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caffeinatedowlbear · 1 year ago

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Hi! I'm a big fan of your work! I really love lost and found (so far, I'm 75% done with the first book, so you still have ample time to hurt me with later plots lol) and I especially love your writing style. It feels so human and beautifully contrasts with Jack's most in human moments, which end up standing out and being some of my favorite moments.

I would love to be able to pick around in your brain real quick.

First: What do you read? Since most writers are inspired by what they read and get alot of the foundations of their writing style from it aswell, I was wondering what built those foundations for you. Childhood books? Maybe you read something that sparked your interest in writing?

Second: Could we maybe get a peek into your writing process at some point? How you plan or dont plan chapters? How far ahead do you plan? Do you set any particular goals?

Thank you for any answers you give me and also for inspiring me to take my own writing a little more seriously than I did before! You've really inspired me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. :)

Hi! Thank you for the ask, and for your patience. This year so far has been a bit chaotic, and I wanted to set aside the time to answer properly. :)

First of all, I'm so glad you've been enjoying Lost and Found! This fic, as well as Rhack in general, have been a huge part of my life for the past few years, and I've been blown away by the reception of what started out as a very personal and niche project. 💛

Now, for the questions.

1. Reading and inspirations / style foundations

I've got an interesting relationship with reading, in that I've read a tremendous amount as a child/teenager, but some time during the past decade (I'm in my 30s), my brain has developed a bit of a block for reading fiction (I blame a combination of neurodivergencies). Every now and then, I'll get stuck in a book or a fic, but these days, I mostly experience stories in other forms than prose, with my favorite options being long-form tv (i.e. netflix series and such) and games (both story-oriented ones that tell you the story as you play or have your choices shape the story (like Stray, Tales, DBH), and open-world ones that combine plot quests and environmental storytelling (like Fallout and Witcher 3)).

Although I have a bit of internalized shame about not reading much prose these days ('you can't be a good writer if you don't read', etc.), I also maintain that Writing and Storytelling are two distinct skill sets. And while reading is obviously important to develop the Writing skill, Storytelling can be learned from so many places! If anything, I strongly believe that every writer can benefit from experiencing stories in every medium available to them, be it movie and tv, video and tabletop games, concept albums, etc.. Heck, the core plot of L&F grew out of a Borderlands-inspired D&D campaign, so...

That said, I do have favorite writers: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Chuck Wendig, Andrzej Sapkowski, Becky Chambers. I may be bold enough to claim that all of their influences can be found in my work, be it in writing style or in the way I approach storytelling.

I also would like to credit a writer who went by Rhetor in a fandom that must not be named, whose fic Counting to Five Thousand upended my entire understanding of fanfic some 15 years ago, showing me that fic can be used to tell beautiful and powerful stories. Your mentioning that my work inspired you to take your own writing more seriously reminded me of them. I remember what it's like to be inspired by a writer in a fandom, and I'm honored to have provided some of that for you. 💛

2. Writing process / planning / goals

I normally think of myself as a pantser (or, to use the fancy term 'discovery writer'), but for long works, especially ones published as they're being written, there has to be at least some degree of planning involved. By the time I start writing, I usually know the general shape of the plot, i.e. what are the characters trying to do, how they're going to try and achieve it, whether they will succeed or fail, and some of the stuff that might happen along the way. I should point out, though, that I always let the characters drive the plot, as opposed to wielding my authority to decide 'this should happen next'. Which means that sometimes, when I get to a certain point in the story, things unfold differently from what I'd been expecting.

For the above reason, I've also found it counter-productive to have too-clear plans of future chapters. Almost every time I'd do that, I'd find myself trying to railroad the characters into doing/saying what I had envisaged, instead of what was organic at the time. Almost invariably, the resulting scenes were stilted and disjointed, and I'd have to scrap them and try again.

I think the best analogy for my approach to planning as a writer is planning for a long walk or a road trip. You can map out the route, aim to hit certain waypoints, get a general idea of how long it will take... but you don't know the details of every bit of the journey until you're actually traveling. The only way to really know the road is to travel it - and for me, the only way to know the story is to write it.

That's on the story/chapter scale, anyway. When it comes to individual scenes, it's a bit like scrying into a crystal ball. I get a glimpse of what the scene is going to look like, or a few lines of dialogue, and use those as a hook to pull myself into the scene. And then the same rule as before applies: the details become clear once I'm writing it down or talking through it with my story accomplices. (I always do need to get it out of my head, though. There are people on here who say they can daydream their entire fics: that's not me. I need to get the story out, otherwise I'll just keep circling the initial 'preview' of the scene and not get any further. )

There are, of course, rare and precious times when plotting and pantsing align just so, and I end up with something that feels organic while cleaving to a structure. My favorite example of that is the L&F chapter The Man Who Isn't Jack, in which AI Jack's existential journey follows his journey through different parts of Opportunity while also tentatively mapping to the five stages of grief as he grapples with human Jack's legacy and his own status as AI programmed to act human. Not gonna lie, I'm damn proud of that one.

...Now you see why I needed to set the time aside to answer. Once again, thank you for reading, and for asking, and feel free to ask more, because I could talk about this stuff forever. And last but not least: I wish you the very best of luck with your own writing! 💛

#ask the owlbear

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acecasinova · 10 months ago

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2 and 3 for Lazarus, 9 and 10 for Hasr'Thal, 22 for one or more ocs of your choosing, 25 as well for one or more, 27 for Keev, 4 for Ardezo, 1 for Edelweiss, im very tempted to ask 14 for like any character just because I’m p sure a good few of the ocs are already dnd characters abdjjfkt, that’s all I’ll send for more maybe but I don’t wanna be annoying but wanted to ask for multiple ocs

Not annoying at all~! @obscurelyscandinavian almost always sends a bunch for a lot of different characters when I reblog these, too~ It's fun to talk about multiple blorbos~

Lazarus:

What genre (not counting the one they’re in) would your OC thrive in?

Let him into a grungy movie!!!! This isn't really a genre but Lazarus NEEDS to be a Lost Boys vampire he would thrive SO MUCH. On that note, urban fantasy or perhaps something that's more pure horror than Barovia (He would thrive as a monster, but like, for the WORST reasons bc he probably wouldn't have the morality chain he has now)

What genre would your OC do badly in but it would be hilarious or interesting to watch?

G-dddddd it would be so funny to throw him in a dating sim/slice of life, or more light hearted fantasy/slapstick because any type of focus on feelings would knock him WAY off balance and the "rules" of the genre would prevent him from physically injuring anyone else lmao

Hasr'Thal:

If your OC wrote fanfiction (or if they already do), what type? (fix fic, ship, crossovers, AUs, smut, etc.)

Hmmmmm... He's a VERY serious little guy, but going off of "drow like playing intense and days long strategy board games" type hc, I think if he wrote fic, it would be really heavy on the politics and really crunchy world building, with the characters as more of a vehicle for that. He'd be VERY intense about the lore but any fic would have to have like 800000 layers of separation from the rest of his life because NO ONE CAN KNOW HE DOES THAT.

How would your OC do in the last book/movie/tv show/game/etc. you read/watched/played?

