#i actually think it's really cool for action/movement shots i need to use it more often

[wind-up-thancred]

i feel like prishe and alisaie would get along really well

[starlightbelle]

Breakdown of noteworthy shots of the HTTYD live-action trailer

Just some things that stood out to me. Some pleasantly surprised me, others...severely underwhelmed me.

Berk looks cool. I like these exposition shots a lot.

Hiccup and Stoick's discussion sounds and looks amazing. I'm really liking Hiccup's voice in that scene. Surprise no. 1!

The dragons look really cool. Very reptilian, which I like. I'm just disappointed that Toothless doesn't seem to share that design choice.

My favorite shot of Stoick in the whole trailer!

I like the embroidery on Hiccup's sleeves. The costuming so far looks really good.

THIS SCENE. Hiccup's actor seems so sincere and genuine in his turmoil, his internal struggle. I love what we've seen of this scene.

Hiccup also looks very young (as he should), you really get the sense of how this young boy is grappling with the weight of pressures and expectations placed on him contrary to his nature. He looks so torn and I think the actor did a fantastic job making that believable.

The best Toothless looks in the whole trailer, imo.

eh. Toothless still looks so cartoony, so animated. I was hoping he'd look REAL. I'm a bit disappointed.

This shot really bugs me. Because of the character design in the style of the original animated film, Hiccup takes up more room in the frame. (The design gives him a bigger head which takes up more space) Here, we don't have that so there's all this dead space around Hiccup that makes for a very bland visual. It's uninteresting to look at.

We also really don't need this scene to be a 1:1 recreation of the original scene. I think that takes away part of its charm. They should make it their own and commit to interpreting it a little different this time around, I think that would be more interesting (and more welcome)!

This shot I included mainly because in the trailer there's this BOOMING triumphant sound that plays during Forbidden Friendship, which I strongly dislike. In John Powell's original composition, this is the quietest part of the piece. For good reason. It's supposed to make you hold your breath, it's supposed to make an emotional impact.

I realize they're banking on this scene (and the whole movie, really) being the nostalgia-bait because of its familiarity but this is actually my least favorite part of the trailer.

The logo looks cool. I like the choice to stylize the text so that it looks like blades (since Hiccup is a blacksmith's apprentice and makes weapons), and I also really like Toothless as the 'O' in dragon.

Overall, my first impressions are:

Hiccup surprised me, I actually enjoyed what I've seen of his portrayal so far.

The designs of the (non-Toothless) dragons look really neat! Like they ran with the original designs but made them more reptilian and believable.

Unfortunately that doesn't seem to extend to Toothless, at least as far as I can tell. I've seen many people excited for the way Toothless looks, and I really wish I could share in that glee, but (so far at least) it isn't doing it for me. Also his animation looks like they used the exact same rig to get the movement parallel as possible to the original scene, which is offputting to me.

Costuming and scenery look cool. I'm excited to see more interiors; as that always fascinated me even in the original film.

The musical theme ALWAYS gives me chills. John Powell the genius that you are.

[sodabranch]

Hello:) Can you tell us about your nutcracker's attitude towards employees, what protocols does he use? (and he's very cute on his own, can I cuddle him without kicking and flying away?)

what is his relationship to the other nutcrackers that may have appeared in the complex?

Hello hai!!!!! It's nicee seeing you in my ask box;;; I'll take this opportunity to tell you I love your work but I was always too shy to interact LOL

Ofc!!! Justice doesn't operate the same way as the common nutcracker. It prefers a calmer approach, choosing to just frighten the employees rathen than straight up killing them on sight;; if you're being really annoying the most it'd do is firing a warning shot.

Sadly, if you're first to attack it (like, a shovel slash), Justice will begrudgingly have to teach you a lesson; that means shooting you in a non-lethal place to defend itself, or a slight kick to knock you away.

These things really only apply to humans, as it won't have any trouble with other entities. The need to defend its master (and mostly, not kill any humans) is hard coded into its system.

Also yes! If you aren't approaching it like a madman, it would probably hug you without any trouble. Justice loves hugs!

And about its realtionship with other nutcrackers: I think the others would probably deem it too weak based on its incapability to take on employees and want to stay out of trouble. Sadly, it is kind of a doormat without anyone to serve :(

And you're pretty close!! It's actually a Lee-Enfield number 4, mk. 1 rifle! There's not really any reasoning behind it other than I think the rifle is cool (I would love to own one for collecting purposes lol)

And it was manufactured with Justice! Since Justice is more of a show-offy model used for staying inside, the double barrel would not look as graceful. The rifle is also more accurate used at a long range distance, perfect for warding off any trespassers before they got too close.

It is able to use the bolt-action rifle quickly, the movement already being second nature to Justice.

[shuunnico]

Animation

I think it’s important for people to remember that there is a difference between aesthetic and animation.

I’ve seen it quite a lot, especially with anime, where people will go “God, the animation is so good” and it just... isn’t an example of good animation.

I’ve seen people praise anime fights where the characters are basically static with a moving background, CGI effects or intense editing for 90% of the animation.

I’m not saying those things can’t look good. But animation isn’t just ‘looks cool’. It is the technical element of the frame-by-frame motion on screen. It is about the smoothness of that motion, the weight of it, etc. Something can be aesthetically unpleasant but still be animated really well.

A lot of cartoons will stretch their animation budget by cheating. Anime is notorious for this, where characters will remain static except for their mouths or still images are put on screen but edited in a way to create tension. A lot of anime is actually really cleverly edited to get a LOT out of a minimally animated image.

This is a good example. If you watch the clip and are mindful of the actual motion being portrayed on screen, you’ll realize that they’re being extremely economical with their animation. Things are minimally animated, still images are frequently used, the ‘camera’ does most of the work.

This is usually why when an anime gets a movie or an OVA, the animation doesn’t feel the same. With an expanded budget, the animation no longer needs to cheat, so it usually looks a lot more fluid and ‘complete’.

Compared with something like Arcane, which is very well animated.

There are extended scenes where the action is in one shot. Vi follows through and shifts with weight. The gloves and pads deform on strike. Everyone is shifting and moving, characters have detailed and minute movements.

When Powder connects the pipes, it isn’t just the two ends slotting in. They come in at an angle, then have to be tilted to align, connected and twisted to be locked. All of that had to be intentionally animated.

If you watch the characters when they talk, their faces are constantly in motion. Their mouths move their jaws and cheeks like they would in reality.

The amount of detail being animated in every scene is staggering. In Arcane, even ‘boring’ scenes are beautifully animated. Nobody ‘just’ talks, there’s always shifting in the facial anatomy, eye and brow movements, breathing, etc.

Animation isn’t just about the surface details. It is about the motion, the flow, of everything on screen at any given time. It is about the transition from one frame to the next.

I’m also not trying to bag on anime either. Western animation cheats a lot too. It’s just anime’s cheats are more pronounced and, in some cases, iconic. And there are well animated scenes in anime, it’s just that most anime studios can only afford a handful of excellent animation a few times per season/series.

Just don’t confuse editing or aesthetic for animation. They’re two different things.

[the-technorats]

percy series ep 3 thoughts

so you can't rate shows on letterbox'd so i'm going to log my pjo thoughts here: (spoilers for ep3) (watched 27 dec 2023)

oracle scene was funny. for all the show onlys, it seems as though grover is the one kind of being built up as the character who's going to betray percy (at least in the beginning of this ep), which is an interesting choice.

on the action sequences (part 1): i do think the action sequences are pretty lackluster. when i rewatched the percy jackson lightning thief movie, the action and violence and reactions seemed very proportionate - like, the appearance of a horrifying monster actually had impact, whereas i feel like in the show, the pacing and choreography make it seem pretty banal.

the fight with the fury on the bus was uninteresting and didn't seem like much of a fight at all. annabeth's supposed to be quick and athletic and a really skilled knife fighter (skilled enough that she can even use a knife as her primary weapon instead of a sword) but there so far hasn't really been any proof of that. i'm willing to be a lot more generous though because the actors are very young and the target audience is clearly much younger than i am as well, and it's obvious that for those reasons they're trying to avoid violence/body horror/gore. however, the fight scene with clarisse in ep 2 was incredibly well-shot and choreographed, and it had action and movements that felt real and impactful, so i don't know why they don't try to achieve the same things with the other fight/action sequences.

on medusa: i was so interested by the way they were going to decide to portray medusa's story, especially because of sally's comment in ep 1 to percy about perseus being a hero because 'he killed monsters' like medusa: "who said she was a monster?"

i loved em's line: "the gift the gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore," which initially insinuated to me that this adaptation of medusa is the one who was sexually assaulted by poseidon in athena's temple, so athena made it so no man could pull that with her ever again, but then they went with the "athena decided I embarrassed her and needed to be punished" story which i kind of feel like isn't totally consistent with the "gift" narrative? i mean they can be mutually exclusive in that what may have been originally a punishment from a god can be taken as a gift since she has to live with and make the best of it, but when medusa called herself "a survivor" and talked about "bullies" (a term that makes sense in the context given that it's a kid's/middle grade show) i will admit i was hoping it would go a different direction. alternately though if she were a SA survivor i don't know if killing her would have been the right move in the end lmao and ik they had to kill her for the plot.

i do think there was a more overarching message of the importance of understanding the unheard/unrepresented sides of stories as well as the lesson for annabeth that the gods aren't infallible and morally just but are petty and vindictive and cruel and humanlike. so i think the story was dealt with pretty well, all things considered.

on medusa and the action sequences (part 2): again, i think medusa's death scene was pretty anticlimactic. (this is not because i see them as adaptations of equal quality or even on the same playing field at all, but again,) to compare it to the pjo:tlt movie - the movie's medusa fight scene had a lot more impact; the tension and fear and stakes felt a lot more heightened and real while still being quite comedic/entertaining.

cool idea, in the show, using the hat to turn medusa invisible, but again, i wasn't ever actually convinced that the characters felt scared, under pressure, winded/tired after fighting, or even emotionally scarred by the intensity of the moment/having to decapitate someone. while all of the other scenes portray high emotions very impactfully and earnestly (i.e. sadness, wistfulness, loneliness, hurt/comfort), i have yet to be convinced that any of the demigods have been even a little bit frightened of any of the monsters, from the first fury attack at the met, and this unfortunately makes the stakes seem much lower.

while i understand the focus of the show is on character building (mainly through the dialogue), i don't see why the fight/action scenes can't be just as visually compelling and impactful. the emotional tension between the characters and the depiction of each character's internal conflicts, while powerful, can only do so much if the plot itself isn't supporting those developments, and I feel like the addition of the action sequences in the books serves to elevate the storyline to match the emotional stakes. they can tell the story as much as they want thru voice-over and dialogue, but the characters' physical actions represent just as much about the characters and their choices and motivations as their direct interactions with each other. i think maybe some of this stems from not wanting the story to be misinterpreted or to in any way resemble the movies, but you have to trust your audience. you can't just say everything explicitly, and if you do have to, then i don't think a tv show is the right medium in which to tell the story, which is typically my main issue with book-to-movie/tv adaptations.

anyway, while this seems like a lot of criticism, it's really only that one overarching problem that stands out to me. i obviously love the source material and (anyway would argue that i have to love it in order to want to think about it this much) the show itself, and the actors, and this has absolutely EVERYTHING to do with the fact that it's extremely extremely obvious how thought-out, how deliberate every single minute detail is. if there's one thing at all that matters to me, it's creators who care about their work, and this is a perfect example of ones who do.

on tv show percabeth: BRO "I CHOSE HER 'CAUSE I COULDN'T IMAGINE WE'D EVER BE FRIENDS" ???? FUCKING INSANE THING TO PUT IN THE SCRIPT LIKE?? they were NEVER this explicitly antagonistic toward each other in the books holy FUCK i mean. this drastically changes the trajectory and future impact of the slow-burn. the books were strangers to friends to lovers - maybe strangers to annoyances to friends to lovers if we're being generous, but the show is really going for that enemies to lovers arc huh. the fan edits are gonna go so fucking crazy once we start getting toward the final 2 books. and for them to only have one itty-bitty kiss midway thru botl with no emotional catharsis or resolution until the tail end of tlo? we're all gonna be absolutely frothing at the mouth for it when it finally finally finally comes around.

excited for next week!! i've been dying for the st. louis arch scene.

[whatyourusherthinks]

Transformers One Review

Yes finally! I get to talk about Transformers! The franchise I am absolutely obsessed with! A franchise that is so cool and good, while also being super cheesy and terrible! A franchise that is about an epic clash of ideologies over centuries, the corruption of power turning a noble hero of the people into a tyrant, and seeing how many gimmick toys they can sell to children by making them one note characters. A franchise that has Satan as a planet eater, God as a planet, and Jesus as a psychiatrist, ALL BEING TRANSFORMING ROBOTS AS WELL. THIS IN THE SAME UNIVERSE AS THE MY LITTLE PONIES, GHOSTBUSTERS, AND STAR TREK! Okaaaay, deep breathes Roan. Stay on focus just talk about this movie.

I was excited as soon as I saw this trailer. Don't get me wrong, there was like a 65% chance it would be completely awful, but the designs looked like they took inspiration from the original cartoons! So many of the cartoons after Gen 1 try to make the Transformers sleek or make them look like every other mech or robot that already exists. And don't even get me started on the metal shard monstrosities that the Michael Bay movies used. Also, the trailer music was dope. I actually watched this movie before The Substance, but I decided that I just wanted to sit and enjoy the movie without worrying about a review for my first viewing. (Also I watched it super late and kinda forgot to take notes until halfway through the movie.)

What's The Movie About?

This movies is a retelling of the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron, where they both start out as miners who can't transform, but team up with Elita-1 and Bumblebee to travel to the surface and regain their transformation cogs, discover the truth about their world, and step into the roles they are more recognizable for.

What I Like.

First off, the animation is amazing. The textures and shine on everyone is pitch perfect. The details on character models and movement is spectacular. I love that the cog-less bots are all grimy and dirty while the one who can transform are shiny and polished. The designs of the Transformers are excellent. They definitely take inspiration from the G1 designs, WHICH ARE THE BEST DESIGNS DON'T COME FOR ME I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL, and the reflections on various characters and objects is sublime. The story is great. I love the message of rising against corrupt authority without become too consumed with vengeance that you become a bigger threat. And the action is awesome, with really creative set pieces! The Cybertron presented in this movie is the coolest Cybertron ever, I like that it actually has wildlife and that the planet's landscape is ever-shifting and transforming ehhhhh. That joke was bad and you should feel inadequate. I always do Buggnutz. The attention to detail and franchise callbacks is a lot of fun. The first time watching the movie, every time there was a group shot of background characters, I'd just be scanning the crowds seeing what transformers I could recognize. And they aren't in people's face about it. There will be parts where characters are transforming and I swear there's some parts-forming in the mix, but nobody comments on it.

And finally, little bits that I only like because I'm a dumb Transformers fan: I really like how the Quintessons look in this movie, they are like cyborg Cthulhu monstrosities with exposed sinew. I'm glad they chose Elita-One to be the female lead in this movie, I feel like the usual default is Arcee and Elita, if she's even mentioned, is a background character. But considering her origins in the first cartoon, I think she makes so much more sense here. I like how they showcase Transformers' abilities to do little transformations, like Optimus needs to go faster, he transform some jets onto his truck form. All of the future Decepticons being the Cybertronian High Guard and dogmatically following who they perceive is the stronger bot is really fun, and makes sense that they eventually take over the planet as they are led by Megatron. I wasn't sure about the Energon returning to the Cybertron at the end of the movie but thinking about it, it work considering how G1 starts out. I also love when Megatron becomes evil, his eyes go red and they do a cool streaking light effect in some scenes, awe it looks frickin' awesome!

What I Didn't Like.

Just the voice acting, really. It's not that it's bad, but it's absolute stunt casting of the highest degree. Nobody really melds into their characters except for Lawrence Fishburne, and the only one who really make the character their own is Steve Buscemi. Again, it's not bad, and Chris Hemsworth is trying to sound like Optimus. But it's definitely the lowest part of the movie.

Final Summation.

Transformers has been truly great 5 times. The original 80s animated movie, the Bumblebee movie I heard was pretty good, anytime Transformers Prime was allowed to cook and wasn't clearly trying to push toys, the 2019 IDW comic line, and the Deck Building Game. With the introduction of this movie, increase the number to 6! THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME! It was incredible entertaining for me, a Transformers Fan, I think kids will really like it, and parents probably won't fall asleep during it. If you have any slight interest in the movie or the property, check this movie out. It's SOOOOOO GOOD! (Seriously, play the Deck Building Game if you have a chance. It slaps.)

Anyway, now onto an exhaustive detailing on every Transformers Continuity, and which one this falls into. CODE ALPHA SIGMA, SHUT THE REVIEW DOWN! NOW!

[kinetic-elaboration]

May 14: The Expanse 1x10 (!!!)

I didn’t stop watching The Expanse because of anything to do with The Expanse, more because of the struggling to be a human thing. But here I am, back, finishing off S1.

First of all, this show needs a previously on. Even when I was watching one episode a week pretty consistently, I still felt like I needed a neat little summary going in. Take a couple weeks off and I’ve given up on anything other than Cool Vibes and Look, Action!!

I do still really like Eros station and just the set design in general. The bit in the arcade-space reminded me of the fsociety headquarters in Mr. Robot, possibly because I found my old notes on it recently and I kind of want to rewatch it, I think. But I also loved the whole ‘coins falling on a dead body after a death-match’ shot—very metal. I thought the episode did a good job of having finale-worthy character moments, like Holden choosing not to save Kenzo (do I entirely remember who Kenzo is? No. I mean I remember who he is but not when he was last seen. But that’s okay because I get, like, the meta of what they’re trying to do, I read the moment in its context, sort of like knowing what part of speech a word in a foreign language is, but not what it means). Or Naomi and the little girl—portentous.

I sort of wanted there to be more explanation, both since this was the season finale and because I thought the end of the last episode set up a possible Exposition-Heavy next installment, but it did lean heavier on the action sequences/movement-based plot and less on actually giving context to anything or providing answers. So I have mixed feelings about that. Like I do think tantalizing clues, like whatever they were doing with Julie’s body, or whatever the blue human shape attacking Kenzo was at the end, are appropriate for a finale ep, but I needed some MORE. Is Julie still ‘alive’ somehow? Is the blue light indicative of this substance being more than just a weapon? That’s what I’d like, honestly. The explanation Holden and Miller outline in this episode—it’s just a really big, really bad weapon, and Bad Guys are using Eros as a testing ground for it, hoping to pit all three major players against each other over their suspicions of it—is certainly, like, a plot. A plot I’ve heard before. But understandable, digestible, solid. Classic, one might say.

But what if… something else. What if it’s not just a weapon? What if its ability to brutally kill is just the first thing it does? What if it can also reform or reconstitute? What if it’s absorbing rather than killing? What if the resultant bodies have some sort of unique use or value? That would certainly take the show’s themes of The Machine literally chewing up and spitting out the bodies of the underclass for the benefit of the upper class to a new level. I thought there were some indications of this—not this specifically but an unknown additional level—in the finale. Whatever they were doing with Julie’s body, and the line about saving us all. That Holden and Miller’s explanation, despite its plausibility, is left hanging as not quite complete or not quite accounting for all the facts. The human figure in the blue light at the end. That we have so little exposition and so much of an air of mystery around the whole episode, as if we’d really learned almost nothing here, despite all the action.

