#highest grade I got on a test all year

[romanticize-until-you-drop]

2023-12-30

Spent a day at the library with my friend — have never seen the place so empty. I suppose most people who don’t have finals at a weird time like us are enjoying their holidays. But not for me: no, calculus continues to haunt my dreams.

[cheriladycl01]

When at work - Lando Norris x UniStudent! Reader

Plot: Lando has known you since you were born, literally childhood friends. You went to every karting weekend with him until he started to travel more. As childhood lovers who have been dating for 8 years what happens when the general public find out about you?

You'd known Lando since you were born just two years after him, and so until Year 4 when you excelled in your academics you were a school year behind him, you were moved up a year to his year. You followed him to the karting tracks when you were little being his biggest supporter and if you go back and look at interviews you'll always be spotted talking animatedly to his family about the race.

You had very strict parents about schooling and they wouldn't let you miss any days off, you could go to karting with Lando, after school or on the weekends but you couldn't take days off school for his races.

"Mum please! I want to go support him!" you cried when she told you that you couldn't have the day off to go watch Lando kart in one of his first proper championship races.

"No Y/N, Lando has found something he is good at... you are a smart girl and school is where you should be!" you mum had refused, smiling at you sadly.

"Dad?" you cried looking over at your dad, who would normally say yes to any request you had, especially if it involved Lando and his dad Adam, as they were friends.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry but I'll have to agree with your mum on this one" he sighs pulling you into a hug. Those days at school that Lando wasn't there were lonely to say the least, Lando's friends wouldn't hang out with you if it was only you and you didn't have any of friends.

Eventually Lando quit school when he got to British Formula three, there he made lots of new friends including Max, who he introduced to you. You would miss Lando in school, and tried to branch out to make new friends but nothing felt as close as the bond you shared with Lando.

"Y/N, this is my friend Max I met him in karting" he smiles pulling you closer to Max.

"Erm, hi" you had smiled shyly at Max, who smiled back at you. With Max it felt like he was genuinely interested in getting to know you unlike Lando's school friends who just sort of acknowledged your existence because of Lando.

You and Max of course made fast friends after this.

This was 2015, and he asked you there and then to be his girlfriend. At first you laughed and said no, because you thought he was joking and one of the boys from karting had dared him as a cruel joke. But after lots of groveling on his behalf you said yes.

In 2016, you managed to exceed in your GCSE'S getting 6 A* to B grades. Lando had come just to celebrate with you. The next year you did the last of your GCSE's getting 7 more A* - B grades making you come out with 13 GCSE's in total. Lando had come to celebrate with you, while you had gone to celebrate with him that he had won the Formula 3 championship.

He of course, was promoted to Formula 2 for the 2018 season and became a test and reserve driver for Mclaren, which made you so proud because this was his way of being able to get into Formula One. You went on to do your Alevel-s, which were Maths, Physics, Design and Technology and Law. You were now just turned 17 and looking at universities you could go to, and looking at what degree you wanted to go into.

He came second in Formula 2, just behind the other British Racing Driver George Russell. And was promoted to F1 for the 2019 Season and would be in his rookie season.

Halfway through his first season which had gone pretty well with only 2 DNF's and him coming 6th highest, you'd finished your exams and had got offers back from all 5 universities you'd applied to. It was sad really, you'd applied to the University of Surry and University of Royal Holloway just to be near the Mclaren Technology Centre so you could be closer to Lando in the off season.

You'd ended up choosing Cambridge University in the end and spend the rest of your summer until the end of September travelling to races with Lando, you went with his Dad, having his other spare pass. You saw him in Monaco, Canada, France, Austria, Silverstone, Germany and Hungry before you spent the summer break in Greece together along with Max. Then you came with him to Belgium, Italy and Singapore before you had to go home to move into student accommodation.

As a rookie there wasn't too much focus on Lando, but when a girl was spotted with him in the paddock for 10 races, people had questions. After they did some digging they worked out that you were childhood friends with Lando and you were in his older and definitely cringier Instagram pictures, and they checked his tagged photos which led them to your account that he was following.

Luckily it was private but you were shocked at the influx of follow requests.

Rumors spread and people deducted that you must be his girlfriend. It made you nervous but Lando promised to go at your pace.

Your first year of university was cut short, everything went into lockdown, and you were alone in your little dorm room with 5 other housemates. It was a month until you finished all your exams online, and made the decision to travel to Lando's to live with him.

You ended up staying with him for the whole lockdown, and then travelling around with him for the whole of the 2020 season. You managed to do this while studying as your campus was shut for the whole of 2020 and most of 2021. You had an amazing second year grade passing with a 92 overall school having a 1st in your second year. So when 2021 came around you'd applied for Formula One internships so you could keep travelling around with Lando and almost all of them as they already knew you accepted you, you had a difficult time deciding who to go with.

Eventually you went with Red Bull, of course Lando had made jokes about how betrayed he felt, but was happy for you being in a top constructor. You joined them for the 2021 Azerbaijan GP, on the 6th of June you were there for 17 races in 2021 and learnt so much from the team.

You spent until September 2022 with them having major input on the build of the 2022 Red Bull to the point Christian Horner ask for you to be shown on the Instagram. 14 races you spend with them and it was a wild ride before you had to go back to University for your final year.

At this point you and Lando had been together for 7 years strong now. People worked out how long you'd been together a while ago and it had really shocked them. They expected you to be engaged and ... well they weren't far off.

He proposed to you in the winter break of 2022 on a ski holiday he'd taken you on. All of your's and his family were there too see and it was beyond magical. You were going into the 2023 season with a Fiancé and your soulmate.

You let your Instagram go public during this time, the fans had been asking for more content from you. You appeared on streams, and Lando always posted you on his accounts. Now it was time for them to go and stalk you account, instantly people went back through your photos finding old pictures from when you and Lando were younger and then the more recent pictures that everyone thought were cute.

Now Lando had gone back to racing and you were starting revision for exams that would happen in May.

However, you didn't tell Lando, that money was getting a bit tight. You'd always been funny when it came to how much Lando earned and how he always insisted that you lived rent free with him and to not worry about it. So at the start of 2023, towards the end of your degree you got a little side job as a barista in an independent coffee shop.

Lando of course being busy now that it was the start of the 2023 season and he had a new rookie team mate to meet, he was none the wiser.

It was just a typical day at the coffee shop when you were with your colleague, making yourself a drink when a girl and her friend came in.

"Oh my gosh, your Y/N!" a voice says making you look up, you smile happily not thinking much off it because you were wearing a name badge so you assumed she got it from there.

"Yes, hello how can I help you today!" you ask politely stopping making your drink and walking over to the till.

"You're Y/N Lando Norris Fiancé right?" she asks and your mouth drops open in shock. You had been noticed around the paddock, of course you had... but this was the first time someone had come to you in public.

"Ah yes I am!" you smile shyly. The interaction was relatively normal, you served them their drinks and made conversation with them before having to go back and serve more customers.

You didn't notice them take pictures and videos of you interacting and serving customers, which of course made their way onto social media. Suddenly and influx of customers came, which was strange for a Tuesday afternoon.

As well as the influx of customers you had people come in with cameras, starting to take pictures.

"Y/N what is happening all of these people are asking for you" Rhianne your co-worker asks and that's when the blender turns off and you can hear people calling your name.

They were fans of F1.

"Hey Y/N Lando deserves better than you"

"Y/N why are you working minimum wage when you have a boyfriend with a net worth of over 10 mil"

"Y/N break up with Lando"

"Oh my god, how did they all know this is where I work" you say asking your colleague not sure what to even do.

"Okay, let's get you out the back. Call the police and I'll try keep up with orders" She says pushing you towards the exit, the staff room was on the other side of the shop so you were going to have to tackle your way through the mound of people.

Eventually after people shoving phones in your face and grabbing at your wrist. You manage to get into the staff area and lock the door. You were crying as you called the police, who said they'd send bodies to you immediately.

After you hung up, your phone started to ring and Lando's face popped up.

"Hi baby" you say trying to sound like your not crying. Your camera was facing up so he couldn't see you.

"Y/N show me where you are right now. I swear to god, if what I'm seeing on twitter is true" he huffs out making you pan down the camera to show the back room you were in. He was in Australia right now and had heard from Oscar that you were trending on twitter and looked scared.

"Are you safe?" he asks worried, making you burst into tears. You could suddenly feel everyone's hands back on you and your breathing goes shallow.

"Mmm, I had to call the police there was so many people" you cry, wiping your tears.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Look after Australia, I'm coming to you okay! Why the fuck didn't you ask me if you needed money" he asks looking at you with that disappointed look you hated.

"Lando, you know how i feel about that" you say.

"Baby, your still in Uni. You shouldn't have to work. Do you parents know?" he asks, and you shake you head.

"Hey Y/N! How are you?" Oscar asks coming into view of the camera.

"I'm okay Oscar, I cant wait to meet you next week!" You smile at him, blinking away the tears that were still trying to come out.

"Oh, I think the police are here, but I'll call you when I'm home!" you say hearing a knock at the door.

"Ask them to take you home. You shouldn't walk round the streets alone! I love you darling" Lando sighs.

"I love you too Lando, thank you!"

A/N: I feel like this isn't very good, I'm sorry this feels like its so info dumpy and not much fluff!!

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle

[myonexox]

RIVAL TURNED PARTNER

pairing : academic rival!jungwon x female!reader

genre : academic rivals to lovers, fluff, romance

synopsis : you and jungwon, two top-performing students, constantly compete for the highest rank in your class. when paired for a national academic competition, you must set aside your rivalry and work together.

word count : 2.9k

the room was thick with tension as the results of the latest schoolwide examination were pinned to the bulletin board. students huddled around, craning their necks to find their scores but all you cared about was one name: yang jungwon.

“second again” you muttered under your breath, your gaze narrowing as you saw his name just above yours on the list. jungwon had taken the top spot. again.

“better luck next time i guess” came a smug voice from behind you. you didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.

“don’t you have anything better to do than gloat, jungwon?” you snapped, finally facing him. he stood there with that infuriatingly calm smile, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement.

“what? i’m just being supportive” he said, feigning innocence. “after all, second place isn’t that bad, right?”

you clenched your fists, resisting the urge to wipe that grin off his face. “enjoy it while it lasts” you said sharply. “next time i’m taking the top spot”

“well, looking forward to it” he replied, giving you a mock bow before walking away. his confidence made your blood boil but deep down, it also fueled your determination. you’d show him. you always did.

your rivalry with jungwon had started during your very first year at the prestigious decelis academy. from the moment you set foot in the school, you’d been determined to prove yourself. academics were your forte and you weren’t about to let anyone outshine you.

but then came jungwon. the golden boy with perfect grades, a perfect smile and to your dismay, perfect manners. he was polite to everyone, helpful to teachers and adored by classmates. except you. for some reason, he seemed to reserve all his teasing, smirks and playful comments just for you. and as much as you hated to admit it, it worked. he got under your skin like no one else could.

from math tests to science fairs, debates to mock trials, the two of you had always been neck and neck. you’d win one round and he’d win the next, each victory spurring the other to work even harder. it wasn’t just competition, it was war.

“you’re so obsessed with beating him” your best friend had once said, watching as you scribbled furious notes in the library after class.

“i am not obsessed” you’d replied indignantly. “i just… don’t like losing to him”

“uh-huh” she had said, not looking convinced. “well, he seems to like losing to you even less”

you had rolled your eyes, unwilling to entertain the idea that jungwon could be bothered by anything you did. he was always so composed, so infuriatingly sure of himself. it was as if nothing fazed him. and yet, every time you beat him in a test or scored higher in a project, you’d catch the briefest flicker of something in his eyes. annoyance? frustration? it was hard to tell but it was enough to keep you going.

what you didn’t know though, was that jungwon had a secret.

behind his confident exterior and teasing remarks, he had always admired you. from the very first day, when you’d stood up in class to correct the teacher on a math problem, he’d been struck by your determination. you were smart, bold and unrelenting and it fascinated him. but instead of telling you outright, he’d chosen to mask his feelings with playful jabs and constant competition. it was easier that way. safer.

still, there were moments when his true feelings slipped through the cracks. like the time he’d stayed late at the library, pretending to study just so he could keep an eye on you as you worked tirelessly on your history essay. or the time he’d overheard you complaining to your best friend about your struggles with calculus and had “coincidentally” left his neatly written notes on your desk the next day.

“who even writes like this?” you’d muttered, flipping through the notes. but you’d used them anyway and he’d silently celebrated your improved score.

for jungwon, your rivalry was more than just competition. it was his way of staying close to you, of being a part of your world. and though he’d never admit it, he loved the way your eyes lit up with determination whenever you faced off against him. he loved the fire in your voice when you argued, the way you never backed down. he loved you.

but he also knew you’d never believe him if he told you. not when he’d spent years annoying you, pushing your buttons and stealing the spotlight. so he kept his feelings hidden, letting the rivalry be his excuse to stay close to you.

the next day, you found yourself in the library, poring over your textbooks. midterms were just around the corner and you were determined to outscore jungwon this time. you’d even mapped out a new study schedule, complete with color-coded tabs and a list of practice tests.

“planning world domination?” a familiar voice drawled, pulling you out of your thoughts.

you looked up to see him leaning against the bookshelf, his arms crossed and that infuriating smirk on his face. “what do you want?” you asked, glaring at him.

“just checking in on my favorite rival” he said, sliding into the seat across from you. “you look stressed”

“and you look annoyingly relaxed” you shot back. “shouldn’t you be studying right now?”

“i don’t need to” he said, shrugging. “i’m already prepared”

you scoffed. “of course you are” you muttered, flipping through your notes. “you’re always so perfect, aren’t you?”

for a moment, his smirk faltered, replaced by something softer. but before you could notice, it was back. “not perfect” he said lightly. “just better than you”

you glared at him but instead of firing back, you turned your attention to your books. “if you’re not going to study, at least let me focus” you said, hoping he’d take the hint and leave.

but of course he didn’t. instead, he leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he watched you. “you know” he said after a moment “you’re kind of amazing”

you blinked, caught off guard. “what?”

“your dedication” he said. “the way you work so hard. it’s impressive”

you didn’t know what to say, didn't know how to reply. was this another one of his tricks? another way to throw you off your game?

“are you trying to distract me?” you asked suspiciously.

he chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “maybe” he admitted. “but it’s still true”

you stared at him, trying to figure out what game he was playing. but his expression was unreadable and before you could press further, he stood up.

“anyway, don’t stay up too late” he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “wouldn’t want you to burn out before the big test”

and with that, he walked away, leaving you more confused than ever.

═════════════════════════════

the announcement was made on a monday morning right after the school assembly. principal choi’s voice echoed through the gymnasium.

“this year, we are proud to announce that decelis academy will be represented in the national academic competition by two of our finest students, yang jungwon and...” a dramatic pause that you swore was unnecessary “...y/n”

the sound of polite applause rippled through the crowd but your mind went blank. you glanced across the gym to where jungwon was sitting and your eyes met. no. this cannot be happening.

by the time the assembly ended, you’d barely made it out of your seat before he intercepted you near the double doors. “this has to be a joke” he said.

“believe me, i wish it were” you shot back, crossing your arms. “do you think i want to spend weeks working with you?”

“you could’ve fooled me” he replied, his signature smirk making an appearance. “after all, who wouldn’t want to bask in my brilliance?”

you rolled your eyes so hard it almost hurt. “get over yourself, jungwon. just because you’re good at math doesn’t mean i’m going to swoon at the thought of working with you”

he opened his mouth to retort but before he could, a teacher’s voice cut through the tension.

“ah, there you two are!” mr lee, the head of the academic committee, approached with an enthusiastic smile. “congratulations on being selected! i’m sure the two of you will make an excellent team”

you exchanged a glance with jungwon, both of you clearly thinking the same thing, we’re doomed.

your first meeting was scheduled for that afternoon in the library. you arrived early, hoping to claim the best seat and establish some kind of advantage. but of course he was already there, seated comfortably with a stack of neatly arranged notes in front of him.

“punctuality” he said without looking up. “i’m impressed”

“don’t get used to it” you muttered, dropping your bag onto the table with a little more force than necessary.

he finally looked up, raising an eyebrow. “you know, this might actually work better if we don’t spend the entire time trying to out-snark each other”

“i’ll stop if you will” you said, narrowing your eyes.