LMFAO NOT HASR'THAL ON GAME CHANGERRRRRR,,, He'd 100% get way too worked up and competitive about it- absolutely the type to have Brennan level unhinged rants, for SURE (but he's 4'7 so it's far more comical)

Keev:

In a murder mystery, what role would your OC play? (e.g. detective, sidekick, wacky suspect, rival investigator who gets in thew way, red herring, true culprit)

....Can he be the victim~? (I kid, I kid- Bo don't beat me up,,,) He’s a smart cookie! Resourceful and quick minded, but he doesn't really enjoy the spotlight, so I think he would fall into a sidekick roll. Keev is good for tagging along and observing, then bouncing ideas off of others, but he doesn't have a lot of faith in his ability to read people, so I don't think he would want to be the main detective accusing anyone of anything.

Ardezo:

What media does your character enjoy? (For characters in settings that aren’t modern Earth, could be media from their home setting or what they’d like in a modern Earth AU)

He likes reading in his main setting (ayyyyy Faerun)- lots of books and scrolls and music (Not too much exciting stuff when you live in a dragon death temple, though there's lots of access and contact with the Underdark, so maybe drow parties lol). In a more modern earth type setting, he'd probably be REALLY into things like Lockpicking Lawyer, Fascinating Horror, REALLY love audio books so he can listen to books while he works on stuff (different poisons or toxins, maybe histories of how to use that). He'd be REALLY into practical special effects and honesty probably be fascinated by fursuiters. (He's not ashamed by any stretch, about his scales, but he's a little annoyed he can't display or hide them with easy like his siblings can, so sfx transformations would be his sh-t lol)

Edelweiss:

Was your OC influenced or inspired by any particular fictional character(s) when you made them?

Not particularly for Edelweiss! My main influence for him was making the cutest, most pastel and fluffy looking murderb-bard~ (who's going to suspect the airhead who dresses in pinks and gold of being a hag-blooded college of whispers bard~?)

Any:

What type of Avatar The Last Airbender-type bender (or non-bender) would your OC be? Any bending specialties?

So lesse.... Ironically for my dumb drow and vampire, I think Hasr'Thal and Lazarus are probably fire benders. They're both aggressive and driven (to different degrees) and while Hasr'Thal prefers to use his spells to assist the others in his party more than directly fight, his personal beliefs are rooted in passion and ruthless motion forward. Lazarus is more straightforward- he's a monk, he's fast, violent, and gives into his base instincts probably too much, and he is GARBAGE at defense.

Keev and Edelweiss (despite being a direct blood descendant of an ICE hag) are probably air benders- Keev tries SO hard to be a pacifist and focuses his spell choices on things like slow or haste, with abjuration thrown in, he hits hard WHEN he does, but he focuses far more on evasion. Edelweiss is a bit more bombastic, but he's been flighty and nomadic almost his whole life, blowing in and out of town on a whim. His spells (outside of his innate ice abilities) are mainly focused on causing fear, listening to things unseen, and spying. An argument could be made for waterbending but tbh that's a bit clichéd?

Who WOULD be a waterbender would be Fion (boy's probably a little TOO into bloodbending, honestly- he's dancing way too close to taboo spirit work right now and then there's all the murder...) Ardezo is also probably a waterbender- tempted to say he might be a non-bender, with his complex about ONLY being a draconic sorcerer when his siblings are half dragons, but he IS still very magic and his style is very "hang back, don't be seen, poison or strike when they're distracted" and he worships a dual God of death and undeath, so fluidity in all things are his motto

What would be your OC’s My Little Pony cutie mark?

I was never really into MLP so these might be funky.... Hasr'Thal has an ouroboros (He's mad about it but that's what you get when you want to end the cycle of violence with an act of incredible violence) Lazarus might not HAVE one yet, or it just recently showed up, as a red vine climbing into stars. Keev has maybe a pie, or a simple hearth (bc despite being an adventurer, all he wants is to be a baker). Edelweiss also probably had a late.... branding?? But it's a storm cloud ;3c Ardezo just wants to have stronger dragon blood so baaaaaad that his is probably just a shadow dragon silhouette lol

Any:

If your OC was a Dungeons and Dragons character, what would their class be? And/or: If they were playing D&D, what kind of character might they play? (these aren’t necessarily the same thing)

LMAO almost all of them are! BUT we've done games inside games or thought about it before so I can answer what class they would PLAY in addition to what they are lol

Keev- He's a shadow sorcerer (with a few levels in abjuration wizard) and also a forever DM when he ran it IC, but if he were to make an idealized version of himself, he would be a Paladin of Devotion - though he wouldn't draw his power from a God, just faith in other people

Lazarus- Shadow monk! We did a one-shot where I DM'd as Laz but he would make an assassin rogue (because he's a cool edgy boy~)

Hasr'Thal- Warlock, mainly pacted with an archfey but he kinda maybe made a second pact with the Void that desires the heat death of the universe oops??? If he made a character it would be an INSUFFERABLE wizard because he's definitely not bitter at ALL about not getting to finish schooling to become one himself.

Edelweiss is, as listed above, a College of Whispers bard, and would probably play the same in a game, though he might play a "nicer" college (and maybe not use a fey type race)

Ardezo- draconic sorcerer~ (shadow dragon lineage- NOT a black dragon thank you very much) He might play around with rolling up a rogue, but he'd multiclass bc I think he would miss the magic lol

#ask game #Lazarus #Hasr'Thal #Keev #Ardezo #Edelweiss #deityofhearts

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evilwickedme · 3 years ago

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Favorite movies of the 2010s?

so when you sent this to me almost three hours ago I was rewatching stranger things. for the next two hours I was rewatching stranger things and simultaneously scrolling through letterboxd trying to answer this question. then I spent almost an hour typing this up. thought went into this question, is what I'm trying to tell you.

I've always said that favorite doesn't mean best, and I stand by that. many of the best movies of the 2010s (that I happened to watch lmao) are not on this list. that said, that doesn't mean that favorite can't be a genuinely fantastic film. there are oscar winners on here, and for good reason. that said, at the end of the day, favorite is about emotional impact. that means the movies I have settled for this list on are important to me as a person, and they make me quote-unquote "feel things", whether that's joy or sadness or anything else. for me, specifically, especially when it comes to films, favorite means rewatching. that does, sadly, technically disqualify many fantastic movies I've been meaning to get around to rewatching but haven't. if I didn't see it at least twice, it isn't on here.

anyway all this to say: this list is a reflection of me, and what I value, and what I enjoy watching. the reason your fav isn't on here is bc I'm not you. and that's a good thing. also, I probably forgot one of my favorites when making this list, so we're in this boat together anyway.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018, dir. Susan Johnson): This was the first film I thought of when I saw this ask. I've seen this film at least twenty times - and this is no exaggeration, I got to 18 before I lost count, and that was in the year of release. The weekend this dropped I watched it three times. I called it my favorite movie for three years (I do not currently have a steady favorite movie). It is an immaculate teen romcom, the perfect comfort watch, and genuinely better than the book, which I like, but not the way I love this movie. I'm still not sick of it, despite the many, many times I've seen it (I've only seen the sequels once each, though, so... make of that what you will). So yeah. First thing that jumped to my mind when I saw this ask.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018, dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman): if TATBILB popped into my mind immediately, Spider-Verse was only a split second behind. Every moment of this film is perfection. The animation, the acting, the script, the soundtrack - I have no complaints about this movie. Cinema peaked in 2018 when Miles Morales jumped off that building while What's Up Danger played in the background. Also, I wrote a paper on this that got me my second highest grade of my degree (97!) so it gets some bonus points for that. Genuinely though. I tell people to watch this movie whether or not they like superheroes as a genre. There's something in it for everyone. I've seen this one around ten times, which isn't as much as TATBILB, but is still pretty impressive. Especially since this movie is not relaxing for me. I'm on the edge of my seat the entire time. (Also, I wrote fic for it!)