I’m not saying I’m necessarily getting my hopes up for any of this because it’s so purely speculative and I could easily see the show moving off in some totally different direction.

A few other random thoughts: the Julie-hallucination turning into Amos made me legitimately laugh. Like this episode is not funny and the show is pretty overall serious but I laughed for real. The funniest character for it to actually be. Also, love guard dog Amos making a return. I think Holden and Naomi are bros. Alex has grown on me a lot. I like when he takes out the country twang voice. Usually the Roci looks like a bullet but today it sort of looked like some kind of bug, while it was still attached to the dock.

[dr4cking]

BIRTHDAY SMUT

Birthday Boy.

masterlist taglist

draco malfoy x reader | smut | fluff |

a/n : we love spoiling our ferret boy and thank you for requesting! <3

y/n look up at the clock hanging on her bedroom wall. its 12am sharp, confirming the next date has arrived, which means that it's June 5 now.

she was feeling excited and nervous as she finishes wrapping up the present that she will give to one of her best friends, draco malfoy.

they had been best friends for long years, it started in 2nd year and became inseparable since then and now they both are already graduated.

as they grew up they often flirted with each other, always got jealous when the other see another person.

they both knew that they always wanted to be 'more'. the sexual tension between the two is becoming too hard to ignore, but they were too scared to ruin their friendship.

she stood in front of her mirror, taking the last look at herself. she decided to dress up, it was a special day after all.

she wore a dark green satin dress because draco's favorite color is green and paired it up with silver heels. she had decided to put black lingerie underneath her dress incase 'it' happens.

she had asked her parents to let her stay in malfoy manor today so she can celebrate draco's birthday. and because their parents know each other too, they let her stay there.

she swishes her wand and in a second she was apparated to malfoy manor hall, it was really dark but she still managed to found his bedroom, she knocks softly on his door not wanting to wake his parents.

the door opened, revealing the blonde-haired guy who stood straightly with a genuine smile on his face.

draco is wearing his usual black suit which always making him look hotter than he already is.

she feels her heart will going to jump out of its place at any second when she cant take her eyes off of him.

"you came," he said as he greeted and taking her hand in his guiding her in. they both sit at the edge of his bed.

"of course, i wouldnt miss my best friend's birthday, making sure i was the first celebrating your birthday." she laughed softly making draco chuckle.

"you look so beautiful in that dress, love. green really suits you.”

draco once again take her hand in his and brought it to his lips and kiss it, making her cheeks heated at his action and the nickname he just called her.

"here, happy birthday draco." she placed the gift in his hand.

his eyes lit up and he immediately opens it, making y/n getting more nervous waiting for his reaction.

"oh merlin! this is so cool y/n!! i love it so much!"

he took out the black ring that had a snake symbol carved in it from its place and put it on his ring finger, taking a look and admiring it.

"i’m so glad you like it, draco! i wasnt sure what to get you then i remembered you've been looking at this ring when we passed the store last week"

"thank you so much y/n!! you dont have to do this i appreciate it so much, you're the best thing that ever happened to me, love."

he pulls her by her waist and kisses her forehead, thanking her.

no one has ever treated him like the way she does and he's so grateful to have someone like her in his life.

"aww stop it draco or i will cry in front of you now" she laughs, nudging his elbow making him laughs too but he suddenly stopped and looking at his lap.

"whats wrong, dray? are you okay? did i do something wrong?" she asks worriedly tilting his chin making him looking up at her.

"i'm afraid that i have to say this, y/n..” he takes a big sigh looking into her eyes.

“what is it? tell me i wont judge, draco”

“i- i think i’m in love with you, y/n. no! i know that i am in love with you, i have always been."

he inhales deeply and broke the eye contact, looking anywhere but her eyes, knowing his sudden confession would make him lost her this instant.

"draco, look at me" y/n said as she tilts his chin again making him look at her.

"oh god.. i’m sorry y/n i shouldnt have said that! i was just- its just i- i cant hold it anymore y/n. i need to get this out of my chest and now look, i just ruined us"

"oh draco.. you're not ruining anything, quite the opposite actually, you just made the right move, i'm in love with you too, idiot, always have been."

she chuckles and cupped his face in her hands, pressing both of their foreheads, looking at each other causing a shy smile to appear back on his face.

he tilted his head and wasting no time to smashed his lips on hers, kissing her passionately, showing her how much he loves her which she gladly returned with the same passion.

he put one of his hands on her throat and the other on her waist pulling her closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged softly on his hair making him moan into the kisses.

as the kiss turning into a full makeout, he lays her down to his bed, resting both of his hands on the side of her head still kissing her hungrily.

his suit already thrown out on the floor and her heels too. she snapped back to reality and realizing what is gonna happen then flipping their position over and now she is on top of him straddling him.

"let me do all the work draco, today is all about you, wanna make this special and a night to remember, let me make you feel good, love."

she slowly grinding against him after earning eager nods from him, both of them let out a moan at the feeling.

then she gets down and started to unbuckle his belt, kissing his growing tent and palming him through his trousers causing him to squirmed under her touch.

getting excited she pulls his trousers and boxers down, throwing them somewhere as draco's hard swollen cock sprang free and standing tall in front of her, begging for attention.

she moans at the pretty sight, licking her lips, craving to feel him. she runs her fingers around him and placing soft kisses on his inner thighs before going up to the part he needed the most.

draco let out a throaty groan when y/n finally take his hard cock in her hands pumping him, his body jolted out as he feels y/n kitten lick his tip, his hand founding its way to her hair.

she looks up to him with innocent eyes who already watching her movements, she smiles and took his balls in her mouth making draco instantly moan her name, his other hand gripped on the sheets.

then she pulls out to rest her jaw and lick a straight line on his cock from the base to the tip then going all in, his cock feels so heavy and full in her mouth, draco is already a moaning mess.

"fuck y/n- feels so g-good.." her name repeatedly left his lips like a prayer as he keeps moaning her.

she bobbed her head up and down at a steady pace, hollowing her cheeks and pulling draco deeper each time she suck him.

"yes y/n, just like that, fuck.. feels so fucking good"

she swirls her tongue around his length, sucking on his tip and taking him back inside her mouth again, her hand pumping the rest of his cock that she couldnt fit in her mouth at the same pace making sure that part got pleasures too.

he bucked his hips accidentally making her gagged and choked out, saliva dripping off her mouth and eyes watering.

"shit i’m sorry y/n!" he said as he watches her struggling.

"do that again, draco."

y/n replied as she took him back inside her mouth, and hand still stroking his cock. draco groaned and buck his hips again, making her gagged and moaning at the same time, the vibration sending him near to his high.

she noticed his cock twitched in her mouth and begin to suck faster and deeper, her hand move to his balls and massaging them helping him reach his high.

he let out a low scream of her name as he shots his warm liquids down to her throat, his legs are shaking. y/n moaned and pulls him out showing draco that she swallowed all of his cum. he smirked and mutters a 'good girl' to her.

"how was it, draco?" she asks him smirking as she slowly sat up and straddling him again.

"fuck.. you have no idea y/n.. that was amazing, the best i ever had" he replied as he still catching his breath.

she smiles at him and takes off her dress slowly showing draco her black lingerie. his pupils widened at the view in front of him.

"god y/n.. you are insanely gorgeous, you look so hot in this lingerie, darling. are you preparing all of this for me? planning all of this cause you know this is going to happen, yeah?"

his hands are now roaming around her body, admiring her in every way he could. she blushes and nodded, taking her lingerie off of her showing draco her full body making him embarrassingly moaned at the view.

she starts grinding her now bare cunt on his still hard cock, earning a soft whimper from the boy under her. his hands instantly gripped her hips helping her grinding faster, her wetness now coating his cock.

"now enjoy the ride, mr. malfoy" she said as she lifts her body and pumps his cock lining his tip against her lubricating it with her juices making both of them groaning at the sensation.

she sunk down on his cock, filling her up in a perfect way. its like their bodies fit together and were made for each other.

they’re moaning each other as draco is fully inside her. she paused and take a few seconds to adjust to his size.

"mhm.. fuck- you're so big draco.. fill me up so good inside"

she starts bouncing up and down, resting her hands on draco's chest as she picks up her pace, throwing her head back and screwing her eyes shut in pleasure.

"you're so tight y/n, wrapping my cock so tight, taking me so well" draco praises between his moans, his hands gripped harder on her hips helping her bouncing faster.

"do you like how i ride you, dray?" she leaned into his ear, blowing her hot breath and biting his earlobe making him shuddered.

"y- yes mommy" draco's breath hitched as y/n suddenly going faster, her walls now hugging his cock very tight.

she let out a groan hearing draco called her 'mommy'.

placing her lips on his jawline, licking it then going down to his neck, sucking hard as she found his sweet spot causing draco to moan his raspy voice into her ear, turning her even more.

y/n starts to give him her lovebites and marking him as hers sending butterflies to his stomach.

she put her hand on his throat, choking him lightly while her other hand toying with his nipple, making draco whine. pulling her closer to him and captured her lips on his to muffle his moans.

she broke the kiss and screaming his name out loud as his cock nearly brushing her cervix and hitting her g-spot.

"shit.. you feel so good inside me dray"

she rolled her hips faster on his cock, her tits bouncing up and down in front of him and he caught her nipple in his mouth and buried his face on her breasts, enjoying the warmness.

"ah- you feel so good too, fuck- never felt this good mommy"

his breath got stuck and he feels his cock twitched inside her indicating both of them that he was close, y/n seems close too as she bites her lips feeling the coil in her stomach tightened.

"cum for mommy, baby boy"

y/n rolls her hips and bouncing faster, tightening her grip on his throat.

and that was it for draco, he moans her name out loud not caring if someone might hear as he spilled his cum inside, filling her to the brim, ropes of his warm cum shooting inside her.

y/n cant help but cum all over his cock at the feeling of his cum shooting inside her nonstop, her walls clenching and squeezing hard on him.

both of them are a mess, legs shaking, vision blurry as they were on cloud nine, she rolled her hips lazily to ride out their orgasms before collapsing on top of draco, both panting heavily.

"fuck you have no idea how long i've been wanting to do that, love" draco said softly as he caressing her cheeks pulling her in for a sweet loving kiss.

"happy birthday, draco." y/n broke the kiss smiling at him tiredly, giving lovely kisses all over his face.

"best birthday ever, thank you my love for everything. i love you so much..” he kissed her lips one more time.

“i love you so much too, dray.”

those were the last words they spoke before both of them drifted off to sleep with a smile on their faces.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

tagging : @dracoscum @hellounicorn @onyourgoddamnleft @whoreforgeorgeandfred @turn-to-page-394-please @underappreciated-spoon-321 @youreso-golden @silverdelirium @littlemissnoname13 @dracmalf0y-dm @f4iryluvy @starstruckgranger @lieswithoutfairytales @dlmmdl @yiamalfoy @black-repunzel99 @rylynn-m @slythermuf @acciodignity @i-love-scott-mccall @maybesandohnos @yvonnearce22 @arzfia @alexthealexthealex @seriouslyinlove

[thebomb-thebird-andtheburntbitch]

Moonlight -x- Sunlight

ch. 2 - Kocho (cw//banner has flashing text!)

r.kyojuro/f.reader

genre: modern!au, teacher!kyojuro by day/demonslayer by night, izakayaworker!reader, slowburn?, romance, angst

warning(s): non-descriptive nudity (y/n takes a shower and shinobu need to assess her injuries so she strips), taco being an unintentional ass, a lot of shinobu in this chapter lol

w.count: 6.4k

synopsis: if someone told you that one night you'd find yourself walking down the street at three in the morning before you were running for your life away from a disjointed monster hot on your heels- you'd probably check for fever or intoxication. but, when that actually happens, all you think of is running and praying for a miracle as you stare death in the face. turns out, that miracle comes in the form of reassuring smiles and a red sword beneath a bridge and by the riverside.

-x-x-x-

a/n: just so we're aware i will be using honorifics for this fic (and pretty much most of) ^^ i just like the way they sound instead of plain names lol. anyways! pls enjoy the next chapter of moonlight -x- sunlight and lemme know what you all think and if you want more!!

-x-x-x-

“Taco,” you groan, “get off me.”

The cat currently kneading on your shoulder did not, in fact, get off you. Crying in your ear, you finally crack your eyes open and find yourself face-first into the back cushions of your couch. For a moment you're confused as to why you’re in the living room in the first place. The second you tense your body in preparation to sit up, however, you instantly remember.

Immediately, any movement you had started ceases and you collapse back into the cushions. Your whole body screams at you. Your muscles are sore and just the simple act of twitching sends a wave of discomfort and pain throughout your body; accompanied by a-- probably over-dramatic-- moan. Your back stung in small cuts from the blades of grass you recall being dragged across and your ankle hadn’t exactly healed overnight.

Following the pain, the memories of the terror that you had felt the previous night shot you with a harsh reminder that all of that was real. It happened and it wasn't just some overactive nightmare. You really experienced all that pain last night and somehow survived it.

“Ow! Taco!” You yell as your beloved pet stretched across your back. Clearly, he didn’t mean to hurt you, but your loud volume had him jumping off the couch and stretching on his own on the carpet. Although you knew it was an unintentional attack on his behalf, the action didn’t prevent the short ‘asshole’ that came out of your mouth.

Even if he was off you now, his insistent crying had you woefully rolling and maneuvering to your feet.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re hungry, I know.” You rub your head with a wince. “I need some coffee anyways. And some pain meds.”

-x-x-x-

You manage to hoist yourself off the couch with more effort than you're willing to admit; accompanied by even more verbal complaints in the form of curses before limping yourself pretty pathetically into the kitchen. Taco trailed behind you before rushing in front of your legs and then turning around to make sure you were really coming to feed him.

He acts like he hadn't been fed a day in his life.

The kitchen tiles are cool on the bottoms of your feet and as you pull a small can of cat food from the cabinet, you lift your foot up off the floor and use the counter to lean on for balance and to keep pressure off the injury. Scooping the wet food into a small bowl, you bend the best you can at your hips and practically drop the rubber coated, non-slip bowl onto the tile for whatever remainined distance you couldn't bend to. Grunting, you come back to stand straight up and huff.

You hobble your way out of the kitchen, leaving your munching cat behind, and make way to the bathroom where you had told the man last night (Rengoku you think he said his name was) you had some cheap, assorted braces stashed inside. Taking an ankle brace from under the sink, you place it on the sink counter before you finally catch a glimpse of your reflection.

“Oh my god!” You gasp, leaning over the sink and touching your face with your fingers. You’ve looked better.

Your hair was clumped and had bits of dried dirt and grass tangled up in it. Your skin was smeared with the remaining dust from your hair dirt that had your face feeling far drier now that you realize it’s on you. Your shirt was practically ruined, all stained up and ripped, same with your shorts covered in grass stains on the cheeks and entire left side. You were covered in small paper-thin cuts from the blade of grass you rolled down when you twisted your ankle and when you turned to pull up your shirt to see your back, you gasped again at the nasty marks that nearly resembled a torn-up cat scratching post.

“Holy shit,” you seethe. Without much more thought, you begin stripping. Peeling off your shirt, your shorts, your bra and panties follow close behind. You decide to throw all articles away and only winced mildly at the sight of your bra in the trash bin because you knew you’d have to replace it and they were just so expensive. You shook your head, it was for the greater good anyway.

You walk- well amble- around the bathroom, until you’re pulling open the glass shower door and leaning inside to adjust the showerhead so it points against the wall and away from your half-in, half-out body before turning it on. You twist the handle until it points about midway into the red portion of the red-blue water temperature stickers and wait for the cold water to stop coming out of the showerhead.

Sticking your hand until the stream, you nod to yourself and take a deep breath. You know when you step inside and let the water hit your back it wasn’t going to exactly tickle. You also know that you can't just leave your body dirty and unclean like this- that wouldn’t be good and you don't want to risk any infections.

Taking another deep breath, you hold it and clamber into the shower as quickly as you can with one working foot and confidence about as flimsy as cardboard. Shutting the door behind you, the magnetic latch clanks the door shut and you reach up to move the showerhead so the stream fell onto your chest and down as you looked up. You let the water run down your front before you spun around and just as you knew, your back lit up with lines of stinging fire.

“Ow!” You whine, lurching forward and slamming one hand on your thigh and the other against the back wall of your cramped, standing shower. You feel your eyes burn hot with unshed tears of pain but soon, the stinging sensation dies down and all that was left was the numb feeling of the cuts just letting the water pass over them. You let out the breath you didn’t know you had taken when the water hit the wounds. Standing back up again, you take a proper shower the best you could with your beat-up body.

Using the cheap bar soap you had gotten, you lathered it all across your body to clean your cuts and skin of any more dirt and grass stains. Washing your hair was a task in itself, but eventually, you got it done. Then, you lower yourself to sit in the middle of your shower floor, leaning sideways into the wall and letting the water fall from above like warm raindrops.

This close to the floor, you could clearly hear the water glugging down the drain, and without really realizing it, you let yourself cry. Alone and clean and somehow still reeling from exactly how you got injured in the first place. It all just came crashing into you out of nowhere.

“God,” you sniffle as you just sit there in your own silence and the comforting sounds of the water.

-x-x-x-

When you had finally gotten out of your pity shower, you had wrapped a towel around your shoulders and left the bathroom. In the privacy of your own home, you had no issues walking around in the nude or close to it; it wasn’t like Taco was judging you through his little cat eyes.

You limp your way back into the living room where you sit on the couch and place the first-aid kit you had brought with you out of the bathroom, along with the ankle brace, on the coffee table. You slip on the brace first, securing the velcro straps across your foot and ankle, and wince at the slight pressure being applied. Then, you start littering your arms and legs with bandaids, additional globs of Neosporin on the non-stick gauze portions of the bandages. Once that’s done, you sit and contemplate on what to do with your back, then your eyes finally see the notepad that had been scribbled on.

“Oh, that’s right,” you say to yourself as you reach forward and grab the notepad, bringing it up to your face to read. The neatly written number on the small paper reminds you that the stranger from last night had written it down. “He told me to call this number if I wanted to,” you reach into your purse that had been sitting on the ground beside the couch and grab your phone, opening up the phone app and pulling up the dial-pad.

Without much hesitation, you punch in the numbers and triple-check them before tapping the green icon for an outgoing call. As it rings, you shudder in anxiety and gulp down the thickness in your throat. The sting in your back was what made you call so quickly and the fact that you remember he had told you that this person, his friend, would understand your circumstances.

You almost jump off the couch and pro-throw your phone out the window when the call is picked up. The baseball bat known as anxiety swinging at you with the attempt at a homerun at the sound of a clearing throat on the other end.

“Hello?” The voice is soft, sweet, and high-pitched. The name written under the jotted down number did sound like a woman's, but the voice was further proof that your assumption was correct. “May I help you with something?” Her voice asks again before you’re shaking yourself out of your silence and stuttering into the call.

“U-um, hello,” you want to smack yourself for sounding lame. “Is this,” you pause to look at the name written down just to make sure you get it right, “Kocho Shinobu-san?” Your voice heightens at the end of your question and there is only a small pause at the other end of the call. Perfectly normal in length, but you find a way to make yourself nervous in that small bit of silence.

“It is,” she confirms. “May I ask who is calling?”

“I’m- well, my name is s/n. Last night, some stuff happened, and,” you stop and huff before blurting out, “a man referred me to you. He said his name was Rengoku?”

“Rengoku-san?” She questions back and you nod, but quickly remember this is a phone call.

“Y-yes, ma’am.” You gulp again at the small hum of confirmation on her end. “Would it have been better not to call you?” You ask.

