment.

“Uh, hi,” you stutter, giving him a little smile even though you wish the ground would open up and swallow you whole.

“Hi,” he says, and you know immediately that he was the one you’d almost run into so many times that summer.

His smile is just as nervous as yours and you get why Abby had called him awkward before. He fidgets with his hands as he stands in front of you but it’s endearing somehow. He’s not overly cocky or trying to impress you somehow and yet you’re completely on board with getting to know him.

He’s a stranger, technically, but he feels so familiar that you laugh a little. Quinn’s eyebrows furrow over the noise but he doesn’t actually ask.

“Sorry, it’s just… did you want a drink or something?” you offer, trying to keep yourself from getting giddy over having him in front of you after all the months of fate making sure you dodged each other.

His smile gets bigger then and he seems to relax, “yeah, that sounds good. Maybe I could steal you too and get to know you? If you want anyways.”

You nod, not hiding your smile anymore, “I think I’d really like that. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

#quinn hughes #my writing #mine #vancouver canucks #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine #jack hughes

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anika-ann · 4 years ago

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The 5 Times Steve Felt Betrayed - Pt.1

and the 1 Time He Felt Like He Was Betraying You

Type: mini-series to a series (part 1 & part 2 & Part 3), Avenger!reader AU.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader, Matt Murdock & reader

Word count (ch1): 2400

Summary: After the fiasco in Nigeria, the world is fed up with dealing with the Avengers’ mess. The Sokovia Accords are invented. It’s understandable that the team is divided.

But Steve would never expect that The Accords would wedge a split between the two of you as well. And he sure as hell wouldn’t expect your disagreement not to end there.

Warnings: mentions of cheating, talk about what happened in Lagos during CA:CW, langauge, angst? (I mean, check out the title)

A/N: So, this mini-series is a part of the Melting Hearts ‘verse and follows the events of CA: Civil War, sometimes only referencing and kinda expecting the readers to knwo what’s up ;) obviously some things will be slightly altered.

Will be posted in double chapters (1st &2nd time, 3th & 4th, 5th+1)

────── ·❆· ──────

1. (Cause & Consequence)

“Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil. Not only because of the actions of criminals, but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent… is no victory at all.”

Steve shut the TV down, placing the remote control on the table. His fingers went to massage the bridge of his nose.

It was everywhere – a month after the fiasco in Lagos, they were still talking about it in the news. This time it was the king of Wakanda speaking, questioning the activities of the Avengers team.

And during the past weeks, he had barely been the only one.

Steve was well-aware of their mistakes – of his mistake. The way he had lost it with Rumlow was unforgivable, especially with so many lives lost. Wanda might have been the one to send the exploding man into the building full of civilians, but Steve was watching the source of the tragedy every goddamn day in the mirror.

He had failed to deal with the HYDRA mercenary. Wanda had saved Steve’s life when she removed the burning man out of his reach, accidently blowing up a building. You had tried your best to put out the fire in the building with your powers, but the damage had already been done.

It had been a collective error. But Steve knew that if they hadn’t been in Nigeria in the first place, many more people would die. And it was what he was trying to hold onto, some days handling it better than others.

If the public thought they didn’t feel remorse at what had happened, they were very, oh so very wrong.

He winced when the voice of the reporter he had just shut down evaded his ears again, and frowned.

He knew it couldn’t be you – you weren’t home, which was just another thing to make him feel like crap. You were spending a lot of time away lately – Steve couldn’t help but wondering if it was his fault too, if he had driven you away with his dark thoughts.

And then there were moments when he wasn’t sure if it wasn’t simply you not being able to look at him, not seeing him in the same light as you had used to when you had said yes to his proposal.

Were you gone because you were judging him for freezing at Bucky’s name? For not handling the situation? He couldn’t help but feel a little betrayed. Loving someone… it shouldn’t be about expecting something back, but… after all the support he gave you whenever you were struggling? He thought you would be there for him.

But maybe it was just too much for you, dealing with yourself and comforting him at the same time – it would only confirm his theory about you feeling guilty for some of the victims.

However… why wouldn’t you try to deal with your own feelings with Steve? He was hundred percent sure you thought you could have done more, be there sooner, hell, stop the explosion yourself. He knew you felt like it was your failure as much as his and Wanda’s – or at least he believed so.

But why were you seeking shelter somewhere else? He was your fiancé – a person you had agreed to spend the rest of your life with – so why weren’t you with him in a time like this? Your relationship had been very intimate from the very beginning after all, only blossoming into more with time.

So why had you gone to see another man again? He couldn’t help the nagging pang of betrayal and jealousy. You always said you needed to see Matt Murdock. How could it not get into his very core and wound him there? Especially when after those meetings with Matt, you always seemed restless, jumping at the slightest of sounds, often escaping to the gym, claiming you needed few more moments alone.

“I’m sorry,” you would always say, a regretful smile on your lips, your gaze avoiding his. “I just… I guess I just need to hit something and I don’t want you to see me like that.”

And then you would hug him, kiss his cheek gently, sometimes pressing your lips to his for a split second and you’d be gone. Truth to your words, you would always come back exhausted, but somewhat calmer and offering affection with more urgency than usual to make up for the lost time.

Steve had no idea what to think about that or how to approach the matter.

What he knew he could do, however, was to walk into Wanda’s room and turn off her goddamn TV, because he was sure the voice was coming from there – no one had watched the news with more intensity than her, always coming after any new bits about the incident in Lagos so she could torture herself.

That girl was way too much like you.

“It’s my fault,” she stated when she acknowledged his presence. It was hard not to, since he had turned off the broadcast.

“That’s not true.”

“Turn the TV back on. They’re being very specific.”

“Well, what they say on TV is a load of— stupid things. We both know that I should have handled the situation way before you had to intervene. People died. And unlike what they say on the news – that’s on me,” he said, heavily seating himself next to her on her bed.

She gave him a sorrowful smile. “Well. I guess it’s on both of us.”

And not on the three of us, Steve’s mind supplied helpfully in an instant and he sighed at the intrusive voice in the back of his head.

“She’s out again. I’m sorry. She’s taking it pretty hard, especially considering it wasn’t her fault at all,” Wanda offered gently and Steve mentally cursed at the mind-reader slash empath slash million other things. “She’s afraid too. She worries for you, because of the way the mission affected you. But she’s not blaming you.”

Steve eyed her, meeting her honest gaze full of compassion.

“Well, she could say that by herself, but she won’t. Instead…”

“You know… she was very fast at learning how to build a wall in her head to shield her thoughts from me. I can’t read her mind… but I can always tell there’s a lot on it when she comes back,” the Sokovian informed him and Steve stiffened.

Yeah, that was exactly the thing he did not want to hear.

“The thing is… she’s terrible at hiding her emotions. I… I’m not gonna pretend I don’t know what crosses your mind from time to time, I don’t need to read thoughts for that, or emotions. But I can tell you that she only has feelings for you, Steve. Her heart – it’s always with you. She’s carrying it on her sleeve, but it’s yours. You got yourself a good woman, Captain. A troubled one, sure,” she chuckled softly, apparently pleased she felt Steve’s relief. And relieved he was; you weren’t cheating on him. You weren’t thinking about cheating on him. You still loved him. You didn’t blame him. It was as if he could breathe again, indescribable weight falling off him. “But a loyal one and good one.”

Steve covered her hand with his, determined to sooth her as well. “Well. I knew from the beginning that you two were too much alike.”

“Thank you, Steve,” she smiled at him softly and Steve wished he wasn’t imagining the slightest relief in her eyes as well.

“No, Wanda. Thank you.”

────── ·❆· ──────

2. (Empty Promises)

The Sokovia Accords. A miraculous solution to the problem of the uncontrollable bunch of (mostly) superhumans that hold no responsibility for their action.

Go. To. Hell.

Steve wanted to burn the hundreds-pages document to ashes. It was nonsense. The document just shifted the blame to someone else and wanted to put all of them in check; in a way Steve didn’t like at all.

As long as he remembered, all he wanted was to do good – to serve his country, sure, but mainly to serve the people in it, serve a good purpose. And this regulation went straight against it. Hell, it went against the promise he had once made to the man who gave him the power to fight for a good cause, because he had thought Steve could value it. And he did. He heard Doctor Erskine’s voice as clearly as if he was sitting on the opposite bed at the Camp Lehigh, the night before the procedure.

‘Promise me, that you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier – but a good man.’

Being a perfect soldier meant obeying orders and not thinking twice it they meant doing the right thing or not. Being a good man meant standing for what he believed was good with his whole heart.

Signing this peace of— paper would go against everything he believed in.

“We’re not perfect, but the safest hands are still our own,” Steve finished the argumentation and that said it all.

He looked up at Tony with intense glare, his blue eyes gleaming with severity. The air felt too heavy to breathe, the silence itself weighting a ton.

It was your timid voice that cut it in the end and what you said made Steve’s heart ache.

“That’s not something all of us can say about themselves, Steve.”

His attention shifted to you, his lips parting at the well-known expression on your face. His shoulders slumped with a sigh.

Apparently, he had been right about Nigeria – you did feel guilty. And the beginning of your new life with powers had branded you forever as well; this was just another prove of that. A scar for life – the way you saw yourself after killing the scientists on accident, it was affecting you every goddamn minute of your existence and some were just more difficult than others.

“No matter the mistakes we have made, the lives lost on our watch – it doesn’t outweigh the good we’re doing,” he opposed you gently before turning back to Tony to make a point. “The good we might not be able to do if we sign.”

The billionaire huffed. “If we don’t do this now, it will be done to us later. That’s a fact. And it won’t be pretty.”

“You say they’ll come for me,” Wanda stated with scary steadiness to her voice and all eyes snapped to her.

“We would protect you.”

For some reason, Steve’s gut twisted at Vision’s measured voice. A discussion started all over again and Steve was slowly losing the grasp on who was on which side. He glanced your direction as you were observing the fighting team quietly, a troubled expression on your face – the very same he had seen all too often, every time you had come back to the compound.

With sudden urge to comfort you, he rose to his feet and made his way to you. It was when his phone vibrated in his pocket, announcing the worst possible news.

Peggy Carter had just died.

“I gotta go.”

────── ·❆· ──────

You had gone to London with him, together with Sam. It was… difficult. Soul-crashing. Steve knew that this day would come, possibly very soon, but it hit him like a train, the blow knocking him to the ground.

The blows just kept coming and Steve would love to make a cheeky comment about him being able to do that all day, but this beating was hitting him on places that really, really hurt and he couldn’t bear it. He cried when he carried the casket. He didn’t have the capacity to feel ashamed for it.

God knew you had been there for him as a silent support the whole time; even when he was shamelessly staring at the woman he knew as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and she introduced herself as Sharon Carter. Peggy’s niece.

To be fair, it wasn’t just the revelation of her relation to Peggy or her appearance – it was her, quoting an amazingly strong and inspirational woman, who had, just like Steve, always only wanted to do the right thing. It moved him in a way he wouldn’t be able to put into words if anyone asked him to do so.

You had given him a moment alone only when he had asked for it – you had left the church with everyone else.

It surprised him when he heard the door opening again after what could be a minute; but it wasn’t you. It was Natasha. Bringing up the issue of The Sokovia Accords that Steve had backburned without even realizing it.

His opinion hadn’t changed and he refused to leave to Vienna with Natasha. It was when you replaced her in the otherwise empty church, approaching him slowly and timidly, when he realized that you were about to that though.

“You’re coming with her,” he stated, unable to keep the bitterness off his tone.

Just another punch into his solar plexus. Sure. He could do this all day.

Your smaller hand caught his, for once warmer than his own despite the cold air of the church. Your eyes were on his too, searching in his face. He didn’t have the strength to hide anything from you now.

“Unless you want me to… no, not now. I don’t need to sign publicly – I’m a long way from Black Widow’s popularity and fame.”

“You know that’s not true,” he opposed wryly, too weak to snatch your hand away.

It felt too heavy against his, almost foreign; he hadn’t known if you had made up your mind and decided to sign, not until that moment, not for sure. Now he did. Yet, there was a comfort he was seeking in your touch, because it was something that always helped to calm him down, ground him. He was vainly chasing after the feeling now.

Sensing his struggle, you hesitantly brought your hand up to cup his cheek; on instinct more than anything else, he leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. Your thumb skimmed over his skin, affectionate, giving.

“And you know I don’t need an audience,” you whispered. “I… I can’t imagine what you’re going through, Steve. I want to be here for you, if you want as well. Work can wait.”

Your words, your touch, your affection – it should all bring him peace, but it just wasn’t coming. His first true love had left this world, left him, and now it felt like you were leaving him too – leaving him behind and betraying an oath you had premised when you let him slip an engagement ring on your finger.

────── ·❆· ──────

Part 2 (the third and the fourth time)

────── ·❆· ──────

Thank you for reading!

I decided to post it here on tumblr in double-chapters, because they would be reatively short otherwise... but posting it as one monster chapter would be a bit much... I think.

Have a good start of your week!

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melyaliz · 4 years ago

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Remember Me 9

Master List

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Pairing: Bakugo Katsuki x OC

Notes: I'm due in a little over a month... and it's the weirdest feeling.

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive

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--------Olive---------

“Oh my god, I can’t breath” Olive giggled, crumbling into Eliott’s lap. Her husband smiled down at her gently playing with her hair.

“This is serious Olive!” Eliott said, his smile melting away to a very strained serious one. His dark brown eyes studying her face, “it’s the greatest story ever told. Guy dates a woman, woman’s ex is a mob boss who is involved in an illegal fashion, mob boss’s daughter almost gets killed. Now the guy must use his skills from the years of being in the other four movies to get revenge on his girlfriend’s daughter’s father. Tale as old as time “

“I’m just saying they should have killed the guy and the daughter could have gone full ninja killer and taken out her father and his gang.” Olive giggled, wiping her eyes from the tears of laughter that had been rolling down her cheeks.

“That would probably have been a better movie… but would it also have bad dummy shots?” her husband asked.

“Of course” sitting up inspiration struck, “I have an idea!” Eliott watched her as she sat straight up. “You write the action and I will write the romance.”

“How much romance will there be if the daughter is 12 years old.”

“Well romance and character stuff.” she shrugged, “And you can add in all the poorly done dummy blow-ups you want.”

“I will,” Eliott said nodded, “But only if I can use sex dolls.”

“Like, Hard Ticket to Hawaii? Oh, wait! Now hear me out” Olive giggled scooting up so she was now straddling her husband taking his hands in her own. A goofy smile spread across Eliott’s face as he weaved his fingers into her own.

“Oh are we at the wait stage of drunk Olive?”

“Shhhh” she giggled leaning forward slightly brushing her nose on his, “But really, this is serious.” Cleaning her throat for dramatic effect she continued, “a Hard Ticket to Hawaii Death Wish 4 crossover.”

“Oh girl,” Eliott said, his voice hitting a higher pitch on his girl . Olive giggled pushing herself forward so she was resting on his chest.

“I love you.”

“No way really?” Eliott gave a fake gasp “That’s sooo weird because you know what? I love you too”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“ So just be ready,” Kirishima said, prepping the gang, “She’s… the same but different. ”

The group nodded in unison, game faces ready for whatever was coming. And that something was slowly walking toward when in the form of Bakugou and Olive.

Right off the bat it was obvious something was off. While they were holding hands it looked unnatural. Bakugou’s shoulders were hunched and he seemed to be looking anywhere but at Olive who was talking in the city as if she had never walked down this street before. Her large hazel eyes taking in everything, mouth slightly open.

“Olive! Bakugou!” Kirishima said, waving. At the sound of his voice, Olive looked up and waved, a smile on her face as she looked over at the group of others standing with them. Her eyes intently taking everyone in as if searching for something that wasn’t there

“ Hello! ” she said as they both stood there awkwardly. Hands had been let go and now hanging at their sides. Limp as if unsure what to do.

There were a few more awkward nodes before Kirishima led them all inside toward the balcony seating, their usual stop. “T his place is amazing! ” Olive said looking around her eyes wide as she took in the atmosphere. Everyone froze as the blissfully unaware woman turned to her husband, “ How did you find this place Katsuki? ”

“ I didn’t, you did,” he said as everyone around him winched slightly. The awkwardness was so thick you could almost taste it, and it didn't taste good.

“Oh.” her voice soft as she bit her top lip looking down at her purple painted nails. She had found her polish that morning and had decided to try out the fun colors.

There was a long pause when Mina spoke up, “How’s Clare and Lilly and the others? ”

Olive blinked looking up, “ You know the girls? ”

“ Yeah, we have wine and Rupaul's Drag race nights. I think the last one we did was about a month ago wasn’t it? ” the last statement, more of a question than a comment.

“Uhhh” Olive shrugged unsure how to respond

“ She doesn’t remember it ” Kaminari mumbled to the little pinked haired girl. And again there was a lapse of awkwardness. Turning to Momo from across the table Olive pointed to her shirt.

“ I love your shirt so cute! ” she said, stumbling slightly over her words. Momo lit up pointing to the shirt that Olive had gotten Momo for the hero’s birthday. The words “Females are strong as hell” in English was written in script across the chest. She had gotten it because she always told Momo, who was the 4th hero and number 1 female, that she was the most badass out of everyone (and that ranking didn’t mean shit). Also, they were both addicted to “Unbreakable Kimmy Shimitt”

“Thank you, I’m Momo '' the dark-haired hero said, noticing how much Olive was struggling trying to piece together who was who. Before they had come Momo and her fiancee Shoto Todoroki had decided to treat her like they had met for the first time. “ and this is Shodo, my fiancee .”

“I’m Mina! ” Mina said quickly and everyone else followed suit with a quick round of introductions.

“Yeah, I have pictures ” Olive lit up at the introduction. “The fair.”

“What picture did you have ?” Momo asked, leaning forward.

“This one of the fair? ” Olive said, holding up the phone leaning over the table to hand her the phone. Watching them Kirishima chuckled leaning toward Bakugou.

“Why are they across the table from each other?”

Bakugou shrugged, rolling his eyes, not shocked by the poor seating choices. After coordinating this whole night was he really now in charge of seating as well?

“Oh, that was so fun. ” Momo smiled looking at the photo. Memories of her trip to the US where Olive had given her the grand tour.

“ Oh is that the American Fair? What other pictures do you have? Do you have the one from when we all went to that spa? Do you have the one of us in those masks making the peace sign? What about... ” Mina was bursting with questions going way too fast for Olive to keep up. The poor girl’s smile looked slightly strained as she tried to look like she was understanding more than every other word from the excited pink haired girl.

“You’re going to fast for her! ” Bakugou barked out noticing the very overwhelmed look in his wife’s eyes, “ She's still learning .”

“Oh sorry Olive” Mina whispered looking down at her hands feeling her face flush.

“Don’t yell at her.” Olive said good naturally in English nudging Bakugou playfully with her shoulder. The blonde looked like the wind had been knocked out of him her words cutting him harder than he wanted to admit. “Which picture did you want to see Mina?”