“deal” he said, leaning back in his chair. “now, let’s talk strategy”

for the next hour, you begrudgingly discussed the competition’s format, dividing up the subjects based on your strengths. you took the lead on literature and history while jungwon claimed science and math. the arrangement made sense but working with him still felt like walking a tightrope.

“you know, like i said” he said at one point, tapping his pen against the table “if you spent less time trying to prove you’re better than me, you might actually enjoy this”

you stared at him, incredulous. “enjoy this? working with you?”

“why not?” he said with a shrug. “i mean, you’re not completely insufferable”

“wow” you said dryly. “high praise coming from you”

he grinned, clearly amused by your sarcasm. “see? you’re already having fun”

you wanted to argue but the truth was, there was something oddly satisfying about the back-and-forth. as much as you hated to admit it, his sharp wit and quick thinking kept you on your toes. and for once, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

as the weeks went by, the late afternoons in the library became a routine. at first, the sessions were tense, filled with curt remarks and thinly veiled insults. but gradually, something shifted. maybe it was the shared stress of preparing for the competition or the realization that you were, in fact, stronger as a team. whatever it was, the rivalry began to soften, replaced by something resembling… camaraderie?

one evening, as you both pored over a particularly challenging set of practice questions, jungwon let out a frustrated sigh.

“this is ridiculous” he said, running a hand through his hair. “seriously, who even writes these questions? sadists?”

you couldn’t help but laugh. “probably. or people who have way too much free time”

he looked at you, surprised by your laughter and his expression softened. “you know, you should do that more often”

“do what?” you asked, still smiling.

“laugh” he said simply. “it suits you”

you blinked, caught off guard by his words. “uh… thanks?”

he shrugged, turning his attention back to the questions but you couldn’t shake the warmth that his comment had sparked.

as you turned back to your notes, trying to refocus, his words replayed in your mind like a broken record. laugh. it suits you. it wasn’t the kind of comment you expected from him. sharp-tongued, competitive jungwon who seemed to take more joy in annoying you than anything else. but there had been no sarcasm in his tone, no teasing glint in his eye. it had been genuine... or not?

your chest felt strangely tight, a fluttering sensation creeping in as you stole a glance at him. his head was bent over the notebook, scribbling furiously. was he flustered? the thought was almost absurd yet you couldn’t help but wonder.

why does it even matter anyway? you told yourself firmly.

meanwhile, jungwon was equally unsettled. he didn’t know why he’d said it. it had just slipped out. he blamed the late hours and the exhaustion for loosening his filter but deep down, he knew the truth.

he’d always noticed how your laugh lit up your face, how it softened the sharp edges of your determined, competitive demeanor. but saying it out loud? that was new. and now he couldn’t stop glancing at you, wondering if you’d caught on to the meaning behind his words.

get it together, jungwon. he scolded himself, gripping his pen tighter.

═════════════════════════════

the day of the national academic competition arrived earlier than you had expected. you stood in front of the grand auditorium, your heart pounding against your ribcage as you took in the sight of the enormous building. banners bearing the competition’s emblem fluttered in the wind and students from schools across the country poured inside, their faces a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

beside you, jungwon adjusted the strap of his bag as he stared ahead. it was strange seeing him so serious and nervous and you weren’t sure if it comforted you or made you even more nervous.

“well” he said finally, breaking the silence “ready to show everyone why we’re the best?”

you turned to him. despite his confidence, you noticed the way his fingers tapped against the strap of his bag, a subtle tell that he was just as nervous as you were.

“of course” you said, forcing a steady tone. “don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts”

“never” he replied, his smirk widening. “i just hope you can keep up”

rolling your eyes, you let out a small laugh. it was comforting in a way to have him tease you. you both stepped inside the auditorium.

it was massive with rows of seats filled with students, teachers and judges. the stage at the front was set with individual podiums for each team, each equipped with microphones and screens. you and jungwon were directed to your designated podium where your names and school logo were displayed on the screen.

“this is it” he muttered as you both took your places. “no turning back now”

“not that we’d want to” you replied, giving him a small smile.

the competition began with an opening speech from the host, a charismatic professor who welcomed everyone and explained the rules. the format was straightforward. three rounds, each testing a different subject area with increasing difficulty as the rounds progressed. the team with the highest overall score at the end would be crowned the winner.

“let the best team win” the host declared and the first round began.

the first round focused on general knowledge, a rapid-fire session where speed and accuracy were key. as the questions appeared on the screen, you both fell into an unspoken rhythm. he tackled the math and science questions with ease while you handled the history and literature ones. each correct answer brought a rush of adrenaline and you could feel the audience’s energy feeding into your own.

by the end of the first round, your team was tied for first place with another school. as the scores were displayed on the screen, you couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. jungwon leaned closer, his voice low so only you could hear.

“we’ve got this”

the second round was more challenging, focusing on problem-solving and critical thinking. each team was given a series of complex scenarios to analyze, requiring collaboration and quick decision-making.

“okay” you said, scanning the first scenario on the screen. “it’s a logic puzzle. we need to figure out the sequence of events based on the clues given”

he nodded, already jotting down notes. “if we eliminate the impossible options first, that should narrow it down”

for the next several minutes, the two of you worked in sync, bouncing ideas off each other and refining your answers. despite the pressure, you couldn’t help but notice how well you and jungwon complemented each other. where you hesitated, he pushed forward and where he faltered, you stepped in to steady the pace.

“time’s up!” the host called and the answers were submitted.

when your team’s score for the round was announced, it was met with a wave of applause. you were still in first place, pulling ahead of the other teams. jungwon turned to you.

“you’re really good at this” he said.

“so are you” you admitted, the words coming easier than you expected.

the final round was a grueling test of endurance, a mix of all subjects with questions designed to push the competitors to their limits. by this point, exhaustion was setting in but neither of you was willing to back down.

“focus” he said under his breath as the next question appeared. “we’re almost there”

you nodded, channeling every ounce of energy you had left into the competition. the questions came faster, each one more difficult than the last.

when the final buzzer sounded, you felt like you could finally breathe again. the host took the stage, a wide smile on his face as he addressed the audience.

“and now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. the winners of this year’s national academic competition are...”

the room fell silent.

“decelis academy, yang jungwon and y/n!”

the auditorium erupted into cheers and applause as your names flashed on the screen. you turned to jungwon, your heart racing with disbelief and excitement.

“we did it!” you said, a wide grin spreading across your face.

without thinking, you threw your arms around him, pulling him into a hug, the joy bubbling over before you could stop it. it wasn’t until you felt the solid warmth of his chest against yours that you realized what you’d done.

“oh my gosh i—” you stammered, beginning to pull away but his arms had already come up to steady you.

jungwon stood frozen for a moment, caught completely off guard. his wide eyes met yours and for a second, the world around you seemed to blur. then, slowly, his expression softened. a small, almost shy smile tugged at his lips.

“you’re really happy, huh?” he murmured.

you nodded, too flustered to say anything. your hands dropped from his shoulders.

“me too” he admitted, his smile growing as he stepped back. “we did it, together”

[stellar-haikyuu]

get well soon ☆ shirabu kenjirou x reader

synopsis: second-year reader has been shirabu’s classmate and academic rival since their first year. when reader overworks themselves and they break down during a test, shirabu is unexpectedly “kind.” details: academic rivals to friends/lovers, some angst, hurt/comfort, ~3.2k words, gn! reader. warnings: some descriptions of reader having low self-esteem and test anxiety :( also, this is long; i hope the time skips are clear.

Sometimes, you wonder how you ended up here. 

You were excited to finally reach the last leg of your high school journey after years of studying at Shiratorizawa Academy. 

Of course, you knew the climb would only get harder, but you had no idea the mountain would be this rocky.

Your goal was clear: consistently be at the top of your class, for at least two out of three terms every year. 

When you started your first year, the classes seemed pretty manageable. You didn’t think you’d have any trouble.

That was until your classmate, Shirabu Kenjirou, came out on top in the first term.

He didn’t say that much, but his scores spoke for themselves. Threatened, you pushed back.

You recited at least once every class. You volunteered to help your teachers. You made damn sure that you’d be congratulated for getting the highest test scores.

By then, you knew you had his attention.

An academic rivalry was not part of your plan; but for the sake of maintaining a competitive medical school application, you told yourself to accept it. 

And apparently, he has plans to apply to med school, too! Great!

Through sheer determination, you successfully beat him by the end of the second term. When you came home to your family for winter break, you proudly shared the news.

Come third term, everyone in your class knew you two were battling it out. Even the teachers caught on and reminded you two to keep the competition friendly.

Nobody would ever forget your pair work in social studies that ended in an impromptu debate about the Japanese economy. Your teacher just sighed and reiterated that your grade was shared, not separate.

Despite it all, you survived…only to end up tied with him in the class ranking. It was so unlikely, but somehow, the cumulative totals of your percentages were equal.

You had no idea how it made you feel, but you prayed to everyone and everything, hoping it would come to an end.

However, the day you walked into your new second-year classroom, you wondered if your wishes fell on deaf ears.

Sat in the front row was the sandy-haired boy with the infuriating bowl cut bangs.

You know it’s not like you, but you crave seeing the sour look on Shirabu’s face whenever you win against him.

It’s become second nature to send him a sickly sweet smile each time you get praised by a teacher.

You couldn’t help it, not when you found out he became the starting setter for Shiratorizawa’s volleyball team this year. 

Sports was never something you cared about, as you’d rather spend the rest of the afternoon studying. But, it irked you to see how well he seemed to balance his extracurriculars with his academics.

No, you even envied it—the training was no joke. Your friends tell you that it’s constant early morning and late afternoon training, plus a harsh coach. 

Yet, the guy comes into class acing his assignments, almost as if he hasn’t spent hours of his day throwing and hitting balls.

Just for once, you want to see him break.

You feel ashamed to think that way about someone, but sometimes, it seems easier to be resentful.

It didn’t help that he was constantly being congratulated by classmates and teachers because Shiratorizawa won the Miyagi Interhigh Tournament.

Internally, you were happy because it meant not seeing him in class for a while. But the more you thought about it…

He’s going to Tokyo for Nationals. He plays with a team. He has a life outside of academics. 

You? You’ve got nothing going on.

Your days all blend together: late-night studying, rushed breakfast, intense classes, library time, dinner, studying some more. Repeat.

Your roommate offers company, though they're equally busy, chasing their own dream of becoming a lawyer. 

And while you see friends at lunch, you’ve started declining invites to go out, even on weekends. You can barely recall what the arcade or nearby cafés look like.

You always say you need more time to study. That you’re tired and want to rest. There’s truth to your reasons, yet you feel frustrated.

Unfulfilled. 

Pissed.

Why can’t I be like him?

Adding insult to injury, they release the first-term grade cards and class rankings. 

Just like last year, Shirabu took the top spot. You came in second, but only by a small, decimal point difference.

Something twists in your gut.

Normally, you do pretty decently in your mathematics classes, but it doesn’t mean you never struggle with the lessons.

The second-term curriculum seems to be out to get you though. Limits? Elementary Calculus? Where in the world would you need this kind of math in your life?

Lately, you’ve been observing Shirabu at the library on his free days. You wait until he brings out the math textbooks and worksheets, then time how long it takes him to finish studying.

It takes him about half the time it takes you. 

You’re not even surprised when he’s applauded for getting the highest mark on the lastest math test.

Of course. He has a way with numbers that I don’t.

When you receive your test paper, you stare at the red ink. You passed, but only by a few points. Relief and disappointment swirl inside you.

The teacher starts to go over the items that most students had difficulty with, but you don’t pay attention. You can’t, not when you know everything’s starting to fall apart.

For the first time in your life, you felt the danger of failure. It was terrifying.

You can feel Shirabu gazing at you, but you don’t look back.

He’s not important now. You need to survive.

If he starts wondering why you stopped going to the library, it’s none of his business.

A distraction is the last thing you need.

You stop talking to everyone, choosing to stick your head between your books during break.

You no longer recite in every single class. Once a day is enough to conserve your mental energy.

The weekends are reserved for a strict study regimen that gives you more time to study for math.

Your classmates whisper about you. They send concerned looks your way.

Some teachers ask if you’re okay, but you say that you’re fine.

You should be. 

You have to be.

Two weeks have passed, and there’s another stupid math test coming. Tomorrow, to be exact.

Your dorm room is silent. Your roommate has long fallen asleep on their desk, knocked out from working on their chemistry assignments.

It’s past midnight now, but you’re only halfway through the test coverage—partially, it’s also thanks to an English project draft that was also due tomorrow.

Your head is buzzing with anxious thoughts, worries that you’ll forget everything you’ve spent days studying.

I need to pass, I need to pass, I need to pass…

The numbers and symbols start to fly around the page. The steps starts to lose all sense of logic.

You don’t even register your eyelids drooping and the pencil falling out of your hands.

Fatigue is a tough thing to fight off. 

The next time you blink, it’s to wake up.

Both you and your roommate jolt at your morning alarms.

When did I fall asleep?

You groan and sit up, massaging a small cramp out of your neck. Your head has a lingering ache, you realize, as you wipe away a small amount of drool from the corner of your lips.

But you have no time to think about it. You need to get ready for the day.

The rest of the morning goes by in a haze. You pick up one of the energy bars on your bedside table. You feel like you can’t really eat anything more, anyway.

There’s a pit in your stomach. You suppose it’s hunger, test anxiety, or something else.

Whatever, whatever, I’m going to be late.

Your roommate gives you one last “good luck” before you both dash to your classrooms in the high school building.

Thankfully, all your morning classes were either entirely new lessons or reviews of familiar material. You cannot listen to anything your teachers are saying.

On your desk, your physics notebook is secretly opened. You try to review what you can, but it’s tough.

You feel like nodding off at any moment. The room feels hotter than usual, too.

When recess comes around, you’ve lost your appetite entirely. It’s an odd, contradicting feeling. You’re hungry and you know you need to eat, but you don’t want to.

Maybe you shouldn’t. You feel like you might throw up if you do. Lunch comes right after anyway, so you’ll wait until the nerves are gone.

It’s time. 

Your teacher walks into the room and you cannot believe that you’re about to take the dreaded test. Your legs can’t stop shaking. 

Somehow, the worst sensations are hitting your body all at once. Heat, chills, nausea, sluggishness, and some sort of brain fog.

You can’t even focus on the final reminders that your teacher is giving you. There’s some chatter from your classmates, but it’s all garbled noise in your ears. 

Every second feels like a century. The testing sheets make their way down each column, and you whisper one last prayer before your papers are passed to you.

Oh god.

Even though you’re staring directly at the page, none of the words or numbers register. The questions send a shiver down your spine.

How the hell do I do this again?

Breathe.

Breathe.

You’ve studied this.

You try to focus on the simpler questions first, to get them out of the way. You avoid reading the last few pages to give yourself some peace of mind.

You’re thankful that there are some parts with multiple choice questions, but your mind spins, trying to comprehend the conceptual aspects of your math lesson.

Your heart starts to pound wildly in your chest. You grip your pencil tightly as you attempt to solve or answer something.

You manage to come up with responses, but you get the feeling that there may have been something wrong in your computations. If there’s one thing you hated about mathematics, it’s how the careless mistakes result in a domino effect.

Whatever. It’s done. Next part.

You glance around the classroom, seeing nothing but your classmates working around you. Nobody seems to be struggling like you were.

Maybe they’re better at hiding it. It’s fine. It’s fine.

As you progress to the other questions, you find it increasingly challenging to concentrate and recall the steps. Nothing is surfacing to your memory. You feel like your skull is just stuffed with cotton.

What’s wrong with me?

The feeling is overwhelming. You look at the clock, realizing that you’ve already spent half the period on less than half of the questions.

I might not finish.

I don’t know what to do.

Nothing makes sense anymore. You feel like your insides are going to explode. Everything hurts. You feel like throwing up. It’s cold and hot and you don’t understand it.

I’m going to fail. 

The very thought brings your anxiousness to a peak. Tears fall from your eyes without warning. Your pencil drops to the floor as you hold your head in your hands.

It’s like a dam breaks.

It’s not long before you catch your classmates’ and teacher’s attention.

You can hear your teacher call out to you, but you don’t know what to to say. You register her coming closer, asking you questions with surprise and concern.

“Darling, what’s the matter?”

You can’t stop crying. Your mind runs a mile a minute.

You feel a cold hand on your forehead, and there’s a hiss that follows.

"You're burning up," she mutters, a crease of worry in her brow. "I think you've got a fever. You should go to the nurse. We can schedule a make-up test this week."

