#i forgot today was valentine's and i RACED to get these done.

[protosymphonette]

happy valentine's day lads

[tsumskz]

valentine’s day with your plug

stoner eren x reader

Tw: smut, mentions of weed and smoking, breeding and oral

just a little late valentine’s day post

Eren Yeager, the most well known suppler in your town. if you weren’t getting your stuff from him then who were you getting it from ?

not only did he have some of the best weed you’ve ever smoked but he was gorgeous, and quite frankly that made your blood boil. it was the brown hair that laid perfectly on his shoulders, half always tied up in a little bun at the back of his head. and those beautiful green eyes that always hung low when you saw him and would catch yourself getting lost in if you stared too long. he was hot and he knew it.

whenever you were in need of bud you dreaded having to hit him up because it’d either take hours for a response or he would leave you on read and randomly show up at your place saying “here”.

you’re sure he thought his looks could make up for his shitty service, but i guess it does because you go back everytime no matter how much it pisses you off.

well today was the same as every other day expect for the fact that it was valentine’s day so all of your friends were busy with their boyfriends and getting laid, blah blah blah and you happened to be violently single but at least you have weed right ?

oh damn i forgot i’m out…

…FUCK IM OUT

god this can’t be happening. it’s valentine’s day and you’re out. eren HAS to have plans tonight, there’s no way he doesn’t and youre gonna be stuck here. bored. sober. alone.

you might as well try to text him and see if there’s a slim chance he’s able to drop by.

walking to your room you contemplate what you’re gonna say, grabbing your phone tapping your fingers till you get to his contact. how do you do this without sounding like a loser ?

6:46pm. you: hey, was wondering if you’d be able to drop by tonight ? wasn’t sure if you’d be busy

now we wait. putting down your phone you go back to what you were occupied with before this catastrophe happened. you suspected it to either take hours or possibly you wouldn’t get a text back at all.

6:55pm. eren: nah i’m not busy tn, should be able to stop by in 10. that cool ?

you swear your stomach sinks to your feet when you hear your phone ding. you knew it wasn’t any of your friends so maybe he wasn’t doing anything after all.

“odd” you thought to yourself that’s definitely the longest message he’s ever texted you before, it was never any longer than a quick “yeah” or “be there in 10”. wonder what’s gotten into him

texting him back a quick “sounds good” you go to sit on the couch waiting for the notification for you to come outside to his car.

7:10. still no eren. you knew this would happen. its never the time he says. god he’s so fucking stupid i’m done goi-

*DING DONG*

you nearly jump out of your seat. heart now pounding out of your chest as you walk up to the door confused as to who it could be since you definitely weren’t expecting anyone to knock.

opening the door you begin to notice a familiar face…eren.

why was he at your door ? the mere sight of him makes your stomach churn with seems like anger. never has he once showed up and knocked on your door.

why is your heart racing? …

“the front door ? that’s new” snarky comment making him laugh. you felt awkward. was he trying to invite himself in ? you had so many questions running thru your mind but you were assuming it was nothing

“felt like saving you the longg walk from here to my car” he says dragging out long with a dramatic voice throwing his head back and bending his knees

“surprised you’re not busy with all the ladies that are probably dying to rip your pants off” ignoring his stupid joke. your hand reaches out to grab what he actually came here for but you’re met with nothing, like he wants to stand here talking to you more.

“ gotta keep them on their toes, you know. can’t make it easy or else i would’ve had back to back dates tonight” you were done with conversation already. you just wanted to get your stuff, watch some stupid rom-com and eat a burger the size of your head. he was getting in the way with that.

“haha. can i just have my stuff?” clearly annoyed he hands you the small little baggie, as you’re about to say thank you and close to the door on his face. you notice he’s not moving at all. looking at you like a lost puppy dog that showed up at your door.

he was definitely trying to invite himself in but he didn’t know how. “if you want to come in you could just say so” attempting to be nice you give him a smile.

“it’s okay, i don’t wanna intrude especially if you have a date or something” you laugh at him, his face turning a red tone as if he said something wrong. god you feel bad.

“i’m not doing anything tonight hence why i asked you to come by but if you wanna hang for a bit be my guest” wishing you would’ve shut yourself up but it was too late to take it back. you couldn’t believe you invited him in. you’re stuck now.

no words were said as you took a step back swaying to the side to gesture him in. he seemed hesitant for a second, but he enters. taking a couple uncomfortable waddles in before stopping in his tracks to kinda get a vibe your living space

it was clean. tv turned on to a random show on netflix. couch covered with cute pillows and blankets, coffee table with weed paraphernalia neatly organized but he was more fascinated with the way you’re dressed. maroon sweatpants and grey zip up that had your high schools name on the front. no makeup. so effortlessly beautiful.

“come” patting the couch you usher him to sit next to you. opening the baggie of bud, crumbling off a piece to put in the bowl of your most precious bong. offering him the greens since he is a quest in your house.

“how sweet of you” he says giving you a over exaggerated smile making you softly hit him on the arm. it was weird having him right here. you realized you’ve never smoked with him before. you’ve never seen him in such a intimate setting. it made you feel some kind of way.

a couple hours past. you guys ended smoking and chatting as if you knew each other for years and were catching up. it felt nice even tho you were dead set on the plans you thought of originally like getting food. mmm food the munchies were starting to hit hard.

“you hungry ?” you said being so serious because there was no way you were messing around when it came to eating rn and by the look on his face he wasn’t either.

“god i thought you’d never ask” staring dead into each other yes, breaking out into a laughing fit. you both decided to make your way to the kitchen and see what there was to make. letting him do all the work of course.

you’re sat up on counter while he’s looking thru the cupboards. hoping he can find something good because at this point you don’t even remember what’s in there.

“ahh mac and cheese ?” he says excitedly holding up a box of probably soon to be expired mac and cheese. you nod in agreement pretending like you aren’t practically drooling at the thought of it.

he starts boiling the water. “why don’t you have plans tonight ? didn’t expect you to be a lonly guy” you interrupt the silence to ask the question you’ve been wondering this whole time.

“i’m not a whore like you think i am. i just sell weed to people and the flirting keeps them coming back” shocked by his answer you can’t say that’s not a solid strategy. he goes to drain the pasta before adding the rest of the stuff, handing you a bowl.

“you don’t flirt with me tho” blurting out your response, he turns towards you. looking you up and down, getting just close enough you could feel his breath on your face.

“you’re different” your face getting hotter by the second. not sure how to respond because you didn’t know if this was his tactic or genuine emotion.

“how so?” twiddling your finger together looking down a little embarrassed for asking.

“idk everyone treats me like im just some hot piece of meat that can get them their fix” he says looking down with you.“but you, you act cold towards me and i find that so hot ” you felt like you were gonna faint at his words.

“ i’ve always thought you were just an asshole with a pretty face” his cheeks turning a pale pink.

“pretty?” he inches closer to your face so you’re just inches away from touching each other lips. “yeah, so pretty it makes me mad” those were the last words said before his lips are crashing into yours.

unsure if it was the weed or the fact his lips felt so good but you kissed him back without realizing. lips moving in sync like they were made for each other.

feeling like you couldn’t catch your breath, you pull away catching a good look at his face, red and flustered. you’ve never seen anything like this before and you never wanted to forget it. pulling him by the neck to continue he picks you up walking you both over to the couch. putting you down softly. breaking the kiss.

“this okay?” he says with genuine concern on his face. hes scared. scared hes gonna mess this up.

“more than” huge smile forming on his lips, he maneuvers himself on top of you between your legs. kissing your neck making his way down to your stomach.

he unbottons your pants so plainly slow that you’re about to rip them off yourself. he kisses your pussy thru your underwear making you gasp at the sensation of his cold lips on you, mumbling a low “fuck” before bucking your hips begging for more.

“don’t be so impatient baby” the pet name making your stomach turn with lust. you had to have him. you need him now.

your bottom half now undressed he makes you wait even longer by licking and biting your plush thighs, making you squirm. “please eren”. you’ve never been so desperate especially for someone that you hated a couple hours ago.

his tongue laid its first lick down your slit. it was soft, gentle. unlike anything you’ve ever felt before, other guys were rough and thought flicking felt good. how’d he become so good you couldn’t shake that thought from your mind. were you jealous ?.

“it feels so good, please keep going” bitting your hand to hopefully quiet yourself down because you knew you were being too loud. his tongue felt like heaven, but when he slipped one of his long finger into you was when you lost your mind. there was no way you weren’t gonna start screaming his name.

“eren fuck i’m gonna cum” without any hesitation he curls his fingers up hitting a spot that made you see stars. back arching, strings of curse words fall from your mouth as you cum. you’re panting like a dog trying to regain yourself.

eren sits up wiping his face on the sleeve of his hoodie, rubbing your inner thighs till you’ve finally come back from your mind blowing orgasm.

“that was crazy” you said laughing but you heard nothing but silence from eren, he looked uncomfortable then glancing down a bit you could tell why. he was so hard that you could see him throbbing thru his pants.

“come here, let me help you” you say pushing his shoulders down till his head in laying on the arm of the couch. crawling on top of him you leaning down catching his lips once again, tasting yourself. this time the kiss was hungry. like two wild animals fighting over who was superior. you grind your hips against his clothed cock hissing at the overstimulation from cumming not too long ago.

his hands raising up under your shirt giving your nipples a couple rolls of his thumb. hiding your face in his neck, sucking here and there unknowingly leaving marks that you knew he’d get upset about later.

“do you mind?” you say playing with the zipper of his pants. he gives you a nod of consent before you’re pulling down his pants along with his boxers. it springs up as you stare at the size of his intimidatingly large cock.

“you like what you see” jokingly punching his chest you come back up so your pussy is alined with his cock, he motions you to sit up a bit and he angles the tip so it’s at your entrance, sliding down a bit it was already a huge stretch but you were determined to make it fit. both of you hissing in sync till it was fully in.

“it’s so tight” he moans grabbing your hips to slide you up and back down, slowly to not hurt you. the stretch felt so good you began to move on your own craving more of him. groans could be heard from both of you just enjoying the moment and the feeliing of being connected.

“oh im gonna cum” you whispered in his ear “im so close” you keep rocking up and down till his strong hands flip you both over so he’s on top, putting you in mating press.

“i’m close too, cum with me baby” his words thick like honey dripping its way into your ear. you pussy clenching hard trying to get that last bit of stimulation to tip over the edge.

knowing just what to do his hand snakes between you both to place a thumb on your clit. that’s exactly what you neeed before you’re moaning his name and squirming trying to get away as gush around his cock.

“you gonna let me cum in you ?” he’s panting hard but he can’t seem to focus on anything besides cumming your tight pussy.

“cum in me please” the neediness in you voice is all it takes for his hips to come to a halt as he’s pumping you full. you can feel his heart beating as he slumps down on your chest. the same awkwardness from before filling the air as you both come to your senses.

awkwardly get up putting your clothes back on, not saying a word to each other. you head to the bathroom to pee and return, sitting back on the couch packing another bowl and handing it to him. he takes a long hit. resulting in him coughing, he hands it back to you.

“guess valentine’s day wasn’t so boring this year” he manages the get out between coughs. slumping back on the couch looking at the tv watching whatever was playing.

“definitely wasn’t expecting this” your own joke making you laugh, catching his attention. eyes now on you. the silence was deadly but you didn’t have anything to say.

“i like you” he says quietly not sure if you heard him but he knows you did when he notices your face begin to burn firetruck red.

“when did you come to that conclusion?” interested in what he was gonna say because you’re sure it was an in the moment confession nothing he was feeling before today.

“ever since the first time i sold to you, you were beautiful and i never knew how to make the first move until today” your mouth hangs open because never in a million years would you have thought that the guy you despised had completely opposite feelings.

“i had no idea”

“i figured” he takes another hit from your bong before getting up grabbing his things and heading for the door “uh i gotta go, just hit me up next time you need anything”

“wait” you walk over to him, body moving for you confused as to why you got up before blurting out something you couldn’t take back.

“i like you too” coming to the conclusion that those were you feelings all along, not hatred or anger but love.

he smiles at you before leaning in to give you one last finally kiss before heading out the door.

[shygirl4991]

Valentines Test

A gift for @alianarepasa Happy Early Valentines Day! Summary:  SMG3 and Fours fighting has gotten worse over the past week, being done with the fighting SMG1 and two slap a bracelet on the pair forcing them to swap bodies. Now the boys must go on several outings to find the spark to swap them back.  