Before the pink girl could respond the waiter came up to introduce herself and take drink orders. A look of desperation came over Olive’s face as she looked down at the menu. Anxiety quickly flooded her system. The social pressure of trying to be normal while navigating a language she was still learning was extremely stressful. And this was besides the fact she had no idea what was good here or what she would like to order. Did she had a regular drink here? If so, what was it?

Desperately she looked down at the Japanese characters as if they would suddenly jump out and give her all the answers.

A large hand slammed over the menu making Olive lookup. Bakugou’s intense red gaze met her hazel one.

“I’ll order for you,” he said softly in English, more of a statement than an offer. His red eyes studding her as if reading all her thoughts. She smiled softly at him making him flush slightly looking away from her to the waiter ordering quickly.

“Thank you” she whispered, her hand gently brushing against his arm. Her fingertips leave a trail of goosebumps in their wake. It felt like her touch was fire.

Quickly he rubbed his arm as if he could put out the flames that were licking at his skin.

Fuck. He had it bad.

“Yeah well you looked so lost.” he grumbled looking away turning to Kirishima who was intently watching the conversation with the most annoying smile on his face. “ What are you looking at? ” Struggling Kirishima’s annoying smirk didn’t fade but he offered no explanation for his expression.

Typical.

Lucky for Bakugou the conversation shifted to other things. Work, life, weird food Kaminari had tried last week on his trip to Bermuda.

Olive quickly picked up her conversation with Momo about the place she was looking into for her wedding and life in general. Since they were - as Kirishima had pointed out- sitting across the table from each other, Olive had to basically lean up over the top of the table to shout of the music that was playing in the background.

Bakugou couldn’t help but frown watching as his wife literally looked like she was crawling over. Her eyes bright as the two talked. It was the most enthusiastic she had been in a long time.

“If you want to be with her so bad go sit over there, ” he said, it came out much harder than he had meant it to be. But he was annoyed and sometimes -ok most times- had a hard time masking his emotions. Olive blinked looking up at him confused for a moment before getting up from her seat moving over - much to Momo’s delight- to sit down next to her. He could see her pulling out her phone probably to show off pictures of Dolemite. Or maybe to ask more about the people who littered it. He could tell she felt awkward about asking him those questions. Knowing it hurt.

But also he wanted her next to him. To feel her next to him. To know she was still there with him.

“ OMG I love this song !” Mina squealed as a song came on.

“ Let’s dance, ” Momo said, getting up knowing Olive loved to dance. Normally she was the one dragging the girls onto the floor. At the promise of dancing Olive lit up as she stood to follow them. However before she left she glanced over at Bakugou, as if checking in with him.

“Why are you looking at me? Go!”

Olive flashed him a wide smile before following the girls into the crowd. The other two girls grabbed her laughing as they swayed with the music. Not having to talk just laughing and enjoying each other’s company. The universal girl code of good music and alcohol.

Three songs later and she was slowing down, taking a moment to breathe looking around the dance floor.

And that was when she thought she saw him.

Long blonde hair pulled up in a man bun. A basic flannel shirt, on the shorter side with broad shoulders leaning on the bar, his back to her.

Eliott

Her brain zoned in on it, for a second she forgot he was dead. Forgot he was gone.

That first month after his death she saw him everywhere. Heard his laugh. Sensed his presence. Slowly it had gotten better. His presence slowly fading from the bright sun of the day to the dark of night or in those first moments when she was waking up. And even more recently his presence had slowly faded. Her brain too busy trying to understand this whole new life she was living to focus on the loss.

But as the man turned and she saw it was clearly not him something washed over her. Hit her right in the face crushing her inside.

She didn’t even realize she was crying until Momo came up and hugged her.

“What happened?” she whispered in English as Olive raised her hands to her face trying to stop the tears. But they wouldn’t stop. Her chest so heavy it felt like her whole body was filled with sadness and the only way out was through her tears.

“I just… I thought… I saw Eliott.” she hiccuped, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Momo asked, frowning as she studied Olive. Mina, whose English was not as good, hovered around them both rubbing Olive’s shoulder trying to understand what had happened.

“I just… can't stop crying.” Olive sobbed trying to take deep breaths to gain control of herself.

“It’s been a lot for you.” Momo said, “come here” she hugged the girl for a moment before pulling away.

“ It’s ok to miss someone. ” Mina said, holding out a napkin she had grabbed from the bar.

“Yeah and for you it’s been very recent.” Monmo added nodding

“I just feel guilty… Katsuki.” Olive fumbled through the words trying to explain all the emotions that were swerling like some muddy concoction in her chest.

“ Oh Bakugou can get over it. ” Momo said, waving her hand trying to keep her words simple so both girls could understand what she was saying, “ he gets all moody but he really cares about you. ”

“ Yeah, the first time I met you he was so… relaxed. ” Mina said, trying to find the right words, “ None of us had ever seen him that way before. ”

“ He was happy. ” Momo nodded, “ He will be fine, you need to focus on yourself.”

From across the bar Bakugou had lost sight of where the girls had gone. The crowd was getting thicker and thicker as the night had dragged on. He knew Olive would be safe with Momo and Mina there but still, he wanted to make sure she was ok.

And then he caught a glimpse of them. Standing at one of the far corners of the dance floor. Momo and Mina standing over Olive, hovering around her with concern on their faces. For a moment Mina moved and he could see Olive clearly, holding a small white napkin wiping her eyes.

Shit.

“ Hey bro where are you ?”

“ Just drink your beer. ” Bakugou interrupted Kirishima as he quickly made his way to the dance floor. Momo’s eyes met his and she shook her head but he didn’t care. Olive wasn’t Momo’s wife, she was his. They were supposed to be distracting her, not reminding her about her memory loss.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out for her. Olive turned eyes wide, still slightly glassy from her tears. Her makeup smudged. “Dance with me.” pulling her away from the girls who looked like they were about to protest. But one death glare from Bakugou told them not too.

He led her across the floor, his red eyes studying her as she took a few shaky breaths. Trying to compose herself. After a few moments her body slowly relaxed letting him lead as he felt her slowly lose herself in the music again.

“You dance?” she asked looking up at him.

“Depends.” he said shrugging

“Humm” she hummed, nodding like Eliott was what she was thinking. Eliott Eliott Eliott. Even Momo got more out of her than him. He felt like she was more comfortable around everyone but him. “You know” she said leaning forward resting her head on his chest catching him off guard. “I like to be with you too.”

He froze, his stomach clutching tightly, his breath coming out in a short gasp. She looked up at him with those hazel eyes studying him. “What you said about Momo, I like being with you too.”

“I heard you the first time” he said sharply only to soften quickly.

“I… I obviously liked being with you before or I wouldn’t have married you.” she added a genuine grin spreading across her face.

“That would make sense.” He said nodding as they swayed in the music both caught up in their own thoughts. Eyes meeting, dancing in the lights overhead. For a second it felt as if time stood still and Olive was sworn she wasn’t in real life but in some weird musical romcom. As if her whole life was some televised novel filled with hi-jinks and drama.

Caught up in the moment Bakugou gently leaned forward, his nose brushing hers before pausing. Her heart leapt into her throat at the soft intimate touch. Crimson eyes searching hazel for a moment before moving closer, his warm breath caressing her ear.

“Let me kiss you?”

- GET TAGGED -

Master List

Story Tag: @0hmydeku @inumorph @it-jinxed-us @myraticm

#bakugou katsuki smut #bakugou katsuki x oc #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou x you #bakugou katsuki

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smolbeandrabbles · 4 years ago

Text

When The Wine Wears Off - Nolan Sorrento x Reader (Ready Player One)

‘Direct’ Sequel to Sugar... I might have skipped a scene or two

@wltz-bby @happyskywhale

Author’s Note: Oh my gosh, okay. Okay. The thing I’m most worried about... and why it’s taken me more than a year after finishing it to post it is that it detracts from Sugar. I don’t want it to do that. But I also talked to my girl, my partner in crime ms. @mandy23b extensively about this and we came to the conclusion that I should post it. Sugar is the 4th most popular fic on my blog. And every time I get a note on it I get a shot of serotonin. I know how much it means to you. I would like to tell you, have no fear, there’s a third part.

@alotofrandomfangirling - as you are the original brain behind Sugar, I just wanted to personally thank you (again!) for all the joy Sugar has brought to me and others 💕

Disclaimer: RPO & associated characters nothing to do with me / I literally cannot not make everything I do have some kind of angsty twist to it and really someone should stop me / gifs not mine / lyrics not mine / completely tonally different from its predecessor.

Premise: You know the exact 3 word phrase that Nolan Sorrento wants to hear, but saying it will end up more trouble than it’s worth...

Words: 5013

Warnings: Angst/hurt / swearing / a massive misunderstanding & twisted viewpoint. / sexual connotations

______ The keys are still hanging in the front door You're hanging all over me And in between kisses I hear you whisper something 'bout loving me There's a half a glass sitting on the table The other half spilled on the bed I'm halfway believing you're really meaning Every sweet word you just said Or is it just that bottle of red When the wine wears off And the buzz is gone When the room starts spinning around and 'round Will you still be holding on Have we lost our minds Or is your kiss that strong Tell me will you still be mine Baby when the wine wears off When I wake up in the morning Will you be in my arms When the sun starts shining through those blinds Will you mean what you said in the dark Or will I have a headache and a broken heart I don't want you to stop kissing me now Keep on loving me laying me down I close my eyes and hide from these doubts Do my best to not worry about When the wine wears off ---

Nolan grabbed another bottle - one you were too busy kissing him to find out the year or place of - and carried you from his office. That tub of ice-cream was long finished, but you were still feeling the after affects; he was careful down the stairs and out onto IOI plaza. You'd both hastily re-dressed - but also knew there was no way that you were making it back to his apartment. Luckily, Nolan had his own (barely used one) on the plaza that offered the same kind of comfort. Hell; would it have mattered as long as it had a bed?

He pushed you up against the glass of the elevator, your legs around his waist and you sighing his name - it slowed for the floor both too quick and not quick enough. You already knew a multitude of bruises would be present along your neck and shoulders tomorrow. Nolan was only too content to add to them.

You reached his apartment and he finally put you down; but you were already loosening his tie again - Nolan chuckled, recapturing your lips, and pulled you into the kitchen. Setting the bottle down he collected two glasses, and poured as you teased his neck yourself - sliding your hands under his shirt as you undid the buttons; leading to you raking your nails across his skin. You liked the groan that rose in his chest to match the shiver that ran through him and into you at your close contact. You were sure you’d be drawing plenty of those from him before the night was through…

The wine was just as good, if not better than his 1999 bottle. But this one was clearly not designed to be drunk as slow. Or he simply didn't care; Nolan had downed the glass and was pouring another by the time you reached the bedroom, and you had a distinct feeling that it was the after effects of the first bottle calling the shots here. You were determined to keep up with his glasses though; so maybe it was all going to your head too fast... Dragging him down onto the bed you relieved him of his clothing far quicker than you had in his office - and soon enough you were one again. (This time ice cream not included.)

This was heaven and, with your hands in Nolan’s hair and him sighing your name just as often as you were moaning his, you knew you were exactly where you wanted to be. Probably for the rest of your life. And you had to tell him that... Kissing him you had to tell him that. NOW. Right now. No other time would possibly be more perfect. And you sighed it, about as romantic and blissful as you thought you could get, and every word the truth: "Nolan, I love you...”

He almost snapped out of it right then, almost a little confused. Nolan’s heart began to race but he swallowed hard to keep that feeling at bay. You were just saying what he wanted to hear... That was all, nothing more to it than that... But you'd never said it before. He didn't ask you to. Because that wasn't the relationship you shared. You were tipsy, hell, maybe you were completely drunk by now. But... I love you? There was no way you were saying that and meaning it. It just felt right to say it in that moment, he got that. He felt that too. But he fought the elation that made him feel - after all, how could a girl like you possibly love a man like him?

***

When Nolan awoke he had a pounding headache, and cursed himself. He knew he'd wasted a pretty good bottle of wine; and half of it was probably spilled around this apartment...

He rubbed his eyes, aware you were still there tangled up with him. Nolan turned with a gentle smile, you were good to him, and exactly what he wanted and needed when he needed it. You'd come into his life at a good time... Maybe the perfect time... He tucked stray locks of hair behind your ear to frame your face. And that made him smile even more. You stirred momentarily, mumbling something in your sleep, but didn't wake. Which was probably good, considering you'd have as much of a splitting headache as he did.

Nolan slipped from your embrace and crossed to the closet. He supposed that the board might call him in for a meeting today about Parzival and the big scoreboard... He cursed under his breath; this would all still work out. He had to believe that it would. He selected his suit, tie and shirt - dressing quickly he left you to wake up naturally, and decided the only thing for his headache was about as many aspirin as he thought he could handle! Nolan waited up for you, but as he did bits and pieces of the night previous flashed in his head, and that ‘confession’ of yours came around, and around, and around again… And he couldn’t shake it, or suppress it, no matter how much he tried.

His bedroom door closed, and you were already dressed and ready for the day, another flatteringly short black dress. Nolan smirked at that, shaking his head before turning back to his computer as he caught up on all the latest business news. “Morning…” But you still had that sweet as sugar voice. And ‘I Love You’ resounded in his head once more. “Morning.” His reply was almost too short, and his glance to you was wary. “…Are you okay?” “Yes.” Again – Nolan was playing too short. And you thought he knew it as much as you did. “Are you sure?” You took a step forward, unsure yourself. “Uh…” He looked around his apartment, anywhere but at you, and he took several deep breaths; most of which evoked sighs “Uh, I…” Nolan realised he might have to ask you about it, because you were getting close and closer and he couldn’t not answer you now. “Y/N… L-Last night you…” You weren’t sure where this was going to go, and part of you flushed because there wasn’t a lot you remembered, was he about to tell you something really embarrassing?! “…You told me… that you loved me.”

You stopped your walk, opening your mouth without a sound. Did you? Maybe that was accidental… but you couldn’t deny that was how you felt. But why did Nolan look so nervous about it? Did he think it wasn’t the truth? Was he worried it wasn’t the truth? “If I did, I meant it.” His face scrunched for a moment in confusion, like he wasn’t sure he’d heard you, “What?” but there was something seriously wrong with the tone of his voice, and the clarity that rose in his eyes – that you didn’t notice until it was too late. “I do, I love you.” You only wanted to give him assurance. To turn that confused frown into a smile, to make Nolan feel like you knew he wanted to feel. That man was starved of touch and love… And you were quite prepared to stand here and admit that you could step up and give him both.

It was a fatal mistake. “Don’t.” “Nolan… Wh…” “Stop it!” That confusion across his face was quickly turning to anger. “Why? Don’t you want me to… didn’t you hear what I…? I love you-!” You didn’t understand, why would he act like this over something he wanted so bad? He grabbed your wrist, and it was tight and painful, making you gasp. "N-Nolan-!" "Shut up! SHUT UP! I told you to shut up!!" You didn't think you'd ever seen him so mad, and that look in his eyes made you scared. "But I..." Your voice was meek against his tirade, "Nolan I lo-" "STOP IT! STOP-! DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT AGAIN!!" Apparently, that vice grip could get tighter, and when he was satisfied that you weren't about to open your mouth again, he yanked you out of the apartment. Nolan didn't once let you go, nor look at you, or talk to you. And you were on the verge of tears.

So this was the truth; that you would be just like everyone else. That you would tell him something like that to mock him in the cruellest way. Nolan might have been used to this, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less when it happened. But he wouldn’t have thought that you would be one of them; taking advantage of the fact that Nolan wanted to hear it more than anything. That you would make him believe it – just to make him weak and vulnerable, so he would say ‘I love you’ back heart bleeding just for you to flash a smirk, and laugh, and say ‘I’m joking. Who could love you?’. Well this time he wasn’t about to stand for it. Everything he loved always left. Nolan was beginning to think it wasn’t even worth considering, let alone waiting for. That he would every truly be loved by anyone. His behaviour right now was a trigger response, something he found uncontrollable because he was so afraid of those closest to him leaving. What it created in Nolan was a person angry and volatile, violent, unforgiving. A heartless man.

***

You entered the IOI HQ and his walking pace picked up. "Nolan-!" You tried again, hoping the panic was present in your voice and would let him know how scared you were, "Nolan-! Please-!" To no avail, he just kept dragging you.

Your eyes widened when you realised what floor he was taking you to. LOYALTY. Now you were desperate; you would do anything to fix this. You would do anything to fix it anyway - maybe you'd said it too soon. Maybe he didn't feel the same - and didn't want to feel the same. But to you that was okay. You could go back to what it was - why couldn't he let you apologise and go back?! "Nolan, I'm sorry---!!!" Your wail and pull against his grip didn't even make him turn around. He stopped, finally, outside a room and pushed the door open. "In here." "Nolan... I'm sorry... Let me fix this... Baby, I-" "DON'T." He raised his voice again, and like yours was shaking in panic, his was shaking in anger. "Don't make me say it again." He turned those horrifyingly cold blue eyes on you, "And I'm not your baby."

You stepped into a grey room, with tables and chairs - and a single window looking out onto the loyalty centre blocks. He slammed the door behind you and disappeared. You bit your lip and tried to take a deep breath; nothing helped as you rubbed your wrist - now red, and indented with his fingers. The tears started running. You couldn't go back here... Surely he wouldn't make you go back to loyalty over this? It was three little words. It didn't even have to mean anything no matter how serious you were about it. Nolan wasn't taking it well, and maybe he needed a minute to calm down... Maybe he just needed a minute... And you could talk it out, he could tell you there was no love between you and there never would be love between you. And that was fine with you, if that's what he wanted. If you got to be close to him that would have to do. You sat, body shaking, and covered your face with your hands.

Nolan please... Anywhere but loyalty again...

F'Nale almost looked at him in disbelief. "No." "No-!? Why not- I cannot go back in there-!" She folded her arms; "You made your bed Nolan, you can go lie in it now. I didn't drag her down to loyalty. I'm damn well not putting her back in the box." She jabbed her finger at him, "If you want her back in the loyalty centre, put her there yourself." "I can't." He looked away from her momentarily and bit his lip. "Then get her out!" F'Nale almost couldn't see the problem here, and she also kinda liked you. You seemed to do good things for Nolan that put him in a good mood - which made him so much easier to deal with. But, no, apparently now he wanted to be an idiot. Though she wasn't exactly sure what about, and wasn't about to ask at the way he was being so vague about it. He gave her a dark look. That was a no too.

She sighed, exasperated: "Nolan. You cannot keep her in holding. Either get her out, or put her back in loyalty. But if you put her in loyalty - you're dragging her to that box yourself and turning the system on. I'm having nothing to do with this. Last time I arrested her and put here in there YOU were the one that got her out!" "I know." He gritted his teeth, "And I shouldn't have." Oh. F'Nale hoped her face was stoic enough. This wasn't good.