You sniffle and nod in response. The teacher takes your test booklet, giving your shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze before returning to her desk.

"Is there anyone finished? Kindly help them to the nurse if so," she asks, her voice echoing in the quiet classroom.

You don’t even realize who volunteers. You just want this to end.

There's a small tap on your shoulder. "Hey, let’s go." It's a voice you know all too well.

You look up to find none other than Shirabu standing over you.

Of course he's already finished, you think bitterly to yourself.

You muster a weak nod, feeling even smaller as he helps you pack up your things.

The hallway is nearly deserted, with a faint murmur of voices and the shuffling of distant footsteps. You’re aware of the sideway glances that a few students and teachers give you as they pass by.

You cover your face with your hands; you’ve always hated what you looked like when you cry. 

And I just had to break down in front of him like this.

To your surprise though, you notice that Shirabu’s matching his pace to yours. Shirabu always walks quickly, often a few steps ahead of anyone else. But right now, he's walking just slow enough that, if you picked up the pace, you'd be side-by-side.

Is he only doing this because the teacher asked him? But she isn’t here to see him right now, so-

"What happened to you?" His voice cuts through your thoughts.

You startle at his question, expecting this entire walk to be silent.

“I…I don’t know.” Your voice is still a little thick. “I couldn’t answer the questions at all.”

"No. I meant, why'd you go even if you were sick?"

“Oh.” You sniffle, embarrassed. “I thought I could handle it…didn’t know it would be this bad. Just wanted to show up.”

Shirabu goes quiet for a moment, before asking more questions.

“How long have you been feeling this way? Did you even eat or drink anything? You didn’t do either during recess.”

His questions catch you off guard. You can’t believe that he’s asking you something this personal. There’s no bite to his words. Just genuine curiosity.

“Uh,” you falter. You try to think back to yesterday and this morning. “Well, I…”

"You...?" He prompts, urging you to continue. 

“Um, I mean, I’ve been tired lately. Who wouldn’t be?” You mutter.

Shirabu raises his eyebrows.

Ugh, he won’t stop until I tell him.

“I didn’t really eat a lot yesterday.” You sigh. “Energy bar this morning. Water, I don’t know how much.”

You can see the gears turning as he processes your response. “So, you haven’t been eating, drinking, and resting enough. Surely, you would have realized this wouldn’t end well for you?”

Hearing him say it out loud suddenly makes you feel defensive. It feels like he’s about to counter your argument in a debate—a deliberate search for weak spots.

“Well, sorry about that, Mister Perfect."

“What?”

“I get it! I don’t have my damn life together right now!” You grit your teeth together in frustration.

"How will you practice medicine without taking care of yourself?" Shirabu responds.

Oh, you’ve done it.

“Why the hell do you care?” You snap. Fresh tears spring to your eyes. 

The both of you stop walking and a heavy atmosphere settles after your emotional outburst. 

Shirabu doesn’t respond immediately, which somehow makes you feel worse. You feel stupid for overreacting.

“Look,” he says quietly. “I’m not trying to be mean. It’s just that…you have to make it.”

Your head lifts up in surprise. “W-What?”

“You have to make it into medicine.”

“Why?”

“That’s your dream, isn’t it?”

“I, yes…” Your voice is soft. You’re not sure what he’s trying to get at. “But what’s it to you if I achieve it or not?”

“We need more brilliant doctors.”

That stuns you and you chuckle in disbelief at his words.

“Don’t mess with me. You can’t be so sure,” you mutter.

“I’m usually right about things,” he deadpans.

You glare at him, though a small part of you is thankful for that tinge of “normalcy” at a moment like this.

“Just...” He sighs, pausing to think. “I’ve never met someone that pushed to work this hard academically.”

You let out a weak laugh. “Hm. The feeling is mutual, Shirabu.”

There’s a few beats of silence before he continues. 

“You still feel that way now? Is that why you pushed yourself to take this test instead of resting?”

“Maybe…I don’t know,” you answer. Your brain can only take so much now. “But whatever. I get it—I’ve been making a lot of stupid decisions.”

“Then don’t make any more,” Shirabu says in a firm voice. He turns his entire body to face you, and his hands settle on your shoulders. “Listen to me.”

“Woah, what-”

“You better follow what the nurse says so you can recover.” He pauses, considering his next words carefully. “Once you’re better, I’m going to help you with math.” 

He grip tightens for just a moment before he lets go. When his words sink in, you blink at him, bewildered. 

“I’m sorry, did you get hit in the head by a volleyball?”

“I’m serious,” he glares.

“Why are you doing this? You’re helping me?”

“Did you not hear what I said earlier? I want you to make it.”

“...into medicine.” You whisper, completing his statement. 

Wait. “I want?” Didn’t he say-

“Yes.” He continues walking, but halts for a moment to look over his shoulder. “Come on.”

You follow. 

“And you plan on making it to medicine, too, Shirabu.” 

“Mhm,” he responds with absolute certainty.

As you both round the corner, the nurse’s office comes into view. You decide to ask the question forming in your mind before you lose the chance to.

“Are you saying that you want me to stick around?”

You brave a quick glance at his face, but the intensity in his eyes takes your breath away.

“I do.”

At some point, you drifted off after the nurse questioned you and guided you to one of the beds.

You vaguely remember Shirabu holding on to your belongings and lingering for a while before the nurse dismissed him.

“Hi, darling,” the nurse says, noticing you sit up. “Are you feeling a little better?”

“Yes,” you respond. Your fever’s gone down, according to the thermometer, though you still feel groggy.

“That’s good. I think you can go return to your dorm once you’re ready.”

You nod in response and you thank the nurse for her assistance. She moves to return to her desk, but then she stops.

“By the way…” She faces you again. “That kind boy from your class brought you some food from the cafeteria.”

Huh?

She points to the wrapped bowl on your bedside table. 

“Oh, I see. Thank you.”

Shirabu bringing you food was already surprising, but what truly catches your eye are the pages of class notes held together by a metal paperclip.

You gasp once you read the sticky note on top.

These are notes from today’s classes.  Review them when you’ve recovered. Take your meds, eat, hydrate, and rest properly. Get well soon. - Shirabu

masterlist

[fandomtherapy44]

Five Hargreeves X reader Coffee and Sarcasm One shot!

Summary: Y/n works at Griddy's Coffee House to make money for school. It's not the best but it's not the worst. But everything gets more interesting when a certain customercomes in her life changes in best way.

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x reader

WC: 1.8k

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cafekitsune

AN/ Hey Ya'll so... I hated the ending of TUA if you liked I'm happy you did but to me, it was the worst way to end such an amazing beloved show. I know it works logically with how the show is set up but it's just so dessperseing to think they never existed. And there was a lot more that was wrong with this season. But one of the biggest to me is LILA AND FIVE like WTF. I hate the excuse of oh Five needs a love interest, like no he does not his love story was always getting back to his family and saving them, and for Lila oh how they destroyed two great characters in the last two episodes how she was just was willingly cheat on Digeo and not to mention their kids!? So this is my take on Five and Having a Love Interest. I hope you enjoy it.

My life wasn’t perfect but good, I didn’t have adventures every day, and I could barely afford to go out of state to see my family every year. Like I said not perfect but good. I worked in a little coffee/doughnut shop named Griddy’s my boss was so sweet that she let me do my schooling on the side and would let me take the extra tips from the pool knowing that I didn’t have all the money when going to school.

“Ugh I can’t do it that guy is a total asshole, Y/n can you take him.” My coworker Becky asked me with pleading eyes. I looked up from my textbook. “He’s really that bad?” She huffs and puffs. “Well no he’s just so arrogant and sarcastic.” I looked back down at my book knowing I had to finish this section. “I would but I have to finish this-”

“You can take my tips from tonight.” That shuts me right up. “Did he already order any doughnuts?” I tied my apron back over my pink polyester uniform quickly. Becky was just able to give that up because she only had this job because she was rich and her parents forced her to get this job to teach her responsibilities even though they still paid for everything she was lucky. She gets a smirk on her face and a hand on her hip. “That’s what I thought, and no.” Correction she was a lucky bitch.

I walked out to this apparently horrible guy and surprisingly he was around my age and wearing a suit, interesting. “Hi I’m Y/n welcome to Griddy’s coffee what can I get you.” he puts down the newspaper and he was one of the cutest assholes I have ever seen. “Coffee black, and try not to burn which I know can be really hard but I need my fix so try okay?” And there is the arrogant and sarcastic part.

The guy had become almost a regular and came in every night at two am on the dot and in the same suit. He looked about twenty-one but around fifty years old in his eyes. This time he came to the bar. “Ahh so we are venturing out to the bar instead of our corner booth today are we?” I asked him teasing him as he sat down. He gave me his usual roll of his eyes and groan. “Y/n just the usual okay?” I wrote it down even though I had it memorized. A black coffee and one glazed doughnut. “Aye aye, captain.”

I got started on his coffee while he was going through some type of file. I put it in front of him and see what he’s going through. “You are in the CIA, no offense but wouldn’t you be like a kindergartener at our age to them?” He looks up at me a little caught off guard. “I tested very high in ninth grade.” That sounds very real. “Okay, then I should be in the same place I was the highest tester in every grade in eighth grade.” He gets a puzzled look. “Really?” 

“What’s that supposed to mean,” I questioned in defense with my hands on my hips. He realizes what he insinuated by accident. “Not that you are dumb I know you are very smart.” I now think he was just trying to save his ass from hot coffee being poured on him. “How?” He glances down at my textbooks. “You’re studying to be a lawyer a public self-defense one at that so that’s how I know. And even if you weren’t you are working every day for the future which I would know is important. I’m… sorry if I made you think otherwise.” I accepted his apology but he wasn’t off the hook yet. “Tell me your name then.” He was baffled. “What?”

“Yeah if I’m going to be serving you coffee for the perceivable future and you are truly sorry I would like your name.” “I can’t do that I’m a CIA agent.” I picked up his cup and canceled the doughnut. “Ok well have a nice life, sir.” I step away and head back to the back doors. I can hear him sigh and mumble something under his breath. “I can’t believe I’m doing this it’s five.” I turn back with a smug smile. I put the coffee back and lean down to him.

“What was that I couldn’t hear you?” He rolls his eyes and answers me. “It’s five.” “Five as in the number?” Five I guess, huffs. “No Five as in the letter, yes the number.” I go back to my standing pose. “Hey Five you just apologized for being an Ahole so watch it, and I like it ‘Five’. ” I said as I put my hands up like it was a headline. “Yeah yeah whatever.” He jokily waved me off. “So what else can I get you Five.” Oh, I was so going to use his name as much as possible.

Five and I had been having fun being sarcastic Aholes to each other but we knew not to push the limits. This night I was very stressed because I had a major test the next day and just couldn’t obtain the information. Five walks in on the dot with his usual snarky attitude. “Hey, waitress I can’t wait forever.” Of course, he was kidding, and had only been thirty seconds since he walked in. “Not in the mood Five,” I said without looking away from my textbook.

“Oh come on you know I can’t function without the best coffee in the world.” I gave him a side eye wanting to blow him off but when I looked in his deep brown eyes I couldn’t say no. “Fine, just so you dont act like a cranky old man again.” I go over to pour it when he looks at my textbook. “You have a test tomorrow?” I sigh and walk over shuffling a little.

“Yes, I do, that I’m totally going bomb that it’s not even funny.” He’s confused. “Why, you are one of the best students in that class.” He stated so straightforwardly with no question. It felt… good when he did it was different than when my friends or parents said the same thing. “For some reason, I can’t get any of the practice questions right.” I pointed at the sheet of questions. “I’ll help you study.” 

I was a little shocked I mean we were friendly but I didn’t know we were friends. “Five I can’t ask you to do that I’m sure you have an important CIA thing to do tomorrow or whatever.” He chuckles at my little jab. “You didn’t ask I’m offering, so better fill up that pot and sit down because you are going to pass this test.” I sit down across from him. “Thank you Five.” 

“Yeah yeah don’t say I never did anything for you.” 

I had the coffee fresh pot made and an extra glazed doughnut laid out when Five walked in. “What’s this- Whoa!” I threw my hands around him hugging him. “Thank you thank you thank you!” He seems unsure but then hugs me back. “I’m assuming that it went well.” I lean back with my arms still around him.

“Top of the class thanks to you!” For the first time, he gives me a genuine smile. “Good.” I then notice the tension between us I awkwardly let go and try to change the tension. “Um, I have everything ready for you. I got to go to do something I’ll be back.” I quickly scurry back to the doors I think about that moment and how it shifted how I saw him. Fuck I think I like Five.

It had been a couple of months after that moment and that I think I like Five has now changed into I know I like Five. So how the hell was I managing this crush good question, I wasn’t. Every time I looked at him my stomach did flips and would not stop. 

One day I was whipping down a table when a guy walked in and sat down at the bar. “Hi there what can getcha you.” He looks around like he was seeing something nostalgic. “Wow, it looks just like the other one.” He muttered. “What was that?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing I’ll talk a vanilla latte and chocolate eclair.” He then looks at the nametag. “Wait are you Y/n?” I look down I mean I think I am. “Right silly question my brother talks about you all the time. You know five.” Five? These two are brothers? “Five is your brother? And he talks about me?” 

“Right that does sound a little silly with how young he looks- I mean is, we are all adopted and my name is Viktor.” He holds out his hand and we shake. “Well, that makes more sense now.” I laugh. “Yeah he talks about how you want to public defense lawyer and how happy you make him so I wanted to thank you it’s been a while since he’s had a good friend.” Right friend what else would we be. “Of course but he can be a…” He finishes my sentence. “An asshole.” “Yes.” We both laughed.

Before I realized it had been six months since I first met Five and it was also Christmas the dinner was being decorated with a disgusting amount of Santas and jingle bells but I liked it reminded me of home. Five walks in an hour late. “Five you are late is your old mind finally catching up to you,” I smirked. “Ha ha, no I had to do something.” I was turned and there was a present on the counter. “Aww Five are you going soft on me.” “Just open it before the sun rises.”

I pull back the paper and there is a jewelry box. I opened it and there was a handmade bracelet. “Uh, I can take it back If-” He reaches for it. “No no, I love it thank you.” I go around the counter to hug him. This time tighter than last to show him I truly loved it. We let go slowly and he puts his hand on my cheek and we lean in. The kiss was slow but still passionate his lips a little chapped but still soft somehow. We let go and put our heads against each other giggling. I looked up and there was mistletoe. “Well, Five we just turned into a Hallmark cliche.” 

“I’m fine with that I’m just sad I didn’t do it sooner.” “Oh really, how long.”

“After I helped you study and you hugged me, Y/n I like you It’s just I’ve really never had a healthy relationship before to be honest I’m a little scared.” 

“Well it’s the same for me Five but we will figure this out together.” “Can I kiss you again?” I grip him by the tie and pull him down into another kiss. And I can’t help but think all this happened because of coffee and sarcasm.

To me, that's how you do a romance. Hope you guys enjoyed it.

[dragonridernoobie]

Miko, Rag, Jack with predicon , liked predicon holoform is human but it best describes as an old person who have highest authority in the Yakuza/Mafia, as the kids comes over to visit the autobots the predicon made traditional Japanese food and helping them with work and also telling them if they all get a B or higher in their test they'll get something nice for them as a reward

Like any grandparents would

Hmmmm, i love this. Let's hope you enjoy this also.

TFPKids x Predicon Reader

When (Y/N) joined team prime, it was quite the surpise. Especially for the kids of team prime. Since meeting (Y/N), she has become a second guardian for them.

When ratchet finally developed a device that makes Team Prime have human forms, also known as HaloForms, the kids got to see (Y/N)'s haloform.

What they weren't expected was an old lady who looked in their early 60's, had a sweet voice and gray hair, and seemed to already have candies that only grandmas have. (If you know, you know)

Even though (Y/N) was old and not able to help Team prime with fights, she helped out by watching the kids. She did not mind one bit, though.

When the kids get to base, (Y/N) asked them about their day, checks their grades and helps them with homework that they have.

When they are sick, (Y/N) offers meals she knows how to cook. Soups that haven't been heard before that went known from the years of people passing it down or forgetting it.

(Y/N) was called dragon granny. She was happy with that name and took it with pride.

Jack

Jack came to base after a long day.

He was stressed and exhausted, and he failed a history test because he just couldn't understand how Rome fell.

When (Y/N) noticed Jack acting different, she asked what was wrong.

