#i will be over here during the week to work on the starts i owe there

[himbosandhardwear]

Steddie I 2.1k I different first meeting I modern au I one sided enemies to lovers I rated T

“I mean, if looking like a dyke is the goal, you're nailing it,” Steve tells Robin as she holds the phone back to showcase her date outfit. “Change the belt, I think-”

He hears a throat clear behind him and spins around to find Eddie the bar manager standing behind him, a blank face and closed off body language.

“Shit,” he mumbles. “Rob, I have to go. I'll text you after work.” He hangs up on her and stuffs his phone into his back pocket. “Sorry about that. Hi, you must be Eddie.” He holds out his hand to shake but Eddie just looks at it. He lowers it, the sting of rejection biting low in his stomach. “Um. Harvey said you just got back from a tour? That's cool.”

“Mmhmm.” He sniffs. “You're on garnish duty,” he says, cold and succinct, before turning away.

It's only Steve's third day behind the bar but he'd been slinging drinks with Rachel the night before. Barback duties are beneath him, he's got six years bartending experience. He doesn't want to complain though, not to Eddie who hated him on sight, and not during his first week.

They stay out of each other's way for the first half of the night, Steve relegated to the back, slicing limes and making the pre-mixes.

He's not used to being hated so thoroughly like this. Eddie hasn't uttered a word directly to Steve since sending him to the back, but he catches Eddie's eye a few times and it's like ice water down his back. The people-pleasing little boy in him wants to cry but he's a grown fucking man, he's not going to let this bother him. Just because he was looking forward to meeting Eddie, wanted to make a friend here, wanted to get to know the guy who managed the bar when he wasn't shredding across the country. Maybe if the owner hadn't talked Eddie up like he was the next Chris Martin…or whoever the metal equivalent of that would be. And, yeah, he'd seen the photos of Eddie, the Polaroids behind the bar of him with staff and guests, and thought he was stupid hot, with his tangled curls and the dimples, and maybe he'd had some inappropriate thoughts about his in absentia boss, and maybe he'd fantasized about flirting at the end of the night, and maybe-

Anyway, it's all good. Eddie doesn't owe him kindness or friendship or a single dimpled smile. Sometimes people just don't get along and that's okay.

“Your Fernet,” he mumbles as he sets the bottle at Eddie's elbow, head down like a dog that's used to booted feet. He feels like an idiot but Eddie's frosty demeanor feels like it's balanced on a knife's edge, like he could tip over into a blazing explosion if Steve says or does the wrong thing.

Eddie doesn't thank him, just snatches the bottle and walks away.

“You're welcome,” he snarks under his breath after Eddie's well away.

“Can I get a rum and coke?” A guy asks over the counter.

Steve hesitates. He's not welcome at the bar, Eddie has made that abundantly clear, but he wasn't hired as a barback, he's a bartender, so he smiles at the guy and starts making the drink. Eddie is busy at the other end of the bar anyway.

“You're new,” the guy says, making conversation as Steve works.

“Yeah, it's my first week.”

“You liking it so far?”

Steve glances down the bar, watching Eddie shake a cocktail like he's fucking Tom Cruise or something. His face lights up at something the woman he's talking to says and the crack of his laugh travels the length of the bar, punching Steve right in the stomach. His dimples are really something to see in motion.

“Jesus Christ, I wanna wrap you in tinsel.”

Steve whips his head back around. “Huh?”

The guy chuckles. “Because you're pining so hard. Get it? Pine-ing.”

Well shit. He deflates. “That obvious, huh?”

The guy accepts his drink with a shrug. “Maybe not to everyone but to a…certain demographic…” He gives Steve a little limp wristed wave, which makes Steve crack a laugh.

“I'm Steve, by the way,” he holds out his hand, which the guy takes easily, unlike some people.

“Cary, like Cary Grant.”

“Or Cary Elwes.”

“Exactly.” He leans a ways over the bar and mumbles, “Don't look but your boy is watching us.”

Steve forces his body to not stiffen up. “Does he look mad?”

“No. Confused if anything. Pretend like I just said the funniest thing you've ever heard.”

Steve, always down for shenanigans, tips his head back and fakes the loudest howl he can without being too over the top.

“Oh, you're good. He's got his eye on you, doll. Make the most of it.”

Steve leans into the shared space, eyes half-lidded. “I hope he's seething with jealousy. He could've had me six ways from Sunday but instead he decided to hate my guts at first sight.”

“What an absolute dumbass.” Cary reaches up and taps Steve's collarbone. “If I wasn't already taken, and you weren't pining like a Christmas tree, we could've ridden into the sunset together.”

“If only,” Steve agrees with a soft laugh.

“We're out of Matcha.”

Steve jumps out of his skin. Eddie is standing three inches from Steve's side, eyes burning into him like he just caught Steve keying his car.

“Make your own Matcha,” Cary snarks, “Steve and I are getting to know one another.”

Without breaking eye contact with Steve, he growls, “I think Tony, your fiance, would prefer it if Steve made the Matcha.”

Chills run down Steve's back and arms but he maintains composure. “On it, boss.”

He slips out from under Eddie's gaze, finger waving to Cary on his way back to the kitchen. He can hear Eddie chastising but he chooses to ignore him in favor of hyperventilating in the walk-in.

“What the fuck.”

Eyes like black flames, licking up the side of Steve's neck. Collarbones raising and lowering in the light of the bar as his chest moved with each breath. Hands clenched at his sides, white knuckled.

That wasn't cold at all.

He moves on autopilot for the rest of his shift. Eddie doesn't talk to him again but Steve can feel his eyes on the back of his neck, raising the hairs and keeping him from forgetting Eddie’s existence.

Towards the end of his shift, just before midnight, he hears Robin calling his name from the bar. He comes out of the kitchen, happy to see her waving him over, excited to introduce her date. He probably shouldn't encourage this behavior, it's his first week after all, but the restaurant is closing and the bar is empty.

“Hey, you must be Chrissy,” he greets the petite woman at Robin's side, takes her tiny hand in his and gives it a firm shake. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Same! I couldn't believe it when Robin said you'd just started here. Like, it's a crazy coincidence.”

He cocks his head but before he can ask, Eddie comes bounding over from the other side of the bar and lifts Chrissy up off her stool, swinging her in a circle while she shrieks with laughter.

“Apparently Eddie is her best friend,” Rob fills him in, sort of unnecessary at this point. Steve wouldn't have been able to imagine Eddie looking so happy, he'd been so sour faced all night. Even when he'd been laughing with the customer earlier, it was only a fraction of this.

“Tell me everything,” Chrissy is saying after he puts her down. “Last I heard you loved Cleveland and hated Boston, which I maintain is insane.”

“And I maintain you didn't have to navigate the Boston roadways with Boston drivers,” Eddie argues, still grinning. “But it was great. Exhausting but…yeah, fucking awesome.”

“I'm so proud of you, Eds. You deserve it.”

He actually fucking blushes, which is devastating to Steve's crush. Just devastating.

“Shut up,” he mumbles. “Oh, sorry, you must be Robin. Thanks for bringing Chris to see me.” He shakes her hand, not hating her on sight, Steve notes.

“No problem, but I didn't, she brought me here to see the Dingus.” At Eddie's confused look she throws a thumb back at Steve, who waves.

“Yeah, hi. Your best friend is dating my best friend. Sorry. Guess that means you're stuck with me.”

His frown doesn't abate with this explanation.

“Because they're lesbians. She's gonna have me helping her move into Chrissy’s place in, like, a week.”

“Shut up!” Robin reaches across the bar to slap the shit out of his arm and then tosses a lemon wedge at him when he jumps back out of swinging range. Chrissy giggles at them.

“Knock it off, I worked hard on those.” He picks the wedge up off the floor and tosses it into the trash. Three points.

When he looks back up, Eddie is staring at him, wide eyed.

“Oh.”

“Oh?” Steve questions.

“Ohhh.” He presses his wrists into his eye sockets.

Steve looks at Robin and Chrissy in confusion but they're both as lost as him.

“I'm an asshole.” He hasn't removed his hands yet.

“Yes,” Chrissy agrees immediately, “what did you do, Eddie?”

He finally looks up at Steve, who takes a step back, involuntarily. They stare at one another for thirty seconds. Or two days. He's not sure.

“Eddie?” Chrissy prompts again.

“I-” He turns around and walks away.

Chrissy rushes after him and yanks him back. They get into a tug match, which Chrissy wins, somehow.

“I love her,” Robin mumbles.

“I fucking said. Less than a week.”

She slides a look his way, one that reads ‘Like you're any better.’ He shouldn't have told her about his plan to seduce his boss, who he hadn't even met yet.

“Whatever you did, you apologize right now,” Chrissy commands to a pouting Eddie.

Steve stands there, eyebrows up, as Eddie grumbles an apology that would do an eleven year old Dustin proud.

“What is happening right now?” He wonders aloud.

Eddie folds his arms across his chest, his black button down stretching across his shoulders beautifully. “I heard your conversation with Robin earlier. You said something about her looking like a dyke and…I made an assumption on the kind of person you were. And I was an asshole to you because of it. I'm sorry.”

“Oh,” Steve whispers in understanding. A weight lifts off his chest. “Fuck. That's hilarious.” He can't stop the giggles from erupting.

“Okay, in my defense, most straight guys don’t get a pass.”

Steve and Robin look at each other and crack up. He wants to ask what Eddie thinks was going on with Cary if he assumed Steve was straight but Robin shrieks, “You think I would hang out with a straight man!”

“Hey! You did hang out with me when I thought I was straight!”

She shakes her head like a smug asshole. “Debatable. You've always been a lil fruity. Tommy H? Whatever that was with Billy? C'mon.”

Steve takes a turn at slapping her. When he looks back up, he finds Eddie looking at him like a kid who just found coal in his stocking, dark eyes wet and bottom lip desperately trying not to pout.

“Holy shit, stop making that face,” Steve begs.

“I can't.”

Chrissy leans up on her knees, wobbling precariously on the stool, to physically push his lip back where it belongs. He smacks her hand away and then puts his own back up to his eyes, pushing hard.

“This is divine punishment. The universe sensed I was too happy so they sent you to test me. Big fat F, just like always,” he mumbles, nonsensically.

Steve looks to Chrissy to translate.

She puts a finger to her chin, looks between the two of them, and then concludes, “He thinks you're hot and that he ruined his chances by being a prick.”

“Chrissy!” Eddie's shriek puts Robin's to shame.

But he's not denying it.

Steve makes extremely pointed eye contact with Robin and says, “It's getting late. Eddie and I have to close the bar. You should see Chrissy home.”

She nods, slow and then quick, as the message lands.

“Yes! Yes, let's get going. Leave these guys to…close the bar.”

Smooth.

They giggle the entire way out the door but Steve ignores them. Eddie is staring again, dark eyes pinning him to the mirror behind the bar.

“I was going to ask earlier but I didn't think it was appropriate…”

Eddie swallows, throat bobbing. “Ask what?”

“What's the company policy on fraternization?”

As a former jock, Steve is thoroughly impressed by Eddie's form as he vaults the bar.

[cathnospam]

CW// UA CollegeAU, Oral, Reader is a lil oblivious, Bakugo is his own warning

“Returning the Favor”

Bakugo owes you and he hates it. But you don’t know it.

He has been meaning to pay you back for months, but he simply can’t due to world literally hate him.

It all started just a few months ago when you offered your Blondie to go down on him after a mission.

He’s been more crankier than usual and when you exhausted google for answers; relaxing, taking a mental day, going to a spa, the list went on , but nothing worked.

you were left with an orgasm.

It releases stress and tension, plus it feels amazing it shouldn’t hurt right? Granted, you and your boyfriend never went as far as mutual masturbation, but when you offered he wasn’t very resistant towards it.

So you did, and even though it was your first time, he definitely didn’t think so! You gagged a few times sure, but that just added to the sexiness on you, and like Google said; it worked.

He wasn’t chipper or anything, but he was more calmer, pout still there as usual, but his eyes were more relaxed. Even when Denki kept touching at him (you assume he did it on purpose to make him mad) all he did was roll his eyes, call him sparky and walked away.

You did catch him staring at your mouth more because of this, but it was worth it seeing him be less annoyed and angry.

So here we are now 3 months later and it’s became a routine between you both; at least a couple times a week you let him come to your dorm and you ….handle him. It never goes any further than that though since neither of yall are ready to take that dive into real intimacy, but it was okay—

You don’t mind at all! Maybe you’ve developed an oral fixation, but ironically enough sucking his dick is a stress reliever for you as well. Some days you’ve just ask him if he wants to come over and you spend the evening taking care of him.

Little did you know Bakugo hates it.

He doesn’t hate you or what you’re doing to him, it drives him insane, a few days ago he got hard during a shower thinking about your pretty little moans on his dick so that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was for the past few weeks he has been wanting to express his appreciation towards you by going down on YOU, but every single time he attempts it’s always an interuption.

Jirou needs you for a problem she has, an emergency at one of the agencies you both work at, he remembers a few times he fell right asleep after cumming. It’s embarrassing!

So, Bakugo has been adding up the costs and he knows he owes you, it’s gotten to the point he feels like he is using you.

Sure he says thank you, takes you out, cleans you up, etc etc, but he wants to REALLY pay you back. The moment he moves his body to get between your thighs you both have to leave. It SUCKS. He hates OWING.

But it wasn’t just about paying you back he does think about eating you out. Embarrassingly so, in different ways too.

Maybe with a skirt on and nothing under? Bent over the bed? Sit on his face? Maybe 69? Side ways? He can’t stop thinking the different ways to eat that pretty pussy of yours.

He couldn’t take it anymore he HAS to at this point. So, once again you text him asking if he wanted to come over and of course he’s already on his way, but once you tug down his sweats he stops you.

“Baby—?—oh!”

No words needed he attacks your neck gently to distract you from how he was pushing you down on your comfy bed, “‘Suki you—“

“Just…shut up. Please. “ Luckily you were wearing just one of his shirts and a thin little thong, he kisses down and all around your tummy and thighs, indirectly teasing you, ‘Have to pay you back..”

“Pay ..me?”

He groans, knowing damn well he doesn’t wanna continue unless he asks for your permission, but wont get an answer until he answer your questions, “I been wanting to return the favor…but every fucking time I do we gatta stop and I don’t want you…to think…I don’t know that I’m using you.”

You blink, registering what he’s saying, “Katsuki you are using me.” When his eyes grew wide you started to giggle and shake your head, “Not in a bad way! You’re using me to help yourself. And I love to. I love making you feel good, it was my idea y’know…but I never did it so you can do it back to me. We’re in a relationship not a…deal.”

As much as it made sense Katsuki was just too stubborn (and hard) to accept it, “But…” you lie back, tugging off your panties and spreading your legs for him. His piercing red eyes were wide, stunned at even prettier your pussy looked last time he seen you. He swallowed hard when he noticed your lips already wet, were you playing with yourself earlier? “If you are offering you can, but I want you to do it because you want to not because I owe—-oh!”

Your boyfriend wasted no time holding open your thighs to latch his lips in your pussy. Granted he never done it before, but the weeks of looking at pussy eating videos helped him navigate where to lick and suck.

Sure. He didn’t necessarily owe you, but he sure as hell wanted you to know he loves and appreciate you all the same.

And with the way you were moaning his name, he knew he paid his debt.

[zlut4rina]

Airplane mode

Storyline: On your way back home from your trip to the Bahamas, your girlfriend decided now would be the perfect time to use her bet winning prize.

Pairings: Nonidol!Giselle x Fem Reader

Warnings: Fingering, public sex, cum eating (?), little plot in this one.

Note: blonde giselle I miss u blonde giselle 💔🙏

Word count: 1.5k (it's short ik 💔, hardly proof read btw)

___________________________________________

After a quick week long get away with your girlfriend Giselle, it was time to head home. Packing your things and making your way to the plane which would be a 16 hour ride back home.

About 6 to 7 hours in, you and your girlfriend were enjoying your time together. Watching movies and shows you both enjoyed. Playing games while laughing amongst each other. Losing the track of time, due to being distracted by one another. Time flew by and honestly you didn’t want the trip to end, but all good things have that outcome sooner or later. That was until your girlfriend spoke: “Hey, remember that bet we had back at the air bnb?” She questioned looking over at you. You looked at her a bit confused before a huge smile formed on your face. “OH YEAA, you cheated me in that” you said crossing your arms. Giselle smiled at your antics before placing a hand on your thigh rubbing circles on you with her thumb.

“Do you remember what the prize was if either of us won?” she questioned this time now gripping your thigh a bit harder sinking her nails into your skin a little. You bit the inside of your lip, placing a hand on top of hers. Giselle leaned down to your ear “You have to do whatever I tell you to..” She whispered in a low husky tone. Your face flushed with a tint of red, you gripped her hand off of your thigh holding it next to your body. “What about it?” you asked trying to keep a bit of composure in your voice. Your girlfriend chuckled a bit, wrapping a arm around you pulling you closer to her. “I want you to do something for me..” her voice laced with a hint of lust. She pulled you as close as she could get you to her, closing any possible gaps between you two.

You looked at her giving her a questioning hum in response. She took her arm from around you and went to squeeze your thigh a bit harder than before, this time looking you in the eyes. “Do you think you can be quiet from me pretty girl?” She questioned tilting her head a bit at you. You finally catching on to what she was planning you took her hand off of you. “What the hell, really? Now? Here?” you basically bombarded her with questions and concerns. Yapping away at how risky and scary it is to even think of doing something like that on a plane.

Your girlfriend smirked at you “I mean does it really matter as long as your quiet.” She asked slightly annoyed. “Besides I won that little game fair and square, you owe me.” That was all she said before her hand started trailing up your thigh. Moving up and down at a slow agonizing pace that she knew would set you off. Her fingers rubbing against your heat ever so slightly before going back to caressing your thigh. You try to close your legs only for her to pinch you instead , forcing them to stay open. “Now? Are you serious…” you said softly below a whisper. Your girlfriend smiling at you “Everyone is sleep, nobody is gonna care”. She slowly brought her hand up to your chin making you face her, pulling you into her kiss. Which soon turned into a a sloppy make out with you trying to contain tour moans. Whimpering in her mouth she put her tongue inside, you both immediately fighting for dominance. Which she obviously beat you to, taking this opportunity to slide her hand down and unbutton your pants.

She rubs your clothed clit through the fabric of the panties she bought you during your trip. “So pretty” she spoke into your lips. Moving down to work her magic on your exposed neck. Her pace with her fingers grew faster, causing you to jolt your body into her touch. Using your hands to push her away, to no avail she didn’t even flinch. “Wait, what if someone catches us?” you whispered reaching to cover your mouth after, due to the way she was working on your neck. She finally let up “nobody’s gonna catch us, as much as I wanna hear you. As long as you keep it quiet, we’ll be okay.” While she spoke her hand went into your panties rubbing circles on your sensitive clit. Her fingers trailed down sliding into your wet warm cunt immediately coating her fingers. She brought them back up to your clit making it wet and slippery. “For someone so against this you sure seem to be enjoying yourself, huh.” Trying to contain your moans you grit your teeth together placing your hand on your mouth. Her motion on you stopped abruptly, your entire body relaxed to the sudden disappearance of her. “You sound so cute trying to hold back. But I love it better when I can hear you.” A grin formed on her face looking you in the eyes. “Let me hear you.” She took your hands away from your mouth, starting her way back in your neck leaving noticeable marks all over your neck. You moaned a little too loud biting your lip right after realizing. Causing your girlfriend to smile against your neck, leaning up to kiss you again.

Her fingers went back down on you, digging her digits deep into your heat her fingers were soaked and covered with your juices. Finally done with her teasing she slowly entered two fingers inside you. Pumping into you slow and steady, earing quiet soft whimpers from you. Finally letting off your neck she sat up straight in her chair looking out the window or ahead of her as if she wasn’t ruining you. All it took was for one of your seating neighbors to awaken, and be met by you sweating, hands clamping on your chair and the arm of your girlfriend. Throwing your head back, mouth slightly open taking in quick gasps, drying your throat. You let out airy moans and silent curses under your breath. Beads of sweat sticking to your forehead and neck. You girlfriend on the other hand was checking her phone and looking around as if everything was casual. You gripped her arm tighter digging your nails into her skin leaving marks there, she’ll definitely tease you for later. Her movement became faster and messier causing the wet noises between your legs to grow louder. You were sure not everyone on the ppane was sleep, and with how loud things were getting between you two you were sure they could hear faint noises in the distance. Or maybe the people behind you or in front of your were listening all along.

“Fuck I’m close..” you said in between breaths leaning your head on your girlfriends shoulder. Her fingers became quick, adding an extra digit fucking you with three stretching you out in the process. You bit your lip, tucking your face into the crook of her neck. Allowing yourself to let out the most sinfully sounds. You could feel yourself getting closer and closer the way you clenched around her, struggled to keep your legs open. The way your body humped her hand desperately, looking for some extra friction. Giselle lifted your chin up to face her bringing you into a sloppy heated make out as you came all over her hand. She didn’t stop her movements, continuing to fuck you deeply as you came down from your high. Closing your legs around her hand trying yo pull her away with your hands. You moaned into her neck a little drool flowing out the corner of your mouth and onto her shirt. She took her hands out of you slowly, bringing her fingers to her mouth licking all of you off. Still acting nonchalantly looking out the window, not paying you no mind. She finally turned her head to you “Your such a great listener baby” you smiled against her as your chest rose and fell like crazy.