Tag: Fluff, bodyswap, confessions, first kiss

They have had it with all the fighting at the castle, SMG1 told the pair that they needed to start getting along or else their meme powers won't work. Since then everything they have attempted to make them grow closer just made them fight,  annoyed at how at the results of the training One and Two created a special bracelet for them. At the next training event they slap the bracelet on them “These bracelets are to measure your meme energy, if the numbers are high then nothing should happen but if they hit low numbers well you two will be in for a surprise!” 

The pair exchange a look before SMG3 scoffs “Please the only reason we end up fighting is because this idiot doesn't know how to follow instructions.” hearing this SMG4 glares at Three “WHAT?! I follow instructions!” SMG1 sighs seeing that an agreement was about to happen, worried SMG2 chimes in “Hey you two why don't we do some basic practice!” It was too late as the boys had already started to argue about who pays attention more in their training and who was the better guardian. The bracelet started to beep loudly, Hearing the beeping SMG1 and Two nod at each other and run out of the room, Three looked at his wrist confused before a blast of light hit the guardians. Both men were on the floor groaning as SMG1 walked back in, sighing “Now your real lesson has begun. You two have been fighting way too much for this to be normal, so your lesson is to fix the curse me and Two put on you.”

SMG3 gets up from the floor confused “Curse?” he covers his mouth confused as to why he heard his ex rivals voice. He turned his head to see his body getting up looking around confused, they made eye contact and realized what the curse is they pointed at each “WE SWAPPED BODIES!?” One nods pointing to the bracelet “Once you two have settled whatever is going on the bracelet will be able to track your link, the moment the link is stabled you get your bodies back.” Two nods handing them a packet with locations for the pair to go to. Three glares at the man in his body, then starts reading the pages “ I HAVE TO ACT LIKE FOUR!?” The day couldn't get worse. Two claps his hand opening a portal and throwing the pair to their first location, a park with a valentines event going on.  They blink, exchanging looks, in the whole mess of training and doing their jobs the men forgot that today was the day of love. Shroomy sees them and waves at them as he hands the pair heart necklaces, amusingly enough Three got a purple heart and Four got the blue one. 

“Hiya fellas! Happy you can come, partner up we have fun games for you two to be a part of!” The mushroom man walks away as the two men stand there looking around the park in shock, Three sighs “We have to partner with each other, it's the only way to get our bodies back.” He puts the purple necklace on the faces Four waiting for an answer. Nervously he puts on the blue necklace “We have known each other for years, but I have no idea how I can act as you for this whole thing! I mean you cheat your way to victory, I can't do that!” Three scoffs “I can cheat for us, being you will make it easy after all you have the perfect eyes,” Four blushes at the comment. With them coming to an agreement they sign up as the ship name that Boopkins told them a few months back, they then line up with the other couples. The first game was a race across a landmine field, Four looked nervous at the floor while Three rolled his eyes “Don't make me look like a bitch come on!” Something felt weird as Three ran; it was as if was lighter on his feet. On instinct he did a front flip avoiding the explosion as he lands on his feet he turns in shock “You could just fucking do that?!” Four rolled his eyes walking up the Three “Nice cover on acting as me dumbass, but yes im very um flippy.” 

Three started to look at Four’s body in awe causing the other man's face to go red, he grabs Three and starts to drag him “Please stop checking me out!” hearing that Three blushes “Oi! I wasn't checking you out that be gay!” an explosion happens causing Four to jump grabbing onto Three. They both noticed the strange looks they were getting, slowly they pulled their hats down to hide their faces. Round one was done and both men were already done, Four fell to his knees “Ugh i hated all that, how is avoiding landmines a way to show love with your partner!?” Three shrugs “Cause you didn't use them as bait? The hell do i know what goes through shroomys head.”

A loud bell rings letting them know round two was starting, this one was an obstacle course, Three blue eyes twitch as he looks around “We could try to cheat around some of the paths…”  he walks up to Four and switches their hats “Mind if i wear my hat for this, dont care doing it anyways!” Four would be annoyed by the man's tone but he was too happy to have his own hat back. They walk to the starting line waiting for the sign to start the track. As the gun fires the couples start to run, Three takes Four’s hand and pulls him. Running hand in hand they would pull each other out of danger, with a smirk from Three he slips his hand under his hat taking out a bomb. Four lets go of Three’s hand in surprise “Why do we need bombs?!” He watches his partner turn, lighting the bomb and throwing it at the group behind him. The other couples scream running away as the explosion causes rocks to fall covering the path, Three being distracted didn't notice a medium size rock was coming at him. Seeing this Four picks up Three pushing on out of the way, Three opens his eyes to go red in the face when he sees Four on top of him. 

Three wasn't sure what could be doing this, maybe it's their cosmic link or maybe it's because he knows the soul in the body. The point was Three did not see himself in that moment, he saw SMG4 in his clothing looking down at him with concern filling his eyes. “You okay Three?” Four gently caressed Three’s face, they both got lost looking into each other's eyes as if something was pulling them closer. Hearing someone smacking into the rocks Three knocked down they both quickly get up “I’m fine let's hurry to the finish line!” as they run they don't notice the light flicker in their bracelets. They make it to the top and smile at each other, Meggy smirks seeing the pair “SMG3 and four? You two together for a couples challenge?” Both men get flustered taking a step away from each other “Listen squ- er Meggy nothing weird is happening with us two, we uh did it for the prize!” She points to the poster showing that the prize was a romantic trip to a ski lodge. Four blushes and steps in front of Three “What he means is…i wanted a vacation so uh,” he looks around before snapping his fingers “To advertise my cafe!” 

Meggy sighs giving them a small smile “You don't have to hide your relationship with your friends, we will accept you both!”  Three’s face goes deep red “WHAT?! FUCK THAT I WOULD NEVER DATE THIS IDIOT!”  Meggy stares at him wide eyed “whoa sorry Four didn't think.. You get that upset, “ Four sighs smacking Three “Ignoring him, thanks Meggy for being understanding but nothing is going on.” she stares at the pair confused. She gave them a look and was about to ask another question before Boopkin came in. “Hey guys, surprise you two are here!” 

Three  gives an awkward wave “Oh you're here too, are you guys helping host this?” Boopkins nods “Yeah! I didn't think you two would join this together. I'm so happy for you two!’ He walks to hug Three thinking he is Four.  Seeing this Three steps away from the fish only for the child to keep trying, Meggy and Four stand there watching Three scream as he runs from Boopkins attention.  Meggy looking at the pair steps in front of Three “ you love hugging Boopkins Four is everything okay?”  hearing this the man stood still as Boopkin hugged him. Four holds back laughing as he sees the amusement on Three's face, noticing Four finding the situation funny he walks over to the man.

“Find it funny huh?” Four gets nervous seeing the murderous look coming from him, Meggy watches as Tari walks up to her “Meggy everyone is here wondering what the hold up is.” She points to the pair in a fight while Boopkins attempts to get them to stop.  Tari frowns walking up to them showing them a rubber duck  “Come on guys we are friends here, let's get along, don't want to make archibald upset!”  They both glare at her and cause her to run hiding behind Meggy.

Meggy sighs blowing a whistle to get their attention “FINAL CHALLENGE GO!” she turns to comfort Tari, making Four feel guilty. As they walk to face the final challenge, four starts to think to himself why have they been fighting so much? He watches Three smirking seeing as the challenge was about climbing, he was all for doing the challenge given Four’s body was flexible and easier to move. While Three’s body was more built for strength. Four thinks back at what started their constant flights only to get interrupted by Three walking up to him “Hey idiot, you think we fooled your friends back there?” 

Four sighs looking back at his friends and smiles seeing Tari feeling better “Hopefully we did, but we have a bigger issue than that. Three i wanted to as-” the bell rings letting them know it was time. Four looks at the packet that was given to them as Three gets ready to climb up the tower to get the flag, he looks at the other locations and sighs. He wanted to get this body swap problem out of the way before he had to talk to more of his friends, he watches Three climb and jumps when someone touches his shoulder. Melony smiles at him “Sorry! I heard from Meggy that you were acting weird. Is this about Four?”

Hearing this caught his attention, taking a deep breath he played along. “Yeah..we have been fighting more, feels no matter what we do we just fight,” Melony nods rubbing her chin thinking. She then smiles and shows her notepad “Oh yeah! Why not draw what you want from him,” she shows him a drawing making him blush “like you did when we talked last time!” Taking the drawing he smiles softly, now he understands why they have been fighting so much, how could he be so blind. “You dumb tsundere,” thanking Melony he runs to the goal waiting for Three. His heart was starting to beat fast as he saw Three sliding down with the flag, the man smirking at him showing off the flag. All Four can think about was making Three’s drawing come true, the moment Three crosses the line he jumps up “Hell yeah! Finally we are done with this shit!”

Four walks up to the excited Three and surprises him by lifting him up and spinning him around, they both start to laugh from the excitement of winning. Melony gives a thumbs up to Four hoping to encourage him to make the move. He finishes spinning Three pulls him in without a second thought and kisses the man, the other contestants gasp while Meggy chuckles “Nothing happening huh?” Three getting over his shock kisses four back, the bracelet starts to beep loudly as a bright light covers the pair. They pull away surprised to see each other, the bracelets then unlock falling to the floor. They both laugh hugging “Thank god i'm back to being my sexy self again!” Four chuckles pulling away from the hug looking at him “Right you're the sexy one…oh uh..” they turn to see the group of people recording them while their friends were cheering them on.

Their face go red realizing they just kissed in front of everyone “Oh fuck…UGH WHY DID YOU DO THAT IDIOT!?” Four flashes the drawing Three did of them kissing “Cause you're such an idiot you couldn't tell me you had feelings for me!” Three takes the drawing then looks at the crowd before whispering “With our past i didn't think anything could happen…”

Four gives him a loving smile “Well it's happening and all it took was a body swap heh,” Three let out an awkward laugh taking Fours hand and running from the phones, he knew tomorrow SMG1 and two will learn about how their test went. Three wanted to dig a hole and die in it when that thought came to him, he turned to see Four holding his hand smiling “So..what does this mean for us?”

Four hums looking around to see if they were alone “I wouldn't mind trying out being a couple! Three blushes and nods “I would like that as long as you don't get us body swap again!”  Four laughs looking at the packet “Hey if we run out of date ideas maybe one in the future can spice things up!” Three groans as Four teases him on the way home.

[secret-sturniolo]

under the stars - matt sturniolo

summary - it's y/n and Matt's 1 year anniversary, and she can't wait to see what Matt has planned...

warnings - angsty beginning but a fluffy ending, one kiss

a/n - thank you so much for all the love on my first fic "Hot Tub"! i'm so glad you guys liked it, and i am so excited to keep writing!

When I woke up to my alarm this morning, I felt super groggy, and my first instinct was to hit snooze and go back to sleep. That is, until I remembered what day it was. Matt and I have been dating for one year today! I immediately checked for any messages from Matt, but I didn't see any. That's strange I thought, but I figured he had something planned and he wanted to surprise me, so I didn't think much of it. Instead, I decided to get ready for the day so I would be prepared for when Matt told me what he had planned.

I started with my makeup, doing a simple, natural look like Matt always liked. Then I picked out a baby blue crop top, (Matt's favorite color), a pair of high waisted jeans, and I planned to wear my white Air Force 1's. Then I put on my silver necklace with 2 small hearts intertwined, which had been a gift from Matt for Valentine's Day. When I was done getting ready, I checked my phone again, but still nothing from Matt. I'm not going to lie, I felt my heart sink a little, but I decided to call him. Maybe he's just sleeping still I thought as I clicked on Matt's contact. I let it ring all the way through, but there was no answer. I began to get a little worried, so I decided to text Chris and Nick.

Hey, are you guys with Matt, he's not answering his phone? 1:32pm

I waited for a response, but still nothing. My heart began to sink even deeper, my hands shaky and thoughts racing. How could he forget? Hot tears began to roll down my face as I lost all hope, smearing my freshly done makeup down my cheeks. I decided to stop trying, figuring that he obviously didn't want to talk to me. Feeling heartbroken, I took off my carefully planned outfit and changed into sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, and crawled back under my blankets. I guess I'm ending up going back to sleep anyways I thought. The tears slowly turned into wracking sobs, until finally I was so exhausted that I could no longer keep my eyes open, and I fell into a deep slumber.