When he explained, (Y/N) told him none worries and offered to teach him.

By teaching him, she means taking him back to her cave were she has artifacts from diffrent points from human history.

There, she showed diffrent artifacts and the story behind them while explaining the story behind Rome.

Jack passed with flying colors when he retook the test.

Miko

When miko came to base, she started ranting about an old Japanese soup that haven't been made in thousands years since people forgot how to make it.

While she talked to bulkhead about this, (Y/N) over heard and asked Miko if she ment the soup oden.

Miko explained she wants to learn it since only a selective amount of humans know the recipe and it's slowly disappearing from history.

(Y/N) explained that she knows how to cook it. Since she has been on earth since 25BCE (don't correct me because I actually don't know if that's a real date so.)

For the next 3 days, (Y/N) showed miko how to make oden and made sure she remmbers.

Miko was so happy about it that she taught her parents back home.

RAPH

Raphael went to (Y/N) when he found out (Y/N) has been on earth so long she has seen the rise and fall of all civilizations.

Raphael asked questions about China, Japan, India, Europe, even Mexico.

He asked about how the civilizations back then acted and what they used in everyday life since he wanted to compare today's items

(Y/N) told she can just show him and brings him to her cave.

There, she shows him all the swords, old pots, armor, foods, etc. That was from back then that were offerings to her.

Since back then, people thought she was a god.

Raphael wrote down everything and definitely made his day.

[girlthatgotawaysdiary]

things im doing to improve myself ! 𐙚

hi besties!! so today im going to list down the things im doing to improve myself(to motivate me to keep going!!) 🎀🧣

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#1 EXERCISE:

when i was younger, i always used to LOVE working out, and probably tried most fitness type workouts( HIIT, gymnastics, yoga, etc) but never really settled with one. but mid of last year, i decided to start doing pilates, and i absolutely FELL in love! i loved that it combined all the things i loved from other type of workouts. im also a longtime swimmer, so 3 days of a week im in the swimming pool. i also prioritize stretching daily!! & try to run/sprint a couple of miles every day, or just getting 10k steps!

#2 LEAVING TOXIC FRIENDSHIPS:

2 years ago, i had a pretty messed up friendship w a new girl, i felt bad for her so i decided to be nice to her even tho she was an extremely negative person. around nov of last year, i ended our friendship as she was getting really toxic to me and my other friends. i dropped our friendship and moved on, it was obviously hard, but now that i think of it im glad i did it. it made me notice how badly she made me think of myself & others. so if u have a friendship that makes u feel bad about yourself or other people, drop them !!

#3 BEING PROUD OF MYSELF:

last year, i used to get upset if i didnt get the highest grade on an exam or test, & it literally used to make me sad if i got a 14.5/15. so, this year i have decided to grow and be proud of my accomplishments, even if they’re small.

#4 CONSISTENT MORNING & NIGHT ROUTINE:

by consistent i mean a sort of planned morning & night routine. i would pick a perfect routine that makes me feel productive and energized throughout the day. this also means that i would do the same thing every morning & night, & i can already see so many changes in my behavior just by doing the same thing for days(that sounds boring, but it really is so helpful to make you more productive).

pro tip: if you dont know how to figure out your morning or night routine, i recommend writing down the things you want to incorporate into your productive routine and slowly introduce those habits into your mornings or nights.

#5 GOALS EVERY MONTH:

now ive only tried this for a month, but it just makes me feel accomplished that ive done the things i wanted to do beginning of the month. i also like to include an affirmation into my goals page in my journal, so whenever i open it i can repeat that specific affirmation over and over. \

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[callsign-rogueone]

study season

fourth wing characters (Aaric, Bodhi, Brennan, Dain, Garrick, Imogen, Liam, Mira, Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, Sloane, Violet, and Xaden) x reader the ways our faves help you study for exams. words: ~900 🏷: no book spoilers, no triggers. gender neutral. and I included the girls this time!! some of these can be read as platonic and others mention kisses / cuddles, implying you’re a couple. idk, I just work here. I’m really liking this format lately, and it’s (fairly) quick and easy so you can expect more of these in the future while I procrastinate all the girlfriendverse chapters and smut I have to write lol

First, the more studious of the bunch:

Brennan is all-in, no hesitation, pulling up a chair next to you and learning this with you for moral support, but also for fun (can you believe this guy?) though you suppose it’s easier to enjoy this if it doesn’t count for a grade. Either way, he’s a very nice study partner, and he encourages you to take breaks every hour / chapter / etc. Brings snacks, too.

Violet somehow already knows all of the material, and explains it better than the textbook or the professor. Walks things back if you don’t get it and gets into the why and how, which so many teachers skip over, even though it helps explain the what (pet peeve of mine showing here lol). 

Aaric’s study skills are unmatched -- years of the best private tutors money can buy really paid off. Teaches you new strategies that you’ve never heard of in your life, and when you ask, he admits a bit shyly that he came up with it himself, but it works, and you get it done in half the time you would have before. (work smarter, not harder, baby)

Rhiannon gives you the pep talk of your life (we all need a Rhiannon in our lives) and convinces you that you’ve got this. Packs you a little snack for the day of your exam with a little note reminding you that you know this, just breathe and think. 

Xaden sees you struggling and forces you to take a break. During said break, he’s reading the book himself and figuring out what exactly has you so stressed and exhausted. Breaks down the tasks into smaller, more manageable steps and guides you through it -- “find three reasons why XYZ happened.” done with that? “Now make them into paragraphs.” etc etc, and an hour later, you have a passable essay. 

Dain is taking this more seriously than you are, and his discipline is like no other; you’re not stopping until the work is done, or until midnight, whichever comes first (because sleep is important for the brain, or whatever. Definitely not just because he misses you and wants to cuddle). 

Garrick may have no idea what you’re talking about, but he suffers through it with you, offering to let you explain things to him, because teaching is a good way to test if you understand something. Though you get what you pay for -- he’s a total smartass about it, asking questions about the littlest details even if they’re common knowledge -- he’s gotta be thorough, right? 

Ridoc may be the class clown type, but he’s smarter than a lot of people think. He comes up with a bunch of jokes that actually help you remember things. Somehow manages to relate the most complex topic in your book to a sandwich, and it actually works. He’s incredibly smug about this for the rest of the week, especially when you get the highest score in the class (he’ll take payment in kisses, thank you.)

Bodhi makes flashcards with you, quizzing you and giving you a kiss if you get it right (this definitely is not a distraction, and things definitely don’t escalate from here, nope.) He’s also really good at proofreading essays, and gives excellent feedback regarding the structure and the order of the information.

Liam sits there with you all the while, completely silent, working on one of his wood carvings at the other end of the table, but you know he’s there and he’s watching -- and that provides a healthy amount of peer pressure and keeps you on task. He’s an incredibly observant person, and he can see the stress building; he knows when to intervene and suggest that you take a break.

Sloane is the best person to commiserate with. She doesn’t want to be doing this either, but she’s also incredibly stubborn, and she doesn’t give up; after a healthy amount of complaining, she’s forcing you both to keep trying until it works / until it’s done, and then you’re treating yourselves to something for getting it over with, because you deserve it.

Sawyer is gentle and supportive, having a heart-to-heart conversation with you and reminding you that yes, this is important, but the world will not stop turning if you fail one exam. He knows how it feels to be compared to his peers, especially in how long it takes you to accomplish something (poor bb) and doesn’t want you stressing yourself out about that, either. 

Imogen is the opposite, all tough love, giving you gentle but firm reminders: “you didn’t make it this far just to give up,”, “I know you can do this, so do it,” but she balances it out with tender affirmation when you’re done. She’ll even let you skip out on training for the day since you’ve been studying so hard (and she takes training seriously, so this is more of a reward than it seems). 

Mira’s default approach is similar to Imogen’s, but she can see that you’re reaching your limit and dials it back, being more gentle with you and doing whatever you need -- encouragement? someone to just sit there? help / explanation / etc? she’s got you covered. herds you into bed at a reasonable hour so you’ll be well rested for the classes and exams.

And all of them are incredibly proud of you for working so hard and getting good grades 🤍

[crabdrabbles]

Hiii Crab so happy to see you write outside of our rants/idea chats and my fellow delulu cod enjoyer! Would love to request Platonic!141 + Reader (sorry if this is long and somewhat confusing lol). You can do headcanons, drabble or whatever you comfy for. An idea that popped in my head kinda semi personal: Civ or 141! Reader though has parents and family is the reader is quite something else. Reader despite having somewhat normal upbringing still feel empty; they shouldn't be feeling this numb and empty deep inside of them. The reader craves the love that they give but couldn't or lack of receiving it back, though they don’t expect it or selfishly want it. Just someone who understands them even in their deepest darkest secret or flaw then boom cue the task force 141 unexpected yet welcoming to their life and maybe the one that the Reader can lean and let them be vulnerable on (finally).  

Take your time on doing this Looking for to your other writing genuinely -Cee, your fellow Soap delulu

GN!Reader & 141 (Mostly Price)

Warnings: Slight angst Ships: None. A/N: This absolutely ran away from me and I do not at all regret it, hope you enjoy, Cee!!! Words: 3549

Almost your entire life had been a cycle of self doubt that also started to churn and twist into self-hatred. You blamed yourself for the feelings. Afterall, you had a relatively normal upbringing. Two parents who were both present in your life, both of whom worked so that you all had food on the table and a roof over your head. A luxury that very few had.

The least you could do for them is follow the path that they wanted to put you on, no matter how much you didn’t want to do it. Because you loved them. 

So you excelled in your education, studying hard to try and impress your parents– to make them love you just as much as you loved them for everything that they did for you for your entire life. They wanted you to do all three sciences despite the additional workload it would add to your already stretched thin time? Then you would do them, take any extra classes after school in order to keep up with the work and not lag behind any of your peers. 

There was no such thing as a social life, either, not when you had homework and projects due. Friends were few and far between. Generally, most people left when they realised how hyper focused you were on your grades instead of social interaction. 

Did a classmate get a higher grade than you on a test? Well obviously you didn’t study hard enough, you just needed to dedicate more time to school even though school was all you had.

Did you get the highest marks in the class? Good, that was what was expected of you. Why didn’t you get full marks? You were better than that. You would do better because you loved your family. They showed it in their own way, of course, by encouraging you to study harder and get better grades. That was their love language, and yours was doing as they asked without a second thought. Because, at the end of the day, you were lucky to have an upbringing like you had. You would ignore the hollow void clawing at your chest because you had no right to feel that way– not when you had a roof over your head and parents that loved you(?).

It was when you came top of the class with full marks in a recent test, you came home with a beaming smile on your face and proudly showed the test to your parents. They took the papers from your hands, flipping through your work with critical eyes, before handing the papers back to you. 

‘Well done, we’re so proud of you.’ That was all you wanted them to say to you. That was all you needed to hear. To know that they loved you. 

‘Your penmanship is terrible.’ Was what you got instead. When you tried to point at the big 100% in green pen, you were waved away. ‘How are you expected to get a job when you write like a child? I’m surprised the teacher could even read your answers’. 

After several years of balancing a work and educational life and paving a way for a line of work that you didn’t want for parents you should have been grateful to have, you decided that enough was enough. 

No matter how hard you worked, no matter how high your marks were, they would never be proud of you. They would never return the love that you had for them until you nearly killed yourself trying. 

Spending your entire childhood, teenagehood and all of your current adulthood trying to please your parents predictably would damage one’s psyche. You had no friends, family who had never been devoted to you as you were to them, and high grades serving as the foundations to a prison-like future.

You dropped out of University. The only option forward that you saw was joining the army in the vain hope that the empty feeling inside of you would dissipate when you actually did something that you believed was more worthwhile than any University course. 

So you threw yourself into the military, working harder than all of the other recruits and training at every chance you could.

Your skills and determination became widely recognised amongst your peers. It took several years, but you eventually caught the eye of none other than Captain John Price. 

Impressed by your willpower that not many soldiers possessed, he offered you a place on the 141. 

Naturally, you agreed. You believed that being part of such a well renowned and respected team would finally beat back the lingering self doubt and emptiness that had curled itself around your heart.

It didn’t. If anything, it made it worse.

You were invited to join the 141, sure, but they had already established their own relationships between each other, had already bonded into a close knit group, and you were simply an outsider. Yes, you had been hand picked by Price himself, but that didn’t mean you were part of the team. They had their own inside jokes that they told to one another, leaving you feeling left out on most days.

And you felt… lacking around them. Ghost was stronger, Gaz was faster, Soap was smarter (he was a demolitions expert for crying out loud!), and Price was almost all of those rolled into one. They all complimented each other as a team. Meanwhile you felt like a spare tyre, a master of nothing and barely a jack of any trade. 

Despite how you felt about it all, they all called you ‘kid’. Regardless of age gaps between yourself and the rest of them, the nickname stuck mostly because you were the newbie. It came as a surprise that it wasn’t spat with vitriol as your peers before had, but it was in fact said with… an affection you couldn’t quite place.

You couldn’t ignore the hole in your chest that had been chipped at over the years, forming a gaping maw that no reassurances could really mend. 

Doubt lingered in the back of your mind, chipping away at your sanity as you prepared for the worst. How long would it take before they realised you weren’t good enough? 

You were so deep in your doubts that you didn’t realise that you had been distancing yourself even more than before until you overheard a conversation in Price’s office a few months down the line.

“-- they don’t belong on the team.” Gaz said as you passed Price’s office and your heart dropped. It was only the tailend of what he had been saying but you had gotten the gist. You wanted to stay, to listen to the conversation more and listen to what your team had to say about you, but you didn’t. What you were going to hear were likely things you had already told yourself right from the start. You keep walking on, ignoring the sting of tears burning in the corners of your eyes. The blood rushing in your ears prevented you from heating the rest of the conversation. 

“-- not only are they acting like they don’t belong on the team, but they’re acting like they’re not good enough.” Gaz continued, sighing in frustration.

“Maybe they need more time.” Ghost rumbled in reply, “Let them come out of their shell a little bit. Best not rush these things.” He was talking from experience, after all.

“Aye… maybe I can invite them out for drinks or sommat? I wouldn’t want them getting transferred before we got to know them a little more.” Soap had been the one that had tried the hardest to get close to you but had also tried to give you space so as to not suffocate you with his personality. 

“They won’t be getting transferred.” Price said with conviction, tapping his desk, “I chose them to be part of this team and this is where they’re going to stay. Let me have a word with them first.”

“Aye, sir.”

— — — — — —

You found yourself in the smoker’s shelter outside the main building. It was late enough that most of the soldiers had gone to bed or off to do their own things elsewhere so you doubted that you would be bothered for a little while. Just enough time for you to get your thoughts together. Your tears had dried in your eyes a few minutes ago, making them sting in the cold air. You didn’t need to look in your reflection to know that you probably looked like a wreck– entirely unbecoming of a soldier of your apparent status. 

You didn’t want to get transferred. Despite your distance with the 141, you didn’t hate them. Far from, actually, you held a great deal of respect for each and every one of them. It was just that you felt like you didn’t have your place amongst them. Not good enough to be associated with them. 

“Bit late to be out here in the cold, chuck.” A voice startled you out of your thoughts– one that you would recognise anywhere from the low rasp of a smoker's lungs. 

“Captain.” You croaked, wincing at the patheticness in your voice. There was a scuff of boots as Price came closer, leaning into your line of vision with a furrowed brow which only furrowed more as he took in your dishevelled appearance.

“Something on your mind?” He asked kindly, perching on the arm of the bench to give you some personal space. He left his question open, allowing you any chance to steer the conversation how you wanted to. There was no judgement for catching you at your lowest, no disgust at your red rimmed eyes— just polite understanding and a non verbal offer of pleasant company. 

“Why did you pick me, Captain?”

The question made him tilt his head, a frown beginning to tug on his features. You were worried you had insulted him.

“What brought this on, huh? Someone say something to you? Need me to have a word with them?” He straightened his back, scowling. Whilst you felt like you didn’t have a place in the 141, you could never deny the shield of protectiveness that Price held over his team. You remember in the back of your mind the day that some General who thought he was hot shit had the audacity to undermine Soap as nothing more than a ‘yappy dog’ when offered the Scot’s demolitions expertise. Price had appeared almost out of thin air and almost ripped the General a new one and things would have escalated into a fist fight had Laswell not intervened. It wasn’t as though Price didn’t think his own soldiers were capable of defending themselves, but he couldn’t care less about punishments aimed his own way over that of his Sergeants and Lieutenant. It was just a surprise that the protective streak extended over you, too, despite your distance to your teammates.