“No, if Rengoku-san asked you to reach out to me, then circumstances must have called for it. Are you in need of medical assistance, s/n-san?”

“I think so? I'm just-" you huff. "Yes,” you finalize. You slightly hear her chuckle on the other end.

“I see, then would you be able to travel to my clinic? If Rengoku-san is sending you straight to me, you must be within a reasonable distance. If I give the address, could you make it to the location?”

“Yes, I think I could. I can do that.”

“Wonderful!” She cheers and throughout the phone call, you hadn't realized that her voice has actually calmed you down. “Would you like me to send it to you via text on the number you’ve called me on, or just tell it to you and you can write it down.”

“If the options open, a text would probably be better. I don’t want to forget the paper it if I write it down.”

“I understand. Then, please confirm this phone number for me, if you would,. You rattle off your phone number and she hums again. “Alright. Once this call ends, I’ll send you the address and you can start making your way here. No need to schedule anything due to your current circumstance. Just do your best to make it here and I’ll be with you when you arrive.”

“Thank you very much,” you tell her before you're getting off the phone and staring at the ceiling again.

You push yourself off the couch and go into your room. It was summer, and hot and it would only get hotter, but all you could think to wear was a hoodie over your torso. There was no way you would be putting on a bra, the straps and latch would irritate your back and shoulders and a hoodie would be thick enough to hide your braless chest. Pulling on gym shorts under the hoodie, you slip on ankle socks and go back to the living room to grab your purse.

You plug your phone into the portable charger you keep in your purse and see a notification from an unknown number come through with an address and a follow-up message addressing that it was from Kocho.

You open your phone and call for a cab to take you as close to the clinic as possible. According to the GPS, it seems like her clinic was just outside of city limits. So, you’d probably have to take a cab to a bus station and then take the bus the rest of the way out.

When your taxi arrives, you pet Taco’s head and kiss his nose before telling him goodbye and leaving. Limping down the two steps outside your front door, the cab driver- a younger woman- hops out and rushes to you seeing you limping.

“Do you need any help?!” She worries before you graciously take her outstretched arm and nod. The painkillers you had taken once you had got out of the shower weren’t doing much for your pain and so the added human crutch was appreciated.

“Thank you,” you tell her as she helps you in and then gets into the driver's seat before driving to the bus stop you ask her to.

After the drive to the bus stop, loading the bus, and taking it the rest of the way, you soon find yourself on a semi-paved road and following the remaining distance Kocho sent you by way of your trusty GPS app. You follow it’s electronic directions until you’re standing in front of a building.

It wasn’t anything giant like a hospital, in-fact it hardly even looked like a clinic. It was styled older than modern clinics and buildings, and you could see that past the entrance was a stone pathway that split in two separate ways, one path leading to a large garden you just barely make out. The house in front of you looked like an old, traditional home. Though, when you hobbled towards the front door, the nameplate on the side of the wooden entrance had ‘Kocho’ etched into it, so there was no way you were mistaken.

You reach out and press the small, white buzzer and you could hear it buzzing through the building inside; you shift around nervously in your waiting.

Before long, the door was being opened and a short, black-haired woman with purple ends was smiling in front of you. Dressed in a black turtle neck and matching slackers, the white doctors' coat she wore was a stark contrast. The butterfly clip she had on the back of her head holding back her hair was just as beautiful as she was. You almost blushed at her sudden appearance.

“Welcome!” You could tell by her recognizable voice that this was Kocho Shinobu. “S/n-san correct?” She guesses and you're nodding, feeling sweat roll down your neck and the center of your chest. “Oh my! It’s far too hot for a hoodie like that!” She gently chastises before she’s leading you inside.

She takes you to a room not far from the entrance and inside looks like an office setup. A desk with all sorts of books standing between brackets and files with papers neatly stored in them. The filing cabinet beside the desk is probably chock-full of all sorts of files and documents on patients and procedures and medicines. The office vaguely smells like antiseptic and there's a small table and stool for examinees' you assume.

Obviously, this was her own personal office where she conducts private one-on-one sessions with patients like yourself.

She directs you to the stool behind her desk chair and you gladly take a seat before she sits in front of you. You almost sigh in relief at the released pressure on your throbbing ankle.

“Before we start any form of examination, would you mind explaining from the beginning?” You know she’s asking why you were referred to her in the first place. Rengoku said that she would understand and it’d be easy from there on, so it must not be too crazy to tell her you were attacked... would it? But, how do you start such a story?

She seems to notice your mental dilemma and closes her eyes with a gentle smile. She crosses her legs and sets her hands, one on top of the other, atop her knee before reopening her eyes and looking at you.

“May I ask for your full name, s/n-san?”

“It’s s/n y/n. Oh, but you're more than willing to call me by my given name if you’d like, since we appear to be close in age.” You then remember that regardless of age, this woman was a doctor. "Oh! But only if you want to, of course."

“I was thinking the same. My name is Kocho Shinobu, though you already knew that thanks to my acquaintance.” You nod at her. “Rengoku-san was your referral, so can I assume this is a matter that normal doctors’ wouldn’t quite understand? Or would require you to lie about how you got injured because no one would believe you?”

You light up and nod.

“Yes! That’s exactly it!” She smiles at you and you know that’s the green light to go ahead and spill your guts about everything.

So, you do.

You tell her about when you got off work and when you felt the violent chill rack through you in the middle of summer. About how that demon tried to chomp off your head and how you managed to kick it at least twice, but how in terms of damage it did a lot more to you than you to it. And how Rengoku had saved you before carrying you back home and leaving you before you passed out on the couch.

“My, my,” she frowns, “it seems you had quite a terrifying time. If it’s alright with you, once I take a look at your physical wounds, it may not be a bad idea to consider possible testing with your mental health. Occurrences like the one you encountered are almost always traumatic, and proper treatment needs to be done to more than just your body.”

“So, like therapy?”

“Something of the sort. I have plenty of staff who work in this clinic with me who could help you with that, but for now, let’s just focus on a physical examination.” You nod and she stands. She helps you pull the hoodie you wore off as gently as possible since you continue to wince when you raise your arms- your shoulders still pretty sore. “If you're uncomfortable, please tell me and we can work out means to make you more comfortable.”

“It’s alright," you reassure. "I don’t mind stripping down for a check-up. It helps that you're a woman and you seem very professional too,” you laugh. She acted just as poised as she did when you were fully clothed. Being a first-time client of hers, even if you never came back, she had to take all sorts of measurements and ask all different kinds of questions as she filled out sheets of information. You understood, and you already planned on calling off for the night at the izakaya so you had the time to spare for all the extra stuff.

Plus, Kocho just seemed like a good person, and being around her made you feel lighter; calmer.

Blood type, allergies, weight, height, bust-hip-waist measurements, blood pressure, heartbeats per second, all sorts of things were jotted down before she was finally ready to assess all the bandages plastered all over you and the wounds on your back she had seen earlier during your measurements. Apparently, there’s a separate wing to the clinic just past the garden that houses any long-term clients and they’re always supplied with patient uniforms or robes. Measurements are taken so they could be tailored for comfort.

“I hate to break it to you, y/n-san, but I’ll have to remove all these bandages.” You could practically hear her frown as she walks around your stool a couple times looking you up and down as you sit in nothing but your underwear. Lucky, she had let you put pasties over your breasts so you’d feel less exposed- she kept spare around for her more embarrassment-prone clients.

“That’s fine. I just didn’t want to get dirt or anything in them. They can come off.” You peel one off before you see the shiny residue of the Neosporin. “Oh, they have antibacterial cream under them too, so that might need to be wiped off.”

“That wasn’t a bad call putting ointment on your cuts,” she nods. “I’ll grab some wipes.” She walks to her desk and grabs a small case of baby wipes and pops the top open before grabbing a couple and handing one to you. “You focus on your arms and I’ll take the ones off your legs and wipe them down. I’ll also take this brace off your foot while I’m down here too so I can look at it later.” You nod and get to work.

All in all, before, during, and even after the exam when she lets you throwback on your hoodie, you realize you’ve never been more calm, composed, and comfortable during a doctor's visit before. One that you spent the majority of nude anyways.

“Unfortunately, I can’t offer too much for your cuts and bruises aside from recommending some pain medication and keeping them clean like any other standard cut. Since they were grass cuts, they shouldn’t take much time to heal at all- much like paper cuts. So, just focus on keeping them free of dirt and such.” She was scribbling something on a piece of paper before she spoke up again. “As for your ankle, it’s luckily not fractured,” you sigh in relief, “though a badly sprained ankle still isn’t good. Putting pressure on it for too long can add damage and make the sprain worse. They take time to heal. I’ll be sending you back with a crutch along with a better-reinforced brace. I’ll also prescribe you some higher dosage of medicine to help with the pain.”

You almost sigh in relief at the idea of pain medicine that will actually work.

“Is it okay to soak my foot in like Epsom salt? That’s supposed to help with swelling right? My mom used to tell me that she’d soak her feet all the time when she was pregnant with me because they’d swell and hurt.”

Kocho looked up from her paper and smiled at you, nodding. “Yes, that should help contain the swelling and manage the pain as well. It’s a good alternative to deal with sprains and breaks so one doesn’t become dependent on pills alone. I would recommend that.”

You make a mental note to buy some at the store on the way back home.

When she finishes up, she briefly leaves the office only to come back and escort you back to the front. There, you’re met with another girl who seems quite a bit younger than you with pigtails pinned up with similar hair clips to Kocho’s. She’s holding a white paper bag that’s stapled shut and a crutch. You assume both are for you.

“Thank you, Aoi,” Kocho says to the girl who hands over the items before she’s excusing herself back to her own work. She seemed like a diligent girl, despite her young age. It was refreshing.

Kocho adjusts the crutch under you before placing the prescription bag in your purse for you and soon you're lifting your foot off the ground in its new, professional, reinforced brace and leaning on the cutch that’s pushing under your arm.

“Kocho-sensei?” You address as she’s on her knees making the few adjustments in height to your crutch so it’s more comfortable for you. She hums at your call. “How much do I owe you?” She chuckles before she’s nodding, a small ‘there we go!’ under her breath and she’s standing in front of you again.

“Thanks to Rengoku-san’s recommendation and referral, your visits related to these injuries are complimentary.” Your jaw drops. She chuckles at your shock and elaborates. “While I do run a clinic that charges its regular patients for regular check-ups and exams, for cases like yours when a demon is involved, we do not charge those victims. Everything about being a victim of a demon attack is already shocking enough to the human mind- from their existence being confirmed to injuries the attacked person may sustain; so to ease the shock and pressure of the situation, we offer our services freely to them only.”

You slowly nod. That… makes a lot of sense.

Victims like you would surely be in shock after such an event and additional hospital charges would take their toll on an already stressed out individual. That’s why Rengoku referred you to this clinic, so you wouldn’t have to deal with hospitals or their fees. You smile, but still feel a bit guilty for having nothing to give back.

“However, after your wounds have healed from this particular occurrence, should you choose to remain a patient of ours, we’ll have to start implementing a charge then. We’re still a business at the end of the day.”

“I understand.” She helps you down into the genkan and out to the entrance.

“Are you going to be able to make it to the bus stop on your own?” She worries.

“I made it here earlier without a crutch, so having one with me will definitely make it easier. I’ll manage.”

“If you’re certain. I’ll give you a call in a few days and we can schedule a follow-up then. For now, take some time and rest.”

“I will. Thank you for all your hard work, Kocho-sensei.”

“You can drop the ‘sensei’, we’re the same age. It makes me feel old,” she insists. It feels wrong to not address her with the respect she clearly deserves, but if she doesn’t want you to, you’ll listen. It wouldn’t do you any good to argue on what she prefers to be called.

“If you insist, Kocho,” you chuckle.

“Much better.” She claps her hands in front of her chest and smiles. “Now, you best hurry. The next bus won’t take long to arrive. I wouldn’t want you to miss it.” You nod and soon you’re on your way to the stop and once she can no longer see you, she goes back inside the clinic.

By the time you get home, you’re hot and sweaty and ready for another shower honestly. The summer heat really took it out of you and the inside of your hoodie stuck uncomfortably to your sweat-slicked skin. You place the bag of Epsom salt and ice/heating packs in the living room before Taco is between your legs, rubbing on them before he’s sniffing the brace with the unfamiliar scent.

You plop down onto the couch and laugh at the continuous sniffing he’s giving your brace and crutch that’s currently leaning against the couch cushion beside you. Before you forget, you take out your phone and pull up your contacts and call your boss. He definitely wouldn’t be happy you needed to take some time off, but hopefully, he’d be at least a little understanding.

You were cleared to take a week off from work and you just hoped that’d be enough time to get back up on your feet- literally.

-x-x-x-

Your week off passes by far too quickly for your liking- and Kocho’s for that matter. You were sitting in your bathroom on the closed lid of the toilet with your foot soaking in a bowl of water and dissolved Epsom salt. It was a small luxury you were trying to enjoy that also helped your still present swelling before you had to trudge your way to the izakaya later.

Kocho had called you about three days into your unprompted PTO to schedule your follow-up. When you had told her that you had only four days left on leave from work, she immediately asked you what your job was. Answering back with an occupation that requires you to not only be on your feet constantly but move quickly? She was not a very happy doctor.

In your defense, the pain factor had gone down a lot since the original incident and it was way more bearable in terms of mobility and pain management. So long as you could convince your boss to let you take small power breaks between servicing tables, your foot would be fine- probably.

The swelling never lasted and when it flared up, you’d just take a couple pills and soak it until it felt like all the blood rushing into the limb was rushing away. The bruising still looked pretty nasty as you twisted and turned your foot to look at it, but you knew it would look worse before it would start looking better. You could definitely feel the soreness of the spots of dark blues and purples outlined by the ugliest shades of recovering damage.

Meanwhile, all your minor cuts along your body and back have scabbed up and stopped hurting completely. Some have already healed, leaving only small, faux scars that will eventually fade in time. Overall, your progress has been considerable given how you started out in this whole situation.

Then, your mind wandered back to Rengoku, that fire-haired stranger from that night. You had asked Kocho if there was any way to get in touch with him since they clearly knew each other, but she only told you she couldn’t exactly give out his personal information- phone number included. You understood, but you still pouted when she told you. All you wanted to do was thank him properly and not a quickly rushed ‘thank you’ like you gave him before you essentially chased him out of your house before.

“Could you maybe tell him that I’m grateful for what he did, then?” You asked her when she had called. “I don't know if I’ll ever see him again, so I just want him to know I’m very appreciative.”

“I’ll pass it along,” she had promised before the call ended. You hadn’t talked to her since, and you had no reason to expect her to reach out to you anyways. She was your doctor, not your pal. As much as you liked her personality and thought she’d be a good friend, it just wasn’t in your cards. Your little social circle was pretty much consisted of coworkers and a few online friends you had met over the years that you rarely have the chance to speak to comfortably due to time differences.

You always wish you had more friends. Sometimes you felt like a Sim and your social need was in the red, but you had no way to fix it. If only it were that simple.

Your train of thought was halted by Taco waltzing into the bathroom and sitting at your feet, sniffing curiously at the bowl your foot was soaking in. You tut and reach down to scratch at his head. You could feel him purr as he immediately began to push against your hand and rub on your leg before he flops onto his back, just barely out of your reach.

“Taco, please,” you laugh as he rolls and flips back to his paws again, resuming his rubbing against your leg. “You’re impossible,” you chuckle as you lift your foot when the timer you set for your foot starts going off. Thus, your evening begins.

When you make it into work, the izakaya isn’t open yet, still just barely hitting six o'clock. You’re greeted by the staff already behind the bar and the few heads popping out from the kitchen to say hello. A few ‘how’s your foot?’ concerns are thrown at you as you just tell them that you’ll be taking it a bit slow tonight, but otherwise, you’ll be fine. A few looked at you skeptically, others didn’t bother to show concern at all.

Such is the life of a 'whatever you are' to some of the other employees.

After explaining the situation to your boss, and your marching orders of ‘if you’re in too much pain, sit down for a few’, you went to start prep before opening.

Luckily, as you worked and served guests, you had managed to work as you had before your injury. You tried to hide your limp the best you could and you acted as if you weren’t in pain- minor or not- at all. A few regulars had asked if you had taken time off for a vacation or something, but you just smiled and answered with ‘something like that’.

For some reason, telling your guests that you were injured and still recovering made it feel like you were fishing for something. Sympathy? Pity maybe? Whatever it was, you didn’t like how it tasted in your mouth, so you kept it to yourself. You could handle this on your own.

You were placing two mugs of beer on a table when you heard the door of the izakaya slide open.

“Welcome!” You shouted just as you did every other time people came in. However, your smile dropped into an expression of surprise when two men step inside.

One towering at a height that had to be over six-foot with hair like snow- probably dyed- and the gaudiest headband you’ve ever seen. With him was your flame-haired savior from just over a week ago! Dressed in what you guessed was his work clothes, the same style you had seen him in before. Dress shirt, ironed pants, and shined shoes, only now he wore a blazer that remained unbuttoned and rested on his shoulders.

When his eyes met yours he smiled back at your shock.

“Hello again!” He greets. You nod back at him and the taller, white-haired man just gives you both a look going from Rengoku to you and back. “You look well, much better than the last time I saw you!”

“I should hope so. It’s been a week, if I still looked as beat up as before, I’d be seriously worried for my health. Now, if you both would please,” you stretch your arms inwards and they get the hint to step out of the doorway so if anyone is coming in after them, they don't clash with each other. That, and the fact that both men were so bulky, not to mention his friend being giant, were taking up the entire doorway so anyone leaving had no chance of getting through unless they moved.

You sit them down and place two separate glasses of water in front of them before anything else.

“How is your ankle?” Rengoku asks out of nowhere and it startles you for a moment before you remember the pain in your joint. You wince unconsciously before you quickly try to will yourself to forget it again. “Kocho had passed the message along that you indeed traveled to her clinic outside of the city for treatment.”

“I did. She was a big help and made me feel right at home. I appreciate the referral to her. I’d like to keep her as my regular doctor. once this is through truthfully.” He laughs, and you swear the entire inside of the pub-style restaurant goes quiet for one, single moment before all the noise returns.

“I’m sure she would love to have you as a regular client! She surely wouldn’t reject the idea.”

“I can only hope,” you smile before handing over a couple small menus with listed snacks and alcohol choices. “I won’t be able to serve you two tonight, but my coworkers will take great care of you! Someone will be right over to help with anything else.” The two of them nod but before you go, you keep Rengoku’s attention. “Thank you again for last week. I never got a chance to thank you properly.” You quickly bow to him before digging your hands in your waist-apron pocket and digging out a small receipt paper, prepping for your next table. “I’d be in a lot worse shape than I am now- if I was here at all without your help. I really appreciate all you did for me.”

“It was no trouble! As I told you, it is my job to make sure people like you get home safely!” You just nod at him. Considering how rare it seemed to you, he seemed very well trained and equally well-versed in demons. You let the idea pass through your mind that maybe demons are more common than you think, and you were just ignorant of them all this time. Regardless, you knew that it definitely couldn’t have been a rare occasion of him saving someone’s life. It could have just been another day. But to you, it was still more than that.

“Still, thank you very much, Rengoku-san.” He had momentarily forgotten that you had known his name since he had told you to tell Kocho who had referred you; as well as the good doctor had probably brought him up herself during your exam.

Regardless, he still smiled and accepted your gratitude before you were rushing off, trying not to trip over the limp he could tell you were still trying to hide.