When he returned and opened the door you had stopped crying. Nolan stepped back from the door, "Ms. L/N, please step out." "Nolan-" "Come with me." Even now he wouldn't look at you, or let you finish any sentences. But you were determined to show him you would do exactly as he said; nothing less. Damn her! He could tell as his eyes flicked to your face that you'd been crying. And that sent a shot of pain straight to his heart that he couldn't ignore.

‘Nolan, use your head. She's lying to you. A girl like that would never love a man like you. She's telling you things to get something from you. Who is she working for, who does she see and contact when you aren't around...? Remember what she's here for in the first place. And you know this is the right thing to do...’

He walked you down the rows of blocks, and you wondered where exactly he was taking you. You knew that the stairs at the end of the room would lead up a couple of floors to the War Room, and then his office, because you'd been escorted there by an employee when Nolan had given you his original proposal. Maybe he'd rather have this conversation there. That would make sense - it might be a screaming match of both of you trying to get your points across, even though you'd hope not. But he stopped suddenly, and turned to you. "Get in." You weren't sure he was serious at first, searching his face, with those hard grey-blue staring eyes. For once there was no getting passed that look."Nol-" He indicated to the tiny cell again. And you recognised the number immediately. It had been the one you'd been placed in originally. "No...NO, no, no, no!" His name became panic and refusal; "Nolan, please don't do this--!" "Don't make me pick you up and throw you in there, Y/N..." "Nolan what did I do-!? Please let me fix this...!" Why could he see how you felt about him? Why wouldn't he believe you? He was breaking your heart - couldn't he even see that?! "Begging won't save you now..." Nolan shook his head, and there was almost amusement to his voice. And you realised; he didn't believe a word you said. He thought that ‘I Love You’ was messing with him. That you couldn't possibly just say that for any reason other than wanting information that you might give to a clan... Maybe even this Parzival guy. Was that really what he thought of you?

But you were desperate: "Nolan, whatever you think of me, I swear I haven't done anything! I would NEVER do anything to hurt you... Nolan, please, I mean it... I-" He placed his hands either side of you, forcing you through the open door of the box, "Nolan, I love you." "Don't you DARE fucking say that lie again." He spat it. And you realise exactly what you'd done wrong. "Nolan-" "Don't even say my name again." "But, I-" He pushed you backwards, hard, and you tripped, slamming into the back of the glass structure hard. Ow-! Was about the last thing on your mind as the doors began to close on him. "NO!" You screamed it, running for the opening but all too late. "NOLAN PLEASE!!! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!!! NOLAN!!!" You slammed your hands against the glass, "Nolan! PLEASE!!!! I WANT TO FIX THIS!!! PLEASE!!!!" Anything but Loyalty. You knew what happened, people died here… And you knew your debts were about to increase tenfold.

Nolan Sorrento took one step at a time backwards, shaking his head. But he looked at you, he could hold your eyes. He could see how afraid you looked, how upset, how heart broken. And somehow all he could think was that you deserved it. He kept walking like this, when he could still see you hitting the glass but couldn't hear your voice... And eventually had to turn away. His heart was breaking too; but how else were you going to learn? The last thing you saw, even when you vision was blurry with your tears running, was his back as Nolan walked back up those stairs to his office. And you knew it was over.

You would be just another girl stuck in the system; and you'd never get to love Nolan again.

***

It felt like the easiest thing to calmly, coldly, walk away from you. He didn’t even feel the need to look back, and as he climbed those stairs out of loyalty and to his office, he was already planning to get rid of every trace of you from his apartment. It would take him no time at all and he would feel nothing. Nolan was done with you, and now you were back in loyalty, he’d more than just dealt with it.

It didn’t take long for his feelings to fine tune themselves and hit him full force – at first Nolan was incensed. Your lying to him had broken his heart, he could have had you with him forever had you not betrayed him in such a way. So anything he needed his loyalty workers to do that sounded hardest, he made sure went on your roster. And there was no shame in that. He wanted to make you pay. “Sounds hard?” “Probably, Sir…” Then he gave that spiteful nod that F’Nale was starting to hate seeing: “…Send it to 25-N.” He didn’t even use your name anymore. You were nothing but a number on a glass box to him now. She couldn’t say she cared all that much for you, besides improving Nolan’s mood - except now any mention of you did the exact opposite. But she had seen you, and she thought some of these more physical tasks would put way too much strain on your body. Nolan didn’t care; and F’Nale thought if she pointed it out, he’d only give you more. You were being physically exhausted, for emotionally breaking him. "Mr.Sorrento..." He pressed the button on his comlink; since that first Key things had gone from bad to worse. Parzival and his little gang of friends now had two Keys each. Nolan thought he had Wade Watts dealt with – but that plan had also obviously failed. And although the Sixers were getting keys themselves, it was still a high score system. They would have to crack that third clue quickly if he wanted any chance of taking over the OASIS... "What is it?" Nolan snapped; he had no time for this. "There's a problem down in loyalty." "Well, why isn't F'Nale reporting to me on it then-!?" "Well - she told me to contact you, Sir." "OH." Why!? "What is it?" "There's a medical emergency going on down here." "What kind of medical emergency?" With one of the people stuck down there? Why should he care? Come to think of it - why was he asking? He wasn't interested. "One of the women here has collapsed. She's unconscious but still breathing... We're administering care right now." He raised an eyebrow - why would F'Nale… "SHIT!" He yelled out loud, and panic hit him, "Which capsule!?" "25-N Sir..." Y/N-! "I'M ON MY WAY!"

*** He nigh on sprinted down to loyalty and took those stairs two at a time. Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! What had he done-?! At what cost had he been so hateful? Even Nolan realised why he was running. It had haunted him for a while, but it was his decision, and he would own that decision. And he would keep you there to prove himself right. Still, that didn’t stop him from lying awake at night, or endlessly dreaming about your body wrapped around his… Awaking to hope this was all a bad dream and you would still be there. You never were. Nolan knew right then he was wrong, you never had any reason to lie to him. When he woke up like that all he wanted to tell you was that he felt the same about you too. But it wasn’t like you were out there living your life and he could call you up, and cry down the phone, and beg for you to come back because of how wrong he was. No. You were in Loyalty. And Nolan Sorrento had put you there himself – and now he’d damn well almost killed you…

But he knew, now more than anything, what he wanted. He wanted love, he always wanted love… but running faster than he probably had in his life, Nolan also knew this: he only wanted your love.

When he reached your block, you were crowded by a number of loyalty workers and Nolan’s own employees, including F’Nale and a medic. “MOVE!” He fought his way to you and everyone else stepped back. Those in Loyalty knowing better than to stick around whilst the CEO was in the room. You were breathing, barely conscious but Nolan didn’t care – and would ignore the medics protests to gather you in his arms. “Y/N?! Y/N, oh God… I’m sorry, Y/N…” “No…lan…?” Your brain was a little bit fuzzy and your vision blurry as you opened your eyes. Last thing you remembered you were in the OASIS, strength waning. And you weren’t anymore… Anyway, it couldn’t have been Sorrento, he never wanted to see you again and he’d put you here. But everything cleared, and you felt his familiar warmth and breathed him in. And then you were screaming at him. “YOU---! YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!!” You tore yourself from his arms, taking a few steps back, a little steadier on your feet than you expected considering your head was still spinning, “GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!” Nolan drew himself to height from his knees, in silence. Looking to F’Nale and the rest around you, he gave a signal for them to back off.

Whatever you were about to do, you both thought he deserved. So you went for him; nails at his face, fists to his arms and chest, as you screamed god-knows-what at him. “YOU BASTARD!! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU COME DOWN HERE!!! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU PRETEND THAT YOU FUCKING CARE ABOUT ME!!” Nolan took every blow you dealt him without much resistance. You weren’t exactly at full strength either; so both of you were also wishing that they hit harder. But you had enough power to scream at him like this. And those words echoed around the complex. And yes, Nolan though he deserved that too. “You better not think I’m gonna fucking THANK you for this! What, does rescuing me make you fucking feel better?! Asshole!” You spat, taking steps that he conceded. “At least you have the balls to look me in the fucking face…” And Nolan was; because he wanted to punish himself just as much – look at what exactly he had done to you, so that he could burn this into his mind forever. Just to show himself what a fucking idiot he was.

You backed away from him because he still hadn’t said a word, and you were just as furious with him for that. Because you wanted a screaming match – so you could watch him misstep all the way through it. “YOU BROKE MY FUCKING HEART, NOLAN SORRENTO. DO YOU EVEN FUCKING CARE?!” Then you snapped, “Don’t answer that, I know the answer. You’re here for your own selfish reasons. Wouldn’t let the girl you used to fuck die – huh?! Couldn’t have that linger on your conscience with all the shit I know you do in the name of this company!?” There was a slight flicker of emotion across his face, but he held firm on his silence. You wanted to break him. But even you weren’t sure you knew how you break a man who was already broken.

You shook your head, and felt your tears start to run; “…Do you even know how to love Nolan? Do you know how to feel!?” There was more emotion here, and his mouth opened, chest contracting. “Whoever hurt you did a damn good job…” You let your tears drip; you weren’t about to hide this from him. He’d made this. “…I don’t think you can know how to love – else you wouldn’t run from it. You would have just loved me back. How can someone who wants it so badly turn it away?” You took steps towards him again, “What kind of man are you!?”

It was the first time his eyes had lowered from yours. And still there was silence. Nolan didn’t know if he looked like he felt nothing, but it felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest. Numb and hollow and all his fault. His heart was broken too, and he’d done that to himself. ‘You have no one else to blame. How can you even stand to let yourself look at her…? Do you know what you’ve done? Do you REALISE what you’ve done, Nolan?’

That didn’t help either. Because you wanted him to look at you and see what he’d done. And you wanted words. No matter what he was going to tell you. If Nolan was going to pathetically apologise then fine; even though you’d laugh in his face about it. Those beautiful blue eyes raised to you again – you hated yourself for even thinking that - and suddenly he was once again stoic, his eyes just a little wider. You gave that silence 10 more seconds, to see if he would even attempt to say something pitiful. He didn’t.

You folded your arms, shaking your head at him and how unbelievable his whole attitude was; "Aren't you even going to say anything!?" Nolan Sorrento blinked, and swallowed thickly. He might as well be swallowing sand. Everything was ringing in his ears, and the silence was deafening. He felt void of everything save one emotion, and that look in your eyes. So he took that deep breath he should have taken before… "I love you too." The silence that hung over the room this time was much more awkward. Nolan wasn’t sure exactly what he expected from you, he knew you probably weren’t about to give him some kind of fairytale ending. To run those steps back to him, take him in your arms, kiss him and it all be forgiven – not after what he’d done to you, not after what you’d just screamed at him. But you didn’t give Nolan an emotional response at all. Your face wasn’t even shocked to hear it, there was simply nothing there. But the silence kept hanging, and he almost wanted to ask you the same thing – to beg you for a response. How could he? Nolan knew he had no right.

Instead you took another step back, the shake of your head steady and slow. You might have still pitied him, even if you hated him right now. But you couldn’t give him what he sought. “That’s just, way too little way too late, Nolan.” You swallowed, “That isn’t an apology. That’s almost worse than an apology.” Was he thinking you’d just accept his love now? That any of his actions - from your confession of how much he really meant to you to this one - showed any act of love from him whatsoever. Quite the opposite; a quest to make you pay for your ‘trickery’. Your eyes flashed as they hardened; “I know this is wishful thinking, but GOD I hope I never have to see your face again!” You shook your head once more, he had to know. Nolan had to know he couldn’t do this to people. That even the all-powerful CEO of IOI couldn’t make people bounce back. The only way Nolan would ever learn was if you walked away – and you prayed whoever the next girl was, that he treated her better.

You began walking, knowing exactly where the exit was; time to test his mettle. Test that ‘love’ he apparently felt. There was a murmur from the onlookers and security began moving to stop you, to haul you back to your little pod. Nolan was still watching you in silence, numb… heart broken. Deservedly so. But he stopped them, hand out. “Let her go.” “Sir!?!” “Just…” Nolan held, realising how much he was struggling to breathe. Lump caught in his throat. Maybe he’d cry; in fact he probably should. “…let her go.” And so he watched you leave, he didn’t know where you would go, or who you’d go to, but he knew they deserved you a damn sight more than he did – he watched you walk out of his life. And as he did Nolan Sorrento really wished that he couldn’t feel a damn thing.

---

Thank you for reading. I’m as sorry as I am thankful-! 😬🙈

#There will never be enough Nolan Sorrento on my blog #Nolan Sorrento #Ready Player One #Ben Mendelsohn #Nolan Sorrento x Reader #Linzi Writes #smol bean drabbles #199!#Oh my god I have SOOOO many damn words to edit this week that I'm happy this wasn't that heavy...#I hope you're all thoroughly prepared for fic 200 #I'm not that's a lot of freakin words to edit-!#This has /such/ Control vibes...#AH but I stayed true to her and she didn't laugh at the end. Which tbh I really LOVE. Like she just keeps proving him wrong #There's some DAMN good speeches on this one - I'm not gonna like that I'm proud of this-!#it's just very angsty #Hoping that the Sugar reblog gets it more love...#Worried /still/ on what this one might do to it #Very much looking forward to the other sequel to Sugar that's being written #Take your time - please - but I'm so excited!#I wrote this (the majority of it) on the plane home from my holiday in October 2019. That's how long I've been holding it back from posting

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sup-hoes-its-me · 5 years ago

Text

Before You Go (All Might x Reader)

Part One/Part Two

A/N: okay, so this is gonna be pretty sad all around. Ultimately, Young!All Might x reader, but with Aizawa Shota undertones. Aizawa was giving me some mad professor snape vibes in this, and I sincerely apologize for that. I love him too but this isnt his story.

word count:4000

“Y/N, you seriously need to sign up with that energy quirk hero’s agency...shit what’s his name? It’s on the tip of my tongue,” Yamada remarked, tapping his chin as if that might help him remember. He sat at the lunch table with the rest of his friends, Shota and Oboro. Y/N was right beside him, but it seemed his words, despite being loud as usual, went through one ear and out the other.

“Don’t bother. She’s a lost cause.” Aizawa replied tiredly.

They all followed her gaze, only for their eyes to land on Toshinori Yagi. The blond walked by, carrying his food to his lunch table with his friends, people Y/N didn’t know, nor could she ever even hope to know. To be honest, Y/N was kinda sorta a loser. She was lucky that she even had friends considering she was awkward beyond belief.

“He’s too full of himself to notice you, Y/N. I’d just give up on that one,” the dark haired boy added, bumping his shoulder with the girl’s. She frowned, shaking her head to get back to reality. Aizawa was right. Not even once had the blond glanced at her or said hello. He was too cool for her. He was going to be one of the best heroes to ever exist and she was just average at best. None of her teachers ever saw potential in her, just saying that her strength was great, just that the side effects of her quirk were far too destructive.

She took a hefty scoop of rice and shoved it into her mouth, chewing grumpily.

“Come on, Y/N! It’s alright. You could just date me or Yamada!” Oboro laughed, clapping a hand on her shoulder from where he sat across from the girl.

“You don’t have to ruin my fantasies, Aizawa-kun. I know I don’t have a chance, but it’s nice to think about,” she snapped, sending a sideways glance at her friend who shrugged. He tried to tell himself it didn’t matter if Y/N obsessed over that muscle-head, but it bothered him. She was their friend: she should pay attention to them, no ogle over some narcissist. “He’s going to be the greatest hero this world has ever seen, I just know it. There’s something special about him, his quirk-”

“We get it. Toshinori this, Toshinori that. You know, if you like him so much, why don’t you go talk to him?” Yamada suggested. He wasn’t upset with her talking on and on about her crush, but he just knew Aizawa was about to burst with a couple more remarks. When she didn’t make an effort to move, he smiled knowingly. “You’re such a scaredy cat, Y/N. What’s he gonna do, bite you? If he’s a nice guy, it wouldn’t be a problem-”

“If it’s so easy, Yamada, why don’t you go find Nemuri and tell her how you feel?”

That shut him up very fast, as expected. Their cloud quirk friend broke through the tension swiftly, “Well, instead of talking about stupid crushes, why don’t we talk about our plans for this weekend? Karaoke and Barbeque, dudes! It’s gonna be awesome.”

“Oh my God, I totally forgot about that!” Y/N exclaimed, shoving more rice in her mouth so it bulged in her cheek like a squirrel. She probably should take smaller bites, but it was more fun to see how many grains she could fit in her mouth at one time. “Hizashi, I swear if you eat all the spicy pork again...”

“That only happened once-”

“Twice, actually!” she corrected, poking him on the forehead with the end of her chopstick. They laughed and all was well again, if not for her lowering self-esteem. If only Aizawa believed in her. He was her best friend, the only one who’d been there since the beginning. If he pushed her to talk to Toshinori maybe she would have the courage to actually do it.

But that wasn’t important. She had friends who actually enjoyed her company, and that’s what mattered.

The weekend was two days away, and a lot could happen in those 48 hours, she found.

_____________________________________

“Fucking useless. So weak,” Y/N cursed, staring down at her burning hands. Blisters had yet to form, but she could feel the pain of her training. She could accumulate heat from her surroundings and expel that from any part of her body. Yet, it seemed that there were more downsides than perks with this quirk she inherited from her parents. Firstly, she could not consciously choose to concentrate the heat in any one area. Usually, it did come from her hands, but often she would find other parts of her body scalding to the touch when she was using her power. Secondly, using her power at high heat would leave her with terrible burns.

Thankfully, her mother gave her bits of a regeneration quirk, meaning the burns only lasted for a couple days, most of the time less than that. Hopefully, with time, she could control the quirk so the damage wouldn’t be so bad.

She hated her quirk. It sucked. She couldn’t do anything much with it or else she would hurt herself and have to stop. Once she was burned so badly that the hospital almost had to amputate one of her limbs just from that.

Sadly, she fell to her knees on the sandy training grounds, just staring down at her hands hopelessly. How could she ever become a pro hero like this? She’d never be able to compete with the other UA students, especially people like Toshinori or Todoroki or even Aizawa.

“Shit,” she shouted angrily, shutting her eyes and slamming her hands against the sand. Her hands lit up a bright red for a quick moment as heat ran through them into the ground. Sand blew up all around her face and rocks were sent flying in all directions. As the dust cleared, she could see a small crater in the ground where she channeled her energy, it wasn’t huge, maybe enough for a person to lay in, but not much bigger.

Her hands stung terribly, and blisters started to bubble up on her skin. She was so full of adrenaline and hate for herself that the pain hadn’t entered her mind. She was just so fucking angry. She would never be good enough. Why even go to UA if she was just gonna get a job outside of the quirk realm? If anything, she’d probably get left behind to be a civilian while everyone she knew got rich and famous from quirk work.

“Hey, are you okay?” a familiar voice asked from somewhere behind her. She turned her head, tears stuck in the corners of her eyes as she drifted out of her reality into the real world. If it didn’t sting so badly, maybe she would have been more excited to see Toshinori Yagi walking in her direction. She hissed, turning back around and shaking her hands to get some cool air on them.

