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de-profundis-ad-astra · 4 years ago

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King of Nothing

Author’s Note: @firefeatherx reminded me with her message that I haven’t reposted this chapter since I trashed my old blog, so here it is. This is the first chapter of my urban gothic WIP, Wretches and Kings. My masterlist with other posts about this WIP, as well as my other project, can be found here. Word Count: 2k Rating: The project as a whole is R-rated. This chapter is a bit tamer than what follows. Just be warned that there’s some language and a graphic description at the end. Taglist: @firefeatherx @goldenhour-goldenboy @mandoplease @phoenixhalliwell @havenforafrazzledmind @beatriz-silva-00 @pascal-isaac @worldominatorx @givemethatgold @agirllovespancakes @lilacyennefer @dignityneeded @veuliee @briskywalker @davairys @aetherwrites @ryns-ramblings @teriwrites @thenewfaustus @marmaladewords @nominalnebula @procratinatingwriter (let me know if you want to be +/-)

“Boy with gunsmoke for breath. Boy with rebellion in your bones. Your city is ignited, your city is screaming your name. Your city is raising its fist. Your city is slamming its body against a police shield and smiling a bloody red smile.”

The very streets whispered his name.

Here comes the Renegade, they seemed to say, the thin scratches weathering his skull mask shining in the pale moonlight. Behold, the Master of Death as he walks among the living.

Truly, he lived according to his titles. Dark and silent as a shadow, he moved as though he existed on a separate plane, only seen because he wanted to be seen. He burned the city every night with his stare, cut it to ribbons with his silver tongue, and by morning, his city quietly rebuilt itself, ripe once more for the harvest.

A mystery behind a mask, the winds whispered through the trees. An enigma even unto himself.

The city sat in wait on its knees for him. Because without him—without their one certainty—this place would lose its collective mind.

After all, sighs the wind. The devil is in the details.

To call the Easthold Pulse a night club was—simply put—a gross oversimplification of what services it truly provided. Most nights, parties stretched beyond the club’s walls, an unprecedented multi-block party attended by locals and tourists alike as though it was the epicenter of their life force.

All Hallows’ Eve was one of the Pulse’s busiest nights; all streets within a three-block radius cleared and barricaded as everyone—from ghost-story enthusiasts to common party-goers alike—flocked to central Easthold. To the thumping of basslines and guitar riffs that they considered the very heartbeat of the city.

For the thousands of denizens of downtown Easthold fled the scene well over forty-eight hours in advance, twice as many swarmed in to take their place, camping out on the streets and on rooftops for what was sure to be the party of the year, every year.

The Renegade was one of many who thrived on such excitement.

But for him, tonight was not for dancing, sharing ghost stories, or getting perpetually smashed. Tonight was one of the few nights of the year the Renegade could meet with his wealthiest contractor without attracting any prying eyes. The only second glances tonight came from those who recognized his identity. Or the one they’d all come to know.

“Nice mask!” Echoes of the compliment followed him as he bobbed and weaved through the dense, writhing crowd. “It looks just like the Renegade’s!”

And when he turned to give them a quick glance, sometimes even a nod of acknowledgement, if they were lucky enough, those who fawned after the Renegade veritably swooned with their fellow partiers. Such interesting creatures, the people of Easthold. Where serial killers amassed cult followings, celebrities in their own right.

Getting within the Pulse’s walls on a night like All Hallows’ Eve without a reservation might have been a death wish for the average layperson. For many, just getting close enough to hear the music coming straight from the source was a victory. Tonight, the Pulse became a temple, and those inside would dance, drink, and debauch in worship to whatever god out there would listen. A temple of pure pleasure.

The Renegade had no intention of entering the club through the front tonight, and rumors of people losing their lives by sneaking in through the back was enough to dissuade most attendees from making an attempt of their own. He elbowed his way through the last few clumps of people and then, as though there was an invisible barrier no one dared to cross, he reached his destination.

The shadows behind the Easthold Pulse were so deep that, were he alone, the Renegade might have removed his mask to improve his vision. He was now, at least, alone enough to breathe easily, save for the homeless dreg of a man lounging near a dumpster and a firmly muscled bouncer standing guard near the rear entrance under the light of an old lamp.

“You’re not supposed to be back here,” the bouncer informed him stonily, staring down at the Renegade’s tall frame from his even more impressive physical height.

“The angel queen sleeps on the night of devils,” was all the Renegade said by way of greeting.

A flicker of recognition flashed behind the guard’s brown eyes, but he said. “You’re late. Go back to the front and wait, sir.”

Must have been a long night already, if he felt ballsy enough to give the Renegade a hard time like this.

“They askin’ clients to sweeten the deal with cash now—”

“Get back to the front before I throw you there,” the bouncer menaced. “Self-righteous prick.”

Behind the mask, the Renegade’s smile faded into an amused smirk. The eye sockets of his skull mask seemed to swallow all the light in the already dim alley.

“I’m going to put this as politely as possible,” said the Renegade gingerly.

His hand snapped from where he’d so subtly slipped it into the depths of his jacket. The bouncer, too focused on the permanent grin etched into that wicked mask, hadn’t noticed. The Renegade thrust the end of a suppressed pistol into the soft skin underneath the bouncer’s chin.

“The angel queen sleeps on the night of devils,” the Renegade repeated in a soft whisper that sounded too much like a lover’s. “You know the rest.”

The bouncer stood frozen for a moment, his eyes wide and head angling away from the cool end of the weapon digging into his skin. The Renegade’s gloved finger curled slowly around the trigger. His breath came out in short, barely audible whispers as he whispered, “Tomorrow she will seek retribution.”

Slowly, he twisted the handle of the door and pushed against it. The loud throbbing of synthetic dance music flooded the Renegade’s ears. The door opened to reveal a dim hallway with multiple doorways to the right, ending in a curtain of silver beads that flashed with bursts of light from further within the club. He didn’t need to go further than this hallway. He had no need to.

“Thanks,” said the Renegade, putting his pistol back into his jacket, patting the bouncer on the shoulder as he walked past and slid the door shut with the heel of his foot.

Several people lounged in the hallway. Many wore masks, others did not, but all eyes were on him as he strode passed, and all were smart enough to not utter a word as she threw open one of the doors and showed himself in.

“You’re late,” said the man behind the metal desk taking up the center space of the room without bothering to glance up as the Renegade slammed his weight into the only other chair in the room.

“Make yourself more accessible and I’ll improve my punctuality.”

The man behind the desk dismissively returned the papers in his hand to his desk, his dark brown skin accentuated by the office’s dim lighting. “This was your messiest year to date.”

“It was also my most difficult year to date, Adder.” The Renegade casually slung one leg over an arm of the cushioned chair, leaning into the opposite armrest. “Perhaps you should thank me for getting all the jobs done before my deadlines.”

Such a relaxed posture, everything about him open and vulnerable, save for that damned skull mask hiding the Renegade’s face. The man called Adder knew better than to be put off by it. Underneath it all, he was just a man, same as any other.

“You know, it’s customary for my clients to show their faces when they meet with me,” Adder gestured to the mask. “Are you going to cooperate this year?”

The Renegade remained firmly rooted where he was. “Take a guess.”

Adder pointed at the Renegade, his elbow propped up near the edge of his sleek desk. “You know damn well I don’t hire your services out of necessity. And I know damn well you don’t work for me out of the same necessity. There’s nothing holding me back from deciding to not contract you for another year.”

The Renegade showed no visible signs of alarm. His head tilted back, and Adder felt keenly aware of how exposed his neck was, noting the dark stubble darkening the line of his jaw.

“How unfortunate for you,” he said. “Do you know how many people in this city alone request my skillset?”

Adder shifted. “Far too aware, I’m afraid.” He was the one who dealt with all the bullshit paperwork, after all.

“So, consider, that maybe you do hire my services out of necessity. You’re going to have some very angry customers on your hands if you notify our good friends out on the dark web that you, Saxen Adder, no longer contract with the Renegade. Angry customers mean poor reviews, and suddenly coming straight to the source, willing to pay triple…”

Saxen reined in his grimace; he could hear the damned smile in that man’s voice.

“You forget that if I choose to not contract you, the process becomes far more complex and permanent than a simple vow of silence for everything you did while working with me. There won’t be a Renegade for people to go running to to handle their dirty work.”

“Oh,” the Renegade sneered. “Could you imagine the uproar if the people found out that I no longer existed?”

“They’ll find someone else to obsess over. Don’t think you’re so special.”

“But I am.” The Renegade place a hand over his heart. Were it not for the mask, the attire, the very demeanor he carried himself with, the sentiment might have been easier felt. “Not only am I the most skilled contract killer in the city, but I work with the post powerful person in the city, and maintain my own clientele. Don’t you think that would supersede McFarlane and put me in the position of top dog?”

“Careful how you choose your words. If she catches wind of you placing yourself above her, she won’t take kindly to it.”

The wide-stretched grin across the Renegade’s mask was all-seeing. Even in a technical seat of power over him, Saxen Adder felt oddly exposed underneath that hollow stare. This was a man with too much power, and too little to lose.

“McFarlane is losing her relevance.” It could very well have been the first time someone had spoken such ill of Easthold’s queenpin. “It’s only a matter of time before her empire falls with her. And who will be left in the ashes by the phoenix to build it back up?”

“You’re a self-serving bastard, you know that?” Adder hissed.

“It comes with the title,” all traces of humor left the Renegade’s voice. “Make your decision. I don’t have all night.”

He never saw it coming.

Saxen Adder whipped out his sidearm, and painted the wall with the Renegade’s brain.

#writeblr #writing community #writersociety #original fiction #my writing #original stuff #wretches and kings #wip excerpt

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bl1ndbraavosi · 4 years ago

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hi i come with many questions :))) 1, 3, 9, 16, 18, 23, 24, 30 👀👀, 32, 39 lyyyy <333

i love uuuuuu thank u ele <3 <3 <3

1. How long ago did you start reading fanfiction? Writing fanfiction?

started reading and writing at about the same time i’d say? so around 11/12 i think. v young. i was super into Life With Derek pls do not talk to me about this it is so upsetting to think about

3. Are there any fics that inspired you to write what you do?

mmmm i think i write my fics to explore things that i have yet to read about? that was the idea with Swapped in any case. i was like hmmmm no sexy body swap kksk fic??? strange i must rectify. otherwise A Lesson In Chemistry is v inspirational! i love my bantering, oblivious ninja babes, and also Will of Fire bc i could not believe that this was a FANFICTION that someone wrote for FREE unbelievable.

9. Tag 3 fic writers you think are underrated/unknown in the fandom/fanfiction community.

am sad to say that i do not read as much as i would like to but here r some of my current favs!! there r so many talented writers in this fandom i wish i could show all the appreciation ;-;

mummapaintstheblues sleepyfox lilyoftheshadow

16. Do you research for your fics? If so, how deep of a rabbit hole have you gone down by accident when researching?

yes and yes. i yam v obsessive and i love To See What I’m Writing so depending on what it is im writing, i can get really carried away. esp with setting. hours n hours looking at images, reading articles about geography, climate, vegetation, weather patterns, etc.

i skip 18 & 23 bc i already answered it in nadia’s ask heh

24. What’s a trope that you’d like to never hear about as long as you live, let alone write?

oooof tbh im so fuzzy on tropes like what even is a trope?? i donut know. but um. “fix me” ain’t it. fix yaself bitch we aint got time. female character damsel in distress. fuck off

30. Post a snippet from your current WIP without context - no more than 300 words.

“Kakashi-sama, the daimyo is requesting you at his table,” Shikamaru said, nudging him none-too-gently away from the bar.

“Please don’t call me that,” he complained. Shikamaru smiled tightly at him.

“Very well, Hokage-sama. The daimyo is requesting you join him for a sherry and a chat about affairs with Iwa.” Kakashi fixed him with a mild glare but sighed in resignation. He was, above all else, Hokage. What was a pleasant banquet for everyone else was, unfortunately, a series of regrettable business meetings for him.

“Who drinks sherry?” Kakashi grumbled unhappily, walking painstakingly slow just to get under Shikamaru’s skin.

“The daimyo of Fire,” he responded, remaining aggravatingly calm and mature in the face of Kakashi’s petulance.

“I should have made Sakura my assistant,” he said with a sidelong glance. Kakashi was certain he’d have been able to get under her skin in no time at all. Shikamaru remained habitually unbothered.

“Why, so you could ogle her all day long?” he asked wearily. “Eh, Kakashi-sama, you already get so little paperwork done. Imagine if you had another distraction walking around.”

32. Copy and paste your top three favorite lines/jokes/sentences you’ve ever written. What fics do they come from?

chile everything i write is stupid lemme sift

from My Bed is Your Bed:

“Banana-shaped bastard.”

from Swapped:

“You’re hard.” He pointed out needlessly.

“And you’re wet.” She retorted.

“The serpent and the sea.”

from Divine Intervention:

“As your doctor, I’m afraid I’ll have to insist.”

“As your Hokage, I’m afraid I’ll have to demote you.”

39. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

she kinda funny or whateva

ask me things?? hehe

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thecasperanfamily · 4 years ago

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can we hear the story of lin's first piercing please?

A/N: Lin is about 16 here. Hope you enjoy!

“Are you sure you want me to do this?”

“For the last time, Jules, I’m positive,” Lin asserted, ignoring the nervous clench in his stomach as the needle in Julia’s hand flashed dangerously. “You said you know how to do it.”

“I do.....Sort of. I mean, my Tia Dolores showed me how once--she does this often at her work. I just...maybe it would be better if you went to someone else? A-and your parents, do they know you’re doing this?”

“Mom and Dad said I can get piercings, but I either gotta pay for ‘em myself or wait until my birthday.” Lin rattled off the list of requirements in such a way that made Julia suspect he had been told those things many times already. “...Bu-u-ut if you do it for me, then I don’t have to pay for it, and I can save my birthday for something else.”

“I don’t remember saying I wouldn’t charge you,” Julia remarked coyly, holding the needle in the open flame of the candle on her windowsill.

“I should at least get a Best Friend’s Discount,” Lin replied. In spite of his best efforts, he couldn’t help swallowing nervously as Julia slipped on a pair of latex gloves and picked up a marker from her bedside table.

“Where do you want it?” she asked, brushing his hair out of the way and tilting his head up so the light hit his ear directly.

“Everybody does the lobe thing these days,” he observed. “What if we put it on top? Like what you have?” Julia gave him a mildly horrified look.

“You want...? Lin, that is going to hurt like...” She scrambled to find an appropriate English idiom, before abandoning the search with a frustrated huff. “...I cannot find the word for it, but trust me, it is going to hurt!”

“I’m not a baby, Jules. I know what I want, and I can handle it.” He surreptitiously reached over and adjusted his inhibitor cuff as he spoke, setting it to completely siphon all of his magic.