“What’s the deal with her?” His friend, who had basically been an ignored third-wheel ever since they walked in the door, finally asked. “You walk her home one night or what?”

“Ah, it is not so simple. She was nearly a victim of our second profession; however, she held out long enough for me to arrive and aide her.” His friend’s mouth opened in silent understanding before he pushed the heel of his hand into his chin, his elbow on the tabletop.

“So, that's why she's trying not to limp?”

-x-x-x-

a/n: why is shinobu so hard to write for t-t i rly dont think i did her justice hnnnnnnng

[xx-thedarklord-xx]

Is This On?

Also on Ao3

Muggle things weren’t that complicated. If Potter could master them, then so could Draco. Refrigerators were a godsend and whoever invented the telly was a genius. He had figured out the function of a light bulb instantly, it was the electricity itself that he still hadn’t fully grasped. Where did it come from? How did it know when to work? Some things, however, didn’t make any sense no matter how many times it was explained to him.

The internet.

Draco didn’t understand where it began, where it was located or how it worked. All he knew was that he could ask questions to the phone Harry gave him and it would answer back. Sometimes the lady trapped in the phone would send him to the internet to provide information or other times to a little telly inside the phone too.

Which led him to his current predicament.

Harry sometimes used the internet to talk to Granger. There was a little camera on the computer. At least that’s what Harry said but hadn’t really ever showed him much more than that. Could he use it to talk to Harry?

Draco poked the little camera several times, trying to get it to work. He typed in the password that Harry wrote down hoping that would help. When he was met with a photo of the two of them, he tried not to be endeared. Potter would be such a sentimental sap.

“How does this work?” Draco muttered to himself as he stared at the little icons. He couldn’t remember the steps Harry had taken to talk to Granger. Would it even work if he had remembered? He didn’t want to talk to Granger, he wanted to talk to Harry.

“Internet show me Harry.”

Nothing happened.

Draco huffed. It had been a long shot anyway. Reluctantly, Draco pulled out his phone and hit the button that brought out the lady inside. “How do I call on the internet?”

She repeated his question to him as if that was going to help somehow before he was brought to a list of options.

“Skype.” Draco wrinkled his nose. That didn’t sound familiar. He set his phone down and opened the same icon on the computer that his phone had brought him to and typed in Skype.

The first thing that popped up was a little telly. Harry called them videos, but Draco liked that they were little tellies and didn’t care what Harry said. The little telly was boring and showed him too many steps to follow. What drew his attention were more little tellies that he could select from. Some were about Skype too, but others were about all kinds of things.

Make-up. Music. Food. Books. Sports.

There were too many to choose from. So he watched several different little tellies. A lot of them were boring and he ended up either leaving for another one or skipping to the good stuff. Some people weren’t the actors that they thought they were. Honestly, where was the charisma? The charm? He could do it much better.

Draco paused, thumb over the mouse as he thought about it.

He could do it better than most of the people in the little tellies. He had the charisma that they didn’t, he had the charm, the looks, the better smile. And his life was much more interesting than these people. Those with boring lives shouldn’t talk for an hour unless their aim was to put people to sleep. Oh, that was another thought. Were there little tellies to fall asleep? There were little tellies for everything. He rather liked the internet, even if it made no sense.

Draco watched a few more little tellies before he figured he knew enough to do it too. It wouldn’t let him make a little telly until he created an account, which he thought was kind of rude, but it was their rules. A lot of people didn’t use their real name, so he chose not to either. It took him longer than he wanted to find something that suited him.

Slytherin’s Heir.

Finding out that Harry and his idiot friends thought that he had been Slytherin’s Heir had been flattering. Oh, they hadn’t thought that, but they didn’t realize the kind of compliment it had been. What he wouldn’t have given to be Slytherin’s Heir. That kind of power and social status would have made him untouchable.

With his name chosen, it wanted a photo, but Draco didn’t have any photos of him on Harry’s computer. So he didn’t do anything, let the internet do a blank one. Draco’s foot tapped a few times as he realized his account was complete. Now all he had to do was make a little telly.

It took a few times to find the right succession of buttons to find the live option. He didn’t really understand what being live meant, but he did know that meant that he didn’t have to have a little telly already made, that he could create one right there.

“Is this on?” Draco asked, lips pursed as he poked the camera. “I’m not really sure if this is working. Honestly, I was trying to talk to Harry when I decided to make a little telly. Harry’s my boyfriend. Hi Harry.”

Draco waved at the camera with a small smile. He wished he could see Harry’s face.

“Harry’s actually mad at me right now. He’s an annoying prat who likes to think he’s right all the time.” Draco paused; one side of his face scrunched as the thought about what Harry’s reaction would be to his little telly.

“Maybe mad is an exaggeration,” Draco sighed, one hand pushing through his hair. He hadn’t slicked it back in a few days, too out of sorts to feel up to it. His hair fell into his eyes which was an annoying reminder of why he liked his hair slicked in the first place. “He’s more disappointed.”

Draco grimaced as he remembered the last time he had seen Harry.

“He loves me,” Draco whispered, hating that his cheeks were warm. “He says it all the time. At least he used to.”

A long-suffering sigh escaped as he slumped in the chair with wheels that Harry insisted on using even though Draco thought it was a safety concern.

“When I say all the time, I do mean all the time,” Draco grinned. “He didn’t hear that growing up at all and I think he says it so much because he’s trying to make up for lost time. I don’t mind. I like hearing it. Makes me melt a little bit to know that he loves me so much.”

Draco frowned, sitting up straighter.

“You better not tell him that though. That’s embarrassing.” He waved a finger at the camera in what he hoped was a threatening manner.

“I didn’t hear I love you growing up either. It was rare to hear my parents say anything even hinting at love. But the thing is, I’ve always known they loved me. I could see it in the things they did. When my father would show me a new spell or help me with my hand movements. My mother would bring home my favourite sweets whenever she went out. They would stay up later than was presentable with me and listen to the radio.”

The smile on his face was bittersweet. As much as he knew that his parents loved him, it would have been nice to hear it more than they did.

“I guess I picked up their habit,” Draco winced. “I tell Harry I love him… sometimes. I try to tell him more, but the words don’t come easy to me. My parents knew I loved them, and they certainly didn’t need me to say it. But I try to show Harry too!”

Draco’s hands had begun to move in the beginning but were now thrown in the air.

“I make sure whenever he’s on a case to keep his plants watered, even if the one Neville gave him has it out for me and tries to kill me. When he’s having a bad day I make sure his duvet smells like mint because I know he’s going to collapse on our bed and not move for longer than is healthy and for some reason mint is his favourite smell. I don’t really know how to cook that well but the lady in my phone helps me order from Harry’s favourite restaurant and I do that when he’s feeling sad and sometimes when he’s really happy too.”

Draco’s lips turned downward the longer he talked. It bothered him that Harry couldn’t see that he was loved.

“I’m not a people person but I willingly go with him on what he calls adventures around London. Adventure is accurate because wherever Harry goes, trouble follows. Last month we had to run from people with sticks on horses. Harry said they were the law, but I feel like if you were lawmen then you should dress better but that’s beside the point. Then there was this one time we got kicked out of a library. That was more my fault, but Harry was the one who didn’t tell me that the books didn’t talk or yell. Who wants to go to a library with silent books? That’s like going to a gallery where the paintings don’t talk. What’s the point?”

Muggles were weird, honestly. There were a lot of things they did that were smart, and he wished that Wizards would adopt too. But a large amount of what Muggles did was boring. They lived boring lives and he felt bad that they didn’t have Magic to spice it up.

“I try to show with actions how much he means to me, and I thought I was doing a good job at it, but I guess not.” His eyes closed as he remembered the hurt expression on Harrys’ face.

“He told me he wished I would tell him I loved him more. I told him there was no point. Which in hindsight, I’ll admit was a mistake. I don’t take it back, mind you. But I wish I had explained better before he left. I meant there was no point in saying it more if I could tell him through actions. Which I have been doing since I realized I loved him. I thought he knew. I thought he could see how much I love him.”

Draco swallowed around a lump in his throat. He wasn’t worried about their relationship, not really. Harry sometimes needed a few days to cool down when they argued. Only usually, it was anger that was the parting goodbye and not a heartbreaking sadness.

He looked back to the camera, hating that his eyes were wet.

“I love him, so much. I could talk about all the things he does for me that I love. Like the way he looks at me, the way he makes me feel loved and whole. The way he holds my hand too tight, like he thinks I’ll pull away. As if I ever would. Or the way I feel like I’m high on liquid luck whenever we’re together. But those are selfish to point out. I don’t want to talk about me when I bring up what I love about him. That’s conceited.

“I love the way he throws a fist in the air when he gets an answer on the telly right. I love his stupid hair that has to be sentient at this point, never lying flat. I love the softness in his eyes when he’s happy, the way they shine so brightly. Almost as bright as his smile. I love how kind he is. I know I give him shit for that, which I should, but there’s a goodness to him that isn’t common anymore, and I love that. I love how much he cares about other people.

“I love how hard he works—puts every ounce of himself into whatever he’s working on no matter how big or small. I love how smart he is, even if he doesn’t see it himself. He thinks of the world in ways that others don’t—a genius to him that fascinates me. I love how much he loves. He loves with everything that he has. He loves people in general. Wants to see the best in them, has a faith that never wavers. His friends are his family, his family is his world and the love he has for all of them is another extension of himself that is everlasting.”

Draco blinked through the wetness as he sniffled.

“I’m honoured to be part of that love. To know that he could care about me a fraction of what he feels for others is overwhelming. I know he loves me; Merlin knows that I do. How could I not? He doesn’t just say it, he shows it. And I just wish that he knew how much I loved him too. I know I don’t say it enough, and I try, I do, but I had hoped that he could see it. Maybe that’s my fault. Maybe I didn’t show it enough, maybe I didn’t try harder. Maybe I should have done more.”

Draco wiped at his cheeks hating that he let his emotions get the best of him. Especially on his first little telly!

“What hurts the most is that I don’t know how else I could have showed him,” Draco laughed bitterly. “I really don’t. I give so much of myself to Harry, perhaps that’s not healthy, but it’s true. I love him so bloody much and I hate that he doesn’t see that, that he doesn’t know. How could I not love him? Harry, how could you not know that I love you?

“I love you…”

Draco took a deep breath, wishing it wasn’t as shaky as it was as he twirled in the chair. That had to be the reason Muggles had such dangerous chairs, so they could twirl.

“My first little telly wasn’t supposed to go like this,” Draco smiled wryly as he placed his chin on his palm. “I was supposed to charm you all with my good looks and witty personality. And what did I do? Cry over my relationship issues. Like anyone wants to see that. Maybe I’ll tell you the story of how Harry and I fell in love next time. Or maybe the first time we met. Something happier than my tears. Pansy always said I’m an ugly crier—the jealous bitch—so no sad topics next time, I promise.”

Draco leaned forward; lips pursed as he tried to figure out how to turn it off.

“I’m not sure anyone is going to see this. Maybe that’s for the best. I just know I look like a cross between Doxy droppings and Weasley on a good day. I hope you all are having a better day than I am. I’m going to go as soon as I shut this off.”

Draco frowned, clicking a few buttons before he gave up and shut down the whole computer. The simplest solutions were for the best. He spun in the chair one more time facing the rest of their flat, wishing not for the first time that Harry hadn’t taken his happiness when he left.

——

Watching his little telly back was a painful experience. His charm and charisma were there, but it didn’t look as polished as some of the other little tellies he had seen. He’d just have to keep trying.

Draco was about to start a new one when he noticed that there were a lot more numbers than there should have been at the bottom. It had been two days since he had made it, and he expected there to only be his replay.

Not the 819,543 that stared at him. And every passing minute the number grew by the tens of thousands.

Draco double checked that he was on his little telly and not someone else’s before he covered his mouth. Did that many people see him cry? Merlin, what did he do? While the thought was horrifying, what truly scared him was that there were comments.

There were comments.

Oh no.

Draco groaned, already blaming all of this on Harry. And the internet, the internet could take the blame too. With one eye closed, he scrolled down.

NamelessHope 1 day ago Anyone else find this endearing? He’s like an old grandma that doesn’t know how the internet works.

Sorrymum 5 hours ago He’s so cute. Why can’t you be single?

Michael the Sexual Taco 2 minutes ago His partner is trash. It’s so obvious he’s in love. How could Harry not see it?

Bleach 2 days ago First!!!

CubesAreTriangles 13 hours ago Go bottom go!

Potatoes for Life 7 hours ago Nooooo don’t cry! If you cry I’m going to cry

Draco squinted at the comments. Why were Muggles so fucking weird? And what did they mean bottom? Did people just assume things like that? He liked to fuck and be fucked, thank you very much.

Meaty Meat 10 minutes ago Y r u gay

Draco snorted. Okay, maybe Muggles were entertaining.

Casey J 1 day ago I can’t tell if you’re just ranting or want advise. If it’s the former, then ignore me. But maybe Harry does know you love him. I think it’s obvious that you do, so he must know that. Maybe he needs it said too.

Randy Rants 8 hours ago You need couples therapy not the internet

ParsleySnips 2 days ago I totally cried

Pearl’s Pearly Pearls 2 days ago I want to be loved like you love Harry.

SwiperNoSwiping 1 hour ago If you two don’t break up you should do another video with him.

Draco scowled. They weren’t going to break up. A touch of hesitancy filled him at the thought. It had been 6 days since he last saw Harry. Not their worst fight, and he would’ve tried to find Harry and talk to him if it had been completely silent. But Harry sent a Patronus every morning that nuzzled him awake. The Patronus didn’t speak a message but the love he could feel was a message all on its own.

Karla S 1 day ago Am I the only one who caught that he said spell? Is your father a devil worshiper?

Gigi’s my Daddy 2 days ago Little tellies. That’s so cute. That should be our fandom name when you blow up.

Gay4You 20 hours ago I’ve never been invested in someone else’s love life this much. If you and Harry don’t make up I’m going to riot.

Draco looked through several more comments before he pushed away from the computer. There were a few rude ones and a lot more supportive ones, but all of it made him nervous. He didn’t like that so many people knew about his feelings. It was his own fault for making the little telly, but he didn’t think anyone was going to see it!

Part of him was panicking. He could delete it, probably, if he asked the lady in his phone how. But did he want to? Draco bit his lip, unsure what to do. If he deleted it, all those people who saw it would still remember it, so he’d only be stopping new people from viewing it.

Before he could go over the pros and cons of either option, the front door slammed open, causing him to yelp and jump out of the chair.

Hands raised, Draco glared at Harry, who was staring at him intently, chest moving rapidly.

“What is wrong with you?” Draco sneered. “I nearly came out of my skin. If you’re trying to kill me, you almost succeeded. Merlin don’t do that a—”

Draco cut off when Harry marched toward him, eyes still intense. His mouth was still open, ready so say something, but nothing came out when warm hands cupped his cheeks.

“Draco, I’ve always known you loved me.”

Oh no.

He closed his eyes tightly. Harry watched his little telly. How? Why?

“Hey,” Harry whispered, thumbs moving in a gentle caress. “Look at me.”

Draco shook his head. He didn’t want to.

“I’m sorry.”

That had his eyes opening before they widened. “What?”

“We’re so different,” Harry began with a wry chuckle. “Everything about us is different. And for some reason I forgot that. I assumed that our love language was the same. But the beautiful thing about languages is how different they are. I expected yours to be the same as mine and I was wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Draco hated that his voice wavered.

“You’re right, I do say I love you a lot.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Draco hurried to explain. “I didn’t mean it to sound—”

“I know,” Harry shushed him, a thumb placed over his bottom lip. “I say it because I don’t want you to forget that I love you.”

Draco shook his head, wanting to tell Harry that he could never forget. How could he? But he didn’t want to interrupt.

“When I was little, I didn’t just want to be loved by my relatives, I wanted to love them too. But they hated me, and the feeling was mutual. I wanted to love someone just as much as I wanted to be loved. And I guess I say it so much as a reminder to never forget that. I love you, Draco and I can’t help but say it over and over again.”

“I know,” Draco parroted as he pressed a kiss to the thumb still over his lip. “I love that you say it so much. I don’t want you to stop. Lately, you’ve been saying it less.”

Harry’s eyes closed briefly. “I’m sorry. You don’t always say it back and that hurts. I thought you didn’t want me to say it. I thought—”

“No,” Draco shook his head again, this time more violently. “Please no. I’m sorry. I want to say it more, and I promise I’ll try but please don’t stop saying it if I can’t.”

Harry shushed him again and if he wasn’t so close to crying, he’d probably have hexed Harry for treating him like a scared child.

“You do show me that you love me,” Harry said, eyes soft and full of the love that Draco wasn’t sure he could live without. “All the time and that’s your love language. You show me through actions, and I needed the reminder.”

“I want to give you the love you deserve,” Draco whispered, blinking rapidly, willing himself not to cry. “You deserve to hear it just as much as you give it. And I’m sorry I don’t do that.”

“I don’t need it,” Harry argued, eyes narrowed. “And don’t you dare presume to know what I deserve. I get to decide that, and I’ve already given you my heart. So it’s up to you to keep it safe.”

Draco inhaled sharply. Harry’s love was special. “I want to love you vocally too. I want to love you the way you love me.”

“The way you love me is exactly what I need.”

Draco’s nose wrinkled. “I feel like you’re settling.”

“Not your decision.”

“Harry—”

“Draco,” Harry began, flicking him in the forehead. “If you want to say it more, I won’t object. I’m just telling you that I don’t need it like I thought I did. We’re in love and it doesn’t matter how different we show it. The love is still there.”

“Okay,” Draco sniffled, wiping his nose on Harry’s shoulder when he was pulled into a strong embrace. After days of no contact, he basked in their combined warmth. A feeling he had missed more than he thought possible.

Draco turned his head, mouth near Harry’s ear as he whispered,

“I love you.”

If Harry held on tighter, and Draco felt a wetness on his neck, well that was no one else’s business.

~Fin

———

Short Extra

“Hi little tellies!” Draco waved at their new camera, one that Harry now manned, taking in Draco’s new hobby in stride.

“I had planned an intro like all the rest of them do but that’s so boring. Over here we’re better than everyone else. So I said fuck it and tossed it away. Let’s just get to the good stuff. You’ll never guess what Harry did yesterday. It was so embarrassing.”

“Do you have to embarrass me to so many people?”

Draco grinned, nose scrunching at Harry’s glare. He knew his followers wanted to see Harry, but Harry didn’t want to be in the little tellies like that. Plus, Draco kind of liked that it was just him.

“What do you mean?” Draco blinked, adopting an innocent expression that had stopped working on Dobby when he was three. “I’m just telling my friends.”

“Yeah,” Harry snorted, eyes on the subscriber count that was rapidly increasing. “All 3 million of them.”

It still blew his mind that so many people wanted to hear him talk about his life. He had known from the beginning that he could pull it off. Had always known he had more charm than everyone else on the internet. His little tellies were clearly superior.

And to think it all stemmed from his love of Harry.

-----

This is a story for @rieraclaelin who I know has been having issues reading fic lately so please don't feel like you have to read this at all. I just wanted there to be a gift for you whenever you do feel like readings stories. I adore you!

[rommahh]

I Carry Your Heart

Harry Styles x Reader

Word Count: 4k

{Ahhhh ok so this is my first work like ever. There will definitely be a second part because ive got more to say and it needs a second part. I hope whoever sees and reads this imagine enjoys it. I appreciate comments, likes, reblogs, ideas on what could go into the story, and any form of help and redirection as to how i should write things. Much love, R.}.