He jogged to her side, kneeling beside her. His eyes widened at the sight of her hands, but also at the hole she left in the ground. “That looks really, really bad. We should get you to Recovery Girl-”

“It doesn’t matter.”

He looked up to her face, his brows raised in surprise. Why would she deny going to the infirmary for an injury like this? She had to be insane, he thought. “What? Why?”

“It’ll heal soon.”

“Do you have a regeneration quirk?” he asked, but as he did so, he gently took her hands in his, which were in comparison, freezing cold. He felt like he was touching fire, but he knew his body was strong enough to handle a little heat. Her skin was already blood red, but him touching her so delicately left her feeling faint. The school’s star pupil was holding her hands. She couldn’t believe it. Even through the pain, she felt bashful.

She nodded. “Yeah, but it will take a day or two.”

“Well then, we’re going now.” He didn’t even wait for her to say anything in reply before picking her up in his arms, one behind her shoulders and the other under her knees. In shock, she could only lay there limp, her burnt hands face up in her lap. “How’d you do that anyway? You have a heat quirk, right?”

“Yeah. I just put too much energy into my hands. I have to use my quirk in moderation,” she explained. “Also, I can walk. It’s fine, you don’t need to-”

“No! You need to save as much of your strength so you can heal your wounds. Recovery Girl can’t heal you completely, I’m sure.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

He walked inside the school building and started talking again. She didn’t know for sure why he was giving her so much of his time and effort. She could have taken herself to the nurse or easily gone home. It was after class. He might have been coming out to train himself, actually. Either way, he was being extremely kind.

“I’m Toshinori Yagi. I’ve seen you around school before, you always hang with the boy with that erasing quirk.”

“Yep. He’s one of my best friends.”

“If I remember right, you’re L/N Y/N? Heat manipulation quirk? You were 4th in this year’s sport’s festival,” he smiled down at her, and she felt herself light on fire once again. How did he remember her? She was such a background character, and even if she did mildly well, her quirk and face weren’t much to remember. “You were super impressive out there, I was surprised. You seem so shy, but really you’re a powerhouse.”

“Not really. I have to hurt myself to do anything good.”

“If you could learn to control your quirk, imagine what you could do with your power?! You made that giant hole in the ground out there in a matter of seconds.” That made her feel good. People normally brought her down, telling her that she would just have to deal with it, that it was a condition of her power. For some reason, this boy believed in her. It made a bit of a smile come to her lips.

His grin felt contagious, and it only grew brighter seeing her lips curl up.

“I guess so.”

“You should let me help you out. I know a lot about control from my own quirk. We’d be a good pair, I think.”

That was when her heart officially stopped beating. He wanted to spend even more time together? He wanted to take time out his day to help her improve? She began to rethink what her friends said about the boy. He didn’t seem full of himself at all. He was generous and kind from the looks of it.

And to think she had a crush on him before. Now she felt her heart swelling up in her chest so much it might explode.

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course.”

That’s how Y/N met the famous All Might, and the moment she started her downward spiral in love with him.

_________________________________

Y/N sat at the lunch table once again with her normal squad of friends, Aizawa to her right as usual. She had one of her books sitting out on the table, a textbook Toshinori gave to her. He said that his own mentor had given that to him to help learn control and moderation of his quirk. She studied it religiously, and surprisingly, it was beginning to work. She had less and less incidents where she had to go to the infirmary or have to extensively heal herself. The training still hurt like hell, but it was less serious.

“Y/N, you’ve been studying a lot lately. Something up?”

“Just trying to get over my weaknesses. Figured I wasn’t working hard enough.”

Just as Aizawa was about to say something else, a loud, excitable voice yelled from a few meters away. “Y/N!”

It was The Toshinori Yagi, the best student at UA. To think two weeks ago, they were telling her he would never know her name. Turns out he already knew, and apparently they were friendly with each other. Oboro’s eyes widened and he elbowed Hizashi beside him, who was jamming on his headphones. Aizawa’s eyes only narrowed.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of the blond boy. He walked over to her seat and leaned his hip on the table, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You’re really studying that book I gave you, huh? Even at lunch?”

“Of course! I have to do all I can before training.”

“You’ll be fine. You’ve been improving like crazy these past few weeks.”

These past few weeks? Just how long had they been talking?

He smiled kindly at her, and she blushed, hiding her face toward the table. It was weird for the boys to see their little Y/N talking with a boy other than them. And while two of them were ecstatic she seemed to have bagged the hottest boy in the school, one was particularly stormy about it.

“Well, I just stopped by to tell you, you look really beautiful today! You’ve been practically glowing with confidence lately; it’s a really good look on you.”

“O-Oh, thanks, Toshi-kun.”

“I just call it like I see it, Y/N,” he winked, and that sent her heart into overdrive. “Well, I’ve got to go eat, but I’ll meet you outside class later?”

“Yep.”

He left for his table with his super cool friends, leaving her sitting there a flustered, awkward mess. She shoved some rice into her mouth and chewed, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“Sooo, you gonna explain what that was?!” Yamada cried out, clutching at his chest. “Your vibes were too intense, I almost couldn’t handle it.”

She waved the boy off with her hand, trying to downplay it all. ‘It’s really nothing. He’s just helping me train. He has a really good handle on damage control, since we both have stockpile type quirks. I’ve actually gotten somewhat better since then.”

“Seemed like more than that, L/N-chan,”

“I’m telling you, he's just a really, really friendly guy. That compliment was just a friendly one.”

Aizawa sighed, leaning back in his chair. “You’re so dumb, Y/N. He seems like he’s playing with you.” He said it so matter-of-factly, and she glared at him.

“I’ll have you know he’s been helping me a lot with my training but also my healing. He’s very kind and always helps me with anything. He’s never once shown signs he’s not genuine.”

“That’s what a narcissist does to get you comfortable with them, stupid.”

“Can’t you just believe that my crush actually wants to be friends with me and help me? That he’s not just some malicious monster?” When he rolled his eyes, she stood up abruptly, grabbing her book and shoving it into her bag. He sat up quickly and went to grab her wrist, but she moved out of the way swiftly.

“Aw, come on, L/N. Dudette-” Yamada whined, but he knew that Aizawa’s jealousy was getting to the tipping point for the girl. Years went by of him just pushing her away from other guys who liked her and were genuinely kind. Whatever Toshinori was doing with her seemed to give her enough strength to reject the boy’s malice words.

A little bit of him was even proud, the loudmouth admitted to himself.

She kept her head held high, eyes glaring down at the long-haired scruffy boy. He’d never seen her like this: standing up for herself. If she were angry at anyone else, he would be cheering her on, but now he just felt furious. How could she be angry with him? He’d been there since they were children and she just leaves because of some blond himbo.

Her words cut clear in the bustling lunchroom. “I don’t need any negativity right now, Aizawa. If all you want to do is bring me down, then so be it.” After slinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing her tray, she waved and walked away. As they watched her, she approached the table of her new friend, who greeted her happily. She sat next to Toshinori with a smile on her face, one that Aizawa hadn’t seen directed at him in weeks.

Maybe he was wrong to be bitter, but he just couldn’t believe there wasn’t some conspiracy to all this. How is it that the coolest guy in school goes for Y/N? He thought she was amazing, he had for years, but no one else ever thought that.

Whatever, it didn’t matter anyway. She could do whatever she wanted, and if she got her feelings hurt, so be it.

_________________________________

The pair sat outside the school as always. She munched on an icecream bar from the cafeteria while he leaned back, arm across her shoulders and his eyes drawn to the sky, fading from dimmed orange into deep violet. He had guilt hanging over his head the past few weeks, and it was finally time for him to explain himself.

“I can’t believe we’re done. School went by too quick.”

“I think it goes by faster when you’re fighting evil a couple days a week.”

She nodded, humming in agreement. Her senior year was full of battles, emotional and physical. She was broken to bits when her friend Oboro died or when Toshinori was left to mourn his mentor and they only had each other. Being a hero comes with a cost, but no one expects to be 17 and watch the people they love die all around them. It’s worse when you’re strong enough that you know you could have saved them but you just didn’t. “It was worse than I imagined. I know we’re going to do this for our whole lives, but I don’t want it to hurt as much.”

“That’s why you have to always be better than the villains, Y/N. I know I’m going to be.”

She tucked the clean popsicle stick into her bookbag when she was done with it, not wanting to throw it on the ground. Her hand found its way to his, curling her smaller fingers gently around his. Her smile was all too bright, a trait of his that seemed to grow on her the longer they spent together. “We’ll do it together, right? You and me on top of the charts, just like we dreamed of?”.

He relished in the warmth of her hand pressed to his, even if it was just a friendly. He was going to miss moments like this, dreams of the two of them...All that planning for nothing. He sighed, his eyes going from the sky to the dirt beneath their feet. “Y/N, I have something to tell you.”

With a furrowed brow, she asked, “What’s up?” It couldn’t be bad...

“Tomorrow I’m leaving for America. I don’t know how long.”

“What do you mean you’re leaving for America tomorrow?” Y/N asked her best friend, eyes wide with fear. He knew he should have told her earlier, but he couldn’t explain why he was leaving, and he knew the more time she knew the greater chance he would reveal the reason. She couldn’t know about All For One. It would only put her in danger.

He sighed, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. “I have to go to America. I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you before-”

“I can’t believe this. You waited until the day before to tell me I’ll basically never see you again. You expect me to be satisfied with a two minute goodbye today and just forget about you- about everything?” she asked, a stone sinking to the pit of her stomach. She felt like she was going to cry or get sick. How could he do this to her?

“I know. I know. I should have told you sooner but I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Y/N, I’m sorry, I just can’t tell you.”

That answer wasn’t good enough. It was wrong to pry, but the betrayal was too much for her to handle rationally.

She turned her head away from him, staring bitterly at the wall beside her. She refused to meet his eyes. “I thought I could trust you.You’re one of my closest friends, Toshi, but now I know you don’t care. If you cared you would have at least given me a heads up, maybe spent more time with me before you just decide to abandon me,” she sneered, the anger building up in her chest. “You’re too good for someone like me. Shota-kun was right this whole time. Everytime he told me you were just playing with me, that you didn’t actually care about me; he was right, wasn’t he?”

All Might shook his head, trying to reach out to grab her, bring her back to his side. He didn’t want her to turn against him now. He didn’t want to say goodbye with her hating him, her last memory of him being so terrible. Still, she jumped away from her seat, stumbling over her feet to get away from him. “Don’t touch me.”

“Y/N, please. I just want this goodbye to be happy.”

“Goodbyes are never fucking happy, Yagi. You’re so stupid.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“How could you not?” Y/N bit back her sadness, letting anger take over. “Just forget it. It’s not worth fighting over. You’re leaving, so goodbye. Maybe we’ll see each other again, maybe not. But just know, I would have done anything to stay by your side if you really cared about me.” With those words lingering in the air, she turned on her heel and started to walk away.

“Y/N, please don’t go yet,” he paused, trying to gather himself. She was walking away, her back turned and her head hung. “I love you.”

But she didn’t turn around. What was the point now? She’d lost him already, no use in saying anything back or confessing her love as well. He would still be leaving tomorrow, and they would probably never see each other again. It would break her heart to run back there and hug him, confess her long time feelings to the boy. They were never an item. Maybe if he stayed, they could have been something more.

If he really loved her, he wouldn’t leave her behind. If he really loved her, he would have shut his mouth before those three little words, and saved her the broken heart.

Part Two is up!

#all might x reader #all might #toshinori yagi x you #toshinori yagi x reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader #boku no hero academia #x reader #fanfic #one shot #toshinori one shot #all might one shot #imagine #all might imagine #boku no hero imagine #my hero academia imagine #mha #bnha #bnha oneshot

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hwasasgoblin · 4 years ago

Text

My Type

Pairing: Shownu x Female reader

Genre: Fluff

Warning: Alcohol mention(?) I don’t know if it’s needed but I’ll put this in here just in case.

Words: 2.7k

A/N: So this is mostly inspired by and based off a scene on episode 12 of Introverted/Shy Boss, some things are exactly as they happened on the show and some are my own. I had been meaning to write it for a long time because ever since I watched the drama the male lead always reminded me of baby Nunu, and my birthday was on February 4th(long time ago I know ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ) so that's when I decided to indulge myself by writing this but it took me longer than I expected.

Shownu was sitting on his bed with his back on the headrest reading a book when he heard the door close. You two met in your senior year in high school. You were the genius student who had skipped two grades. Almost everyone ignored you for being a “child”, or too “precocious”. You had a group project and the rest is history. You’ve been best friends ever since so of course you had his apartment’s passcode. "Aish, this girl" He said getting up from the bed annoyed. He was making his way out of the room when he noticed you with tear filled eyes and a suitcase. “Wha...” He said while freezing on the spot. You were sobbing and ran to hug him. At first he was a bit startled, but as he noticed you started crying he wrapped his arms around you. When you had calmed down he took you to the living room while he went to the kitchen and made some tea for you. "Are you feeling better now?" He said as he handed you a cup with tea. You only nodded and smiled a little. "Then you should go home" "Do I have to?" You asked while pouting. "Yes" He answered while mimicking your gesture. You were about to get up and leave when you saw the door open. "Hyunwoo-ah" She stopped on her tracks. "Oh, I didn't know you were here, Y/n. You said you were alone" She said a bit surprised. "Is this why you wanted me to go home?" You asked. “Ae-Ri, you… you didn’t say you’d come” Said Shownu clearly nervous. “I didn’t expect you to be with another woman making her cry. By the way, what was going on? Was he dumping you, Y/n? Then I’ll leave you to it” Said Ae-Ri. “Yaah, I didn’t make her cry” Answered Shownu and took a sip from his tea. “Then I guess you weren’t getting dumped” She said. “Why would I be getting dumped? We’re just friends” You answered. “Oh yeah, definitely. Well, since you weren’t getting dumped, why don’t the three of us drink together?” She said shaking the wine bottle on her hand. “The three of us?” Asked Shownu. “Can’t we?” She asked back. “Y/n should go. It’s late” Shownu suggested. “Really? I’ll appreciate it then.” To say Ae-Ri was making you jealous was an understatement. And to see Shownu also trying to get rid of you did nothing more than fuel the jealousy inside you. “No, it’s still early. Let’s drink wine together.” You answered. You and Ae-Ri walked to the dining table and sat across each other. "Ok, this is how it's going to work. We'll drink a little and go separate ways." Said Shownu setting three wine glasses and some snacks on the table. "Agreed?" He asked and you both nodded. Then he sat down next to Ae-Ri. "See Y/n, Shownu sat next to me" She said being cocky. "Let's drink." You answered while trying to open the bottle. "Let me do it. Give it to me." Shownu said after seeing you struggling with the corkscrew. "Hyunwoo is so sweet, isn't he? He's thoughtful nice and good-looking. He's even good at sports." "Yaah, why would you say that with me sitting next to you?”He said giving you an awkward smile. “Sometimes it’s annoying that he’s too quiet, but I find it very sexy” She said grabbing Shownu’s arm. “Sexy? Stop it.” Said Shownu pouring the wine on the glasses. “We’re fighting over you, in case you haven’t noticed” Said Ae-Ri. “Stop joking around. Enough.” Answered a flustered Shownu. “I’m serious. Y/n don’t you think we make a better couple?” “God, damn it. If only I was a bit shorter.” Shownu laughed and you glared at him. Now it’s your time for revenge. “Right! His first love. Is that you?” You pointed at Ae-Ri. Shownu choked on his wine. “I guess it’s her. Is she the one who rejected you? I see” You said grinning. “The incident from college?” Ae-Ri asked a bit confused. “Don’t tell her. Shush.” “What is it? What is it that you two know and I don’t? You’re making me curious.” You pleaded.

“Then you should tell me something you two know, but I don’t. How far have you two gone?” “Aishhh, what are you asking?” Shownu replied. “I’m just curious. When did your taste change so… abruptly?” Is she implying that I’m not Shownu’s type? “You know, I wasn’t going to say this. We’ve actually slept together… like a lot of times” In that moment Shownu almost spat his wine. “Ah, I guess you just slept then” Shownu nodded. “Really? I guess it’s true.” You all kept drinking in silence for some time.

After some time you were all a little tipsy and Ae-Ri blurted. “How can a man and a woman sleep together and do nothing else? Several times at that?” “It’s because we’re friends”Said Shownu. “Yeah, sure. You can’t actually expect me to believe that you have never felt something… anything for one another” “Ae-Ri-ssi…” You said. “Ae-Ri-ssi? Ae-Ri-ssi? Yaah Y/n, it’s Ae-Ri unnie or just unnie. I’m older than you, aigoo.” “But you’re only two years older, and so is Hyunwoo and I don’t call him oppa” You refuted. “I bet he’d like that” She whispered and Shownu blushed. “I’m sorry what was that?” You asked as you didn’t understand. “I was saying that Hyunwoo is your best friend so he might be ok with it, but we’ve seen each other 3-4 times at most? Maybe when we get to know each other better, for now I’ll be unnie.” She said. “Sorry unnie.” You apologized and thanked that she got distracted and forgot her question. “It’s ok, but you won’t get away with diverting the topic. Now, I want you two to be completely honest with me here, if you’re not I’ll kick both your asses. Besides, by the time we’re done with the beers and soju there’s no way you’ll remember anything we talked about today.” She said pointing to the bottle and cans that she had gotten out of the fridge not long ago when you ran out of wine. “Rock, paper, scissors to see who goes first?” You were kinda drunk as you three had already downed half a bottle of soju. But still, there was no way you’d share your feelings first, not without knowing how Shownu felt. “1…2……3!… Yayyy I won!” Shownu exclaimed clapping like a little kid. Yep, he’s definitely drunk. "2 out of 3?" You played again and this time you won. "Last one. 1, 2, 3!” He counted and you closed your eyes. You didn’t want to see the moment you lost because with your luck you’ll definitely lose. “Aish, ok I’ll go first” You opened your eyes and saw Shownu with his hand on a fist while you had put out paper, which meant you won. It was impossible, you had never, in the 5 years you’ve known each other, won against Shownu on the last round. Still, you didn’t think too hard about it because it meant you were safe for a little longer. Shownu poured a full glass of soju and drank it as if his life depended on it. As if he was seeking encouragement from the beverage. “I…” Shownu said. “You…?” Asked Ae-Ri. “I…liiiiiike…” And he fell asleep face down on the table. “Aish, why would he gulp down that glass of soju.” You said slightly annoyed at the fact that your empathy won’t let you leave him sleeping there. You struggled for a bit trying to help him to his bed, but realized that you wouldn't be able to do it alone. "Unnie..." You said nudging Ae-Ri. "What?" She answered uninterested. "Unnie, can you please help me take Hyunwoo to his bed?" You said putting on your best puppy face. "Okay, I'll help you. Aigoo, why is he so heavy?" She exclaimed. “Hyunwoo… Nunu, you’ve got to help us here, please try to walk, we’re not far from bed.” You pleaded softly as you both took Shownu’s arms and helped him up. After some struggle you somehow managed to get him in his bed. “Thank you Unnie, you should go home now, it’s pretty late. Can I call you a driver? Or a taxi?” You offered. All that struggle had sobered you up and now you were worried about Ae-Ri. “Don’t worry, I had already requested one. Thanks anyway. What about you? Are you sleeping over?” She asked curious. “Yes, I can’t go home drunk after what happened this afternoon, please text me as soon as you get home.” “Ok, I’ll leave then. My taxi is here.” She said and left.