“Are you sure?” she asked again. Lin gave her an exasperated look. “Fine, fine. But you must not jump when the needle goes in. Understand? If you move while the needle is still in, it will tear your ear.”

“...Okay,” Lin gulped. Julia grabbed his chin and looked him dead in the eye.

“Swear to me. You will not move.”

“I got it, I got it! I’ll hold still.” He hooked his legs around the stool beneath him and braced his hands on his knees. Julia took a deep breath, marked the spot on the top of his ear, then took up the needle and a cotton ball. She placed the cotton behind his ear and lined up the needle. She hesitated for a moment, then pulled back and grabbed a leather belt out of her dresser.

“Bite down on this,” she ordered, shoving it in Lin’s hands.

“Oh, come on, Jules, really? I’m not that--” He stopped short at the look Julia sent him and obediently slipped the folded leather between his teeth.

“Okay,” Julia breathed, lining up the needle once more. “On the count of three, ready? Uno...Dos...Tres!”

*****

“Douxie!”

The single, distressed cry of a small wood nymph jolted Douxie awake as effectively as a nearby gunshot. He flailed for a moment, blinded by the book that had been covering his face, before tumbling off the sofa with a yelp. He scrambled to his feet just in time to catch Nari, who had tripped over his shoes when she came running into the living room.

“What, what?! What’s happening?” Douxie demanded somewhat blearily, holding Nari out at arm’s length and instinctively searching her for injury.

“It is Lin! I do not know what has happened, but I felt his soul cry out just now. He is frightened and in pain!” By now, Zoe and Archie had appeared on the scene, the former with her wand still between her teeth and a half-finished gadget clutched in her hands.

“Skateboarding accident, most likely,” Archie suggested.

“No, I can tell when he is injured by something like that,” Nari fretted. “His aura shows pain, but it never trembles with such fear like this.”

“...Oh, fuzzbuckets,” Douxie muttered, summoning his vambrace from where he had left it on the coffee table and slipping it over his wrist.

“I thought he was with Julia!” Zoe burst out, her wand now back in her hand where it belonged.

“Yeah, that’s where he’s supposed to be!” Douxie agreed, tugging one of his high tops onto his foot with one hand while the other pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Lin. “But since when has that ever mattered to--Lin? Lin, where are you?!”

***** If there was a worse time to get a phone call from his parents, Lin couldn’t fathom it. He was trying to muffle his screams into one of Julia’s pillows as she frantically dabbed at his new piercing with rubbing alcohol, crooning what Lin assumed were comforting words in rapid Spanish, but he was too preoccupied with the apparent fire she had set to his ear to translate.

“BLOODY FUZZBUCKETS!” he screeched, voice still muffled by the pillow. “GODS DAMMIT ALL TO--” His string of expletives was cut off by the sound of his phone going off, clattering against the surface of Julia’s nightstand where he had left it. He emerged from the pillow and stared at it in horror, feeling his heart jump into his throat as he saw a photo of his father staring back at him tauntingly. “Oh sh--wait, what are you doing?!” Julia had picked up his phone and was trying to hand it to him.

“You have to answer it!” she insisted, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“What am I supposed to tell him?!” Lin argued.

“Anything is better than letting it hang up and having him come looking for you himself!” she reminded him sternly.

“Touche...” Lin grumbled, taking the phone from her and accepting the call.

“Lin? Lin, where are you?!” Douxie didn’t even give him a chance to say hello first.

“With Julia,” Lin squeaked, tears smarting at the corners of his eyes as his left ear continued to burn.

“With Julia, where? Nari said she could feel something was wrong. What’s happening?”

“I’m at her house. Nothing’s happen--” He emitted a very high-pitched yelp as Julia chose that unfortunate moment to obsessively pour more alcohol on his wound.

“MERLIN SAMUEL!” Zoe’s voice thundered into the phone this time. “WHERE ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

“I’matJulia’shousesheknowshowtopierceearssoIwentaheadandgotonedon’tworryI’mfine!”

Why is my name so scary when she says it like that? And how the frick does she always get me to tell the truth so fast? Lin wondered, not for the first time, as silence fell between them.

“You’re safe?” Zoe demanded, voice a touch calmer this time.

“Yeah.”

“And Julia’s not hurt?” He winced at this. He wanted to be offended by the notion, but he was uncomfortably aware of the fact that if he had not thought to adjust his cuff as he had, his friend could have been seriously injured.

“No. I had my cuff set to max. She’s fine.”

“Why in the name of sanity would you get your ears pierced without warning us?!” Douxie’s voice this time, and it sounded as tight and strained as it always did these days.

“You said I could as long as I paid for it!” Lin countered, his cuff humming all the louder as defensiveness boiled up inside him.

“I didn’t say you could do it without...!” Douxie trailed off and heaved a frustrated sigh. Lin could easily picture the way he was probably pinching the bridge of his nose right now. “...If you’re going to do something like that, you have to tell us,” he continued, sounding more tired than angry now. “You scared your Aunt Nari....And me.”

“Sorry, Aunt Nari,” was all Lin said. There was an uncomfortable pause. Julia had stopped fussing over his ear, and now she stood with her hand on his shoulder, listening to the conversation play out. She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, and he felt the defensiveness churning in his stomach boil away entirely. “...Sorry, Dad,” he added softly.

“...How about we finish this later?” Zoe suggested. “When we’re not all keyed up like this. I want you home no later than seven, Lin. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled.

“Okay.” She paused for a moment. “...We love you, Lin.”

“...I know,” he sighed. “I’ll see you later.” He ended the call and leaned forward until his elbows rest against his legs, phone still in hand.

“It looks good,” Julia said after a while, handing him a mirror so he could see her handiwork. “You want to do the other one?”

“Not today, thanks,” Lin decided, feeling strangely hollow at the sight of his newly pierced ear, with its silver stud gleaming in the warm yellow light of Julia’s bedroom.

“...Was your father mad?” she asked tentatively.

“Not really. He doesn’t usually get mad so much as just...tired. Which is almost worse, somehow, but it is what it is. Still, I technically didn’t break any rules, so they can’t ground me for that long.” He straightened up and flashed her a smile. “I think it was worth it either way though. It looks great, Jules. How much do I owe you?”

“Fifty-five dollars. And yes, that’s including the Best Friend Discount.”

“Okay, nevermind. Not worth it.”

(Please don’t ask me how this thing got written in a single night while my other WIPs have been languishing for literal months, because I do not know. Regardless, thank you so much for the ask, Non! 🥴✨)

#tales of arcadia #toa #the casperan family #douxie #toa zoe #toa archie #nari #lin casperan #niki answers #ficlet

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emotchalla · 5 years ago

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Tempt You - I.

A/N: Hello it’s me your neighborhood “I will have as many WIPs as I want” ass bitch back at it again with a new fic! I have not been enough of a Peaky Blinders whore on this blog and that is unfortunate because this show has owned my ass for the past 3 years. I’m particularly obsessed with one Mr. Michael Gray, and this AU is actually my own personal headcannon I’ve had stewing around in my brain for a while. It’s also loosely based on the summer I studied abroad in London and my desire to go back there! (This version of the reader is very very similar to me.) I got inspired to jot some sentences down a few days ago, and while I was traveling this weekend a bunch of it just sprawled out of me and well, here you go! This fic is inspired by “Tempt You (Evocatio)” by Nothing But Thieves, which you can listen to here. I suggest listening to the song at some point in this fic because it’s pretty integral to the way I see Michael’s perspective on this relationship. Alright let me shut up so you can get on with reading.

**All my works are written with a Black or POC reader in mind, because I am one myself, but all readers welcome!**

Pairing: Modern!Michael Gray x Fem!Reader

Summary: Modern!Michael Gray AU. Michael Gray has everything he wants. He’s the owner and senior partner of his own law firm; he’s paved his own path away from the family business. He’s past the wild, drunken nights and cocaine benders, the bloody noses and knife wounds and the fucking Catholics. And then he meets you. Suddenly Michael realizes that he doesn’t have everything after all.

Warnings: Swearing, Excessive flirting, Sexual tension, Michael gives off very strong sugar daddy vibes, Fluff...for now

Word Count: 3.2k+

series masterlist | main masterlist | add yourself to the taglist here | listen to “tempt you (evocatio)” here

There are a pair of eyes watching you. Warm, bright, and the prettiest shade of green with flecks of blue and gold and brown too. They’re curious eyes, ones that have been on you sine the stranger they belong to entered the Starbucks across the street from your job. He smiles softly as he watches you watch him observe you. You look up to catch his gaze and he winks. Shit. You quickly look back down at the script in front of you. You can still feel the heat of his stare as you pretend to study your lines, neglecting the obvious truth that you’d been distracted by this man from the moment he walked in.

He’s beautiful. Dangerously so, unbridled youth mixed with the right touch of reckless mischief, and a hint of danger. He’s more than his suit suggests he is. He all but smells of wealth, and your eyes glaze over with the thought of how much money it might have cost to buy that dark blue Giorgio Armani suit and sleek black Rolex. You’ve been watching him too. He clearly takes care of himself and seems to enjoy doing it. You can picture it all: the fancy tailors, exclusive barbers, personal drivers and chauffeurs, a butler, even. What you wouldn’t give to have a life light that, to not worry about your next meal or skip out on A/C for the summer to split your rent costs in half. You dropped nearly everything to move to London, and the job you’d secured at Shakespeare’s Globe wasn’t enough for you tp pay for rent and grad school tuition. You let yourself get lost in the fantasy you’ve created about this stranger, the idea of being able to live comfortably. It’s something you desire with every part of you.

You bite your lip as you daydream, oblivious to the fact that the stranger has left his table and approached yours. He stands and watches you for a second, amused by how easily you seem to preoccupy yourself. You’re not like other women he’s met, he knows that already. And he’s quickly overcome by the desire to know everything there is to know about you, from your favorite movies to the way you take your tea. You sigh as you start to upset yourself with so much wishful thinking, causing the stranger to chuckle, a deep rumble vibrating through his chest. You jerk your head up toward the sound to be met with those beautiful green eyes, except they’re right across from you.

“Hello,” he says with a soft smile.

“H-Hi,” you stammer, completely caught off guard.

He’s even prettier up close. He gestures toward your neglected script.

“Looks like you’ve got a lot of lines to memorize. You’re an actor, then?”

You nod.

“Yes,” you answer. “Well, trying to be,” you correct.

He frowns.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m in school for acting, but I haven’t done much actual work apart from the scenes I’m assigned in class. I’m prepping for an audition, actually.”

You cut yourself off before you start to ramble, but the stranger doesn’t seem to mind. He looks at you expectantly, like he wants to know if you’ve finished your thought. You bite your lip to hold back the sea of worries threatening to push back your lips. This man doesn’t need to know how terrified you are about auditioning, the possibility that all of this—applying to RADA, getting accepted, moving to London, all of it—would end up being a massive failure.

“You’re an actor if you act, yeah?” he asks, and your heart flutters at the kindness in his voice.

“Y-Yeah, I guess you’re right.” you say, aiming to infuse more confidence in your voice.

He’s intimidating, but you won’t fold that easily.

“I often am,” he hums before gesturing toward the seat across from yours. “May I join you?”

You almost do a double take.

“Me?” you ask, not bothering to hide the shock in your voice.

The stranger smiles at you.

“Yes, you,” he answers, giving you that same smile.

“Sure.”

He slides the chair out from under the table before seating himself across from you.

“What play are you auditioning for?”

“Hamlet at the RSC,” you begin. “One of my professors at RADA knows the director and she told me that she thinks I may have a shot at being cast. I think it’s a fucking long shot but she’s scarily confident in me so I’m pushing myself to do it even though I’m terrified and—oh my god I’m so sorry! I was about to start going off the rails.”

He shakes his head. Up until you stopped yourself he’d been hanging on to your every word.

“Don’t apologize, Miss…” he falters.

“Y/N! I’m sorry, I completely forgot to tell you my name.”

“It’s quite alright, Miss Y/N. I neglected to tell you mine as well,” he chuckles.

Almost immediately, you feel a familiar heat building in the pit of your stomach with the sound of his laugh. There’s no denying how attractive he is. You’d be kidding yourself to even try.

“I’m Michael,” he says, extending a hand across the table.

You reach out to shake it, but he pulls your hand toward his mouth instead, pressing a kiss to the skin.

“Pleased to meet you, Miss Y/N,” he murmurs before releasing your hand from his grip.

Those green eyes are still fixed on yours and you resist the urge to flush and giggle uncontrollably like a schoolgirl. He’s a charmer, this one. You echo his pleasure of making your acquaintance, and Michael nods toward your script again.

“What part are you auditioning for?”

You frown and look down at your hands. Should you tell him? Would he laugh and tell you that you were right to worry? Would he shake his head and wish you luck, pitying you all the while?”

“Y/N?” he calls.

You look up to find his eyes still fiercely trained on you.

“What part are you auditioning for, love?”

“Hamlet,” you whisper. then brace yourself for his laughter.

Michael only looks at you with that curious interest from before.

“You must be quite the actress, then.”

That was not what you were expecting him to say.

“Huh?”

Michael smiles softly at you. He was right about you being different. Here you were, probably one of the most talented people he had ever met, and he can’t detect an ounce of arrogance from you. It was a nice change of pace from the world he was used to—one filled with people who would do anything to get ahead, even if that mean destroying a life. You’re nothing like that. You’re kind, humble. A touch insecure, he can tell, but adorably soft around the edges. You remind him of beautiful summer nights in the country, scenes from his boyhood after the orphanage, before he became a man committed only to his business. You’re something akin to home.

“You got into RADA, did you not?” Michael asks.

You nod.

“And you’re not from here, yeah?”

Michael already knows this but he wants to hear where you’re from, from your own mouth.

“No, from the States,” you answer. “Chicago.”

“Ahh, the Windy City,” he hums. “One of my favorites.”

This makes your eyes light up and the smile that crosses your lips is stunning. Michael decides right there that he wants to make you do that many, many times.

“When’s the last time you’ve been?” you ask.

“It’s been too long, I’m afraid. Although, I’ve been looking for a reason to go back.”

You don’t miss the subtle drop in his voice, the veiled suggestive nature imbedded within. You dare to look in his eyes and find that they’re just as intense as before, but there’s something else hidden there. A desire that matches yours.

“Well, if you feel inspired to take a visit, I think you should. Who knows, we could see each other there, too.”

“I’d quite like that,” he says, and his gaze is so intense that you have to break away to look anywhere else. Just for a moment. You reach toward your teacup to find it empty. You must have drained it earlier without recognizing.

“Would you like another one?”

You look up to find Michael nodding at your empty teacup.

“Oh, Michael, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

He smirks at you before reaching across the table to grab the empty cup from your hands.

“I promise you, Y/N, it won’t set me back. It’s just a cup of tea, love.”

You nod, unable to meet his beautiful eyes. You don’t know if he’s trying to woo you on purpose but he’s doing a damned good job regardless.