When I awoke, I couldn't immediately tell whether it was morning or night. I rolled over to check my phone, and the time read 8:57pm. I didn't mean to sleep that long I thought, as I began looking at my unread notifications.

hey babe, im so sorry but everything will make sense soon 8:46pm

im picking you up in an hour, wear something cozy :) 8:48pm

I stared at the screen, frozen in place as I re-read the texts. So he didn't forget? I quickly text back okay :) love you and I get out of bed once again to get ready. As I look in the bathroom mirror, I can see that my mascara is no longer on my lashes, but instead smeared around my eyes and cheeks. I gently wipe the old makeup off, but decide to leave my face bare rather than reapply more makeup. I leave my sweatpants on, and swap out my baggy tee for a better fitting hoodie, remembering how Matt told me to dress comfortably. Finally, I put the heart necklace back on, pausing to hold the hearts between the fingers as I wonder what could possibly have taken Matt all day. I remember how Matt thinks I look extra cute with braids in my hair, and I decide to put two dutch braids into my dirty blonde hair. Just as I was finishing up, I heard a knock at my front door, and I immediately knew who it was.

I ran to open the door, and just as I thought, Matt was standing there with a smile on his face, looking as handsome as ever. I jumped into his arms, breathing in the familiar scent of his cologne.

"Matt, I thought you forgot!" I say, slightly exasperated.

"I know, I'm so sorry sweetheart." he says, holding me tighter. "I could never forget this day. I just had to make sure that my plans were perfect for you."

Smirking slightly, I ask him, "What do you have planned?"

"Get in the car, and you'll find out." Matt tells me, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door.

The ride was about 20 minutes. The whole time, Matt had his left hand on the wheel, and the other was tightly gripping mine, our hands resting on the center console. As the night sky got darker, I admired the stars in the sky. I had always loved them, and I had told Matt multiple times before about my dream of going stargazing one day.

"Matt, look at the stars, aren't they beautiful?" I said, turning to look at him. Matt just giggled in return.

When we reached our destination at the top of a hill, Matt put the car in park and motioned for me to get out and follow him. Once again, he grabbed onto my hand, waiting for me to notice what he had set up. When I saw it, my jaw dropped in awe.

Firstly, Matt had set up a circle of small lanterns, each one giving off just the right amount of light. At the center of the circle, there was a luscious pink blanket big enough for two people, along with two matching pillows at one end of the blanket. At the other end, he had set up a bottle of sparkling juice with two glasses, and an assortment of some of mine and his favorite snacks. It was so perfect, better than I ever could have imagined. All of the stress from earlier in the day melted away, as I turned to look at Matt.

"I hope you like it, I know I upset you earlier but-"

I quickly cut him off with a short, but passionate kiss that said everything that words couldn't.

"Matt, this is perfect! You know I've always wanted to do this!" I buried my head in his shoulder as he laughed and squeezed me back.

"C'mon, let's go lay down." Matt guided us into the circle of light, and we laid side by side, my head on his chest.

"What, am I a better pillow than the one I got you?" he teased.

"The pillow is great, but you're even better." I replied.

As we looked up into the sky, we took turns pointing out the constellations that we could see, just simply being in the moment with each other's company. I couldn't imagine a better way to spend our anniversary, or a more perfect perfect person to spend it with.

[tinymoondrops]

Twinkle Park (Sonic/Amy)

A/N: Annnd part two (and final part) of my Valentine’s day special! I may prefer my two gay bois (Sonadow) but I do ship Sonic with a couple other characters. Amy being one of them. They’re just too cute! I apologize in advance for any spelling/grammer errors and I hope you enjoy! I’m gonna continue to post couple one shots but since Febuary is over they will no longer be Valentine’s day themed!

Sonic rolled over hitting his alarm clock and snoozing it. He hated mornings. Or at least it took him a while to get up and out of bed. Being someone who had severe ADHD it was hard for him to get a good night's rest and yet he was always up early despite that. Ah well, nothing could really be done about that. He buried his face in his pillow hoping for a few more minutes, or maybe hours, of rest. Alas, the gods were not in his favor. Not even a second later there was a familiar knock on the door.

“Sonic come on it’s time to get up.” the young kitsune with which he shared his home called.

“Five more minutes Tails!” Sonic groaned. “Please bro!”

“Normally I’d say fine but it’s February 14th. Valentine’s Day. Amy’s going to be over soon.” Tails replied barely able to contain his laughter. 

It was pretty obvious that, despite the fact that Sonic kept rejecting Amy’s advances, he had a crush on her. The only person who didn’t seem to fully realize this was Sonic himself. Over the years Amy slowly started to give up any hope that he’d reciprocate her feelings, but Valentine’s day was one she would spend with Sonic no matter what. It was tradition if anything at this point. The two would go out and enjoy breakfast together then do whatever came to mind. Just spending the day together. Amy had long since accepted she couldn’t tie the free-spirited hedgehog down, but enjoyed the time they spent together on that day regardless. 

This year however was different. Sonic was determined to make it so. His time on the Starfall Islands had been a wake-up call. He really did like Amy and was finally starting to accept it. Today he wanted to show her that. 

“Oh shoot! I forgot! I’m up!” Sonic scrambled out of bed racing to get his socks and shoes on. Being the fastest thing alive he was ready in only seconds.

“Ok! I’m up!” Sonic announces flinging open his door to be greeted with a smirking Tails.

“Well that was fast.” Tails chuckles. At that exact moment, the doorbell rings.

“Looks like you got ready just in time.” Tails says.

“Yup! Thanks for waking me up bud. I owe ya.” Sonic chuckles ruffling the kitsune's fur before racing off down the stairs and to the front door maneuvering around Tails’ moving box 

“Hey Ames!” Sonic grins as he opens the door to greet the pink hedgehog.

“Sonic! You’re actually ready on time for once.” she laughs.

“Yeah well it helps when your genius bro acts like a backup alarm.” he rolls his eyes jokingly.

“That explains a lot actually.” Amy giggles.

“You ready to get some grub?” Sonic asks. Amy nods in response. Sonic steps out of the house locking the door behind him before turning to Amy and extending his arm in a dorky manner.

“M’lady!” he bows his head a stupid grin on his face. Amy can’t help but blush as she links her arm with Sonic before the two take off, it surprises even her that the blue blur can still have this effect on her. 

Guess you never really can get over your first crush. Especially when he’s super flirtatious on a normal basis. She still doesn’t expect anything out of this day quickly dashing the hope rising in her heart completely unaware of Sonic’s master plan. 

The two make some small talk as they walk enjoying the breeze. It’s surprisingly nice for February. They enjoy the scenery as they walk Amy points out the occasional flower or bird causing the two to pause and take a moment. Normally Sonic would be annoyed by these delays only hiding it to spare his friend's feelings but today, today he loves taking this time. It gives him more time to admire Amy and listen to her sweet voice as they talk about this and that. He wishes this walk would never end.

Eventually, though the two make it to the little restaurant they like to visit on this day. It’s out of the way of crowds and noise. Being the hero of Mobius comes with a lot of press so it was nice for the two not to have to worry about that as they enjoyed their breakfast. 

“Here Amy.” Sonic leads her over to a table pulling out a chair for her. “I’ll go order us some tea and coffee rolls.” he says as Amy sits down. 

It’s their usual on this day. Made extra special, for Amy at least, by the fact that everything is made to scream Valentine’s day! 

The shop is littered with heart-shaped napkins and streamers. Vases with pink roses sit in the center of every table. Every cup and plate is adorned with a heart pattern. The coffee rolls and donuts are all shaped like hearts. Amy can’t get enough. Sonic on the other hand could take it or leave it.

“Alright. You remember what tea I like?” Amy asks tilting her head as Sonic pushes in her chair.

“Of course I do! What do you take me for!” he gasps in mock hurt. 

“A hedgehog with severe ADHD.” she laughs.

“Ok fair.” Sonic snorts. “But yes I remember.” he pats her head before racing to the counter to put in their order. He had to resist the urge to kiss her cheek, but nope today he must be patient. It will all pay off by the end of the night. He smiles softly to himself.

Lost in thought the line passed quicker than it usually does for him. He was a bit surprised when he got to the front giving the cashier his order. He flashed them a smile when he noticed they seemed a bit flustered around him. It was alright though. He didn’t mind being kind to his fans. He made a bit of small talk with the cashier since there wasn’t anyone else in line at this point until his order was ready. Saying goodbye and giving the cashier a salute he raced off to grab the rolls and tea before heading back to Amy who was occupied with her phone. 

“Hey, Ames! I got the food!” he grins setting it down on the table.

“Oh! Thank you Sonic!” she offered him a smile. “I was just coordinating with Cream, Sticks, and Vanilla. You know that road trip I mentioned?” Sonic nodded in response. “We’re putting all the plans together now. It should be fun!” Amy giggles.

“Yeah, I bet!” Sonic grins. ‘You’ll have to send me a bunch of pictures.” 

“Oh I will! You know me. I like to document everything!” she giggles.

“I’ll have to get you more scrapbook gear soon.” Sonic laughs. “Your really good at it! It’s nice to have someone who keeps all our adventures documented so we can look back whenever we want to.”

Amy blushes. “It’s nothing. It helps keep me occupied when we don’t have anything going on.” 

“Well, again you're good at it! You could even make your own business out of it. In fact, you have many talents that you could probably make a business out of.” Sonic laughs. “Your pretty resourceful.” 

“T-That’s really sweet of you to say.” Amy blushes slightly. 

“It’s the truth.” Sonic shrugs taking a swig of his tea. 

Amy giggles and the two continue with their normal conversation. 

~~

After a while, the two have finished up their food and are getting ready to head out.

“Hey, Ames can I pick out where we hang this time round?” Sonic asks as he takes Amy’s hand leading her out the door.

Amy raises an eyebrow. “Alright but I’m not spending the day on a race course or eating chili dogs.” 

“Trust me!” Sonic snorts. “I think your gonna like this.” he smiles.

“Alright, we’ll see hedgehog.” Amy teases.

After a few moments of walking, it becomes very clear where they’re heading. 

“Oh my god Sonic!” Amy’s face lights up. “Are you serious!” 

“As the plague!” Sonic declares placing a hand over his heart.

“But you’ve never wanted to go here with me before!” she smiles in excitement.

“Well there’s a first time for everything isn’t there.” he chuckles as the two approach Twinkle Park. 

They enter the amusement park Amy looks around wide-eyed with excitement. Like the cafe, everything is decked out for Valentine’s Day and there are a bunch of couples running around happily.

Sonic chuckles to himself as he buys two tickets before taking Amy’s hand and leading her into the park.

“Come on! I wanna check out the rollercoaster!” he grins.

“You really are an adrenaline junky.” Amy laughs as the two run off to the nearest coaster.

~~

The day is a flurry of activity. Games, rides, and food! Sonic even ends up winning Amy a stuffed bear which she happily hugs onto for the remainder of the day.

“Hey Ames I have an idea for our last ride!” he grins pointing to the Ferris wheel. 

“Really Sonic? I never thought that was a ride you would enjoy.” Amy cocks an eyebrow. 

“Well, I’m not one to pass up a killer view!” Sonic grins. 

“Well I guess that’s fair.” Amy giggles.

“Come on let’s go before the line gets too long!” Sonic exclaims taking her hand and racing with her to the line.

They only have to wait a few minuets before hopping into their seat and only a few more before they make it to the top and stop. 

“This really is a great view!” Amy smiles looking out at the park below them. The lights and music drifting up to them. 

“Mhmm!” Sonic smiles. “And it’s the perfect place for this.” Despite his racing heart Sonic gently turns Amy to face him leaning in slowly to give her time to pull away. Her face lights up turning bright red, but she dosn’t turn away. No. This has been something she’s wanted for years and only gotten in dreams. 

The moment dosn’t last long as Sonic’s lips meet Amy’s. Instead the anticipation turns into something else. Something better. As fireworks light up the sky, per Twinkle Park’s normal night time routine, Amy feels like her heart might explode. She quickly kisses back her eyes closing as her arms warp around Sonic’s neck. 

For Sonic it feels like the world is on fire. He never realized his heart could go this fast, and that’s saying something! He wraps his arms around Amy pulling her closer as the two melt into the magical moment, the world melting around them only leaving the two of them.

All too soon the moment ends and the two pull away for air. 

“I umm I r-really like you Ames.” Sonic blushes running a hand through his quills, his nervous habit. “I was just too stupid to realize sooner, and for that I’m sorry.” 