“Hyunwoo…” You tried to wake him up. He grunted and turned. “Nunu… I’m taking your jacket off, I need you to sit for a moment.” You said. He nodded and you helped him sit and take his jacket off. “Y/n” He said grabbing your arm. “What is it? Are you ok? Do you want to throw up?” You asked worried. “Yes, I’m okay. I mean besides being drunk, like really drunk.” He replied. “Then what is it?” “I-I want to tell you something. And I need to do it now so I can blame it on the alcohol and we can both pretend it never happened.” He muttered. “Okay, I’m listening” You answered a bit uneasy. “I like you” “Awee, I like you too” You replied, unaware of what was going on. “No, Y/n. I like you. Like in an I’d like to date you way.” He said hiding against his pillow. “So you decided to answer Ae-Ri’s question right now? Let’s go to sleep now and later you can confess to me again, okay? I can’t deal with a drunk confession being as wasted as I am and I need you to be sober to deal with the aftermath.” You answered and laid down next to him, only to notice he was already asleep. “Aigoo, what am I going to do with you?” You shifted on the bed for a bit and fell asleep.

You woke up with a headache so you went straight to the kitchen to drink some water. There you found Shownu looking for something. “Morniiiing, did you sleep well? What are you looking for?” You asked startling him. “Oh! Good morning Y/n, yes I slept like I baby. I have a bit of a headache though, so I was looking for some medicine.” “I have a headache too.” You said pouring some water. “Should we make some hangover soup?” He said opening the fridge. “Sure, do you need help?” “Could you please dice the beef?” He instructed while cutting the vegetables. “Sure. Anything else I can help with?” You asked. “Yes. I need to talk to you about something. But first let’s finish the soup, I need your undivided attention.” You kept chopping the beef and passed it to Shownu. He put it on the pot alongside the vegetables and waited for it to cook. When the soup was ready he served it and you both ate in silence.

“Ok, now I’m going to need you to put all your attention in me.”He spoke as he noticed you were both done. As soon as he uttered those words you knew he remembered everything you talked about last night. “Y/n, I like you. And before you say anything, I completely understand if you don’t feel the same way and I hope nothing changes. I don’t want to lose my best friend.” He said blushing. “Nunu, I promise you won’t lose me. But I can’t promise you that things won’t change between us.” He looked at you confused. “What do you mean?… Please let’s forget I ever said anything and act like nothing happened.” He pleaded panicking. “Hyunwoo, calm down.” “How can you ask me that? Life gave me a second chance yesterday and I just had to waste it. Aish, me and my big mouth. Pabo, pabo, Hyunwoo.” He said while slapping himself. You grabbed his hand. “Hyunwoo stop! I like you too.” You said intertwining your fingers with his. “Really?” He asked incredulous. “Yes. I mean how could I not?” “But I’m not even your type.” Shownu was confused. “So what’s my type then?” You inquired. “First of all you like tall guys…” “What, like you’re short?” “Well, no but you’ve always dated these almost 2 meters giants so I just assumed...” “Well, you assumed wrong. I do like my men tall but, since I’m tall myself, the height difference doesn’t have to be a lot, they just have to be taller than me. It was just a huge coincidence.” “You like sociable talkative guys with double eyelids.” “What? Are you for real?” You asked surprised by the lack of confidence. Shownu always struck you as the guy who wasn’t a narcissist but had a pretty high self-esteem. “Yes, all the guys you have dated had double eyelids and were probably acquainted with half of Seoul” He said. “How does being social have anything to do with having double eyelids.” “I don’t know, I’m just stating the facts.” “I see… So your conclusion is that you can’t be my type because you’re not like the people I’ve dated? Have you ever thought why I broke up with them?” “Hmm, no. But still, you don’t seem bothered by that kind of guys, you always date them.” He shrugged. “You are so wrong my dear Hyunwoo, so so wrong. Because, you see… You’re just my type. The reason I broke up with all of them is because of you. Because I wanted them so badly to be like you, I would be so disappointed when I realized that they’d never be.” “Why did you never tell me?” “Because I wasn’t your type, and I don’t blame you. How could I? I was your tall best friend. Your younger tall best friend. Nothing like those short cute noonas you dated.” “Hey, you know I don’t mind you being tall. You also know that I don’t focus on things such as age.” “So you would date a minor?” You asked jokingly. “Aish, you know that’s not what I meant. What I meant is that I focus more on how a person behaves and interacts with others rather than minding if they’re older or younger, or if they’re tall or short. And you little missy are one of the best human beings I know. You’re kind, you’re loyal, you treat people with fairness and you’ve got so much love to give to everyone around you. That’s why you’re exactly my type.” He said looking into your eyes. “I have 2 questions” You said. “Go ahead.” He replied and gestured for you to go on. “You let me win rock, paper, scissors, right?” “You knew?” “I have never, and I really mean never in the 5 years we’ve known each other, won the last round on rock, paper, scissors against you.” You emphasized. “You’re really predictable when it comes to it, to be fair. What’s the second?” He asked. “Does this mean we’re dating?” “Only if you want to.” He answered. You ran to the room and came back with your cellphone. “What are you doing?” “Oh, I’m just texting Ae-Ri unnie that she can no longer flirt with you since you’re mine now.” You answered unlocking your phone. He laughed and hugged you because that was answer enough for him.

#kpop scenarios #shownu #shownu scenarios #monsta x scenarios #kpop fluff #monsta x fluff #shownu fluff #son hyunwoo #monbebe #monsta x

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jungshook69 · 4 years ago

Text

Comforting him

DISCLAIMER: This doesn’t represent the members’ actions or the army’s actions in any manner it’s pure fiction. This is an original work, do not copy.

WORD COUNT: 2.3K

PAIRING/S: Taehyung X female reader

GENRE: Idol x Staff au ; Best friends au

WARNINGS: None

SUMMARY: Being an idol brings an overwhelming pressure on one’s shoulders. And that pressure is heightened when there’s an audience in front of you and you’re in a very vulnerable emotional state. Taehyung needs your help. He needs your comfort. And that’s exactly what you give him.

A/N: This is not necessarily my first fanfiction, but it is the first one I’m ever gonna post on Tumblr! Well hope you guys like it and it does well:) Also I’m sorry in advance if there’s any spelling errors:(

Hi, my name is Min Y/N. I’ve been working as an editorial assistant under Big Hit for a group known as BTS for the last 5 years, ever since BTS had their debut.

I was sitting in my hotel room on my desk eyes fixed on my laptop screen as I watched some of the boys on their own Vlives. Yes this became a part of my job for the last 2 years. I was responsible for watching their Vlives and making sure nothing went wrong. By wrong I meant there were incidents when fans asked questions that were too personal or idols lost their cool on Vlive but Bang PD-nim trusts the boys and I was just assigned to do this as a precaution.

Today only Taehyung, Yoongi oppa and Jin oppa were doing Vlives. Jin oppa wrapped up pretty quickly with his EatJin Vlive segment and signed off. Now the only ones left were Yoongi oppa and Taehyung. Yoongi was bopping along to his own lyrics while Taehyung was just sitting and staring at the camera.

Even though it was just me watching his Vlive, I could almost feel his eyes bore through the screen staring straight into my soul. I suddenly saw Yoongi oppa’s screen go black. I didn’t hear him say anything it just stopped. I texted him asking him if he wanted any help with setting it back up but he said that he didn’t have any problem he actually ended it by saying goodbye and everything. Maybe I didn’t hear him because I was busy staring at Taehyung.

And yes I texted him. I know they don’t really text too many people and very rarely females, but me and Jungkook’s makeup artist Park Min-Young, were the only females from the staff that the boys were closest to and most comfortable with. Personally I am the closest to the ’95 liners Jimin and Taehyung, not just because of the same age but we just get along the best.

Soon I shifted my gaze back onto the only Vlive left, Taehyung. He was leaning over and reading the comments. He remained still for a long time with a blank look on his face.

Soon curiosity got the best of me and I wondered what he was reading and began reading the comments too.

Comments:

@army1: Oh my god your guys 3rd muster performance was amazing!!! I was there Taehyung oppa!!

@army2: Aww I’m broke I couldn’t go T-T

@army3: Taehyung oppa are you okay?

@army4: What happened?

@army5: Didn’t you hear Taehyung cried during the concert?

@army6: Oh my god I cried too T-T

@army7: wHaT?! send me a link aSaP!! T-T

@army8: The concert was just yesterday it’s not up yet!!

I was going through the comments when I heard Taehyung speak up. He looked up at the screen with a serious face. I knew exactly what was gonna happen. He was gonna tell everyone the same thing he told people on the day of the concert. About his grandma.

I was surprised at how calm he was because everyone knew how sensitive he was when it came to his grandmother. He kept a straight face and told everyone about his grandmother. I suddenly heard his breath hitch and looked at him concerned. I knew that face. He wanted to cry but he was holding himself back. I watched as he suddenly picked up his phone and began doing something on there. As soon as he kept his phone back down my phone lit up with a little ‘ding’. I opened it and saw what he had written.

I was surprised he texted me and not Jimin. Without overthinking it too much I quickly put on my hoodie and my white sneakers and put my phone in my pocket and stepped out of my hotel room.

I was on the 2nd floor and got into the elevator to ride to the 4th floor. I reached his door and stopped in front of it. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I heard a bit of shuffling on the inside and about 5 seconds later the door opened and my eyes met with his.

“Come in…” he said.

“Yeah…”

I said as I proceeded to take of my shoes.

*A/N: don’t come at me with the whole stinky feet thing y’all where I live its normal to be barefoot in the house*

“Soooo….” I started.

“Here take a seat”.

I sat down on his bed and he pulled up his chair in front of me.

“I want you to know that you can tell me anything okay. Whatever you feel whatever’s been on your mind just pour it out don’t hold anything back. I’m listening okay?” I said trying to comfort him.

With that he burst into tears in front of me.

“Heyy heyy its okay just let it all out its okay” I said softly.

“You must be thinking I’m such a baby right?” he said sniffling.

“No no no no who said showing emotions is being a baby?”

“T-t-thanks.”

I raised my hand to touch his arm to comfort him. As I touched his arm he looked up at me. I thought he felt uncomfortable so I quickly jerked my hand away from his arm.

“I’m sorry.”

“No no no just—“

With that he engulfed me in a warm embrace. And its not like we haven’t hugged before. We have plenty of times. But this was different. He seemed more vulnerable now. He buried his face in my neck and sobbed onto my hoodie. I could feel his tears soak my hoodie but I didn’t mind it at all. My hand instinctively flew up to his back and started rubbing it.

After a while of enjoying each other’s comfortable silence and warm embrace I felt him stir under me. He pulled away desperately trying to wipe away his tears. I pulled my hoodie over my palm and grabbed his face with one hand. Using the other hand I wiped away his tears slowly. We looked into each other’s eyes for a few seconds till I broke the eye contact.

Smiling I said to him, “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Ok good. Lemme get u a bottle of water.”

I stood up and walked over to his side table and picked up his water bottle. I walked over to the bed and sat back down. I handed him the water bottle and he took a sip as I waited for him to finish.

“Don’t look at me I’m a total mess right now.” He said.

“Personally I think you guys look better without makeup.”

He stared at me and the corner of his mouth lifted a tiny bit.

“Yaaahhh there’s that smile.” I said.

“Thank you so much Y/N.”

“Anytime Tae Tae.”

I giggled. I checked my phone. It showed the time 11.00pm. I didn’t realize I had been here for an hour.

“Well are you sure your feeling okay?”

“Yeah much better” he said smiling.

“Ok cool. Its not like I wanna escape or anything but it’s 11 so maybe I should let you sleep and I should be heading back to my room.” I blurt out. Truth being I wanted to stay with him. But I didn’t want to seem too clingy.

“Oh yeah right.” He said with a disappointed look on his face.

I grabbed my phone from beside me and put it in my pocket.

“I’m sorry I soaked your hoodie.” He said.

“Heyy don’t worry about it.”

“Ummm Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“If you don’t mind me asking how’s your life going? I mean I feel like all we’ve been talking about is me…”

“Yaahh I’m…” I sighed. “…fine.”

“What’s wrong? Is it about the guy your crushing on?” he asked his tone slightly off.

Yes I told Taehyung and Jimin that I’m crushing on a guy but I refused to reveal his name. Well if I would reveal his name to anyone all hell would break loose.

*A/N: I think you know what I mean ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)*

“N-no… I mean m-maybe” I said stuttering, scared to accidently reveal the truth.

“Tell me what’s wrong?” he pressed further.

“Don’t you have to sleep or something?”

“No talk to me.”

“Well I haven’t told him that I like him.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Because—because I just can’t. Let’s just say it’s forbidden or it’s against the rules or something.”

“You’re still not gonna tell me his name huh?”

How can I tell you that the man I’m in love with is you.

“You’re still not gonna tell me his name huh?” he pouted.

“Nope.” I said popping the ‘p’.

“Are you afraid?”

“Yeah, that he won’t like me back, cuz I’m me and he’s…” I sighed. “It won’t work out.”

“What do you mean you’re you? You’re literally one of the smartest and prettiest girls I know. Your kind, forgiving, humble and caring towards everyone around you.” He said practically ranting.

“Aaaaww thank you Tae but correction I’m not pretty… look at me c’mon?!”

“I am looking.” He says in a deep voice.

He stares into my eyes and his hands reached out to my face as he took of my glasses.

“I think you have beautiful eyes it’s a pity I can’t see them well because of your glasses”

“Yaahh that was Jimin’s line!!” I smile.

“But I meant it.”

He said putting on my glasses.

“Oh god it’s so blurry”

He said pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his eyes. His gaze didn’t falter once from my eyes. I looked down at my lap trying to avoid his gaze. I could feel my cheeks heating up. I froze when I felt a finger gently lifting my chin up.

And there he was the man that I couldn’t have, the man that I was too afraid to confess too, about to steal my first kiss. He stared at my lips while licking his own. He slowly leaned forward and I closed my eyes waiting for the impact. And then I felt it.

Soft plump warm lips gently brushing against mine. He pulled away to see my reaction and I sat right there with my eyes closed and lips still puckered waiting for his warmth to come back again. He clearly saw me wanting more and leaned in again. This time his hand went to the back of my neck as he pulled me closer to deepen the kiss. He got up from his chair and leaned over me. He began to push me back gently as I felt my back touch the bed and felt him hovering over me. We remained in that position for like barely 10 seconds until the loud doorbell rang.

Me being me, I panicked at the loud sound of the bell and and jerked my head up to sit up and accidently banged my head with Taehyung’s who was hovering over me. I immediately apologized and touched his forehead.

“I’m okay, are you?” he says brushing my forehead.

“I’m fine”

He begins chuckling as he made his way to the door.

“Wait! What if someone sees me here at this time?” I freak out.

“It’s probably just one of the guys relax.”

He opened the door to reveal Jimin look up from his phone.

“Taehyung-ah I saw your Vlive and I cam— oh hi Y/N what’re you doing here so late?

“Taehyung texted me to come over so I did.”

“Oh Taehyung-ah are you okay? Cuz I saw the Vlive…”

“Yeah I’m fine now thanks to Y/N.”

He said biting his lip and smirking at me.

I blushed looking away.

“Anyways it’s pretty late. I just came to check up on you and now that I know you’re okay I’m gonna have to get going. I have practice early tomorrow morning with hobi hyung. I’ll leave you two alone now! Byee!!” he spoke in a blur and left immediately.

As soon as Jimin left I got up from the bed and checked the time, it read 11.20pm.

“I should really get going Taehyung.” I said looking down at my feet unable to meet his gaze.

I started walking towards the door. Suddenly a hand flew from beside me and pushed the door close. I turned around to see Taehyung looking down at me, trapping me between the door and him.

“So your still not gonna tell me his name?” he said, his voice extremely gruff.

“W-who?”

“Aaaww look who’s all flustered.”

“I-I’m… n-not…”

“You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

“Well whoever he is, I think you should tell him that you love him no matter what the rules are. He deserves to know. And if he says anything to hurt you I swear to god I’m going to break his spine in half!”

I think he was trying to be threatening but I found it rather cute. I giggled. Oh Taehyung-ah if only you knew…

“You really think I should tell him?’

“No, be mine…” He mumbled.

“What?” Did I hear him right?

“Y-yes.”

“Ok then I will.”

“Great.” He sighed.

He moved away from me and started walking away towards his bed.

“I love you Taehyung.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly his gaze fixed on me. I looked down at my feet feeling the heat crawl up to my cheeks. I jerked my head up in shock when I heard what he said next.

“I love you too Y/N.”

With that he walked towards me grabbing my face with his hands as he smashed his lips onto mine as we stood there against his door, not wanting to escape each other’s warm embrace. That’s when I knew that something called true love does exist.

*A/N: I hope you guys liked it:) Smile for me:)*

Don’t forget to follow @jungshook69 for more content:) You can check out more works of mine here. Have a great day:)

#taetae #tae #taehyung #kim taehyung #bts #bts taehyung #bts fanfic #bts fan fiction #taehyung fanfic #fanfic #fan fiction #one shot #oneshot #bts one shot #taehyung fluff

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darkdevasofdestruction · 5 years ago

Text

Your Saviour ~ Yin Zhen x Reader

"Mum, I hate her! Scold her! Punish her!" the little prince tugged on his mum's sleeve, crying and complaining about the older girl that kept teasing him. "My dear, try to be understanding. Being a prince means you will have a lot to learn, and she's merely trying to make you learn, in a more practical way. Try not to hold it against her." she smiled warmly at him, hugging and stroking his hair as a way to pacify him. "But she's so mean to me, it's not fair! And she keeps beating me at archery and sword fight! And she always tricks me, calls me names and throws plums at me from the top of the tree!" the poor, teary-eyed boy tried to gain more pity from the only person who ever cared for him properly. "Maybe she likes you and she wants to see you succeed and become a better version of yourself. How do you think she will behave once you finally manage to beat her at something she's unbeatable at?" his mother asked, which made the prince stop his sobbing and look up at her with a confused expression. "She'll get angry, won't she? Doesn't everyone hate losing?" his voice was small and soft. "Perhaps it won't be an actual loss for her, but a victory." his mother, as wise as always, knew the girl and how witty and clever she was, so of course, she knew that having her around her son will prove to be beneficial to him in the long run. "I don't understand, mum..." he pouted, tugging on her sleeve once again, with a dejected expression. "Let's play a little game, my darling. Come to me once you decipher the riddle I just told you, and I'm sure you will be satisfied with your reward." his mother let out an amused hum, as the boy perked up, his eyes sparkling when he heard of a potential reward. "Oh...Okay! I will do my best!"