You finally let her go, relaxing in your seat whipping the sweat from your forehead, still trying to catch your breath. “I should go clean up.” You said quietly attempting to get out your seat to make your way to the bathroom. Giselle stopping you by holding your hand down. She looked at you in the eyes with a stupid smile on her face, “There’s no point baby, it’s just gonna be way worse for you when we get home.” Your face flushed with red once again, sitting yourself back down comfortably. You felt a kick on the back of your chair, Turing around to see who it was, to give them a piece of your mind about it. You were met by multiple glares from the people behind and across from you. Of course your worse fear had to happen. You turned back into your seat sitting up straight staring at the back of the seat in front of you. Slowly Turing your head to your girlfriend she had a stupid smirk on her face.

Maybe next time you should bet on things your confident you would win.

___________________________________________

Sorry this took forever to post 🙏

Glaze it rn n ill give u a big smooching 👅

[tarysande]

There are a couple more Garrus-Vakarian-related hills I'm willing to die on.

Maybe this particular bit of fanon has faded over the years, but there used to be a lot of insistence that Garrus is young and somehow inexperienced when he meets Shepard. Canon doesn't really support this. Turians start their mandatory service at 15. Garrus has at least a decade of experience. Even if he's 2-4 of years younger than Shepard (according to Patrick Weekes), he's got at least as much field experience as she does by dint of the difference in turian and human "enlistment" ages.

Garrus is really damn good at his job at C-Sec. You don't give the Case of Investigating the Rogue Spectre to a greenhorn. You give it to your best, most tenacious agent. Pallin may not always approve of Garrus's actions, but that doesn't actually stop him from putting Garrus on the tough case. Also, we don't know much about how C-Sec works but we do know a bit about how the turian hierarchy works, and we know C-Sec was essentially a turian initiative. That means it's a meritocracy where failure reflects on the superior, not the one who failed. So, in roughly a decade (Shepard's 29 in ME1; I always think of Garrus as about 27), Garrus has not only done shipboard military service, but he's also risen to be one of C-Sec's top investigators; Pallin wouldn't risk having Garrus's "failure" reflect poorly on HIM otherwise. I'd say that actually makes Garrus as remarkable in civilian law enforcement terms as Shepard is considered to be within the ranks of the Alliance military.

Of course Garrus was scouted by the Spectre program. And honestly, if his dad hadn't stepped in, I think Garrus would have become a Spectre, no problem. Especially for a turian, he's cut from precisely the cloth the Spectres would be looking for: extremely skilled, extremely capable, and--most importantly--he's a turian not just able but willing to work outside the chains of command that turians are taught from birth to revere and be loyal to above all else. This is the reason Pallin is leery about Spectres: he's a good turian. Good turians follow straight lines; they don't carve out their own paths.

Garrus's dad's not dumb, and he's not cruel, and he, too, rose to the top of the C-Sec hierarchy. He took one look at his kid, I think, and said, "I love my child, but I'd say it's a 50-50 chance he ends up a shooting-first-asking-questions-later Spectre like Saren Arterius, and I don't want to see that happen." Yeah, he uses his parental influence to try and jam square-peg-Garrus into round-hole-C-Sec and Garrus resents him for it, but there's no way he did it just to stop his son from getting his way or because he doesn't like Spectres. I expect Vakarian Sr. had to clean up more post-Spectre-interference messes than we can possibly imagine. But we also know he and Alec Ryder were pals later.

So the importance of what Garrus learns from a Paragon Spectre Shepard is this: You can't just do what you want and claim the ends always justify the means. That's what Saren does. Over and over again. Garrus's code and his idealism and his sense of justice and his ability to work alone should make him a great Spectre, actually, but he needs Paragon Spectre Shepard's actions to show him the lesson he tells her he's learned during ME1: "If the people I'm sworn to protect can't trust me... well, then I don't deserve to be the one protecting them." (And the seed of Archangel was planted.) I think for the first time he realizes that even though he believes his sense of justice to be correct, it doesn't matter for shit if he can't show others why that's so. And that's where the trust comes in. (Also, ow, the extra level of importance this gives their exchange where she tells him she trusts him and he tells her she's about the only friend he has left is... a lot. Cool, cool. I'm totally fine. Nothing to see here.)

When Shepard asks him what happened on Omega, he replies, "My feelings got in the way of my better judgement." Something tells me that this never happens to "good" turians, which just makes the line so much more devastating. And although the lesson some might take away from this is "feelings bad; no feelings ever," the "grey" that Garrus has to learn to deal with is precisely the grey of recognizing feelings, validating them even, but not acting on them until they've been examined. (Which is why my Shepard stands between him and Sidonis; she doesn't give a shit about Sidonis. But Garrus has refused to process his own feelings of failure and self-loathing, so they have to take the therapy session to the Citadel and deal with it there.)

Ahh yes. The mountain range of character analysis.

[honeylations]

KIM MINJEONG x FEM!READER

Prompt: you kept your pornstar job a secret from your curious roommate, but when an abrupt incident comes up a few minutes before filming, there was only one way to solve it

Warnings/Notes: pornstar reader, g!p Minjeong, unprotected sex, creampie, squirting, dirty talking

“Jeongie~ I’m off to work now. There’s chicken in the fridge if you’re hungry”

Your roommate pauses the penguin documentary she’s watching on the big screen to sit up on the couch and pout. “You’re working again? It’s like you don’t want to spend time with me”

“Of course I want to spend time with you, Jeongie! But it’s important for me to work otherwise we wouldn’t be living in this amazing apartment!” You reasoned with jazz hands as a bonus.

“Oh speaking of apartment. I have my share for this week’s rent. Did you want me to send it through your bank details or cash?” Your adorable roommate asked with her phone ready in her hand but you waved it off.

“I’ll cover your rent this week. Don’t pay me back I swear to God”

“Again?! Y/n this is the 3rd week you’ve covered for me and I don’t feel nice about it”

You shrugged. “I just got a good pay”

“Right. A good pay. What job is this Y/n”

Checking the time on your watch, you pouted cutely at your roommate. “I’m gonna be late. See you later, love you!”

Minjeong sighed and sat back into the couch, very much lost in thought. What kind of high paying job were you exactly working at to be covering rent so easily?

“The hell do you mean Yunjin cancelled?!” You yelled at the director who was panicking just as much as you.

“Look, all she told me was that it was a personal emergency. We’ve tried calling Kazuha and Minji but both girls are busy with other schedules so unless you know someone that can fill in last minute, we’re postponing this until next week”

Just as the director started to walk away, a bulb flashed over your head. “W-Wait director-nim, I know someone…Give me a couple seconds to call her okay?”

“Make it quick Y/n. I’m booked today”

Fishing out your phone, you pressed on Minjeong’s contact and she answered quicker than expected. “J-Jeongie?”

“Hey Y/n, you never usually call during your shifts. Is everything okay?”

“Jeongie I really~ need your help with something but I can’t tell you what it is until you come here”

There was a short silence from the other line. “Uh…Okay? What’s your address?”

“I’ll message it after the call. Look your best”

Minjeong stared at her phone with confusion when you hung up. Look her best? Minjeong has little to no sense of fashion other than the millions of oversized flannels and cargo pants sitting in her closet.

Thankfully already showered, she simply put on a black and grey flannel with baggy jeans before checking the address you sent and driving her way over.

Moments later she was walking into the huge building, finding you on a set that looked like a bedroom, surrounded by unfamiliar faces.

“Y/n?” She questioned almost breathlessly once she realised you were only wearing a bathrobe.

“Jeongie! Thank you for coming. Now listen, I’ll cut this as short as I can because we don’t have much time, but I’m a pornstar, okay?”

“What?!”

“That’s why I’m loaded with money. The person that I was supposed to be filming with today cancelled on me and I couldn’t think of anyone else to replace her other than you”

Minjeong took a step back with wide eyes. “Nah uh, no way Y/n! What makes you think I’m good enough to film porn?!”

You quickly took her hands out of comfort. “I’m sorry for putting you on the spot last second, but this is highly important to me Jeongie..” you pleaded and Minjeong couldn’t resist.

The taller girl stared into your eyes then the pout of your lips.

She let out a heavy sigh and squeezed your hands. “Fine. I’ll do it”

You squealed and jumped into a hug, peppering her face with kisses. “Thank you thank you thank you! You’re the best!”

“You owe me big time” Your roommate pointed a finger, making you giggle.

“Of course! Now head into that room with our staff. They’ll help you prepare”

In a blink of an eye, Minjeong was in her ‘costume’ (which was nothing but a black shirt and grey sweatpants) while sitting on the edge of the bed.

You wore a white camisole with no bra underneath and baby pink panties, standing in front of Minjeong with a big smile. “Hey you”

“I feel weird Y/n. I-I don’t know if I can do this anymore” She cutely mumbled, eyes darting across the room in fear.

Minjeong felt your small hands cup her face, forcing her to look at you. “Relax, baby. I’ll take good care of you I promise”

“W-What’s the storyline anyways”

“None actually. Just a wholesome home sex video”

“Whenever you’re ready Y/n” the director called out, making you nod.

Your hands rubbed gently at Minjeong’s nape and slowly going down to her shoulders for a reassuring squeeze.

“You can do whatever you want to me” you whispered against your friend’s lips and then closing the gap to get a proper taste.

You were surprised to feel Minjeong kiss back eagerly like an expert, even sliding her tongue in as she grabbed your hips and pulled you to sit on her lap.

For a couple minutes you two were sucking each others faces.

And the next minute you were sucking her surprisingly huge cock. She had your hair fisted in a make shift ponytail, throwing her head back when her tip rubbed at the back of your throat. “Fuck Y/n, I should’ve known you were a whore”

Oh? That was new.

Your so called innocent Minjeongie dirty talking? Your cunt clenched around nothing.

Minjeong forced you off her dick to pin you down on the bed, lightly pecking the hickies she had left around your neck and collarbones. “You got me so down bad, Y/n-ie. I don’t think I’ll ever want to stop having you like this”

Whimpering beneath her, you held onto her shoulders tightly. “Have me anytime you want Minjeongie”

“Ain’t that sweet of ya” She smirked as her eyes were fixed onto your glossy ones, confusing you slightly.

Then you felt the pleasurable stretch in your pussy when Minjeong’s cock welcomed itself inside, arching your back in the process. “What the fuck, Jeongie, you’re so big a-ahh!”

“The biggest you’ve ever had, darl?” Your roommate tilted her head, trying not to let your tightness get the best of her.

“Mhm the biggest!”

“Good. Then I’ll make sure your pussy is only made to take me”

You littered Minjeong’s back with scratches that started to bleed out, clearly seen from the camera crew which they zoomed in on. The pain didn’t bother Minjeong, not when she had started pounding into you mercilessly.

She licked her lips at your boobs bouncing with each thrust. She just couldn’t resist sucking on them like a baby, addicted to how sexy they looked when wet with her spit.

“Your pussy is sucking me in so fucking good, baby” Minjeong panted in your ear.

Then she felt a sudden warmth spray all over her lower body.

You were squirting while moaning Minjeong’s name, even reaching down to ferociously rub at your clit to ride out your mind blowing orgasm.

“F-Fuck that’s so hot, Y/n” Minjeong hissed, not planning to stop her hips even after you came.

“W-Wait Jeongie—AH!” You tried to stop her but she couldn’t care less about how sensitive you were.

She laid you on your stomach, bringing your ass up and going back to destroying your pussy, feeling herself go deeper with the new position.

“Fuck! Fuck Minjeong-ah! You’re gonna break me!” You sobbed into the pillow that you were drowning with drool.

Minjeong laid over your back and drilled impossibly deeper. “Fucking take it whore. I own this pussy now”

Then you felt a sudden sting on your shoulder blade, realising Minjeong was biting down into your skin. Not hard enough to bleed, but hard enough to leave a long lasting bruise.

“Y/n…hah Y/n, I’m gonna fucking cum…”

Your insides became hot from the cum she blew into your cunt and thankfully your roommate’s hips were coming to a stop.

“Shit…Fuck that was so good, Y/n. Thank you” Minjeong whispered in your ear, kissing it afterwards.

“CUT! This was probably the best one you’ve filmed Y/n! Great job!…Y/n?” The director called but was left with no answer.

Minjeong frowned and leaned further down to look at your face. “Y/n? He’s talking to you”

You were knocked out cold. Little snores and whimpers escaping your lips with Minjeong’s cock still inside your abused cunt. “Has this happened before?” Minjeong asked the staff, and they all shook their heads.

“No, never. You must’ve really fucked her good”

“O-Oh no, I’m sorry! W-What should I do?” Minjeong panicked and made sure she didn’t move so much as you slept below her.

“Wow, you’re very different to how you were on camera. I like it. Ever considered taking this as a full time job?”

Minjeong put a hand up, completely declining the offer. “Appreciate it, but I was only willing to do this for Y/n”

Director nodded and placed a finger on his chin. “Interesting. Hope Y/n brings you over more in the future. You two can rest there for a bit longer while we pack up”

The short hair girl nodded and pulled her cock out as slow and gently as she could to not wake you up. Then she laid you on her chest with the covers covering both bodies. “Can’t wait to do this with you again, Y/n” Minjeong smiled and kissed your head, letting the sleepiness take over her too.

[fanbasetwo]

GYUVIN HAVING A SECRET CRUSH ON YOU!!

NOTE FROM SENA , i actually had an idea in my mind (which might explain how I made this one so fast lol) thank you for requesting this anon, I actually had fun writing this one! [REQUESTED] college au MASTERLIST!!

join my taglist by sending an ask or commenting here <3

i. THE CLASS PREZ & THE NEW STUDENT

From the moment you entered the classroom as the new student, Gyuvin—class president and campus golden boy—was assigned to guide you around.

He approached you with his signature bright grin and confidence, extending a hand. “I’m Gyuvin, class president and your new best friend. You’re in good hands.”

He quickly learned you struggled a bit with your studies, but instead of judging, he offered to help you. “No worries. I’ve got you.”

Gyuvin loved tutoring you—mostly because it gave him a reason to spend time with you.

ii. HELPING YOU CHEAT

Gyuvin is so against cheating—seriously, he’s class president, he’s responsible! But… he’s also whipped for you.

During a particularly tough exam, you whisper that you’re doomed, and Gyuvin just sighs dramatically. “Don’t move, okay?”

He slides his answer sheet ever-so-subtly toward you under the pretense of stretching, whispering, “This never happened.”

After the exam, he scolds you gently: “I can’t believe I did that! You owe me for breaking my morals.” But then he softens and grins, ruffling your hair. “You’re lucky it was you.”

He’d never admit that seeing your relieved smile made it all worth it.

iii. THE PROJECT PAIRING

When the professor announces a paired project, Gyuvin immediately claims you as his partner, leaving no room for debate. “We’re a team—no questions asked.”

Working on the project together brings you closer. You spend late nights in the library, him explaining concepts and teasing you when you get distracted.

He’d always bring snacks—especially a strawberry milk bottle—because he “can’t have his baby starving.”

The first time he calls you baby, you roll your eyes and shove him playfully. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? You’re basically my baby at this point. I take care of you,” he jokes with that boyish grin.

iv. THE STRAWBERRY MILK HABIT

Gyuvin starts carrying a strawberry milk bottle everywhere, and his friends are utterly confused.

“Why do you always have that?”

“My baby might need it,” he says casually, ignoring the teasing looks.

Whenever you look tired or stressed, he wordlessly hands you the bottle with a small smile. “Drink up. It’s your favorite, right?”

Even before you started dating, it became a small tradition—his way of silently showing he cared.

v. HIS TERRIBLE “SECRET” CRUSH

Gyuvin genuinely thought he was being sneaky, but in reality, everyone (including you) figured it out long before he confessed.

His friends constantly teased him for how obvious it was—how his eyes lit up when you walked into a room, how he couldn’t stop talking about you, and how he always prioritized you over everything else.

“You’re so obvious, Gyuvin. Even she probably knows.”

“No way. I’m smooth,” he’d insist, completely unaware that you’d been catching on for weeks.

vi. WHEN YOU FOUND OUT

You finally caught on one day when you overheard Gyuvin’s friends teasing him about how whipped he was for you.

“Bro, you’re carrying two strawberry milks now? Are you building a shrine for her?”

Gyuvin groaned, blushing. “I just want her to be happy, okay? Shut up.”

You cornered him later, smirking. “So… whipped, huh?”

Gyuvin froze, completely flustered. “Who told you that?! I mean—uh—what?”

vii. THE STOLEN KISS

Before you could fully confront him about his feelings, Gyuvin decided to beat you to the punch.

It happened after one of your late project sessions. You were packing up your things when he suddenly leaned closer, grinning mischievously.

“You know,” he said softly, “it’s not really a secret crush if you already know, right?”

Before you could respond, he brushed his lips against your cheek—a soft, fleeting kiss that left you stunned.

He laughed at your reaction, standing up and stretching. “What? I had to make my move before you started teasing me for real.”

viii. THE CONFESSION & DATING

Gyuvin finally confessed properly a few days later. He showed up at your doorstep with a strawberry milk bottle in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other.

“Okay, fine. I like you—a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Will you let me call you ‘baby’ for real?”

You couldn’t say no, especially when he looked so hopeful. “Fine. But only if you keep bringing me strawberry milk.”

From then on, Gyuvin became the best boyfriend—teasing you constantly but always taking care of you in his own sweet way.

His friends groaned every time they saw you two together, calling you the “power couple” because of how smitten Gyuvin was.

ix. AFTER DATING GYUVIN

He never lets you forget how hard he worked for you. “Remember when I helped you cheat during that exam? That’s love, babe.”

He still calls you “baby,” but now it’s with even more affection.

And yes, he always—always—has a strawberry milk ready for you because, in his words: “I’ve been your class president, your tutor, your partner… but being your boyfriend is my favorite job.”

© fanbasetwo | tumblr

[hellothereobiwankenobi]

yellow ribbon on the door | chapter two

⟢ summary: Tommy convinces Joel to cover for him, and complete the repairs at your flower shop.

⟢ pairing: joel miller x afab!reader (femme but not descriptive as to actual features)

⟢ tags: no outbreak au, flower shop au, idiots in love, small age gap, joel is 35 and reader is 29 about to be 30, reader is a war widow, operation desert storm mentioned, reader is a single mother to ellie, eventual smut, no beta reader we die like men

⟢ wc: 3.2K

⟢ authors notes: Well, let me start by saying thank you for everyone who read chapter one! And an extra thank you to everyone who left such kind comments. I am so appreciative to everyone who has interacted with this story so far.

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The following Monday morning, Joel carries tools back and forth from the garage into the bed of his work truck. He loves this part of his morning routine. It was still early enough that most of his neighbors were in their homes getting ready for work and late enough that all the school-aged children on his street had already been picked up by big yellow buses. It was quiet enough for Joel to get some peace, sip his coffee, organize his tools how he liked, and hear the morning birds sing overhead.

Joel had a busy day ahead of him. He needed to pick up the drywall order for tomorrow's job, place a new order for the correct sized plumbing hardware for a client's kitchen remodel (he knew he shouldn't have trusted Tommy with taking the measurements), and he hoped to stop by elderly Mrs. Williams' home to make sure the handrails he installed in her shower last week were to her liking. He also had an important meeting with a real estate development firm about framing the main entryway of a new apartment complex being built in the city. Landing this job could open more doors for his and Tommy’s business, and it offers a sizable payout.

He grabs his colt coffee mug from the edge of the tailgate before finishing it off. As Joel closes the tailgate, the cell phone clipped to his belt rings. He removes it from his belt and hits the green answer button without checking the caller ID "Miller Brothers Contracting."

"Joel, it's me." Tommy's voice comes through the speaker pressed to his ear "I screwed up, man."

What is it now? Joel thinks. This is far from the first time he has heard his younger brother speak those words over the phone. But this type of call usually comes in the middle of the night and is preceded by a robotic voice stating, "This is a collect call from the Travis County Jail—Central Booking. Do you accept the charges?"

There is no way Tommy has already gotten himself arrested. It's not even eight in the morning.

Joel prepares for the worst. "What now?" 

Tommy explains that he double-booked himself today. He promised to come by your store this morning, but after checking his schedule, he realized he couldn’t make it across town in time for his next client—not in Austin traffic, at least.

"I need you to go and help her out," Tommy adds desperately. "I'll owe you one."

"Already do," Joel reminds him. 

Maybe it was his fault. Joel always felt that, as the older brother, it was his responsibility to bail Tommy out of his messes. Joel couldn't count how many times during Tommy's high school years he had picked him up in the wee hours of the morning because he was too drunk to drive home and too afraid to call their parents. Or the time Tommy ran his mouth off to a couple of good ol' boys at a local dive bar, and Joel had to join in when the fists started flying. Or when Tommy threw a party while their parents were in Mexico visiting family, and one of his friends punched a hole right through the bathroom door because it "wouldn't open." Joel had spent the little money he had on the supplies needed for a patch job good enough that their father wouldn't notice.