“Thank you, Michael,” you manage to mutter.

He smiles at you again.

“Have you had anything to eat?”

Michael knows the answer to this as well. He’d noticed your teacup and your head buried in that script as soon as he walked in, but he doesn’t want to let on how he’d been taken with you almost immediately. Not yet.

“No,” you admit, a little embarrassed. “I needed the caffeine to power through these lines but I kind of forgot about food if I’m being honest.”

Michael nods. He’ll have to work on that with you.

“I’ll be right back,” he says, and then he’s gone.

You watch as he walks toward the front counter, peering at the pastries behind a glass case before heading to the register. You watch the barista at the register blush as Michael opens his mouth to order, and you fight to suppress a giggle at the bored expression on his face. He knows how attractive he is; you’re sure of that. You wonder how often he encounters people who forget how to function when he’s around.

Michael’s eyes find yours as he waits for your order, and he shoots a boyish wink at you before gesturing toward your lines. You shake your head and mock yawn. He grins. He’s just as eager to get back to the table and keep talking to you as you are for him to return. You relax into your seat as you watch him and sigh contentedly. You have no idea what the hell is going on, but you’re not complaining. Michael watches impatiently as the same barista from earlier fumbles her way through your order. Poor girl; you’d probably react just the same if you were in her place. She keeps batting her eyelashes and asking if he needs anything, to which he huffs in annoyance and scowls at her. It’s a reluctant game of cat and mouse, and you wonder if Michael might not be fond of attention. Eventually, the barista is able to get your order together, and you watch Michael pull a twenty pound note out of his wallet to slide across the counter to her. She all but faints at the sight of it, and you shake your head as Michael rolls his eyes and starts toward you.

“I apologize for whatever the hell that was,” he greets, setting a fresh cup of tea and a chocolate-filled croissant in front of you.

“I thought it was cute. You’re cute when you’re flustered, that is,” you say, already reaching for the croissant.

Michael’s eyes are bright as he smirks at you.

“You think I’m cute?”

You roll your eyes at him.

“You obviously know you are.”

He chuckles.

“I don’t think I’ve ever considered myself ‘cute’ in my life,” he jokes, relief settling into his skin as he watches you eat.

“Well you can lie to yourself all you want but I said what I said.”

Michael’s eyebrows raise. So you have got a mouth on you after all.

“Oh, is it like that?”

You watch as his tongue darts out to lick along his bottom lip and briefly lose yourself at the thought of having that same tongue somewhere else.

“Thank you for entertaining the obviously infatuated barista to get me something to eat,” you say sincerely, and the mood shifts.

You are so unbelievably sweet, Michael thinks. He wants to corrupt you. Not yet, he tells himself. Not yet. Michael asks you more about how you made it to London, and you talk him through the whirlwind of your life post-undergrad. You had always intended on becoming a professional actor, but the road was hard and nothing was certain. You’d bounced around between part-time jobs to help your dad around the house as you transitioned into postgrad life, but you knew that wasn’t where you wanted to be. In your sophomore year of college, you got the opportunity to study Shakespeare in London for the summer and since then, you’d wanted to return: for grad school this time. You went out on a limb and applied to the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts—one of the hardest acting schools in London, let alone the world, to get into—and by some grace of god, you were admitted. You moved at once. Packed up your few belongings and took a one-way flight to London, your fancy new student visa gripped tightly in your hand. You wormed your way into a position as an administrative assistant at Shakespeare’s Globe, but had yet to land an acting gig whose stipend might help ease the burden of your constantly accumulating bills. You were one of the only Americans in your program, and while you were well-liked, you felt like you always had to prove yourself. It was a lot of pressure.

“No wonder you’re so stressed about this audition,” Michael mutters, his beautiful face set in a frown.

You shrug.

“If I get it, it’ll be amazing but if not I’ll figure something out. I have to.”

You look down at your teacup, keeping your eyes trained on the dark liquid to prevent budding tears from falling. Michael sighs. He takes the time to think about what he’s planning to offer, and measures his words. He doesn’t want to scare you off, but he wants to help.

“Y/N, I—”

A shrill ring cuts him off. Michael rolls his eyes and pulls a cell phone from his pocket. He taps the screen before pressing it to his ear.

“Gray,” he answers.

You watch as he gets pulled into what is obviously a work call. He glances over at your half-eaten croissant.

Eat, he mouths.

“So bossy,” you whisper, picking up the pastry.

Brat, he mouths again, watching you start to eat the rest of the croissant. His assistant, Finn—also his younger cousin—was calling to remind him about a meeting with a client he’d definitely forgotten, and he couldn’t be bothered to care about it when you were sat in front of him.

“I’ll be back to the office soon, Finn,” he groans. “We can talk about it there.”

Finn must say something snarky because Michael laughs before muttering ‘fuck off,’ and hanging up.

“Sorry about that, love,” he apologizes.

You shake your head.

“You’re a busy man I assume?”

He chuckles to himself.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

You take the last bite of your croissant, and Michael hums to himself, happy that you’ve gotten something on your stomach. He clears his throat.

“I wanted to ask you something, Y/N.”

You smile at him before taking a sip of tea.

“Shoot.”

“What would you say if I offered to help out with your bills?”

You nearly choke on your tea.

“If you what?”

“Well, I was thinking earlier—when you were talking about school and making rent—that if I helped you out with that bit, things could be a little easier on you.”

He blushes crimson when he says it, green eyes searching yours. You shake your head.

“Michael, I could never pay you back for that.”

“You wouldn’t have to. I want to help you, Y/N.”

You sigh.

“Can I…can I think about it? This is all a little…”

“Overwhelming?” he suggests.

“Yes,” you breathe.

He smiles at you.

“Take all the time you need, love.”

He reaches across the table to take your hand in his.

“Let me build you something better, Y/N,” he whispers.

You know that if you look into his eyes right now you will combust. You need to relieve the tension somehow.

“You know,” you joke. “Sugar daddies are supposed to be old.”

Michael roars with laughter and you can’t help but giggle along wit him as people’s heads turn in your direction, the entirety of Starbucks now focused on your table tucked in the back corner. Even the flirty barista watches the two of you, eyeing your hand clasped in Michael’s, his thumb rubbing soft circles into your skin.

“Is that what I’d be?” he asks, amused.

You giggle again.

“Pretty much.”

He rolls his eyes.

“I’m much more of a ‘sir’ than a ‘daddy,’ but I’ll play your game, sweet thing.”

Your heart hammers in your chest as his words take their effect on you. You look up to find him watching you, awaiting your next move. Before you can respond, his phone cuts through the conversation again.

“Fucking hell, Finn,” he growls, before he silences the ringer.

“Can I see you again?” he asks, eyes back on yours.

“I’d like that.”

“What are you doing Saturday night?”

A small smile crosses your lips as you look up at him through your lashes.

“Going out with you.”

He grins at you before pulling his hand away from yours to grab his phone. He hands it to you.

“Put your number in there. I’ll text you.”

You nod and type in your number before handing the phone back to him. He moves to stand up from the table, and your disappointment must show on your face because he smiles down at you.

“I gotta head back to the office before Finn bloody tracks me down and drags me there himself,” he apologizes, reaching for the suit jacket he’d strung across the back of the chair.

You watch the fabric of his shirt flex and stretch around taut muscle as he shrugs the jacket on, and Michael doesn’t miss the way your teeth graze that plump bottom lip of yours. He’s just as attracted to you as you are to him, and he wants to tell Finn to piss off and spend the rest of the day chauffeuring you around the city and spoiling you absolutely rotten. It’s been a long time since he’s wanted someone like this, and Michael is thrilled that it’s you. He reaches down to cup your cheek in his hand.

“I’ll text you, yeah?”

You nod. Michael pulls away from you and gets his wallet from his pocket. He pulls out a business card and slides it over to you. He gives you one last wink before he’s gone, out of the Starbucks and into the busy London afternoon. You bring your teacup to your lips. The liquid inside has since grown cold but there’s a fire ablaze within you. Michael fucking Gray.

wanna be tagged in this series? click the link above!

#michael gray au #michael gray #michael gray smut #modern michael gray #michael gray x reader #peaky blinders au #peaky blinders smut #new fic #emotchalla writes

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alpxcamin · 6 years ago

Text

Spider Man

Requested?: Nope uwu

Words: 8.5k

Group: Qing Chun You Ni

Member(s): Jia Yi (feat. Next Door Tarzan Group A)

A/N: Okay so I’ve had this in my wips since episode 3 came out and I didn’t expect it to be this long or take this long to write oof...anyway, I can’t seem to find any qcyn fics?? someone pls tag me in anything you see ty :’)) Btw this isn’t really based off the comics or movies, I just borrowed the Spider Man character lol. Also, apologies if this seemed rushed at the end!! I didn't’ really know how to end it lmao...Also idk how to title so uh the title is boring...okay I’ll let you read now lol

“You really think Guan Yue is cuter?” your friend gasps.

“What’s wrong with Guan Yue? He’s super cute,” you scoff.

“Of course he is, but everyone thinks Wenhan and Jia Yi are the cuter ones,” your friend shrugs, closing her locker.

“They’re alright. Too overrated in my opinion,” you shut your locker, looking at your friend.

“Speaking of the devils,” your friend subtly points behind her.

You peek over her shoulders and casually roll your eyes. They are the most popular group of guys at school. Wherever they went, you can always find at least five girls hanging around. You didn’t really understand why they were so popular besides for their looks. However, you can’t say for sure because you didn’t know them personally.

You didn’t really like that group though because a lot of the girls that hang around them are rude and obsessive, which isn’t the boys’ fault, but they didn’t do anything to stop them. They also broke hearts like their lives depended on it...that’s what you heard at least. Also, there have been a few rumors that Jia Yi got into a lot of fights since he would show up to school with bruises or cuts sometimes.

You sigh, turning away as they pass by. You caught Jia Yi’s eyes on you and he offers a soft smile. You give him a tight-lipped smile, before rolling your eyes to show your friend your annoyance. You’ve noticed that they liked to flirt around a little too. Ever since you entered the school, you’ve vowed to never fall for any of their charms.

“I seriously still thinks Jia Yi has a crush on you,” your friend whispers as she watches the group of pretty boys breezes past the hallway.

“Pfft...nice joke,” you laugh, “He probably doesn't even know I exist.”

“He literally just smiled at you and he sits next to you in class,” your friend deadpans.

“Smiling at me doesn’t mean he has a crush on me. Also, he doesn’t have to know who I am just because we sit together,” you shake your head, chuckling.

“He stares at you in class all the time. I sit behind both of you so I should know,” your friend points out.

“Nope, he’s probably staring at Jolin Tsai. She’s pretty and popular. Even I lowkey have a crush on her,” you start walking towards your classroom.

“Okay yeah, true. But I seriously don’t think he’s looking at her,” your friend pouts, chasing after you.

“Really? She has a crush on him though. I bet those two are dating in secret,” you scrunch your brows together.

“Whatever, just peek at him some time in class. If he looks away, then I’m right,” your friend huffs, opening the classroom door.

“What? That doesn’t prove anything,” you step in, “He’s probably just daydreaming or something.”

“Just watch,” your friend whispers to you as the two of you make your way to your seats.

Unfortunately and fortunately, you sit right in between Jia Yi and Jolin. Pulling out your chair, you slide into your seat, greeting Jolin who waves back to you. You turn around after without giving a glance at the boys who are crowding around Jiayi’s desk.

“Remember to peek over some time,” your friend quietly reminds you.

“Fine, but you owe me lunch,” you roll your eyes, turning back around.

---

“Jia Yi, it’s that girl you like,” Wenhan wiggles his eyebrows, prodding his best friend in the ribs, pointing at you standing by your locker with your friend just a few feet away.

“Ow! Don’t say that out loud,” Jia Yi groans, but quickly turns to smile at one of the girls that passed by.

“You should really go talk to her,” Guan Yue encourages, placing a gentle hand on Jia Yi’s tense shoulders.

“No way! Do you guys want me to embarrass myself or something? Plus, you guys know she doesn’t like us...especially me,” Jia Yi pouts, looking down sadly.

“I don’t think she’s like that. She just doesn’t know us, that’s all,” Chunyang shyly suggests.

“You never know,” Hanyu shrugs, “Why do you like her so much anyway? You guys haven’t ever talked.”

“Yeah, but I see her around all the time. She’s so helpful and caring and kind. Plus, she’s super cute,” Jia Yi hums dreamily, “I can’t help it. She’s literally perfect.”

The group of boys immediately quiet down as they passed by you and your friend. Jia Yi swallows harshly and tries to look away, but he can’t. You make eye contact with him and he shivers a little, offering a shy smile. That sarcastic smile on your face makes his heart drop and when they finally reach the classroom, Jia Yi sighs deeply, allowing his smile to fall into a frown.

“By the way, you really need to stop staring at her in class. I’m sure her friend who sits behind her in class notices,” Wenhan snorts.

“I-I don’t stare at her!” Jia Yi squeaks, his cheeks darkening.

“I sit in front of you and I notice it too,” Hanyu rolls his eyes, chuckling.

“Ugh, I definitely don't. I’m just...uh...looking out the window!” Jia Yi’s flustered mind doesn’t aid him in coming up with an excuse.

“Sure…” Guan Yue gives a teasing smile.

“Oh, here they come,” Chunyang points at the door sliding open.

Jia Yi’s head whips up and he spots your friend, seemingly frustratedly chatting, open the door. Then, you walk in. He can’t help but melt a little when he notices the relaxed and teasing expression on your face. It’s like you are literally glowing.

Jia Yi quickly looks down again, staring at his hands, twiddling his thumbs. He tries to keep his breath even as you and your friend get closer and closer. He takes a daring glance and sees you waving cutely at Jolin before turning back to face your friend. He notices that your friend’s eyes quickly darted over at them before whispering something to you.

“Don’t be too obvious, okay?” Wenhan chuckles, patting Jia Yi on the back, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Literally shut up,” Jia Yi huffs, playfully nudging Wenhan, causing all of them to laugh.

---

Class couldn’t have been more boring. Sighing, you doodle mini Spider Mans all over your notes. He’s been your favorite hero, or “celebrity” crush, ever since he started his career. You admire everything about him. He never hesitates to save someone, doesn’t mind putting himself in danger, and you’ve heard that he’s quite the charmer. You wish you can meet Spider Man in person at least once in your lifetime.

Suddenly, you feel something small hit your back and you snap out of your daydream. Turning around, you give your friend a harsh look. She simply shakes her head, ever so slightly pointing in Jia Yi’s direction. You rolled your eyes before facing forward again and turn to look at the boy.

You make eye contact with him and you see his cheeks turn pink before he quickly fixes his gaze on the teacher, pretending to write something on his paper. You turn back to look at your friend who was smiling smugly.

---

“I told you! He was totally looking at you. Did you see him blush?” your friend violently shakes you back and forth.