Days passed, and no matter how hard he tried, Yin Zhen couldn't defeat Y/N at anything, be it archery, swordfight, poetry, literature, musical instruments, martial arts, swimming, running, tree climbing... It was as if she was an unbeatable Goddess, far above him, and the fact that she'd hang out mostly with the 1st prince and the 3rd prince didn't help it either.

It was a vicious cycle - He'd study and practice, he'd challenge her, she'd defeat him effortlessly, she'd taunt him, she'd go back to hanging out with someone else, and he'd grovel in self-hatred that he keeps being defeated by a girl. With each day, he'd grow more and more angry, the darkness covering his heart freezing over with a blinding jealousy. And what was worse is that she had everyone's favour! Why is she so special? She's not even a princess, just some noble girl whose father betrayed the Emperor and her mother died of an illness! All his brothers fawn around her! The Empress Dowager treats her as if she is her own precious granddaughter, and even more - His father, The Emperor, truly favours her intelligence and shrewdness! That's preposterous!

"I hate you, you evil witch! You're using magic! There's no way you can actually beat me at everything!" Yin Zhen threw his sword to the ground, looking up at the girl who towered over him with a few inches. "Would such a completely illogical explanation satisfy you after these pitiful loses? If yes, then sure, claim whatever you will." she shrugged, not sketching any expression on her face. "Come on, Y/N, give him a break. He's young, he'll learn someday. He's barely 8 years old." the 1st prince, despite the teasing tone and smile on his face, tried to take the girl out of there, so his little brother would calm down. "Would you have me cut him some slack? Yin Zhen, do you truly want me to go easy on you? To let you win? Sure, if that's what your royal highness would have, that is what I shall do. However, would there be any ounce of satisfaction in your heart, knowing you were LET to win, but didn't deserve it? Think it over and answer me that next time you decide to challenge me." with those words, something in his mind seemed to click, and he stopped challenging the girl altogether, focusing more of training himself, and more, his mind and heart.

He WAS strong and intelligent, but the barrier his ego and arrogance created was the reason he stagnated so badly. He finally understood, at least a little bit, what his mother and Y/N were trying to teach him, so through meditation and self-healing, he became the cool and collected 4th prince that everyone knows now. It was obvious that, with time, the short and frail 8 year old would turn out to become a tall and strong prince with the noble aura that he was supposed to have all this time.

When he finally felt ready and confident in himself and his abilities, he sought out the girl once again, after ignoring and avoiding her, and he found her on the ground at the base of a plum tree, playing the zither, by the lotus pond, with a friend or a maid, and it was needless to say, shock was obvious in both of their eyes once their gazes met for the first time in ages, realising how much they changed it time.

She was gorgeous beyond imagination, her expression was demure and inspired trust, gentleness and kindness, the aura around her was vibing with confidence and nobleness, and her eyes were gleaming with brilliance and wit. And yes...There was something off...Behind that wall of confidence and politeness, a little bit of melancholy was seeping, and only he could see it. Curiosity started brewing in his heart, and the wish to solve mysteries started bubbling inside him, and he wanted to grab her and make her spill all her secrets...But he knew nothing in life was that easy.

"Hello, Yin Zhen. We haven't seen each other in a while, have we? Since your older brother and mother were still alive, that is. Lovely days the past held, wouldn't you say?" it was difficult for the prince not to smirk in satisfaction, as now he could properly appreciate the cheekiness and boldness of her words and voice. "Yes, I would say it has been quite a while, My Lady. Enough for me to open my eyes and see the world as it is. I would have you to thank for that." what was this humbleness he was displaying, the girl wondered, as she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Then, are you here to challenge me again? What would it be this time? I see no sword, no bow, no instrument, no riddle book in your possession...Could it be running you want to challenge me at?" she spoke nonchalantly, returning to strum her zither. "My Lady, that is no way to speak to the 4th prince!" her friend gasped in shock and horror, earnings mixed reactions from the two. "I shall speak to Yin Zhen in any way I please. He has yet to earn my respect. Besides...You should see the way I speak to Yin Zhi or the 14th prince. You could say I am being generous with this one." she hummed in amusement, as a trail of relatively new palace maids were eyeing the prince, giggling and gossiping. "I wonder how many times has he threatened to kill you so far." Yin Zhen shot right back at her, knowing very well how his elder brother could be. "I lost count after five thousand." she raised the sleeve of her dress to hide the amused and teasing smirk she had on her face. "Funny how a fatty like you could run away from him so many times." he teased her, wanting to reciprocate the taunting she'd do to him ages ago, but by the stiff reaction of her, and the loud giggles from the maids, it was obvious he was heard by unneeded ears. "You still haven't bested me in anything yet, Prince...Especially not intelligence, considering how obvious it is that you speak ill of those who care about you in front of the jackals and hyenas of the palace. Next time you decide to approach me, think before you act. It will spare the both of us enough troubles." the girl threw her zither in her friend's lap, before leaping to her feet and pulling him down by the neck of his outfit, until their faces were barely inches away.

And then she left.

And he stopped seeing her, once again, for quite a while... Until he went to drink some wine in the garden, and he spotted her walking by the pond, dangerously close to the water. Not that he feared for her life, she was a great swimmer, and yet...Her complexion seemed much paler than usual, and her movements looked lethargic.

The gossips of the maid, calling her tons of names, seemed to plague his mind, as he realised back then that he was the one who ignited the fuel and gave them the 'right' to speak garbage of her.

He was lost in his own world, thinking over about what he did and his mistakes, but he was brought back to reality when a splash was heard, and some loud gasps of horror, and that’s when he realised the girl fell in the pond...And she wasn’t swimming back to the surface.

What was going on with her? Did she...Faint?

There was no time to think, as he slammed the cup on the table and rushed to the pond, jumping in to rescue her. His theory was correct, seeing as she was unconscious, so he started pushing on her chest, just as she did 12 years ago, when he fell in the lake and she saved him.

And then, he gave her the kiss of life, and as the miracle dictated, she jolted into a sitting position, coughing the water out of her lungs violently, before collapsing back in his arms. Yin Zhen hated to admit, especially after this near-death experience of hers, but seeing her being so soft, sleeping peacefully in his arms, was oddly fascinating, and his heart seemed to warm up, for some unknown reasons, even to him. He hated that his mother died and he couldn’t ask her all the things he wanted to tell her, nor could he tell her the answer to the riddle that took him so long to understand, and yet, he was sure she’d be happy knowing that he matured and became the man he is now, no longer the whiny child from before.

He picked her up bridal style and brought her to her home, where her maid, whose name was Shi Lian, as she said, and he let her change in dry clothes and put her in bed, while he took off most of his clothes to be put out in the sun to dry, while he warmed up in front of the fireplace, waiting for the girl to wake up, while the maid was preparing chamomile tea and some snacks.

“Thank you for saving My Lady, Your Highness.” Shi Lian thanked the prince as she put the tray of tea and cakes on the table next to him. “She fainted and fell in the pond. She looks weak, what happened to her?” he asked in a serious voice. “Uhm...I-I’m not sure I’m supposed to say this...However...I worry for My Lady’s health and her...Predisposition of having incredibly unhealthy coping mechanisms and...She started eating less and less every day...I-I don’t know why, it happened so sudden...And she buried herself in more work than usual...Her being a Physician and all, I’d normally understand her work...But under these circumstances...” Shi Lian’s voice was sympathetic and worried, which made him immediately realise that it was his words that triggered it, along with the mockery of all the new palace ladies...He knew very well how gossips and rumours spread faster than the plague. “You’re...Not supposed to...Tell on me like that...” a weak voice murmured from the corner of the room, which indicated Y/N awakening. “My Lady, you woke up! Thank goodness you’re alright! The prince told me what happened...I was so worried for you!” the maid immediately rushed to her lady’s side, helping her get in a sitting position. “Your worries are misplaced with me...However, I must thank you, regardless. I appreciate your concerns for me.” Y/N sighed, looking down at her lap. “Oh, I made tea, and your favourite osmanthus cakes! Please, have some!” she was going to rush to give her the tray, only to be stopped by the lady. “Can you...Go for a walk? I’m fine, I can get up on my own.” Y/N nudged her with her words to get out, wanting to have a word with the princeling. “B-But, I-...Oh...! Yes, of course, I did have some errands to do! Please, take care, My Lady!” she bowed quickly in front of her and the prince, before leaving. “What a thoughtful girl...Always taking care for me, even when I don’t deserve it. She’s quite a catch, don’t you think? I bet you’d want her to be your maid.” the girl held a soft smile on her face, taking a sip of the hot tea. “You silly girl...You’re already skin and bones, and yet, you retort to starvation to stop the gossips from those low-lives. How much more foolish can you get?” his voice was serious, yet held sympathy concern, if you knew where to search for it. “To think you’d have enough sympathy in you to save someone you seemingly hate. I commend you, you truly grew up to be a fine man. Your mother would be very proud of you.” her expression, once again, held melancholy and nostalgia, and he was finally beginning to understand. “I don’t hate you. I never did. I was merely envious of your abilities.” he explained in a softer voice, making her chuckle. “Your mother told me how you’d go to whine to her how much you hate me. But hey, I’m glad that’s not the case anymore. I owe you mother a lot...So in turn, I owed you...But with time, I grew to see it in a different light, and I didn’t want to help you out of obligation, but simply because I wanted to see you grow. I hope I was able to help, in some way, despite my...Brutal teachings.” she hummed in amusement, eating one of the cakes. “I figured that out...It took a while, but I did. Mother hinted towards some things and told me to give you a chance and try to understand you. Once I stopped trying to win all the time, I realised that, instead of being competitive and win against others, I should first learn how to become the best version of myself. And once I did...I felt relieved. I suppose I should thank you for that.” he explained himself, and his words warmed her heart with happiness. “The only thanks is seeing you the way you are now. It wasn’t easy having to live with the reputation of being branded the traitor’s daughter, and then your mother dying so suddenly...The first prince died as well...Your mother too...So I let work and study engulf me completely, hoping that I could redeem myself by saving others, when I couldn’t save those I cared about. Pitiful, don’t you think?” she chuckled in self-deprecation, which made the prince turn to look at her with a frown on his face, before flicking her forehead hard enough to make the spot red. “G’ahh...That hurt...I guess you’re going to return the bullying that I did to you for so many years?” she eeped, more from the shock than the pain, lifting her hand to cover her forehead. “I believe you said you’re proud of the man I’ve become. What kind of man would I be if I were to actually bully you? Merely teasing you is enough to satisfy me.” he hummed in amusement, a side smirk making its way on his face as he got up, gingerly grasping her wrist, taking it away from her forehead. “Besides...I wouldn’t want to make you run away from me again.” he uttered as he caressed her face with one hand, bending down to kiss her forehead, where he previously flicked her. “You’re being surprisingly tender today, Yin Zhen. I must say, I quite like this side of you.” she put her hand over his, leaning in to his touch, her gentle expression resembling that of a spoiled kitten. “You’re not that different yourself, Y/N.”

It was then that Yin Zhen confessed his interesting in courting her, as despite not having a high rank, his heart belonged to her, and her alone, and since she knew her mind and heart have always been wandering to him, she accepted. Their dynamic was as unlikely as always, and sometimes, people thought they hated each other. The little firecracker that Y/N was resembled the calm before the storm, and she always did what she wanted, no matter what, which always seemed to be endearing for the prince who clearly condoned her erratic behaviour, yet looked out for her from afar, fearing her well-being. The palace was both the safest and the most dangerous place on the planet.

One day, as she went for a walk with her maid, she noticed up in the square pavilion, the Emperor, the Empress and the 4th and 6th princes, so clearly, at least out of obligation and respect, she had to go and pay her respects to them.

Walking up to them, she kneels down in greeting, hoping she wouldn’t have to stay for too long.

“My Lady! Please, take a seat. I must say, I thank you for curing my son of the illness that seemed to knock him down so badly.” the Empress extended her hand, motioning for the girl to sit down. Analysing the situation, she realised the Emperor looked angry, while the princes were solemn, sitting formally...And she hoped she’ll be quickly dismissed, as she walked right in the middle of something very important. “Last night, the Imperial Astrologers noticed a fluctuation in the stars - A possible bad omen. The Emperor is most concerned. Perhaps you have an idea that might help, considering your different thinking seems to help out the Palace all the time.” she continued, which made the girl smack herself on the face, mentally. “I...Am not as knowledgeable in astrology as I am in healing, so my opinion may not be exactly helpful...However, the stars have their own way of arranging...Perhaps praying would help...?” she tried to choose her words carefully, hating to talk when she had no idea about the subject in cause was. “Your Majesty, her idea may not be wrong. We could send someone to pray at Mount Tianchi? Your father built an observatory on Mount Tianchi for burning incense. He said his prayers were always answered on the mountain. It’s been over ten years since the court sent a delegation to pray on the mountain. Perhaps it is time for another one?” Yin Zhen explained his thoughts, which impressed the girl for his quick thinking and reasoning. “It is true, I have overlooked this ritual. But whom should we send?” the Emperor agreed, pondering as he stroked his beard. “Your Majesty, allow me to go on your behalf!” the 6th prince jumped in faster than anyone could blink. “It is a long way and you haven’t completed the tasks already assigned to you. Do you have time to go to Mount Tianchi?” Yin Zhen asked with concern for the mission that may be ruined by his over-zealous brother. “The 4th prince is right. The Emperor knows you want to help, but your current duties are far more pressing. You cannot just abandon them.” the Empress explains to her son why he couldn’t go, which made the 4th prince stand up and kneel in front of the Emperor. “Your Majesty, allow me to pray on Mount Tianchi for the people and the kingdom.” his statement made the Emperor smile at his son. “Very well! Go on my behalf and pray! Pray for my people!” the Emperor approved of his son’s suggestion. “If I may, I think that My Lady should accompany me. You see, Your Majesty, we have seen times and times she enjoys rare good fortune, and she is an incredibly skilled physician, should anything happen. I believe she could be our lucky charm.” Yin Zhen explained, which made the girl smile, knowing very well how beautiful the place is and how she wanted to visit it with him. “Hmm, yes, you make a good point, 4th prince. This isn’t a holiday, you know! This is a very serious mission and everything must be done correctly...I command you to pray beside the Prince for the well being of my subjects.” not the kind of responsibilities that she likes to have, but not much she can complain about. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall not fail you.” she kneeled in front of the Emperor, thanking him for his trust, and the next day, at the earliest hour, they were ready to go.

She brought light clothes with her, and wearing noble male clothing, as she would ride besides the princes, she jumped on her black horse and rode next to him.

“You look splendid, as always, Yin Zhen. Also, should I thank you for suggesting I come with you? Because that was one of the best things you’ve said in a long time.” she smiled tenderly at him, which he reciprocated with gratitude expressed in his eyes, but barely on his face. “I did promise I’d take you to see beautiful places, didn’t I? I am a man of my words.” he smirked slightly, looking ahead of us. “Hm...? I didn’t know Yin Zhi would come too. The 7th and 11th princes too? That’s a surprise...Ah, look at them, they look terrible...They don’t want to be here, do they?” she asks in a softer voice, hoping they wouldn’t hear. “The Emperor places great importance on this venture. We cannot fail.” his words seemed awfully enigmatic, which seemed to bubble anxiety into her heart. “Is...Something the matter...?” she whispered, leaning over to him, only for him to reach out his hand and pet her hair briefly. “Don’t worry over nothing. And even if something happens, I will protect you.” his confident smile made her raise her eyebrow questioningly, yet she bit her tongue and said nothing else, focusing on enjoying the ride.

The road was very difficult to pass on, especially the more rugged parts of the mountain, and unfortunately, while Y/N was perfectly fine, being used to riding, the carriage bumping constantly made her maid’s stomach upset, and in turn, had her jump out every so often to vomit.

“Y/N, the road gets worse up ahead. You know very well what I mean, don’t you?” Yin Zhi addresses the Lady he’s friends with, watching her jump off her horse to help her maid out. “...Yes, I understand the situation. We must arrive at a specific time, and there must be no delays. I’m sorry, Shi Lian. I wanted to see that beautiful place with you as well...But perhaps on another time, when we won’t be pressed by time. Will you be okay returning to the capital, waiting for me?” she strokes her maid’s hair gently, hoping she will be feeling better. “As you say, my Lady. I’ll wait for you in the capital. Please take good care of yourself.” Shi Lian’s words were brave and held much love for her Lady. “Thank you, dear, but you won’t have to worry about me. There are more guards here than the 6th prince can count.” Y/N giggled as she ruthlessly shamed the lecherous prince. “M-My Lady!” Shi Lian gasped, her eyes widening in shock at her words. “...She’s not wrong.” Yin Zhi smirked in amusement, tilting his head to urge her to return to her horse. “If you are so amused by my words, perhaps you could organise a reliable person to escort Shi Lian back to the capital?” she asked, a wide, sarcastic smile on her face. “Bring her this way.” his eyes sparkled with amusement as he turned around, guiding us to another carriage that will bring her back to the capital. After saying her farewells, she turned to go back to her horse, only to get disturbed by the 7th prince, whose annoying smirk wouldn’t get wiped off his face. “Most excellent. You gave that cold fish brother of mine the pleasure of helping someone.” he said in a sly manner. “My, you wouldn’t happen to be...Jealous, would you, 7th Prince?” Y/N tilted her head in a mocking manner. “You are much more enjoyable when sleepy, you know?” she chuckled, turning back to go to her horse, but before she knew it, her paramour was by her side, glaring at his younger brother. “Brother, what are you doing?” Yin Zhen asked, his eyes sharply scanning him. “I just wanted another word with the Lady. What are you worried about?” the 7th Prince mocked his elder brother with amusement. “I’m not worried. I just came over to remind you, the ceremony is going to be held soon. We cannot delay any further.” the 4th Prince warned his brother, who seemed aggravated by him. “You think I don’t know that?! I still want a word with the Lady...My Lady, you are very capable. A number of my brothers are quite enamoured with you.” he explainde, as if she was a nuisance, yet also, enjoyed taunting her...Yet he always failed. “Too bad I’m already being courted by someone, don’t you think? Although, I don’t think it should bother you, should it? I believe you may or may not despise me, for some odd reason I’m not aware of.” she shrugged, ignoring his protests as she followed her beloved and got on her horse, finally making it to the Mount, where it’s already summer.

The ceremony lasted for three days and three nights, and by the end of it, she had to regard how meticulously perfect everything was done by the 4th Prince, as she admired him working, and seeing that he was really the only prince doing anything, she got up and started helping him out as best as she could, which meant she could chat a bit about random things with said man.