Knives Out (2019, dir. Rian Johnson): It's amazing how this man can be responsible for one of the most middling movies I watched in the entire past decade and then turn around and make this fucking masterpiece. I have never been one for murder mysteries. They're just not really my thing. I like procedurals, but I don't generally get invested in the victims and the suspects and so authors like Agatha Christie have never really interested me. This film is, therefore, perfect for me. The twist and untwist both work really well both in general but also specifically for me as someone who isn't a fan of the genre. Every time I rewatch I get just as invested in Marta and her circumstances as I was the first time around, just as enraptured. The film is also gorgeous to look at, and I'm not just talking about Chris Evans in a sweater. Chef's kiss of a film, if they fuck up the sequel we're rioting.

Easy A (2010, dir. Will Gluck): I don't know what to tell y'all, if you don't love every moment of this film you and I watch films very differently. Emma Stone is electric in the main role, the entire cast has immense chemistry, and the literary jokes are on point. It gets an A+ from me. (Ha!)

Lemonade Mouth (2011, dir. Patricia Riggen): The best Disney Channel movie. She's So Gone fucks (and so does Naomi Scott, fyi). It gave us Hayley Kiyoko. It features some weirdly good white rap. To be quite honest if I could I would put HSM2 here, just because I rewatched HSM2 wayyy more times, but this is objectively the better movie, so I guess it's good that the High School Musical trilogy doesn't qualify as a whole.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017, dir. Taika Waititi): This is the best film in the MCU. (So far, obviously; as of the time of me writing this, I'm seeing Thor: Love and Thunder in three days.) And while I can watch this movie way more often than any other Marvel title not related to Captain America or Spider-Man, the truth is this film is here so I can sneak in Jojo Rabbi and Hunt For The Wilderpeople, which I've only seen once each but are some of Waititi's best work, and especially in the case of HFTW are really underappreciated on this website. Waititi's directorial style is more iconic in its humor than its visual language, but he is a phenomenal visual storyteller. His narratives are complex and interwoven and bend to fit the genre they're in even as he makes them uniquely his. Ragnarok made me curious to watch his other films; HFTW is what made me a fan.

I'll put a couple of honorable mentions here - these are films that qualify vis a vis being movies I love and that I've rewatched, but they wouldn't win in a 1:1 against any of the above films at all. In no particular order: Wonder Woman (2017), Mr. Right, The Edge of Seventeen, Crazy Rich Asians, Lady Bird and Little Women (2019), The First Time, The DUFF, Tangled, Hidden Figures. and genuinely so many more.

thank you so much for asking!!!!! and for reading this if you've gotten this far lmao

(this is my letterboxd, fyi, but I've only just started using it a few months ago, so I don't rly know what I'm doing yet.)

#tatbilb #spiderverse #knives out #easy a #lemonade mouth #thor ragnarok #film #films #marvel #mcu #jojo rabbit #ask #cipher-fresh

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landothemuppet · 3 years ago

Text

Far Longer Than Forever (p.p)

Word count: 4737

Pairing : peter parker

Request: YES! ANON I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. The Swan Princess is one of my childhood movie and this was so fun to write. I can’t stop listenning the soundtrack now ! I’m so sorry for the time i took to write this, i had so much work to do with school. But it’s over now and i hope you will like this !

N/A: First, gif not mine but i don’t know who i’m gonna credit on this, i have no clue...This is my first Peter Parker x reader and i hope you all will like it! As always, I remind you that English is not my native language. Don’t hesitate to tell me what you think of the fic! Like, reblogs to support. You can Love you all! xx

Taglist: @angeliquekalampoka @harryhollandsgirlfriend @cedricdiggorysimpp - if you want to be notified of all my future writings you can add yourself in my taglist : here

______

As far as you can remember, you've always hated summer. Well, it was partly a lie. You loved the sweltering heat of Queens, the cherry popsicles from Delmar's, not having to worry about what time you had to get up. You liked it but hated the idea of the last two weeks of August.

This year was no exception. You looked at your half-finished suitcase, a grimace on your face. August still meant the same thing, the same routine: having to spend the last three weeks of his vacation with Peter Parker.

summer 2009

Peter Parker had lost his parents very early on, two years ago. He had lived since then with his aunt May and his uncle Ben. It was your mother's idea to introduce you to each other. Aunt May and your mom were friends from college and luckily, they lived in the same neighborhood. Your first meeting with the one who, many years later, would become Spider-Man, took place on his eighth birthday. You were invited to the party when you weren't even at the same school. Aunt May had simply shared his fears about Peter's difficulty making friends after the trauma he had experienced. Your mother, as the perfect friend that she was, had suggested that Peter and you spend time together.

There were 3 kids in total at that birthday party, you, Peter - obviously - and a boy from his school whose mother had forced him to be there, too. It was a fact; you were the only girl and you didn't know Peter at all. Your mother walked up to you, got up to your eye level and whispered

"Can you be nice? May told me she invited Peter's whole class and only this boy came"

You wanted to please your mother so you nodded before approaching the two boys. Peter and his friend were in the corner of the room, their backs turned to the adults. When you tapping the young boy on the shoulder to make you notice by him, he turned to you with a guilty expression. He had buttercream all over the corner of his mouth and he was holding a cupcake in his hand that looked delicious.

“My Aunt May tried to bake a cake, but Uncle Ben bought some cupcakes in anticipation. Do you want one?” Peter asked you in a friendly voice

“Why? Is May's cake not good?

“Uncle Ben says that she is not very good at cooking.”

You let out a little laugh and nodded your head before grabbing the cupcake with a smile. You thanked him and began to taste the little pastry with envy. It was so good! The buttercream was lemony, the cupcake was slightly lemony too but there was a taste you couldn't recognize. You were almost sure you had tasted it before, but you couldn't tell what it was. Peter and the other boy suggested that you go to Peter's room. He wanted to show you the LEGO set his uncle Ben had given him ahead of time and you followed them even though you weren't more excited about the idea.

And you were right. For several minutes, you were pushed aside while the two young boys spoke spiritedly. You complained several times that you wanted to do something else but Peter didn't seem to listen to you, too excited to finally be able to chat with someone who appreciated Star Wars as much as he did.

So you were annoyed and slightly angry with Peter but what broke the camel's back is that you started to not feel so good. Your throat was itching and you felt like your tongue was taking up a lot more space in your mouth, getting drier. Peter gave you a distracted look before his eyes widened. He let go of everything he had in his hands before running to his aunt.

"Aunt May, Aunt May! Y/N's tongue looks like a big, desiccated steak!"