“I saw, I saw,” you groan, peeling her hands off of you, “I’m still not convinced though. You know, if I was caught staring at someone, I’d be embarrassed too.”

“Are you serious?” your friend shrieks, “You know what, never mind. We can talk about that later.”

“Yeah, that would be nice,” you chuckle.

“Anyway, I can’t walk home with you today. My mom just signed me up for another tutoring class and I couldn’t argue my way out this time,” she sighs, clinging on to you, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. One day isn’t going to hurt,” you laugh, hugging your friend back.

“I know, but this might happen a few times a month,” your friend pouts, “Walking without you is going to be so boring.”

“I know. Hopefully, you won’t have to be in that class for too long,” you shrug, the piercing bell making you jump.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow then!” your friend sadly waves before the two of you split ways, heading to your own classes.

---

It is lonely the say the least as you stroll down the streets by yourself. Despite not having your friend with you, you still decide to stop by the bakery as the two of you usually do. Stepping in, a small smile makes its way onto your face. The sweet smell of beautifully decorated cakes and adorable pastries fill your nose. Shuffling up to the cashier, you order your usual and head towards your usual seat.

Pulling out your books, you decide to get a headstart on your homework before you went home. Usually, you and your friend would procrastinate until it got dark outside. Your food arrives quickly and you set to work.

Blindly, you reach for your cup, still intensely reading your book. Finally grabbing the cup, you carefully bring it to your mouth, but nothing came out of it. Blinking a couple of times, you bookmark your book and set it down. You peek at the clock and nearly fell over. It is already six and you have to get home soon. Quickly packing your things, you leave a tip on the table and left the bakery.

The dark sky and bright lights calm you down a little. It feels nice walking out at night, although you were a little scared to be alone. You decide to get home quickly since it was starting to get cold and your thin school sweater did nothing to help with blocking out the wind.

Suddenly, you feel someone place a tight grip on your arm. You try to pull away, but you are too weak and you are yanked into the dark alleyway. You scream until the person places a heavy hand over your mouth.

“Give me your money or I’ll shoot,” a low, grumbling voice mumbles from behind you.

Your throat tightens when the thief lets you go and pulls out his gun. You hear a click, and you see the metal weapon gleaming under the moonlight. You shakily pick up your bag from the ground and file through it to find your wallet. Closing your eyes, you hand the thief your wallet, but he doesn’t take it. However, you did hear a loud thud and you open your eyes.

There he is, clad in his classic red and blue suit, tying up the thief. Your mouth drops open just as Spider Man knocks out the tied up thief. He dusts his gloved hands off and makes his way over to you. He towers over you, standing at nearly six feet tall.

“Hey, you alright? He didn’t hurt you hopefully,” Spider Man carefully checks you over for any injuries.

You meekly shake your head, “I’m fine.”

“What are you doing out so late by yourself?” he asks gently.

“I lost track of time today and my friend isn’t here to walk back with me,” you whisper, a little scared to look away.

“I’ll take you home. Where do you live?” he wraps a strong arm around your waist and you pray that he can’t see the rising blush on your cheeks and feel your heartbeat quickening against his own chest.

“Uh, I live on the fourth floor of that small apartment across from the candy shop,” you shyly offer.

“Okay, got it. Just hold on tight!” Spider Man holds you tighter against him.

“W-Wait! Wait, is this safe?” you blubber in fear, but also because you wish for him to hold you just a little longer.

“Don’t worry, I’m here to keep you safe. Please trust me,” the suited hero reassures.

“Okay...I trust you,” you slowly wrap your arms around his broad shoulders.

As soon as you feel your feet lift off the ground, you close your eyes shut. You hear Spider Man’s soft giggle and you cling onto him tighter. The cool wind whips through your hair and you shiver a little.

“Hey, open your eyes. It’s really pretty at night,” Spider Man’s soothing voice brings you out of your anxious thoughts.

Slowly, you allow yourself to see again. Gasping, you enjoy the night breeze as you fly past the colorful lights and buzzing city. The dark evening sky above you is filled with glittering stars. The moon produces a soft light, bouncing off the cotton candy clouds. It is so calm and peaceful. Below you, however, is a city full of adrenaline and excitement. The multicolored lights, tall buildings, and bustling people brings the city to life.

You can’t help but let a small noise of surprise and pure joy slip out of your mouth. Before you knew it, Spider Man gently places you on your balcony as he balances on the railing.

“Is this your place?” he asks.

“Yup, thank you so much,” you smile softly.

“No problem. Stay safe, okay?” he salutes before leaping off the building.

You sigh dreamily as you watch your hero swing gracefully from building to building. You can’t wait to tell your friend about what happened. Begrudgingly, you unlock the double doors and slip into your room.

---

“Yeah right, there’s no way Spider Man has the time for that,” your friend crinkles her nose, “Doesn’t he have that other big project going on?”

“Why won’t you just believe me? He really did swing by and save me,” you pout, crossing your arms over your chest.

“I think you were dreaming,” your friend giggles at the sight of you pouting so hard.

Jia Yi silently listens in from the side, shifting slightly in his seat every so often. A soft blush appears on his well-defined cheeks. His brows furrowed as he strains to hear your soft voice complementing your favorite hero.

His eyes glazed over with wonder, leaning slightly closer to hear you. He really wishes you are complimenting him, but just the sound of you sounding so happy and charmed makes him happy. He can’t help but allow the smallest smile on his face.

---

A small knock on your balcony door brings you out of your trance. Saving your essay, you shuffle, a little scared, towards the glass door. Drawing back your curtains, you gasp. Spider Man’s strong back is facing you, his red and blue suit stretching comfortably over his muscles. He hangs from a thin strand of web and you are surprised that it is able to handle his weight. You quickly open the door and the sound makes Spider Man turn around. He drops from his upside down position and gracefully lands on the balcony floor. Though you can’t see his face, you know he’s giving you the most beautiful smile ever.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” you shyly ask, retreating back into your room, allowing the hero in.

“To check on you. You’re okay, right? You walked with your friend today?” concern laced his soothing voice.

“Yeah, she said she’d only be gone on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I’m okay, thanks for asking,” you smile, leaning back slightly on your desk.

You silently watched as he peeks around your room in awe. A smile dawns on your face and you giggle every time he lets out a small “woah” or “ooh”. He finishes touring your room and ends up in front and towering over you. You look up at him.

“Your room is cute,” he nods in approval.

“Glad you think so,” you laugh.

You stare up at his masked face and squint slightly to try and see if you could see at least his eyes. However, you find yourself mesmerized by just the shape of his face. You can tell his jawline is well-defined and his nose bridge makes a cute arch. He seems to be staring right back at you and you feel your cheeks heating up. Coughing slightly, you break out of your dream-like state and back away.

“Sorry, I’ll get going,” Spider Man sniffs awkwardly, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Thanks, really,” you shake your head, looking away.

“Okay, I’m gonna leave now,” he slowly backs towards the door, not even turning back.

“Okay,” you giggle, following him.

It seems like he doesn’t want to leave and you certainly don’t want him to go. However, you still have a lot of work to do and he probably has many more people he needs to save. You step out into the cool night breeze, holding your arms a little closer to your body for warmth. Spider Man reaches an arm out, displaying his shiny web-shooter.

“Goodbye,” you give him a small wave.

“See ya later,” Spider Man nods before shooting a web and jumping right off your balcony.

You lean over to see him fall. Just as he is about to hit the ground, he swings back up in the air and you watch as he swings away through the city.

---

Winter break is nearing and you’re getting a little antsy. Finals are coming up and you’re a wreck. With eyebags hanging down to your cheeks, you stumble your way to your seat and collapse in the chair. Your backpack slides off your slumped shoulders as you drop your head to your desk, cradling it with your arms.

“Y/n...you okay? You’ve never been this late before,” you hear your friend whisper from behind.

You raise your head and turn around, staring at her blankly, “I know, I just have...a lot to do.”

“Aww, I’m sorry I can’t help because of my dumb classes,” your friend sympathetically frowns, gently brushing your hair with her fingers.

“It’s alright, it’s not your fault really,” you sigh, “I found some company on Wednesdays and Thursdays anyway.”

“What? Who?” your friend gasps, faking offense.

“You wouldn’t believe me,” you giggle.

“Tell me, tell me!” your friend eggs on.

“Fine,” you motion her to come closer, “Spider Man.”

“You need to stop obsessing over him,” your friend snorts, rolling her eyes.

“See, you didn’t believe me,” you pout.

“It’s kinda hard to believe,” your friend hums, challenging you.

“Fine, I’ll get a selfie with him today and send it to you,” you crinkle your nose before tiredly turning back to face the front.

You feel a pair of eyes watching you carefully and you slowly roll your head to face the boy sitting next to you. Jia Yi quickly looks away and you notice a light blush on his cheeks. You huff before turning back.

“Alright students, I know you guys are busy with finals,” your teacher strolls in, starting right away.

“I’m going to assign an easy partner project for your final so you guys won’t have to stress too much,” your teacher announces.

Everyone cheers unanimously until the teacher raises a hand and says, “But, I’m assigning your partners.” Then, there is a unanimous groan.

You take a quick peek back at your friend and the two of you share a disappointed look. The teacher quiets everyone before reaching for his glasses and a clipboard. He adjusts his glasses and takes a closer look at the clipboard before calling out names.

You are silently chanting that you would end up with your friend. You freeze as soon as you hear your name called.

“Y/n,” your teacher looks over at you and you stare right back, anticipating.

“Y/n, you’re with...Jia Yi,” the teacher nods at the two of you and you slide further down into your seat.

You look over at Jia Yi, mind blank. You just stare at the blond. It seems as if your brain had just malfunctioned. It’s not that you despise him, you just didn’t know him well and you know that with all the stress you have, you would end up just dumping it out on him. You didn’t want to do that to him.

Jia Yi bites down on his bottom lip when he hears his name called right after yours. He looks over at you and nearly fell off his chair. You’re staring at him so intensely, yet your eyes seem dead. His cheeks darken and he tries for a smile, but you just kept staring. His brows furrowed as he takes this chance to stare back at you.

He can practically see you fighting yourself through your eyes and he frowns. He overheard your conversation with your friend earlier and begins to worry about you. He quietly scoots closer to you before offering a hand.

“We got this,” he quietly whispers, trying his best to sound as confident as possible.

You weakly grab his hand and shake it. He nearly melts at the touch of your warm fingers and he glances towards Wenhan for a second before looking back at you. Your hand slips out of his and drops to the table and Jia Yi already misses the warmth.

“I’m sorry in advance,” you whisper.

“What do you mean?” Jia Yi’s eyes never left your face.

“It’s been pretty stressful for me recently so sorry if I ever take it out on you,” you shake yourself awake.

“Oh, it’s alright. I understand,” Jia Yi smiles brightly.

You offer a tight-lipped smile before turning away and resting your chin on one hand, not noticing Jia Yi’s smile dropping behind you.

---

“Hey, ready to go?” a familiar voice calls out to you.

“Spider Man! There you are,” you giggle, tightening your grip on your backpack.

“Yup, sorry I couldn’t wait at my usual spot. I, uh...lost track of time,” Spider Man explains, beginning to walk.

“It’s okay, we all have those days. I was late to class for once,” you groan, walking beside him.

“Aww, you must’ve been really tired, huh,” you can practically hear his frown as he loops a strong arm around your waist, “Hold on tight.”

You do as you’re told and the two of you whip into the afternoon sky. You have gotten used to the cool breeze as you fly across the city and you learned to enjoy the feeling of being so high up. You smile a little to yourself as you inhale the fresh air.

Finally, the two of you land back on your balcony. Spider Man would always leave right after he drops you off at home, then coming back later at night to check up on you.

Just as he is about to leap off the balcony, your hand darts for his wrist, preventing him from leaving. He turns to look back at you and cutely cocks his head to the side. You shyly retract your hand and look down.

“Sorry, I just remembered something,” you sniff.

“Oh, what is it?” he asks, leaning towards you.

“If it’s not too much trouble, would you take a selfie with me? I promised a friend since she wouldn’t believe that you take me home when she’s gone,” you laugh, a little embarrassed.

“Of course~” he laughs enthusiastically.

He slides behind you as you open the camera app and fix your hair that had been messed up by the wind. You fee; his arms snake around you, pulling you closer to him and you bite your lower lip, holding up your phone. You smile widely and you can tell he is too. Both of you hold up a peace sign and you snap a couple of pictures.

“Thank you so much,” you put your phone away.

Spider Man still had his arm around you, slowly pulling away from the semi-back hug. You are sure you are as red as a tomato, but you turn to face him anyway. He seems a little startled that you had turned around and drops his arm, to your disappointment.

“Gotta go,” he hums, seeming somewhat dazed, “Mr. Stark is calling.”

“Bye,” you softly tell him, waving slightly.

He takes one last look at you before diving into the busy city down below.

You sigh as you stare at the busy streets below you. The bright sun leaves a soft, golden glow on the buildings and people. Though it is cold, you want to enjoy the setting sun for just a little longer. A sudden ping brings you out of your daydream and you pull out your phone again.

It is Jia Yi. The two of you had exchanged phone numbers earlier so that you can contact each other for the project. You read the text and quickly change out of your uniform and into some cozier, warmer clothes before grabbing your backpack and heading for the library.

Luckily, you live quite close to the library so you only had to brave the cold for at most five minutes. You look around a little before spotting the tall boy. His bright blond hair seems so bright amongst the dull, gray environment of the quiet library.

“Hey, sorry. I almost forgot,” you apologize to Jia Yi as soon as you get to the table he was at.

He turned around, a little startled, “Oh, it’s okay. I just got here.”

“Should we start?” you pull out a chair and sit next to Jia Yi.

“Yeah…we should brainstorm some ideas first,” the blond nods in agreement.

After that, the two of you settle into awkward silence. You shift uncomfortably in your seat a few times, trying to think of ideas. However, you can’t seem to think of anything besides the tension looming over you and your partner. From the corner of your eye, you can also see that Jia Yi struggling.

“Why don’t we go somewhere else,” you speak up, “and get comfortable with each other before we start. I can tell neither of us is able to focus.”

“O-oh, good idea,” Jia Yi stands up. He begins walking out of the library after you got up as well.

“Do you want to go to that candy shop near your--” Jia Yi stutters, “Uh, near here?”

You give him a skeptical look before shrugging, “Sure, let’s go.”

The candy shop is only a few steps away and you are thankful since the sun had already been cut into half by the city landscape. The sky fades from a bright maroon to gorgeous deep indigo. You can see the tiny white stars beginning to appear.

The sweet smell of pure sugar gives you a jolt of energy and you peek around the pink shop. You’ve been in here quite a few times since you live right across, but the atmosphere always draws you back in. A smile makes its way onto your face and you head straight for your favorite candies.