Out of nowhere, droplets of rain started falling from the sky, which may or may not be an indicator that the omens were changing.

“Well, what do you think? I heard in some cultured rain was an indicator of good fortune.” Y/N plays on, carrying a smaller crate. “Superstitious. For the sake of conversation, you say a lot of weird things.” he scoffed, taking the crate from her hand and putting it on top of the one he was carrying. “And likewise, you do a lot of weird things...Like suggesting to come pray on this mountain and do a ritual. Don’t be a hypocrite with me, you know I always turn it on you.” she chuckled, helping him put down the crates in their rightful places. “Of course I know. That’s why I tease you.” in turn, he playfully tapped her forehead, chuckling at her tender expression. “Don’t make that face when others are around. It makes me want to kiss you. Who knows what others might think or do if they see you.” he looked around, scanning to see if anyone was watching, before stealing a quick kiss. “If you don’t want others to see, don’t be so sweet with me...Or, perhaps, choose the other approach and let’s go for a ride through the forest with me?” the Lady hooked her arm to his, and of course, he couldn’t turn down her suggestion.

If there was something she loved more than the satisfaction of saving someone’s life or learning something knew, was the feeling of freedom as they rode together, only the two of them, all their worries disappearing completely, at least for the moment. However, before they realised it, they got in the city as soon as the rain started pouring down hard, which forced them to dismount and seek shelter under some eaves, his cape draped over her head to make sure she wasn’t being as drenched as him, holding her close to his chest to keep her warm.

“Wouldn’t you like it if we spent out life like this? Away from the capital, away from the Emperor and so many rules...And we can just be free and do as we please.” she spoke out her heart’s desire without even realising. “As long as you’re by my side, I don’t really care what we do. Although...What you say wouldn’t be bad.” he declared, and thankfully, the rain soon stopped, so they were able to go back.

By the time they got back to the party, dusk started falling, and as soon as they started strolling along the covered walkway, so they returned to their rooms, as the rain started falling again. As they changed in comfortable clothes, in their own, separate rooms, the 4th Prince told the Lady he was going to be out, with his brothers, for some tree in the Plumflower Garden behind the observatory.

She went to sit out on the porch, reading a book as she let the rain and wind relax her, thinking of the next day and the journey back home. The storm, however, didn’t stop throughout the night, and because of loud it was, Y/N couldn’t fall asleep, so instead, she smiled, feeling content with the beautiful sound of the rain.

Y/N heard a soft knock on the door, and the handmaid, Yun Mo, walks inside and she speaks softly, asking if she needs anything. Y/N asked the beautiful girl if the princes are still outside, and as she heard, they were outside, drinking, very much drunk.

“Ahh, Yin Zhen said they’d be drinking tea. I should see this as a new code I must learn. Very well, I’ll go to them and see if they’re okay. Could you please prepare some soup for their hangover?” Y/N asked, putting on a coat over her nightgown. “Yes, of course, My Lady. Please, excuse me.” she bows gracefully, leaving the place, only for Y/N see the faint light of a lantern. “Hello? Who’s there?” Y/N frowned, only hearing the rain hit the ground, holding tightly the dagger that Yin Zhen gifted her some time ago.

She slowly walked to the wall beside the door, extending her hand and pushing the door open. Peering outside, she notices pools of spilled blood that belonged to the lifeless guards...Killed by the figure in black holding a knife in his hand. Keeping her composure, she snuck behind him and thrust the blade in his neck, holding one hand to his mouth so he won’t alert his allies, and stole his sword.

However, other assassin saw her and yelled out for his peers, which made her bolt for the side door, as fast as she could.

“RUN MY LADY!” the soft voice of the handmaid echoed throughout the place as she tried to delay the assassins. “HELP! ANYONE! IS ANYONE HERE?!” Y/N yelled out, running until her legs couldn’t hold her anymore, and she stopped to gain her breath, only to see a pile of dead guards bleeding onto the earth, the sickly, metallic smell of fresh blood assaulting her senses.

As the assassin caught up to her, she took out the sword from the scabbard and parried all his hits, only to deliver the finishing blow. However, that wasn’t the end, as three more started appearing. She killed another, and ready to strike the other, she heard the cry of someone behind her. Quickly dodging a strike, she looked back to see what happened to the 3rd assailant, only to see her beloved Yin Zhen with a sword in his hand, his eyes cold and clear, clearly, no sign of alcohol intoxication.

“Yin Zhen! Thank goodness you’re okay! The maid said you were drunk and I got worried...But seems it’s not the case. What IS going on?!” she asked, struggling to breathe properly as she tried to fight back her fear. “I don’t know yet, but we have to go.” he spoke quickly before he picked her around the waist, leaping deftly onto the roof, like superhuman. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.” he muttered, seeing as other assassins started chasing them. “Is everyone dead...?” she whispered, fearing the answer. “My men have cornered some of the assassins.” he explained, looking left and right to spot his enemies’ moves. “You...Came back...To save me...?” her eyes widened in shock hearing that he was risking his life for her. “I promised you I’d protect you at all cost, didn’t I?” his confident smile seemed to bring courage into her heart. “There’s a small side door in the courtyard up ahead. It leads into the forest...But we must lose them first.” she explained her strategy, and he seemed to agree, as he turned around, picked her up properly and sprung in the other direction. “Did you just...?!” she gasped, realising he was drawing the assassins off in the opposite direction so she could come back and escape out of the kitchen. The darkness concealed their movements, and sooner than later, the assailants lost their track, and they managed to return safely to the kitchen, and through the other side of the door, into the forest. “Yes, I did. Are you hurt?” he asked, concern obvious in his voice. “No...I’m okay. Thanks to you...And you seem okay...Ah, what about the others?” she gasped, realising that it wasn’t only them around. “It’s fine. I already sent people to the local garrison, reinforcements should get here any second. We just need to wait.” just as he said that, an arrow pierced the air, slamming barely a few inches from her face, making her squeal in fright. “No good, no good, no good!” she whimpered, only able to stare at the arrow in front of her, her knees weakening, barely able to stand up. “You were supposed to be our lucky charm, darling.” Yin Zhen tried to joke to ease up the tension, but the arrows kept whistling above their heads and the strain of carrying someone was taking a toll on his body and strength. “Put me down, Yin Zhen! You can’t go on for much longer! ...You go ahead, I’ll keep them at bay until reinforcements arrive. You are the Prince, if anything happens to you, there will be hell at the Palace. You’re more important than I am.” she wiggled in his grasp, which only annoyed him. “Don’t be stupid. But you’re right, we’re not getting anywhere. I’ll go deal with them, and you stay here. Don’t complain, there’s no way I’m leaving you behind.” he puts her down gently, drawing his sword and swiping an incoming arrow out of the air, charging into the tree after the hidden arrow. “You’re impossible...” she muttered, taking out her sword and trying to keep back the other assassins that were trying to catch up with him. “Y/N, RUN! NOW!” Yin Zhen never screamed...It meant business, so she didn’t complain, even though she saw how many assassins caught up to them. “BETTER STAY ALIVE!” she yelled back, bolting to find the reinforcements.

She started running through the forest, until suddenly, she got roughly pulled back by the hair, and she fell to the ground with a squeal. Looking up, she saw one of the assassins, his blade in his other hand, so she quickly drew her dagger, cutting her hair to release herself, then dug it deep into his neck.

“My Lady!” she heard a familiar voice, and she realised it was Minister Fan Wencheng, the person Yin Zhen must have sent to get help. “Yin Zhen is that way, he needs help! Fast, go!” she yelled sharply at the army behind the minister, and thankfully, the large contingent of armed men seemed to reassure her. “Save the Prince!” the minister “Thank goodness you arrived when you did!” she sighed, falling to her knees, hearing the enemies retreat. However, the last arrow sent wasn’t heard by her, despite going in her direction... “To think you’d be careless at the very end. Be more mindful, my brother would go crazy if he saw you dead.” another familiar voice scolded her playfully as he deflected the arrow with his sword. “Thankfully, you’re always there to save the day, Yin Zhi.” Y/N chuckled weakly, turning around to look at him with a relieved expression painted on her face. “Are you hurt?” he asked, crouching and helping her stand up. “No...No, I’m fine, don’t worry about me, worry about your brother.” she grasped his hand, holding it tightly, the anxiety of not seeing Yin Zhen getting the better of her. “He’s fine, I’m sure of that. He’s too stubborn to die. Come one, I’ll have someone escort you to your room.” he petted her hair, but she only frowned, refusing. “Thank you, but I can’t leave this place without seeing him. I’ll wait.” and so she does, and as soon as she sees the man dresses in gold, she rips herself from his brother’s hold and runs towards him, throwing her arms around him. “That’s the kind of greeting I like to see.” he chuckled, stroking her hair reassuringly. “You...You...Honestly...Let’s go back. I have to treat your wounds.” she stopped herself from saying something harsh. “You can curse me all you want when we get back. I know you’re restraining yourself.” he hummed in amusement, only feel her form weaken in his hands, and he realised he fainted from a running fever. “...Stop worrying about others and worry about yourself too, sometimes.” he shook his head, picking her up and walking towards her room, by the physician’s place. “Go get checked by the physician, I’ll look after her. You don’t want her to see the cuts on your face, do you?” Yin Zhi smirked at his younger brother, getting water and a towel to put on her forehead, to get her fever down. “Thank you, brother.” he nodded, leaving for the physician’s room, seeing his other two brothers getting treated.

Not long passed until the girl woke up once again, feeling better, despite the weakness of her body and the burning fever. As she tried to get up and open her eyes, a pair of gentle arms help her, giving her a glass of water.

“...Is there...Really no one else...?” she asked, realising that, if he was here, her maid truly sacrificed herself to save her. “...Unfortunately.” he nodded reluctantly, making the girl close her eyes, hanging her head. “That’s insane...But...I’m relieved. I kept thinking that...It could have been Shi Lian in her place, and dread overwhelms my heart. I knew what happened...But I didn’t want to admit to myself that such a kind-hearted, selfless woman could stop living, just like that...And I thank her upset stomach for driving her away from this place.” Y/N raked her fingers through the length of her hair, slightly surprised at the fact that it wasn’t as long as before, and then she recalled the events of last night properly. “I understand, your feelings are complicated. That’s how emotions usually are, unfortunately. That’s why I tend to stray away from them. You used to as well...But not anymore.” he pointed out, sighing. “What about the other princes?” she asked again. “They’re both wounded. All three of my brothers are now in the physician’s room.” hearing that, she let herself fall down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. “Thank goodness...I feared the worst. But at least they’re alive. They may not be agreeable, but if they were to die...I don’t want to imagine.” she dragged her hands down her face, groaning at the horrible things that happened, before an eunuch ran into the room, desperate. “3rd Prince! The 7th Prince is threatening to kill the doctor! You’re the only one who can stop him!” he explained vigorously, as the 3rd prince held a solemn expression. “Number 11 will recover from his wounds, but 7 may never walk again.” as soon as she heard that, she jolted out of the bed, running to the physician’s room, scanning all the three princes and their conditions, the light of the candles being the only way to illuminate the room. “Let me see.” she walked by the 7th prince’s bed, and he only scoffed, taking off the blanked from his legs for her to examine. “I see...The situation isn’t great...I heard the physician saying you may not walk again.” she muttered, only to feel a strong hand gripping her throat. “What would you know?!” he growled at her, his eyes holding anger and sorrow. “I know you’re upset...I can’t do miracles, but I can promise I will do my best to save your legs. Will you trust me?” she asked, looking at the prince, who was gritting his teeth. “Whatever. I don’t have many options anyway.” he sighed, leaning back on the bed. “If you’re not satisfied, there will be enough Imperial Physicians back at the capital.” she explained, realising he wasn’t looking at her anymore. “Fine.” he nodded simply. “I will go tend to the 4th and 11th princes’ wounds since they are easier to treat, and then...?! Hold up, what the hell are you doing here?! This plant is barely effective for stopping the bleeding...And you mixed Ginko seed for that? Ginko increases the risks of bleeding, you imbecile! ...What is it...? Ginseng root? You do realise he has a problem raising his legs, not his cock, don’t you?! And this...This is to relieve the pain from a woman’s blood moon! You know what? Do me a favour and get the hell out of here, before I kill you. No, actually, I need a lackey, stay here and do what I say.” Y/N went through all the plants and mixtures on the table like a hurricane, scaring the soul out of the poor physician, which only seemed to serve as entertainment for the rest of the princes. “Yell again, and you might kill the poor man with your threats. Not that you aren’t right, per say. However, instead of running around in your nightgown, still damp from the rain, I’d suggest you go change in something...More fitting.” Yin Zhi suddenly appeared into the room, putting his coat on her shoulder, snickering at her firecracker behaviour that usually appears when it comes to work. “Hmm...Yes, I suppose you’re right. I was so worried, I completely forgot how I was dressed. I’ll be back in a second.” she looked down at the light, short dress she was wearing, her cheeks flushing slightly from the revealing outfit, only to return, wearing Yin Zhen’s old breeches and shirt. “Are those my old clothes?” the 4th prince asked, barely able to stop himself from laughing. “Yes. Your mother sent them over to me a while ago. As you know very well, I stopped growing a while ago...And you didn’t. Practical clothes, I’m telling you.” she tried to ignore him, so she wouldn’t focus on the teasing, but on her work. “Then come over and treat my wounds.” he smirked, leaning back and taking off his coat, revealing the cuts on his chest. “Hmm...I see. You, go get me chamomile, I need to treat the inflammation and make sure the wounds don’t fester. Likewise, I need marigold ointment, horsetail...And milk of the poppy, a needle and threat to sew up wounds...Towels, warm water...What are you standing there for? Go on, do something! Chap, chap!” she clapped her hands to hurry the man as she took the hot chamomile tea, soaking a handkerchief and gently wiping Yin Zhen’s wounds. “Were the circumstances different, this would have been incredibly endearing.” he peered into her eyes with an amused smirk on his face. “Say that when we get home and you’re in perfect health, got it? I’m still mad at what you did.” she muttered, biting her lip. “Why is your hair shorter?” with a hand, he stroked the length of her hair. “...I realised this morning I had split ends. Cutting helps with faster hair regeneration, the same as trimming plants helps with growth.” she explained, almost as if she wanted to believe so herself. “And your hairstylist was one of the assassins. Tell them to give your money back, they did an awful, non-symmetrical job.” Yin Zhi mocked her, which only made her glare at him, taking out the sword sheathe and hitting him with it. “You’re the worst, Yin Zhi!” pushed him back on the chair, before turning back to treat the 4th Prince. “I thought this was a place of healing, not one of damage.” the man chuckled, only for the girl to scoff. “You’re unscratched, don’t bother talking. The only thing you’ll ever wound is your ego whenever you talk to me. Now, leave, I’m busy.” she waved her hand dismissively towards him, and he left, not without more thrown witty comebacks. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.” Yin Zhen chuckled, kissing her forehead. “Tell me that at home, please. Right now, I’m incredibly worried about the Emperor’s reaction to this mess.” she sighed, finishing up her paramour, before turning to quickly fix up the 11th Prince. “What’s the worst that could happen, I wonder?” he asked enigmatically, making her shudder. “The end of the world, if he would so desire.” she murmured, getting up, and taking everything closer to the 7th Prince’s bed, observing the wounds and cleaning them, treating them, bandaging them and stitching up some of the more shallow ones.

She continued the treatment all day without fail or rest, only remembering to eat when given food on a plate, and then, they had to leave back to the capital. Y/N rode again besides Yin Zhen, the road back to the capital much more quiet than the one the other way back, both of them deep into their own thoughts to speak more than basic concerns.

When they arrived, as soon as Y/N spotted Shi Lian, she jumped off the horse and engulfed the maid into a tight hug, telling her how happy she is to see her, and making sure she doesn’t say a word, until they go back home, away from anyone’s ears.

Just as expected, the next day they were called at the Hall of Mental Cultivation as the Emperor slowly reads a memorial, while everyone kneels on the floor, not daring to speak until spoken to. Obviously, the news of the 7th Prince’s condition reached his ears, and now he’s dead set on finding a culprit, believing that one of the brothers must be the one. The silence was so deep that was feeling everyone with dread.

“What happened to my nice ceremony? Could it be that Heaven is displeased, and so seeks to punish me?” the Emperor hurled the memorial to the floor, as everyone waited for the raging storm to hit. “Your Majesty, the ceremony had already been completed. What happened afterwards was the act of a traitor, not Heaven’s doing. I failed to protect 7th Prince. I take responsibility for it.” Yin Zhen took the blame, which made the girl’s mind shriek. “It IS your responsibility! He is a cripple because of you!” the Emperor threw the memorial at his face, which hurt the girl more than it hurt him. “Your Majesty, the 7th Prince may still be curable! With the help of the Imperial Physicians and modern, western medicine, we may find a way to help him walk again! In the mean time, the culprit must be found. An attack on the princes is a direct attack on you!” Y/N tried to shift the Emperor’s rage from Yin Zhen to her, and it seemed to work, for he slowly turned his head towards her, his glowering eyes making her heart beat faster with fear, and for the first time in her life, all the honors she had bestowed by his grace seemed to disappear, as she seemed like nothing more than a stranger to him now. “They were wounded. You, however...You, as a revered physician, failed to help him and give me false hope. From now on, the role of Imperial Physician will be taken away from you. You are free of your duties. This has nothing to do with you anymore, you may withdraw.” the Emperor spoke coldly, making the girl drop her jaw to the floor in shock.

It took a few seconds to compose herself, as she felt as if the skies fell on her, crushing her completely, before bowing and rushing to the Prince’s room, going by his side, looking at him with a stern expression.

“Do you still trust me to get you better, Prince?” she asked, trying her hardest not to cry. “If not you, then who else? Why ask?” he frowned, forcing himself in a sitting position. “The Emperor took away my rights to practice medicine, however, I promised you something, and even if it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to keep my promises.” she explained, rushing to arrange the myriads of ingredients she prepared. “You’re risking your life for a stupid promise you may not even be able to keep. Why?” he looked at her in shock and curiosity. “A few reasons. One, because I promised, and like Yin Zhen, I like to believe I’m a person of my word too. Secondly, because it will keep bugging me if I know I didn’t try everything I could to help you out. And thirdly...If the Emperor finds out I was able to help you walk again, I might get back my practicing rights, and he will stop being angry and blaming Yin Zhen.” she explained with a tired sigh, sitting on the side of the bed. “I know you hate me, but I don’t hate you.” she muttered, getting back to work “You’re an idiot, you know that, right?” the 7th Prince looked at her with a dumbfound expression. “Go ahead and do whatever you want. I’ll make sure nobody tells a soul. It can’t get worse than not walking, anyway.” the usually grumpy prince gave her permission to work on his legs as she saw fit. “Thank you, Prince. I’ll do my best.” she nodded, long absorbed into her work. “...And I don’t hate you.” he murmured with a sigh, looking away. “Hmmm...? Is that so? If yes, then I thank you for clarifying.” she smiled softly at him. “I did tell you before, didn’t I? You’re different from most of the women in the Palace. They are other wretched and vile, or soft and quite, but neither have any personality or ambition, other than marrying, being well-off and having children to ensure their positions. It’s pitiful.” he sighed again, the usual grumpy expression on his face. “So...You were jealous on Yin Zhen, then?” she asked, not sparing him any glance yet. “Sort of, but not only. I remember when I was very young, you’d always be around the 1st Prince...And your friendship with the 3rd and 4th Princes continued nicely since then, even now. I wanted to have someone so reliable and interesting, like you by my side...A friend, you could say.” the Prince explained himself, which made the girl pat his head gently, giving him a smile. “If you want a friend, I can be one for you. However, let’s focus on getting you better first, shall we?” she encouraged him, and he seemed thankful. “...Thanks, Y/N. I won’t forget it.” day in and day out, she stood by his side, trying everything in her power to save him, only remembering to take care of herself when the Prince or her paramour would make sure she is taken care of.