Part two

All Y/N wanted tonight was to hang out with her boyfriend, eat a mass amount of junk food, and watch a marvel movie or two. That was all she wanted and that was all she asked of her boyfriend. Instead of any of that happening, she found herself sitting on the nasty kitchen island of her boyfriend's frat at a party that she was trying to avoid going to.

This party was supposedly ‘the party of the year.’ The last rager before finals and then christmas break. Y/N had spent the whole week studying and finishing up end of semester projects hence the want for a chill night. When Harry came to her saying his frat was throwing a party tonight and that he just HAD to be here, Y/N didn't feel like she had a choice but to let him go. She came because she thought this would be the only time she would be able to have some time with Harry after a long week of barely seeing each other. With two vastly different majors, the couple wasnt able to find a lot of time in the middle of school work to make time for just the two of them. Obviously her hopes of quality time with her man were futile because here she was sitting by herself in the kitchen of the frat while Harry drank and got high with his friends in other parts of the house.

Of course she was disappointed. She felt a knot in her throat and a weight on her chest just sitting there in that kitchen. Her white claw was warm now- not that it was any cold when she opened it. She was starting to form a small headache from the too loud music and the ache in her heart was growing.

She stood from the countertop on the search for her boyfriend, hoping he wasn't too far gone from sober. Wiping the back of her jeans from anything that was left on the island, she began walking around the house. She doesn't remember the last time the two of them spent time together by themselves. Of course they occasionally ate dinner together in the dining hall but they were normally surrounded by friends. Y/N wanted to be alone with her boyfriend to talk and bask in his presence.

After pushing through groups of partying humans, she found Harry and at least ten other people sitting around playing some sort of drinking game.

“Y/N! Where have you been?” Luca, one of Harry's frat brothers yelled out to her from the circle. Luca was cool, he was one of the only tolerable boys in this frat aside from Harry. Hearing his girlfriend's name, Harry turned around from where he sat on the ground and reached out for his girlfriend to sit beside him. Much to Y/N’s dismay, Harry was wasted. His eyes were half mass and his words bumped and slurred together. “We are playing truth or dare, wanna play?” Luca asked.

“I don't wanna play but Ill sit and watch.” Sitting next to her boyfriend, she grabbed one of his hands holding it in her lap. She was annoyed at him but it did her no good to show it when he was this drunk.

This game of truth or dare was childish. Dares of licking people's shoes and taking multiple shots had been done and truths about money and relationships were being spilled among the group. It had finally become Harry’s turn to do something, making Y/N tense.

“Ok Harry, I dare you to…” One drunk frat boy started looking around the room trying to come up with something clever. His eyes landed on a pretty girl in the room, Yara, a stuck up girl who for sure got her way no matter what. “I dare you to kiss the hottest girl in the room- obviously not your girlfriend because that defeats the purpose.” The frat boy smirked knowing what his intentions were. Everyone in the group giggles and gasped shocked by the dare but ready to see what was going to go down. Y/N’s brows furrowed as she became angry with the stupid dare.

The ache in her chest seemed to tip over the edge when she felt her boyfriend in the room move to stand up. She grabbed at the bottom of his shirt as a way of stopping him. Harry halted his movements to look down at his girlfriend. He giggled a little.

“You’re not actually going to do this right?” She asked Harry with wide eyes of shock. Harry laughed at her like she made a joke, making her heart hurt even more.”Harry I do not want you to do this just take the shot and lose the dare.” Her tone held warning.

“Don't be silly of course I'm going to. It's just a dare, nothing serious. Don't be so clingy.” He stood walking over to Yara and planted a wet kiss on her mouth. Yara gripped Harry’s shirt and kissed him harder. The kiss went on for a few more seconds, the room absolutely silent out of shock. Harry stepped back from Yara slightly sobering up from his actions. Yara smirked at Y/N, hand gliding down the front of Harry's shirt.

Y/N stood from the seat she was in and scoffed. Scoffed because she should've known Harry would do something like this. Scoffed because it hurt to see her boyfriend do something so careless without any regard for his girl's feelings. She pulled herself together, feeling her throat tighten once again. She was quick to leave the room and down the hall of the frat.

Harry's clumsy steps could be heard from behind her as he mumbled her name. Or at least he tried to. He was still so out of it, his words not making much sense. Y/N was crying now, the strength that she had slowly dissolving as she walked further away from her boyfriend.

“Y/N wait. P-please wait. I cant-” Harry stumbled over his legs behind her falling into the grass of the front yard. The girl couldn't help but turn around looking at her stupid boyfriend. She was choking on sobs now. She wasn't crying over a measly little kiss but over an extreme amount of burnout from school and exhaustion from simply existing. She was crying because her boyfriend ignored her boundaries, crushing and erasing the boundaries she had set in their relationship. Harry tried reaching for her once she had stopped walking. His hand clasped around her wrist, he laid his head down on her shoulder. He hated seeing her cry even if he was too drunk to see why.

“Baby don't leave, Im-Im Sorry.” He hiccuped and burped due to the alcohol. Y/N felt her rage build. Shoving Harry off of her, she crossed her arms across her chest as a way to shield herself from Harry physically. He was hurt by her distance and the wall she put up around her.

“You're an idiot Harry. An idiot!” her sobs grew louder, some stray party goers watching in amusement- some even snapchatting it for shits and giggles. “I didnt want you to kiss her and you did. What provoked you to think that was ok? All I wanted was for us to hang out tonight and just be us and you did this!” She was yelling now. Her hurt is beyond her now. Anger and rage simmered throughout her body making her head dizzy and her fingers curl within themselves. She didnt like being angry. It wasn't an emotion she liked acting on, it felt impersonal.

“Baby I don't under-” Before Harry could finish his sentence he was barfing at his feet. Y/N stepped back disgusted with her boyfriend. She couldn't even feel remorseful because of how angry she was. Luca, the frat brother from earlier, caught up with Harry and his girl only to find Harry doubled over heaving. Luca wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders.

“I'm sorry Luca but I can't do this tonight. Can you please make sure he gets some water and goes to bed. I-I can't do it tonight, I wish I could but I can't.” Y/N didn't want to leave her boyfriend in this state but she didn't deserve this. She wasn't going to care for her drunk boyfriend when all she wanted to do was care for herself. Selfishly, she enjoyed seeing him this way because of the anger he caused her.

Luca shook his head in understandment. “Of course, I'm really sorry for tonight. He's going to seriously regret this in the morning, especially since it will be circulating all over snapchat in the morning.” Luca waved to Y/N then proceeded to pull Harry into the house. Harry called out for Y/N not wanting to be away from her but Luca pulled him harder.

Harry woke up the next morning feeling like the bottom of a dumpster. He wasn't shocked by that. He knew he got trashed last night, he had planned to. He, just like Y/N, spent all week studying and completing projects while also fulfilling certain responsibilities for his frat. He wanted one night to be a normal teen. So he drank and drank and drank and maybe even smoked some weed. As he tried to recall last night's events he came up with nothing. He didn't understand why Y/N wasn't here with him like she normally would after a party on the weekend. They were normally always together during the weekend. A bad feeling loomed over him. He could tell something wasn't right but decided to put his feelings to the side.

He saw a bottle of water beside his bed making him think she was probably here and left early. Chugging the water he started to go through his socials to see if anyone had posted about the party. He had multiple tagged pics and videos in his notifications from snapchat. Way more than he normally would.

The first video he saw was a video of him and Y/N standing in the front yard of the frat house. Turning the volume all the way up he could hear Y/N yelling, it shocked him. She doesn't normally raise her voice, especially not at him. The angle changed showing her face which was red with anger, eyes filled with unshed tears. He could hear her yelling about him kissing someone else. He felt his heart stop. He had kissed someone else? On the next snap was a picture of him keeled over vomiting on his shoes with the caption saying, ‘are yall seeing this shit?’ Harry was embarrassed but he was more concerned than anything.

His head was hurting but it didn't stop him from rolling out of bed, washing up, and putting on a fresh set of clothes. He checked his phone hoping Y/N had messaged him but nothing was there. He walked into the kitchen only to see luca sitting at the counter eating cereal.

“Hey Harry….” Luca said warily. Luca pushed the cereal around his bowl feeling the tension begin to rise in the room. He felt horrible about his friends.

“Luca...what's up?” Harry was confused by Lucas' wariness.

“So do you remember anything about last night?” Luca asked, setting his cereal down in the sink behind him. Harry started playing with the frayed edges of a bracelet Y/N made for him. It had little beads with her name on it. They made them together at an event on campus.

“I don't, I only saw the videos of Y/N screaming at me. I think I fucked up but I- I don't know what happened.” Harry's cheek flushed with even more embarrassment. Luca awkwardly chuckled scratching the back of his neck.

“You got dared to kiss the hottest girl in the room and um actually did it in front of Y/N...even though she didn't want you to. Which led you guys outside and yeah you know the rest...Im sorry dude, I wish I had stopped you.”

“Who- who did I kiss?” Harrys stomach lurched when he heard Yara’s name come out of Lucas' name. Y/N didn't like Yara and it was understandable. Yara has been pining after Harry since their first year of college. Harry couldn't breathe. He felt disgusted with himself. He could only imagine how Y/N was feeling.

Y/N woke up the same morning, eyes puffy and crusty from tears and head hurting. She probably cried herself into dehydration. She was lucky enough to have no roommate because she wouldn't have wanted someone else to see her breakdown. She still couldn't believe last night went down the way it went down. She couldn't tell if she was just being overdramatic or if her emotions were in the right place. She didn't want to be mad at Harry. He was everything to her, she had an odd connection to him. Meeting him during their freshman welcome week they quickly became best friends with a growing romantic connection in the mix. They started dating before Christmas break. They had grown close so fast that he even came home with her to meet her family for the first few days of break.  Even though they were in their junior year of college, Y/N could see them beyond college. She's imagined them getting married, travelling, sharing a home. She saw the whole future with him. She had her doubts though. He was immature just like every other boy in college. He was dumb with his actions and tended to only do things if they benefited him. He had a lot of growing to do as a person, so did she but she wanted to grow with him.

She heard a knock on her door hesitating to answer it because one, it could be Harry, and two, she looked like a wreck. Answering anyways, she was met with a very sorry looking Harry holding a small coffee and bagel from their cafe.

“Hi baby…” He sheepishly said holding out the items. She silently let him through the door not once looking him in the eye. He stepped into her room, setting her treats on her desk. He could see that her bed was messy meaning she recently woke up. Y/N never went about her day without making her bed. He turned back to her and finally their eyes met. He took in all of her facial features, from her puffy eyes, to her downturned lips that looked chapped, to her flushed cheeks that longed to be held for warmth. He hated to see her like this, the last time he saw her so upset was when her parents moved out of her childhood home. It took alot to make Y/N this upset. She was normally really headstrong and vigilant. She knew how to ease her way out of problematic situations and could talk her way through anything.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Y/N holding her hand up in front of his face. “Don't talk. I'm really hurt Harry, so if your plan was to come over here and apologize over bagels- think again.” She snapped, backing up to put space between the two of them. She sat down on her bed while Harry pulled the desk chair out and sat down. He much preferred to be on the bed with her holding her tight but he didn't want to overstep boundaries.

“Love, I don't know where to begin. I'm really sorry for what happened last night. I was really drunk and obviously wasn't in the right headspace.” Harry reached out and touched the tips of her fingers with his. She wanted to move but it felt good to be touched by Harry.

“I told you that a measly little apology won't do Harry. I didn't want you to kiss Yara and you did anyway. You know how Yara feels about you and you just let it happen!” She pulled her hand away remembering the prior night's events. Harry felt himself getting angry too. He felt like he needed to defend himself- even though it would be a very bad idea.

“I think you're being over dramatic.” Wrong move Harry. “It wasn't like I was making out with her!”

“You're joking right?” She scoffed and scooted further up her bed to create more distance. “Harry it's the simple fact that you did something that made me uncomfortable that shouldn't have even happened. I see myself getting married to you and it makes me worry that right now in our relationship you can't respect my boundaries!” She yelled. Harry’s eyes widened as he laughed sarcastically.

“Married? What the fuck are you on about? I'm a junior in college. In what world would it make sense for me to be prepping a relationship for marriage? Once again I think you're being over dramatic.” Her eyes watered hearing Harry's statement.

“I- I guess I'm the only one in this relationship thinking about the future? I thought we were on the same page. I'm not planning our marriage now, obviously. I'm thinking about how elements of our relationship now could play out in the future when we do want to get married. You cheated on me last night. I went to a party you begged ME to go to only to be there for you. I wanted to be here cuddling with you, pigging out on fast food but I was at a party with you and got cheated on!” Her volume rises once again, making Harry shove his chair from underneath him when he stands up.

“You're doing too much right now. I'm not planning a future right now because I don't want this future! I want to be myself without thinking about how to appease my girlfriend. I invited you to the party so you could lighten the fuck up. I love you, I do, but I'm not thinking of marriage and futures. I'm thinking about my life right now and having fun.” Harry snapped right back at her. Her chin wobbled. Obviously her and Harry were on different pages. It hurt so much to hear him say that he didn't want a future with her. Harry didn't mean it though.

“Ok, well I guess that's my fault for assuming we were thinking along the same lines. Um, I don't want to hold you back from being yourself so with that being said, you are a free man Harry.” She pushed herself up from her bed walking to the door ready to escort Harry out.

“Huh? Love, what?” Harry was confused on how they got to this point. Just a few days ago they were in love, meeting in the library to share a lunch and exchanging sweet words determined by their love.

“Listen I have a day full of exams tomorrow so if you could just leave that would be best. You don't really want this so I'm letting you go, Harry.” She had tears rolling down her face, falling from her eyes down to her chin where they fell to the ground in droplets. Harry’s eyes welled up watching his love cry before him.

“I don't-”

“Harry, leave, please.” She opened the door making room for him to go through. He walked through the door turning to look at her. She turned her face away from him whispering a small goodbye before shutting the door. Harry was left in the silent hallway, so silent he could hear his thoughts and the tears hitting the tile floor beneath him. He thinks he stood there for at least thirty more minutes before accepting what had happened and walking away.

Leaving Y/N in her room sobbing like she had never done before. Her tears coated her face and she thought her head could explode right then and there. She didn't want to accept what had happened but she had priorities. She composed herself enough to start studying for her exams.

The week rolled by quickly, Monday meeting Friday in a flash. Exams were done and Christmas break was on the horizon. Students were piling off of campus in a hurry ready to get home to their loved ones. People were outside by cars loading up their winter necessaries and saying their goodbyes to their close friends.

Harry cried everyday this week. He wasn't normally a crier. He hated crying, he hated the feeling of crying and the headache that came from it. He cried because he realized how wrong he was. He missed Y/N. He missed finals week dinner together where they tried to get off campus at least once and be alone for a moment. He missed watching her relax while eating food that wasn't from their school's cafeteria. He would pay for their meal just so she could have one less thing to worry about. They would normally get frozen yogurt right after too, Y/N getting as many toppings as she wanted because Harry would be the one paying. He missed her tight after exam hugs. She would squeeze his shoulders tight, smiling into his neck, telling him how proud she was of him. She would bring him tea in the morning when they met for breakfast. Sometimes they would spend the night in one or the others room so they could have time together to destress and just talk.

Y/N wasn't doing any better. She normally went into exam week feeling confident. She studied too hard not to. But this week she felt like shit. Her heart hurt and she kept thinking about the fight. She feels like she overreacted but hearing Harry talk about their lack of a future hurt nonetheless. She really assumed that they did have a future that included marriage and a life together. She didn't understand where his sudden lack of commitment came from. She regretted dumping him but at the same time she wished he did more to get them back together but he was silent. He hasn't contacted her at all and avoided all of their spots on campus all together.

She stood by her car prepping for her six hours car ride back home. Packing away her clothes and some essentials in the trunk of her car, she heard light footsteps behind her. Closing her trunk she turned to see Harry standing with his hands in his pockets.  

“Hi.” He said. She looked at him, putting her own hands in her pockets. It was cold outside, the nippy air hinting at a possibility of snow.

“Hi Harry.” They shared a moment of silence together. Just staring at each other. It felt good to be near each other again. They felt like they could breathe again.

“I had to see you before you left. I know the break is only a month but I didn't want to leave without seeing you.” He replied quietly. She made him feel so shy. Her beauty always made him awestruck. Even in a hoodie with their college's logo and some large sweatpants and some fuzzy crocs, she was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

“I don't know what to say harry.”

“It's ok. I don't deserve anything from you after what I said. I just wanted to apologize and wish you a good break before you left. I also wanted to give you this.” He pulled a small box and envelope out of the front pocket of his backpack. “I know we agreed on no presents but I think thats a dumb rule and I love you too much to not get you something.” She smiled at his words, taking the gift from his hands.

“Thank you Harry, it means a lot to me. So what are your plans for a break?” She asked him, the tension that was in the air slowly dissipating.

“I couldn't get a flight home until next wednesday so i'll stay here on campus until then.” He shrugged.

“Oh ok. Well tell Anne I said hi. I have to go Harry but I'll see you after the break, ok?” She didn't want to leave him but she didn't want to drive through the dark.

“Ok, love. Drive safe. I lov- I mean have a good break.” Her chest tightened at his hesitation. She wants to hear him say the words but she knows he won't.

“Have a good break Harry.” She whispered. Before getting in her car she stood on her toes placing a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Rubbing her thumb across his cheek and turning away and into her car.

She drove away knowing that her heart was left in that parking lot in the hands of someone she loves way too much.

Harry stood in the parking lot watching his heart drive away for winter wanting nothing more than to be with her.

Part two

[wannabe-fic-writer]

WandaNat x Reader : Inhale pt. 2

Summary: She never ceases to surprise you.

Warning: Smoking, Cursing, One Suggestive Joke

Word Count: 1,998

Part 1

* * * * * *

The white paint stares back at you as you lay on your bed. Your view of the ceiling is obscured by the red ball you toss up into the air. It gets slightly smaller as it moves away from you, then larger as it falls back down. 

Your hand catches it and throws it back up into the air, repeating the same process as the tv plays on monotonously from the corner of the room.

Boredom has been washed over you for the past few days. Your girlfriends went on a mission last week. You were able to pass the time during the first week, keeping yourself distracted by hanging around the team, training with Steve, going for a run every time your fingers twitched towards the cigarettes you had hidden in your closet. All of that was failing to work right now.

It seems, though, that you don’t have to suffer through it much longer. F.R.I.D.A.Y chimes up after hours of quiet with an alert that Natasha and Wanda were back and heading to the room. 

You instantly perk up, pushing yourself to a sitting position on the bed and glancing at the door frequently, ready for your girls to walk in. Except they don’t.

The gleeful, happy to be home, response you were expecting is replaced by their clearly upset demeanors. A frown sits on Wanda’s face like you’ve never seen and Natasha’s expression remains neutral. 

They don’t acknowledge you save for a glance in your direction. Both of them go into the closet and quickly change into more comfortable clothes. In an instant afterwards they’re leaving out. And you’re left beyond confused.

With the possible reasons for their behavior and clear attitudes in your head, you don’t take offense to it. You give them some time to cool off, going back to tossing your ball in the air and catching it as you watch tv. 

Around an hour or two later you decide they’re fine now, or at least fine enough to talk to. So you get up, heading first to the kitchen to grab a bottle of cold water and then to the general training room. 