“It’s ok Sonic! I’ve waited this long havn’t I?” Amy giggles. “I’d honestly given up hope at this point.” 

Sonic takes Amy’s hand and squeezes it. 

“I know this is pretty bad timing considering you’re leaving for that trip soon but…I finally wanted to tell. Seeing you trapped like that when we were on the Starfall Islands. Not being able to talk to you…it made me realize how much I care about you. How much you mean to me. I cannot picture my life without you in it.” Sonic smiles. “And that’s not me trying to make you stay. I want you to go out and spread all that love you have in that big heart of yours, but just know you have someone waiting for you to come back. That is if you’ll have me.” 

“Don’t be silly! Of course I want to be your girlfriend.” she giggles. “I’d stopped chasing you but I never stopped loving you.” 

Sonic smiles cupping her cheek in his hand. She leans into his touch humming cotently. 

“I’m glad Amy.” he smiles. “I’m really glad.” 

Amy nuzzles up to him resting her head on his shoulder hugging the teddy bear he won her close. With is arm wrapped around her shoulder she feels complete. 

The two spend the rest of the ride snuggled together. Finally together after all these years.

[toru-oikawas-milkbread]

Love Letters

Pairing: Kiyoomi Sakusa x f!reader

Word count: 1.5K

Warnings/contents: Fluff,

Notes: Happy Valentine’s Day everybody! So, this one is not as long as I had originally planned, however I’ve been a little lacking in motivation, so even getting this done was kind of a success in my mind. And I hope you guys enjoy this and think it’s a success as well! I do want to attempt to do something a tiny bit more here and try and write something else, however I don’t wanna promise anything and just say this is all I have for now, possibly forever. With this being said, I hope you guys enjoy a lovable, sweet Kiyoomi story ❤️

<>~<>~<>

The day really meant nothing to you. It was only the 14th— and it wasn’t that you had always been single or because you hated the holiday, it was only because Kiyoomi had treated you so well, so much better than anybody else ever had, that it almost felt as if Valentine’s Day was meaningless.

Of course, despite your lack of care for the holiday, your now fiancé did always do a little something. Whether it be breakfast made for you by time you woke up, flowers brought home at the end of the night, or even bringing you some of the best kinds of chocolates. Expecting nothing in return, Kiyoomi was only doing what he’d always done and what he knew you deserved. In fact, sometimes it seemed as if he thought the bare minimum was doing these things for you.

However, this year was the first year that the two of you were living together on Valentine’s Day. In fact, just last night you had finally put the very last of your things away and gotten the boxes used to bring things here broken down and sent away. Today, you expected nothing more than a soft, sweet kiss on the lips from the man you couldn’t wait to spend the rest of your life with, and possibly a simple, sweet rose.

You had no idea how much you underestimated him this time around.

With a quiet yawn, you slowly opened your eyes, facing Kiyoomi’s side of the bed that was unfortunately empty. However, the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen made your stomach growl as you sat up. You reached your hands over your head, stretching your body out with another yawn before you rubbed your eyes and looked over at the alarm clock.

It was already 9 AM, but you knew that today was a day off for you since the last weekend you had been busy working constant overtime for your boss. However, you weren’t sure why Kiyoomi had made a point to take today off. Sometimes he seemed like a rather workaholic man who never seemed to miss a day at work unless the rare occasion he was sick came up, but you didn’t think too hard about it.

Getting out of your warm bed, you shivered when your feet touched the cold hardwood floor. Only wearing a simple thong and crop-top that you often wore to sleep, you hurried to the closet to change and warm up. Putting on thick socks, comfortable sweatpants and one of Kiyoomi’s shirts you felt like stealing today. With a soft sigh in relief as you put the shirt you’d worn to bed a few days in a row in the dirty clothes hamper, you walked to the bathroom.

It was a little small with no windows in it, so it was dark and nearly blinded you as you flipped the light on, but you had little time to do anything outside of giving a small squint when you looked at the mirror. Immediately, you felt your cheeks warm.

“What the hell,” you mumbled, walking to the mirror that had an array of handwritten, small post-it notes in the form of a heart on the large mirror. It felt rather cliché— too cliché to be something your Kiyoomi did, and yet the handwriting was quite clearly his. Small, neat, legible. You looked at the first note, surprised not to be a reminder of something you forgot to do that he passive aggressively set up in this manner, and instead something that made your flushed cheeks warm to your ears.

“The way that you smile at me across the room has always made my heart race more than I’ve ever wanted to admit.” It was sweet, it was simple, it was Kiyoomi— but you were curious as to what all of this was about. Gently peeling the note from the mirror, you reached for the second. “When you lay your head on my shoulder and tell me that you love me, I swear I feel myself falling for you over and over again.” Gently, you pressed the note to your chest and grabbed the next, excited to see what it was going to say. “I hope that you never doubt there’s anybody I’d rather come home to after a long day.” The next was closer than the rest, seemingly another thought that hadn’t fit on the previous. “It hasn’t been long, but living with you is the best decision I’ve ever made.” You bit down on your lip, trying to stop yourself from grinning like a fool as you reached for another one of the notes. “I can’t wait until the day that I marry you and enjoy the life I never thought I’d have.” The next was just as sweet, just as simple, but it made your heart race. “You’re all mine, and I’m all yours. But I think you know that I’ve always been yours.” Finally, you reached for the last note, all of the others pressed to your chest in your hand. You nearly teared up at the simplest, most obvious note of them all. “I love you so much.”

Struggling to not hurry to the kitchen to the man immediately, you gently set the stack of notes aside where they wouldn’t get wet and hurried to brush your teeth. Your hands were nearly shaking— you were exhilarated, unable to get the notes off your mind, and damn near about to sob. It was so simple, and yet it was everything that you didn’t know that you wanted.

With shaky hands, you brought the notes out to the bedroom and set them gently on your nightstand, excited to re-read all of them again at a later time, but now heading towards the kitchen and for the man.

A small smile was on your face, but it only grew when you saw the man in the kitchen. His back was to you, he wore a simple white shirt and sweatpants as he made something to eat. Nearly jumping, the man almost dropped the spatula in hand when you suddenly wrapped your arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug from behind. With a breath of relief after only a second, Kiyoomi spoke up immediately.

“You almost gave me a heart attack.” He lightly complained, but you knew that he liked it when you did this. Hugged him from behind while he was cooking or standing by the window and looking outside. It was a simple gesture he never knew he’d enjoy until you did it once while he brushed his teeth one morning, and it was near and dear to his heart ever since.

“You almost gave me a heart attack.” You repeated the mans words, though your tone was more pointed. “Kiyoomi, I was not expecting this.” With a soft hum, the man went back to scrambling the eggs, thankful you’d woken up now because he hated to wake you up, even with breakfast in bed.

“Did you enjoy it?” He asked simply, as if you weren’t almost in tears holding onto the man tighter than you’d help him in a long time, as if you worried he was going to disappear from your grasp if you didn’t hold him completely against yourself.

“So much,” you said, giving a quiet sniffle and loosening your grip on the man, but you didn’t pull back yet. “And here I have nothing for you.” With a soft hum, Kiyoomi turned off the burner and moved the pan, moving in your grasp so that he could face you and meeting your eyes, almost watery and looking at him in a way that matched his own soft expression as he reached for your face and gently caressed your warm cheek with his thumb.

“You have this.” With a small frown in confusion, you shook your head gently to show you didn’t understand what he meant. “You have your love for me. That’s more than enough.” With a soft sniffle, you leaned in, pressing your head to his chest and holding the man tight again in your arms.

His warm hands gently slid along your back over the shirt of his that you wore, a small smile on his face as you pressed a kiss to his chest over his own shirt.

“I love you so, so much.“ You said softly, earning a soft hum from the man that rumbled in his chest beneath your ear, a sound that had always been so soothing to you as his scent was in your nose. It was clear he’d put on at least a little bit of cologne after his morning shower today.

“And I love you.” He said sweetly, hand gently sliding up into your hair to cradle your head when you didn’t pull back to meet his eyes. “So much that it’s hard to believe I could love anybody this much.” He said truthfully. “And everything I said, I meant. I find myself falling more and more in love with you every single day of my life. And I really can’t wait to marry you.” He said, leaning down to press a soft kiss to your head. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.” With a soft smile, you nuzzled closer to the man, uncaring about the finished food or anything besides him in this moment.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Omi.” You whispered. “I love you so much.”

“I love you more.”

“You could never.”

“I always have. And I always will.”

[girl-next-door-writes]

Fine Lines between Fantasy and Reality

Characters: Mycroft Holmes x reader

Summary: Mycroft has to track down the mystery woman from Valentines Day and convince her to accompany him and his parents to the theatre. Will it be a success or a catalogue of disasters?

Word Count: 1854 words

Prompt: “Look out! It’s icy!”

This was definitely not what he should be doing with his time and resources. There were several fires which needed putting out, several issues needing his attention, and yet Mycroft sat in his office, laptop open on the desk in front of him, tracking the cctv from Valentines Day.

His heart had given a little jump in his chest when he had spotted you accompanying him out of the restaurant. Not exactly the reaction he wanted; it would do no good for sentiment to be involved in this already awkward situation. Following your form getting into the cab, he then tracked the vehicle to an address he could only presume was yours. From there, he found your name, occupation, financial status… well, from that single act of snooping he snagged himself the keys to your entire existence.

Mycroft felt unnerved scanning through your details. This was far less pleasant than listening to your sweet voice volunteering such insights, trusting him enough to share yourself with him. Closing the file with an air of frustration, he picked up the post-it note, which held your personal mobile number. For a moment, he considered texting you, but part of him felt an ache to see you once again, not on a screen or in a memory, but actually sitting across from him. He had your mobile number; it would not be difficult to track your movements and hopefully reveal an opening for him to slip back into your life as if serendipitously.

The rain beat down against the pavement, splattering across windows and turning the world a strange greyscale. The small bell above the door tinkled as he entered the tiny café in the park, quickly shaking off his umbrella as his eyes scanned the room.

You were sat at a table in the corner, your concentration on your phone, appearing to be reading. He took a moment to just look at you, not analyze or deduce, simply to admire. You looked far more comfortable in today’s outfit choice, much more cozy and yourself. It would seem you had escaped the weather, your coat dry as it hung from the chair behind you. Mycroft ordered himself a tea and navigated his way through the people and precarious puddles of the café.

“Mind if I join you?” He asked, nerves cascading around his stomach.

“Oh!” Your eyes flashed with recognition before you gave him a slight smile. “I was beginning to wonder if you were real. I know you are definitely not Alexander, I arrived home to a deluge of messages from my friend apologizing for him not showing up. So, Not Alexander, do you make a habit of dining with other people’s blind dates?”

Mycroft sat in the vacant chair opposite you and placed his drink on the table, his cheeks heating up in a rather uncharacteristic manner. “I do not, however, when a beautiful woman sits down at my table and immediately launches into an apology for being late, it is rather difficult to explain that I am not the dining companion she had been expecting.”

“Ah, so this was entirely my fault?” You teased, and his heart raced as he took in the glint in your eye.

“Not at all. I would not attribute ‘blame’, I would simply say it was a fortuitous mishap.” Extending his hand, he gave you a genuine smile. “Mycroft Holmes, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you.”

You gave him your name, although he already knew it, and the conversation flowed as easily as it had done that fateful evening. He was so caught up in the interaction that he completely forgot the purpose of tracking you down. That was until you noticed the time and said you really had to go.

“Before you do, may I ask a favour? You see, my parents are in the city at the moment, and I may have mentioned that I did not spend Valentines alone.” He winced slightly at the memory, feeling incredibly awkward.

“Ah, so to get your parents off your back you bent the truth a little? You need a fake girlfriend for some event?”

“Something like that.” He frowned. Mycroft liked how astute you were, but the word ‘fake’ had rankled him a little.

“When, where, and what backstory do you need me to know. Also, do they have to like me or hate me?” You stood up, already putting on your coat.

“Tomorrow evening, we have tickets to see Wicked, and I would rather you just be yourself and they can form whatever opinion they want.” Mycroft already knew his mother would either adore you or pick fault, hopefully the former.

“Okay, Mycroft. It’s a date.” You took an old receipt out of your bag and scrawled your number on it. “Let me know the details and I will see you there.” And with a smile, you left a very confused but elated Mycroft with his cold tea.