“I’ll sound stupid.” You mumbled, looking down at the ground as if expecting him to chastise you like a child. He didn’t.

“I’ve had my fair share of stupid over the years. Try me.”

“... and ungrateful.”

“I once had a guy punch me in the face two seconds after I took a bullet that would have killed him.” Price countered with a cut off chuckle once he remembered what was probably a mission long finished and cleared his throat. “C’mon, tell Captain what’s on your mind.”

And he sounded so sincere when he said it. Sounded like he genuinely wanted to hear what was going on in your head– that he was willing to waste what was already his important and limited time on someone like you. 

“Sir—”

“John.” Price corrected gently, crows feet more noticeable at the corners of his eyes scrunched up when he smiled, “We’re off duty, you don’t need to be so formal.”

“... John.” You echoed, finding that you really didn’t like saying that. It felt like calling your teacher by their first name in primary school or a classmate’s parent other than their last name. 

“Now, c’mon, tell me what’s on your mind. Might not be a therapist, but I’m better than bottling it up.” You wondered in the back of your mind how often Price did this. Sat with his soldiers and talked with them, offered them a listening ear to hear their vents and fears. You couldn’t help but feel honoured to be one of the few he willingly offered said time to. Your silence stretched on as you thought of the words to say, how to phrase what you wanted to say without sounding unappreciative of the opportunity that Price had offered you when he requested you join his team. 

“I don’t feel like I belong here.” You blurted once the silence had stretched on for long enough to border on uncomfortable. John’s face fell and you quickly realised how bad that sounded and rushed to correct yourself.

“No, no, wait, let me explain–” the Captain closed his mouth to allow you to continue speaking, but you could tell that it was hard for him. “I just… you could have anyone better than me, you know? I’m not a demolition expert. I’m… I’m not the best Sniper. I’m the slowest on the team, pretty sure I’m the weakest–”

“Nope.” Price interrupted, finally breaking the bubble of your personal space as he took a proper seat next to you on the bench but still respecting the distance enough to keep a few inches between you. “Nope, not lettin’ you say another word.”

“But–” 

“Nope.”

“Cap–”

“No.”

“But you could have anyone better—“

“But they wouldn’t be you.” He deflected easily. Far too easily. He leant back on the bench, crossing one leg over the other as he folded his arms over his chest. His fingers twitched and you could tell he was itching for a cigar but didn’t light one out of respect. 

“Alright, sure, I can ask Laswell to give me one of the best soldiers in the SAS and have them brought here tomorrow. They could be the best of the best, top of their class, better than you and maybe even better than me. But that’s a bit of a stretch.” He winked and earned a weak chuckle from you. “But they won’t be you. I don’t pick just on skill alone, kid, I pick based on how I feel people would fit into the team. I chose you because I knew that you’d be perfect.”

“As for not being a demolitions expert, let  me let you in on a little secret. I’ve no fucking clue about demolitions, either. And you don’t have to be on the team to be the ‘best Sniper’. You’re better than most, and that’s what’s important. As for being the weakest– did you or did you not bodily lift Gaz in a fireman’s carry during training the other week while he was trying to act as an injured civilian? Quite dramatically, might I add. Swooned and everything.”

You remembered that practice mission. Quite fondly, actually. Gaz was a civilian and , after being struck by a foam bullet from Soap, had dramatically screamed in agony and crumpled to the floor. When you had lifted him up and over your shoulders, the bastard continued to wail something along the lines of telling his non-existent spouse that he loved them and that his money be given to his equally non-existent children. Soap got in another shot to the man’s head, knocking off his cap in the process. Distracted as you were trying to haul your teammate out of the danger zone, you couldn’t help but laugh thinking about it now. 

“Last time I checked, Gaz is somewhat heavier than a sack of flour. Don’t tell him I said that, I’ll hurt his feelings.” Price was right, you supposed. You were more than capable of carrying Gaz over your shoulders, maybe even Soap or Price himself if the time called for it. Ghost you weren’t so sure about, though. The man was a walking mountain. 

“What I’m trying to say is that you have to give yourself more credit. You’re more than good enough to be on my team. I chose you for a reason.”

You… did not expect that sort of reassurance from Price. You had hoped for something along those lines, yes, but perhaps with a thrown in criticism or three. You waited for a ‘but’ that never came. The man snorted beside you and when you gave him a quizzical look, he waved off your concern.

“Shit, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think the next thing out of your mouth would be that your parents never hugged you as a kid.”

Your silence made him slowly turn his head towards you. It would have almost been comical if the situation wasn’t. His face crumbled and a wounded sound emerged from his throat.

“Sometimes they did!” You rushed to defend the people that raised you. “And they gave me food and shelter, clothes when I needed them–”

“Fucking hell. No, that’s what they’re supposed to do because they’re your parents. What about telling you that they were proud of you? That they loved you? I saw your records. Top of your class in not just your training but in your education, too. Triple sciences, mathematics, all of it. They had to be proud of you for that? My parents would have killed for me to get even a passing grade in my GCSEs.” You looked down at the ground and it was Price’s turn to have his eyes fixed on you. 

“They were proud of you, weren’t they?” He asked again, leaning forwards so he could catch your eye, his own filled with concern. “Kid?”

“I don’t talk to them much anymore.” 

Price inhaled sharply and he leaned back again, looking around and clenching his jaw as if fighting back his anger. His fingers twitched again. You admired his self control as he was still yet to grab a cigar that you knew he kept on his person. Usually in his breast pocket while his lighter was in his right pocket.

“Listen to me.” The Captain said, a more stern edge to his voice now that he had gathered his thoughts together. “Whatever your family said to you— how they treated you? Forget it. They showed you obligation. Not love. They didn’t want what was ‘best’ for you, they wanted bragging rights. What you’ve achieved– here, in bootcamp, in university and in school, is something to take pride in– no, no, look at me.”

Your gaze had trailed to the side so you avoided looking at your Captain in the eyes. He noticed and clicked his fingers to gain your attention back on him.

“Don’t look away from me because I want you to listen to what I’m gonna say and I want you to look at my face as I say it.” Your eyes met his blue ones, “You should be proud of everything that you’ve achieved in your life. I’m sorry that your family never told you that and I’m sorry that I haven’t said that enough to you since you joined 141.”

You opened your mouth to say something– to argue or disagree but he shook his head.

“No. It’s my turn to speak now. I’m proud of you. I am so proud of you. Everything you’ve done and everything that you’re yet to do, I will always be proud of you. You’re an exemplary soldier and I knew the moment I saw you that you would be a perfect addition to the 141 and you have proved me right time and time again. You belong on this team just as much as the rest of the boys. Do you understand?”

So many words– proud, proud, proud. That’s all you had wanted to hear for so many years from someone whose opinion mattered to you. You wanted to be seen and Price, this godsend of a man, had seen you and more.

“Kid, do you understand me?”

You nodded once and then realised that Price wouldn’t have been able to tell through your shaking. Tears blurred in the corners of your eyes and you nodded again, not trusting your voice in case it shattered. 

“What do you need from me?” Price’s voice was oh so soft, like he was talking to a frightened fawn. He could see how much his words had affected you and it clearly broke his own heart.

“A hug.” Your bottom lip wobbled and his face softened as he opened his arms, twitching his fingers to urge you closer.

“I can do that.” 

You leaned into him and he quickly wrapped his arms around you, drawing you in close. You could smell the lingering scent of his last cigar. The smell of his office and cleaning oil. You felt his chin on the top of your head and felt how his chest rumbled as he spoke.

“You’re part of the 141 whether you like it or not, alright? Me and the boys want you here for as long as you want to be.”

At that moment, for the first time in your life. You felt wanted. You felt appreciated and you felt seen.

have a request? send one in!

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 25

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words: 5k

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Friday, December 18; 11:00 AM - School.

The bell rings, signaling the end of classes. I finally leave the classroom, leaving behind my last lessons of the year. They were certainly the longest I’ve ever endured since my last exam. I’ve never been so excited to get out of here. My things were already packed even before the final announcement. I run out without waiting for Alexia, who’s desperately calling after me in the hallway. I manage to avoid the rush and arrive in record time in front of Lucy’s office. I immediately scan the room for her, but she’s nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Bronze?” I ask, out of breath.

“Hello to you too, Ona,” Engen greets me. “She had to go to administration. She shouldn’t be long.”

“Thanks!” I say as I turn to leave.

“Hey! No running in the halls!” Engen reprimands me.

Her warning doesn’t stop me from continuing my sprint toward the entrance hall. I smile when I see Lucy making her way through the students rushing to leave. I dash towards her, causing her to frown as soon as she sees me. Before she has the chance to scold me, I leap onto her.

“What are you doing, Ona?” she growls sternly.

She tries to shake me off, but I tighten my legs around her waist. I’m too happy to care about the attention we’re drawing.

“I did it, Bronze! I did it!” I shout excitedly.

“What are you talking about?” she grumbles. “Let go of me!”

“It’s thanks to you! I passed almost all my subjects!”

My words stop her in her tracks. She stops struggling and looks me straight in the eyes. Her expression changes dramatically, making me beam with joy. The wait to show her all my makeup test scores that my homeroom teacher gave me during my last class was unbearable. I release my grip on her now that I have her full attention.

“Even though this is good news, never do that again… in public,” she scolds me. “Am I clear?”

“Yeah, yeah,” I reply indifferently.

I rummage through my bag and pull out all my makeup test papers. I put the first one we worked on together at the top—the one with the math equations. My teacher handed it back to me along with the rest since I was sick when it was returned and he forgot to give it to me earlier.

“Here, look.”

She sighs in annoyance and snatches the papers from my hands. She squints as she examines them. Her features soften, and her tense jaw relaxes. She looks back and forth between me and the first paper several times.

“An eighteen!? When did you take this one?”

“It was the first one you helped me study for. The equations, remember?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I got the highest grade,” I say proudly.

She smiles as she flips through the rest. I smile too, noticing that she’s genuinely interested. My grades range between eight and sixteen. They’re nothing like the ones I used to get, which ranged between three and nine. Thanks to her, my averages are going up, maybe even doubling if my last assignments of the week turned out well. It’s a huge leap forward.

“See, I told you there was no reason to worry. You drove yourself crazy for nothing, and you drove me crazy in the process!”

The pressure I had been carrying is released in a nervous chuckle. She surprises me by pulling me into a hug, even though a few students are still passing through the hall. I won’t complain and just let myself enjoy it. All my efforts have finally paid off.

“I’m proud of you.”

I smile against her shoulder, savoring those simple words. It’s hard to remember the last time someone said that to me. The fact that it’s coming from Lucy warms my heart. The emotion and relief are so overwhelming that a few tears escape without me realizing it. I step back to avoid breaking down and quickly wipe my eyes to hide any evidence of recent tears. Unfortunately, it seems she noticed, as she gently wipes the dampness from under my eyes with her thumbs.

“It’s all thanks to you…”

“I didn’t do anything special,” she says with a sincere smile.

“Yes, you did. You helped me, supported me… You’ve been there from the start and never gave up on me.”

“That’s not what you said when you first arrived.”

A throat clearing interrupts our moment, startling us. Our intimate moment could have been witnessed by anyone, but we relax when we see it’s only Engen.

“You’re both so reckless! Doing that in front of everyone! Imagine if Wiegman had seen this scene!”

If Engen weren’t so angry, I’d probably be laughing. It’s the first time I’ve seen her so mad. She’s usually in a teasing mood. Lucy doesn’t seem fazed; in fact, she seems amused by the situation.

“The chances were slim since I just came out of his office. But thanks for being so concerned.”

“Yeah, whatever,” she grumbles.

“Anyway, here, go eat. They’re waiting for you.”

I nod as I put my papers back in my bag. I wish them a good lunch before heading to the cafeteria. As I expected, everyone is already at the table. No one seems bothered by my delay. I’m sure Ale explained why. She knew I wanted to show my grades to Lucy. Anyway, everyone is too preoccupied with their upcoming holiday plans to notice my absence. In a few hours, we’ll all finally be home.

“Did you manage to ask Mapi about New Year’s?” Ale asks me.

“Well, no, I didn’t get the chance. She wasn’t feeling well, so I didn’t have the opportunity. I’ll ask her during the week and let you know.”

“Okay, we’ll go with that. We’ll be in touch anyway, right? Unless you decide to go radio silent for two weeks…”

“That wasn’t my plan,” I reply with a small smile.

“Phew! Because I’d miss you! Well, except maybe your snoring.”

“I don’t snore!” I protest.

“That’s what you say,” she teases.

“It only happened when I was sick because my nose was blocked,” I defend myself. “It doesn’t count.”

“You snore even when you’re not sick. I swear! Where’s Bronze? She’ll confirm it!”

“She wouldn’t know that,” I mutter.

“She watched over you all week. Of course she knows.”

“Ridiculous,” I roll my eyes.

Alexia laughs while I’m clearly annoyed by her claim. There’s no way I snore. Mapi can’t stand snoring. She would’ve said something if I did.

“So, is it true?” Alessia asks.

“Of course not,” I insist. “My ex would’ve kicked me out of bed if it were.”

“Seriously, she would’ve done that?” Alexia giggles. “Oh my God, I really need to meet her!”

“Who are we talking about?” Alessia asks, looking quite curious.

Alexia glances at me, biting her lip. Her slightly too obvious comment didn’t go unnoticed. Surprisingly, I don’t mind. It’s not like most of the people around the table don’t already know about my orientation. Alexia had encouraged me to tell them a while ago, so I did. However, she’s the only one who knows about Mapi.

“Mapi” I say hesitantly.

« Mapi as Mapi your best friend ? » Alessia ask.

I rub my neck, feeling awkward. No matter how many people know, this topic is still uncomfortable for me.

“It’s complicated. The only thing you need to know is that I m lesbian and we used to date but we broke up a long time ago.”

“Sorry,” Alexia grimaces. “It slipped out. I know you don’t like to talk about that. »

“It’s okay,” I say, offering her a reassuring smile.

She seems relieved by my words. Alexia is someone who doesn’t always think before she speaks when she’s excited. I can’t really blame her for being herself.

“You know, there’s no need to feel ashamed,” Alessia tells me. “I know it’s hard to come to terms with it—I’m a lesbian myself—but you get there with time.”

“Everyone is who they are. We don’t accept the same things or have the same background” I say more coldly than I intended.

We maintain eye contact, neither of us backing down. Her reaction slightly irritates me. What does it have to do with her anyway? It’s not like we’re close or she knows me well. She looks away, clearly hurt by my response. The table falls silent. Patri finally breaks the tension with a throat-clearing.

“So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?”

Her subtle change of subject successfully shifts the mood. Everyone starts talking about their plans, and the conversation picks up again, excluding me. I hope I made my stance on my orientation clear. The last thing I need is rumors. If that happens, I’m sure the gossip about Lucy and me will only intensify. That would be unfortunate, especially now that she’s just starting to open up to me. My attention is drawn back to the table when I hear them discussing New Year’s again. Thanks to Ale’s comment, everyone now understands that Mapi is my ex. This new information doesn’t seem to have changed their minds about inviting her. If anything, they’re even more eager to meet her now. After that, we finally head back to our rooms. Alexia hasn’t stopped apologizing on the way back. She clearly feels guilty.

“Seriously, I really regret letting that slip.”

“It’s fine, I promise.”

“Why aren’t you mad? I don’t know, say something. You’re worrying me even more!”

“What was said?”

We turn towards the door as Lucy walks in. She looks at us curiously, as if she just realized she interrupted an important conversation.

“That Mapi is my ex. The others didn’t know.”

“Oh. And is that a problem for you?”

“No, but Alexia doesn’t seem to get it. She thinks I’m going to explode at her any second.”

“Wait… What? Bronze knows!? Since when? Don’t tell me she knew before I did!”

“Oh, Ale.”

I roll my eyes in exasperation. This girl never ceases to amaze me with her sudden mood shifts. Lucy, watching this unfold, smiles in amusement, probably noticing my frustration.

“I hope for your sake I knew before her,” she says, barely containing her laughter. “I’d be really offended if I didn’t.”

Lucy exaggerates the gesture, placing her hand over her heart to accompany her words. I respond to her joke with a middle finger. Then, I continue gathering my last belongings into my bag. I barely have time to grab anything before I find myself unceremoniously sprawled on my bed. I try to get up, but she quickly pins me down, leaving me unable to move. I recognize Lucy by her long brown hair tickling the tip of my nose.