The sound of familiar huffs and the pounding of fists against a leather bag let’s you know your assumption was right. Your redheaded love is off to the fair side of the gym, headphones in her ears as she beats on the punching bag. 

You smirk at the sight of her. Not only do her yoga pants and sports bra look great on her, you always find her focused and slightly aggressive expression kind of hot. She glances at you as you approach and you know she can hear you despite her headphones.

Stopping behind the bag, you lean on it, showing off your smirk to the woman.“ If you really want to work off your frustrations I can think of a good way to do so.” Natasha grunts, rolling her eyes and focusing on punching the bag. 

With a sigh, you move to her side, gently taking her taped up hands and moving in front of her. Forest green eyes look into yours and you give her your best encouraging smile. She knows what your silent question is and sighs.

“The mission went south. We suffered a civilian casualty and others got hurt.” Her expression and tone remain neutral but obviously she’s upset about this. It isn’t her first time dealing with this kind of thing from a mission but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t hate every bit of it. 

“I’m sorry to hear that baby.” You raise your hands to her arms and gently rub them, squeezing a little in between.

Natasha’s heart warms at your soft comforts.“ I’ll be okay. Wan is more torn up than I am. She-” The woman shakes her head,“ she blames herself.” 

You frown, prepared to ask for more details. Then you figure you can ask the girlfriend who’s more deeply affected by it. 

“I’ll go talk to her.” Natasha nods at your words.“ You gonna be okay?” A teasing smile forms on your lips.“ I know you’re my super tough ex-assassin but I’m here if you want to talk.”

Her lips tug up in the corner at your teasing words, but it quickly becomes a sincere smile when you offer your ear. Slowly reaching up, she runs the pad of her thumb along the apple of your cheek.“ I’m okay detka. I’ll let you know if I need to talk. Or your other services.” 

You chuckle softly and nod. Leaning forward, you press a soft, quick kiss to her lips and part, heading off to find your other girlfriend. The not so tough witchy one you love just as much. 

Finding the woman proved to be a little harder than you thought it would be. She wasn’t in any of the places you thought she would be in: the library, the theater, the common room. You wrack your brain for ideas as to where she is and when the last place pops into mind, you can’t believe you hadn’t thought of it first.

It’s a quick jog to the elevator and an even shorter ride up to the top floor. From there you take the stairs up to the roof. 

She’d stolen this spot from you a few months after you started dating. She and Natasha found you up there smoking once and through the year and a half she would find you up here, sometimes sneaking a smoke when you shouldn’t be. 

Her long brown tresses fall down her back freely, the rest of her beauty hidden as she faces away from you. Though you still find her insanely cute that she’s in your hoodie and some stretch pants. 

The long slow straightening of her form clues you in on her deep breath, her body relaxing as she lets it go. You only get a little confused when she pauses and does it again. A thought that you’re unsure of, but the physical cues make you curious. The familiar movement of her arm, the deep breath, the pause. 

“Wan?” You call with an indescribable look on your face. 

Your brunette girlfriend’s shoulders drop and she turns to you. Immediately your eyes focus on the small cylinder in between her fingers, watching as it rises and rests between her lips. 

She takes a quick pull, pauses, let’s a little smoke go, then it all comes out in a straight shot that disperses in the air. It’s such a smooth combination of actions that leaves you wondering if she’d done this before. 

Deciding to hold your comment on that until after she’s completely calm, you take a different route. Approaching her still pacing form, you cross your arms and ask,“ was it that bad?” 

A snort leaves her lips and she takes another drag.“ Worse.” 

“Tell me.” Your hand reaches for her free one and you pull her towards you as you sit on the ledge of the roof. 

Her hand squeezes yours. Your eyes drop from her green ones to her lips as they wrap around the cylinder again, cheeks caving a little, then her lips puckering slightly as she pushes the smoke out. 

“I heard Natasha get hurt,” she starts, fingers once again tightening around yours,“ I looked away for a split second and he got away. We caught him but not until after he shot the tires out on a car. It flipped and crashed into another one.” Her jaw clenches, eyes glossing with tears.“ He hurt a man and his son and- and killed a woman.”

A heavy sigh leaves your lips and you stand, pulling her a little closer to your form. You’d been down this road a number of times. Being on the Avengers team since the beginning almost, you know exactly what it’s like to make a mistake and have others pay for it. It was a deep hole that never ceased to make you hate yourself. But you didn’t want Wanda feeling that way. 

“Hey,” you reach a hand up to cup her cheek, looking into her eyes,“ I know that it hurts. And it’s easy to blame yourself. But it’s not your fault. He made the choices that resulted in that woman losing her life, not you.” 

“But I’m supposed to be the hero. I’m supposed to save people. And I didn’t.” Her accent thickens as she gets choked up, eyes glossing over.

You sigh, taking the cigarette from her hand and putting it out on the ledge, then pull her into your arms. Her head rests on your shoulder and her hands slip up to your shoulder blades.“ You are a hero. A great hero. However, you’re not a perfect one. None of us are. It sucks in situations like this but you can’t save everyone no matter how much we want to. It doesn’t make you a bad person or any less of a hero.”

From the flicker of emotions in her eyes, you can tell it’s still going to take some time for her to cope with this. Still though you see a glimpse of that soft look and you can also see that she believes you to a certain extent.

Raising your hand, you gently push the corner of her lips up. She whines and turns her head away, noncommittally pushing at your side. It makes you laugh and she presses her forehead against your chest.

“Wanna tell me where you got that cigarette from?” You ask. 

She pulls away, producing a pack of cigarettes. Brows furrowing, you flip the top up and count the cigarettes inside. There were four missing.

“Did you smoke four whole cigarettes before I got up here?” An incredulous tone laces your words, disbelief flooding your system. 

Has your habit rubbed off on her? You know she and Nat found it attractive but did that lead Wanda to try it? It’s a terribly unhealthy habit, which is why your girlfriends wanted you to stop, and you certainly didn’t want Wanda getting into it.

“No, I didn’t smoke four. I got these from your boot in the closet,” she tells you.“ Which means you smoked them.”

“I-” you try to think of what to say.“ That was over the course of a few weeks. I haven’t had one in months though.” You know you didn’t need to give her an explanation but you wanted her to know you were still doing well. 

Wanda and Natasha were very well aware of your progression towards quitting. They could even tell the difference in your behavior. Both women were incredibly proud and admittedly you were proud of yourself as well. You had confidence you would be able to completely quit in the fairly near future. 

The younger woman smiles softly at you,“ I know you haven’t. And you don’t have to worry about me starting. It’s actually very nasty and I didn’t feel it did anything for my stress.” 

“Good. I don’t want you forming an addiction and I don’t want to die if Nat found out you’d started by smoking my cigarettes.” 

“She knows now.” 

Nearly jumping a foot in the air, you turn around to see your other girlfriend smirking a little at you. A nervous chuckle leaves your lips and you scratch the back of your neck. 

Rolling her eyes, Natasha steps to the side to stand beside you and Wanda. Her hand slipping into yours, the other held up towards Wanda. 

Wanda sighs and places the pack of cigarettes in Natasha’s hand. The redhead pockets them then takes the younger woman’s hand.“ Neither of you smoke again.” She states plainly. 

Looking at Wanda, you both nod.“ Never again Miss Romanoff.” You and Wanda say simultaneously, bright smiles shown to Natasha.

It’d be harder than that for you but not impossible. Especially not with the support and encouragement of the two women you loved and needed the most.

* * * * * *

Taglist: @owloftheshadows​ @natasha-danvers​ @blackxwidowsxwife​ @yumusak-yastik​ @b-5by5​ @fayhar​ @lostandsearching​ @iliketozoneout​ @ecruzsalaz

[oro-e-diamanti]

Quiet Music: Leggiero (Chapter Three)

aIn collaboration with @bethanysnow

Small touches, looks, and wine-soaked daydreams lead to whispered conversations on balconies' edge. Put out cigarettes in the middle of the night. Let lips touch as palms do - eventually...

Content | Fluff

Pairing | fem!Reader x Damiano

Word count | 7111

Tag list | @damianodavide @lizstans @unitermoonshine @its-afucking-mess @ethaneskin @dont-let-me-drown-in-you@vampirtet @lividisuigomiti @juststalking @tabi-toast @ethan-torchio-angelo @cheese-toastie-11 @thewitchinthemountain @ethanesimp @sofckinelectric @man3skin @daddydamiano @finelinejpm @superchrystaldrug @ginny-lily @everythingisdefinitelynotfine @nientedaridere @rainbowmarta @tiaamberxx @shaunthesheesh @enjcltaire @rocketqueen @aleksanderwh0r3 @dacey0eg @damianodavidhands @megann-duff @teatrodellavita @coven-daddy @till-you-scream-and-cry @solasullabarca @fanfictionandfluff @makapaka11 @slave4yourlove @geklutst-ei @bidet-and-legolas @ginny-lily

***

The bus rumbled underneath Damiano as he turned around in his bunk, the humming of the vehicle drowning out the clatter and chatter of his bandmates in the background. His head was pounding, but less because of the little alcohol he had consumed the night before and more because of the thoughts that had kept him up all night. This morning, he had made sure to be up before Y/n would come around for her wake up call, got ready and then all but crawled into the bunk on his bus for more sleep. They would play a gig in the evening, but for now he was thankful for the 6-hour drive to Oslo with nothing to do.

He could almost feel himself drifting off, body tired out and mind exhausted, but instead all that he saw when he closed his eyes were scenes from last night.

The room was filled with laughter. Music and Vic’s singing, as Damiano let himself fall onto the bed next to Y/n. She looked gorgeous, hair down, relaxing, a champagne flute in her hand and a slight smile on her face. Even though he knew she’d be worrying about what Thomas was doing to the room and how she was going to get them out of bed the next morning. But mostly she was just gorgeous and he told her so.

His hand reached out before the contemplation of this action had been finished in his brain. The adrenaline from the first show of the tour had him flying, soaring, and there was nothing that could possibly bring him down. Her eyes showed surprise but she didn’t pull away as he put a strand of her hand behind her ear. The gesture was small but Damiano felt like he was on fire, briefly stroking the soft skin under his fingers before pulling back.

He found himself babbling about his hair, but he was much more interested in what she had to say. He wished she would talk about herself more often - so much of his personality was so out there, so much information about himself was literally out there, in magazines and interviews and photos, but she had her walls up, even when they were joking, even when she seemed to be talking freely.

“You’re getting more interesting with every second I’m around you, you know?” The words slipped out of his mouth so easily. She went over it just as easily. Did she not care? Did she not find him interesting? He had hoped for some sort of reply or reaction, but she just continued talking. Maybe she wasn’t interested in him… His brain only allowed the thought for a minute. No, he told himself, she simply was this way. Cool, calm, collected. He was sure he would be able to get her out of her shell further one of these days. He wasn’t going to stop trying.

Next thing he knew, she had thrust her phone into his hand, some picture of her from years ago. He didn’t care much about the outfit or the makeup or the questionable hair, it was her smile that drew him in. There was something carefree about it, something unabashedly confident, something she seemed to have lost since then. There was no way back for him he realised in that moment - it might as well have been this woman or no other ever again.

Next thing he knew, he was complimenting her again, calling her darling, but this time he didn’t have to wait long for a reaction. The drink that had been in her mouth just a second ago was now spluttered on her clothes and some of the bedding. He was about to ask her if she was alright, but she had jumped up from the bed, hands trying to hide her reddening face, and dashed to the bathroom.

Fuck, what happened?

“Damiano! What did you do to the poor girl!” Vic shouted in amusement from across the room. He simply waved it off. He wasn’t actually sure what he had done and it bothered him more than he would like to admit - especially in front of his bandmates. Maybe he had come on too strong, tried too hard, had made it awkward. His plan had been to pay her compliments - not scare her away with them. He would have to reconsider his course of action.

When she came back, it was only to say a quick goodnight, waving and leaving. She only spared him a brief glance, no smile or any reassurance that they were fine.

It had not stopped going through his mind. This morning, she had pretended like nothing had happened, but he knew she had been avoiding his gaze and her smiles didn’t seem quite as genuine as they did before. Damiano let out a low groan into his pillow. This was a mess and a half.

The curtain of his bunk was drawn back harshly, revealing Ethan’s face.

“Why would you scare me like that!” Damiano complained. “I could be jacking off in here!”

“Well, I want to assume you wouldn’t do that in a semi-public space such as this,” Ethan replied with contemplation on his face.

“What do you want anyway?”

“Victoria sent me and told me to tell you, I quote,” Ethan cleared his throat. “‘Stop moping, Damiano, it’s no fun'. So, there you go.”

Without another word, Ethan turned back around, leaving the curtain open, and walked back into the kitchenette of the bus. Out of the corner of his eye, Damiano could see him stealing a bit of fruit from the fruit bowl. He felt no motivation to join them.

***

“He alright?” Y/n whispered to Thomas, who was sitting close to her, guitar on his lap. He just shrugged. Ethan rejoined the group with an unreadable expression on his face, sitting down next to Victoria. Y/n shot him another concerned look, but he simply shrugged as well. She shook her head and got up from her spot, walking over to the counter to make breakfast for everyone. Getting out the waffle maker. Putting the Moka pot on the stove and filling it with water. Too early in the morning for rock and roll. In the background, she could hear the band discussing rehearsals and the show in Oslo.

As soon as the smell of food hit the three bandmates, they were all over Y/n, hovering around the little kitchenette, pushing and shoving each other to be first. Y/n looked at all of them in turn. Thomas was currently standing on the couch, raising his hand to smack an unsuspecting Vic who was looking the other way. A single raised brow from Y/n got him back down onto the ground.

“Hey! I’m older, I go first!” Victoria pushed Thomas back.

“Maybe, but it still took your mum nine months to think of a good joke,” Thomas retorted.

Ethan turned around, chuckling at his friends’ banter - but Y/n’s reaction was far more blatant. She started to laugh, a loud, almost cackle that the band had never heard before. Her smile easily reached her eyes and she gave a little applause at Thomas’ joke. “I- I;” she gasped in between laughs, “I know it’s not that funny but it just got me, sorry!” Finally managing to bite her tongue, she went back to serving breakfast.

Out of the corner of her eye, Y/n saw Damiano leaning so far out of his bunk to find out where the sounds and the laughter were coming from. The driver though couldn’t have known it was a bad moment to go over a pothole. With a loud thud, Damiano crashed out from his bunk and onto the hard floor. Chili, excited at the prospect of being able to reach him, ran over to lick his face.

“Eh! Chili, hi. Vic! Come get your dog!” He groaned, picking up the golden fluff and sending it back to her owner. She trotted away happily, over towards Victoria, who was a giggling mess after seeing her friend’s fall. He rolled his eyes at her grin.

“You gonna come join us, sleepy boy? I made coffee,” Y/n said, still trying to keep the peace between everyone. Pouring coffee into a mug, she walked over to Damiano and bent down, handing him the beverage. “I don’t really care if you want to spend the entire day on the floor, but I think your fans might tonight. So come join the party, hm?” Her voice was soft and enticing. Damiano’s eyes sparkled at her invitation. But still, his face was burning red. He sighed and nodded.

Y/n stepped back, taking the cup after he had taken a long sip, and reached her hand out to him. With a swift movement, Damiano was back up on his feet, immediately losing his balance and crashing into Y/n’s shoulder. More blushing on his part. He had not been expecting this amount of strength from her. Not caring about his little bump into her, she dusted him off, picking some fuzz out of his hair, her hand so close to his face, yet so far. She handed him the coffee once again and gave him a smile, before going back to her little corner on the bus as everyone devoured their breakfast.

Damiano watched as she tidied up after everyone had finished, constantly making sure what was effectively their home during tour would stay homely. She always looked like she belonged, and he admired her for that. After one last wipe down of the counter, she quickly addressed everyone on the bus, asking if she was needed for anything else right now, and after a round of head-shaking from everyone, she grabbed her laptop and retired to a quiet corner on the bus. It was only when she briefly looked up to find his eyes and gave a slight smile that he realised he was still watching her every move. Embarrassing, he scolded himself.

Damiano started fumbling for his bag, grabbing a notebook and a pen. He had too many thoughts running around in his head, too many images and ideas about Y/n, and he felt like the only way to get rid of them was to write. Maybe he’d even be able to make something out of it. Anything would be better than staring and dreaming about her anyway.

***

Two more hours until Oslo. With a heavy sigh, Y/n pushed the laptop away from her, neck cracking as she finally moved her bones a little. Suddenly, a pair of hands came down onto her shoulders. She only flinched for a moment before she realised it was Damiano, slowly starting to massage her tense flesh. Her head fell forward and she waved her hand to have him keep going. His fingertips digging into hours of uni work, work work, other work. Tension all living in her neck being slowly worked away by the singer.

"I'm not gonna turn down a free massage," she chuckled, feeling his talented fingers remove knot after knot. Then, suddenly, they became softer. She could hear Thomas in the background shouting something at Damiano. Taking his attention away from her, and all it left was soft fingertips on the sensitive skin on her neck. Dancing along and leaving goosebumps in their wake without him even knowing what he was doing to her. She shivered under such a light touch. A groan left her lips as she was falling deeper under his spell. At this point, she didn’t care. A very pretty man was smoothing his hands over her neck and shoulders and it was nothing short of lovely. Normally this wouldn’t be on Y/n's top list of things she would allow - but a 6-hour bus ride and sitting in one place for most of it was a killer.

I could fall asleep like this - fuck…

She was snapped back to reality when she realised that Damiano was once again staring at her screen, asking what she was working on, hands never moving from their position. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to concentrate like this.

“Oh, I’ve, um,” she awkwardly fumbled with the laptop, “I’ve been trying to memorise this sonnet. I’m doing a course on Shakespeare this semester and we’ve been told to pick our favourite by him and I think I finally decided on mine. It’s Sonnet 128 - um. One of the only sonnets to give you an actual scene in place. It’s from the perspective of this guy watching a bard and just craving to be touched, used, kissed by this person. To have the same sort of attentive mastery be directed at him instead of the player’s instrument. Describing the person listening to this bard play… Wait, would you just like me to read it to you?” Y/n looked up at Damiano. He nodded as he slid into the seat beside her. She moved the laptop so she could see its screen still and began to speak.

***

Sitting next to her wasn’t as bad as Damiano thought. After working on her neck and shoulders, her perfume had rubbed off onto his skin. Light and warm, not super floral, but he didn’t peg Y/n to be a flower kind of woman anyway. Looking at her face now, he noticed things he hadn’t seen before. Faint freckles, little lines around her eyes, the pink tint on her lips. Her hair was done up again in a bun. He could see a couple of bobby pins trying to hide in her wild hair. Then she started to recite the piece and his chest was exploding. He felt as if he was watching winter melt away and spring come.

“How oft, when thou, my music, music play’st”

Oh, what he would do to be her muse, Damiano thought. Her voice, low and soft, was like music itself to him, never mind the way her eyes lit up at the words she repeated from the screen. A little light inside of her, one he hadn’t encountered before.

“Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds With thy sweet fingers, when thou gently sway’st”

Her fingers were just as sweet, his mind piped up as he tried to listen to her more closely. Some light polish on her nails that he hadn’t noticed before, but now that she was scrolling through the laptop, it was like he couldn’t keep his eyes off them. Quickly exploring images of them tangled in his hair, scratching down his back ever so slightly. Stop, he told in his own head in vain. Just stop and listen, for once. Yet the ideas of her he had hidden away kept demanding attention.