"Joel, please. I'm beggin' here." Tommy pleads.

Joel drags his large hand down his face and sighs, "Fine."

"You're a lifesaver. I'll buy us a round tonight as thanks." Tommy rushes out the address of your shop, and the line goes dead as he quickly disconnects the call.

· · · ──────── ⋆˚ ✿ ❀ ✿ ˚⋆ ─────── · · ·

Joel sits in the driver's seat of his truck, eyes closed, both hands white-knuckling on the steering wheel, parked outside of your store: Iris-istible. Tommy hadn't mentioned you were a florist.

Joel takes a deep inhale and tries to give himself a quick pep talk. Just go in, tighten a bolt or two, and get out, he tells himself.

Joel gathers the strength to climb out of the cab and grab his navy blue toolbag from the truck bed. As he enters through the shop's front door, a small bell chimes and announces his presence. Three long, natural wood tables take up most of the floor space of the small storefront. The walls are exposed brick in alternating shades of deep burgundy and mahogany brown outlined in grey grout. Wooden shelves displaying premade arrangements, and various house plants in mismatched containers line the store's perimeter. A complex crystal chandelier hangs overhead, illuminating the cozy store front.

Joel looks to his left, and there you are, standing behind a waist-high butcher block counter stacked high with books on the language of flowers and beginner's guides to starting a garden. A goldenrod watering can and an old-fashioned register frame either side of the counter. 

Your back is turned toward the door while you fiddle with the soil of a potted orchid. You're wearing a pair of denim overalls over a short-sleeve white t-shirt. The straps of a sunshine yellow apron wrap over your shoulders and tie neatly in a bow around your waist at the center of your back. 

Your whole body whips around to face the entryway when you hear the bell's chime ringing out through the small shop. You are positively beaming, smiling ear-to-ear.

"Tommy, I thought you'd nev—" Your words die in your throat, and your smile melts away as you make eye contact with the older Miller brother.

"Sorry to disappoint," Joel grumbles, averting his eyes from you. There is an uncomfortable heat running up the back of his neck. Joel wouldn't describe himself as a proud man, but your ever-present fondness for his brother is on full display this morning, making him regret his decision to come.

You stand unblinking, still holding the potted orchid between your perfectly manicured fingers. French tips. Or at least that's what he thinks Sarah calls them.

"No," you come back to your senses and forcefully shake your head. A smile, while much smaller than the previous one, pulls back on your lips. "Not at all. Just surprised."

Joel could be just imagining it, but what looks like a rosy blush blossoms on the apples of your cheeks. From embarrassment or something else, he isn't sure.

Joel's feet remain planted just inside the entrance. He doesn't dare take another step into the store. Maybe it's not too late to leave.

"Let me show you where the walk-in is." You place the orchid on the counter and wipe away any remaining potting soil from your fingers onto your apron.

You step out from behind the counter and wave a hand for Joel to follow. You hold open the black, swinging door labeled "Employees Only" that leads to the store's backroom.

The back room was larger than Joel would have expected—maybe about half the size of the main storefront. Bags of potting soil and mulch are stacked against the wall next to a shelf of extra terracotta pots and crystal vases. A tall, light-colored workbench is pushed against the opposite wall. It is littered with discarded bruised petals and the clipped ends of flower stems.

On the back wall, there is a large silver door with a sizable latching handle. You place both hands on the handle and give it a couple of good tugs until it clicks open. You look over your shoulder with an embarrassed smile as you pull the door open. "Sorry, it sticks sometimes."

You and Joel finally step into the cooler. You had already turned off the A/C unit in anticipation of having it repaired. The walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling shelving, all filled with different varieties of flora. Some flowers Joel could recognize: roses, daisies, daffodils. But most of them he had never seen before. A few even looked like something you'd find while hiking on a tropical vacation.

His eyes moved from the myriad of colored foliage to the ceiling. At the center is a small, two-fan A/C unit. He's not tall enough to reach it by only standing. He sets down his bag on the floor, directly below the unit. "I'll need to graby a ladder."

"Mhm," you nod, "whatever you need. I'll leave it to the expert."

You both exit the walk-in and head back to the front of the store. You return to your original position behind the counter as Joel exits to retrieve what he needs from the truck. 

He re-enters the building carrying the six-foot ladder under his left arm. You're working on an arrangement of pink roses and yellow Asiatic lilies in a stubby vase. You place the flowers absentmindedly in the vase as you watch him walk by. Joel's biceps flex under the ladder's weight, causing them to pull the fabric of his short-sleeved, forest green cotton tee shirt taut around them.

You could always tell Joel was strong. He filled out his clothing in a way that only a man who'd worked physical labor his whole life could: broad shoulders, large biceps, and a strong chest kept hidden under a few layers of thin fabric.

Once Joel has disappeared into the back half of the shop, you let out a ragged breath and refocus on the bouquet in front of you.

You tried to keep busy with orders and reorganizing display shelves, but your mind kept wandering back to the man inside your walk-in cooler. Thankfully, a customer came in to distract you—a well-dressed, clean-shaven young man looking for a gift for his mother's birthday. 

"She loves tulips," he explained. You showed him the premade arrangements on the display tables, but they weren't what he was looking for. 

"Let me check the back and see what I can whip up." you give him a reassuring smile before disappearing behind the storage room door.

You're greeted by the sight of Joel standing halfway up the ladder. His hands are above his head, working on the A/C unit, causing the hem of his shirt to ride up and expose the smallest peak of his lower stomach. A trail of deep brown hair extends from below the waistband of his dark-wash denim jeans and travels up until it disappears under the soft fabric of his shirt. Your eyes begrudgingly tear themselves away from the exposed skin and move up his body. His stomach looks soft in comparison to the solid muscles of his chest and upper arms. Your eyes linger on the sharp angles of his jawline. Finally, your studying gaze reaches strong hands. His thick fingers delicately work over the intricate details of the unit.

He had so much control over the fine movements of his thick digits. He presses a petite silver knob between his thumb and index finger, giving it a gentle twist.

Your mind runs through the endless possibilities of what else he could squeeze between those two fingers.

The feeling of your weighted stare breaks Joel's concentration. He looks down to see you standing below him. He pulls his eyebrows together as you frantically try to collect yourself. You can't see it, but you are sure by the heat burning in your cheeks that your face is completely flushed.

"S-sorry," you manage to stammer out, "just need to grab something." You walk around him to the back of the cooler and grab a few different colors of tulips before rushing out.

· · · ──────── ⋆˚ ✿ ❀ ✿ ˚⋆ ─────── · · ·

The repair work took longer than Joel expected. One of the pipes responsible for circulating refrigerant into the condenser had corroded. He was able to complete a patch job, but the pipe would need to be entirely replaced for any long-term success. The twin fan blades whirl to life as Joel turns the A/C unit back on, giving his work a final once-over. He wants to ensure everything will hold up until he can get the part needed to finish the job.

When you re-enter the walk-in, Joel is collecting his tools back into his bag.

"How's it going in here?" you ask. You feel cool air brush across your bare forearms and look up at the ceiling unit. 

"You fixed it?" it comes out as a half statement, half question. The same beaming regard from earlier on your face, but it is intended for Joel this time.

Joel felt a mysterious craving deep within him finally being satisfied. He didn't know it previously, but he must have wanted that look, the one you save for his brother, to be meant for him. 

The warmth radiating from your smile was almost too intoxicating. Joel had to distract himself by closing the ladder, or he would have been completely engulfed by it.

"For now." Joel says, making a conscious effort to keep his eyes from returning to you, "I gotta order a part to fix it right."

Joel tucks the ladder under his arm again and moves to return it to the truck. You look down at his tool bag and reach for the handles with one hand. You can barely pick it up off the ground. It is much heavier than you expected. With a soft groan, you lift the bag and keep it secure in front of you with both hands.

Joel looks back at the sound and sees you struggling to hold the bag at waist level. "You ain't gotta—"

"But I want to." is all you say before overtaking him. You trek your way outside the shop with Joel close behind.

You set the tool bag on the curb next to Joel's truck, feeling accomplished about carrying it alone. Joel lifts the ladder over his head and slides it on the chrome rack suspended above the truck bed. He secures it in place with a couple of ratchet straps, then turns to grab the tool bag from the curb. 

With one easy motion, Joel lifts the bag up and over the tailgate, returning it to its original place.

"So, what do I owe you?" you ask with a gentle smile.

Joel looks at you and shakes his head. "Was just doin' a favor for Tommy."

"Come on, I have to pay you somehow." Your smile grows. "There is this really great coffee shop about a block from here. My treat."

Your intention genuinely was to thank him for his help this morning, but a selfish part of you was also trying to find a reason for him to stay just a little bit longer.

"I'll let Tommy know when the part comes in," Joel states flatly. He is already behind schedule. He needs to leave now to make his meeting with the real estate developers.

Joel gives you a nod goodbye before walking around the truck and climbing into the driver's seat. He pulls away from the curb and rejoins Austin city traffic, watching your little yellow apron become smaller and smaller in his rearview mirror.

· · · ──────── ⋆˚ ✿ ❀ ✿ ˚⋆ ─────── · · ·

Thankfully, the rest of Joel's jobs for the day go smoothly. He taps his fingers against the steering wheel in time with the melody playing from his Hank Williams cassette tape. Joel would be lying if he said the drive home from the city, back to the suburbs, wasn't his favorite part of the work day. He could reflect on his day, watch the sunset paint the central Texas horizon orange and pink, and he could listen to his "old man" music without Sarah making any comments at his expense.

He pulls into the small parking lot of The Whiskey Room, his and Tommy's usual watering hole. The drinks are cheap, the music is to his liking, and it is close enough to his house that he and Tommy can walk home after having one too many.

Joel spots Tommy's dark grey pickup, a weathered "OPERATION DESERT STORM COMBAT VETERAN" bumper sticker prominently displayed on the tailgate next to the driver's side taillight.

Tommy is saving a spot next to him at the bar. He puts out his cigarette as Joel pulls out the chair and takes a seat.

"Heard you landed that framin' job in those new apartments for us," Tommy says, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder and squeezing. "Ol' man still knows how to sweet talk a couple suits."

"Whiskey, neat. For my friend here." Tommy calls over to the bartender, "On me."

The bartender, a young woman in her mid-twenties, places a short glass containing two fingers of amber liquid on the bar top before Joel. Tommy gives her a wink as she walks away, flipping her long brown hair over one shoulder. 

Tommy finally removes his hand from his brother's shoulder and returns to his own drink.

"Your girlfriend's A/C needs a new coolant pipe." Joel grabs ahold of the whiskey glass and takes a sip.

"Nah, man." Tommy lets out a soft laugh before bringing his drink to his lips. "It ain't like that. She's just my ol' sergeant's wife."

It takes Joel a moment to put the pieces together. Tommy's old sergeant. The one from his time in Kuwait. The one who moved to Austin after the end of Operation Desert Storm with his wife. The one whose funeral Tommy attended eighteen months ago. 

Shit.

Joel stays silent as the overwhelming impact of his own stupidity washes over him. He can't think of a single thing to say.

Tommy rests his glass on the bar top "Wait, you really thought—"

Laughter erupts from Tommy, drawing the attention of those seated around them. Joel can feel the eyes of the bar's other patrons staring at his back. 

"I've just been helpin' her out since Sarge passed. She's goin' through a lot." Tommy is gripping the bar with one hand and places the other over his chest, trying to catch his breath.

"Pendejo."  Tommy takes his glass in his hand, grinning wide, and shakes his head in disbelief.

Joel's frigid embarrassment begins to grow into heated frustration. He downs his remaining whiskey in one gulp.

"She's always all over you. Gettin' you things, laughin' at your jokes," Joel snaps back at his brother.

"She's a sweet girl." Tommy nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders. "She's the kinda person that likes doin' nice things for other people. It's a mom thing, I reckon."

"Not to me." Joel retorts.

"You don't give her much of a reason to." Tommy takes another drink of his whiskey.

Joel thinks back on the handful of past exchanges the two of you have had. The first time he met you at the Super Bowl party, he spoke maybe two or three words to you. You spent most of the night sitting next to his brother on Joel's brown leather couch, listening captivatingly to Tommy explain the basics of American Football. At the family dinner, he was almost wholly silent towards you. Other than sneaking a few quick glances your way over the kitchen table every time you let an unapologetically sweet laugh escape your full lips. Even today, when you offered to buy him coffee to thank him for the work he had done at your store, he immediately shut you down.

"You really are one dumb bastard, you know that?" For the first time in a long time, Joel found himself agreeing with his younger brother.

⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂

⟢ authors notes: I promised idiots in love, and I gave you idiots in love. Pre/non-outbreak Joel is my absolute favorite things to write currently. He is just such a goober.

I'm pretty insecure about the quality of my writing. I'm powering it though. I used to write fanfiction nearly everyday in my younger years, but as time went on I lost my love for it. But reading the phenomenal works of the authors in this community has reignited my passion.

I'm on spring break this week, so I am trying to write as much as possible until classes start again next Monday. My writing process is a little messy. I write in nonsequential order. As a scenes pops into my head, I scribble it out into a Google Doc the piece them together like a big jigsaw puzzle.

[calypsocolada]

ONE MONTH | g. tomioka

synopsis: your sent to train with the ever ellusive and quiet water hashira... request: "the people yearn for a story from you that’s1. giyu x afab reader2. fluff3. something along the lines of giyu is a hashira and you’re a young swordsmen working you way up the ranks and giyu becomes fixated on you. the first reason he’ll fall for you is because you’re the first person to talk to him like you actually wanna “hear” what he has to say and doesn’t just brush him off because of how recluse he is..."author's note: helloooo is it clear that I'm a bit obsessed with giyu right now? this one goes out to you anonymous! hope I made you proud :) cw: blood, gore, fluff, fem reader wc: 5.2k

click here for my masterlist

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Giyu read over the letter again, folding it up as he stood near the train station, wind picking up as the oncoming train approached. He pocketed the letter and pushed off the pillar he was leaned against and waited for the train to pull to a stop. Ms. Kanroji was sending her new tsuguko to train with him for a month as well as accompany him on a mission the last week of the month. The love hashira claimed in her letter to see great promise in this slayer and wanted her to train with each hashira for a bit before settling on a breathing style. 

Giyu wasn’t one for partnering up, let alone training people but he owed Ms. Kanroji a favor and although she wouldn’t hold him to it he still decided to let it happen. After all, what's the worst that could happen? 

“I heard the water hashira hates people.” A girl whispered to your left as the train pulled closer to the station. You turned to her with a gentle smile.

“If he hated people he wouldn’t be a Hashira.” You implored softly. 

You’d been on a bit of a roundtrip meeting of each hashira for about four months now. So far you’d met the mist breathing hashira who let you braid his hair out of his face during training. The sound hashira who’d asked if you wanted to be his fourth wife, tempting but you had your mind set on other things in the present moment. The wind hashira who instead of verbally assaulting you like he did with all the other slayers had sighed and told you you were something promising. The serpent hashira was very kind to you. Definitely because you were Mitsuri’s tsuguko though. But still you made a good impression on him and he said in some moments you reminded him of Mitsuri. 

And now here you are, at your fifth hashira. The water hashira, Giyu Tomioka. You’d never met him in person before this training started but a boy you met at the butterfly mansion with hanafuda earrings told you he cherished Giyu as a friend.

“I knew a slayer that said she tried hard getting along with him and he wouldn’t even talk to her.” She returns with wide eyes.

“Maybe he was having an off day, you never really know what someone’s going through.” You say and the girl besides you sighs softly. You two had met at Mr. Shinazugawa’s training and she was sort of a pessimistic person. 

“You’re too optimistic.” She pouted just as the train came to a complete stop. You grabbed your things and smiled down at her.

“That’s not always a bad thing.” You give her a wave and reluctantly she waves back as you weave your way off the train. You step off, the sun low in the sky as a gentle wind pushes your hair back out of your face. 

It was easy to spot Giyu once he pushed through the crowd towards you. He was tall and lean, black coal hair and the darkest blue eyes you’d ever seen. It was like glimpsing into the ocean at midnight. You swallowed and smiled brightly, pushing the little gossip your friend had told you on the train to the back of your mind. 

“Mr. Tomioka, I’m Y/n, Ms. Kanroji’s tsuguko. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” You smiled, holding your hand out to the taller man. His eyes met yours for a moment, then looked down at your hand in the space between you. It hung there for an awkward second and just as you went to lower it he met you hand in a gentle and firm shake. You quietly sighed in relief, glad he saved you from last minute embarrassment.

“You may call me Giyu.” He says softly. Your eyes meet his as you nod your head in affirmation. You stopped yourself from saying ‘yes, sir’ thankfully as he reached a hand out for your bags. You smiled brightly as he helped you carry them.

“Thank you very much.” You beamed but he didn’t return your smile, he just turned and led the way towards his house, which you quietly took as a que to follow.

It was a short walk to the house and Giyu’s place sort of reflected him in a way. It was calm with earthy tones. Though as he showed you to your room you thought maybe a few window’s needed to be opened because you found yourself almost tripping in the darkness several times. He pulled the door open to your room and placed your bags down. 

“Make yourself at home. I’ll prepare something to eat.”

“Oh! That’s very kind… would you like my help?” You asked, setting your own bags down and turning just as he shook his head ‘no’. 

“I’ll come get you when it’s ready.” He says, leaving you in your room alone. You swallowed. So maybe the gossip about him wasn’t too far off but only time could tell. You had a habit of somehow breaking through to rough around the edges types. You thought for sure you’d never even scratch the surface of Mr. Shinazugawa but he showed you kindness near the end. And the same went for Mr. Obanai. You were the type of person that saw the good in all people, and you’d find the good in Mr. Tomioka. 

Once you finished settling in you turned just as Giyu gently knocked on your door. You opened it with a smile.

“Settled?” He asked as you nodded your head. “Dinner ready. You can eat at the table.” He says and walks the opposite way to the kitchen. You stepped out of your room.

“You’re not eating?” You asked as he paused. 

“Hmm? I ate already. Figured you’d want to eat alone.”

“Oh,” You say, turning towards the kitchen. “I wouldn’t have minded eating dinner with you. It’s quite lonely eating alone.” You say and Giyu blinks at you for a moment. As if stunned by your words. He parts his lips and seemingly searches for the right words. He clears his throat.

“I apologize,” He starts. “It’s… been a while since I’ve had anyone here.”

“It’s alright.” You beam. “Next time.” You turn and walk towards the kitchen, sitting to eat dinner. So Giyu really thought you wouldn’t even want to eat with him? Did he really think his presence was that much of a hassle? As you ate, you wondered just how long he’d been cooped up here all alone. It was quite dark in his place, nothing on the walls, no memories with his family hung up on the walls. No books well loved in a nook. No plants or anything to signify this place was even lived in. It was a sterile type of clean. If you’d walked in here unknowing of Giyu, you would’ve thought this place was vacant. You poked at your food as your mind swirled you in circles. Each of the previous Hashira’s hadn’t spoken too highly of Giyu. 

Tokito had referred to him as a decorative object, which you took to mean they didn’t speak much. Tengen outright said he was depressing to be around, that he was gloomy. Which Obanai had seconded, saying his gloomy attitude pissed him off. Sanemi thought Giyu was stuck up, that he thought he was better than anyone else. 

But you didn’t get any of that. Sure you’d only spoken to him briefly and you were here for one reason, to train. But you decided to befriend him because he didn’t seem stuck up or gloomy. He just seemed lonely. And you knew how to deal with loneliness.

In the morning Giyu woke you up before the sun even got the chance to rise. He taught you the basics of water breathing and had you run through a few trials. Giyu only spoke when he needed to. He carefully adjusted your stances, asking permission to touch you first every time. His hand would slide down your arm just under your elbow and raise it up just slightly, his hands falling down to your hips to turn them.

“Spread your feet,” He intoned and you followed instructions. He walked around the front, he’d test your swings a few times, nodding his head. “Kanroji was right about you.” He said as you two finished up for the day. You raised your brow as he handed you a cup of water.

“What’d she say?” You asked, wiping the sweat from your brow and taking a drink of your water. 

“You’re talented.” He said and when you looked at him with a smile he looked away, red faced. 

Giyu made dinner and this time you ate with him. He cooked as you washed up and you helped set the table once you were out.

“This is delicious.” You smiled. Giyu didn’t look up from his plate as he nodded his head. “Do you cook often?”

“Every night.” He answers shortly. You bite your lip, hoping you weren’t annoying him. You were just a curious person. It was silent for a moment and then Giyu surprised you. “Do you… cook?” He asks, almost a little awkwardly. You look up and he still doesn’t meet your eyes.

“I’ve learned to. I wanted to be useful for Ms. Kanroji since she’s teaching me so much so I learned to cook her favorite things.” You explain as Giyu nods.

“What about you?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s your favorite things to cook?” You smile at his question.