Mycroft had insisted on picking you up, his excuse being that the two of you could go over your story once again in the car, but really, he just could not wait to see you. As you sat in the back seat, he watched you smooth your skirt down and smiled to himself. You were nervous. Was that due to him or his parents? He couldn’t be certain, but if you wished to make a good first impression on his parents then that must mean this was a little bit real, didn’t it?

The car pulled up outside the theatre and Mycroft quickly got out, jogging round to open your door, offering his hand to help you out, unaware that his parents were already waiting on the steps of the theatre, watching his arrival with knowing smiles.

“Don’t embarrass the boy, he might never introduce another girl to us if you do.” His father muttered, but his wife had already moved to greet their son.

“Mykie!” She called, arms open wide as she expected a hug. Mycroft bristled at the nickname and acquiesced to the silent demand, stiffly hugging her before stepping back and extending his hand to you.

“Mummy, this is…” But he didn’t manage to actually get your name out before his mother had pulled you into a rough hug.

“It is so lovely to finally meet you! Mykie has been telling us so much about you, dear.”

“Mycroft is the name you gave me, if you could possibly struggle all the way to the end of it…”

“Hello, my boy. Best not get in the way of this one, not if you’re hoping your young lady will last the evening without having to rush off for some ‘family emergency’.” His father sighed, watching the Holmes matriarch hook your arm through hers and lead you into the theatre.

If Mycroft had believed a theatre trip provided less opportunity for his mother to grill you then he was proved drastically mistaken. The lights had barely flickered to life at the interval before his mother was up, dragging you with her to the ladies room. He could only guess what was being discussed, how you were holding up, if you hadn’t taken the chance to run! His father handed him another glass of wine and patted his shoulder.

“Well, I’d say she likes her. That’s a double-edged sword, of course, but I think you’ve got yourself a good one there.”

Mycroft couldn’t help but nod in agreement, you were amazing, and he wished this wasn’t just some role you were playing, that you were actually his partner.

He had already provided an excuse as to why the pair of you needed to dash after the performance, and he was thankful he had, because it appeared that his mother had no intention of letting you go easily.

“Next time we are in the city we should go for lunch.” Mother Holmes was saying, holding your hands in hers as her husband attempted to steer her towards their waiting car.

“Absolutely. We can do some shopping without the men folk around too.” You beamed, giving her hands a squeeze before slipping from her grip, leaning back against Mycroft. It was a gesture that caused a bashful smile to dance on his lips, not that you noticed, you were too caught up in his mother’s goodbyes.

Once in the safety of the car, he turned to you with a look of apprehension. “I am so sorry for…”

“Your parents are adorable!” You blurted out, grinning at him. “Honestly, thank you so much for tonight, I had so much fun. Your father is hilarious, and your mother is so unbelievably clever, I can see where you get it from now. I hope I haven’t made your real girlfriends job too difficult.”

“Real girlfriend?” Mycroft’s brow furrowed.

“Yeah, the girl you’ve been telling your mother about. I am guessing you needed a stand in because she’s not the kind of girl who thinks ‘Wicked’ with your parents is a fun night out.” You had shrugged and Mycroft felt his heart crack. How could you believe for a single second that he would use you like that?

The rest of the car ride to your home was silent, his mind running a million miles a minute, trying to find the words, the right way to convey what he was feeling. Not that he knew how he was actually feeling.

All too soon, the car came to a halt and you had opened the door, already half out before you turned to smile at him, bidding him ‘goodnight’.

He couldn’t just let you go, not like this. Throwing his own car door open, Mycroft jumped out and jogged around to where you were standing with every intention of telling you that there was no other woman, that he wanted you to be The Woman, his woman.

“Look out! It’s icy!” you called, but too late. Time seemed to slow, and he tried to keep his balance, he really did. The patch of black ice sent him scrambling in a manner most ungraceful until he landed, rather hard, on his coccyx. “Oh, my goodness, are you okay?”

“I fear I may be a little bruised, but I shall be just fine.” He managed to say through gritted teeth as you helped him to his feet. “My intention was to walk you to your door.”

“It’s okay. I’m a big girl, can walk myself. You get in your car and get home for a long soak in the bath. I don’t want your mother to get cross with me for you being injured.” You teased and Mycroft felt a warmth in his chest. “Go on, Holmes, before you fall.”

The problem was, he already had. Aside from the physical fall, which he would replay in his nightmares, he had fallen even harder for the beautiful, funny, smart, amazing woman who believed their interactions were filled with subterfuge and fakery. As he watched you open your door, disappearing inside your home, he felt a weight press down heavy on his heart. Twice now he’d let his moment slip away.

[its-deputy-caleb]

Oooh I’ll send in a request:

Maybe Arthur MorganxFemale reader

Scenario: returning to camp after a job where reader has suffered an injury that Arthur didn’t notice until they got back.

Prompt: “just a scratch??? Hell, darlin, if you think this is just a scratch, I’d hate to see what you think a big deal is!”

hiii im sorry this took so long but i literally hit a wall and had no idea where to go! ima just 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️

anyway i hope it isnt too bad and its kinda cheesy but i tried to throw a mini action scene in there for something different lmao. anyways enjoy and as always thank u for the request <33

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

God it had been one hell of a day. You were currently sitting in your tent while Arthur, your sweetheart patched the bullet wound in your side.

It was like every other day with the gang to begin with. You woke up just in time to watch the sunrise with Arthur, a cup of coffee in your hand as you leant against his shoulder. It was a little something you’d do together— just simply enjoy the sunrise and forget about your upcoming day of chores and robberies.

When all your coffee was finished and the rest of the gang were starting to groggily wake up, you hopped on a wagon and headed into Valentine with Arthur to grab supplies. Of course, someone else could have done it, especially since you had a robbery to attend to that afternoon but the two of you had recently begun to do the heavy lifting for the gang.

Not that either of you minded, you got to spend more time together without anyone in your face. There along the dirt road, riding on some rickety old wagon, the two of you could share stories and jokes like a couple of old lovers. It was truly one of your favourite times to spend with the man you loved dearly.

Unfortunately all quiet and peaceful things must come to an end however and the two of you were off on your horses again after only a short stop in camp. Last week, Arthur had saved a prisoner who’d escaped and needed a little extra effort to escape. In return he received a tip about a homestead that was potentially sitting on a lot of cash and maybe even some valuables.

Naturally, Arthur had to tell you straight away and you’d been planning it ever since.

It should have been an easy enough job, assuming that none of the family were home but you’d never been a lucky one.

As you were packing your saddle bags full of jewellery and vintage pocket watches there was yelling coming from over the hill. The Watson’s boys had come home early it seemed and it was only a wild chase from there.

With both your horses galloping as fast as they could, you trusted your horse enough to continue on without your help. This was so you could spin around and fire your revolver at the remaining Watson’s boys.

In the end, it was the train that saved you. They were narrowly closing in, bullets getting dangerously close and spooking the horses but they were just far enough behind to get caught on the other side of the train tracks.

That didn’t stop the stray bullet from grazing your side and creating a huge gash. It seemed Arthur hadn’t noticed the sound of your scream over the thundering roll of the train racing over the tracks.

It seemed however, that the pain hadn’t hit you yet— masked by adrenaline and shock your body somehow was too worked up to register it had been hurt. And so with a shrug of your shoulders, you forgot about it. Instead you chose to think about the best way back to camp.

-

When you finally arrived both you and Arthur were booming into camp, bouncing off each other and smiling confidently after another successful win.

“Hah! I can’t wait to see the surprised look on everyone’s faces when they see how much we brought in today! Common this win deserves a drink and a night of relaxing!”

Arthur nods in agreement, chuckling as you fist pump the air and drop the gangs earnings into the contribution box, signing it away in the ledger under your names.

His smile drops however when he sees the blood staining your side as you turn around and head for the box of beer.

“Hey woah, whatcha done there darlin’? that your blood?”

You stare at Arthur like a confused puppy for a good moment, before bending awkwardly to try and see your shirt and that’s when you remember the bullet that grazed you.

“Aw yeah don’t worry about it Art, it’s just a scratch, nothing serious.”

“—Just a scratch?! Hell, darlin, if you think this is just a scratch, I’d hate to see what you think a big deal is!”

You don’t get to say anything more to that as Arthur is dropping his now empty saddle and picking you up in his arms.

Arthur, always the gentleman, makes sure he’s not hurting or crushing your wound and carries you over to your tent before gently placing you down on the cot.

-

That’s where you find yourself now, biting into your hand as Arthur pours a bottle of whiskey over the wound and begins to bandage it up. He’s so gentle with his work, making sure no bandage is too tight or hurting.

A shiver runs through you as his hands lightly brush over your skin while he works.

“You cold?”

Of course, it doesn’t matter what you say because after he’s finished patching you up, Arthur’s own coat is placed over your shoulders. The fluffy fur pelt tickles at your neck but it warms you nonetheless.

Just when you think Arthur is going to get up and leave, his arms wrap around your waist as he rests his head on your shoulder. His arm stays well away from your wound, making sure it won’t start bleeding again but he still holds you securely.

“You alright?”

“Mm yeah…Thanks Art—“

Your own sentence is cut off by a yawn. After working from practically sunrise to sundown and getting shot at, all you wanted to do was curl up and sleep.

You didn’t need to tell Arthur that however as he manoeuvres you to lay down on top of him. His hand comes to gently brush the hair from your face as he leans forward and places a soft kiss to your forehead.

“Love you Art.”

Your voice is half asleep and mumbled into his shirt as you slowly drift off. The sound of his soft breathing and heart beat are enough to lull you but before you do three soft words are whispered into your hairline.

“Love you too”

[goldenretriever-nicknelson]

Pieces of us [H.O]

A/n: Happy Valentine’s Day! I was determined to finish a fic for today and even though it’s super late I did it!! This idea was given to me by the lovely @glowunderthemoon about a year ago now and I finally got around to writing it.  Thank you for the idea Fay and I really hope you and everyone else likes it! 

Warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, unedited writing

WC: 2.4k

Your heart was drumming in anticipation, fingers tapping on your leg as you waited for your phone to buzz. You gave another look in the mirror and tried to occupy yourself even though you had been ready for the past 15 minutes. Your dress was perfect, hair styled to match and makeup complimenting everything nicely. 

A few years ago when you were single you might’ve hated Valentine’s day but your boyfriend always made you feel the most special on his favourite holiday. He always spoilt you with flowers and cheesy gifts. Suddenly the day didn’t seem that bad anymore. 

Unfortunately, you had to work this Valentine’s day which meant missing out on most of the day with Harrison. He still made you breakfast in bed and sent you cheesy texts but you were sad you couldn’t spend the day cuddled up and watching sappy movies with him. It saddened you even more when you came home and to an empty apartment but the moment you saw the cute note and the chocolates, you knew Harrison had something up his sleeve. You had smiled as soon as you saw the dress laid out on the bed, knowing it was your boyfriend's favourite. The little note attached told you to get ready for a date so you did but you hadn’t expected Haz to make you wait so long.

Just as you were straightening down your dress for the fifth time, your phone buzzed on the table. You rushed to look at it, smiling as you saw a text from Harrison but your expression soon fell into confusion as you read it. 

My darling, tonight is no ordinary date. It’s been a whole year of us and it’s been the best year of my life. Start by looking at the place where I first said those three little words.

You furrowed your brow and gave a small laugh, knowing your boyfriend was up to something. You thought back to when he had first told you he loved you and knew to look around the couch. 

It had been one of your classic movie nights; popcorn, drinks and a movie that you never paid much attention to. His lips were on yours, his arms around your waist as he held you in his arms before he whispered those three little words against your lips. He almost apologised, thinking it was too soon before you shut him up with a kiss and repeated those words back to him.

You smiled at the memory before finding a photograph on the cushion. It was one of the first you and Harrison had taken together, smiling cheekily into the camera with his hand wrapped around you. You remembered thinking about how cocky (and cute) he was that night when you went on a night out with him and your mutual friends. He was even cuter drunk. 

The photo made your heart race faster but did nothing to ease your confusion. 

On the back of the photo there was writing, scrawled out in Haz’s messy writing it read: Being with you is the easiest thing in the world and nothing, no one makes me happier. So for your second clue, remember when I stepped on your shoe. 

You laughed out loud and paused in confusion, trying to figure out his riddle before realising there was something else written at the very bottom in small print. The title of yours and Haz’s song. The one that always made you smile when you heard it because it made you think of him. And then suddenly it clicked. 