Picking out a few, you turn back to pay and nearly crash into someone’s chest. You stumble back, apologizing. Your cheeks darken when you realize that you just nearly crashed into Jia Yi.

“I’m so sorry...should’ve looked,” you mumble, clutching your candies closer to you as if protecting them.

The tall blond simply chuckles, “It’s okay. Anything you recommend?”

“Oh, well I definitely recommend these,” you hold out your hands to reveal the three candies you had just picked out, “these are my favorite.”

“I’ll get some of those too,” Jia Yi gives you a warm smile before easily reaching over you to grab some candies as well.

You blush slightly at the close proximity and let go of the breath you didn’t know you were holding when he leans away. You can still smell a light waft of his fresh scent after he backed up. He gives you his classic cheesy smile and you return it with a small smile of your own.

Both of you awkwardly shuffle over to the front to pay for the candies. You cheerfully greet the employee by the cash register and place your candies on the counter. Jia Yi slides his candies next to yours and pulls out his wallet. The employee types a few things into the register and asks for four dollars. You stop him and pull out your own wallet.

“Hey, no need to pay for me,” you pout, pulling out a five dollar bill, “It’s your first time here, right? I’ll pay.”

“No way, I won’t let you pay. It’s only five dollars anyway,” Jia Yi copies the pout of your face, shoving the five dollar bill into the employee’s face without even looking.

The employee quickly snatches the money from Jia Yi’s finger, a nervous expression on his face as you and Jia Yi have a stare off. After returning the change, the employee dashes off and disappears behind the staff door. You begrudgingly stuff your wallet back into your backpack and take your candy, your eyes never leaving Jia Yi’s. You narrow your eyes a little as he stores his wallet and takes his candy off the counter as well. He gives you a smile and the two of you break eye contact before heading to one of the small tables the shop had.

You and Jia Yi sit across from each other. You unwrap one of the candies and pop it into your mouth, moving it from one cheek to another, savoring the flavor. Jia Yi watches you carefully before imitating you, his face brightening as soon as he put the candy in his mouth. You giggle at the sight.

“Wow, this one tastes so good,” Jia Yi looks at you with sparkling eyes.

“I know, right? That one is my favorite flavor,” you chuckle at his childlike amazement.

The two of you spend a few moments enjoying the candies before Jia Yi speaks up again. He plays with the crinkly wrappers as he speaks.

“So, what do you like to do?” he asks, blinking innocently at you.

“Hmm, not much,” you shrug, contemplating on the answer.

“Oh come on, I see you and your friend in the book club sometimes,” Jia Yi shyly admits, “I was just passing by.”

“Well, I do love reading,” you smile, “What about you? I heard you’re on the football team or something.”

“Me? On the football team? Now that’s a good joke,” Jia Yi snorts, giving you a look of disbelief.

“What? Really? I thought all popular guys play football or something,” you hum, a little embarrassed that you had just assumed something that isn’t true.

“Nope, it’s just a stereotype,” he chuckles at your dumbfounded expression, “Wenhan does like playing football though.”

“Huh...there must be a lot of things I have wrong about you guys then,” you ponder, resting your chin in a hooked finger.

“Maybe. I can tell you what’s wrong and what’s right if you list them out,” Jia Yi suggests, “We can get to know each other that way.”

“Okay, sounds good to me. Can I start? I have a lot,” you look up at him sheepishly.

“Go ahead,” he laughs.

Time flies past as the two of you exchange stories and share laughter. You have to admit that you misjudged them and so you apologized to Jia Yi, the guilt escaping you after. After calming down from your hundredth fit of laughter, you take a peek at the clock and then back at Jia Yi.

“Hey, I think we should head home now,” you sigh, shoving your phone into your pocket.

“Good idea. It’s getting late,” Jia Yi stands up, holding out a hand.

You take his hand and he pulls you up. He pulls a little too hard and you stumble right into his chest. Both of you are too afraid to move for a moment and so you stood in his embrace for a minute or two before awkwardly pulling away. Cheeks red, you apologize to Jia Yi as he does the same.

The two of you fall into a comfortable silence as you make your way home. Jia Yi had offered to walk you home even though you live right across. He had insisted and you would be lying if you said you didn’t feel a little weak when he pulled out his puppy dog face.

“Alright, this is me,” you shyly tell him, rocking back and forth, hands behind your back.

“Goodnight, y/n. See you tomorrow,” Jia Yi smiles.

You expect him to leave, but as you open the door to your apartment complex, the tall blond is still standing there, smiling. He notices you’re watching him and he waves. You wave back before quickly closing the door and heading upstairs. You let out a sigh of relief when you make it safely back into your room. Opening the glass doors, you step out into the balcony, enjoying the night breeze. You look down and nearly fall off when you see that Jia Yi is still down there. He notices you up there and gives you a thumbs up before running off.

You find yourself blushing at his gentlemanly actions, making sure you got back safe. You can’t help but smile a little. You had definitely misunderstood him before and you regret not getting to know him earlier. You hadn’t realized that he was so sweet and funny and he is an exemplary company.

Shaking your head, you get rid of the thought of Jia Yi. You remind yourself that you would never fall for his or his friends’ charms. Looking out at the brightly lit city, you wonder where Spider Man is. Perhaps he doesn’t have time to visit you today. You wait out a little longer before you head back in.

---

“Oh. My. Gosh,” your friend nearly knocks the both of you over as she rams into you.

“Ack! You’re gonna knock us both over,” you whine, trying to steady the both of you.

“Sorry, sorry,” she halfheartedly apologizes, “But that selfie with Spider Man though!”

“Shhhh! Keep it down, will you,” you hiss.

“This is so exciting! Are you sure you didn’t photoshop that?” your friend asks, suddenly a little skeptical.

“I promise I didn’t photoshop that,” you huff, jutting out your bottom lip.

“Okay, I believe you. You have to let me meet him one day though,” your friend winks.

Rolling your eyes, you chuckle at her teasing tone but agree to her request. The two of you make your way into the classroom and as usual, Jia Yi and his friends are already inside. Usually, you would ignore them, but you decided to wave to Jia Yi.

Jia Yi notices you and waves back enthusiastically, his smile widening. You giggle a little before settling down in your seat and greeting Jolin as well. Your friend sits down behind you and you turn so that you’re facing her. Her expression is priceless, jaw on the floor, eyes bulging.

“What?” you laugh.

“Did you just wave and smile at Jia Yi?” your friend gasps.

“Yeah, I did,” you shrug.

“Since when did you two become friends?” she asks, eyes darting between you and Jia Yi who is back to chatting animatedly with his friends.

“Yesterday. I really misjudged them,” you sigh sadly, “Jia Yi’s really nice actually.”

“Are you serious? You literally like hated him just two days ago,” your friend says.

“Okay, I never hated him...that’s a strong word. Plus, I said I misjudged him. Jia Yi’s really sweet,” you shake your head.

“Well spill the tea!” your friend shakes you violently.

“Ah, fine!” you groan, shoving her hands off, “I’ll tell you later though. Jia Yi and his friends are literally right there.”

“Oh~ Are you shy?” your friend teases, winking at you.

“I’m not, oh my gosh. It’s embarrassing though,” you facepalm.

“I think you have a crush~” your friend sings, making you groan.

“Fine, I won’t tell you then,” you huff, crossing your arms, slowly turning to face the front.

You feel her hand grip your shoulder and you turn back to face her, smirking, “What?”

“Sorry, tell me later,” she squints her eyes, “threatening” you. Giggling, you turn to face forward again.

Next to you, Jia Yi watches you carefully while chatting with his friends. Although your conversation was quiet, Jia Yi heard his name come up a couple of times and every time you said his name, he felt his heart skip a beat. The way you had said it so endearingly made him gush.

“Did she really just wave at you?” Wenhan’s gasps, poking at Jia Yi to catch his attention.

“Huh? Oh yeah,” Jia Yi nods, his eyes still on you.

“Since when did that happen?” Guan Yue tugs at Jia Yi’s arm, causing him to look away from you.

“Yesterday. We met up for the project, but it was too awkward so we went to the candy shop to talk instead,” Jia Yi sighs dreamily, recounting the memories of yesterday.

“Eyy, I told you she likes you,” Wenhan laughs, winking.

Jia Yi simply rolls his eyes, chuckling along, “She doesn’t.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Hanyu smirks, “She definitely likes you.”

“Don’t get my hopes up! We’re just friends...I just got on her good side yesterday,” Jia Yi pouts.

“You’ll see, you’ll see,” Wenhan chuckles before leading Chunyang away back to their seats just as the teacher walks in.

---

Over the next month, you and Jia Yi become close. You even begin talking to a few of his friends and getting to know them. You find yourself enjoying their company, especially Jia Yi’s. He even invited you over when he dyed his hair to a deep chocolate-brown color. You had anticipated seeing his other friends that day, but you did not. It was only you and Jia Yi and to say that you enjoyed those few hours with him would be an understatement. You didn’t want to, but you had to confess to yourself that you now have a huge crush on Jia Yi.

Finally, the school year comes to a quick end and you wave goodbye to your friend as she dashes off to the car waiting in front of the school so she can rush to the airport. Unfortunately, she will not be there for break and you begin to feel a little lonely as you wave goodbye to her.

Shivering, you begin to make your way back home, trudging along with your backpack weighing you down. You spot Spider Man in his bright red and blue suit at his usual spot and your face lights up. You quickly jog over to him.

“Hey, Spider Man,” you smile.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while,” Spider Man chuckles.

“That’s true...almost for a whole month,” you frown, “Busy saving people, huh?”

He hesitates a little, “Yeah...lots of people.”

“It’s alright, I’ve been pretty busy with studying too. Plus, there was that big final project I told you about and my partner and I have just been hanging out a lot after,” you paused, “To work on the project of course…”

“Oh, who is your partner?” Spider Man asks, suddenly seeming even more interested in the conversation.

“Uh, you probably don’t know him,” you shyly chuckle. You didn’t want to expose your crush on your schoolmate by sounding too dreamy when describing him. You didn’t even really want to admit that you have a crush on Jia Yi.

“Aww, tell me the name at least?” Spider Man begs and you can tell he’s giving you puppy dog eyes underneath his mask.

You hesitate, “J-Jia Yi…”

“Hmm...I’ve heard that name before,” Spider Man cheekily replies before scooping you into his strong arms and whisking the both of you away back to your apartment.

“Oh, you have?” you nervously ask as the two of you land on your balcony.

You unlock the doors and step in, inviting Spider Man in as well. He happily strolls in and takes a seat by your desk. You shuffle over to your bed and flop down, rolling onto your stomach. You use your arms to support your head so that you can face Spider Man.

“Yup,” Spider Man chuckles, “I know him pretty well actually.”

“That’s cool! He’s never told me that he knows you,” you hum.

“I guess he wants to keep it a secret,” there is an undetectable emotion in Spider Man’s voice. It almost sounds like he wants to tell you something, but chose not to.

“So...do you have Christmas off? Is Mr. Stark giving you a day off at least?” you ask, changing the subject.

“Well, it’s my duty to protect the city so Mr. Stark said he’d officially give me a week off but encourages that I try my best to help out that week,” he chuckles, “I don’t think Mr. Stark really wants me to do anything though since I cause him a lot of trouble.”

“Aww, I’m sure he doesn’t think you cause him trouble,” you hum, “You’re the best help there is.”

Spider Man chuckles shyly, “Thanks, but I really do cause him trouble sometimes. I appreciate the week off though.”

“You should come by to visit during your week off then!” you happily suggest, hoping he will accept the offer.

“I’ll definitely stop by,” you can see his attempt to wink through the mask, “But if you’re hoping I’d come without a suit, then you’re wrong. I can’t leak my identity.”

You let out a small, playful whine, “Aww, you know I wouldn’t tell anyone. I pinky promise.”

He giggles and lazily ruffles your hair a little, “Sorry, no can do. As much as I trust you, I can’t disobey such an important order from Mr. Stark.”

“Even as much as you trust me?” you slowly lean in closer, lowering the tone of your voice.

“Y-yeah…”Spider Man stutters, but he doesn’t lean away.

You stare up at him, eyes darting back and forth between each eye-hole of the mask. Your shaky hand steadily moves up to his face as you slowly move closer towards Spider Man. You gulp quietly as you find the edge of his mask and carefully begin tugging it upwards, revealing his sharp jaw and pouty lips.

You’re sure he can feel your breath down his neck, as he gives you a nervous smile. You recognize that smile...you could recognize it anywhere. You let out a small gasp and his smile falters before he takes a step back and harshly pulls his mask back down. You feel a blush growing on your cheeks. You think you know who it is and you’re pretty sure it’s him.

Spider Man frantically trips around until he makes it out, onto your balcony. He gracefully hops on the railing as you nervously shuffle towards him.

“A-ah...uh...I have to go now. Bye,” he waves before leaping off the railings and into the cityscape.

You sigh, leaning on the railings where Spiderman had just jumped off of. You watch carefully as your suited hero swings from building to building, his silhouette getting smaller and darker.

As the first week of break pass by and Spider Man has not visited. You’re worried that you had scared him off and now he won’t ever come back. But, as promised, Spider Man pays you a visit on Christmas day.

You glance at the clock and groan at the time. It’s already two in the morning. Your parents are out partying while you decided to stay home. Suddenly, a soft knock shakes you out of your thoughts and you bounce off your bed and rush to the double doors.

“Spider Man! You came-” you cut yourself off as he collapses into your arms.

“Ugh, I’m sorry. Wait, I need to sit,” he groans, trying to stand up.

You carefully help him to your chair and he slides out of your arms and drops heavily in the chair. You frantically look him over before rushing to the bathroom to get a first aid kit out. Luckily, there seems to not be any major injuries on his body. However, his whole mask is stained dark red by blood, whether it was his or someone else’s, you didn’t know.

“Hey, stay with me, okay?” you tell him softly, opening the kit, “Are there any injuries that are hiding under that suit?”

“N-no...it’s mainly my face,” he winces with each word.

“Okay, I need you to take off your mask,” you try to stop the shaking in your voice.

“I c-can’t,” he groans.

“This is serious! I can’t just let you bleed out here,” you cry out, “Why didn’t you just go back to Mr. Stark?”

“I wanted to s-see you…” he takes a deep breath, “In case anything happened.”

Your eyes soften, “Spider Man...you don’t have to worry about me. I should be the one worrying instead and I do worry a lot about you. Now take off that mask and let me help you.”

The two of you sit in silence for a moment before Spider Man cautiously pulls off his mask. The wait is painfully slow as he tries to avoid irritating the cuts and bruises as he peels the mask off. You patiently wait, damp, cold cloth in hand. Your eyes widen as the mask lifts above his nose. Your suspicions were right. It is him.

“J-Jia Yi…” his name tumbling out of your mouth.

He looks at you shyly, attempting a smile, “Hope you’re not disappointed.”