“I like sweet things. My mom used to make this taro bread and… I wish I could figure out her recipe but… haven’t gotten it quite yet.”

“You can’t ask her?”

“We don’t,” You clear your throat somewhat awkwardly. You didn’t want to bring down the mood so you just forced a smile. “I’ll ask next time I see her.” You looked back down at your plate and felt Giyu’s eyes on you. You could tell he saw through your lie but he didn’t ask about it. 

After almost a month of training you and Giyu set off on a mission together. You boarded the train in the morning and disembarked closer to nightfall. From what Giyu told you a demon had been rumored to have been feasting off of a small town in the mountains. It was quite the trek to the town and as you got closer you saw the dim lights. You walked a bit faster to keep stride with Giyu and cleared your throat, speaking softly. 

“It’s quiet.” 

“It’s a small town, a lot of older people reside here.” He answers as you nod your head, eyes scanning around for any sort of movement. Giyu must’ve heard something because his arm instantly extends infront to stop you. You pause your movements immediately as he moves in front of you protectively, his hand on the hilt of his katana. It was deathly quiet where you two stood. Even the trees seemed to have paused their swaying, the wind slowing. You watch Giyu take a few steps, he glanced back at you, holding out a hand. His way to tell you to stay directly behind him. You nod once and keep close to him. You hadn’t heard a thing, but the hairs on your arms stood. The air felt heavy as you slowly placed your hand on your sword, ready to yank it out when needed. The town came closer into view as you two stepped quietly on the road. It was nearing 7 p.m. and not a single soul walked around the streets. They were practically deserted. Giyu backed up and leaned close to you, his breath tickling the side of your face as he spoke. 

“Something is watching. From the trees.” He warned as your eyes immediately shot to the trees around. Still you didn’t see a thing. But you didn’t question Giyu, you knew he had better instincts than you. Something learned over the years. Something you didn’t possess quite yet. “Stay close.” Giyu commanded and again you nodded your head as he led the way into the village. Sure enough all the lights were off, some street lamps lit your way but the houses and businesses were practically dead. Something dark caught your eye, a dark spot on the steps leading up to a small house. You walked towards it but made it two steps before you felt a hand shot out, gently catching your wrist. You realized you hadn’t even alerted Giyu, just naively starting walking towards something probably dangerous. He gave you a sharp look and you returned a guilty one.

“Sorry,” You pointed towards the spot and his eyes followed. He walked first towards the spot, bending over. The closer you got you realized what it was. Blood. A dark red puddle of blood that led up the house, the door to the house precariously open. You both, on instinct, pulled out your swords in one quick motion. He gave you a look that told you to stay close as he walked up the stairs of the house. The house was even more deathly quiet if that was even possible. The walls were covered in blood, the smell of metal so strong it almost made you gag. You held tighter to your sword, eyes darting left and right as Giyu leaned and inspected a print left in the blood. 

“It’s fresh.” He says up to you just as something from upstairs rumbles. Giyu stands quickly, he notices the fear in your eyes and you feel the gentlest of touches to your chin, his way of asking you to look up at him. You two shared a meaningful look. He didn’t have to say a thing in the dark house. You just understood. He’d keep you safe and you’d do your best to be helpful and watch his back.

You two made your way upstairs, checking room by room and just as Giyu pushed the last one open something stopped in the moonlight. Over Giyu’s shoulder all you saw was red eyes before it attacked. Giyu was quick to step into the room, overwhelming the demon with a quick succession of slashes before it could even think of getting close to you. 

Something ticked to your right and before you could even turn your eyes to the noise a demon slammed into you, taking you crashing down the stairs with it. It’s claws digging into you as your sword clatters out of your hands. A silly and deadly naive move on your part as the demon recovered before you did. 

You scrambled from the floor towards your sword, feeling hot blood coat the sides of your shirt from the slashes it dealt on you moments ago. A clawed paw wrapped around your ankle just as you were a fingertips length away from your blade as it yanked you back towards the dark. You kicked at the thing, finding purchase as your heel met the thing's throat. It coughed and sputtered as you recovered quickly, rolling towards your sword, yanking it up just as the demon pounced back towards you. You slashed out in a wide arc, your aim true as you lopped the creature's head right from its shoulders. It burst into flames and dusted away just as Giyu ran down the stairs. You blew out a shaky breath as he pulled you from the ground with surprising strength, checking you over.

“You’re hurt,” He sees the blood on your sides from the claws.

“It’s nothing really,” You answer, barely lifting the side of your shirt. The slashes are deeper than you thought when you finally see them.

“That’s not nothing,” He guides you carefully to a chair and bends to his knee. “May I?” He asks as you nod your head. He reaches and gently pulls your shirt up, He looks it over for a moment before carefully wiping up the blood and gently wrapping it. He ties off the bandage and pulls your shirt back down. He meets your eyes. “You did well defending yourself.” He says and you can’t help but blush and smile. 

“I’ve had good teachers.” You remark and swear Giyu’s cheeks are just as red as yours as he stands back up.

“It’s not over just yet, alright. I’d like for you to stay here while I check out the rest of the village.” He says, not meeting your eyes as he walks back towards the front door.

“Mr. Tomioka! I can’t just leave you on your own. We’re partners.” You say, pushing to your feet. Your side screams in pain but you don’t show it on your face as you follow him. He turns and shakes his head, meeting your eyes.

“No. Stay here and rest up. It won’t take me long.”

“No,” You argued, clearing your throat. “I’m fine. I swear.” You implore, not wanting to split from him for even a moment. Giyu walked back towards you, leveling his eyes with yours. 

“You’ve done enough. That wound is deep. You need to take a rest.”

“I promise… I’m alright.” You give your best soft smile and watch Giyu smile, his eyes dipping to your lips before he looks away quickly, clearing his throat.

“You stay plastered to my side and let me deal with any demons. Promise me.” He says, an intense look in his eyes. You nod your head.

“I promise.”

Giyu didn’t let you out of his sight even for a moment, he’d glance back at you regularly as you made your way through the rest of the village. He was very attentive, so attentive that it was making you blush. Two weeks spent together and he seemed to really care for you as a friend. All those long hours spent training, eating together, you really felt as though you’d conjured up another friendship. 

Something rustled near the edge of the village as you both turned at the sound, Giyu was quick to step between you and the sound. There was a distant cry and a deep growl as you pulled out your sword. Giyu narrowed his eyes just as another demon crashed out of the forest towards you two, you blinked, its head toppled off its body, Giyu’s blade glinting in the dim light. He killed it in mere seconds. You hadn’t even had time to think before it was lighting on fire and dusting into nothing. Your eyes widened as a smile fit your face. He was impressive and you couldn’t help but admire his skill. Giyu was back at your side in seconds checking you over as if you even got a chance to move.

“I’m okay, Giyu.” You insisted as he nodded his head, blowing out what seemed to be a breath of relief.

Giyu rented a room at a nearby inn and as you two settled inside he insisted on checking your wound over again before bed. He sat you down and unwrapped the bandaging to clean up the wound and wrap it up again with clean bandages. 

“You think it’ll scar?” You ask as Giyu shakes his head,

“I don’t think so.”

“It’d be kind of cool, though. Like a memento of our time together.” You smile as Giyu’s eyes snap to yours. In this light he blushes, actually blushes at your words. You almost can’t believe your eyes. He looks away, embarrassed as he speaks.

“It’ll heal up just fine.” He says and pushes back to his feet. You clear your throat. 

“Giyu?” You ask as he pulls back the cover on his cot, yours a few feet from his. 

“Hm?”

“You’re incredible, you took out that demon in… seconds.” 

“It was a weak one.”

“Still. It’s been an honor to train with you.” You say as Giyu turns away from you. “May I ask you something?”

“Hmm?”

“What made you want to be a hashira?” It’s silent for a moment and you wonder if somehow either he fell asleep or didn’t hear you, that is until he turns over, eyes meeting yours.

“What made you want to be a slayer?” He countered. You smiled. You two had broached this topic on your second night together but you had brushed it off then. But now… now you felt compelled to tell him. 

“My mother was turned into one. It was late, I usually waited up for her with my siblings till she got home from work. But… it wasn’t her that walked through the door… it… well you know. Demons don’t think much other than to kill. My mother tried to attack my younger siblings and I-- I had to kill her.” You recount, clearing your throat as tears well up into your eyes. Giyu watched you with an unreadable expression. He then pushed off his cot and sat beside you, just as you turned Giyu pulled you into a gentle hug. You instantly hugged back, smiling against his shoulder as he held you. You missed your family and you came to terms with things a long time ago, you did what you had to do. You saved your siblings from something that wasn’t your mother anymore. After that night you vowed to try and do that for others so they wouldn’t have to go through the pain you went through that night. To try and prevent it. When he pulled back he looked sad for you, you smiled at him. “Thank you…”

“That must’ve been hard.” He says as you nod your head.

“I miss her. I do… but I don’t regret it. I had to save my family.” You say.

“You’re the incredible one.” He says and now you're the one blushing shamelessly. His eyes soften and for the first time you feel your heart speed just at the sight. You look away for a second before clearing your throat.

“You dodged my question early.” You say as Giyu slightly cocks his head. “Why did you become a hashira?”

“You don’t want to hear that.” He says as you nod your head.

“I do. I really do.” You implore. He looks at you. Really really looks at you.

“I… shouldn’t be.” He starts as you furrow your brow. “My friend… he should be where I am now.”

“Giyu…” You shake your head. He tells you his story, about his friend Sabito, who sacrificed his life to save everyone during the entrance exam. You could hear the hurt in his voice as he told it. The way he thought he really didn’t deserve to be a hashira. You couldn’t just sit there and listen, not when you felt so strongly. You turned and looked him straight in the eyes. “You deserve to be where you are, Giyu. You worked incredibly hard and… watching you fight… It was so inspiring so… amazing. It baffles me that you really think you’re on a lower level than everyone else.” You start, you gently grab his hand. “Spending this past month with you has been an honor. You deserve everything good that comes your way, Giyu.” You give his hand a little squeeze. His lips part wordlessly, you hope your words meant something to him. You watch him swallow and blush once again. 

“We… we should get some sleep.” He says and you can’t help the hurt that flashes across your face as he gently pulls his hand away from yours. You bite your lip. Nodding your head, you turn over in your cot, forcing your eyes closed as the light is extinguished from the room. You laid there in the dark, feeling foolish.

You stepped off the train into the blinding light, bags in your hand as you heard your name being called out. You shield the sun from your eyes just as Mitsuri practically tackled you in a hug. You giggled as you hugged her back.

“I missed you so much!” Mitsuri beamed as she picked you up and spun you around as you giggled. 

“I miss you too.” You laughed. She set you down, pinching your cheeks as she inspected you. 

“You’re taller! And look at these muscles.” She pokes at your arms as you push her hand away giggling. “Are you hungry? I’m hungry, let’s eat while you catch me up, huh?” She asks, locking her arm with yours as she pulls you towards the closest restaurant. 

Once you two are settled with lots of food on the table you recount to her things you’ve learned and moments from your travels. 

“And how was meeting the water hashira? You spent more time with him than probably any of us!” She says as she gobbles down some ramen. A soft smile fits to your lips as you push your hair from your face.

“I learned a lot from him.” You said as her eyes flew up to yours, she looked over your face and suddenly grinned like she knew a secret. 

“You talked a lot about all the other hashira’s with a neutral expression but only say a few words about Giyu and smile like that,” She points to your face and her grin widens. You blush instantly. 

“What? T-this is my normal smile.” You implore as she shakes her head. 

“I don’t think so. Spill it.”

“What?”

“You have a crush.”

“I most certainly do not.” You gasp, looking around as if Giyu was sitting somewhere in this restaurant.

“You do! You do! If only you could see your face right now, you're a blushing mess!” She laughs heartily, reaching for another dumpling. You narrow your eyes, shaking your head but… but you couldn’t hide the smile.

“You’re insatiable.” You admonished Mitsuri who gave you a bright smile.

“I knew you two would get along, and get along you did, right?” She wiggles her brows as you blush even more.

“Stop that!” You laughed, embarrassed.

“You have to share with your master.”

“This is not how a master should act.” You tease as she smirks.”Fine. Yes. I had a good time. Mr. Tomioka-”

“You even say his name in a dreamy way.”

“Hush.” You laugh. “Mr. Tomioka was very accommodating. He was very attentive during our mission and that-”

“Made your heart flutter?”

“You are the worst!” You giggle as Mitsuri gives you a cheeky smile. 

“I’m sorry, dear, it’s just… that way you talk about him and… and say his name it just reminds me of Obanai and I.” You really blush at that. “I… received a letter from Mr. Tomioka halfway through the month and the way he spoke about you… it made me wonder what really happened in that time you two spent together.”

“He wrote?” You ask as Mitsuri smiles.

“He did. He talked very adamantly to me that you were very impressive in battle and training and that he expected you to be a hashira in no time. The reason I sensed something was because most of the time he writes to me it's only a sentence or two but… he spoke of you so fondly he almost filled the whole page.” Mitsuri smiles as you can’t help but smile back. 

“I… I was sure I messed things up.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I thought… I thought we’d gotten closer, that he’d warmed up to me but… by the last day he shut back down. He barely spoke to me and even when I boarded the train he only just said goodbye.” You recount his cold treatment as Mitsuri reaches across the table, gently taking your hand. 

“Obanai was the same way. Sometimes people shut down when something good is dangled right in front of them. Don’t be disheartened.” She says with a comforting smile. You give her a smile back. 

“It’s alright, really, I was just happy to learn from him. I couldn’t ask for more than that.” You say and Mitsuri leans back, she gazes at you for a moment, pouting. 

“Did you at least thank him?” She asks as your eyes fly up to hers.

“I… I didn’t… I can’t believe I forgot…”

“It’s alright, dear, when we get back you can write him a letter, hmm?” She asks as you nod your head. 

Once back Mitsuri lends you her writing kit as you make your way to the wisteria garden near the back of her mansion. You picked a nice tree to sit under and laid out your supplies. 

-

Dear Mr. Tomioka, 

I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to write to you and thank you for your time. I apologize for not saying this to you face to face, it seemed to just slip my mind. I also wanted to apologize if I crossed a line. You showed me kindness and I wanted to give you some in return. It was none of my business and

-

“Y/n?” Your hand pauses as your eyes drift up and meet Giyu’s. You sit up straight, knocking over your ink well as you scramble to save your letter but it covers the page. 

“Mr. Tomioka!” You gasp, wiping off your hands.

“Did I startle you?” He asks as you shake your head. The wind picked up, blowing wisteria around behind Giyu. You're struck then by just how much you’d grown to like him. How utterly important it was to see him in front of you once again, how much you longed for this in such a short time. 

“I… was just writing to you. And then… here you are.”

“Ms. Kanroji said I could find you here… you were writing to me?” He asks as you nod your head.

“I… didn’t get to thank you. For your time. Training and taking care of me.”

“I would… do that for you… anytime.” Giyu says and you instantly blush, hiding a smile behind your hand. “I should apologize to you.”

“Apologize? For what?”

“I treated you coldly. You showed me kindness and I… shut down.” “You don’t have to apologize.” You smile with a shake of your head. Giyu steps a few feet closer.

“I do. I am… not well versed in opening up to people and I haven’t really wanted to.”

“That’s okay-”

“Until you.” He interrupts as your eyes fly up to his. He’s looking at you intently. “You’re… incredible in ways that are far past your fighting abilities and I find myself… wanting to be near you at every turn.” Your lips part in surprise at his confession. “When you left… I knew I had to find you. You… don’t have to say anything back, I just… wanted you to know.” Giyu says, the wind brushing his hair back out of his face. You couldn’t help the smile that formed on your lips as you took a step towards him, you reached for his hand, gently pulling his knuckles to your lips as you brushed a kiss against them.

“Now I know.” You smile up at him as the distance between you two diminished and he pulled you against him, lowering his lips to yours.

[mscherub]

Courting with Azul (Azul Ashengrotto x Reader)

Gender neutral reader, referred to as Y/N or Prefect!

Warnings!:

Swearing as per usual

Leech twins slightly stalking you, all fun in games tho :)

Word count:

Approximately 2.2k

How long has it been since Azul has been acting weird? Well, weirder than usual, I guess. He was cunning, deviously intelligent, and just always had the one up on everybody thanks to his wit. After his overblot you ended up getting closer to him, especially since he always seemed to get into your business…but he’s changed now, and specifically when around you.

Was he ok? Did he fall and hit his head? If so, probably happened during flight class. I mean we’re talking about Azul here, Azul, the man who is always put together well it seemed, a man of high stature, now completely embarrassed when around you if you so much as smiled at him. Why couldn’t he make eye contact without going red? It was nerve-racking, the guy who you used to not be able to trust was acting all secretive around you again, and that just set off red flags. What was more concerning was the fact you always felt like you were being watched…and did you see a tuff of aquamarine hair or was that just your imagination? Huh…

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

So…say maybe you got into an altercation by simply chance. Ok, well, to be fair it was mostly Ace’s fault. Why is it always his fault?

Ace, Deuce, and Grim had been to the lounge earlier within the week to get food, you stayed back at Ramshackle to study and you trusted them enough(big mistake) to have a friendly outing on their own. But things happened, and they ended up starting a food fight and causing Azul to loose who knows how much money due to the waste of food, and the money he had to pay for cleaning and the repairs.

Ace and Grim mainly begged you to talk it out with Azul because you were quote on quote, “closer,” to Azul than any other student was, and, yea, you definitely were considering how he let you hang out in the VIP lounge when you’ve had a particularly stressful day to wind down, but it didn’t go beyond that per se, he was just being friendly is all…trying to be. But still, this was something that the three should own up to on their own and face the consequences for and—

You’re seated in a chair in the VIP lounge. You were guilt tripped(again). One pout from Deuce and you folded. You watch as Azul fidgets in his seat, writing down whatever he was writing, most likely the expenses he’s owed.

“Look, ‘zul…I, shit, uh. You know I don’t have any money really, so I don’t know what you expect me to do with,” you look at a large number on the paper marked with a big bolded dollar sign. You take a breath in. “paying you back…” you sigh, suddenly feeling sick to your stomach.

“How much damage did Grim cause, specifically?” You murmur.

“Approximately 43% of the damage caused by just the group, which in turn means you owe me around $4,300 thaumarks give or take.” He sighs…$4,300!? You swallow thickly and you slump back in the chair.

“Ah…er. Azul, you know Crowley doesn’t even pay me that much in 4 months time…” you grumble. Great. Now you’re probably going to be indentured to work at the lounge to pay back the expenses, and that’s not even getting to keep any of the tips you make.

He glances up at you…and, woah. Woah, woah, woah. Why the fuck does he look guilty?

He clears his throat, his cheeks tinted pink. “Perhaps we could work a plan out considering your circumstances…” he drawls on.

He looks back down at the paper. You feel his foot brush against yours and you sit up again. You definitely knew where this was going to go. He’d ask for you to work for a time then let you go…gah, you didn’t have time for this, screw the words he had to say, let’s just get it over with already.

“I can’t afford to work many days of the week, so I guess I could do the weekends but—“

“No need for that, actually. Just…consider it covered this once I suppose. I’ll ask for more money from the duo to cover the expenses.” He stammers. “I suppose you can manage to tell them…” He looks at you then suddenly realizes what he says, shutting up.

…

…

HUH?!

“W-what? Azul? Hello? Wait, wait, wait. You’re covering it? Excuse me? What—“

“Oh, look at the time! Unfortunately, I am very busy man at the moment!” He spits out as he gets up from his chair swiftly, walking over to yours and waits for you to get up. You do out of surprise and he instantly places a hand on your shoulder and leads forces you over to the door, his face red.

“Good evening, Prefect. Jade will see you out!” He practically pushes you out the door, closing it quickly behind you.

You blink in confusion, but you’re pulled from your thoughts as Jade comes over with his cunning smirk, his earring jingling as he walks you to the door quietly.

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

You spend all night tossing and turning. You had this uneasy feeling. I mean Azul out of all people said you didn’t need to pay him back. If those words had come out of Kalim’s mouth then you definitely wouldn’t have been as nervous as you are not, but those words came out of Azul’s mouth.

Grim, however, didn’t bat an eye and was just over the moon on how you could keep buying him the more expensive brand of tuna, sleeping peacefully at the corner of the bed. You sigh and sit up in bed, rubbing your eyes. You think back to how Azul has been acting. He seemed more jumpy when around you, and he was awkwardly more touchy, always having a hand on your shoulder, lower back, or his leg up against yours when given the chance. When this did happen he’d blush crazily and it’d look like he had a fever.

He also liked to show off more nowadays. He’d invite you to the board game club when they were hosting a chess match to present to you just how smart he really was with his perfectly crafted performance of strategy during his matches, winning every single one.

Fuck. You need a drink to clear your mind…then back to bed, to sleep this time and not overthink.

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

The next day you break the news to Ace and Deuce on how they needed to pay back equally 50/50, which felt wrong in a way. Grim caused almost half of the damage and yet you didn’t have to cough up a single cent. Ace instantly finds this unfair and complains the whole day, so much so that as you four walk through the hall, Ace “accidentally” knocks you into some random dude, who, coincidentally, happens to be one of the guys Grim targeted the most during the food fight. Ace realizes his mistake and attempts to pull you away before it’s too late.