"I'm not your friend here, so do that again and you'll regret it," she whispers in my ear. "Did I make myself clear?"

I groan, struggling against her unpleasant hold. All I manage is to tighten her grip on my wrists and legs. Her body traps me completely.

"Did I make myself clear?" she repeats. "You don't get to disrespect me like that."

"I understand. Let me go now," I plead. "I won't do it again."

My plea works. She gets up, releasing me. I stay on the mattress for a moment, regaining my senses with my eyes closed. Damn bad memories. I eventually get up, putting my headphones and phone in my bag. I gather my courage when it's time to face them. I don't even have time to react before Alexia pulls me into a hug.

"You better make sure to come for New Year's."

"I'll keep you posted. Have a good holiday."

"You too, sweetheart."

She kisses my cheek, lingering. I kiss her back before grabbing my luggage and leaving with my supervisor. She's the one taking me to the airport today, so I can't really avoid her right now. I’ve been out of it since we started walking. I haven't even looked at her yet. It's her arm around my shoulders that brings me back to reality.

"Hey. Is everything okay?"

"Hmm."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying."

"Is it about earlier? You've been acting strange since then."

"No," I mumble.

"Ona," she scolds me.

"Okay, fine. Maybe," I admit.

"Sorry, I had to act. Being here, we're sort of teaching you to enter the working world. If it had been your boss, you would have been fired. I'm not your friend here."

"I know, it's fine. I won't do it again."

"Tell me what's bothering you. Did I cross a line? I know very well that you have a problem with physical contact."

"How—"

"I notice your behaviors," she cuts me off. "I observe you, you know. You hesitated for a long time before letting me help you shower the first time. And you only allow closeness to people you trust or feel close to."

So she's been observing me… She must have noticed it a long time ago. I sigh, shaking my head. She knows I care about her. The only people whose touch I allow here are Alexia and her. It's unsettling to know she knows. She ruffles my hair.

"Sorry. I can't help it," she says with a soft smile.

"It's no problem…," I murmur.

We arrive at her car in silence. She parked it in the same outdoor lot as last time. We load the car, then hit the road. The music breaks the silence that had formed. I hum along to relax the atmosphere, and certainly to relax myself as well. When we arrive at the airport, she takes the time to help me and accompany me to the boarding gate, just like last time. It feels like a new, very pleasant routine is forming.

"Take advantage of the holidays to rest and clear your head. You need it after these last few weeks."

"That was my plan."

"Try not to forget me, either."

"That's not likely," I chuckle.

The intercom, which I now know by heart, calls me to order. I bite my lip as I look at Lucy. I don’t know how to say goodbye. She answers my question by pulling me into a hug.

"I'm going to miss you," I whisper.

"Write to me if you need anything."

"Can I write to you even if I don’t?" I ask, making her laugh.

"Of course. I'll respond as long as you don't overdo it. Send me a message when you arrive."

She surprises me by kissing my forehead. I close my eyes to savor this little moment before reluctantly pulling away from her.

"Have a great holiday."

"Thanks, you too," she replies with a smirk.

I head to the boarding gate. I use the waiting time to pull out my headphones and phone. When I reach the turn, I look back one last time to see if Lucy is still there. Seeing that she is, I give her one final wave before continuing to board the plane. I find the flight attendant I’ve befriended on previous flights. I greet her with a smile before taking my seat. And so it begins—two hours of flight ahead.

Friday, December 18; 11:00 PM - Barcelona Airport

I'm woken up by the young flight attendant who seems to enjoy taking care of me. We chatted a bit during the flight. I learned that her name is Shay. She asked me what I do for a living to be making so many trips back and forth across the continent. I answered that it’s for my studies without elaborating further. She’s really nice. As I exit the plane, I wish her a happy holiday. It's now time to meet Hector and Mapi. I smile when I see them. Mapi jumps into my arms the second she can. I hug her as tightly as I can. I quickly notice that she hasn’t bothered to wear makeup. That’s a sign she’s really not doing well. It’s rare for her not to put make up on. I wrap my arm around her shoulders before moving towards Hector, whom I greet with a big smile.

On the way back, Mapi didn’t want to talk, so I just kept her in my arms. That seemed to suit her. I took advantage of the quiet to notify Alexia and Lucy of my arrival. When we arrive at the house, I relieve Hector of his duties, telling him not to bother with my suitcase. I’ll take care of it myself tomorrow when the time comes. For now, I just want to get to my room as quickly as possible with Mapi. When we get there, I'm surprised but pleased not to see Joan. I would have liked to see him, but at least this way I can take care of my best friend properly. She remains very quiet. She sits on my bed while I find us some t-shirts to use as pajamas in my closet. She changes in the room while I go to the bathroom. I should shower, but I’ve decided to do that in the morning when Mapi will probably still be asleep.

Once ready, I return to the room to find Mapi under the covers. I glance at my phone, where I notice messages, but I decide to ignore them. I’ll respond tomorrow. I lie down next to Mapi, who immediately snuggles into my arms. I gently hold her, stroking her hair. It’s been a long time since we’ve been this close in bed. Lately, Joan was sleeping between us. Lucy was right about my issues with physical contact. The only people I can sleep with since I came back are Joan and Mapi. I’ve never tried with anyone else, but I know I wouldn’t be able to. My thoughts are interrupted by pressure on my lips. In a moment of panic, I push Mapi away to end the kiss.

"S-sorry," she stammers.

"What was that?" I ask, not delicately.

I can’t control my tone, taken aback by the surprise. I calm down when I see tears at the corners of her eyes. She’s so distraught.

« Map—"

"I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to! I just needed comfort. I don’t know what came over me."

"Okay, hey, calm down. It’s not that serious..."

I relax and open my arms for her to come back to me. This time, I think it’s for real. She clings to my t-shirt, soaking it without restraint. I take a deep breath and kiss the top of her head.

"It’s okay, let it all out," I whisper.

I hold her a little tighter as she finally lets her sobs go. It was about time she broke down. I stroke her back to reassure her.

"You’ll find someone else, Maps..."

"You don’t understand! You’re the first person I got serious with. When you left, I knew it would be hard to get into a new relationship."

"Map—"

"No, let me finish," she interrupts. "I trusted her and opened my heart to her again! She knew all about our history without knowing who you were. If she had dumped me for a reason, I would have understood, but no. That bitch couldn’t find anything better to do than cheat on me with your damn ex! I don’t even know who I should be angry with! What did I do to that puta to ruin all my relationships?"

I tense up, realizing who she’s talking about without her needing to name her. An inexplicable rage wells up inside me. But I quickly calm down when I see Mapi’s tear-filled eyes staring into mine. I feel so small.

"I-I’m so sorry," I say.

"It’s not your fault," she shakes her head.

"No, really. I want to apologize for what I did to you. I left you for someone else. I chose the easy way out instead of fighting against my depression, fighting for us."

I knew she had a hard time dealing with our breakup. It’s the first time we’ve talked about it since we reconnected. Of course, I had already apologized for leaving, but I had never apologized for breaking up. Her eyes soften.

"Ona..." she whispers.

"I-I feel so guilty for hurting you so much," I continue, my voice breaking. "If I hadn’t been a coward, maybe we’d still be together now. You deserved and still deserve so much better. You have no right to feel bad about all this crap. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you!"

She smiles softly before snuggling back into me. I rest my head against hers, feeling relieved to have gotten this off my chest. It’s something I should have done a long time ago.

"I never blamed you, Ona... You may have made bad choices, but I understood them all with time. All that mattered to me was getting you back as a friend because I missed you terribly."

"I missed you so much too, Mapi. There wasn’t a moment I didn’t think about you."

"The best thing I ever did was write to you on your birthday a year ago. If I’d known it would bring you back, I would have contacted you sooner," she giggles.

"I might not have reacted the same way if you’d done it earlier..."

"Doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you’re here now and that you’re trying to get better... By the way, reassure me," she says, sitting up. "You don’t want anything more than friendship between us, right?"

"You’re the one asking me that?" I chuckle. "I’m not the one who kissed you five minutes ago."

"Yeah, well, um... I’m sorry about that little lapse... I was just upset. I wasn’t thinking about more. I really appreciate the new relationship we’ve built. I feel like we’ve become inseparable."

I smile at her and nod. She’s right. We were already close, but it was different. We were younger and bolder. I already saw myself spending my life with her, traveling the world. We’ve grown up since then, matured even. Right now, I don’t feel quite like an adult yet, even though I should start becoming one at my age. However, if I’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that I shouldn’t distance myself from people like Mapi. Our feelings for each other have evolved, but that doesn’t stop us from being close. She’s become indispensable to me. If something were to happen between us again, in my opinion, it should have been when I returned. But that would have been selfish of me, knowing that I was the one who left her. So I simply accepted the friendship she offered me. It wasn’t a negligible support given the situation I was in when I came back home. It was probably the best decision of my life. I believe that even more now, seeing where we are today. Inseparable, that’s the word. If there’s one thing I don’t want, it’s to lose her or hurt her again.

"We are," I murmur. "I don’t want our relationship to change."

She smiles at me before nestling her head into my neck. She lets out a contented sigh. Yeah, this situation couldn’t be better; we both know it. We won’t abandon each other again, no matter the circumstances.

- "No offense, but I never liked Ana," I admitted.

- "I knew that," she chuckled softly. "Why don’t you ever tell me these things?"

- "She was your girlfriend, and you seemed happy. As long as you’re happy, I don’t care who you’re with, and I’ll support you no matter what. But don’t be too upset that this relationship didn’t work out. I know it’s painful, but I’m sure you’ll find the right person when the time is right."

- "Hmm, not right now, at least. I’d rather take a step back."

- "I forbid you from going back to your one-night stands," I grumbled.

- "That wasn’t my intention. I think I really need to find myself, you know?"

- "Yeah…" I sighed.

A soothing silence settled between us. This conversation had been quite enriching. Mapi was finally relaxed. I could hear her gentle, steady breathing. Unfortunately, my curiosity risked breaking this moment of peace.

- "How did she meet Feli?" I asked gently.

- "I get the feeling she’s been coming to my parties more and more, like she’s looking for you."

- "Oh..."

- "I don’t even know who’s to blame between the two of them," she growled. "I think I hate them both. Anyway, enough talking," she said, sitting up. "You’ve got two weeks to distract me! How about we start by going to the amusement park tomorrow? I bought tickets. We’ll bring Joan; he’ll love it."

- "Why not, sure. I have a suggestion for you too. I was going to wait to ask, but now that you’ve brought it up, this might be the best way to get you out of here."

- "Well, I’m listening. What do you propose, Onita?"

- "My group of friends from school is celebrating New Year’s together in Manchester. They’re inviting us to join them... Alexia really wants to meet you, and I really want to go... Please, say yes!"

- "Alexia, huh? She’s the one who’s taken my place over there, admit it! Or no, wait. Even better, it’s Bronze!"

- "Don’t be ridiculous," I rolled my eyes. "No one can take your place, silly. Come on, it would be the best way to meet my new friends. I’m sure you’ll love them."

- "I don’t know…" she pretended to think. "I’m sure you’ll abandon me and leave me on my own all night."

- "Liar," I giggled. "We both know it’ll be you who abandons me as soon as you feel comfortable."

- "Yeah... You’re probably right."

She laughed heartily, making me smile. Maybe I’m not so bad at cheering people up after all. At least I managed to make her laugh.

- "You’re so silly. My answer was already yes as soon as you asked. We’ve got nothing left to do here anyway. And we’re not risking a night out if Feli is after you."

- "Yeah..."

- "Plus, I’ll finally get to meet your new friends. It’s an opportunity not to be missed, right?"

- "Uh-huh," I said with a smile.

- "Can I meet your supervisor too, since we’ll be in Manchester ? I’d like to see what she looks like."

- "How would we do that? I have no contact with her outside of school."

- "You’ve got her number."

- "So? She’s not my friend, she’s my supervisor. She wouldn’t want to."

- "Oh come on, there’s definitely more between you two, considering how she took care of you during your withdrawal and flu. She even gave you private tutoring sessions for your exams. We all know what ‘private tutoring’ means these days," she said, miming air quotes.

- "Good Lord, Maps," I protested. "That’s not it at all!"

She burst out laughing at my reaction. I didn’t find her implication very funny. If I’m getting comments like this here, what must the students at school be thinking? I’m starting to regret telling her everything.

- "Get that idea out of your head," I grimaced. "And don’t you dare say anything like that in front of others when we’re in Manchester."

- "Oh my God, that’s right... We’re actually going there."

This girl exasperates me. She never thinks things through. Sometimes I wonder how she managed to get to her third year in mechanical engineering. I’m not going to complain because it’s her carefree attitude that saved me. Without her crazy plans, I’d probably still be moping in bed every evening after coming home from rehab.

- "But, but, how are we going to do this? I don’t have the money to buy a ticket!"

- "Calm down," I chuckled. "I’ll pay for the trip. Consider it part of your Christmas gift."

- "I can’t accept that."

- "It wasn’t an option. I have a yearly pass, so I get tickets cheaper, and it’s my mom’s money anyway, so I’m not the one directly paying," I shrugged.

- "Alright... By the way, speaking of Christmas..."

- "Yeah?"

- "My parents left to visit family for two weeks. I was supposed to spend the holidays with Ana and her family... She wanted to officially introduce me."

- "Oh... Well, you can stay here. At least I won’t have to endure my fake family alone."

She giggled immediately. "You’ve never accepted them."

- "Whose fault is that?"

- "Let’s not talk about things that upset us. I don’t want us to argue right now."

- "A very good idea. I’ll tell Sam to set an extra plate for you."

- "Are you sure it won’t be a problem?"

- "Of course not. You already know everyone anyway. I don’t care if they complain. My mom won’t say no after our last conversation."

- "What conversation?" she frowned.

- "Nothing important. We argued when we talked about my withdrawal. I kind of hinted that she never trusted me."

- "You didn’t tell me about that..."

- "No, I only briefly mentioned it to Bronze. I didn’t really want to talk about it."

- "Hmm, Bronze, huh!"

- "Stop it," I groaned. "You win, it’s time to sleep."

- "I was joking," she chuckled.

- "Well, it’s not funny."

I turned over to turn off the light and lay down, ready to sleep. But Mapi didn’t seem to get the message as she climbed right over me to turn my lamp back on. I groaned to show my annoyance.

- "What now?" I grumbled.

- "It was a joke! I didn’t know you were so sensitive."

- "I’m not sensitive," I sighed. "I’m just already tired of the rumors at school. I don’t need you adding to them here. There’s nothing between us, OK? She just gives me everything that no one else ever has, that’s all. That’s the only reason she’s special to me. I’m not interested in her in the way you think."

- "Alright, sorry. I won’t tease you about it anymore."

- "Thanks."

I grumbled when she climbed over me again to turn off the light. She snuggled up against me, trying to find a comfortable position. I smiled at this.

- "Mapi. You know I don’t like sleeping on my back, right?"

She groaned in frustration, realizing I wasn’t planning to stay in this position just after she’d found hers.

- "Fine... But can I still sleep in your arms, or is that too much to ask?"

- "Of course you can."

I rolled onto my side and opened my arms. She nestled into them, making sure to tuck her head into my neck. It had been a long time since we’d slept so closely together. I have to admit, I missed it. We finally wished each other good night, and I drifted off with a small smile on my face.

[the-badger-mole]

In a Time of Adversity

It was just his dumb luck, Zuko thought. All year he had been butting heads with the city's most annoying overachiever. Katara, the prodigy with a 9000 IQ, who'd managed to skip a grade and end up in all of Zuko's advanced placement classes, had been thorn in his side since the day she'd corrected one of his physics equations in front of the whole class. Ever since they had been locked in an increasingly heated battle of who would earn the highest marks in their class, and every week felt like a new face off.

Sometimes he would come out on top, but he had to grudgingly admit that while gave as good as he got on tests and assignments, she had the upper hand when it came to quips and put downs. Too often Zuko had been left sputtering in her wake, struggling to find a comeback from some scathing retort she'd just delivered. It wasn't until after yet another one of these exchanges, when Zuko in his frustration had the thought that he would love to throw her against a locker and kiss her until she didn't have the breath for one of her smart remarks, that it occurred to him that there might be more to his feelings towards her than animosity. And that was the last time he ever spoke to her directly. Disaster averted.