"Peter, don't be rude!" she exclaimed, shocked by her nephew’s words

"No, no come see, she has a huge tongue! I think something is wrong"

Meanwhile, you ran into the bathroom at Peter's reaction. You weren't sure why he had looked at you like that, but you felt that a few things were wrong. In addition, you were more and more thirsty, your eyes also hurt. And that's when you saw your reflection. You were puffy, your tongue had tripled in size, hence this feeling of dryness and discomfort. It was the same with your throat. You started to cry and when May called you through the bathroom door, you fervently opened it.

May and your mother's expression of horror was instantaneous and your mother knew exactly what was causing your condition.

"What did she eat?"

"Nothing..." he tried to escape from being grounded

"Peter, this is very important. What did you eat?"

"We just ate the cupcakes Uncle Ben brought back"

Ben looked at May with guilty eyes. May had put so much effort into Peter's birthday cake and she felt hurt that they had bought some pastries in anticipation. Your mother was impatiently stamping her foot. It was important to know exactly what you had eaten and above all, you shouldn't waste any more time. Peter felt completely helpless. He had only given a cupcake to his guest, that’s all. What was wrong with giving someone a cupcake?

"What were those cupcakes flavor?" your mother said impatiently ...

"With lemon and almonds." he said in a very small voice.

You were panicked. And the eight-year-old that you were was not coping well with stress. Plus, your feeling of being sidelined by Peter and his friend made you feel even worse. So you frowned. You couldn't see a thing but you could feel the torrent of tears escaping your cheeks. You pointed at Peter with rage

"You tried to kill me !!!" you said somehow with your tongue as big as a little tangerine.

"It's not true!"

"Yes! You are a murderer"

And you cried even more before your mother takes you to the emergency room as quickly as possible, apologizing for the scene.

The week later, May forced Peter to apologize for giving you a cupcake, while justifying that he didn't know about your allergy. Your mother forced you to apologize for insulting Peter "a murderer" and accept his apologies.

But you spent the rest of the vacation arguing with the little guy. After all, you didn't want to be friends with a murderer.

Summer 2013

Aunt May and your mom didn't let go, however, and every summer you spent three damn weeks with Peter. The summer of your twelve years, you did not thus escape this eternal masquerade but this year, the tide had turned in your favor.

From the start, you never liked Star Wars. It really wasn't your world. You had always preferred Harry Potter and although Peter had read the books and enjoyed them - which he would never admit to you as that would amount to listing the commonalities you had - he was much more invested in the galactic universe. But on that day, Peter had particularly bothered you. He had first replaced the sugar in your hot chocolate with salt. He kept chanting silly nursery rhymes about you and the downstairs neighbor, insinuating that you were in love: which was not the case. Yes, Peter had been extremely annoying. This time Peter was getting on your nerds by bouncing a small ball against the ceiling as you tried to read your book. Uncle Ben was in the living room watching the sport - you weren't sure exactly which one since it didn't matter to you - so you couldn't go anywhere else to be quiet.

"Peter, stop it."

"Stop what?" he asked by bouncing the ball once more off his ceiling. You could even make out the smirk on his lips.

"That. Stop it! I can't read."

"This is nothing new."

You threw him the first thing you found on his desk, c.e, a banana, which he easily dodged. You groaned in frustration. May and your mother didn't understand when you talked about Peter's attitude towards you. He was a calm child, far too shy at school and interested in everything, especially science. He was looking forward to entering Midletown High School in two years. You hated that nerd side about him. Secretly, you were a little jealous of him for being the smartest in the room.

“I'm gonna hit you so hard you won't know your name anymore”

“ try me, dumbass.”

A few minutes later, he had finally stopped throwing that damn ball, but obviously Peter's boredom was driving him to find everything the most boring thing than the previous one to drive you crazy. This time, he had simply taken his favorite lightsaber - because he had several - and he was poking your shoulder to get your attention.

"Parker, stop!"

"Don't you want to drop this book and watch a movie?"

"What do you want to watch? Star Wars? No thanks ..."

"Oh come on, Y / N! I'm sure you'll like it!"

He patted you on the shoulder once more with his lightsaber.

"Do you want to play this, Parker?" you said before grabbing one of his other lightsabers

"What are you going to do? I'm sure you don't know how to fight with" he mocked.

You have lit the glowing plastic stick and you are placed in the guard position.

"Do you want to bet, knothead?"

He smiled at you and attacked you first. Strangely, this is what most resembled a moment of bond between Peter and you and deep down, you appreciate it. But you also appreciate that possibility of kicking his ass after he's been so irritating. You responded to his lightsaber attacks with ease and joy. It was playful, childish, but it was one of the few times you had fun with Peter. And you really appreciate it. Your two laughs mingled, echoing in the room.

But suddenly, as you were trying to dodge an attack from the brunet, your elbow made contact with his face. Peter's muffled cry of pain echoed and you froze. He was holding his nose with a grimace and when he took his hand away you both noticed in horror that he was bleeding.

"Fuck…"

"Pete..." you started talking

"You blew my nose!" Peter shouted

"I did not do it on purpose!" you defended yourself.

"Of course, you do! You fucking blew my nose!"

"Peter, I swear ..."

But Peter interrupted you by rushing out of his bedroom looking for his aunt who was in the office as she tried to file the important papers, that Ben and her had received this week. You were livid. First, because you didn't mean to hurt Peter on purpose. Second, you couldn't stand the sight of blood and it was literally everywhere. Peter was leaving trails of droplets on the floor of the apartment.

"Aunt May?!? Y/N blew my nose! Damn, I'm bleeding!"

After a brief stint in the ER, the rest of the stay was peaceful as you and Peter avoided each other until the end of the summer.

Summer 2017

Peter was not the Peter you had always known.

Since the death of his uncle Ben, the young man had closed in on himself and was even further away. Always so intelligent and discreet but much more distant. He had stopped teasing you or doing things that got on your nerves. He was minding his own business. And even though you had tried to be there for him, not denying him any of the offers he made to you during your stay ... you found him really ... overwhelmed. Which was still understandable.

But this year was worse than the last. May told your mother that last year Peter got an internship at Stark Industry and attended a seminar in Germany but came back with a black eye. He had been acting most weirdly ever more since then. And you could have witnessed it. In the afternoon, when you were busy, and when it was too hot, when you tried to rest, Peter would disappear for hours. When you caught him sneaking back several times, he made you promise not to tell Aunt May.

And you were starting to have theories about his nighttime getaways. After all, you were 16 and you too had started dating a few boys. But it never really worked. who knows why?! And when you wondered if Peter had a girlfriend, and who she was - he had to have one in view of all his sneaking out - your stomach twisted in a strange feeling. You didn't understand why the thought of Peter having a girlfriend bothered you so much. Over time, you had learned to be friends. It still happened sometimes that you quarreled but the events of the life made you grow up. Your parents had divorced, Peter had lost his uncle. You could tell yourself that you both had grown.

And it was one night when Peter was sneaking back in again that you discovered two secrets.

The first one: He was Spider-Man.

It was around midnight when you heard the sound of the window opening. Since your childhood and this Machiavellian plan of your mother and Aunt May, you had always slept in Peter's room during holiday and more recently in his bed. The noise alerted you and you got up in a sitting position. But the only thing you saw was a foot, placed on this said window, closing it gently. How the hell was that possible?