“Hey, watch where you’re going, and keep that damn beast under control, I owe $2,500 thaumarks to the damn lounge thanks to you.” The man huffs. He towers over you and glares down at you. Deuce and Grim are ready to fight, and Ace slowly pulls out his magic pen, but—

“Hey, don’t be picking on shrimpy there, big guy. Pick on someone your own size.” Floyd chuckles as he grips the man’s shoulder tight. You quickly school your expression and back up next to the group.

Jade and Floyd stand ominously behind the unnamed student. He turns around and goes quiet as he sees the pair smiling at him. Their smiles don’t falter, and in fact they just grow wider.

Clearly the man had some sort of survival instinct and he muttered an apology before scurrying off down the hall. Floyd just giggles and watches him run away. It’d be fun to chase him. They will later. Floyd smirks as he walks over to you and picks you up into a bone crushing hug.

“We saved you shrimpy, bosses orders. You owe us, heh~” you squirm in his arms, trying to get out of his grip. But you pause as you go over Floyd’s words.

Bosses orders? Like…Azul’s orders. Like Azul ordered them to, what? Keep an eye on you?

“Floyd, this seems to be the only job you’ve ever enjoyed.” Jade smirks.

Floyd shrugs and puts you down. “It’s better than serving people food…” he huffs as they begin to walk away. Floyd smiles and waves to you before they both disappear down the same hallway the man ran down.

“You ok?” Deuce asks as he looks at you worried. You simply nod, completely confused.

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

At this point, you’ve had enough of whatever game Azul was playing. He was making no sense with his actions which were further than the norm for him. I mean he was literally sending out Jade and Floyd to “watch over you,” and that was just creepy enough on its own. You could take care of yourself just fine guaranteed.

Anytime something remotely close to being bad happened, Jade and Floyd were always there. They’d scare off whoever was giving you a hard time and then leave. You had enough, and rightfully so.

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

You find yourself marching into Mostro Lounge, pushing past Jade and swinging the door open to the VIP lounge. The student Azul was conversing swindling with jumps, and Azul mimics him the same, both look up at you. Azul’s eyes widen instantly as you glare at him.

You look over at the random student. “Leave.”

“Right on it.” The guy murmurs before quickly walking out.

You go over to his desk and slam your hands down, locking eyes with him. He lets out a small sound of surprise and swallows thickly.

“I want an explanation. Now.” You huff, taking a seat and sitting back as you watch him closely.

“An ex-explanation for, uh, what exactly?” He mumbles nervously, stumbling over his words.

“You know. The weird shit you’ve been pulling?” You sigh as you narrow your eyes at him.

“First, excusing me from having to pay anything back, which although I’m thankful for, is just weird coming from you. And also sending Jade and Floyd to do whatever they’re doing, cause I know for a damn fact they never used to show up when I got into a small argument. They made some kid cry!” You miff as you shake your head. “What’s going on with you? What happened? You’re…different. I’m worried, ‘zul.” You finally mumble out.

Your shoulders slump as your gaze softens. He goes quiet and blinks, looking down at the desk, his face all pink again.

“It’s. Complicated.” Is all he murmurs out. Nope. Not taking that for an answer. You watch as his hands tremble. You sit up in the chair and grab his gloved ones.

“Dude. Stop stalling and just say what’s going on. You’re honestly kind of scaring me, so—“

His hands wrap around yours and he gives a light squeeze. He looks into your eyes, then back at the bookshelves, scanning the spines of the books.

“Azul.” You say sternly.

“I suppose I hadn’t put much thought into how cultures vary from sea to land.” He whispers out. He looks back at you, pursing his lips. He opens his mouth to speak again but Floyd bursts into the room and happily walks up behind your chair and leans down, smiling at Azul.

“He likes ya, Shrimpy! He was courting you, and he would have tried to protect you himself but he’s weak so—“ Floyd blabs on but is cut off.

“FLOYDDDD!” Azul yells as he goes completely red, pulling his hands away from yours and covering his face. You blink once, then twice.

“Apologies for Floyd as usual, Azul. Fu, fu.” Jade chuckles. Floyd is then dragged away by Jade, leaving you and Azul alone again.

Courting.

That’s what it was? This whole time that’s what he’s been doing? Holy shit…

You gently get up from your seat and you go behind his desk, standing next to him as he sits. You grab his wrists and pull them away from his face, leaning your face closer to his and smiling at him.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I like you, too, ‘zul.” The time seems to stop as he goes wide eyed again and just stares at you. You quirk an eyebrow at him, watching him. You sigh, ah, fuck it.

You lean down and kiss his cheek. “I mean it. Now cut it out with the weird shit.” You chuckle as you pull away.

Azul looks like he’s going to combust, but he clears his throat and pushes his glasses back up, then straightens his uniform. “As you wish. I’m glad you reciprocate my feelings. Though I knew you would, after all.” He smirks triumphantly.

“Fucking smart ass.” You chuckle as you roll your eyes. “Next time, just ask me out on a date.”

“Then I suppose…would you perchance, like to go on a date with me, then?” He asks.

“Of course.” You smile.

Hope you enjoyed reading, my Lovelies! When I wrote this I rushed it so…anyways. That’s the octotrio’s works transferred over to tumblr! ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )

Master list

Please don’t steal or copy any of my work! You may, however, reblog if you’d want to!

Pictures belong to Disney Twisted Wonderland but are edited by me :)

[oaksgrove]

The Captain and the Captain; OPERATION: MATCHMAKER

pairing: John Price x female!reader

synopsis: When the legendary Captain Price and Captain [Y/N] of Task Force Echo are brought together for a joint mission, sparks fly—but they’re both too stubborn and professional to act on it. Enter the 141 team, who take it upon themselves to play matchmaker. With tactical breakfasts, strategic coffee mishaps, and one very persistent cat, the team pulls out all the stops to push their captains toward the romance everyone but them can see.

word count: 2230

warnings: meddling teammates, and some secondhand embarrassment.

part 1 here!

OPERATION: MATCHMAKER Objective: Unite Capt. [Y/N] (TF “Echo”) and Capt. Price (TF 141). Mission Status: Ongoing

PHASE 1: Observation

Task Force Echo’s arrival on base brought a distinct energy to the joint mission. They moved with precision and confidence, their camaraderie evident in every exchange. For the 141, watching Echo work was a blend of admiration and intrigue—especially for Captain Price.

“Captain Price,” you said, extending a hand as the two teams assembled for the initial briefing. Your voice carried the perfect balance of professionalism and warmth.

He clasped your hand firmly, his blue eyes meeting yours for a beat too long. “Captain [Y/N]. Pleasure working with you.”

Over the weeks, subtle shifts in his behavior didn’t go unnoticed—especially by Soap and Gaz.

“He’s got it bad,” Soap muttered to Gaz during a training exercise.

Gaz smirked, watching Price linger in conversation with you over coffee. “So does she. Did you see the way she smiled at him?”

From Echo’s side, Lieutenant Hayes caught on just as quickly. “I think the Captain’s got a soft spot for Price,” she said to Sergeant Holt.

Holt glanced over, watching you and Price debate over a map with mutual intensity. “And here I thought Price was unshakable,” she said with a sly grin. “Looks like [Y/N] might’ve cracked the code.”

With Echo and 141 in agreement, an unspoken alliance was formed: Operation Matchmaker was officially underway.

PHASE 2: Team Breakfast - "The Isolation Maneuver"

Soap orchestrated the first move, rallying both teams for a “joint breakfast.” However, when you arrived at the mess hall, the only person waiting was Price, a steaming cup of tea in hand.

“Morning, Captain,” you said, setting your tray across from him.

Price raised a brow. “Thought the rest of the team would be here.”

“So did I,” you replied, trying not to notice the way his gaze lingered on you a moment too long.

Meanwhile, behind a pillar, Soap and Gaz observed their “targets.”

“Target seated,” Soap whispered. “We need a catalyst.”

Ghost, silently holding a tray of coffee, raised a brow before striding past your table. With a calculated nudge, he “accidentally” spilled coffee near you.

“Oh, for—” Price started, his voice sharp as he glared at Ghost. “Watch it, Simon.”

“Apologies,” Ghost said flatly, though the glint in his eye betrayed him.

You chuckled, dabbing your sleeve with a napkin. “Didn’t know you had such a protective streak, Captain.”

Price cleared his throat, his ears tinged red. “Just don’t like carelessness.”

From their hiding spot, Soap and Gaz fist-bumped, while Hayes and Holt exchanged knowing smirks from a nearby table.

PHASE 3: Coffee Confusion

The following morning, Hayes joined the matchmaking effort, coordinating with Soap to engineer a “coffee mix-up.”

You found Price at his usual corner table, his hat tilted low as he read over mission reports. “Morning, Captain,” you said, setting a cup of coffee in front of him.

Price glanced up, his brow furrowing. “Didn’t order this.”

“Gaz said it was yours,” you replied with a shrug. “Guess I’m stuck with your black coffee.”

He chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on you. “Guess I owe you one.”

From across the room, Hayes elbowed Holt, grinning. “Did you hear that? He’s smiling. That’s progress.”

PHASE 4: Feline Assistance

Holt and Miller, Echo’s animal lovers, decided to introduce a new tactic: a stray cat they’d been feeding near the barracks.

The cat padded into the common area as you and Price reviewed mission plans. It rubbed against your leg, earning an immediate coo.

“Well, aren’t you adorable,” you said, scratching behind its ears.

Price glanced up, his expression softening. “Didn’t know you were a cat person.”

“I’m an anything-with-paws person,” you replied.

As if sensing its role in Operation Matchmaker, the cat leapt onto Price’s lap. His initial hesitation melted as he scratched its head, his large hand gentle.

“Look at that,” you teased. “The cat approves of you.”

“Reckon that’s a first,” he murmured, his lips curving into a rare smile.

Behind the door, Hayes whispered into her comms, “We’re geniuses.”

PHASE 5: Operation Movie Night

That evening, Hayes stood in front of the common room’s TV, holding up a DVD of The Notebook like it was an Oscar-worthy masterpiece.

“It’s scientifically proven to work,” she declared.

Soap rolled his eyes but nodded approvingly. “Price’ll be blubberin’ like a baby in nae time.”

The rec room hummed with chatter as the team settled into their seats. The movie started, and you found yourself shoulder-to-shoulder with Price on the slightly cramped couch.

Miller leaned toward Gaz, whispering, “Perfect placement. Look at them.”

Gaz smirked. “Now, we just sit back and let the romance work its magic.”

As the film unfolded, you couldn’t help but get drawn into the emotional story. It wasn’t until the climactic scene—where the couple confesses their love in the pouring rain—that you felt the sting of tears welling up in your eyes.

You sniffled quietly, trying not to draw attention, but Price noticed.

Without a word, he reached for the tissue box on the table in front of him and handed one to you. His hand brushed yours, the gesture simple but surprisingly intimate.

“Thanks,” you murmured, dabbing at your eyes.

Hayes, seated beside Soap, nudged him with a knowing smirk. “Told you.”

From the other end of the room, Soap stage-whispered, “That’s it, lads. She’s a goner.”

Price shot him a glare. “Shut it, MacTavish.”

Soap grinned unabashedly. “Just sayin’, Cap.”

Beside you, Price shook his head, but the corner of his mouth quirked up in a small smile. “They’re relentless.”

“Relentless, but not wrong,” you teased lightly, your voice soft enough that only he could hear.

Price’s eyes flicked to yours, his expression caught somewhere between amused and something deeper. The moment lingered, unspoken feelings hanging in the air, but he didn’t pull away.

Miller and Hayes whispered behind their popcorn:

“Do you see that? He’s leaning closer!” Hayes nudged Miller’s side, making her twitch “I swear, if they don’t kiss by the credits, I’m taking matters into my own hands.”

Meanwhile, Holt exchanged a meaningful glance with Ghost from her quiet corner, her faint smile betraying her satisfaction.

PHASE 6: The Note Incident

Soap took a bolder approach, leaving a forged note in your locker:

Meet me at the motor pool at 1800. –JP

When you arrived at the motor pool, Price was leaning against a jeep, his expression equal parts confusion and amusement.

“Evening, Captain,” you said, holding up the note. “I got your message?”

Price frowned, taking the note. “Didn’t write this.”

From their hiding spot, Soap whispered, “Abort mission.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Let me guess—Soap and Gaz?”

Price chuckled, his shoulders relaxing. “Wouldn’t put it past them.”

“Well,” you said with a smirk, “since we’re here, might as well make the most of it.”

The two of you ended up talking for over an hour, laughter echoing through the motor pool while the matchmakers congratulated themselves on their “accidental success.”

PHASE 7: The Confession

It was a quiet evening when the walls finally came down. You found Price sitting alone outside the barracks, a cigar in hand.

“Mind if I join you?” you asked, holding up two cups of tea.

He gestured to the seat beside him. “Be my guest.”

For a while, you sat in comfortable silence, the crisp night air wrapping around you. Then, he spoke.

“You’re remarkable, you know that?” he said, his voice soft.

The words caught you off guard. You turned to him, meeting his steady gaze. “Coming from you, I’ll take that as a high compliment.”

He hesitated, his hand brushing yours. “I don’t think I deserve you.”

You leaned closer, your voice barely a whisper. “You don’t get to decide what I deserve, John.”

For a moment, the world fell away, leaving only the quiet hum of shared understanding between you.

MISSION STATUS: SUCCESS

The next morning, when the team saw you and Price laughing together, standing a little too close in the briefing room, Soap grinned.

“Took ‘em long enough,” he said to Gaz.

Ghost, observing from the corner, simply muttered, “Finally.”

Price caught their looks and shook his head with a sigh, but the smile on his face betrayed him.

Later, he approached Ghost in the mess hall. “Reckon I owe you for not letting this turn into complete chaos.”

Ghost shrugged. “Someone had to keep those two idiots in line.”

As Price walked away, Ghost allowed himself a rare smirk.

Echo wasn’t far behind in their observations. Hayes leaned toward Holt, whispering, “Guess Price isn’t as unreadable as he thought.”

Holt smirked. “Now we just wait for the wedding invite.”

Across the room, you caught Price’s eye, his expression softening as your gazes met. Whatever lay ahead, you both knew one thing: neither of you was facing it alone.

Report: Post-Mission Analysis

Subject A’s Reaction to Team Involvement:

Initially irritated.

Later expressed quiet gratitude to team member

Subject B’s Perspective:

Surprise but ultimate relief.

Mission Status: Success.

Next Steps: Monitor continued dynamics between Captains. Prepare for further teasing and team-wide morale boost.

-

Location: Capt. Price’s Office, 141 HQ Time: Late afternoon, after the mission debrief

Soap and Gaz exchanged a knowing glance as they stood outside Price’s office. The door was slightly ajar, and through the crack, they could see Price leaning over a stack of paperwork, the usual furrow in his brow as he tried to get through the mountain of reports.

“Right, here we go,” Soap whispered, straightening his shirt. “Operation: Captain, it’s time.”

Gaz, still smirking, nodded. “Ready when you are.”

With a deep breath, Soap knocked twice on the door, his voice smooth and casual. “Oi, Cap. Got something for you.”

Price looked up, his face momentarily lighting up with the briefest of smiles before he masked it with his usual stoic expression. “What’s this then?” he grumbled, gesturing to the stack of papers in front of him. “I’m a little busy.”

Gaz couldn’t hold back a chuckle as he slid into the room with Soap. “Well, Cap, we’ve compiled something for your reading pleasure,” he said, his tone playful. “A report. From the lads. Full of... observations.”

Price arched an eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair, his gaze flicking between the two of them. “Observations?” he asked, his voice skeptical but curious. “From you two? This I’ve got to see.”

Soap and Gaz exchanged a look, both trying—and failing—to hide their grins. “Just something we thought might help,” Soap said, casually laying the neatly folded report on Price’s desk. “Can’t hurt to take a look, eh?”

Price took the paper with a raised eyebrow, flipping it open to the first page. He immediately noticed the title: Operation: Matchmaker.

“Is this… what I think it is?” Price asked, his voice a mix of surprise and suspicion.

“Definitely,” Gaz replied with a grin. “We’ve been keeping an eye on you and Captain [Y/N]. It’s all right there. The clues. The tension. It’s practically a love story in the making.”

Price glanced at the two of them, a hint of amusement behind his usually serious demeanor. “You two… I swear,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m just trying to do my job. And now you’re making me the subject of your bloody matchmaking, eh?”

Soap slapped Price’s back lightly, chuckling. “Come on, Cap. It’s obvious. We thought you two might need a little nudge.”

Gaz, leaning casually against the desk, nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. You’ll be great at this.”

Price let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head. “I don’t need your help, but I’ll read it, alright?” He flipped through the pages, his eyes flicking over the bullet points, the observations about his every glance at you, the way his interactions with you were dissected with painful precision. His face flushed with embarrassment at some of the details.

Soap leaned over and whispered, “It’s all true though, isn’t it, Cap?”

Price didn’t look up from the report. “I don’t know what you mean,” he muttered, his voice gruff.

Gaz snickered. “Sure, you don’t.” He was having too much fun with this. “You’re welcome, by the way. The report was a team effort.”

Price slammed the paper down on the desk, his face a deep shade of red now. “You two are insufferable. I swear, I’m not dealing with this.”

Soap grinned. “Yeah, well, you’re gonna have to. And we expect some results.”

Gaz added, “At least invite us to the wedding. I want the first dance.”

Price groaned, burying his face in his hands. “You two… I’ll never hear the end of this, will I?”

Soap’s smile softened a little. “Don’t worry, Cap. You deserve it. And maybe you’re exactly what she needs. But, uh, no pressure.”

Price looked up at them, his shoulders slumping as if he were giving in. He grabbed the report and stood, walking over to the window. “I’ll handle it. But you two,” he said with a pointed look over his shoulder, “are bloody impossible.”

Soap and Gaz shared another look, exchanging a quiet fist bump before they slipped out of the office, leaving Price to contemplate their “helpful” report.

taglist:

@honestlymassivetrash

[steveseddie]

not so fast

rated: t | cw: none apply | word count: 6,219

tags: steve harrington has a crush on eddie munson, accidental kissing, getting together, first kiss, steve is a Disaster in this

click here to read on ao3

***

Steve is running late for work.

And not just a little late either. More like, catastrophically late.

Like, ‘should’ve left his house ten minutes ago to even hope to make it on time’ kind of late.

Why?

There isn’t just one reason for how that happened- it’s been a series of mishaps that started with his alarm not going off this morning and ended with his car refusing to start.

“Because of fucking course!” Steve groans, twisting the key into the ignition a few more times before giving up.

After a string of creative curses and smacking his palms and his forehead against the wheel multiple times in frustration, he leaves his useless car and goes back to the house. As he crosses his driveway, he tries to think of ways to get himself to work.

First, he thinks of Nancy. He knows she’s giving Robin a ride to work today, but she’s probably dropped her off by now, punctual as she is. He has no way to reach her until she goes back home, and he’s pretty sure she mentioned something about hitting the library after dropping Robin off to do research for one of her articles for The Weekly Streak, so asking her for a ride isn’t an option.

Considering Steve’s only other friends are all fourteen-year-olds with no car and no license, he’s out of any other options pretty quickly after that.

If only he had a bike he could use, but the Harringtons got rid of those years ago. He could call Henderson and ask him to ride his bike here so Steve can take it to work. The kid will probably complain, but he owes Steve for the countless rides to the arcade and to Eddie’s trailer for their nerdy campaigns and-

Eddie!

Eddie has a car!

Eddie is Steve’s friend and he has a car!

After that realization hits, Steve rushes to the phone, dialing the number to the Munson’s trailer, which he memorized at some point during the last couple of weeks.

“Please, don’t be asleep. Please, pick up,” Steve mutters as the phone rings, tapping his foot anxiously against the floor. His eyes flick to the digital clock on top of the TV and he groans. God, he’s so late.

“Ugh, hello?” A sleepy voice asks and Steve sighs in relief. Finally, something going his way this morning.

“Eddie! Oh, thank God!”

“Fuck, man, why are you being so loud this early in the fucking morning?” Eddie grumbles, and Steve feels bad for clearly waking him up. Or he would if he had time to feel bad.

“Sorry, sorry, listen, I need a favor, I need you to pick me up and take me to work, my car won’t start and I’m supposed to be at Family Video in- crap, right now actually.”

“Dude-”

“Eddie, please. I have the keys and Robin can’t get in until I get there and she’s going to kill me-”

“Steve, relax, Je-sus!” Eddie interrupts.

“Please,” he repeats, feeling desperate. “If you do this, I’ll do anything you want.”

Eddie hums. “Anything, huh?” He asks in that low voice that always sends shivers down Steve’s spine. Even now, he can feel them, anxious as he is.

God, he really doesn’t have time for this.

“Munson,” Steve hisses.

“Okay, fine, I’ll do it. I’ll be there in ten.”