The sight of him all bloody and bruised makes you tear up. You shake your head, trying to contain your tears as you carefully begin to clean the dark blood off his face. He reaches for your free hand and you let him hold it. You wince every time he winces.

“I’m far from disappointed,” you mumble after a small period of comfortable silence, still carefully cleaning his face.

“Really?” you can see the hopefulness sparkle in his eyes.

You nod shyly, dropping the cloth. You reach up and gently brush his hair away so that you can get a full view of his face. You frown at all the cuts and bruises he has. His lips are a little swollen, a huge cut decorating it. His eyes are slightly puffy and teary and his nose is painted black and blue with bruises.

You finish patching him up and offer him a clean set of your father’s clothes. You let him take a shower and after he’s done, the two of you sit on the ground, leaning against your bed. You sit in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other’s company. A sudden surge of confidence surges through you and you open your mouth to speak.

“Y-you know, I’m glad you’re Spider Man. I would’ve been disappointed if it were anyone else,” you confess.

“Really?” his head whips to face you. His eyes search yours and you look away shyly. Both of you shift so that you’re facing each other.

“I…” you contemplate for a second, “I really like you.”

You look down, flushing, afraid of Jia Yi’s reaction. You feel his fingers tickling your cheek as he softly tucks a strand of stray hair behind your ear. You look up at him through your lashes and feel your face get even warmer. He has the widest (well as wide as his cut would allow him to smile), most charming, most dazzling smile on his face.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to hear that,” he chuckles, pulling you closer.

Your eyes immediately flutter shut as he cradles your head and pulls you closer to him. Your lips collide with his and you can feel his shallow breath fanning your face. You lean into the kiss, but he pulls away, wincing. You gasp and frantically ghost your thumb over his lip.

“I’m so sorry! I forgot about your cut,” you rest your hand on his cheek, nearly crying.

He simply laughs, “It’s okay, I forgot too.”

“Are you okay?” you ask.

“More than okay,” he smiles, gently pulling your hand off his face and lacing his fingers between yours.

He leans forward and rests his forehead against yours. You stare into his soft eyes and he stares back. A small, shy smile makes its way onto your face.

---

“I can’t believe you’re dating Jia Yi now! You two are literally the most obvious, yet unexpected couple honestly,” your friend rants.

You simply chuckle but look past her. Your eyes settle onto your tall boyfriend who is animatedly chatting with his friends. He seems to notice a pair of eyes on him and looks up. He shoots you a wink, causing you to blush, before going back to chat with his group.

“So, any juicy secrets to spill?” your friend giggles, nudging you, bringing you out of your daydream.

“Secrets?” you give her a teasing smile, “Oh, a whole lot.”

You smile at her before making your way to the classroom, leaving your friend flustered and curious. She chases after you, asking question after question. You laugh to yourself. There are definitely times where you want to show off your boyfriend. He has saved so many lives and you’re proud of him. However, you couldn’t have wished for anything better, even if you have to keep your boyfriend’s superhero identity a secret.

AHHH I COULDN’T FIND ANY GIFS WITH HIM IN THE SPIDER MAN SUIT :((

~Admin Liz ♡

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danfanciesphil · 6 years ago

Text

Some Kind Of Folliful (New Fic!)

Edgelord!Dan x ObliviousBisexual!Phil AU (based off the 80′s classic Some Kind of Wonderful)

Synopsis: Dan has one friend, and only because he was forced into it. Phil is loud, excitable, and irritatingly happy all of the time. Phil seems to find Dan's perpetual attitude funny, and despite Dan's best efforts to shun him and everyone else, wants to be around him all the time. That is, until Phil starts talking about Amanda Jones. Word Count: WIP (Estimated 12-15 chapters) updates every Tuesday Rating: Explicit Warnings: Smoking, swearing, implied prostitution, broken home, class divide/classism, pining, light homophobia, sex

Back at it again, kids! Highly recommend checking this out/subscribing to this on Ao3!

“You know Amanda Jones?”

Dan stops scrubbing the counter for a moment, blindsided by the strange question.

“From school?” Dan asks.

Phil nods.

“Hardy Jenns’ insipid arm candy, you mean?”

Phil rolls his eyes, hitching himself up onto a nearby countertop. “If you like.”

“I just cleaned that,” Dan complains; Phil doesn’t move an inch. “Yeah, I know her. Why d’you ask?”

Phil shrugs, swinging his feet to and fro. “What do you think of her?”

“Uh… I don’t. She’s part of a social structure I’d rather stay far away from.”

“Which is?”

Dan rolls his eyes. “You know. All that ridiculous status quo, popularity contest stuff. High school politics.”

“You mean ‘cause she’s one of the Elite?” Phil smirks knowingly.

“I think Elite is a strong word,” Dan grumbles, walking over to the sink to rinse out the cloth. “Rich, snobby assholes would be a more appropriate term for them.”

Phil snorts in amusement. Dan turns from the sink to survey him, brow furrowing.

“Why are you asking me about Amanda Jones?”

“I just think she’s interesting,” Phil answers, shrugging. “You know she’s not rich, don’t you?”

Dan sighs, grabbing the disinfectant spray off the side. He starts spraying the fridge door with it, wiping it down with the cloth.

“Yeah, I heard something about that,” Dan says after a moment. “She lives on our side of town, right? Big deal.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dan huffs another sigh, already sick of this conversation. “Phil, she might have a trailer-trash bloodline, but she runs with the rich and the beautiful. It’s guilt by association.”

“Okay, that’s ridiculous,” Phil says with a snort.

Dan just glares, moving to the sink at Phil's side. Phil aims a kick at him as he passes, but Dan scoots out of his path.

“You can’t just hate her because of who she hangs out with,” Phil persists, so Dan whirls around to whack him with the wet cloth, making him shriek. “Hey!"

“Why can’t I?” He asks. “The way that girl and her big-money, cruel-heart society spit on everyone is not ‘interesting’. It’s pathetic.”

“She’s the only one who’s ever made it across the tracks, though,” Phil points out, as though this is some great achievement. “That’s pretty interesting, you’ve gotta admit.”

“She clawed her way to the dark side because she’s skinny and beautiful and leapt into bed with Hardy Jenns as soon as she snagged his attention,” Dan snaps; Phil raises his eyebrows at the tone.

“You sound pretty defensive,” Phil notes. He folds his arms and leans back against the wall, smirking again. “Jealous?”

Traitorously, Dan feels his cheeks grow a little warm. He turns away and snatches up the stock list in order to give him something to focus on.

“Of her? Don’t be stupid,” Dan mutters. “She’s got the charisma of a linoleum tile.”

“She is pretty though, isn’t she?” Phil muses.

Dan spins to face him, jabbing an accusatory finger in his direction. “I knew this was about that.”

“About what?”

“About your sex drive.”

“I didn’t say anything about sex.”

“Oh, right,” Dan says, rolling his eyes again. “Wanna start a book club with her?”

Phil snorts, jumping down from the counter at last. He grins at Dan as he sidles towards him. “Maybe.”

“Phil,” Dan sighs, trying hard to ignore the way his body stiffens as Phil steps closer. “Take my advice and let this go.”

“Dan, I’m just interested in her,” Phil says, one of his hands finding the end of Dan’s apron tie – ever the flirt. “I’m allowed to think she’s interesting.”

Dan shakes his head. “Don’t go roaming where you don’t belong.”

“You sound like an old wizard or something,” Phil says around a smile.

He’s standing so close now. He has a specific, sweet aroma that Dan’s pretty sure he produces without the aid of deodorant or perfume. It’s a tangy, syrupy scent, like caramelising sugar as it’s poured over a red, crisp apple. Dan has never known anybody smell so naturally delicious aside from Phil.

“If I was, I’d cast a banishing spell so that you’d stop pestering me at work.” Dan yanks his apron tie out of Phil’s hand, moving swiftly away.

It’s useless to stress the point though, he knows. It doesn’t matter how often Dan tells Phil he can’t keep showing up at the café while he’s working, wheedling free coffees, straining the Wi-Fi, and worst of all wandering through into the kitchen where he is absolutely not allowed – he’s never going to listen. Phil’s just not the type of guy who pays attention to rules like that. It’s not that Phil is a hardened criminal, he’s just a bit odd that way. He’s a dreamer, so things like hygiene regulations and fire safety probably don’t filter very far through the hazy, rose-tinted cloud of his brain.

It helps that he’s so confident, too. Whereas Dan has a tendency to turn his emotions inwards, Phil has a bright, exuberant personality, and no qualms about expressing himself to anyone at any time. He’ll chat with anybody: from the homeless man on the street corner, to the peculiar woman who walks her five corgis through the park every afternoon. Heck, he’ll even stop to converse with the corgis themselves. He’s obscenely likeable, really, and he gets away with a lot because he’s so friendly and chatty that it’s sort of impossible to be annoyed with him. Dan knows this far too well, unfortunately. Though, out of everyone, he’s probably the most successful person to maintain a level of annoyance with Phil Lester.

“You love it,” Phil says, his smirk stretching into a full on grin. “You want me to do it more.”

“I do not, as it happens, love getting fired,” Dan retorts, hoping the warmth in his cheeks isn’t as obvious as it feels. He distracts himself by walking to the far shelves under the pretence of further stock-checks. “You know how much of a bollocking I got from Jenns last time he saw you in here.”

“Yeah, but he’s not here now,” Phil says. “If he shows up, which he won’t because he never bothers to, then I’ll just hide in the pantry.”

“Louise is gonna be here in a second,” Dan warns, ignoring him. “She won’t be happy either.”

Phil scoffs. “She’s easy to get round.”

“Oh, am I?”

Dan and Phil whip round to face the back door of the kitchen, through which enters Louise, her bouncy blonde curls springing free as she removes her thick scarf.

Phil grins sheepishly at her. “I just mean you’re too lovely to kick me out.”

“Nice try, Lester,” Louise says, one eyebrow raised. “C’mon, hit the road. You can flirt with Dan after his shift is over.”

Phil pouts, but begrudgingly seems to accept that he has to get going. He finds his bag and hitches it up onto one shoulder, sighing.

“Fine. It’s boring here, anyway,” he says at last, and Dan glowers at him.

“Why do you listen to her and not me?” Dan asks.

Phil laughs, walking over to nudge Dan with his shoulder. “She’s just got an air of authority about her. Don’t take it personally.”

“I hate you,” Dan says, scowling as he pushes past Phil towards the door to the customer counter.

“Love you too!” Phil calls, still laughing; Dan rolls his eyes. “Come over later, yeah? I wanna hear more about your contempt for the bourgeoisie.”

“Bye, Phil,” Dan calls over his shoulder, stressing the farewell.

He hears the click of the back door as Phil leaves, and tries to ignore the pang in his chest, knowing that now he has four hours of his shift left without Phil’s inane chatter to keep him company. He sighs, hating himself for being such a hypocrite.

“Dan!” Louise calls out. “Come wipe Phil’s assprints off the countertops.”

A week passes, and Phil doesn’t drop the Amanda thing. It’s baffling to Dan, who has never so much as heard Phil name a serious, real-life crush in all the years they’ve been friends. Sure, he jokes that his heart is forever beating for Buffy Summers, but as she’s fictional and a literal superhero, Dan hadn’t really taken it too seriously. Now, out of seemingly nowhere, Phil has become, for lack of a better term, obsessed with a girl who is, in Dan’s eyes, shockingly mediocre.

Sure, she’s absolutely gorgeous. There’s no point in denying that, as you’d have to be blind or dumb not to recognise her dainty, symmetrical features, or the waft of shiny, nutella-brown locks cascading past her cute, studded ears. Her figure is something out of a seedy magazine. She’s petite and skinny, with a waist you could close a fist around and boobs the size of cantaloupe melons. She’s very, very pretty. But that doesn’t make her interesting. Dan has tried to explain this to Phil countless times since he first brought her up, but he doesn’t appear to even listen. He’ll just laugh or shake his head fondly, as though Dan were the one with the bizarre perspective of the situation.

“You can’t judge a book by its cover,” Phil had said to him one such time.

They’d been lying on Phil’s bed, staring up at his ceiling. Something was playing on Phil’s TV in the corner, but neither of them were paying attention.

“Yeah, but you can tell how much it’s gonna cost,” Dan had replied, a tad bitterly perhaps.

Phil had been quiet for a moment after that, and for a second Dan thought he might’ve actually gotten through. But then it was back to Amanda, back to how surprisingly sweet and clever and smart she seemed… from a distance. Because that’s another thing – Phil has never actually spoken to this girl. The reason for this is not because Phil is shy. He is possibly the least shy person Dan has ever known, in fact. The issue is that Amanda Jones is an esteemed member of the Elite, and Phil is… well, not. According to the hideously boring social structure of St Anthony’s Secondary School, any attempt Phil makes to cross the rickety bridge between his level of popularity and Amanda’s – even for so much as a conversation – would be practically suicidal.

Hardy Jenns, Amanda’s shit-head boyfriend, and coincidentally the son of Dan’s boss, would pound Phil to a mushy pulp if he so much as sniffed a rumour that he might be trying to chat up his girl. There are basically a whole plethora of reasons why Phil should just forget about Amanda altogether, but Dan cannot seem to convince him of this no matter how hard he tries. He drags on the stub of his cigarette as he considers all of this, trying to make it last. He hasn’t got any more after this one. A new pack of smokes would probably bankrupt him, too. He chucks the burnt out end on the ground and squashes it with the toe of his boot. Before all this came up with Phil, Dan spent maybe one minute of his life concerned with the boring, vapid lives of the Elite. Now, he has to engage in lengthy conversations about them every damn day. Even worse is that, as Phil is pretty much Dan’s only friend at school, there’s no relief from it.

His lack of friends willing to discuss non-Amanda related topics is entirely self-inflicted however. He’s projected an ‘unapproachable’ vibe for as long as he can remember, because it suits him to have his peers see him as a loner. He is a loner, after all. Except for Phil, of course. According to Phil, other people at school see him as mysterious, and alternative. He’s got some admirers, apparently, though Phil might be teasing him about that. Dan honestly could not care less how anyone at St Anthony's perceives him. As long as nobody actually talks to him, he’s fine with letting them think whatever they want.

Of course, Phil is a separate matter. Because even Dan can admit that having one person to talk to, or sit with, or just hang around during his down time, is a lot better than having nobody at all. Up until Year Nine, Dan’s school life was totally devoid of friendship. He’d thought, at the time, that he didn’t mind it. And then, like a comet bursting through an endlessly dull night sky, Phil appeared.

Dan had been sat in Chemistry at the beginning of term, already having chosen himself a seat at the back, in the corner by the window. Nobody picked the seat beside him, obviously, which was far from a surprise. And then Phil pushed into the lab, late - which Dan would later discover is one of his most prominent character traits. The teacher, irritated, asked Phil to find a seat. And that's where Dan's life transcended from utterly mundane, into bafflingly, ridiculously absurd. Because Phil swept that sharp bblue gaze across maybe five empty stools. He smiled at his friends waving manically, he ignored the frantic hands gesturing for him to sit beside them, and fixated on Dan, alone, scowling, in the far left corner. He plonked himself right down in the space next to him, his broad smile never faltering. Nothing has been the same since.