You were ready to scream but your gut told you to look up at the ceiling. A figure hung on it and you were paralyzed. Were you having one of those weird experiences called sleep paralysis? Delicately, silently, you grabbed the first blunt object within reach. A chemistry book that Peter seemed particularly fond of. The figure stepped on the ceiling as you were paralyzed. The form turned to land on the ground and then stood up, still with its back to you. You got up gently from Peter's bed and walked over. The man in the suit whose color you couldn't see took off his mask and you hit the air in an attempt to shoot him down. Peter turned around so quickly and blocked your gesture easily, like a reflex.

"What the ..."

"Bloody hell".

You both said at the same time. Your big surprised eyes mirrored Peter's. The curly man let go of your hand with an apologetic expression as you walked away from your friend. You turned on the bedside lamp before you discovered his blue and red costume. A very recognizable costume since it was that of Spider-Man. You winced, a look of judgment and incomprehension on your face. Not bothering to look at his face covered with bruises and traces of blood.

"What the ... are you sneaking out to go to a costume party?"

"What?! No…No Y/N I’m…”

“Spider-Man? Great costume by the way” you joked.

For a moment, you completely forgot that you just saw your friend glued upside down to the ceiling. Peter looked at you a little jaded, by the tone of your voice your guess was far from a sincere question but more of a mockery. And right now, the young man needed to be honest with you. He needed you.

"But, I am."

"Yeah that's it. And I slept with the Winter Soldier. You can't imagine what he can do with his metal arm."

Peter cut you off by pulling a web with his web shooter, tying your hands. The feel of the canvas was unpleasant, sticky but above all resistant. You let out a little cry of surprise, not powerful enough to pass the walls of Peter's room. Your eyes looked like two big golf balls, realizing that your friend was telling the truth.

"Omg, You're Spider-Man" you almost spoke too loud.

"Yes and don't make me web your mouth. May doesn't have to know"

"damn, peter. What happened to your face!"

“yeah about that…I need you Y/N, please…”

And without warning, Peter squeezed the spider in the middle of his costume, at chest level. He winced at the action revealing his bruised chest. He staggered a bit from the action, unsure of his legs and the pain in his sides fierce. You might see several bruises and cuts on your friend's body. You were having difficulty swallowing before you told him you were going to the bathroom to get what you needed. Before leaving the room, he made you promise to be discreet and not tell May anything if she ran into you. When you walk back into Peter's room, he's sitting half-lying on his bed, grimacing. You sit next to him, your heart pounding. You never noticed that he was so built. After all, as a superhero, he had to keep fit. But you couldn't deny that it intimidated you. Your cheeks were burning with embarrassment and a desire you never knew before. He had his eyes closed, as if trying to make the pain go away. And there, looking at him, you found him pretty. he was so cute that you couldn't help but run your hand through his curls to signal your presence and soothe him a bit. But Peter already knew you were there. He had heard your footsteps, he had smelled your scent, a sweet scent he had grown used to in his later years. He sighed softly, more relaxed. You started to clean the few shallow wounds.

"Does it hurt?" you asked quietly

"Mhmm no, not really."

"Did you win?"

"Ouch..No. Not tonight."

"Sorry." you said more for your gesture rather than the fact that he didn't win the fight against the bad guys.

"No, it's perfect ... it's just a little sensitive"

You smiled but something was wrong. A feeling you've never felt before. You've finished cleaning up Peter's wounds, but your gaze has darkened. As you were about to get up, the brunette gently grabbed your wrist to hold you back. He could hear your calm breathing and yet your heart was racing. He could feel the heat on your cheeks. He too felt that the tension was at its height. Your mind was muddled, he didn't know why, he wasn't a telepath, but he could see it, feel it. Your body betrayed your mind.

"Y/N, what is it?"

"I..I don't know." you lied.

"You can tell me everything."

"I ... Well…Seeing you like this ... makes me ... makes me realize that I ... I'm afraid of losing you."

"You won't lose me ... I promise"

You are ashamed of your vulnerable state. How did you go from hating this boy to having an overwhelming fear of losing him? You looked at those chocolate eyes in confusion and distress. You were now fully aware that the little neighborhood spider was none other than your childhood friend. The one you once loved to hate, tease, fight with over trivia. He was also on the youtube videos, who stopped cars with his bare hands.

“Y/N… you won’t lose me, I promise.”

Peter dared to walk slowly towards you and in a surge of courage, one of his hands circled your burning cheek, his lips rested on yours. The brunette had always had a crush on you without actually admitting it. After all, you had known each other since you were children but... your relationship had been rather confrontational. But for two years now, everything had changed for him. He appreciated more and more your little arguments, your teasing. His thoughts would sometimes turn darker when you lick your lips or when your fingers scratched that point behind your ear, when you were a little stressed.

Your lips moved between them in a harmonious dance and you were now clinging desperately to Peter's slightly sweaty brown curls. Your heart was pounding at a speed close to the point of no return, reluctant to stop suddenly in the face of this overstimulation. But all good things came to an end and you slowly walked away. You bit your lip to get the taste of Peter's back. Your mind wandered, lost in the haze of rushing feelings.

"You..you should rest ..."

You ended up pulling away, swallowing hard. That night you didn't sleep. You have studied every facial feature of Peter, thinking of every event since your friendship. The next day, you fooled that nothing had happened. Too scared of what that kiss meant to you.

Summer 2025

It all happened so quickly. After that summer, the summer of your kiss, you promised yourself that you understood your feelings towards Peter. You weren't going to the same high school and even though you were both on social media, you never dared to contact him. You needed time.

But you haven't had this time. Peter became full-time Spider-Man and then the aliens came to earth, again. The threat of Thanos hovered and within moments, days, hours ... you were gone under his snap.

When you returned to your childhood apartment, you were alone. Well, alone in front of the family who lived in this place now. The man in his forties simply believed you were a drug-hunting teenager squatter. Five damn years had passed. 5 years where your mother had a new life when you had been eclipsed. You were distraught, alone and it was by happy coincidence that you found May at the F.E.A.S.T project. It was a relief for you to find a familiar face again. She had suggested that you come and live in her new temporary apartment, allowing you to finish high school without having to move to the other end of the United States, with your mother. You declined your offer. You wanted to fend for yourself. And surprisingly, you did pretty well.

To be exact, Mr. Delmar was looking for a student to work in his store and was kind enough to greet you in the bedroom of one of his daughters who had gone to college. By the greatest of luck, you've never seen Peter. Or rather, you managed to avoid it for an entire year. You had caught a glimpse of him one day, trying to speak Italian to get a travel adapter and a dual headphone adapter. Did you feel foolish thinking that after so long - could we consider those 5 years to be 5 concrete years? - would it still focus on the kiss you shared? After all, you got away from him after that. And then, everything went in a state of madness.

Every time you turned on the television, you learned that elemental monsters had attacked a different country. They had first started with Mexico and then moved to Europe. Italy, Prague and then London. A certain Mysterio seemed to be taking care of this matter, but you couldn't help but think of Peter. May told you he was supposed to go to Italy. In fact, every time she went to Delmar's for a sandwich, she gave you an update on her nephew's trip. But it wasn't the craziest.