Steve winces, but he doesn’t say anything. It’s not like he can ask Eddie to disregard speed limits or traffic lights or other cars just so he gets here faster, the last thing he wants is for him to wrap his van around a tree because of him. “Okay, thanks.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Eddie says before hanging up.

Since Steve has ten minutes before he gets here anyway, he gives himself one to get flustered over Eddie calling him that.

Then he uses the remaining nine to make Robin her favorite snack- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which she claims taste better when Steve makes them. It’s probably an excuse so Steve makes them for her every time, but right now it works in his favor. She’s going to be pissed when Steve shows up late- he can’t even call the video store to let her know he’s on his way! Not when she’s locked outsid e because Steve has the god-damned keys. He hopes the sandwiches will help soften her up at least.

He’s already in the driveway when Eddie’s van rolls around the corner. As soon as it slows down, he jumps in and tells him to “Go!” without saying even saying hello.

Eddie snorts. “Good morning to you too, Harrington,” he says with an amused half-smile, but he starts driving. Eddie isn’t a slow driver by a long shot, but Steve notices that he still steps on the gas a little harder than he normally would, which he appreciates.

He slumps back onto the passenger seat. “Sorry, hi, thanks for doing this.”

“No problem, man,” Eddie says, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look Steve up and down. “Looks like you had quite the morning.”

Steve blows out a puff of air, running a hand through his hair. It probably looks like a mess right now because not only did he not have enough time to complete his routine, he’s also been anxiously running his fingers through it all morning. “You have no idea! First, my alarm didn’t go off so I had to rush through my shower and didn’t have enough time to fix my hair, then I couldn’t find my vest, then my car keys, and when I finally found those, my fucking car wouldn’t start!” He drops his hands on his lap with a huff.

“Sheesh, man,” Eddie says, somewhat sympathetically.

“Yeah!” Steve agrees as his hands start flailing again. “And now, Robin is gonna be pissed at me all day for being late, and for leaving her waiting outside the store.”

Eddie reaches over with one hand, squeezing Steve’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll forgive you quickly enough, Birdie can’t stay mad at anyone for long.”

“Um, yeah,” Steve stammers out when Eddie’s hand stays there, on his shoulder. “You’re probably right and I brought her PB&J sandwiches to soften her up a bit, so.” He chuckles, a little shakily because Eddie’s fingers are brushing lightly against his neck.

“See?” Eddie asks, giving Steve’s shoulder a little shake. “Give her those and flash those pretty doe eyes of yours at her, and she’ll forget why she was even mad in the first place!”

Steve shoves his hand away- because it should be holding onto the steering wheel, not because having it on him makes his stomach flip-flop.

He clears his throat. “Anyway, how was your morning, Munson?”

“My morning? Well, Harrington, it was just fine, thanks for asking. I was catching up on some lovely much-needed Zs after band practice ran late last night, but then the phone woke me up. Some guy yelling at me to come pick him up.”

Steve makes a face, chuckling softly. “That guy sounds like an asshole.”

“Nah, he’s actually a very sweet guy. Pretty, too.” He tosses a wink at Steve, who flushes pink. “And you know me, I’m so easy for a pretty face. I was already gonna say yes when he promised he’d do anything if I gave him a ride. No way I could refuse.”

“Well, I’m sure the guy is very grateful,” he says, then wrinkles his nose. “And hopeful that you won’t make him regret promising you that.”

Eddie throws his head back with a laugh. “Don’t worry, Stevie, I won’t ask for anything too embarrassing.”

“Ugh.”

The van falls into a comfortable silence, only the radio playing softly in the background. Steve is surprised that it’s not one of Eddie’s tapes playing, he’s always complaining about radio stations not playing any ‘real music’ and Steve’s witnessed, more than once, the way he dives for the glove compartment to dig out one of his tapes before he even starts the van. He can’t help but wonder if the reason why Eddie is listening to the radio is because he was rushing to get to Steve and didn’t even have time to pick a tape.

Whether it’s the truth or not, it makes a dopey smile appear on Steve’s face, thinking about Eddie not wasting any time looking for a cassette tape because he knew Steve was in a hurry. He also didn’t change out of his pajamas or pause to fix his hair on his way out, Steve thinks as he looks Eddie up and down. He’s currently in plaid pajama pants and an old band shirt with holes around the collar that Steve knows he wears to bed, and his hair is sticking out every which way even more than usual.

He looks cute like that, and Steve’s dopey smile only grows because of it.

“You know,” Eddie starts and Steve jumps, thinking for a moment that he caught him staring, but his eyes are still fixed on the road. “If you want I can take a look at your car? Old Al Munson didn’t just teach me how to hotwire them, you know? Maybe I can fix whatever’s wrong with it.”

Steve blinks. “Really?”

He’s sure that there must be hearts in his eyes right now. He was already dreading having to pay for a tow truck to take his car to the mechanic and then pay to fix whatever was wrong with it. That kind of money would really put a dent in his plans to save enough for a place of his own, so Eddie fixing it for him would be a great help.

“Of course, Stevie,” Eddie says, flashing him a dimpled grin. Yup, definitely hearts in Steve’s eyes right now. “I can drive you home after your shift and take a look at it. I’ll bring Wayne’s tools.”

The visual of Eddie bending over the hood of Steve’s car with a tool belt around his tiny waist pops up in Steve’s mind without a warning, making warmth pool in his stomach.

He shakes his head and focuses on the Eddie in front of him- sweet, cute Eddie who is offering to give Steve a ride and help him with his car. Yeah, that’s really not any better than sexy mechanic Eddie from his fantasies.

“That would be awesome, Eds, thank you,” he says, possibly a little too earnestly.

It makes Eddie a little shy. He winds some of his hair around his finger and pulls it in front of his mouth. “Don’t go singing praises at me yet, I might not be able to fix it.”

“Maybe not, but I appreciate it anyway, the ride back home too,” Steve says softly. If Robin was here she would tell him to tone it down with the googly eyes and the mushy smiles, the way she does when the three of them hang out-

Shit. Robin.

He checks his watch and a whine slips past his lips.

Eddie notices and the van takes on speed as he pushes his foot harder against the pedal. “We’re almost there,” he says reassuringly.

Steve nods, but his leg stays bouncing anxiously for the rest of the drive.

***

Finally, Eddie drives the van into the Family Video parking lot.

Steve looks for Robin in the distance, squinting his eyes, wanting to gauge just how angry she looks. If she looks like she’s about to murder Steve, he might just tell Eddie to keep driving.

When he spots her, Steve’s stomach falls. She doesn’t look angry, but that’s only because she has an apologetic look on her face as she talks and gestures wildly to a family of three. Steve can’t read her lips, but he figures she must be explaining to them how her coworker and best friend is an idiot who doesn’t know how to work an alarm clock and that he should be getting here any minute now so she can murder him but not before she sends them on their merry way with whatever movie they’re here to rent and a bunch of candy and popcorn. On the house, of course.

“Fuck me,” Steve mutters, slumping back against the seat.

They never get customers this early on Sundays. Never.

Go fucking figure.

Eddie also squints his eyes through the windshield and scrunches up his nose at what he sees. “Maybe you can bribe them with PB&Js too?”

Steve appreciates Eddie trying to lighten his mood, but all he can muster right now is a slight huff of laughter. He starts gathering his things, ready to jump from the van as soon as Eddie parks.

“What time should I pick you up?” Eddie asks as he starts slowing down the van.

“Uh, I get off at four,” Steve says, just as he makes eye contact with Robin. She manages to glare at him while keeping her polite customer service face on. It’s impressive. “If Robin doesn’t kill me first.”

Eddie sniggers. “I don’t think she’ll kill you, maybe hurt you, or put Nair on your shampoo.”

Steve whimpers pathetically at the thought. The van slows to a stop. With the keys to the store in one hand and his Family Video vest in the other, Steve pushes the door open. He already has one leg out when Eddie says, “Wait!”

Steve half turns in his seat and gives him an impatient look, but it shifts into a grateful one when he sees that Eddie is holding the Tupperware with the sandwiches.

“Not so fast, sweetheart, don’t forget your bribe,” Eddie tells him with a lopsided grin.

Later, Steve will ask himself why he did what he does next, but the truth is, he doesn’t know.

Maybe it’s because he’s in a hurry and his body is moving faster than his brain. Maybe it’s because he had a shitty morning and Eddie swooped in like a knight in plaid pajama pants and a worn band shirt. Maybe he smashed his head too hard against the steering wheel of his car earlier that morning. Maybe it’s Eddie’s dimples or maybe it’s the pet name.

The thing is he doesn’t know what does it, just that something gets his wires crossed somehow, and before he knows it, he’s leaning over the space between their seats and pressing a quick kiss to Eddie’s mouth.

He doesn’t even realize he does it. Not yet.

He just grabs the Tupperware from Eddie’s limp hands, throws a “bye, Eds!” over his shoulder, and shuts the van door.

Robin’s head snaps in his direction as he makes his way across the parking lot, attempting to put on his vest without dropping the keys or the sandwiches. The family is watching him too and luckily they don’t look mad about having to wait- Steve checks his watch- shit, thirty minutes for him to get here.

“Hi, hello, I’m so sorry,” he starts apologizing before he even gets to them. He tosses the keys to Robin, who fumbles to catch them, so he can finish shrugging on his vest. “I’m so terribly sorry I kept you waiting,” he tells the family while Robin unlocks the door and flips the sign so it says Open! “My alarm didn’t go off and then my friend had to drive me ‘cause my car wouldn’t start and I couldn’t find my godda-rn vest!” He corrects himself when his eyes dart to the kid staring up at him. “But none of that matters now! Because I’m here and we’re-”

“Open!” Robin says, sweeping her arm in front of the door with a flourish, kind of like Eddie does sometimes.

Speaking of Eddie, Steve glances over his shoulder and notices that the van is still there.

Which, weird. But right now there’s nothing he can do about that.

Instead, he starts ushering the family inside, putting on his most charming smile. “Come in, come in, we’ll have you out of here in no time!” He says, following after them.

He makes eye contact with Robin over the kid’s head and mouths I’m so sorry, grimacing when she glares at him. But at least she holds the door open for him too, instead of letting it slam on his face, which he probably deserves.

Once inside, Steve helps the family find the movie they’re looking for in record time while Robin starts the computer system. By the time he guides them back to the counter, she’s ready to log it into the system. They give them an extra couple of days to return it, for the trouble, as well as all the Milk Duds and cherry licorice they want. On the house. Then they wave at them as they head out, throwing a “Thank you for choosing Family Video!” for good measure.

When the door closes, Steve spins around to face Robin on the other side of the counter. “I’m so sorry, Robs,” he says with as much feeling as he can muster.

She pokes him in the chest several times with her bony fingers. “You owe me so much! I’ve been apologizing to that family for thirty minutes, dingus!”

“I know! I’ll clean the floors today and I’ll take care of the reshelving and you can take an extra long break and I won’t say anything!”

Robin doesn’t speak, just glares. Steve grabs his Tupperware, his last resort, and pushes it across the counter toward her. “I made you PB&J sandwiches. Your favorite.”

She heaves out a long sigh. “Okay, fine, I forgive you, but you’re doing all of that and you’re letting me pick the movie of the day and you’re watching it with me.” Steve nods profusely. The corners of her mouth twitch up, and even if it’s not a full smile, Steve feels relief flood through him. “Now come on, let’s finish getting this place ready for business, and then we can have those sandwiches and you can explain how you got here so late.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Steve says, giving her a two-fingered salute like he’s seen Eddie do many times.

Speaking of Eddie, Steve squints at the parking lot before following Robin’s lead- turning on lights and straightening cardboard cutouts.

He notices that the van is finally gone, and so is Eddie.

***

“Then I almost left the sandwiches in Eddie’s van!”

Robin gasps dramatically, cradling her half-eaten PB&J against her chest. She’s in a much better mood now, after one and a half sandwiches, more apologizing from Steve and his dramatic retelling of this morning’s events.

“Which would be just my luck today, I swear! But Eddie wouldn’t let me forget them,” Steve says, his smile turning dopey the moment he brings up Eddie. He knows this because he sees Robin rolling her eyes. “So I grabbed them and then I-”

And that’s when it hits Steve. What he did. Almost an hour after the fact.

The fact being- He kissed Eddie.

“Oh God,” he mutters, horrified. “Oh fuck, oh God.”

“What? Are you having a stroke? What is it?” Robin asks, eyes widening in alarm. “Steve?” She waves her hands in front of his face and bread crumbs fly everywhere. Steve knows he’s going to have to clean those, but right now he doesn’t care about that at all.

He lets out a pitiful whimper, his hands flying to his face. “Oh my God!”

“Steve, what?”

“I kissed Eddie,” he says, but the words are muffled by his hands over his face.

He hears Robin let out a sigh. “Steve, my best friend, my platonic soulmate with a capital P. I know we joke about it but I can’t actually read your mind. I’m gonna need you to speak more clearly.”

Dropping his hands onto the counter, Steve’s eyes meet hers, then he says, loud and clear, “I kissed Eddie.”

Robin’s face goes through many different emotions in like, twenty seconds. Shock, confusion, something that Steve dubs her fucking finally, dingus! expression, and then, outrage.

“Wait! So you were late because you were busy kissing Eddie? Steve!” She says on her way to get angry again, but Steve starts shaking his head before she’s done talking.

“No! Robs, I was running late and then I kissed Eddie as I was getting out of the van!”

The outrage disappears and she grins at Steve. “Fucking finally, dingus!” She says, and yup, that’s the one, Steve got it right. She holds her hand up for a high five, but Steve grabs her hand between his instead, shaking his head.

“No, Robin, no, this is bad.”

“Why? You like Eddie!”

“I do! I like him so much, but he was never supposed to find out, and definitely not by me just- kissing him!” He says, shaking his hands wildly and Robin’s too since it’s still trapped between them.

“Okay, first, I need my hand back,” Robin says, extracting her hand from Steve’s hold. “Now, what did Eddie do when you kissed him? Did he kiss you back or did he go like, ahhh and pushed you out of the van?”

“I- I don’t know. Nothing?” Steve tries to remember, but his whole morning was a blur. It’s just his luck that he finally kisses the boy he likes and he can’t even remember it. “He just- sat there. Actually, he sat there for a while because he was still here when we were helping that family. Oh my God, is that bad? Do you think he’s mad? Robs, what do I do?” He drops his head on the counter and feels Robin pat his head. He doesn’t even care that her hand is sticky with peanut butter and jelly.

“You said he’s picking you up later?” Steve makes what’s supposed to be a noise of assent. “Okay, so you talk to him.”

“If he even shows up.”

Another pat. “I’m sure he will and then you just tell him the truth. That you kissed him because-”

“I was having a stroke?” He says, twisting his head to one side so he can look at her.

Robin rolls her eyes. “I said the truth, dingus.”

“But the truth is so embarrassing. So, Eddie, I kissed you because I think you’re cute, I kissed you because you came to my rescue this morning, I kissed you because you called me sweetheart and it might’ve melted my brain. I kissed you because I finally let myself do what I’ve wanted to do for weeks!” He groans pitifully. “What if he doesn’t like the truth, Robin? What if he doesn’t like me?”

“You know what I think about that,” she says and Steve does know. She’s told him that she thinks Eddie feels the same way over and over while trying to convince him to make a move, but Steve doesn’t believe her. “But if he doesn’t, then at least you’ll know. And whatever happens, you’ll have me and an endless supply of romantic movies we can both cry to! And ice cream, lots and lots of ice cream!”

Steve lifts his head fully from the counter and smiles gratefully at her. “Thanks, Robs.”

“Of course, Steve, now come on! I know what movie I’m picking today!” She says, hopping onto the counter and swinging her legs over it, barely missing Steve’s head.

“Ugh, not Children of Paradise again, please.” Steve groans when Robin grabs hold of his wrist and pulls him in the direction of their romantic drama section.

She does pick that one again and Steve has no choice but to go with it, but at least with a two-part movie, he’s distracted for a whole two hours and forty-five minutes so he doesn’t think about Eddie or what he’ll say to him later.

Not that much anyway.

(Okay, maybe he does.)

***

Steve half expects Eddie to not show up, and a part of him wishes he’s right, so he doesn’t have to talk to him yet- or ever.

He’s surprised when, at four o’clock, he sees the van roll into the Family Video parking lot.

That surprise quickly turns into horror and he must make some kind of noise that alerts Robin and makes her follow his gaze.

“I told you he’d come!”

He turns to her with a pleading look. “Please let me hitch a ride with you and Nancy, Robs, I can’t do this.”

“You can, Steve,” she says, putting her hands on his shoulders to guide him toward the door. Steve tries to put up some resistance, digging his heels into the floor, but she puts her whole body into it and manages to get him moving.

“What if I kiss him again?”

Robin snorts. “Maybe try to have a conversation with him first,” she suggests, pulling the door open and shoving Steve through it. “And if it turns out that he wants to kiss you then go for it!”

“But what do I even say?”

“You’re asking me that? Pfff. I’m hopeless, you know that. Just be honest, okay? And call me as soon as you get home to tell me everything!” And with that, she shoves him toward Eddie’s van. Steve stumbles a few steps, thankfully catching himself just before he eats dirt.

When he looks up, he sees Eddie staring at him through the windshield. He probably just saw Steve nearly faceplant in the parking lot- and Steve’s supposed to hope Eddie wants to kiss him after that? Yeah, right.

With a sigh, he starts walking towards the van. He reaches the passenger door sooner than he’d like, and after bracing himself, he opens the door and climbs inside.

“Hey,” Steve says, wiggling his fingers in a wave.

He notices that Eddie’s hands are clinging to the leather of the steering wheel. He gives Steve a smile that looks a little strained. “Hey, Steve.”

An awkward silence falls over them and Steve’s fingers itch to open the door and run away, but he can see Robin chatting with Nancy, the two of them standing next to her car, and he’s sure that if he makes a run for it, Robin will chase him down and drag him back to the front seat of Eddie’s van herself.

So he stays where he is and glances at Eddie, noticing that he looks different from this morning.

“You changed your clothes-” he starts, but Eddie chooses that moment to also start talking.

“Seems like Buckley’s in a better mood-”

They both cut themselves off when the other speaks, looking at each other and laughing a little awkwardly.

Eddie looks down at himself. He’s wearing ripped jeans, a self-made Corroded Coffin shirt, and his hair is pulled back into a ponytail, which allows Steve to see the earrings adorning his right ear. “I did change clothes. I don’t just hang around and do nothing in my pajamas all day. Sometimes, I wear jeans,” he says, making Steve snort. “So, did the PB&J sandwiches work?” He asks, gesturing at Robin across the parking lot. Steve can see her glancing towards the van every couple of seconds. She’s not being subtle.

“They did, but I also had to let her pick this long French drama for movie of the day and let her take an hour-long break. And also apologize like, three hundred times.”

“Damn, Buckley’s tougher than I thought,” Eddie whistles, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “But she let you off the hook?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

Eddie nods. “Cool.”

Another silence. This one’s less uncomfortable, but it still feels like something is hanging over their heads. No, not just something.

Steve sighs. Might as well get it over with.

“So,” he says.

“So,” Eddie echoes, flexing his fingers around the steering wheel.

“I kissed you.”

There, he said it. It’s out there.

Eddie inhales sharply. “You did.” His knuckles start to turn white with how hard he’s gripping the wheel. “Um, why did you?”

He remembers Robin’s words. The truth, Steve. Just tell him the truth.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I didn’t even realize I did it at first,” Steve says, running a hand through his hair, keeping his eyes on his lap.

“So it was just- what? An accident? You- you didn’t mean it?” Eddie’s voice sounds uncharacteristically small, quiet. Steve risks glancing at him, and when he does, he finds that Eddie has shrunk in on himself. His eyes meet Steve’s for a split second and he looks hurt, like he wanted the kiss to mean something.

And Steve can’t have him thinking that it didn’t. No way.

He turns sideways on his seat, leaning forward, closing some of the distance between them.

“I didn’t realize I did it because I’m so used to thinking about kissing you,” Steve admits. Eddie’s eyes snap up to meet his- wide, hopeful.

“You- you are?”

Steve nods, feeling his cheeks turn pink, but he doesn’t let that stop him. “I’m just usually better at stopping myself from doing anything about it, but today,” He shakes his head, letting out a shaky laugh. “You swooped in to help me and were looking so cute in your pajamas and you were smiling at me with your dimples and I- I just did it, without thinking. So I didn’t mean to do it, but I meant it.”

Eddie’s lip is trapped between his teeth as he chews on it nervously. It’s very distracting, but Steve does his best to keep his eyes off his mouth and on his eyes, which are sparkling as he thinks over Steve’s words. “Holy shit, you did?”

“Yeah, I meant it so much that when I realized what I did, I started panicking.”

Finally, Eddie lets go of the steering wheel, slumping back against his seat, and huffing out a burst of air. “Thought I was the only one who was panicking.”

Steve’s eyebrows knit. “Why would you be panicking?”

Eddie shoots him an incredulous look. “Because! You kissed me and then just- said goodbye like- like you didn’t turn my world fucking- upside down with that kiss, pun absolutely intended. I didn’t know if for you it was like, a friend thing or a mistake or-”

“Not a friend thing,” Steve says, “and not a mistake.”