“The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,

Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap

To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,”

He tried so hard to concentrate. To listen, to take in the words she was reciting, to grasp their meaning and what they meant to her, but it was hard, getting harder. In an uncalculated move on his part, his arm swung around her shoulders, not pulling her closer, just letting her know he was there, right now, right here, with her. His hand resting on her upper arms, feeling the warmth underneath the fabric of her blouse.

“Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap,

At the wood’s boldness by thee blushing stand!”

His eyes travelled up from her fingers, over her soft and curvy figure, her delicate neck, to her blushing face. She was blushing an awful lot with him and he had not yet figured out completely if this was a good sign or not. Either way, he thought she looked adorable, a natural pink on her cheeks. Slightly restless eye movements that didn’t match up to the words she was reading, a certain nervousness overtaking her. He wanted to make her blush like that for the rest of his life if he could. He silently wondered if she would blush that much if… if it was just the two of them, alone in some random hotel room, a whole world of exploration before them.

“To be so tickled, they would change their state

And situation with those dancing chips,

O’er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,

Making dead wood more blest than living lips.”

His eyes betrayed him, flicking down to her lips as soon as she said the word. Soft, a light tint on them, pronouncing every syllable in the most mindful way. He wondered if she would let him kiss her. What. His brain flickered between two emotions. Yes, yes, yes. He would give everything to feel her sweet mouth on his, getting her close, inhaling her scent, pouring his every thought into a kiss. No. What was he thinking? She was their assistant. Strong, gorgeous, fiercely independent, and surely not interested. Right? He couldn’t help wondering. Would she let him kiss her? Would she want him to? Had she thought about it, the way he was right now?

“Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,

Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.”

Their eyes met and Damiano hadn’t even noticed how much closer he had edged towards her. It would only take a little bit, one more breather, a tiny motion, to put his lips on her, to feel what she was feeling, and the way she looked at him had him craving, obsessing and he almost dared himself to do it, when a voice pulled him out of his thoughts, pulled him away from her.

“Y/N! I don’t understand how the waffle maker works!”

Damiano had never wanted to kill his bandmate more than at that moment. With a groan he turned around, seeing Thomas fumble with the appliances in their little kitchen area, a dumbstruck look on his face, and puppy dog eyes pleading Y/n for help. She only gave a low chuckle, before getting up and walking over to the guitarist, leaving Damiano with a head full of thoughts that all circled around her.

***

That was close, Jesus Christ! My face is so warm… how are his eyes that pretty? How have I never noticed that before? I wonder if he was thinking about the same thing as I was back there…

***

The crowd was roaring out by the main stage. Crew held their places waiting for the queue to go. The band stood off stage trying to sneak a peek at the audience. Hundreds more people than they were expecting. Y/n sat in a metal chair that was dubbed ‘her chair’ so she could watch the performance from behind the main curtain to cheer the band on without being seen. The lights in the main room were being lowered, the playlist that had been on in the background slowly being turned off, as the noise of the audience got impossibly louder. The band was getting nervous now, the good kind of nervous. Thomas jumping around to get his energy levels up before they would get the sign to get on stage. Y/n smiled at them in turn, returning a little wave Ethan was giving her. Just as they were given the go-ahead, and all of them started to jog on stage, Damiano took a little detour, sending her a smile that would set all the butterflies free in her stomach, before pressing a little kiss to her forehead. He was gone before she had a chance to react. Yet, she froze. Damiano looked back and it was the most perplexed, confused, and adorable expression he had ever seen on her.

It was an expression Damiano couldn’t get out of his head for the rest of the concert, even long after she had lost it - and he knew she had because he couldn’t keep himself from looking over at her every now and again. He was fascinated by the way she watched them.

And if she was watching? Well, then he was going to put on a show.

He pulled all the tricks he knew - well those that were fitted to the situation and venue. During one of their songs, he decided to pull his favourite one. With a low grunt, he ripped his shirt apart, throwing it across the stage, unable to wipe the smile off his face. Until he looked over to where his top had landed and his eyes fell onto Y/n, standing beside the stage, now with a performance-rich torn tank top on her face. Maybe his aim had been a little off. The look on her face as she removed the fabric made him laugh. At least she isn’t hiding now, he thought, before going back to the song.

During “You need me, I don’t need you”, one of the covers they had chosen for the night, he couldn’t fight the grin, knowing his favourite lyric of the night was coming up.

“Melody music maker, reading all the papers, they say I’m up and coming like I’m fucking in an elevator.”

Where Damiano would usually take the chance to suggestively hump the mic stand and focus on the audience, this time he did it while looking straight at Y/n. Her face clouded red, eyes looking at him with a flustered glare. He simply winked at her.

Similar things kept happening throughout the night, any song to do with sex or romance, any innuendo, it was all directed at her. To him, it was all about her all the time, and he made sure to let her know.

***

After one last encore, the band left the stage, the sound of the crowd chanting their names in the background. Once backstage, they all exchanged hugs, all pumped up from the adrenaline and the successful show. A massive gift basket sat in the corner, filled with beers, chocolates, some skincare products, and flowers, along with a note from the venue welcoming them to Oslo and thanking them for playing. Vic immediately grabbed Y/n.

“When we get back to the hotel - up for a girl’s night?” Wriggling her eyebrows at the assistant, she picked out some of the products from the red tulle in the basket.

“As if I could say no to you.”

***

“Okay, what’s first, face mask or red wine?” Victoria asked, holding up both items in her hands as she followed Y/n into the hotel room, Chili yapping at both of their feet, dying to get attention from anyone.

“I will pour the wine if you open the face mask stuff,” Y/n decided, picking up Chili for some snuggles, before putting the dog down on the bed and grabbing the wine glasses. “Don’t have a girls' night often, so this is nice.”

“I keep having them with the boys but it’s not really the same,” Vic laughed. “They never want me to pluck their eyebrows or anything! Oh, and please be careful with the wine around Chili, I drenched her once and it didn’t come out of her fur for ages.”

“You - you did what now? Wait, nope, I don’t wanna know. But to be honest, I would kill to get Ethan on my lap with some tweezers in my hand. Boy, does he need it. Not by much, sweet guy. Just, uh, you know?” Within a moment or two wine was being poured and handed to the blonde. “I didn’t know how much you would want but we can always add more,” Y/n stated, hopping onto the bed next to Vic.

“Oh, very sweet guy with unpredictable hair, really!” Vic said, grabbing the glass and downing more than half of it in one go already, before sitting down next to Y/n with the little pot she had opened and a little applicator for the cream. “That’s so fancy, I usually just slap it on my face with my fingers.”

“Same! Thinking we’re posh fucks, aren’t they?” Y/n grinned, looking at the tiny skincare items, another sip of wine. Chili curled up between the two women. “You looked like you had fun at the concert.”

“It’s so good to be back on the road and I feel like we’ve really found ourselves as a band now. We’ve only played two shows but it’s already my favourite tour. I’m convinced it’s because you’re here, too, by the way, you really fit in with us,” Victoria smiled at her, sipping from the glass, then putting it away on the nightstand and motioning for Y/n to do the same. “Come here, I’m gonna do your face.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t say that. You guys have been absolutely killing it. You got here by your own accomplishments and will, that’s hard to do. I am far more surprised at how well I’ve been able to fit in with you all. I’m, uh, as you can see,” putting the glass away, she scooted to face Victoria, “not as… ‘rock and roll’ and I would have assumed you’d want your assistant to be. But glad I got stuck with you though.”

“Oh, shush,” Vic said, sternly, as she began applying the cream to Y/n’s face. “You fit in just fine. Firstly, I think we definitely need someone to keep us grounded a bit sometimes and secondly, I am absolutely convinced there’s a lot more rock and roll in you than you think - you just wait until you’ve been exposed to us for longer, you’ll see!”

“Well, I agree with the grounded part. You realise that today during breakfast Thomas was climbing on the sofa about to smack your head just to get further in line? That boy does not stop.” She relaxed into Vic’s touch, silently deciding that girls' nights needed to be a more regular thing. This was great. “Ethan said something similar - something about ‘head banging right along with everyone else’. You all have it out for me don’t you?!” She asked, putting on an overly dramatic, surprised look.

“No, he didn’t!” She exclaimed, astounded. “I’m gonna get him back for that tomorrow. Anyway, Ethan was right, you won’t be able to resist our bad influence forever, Y/n! So, have you been to gigs before taking this job, or is this still something new to you?”

“I have been to gigs before, but they were more music festivals, and I was never one for EDM or anything. The heat and lots of glittery, sweaty people drunk on warm beer? No, thank you. Or they would get a new assistant for a tour and the job would end. Not in a bad way, it's just how it is as an assistant. You do your job until they don’t need you anymore.” She shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s the wine or you, but I don’t think I’ve talked this much about myself really since I started this job. Not this particular job, mind you, but the whole P.A. thing.” Y/n chuckled, pulling her hair back into a tighter ponytail to keep out of the way of the fancy skincare.

“Hm, now I just keep thinking of putting glitter on you and getting you in the middle of a good punk gig one of these days,” Vic giggled as she finished up Y/n’s facemask, motioning for her to return the favour. “Let’s make the most of this wine then, I’m going to pour you another glass and you tell me a bit more about yourself.”

Grabbing the little pot of face mask, Y/n gently held Vic’s face, slowly applying the cream. “I’m going to be an alcoholic by the end of the tour, aren’t I? Um, well, I had a boyfriend, he was a prick, we broke up. My best friend lives in London in our old flat. My favourite films are old Hollywood romances. ‘Singing in the rain’, stuff like that. I dunno really. I’m just Y/n. Though I was thinking we should find a way to line Damiano’s trousers so that if they - when they rip apart, you see the lining and not the man’s underwear. Not that I think he cares, actually.” She truly was unable to turn work off completely, even on a night off.

Victoria couldn’t contain the giggle, receiving a scolding look from Y/n, who almost put the cream in her hair by mistake. “Thinking about Damiano’s underwear a lot, huh? Can’t blame you, that man is as pretty as they come. You can be happy they’ve all not gotten to the point where they just hang out on the tour bus in just their boxer shorts, but believe me, that day will come sooner or later!”

“I have not!” She insisted as her face betrayed her, telling a completely different story. “That is unprofessional and objectifying. I hope it doesn’t happen at all. You saw my face before when you all decided to ‘put on a little show’ in the dressing room.” She took the glass from Vic to take a sip. “Anyway.” She started blending out the face mask with fingers, careful not to get it into Victoria’s hair. “Would there be anything you want to know? I am never good at talking about myself.”

Chili nuzzled into Victoria’s leg, getting more needy. “I don’t want to cross any boundaries here, but honestly - why do you work so hard? I’ve only known you for like three days but you never seem to relax, you’re always either busy working for us or working on your projects and when you have a minute to breathe you end up cleaning after us or just going above and beyond taking care of us. I’m not complaining,” she held her hands up, laughing. “It’s great, but it’s a lot, huh?”

“Um… I can’t lie. Not to you or the band. Lying isn’t good for you anyway. But.. I don’t know. Lots of stuff happened before I moved to Italy. Lots of not-so-good stuff. So, I had a lot of reserved pent-up energy, still do. So I had to find ways to put it into things. Now I put it into my work because it’s my new dream. I put it into the band because I care about you. I want to see this tour do well…” Y/n stopped for a moment, caught off guard by the question, looking back and forth between Victoria and her own reflection in the wine. “I want to prove to myself that I can achieve and be successful. I am also a giant workaholic, though, like it’s bad,” she giggled, as Chili now put a paw on Vic’s thigh, demanding attention.

“Well, if you gotta do that whole workaholic thing, I’m glad you’re doing it for us,” Vic smiled, placing a soft hand on Y/n’s arm. “Just make sure to make some time to let loose every now and again. I’m sure any of us would be happy to help you with that.” She turned on her phone to check the time. “I should probably get this mask off now, give me a second,” she explained before getting up and skipping to the bathroom sink.

“Yeah, that’d be good,” Y/n said, also taking note of the time. “Doesn’t Chili need to go out now? There’s no grass on the balcony or I’d let her do her business here.” She stood up, placing the wine glasses on a little counter, trying to force the cork back into the bottle. “Thank you for tonight though, we should make it a thing.”

“Yeah, I’ll take her out for her evening walk now.” Victoria came back, hair slightly damp from where she had washed her face too hastily. “But let’s definitely do this again, next to Ethan you’re like the most calming person on this tour to hang out with.” She moved to give her a hug, only to realise Y/n still had the mask on, so instead, she opted for an awkward shoulder rub and a giggle. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“You do realise it is my job to follow you around and see you tomorrow? Like, that is what I am paid to do. But hell, I’d still do it if it wasn’t my job,” she smiled, nudging Vic’s shoulder. “Now go get Chili out and then get some sleep yeah? Important things like sleep, food, water, everything you people seem to keep forgetting about!”

“Well, that’s what we have you for now, don’t we?” Victoria laughed, picking up a whining Chili and already halfway out the door. “But you get some sleep too! No working through the night, I am ordering you to bed - as your boss!”

“Of course!” Y/n laughed, shutting the door behind the bassist. After taking off her mask, she put the rest of Vic’s leftover wine into her glass and went out onto the balcony with her laptop. Pulling out all the bobby pins and the hair tie, she ran her fingers through her hair, brushing out the knots and letting it hang loose. The light from the sunset had long been gone by the time they had gotten to the hotel. Only street lights and the blue screen were illuminating the space of the balcony. The outdoor space was large enough for a table and chairs. The street down below was faintly noisy as people and cars passed by, but not enough to disturb her peace and quiet.

***

So much for an early night, Damiano thought, staring at the screen of his phone, as Ethan slept soundly in the next bed. With a sigh, he kicked the blanket off his legs, grabbing a pack of cigarettes from the nightstand, and sneaking out onto the balcony without waking his bandmate. Maybe a smoke would help. His eyes drifted from the rather unspectacular view out front to where he noticed movement to his right, only to see Y/n on her own balcony, right next to his.

Y/n was relaxing in her chair, glass of wine in her hands, mouthing the words to something on the computer in front of her. Entirely focused on whatever she was working on, she didn’t notice Damiano’s door opening and closing. She took a drink of her wine, leaving a dark red stain on her lips, then stood up to face the street. Laptop on her arm and looking outward, she mumbled the words on the screen to herself. He just about managed to make out what she was saying.

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with brief- Wait, no. Grief. Okay.” She cleared her throat. “Who is already sick and pale with grief. Stupid tiny font is gonna be de death of me,” she mumbled, trying to zoom into the text.

Damiano watched her, a chuckle on his lips, both amused and amazed at seeing her play out the scene on her own. With a quick flick of his lighter, he turned to his cigarette, taking a drag, wide awake. The low light of the moon was illuminating her figure and her hazy movements and for a while he allowed himself to simply be fascinated by her. By the way she moved. Performing fully committed to the open air. Then she made a particularly dramatic, sweeping gesture in her monologue and he knew he couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“Hey there, Juliet.”

The surprise went through her like an electric shock, she was stumbling over nothing, almost dropping the laptop from her arms, as she turned around towards him so fast, he was sure her hair was going to give her whiplash.

“Ah fuck - Damiano?!” She gasped delicately into the night. “You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days!”

Hopefully, for very different reasons, he thought to himself.

“Sorry,” he sheepishly replied. “What are you doing? It’s almost 2 am.”

“You know I could very well ask you the same thing.” She looked at him accusingly. “If you didn’t have the day off tomorrow I’d be ordering you back to bed immediately.”

Damiano briefly considered a suggestive comment, but instead, let the cigarette between his lips keep him quiet. Y/n was putting her laptop away now, sinking back down into the lounge chair as he walked over to the edge of his own balcony, leaning over the railing to get a better look at her.

“You know I’ve not forgiven you for your antics at the concert tonight yet,” she suddenly stated, pulling him from his thoughts. The smirk flashed over his face naturally. He wondered if she was blushing again, but the little light the moon and her laptop screen gave off didn’t tell him anything. He was hoping she was.

“I promise I didn’t mean to hit your face with my top,” he laughed.

“But you obviously did mean everything else you did!” An accusing finger was pointed his way. “I did not appreciate that.”

For a second he flinched, wondering if he had gone too far, crossing a boundary. But then she looked back at him with a smile she was obviously trying to push away, unsuccessfully. Glass of wine in her hand, she sauntered over to him, while he put out his cigarette on the railing. She leant over her own railing, mirroring his movements. At a slow pace, like she knew he was watching, she sipped from her glass. His eyes falling to the way her neck was exposed as she threw her head back, tracing the soft skin with his glances until she set down the drink. There was a droplet of red wine on her lip and he wished their balconies were closer together, fantasising about reaching out and wiping it away, feeling just how soft she would be under his touch.

“Not that… I didn’t like it.” She paused. “Also not the first time I’ve been hit in the face with a shirt. So there’s that.” Y/n laughed.

“Now you’ve got me curious - who else would hit you with a shirt? Are you trying to tell me you’ve been to strip clubs?” Damiano laughed. Teasing her came easy to him.

“Dancers. With aim as terrible as yours, Mr. David. And I don’t know if you want the answer to the second question,” she smirked. When they were alone like this, she seemed more at ease. That, or it was the wine. He didn’t know.

“Dancers, huh? Think you could teach me a thing or two? Or, you know, were you just watching, lusting over sexy men?”

“Ah! I would do nothing of the sort. Most of the guys there weren’t into girls anyway. Wouldn’t do me much good… Damiano, I could teach a lot of things. You to dance? God help us all.” She made a dramatic cross across her body, laughter twinkling in her eyes.

“Now, Y/n, I’d let you teach me whatever you wanted,” he winked. “Preferably something… active, hm?” He could keep from laughing as he saw her unimpressed face, staring him down and shaking her head. He’d rile her up for the rest of his life if she gave him the chance.

“I once met this Italian guy, came to the studio. Thought he was God’s gift to dance. But you Italians all have that, bravado, confidence, whatever you wanna call it. Well, after learning the first intermediate step, he fell flat on his face and went back to beginner lessons. You gonna be like that?” Raising a brow at him, she leant further over the railing on her side.

Damiano puffed up his chest, comically, trying to make himself appear bigger in a useless attempt to impress her. “Now, you’ve obviously not met the right Italians yet, amore mio. Sounds to me like you need a real Italian to show you the way.”

Just like this morning, she burst out laughing, letting out cackles that filled the air with joy. “Sorry - not laughing at you. Just thought what you said was funny.” She looked down, and as dark as it was, he could see the same signs he had seen before. Shy expression, holding herself close to her body. The slight panic of not knowing what to say. “You’re real Italian, alright. You seem to always know what to say. Now is that an Italian thing or a Damiano thing?” She asked, sarcastically, to deflect the fact that her face was heating up.

Amore mio…that's what did it. He felt like he was unlocking a single puzzle piece at a time, slowly putting her together and making sense of her. He couldn’t wait to get the whole picture one of these days. “Maybe it’s a you thing,” he simply said. The night was making him strangely comfortable with being honest. “Maybe you just bring it out in me.”

“Eh - I’ve been told I bring out a lot of things, never a savant before.” She was still looking down, at her hands, starting to pick at her nail polish. Some little nervous tick that he hadn’t caught onto till now. “It’s late, you should go to sleep, Dami. I am sure that bed is missing its handsome owner right about now.” She started to look far away, picking up the wine glass and taking the last sip.

He had barely heard what she had said - too focused on her calling him Dami, for the very first time. It was like a little shudder running through him, knowing she was growing closer to him as the time passed. “Are you okay, though? I’m sure my bed will survive without me a little bit longer.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine. Don’t you worry about me, I worry enough as it is. Tomorrow is a day off, so I won’t be waking you up in the morning, bus call isn’t until later. Um, but I will be getting breakfast. Is there anything you would want?”