“Have we ever even met?” Dan had asked him, horrified by the audacity of this strange, perpetually happy person.

“We’re meeting now!” Phil had replied, grinning infectiously. He stuck out his hand for Dan to shake, and for some reason, Dan just did.

He’d tried in vain, after that first day, to be cold towards Phil. He’d tried to speak to him with only the bare minimum, answering Science-related stuff monosyllabically, or pretending he didn’t know the answer at all. Phil never bought the act. He laughed at Dan’s attempts to shrug him off. He teased and prodded and joked until Dan couldn’t hide the responding smile any more. He followed Dan about after class, telling him stupid anecdotes about his encounters with the squirrels outside, or prattling on about his latest clumsy incident.

It didn’t seem to matter to Phil that Dan barely ever responded. He was just content to lean against the lockers beside Dan’s while he rummaged inside, rambling about his newest art projects. He seated himself in the cafeteria next to Dan, tilting his phone screen to show him funny memes and videos of dogs. He’s the most persistent person Dan has ever known, to date, and he still has no clue why Phil didn’t just give up. But eventually, Dan was worn down. He began laughing at Phil’s stupid, unfunny puns. He sent Phil an occasional meme of his own over text. He made suggestions about what Phil should draw next. He started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer , and texted Phil his opinions. It must have been an agonising few months of slow, tortoise-like progress for Phil, but they did become friends. By the time Christmas rolled around, Dan had someone in his life that actually cared enough to buy him a present.

Dan, who had never bought a Christmas present for anyone in his life, let alone received one, felt terrible, but Phil just gave him a hug, and told him it was fine. They’d watched stupid Christmas films on Boxing Day, wearing the paper hats from the Christmas Crackers Phil insisted they pull. It must have been around then that he finally accepted Phil as someone he didn’t mind having around. He dreads to think of what might happen if, somehow, Phil actually makes it across the Elite border and begins weaselling his way into the cool crowd. Those snooty kids are sure as hell not going to accept Dan as a member over there, even if they do, for whatever reason, make an allowance for Phil. Not that Dan has any interest whatsoever in associating himself with half-witted phonies, sipping the Kool-Aid of their conservative lifestyle.

“Hey,” a voice interrupts his reminiscence, startling him. He glances up at Phil, feeling caught out somehow. “Are you waiting for me? I thought you were working today?”

Dan stands up form the cold, brick wall he’s been sat on for the past half hour, resisting the urge to rub his sore ass.

“Not waiting for you, just smoking. Louise swapped my shift with Zoe,” Dan explains, shifting to discreetly work some life back into his numb buttocks.

“No way!” Phil exclaims, ridiculously excited by the news. His face lights up in a grin, and Dan has to look away or he’ll start smiling back like a lunatic. “Awesome! Surprise Dan-time.”

Phil slings his arm around Dan’s shoulders. He tuts and gives a half-hearted attempt at shrugging him off, but Phil knows him too well to take the bait, so he just squeezes Dan tighter as they begin their walk home.

“What do you wanna do?” Dan asks, heart picking up its pace a little. Don't say my house, don't say my house-

“I need your help, actually. Wanna come over for a bit?”

Dan’s shoulders sag in relief as they take the turning towards Phil’s street.

“Please tell me this is not Amanda Jones-related.”

“Maybe,” Phil says, aiming a guilty glance at him. “Come on, please? For me?” Phil begs, making Dan roll his eyes. “Besides, if you help me out, then I’ll stop talking your ear off about her.” Phil pauses. “Maybe.”

Dan sighs, contemplating how to respond. He’s said everything he can think of to dissuade Phil from this Amanda thing. He supposes could flat-out refuse to help. He could list all the reasons Amanda Jones is bad news for the zillionth time. He could storm off in a huff. But Dan has been looking forward to surprising Phil with this afternoon off work. He wants to chill out with the one person whom he can truly relax with, no matter what the topic of discussion is. Besides, Phil is far too pig-headed to listen to a word of Dan’s feeble protestations anyway.

“Ugh, fine,” Dan relents, not bothering to hide the reluctance in his tone.

Phil stops in the middle of the street to wrap him in an absurdly tight bear hug.

“You’re the best, Dan.”

“Get the fuck off me, you freak.”

Phil laughs, and squeezes harder.

(Chapter Two posted next Tuesday!)

#phan #phanfic #phan au #some kind of folliful

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veliseraptor · 7 years ago

Text

okay so we’re doing this: here are some excerpts from current WIPs. send me a number for one of them and I’ll write 150 words in it.

(something for me to do tonight for the, uh, probably hour and a half I’ll have on hold with Ikea.)

1. What did Thor want? After this was over, if they all survived…Thor said he wanted Loki to go back to Asgard with him. That he would be welcome, that he would be forgiven. He made it sound like the truth, but that seemed impossible. With all he had done…exile was the least sentence. Surely Odin would not so easily countenance the return of a traitor-

(No, Loki.)

No. The question was, was Thor’s belief irrational optimism, or had the Allfather lied about his intentions in order to coax his wayward pet back? To kill, to imprison – did it matter?

And what if, whispered a soft, stubborn voice, Thor speaks the truth? What if they would welcome you home, even after everything?

What then? (Life in Reverse)

2. You’re moping, Rogers. Being childish.

He had three unanswered messages from Roni, and four from Fury; he was a little surprised the latter hadn’t kicked in his door already.

He didn’t need the “help” Roni was trying to give him. It wasn’t helping. He’d have taken Fury up on his offer of a job, if it weren’t for the fact that he was pretty sure that would end with him getting hauled back to therapy. He felt - stalled. Stuck.

Maybe Lukas had been right, and he needed to throw himself at someone else’s problems so he didn’t have to look at his own. Was that a bad thing, though? He wanted to help other people. How was that supposed to be a flaw?

He did a lot of running. Someone - Roni, probably - would say that was metaphorical. He wondered what she’d say the punching bags he kept destroying represented.

Or the dreams about missing a train, Bucky reaching out and yelling for him to grab on. (keep your heart (close to the ground))

3. “It makes him more manageable, doesn’t it?” Natasha said bluntly when he explained what was going on. Steve gave her an unhappy look, and she sighed. “What do you want to do, Steve? It’s going to be a bit of a challenge to find a therapist for a depressed alien who tried to take over the world. How would you explain the situation? I don’t know that any level of patient confidentiality would cover that, even if Loki would agree to it.”

Which, of course, he wouldn’t. Steve resisted the urge to put his head in his hands.

“I can’t...deal with this,” he said. “I can’t be someone’s slavemaster for the rest of my life, and I can’t just watch someone fall apart and do nothing, no matter who they are. But I can’t ask anyone else to take responsibility, and I can’t just give up and send Loki off to be executed-”

“Even if that’s exactly what he wants?”

Steve pressed his lips together. “Is that what you’d do?”

“In your position? Probably.” Natasha sighed. “Some people you can’t save, Steve. Not if they don’t want it. And some people if you try will only pull you down with them.” She met his eyes. “And Loki...he’s down now, but think about if he was in your position. How nice do you think he’d be? Or if he were free?”

“But he’s not,” Steve said. “He’s here. I have to try to do something.” (Tear My Castle Down)

4. Loki had what could, generously, be called a problem.

Less generously: an obsession. A fixation. A decidedly inconvenient attraction.

To, of all people, Captain America, garishly clad symbol of all those things that irritated Loki most: righteousness, nobility, belief in the best of people. Steadfast and loyal and, in a word, heroic.

And for all his broad shoulders and muscular chest, which were nothing to be sneezed at (unfortunately), what Loki found himself caught by, at the most unfortunate moments, was his face.

Full lips. Eyes that seemed to shift between blue and grey, framed by long, dark, eyelashes. Eyebrows that more often than not tilted upwards in a faintly worried expression.

And the way he looked panting, flushed, head tilted slightly upwards to stare him defiantly in the eye…

At times, a vivid imagination was a curse. (Temptation)

5. He held himself together. Barely. Loki’s stomach kept trying to tie itself in knots, and his eyes burned, but he refused to cry where these strangers could see him.

What did he know? That Thor was alive, presumably. At some point within living memory, Thor had come to Midgard as an ally. At some point within living memory, Loki had come as something else. He had, it seemed likely, personally fought Steve Rogers. And then he had died.

When? Had he been killed here, or elsewhere? Steve knew something about it that he wasn’t saying.

Had he at least died well?

Loki put his face in his hands and took a deep, shuddering breath. It took him a long moment to draw himself together so he was certain he would not start weeping, but he could not so easily stifle the dark circles of his thoughts.

He wished Steve would come back. For a former enemy, he seemed decent enough. (And if such was the character of his enemies, what did that say about him?) (our history is coming to life again)

6. “As grateful as I am to have our facility in one piece – more or less,” he said, “I’m actually more concerned about the problem of an unmonitored superpowered person capable of moving in and out of secure locations without batting an eye.”

“I would not have bothered if they had not insisted on bringing me in to begin with,” Loki said, apparently eavesdropping.

“As we explained yesterday,” Steve said, “Loki isn’t interested in interfering with you or anyone else.”

“He says.”

“In seventy-odd years,” Steve snapped, his temper giving way again, “I’d think he’d’ve had the chance before now, don’t you?”

“I’m sorry,” Coulson said, not sounding very apologetic, “but we can’t just take it on faith that the situation won’t change in the future. We’re making an effort to be accommodating-”

Loki plucked the phone from Steve’s hand before he could snatch it back. “If you think,” he said pleasantly, “that I will be bullied into submitting to your monitoring, I beg you to reconsider. You have until this afternoon to remove the spies in 7C or I will remove them for you.”

“Loki,” Steve hissed, but he’d already hung up. Steve gave him a baleful look, and Loki looked back at him, lips a flat line. (Thunderstorms)

#fic excerpt #meme #confessions of a frustrated writer

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o0o-chibaken-o0o · 8 years ago

Note

Hello love, could you rec me your favourite 8th year fics on ao3?

Hello yourself! YES, I can absolutely do this and honestly I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life. I am OBSESSED with 8th year fics and I hope I can recommend at least a few you haven’t read already! :)

*warning*: This is an Extremely Long List. It is in literally no order because I love all of these fics so much it is as if they are my own children and I couldn’t possibly rank them

Unexpected Consequences by Lauren3210 (39K)- Harry was going back to school. He was going to play Quidditch, sleep in lessons, hang out with his friends, and generally just enjoy being a kid for a change. And he was also going to do it while being bonded with Malfoy, because apparently life was just going to continue throwing curveballs at him. Harry didn’t know why he expected anything different.This is one of the first fics I ever read and I still remember it clearly; it was THAT good! As an alternative to Azkaban, Draco is allowed to attend Hogwarts provided he agrees to a bond with Harry that makes him to do whatever Harry says. Naturally, once the feelings start this causes a lot of worrying and angst and klsfhd it’s just really really good! Also did I mention they share a private room? I know I can’t be the only one who lives for that.

Right Hand Red by lumosed_quill (73K)- Harry felt Malfoy’s breath on his lips as they came together over the bottle, hands firmly planted on the floor as though they each needed their familiar soil, refusing to cross into enemy territory. Except that Malfoy no longer felt like his enemy. Malfoy felt inevitable.Another of the first ever fics I read (and reread!) and MAN IS IT FUCKING AMAZING. The lust starts right from the beginning and there are *lots* of party games and a secret relationship and sweet moments and teaching of patronus charms and *sigh* I just want to go read it again right now!

Lumos by birdsofshore (41.5K)- Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.FABULOUS fic in which they are roommates and then Draco wanks and then Harry wanks and then Draco and Harry wank at the same time, and then there are feelings!! A thousand times yes.

Strange Bathfellows by Bixgirl1 (27.5K)- It started with a bath. Or a potions accident. Or maybe it started before that, but who can tell anymore.Featuring: Uncomfortable wanking, more comfortable wanking, mutual wanking, bath sharing, inappropriate betting, secret shagging, those secrets at Hogwarts that everyone knows, and oblivious Harry who knows one thing: he’s falling in love.Harry and Draco being forced to share a bath is everything I never knew I needed until I was blessed enough to find this fic. @bixgirl1 has MANY truly ✨FABULOUS✨ eighth year fics (for example Instruction for a Misplaced Slytherin (8.5K) in which Draco teaches Harry about sex and In Evidence of Magical Theory (43.5K), which features forced bonding) and you should definitely read them all, but Strange Bathfellows remains my favorite! :)

He Was He and I Was Bunny by bryoneybrynn (37.5K)- The war is over and “eighth year” is about to begin at Hogwarts. But for Harry and Draco, nothing is quite the same. Harry’s looking for an escape, Draco’s looking for a friend. Does a little black bunny hold the answers for both of our boys?This fic combines two of my favorite tropes: eighth year and animagus transformations! And just… Harry is a freaking bunny??? A bunny who Draco pets and loves and OMG I’m melting just thinking about it.

Tug-O-Want by dysonrules (16.5K)- Harry is back at Hogwarts minding his own business when he finds himself magically drawn to Draco Malfoy. Over and over again.*Something* is making Harry feel a tug that keeps leading him to Draco and I don’t want to spoil anything but honestly isn’t that enough for you to be already hooked???

Don’t Think Twice (series) by firethesound (all together 28.5K)- Harry was just trying to get away for a while. He didn’t mean to get trapped in the Prefect’s Bath with Draco Malfoy.Were you perhaps interested in some porn, anon? Because this series is INCREDIBLY hot! Harry, under the invisibility cloak, finds himself trapped with Draco, who is doing some very interesting and compelling things to himself with a very interesting and compelling object. Unfortunately, the series is incomplete and last updated in 2014 but (and keep in mind I usually can’t stand reading WIPs) it’s totally worth the read anyway because PORN guys, PORN

How to Handle an Enemy and Turnabout is Fair Play by who_la_hoop (18.5K)- Everyone knows that it’s no fun playing truth or dare with a Slytherin. But add a little Veritaserum, a scheming duo of Slytherin girls and surprising things can be revealed. Particularly about the fine line between love and hate…MORE PORN, and honestly some of the hottest I’ve ever read (and quite kinky!). I remember exactly where I was the moment I realized that I probably should have saved this one for when I was not in such a very public place. And as a bonus (ha), there’s plot too!! It is just oh-so-delicious! And the sequel is just as good! Again though, the series is not technically complete. But while I would be overjoyed to see another sequel someday, the two works stand well on their own and shouldn’t leave you unsatisfied at all! (Also I just reread them both while making this list because I couldn’t stop myself and they’re also super funny???? And just? great????)Also I should note that who_la_hoop is one of my all-time favorite writers and I already mentioned Written on the Heart (in which Draco has a soul mark with Harry’s name) in my angst-with-a-happy-ending list. It is also eighth year! And there are more great eighth year fics by her, read them allllll!