Eddie lets those words sink in then starts nodding in a way that makes him look like the Chewbacca bobblehead toy he keeps next to his bed. Steve has to bite down on a smile. “Okay. Okay, good, because I want you to do it again.”

“Huh?”

Eddie meets his gaze. “You took me by surprise this morning, but I want you to kiss me again. So I can kiss you back this time.”

Steve’s stomach flips. “Holy shit.” He doesn’t move right away and Eddie looks at him expectantly, not taking it back, waiting for Steve to kiss him again. And what the fuck is Steve even waiting for? “Shit, yeah, okay.”

His hand catches Eddie’s jaw, cradles it with his palm, and he leans over the space between the two seats for the second time that day. Only this time, he moves slowly, committing everything to memory- the way Eddie’s breath hitches when Steve touches his face, the way he goes cross-eyed staring at Steve as he moves closer, the way he whines when their lips brush, not quite touching yet.

And finally, the way Eddie fists the lapel of Steve’s Family Video vest, and in an impatient move, pulls him towards him, crashing their mouths together.

And Steve- well. Steve doesn’t know how he did this already and didn’t remember until an hour later. Because this? He’s never forgetting this.

Eddie’s mouth is warm and soft. There’s a small cut on his bottom lip, no doubt from him chewing on it hard while panicking. When Steve flicks his tongue over it, Eddie yelps, but then he’s tugging Steve even closer by his vest and he’s licking into Steve’s mouth and Steve’s brain goes offline. He gets lost in the kiss. Lost in Eddie. He’s drowning and he never wants to come up for air.

But sadly that’s not something he can do. At some point, he has to breathe so he breaks the kiss but he doesn’t go far. He stays in Eddie’s space, his hand stroking over his jaw. And even if he wanted to move he wouldn’t be able to go anywhere, not with the hold Eddie has on his vest.

“I say this should count as our first kiss,” Eddie whispers, his forehead resting against Steve’s.

“What’s wrong with our actual first kiss?”

“Dude,” Eddie says, and the fact that he’s calling him that while their faces are a few inches from each other after kissing, makes Steve giggle. “The kiss lasted like, a second and you ran away right after!”

Steve’s face scrunches up. “Yeah, maybe it wasn’t my best work.”

Eddie snorts. “It really made me question everything I heard about Steve Harrington’s kissing prowess.”

“My- what? Where did you even hear that?”

Eddie shrugs, making Steve’s hand fall from his jaw to his shoulder where he starts playing with a curl that slipped free from his ponytail. “I used to hang out under the bleachers a lot, and heard many girls gossiping about your mad kissing skills.” He waggles his eyebrows, making Steve laugh. “So imagine my surprise when you go and kiss me like- like my grandma used to kiss me! I thought they had to be talking about someone else.”

Steve’s cheeks go red, but he tries to save some face by asking, “And after that second kiss, do you still think they were wrong?”

Eddie gulps. “Nope.”

“Good,” Steve says with a pleased smile. “Then maybe we can count this as our first kiss, I wouldn’t want my reputation to be ruined when we tell people about this.”

Eddie doesn’t laugh at the joke. He’s back to chewing on his lip, which is significantly more distracting now that Steve knows what those lips feel and taste like, but right now he focuses on the way Eddie’s eyes start flickering all over the inside of the van, not meeting Steve’s when he quietly asks, “This?”

“What?”

“You said this like, what do you mean? What is this?” He lets go of Steve’s vest to gesture between them. “Is it like, just kissing or do you, uh, do you want to be with me? Like, boyfriends or something?”

“Exactly like boyfriends,” Steve says, making Eddie squeak adorably. “If that’s what you want.”

“Steve, God, there’s nothing I want more,” Eddie says with a dopey smile that rivals Steve’s.

Except it doesn’t because Steve is beaming at the thought of being Eddie’s boyfriend. Of Eddie being his boyfriend. Christ. He would be embarrassed about how giddy he feels if he couldn’t tell Eddie was riding the same high as he is.

“Then I guess I should give my boyfriend that ride home that I promised him, hm?” He asks, leaning back on his seat, but not before he leaves a fleeting kiss on the corner of Steve’s mouth.

And God, hearing Eddie call him that makes Steve feel like he’s floating. “Yeah, you should.”

He leans back too as Eddie starts the van. Steve glances across the parking lot before he drives them away and realizes that Nancy’s car is gone. They must’ve taken off around the time Steve kissed Eddie after Robin realized Steve wouldn’t try to run.

“I promised you something too, if I remember correctly,” Steve says, looking out the window as Eddie drives them onto the main street. His eyes flick towards Steve, one of his eyebrows raised. “I promised I’d do anything if you gave me a ride to work, remember?”

Eddie’s eyes widen as he realizes what he’s talking about. He teased Steve about this all morning and now it’s his turn to return the favor.

“And now that we’re together the list of things I can do got significantly bigger so you might want to think about how you want me to pay you back,” he says with a smirk.

Color starts rising from Eddie’s neck to his cheeks and then to his ears. “I- shit, you want me to think about this while I drive?” His voice goes higher in pitch as he stammers more words out. “Do you want me to crash this fucking van, Steve? Jesus!”

Steve just laughs, relaxing back against his seat. He trusts Eddie not to get them into an accident, but just to be on the safe side, he stops teasing him and reaches for the volume dial on the radio, turning the music up.

He steals glances at Eddie as he drives, thinking how the end of his day did a complete turn from how it started. His morning had been a disaster, especially when he thought he ruined things with Eddie.

But now, Steve is heading home after kissing the boy he likes, and he gets to watch him play sexy mechanic while fixing his car, and he gets to do something about it if he wants- like kiss Eddie stupid against the hood of his car.

So, in retrospect, Steve thinks, his alarm not going off this morning might actually be the best thing to ever happen to him.

[blackcoldcrackedheart]

Ryan's comment and the "too brooding comment" from Tommy spured this idea.

"So you heard me say "let's do something different" and you thought "let's do axe throwing at a bar"?" Hen arched a brow as she surveyed the place. She could already feel her spidey senses tingling as she watched folks sipping on beer and other alcoholic drinks while throwing axes. Never mind the fact they were being supervisored; the combo had Hen wanting to go to her car to get her medic bag.

Chimney gave her a wide cheeky grin. "It's different!" He told her.

"Haven't you been stabbed enough? You want to test your luck with an axe?"

Chimeny chuckled as he and Hen got a booth, not far enough from where the patrons were throwing axes though.

"Besides, I figured you and I could thank a very special someone who needs a bit of a pick me up." Chimney explained once they got comfy. Hen was already eyeing the drink menu but perked up at the mention of "someone".

"Chim." She closed her menu with a sigh, "Pleaae don't tell me I'm gonna be thirdwheeling you and Maddie."

Chimney rolled his eyes with a scoff, "No." He stressed, making an uncomfortable face that Hen knew meant that that was something Chimney had wanted. "Someone else."

"Who?"

Chimney pulled out his phone to look at the time, they had agreed to meet at 7:30. It was 7:40 already. "You'll see in about a minute, unless he-" that's when he caught sight of Tommy coming through the door. Looking tired and cranky, Chimney wasn't suprised at Tommy's outfit. The guy was always casual but this was pushing it, ripped stained jeans and a dark gray henly under a LAFD zip up hoodie. "Tommy, over here man."

Tommy nodded, a flicker of a smile when he spotted Chimney, growing only a smidgen wider when he caught sight of Hen.

"Tommy!" Hen got up the same time Chimney got out of the booth to hug Tommy, who- if anyone where to ask Hen- looked like he needed it.

He went to hug her next. "It's been a while." She told him in lieu of a greeting as they all took their seats. "Chimney told me that we owe you for saving us during the gas leak."

"Don't mention it." Tommy's smile seemed too strained, Hen could see the bags under his eyes and how disheveled he looked. The man didn't even have any products in his hair and he had a good amount of stubble on his face, a weeks worth it Hen had to bet. "When Chimney calls, I answer. Just glad to hear no one got hurt." Tommy told them, he patted Chimneys's shoulder. "Glad to see you too. You look better than I thought you would." Tommy appraised him, earning a slight chuckle from Chimney.

Before Chimney could reply, Hen beat him to it "He does." She confirmed with a sly smile, "That's why he wanted to test his luck at a axe bar."

Tommy snorted at that, " Speaking of which, you guys hungry?"

"Starving."

They had put in their orders for drinks and food, Hen noticed that Tommy seemed to relax a bit as they started to talk more. But he still seemed stiff.

"So Tommy, what's new with you?" Hen asked, trying to make conversation.

Tommy paused the glass of beer to his lips, he looked taken back by that somehow. "Ah okay I guess."

"Does okay mean rough?" Chimney asked, he gave Tommy a light slap to his chest. "You look like you've been putting in too many hour at work. Has the 216 been that busy?"

Tommy pressed his lips together, his glass back on the table as he started to twist his drink between his palms. "Uh- no. Not exactly." He sighed, "I just got dumped."

Hen sat up at that, eyeing Chimney with a confused expression. They have never heard about Tommy's love life before. They had heard him mention a girlfriend while he was with the 118 still, but he had always been so evasive about the topic even when asked.

"I'm sorry to hear that, man." Chimney told him sincerely, gently patting the younger man on his shoulder.

"Yeah." Hen added on, "I'm sorry too. Break ups aren't easy."

Tommy nodded in agreement, "Thanks. It just happened a few days ago." He gestured to his face and clothing. "Still trying to deal with it."

Hen patted his hand from across the table. "There's no timeline in dealing with break ups. But if you don't feel like talking about it, we understand."

Tommy huffed out a sigh, "I don't know how I feel. One minute we're doing great and the next minute I'm being dumped for the best friend."

"The best friend? What the her friend didn't like you or something?"

Hen didn't miss Tommy wincing. "More like my ex admitted to being in love with the best friend and best friend felt the same. So..." Tommy took a gulp of his drink.

"Wow." Chimney leaned back in shock. "Well, that sucks."

"You'll find the right person." Hen told him honestly, she saw him tense a bit at that. She had noticed the lack of specific pronouns in Tommy's story and clearly Tommy didn't really she would.

"Well luckily for you, you're in one of the busiest and prettiest city for dating."

Hen nearly snorted in her drink, "I don't think anywould say that about LA, Chimney."

Chimeny ignored her as he looked around the bar. "Well I say that and Tommy needs a pick me up."

Hen saw the fear in Tommy's eyes as they went wide, he face losing a bit of color as Tommy tried to pull Chimney back down. "I don't think I'm ready to put myself out there." Tommy explained, "I just wanted a nice time out to get my mind off of being dumped."

Chimney shook his head in disappointment, "I'm not saying you need to go back out there right now. Just saying look around." He patted Tommy's chest and pointed to the axe station.

Hen looked to see a platinum blonde with a bunch of tattoos sipping on a beer and talking to her friends. "What about her?"

Tommy made a face. "Not my type."

"Okaaay." Chimney pointed to someone behind Hen. "Her then?"

Her was a pretty Desi woman rocking some pretty high heels.

"Pretty, but still not my type."

Chimney seemed to be enjoying the challenge now as he hit the table rhythmically all while looking around. "You did mention you're not a fan of the brooding types so you need a happy-go lucky woman." Chimneys face lit up as he pointed to a cute brunette who was laughing with two other women.

"Now she looks like the type who would be the opposite of brooding."

Hen rolled her eyes. "Stop pestering Tommy. Also, we're hear to drink, not shop around for dating partners for him."

Chimney shook Tommy by his shoulders, "Cmon, Tommy hardly ever talks about his love life. Aren't you even a bit curious about what his type of woman is?"

"I'm gay." Tommy blurted out.

Chimney and Hen paused at that.

Hen wasn't surprised surprised , but she's wasn't expecting Tommy to come out to them now.

Chimney blinked owlishly. "Really?" He asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Yeahm" Tommy told him, looking down at the table in discomfort. He looked fidgety.

"Not that you had to tell us, but I'm surprised you didn't feel like you could. Especially after Gerrard left."

"Chimney." Hen gave him a reproachful look.

Tommy shook head, loudly sighing as he rubbed his face. "No, he's right. I-I wanted to tell you guys." He gave Hen a remorseful look, "Especially you, Hen." Tommy winced, pinching the bridge of nose as he remembered how he acted when he was working under Gerrard. "Nothing I can say or do is gonna make up for how I acted."

Hen leaned over on her elbows. "We accepted your apology already Tommy."

"Yeah, but not for this. I wanted to tell you guys, I just....couldn't."

Hen shrugged, understanding why. She didn't blame Tommy for the way he acted while he was in the closet. "You were working under Gerrard for years and before that you were in the military. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why you felt like you couldn't tell us." Hen reasoned, she had gone through the same story with her family, friends, and bosses. She let out a low whistle, "Hopefully you're family is supportive?"

Tommy sunk lower in his seat.

The answer was disappointingly clear.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

She raised her drink, "Too crappy parents?" She teased. She felt proud when Tommy let out a huff of a laugh, he pull himself to up and raised his drink to hers.

"To crappy parents" He crinkled their glasses together, along with Chimney who added "Here here!"

"Sooo." Chimney started, "Is he your type?"

"Chimney!"

Chimney held his hands up in defense as Tommy laughed heartedly. "Now I'm really curious."

Tommy ignored the dark glare from Hen as he turned to see who Chimney was pointing at.

A brown skinned muscular guy with a charming and bright smile and long hair was chatting up a guy, they looked similar. Only the other guy had curly hair.

But Chim was close.

"I'm a sucker curly hair and bright smile. But yeah." Tommy agreed as he turned around to face Chimney and Hen. "I would go for friend more so the guy you picked. But either way."

Chimeny let out a loud laugh, "Aw man. A bright smile and curly hair? You know who would be exactly your type?"

"Who?" It was Hen who asked, intrigued since it seemed like Chimney had someone in mind.

He even looked at her when he answered, "Buck."

"Buck?" Hen repeated with a guffaw

"Buck?" Tommy scrunched his nose, "You would set me up with a guy named Buck?"

"It's a nickname." Hen told him.

"My point stands, Buck is all sunshine and rainbows. He's like a golden retriever in human form. Only time when he's brooding is when he's being a brat." Chim explained, nearly missing a swat to the arm by Hen.

Hen pointedly reminded Chimney, "Well, that golden retriever saver your life, not to mention, Chimney, you're dating his sister."

Tommy nearly choked on his drink, "You're dating the sister of someone nicknamed Buck?"

Chimney feigned being insulted, "Hey, I will happily tell you." He pointed at Tommy and then at Hen "and happily remind you, that Maddie and Buck are two very different people, thank God."

Hen laughed behind her glass, "Buck's a good guy though, just eager and overprotective."

"So a golden retriever?" Tommy joked, seemingly intrigued and more perked up then when he walked into the bar. "How do you guys know him?"

"He's part of the 118. Firefighter." Chimey answered through a mouthful of nachos. "He joined right after you left. He was your replacement, I think."

"Literally. " Hen mused, "I think he took your spot at the table by Cap." She scrunched up nose, trying to remember something. "Does Buck have curly hair?" She asked Chimney.

"Oh yeah. He just uses half a jar of gel to smother the curls."

Tommy's eyes lit up. "He sounds cute though. Do you guys have a picture?"

Hen reached over the table when she noticed Chimney pulling out his phone. "He is cute, but also." She glared at Chimney, a brow raised in question. "Very straight."

Chimney looked like he was thinking it over for some reason before relenting and putting his phone back, "Pretty sure the guy has gone through half the women in L.A county." He mumbled.

Hen hummed in agreement. "He probably would see Tommy as competition for the other half." She joked. "He's tall and brawny, but he's sweet and also very straight."

Tommy looked forlorn again. "Oh." He sighed, taking a garlic from the basket. "It was doomed regardless, I'm not over my ex anyway." The brightness in his eyes was gone again.

"Well, if Buck ever becomes an option in the future, I will let you know." Chimney promised jokingly, "Besides, he wouldn't dump you for his best friend- Eddie's straight too."

Hen threw a fry at Chimney's head. "When you're ready to put yourself out there again, call us." Hen told Tommy sincerely, "We could always set you up or take you to one of the gay bars in WeHo."

Tommy shook his head, disappointment etched in his features. "I'm pretty over the bar scene and I don't know how I feel about being set up yet."

Chimeny let out a loud and dramatic sigh, "We promise we won't set you up with Buck, we'll look for someone who won't bore you with random trivia they found online."

"Chimneys just annoyed because Buck would rather read a whole book series than watch Die Hard with him."

Chimney fell back against the booth seat, "Unless it's Star Wars or some nature doc. The dork."

Tommy looked shyly down at the table, spinning his glass cup again. "He sounds adorable, actually."

Hen snapped her fingers hurriedly in his face. "Nope, no, absolutely not. I will not let you start crushing on a straight. You're already going through heartbreak." She reminded him. "When you're ready, you'll meet the right guy. Someone who makes you happy and brings back some joy in your life."

Despite Hens statement being a bittersweet truth, it got Tommy to laugh. "Yeah, okay. Forget I said anything. It's not like I'm going to run into him anytime soon." He sat up straight and looked at Hen, "I need to hear something good though. How are Karen and Denny?"

Hen smiled, pulling out her phone and opening her picture gallery. "See for yourself."

[moralesmilesanhour]

mad props! 05

summary: you learn a couple new things about Miles as you fall into your new study routine. wc: 1.1k start from the beginning prev next a/n: probs won't update regularly if i'm being transparent but i gotta wrap the story up! so expect more in the coming weeks probably. and before you ask no this does not mean i'm returning to writing reader insert i am just finishing what i started bc i feel like i owe it to my audience ! much love <3

The auditorium was empty during lunchtime, which meant that no one was there to spectate as the sound of your voice echoed through the rows of unoccupied seats. You were working on one of the numbers from the second act.

“It’s not up to me…Just let me be…Legally–”

“I knew I’d find you here.”

You sighed, not needing to look up to know who it was.

“Have you come to take me away?” you asked dryly as you descended down the steps and trudged over to where Miles stood in the middle of the aisle with a smug look on his face.

“You can finish your song, if you want.”

You brushed right past him towards the double doors.

“Stop pretending to be nice.”

Essentially being a teacher’s assistant, Miles had elevator privileges that removed the hassle of climbing up five flights of stairs to reach Mr. Sanchez’s classroom, making it the most (and perhaps the only) pleasant part of the experience.

Sanchez was digging into a bowl of salad when the two of you arrived.

“Ah! Buenas tardes,” he greeted hastily through a mouthful of lettuce. “Thank you for being on time.”

You shoved past Miles and rushed over to the professor’s desk.

“I just have to make up for last week’s missing homework and a couple quizzes, right?”

“Well, yes, but there’s also–”

“Can I just do that at home, then? All due respect, but I really don’t need a partner to–”

“Hold on,” he held up a hand to stop you. “You also have some gaps in understanding when it comes to grammatical concepts such as presente and futuro, missing assignments notwithstanding. You’ll go over those with Miles first before making up last Friday’s quiz independently. Comprende?”

You visibly deflated where you stood. To tell the truth, the different tenses were never your strong suit, but you were able to get away with that with flawless vocabulary memorization and verb conjugation (in the present tense, of course). Now? Not so much.

“Comprende,” you groaned before turning away to grab a seat.

Miles had already taken a chair and pulled it up to one of the desks in the front, and was sitting on it backwards with his notebook in front of him.

“Ready, partner?” he said with a wide, mocking grin. He knew you couldn’t tell him to shut up in front of Sanchez.

You rolled your eyes and sat down with a slump.

“Let’s get it over with.”

He opened his notebook and flipped through a few messy pages before landing on a blank sheet. Sloppily ripping it free from its binding, he took out a Sharpie (which he uncapped with his teeth) and began to draw a line down the middle. 

“What are you doing?”

He began writing a series of words down either side of the line.

“Helping you.”

Miles slid the piece of paper towards you.

It was a verb conjugation chart, labeled ‘Past Tense’ in his strange handwriting that made no distinction between upper and lower-case letters.

“I’m gonna give you a sentence, and you repeat it back to me in the past tense. Then we’re gonna do the same thing in futuro.”

You sulked, “How come you don’t have to memorize anything? You said you don’t even study.”

He gave you a blank, ‘are-you-stupid’ look.

“I speak Spanish.”

“No duh, I mean in every other class. You know the whole periodic table front-to-back.”

“Huh? Oh, photographic memory. I only need to read something once,” he tapped his forehead, “then it’s locked in.”

Stunned, you could do nothing but lean back in your chair and slowly shake your head.

“Absolutely ridiculous.”

The rest of that week had you repeating the same song and dance of trudging into Sanchez’s classroom and running drills with Miles and his impromptu conjugation charts. For every wrong answer, Miles made an incredibly irritating sound that was meant to imitate a game show buzzer, which forced you to pay more attention to minimize how often you had to hear it.

You hated to admit it, but at some point you began to retain the tenses with more ease than before and noticed a steady increase in your quiz grades as a result. 