Upon his return ... Spider-man's identity was revealed. You had watched in horror the video of Mysterio, which appeared on the Daily Buggle newspaper, accusing Peter of wanting to be the new Iron-Man. You were listening to J. Jonah Jameson falsely accusing Peter of being a murderer. You knew Peter, and there was no way he had done such an act. The video was bogus, you were sure. When you tried to reconnect that summer, you noticed Peter's girlfriend. Michelle Jones and ... and that's what kept you from approaching him. He was already supported. He had his best friend, Ned. His girlfriend, MJ. And he had May. It was enough, wasn't it?

It was the following year, after a new incredible adventure that you met again.

You worked at the store in the evening. Mr Delmar had asked you to help him out urgently because his youngest daughter had a health problem. You accepted with pleasure. You had offered to babysit his daughter but the loving father he was wanted to be with her. And it was precisely this evening that a thug decided to steal the fund from you.

You were at gunpoint with your hands up in the air when you saw a red and black mass fall behind the thug.

"Hey buddy, I think the bank is across the street"

Spider-Man tapped the thief on the shoulder and dodged a punch.

"But I think I'll arrest you anyway if you went to the bank. You don't seem like a nice guy." Peter joked.

You were paralyzed as your friend, your best friend if you were honest, chained or avoided them with agility. You swallowed hard, unable to move or run away. A gunshot rang out and you smelled a scared little vintage. Peter squeezed the barrel of the gun in his hand, deviating from his course. It made sense now to say that he had simply defended himself against the assault. After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, Peter stared the offender against a fridge door, immobilizing him. He then turned to you, oblivious to your identity at the time.

"Are you okay there?"

"Peter!"

You didn't give him the chance to realize and you rushed into his arms, hugging him so tight to feel the comfort of his body against yours.

"Uh, yeah, you're welcome. Cuddles are nice but ..."

He paused for a moment and his automated eyes widened. He knew his perfume. The flowery, sweet scents that he had missed so much. Is this possible?

"Y/N?"

You let go of him and immediately put his mask back on. Adrenaline was controlling your actions and god damn it, you needed that touch. You kissed him, bluntly. Your lips crushed against his in impatience, in ardor, but too bad. You needed to feel it against you, to regain the feeling that you had felt, years ago. After a few seconds, you felt Peter's hands encircle your waist, pulling you closer to him. Your heart was exploding, the ardor was present in your kiss. You were even frustrated that you couldn't grab her brown curls with full hands, settling for only the base of her hair. You let out a moan before pulling away abruptly. He had a girlfriend.

"I… I'm sorry. I… Sorry, I didn't mean… MJ… and… please don't blame me."

Peter silenced you with another kiss, shorter this time but so good.

“There is no MJ .... Just you and me ... Far Longer Than Forever”

You looked at him hopefully and then burst out laughing after his words.

"I didn't know you were so romantic, Parker"

"Shut your mouth."

"Make me"

"You are impossible."

"But obviously, you like"

He was going to say something to nag you, he was looking for it but you caught him off guard, placing your lips on his again. You could feel his smile in the kiss and you couldn't help but do the same. Anyone living in the neighborhood present in the street would have a view of Spider-Man kissing the student cashier from Delmar. But you couldn't care less. You had waited too long and the joy you were feeling now was so intense, you didn't want to stop feeling this. It is reluctantly that Peter moved away from you apologizing for the fact that he had to go on patrol again.

"Go save the Spider-Man neighborhood"

"Only if you promise me you'll be there when I get back."

"I was thinking of going to say goodnight to May instead ... But if you want, I have a sleeping bag in the storeroom."

"You are incorrigible .... See you later ..."

"See you later."

You smiled, in a misty state of bliss as Peter disappeared from view. This time, you weren't planning to escape, you wanted to fall into the webs of Peter Parker. You closed the store after the police visit and headed to May's flat. It was late but with her kindness she welcomed you with open arms.

This summer ... was the best in years but the others to come were going to be even more wonderful.

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #peter parker fic #tom holland #tom holland fic

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katherinewilliams221b · 4 years ago

Note

Girl you know I'm jumping at the occasion :D

Pre-relationship: 1 and 2

General: 1 and 7 bc I can't ever get enough of the dynamics between those two 🖤

Love: 7 and 13

Domestic life: I'd ask for 1 and 2 but I know you plan that hand-fasting fic in the future (still, won't say no to some spoilers... :D)

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

1. How did they first meet?

Charlie already knew who Kate was from the stories Bill told about her. It was Charlie himself who approached her in the first Care of Magical Creatures class they had together. He had no romantic interest in her at the time, but Bill had spoken so highly of her that Charlie felt they could be good friends.

His first words were something along the lines of "I know who you are..." He didn't mean to cause her the disappointment he saw on her face.

Kate forced a smile without looking up, wanting to be polite, but nipping in the bud the conversation she was about to have with yet another stranger pretending to know her.

This all went by very quickly, and as soon as Charlie mentioned that "Bill has spoken very highly of you..." Kate finally met his eyes.

"You're Charlie!" she exclaimed, a little too loudly "Bill has told me about you, too."

They worked very well together that day, like a well-oiled machine foreshadowing the kind of relationship they would have later on. When class was over, Kate ran off to meet Rowan, but not before shouting to Charlie that it had been a pleasure to meet him.

He shouldered his satchel, watching the messy-haired girl hurry off, and thought that not only was she not as the horrible rumours circulating about her described her, but that this had been the beginning of a great friendship.

2. What was their first impression of each other?

He had never been swayed by rumours. But so many people spoke ill of her and her brother that he was tempted to believe them.

The first time he formed an opinion about her was in his first year; he entered the Great Dining Hall with a determined stride and fury written all over his face. Charlie did not know that she had just escaped from a devil's snare, nor that the feud with Merula had begun. Trying not to be too swayed by what he had heard, he merely watched as she sat down at the Hufflepuff table and began speaking at full speed to a girl he would later come to know as Rowan. He had no interest in finding out about her. He just let her be.

Bill remarked that he had a brother at Hogwarts in the same year as her. In the courtyard, Bill pointed to Charlie, who was reading by the fountain. Kate thought he wasn't like Bill at all, that adventures weren't his thing and that he seemed like a quiet boy. A rule-follower. Oh, boy, was she wrong. They didn't meet that day, or for another three years.

GENERAL

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

The fifth year was very critical for Charlie, and Kate was his rock in that regard. It was when they started spending more and more time together and to the rest of Hogwarts, they were dating without a doubt. At this point Kate already had feelings for him, but she kept them to herself in the face of his disinterest in dating. In his sixth year, and in better mental health, Charlie began to...feel...things. Dazed by these new sensations, he sought refuge in the forbidden forest until André confronted him. At the same time Rowan, commented that they spent all. the. day. together. Both friends took it upon themselves to set them up on a date.

It was so orthopaedic, so strange and awkward that they both questioned their feelings for each other.At the end of the year, having pretended that the day had never happened, Kate decided to admit that she still liked him. He did the same, with great difficulty.

They both came to an agreement and decided that their friends should not interfere, that whatever they did would have to flow naturally. That agreement day was the start of their official relationship.

7. Who takes the lead in social situations?

Contrary to what it might seem, Charlie. Although he is known as the dragon boy, who is always alone, reading or in the forest, he is held in high esteem by everyone. He makes friends wherever he goes.

Kate is a bit more reserved. She has no difficulty talking to people, but tends to be more cautious around strangers. Paradoxically, she is a magnet for anyone who gets to know her, and although Charlie takes the lead in social situations, there will always be people gravitating around Kate. She says she makes a lot of friends by chance, but it's because she prefers listening than talking about herself.