You remembered how it had become your song. It was midnight and you felt exhausted as you looked around at the messy kitchen, boxes and bags were everywhere. Haz carried in the last box and set it on the floor before leaning against the counter next to you. 

There wasn’t much in your new kitchen besides what was already there and an old portable radio. Haz turned it on to a random station and Just the way you are by Bruno Mars started playing. He smiled and took your hand, pulling you into the only clear space in the room and starting to dance with you. 

Suddenly you didn’t care how tired you were or what time it was, all that mattered was Haz and this new life you were starting together. He twirled you around making you both burst into laughter as he accidentally stood on your toes. It was one of the best nights ever. 

You hurried to the kitchen and looked around, noticing a single rose on the countertop next to a picture of you and Harrison kissing on a beach. You smiled wide as you remembered the day, it was your first weekend away together and Harrison had whisked you away to a tropical sandy beach, staying in a cosy beach house. You didn’t get much done that weekend but it was still one of the best of your life. 

You looked at the photo before turning it over and reading Haz’s writing: The views that weekend were nothing compared to the view I had in the bedroom ;) It was the best vacation and now for the third location. Outside is where you should go, specifically where I first kissed you slow. 

Your first kiss, of course. You let out a giggle and took the rose, smelling it’s sweet scent before grabbing a coat and heading outside, following your instructions. Harrison had first kissed you on your first date, you still remember feeling his lips against yours for the first time, a feeling you would never tire of. 

You arrived at the arcade and looked around, so many memories flooding back to you. It had been too long since you’d come back here. The place was fairly empty apart from a few couples playing games together and a group of friends cheering loudly as someone got a high score on the dance dance revolution game. Haz had fallen over twice on that game but his true skill was air hockey and he got so competitive when you both played that night. 

He’d even won you a teddy bear with his tickets from the games and that’s when he’d took his chance to make his move and kissed you. It had caught you by surprise but you were soon locking lips with him and holding him close in the middle of the arcade, without a care in the world. 

You found a bear similar to the one you still kept at home sitting on the air hockey table and your heart melted that Haz had remembered. It held a heart saying ‘being mine’ with a photo attached to it. The photo this time showed you and Harrison kissing when you were both drunk, a memory one of your friends had captured. You giggled and flipped it over to read the clue. 

For your fourth and final clue, look for where we first met as two. 

A smile lifted on your lips as you remembered in an instant the location you needed to go to. You tucked the photo in the pocket of your jacket along with the others and thought about the time you had been with Haz and of the photos that signified your relationship. Of course there were many more than just the ones in your pocket but Haz had picked these ones for a reason. 

You drove to the park nearby where you had first met your boyfriend. It was a late autumn afternoon, the leaves crunching underneath your feet as your dog led the charge and sniffed at the beautiful scent of nature that surrounded them. You were wrapped up in the same coat you were wearing now with a hot drink from your favourite cafe that spread warmth to your hands. You furrowed your brow as your dog started barking and pulled you along at a faster pace to go and sniff another dog who was barking back at them. 

The dog was beautiful and once they met in the middle, having dragged both owners along, they started to nuzzle into each other and lick. You giggled and sipped your drink before looking up at the owner hoping to share the humor and make a witty joke about puppy love but instead you almost choked. The owner of the beautiful dog was even more astounding. He had sandy blonde curls and blue eyes that caught you off guard as they matched the sky above. 

“Talk about puppy love huh?” He commented, a cup similar to yours in his hands as he smiled at you and for a moment you forgot what air was. 

“Hey that was my joke.” You giggled as he laughed and apologised. The conversation after that continued to flow easily and whilst normally you hated meeting strangers, you had to admit that handsome tall blonde guy wasn’t so bad. Even after you learnt his name and swapped numbers, that was still his contact name which he never missed an opportunity to tease you about. You met up after that under the excuse of more puppy play dates before the dogs weren’t the only ones going out on dates and the rest, as they say, is history.

You pulled up to the park with a fond smile and got out of your car, turning off the radio which had just been playing your song. The short walk from the car to the park wasn’t enough to prepare yourself for what you saw. A soft gasp emitted from your lips as you spotted the gazebo in the middle of the park lit up with fairy lights, a picnic blanket and food laid out for two. A violinist was playing next to it with a familiar tune that you had just heard on the radio; your song. 

And then you spotted him, standing in the middle of the gazebo in a suit and tie with a large bouquet of roses and the smile that had made you fall in love with him. As you walked closer, you started to tell he was nervous with the way his hands shook slightly and whilst you didn’t know why it was still as cute as ever. You just wanted to hold his hands in yours and tell him everything was going to be okay. 

He was holding a hand behind his back as he greeted you and kissed you softly. “Happy Valentine’s my love.” 

You smiled and took the roses, looking at Harrison with so much love and a few tears in your eyes. “You did all of this for me?” 

Harrison took your hands in his and gazed lovingly at you, “Everything is for you Y/n.” 

You wrapped your arms tightly around him and sniffled, letting out a giggle as he picked you up in his arms. It wasn’t until you were here that you realised how much you had missed Harrison even in the short time you’d been apart. 

“I love you. Thank you for this baby.”

“I love you too my beautiful rose.” He kissed your nose and made you giggle again before pulling away slightly. You pouted and tried to follow but he only smiled and shook his head. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I sent you to find all those pictures and clues.” 

You nodded and bit your lip, trying to contain your excitement. Haz smiled wide but you could sense a bit of nervousness behind it. You knew him too well. Just as you were about to ask what was going on,  he picked up a book from behind him and gave it to you. 

You hummed in curiosity and looked at it. You quickly realised it was a scrapbook titled Our adventure which reminded you of one of your favourite disney movies, Up. Harrison encouraged you to open it and as you did you saw all of your favourite pictures. Some were from special moments in your lives like the ones you had collected and others were silly photos you and Haz had taken through the years. 

You could feel your heart melting into a puddle as you looked through the pages. “Haz this is-” You paused and took a deep breath, at a loss for words. “This is beautiful.” 

“Keep going love.” Haz encouraged, wiping a tear that fell on your cheek and admiring how beautiful you looked in that moment as you fondly remembered the memories you shared together. He was so glad you liked his final gift, he preferred homemade things and this had taken him the longest and most effort to put together. 

He waited until you were right near the end before finally putting his last piece of the puzzle into action and stepping away. He pretended to go down and tie his shoelaces and waited until he heard a small gasp come from your lips as you saw the last page. 

There was a polaroid of an engagement ring along with the words Will you marry me? 

“Haz-?” You looked up, your face full of surprise and shock as you saw Harrison down on one knee with the engagement ring from the picture in his hand. The tears that had been threatening to fall since the hunt started finally found their way down your cheeks as you realised what was happening. 

“Y/n L/n, my love, my soulmate. Will you marry me?” 

Harrison’s sparkling blue eyes looked up at you with hope and nerves as he felt his whole body about to explode from the suspense. You didn’t even take a breath before nodding your head quickly, “Yes!” 

You kept repeating your answer as you tackled your new fiancé with a hug and kissed him everywhere you could reach. He laughed and wrapped his arms firmly around you, never wanting to let go.

And he never did. 

The scrapbook became a part of your relationship as much as your vows did on the day you got married. There were 4 pages full of wedding photos and 2 of photos from your Honeymoon to Hawaii where you recreated the beach picture from your first weekend away together. 

The final piece of the puzzle however, was the sonogram photo you got from your first scan showing the newest addition to your family. A new scrapbook was made after that titled The Osterfield Family Adventure. 

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

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Harrison Osterfield - @musicalkeys @hotforharrison @cosmiccaptian

[cloverfics]

don’t settle ; akaashi keiji

warnings nothing really, y/n just has a shitty boyfriend, also not edited

genre fluff, roomates au, college

word count 1.1k

inspo n/a

synopsis in which akaashi outperforms your boyfriend, helping you come to the realization that you should never settle for less

a/n whew i’ve been in a writers block so this an old draft i’ll probs edit in the future but ( hopefully ) starting today through the 14th i’ll be able to jot out a couple valentines related drabbles. cross your fingers y’all 😟

"You're home early," It's not like you wanted to be. It's not like you expected to be either. But the previous events of your hangout with your boyfriend led you back to your shared apartment with your roommate, Akaashi.

He looked over the couch curiously at you. Tearing away from his usual nightly read. "Something happen?" He continued.

You sighed, beelining to plop on the couch next to him. "Boyfriends suck." Is what you responded back to him, your claim being muffled in the material of Akaashi's pajama pants.

Akaashi hummed, his hand being placed on the back of your neck following the soft sound of bis book closing. "What'd he do?" You hated that you've heard Akaashi say that exact same phrase before, but he probably hated it more to say.

"So, you know how we were supposed to celebrate our anniversary, right?" Your head lifted to where your chin was digging into Akaashi's thigh.

The nod you saw out of the corner of your eye beckoned you to continue. "Well, of course, like usual, he forgot that it was today. And that we were supposed to celebrate at our typical diner. So, I sat alone for an hour..."

Akaashi sucked his teeth. "You could've just asked me to pick you up or join you. There's no reason you should've sat there alone." He was right. But you always gave your boyfriend chances. More shots than he needed.

"I know. But then he finally answered back and said to meet and his place. Stupid me, I expected something romantic to make up for the fumbled lunch plans but of course, it was nothing. Nothing but me watching he and his roommates play games. No flowers, no chocolates, nothing."

There was a silence, but in that moment you could tell Akaashi was thinking hard. Most likely jumping between the right thing to say to you. You knew he'd find it, he always did.

"___," Akaashi called for your attention. You answered, shifting your gaze to his face. You despised the skip your heartbeat did when you made such eye contact with Akaashi. Seeing as you had a boyfriend and that he was your long term best friend and roomie. But you couldn't help it. Who could, honestly?

Akaashi was arguably the full package in your eyes. You can't believe there was once a time you saw your boyfriend as the same.

"When was the last time he did something like that for you? Not for an occasion, just out of the blue. Just because he wanted to and because he loves you." Akaashi's question caught you off guard to say the least.

It really made you think, when was the last time he did something nice for you just because?

Your relationship had been so bare minimum for so long that you could only reminisce when he was a good boyfriend.

"A long time. And sometimes even then did I have to tell him the things I wanted. It sucks that it's gone downhill from there." Your voice mellowed out on the final sentence as you came to that realization.

What even was this relationship anymore? And could it be considered that?

"Noted. I'm going to bed." Abruptly, Akaashi made his exit from your venting session and left you lonely on the couch. The sudden leave had you furrowing your eyebrows but settled on the reasoning being that he probably had a class tomorrow or simply, he was sick and tired of your bitching of your sucky boyfriend.

Which, then, he'd definitely have a right to walk away.

You woke up the next morning with your current situation on your mind. Having went to sleep on it as well. What were you going to do? And how were you going to do it? So many thoughts were jumbled in your mind that you couldn't get a clear answer.

Stumped, you were going to continue to think on it. That is until there was a knock at your apartment door that you heard faintly. You furrowed your eyebrows since it was definitely unusual at this hour.

Your feet led you out of your room, before you went any farther, you went to check if Akaashi was in motion but it seemed as if he wasn't. You reached your front door and opened it.

Not expecting to be greeted with a bouquet of hydrangeas. "Uh— I'm sorry... are you sure you have the right apartment?" Is what automatically came from your mouth.

"This is the home of ___ ___? Correct?" The delivery man questioned, checking the card on the flowers.

That led you into a deeper tunnel of confusion. Before you could say anything else, the sound of padding footsteps came from behind you. Akaashi joined you at the door.

"Thank you," he reached around you to take the flowers, without a word you stepped aside as he waved off the delivery man.

There was nothing but the sound of Akaashi locking the door back. If your mind wasn't racing before, it definitely was now.

"Akaashi?" You questioned, eyes following him to the kitchen. It was then you noticed his attire. He was dressed nicely, like usual, but it was still pretty early for him to be clad in such clothing.

"Did you have flowers sent for a girl in my name?" Your genuine question caused Akaashi to snort. You joined him in the kitchen to that he had placed the flowers down with an array of things that ranged from teddy bears to chocolates that you recognized as your favorite.

"Close, but no. I ordered some for you last time. And went out to get this stuff this morning." He pointed to the crowd of things on the counter. You stood in astonishment. For once in a while, your mind was blank.

What was there to think? Your handsome best friend had just fulfilled the easiest task your boyfriend couldn't even perform. And he did it with no questions asked. Just because...

"Why?" You mumbled, edging closer to him and the counter.