So, of course, when their science class goes on a weekend long camping trip in the middle of Backwoods, Nowhere, he would end up being partnered with her to find a rare fungus. Of course they would end up losing the trail and wandering through the forest with no clue how to make it back to camp. And of course, it would start raining, sending them scrambling up the mountain to a cave that was hopefully abandoned.

"At least we won't have to worry about dehydration," Katara said, pulling the water from their clothes.

"Sure," Zuko replied gruffly. He looked around for something to burn, but there wasn't anything but some leaves and twigs around. Not exactly the makings of a bonfire.

"I'm sure they're looking for us already." Katara sat down against a wall and drew her knees up to her chest.

"Great." Zuko wasn't optimistic about the prospect. Their science class wasn't exactly full of the great outdoors types. Katara had the most camping experience of anyone. The best they could hope for was that the chaperones would call search and rescue early the next morning.

"Do you think we should look for some firewood or something?" Katara suggested. She was shivering a bit, and Zuko could feel the chill settling onto his skin, too.

"It'll all be wet," he told her. "All we'll end up doing is smoking ourselves out."

"I can dry it," Katara reminded him. There was a sharp edge to her voice now. Zuko looked over at her and realized she was scowling at him.

"What's your problem?" he asked, irritably.

"You!" Katara shouted. Her voice bounced around the shallow cave jarringly. "You're my problem."

"Me?" Zuko drew back, affronted. "You're the one who got us lost, Katara, Queen of the Jungle!"

"Alright, fine! I'm sorry, alright?" Her voice cracked dangerously. "I just thought we could work together on this and things could go back to normal between us." Whatever Zuko had been expecting her to say, that was not it.

"Normal?" he repeated, completely baffled. "Normal between us? What are you talking about?" Over the sound of the falling rain, Zuko thought he heard Katara sniffling. Was she crying?

"You-you've been avoiding me for weeks," she said. Zuko was stunned. He'd heard Katara laugh (usually at him), and yell (again...usually at him). He'd heard her confidently dressing down a teacher that once made the mistake of telling her that women didn't get far in the science field. But this...this vulnerability in her voice. That was new.

"I haven't been avoiding you," he said. It wasn't entirely a lie. It's not like he turned the other direction when he saw her in the hall. He just didn't engage in their verbal sparring matches.

"You won't talk to me," Katara said. "You barely acknowledge me when I talk to you. When Piando assigned us as partners, you looked like he had just told you to eat a raw snail. I don't know what I did to offend you this badly, but I'm sorry, okay?" She was definitely crying now, and Zuko was panicking.

"I'm not...I'm not angry at you," he told her hesitantly. "I just...it's just that our bickering was beginning to feel....I don't know...childish?"

"So it's because I'm younger?" Katara demanded. Zuko winced. That was a frequent sore spot for Katara. Because she'd been moved ahead in school, some of her teachers and classmates made a big fuss over her age whenever she did something they didn't like. Zuko thought it was stupid. She was a year and some change younger than him, and only two years younger than the oldest people in their grade. Hardly a mind bending gap, especially given how mature she was generally.

"No, that's not it," Zuko said. "It's not about your age, or grades or anything like that. I just don't feel like having an enemy I don't need to have." Katara fell silent for a moment. Zuko thought he could still hear her sniffling every so often.

"I didn't think we were enemies," she said softly. It took a moment for Zuko to understand what she'd said. Then he snorted.

"Right," he scoffed. "That's why you called me a spoiled brat who probably paid someone to do my homework for me."

"Okay," Katara huffed. "I'm not saying we were besties or anything. But I thought we were at least friendly rivals. I wasn't seriously accusing you of cheating. It's just...school isn't always a challenge."

"Egghead," Zuko muttered. Something small-an acorn, probably- hit the wall next to his head. He smirked at Katara in the dark.

"That's more of a criticism of our curriculum than a brag," she said defensively. "Anyway, I was saying that you challenge me. If I wasn't trying so hard to be better than you, I would be so bored."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Katara's soft spoken vulnerability hung in the air between them for a long moment. Then Zuko laughed. He sensed Katara stiffen, draw into herself, and he slid over to her side of the cave.

"I'd be bored without you, too," he admitted. "And for the record, the only one in our school who would be worth paying to cheat from would be you." Katara scowled up at him, Zuko was actually close enough to see it in the dark. Then she laughed, too.

"So what did I do to piss you off so bad, then?" she asked him. Zuko drew back, feeling the heat rush to his face.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "You didn't say or do anything. I just wanted to be different, I guess."

"Oh." Katara wrapped her arms tightly around herself and a hard shiver ran through her.

"You're cold," Zuko said.

"Aren't you?" Katara asked through clenched teeth.

"Firebender," he reminded her. "Um...if you want, you can..." Zuko opened his arm towards her, an awkward invitation. Without hesitating, Katara scooted over and curled into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You're better than a heating pad," she sighed contentedly.

This was a mistake, Zuko thought immediately. Katara lay her head against his shoulder and every thought he'd had about kissing her until she was dizzy came rushing back. He would be a complete gentleman, of course, but he prayed that sleep would come quickly and end his torture.

"Hey, Zuko?" Katara lifted her head to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here with me." Zuko's mind screeched to a halt. What did that mean? After a moment he decided it didn't really matter.

"I'm glad, too," he said honestly.

[reputationmunson]

Hii I was wondering if you could write a Steve Harrington x Henderson!reader where she’s like 2 or 3 years younger than him and she’s in love with him and he knows about it but he pushes her away because of the age gap but when they’re in the upside down she gets hurt and he freaks out and they have an argument and he realizes his feelings for her. Sorry if it’s confusing :) she/her pronouns please

I am so sorry this took me so long! I’m already a perfectionist and then i’m even worse when it comes to requests because i’m scared of disappointing people that request things. I hope you enjoy and thank you for the request and being patient!

Bloodshed, Crimson Clover | s.h x fem!reader

content: angsty, mentions of unrequited feelings, reader is 20 and steve is 22, blood/injuries, the upside down, mentions of death, happy ending!, henderson!reader(i made reader adopted so that way there’s no indication that she has to resemble dustin) 

Word count: 2.3k

What is it that causes such an incessant need for someone’s validation? Especially when that person has never even given you an inkling of recognition. 

Is it low self-esteem? Is it to fill a void? Or is it because your “adorable”, “genius” younger brother overshadowed you for the majority of your life? 

If you would get a B+ on a test, Dustin would come home and say he got the highest grade in his class. When you got your driver's license, Dustin had just invented one of his gadgets. Those were just two examples out of many instances. 

You know it was never intentional or malicious. You considered him to be your best friend and your mom always talks about how excited you were about having a baby brother. You were adopted as a baby, but biology never mattered much to you. Your mom was your mom and your brother was your brother. No ands, ifs, or buts about it. 

Your issue with approval didn’t start until your freshman year of high school. When you met him. 

Steve Harrington, to be specific. 

It’s cliche, right? The quiet girl who’s a bit of a loner having a huge, almost embarrassing, crush on the popular guy who practically runs the school. 

Much like the rest of the girls, you fell victim to the fascination of Steve. 

As expected, he never paid much attention to you. There was a time period during sophomore year that he would occasionally copy off your tests in science class. He tried to be subtle about it, but that only made it more obvious. It never bothered you, though. It made you feel special, however silly that sounds. 

Then, the unthinkable happened. your little brother, who was still in middle school at the time, befriended Steve. 

To say it was mind boggling would be an understatement. 

Here you were, spending your first two years of high school trying to get his attention, and out of the blue Steve drives Dustin to a school dance. Ever since then, he became a glorified babysitter and mentor to Dustin. Even now, after all these years since Dustin has grown up, their relationship remained the same. 

“I’m always gonna look out for you, buddy” you once overheard Steve say to your brother, making your heart swell. 

You thought for sure this was going to be your chance to get closer to Steve, maybe you’d be lucky enough for him to fall for you the way you fell for him. A silly school girl crush had turned into a pining, unrequited mess. You felt like a fool the way you would try and put yourself out there, only for him to drift further and further from you. 

“Hey, Steve, wanna watch a movie after you drop Dustin off at the arcade?” you’d ask and he’d reply “Sorry, I can’t. Gotta do laundry tonight” or some other half-assed excuse and pity smile to try and let you down easily. 

The way you acted was cumbersome. Laughing at his jokes too loudly when they weren’t even really that funny, putting on your best outfit when you knew he was coming over, and baking him cookies as a ‘thank you’ for taking care of Dustin. You weren’t subtle about your crush, making it even worse that the feelings weren’t reciprocated. 

At first, you chalked it up to being a sophomore while he was a senior, then being a junior once he graduated. After that, you blamed nothing but yourself. Were you not pretty enough? Not funny enough? Not good enough? Too upfront with how you felt? Too desperate?

The same questions run around your mind almost every night before you fall asleep, hoping that one day maybe it’ll hit him that he wants you just as much or maybe you’ll wake up one day and be over him, which is the more likely option. 

At least it was, until tonight. 

_

“Jesus christ, y/n, you could’ve gotten yourself killed!” Steve reprimands for what feels like the thousandth time. His arm supports your waist as your arm is wrapped around his shoulders as you walk into his house.

“So you’ve said” you grunt, barely audible due to the fact you feel like you won’t make it if you use up all your energy to speak. 

_

A gate had opened to the upside down, which you only learned about two years ago. You all thought the gate was closed for good, but alternate dimensions seem to be a bit unpredictable. 

You refused to let Dustin go with you and Steve agreed. Both of you had one thing in common; you’d do anything to protect him. It was only you and Steve that had gone and it wasn’t exactly how you pictured having alone time with him. 

After what felt like hours of going in circles, you strayed from him in an attempt to find your way out and then planned to go back to him then lead the way back home. Steve ran after you, but ended up losing you. 

All of the sudden, the weirdest looking creature you’d ever seen came out of nowhere, scratching and biting at you. You fought hard, finally grabbing hold of your weapon and killing whatever the hell was trying to kill you. 

You laid there for what felt like an eternity, covered in blood with blurry vision and the feeling of slipping away from your body. 

“Oh my god, y/n!” you had heard him shout and he sounded like he was a million miles away. “Nonono, what happened?” he kneeled on the ground, hands flew to try your wounds to try and stop the bleeding

“I tripped” you attempted to joke, hissing in pain when you let out a small chuckle. He didn’t laugh, though. Didn’t even crack a smile. He just looked at you with wide, concerned eyes. “I’m gonna help you stand, okay?”

“I-I c-can’t” you began to sob. “It hurts so bad, Steve”

“I know, I know, but we gotta get you out of here. I’m gonna clean you up and make you feel better, but you gotta stand up” He tries to help you up, but you can’t do it. “Just leave me. You need to get out of here. Please don’t make me move, please” you beg. 

“I can’t lose you, y/n. We can’t lose you. Think about Dustin and your mom and your friends a-and me” you swear it sounds like he’s choking on a sob. What does he mean he can’t lose you? You barely mutter out an ‘okay’ and muster up all of your energy to move. 

Somehow, you escape the hellhole and you don’t remember how you make it back to his house, but you do. You’re battered and bruised, but you're safe with Steve’s arm around you, nonetheless. You’re gonna have to find a way to send the weirdest thank you note to that demonic creature. 

_

Steve runs around the bathroom frantically, gathering every possible first-aid item as you sit on the sink counter. 

“We gotta get you cleaned up first, alright?’’ you give a small nod and he turns the shower on before rushing out of the bathroom, going as quickly as he can so you aren’t left alone too long. 

“Here take these pain pills” he says when he returns, handing you the pills and water. “And I’m gonna put this stool in the shower so you can sit down, okay? Oh, and here are some clean clothes and towels” he’s talking so fast, still in a panic. “M’gonna be fine, Steve. Don’t freak out”

“Can you, um, get undressed by yourself?” he asks, avoiding eye contact. “mhmm” you respond and he helps you down from the counter. “I’m gonna be right outside that door. Let me know when you’re dressed” 

Steve shuts the door behind him and sits on the floor right outside, just like he said he’d do. 

The hot water bites at your wounds, blood and dirt flow down the drain and you can’t stop the tears that start to burst. You almost died tonight, but Steve saved you. He’s still saving you. 

His words echo throughout your mind. “I can’t lose you’’ he had said. Did you hallucinate or something? Did he actually say that? 

On the other side of the door, Steve sits with his head in his hands and trying to quiet his sobs. He’s seen and experienced things unimaginable, but the image of you lying on the ground almost lifeless makes him sick. He thought you were already dead. The feeling of his heart dropping to his stomach hasn’t gone away. 

Steve has never thought of a world without you in it and now that he has, regrets swirl in his head. 

He remembers you in high school. The introverted girl with an obvious crush on him that he never thought twice about because let's be honest, he was no stranger to girls being attracted to him. At the time, Steve only thought of you as the girl two years younger than him who would get flustered everytime he sat next to her in science class.

 As time went on, he knew your feelings never went away, but it took him almost losing you to realize how he feels about you. A world without you in it would be a world not worth being a part of. 

Steve hears the shower turn off and your groan as you get dressed. He quickly wipes his tears and tries to compose himself. 

“Steve” you mutter, voice meek. “Are you dressed?” he asks. “yeah. Can you help me now, please?” he’s never opened a door faster in his life.

Despite the look of defeat on your face, you still look beautiful. Especially in his clothes. 

“Can you sit on the counter?” he asks and you hoist yourself up with a grunt. “I’m gonna lift up your shirt then clean the wounds with rubbing alcohol. Might sting a little” he informs you. 

When the alcohol hits your wounds, you grab Steve’s shoulder and squeeze. “sorry” you mutter. “s’fine. I know this hurts. I don’t mind” he assures you. “If you wanna talk as a distraction, that’s fine. It’s helped me in the past” he suggests. 

“What did you mean when you said you couldn’t lose me?” you ask, getting straight to the point.

“I don’t think i said that” he lies. “you did” you counter. “I said everyone else couldn’t lose you” he responds. He’s too scared to tell you how he really feels, even after all this. “Are you really going to argue with a dying person?” “You aren’t dying. You’re fine”

“Then why were you crying?” you argue. “I wasn’t. I’m tired” he lies again. “You’re impossible” you scoff. “I’m impossible? You’re the idiot who ran away and almost got killed!” he exclaims. “I was trying to find a way home!” you defend yourself and he rolls his eyes. 

He stops cleaning your wounds to look at you. “And how did that go? You do understand that you almost died, don’t you? It was so fucking stupid”

“Then why didn’t you just leave me like I asked you to?’

“Dustin would never forgive me” he states. “Is that all?” he hesitates for a second

“Yes” 

“Tell me the truth” you demand. “That is the truth,” he insists. “I don’t believe you”

“Fuck, y/n! What do you want me to say? That if I lost you I would never fucking recover? That if I had to go the rest of my life without hearing the way you laugh, I’d never smile again? Or do you wanna know that the thought of you being gone would kill me and I would never forgive myself. Ever” 

“Don’t say that if you don’t mean it or ‘cause you know that’s just wanna hear” you look down at your lap and a tear falls down your cheek. “I’m not and I hate that this is what it took for me to realize that I lo-” he stops himself and you look up at him with wide eyes. “Do you really feel that way?” you whisper and he nods, huffing out a sigh. 

“Can you kiss me?”

“I will once I put the bandages on. I promise” he swears “They can wait. I’ve been waiting for five years”

He rests his hand on your cheek and you try to lean in, but whimper in pain when you move. “Sit still, baby. Let me take care you”

Steve Harrington just called you ‘baby’. If you found out you died and went to heaven, you wouldn’t be surprised. 

Steve leans in slowly, pressing kisses to the corners of your lips before fully placing his lips on yours. You sigh into the kiss, feeling the weight of a thousand pounds being lifted off of you. His lips are as soft as you imagined they would be and his hand that cradles your face makes you feel safer than you’ve ever been. 

“I love you” he whispers against your lips “I love you, too. I always have” 

“Way to one up me” he teases. “You better get used to it ‘cause you loooovvvee me” 

“Yeah, I do, so you don’t have to write sad love poems in your diary anymore”

“You read those?!” you gasp and he laughs. “Dustin told me about them. They sounded like shakespeare, you should write a damn book or something”

“Shut up and kiss me again”

He kisses you again and again, only stopping to finish tending to your wounds. When you start to cry over the scars you’re gonna have, he promises that he’s going to kiss and adore them for the rest of your lives. You don’t doubt him for a second

Tonight was equally the worst and best night of your life, but you’d do it all over again for him in a heartbeat.