Thursday after school saw you arrive at an empty auditorium, thirty minutes before rehearsal. Any normal student would spend this extra time studying or doing homework, but you had seen enough flashcards and charts to last you a lifetime. Instead, you pulled out your highlighted copy of the sheet music for ‘Chip on My Shoulder’ and began rehearsing as a one-man ensemble.

Your singing today felt more difficult than usual; the lyrics suddenly felt heavy on your tongue, the notes coming out strained and forced. In the middle of a line, the double doors swung open just as your voice cracked.

“Damn, were you lip-syncing this whole time? You sound rough.”

You rolled your eyes. Of course it had to be him.

Miles sounded nearly out-of-breath as he strolled past you, his uniform rumpled shirt and un-tucked, as if he’d just put it on. The band-aid on his forehead was joined by another, more colorful one on his cheek. 

“As if you could do better,” you scoffed as you watched him toss his bag onto an empty chair two seats away from where you sat.

He looked up with a mischievous grin.

“I could.”

“Oh?” You smirked and shoved the sheet music into his face. “Try it, then.”

Miles squinted at it before pushing it away.

“Pfft, this song is lightwork. I don’t need that.”

“Alright, then recite your lines. I’ll start,” you inhaled deeply and held up the lyrics. “ ‘You came out here–’”

“‘To follow a man? Harvard Law was part of that plan? Man, what rich, romantic planet are you from?’”

Startled by his near-perfect pitch, you stuttered, lowering the sheet of paper a bit to give Miles an odd look. 

He continued, “ ‘Instead of lying outside by the pool, you stalk some guy to an Ivy League School’...et cetera.”

You blinked in utter disbelief. Miles’ voice had a tone as clear as a bell, and flawless diction to match. If he had auditioned, he would’ve been a shoe-in.

“...Huh. You sing? Like, actually?”

He shrugged, “I used to lead the choir at church, but not anymore.”

Just as he finished his sentence, Sarah followed by a handful of tech kids began trickling into the auditorium.

“Oh, sweet, you guys are early!” Sarah nodded, making two check marks on her clipboard as her bag hung off of one shoulder. “Miles, d’you wanna help figure out the lighting situation for the show? Josh said you were good with color.”

“Sure, not a problem.”

“You’re amazing, dude. I don’t know how we would’ve gotten those sets done without you.”

“All in a day’s work!”

[digitaldiarystuff]

For Better, For Worse

summary: Pablo was having possibly the worst week of his life, first he broke up with his girlfriend to focus on his career and then he got injured during a spain game possibly needing a surgery. What do you do when you find out?

pairing: Pablo Gavi x Y/N

genre: angst/ fluff

warnings: mentions of injury and surgery

————

When your phone started ringing at this late hour, you knew this couldn’t be good. It was 2 a.m. and your heart sunk as you read the name ‘Aurora’ on it.

“Hey.” you said concerned.

“Hi Y/N were you asleep?” she asked and her voice was pretty upset.

“No it’s okay.” you lied. “Is everything okay?”

“I know this is selfish and I’m sorry but-“ she trailed off. “It’s Pablo, he’s injured and not in good shape. I know you guys broke up but I don’t know what I can do to make this better for him he’s been crying for hours now and they say he may need a surgery as soon as possible.” she started crying which would’ve broke your heart but your mind went blank as soon as you heard Pablo’s injury. You knew spain had a game against georgia today but didn’t watch it knowing it would only upset you more.

Pablo broke up with you the week prior to focus on his career and you were in complete shock ever since, your schedules were hard to keep up with but you were willing to work on it, he wasn’t and now learning he was going to need surgery broke your heart so much.

“Are you guys at his place? I’m on my way.” you said and she thanked you over and over again.

Although you were pretty upset with him, there was no way you’d leave him in this state. You knew Pablo wouldn’t probably want to talk to anyone but you needed to be there for him at his worst. You still loved him so much. You didn’t realize you had tears falling from your eyes in the taxi, worried sick. You opened twitter and saw all the videos of him being escorted out of the pitch with pain written all over his face. It was incredibly painful to watch and you couldn’t even imagine what he’s going through.

As soon as you paid the driver you got out and practically ran to the gate of his house, calling Aurora to tell her you’re there. It was pretty late you didn’t want to bother if anyone’s sleeping though it’s highly unlikely.

She came to the door with puffy eyes and hugged you tight.

“Thank you so much for coming.”

“Of course” you said. “Where’s he?”

“He’s in his room but won’t open the door.” she answered and you ran up the stairs not even bothering taking your jacket off.

You knocked a couple of times before he replied.

“Go away I don’t want anyone.”

You knocked again but he didn’t respond this time.

“Pablo, it’s me.” you said slowly hoping this would work.

You heard wheels inside the room and he finally unlocked it allowing you to see him in a wheelchair.

Your eyes immediately watered seeing his state and it’s obvious he was also crying for hours. You kneeled down and looked up at him, he looked like a baby right now with bloodshot eyes and trembling lips. You held his hands and hugged him avoiding his legs and he held you tight, crying into your hair. He didn’t even ask you anything just enjoyed your touch and affection.

He finally wheeled himself into the room and you followed after. Pablo carefully sat on the bed while you sat on the armchair next to it. You asked him what happened and he explained everything down to the possibility of the surgery and not playing for the season. You tried your best to console him and after an hour, his tears dried and he calmed down a little.

“So, did Aurora call you?” he asked

“Yes, I hope that’s okay.” you said

“Okay? That’s the only thing that could calm me tonight. I owe her a thank you.” he chuckled and this was a first for tonight. Your heart fluttered seeing his smile and suddenly realized you were supposed to be broken up even though it doesn’t feel like it.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way” you said “Of course if you’ll let me.”

“I’m an idiot. I’m an idiot to do this to you and here you are.”

“Don’t say that”

“But I am.” he said defeated.

“You kind of are.” you said earning yourself another chuckle.

“I missed your laugh.” he confessed.

“So did I. But you need to rest now.”

“Will you stay with me?” he asked like a child and you knew there isn’t anything in the whole world you wouldn’t do for him.

“If you want me to.” you said “I can sleep on the couch.” you said.

“No.” he pouted “I need to hold you.”

“Pablo there’s no way I’m getting in a bed with you, I could hurt your leg.” you said and he thought for a moment.

“Just till I fall asleep” he bargained and you didn’t protest. You needed him as much as he needed you. You sat against the headboard as his face was on your neck, you held him with your arms, he looked so sleepy.

“Will you be here when I wake up?” he asked groggily.

“I’ll always be here, for better or worse.” you answered as his eyes closed.

Pablo fell asleep like that in your arms as you watched his face. He looked like an angel from this angle. You smiled to yourself, tried to put his head on a pillow and wiggle out of the bed without waking him up making yourself comfortable on the couch. You soon felt sleepy as your eyes closed.

After you fell asleep Aurora wanted to check in on you guys and opened the door slowly finding you both asleep, smiling to herself she left the room.

[clonetrooperjournals]

Oops, I do

Summary : You and Echo get paired for a simple job for Cid, but when you have to plan your fake wedding with the man you've loved for years things get interesting Pairings : TBB Echo x Fem! reader Warnings : None, fluff, angst, mentions of Fives and Echo's death, super cute happy ending Words : 2.8k Masterlist here dividers by @saradika-graphics

Your positive Cid did this to you on purpose.  

You stood in a small old looking wedding chapel in the slums of Ord Mantell with the secret love of your life, Echo. Only he didn’t know you loved him, but apparently everybody else did and they liked to put you in these ridiculous situations, like the one your currently in now. You had done a lot of different and crazy jobs with the bad batch over the last year and a half you’ve been with them, but this takes first place.  

 It all started when Cid called you into her office a week ago with a smug grin and you instantly knew it wasn’t going to be good.  

“Got a job for you and grumpy” she says, “You two are gonna pose as fiancés and infiltrate an old chapel on the lower side of the city. The girl who runs it is the daughter of someone who owes me. So, you're going to go there and pretend you're plannin’ your big day while you get info on her old man. Got it?”  

Echo looks to you with a slight blush on his cheeks and then back to Cid, “You want us to... pretend to be a couple... getting married?”  

“Yes. Pay attention.”  

Your cheeks are on fire as you avoid looking at Echo, and Cid is grinning at you. She knows all about your love for Echo after you got super drunk at her bar a while back and confessed all your feelings to her. She’s made fun of you behind the batch’s backs ever since, even though your pretty sure the rest of the boys know of your feelings as well.  

You sigh, “When?” 

“You go tomorrow. And get a dress, you gotta sell the sweethearts in love shtick!” You finally turn to look at Echo and he's staring at you with a look you can’t quite place,“Alright get out and don’t come back till you have my info!” 

... 

You and Echo have been friends for a long time, first meeting when you were a civilian medic assigned under Kix in the 501. He had dragged in Fives to get treated after they returned from deployment saying that Fives was trying to tough it out and not get medical attention. You scolded Fives but was joking along with the two of them through it all. After that those two became your best friends and you would see them whenever they were back on Coruscant. During that time, you fell hard for Echo, it was inevitable really. He’s always been incredibly awkward when it came to interacting with women, especially you but as your relationship continued to grow, he became comfortable around you letting more of his soft nature show. You two got even closer and he just became your person. You loved him with everything you had.  

Then the citadel mission happened, and you had to grieve the man you loved, having never told him your feelings. You and Fives got even closer after that becoming each other's support in your journey of grief. It still hurt but you learned to carry on and then, you lost Fives, the cycle happening all over again. If Rex hadn’t been there, you don’t know what you would have done. You became a shell of yourself and contemplated leaving the GAR, and you almost did until you got the one comm that changed everything, Echo was alive. Rex and the batch found him and brought him home. After that day you vowed you would never leave his side again and you got yourself reassigned to be a field medic working under Clone force 99 and you, like Echo have been with them ever since.  

Echo was still himself but not. Skako Minor changed him in a lot of ways, he was broken in a lot of ways and for the first few months he could barely look at you but, slowly he let his walls down around you and the friendship that you once had returned. You fell in love with him all over again, the new Echo that he now was, the one that stood beside you pretending to be your fake fiancé, not knowing that he wished it were real too and that he loved you just as much as you did him.  

“The small package is our most popular! You get to do a small run through and then we throw the larger celebration at a later date. It gives you the chance to say your vows without the nerves of a large crowd, which you will then say in front of later!” Nira, the manager explains.  

You look at Echo smiling, “Sounds perfect right cyare?”  

“Yes, perfect.” he responds blushing slightly at the nickname.   

Nira looks between the two of you smiling widely, “You're such a lovely couple I can really see the love you have for each other! Let me get everything set up and we can do a run through, okay?!”  

You both nod and she skips through the chapel to the back leaving you two alone. There are two twi’lek girls that are setting up and lighting candles around the two of you. Echo grabs your hand with his and leads you to the side away from the girls, “I’ll talk to the staff and see if I can get anything on her dad. You okay to question Nira?”  

You nod looking behind Echo seeing the girls looking over at you two, so you lean into Echo, embracing him in a hug. He stiffens for a second and then melts into you showing you a soft smile, “You know I think your missing something.”  

He looks at you confused, and you smile. You step out of his arms and grab a blue flower from one of the vases and gently tuck it in the seam of his chest plate, “There... Perfect...”  

He stares into your eyes curiously with a small smile, “Thank you.” He lets you go and heads over to the one girl while you talk with the other since Nira wasn’t back yet. You were able to get a good amount about Nira’s dad as he owned the chapel and Nira just ran it under him. Then Nira returned happily with a stack of papers, “Okay! We can do the run through today and then we can pick a date for the large ceremony afterwards!”  

She leads you and Echo to the center of the chapel before you can protest or come up with an excuse as to why you have to leave. She grabs both of your hands placing them together making you face each other.  

“So I will start and say to the crowd thank you for coming to celebrate the lovely couple, we are here to join the two of you into one. May the force guide you as you take this next step in your life together. Then you say your vows!”  

You and Echo share a panicked look, “We weren’t prepared to say them today...”  

“That’s fine, most just say what's on their heart anyways. You two can each take turns saying something and on the big day we can spruce it up!” she says looking at the both of you expectedly.  

Echo blushes looking at you not knowing what the next move should be. You sigh, thinking there really is no better opportunity to confess to the man you love then at your fake wedding rehearsal.  

“I’ll go first...” you take a deep breath your hand shaking in his, “Echo... If you were to ask me when I first realized I loved you, I would say it was the day we lost you. Up until that point you had been my best friend, someone I thought would always be there. I knew the life of a soldier held almost no guarantee's that you would come back, but I always believed that you would because, you were my person. The person I found comfort in, the person I always thought about, the person I trust more than anyone in this galaxy and in an instant my person was gone, and I had realized that I had always loved you, but it was too late.”  

Tears start sliding down your eyes as you continue, “I mourned you with Fives, having to learn to live without you and then we lost Fives too and I had never felt so alone in this galaxy. I had lost my two best friends and had no one left. Until the day my world started spinning again, the day they found you and brought you back. You were the same, the Echo who was my best friend, the Echo who I loved but you were also different. I thought that I couldn’t love you anymore but getting to know the new Echo, made me fall even harder than I already had.  

The force works in mysterious ways and does everything for a reason. I know that everything that you’ve been through is the will of the force proving to everyone around you again and again that you are one of the strongest men to walk in this galaxy. I know you have suffered in so many ways that I’ll never understand but, I will spend my life showing you all the support you need and helping you in every way that I can, as your partner and as your best friend, just like you have always done for me. I love you Echo... With all that I am, and may the force be with us wherever we end up, so long as were together.”  

Nira had pulled tissues out and had given one to you while she wiped her own eyes. Echo was frozen, the tears streamed down his face like he didn’t expect anything that came from your mouth, but you also know that he knew, you meant every word. Nira turned to Echo about to speak but he beat her to it,  

“Y/n, I don’t know a lot about love. I’m a clone, a soldier, a product of war made to fight till my last breath, and I’ve never thought anything different. At least not until I met you. Clones are not supposed to want things, we are supposed to just follow orders and fight in this war without thinking of what comes after. You, made me believe in life outside of the war, you made me want a life and not a soldiers life, a normal life. From the moment we first met in the med bay all those years ago, you slowly pulled down the walls I had built around me and showed me that there’s more to life than the carnage I had become used too. Every day that I got to see you, even if it was just for a second it became my reason to live another day. I didn’t know what that feeling was in my chest every time you were there, or when your name was said, until Fives told me I had it bad for you. I didn’t want to believe him but, of course he was right.  

Then the citadel happened, and in the blast that should have killed me, all I thought about was how I didn’t get to see you one last time. I didn’t get to tell you how I felt about you, and that thought alone was my reason to fight through everything I went through on Skako Minor. You were my reason to keep breathing when all I wanted to do was die, and I’m so glad I fought through it all. I know I’m still broken, less than half the man I was when I first met you, more machine, but I will always fight to be at your side. I will stand with you, protect you, be your best friend and your partner in this crazy ass galaxy, and love you with every breath. I... love you. More than anything in this universe, and may the force continue be with me so I can spend the rest of my days proving it to you...” 

You were sobbing, ugly sobbing. It was embarrassing honestly but Nira understood as she handed you more tissues. Echo pulled you to him and hugged you tightly while you continued to cry. You loved him, and he loved you, and you both confessed in this dingy little chapel in front of a stranger, it was comical really but perfect.  

“That was beautiful you two! Absolutely perfect...” Nira says, “All that's left is the exchanging of the rings which most people don’t have so we can skip that for now at least, and then I pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss your bride!”  

Echo looks down at you smiling as he leans in and gently kisses you. It was soft and timid, gentle and perfect.  

“Perfect! Now if you’ll come with me, we can set the date for the ceremony and make the final arrangements!”  

... 

Echo and you spent the next hour talking with Nira, creating your fake wedding. You were on cloud nine and you kept your hand in his the entire time, leaning on his shoulder just smiling like an idiot. You barely remembered the mission as you went to leave but Echo kept Nira talking to get the last bit of info that you needed.  

One of the twi’lek girls came up to you and handed you a piece of paper, “Congratulations.”  

You take the paper and your heart stops, “What's this?”  

“It’s your marriage certificate” she says like it's obvious.  

“I don’t understand, this was the rehearsal. We didn’t actually get married today.” 

She looks at you confused, “Yes you did... It’s part of the package. You get married here first just the two of you and then you get your big wedding later.”  

“It wasn’t a rehearsal...” you whisper more to yourself than anything. The Twi’lek just nods walking away. Echo watches you while he’s talking to Nira and you go to hide the paper nodding to him that your fine, but his gaze says he doesn’t believe you. You were anything but fine.  

You confessed to Echo, in your fake wedding vows... Which were actually real. He confessed back to you and... the two of you got married? Your husband and wife? Echo is your husband... 

“Ready to go?” Echo asks making you jump. You nod not being able to say anything in your shocked state, and the two of you leave the chapel heading back towards the marauder but instead Echo grabs your hand and leads you through the city silently to an old building rooftop.  

Oranges and pinks painted the sky as Echo and you stood there staring at each other. You gently touched the flower you put in his armor ignoring his gaze. How do you tell him he’s your husband? You only told each other you loved each other and hour ago!  

He grabs your chin lifting it up so you look at him, “What’s wrong?”  

“N-Nothing...”  

“Cyare, if its about the vows... I-”  

“No! It’s not that... I meant every word. I love you Echo...” 

He smiles his beautiful small smile, “And I love you. So tell me what's wrong.” 

You close your eyes and shakingly pull out the piece of paper handing it to him. He takes it confused and reads it eyes widening. His gaze goes back and forth from the paper to you while he puts it together, “We... got married? For real?”  

You nod, “we did.”  

“I thought it was a rehearsal...”  

“So did I...”  

 Then a big toothy smile spreads across his face and he grabs your hips pulling you close. His breath mixes with yours and before you can ask what, he’s kissing you. You freeze before kissing him back, grabbing the back of his neck pulling him closer. His scomp traces your waist and you groan as he shoves his tongue in your mouth. Eventually you pull apart for air and you just stare at each other, the light of the sunset making you glow.  

“You’re my wife...”  

Your cheeks burn hearing him say it but you smile, “And your my husband...”      

“I know we didn’t plan this but... I don’t want to change it.”  

You lean into his embrace, “me neither.”  

Your comm goes off and Cid's voice breaks through, “Lovebirds! Did you get the info or what? You should have been back already!”  

“On our way now” you sigh chuckling. If Cid only knew what she did for the two of you. Maybe you’ll keep it a secret for a while.  

“Shall we?” you ask.  

“She can wait a while longer. I want to spend some time with... My wife" He grins at you pulling you back into his arms. You laugh happily watching the last of the sunset in your husbands arms. 

You didn’t expect a lot coming out of this mission. Certainly not a confession, first kiss, and a marriage, but the force works in mysterious ways. You don’t know what your future holds but so long as you have Echo by your side, you know you’ll make it, together.   

[squidsquidsquidsquidsquidgame]

Movie night with thanos and reader puts on Barbie the princess and the popstar?

i fuck with his haaard

The soft glow of the TV flickered across the room as you nestled into Thanos’s side, your head resting comfortably against his shoulder. His arm was draped lazily over the back of the couch, fingers tracing absentminded circles on your arm. It was one of those rare, peaceful evenings—no work, no obligations—just the two of you, a blanket, and a well-stocked snack table.

You grabbed the remote, scrolling through movie options, before landing on Barbie: The Princess and the Popstar.

Thanos let out a deep sigh as he saw the title. “You’re serious?” he murmured, giving you a side-eye.

“Completely,” you grinned, clicking play.

As the cheerful opening credits rolled, Thanos shifted, stretching his long legs out and getting comfortable. His usual scowl softened as he watched you hum along to the music. He wasn’t thrilled, but he wasn’t complaining either—especially when you started sneaking little glances at him, waiting for his reactions.

Fifteen minutes in, he let out a low chuckle. “So, she just… switches places with a popstar? And nobody notices?”

“That’s the magic of Barbie movies,” you said, stuffing a handful of popcorn into your mouth. “Suspension of disbelief, babe.”

He hummed in response, still watching the screen with mild interest. When "To Be a Princess" started playing, you caught him tapping his fingers against his knee.

“You’re enjoying this,” you teased.

He scoffed. “Not really.”

But the way his brows furrowed when the villain showed up? The way his grip on your hand tightened a little during the emotional moments? Yeah, he was invested.

By the time "Here I Am" started, you were belting it out dramatically, using the remote as a microphone. Thanos watched, unimpressed—until you grabbed his hand, dragging him up.

“Absolutely not,” he deadpanned.

“Come on,” you whined, swaying in place. “Just for fun.”

He exhaled sharply, but as you kept singing, he finally gave in, muttering, “You owe me for this.”

And that’s how you ended up dancing in your living room, twirling under Thanos’s reluctant (but strong) grip as Barbie and Keira’s voices soared in the background.

By the end of the movie, Thanos sat in brooding silence, arms crossed. “…It wasn’t bad,” he admitted.

You gasped. “You liked it.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t push it.”

You grinned, leaning against his chest. “Next week, we’re watching Barbie and the Diamond Castle.”

Thanos groaned, but he didn’t say no.