"Why not? You shouldn't have to ask or wish for the basics from your boyfriend, ___," his answer garnered a small smile on your face.

"And the fact that you do, just proves there's something wrong." You nodded, taking your eyes from the arrangement to Akaashi's burning gaze.

Your smile widened. "Thank you, Akaashi. I think this is what I needed to finally end things." Finally, you concluded. Putting an end to your rapid thoughts.

"I'm glad I could be of help. Now, do you like the hydrangeas? I was going to go with roses but I didn't want to seem to basic so—" You placed a hand on Akaashi's shoulder.

"I love them, Akaashi."

You didn't know what you mr next step was going to be, but you knew you were done settling for less.

[forasecondtherewedwon]

In the Arms of the Anus

Fandom: Spider-Man, Thor Pairing: Roger Harrington/Grandmaster Rating: T Word Count: 8883

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, @spiderman-homecomeme!!!

Summary: While people all over the world are finding their soulmates, Roger Harrington can barely find time to grab a sandwich. Clumsy, anxious, and stagnating in a mediocre marriage, it's a miracle that he still believes in love.

Today's the day the universe rewards that belief.

Three things about Roger Harrington: he’d just tripped on the sidewalk, he worried daily that he was developing a bald spot, and, at the age of 36, he felt he still believed in love as strongly as did the little girl in his building who’d made all the residents Valentine’s Day cards the year before.

The cards—which Roger had found endearing while his wife had been baffled to the point of annoyance—had been wedged into everyone’s mailbox sometime on the afternoon of last May 19th, and maybe that was why he thought of them today, exactly a year later.

It was helpful, he found, to consider love in markers of time passing, or just numbers. The anniversary of those Valentine’s cards would always be 271 days early, leap year or not. Roger had been married twice, longer the second time. He had zero children, and that was alright with him because he wasn’t totally sure that he did want kids and, anyway, he was too profoundly stressed about the welfare of the teenagers he taught at Midtown to comfortably imagine himself as a fulltime parent.

His wife was cool. Significantly cooler than he was. She drove out of the city to hike every other weekend (he had never joined her and hoped to never be called upon for woodsy companionship), had once performed an emergency tracheotomy on a friend at a dinner party, and had a tattoo on her hip that predated their relationship, which made it consequently, eternally, enigmatic, no matter how many times she told the objectively trite story of its acquisition. Also, she was a casual shoplifter, which made him very, very nervous in a way that he found difficult to differentiate from how he felt when he was turned on.

He was the kind of person who consistently forgot to take his glasses off before stepping into the shower. She was the kind of person who would run into and recognize a famous race car driver at Whole Foods (that had happened) or fake her own death (that had not happened—knock on wood!). Essentially, what and who his second wife was was the natural successor to his first wife (the reckless young bride to his insomniac young groom), who had in turn been the natural successor to the only other romantic encounter of his life worth mentioning: a kiss on the cheek at a birthday party on the day the Berlin Wall fell. Roger had been seven.

So his romantic history was speckled and, in two out of three cases, spoke a little too loudly of a need for legally-recognized codependence. So he didn’t feel like a man anyone would ever get a tattoo in honour of. So his wife had been a little unkind in the long pause before her negative when he’d asked her if she thought he was getting a bald spot. Roger still felt that love was going to happen for him. Hopefully sustained in his current marriage, but if not, there was always what Julius Dell had taken to (highly unscientifically) calling the Love Wave.

If Roger decided to be really delusional, he could pretend that the Love Wave was to blame for his stumble over uneven concrete on his way to grab lunch. That he was finally feeling its cosmic tug. Not that he would be the last to sense it—the inexplicable force that had lately begun guiding people the world over to their new partners—but every day that he didn’t, he feared his wife would feel it first and go careening out of their life together in a Thelma and Louise-style launch that somehow left her intact and him feeling like he’d plummeted to his death at the bottom of a canyon. Sometimes, when he thought about it, he imagined feeling that impulse to go to this destined soulmate and pictured it leading him home. Not in some metaphorical way, but literally home, to the apartment he shared with his wife, to find her arriving at the same time, the two of them matched up, the universe endorsing their marriage.

The reality was that he was a man with clumsy feet (and knees and elbows) who’d forgotten to pack himself a lunch and had just enough self-awareness (though probably not dignity) not to believe that eating in the cafeteria with his students was something he would be able to socially recover from.

He thought about a poorly-cut-out pink heart glued to a fold of red craft paper. He went to buy a sandwich.

At the deli, Roger waited in line and didn’t so much allow his mind to wander—like a dog off-leash in a dog park—as feel his mind jerk insistently away—like a dog on-leash, trying to snap a dropped slice of pizza off the sidewalk. He was violently not present as his thoughts migrated from Valentine’s Day cards to lesson plans to the anxiety he always felt over the fact of never seeming to have enough power to go with the tremendous sense of responsibility he felt for all situations in which he was even remotely involved. He would have, should have, continued to shuffle vacantly forward in line, except that the man ahead of him grumbled something that drew his focus.

What he grumbled was: “Even the Sorcerer Supreme should be able to spare a minute to decide what kind of sandwich he wants.”

Now, Roger Harrington was a man of science, but he was also a man who had previously enjoyed a close friendship with the Hulk (and if anyone challenged him on specific parameters within that assertion, Roger knew that he would cry). Aliens swarmed the sky like clouds of bees. There were compilation videos of Spider-Man nearly getting hit by city buses that could’ve been designed expressly to see how hard Roger could flinch. For a clumsy man with the unathletic, knock-kneed gait of Pippi Longstocking, Roger did his best to roll with the supernatural punches. Hey, this was how science worked too: just because there wasn’t a precedent yet didn’t mean there never would be. Just because he couldn’t explain something didn’t mean no one could. Sorcerers? Alright. There could be sorcerers.

“Sorcerers?” Roger blurted to the man, overeager to expel the word.

All other words had fled to the back of his mind, twitching in an agitated cluster, leaving just the one to be snatched frantically from the surface. Like fishing. (Roger had never been fishing. One of his greatest fears was having a live fish somehow jump into his shoe and stepping on it by accident.)

“Uhhh,” the man droned. He looked uneasy. If Roger knew how to make his eyes a little less wide in situations like these, he would’ve done it.

“No, yeah, sorcerers, sure,” Roger swiftly backpedaled. “I’m a teacher.”

As if being a teacher equaled knowledge of sorcerers. As if that were a normal unit of the high school curriculum. Roger’s understanding of sorcerers began and ended with Mickey Mouse in a blue wizard’s hat. He wondered if that was sort of the standard look.

The man did not appear reassured. Roger thrust his hand forward.

“Roger Harrington, Midtown Tech.”

Face still wary, his deli companion shook hands.

“Wong.”

“So, this sorcerer of yours didn’t pick a sandwich?” The line shuffled forward and, now in reach of the long glass case of food, Roger attempted to lean his elbow casually against it, misjudged the distance, and jerked back upright again before he could fall over.

“No… You heard that part too?”

“If I could hear the part about the sorcerer, why wouldn’t I be able to hear the rest?”

“I think most people would’ve been so fixated on the sorcerer thing that they wouldn’t really absorb the part about the sandwich.”

“Just got sandwiches on the brain, I guess,” Roger said.

God, if Wong knew a sorcerer, odds were that he was a sorcerer too. (Roger based this on being a teacher with almost exclusively teacher friends and acquaintances.) He was making it sound like he cared more about sandwiches, he knew he was. He stared silently at Wong for a few painful seconds and wondered if the man could tell that he had worked for a sandwich shop as a teenager—the role of wearing a full-body sandwich costume and standing on the sidewalk, trying to attract people into the shop.

But Wong surprised him by nodding.

“You could get one of everything,” Roger heard himself suggest.

He was not typically one to make suggestions, but rather one to panic when other people did and he was in the position of having to choose between them. He could never decide on a restaurant for he and his wife’s now few-and-far-between date nights, or provide straightforward feedback when she asked for his opinion on her clothing choices… which movie they should see… what they should buy for her friend’s sister’s housewarming gift...

Oh god, she was probably going to fake her own death and his biggest anxiety was knowing that someone would ask him to choose the casket!

“I have like…” Wong jingled his pockets and extracted a fistful of coins that, when he opened his hand, Roger saw belonged to several different currencies. “…six bucks.”

Like a mirror with a delay, Roger patted his own pockets to locate his wallet. He flipped it open to reveal something promising and terrifying: he’d forgotten to return the school credit card after the last field trip he’d chaperoned. He shouldn’t, but… sorcerer.

“I think this’ll cover it,” Roger said. “It’s for emergency expenses.”

“Like lunch?” Wong asked doubtfully.

“I could be very hungry.”

“They sell seventeen different types of sandwiches here.”

“I could be very, very hungry.”

Wong shrugged in evident acquiescence and Roger marvelled that it was so simple for him to accept this act of generosity. Roger couldn’t recall the last time someone had been as generous towards him. Wait, yes he could. The Valentine’s Day card. Well, handing over a credit card that wasn’t technically his didn’t exactly equate to presenting his ticket at the Love Wave gates (not that there were such things—not that he’d know), but he was hoping to trade this generosity up for a different magical experience in the near future.

When they reached the front of the line for service, Roger ordered a total of eighteen sandwiches. (And received an undisguised groan of complaint from the people still in line behind himself and Wong.) While they waited, Roger buzzed like the posterchild for over-caffeination, doing his best not to let his excitement translate into erratic movements.

Of course, once the sandwiches were presented and paid for, it only made sense for Roger to help Wong carry them all. His own ham-and-Swiss was stuffed into one of the three bags and they were all bulging, threatening to spill. If one of them ripped on Wong’s journey back to wherever he had to take them, who would be there to gather the sandwiches into their arms so that Wong wouldn’t have to leave them on the ground? Roger was clearly the best (only) person for the job.

And if they talked on the way? That would be natural. If Wong stared at him with abrupt, unyielding suspicion the instant Roger attempted to negotiate a visit with this ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ in exchange for buying his lunch? Yeah. Yeah that suspicion would be fair.

“Not for my sake!” Roger defended as Wong blinked back at him. “For the kids!”

“The Sorcerer Supreme isn’t a birthday party magician.”

“No, I would never imply that! These are bright kids. They’d be there to learn, respectfully. They’ve had their own traumatic encounter with Spider-Man already so there wouldn’t be any clambering to meet another person with superhuman powers!”

“What did Spider-Man do to traumatize them?”

Wong looked interested now, in an entertained sort of way. Meanwhile, Roger was having a flashback of his life flashing before his eyes inside the Washington Monument.

“Actually, he saved us,” Roger explained. “That’s not the point. It would be purely educational. You and the Sorcerer Supreme would call the shots. As long as it wasn’t anything dangerous.”

“Dangerous? We would never put children at risk!”

Roger was about to clarify that he hadn’t meant to imply that they would when he realized Wong seemed to be taking this as a reason to prove himself, or to make the other sorcerer prove what he’d just said.

“I would hope not,” Roger said carefully, “because not all of the children I’ve taken on field trips have come back alive and that haunts me.”

“Well, what haunts me is everything I’ve seen and learned from in order to become someone who could now guarantee a safe field trip environment.”

“Well, that would be great.”

“Well, good,” Wong concluded.

Roger looked down at the bag he was holding as he dug out his sandwich. His wrist twisted and he caught the time on his watch. Oh wow, oh no, his lunch break was almost over.

“Ok, deal,” he said quickly. “We’ll come by next Tuesday!”

“I’ll be out here to let you in!” Wong agreed with a parting wave.

Roger took off running in the direction of Midtown and when that got too awful, he wheezed like an asthmatic and waited at the closest bus stop.

—

Roger had expected Principal Morita to say there was no room in their budget for this trip. That they were nearing the end of the school year, that parents and guardians would be reluctant to sign another form for an excursion that Roger could only give a vague, stammering explanation of. At the very least, he’d anticipated the journey via school bus in lurching, stop-and-start traffic to take so long that the kids would revolt; Flash Thompson would lead the complaints that they could’ve walked to their destination faster than the ride took and Roger would feel the primal horror of a confrontation with a self-possessed teenager who wielded the kind of peer influence Roger could only have dreamed of when he’d been Flash’s age.

But no.