That said, although they both enjoy being around their friends, they always need to get away somewhere quiet for a while.

LOVE

7. What are their favorite things to do together?

In the Hogwarts years they used to spend the whole day together studying, reading or going to the Forbidden Forest. It was then when Charlie taught Kate how to track both animals and people.

Their activities didn't change much when Kate moved to Romania, as soon after, the war started and there was no more time for leisure.

After the war, they set about making up for lost time, and began to explore Romania and other nearby countries, making short trips wherever they could. One trip a year is mandatory.

They like to go on picnics in the mountains every weekend; they take a blanket, food, maybe books, and spend the day talking and laughing, sometimes even...

They were both surprised at how much they liked watching movies; when they got their first TV, they started having marathons every night over dinner.

Cooking? Or rather, chatting while Charlie cooked. It's a time just for them, especially during the war, where they can clear their heads. Many times they both prepare food in silence, just enjoying each other's company.

Dancing! Some time ago I mentioned that they attended several dance classes as a couple, something they didn't like very much, they prefer to dance without an audience.Later, when they have their daughter, they discovered how much they like to play board games together.

Although they deny it, they like to attend events as a couple; birthdays, or parties at their respective jobs, where they can show each other off.

13. Who remembers the little things?

They both do, I think. Kate remembers how he likes tea, that he takes a bubble bath when he is stressed and she often anticipates it, the brand of pencils he likes, many of the names of the dragons on the reserve, his favourite balaclava and so on.

Charlie knows what her favourite mug is; when she runs out of seeds, how she braids her hair; that she likes to wear jewellery and also knows what style; that there are some yellow flowers that give her allergies, and he has an antihistamine potion in his backpack just in case....

It's not the only thing, but I think they're both good at paying attention to detail. It's one of their love-languages.

DOMESTIC LIFE

1. If they get married, who proposes? 2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

Ok, I'll try to answer with as few spoilers as possible. It's no secret that they do a handfasting ceremony. I once said it was Kate who officiated at it, but no. I'm going to change that because I think I have a better idea.I'm still studying how marriage works in the magical world, but what I do know is that neither Muggles nor the Ministry see a handfasting as a legal union (although it used to be, I'm still studying). This will be important.

If I can get it right, the two of them will be proposing to each other in very subtle and unknowing ways. I haven't decided who will be the one to take a more definitive step, I like both options: on the one hand Kate, because I like the idea of seeing the woman propose, and on the other hand Charlie, because it's something he would never have seen himself doing.

There are 4 people in attendance (6 counting them), one of them is her grandpa, Bernard, and the other three are people they meet in Ireland. One of those three people officiates the wedding.

As I said, the wedding is a handfasting, a Celtic ceremony used to symbolise the intention to marry and the commitement to someone. I don't want to say anything! I think this is my favourite part and I want it to be very emotional. I have looked up what the officiant says to do the ceremony and it is really beautiful. I have personalised it a bit with the fragments that I liked the most.

This is what struck me most (from a website about the ceremony) and what I intend to reflect:

"The absolute honesty inherent in the answers to the questions in this ritual usually takes guests by surprise. This leads the guests to concentrate on what is happening and gets them more emotionally invested in this part of the ceremony".

From this ask

#ask #kat tag #kate williams #charlie weasley #i should send you some more numbers lmao i honestly want every answer

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cherry-gemz · 4 years ago

Text

The City by The Bay: Part II

Summary: Fates push you and a handsome and known stranger into each other's paths. His chilvary and good looks make you take a leap into his world and more.

Chapter Summary: You and Keanu get to know each other better.

Word Count: 2100 +/-

Pairing: Keanu Reeves x Y/N (F!Reader)

Rating: PG, fluff

A/N: First time taking a try on a Keanu fic, be nice, please! This little ficlet will have more chapters, hope you enjoy.

Who might be interested: @whiskeyslullabye @marissat1998 @aestheticallywinchester @fookingbitch

Last chapter recap:

"Yeah...just around the corner. Did you...did you want to hang out for a bit? I mean, I didn't know if you were headed somewhere before I spilled your drink. What am I thinking? Of course you were off somewhere…"

"Are you always like this?" You giggle as you turn to head to the hall.

"Like what?"

"Nevermind, I'll be right back," you reply coyly. "And...I didn't have any plans today...I'd love to hang out."

"Really? Cool," Keanu responds and a grin appears on his face.

"Yeah, I can't stay very long, however. I have a meeting with a client for lunch," you reply and he looks deflated.

"Yeah, okay...well..hmmm," he says lost in thought.

You feel stupid, you can't believe he wants to hang out with you and you're choosing work. You're really kicking yourself for even mentioning it. This opportunity will never happen again.

"Well, I tell you what," he pipes. "I still owe you a cup of coffee. I happen to make the most amazing cappuccino. How about I start off with that?"

"Sure, that sounds lovely," you smile and his expression changes in a light-heartedness.

"Great. Great, Y/N, head over to the kitchen after you change your shirt and we can get to know one another better."

You beam and head to the immaculate restroom. It’s very contemporary and the natural light from the ceiling windows are pretty to look at. As you unbutton your blouse you look at yourself in the mirror: you have a goofy grin and you can’t believe in you’re in Keanu’s house. Let alone, changing your shirt and going to hang out with him a bit. This is all surreal.

You grasp his shirt and give it a sniff, clean. And you quickly put it over your head and leave the room with your blouse and book in your hand. As you turn the corner, you see him fiddling about and admire the open floor planned kitchen. You run your hand across the white, granite counters as he ushers you to have a seat at one of the barstools where you place your bag, the book he offered, and blouse down.

He claps his hands and rubs them as a cheshire cat grin appears on his face.

"Okay, be ready to be blown away at these magic hands," he waggles his brows and holds out his large hands as you stifle a giggle.

You'd watch interviews of him and he always seemed so genuine, and while he still does, there's a more childlike, goofiness that melts your heart a little more. You try not fall so quickly, but he really is quite loveable and easy to be around. Much different from the men you're accustomed to in the city. Their grittiness and quick paced talk tends to exhaust you. You're more in your element with one on one, in an intimate setting like today. It's ideal.

Keanu grins and turns steadfast to the counter by the fridge and beelines to the espresso machine. He grabs a new bottle of water from the upper cabinets and places it in the boiler of the machine. You sit taller and try to peer over. You're never really that fancy with your coffee and it's usually due to the nature of your work and how quickly you need that caffeine fix, but you appreciate the art and look forward to his recipe.

He continues his task at hand and opens a canister that's unmarked and pours two shots of ground espresso into the portafilter. He turns to you, to make sure you're watching as he plays along as if he's a magician and you're watching his act.

"Secret recipe," he beams.

"What is it?" You ask inquisitively.

He holds up his index finger and shakes it, "Na uh. If I gave that away, we could no longer be friends."

"Oh, we're friends are we?" You flirt and he blushes. You got him to blush!

He holds out the tamper he pulled out of the side drawer and presses the coffee three times to ensure it's packed tightly.

He then places the portafilter into the espresso machine's group head and locks it in place by turning it to the right.

He continues his stride and places the tiny, white cup under the head for about 30 seconds.