However, after just over a week, the Emperor found her in the Prince’s room, still doing what a physician should, and he grew angry, ordering for her to be thrown into the Hard Labour Camp, and to be beaten as a punishment, until the 7th Prince protested against his father’s order said out of anger.

“Father, please don’t punish her! She wanted to help me. No physician was able to do as much progress as she did. Look, I can get out of the bed and stand by myself!” the prince explained quickly, rushing to get out of the bed, yet his legs were still wobbly as he was standing, and collapsed. “Prince, I told you, no fast moves. Take it easy, we have to properly prepare the muscles for effort.” she caught him, carefully helping him sit back on the bed. “See, Father? She knows what she’s doing. Please, don’t take her away, I don’t trust other physicians to take care of me.” the prince smiled reassuringly at his anxious father, who seemed to ease up a bit. “...I see. I may have too rash in my decisions before. You are correct, I have never seen a more dedicated healer, and I see that there is still hope of you being able to walk again. Very well, Y/N, you can have your position back. Please continue taking care of my son, my Lady.” the Emperor nodded at the girl before leaving the place. “...Hallelujah!” she let out a deep breath she had no idea she was holding before falling on the ground, relief soothing her soul. “You saved me. Thanks.” “You silly woman, you never know when to stop, do you?” Yin Zhen suddenly walked inside the room, scooping her up in his arms. “I don’t...But do you?” she retorted automatically, almost as if she didn’t even realise. “It wouldn’t be fun if I did. Thanks, brothers, for defending this idiot. She constantly needs taking care of.” Yin Zhen chuckled, taunting his beloved, while his younger brother, despite his grumpy disposition, scoffed in amusement. “Do a better job at it, then. Now go already, I need to rest and you’re bothering me.” he shooed the both of them out of his house, and they could finally do something they wanted, no responsibility on either of their shoulders.

They walked together to the lake, laying down in the bed of flowers, under the wisteria tree, and holding hands, the prince heard the girl sigh in content, then tilted his head to look at her soft, relaxed visage. He admired her beauty for just a few more seconds before leaning down and panting a kiss on her lips. Instead of opening her eyes, she smiled and brought her arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss him with more fire and lover, finally happy that their problems were over, at least for now.

“I’d want to say you are uncharacteristically bold today, but we both know that would be a lie.” he hummed in amusement, leaning on his elbow. “You can’t blame me. I freaked out after the Emperor’s punishment, but now we can sit back and relax...And I can properly spend time with you. I didn’t even have time to properly say how worried I was for you that night...I was worried out of my wits when you made me leave you.” she sighed, caressing his face, looking at him with an expression that showed mixed emotions. “I told you I would do anything to keep you safe. Thankfully, nothing too grave happened. I suppose all that trauma you instilled into me when training was worth something.” he teased her, which made her stare at him in disbelief, before chuckling at his silliness. “I-I didn’t traumatise you, come on!” she grinned, flicking his forehead, just as he’d do to her. “I did complain to my mother that you’re treating me horribly.” he smirked, which only made her dramatically sigh. “At least it was worth something!” she mused at him, which, in turn, made him kiss her forehead. “It was thanks to you that I was able to protect you. And it was thanks to you that I was able to answer my mother’s riddle and receive the reward for it.” he confessed, holding her hand and intertwining their fingers together. “What was the riddle? And the reward?” she asked, blinking in curiosity. “She asked how did I think you would react once I finally beat you in a challenge. At first, I thought you’d hate me, as I used to hate you...But then, I came to realise that you wanted only the best for me.” he explained his feelings from over 10 years ago. “Ah, yes, I remember. It hurt seeing you throw tantrums, but I knew you’d come to your senses sooner or later. I always had faith in your.” she smiled like a proud kitten. “I know now. Which comes to my reward...Which is your love and trust for me.” came Yin Zhen’s confession, which made the girl blush softly. “You’ll be right there. I have loved you for a long time. My younger self wouldn’t have believed this would be her future. I’m sure she’d be as happy as I am now.” she pulled him down to kiss him again and again and again, overthrilled to be able to spend quality time with him like that. “And I opened my eyes and heart, and here I am, pouring all my love to you and you alone.” he reciprocated the kisses with just as much fire and passion as her. “So...Care to tell me again how endearing you find this little firecracker~?”

#legend of the phoenix imagine #legend of the phoenix x reader #legend of the phoenix #legend of the phoenix yin zhen #legend of the phoenix 4th prince #yin zhi #yin zhen #6th prince #7th prince #11th prince #legend of the phoenix yin zhi #yin zhen x reader #yin zhen imagine #legend of the phoenix yin zhen x reader #legend of the phoenix yin zhen imagine #imperial physician reader #imperial china

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camillemontespan · 5 years ago

Text

ten years from now [AU. drake walker x camille montespan] [final chapter: the good life]

Master List

Thank you so so much for reading this series! I’ve loved all your feedback and support, it means so much. This is the final chapter and I hope you enjoy this. I certainly enjoyed writing it.

I know this series has been under the radar- certainly not as popular as A Kingdom Divided or The History of Us. But I haven’t minded in the slightest - I’ve enjoyed writing this AU and it’s been great having something to focus on during lockdown. I decided to finish this series on this chapter as I am now working full time in a temp job which leaves me exhausted when I get home so I feel it is time to finish Ten Years From Now with this.

@ibldw-main @pug-bitch @jovialyouthmusic @katedrakeohd @rainbowsinthestorm @emichelle @dcbbw @sirbeepsalot @notoriouscs @burnsoslow @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @gardeningourmet @pedudley @marshmallowsandfire @princessleac1 @kingliam2019 @drakeandkatherine ***********************************************

ten years later

The day was promising to bring the heat. The air smelled of peaches and suncream. The sound of laughter and barking mingled together, creating the special atmosphere that only the 4th of July could have.

Drake examined the burgers on the barbeque, making sure they were cooked.

‘Five minutes till the burgers are ready guys!’ he called out.

His daughters looked up to give him wide, beaming smiles before returning to play with their labrador, Clover - named after her predecessor. The dog barked happily as Lily tossed her a ball while Luna clapped her hands, laughing as Clover bolted to catch it.

Drake smiled and set to work on the hot dogs. He was making a feast today; Bianca, Savannah and Bartie were visiting for the celebrations and as the King of 4th of July, Drake was determined to make this year the best year yet.

He said that every year.

‘Hey you.’

Drake looked over his shoulder to find his wife, Camille, coming out of the house. She wore a white t-shirt, denim shorts and was barefoot. Placed on her head was her favourite white fedora. She looked happy and glowing.

‘Hey beautiful,’ he greeted her, gesturing for her to cuddle him. She wrapped her arms around him, smiling as Drake pressed a kiss on top of her head.

‘How’s the food looking?’ she asked. ‘I’ve prepared the sangria as I know your mom adores sangria, there’s wine chilling in the fridge and whiskey is on standby, ready for you when you finish your chef duties.’

Drake chuckled. ‘You really do know how to look after me.’

Camille raised an eyebrow, smiling at him mischievously. ‘Says the man who looked after me this morning.’

Drake blushed at the memory of earlier that morning, tangled in the bedsheets, his head between Camille’s thighs as her fingers gripped hold of the back of his head, her moans loud enough for only Drake to hear.

Camille gave him a wink and left him to play with their family, the Texas air blowing the scent of her coconut shampoo and Chanel perfume towards him.

Peaches, suncream, coconut and Chanel.

Drake’s favourite scents.

***************************

The past ten years had been a decade of joy, peace, love, sadness, grief and hardship. That was life. Nothing was perfect but for Drake and Camille, they certainly tried their best to make it so.

They lived with their two daughters and dog in the house that Drake had found after Camille broke down about budgets and future plans. He knew when he had seen it online that it was the house for them. When he stepped through the front door with the estate agent, he took in the light, airy rooms, the fireplace in the living room, the kitchen island, the outside space, and his feelings were confirmed.

Even better, it was only five minutes away from the Walker ranch.

Drake and Camille had moved in a few months later, excited to start decorating. They spent their days painting the nursery yellow, admiring the way the sunlight glowed against the walls, and they spent their nights out on the garden terrace, Camille setting her feet on Drake’s lap as he massaged them.

Lily was born on the 5th September. When Drake held her in his arms, he knew he would never breathe easy again; all he felt in that first moment was a wave of overwhelming protectiveness. As Camille rested, Drake cradled his newborn daughter, whispering to her about her new life. ‘You’ll be so loved,’ he reassured her. ‘Your life will be filled with sunshine and I’ll teach you how to camp, make s’mores and you’ll learn about the stars in the sky.’

He couldn’t believe that he and Camille had come this far. From best friends to strangers to lovers to partners; they had travelled every part of the relationship spectrum.. Except for one.

*************************************

Drake aged 28, Camille aged 27

Camille sat out on the terrace with Lily on her lap, holding the five day old baby close. She held a daisy in her hand and was showing it to Lily as the baby reached out to stroke it.

‘You’re as pretty as this flower,’ Camille cooed, kissing Lily on the cheek. ‘My pretty flower, Lily.’

Lily gurgled, transfixed by the flower.

‘There’s my girls,’ Drake said, coming out to the terrace. Camille smiled up at him, letting him kiss her softly on the forehead. Drake sat down on the chair beside her, watching Camille and Lily play with the flower.

His heart was pounding now. The box in his pocket felt heavy, a weight he needed to take off his person and put on Camille’s finger instead; if she would have it.

Drake cleared his throat. ‘I need to ask you something,’ he said, his voice cracking.

Camille eyed him. ‘Daddy has to ask me something,’ she whispered in Lily’s ear. ‘Sounds serious..’

Drake smiled at her teasing. Camille grinned and adjusted Lily on her lap. ‘What’s up?’ she asked.

Drake swallowed. Without a word, he got up from his seat and sank down on one knee, keeping his eyes fixed on Camille. She was staring down at him, realisation dawning on her face. Lily was still playing with the flower.

Camille’s eyes were wide. ‘Drake..’ she whispered, her voice hitching. ‘What are you doing-’

Drake took the velvet box out of his pocket and opened it, showing Camille the topaz engagement ring that had belonged to his grandmother. Camille let out a breath, clapping one hand to her mouth as tears filled her brown eyes. Drake smiled softly.

‘We’ve been through so much,’ he said, trying to stop his voice from wavering but failing. ‘We lost each other for ten years. I don’t wanna lose you again. You’re my best friend, my partner, the mother of my child. I need you to be my wife. I need you to be mine and for me to be yours. I want to make this official. I want to call you my wife, I want you to wear this ring and I want you to be by my side forever. Right now, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. It’s all because of you. So.. Camille, will you marry me?’

Tears slid down her face as she nodded silently. She held out her hand to Drake. ‘Yes,’ she croaked. ‘Yes, yes, yes.’

Drake let out a deep breath, mixed with a grateful laugh, and he slid her ring on her finger. It fit perfectly and gleamed in the sunlight. The light caught Lily’s eye and she reached out to stroke it; she was clearly a magpie for pretty things. ‘Gaaaah..’ she gurgled.

Camille cried as she laughed. ‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it Lily?’

Drake grinned and pulled Camille and Lily gently into him, kissing Camille hard before taking Lily into his arms and holding her close.

He was never letting his family go.

*************************************

‘Are we making s’mores later, dad?’ Lily asked, wandering over to Drake as he placed the burgers on a plate.

‘Course we are, baby,’ Drake told her, giving her a warm smile. ‘Wouldn’t be 4th of July without them.’

Lily grinned and started to help him plate up the hotdogs. She was like her mother; always the perfect hostess even though she was only ten years old.

The plan for today was to have a barbeque at Drake and Camille’s, before the family went to the ranch to let off fireworks by the lake. Lily and Luna were particularly excited for the fireworks; Drake had raised them to be true Walkers.

‘Hey my beautifuls!’ Bianca called, coming through the door with Camille, Savannah and Bartie close behind. Lily and Luna rushed over to their grandmother, barrelling into her to give her hugs. Savannah passed Drake a dish of macaroni cheese, eyeing the hotdogs and burgers.

‘Dad would be so proud of you right now,’ she told him, smiling. ‘What a feast!’

‘More to come!’ Drake warned her. ‘Camille made Mississippi mud pie.’

Ten minutes later, the Walkers were sat around the wooden table, toasting their glasses together and tucking into the food that Drake had prepared. Luna snuggled into Drake, happily eating her hotdog in comfortable silence. She was the quietest Walker but also, at five years old, the most intriguing. Drake often wondered what she thought about in that beautiful mind of hers.

Lily was telling Bianca about her girl band that she had formed in the playground with her friends, Harper and Violet. They had plans to achieve world domination but only if Violet overcame her stage fright. ‘It’s not looking good, grandma..’ she said mournfully.

Drake saw Camille looking sadly at the empty chair at the bottom of the table. It had been set, as always, for the one person who couldn’t be there.

Gisele.

*****************************

Drake aged 33; Camille aged 32

Drake didn’t want to tell her. He didn’t know how. He couldn’t.

Bianca had just phoned him with the worst news possible. Between her hiccups, haggered breaths and sobs, she had managed to tell Drake that she had found Gisele in her bed that morning, unable to wake up.

Camille’s grandmother had passed away during the night.

He found Camille in Lily’s bedroom, playing dollhouse with the five year old. ‘So daddy is making breakfast,’ Lily was saying, ‘and mommy is in the garden with the daughter...’

‘Is there a baby doll to add to this family?’ Camille asked. ‘Since you will be having a sister soon..’

Lily shook her head. ‘I don’t have a baby doll,’ she said sadly, ‘so the baby will have to be the pet dog too.’

Camille laughed and continued to play with the little dolls in the dollhouse. Drake cleared his throat, making her turn to look up at him, her eyes dancing with joy.

‘Hi honey!’

Drake winced. ‘Baby.. I need to talk to you.’

Alarmed, Camille left Lily to play and followed Drake out of the room, closing the door behind her. ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, taking his hand. ‘You look like you’re going to be sick.’

He sighed. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he whispered, his voice cracking. ‘My mom just called.. It’s your grandma, Camille..’

He didn’t have to say the words. She knew what he meant instantly. He watched as the joy left her eyes and her face turned pale.

‘No..’ she said. ‘No, no, no-’

Her eyes filled with tears and her face crumpled. Drake pulled her into him, holding her as tightly as he could as she wept. She clutched onto his denim shirt, her tears soaking through the material.

‘I’m so sorry baby..’ he murmured. ‘I’m so fucking sorry.’

The door opened.

Lily peeped out, her eyes filled with fear as she listened to her mother, who was always so full of joy and sunshine, cry her heart out.

‘Mommy..’ she whispered. Drake reached out to take Lily’s hand, guiding her towards them. He slowly let go of Camille as Lily replaced him, wrapping her arms around her mother’s legs. Camille let out an anguished sob and sank down to wrap Lily into a tight embrace, holding onto her daughter for dear life.

Lily rested her head against Camille’s baby bump. The baby kicked gently, as if to say she was there too. Camille wasn’t alone. Even though her treasured grandmother had left this life, Camille had her girls and her husband. Even as she cried, she knew that.

She was grateful.

**************************

The Walkers went to the ranch a few hours later as the sun began to set. Armed with boxes of fireworks, Drake and Camille talked happily as their daughters ran along the dirt road to the ranch. Bianca and Savannah followed, arguing goodnaturedly.

As soon as they arrived, Drake instantly went to work setting up the fireworks. Bianca laid out pitchers of sangria while Camille helped Savannah put up the American flag bunting. Lily and Luna sat down on the jetty, looking up at the emerging stars in the sky. Luna rested her head on Lily’s shoulder, content to be beside her older sister looking up at the stars.

‘I wanna see the fireworks,’ she mumbled.

‘Soon,’ Lily assured her. ‘Dad’s getting them set up.’

Luna smiled, satisfied.

They watched as their mom walked towards Drake with the plastic crown in her hands. Drake let out a deep laugh, bowing his head so Camille could place the crown on his head.

‘Dad’s the King of the 4th of July,’ Lily said, smiling lazily.

‘The best king,’ Luna agreed.

***************************

‘Did you see that?!’ Drake hollered, pointing up at the firework that erupted overhead. ‘What a beauty!’

Lily and Luna jumped up and down, whooping and cheering. Savannah and Bartie oohed and ahhed at the pink, yellow and blue fireworks that lit up the night sky. Camille and Bianca stood behind them with their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders, laughing at Drake’s excitement. The fireworks reflected on his crown, illuminating his features. His eyes were crinkled up in the corners as he smiled widely. He was in his element. He was happy and vibrant and alive.

Drake was the undisputed King of the 4th of July.

*********************

Later, Drake, Camille and their daughters settled down to sit on the jetty. Lily snuggled into Camille, wearing her mom’s fedora with style. Luna sat on Drake’s lap; he wrapped his arms around his youngest daughter, resting his chin on her head as he looked out onto the water.

The jetty had been his favourite place. It still was.

Once it had been a place for Drake and Camille to play together. Then it had become the place where they had lost their innocence to each other as the sun set down on them, casting their bare skin in a golden glow. It had been the place where Drake drank whiskey, celebrating life moments and drowning his sorrows. It had been the place where he and Camille reunited, sharing desperate kisses as they proved their love to each other.

The jetty was now his daughter's place. Lily and Luna spent every summer leaping from it, squealing with delight as they jumped into the lake. They read their books on the jetty and told their secrets to each other. Their skin turned darker as they spent countless hours under the hot sun, enjoying the privacy of the jetty and the stillness of the lake.

So much had happened in ten years and yet the jetty remained unchanged. It would stand for ten years more, and then another decade, welcoming new Walkers to spend their precious time on the wooden boards.

Drake smiled to himself. He felt complete. This was all he needed; his family. He couldn’t wait to see what the next ten years would bring but he hoped he would see more of the good life.

Endless Texas summers. Peaches and suncream. Sunshine and happiness.

#drake x camille

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