_

thank you for reading!

_

[akaicodes]

update to my roadmap of learning https://www.tumblr.com/akaicodes/744920785897111552/roadmap-of-learning-curriculum-related-so-far - 4 months later ♡

• C# - spent ~1 year so far practicing, more comfortable, can build whole sites/programs with little help

• HTML & CSS - started ~5 months ago, confident in both, can style a site without help online, still much to learn

• JavaScript + Vue - Axios - can build “full stack” applications where i do both backend & frontend and host online (love JS!!)

• REST - experienced for 5 months! can build my own REST API, use someone elses with axios & test it thoughoutly with Postman (+Javascript code)

• Unit testing & UI testing - learned so many better ways to unit test & UI test more indeph

• Started leaning Git more with commands

• SQL - can manipulate simple databases and more one from scratch

& huge thanks to my sister @niyacodes for being on this journey with me 💓

++++ I went to a 5 hour exam for all these subjects (+- more) and got the highest grade possible 🥹 (i failed my first programming exam in 1st sem!!!!) ((pic is my favorite after study-snack))

[lavender--fairy]

hi, just wanna share a "success story." i'm choosing to stay anonymous because i don't want to be bombarded with questions, because the asker can find answers within themselves.

i'll just cut straight to the chase. throughout high school, especially when we were online during the pandemic, i would cheat on all my exams. i'd say this started mid 8th grade until mid 11th grade. mind you, it wasn't threshold based, so i wasn't really harming anyone. me cheating basically stopped the class average from dropping down 70% lol.

the act of me cheating alone reveals many things; i was unconfident in myself, insecure, and cared what other people thought of me.

11th grade is where people here start to get really anxious. pulling all nighters and getting caffiene addictions. but i was lazing around, and did what i always did. of course, online exams don't last forever, especially not when it comes to an international exam. it really only hit me months before the real tests that cheating wasn't gonna get me anywhere.

how was i supposed to do these exams? ones that people take at least two years to prepare for? that people study their asses off for? with all the high expectations i falsely gained from my peers and parents, i knew that if i failed these tests, not only would i be ashamed, but everyone would begin to doubt me and inevitably find out about my cheating habits. and i didn't want that to happen.

i did everything i could. i tried to study, but i was inefficient because i basically never opened a book on my own before that, then i tried to get tuition, which only worked to some extent. the highest i have everr gotten on a practice paper was a B, and it was a low one.

i took eight subjects. most people here take 6/7, but i didn't wanna drop one because i didn't want to feel the "shame." again, i really cared about what others thought of me.

so, at this point, i thought. well, i'm screwed.

then i came across subliminals while looking up focus music, which lead me to manifestion -> law of assumption -> neville goddard -> the 4D -> the inner man.

started to implement the law. thought i'd pass all my exams because hell, why not? i persisted that i was just gonna pass because i said so.

i gave the inner man good grades because i could. i saw a good report card in my head because i could. i imagined myself happy on results day. despite the fact that i was underprepared by a mile. why? because i could.

i got straight A's for my exams and got an outstanding reward. this truly revealed to me the power of the law, because just a month back, i was pulling my hair out and stressing like crazy. i'm not proud of my old habits. but with the law, i was able to live the lazy life of my dreams (lol) and still be awarded with praise, smiles and trophies.

wanted to share this story because i feel like knowing the law is so important. it's so easy too. all you have to do is give it to yourself, the inner man, the true self.

don't stress about getting those grades, getting that girl, that dream body, clear skin. don't stress about getting. just give it to yourself, because you can.

hope this helps someone out there realise something :)

heyy butterbean!! This is amazingg thank you so much <3

[hangetagram]

ahh! posting the first part of my first fanfic ever! it’s a reiner ff because he’s so hot and i love him >_<! my friend lowkey helped me with him but she wanted me to do it with eren but like….eren didn’t fit the characteristics reiner has is in this fic..😭 ANYWAYS! enjoy this because i’ll be posting separate parts because holy this is long and it takes very long to get to the point, yes this fic has smut 😈😵‍💫!!

happy reading! 📖

f!reader x popular!reiner | high school au | smut 17+ | every1 mentioned is 18. |

⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄

Senior year of High school.

I hate it. 

The people, the classes, the work, trying to find a decent college to go to. Everything is just so stressful. I’m still passing all my classes, but trying to do all the assignments to my fullest is way too difficult, even if I'm the highest ranked student in my grade. Many say that bullying stops once you reach your senior year, that couldn’t be even more wrong. Even at 18 years old I'm still getting bullied. Even though I never argued with anyone or had any enemies at school I still get bullied by a group of immature boys. These boys were the worst part of my day, except one, Reiner Braun. He was the nicest to me out of all the boys of the group. He’d always apologize once the rest of the group went away. I still question why such a nice man is friends with those assholes . Reiner and I had only 4 classes together, but where one goes another has to follow. Despite hating the group he was “friends” with, I developed a big crush on him.

“Aw, c’mon, stop being a nerd for once and come with me!” Sasha whined to me.

“No, I gotta study for my upcoming unit test Sash, you know this already.” 

“Isn’t that test until the first week of next month..?” She questioned as she laid her stomach on my bed while scrolling on her phone.

“It’s never too early to start studying.” You chuckle a bit.

“Yeah, of course it isn’t for you.” a hint of annoyance in her tone.

Silence filled the room, but not the awkward kind. You were slowly getting comfortable with the silence until Sasha interrupted it with a loud whine that startled you.

“JUST PLEASE COME TO THE PARTY, Y/N, UGH.” She shouts loud enough for your sister, Rico, to hear. 

“Quiet down, Sasha! My sister’s gonna hear you, she’s probably sleeping so hush.”

As soon as I told Sasha that, I heard my door open, “Party?” Rico says as she leans on the door frame with her arms crossed.

Rico is quite literally my twin, we do everything together. Although she's 3 years older than me she doesn’t treat me differently because she's “the older sister”, unless it’s related to me going anywhere. The last time Rico ever allowed me to go out was when Sasha invited me and our other friend, Mikasa, to get some “late night munchies”, Whatever that means. All 3 of us got harassed by these 4 old men that were drunk off their heads right outside of the convenience store we were getting snacks from. After that incident Rico never allowed me to go out anymore. I never really minded it because all I did was study at home.

“It’s nothing, Rico. I wasn’t even planning on going, unless Sasha doesn’t stop pestering me.” I spun my desk chair to look at my sister.

“Yeah, even if you change your mind, you're still not going.” Rico looked at me with her eyebrow knitting at me, and a frown on her face. 

“Why notttttttt!!!!” Sasha chimed in.

“Because of what happened the last time you guys went out, and I don't trust high school parties.” Nico replied to Sasha.

Sasha puts her hands together as she says, “Pleaseeee, Rico sissy, let her come PLEASEEE, I SWEAR I WILL PROTECT HER!” She finishes her sentence by yelling and giving my sister a salute. 

Rico laughs at Sasha’s attempt to persuade her, “You’re really funny, you know that Sasha.” Sasha looks at my sister with a big smile. 

“But if Y/N wants to go she can, I guess…” Sasha happily screams as she gives my sister a big hug. 

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, RICO SISSY!” Sasha slowly jogs to where me and my desk are at. She gives me “the look”, it's hard to say no to her after all the begging she did, even leading up to convincing my sister. 

“Fine. I’ll go..” I silently said, loud enough for Sasha to hear me.

“FOR REAL? YOU WILL? YAY!” Sash squeals as she pulls me into a tight big hug and roughly kisses my cheek.

“Yes, Jesus. So when’s “this party” ”

“Today, at…” She looks at her phone checking the time “8:30, but we’ll probably get there at like 9-9:30.”

“Wait, it's today?” I said genuinely shocked.

“Well, yeah! We have plenty of time to get ready, it’s only 2:54. So that gives us about 6 hours to get ready!” Sasha explains with glee to me.

“Sash, don’t get mad but, I don’t even have a dress..”

“Don’t worry! I got plenty! Let’s go to my place right now, hurry up and put your shoes on!”

As Sasha leaves your room, your anxiety starts to build knowing that you're going to your first ever high school party. Sasha always described them as very fun and entertaining, which only lowered your anxiety by 1%. 

You took a deep breath and told yourself to calm down and tried to reassure yourself that it was just a stupid high school party and that nothing was gonna go on. “Oh but they’re gonna be there, Fuck.” 

“Who’s gonna be there?” I swing my head to the door and see Sasha eat a bag of Lemon Lay’s that she probably got from my pantry.

“N-no one.” 

“Ok then, Lets go!” As she starts pulling you from your desk chair.

“Alright!” You giggle as you stand up following her.

4:44 P.M. - @ Sasha's house

“Are you sure this looks good?” I look at Sasha through the cheval mirror she has in the corner of her room.

“Why wouldn’t it! You look so fucking hot!” Sasha exclaims.

“I don’t know, Sash.” I stare at myself deeply.

“Y/N, you look really gorgeous, i swear.”

You trust Sasha very much and know that she wouldn’t lie to you.

“What type of dress is this again?” I ask Sasha.

“It’s a black pleated tube dress!” Sasha replies to you as she looks for her own dress to wear.

“It’s so pretty, i should buy one myself, but knowing me i’d probably never wear it out, ha.” I chuckle.

“Have it! It totally fits you more than me, and i’ve only wore that dress once, I didn’t even take it out because the day I wore that dress my date canceled on me!” She smiles and laughs.

“Wait for real, Sash? You’d let me keep it?”

“Of course! You have no dresses, so keep one of mine!”

“Thank you so much, i love you!” You pulled her into a hug.

“You’re welcome babes! By the way Mikasa is coming in like 2 minutes.”

“She’s going to the party too?”

“Yup and she’s going to help me give you a big makeover and get you out of your comfort zone!”

“HUH?” I questioned Sasha.

Sasha’s front door busts open and we both hear a loud voice.

“IM HERE!!!!!!!!!”

2nd person pov

7:00P.M. - still @ Sasha’s house

“We’re almost done Y/N stop moving your eyelids!” Mikasa scolds you.

“Just hurry because my eyes hurt from being like this for too lo-“

“Done!” Mikasa interrupted you.

“You can open your eyes now Y/N!” Sasha excitedly says.

You slowly open your eyes adjusting to the light in Sasha’s room and you look at yourself in Sasha’s vanity.

“Holy shit, is that for real me? I look so different. Mikasa, Sasha, Thank you so much! It looks so good!”

“Of course! Even though Sasha was just eating the entire time!” Mikasa joked.

“Hey! I helped by giving her a new dress and doing her hair!”

“Whatever Sash!” Mikasa replied.

“If you wanted to know what kind of makeup i did on you it’s called douyin makeup!” Mikasa looks at you.

“What’s that?” You say.

“It’s Chinese styled makeup except I made your waterline black instead of keeping it empty!” Mikasa said proudly.

“Thanks, i love it!” I stand up and hug Mikasa deeply.

“You’re welcome, Y/N.” Mikasa smiles.

You pull away making your way to Sasha. “Thanks so much Sash, for whatever you did to my hair!” You hug her.

“Hello! Isn’t it obvious! I styled your hair in a side part with curled tips!” Sasha tells you.

“Well thank you for that.” Your pull away.

“You both need to hurry up and get ready!” You tell both of them.

“WAIT!” Sasha yells.

She starts walking to her drawer and starts to take out a pair of panties, bra, socks, and some type of lace…? She goes to her closet to get matte black heels.

As she marches to me, she sticks her hands out with the stuff she’s holding, “Here.”

puzzled i reply, “What’s this for?”

“You never know who’s attending, Y/N! We’re are all finally 18! We can do whatever we want!” Sasha reply’s

“Are you implying that i should get with someone?”

“Yes.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I’m so not crazy. You totally have a crush on someone.”

Yours eyes widened as your cheeks reddened.

“Woah Y/N, you got the hots for someone? Who is it!” Mikasa chimes in.

“I-I don’t! Sasha’s literally lying!”

“I would be lying if you’re weren’t getting so flustered!”

“I’m not you’re just imagining things…”

“So who’s the lucky guy?” Mikasa smirks at me.

I sigh knowing they already know i have a crush on someone and i can’t deny it no more.

“Reiner Braun…”

“HUH?!?!” Mikasa and Sasha say in unison.

“What is he bad or something…?” You ask genuinely worried.

“Oh, no, no, no! I just didn’t think you’d have a crush on him.” Mikasa silently chuckles.

“Yeah, for real Y/N! I’d think you’d want someone more on the nerdy side like, Armin from your Science.” Sasha joins in.

“No, but he’s cute just not my type of guy i’d be into” You get nervous.

“So why Reiner, he’s like hella popular.” Mikasa asks.

“Well, for starters he’s really nice and sweet to me, his voice is so attractive to listen to, the minor facial hair he has on his face is super hot, his well built figure, his blonde hair, his perfect eyes, oh and his hands are something i’m sooooooo attracted to-“ You stop yourself as Mikasa and Sasha are currently laughing their asses off.

Your cheeks reddened of embarrassment.

“Holy shit, Y/N-“ Sasha starts.

“You are MADLY in love with him.” Mikasa finishes.

“Stop it you two this is so embarrassing admitting out loud!” Yours burry your face into your hands.

“Y/N, babes, please wear what i’m giving you. Reiner is literally gonna be at the party! Impress him!” Sasha tries to convince you.

“Ok, fine, but what even is all of this?” You questioned Sasha.

“Laced panties with bows that i was gifted but never worn because they were big for me because i got no ass, but you, you got nice ass, so i thought of this when i looked at you.” Sasha explains.

“Holy, okay.” You grab the panties she handed to you.

“This black laced strap-less push up bra it’s my go-to date bra! And it totally matches you!” Sasha hands you the item.

“Go on…”

“Next is these above knee black transparent socks, you can wear with your heels!”

You grab the socks, “Thanks, ok, last item..”

“A laced thigh garter!” Sasha smiles.

“Uhm, do i need to wear this?” You ask in concerned tone.

“Of course you do! For some reason it turns guys on!” Sasha smirks, teasing you.

“Whatever, I guess i’ll get changed quick.”

Few minutes later…..

“Ah, uhm, guys, how to i look..?”

“YOU LOOK SO HOT! YOU ARE FOR SURE GONNA GET REINER’S ATTENTION!” Mikasa says.

“100% AGREE!!” Sasha inputs.

“Thanks guys!” I happily say.

“All we gotta do is our make up and we can go!” Sasha says.

⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄

that’s a wrap for part one! it’s currently 12:30 am where i live and i’m so tired! i wrote this all in about maybe 2 hours? i’m not sure lol..😵‍💫

lowkey kinda proud of this because this is the first aot fanfic i’ve ever wrote or fanfic in general! i hope this isn’t cringe or corny to any of y’all but please feel free to leave me any tips or feedback!!😚

ty for tolerating my shit writing 😭💕

mimi ^_^.

[nicnsmth1]

I've continued playing the assassination classroom game (despite being very bad at the combat LMAO) but here are some karma findings I got!! I've been focused on leveling up his friendship so I've gotten only his interactions :]

this is gonna be long and I don't think there's much spoilers? It's mostly me just compiling my fave dialogues w karma ^^

first off, LOOK AT SHIZUHA IN THEIR SUMMER OUTFIT AND LOOK AT KARMA BLUSHING FROM HIS GRADES DROPPING!! THEYRE MY WORLD!!

THIS DIALOGUE DURING THE SCHOOL FEST AAAA THE WAY HE SAY IT TOO, I'm only a guy in love

sometimes the students will ask if you wanna change your schedule to hang out w them and OFC I say yes to his invite!! And the fact that he casually just says it AAA bye

THIS!! We had a little scene where he talks abt his feelings after the finals and how he admits that korosensei def saw right through him being nonchalant during the end-of-terms,, AND HE'S SO SWEET ABT IT TOO

extra!!

-I'm gonna replay the game again but as a girl cause there are also dialogues in the cave during the courage test (I got okuda for this one since my friendship w her is highest at the time :DD but I reallyyy want to know what karma says)

-I'm only doing this for karma cause if I were to go through all 28 students, it'll take FOREVER to finish and I have national exams to take by the end of the year so no ty TT

-I'm obsessed w this game, I've been playing it for four hours straight help

anyway, I'll post more if I come across more things related to him!! to be continued >:D

(gakuho looks goofy here)