"Voilá!" He exclaims and you clap. He grabs a carton of cream from the fridge and you give him a puzzling look. Even as a chef, you're quite aware of the complexities of cream, so you're curious if this is part of the plan. He pours the cream into a small metal pitcher and inserts the steam wand.

"Ah! Almost forgot…" he smacks his forehead with his free hand and goes to the cupboard and pulls out a jar. You notice it's sugar and he pinches a good handful in the metal pitcher and continues.

As the milk foams, he starts to pour it atop the cappuccino and walks over to give you the cup.

"Mmmm, smells amazing. Thank you," you graciously accept the cup and take a sip. An explosion of the dark, roasted bean excited your taste buds. It's most likely hands down the best you've had.

"Omigosh, Keanu. This is beyond good. I don't think I can ever go back to normal coffee again!"

"Aw shucks, you'll give me a complex now," he teases.

"Well if you ever decide to quit acting, I say you'd make a hell of a living doing that. Why, my bookstore would have lines out the door to see Keanu Reeves make them a cappuccino!"

He laughs heartily, "That would be a sight wouldn't it? Ah that's fantastic."

You bring the cup to your nose as you try to make out the ingredients. You can tell there's a hint of spice and earth, and you take a guess of what he has mixed with the grounds.

"Is there cocoa powder?" You look directly at him and he bites his lip.

"What are you doing?" He asks and shakes his index finger at you playfully and walks over to you.

"Trying to figure out this recipe. You don't go tell a chef that it's a secret and expect them to not figure it out. I saw you toss in some sugar for the cream. And even noticed you use cream instead of milk. But I think it's cocoa...maybe even a hint of cinnamon?"

"What are you? Some super chef-dectective?"

He dabs the frothy cream from your cup and places it on the tip of your nose, making you giggle. He licks his finger off and gives a sly smile.

"Maybe I have a profitable future ahead of me?" You lightly rub off the cream and gaze into his eyes.

"I think so Y/N, I think so." He shyly turns his eyes away and taps the side of the cup as if he's pondering a thought.

"So tell me," you gain confidence in speaking with him. "If you can make such a delicious cappuccino like this one, why were you at Saint Frank's?"

"Hah," he replies as he turns to start his own cup. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

You smile in-between another sip and notice he's flirting back.

"Well?"

You prod and arch your brow as he leans his back against the counter. His black shirt hugs his biceps as he crosses his arms, and the blue jeans he pairs it with fit him perfectly. His medium length hair seems to always get in his face, but it's endearing and he swipes away some strands. He's handsome without any effort and you slightly blush as your mind wanders about how his lips would feel against yours.

"Honestly, I went out for a ride and needed to clear my head. I found myself just being pulled in that general direction and decided I needed a cup of joe," he says as he pours the cream for himself.

"I guess it was you pulling me in or something,” he adds.

"So then what, it's like fate that we happened to be at the same place at that exact moment? And you happened to bump into me and make me spill my drink, therefore resulting in me jumping on your motorcycle with you. And then visit the home of a mega movie star and try the most fantastic cappuccino?" You laugh and he tilts his head earnestly.

"What, you don't believe in fate, Y/N?"

"Not exactly," you reply.

"Why not?" He walks over and sits next to you on the other barstool.

"I mean, if it wasn't me, it'd be some other woman you'd be inviting over instead."

"No…" he replies as he takes a sip of his drink. "No, I don't think I would."

You both sit in silence for a minute, you sigh and then turn to look outside at the view.

"I'm sorry, Y/N if I've seen to offend you. I can drive you back if you'd wish…" his voice softens and you can tell you hurt him a little.

"What? No, Keanu. I'm...I'm sorry," you place your hand on his. His knuckles are worn and rough. He looks down at your hand and a small smile appears.

"I...I want to be here, really I do. I guess I'm trying to make sense of it all. You're Keanu Reeves. And I'm just me. Why do you want to know me for?"

“Why wouldn’t I want to get to know you, Y/N? I am very glad we met. You're funny and kind... I'd like to get to know you further. Let alone, you're beautiful."

You blush and look away, he's not coming on strong, but could he be sending you signals that he's into you? Did you die and just find yourself in limbo with the angel before you?

"Do you want to go for a drive before I take you back?" He asks as you both notice you haven't lifted your hand on his. You quickly remove it and place it in your lap.

"Sure, but this time please wear a helmet. I was worried sick thinking if something terrible might happen."

He softly chuckles, "Of course, I have many in my garage to choose from. Curious though, is it because you care about me, Y/N?"

"Oh believe me, more than you know," you quickly cover your hands over your mouth as you realize what you've said.

He kicks his lips and tries to brush it off.

"I'm sorry," you apologize. "I really should use my filter from time to time."

"No need for apologies. Your truthfulness is refreshing."

"Well I have a lot of that. Probably more than I should. I bet you find in your line of work it's difficult to find people you can trust."

"Yeah, I definitely have a close knit of friends through the years. Do you have family here?"

"Yes, born and reared in the Bay," you say with confidence. "I went to culinary school in New York for a minute, however. But there's something about this city that's magical."

"So you believe in magic, but not fate?"

You laugh, "Okay, you got me there."

He finishes off his cappuccino and motions to ask if you're finished, which you nod and hand him your cup. He walks over to the sink and rinses out the cups. It's fascinating to watch him do mundane things like wash dishes.

"I am beginning to enjoy the city. There is much richness to it and the landmarks are beautiful. I will be honest though, I haven't had much time to explore like I usually like to do when I'm on location."

He places the cups back in the cupboard and dries his hands with a cream colored terry cloth.

"You did mention you had a project up here. Mind if I ask what?"

His eyes light up as if he were a kid on Christmas Day expecting all the joys of the morning.

"Oh well it's not for a movie. I'm not filming yet...least as far as I know. My agent, Meredith keeps me up on that."

"If not a movie, then…?"

"A book," he replies.

"You're not giving me much here, buddy," you laugh as he joins you.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I...it's just something dear to me that I've been working on and haven't really announced anything yet."

"Look, I get it. Don't worry, no pressure, you reply as you start to get up.

"Well it's not that," he gestures a stopping signal with his hand. "I... I really don't know what it's about it. I'm collaborating with a friend of mine, a photographer. And we are in the early stages, that's all."

"Oh well it sounds great," you say enthusiastically.

"Yeah...I feel good y'know? I feel like I'm doing something different and that I can connect to people on a different level."

"Keanu...the influencer," you say as you raise your hands up in the air as if an imaginary marquee is right before your eyes.

"Haha, I wouldn't go that far. But, I'll have to keep you posted."

"Yeah, that would be great," you cringe. Great. Everything is great. Why are you being such a spaz?

He doesn't notice, but he gets quiet again and you don't know what to do next. Silence sometimes makes you feel awkward and now throw in the ridiculously nice and dreamy man in front of you and you're a ball of nerves.

He seems relaxed, however. In tune with himself and surroundings.

He smiles and holds out his hand, "C'mon. Let's get going on that ride. I'll take you to one of my favorite spots in the house besides the library...the garage. Oh, and don't forget your book."

You nod as you place it in your bag and accept his hand and hope to never let go.

#Keanu Reeves #keanu reeves fanfic #keanu reeves x reader #keanu reeves imagine #The City By The Bay #meet cute

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