At the End of the Day by sara_holmes (7.5K)- No brooms, a distinct lack of balls, no comprehension of the offside rule and a Malfoy who apparently has magic feet. Harry never knew this stupid game could be so much fun.This is a short, really lovely fic that stands out to me because of its plot being so different from that of most eighth-year fics! In a good way though, because who doesn’t love a bit of Harry watching Draco be really really good at football?? Shirts vs skins anybody? ;)Also I already recced Mental by sara_holmes in my slow-burn rec list, but it absolutely deserves mention here too because it is one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE eighth year fics of all time! Also Get Some (link to google drive) which is not on AO3, but which IS absolutely fucking brilliant! Harry is drawn to Draco because he’s the only one after the war who refuses to put up with Harry’s shit.

Let Me Be Your Voice by Queenie_Mab (47.5K)- As the hero of the revolution, Harry leads the wizarding world in its efforts to rebuild; but first old wounds must be tended, rifts caused by hate mended, and his history with Draco Malfoy seems like the perfect place to start.This fic is great. First Harry finds a very *ahem* interesting use for Draco’s wand. And then when they get to school Draco isn’t talking for some reason (ooo intrigue!), and Harry is Very Concerned. Plenty of UST, some hurt/comfort, some kink, just really great!

Don’t mind if I keep your tie (and your heart, babe) by Ingi (21.5K)- The Eighth year common room has a parrot in it, courtesy of McGonagall and her mad search for interhouse bonding.Most of the time, it’s just there, until one day it repeats “Potter has a damn fine arse.” And the Slytherins know exactly who the parrot’s mimicking…Draco is not amused.All of the eighth years are sharing a common room with a literal parrot. Need I really say more?

Good Company by Greenflares (8K)- With Hermione and Ron always together, Harry’s return to Hogwarts to complete his education isn’t exactly fun. Somehow, it’s his unlikely friendship with Malfoy that keeps him sane.This fic is pretty short, but something about it made me absolutely fall in love and fangirl all over it for days! I wanted to read it again immediately upon finishing! For some inexplicable reason it also gave me this sense of nostalgia for High School and falling in love as a teenager, which I was alllll about. Definitely read this one if you haven’t.

Love Comes Tumbling by taradiane (22K)- ‘Harry’s thoughts were of how much he would have done differently with Malfoy over the years, and of Dumbledore’s final words to the other boy … “It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now.” Maybe, Harry wondered, he could find some mercy, too, and give Malfoy the second chance that Dumbledore had believed him worthy of.’Basically Draco is being ostracized, and Harry notices and wants to help. Ron and especially Hermione are not very understanding, but Harry doesn’t let that stop him from befriending Draco! There is some angst, and slow-burn, and the Room of Requirement and coming out and…just yes!

1,000 Points From Gryffindor by blithelybonny (25K)- The story of how Harry Potter single-handedly lost Gryffindor the House Cup while attempting to have a “normal” year at Hogwarts. Featuring Harry’s suspicious nature turned up to eleven again, a new DADA teacher who is so not here for Harry’s fame, multiple detentions, Slytherins being sneaky, Hufflepuffs being sneakier, and the mystery of Draco Malfoy’s hoodie because seriously Hermione who gave that to him and is he wearing it just to torment me? This is ridiculous!AAGH DRACO MALFOY IS WEARING A HUFFLEPUFF HOODIE???!?!? Does this idea intrigue you as much as it does Harry?? Don’t you just NEED to know WHY?? If you want to solve this particular mystery you’ll just have to read this amazing fic!

In Your Arms, Rests My World by loveglowsinthedark (24K)- Harry presses his mouth to Malfoy’s forehead; he wants to tell him that he’ll never leave, that he wouldn’t dream of it.“You make me feel safe, Potter” Malfoy whispers. “You keep me safe.”UGH THIS FIC! I honestly should have recced this one on the heavy angst with a happy ending list because it is SO ANGSTY there is the middle and I HATED IT and I HATE @l0vegl0wsinthedark FOR DOING IT TO ME (read: amazing, beautifully written fic with tons of feels and I was SO SO invested and I loved it so much; go read it ASAP so you can cry with me). Tip: while reading, keep in mind that there is a super fluffy short sequel that will soothe all of your pain! Warning for rape (not h/d).

The Owl Who Came for Christmas by dracogotgame (17.5K)- Draco has a debt to pay off, no matter what Potter thinks. And he has a Very Good Idea to go along with it. Things don’t go as planned.OMGGGG Draco is an animagus and guess what he becomes?! Srsly, guess!!! Okay, I’ll tell you. An OWL, a lovely fucking OWL who delivers very sweet presents to Harry and eilwryudksj it’s just so cute and lovely and sweet!!

Also I just want to recommend every single eighth-year fic by Faithwood, who is in my opinion the queen of fluff (and often fluffy smut)! If you sort eighth-year HD fics by kudos on AO3, hers make up about half of the front page so OBVIOUSLY they are all required reading!

And lastly(!!) idk if this violates some sort of etiquette, but I thought I’d mention that I myself have written three fics, and they are all eighth year! Unbearable is really short and fluffy and about Draco being dared to kiss Harry, All You Want for Christmas is Me features Draco wearing nothing but a big red ribbon, and His Little Something is basically a bunch of Harry failing to resist slutty Draco and me indulging my HUGE (heh) love of size kink. And…I think they’re…good? I hope? Read them and let me know?? ;D

Wow this became SO LONG and yet there are still about a billion other eighth year fics that I could rec! But I’ll stop here and keep this list mildly readable :D ENJOY!! 😁😁😁

#omg this took me literally five hours to make #i probably should have refrained from re-reading huge chunks of all of them #but can you blame me?#they're all just so good!#rec list #drarry #drarry recs #drarry fanfic #hogwarts eighth year #eighth year drarry #chibarecs

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wdwpmdolan-blog · 7 years ago

Text

FIREBIRD(D.S.)

🎵Milky Chance-Firebird 🎵

Today was the day when i went to visit my grandparents. I wanted and needed to see them cause we havent seen each other since i was 7 or 8 and i missed them so much. It was summer and they lived in Los Angeles so i decided that would be great to spend my time there with them. I packed my stuff and my mom drove me to their place, we lived not so far away from tnem, just like 2 or 3 hours away. When i was younger i used to spend every summer there and i had a lot of friends there. I had my first boyfriend there, i was 5 and he was 6 and we were a couple. He was cute and smart and super talented, i miss our relationship, when you’re 5 everything is so easy but when you’re 17 its different, there’s so much drama in relationships when you’re older

I broke up with my boyfriend a couple weeks ago and i still could not get over him. I loved him, or i thought i loved him. He treated me like i was nothing. He cheated on me, and one time i caught them. I wanted to surprise him on his birthday, i came to his house and went to his room,when i opened his door i saw that scene .He was half naked ,she was completely naked,he was on top of her and her legs were around his waist. I couldn't move. He looked at me and i saw that he wasn’t sorry at all -oh,Y/N hey, now that you know everything, it will be much easier.-he looked at this girl who was as shocked as i was -How could you cheat on me?-I yelled at him -Hey,calm down, that’s okay baby, i guess you are not enough for me, i need someone else-he grinned -Dont call me baby, we’re done! And yeah, Happy Birthday!-I threw his present right in his face. -okay,but wait-he took something from the cupboard -You left something-he handed me someone’s underwear -Its not mine-i looked at him with disgust on my face -Yeah? Is it yours?-Hey asked girl on his bed -No-she answered -You are an asshole!-I said him and left his room

When i was driving home i was crying but then i stopped, i realised that it’s for the best, he didn’t deserve me, he was a cheater and i had to get over him, it was over.

After a few days i realised that i missed him. I was scrolling through his Instagram , looked at pictures with both of us in it. We looked happy, how could he? I trusted him,i loved him. It hurted so bad, i couldn’t believe that it happened to me, i hoped it was a nightmare but unfortunately it wasn’t. And the worst part i still loved him and i would forgive him if he apologized. I was so stupid, people used me all of the time and i let them do that, i used to be used. In a week after our breakup i saw him with another girl, i found out from his friends that it was his new girlfriend. At that moment my heart broke one more time. I needed to go somewhere, where i wont see him everyday, i needed to get over him. So that’s one of the reasons why i decided to visit my grandparents in Los Angeles.

After a couple hours we were there, at the house where i spent my childhood. I saw my grandparents and ran to them. Gosh, i missed them so much, they were wonderful people. We hugged each other and decided to go to the house. We talked about everything and it was time for my mom to go home so i decided to walk her to her car and say my good-bye. As we reached her car she said me to be a good girl and have fun. Then she hugged me and said she would miss me. I watched my mommy driving away, i already miss her. She was my best friend. As i started walk away i noticed a new direct message from this asshole. “-hey babe are you coming to the party?” I didn’t replied and left it on read. After a few seconds ive got another message “-come on, babe, we will have wonderful time together” Thank God i was in LA and i couldn’t go to that party, cause if i could i would and it would ruin everything. I ran a hand through my hair, i was confused,mad and…I was hurted. He didn’t understand what he had done to me. I was thinking about everything and suddenly i heard a loud laughter . I looked back and saw him.

He was so grown up, he was handsome,tall and cute. He was with his friends (he always had a lot of friends cause he was really sweet and friendly). I didn’t want to bother him and probably he didn’t remember me. It’s been 10 years since our last conversation. I was sitting on the bench by the house as i heard someone calling my name -Y/N,is it you or I’m dreaming? And if I’m dreaming i don’t want to woke up- i knew who it was, even though his voice has changed i knew this voice -Yeah it’s me, and i think you’re not dreaming but i wish i was.- i said as i felt tears in my eyes so i wipped them off, i wish i was dreaming and Dave(my ex boyfriend) hadn’t cheated on me. -Oh my God,i haven’t seen you in like forever-he came to me and looked at me, his friends followed him -nice to see you Daniel, it’s been 10 years since last time and i shocked that you remember me-i blushed, i don’t know why but i did, maybe because ive always had a crush on this kid. -How could i forget my first girlfriend-he smiled at me -First girlfriend,i thought your first girlfriend was Veronica- one of his friends asked confusedly , he had curly hair and freckles -Yeah,but Y/N is my first first girlfriend,i was 6 when we started dating and then summer ended and she left me, but we haven’t broken up so..-he laughed -You were a cool kid as i can see-the tallest one said and everyone smiled at me -how long will you be here-Daniel asked -All summer- i sighed remembering a reason why i was here -Great so we can hang out sometimes-Daniel said -Maybe-i sounded sad -Are you okay? Dang, i forgot to introduce you to boys-he exclaimed -Bro we can do it ourselves,I’m Zach -Jonah-he shaked my hand -Corbyn -Jack-he also shaked my hand -Im Y/N and it s really nice to meet you-I tried to be as nice as i could -so Y/N we have to go but i really happy that you’re here-he smiled at me and everyone but him said theirs goodbye and left me there, when we were alone with Daniel he asked me if i was okay -Hey,princess -he used to call me that when we were young cause i was obsessed with princesses-are you okay? -Yeah,I’m fine-I smiled at him , it was cute that he remembered this details. -i can see that you’re not, but i want to fix it. Can i get your number so we can..Maybe we could meet someday -he was a little bit nervous -Sure- I gave him my number and he ran to his friends -Daniel?- i screamed -Yeah? -I missed you- i said and smiled -I missed you too Princess- he screamed too loud

. I was happy and i forgot about Dave for a moment but then I’ve got another DM. “I want you and i know you do too,come over so we can have some fun” I couldn’t believe that i loved that piece of garbage , that i dated this disgusting person and that i forgave him every time when he told me i was hot after our arguments. At that moment i realised that he never told me that he loved me,NEVER

*After 5 hours*

I was laying on my bed, i wasn’t thinking i was just relaxing, i listened to music and sang along. I heard my phone buzzed, I took my phone and checked who it was, i was unknown number -Hi,it’s Daniel -Hi -What are you doing now? -Nothing -So, i am finally free and maybe we could talk about why were you sad?? -I don’t want to talk about it. -okay,sorry, maybe we can just talk about everything? I haven’t seen you in 10 years, isn’t it crazy? -Okay, see you in 5 -Where? -At our place? -Deal. -Deal.

When we were younger we used to go to the park, we found a cool tree that you could easily climb on . And it was our place. After 10 mins i finally found this place, it looked the same, like i was 5 years old. I saw Daniel there, he was sitting on his spot. I climbed up and then i was sitting beside him -Hey,Y/N you are here, i thought you wont come -No,i just..nevermind.

I’ve got a text message “Baby girl, where are you? me and Dave Jn. Are waiting” i sighed , i was annoyed with him but i didn’t want to respond. I wasn’t ready -You good bro?-He asked me and i was confused, 'bro'? What the heck? Im not his bro , i dont kniw why but this “bro” made me feel weird, maybe i liked him, but i guess you always love your first love. -Kinda,it's just.. -you can tell me everything that bothering you-he reassured me -Are you sure that you're ready for my story, i don't really like to share my problems with anybody-I noticed that view really cool, it was that time when sun goes down. -Yeah, we're friends, aren't we? -Yeah we are -So I'm ready to hear your story, princess and i want to help if i can-he slightly smiled. -By the way, i like it when you call me princess, it reminds me of childhood. -I remember you were obsessed with princesses. And dragons and different magical creatures-he looked happy -Daniel, i haven't seen you in forever and you remember almost everything about me, i wish i had more people like you in my life, but i have just assholes that use me for..I don't know why they use me. I trust them and they treat me like shit, i don't know why , maybe something is wrong with me, maybe I'm not good enough. He cheated on me, i caught them and you know what he didn't even apologize for that.-i became quite-Maybe I'm just not good enough. Ain't i good enough?-I looked right in his eyes,my eyes were full with tears. He looked at me. -Y/N, you are more than good enough, you know what? There's maybe some but none like you. You're like a Firebird in the sky shining for a challenger in the night, just like a Firebird is your heart keeps me warm and anchory in the stars -i was crying at these words. He leaned in and kissed me on my lips, this kiss was wonderful, it was fulled with love and care, it wasn't like another kisses, it was special, i kissed him back. -And what was that? -we kissed, wasn't i allowed to do it? -I don't know, we never have broken up, remember?- i smiled -True-he laughed

We spent all night talking about everything we laughed remembering old stories from childhood, it was best night of my life. I felt like i was home when he kissed me on forehead before walking to his house. I was happy, i felt so right, i knew i was in right place, I'm happy i met him again. With him i felt like i was home.

#daniel seavey #daniel seavey imagine #why don't we music #why don't we #jack avery #jack avery imagine #jonah marais imagine #jonah marais #zach herron imagine #zach herron #corbyn besson #corbyn besson imagine #imagine

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