“As long as it involves coffee, I’m happy. I’m sure you’ll pick out the perfect thing anyway.” Damiano watched as she nodded, moving towards the balcony doors and away from him. He felt like grabbing her just to keep her there. He straightened up as well, just barely backing away from the railing. As she left he looked at the space she once occupied, feeling like he could almost make out the outline of her body where it once had been.

Amore mio...

[writing-in-april]

Erotica Explained

Spencer Reid x Female Reader (Spencer’s POV)

Summary: Spencer discovers his girlfriend’s writing.

A/N: Hey Heyyy- this is my twenty-sixth fic for my 30 fics in 30 days for April! It’s based on this request- and I did end up using a small snippet from one of my other fics! Sorry this ones out late too lol had a very difficult day. Feel free to leave me an ask here (I promise I don’t bite) Thanks for reading and hope y’all enjoy!

Warnings: 18+, Smut, Sub!Spencer, Unprotected sex, A little bit of grinding, A little bit of overstimulation, Creampie

Main Masterlist Word Count:1.7k

I don’t use technology often, if I can help it I don’t use it at all. But, I had to use it right now, there was something I needed to look up on the computer. It wasn’t for a case or anything, I was just too curious and too impatient to wait to go to the library.

Because I don’t use technology often at all, I didn’t own a personal laptop. The only one I regularly used was the one I was given at work, and that was done begrudgingly. Though I couldn’t use that one right now as I was at my apartment I shared with my girlfriend. My girlfriend however, happened to have a laptop that she wouldn’t mind me using.

When I opened up her laptop, it was already unlocked with a tab already opened. My eyes unintentionally quickly glazed over the page, my eyes widening as I flitted across the page. It was some sort of story, one that contained things that made me blush. At the end of what was visible without scrolling down it read,

His fingers twitched at his side when you blew cool air onto his length, you sneered again, “If you touch me I’ll stop.”

My own trousers started to grow a little tight after reading that, then confusion made its way into my face, wondering what in the world I was reading. I clicked around, not really knowing what I was doing and I fell into a wormhole of reading. It wasn’t until I glanced up to see who owned the documents it all clicked together. They were my girlfriend’s stories.

They were her stories about a slew of characters that already existed in other media, the first one I had read even happened to be about a Star Wars character- Poe to be specific. Once it all clicked together I slammed the computer shut, feeling like I had invaded her privacy. Then I swiftly got into a cold shower, ready to freeze my arousal and wash off my shame.

—-

My foot was tapping even crazier than normal as I sat next to my girlfriend. We had decided on a night in, choosing to order take out and watch a few movies on a rare night off for me. It was her turn to choose, and unsurprisingly she chose Star Wars.

“What’s wrong?” She asked me when I started to basically vibrate when Poe came onto the screen. I couldn’t keep it in any longer, the guilt was eating me alive sitting here while I watched a constant reminder of what I read.

“I’m sorry-“ She was about to open her mouth to probably ask me why I was apologizing, but I steamrolled over it by ranting, “I looked at your writing- the erotica you write. I- I think it’s about already existing characters? Which I hadn’t heard about before-“

She finally did get a chance to cut me off by calling out my name, getting me to stop my nervous rant, “Are you mad- that I umm am writing about someone who’s not you?”

“No! It’s natural to be attracted to different people even while you’re with someone…” I was already falling down into another rant, this time however I caught myself and found the point I had been looking for, “I actually think it’s kind of hot.”

“Oh yeah?” Her eyebrows had shot up almost high enough that they were up into her hairline. I flushed a little at that, feeling vulnerable under her gaze even though I knew she always kept me safe.

“I- um actually was wondering if you could do to me-“ The words died on my tongue when my eyes met hers again, and just by her eyes I could see that she knew what I wanted. She just wanted me to say it out loud.

“What do you want me to do to you?”

“Wh-hat I read- can you umm-?”

She didn’t let me stumble any longer, cutting off my stuttering, “You want me to do the things you read about to you?”

I nodded vigorously, but that wasn’t enough for her. She leaned forward, grabbing my cheeks between two of her fingers, then prompting me, “Use your words.”

I whimpered at that, remembering seeing it in one of her writings. I learned from the character, who had mouthed off in the fanfic, instead breathily answering, “Yes, I want you to use me like you wrote.”

Soon enough my clothes had been taken off by me as I had to follow her command to ‘strip’. She did so as well, then straddling me, starting immediately to grind on my cock. I moved my hands to her hips to try to get her to do something more, but they were quickly pushed off. She then pinned them above my head, leaning forward to whisper into my lips, “No you don’t get to touch unless I tell you too.”

“Yes, Miss!” I gasped out instantly, wanting to be perfect for her.

“Mmmm good boy.”

That made me keen even more, loving the praise she gave me a dash of, I craved her showering it onto me. She kept her course of action, grinding onto my cock until her own arousal completely soaked it. All it would take was for the head of my cock to notch at my entrance, she was so wet I could slip in easily. But, all I could do was wait until she let me have her. I’m sure if I begged she’d only smirk at me, so I kept my mouth shut and took what I was given.

She finally sunk down onto my cock, though it was excruciatingly slow. I tried to fight my instincts, keeping my hips flush with the couch so I wouldn’t get scolded for moving without permission.

When the backs of her thighs finally hit the tips of mine, I groaned unintentionally. She seemed to love it, starting to buck her hips enthusiastically at my response. My hands balled up into fists, knuckles turning white from how hard I was gripping them. It was taking so much to not cum already, her hands pinning me and how beautiful she looked above me making it overwhelming.

“Awww are you already so close? You love getting used like this don’t you?” She goaded once she realized how much I was fighting my release with my squinted eyes.

It took me a minute to find the words, as all my mind could focus on at the moment was how she felt around me. My IQ was completely slashed to 60, but I did eventually get out, “Yes miss”

She sped up her pace at my words, alternating from grinding down into me hard and bouncing vigorously on top of me. When she lent forward to give me a bruising kiss, she swallowed all the noises I was making, until she dipped her head down to mark up my collarbone. It was all too much; I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on.

“You’re such a good boy for me Spencer.” She gasped above me, writhing on my cock while she continued to bounce. It was getting so hard to bear, especially with more praise, but I wanted to wait until she came. She looked like a goddess, especially just as she was about to cum, which she soon signaled by saying, “Oh god baby, you’re gonna make me cum!”

All I could do was watch as she removed one hand from where they were wrapped around my own to rub circles into her clit. She tipped her head back, mouth dropped open in a moan, and thighs shaking as her orgasm washed over her. She shook above me for a minute, hips stuttering as she tried to continue the pace she built while her orgasm was ripping through her. Once she had come down from her release she then focused on mine, building the pace back up to be even faster than her original one.

“Go ahead and cum baby boy.” With one more swivel of her hips, I fell off the edge at her command, filling her all the way up with my release. She held my hands up above my head still and still moved her hips while I rode out my high. When she stopped her movements once I whimpered loudly out of overstimulation, she finally let go of my hands.

I let myself relax as she slumped over onto me, resting her head onto my still somewhat heaving chest. With my hands once again free I wrapped my arms around her middle, entrapping her this time.

Looking up I then noticed the movie was still going, completely unobstructed by our actions. It was towards the end of the movie already, telling me how long we had been going at it. Though I didn’t care that I missed it, I got to act out a partial storyline from it, even if it was a made up one. The movie could only hold my attention for so long, there was someone far more interesting with me.

“So are you gonna write some with me?” She giggled out while tracing her fingers up and down my chest, lingering over my sternum. Her proposition was an intriguing one for sure, especially now that she explained some of it to me. Though, I think my writing style is more suited for more of an academic setting.

I snorted a little, giggling a little myself, then brushing my hair out of my eyes so I could see them more clearly. When I tipped her chin up with my fingers and their eyes met mine, they were full of mischief. She was definitely trying to get me riled up again, but I had a quip back of my own, “I don’t think I’d be good at it- but maybe you’ll let me read from now on? I wouldn’t mind editing some as well, it sounds fun.”

Ask Me Anything

——

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Sub Spencer: @thatsonezesty13 @pastathighs @virtualpeanutartisanjudge @calm-and-doctor @princesssmooshie @peterpanouat

[kaeyas-beloved]

I Knew You Could Do It

Midoriya Izuku x Sister!Reader (Platonic/She/Her) || BnHA

Summary: Izuku shows his sister how much he’s grown in the years she was absent

Warning(s): None 

Note: This is a request I got from AO3 for a part two to this one-shot I did awhile back. 

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

(Y/N) Midoriya, back from the dead it seems. 

Her reappearance was nothing short of a miracle. Aizawa, knowing it was only appropriate, allowed Izuku to go along with his sister and share the groundbreaking news with their mother. The tired teacher did have to make them both promise to be back for the final class of the day though: hero training.

After patching up the elder Midoriya’s wounds, the duo hit the streets of Musutafu, heading to the apartment of Inko Midoriya. Taking this time to catch up a little on the years that were stripped away from them, Izuku began right after she was deemed deceased. He recalled the suffocating feelings of hopelessness both him and their mother felt, how neither would dare go into her room and how it seemed impossible to move forward.

(Y/N), who remained silent throughout the retelling of the past, couldn't bear the thought of her family in such a heartbreaking state. The mere mention of their despair shattered her own heart and she momentarily fell into a dark and depressing mindset: if only she had been stronger back then, maybe then she would have made it home safe and sound... She’s the reason they were--

"But, now that you're back I think things will get better for all of us. We can try and go back to how we used to be!" Izuku smiled, his optimism a truly admirable trait. All (Y/N) could do was nod and pray that that was what was going to happen - that things will go back to some sense of normal one day.

After all, years lost don't heal instantly just because she’s returned.

It wasn't long before a familiar apartment door came into view. Though, with its impending approach, so did a wave of nervousness which bubbled up within the Pro Hero. What would her mother's reaction be? How much has she changed? How mad will she be? Would she actually believe that her daughter is alive or will she turn her away and deny it?

These thoughts swirled within her head and coming home started to appear more and more like a mistake. 

“It’ll be alright (Y/N)-chan, there's no need to be afraid. Mom will love to see you again, I just know it,” Izuku grinned, nudging his sister. She wasn’t fully convinced, but it was now or never she guessed. So, urged on by the teens encouragement she straightened up, swallowed the lump and fears she had before knocking on the cold, steel grey door. What felt like ages passed by until the creak of the door filled the silent afternoon air. The world slowed almost agonizingly as the second most important person in her life that she's missed oh so dearly started to come into view.

"Yes? Who is it?" A sweet, feminine voice called out, sounding no different to (Y/N) than it did years ago; that thought alone brought an ounce of comfort with it. 

Eyes hot and brimming with unshed tears, the mere sound of her mother’s voice was a lot to take in that first anticipated; what nearly broke the dam was coming face to face with the woman herself - no doubt at any moment she’ll start bawling. It didn't matter how much her mother changed, it never really did, the effect was always going to be the same.

"Mom...?" she struggled to voice out, any and every sound she made broken and with a sob on the tip of her tongue, "I-I'm home..." 

Recognition sparked in Ink’s green shaded eyes. (Y/N) could've said nothing at all or a simple few words, this as well didn’t matter, either way Inko would've instantly recognized who was at her door. A mother can always make out the voice and visage of her child no matter the differences there may be.

Tears began to stream down the woman's face, overcome with a multitude of different emotions as she barreled into her long lost daughter. And with the feeling of being able to hug her mother again, (Y/N) too let the tears flow, composure be damned. This was more important. Nothing, absolutely nothing can compare to the feeling of being reunited with one another.

---

Afternoon passed by far too fast for the Midoriya family. Inko, hesitant to let her children go after just getting one back, had to gain reassurance from them both (something she definitely needed): they’re only going to the school, and classes end in just a little over two hours - they'd both be back in no time. 

Hero training began soon after the pair returned and instructions were given to the class of aspiring heroes, all of which were spread out across Gym Gamma. The exercise for today? Save the civilians and capture the villains. An easy mission for most Pro Heroes who've been out in the field for some time, but definitely challenging to newbies in quite a few ways. 

When the bell went off many rushed forward to the front entrance to their respective buildings, some being flashier and more noticeable than others *cough Bakugou cough*. (E/c) eyes stayed on one person and one person only, hellbent on watching her brother. She both wants and needs to know how much he's grown since he was a kid.

Izuku on the other hand was shaking unnoticeably for once; nothing more than a tremor of his hands. He's nervous, obviously, but also ecstatic; the one who kept telling him that he could become a hero even without possessing a quirk, the one who decided to train him and give him a chance - she's here, not too far away from the training grounds. It’s a dream come true. 

He’s got to show his favourite hero (other than All Might) that he's grown from the quirkless little boy she knew once upon a time. That all that she gave him didn't go to waste. He has to put his all into this one, more so than ever before - his hero is watching.   

"Alright here's the plan-," the coms had a moment of static but (Y/N) could tell that her brother was continuing on with giving orders and guidance to his teammates. From her spot in the observation room she recognized a look in his eye - the analytic look he had when he jotted down notes about other Pro Heroes, their quirks, movements, attack patterns. He was evaluating the situation, choosing the best course of action. 

'That's right Izu, know your surroundings. Where is everything, what can you do with what and who you have...'

In the closing minutes of training, Izuku delivered a Full Cowl kick and right then, as he was able to maintain control of his attack, execute it beautifully while still showing off all his progress, it finally hit (Y/N).

All these years, even without her around to give pointers or encourage him, Izuku continued on his own to strive towards his dreams, never fully losing hope. And he’s living those dreams, actually living them: he’s made it to UA, he’s training to be a hero, he even developed a quirk for crying out loud!

As school ended, students changing back into their uniforms and leaving for the day, (Y/N) waited just outside the gates. Izuku called out to her as soon as she came into view, the returned hero perking up. She waited until the greenette stopped right in front of her before pulling the boy into a tight embrace. 

“You were pretty cool today Izuku,” she told him, tone soft like he was back to being four again.

“R-really!?” he pulled back from the hug, tears resting at the edge of his eyes. That’s all he’s ever wanted to hear from the person he’s looked up to since he was a kid. (Y/N) nodded, smiling softly as she patted him on the shoulder, eyes softening and almost reminiscent. He truly has grown... 

“Yeah… see, you can become a hero. I always knew you could do it…” 

The dam of tears bursted for the young hero, his arms wrapping his older sister up in a hug once more, fingers clutching the fabric of her top. She made no move to pry him off, letting him get it all out as the sun set behind the two, casting their shadows on the pavement.

The future was looking pretty bright for them.

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

[Masterlist]

[BnHA Masterlist]

[entertainment]

Entertainment Spotlight: Mattea Conforti, NOS4A2

Millie is the daughter of vampire Charlie Manx—can you tell us a bit about her? What made the role fun to play?

Millie Manx is a very interesting character to play.  She is definitely strong and unafraid of a lot of things.  She can be mean and even deadly, and she takes a lot of cues from her father, Charlie Manx.  She is very devoted to her father, and she will do anything to please him.  However, there is also a side of Millie, and it especially emerges this season, where she begins to question all that she knows.  She starts to develop real fears of losing her father, and she also starts to emerge as a true leader.  This role is both really fun and challenging to play.  Playing a demon child is like nothing I’ve ever done before, and getting into all the special effects makeup, my demon wig and fang-like teeth is really fun.  In Season 2, I am able to develop Millie’s character far beyond her scary, gory presence in Season 1.  Millie is much more than a scary horror character.  She is loving, thoughtful, scared, brave, independent and vulnerable, all at the same time.  I really enjoy the challenge of showing this unexpected side of Millie Manx.       

You began your career on the stage, how do you find the work differs between stage and screen, and do you prefer one over the other?

Working on the stage is completely different than working on a tv or movie set.  In theatre, you get one chance each night to connect with your audience, to make bold acting choices, to express your character the way that you want.  But, with TV and movies, you are given multiple opportunities to explore your character’s range.  You can take a note from a director and then a few minutes later apply it to the scene you are shooting again.  In theatre, everything is big – your movements, your expressions, your vocals; because you need to reach the people in the back and the people in the balcony.  But, on the screen, I’ve learned to make my acting more subtle, because the camera is usually right there with you, and you don’t need to exaggerate your actions.  I don’t really have a preference between stage and screen, I’m just so grateful to have had the opportunity to work in both.  Both are unique in their own way, and I would welcome the opportunity to work in either genre in the future.  

Do you have any fun facts about the making of the show that fans would be surprised to find out?

Well, I have found it interesting that in making this type of horror/fantasy show, it is not scary at all to do my job.  Actually, this show has so much gore and scary scenes that when we are filming, we have a lot of fun joking around and being silly, in between takes, amongst all the gore and special effects.  There are some really cool and scary scenes coming up in Season 2 that I got to be a part of, and I would like the fans to know just how much fun it was to shoot them!  

Do you think you’d make a good vampire? What would that look like?

I’m not sure that I would make a good vampire.  I’m kind of afraid of the dark, so I probably wouldn’t be very good at it.  Also, I really do like people, and I’m not a big fan of playing deadly games like, “Scissors for The Drifter.”

Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue from the show (yours or someone else’s)?

My favorite line from the show is definitely with Zachary says in Episode 202, “Who wants to go to Christmasland?!?” when we are in the wraith.  This line makes me smile because we shot that scene so many times, and each time Zachary said that line a different way.  I loved it because I never really knew how he was going to deliver it, and I challenged myself to match his energy with my response every single time.

If NOS4A2 were a musical, what would Millie’s big number be?

Great question!  Millie’s big number would have to be, “Who Wants To Go To Christmasland?” and it would come right before intermission, to hook the audience.  I think the first act of the musical would build to Charlie and Millie Manx’s first arrival in Christmasland.  They would fly through the theatre in the wraith, and the song would end with them stepping out of the wraith and seeing Christmasland for the very first time.  

Which, if any, fandoms are you in?

I’m actually not in any fandoms.  I have so many varying interests in the entertainment industry that I prefer to support as many different genres as I can.

You’ve worked on two iterations in the Frozen universe, playing both young Elsa and young Anna in different projects. Which of the sisters do you prefer to bring to life? 

I still can’t believe that I’ve played both princesses! My experience bringing Young Anna to life for Frozen the Broadway Musical, and my experience playing Young Elsa in Frozen II were so unique, and as different as the two sisters really are.  I started originating the role of Young Anna for Broadway when I was 9, so I could very much relate to the younger princess at the time. I was definitely a spunky, carefree, and funny, just like Young Anna!  I started recording for Frozen II as Young Elsa when I was around 12, so I was a bit older, and I think more mature and cautious, like Elsa.  I could never pick which sister/experience I prefer because they were both such incredible opportunities that I will never forget.  

If you could play any character, historical or fictional, who would it be, and why?

That’s a really tough question to answer, and I don’t think I could pick just one character.  I think the most important thing in selecting a role is to make sure that I am being challenged to tell a very important story.  I love characters with a lot of depth to them, where I can show my acting range and make bold choices. 

What does your ideal day off look like?

My ideal day off is definitely a summer day.  I would spend my day on the beach with my family and friends, swim in the ocean, and go for long walks to find shells and sea glass.  It would also include some really good food and of course, ice cream for dessert!

Thanks for taking the time, Mattea! Catch NOS4A2 Sundays on AMC.

Headshot: Emily Assiran