Highly improbably (Roger didn’t like to consider it miraculous), things went smoothly. The trip cleared the budget assessment on zero notice because, besides renting the single bus to transport the students, their outing didn’t actually have any costs. Permission slips came back signed. Traffic was light. And dear, dear Flash—who usually gave Roger so much anxiety—slapped the hand Roger raised to shield his eyes from the sun as his students disembarked from the bus, rewarding him with a surprise high-five for getting them out of the classroom on a Tuesday afternoon. It almost knocked Roger’s glasses off.

They were ushered inside by Wong, who was now laying the mystical solemnity on pretty thick. He certainly wasn’t talking about sandwiches or complaining about the Supreme Sorcerer under his breath.

Before Roger could feel too good about himself though, he realized he’d had time to run through his headcount of the students three times without interruption. Normally, something would happen partway through his first count and he’d be uneasy for the rest of the day, sure that one of the kids had fallen down a manhole or been stampeded by a dog-walker’s unruly canine swarm. The universe shoved teenagers into the path of bike couriers with one hand and paired up soulmates with the other. That was just how things went! However, inside this house (or, no, Sanctum, Wong had called it), the air was still and quiet.

“Do you think he’s gonna make himself appear out of thin air?” Roger heard Ned ask at a whisper. “Or out of a wardrobe, or a trapdoor, or one of those boxes people get in to get sawed in half?”

“Those are cheap tricks,” Wong said loudly. He stared unsympathetically at Roger’s motley group, hand closed around his opposite wrist to maintain a serious pose. “The man you’ll be meeting shortly has capabilities that far outstrip those of the kind of magician-for-hire you’d find in a phonebook.”

From behind him, Roger heard Peter ask Ned what a phonebook was.

“What kind of capabilities then?” Flash demanded.

Roger sighed and was turning to reprimand his student when Wong said, “Like this!”

The man faked a sneeze of horrific volume and range, doubling over and cupping his hand around his mouth and nose. When he straightened up and presented his open palm, there was a raspberry sitting in it.

Roger closed his eyes for a moment to collect himself and his teaching career played on a fast-forwarded film reel behind his lids. The Sorcerer Supreme was a no-show; all Roger had accomplished was taking the kids to a weird building to witness a man pretend to sneeze out a raspberry. Midtown Tech was going to fire him. His wife would recognize his unemployment as a reason to leave him. Depressingly, Roger was thinking about how that would almost be a relief—an end to his incessant worrying that they were really kind of a mismatch—and he was thinking it while he blankly watched Wong eat the raspberry he’d just feigned dislodging from his nasal cavity.

He was really unprepared for a different man to come sweeping down the stairs, motion with his hand, and have a red sheet come whizzing down after him to settle itself on his shoulders. Roger blinked. He heard the mixed noises of fright and appreciation from his students.

Then Flash piped up with, “That’s just a trick. It’s wires or something.”

Roger backed into the cluster of his charges and, without taking his eyes off the obvious Magical Guy in front of him, reached over and placed his hand across Flash’s mouth.

Unfortunately, his censorship seemed to be too late. The Sorcerer’s narrowed eyes zoned in on Flash.

“Oh yeah? How ’bout this? Is this just a trick?”

Fingers splayed, the man moved his hands in a precise, practiced way and a window opened up in the middle of the room. No, not a window, but Roger was having a tough time wrapping his head around it. What this non-window showed was something that wasn’t the room, that wasn’t a view of the street, that wasn’t anyplace in New York, if he had to guess.

“You can’t just do it like that,” Wong said wearily. Roger felt himself and his students look from one of the men to the other as though watching a tennis match. “There should be a little more finesse.”

“Look,” the Sorcerer told him. “You don’t get to spring this on me and then expect me to ham it up for the kids. This isn’t a David Blaine show.”

“Maybe you should watch one. You might learn something about showmanship.”

“So, it’s fake, right?” Flash checked.

Dammit, Roger had dropped his hand, distracted as he tried to make out what he was seeing through what he was becoming increasingly comfortable with calling a ‘magic portal’ in his thoughts. He scrambled to take hold of Flash’s shoulder—yanking him back would be bad, but dealing with the fallout of him pissing off somebody who could make magic portals would be much worse—but Flash dodged him, swaggering forward to inspect the Sorcerer’s work.

“What is it? Mirrors? Greenscreen? You buy your tech from Stark?”

“Stark?” the Sorcerer spat out derisively.

Overcome with the terrible feeling that he was about to find out what it looked like when a wizard put a curse on a child, Roger sprang forward. As he did, three things happened: the Sorcerer rotated his wrist slightly, the scene on the other side of the portal changed, and Flash turned to the side.

Without a student to grab onto and pull to safety, Roger’s momentum sent him hurtling through the gateway currently connecting Midtown to parts unknown.

Of all the times to trip, he thought.

—

The world was bright and fast and bad. Actually, Roger was almost positive that what he was seeing wasn’t the world at all, but he couldn’t put a name to where he was any more than he could think of better adjectives to describe it. Unless the Sorcerer Supreme owned a magical slip ’n’ slide that operated at speeds designed to train prospective astronauts for space travel, Roger was no longer in his building.

The colour of the tunnel of light surrounding him turned from something like the intestinal track of a unicorn who ate lightning and nebulas to a dangerous, broiling red. Roger kept waiting for his skin to bubble, his face to melt off. Maybe he was the fabled frog in the pot of boiling water and had failed to notice the heat steadily increasing. Because he didn’t feel hot. He couldn’t tell whether or not he felt cold either and before he could work it out, he finally landed.

It was rough.

He curled his arms up around his head, protecting his face. He hit and tumbled, hit and tumbled, banging his shins and elbows, setting off a series of metallic clangs and thwumps like his body was playing drums made of the contents of somebody’s recycling bin. Roger could see—once, shaking, he was able to lower his arms and open his eyes—that his imagination hadn’t been far from the mark: he was lying in a heap of trash.

Trembling like a baby deer, he got to his feet and assessed his surroundings. There were piles everywhere. Piles of stuff. Roger could identify some of the battered objects, but most were utterly alien to him. This was like the time he’d found his wife’s sex toys all over again.

“Hello?” he called out, because he seemed to be alone. “Hel—”

His throat closed off abruptly when he swiveled in place and noticed the sky. His mouth fell open. Was that what he had just come through? That furious-looking, billowing, volcanic, enormous… disturbance? Weather pattern? Entrance to hell, if hell were a mountain of trash?

Oh man. Where was Spider-Man this time? Roger didn’t know which would come first, but if something distinctly reassuring didn’t happen in the next 30 seconds, he was going to either burst into tears or pee his pants. His cool wife was going to be so bummed to have to declare him dead instead of faking her own death. And his students would be traumatized, having just witnessed their teacher disappear before their eyes. He spent a frantic 17 of his 30 seconds wondering if this were Jumanji and he’d started a game without realizing it; being sucked into a board game was another of his greatest fears, ever since he’d watched the chilling horror film Jumanji in his teens.

“Hello?” Roger croaked a final time.

Some other scientist—a Tony Stark type—would thrive in this scenario, Roger knew. They would scavenge the surrounding mounds of metal, collecting and assembling pieces into some sort of technology that would either get them home or enable communication with a rescue team. Would there be a rescue team for Roger Harrington? Would anyone even try to get him back?

The cry/pee conundrum was looking more like cry with each passing second until suddenly, amongst the broken things Roger was aggrieved to consider the lone sentinels of his demise, some kind of spacecraft touched down. Based on his recent luck, whoever was at the helm was likely here to kill him, but he immediately elected to throw himself on their mercy, whether that meant rescue or just a swifter snuffing out of his life than he would otherwise experience on this sad island of garbage as he died from dehydration, starvation, and exposure to that infernal gateway in the sky.

He mouthed the word “help” more than said it as he staggered forward on legs he could hardly feel. A door in the side of the spacecraft slid smoothly open and party music blared out. Roger flinched back as though he had not heard the sounds of civilization in years.

A woman exited the craft. She wore an expression about as kind as the murderous upside-down mushroom cloud in the sky and when their eyes met, she barked, “Back!”

Roger executed an awkward reverse lunge, pleading hands raised. Ok, now that his time had come, he didn’t want a quick death. Put out of his misery? No, he would learn to live with his misery, the way he’d learned to live with his college roommates, or his wife’s collection of handmade bowls! With food and water to sustain him, he was suddenly confident that he could be successfully miserable for years if this intimidating woman would just leave him to his own pathetic devices.

But then, like a visitation from a tan, eye-liner-wearing angel of indeterminate age, a man in gold robes emerged from the vessel. He beamed like he had always been beaming, and always would be.

Just like that, Roger Harrington got it. He got what Hot Chocolate meant when they sang that they believed in miracles. He got the meaning of Kylie Jenner’s year of realizing stuff. He got why a child would send out Valentine’s Day cards in May and why his wife was so dedicated to her hiking group and why he was here.

“Now, what did I say about that before we left?” the angel seemed to be asking his companion, though he’d locked his eyes on Roger. “Did I say to harass our visitor or did I say to be nice?”

The woman narrowed her eyes at Roger, which he felt more than saw; it was possible that he was crying after all. Tears of joy.

“Harass,” she answered flatly.

The angel chuckled.

“You know, I do like having you around. Before you, I said to myself, ‘Next time, get an enforcer with a sense of humour.’” He sighed as his laughter dwindled. “But you can, uh, skedaddle back onto the ship now. That’ll be all.”

“What if you want to melt him?” she queried.

That was enough to tear Roger’s gaze away from the man and send it zipping nervously to the threatening almost-smile the woman was now directing his way. He’d preferred the murder face.

“Melt him!” the angel said, in a tone that implied her suggestion had been ridiculous. (Roger relaxed. A little.) “Topaz, don’t you realize who this is? Don’t you know?”

She shrugged.

“Trash.”

“No, he’s not trash! Do you think I would’ve left the Grand Arena to retrieve a new gladiator by hand? All those Scrappers don’t do my bidding just so I can dig through the garbage looking for fresh challengers for my champion! I wouldn’t even assign Scrapper 142 this task, and you know she’s my favourite!”

When the woman only grumbled, the man pressed, “You have an unbelievable poker face. Do you really not know why I flew all the way out here for this guy?”

“I’m his soulmate,” Roger blurted, because that was the one thing he did know.

He had no idea what a Scrapper was, or whether the man in front of him was more or less important than the ‘champion’ he’d mentioned, or how his homicidal sidekick planned to melt Roger, but he understood what was happening here. Forget the Love Wave—what had come for him had yanked him violently across solar systems, maybe galaxies. He’d been sucked under by the Love Riptide.

The angel pointed at him and proudly proclaimed, “Correctamundo!”

Then he strode forward and folded Roger into a hug. Roger thought this must be what it was like to be a piece of antique furniture, tenderly wrapped in gold leaf.

“I’m the Grandmaster,” he said.

“Roger Harrington,” Roger offered, feeling that his life was entirely surreal as he cautiously returned the hug.

“As soon as I felt you land on my humble little planet here, I came looking. My orgy guests were disappointed, naturally, but I had to put my interests first. What was I, elected? If they wanted a leader who would pretend to care about everyone equally, they should have organized themselves into a viable political party capable of rivalling my dictatorship, am I right?” He drew back slightly and laughed. “You should see your face! I’m kidding. I would’ve had anyone involved in such a thing put to death. Don’t you worry, Hairball.”

Roger cleared his throat. He’d learned so much in the last few sentences alone. Death. Dictator. Orgy. Any one of those things was a lot to confront and yet… he was calmed by the Grandmaster’s presence. He was alive and unmelted. He’d managed to find his soulmate—a man he’d been almost certain to never meet as things stood with Earth’s individually-impressive but cosmically-insignificant progress with space travel. At long last, the universe had smiled on Roger Harrington.

“Just Roger is good,” he said. If last names ever came up again, he would tactfully correct his soulmate, but with a name like ‘the Grandmaster,’ he doubted they ever would.

“Roger. Anything you say.” Gripping Roger’s shoulders, the Grandmaster leaned in and planted a sound kiss on his forehead with a loud, “Mmmwah!”

He asked Roger if he would like to go aboard his ship, apologizing that it wasn’t the one where he’d just been having the orgy and appearing to check Roger’s face for disappointment. Roger didn’t know what the Grandmaster saw in his expression, but he knew it wasn’t that.

Inside the spaceship, Roger looked around with huge eyes. He hadn’t felt this kind of wonder in a room jammed with so much beyond his understanding since the first time his mom had taken him to the New York Hall of Science as a kid. Everything was bright and white and immaculately clean, and Roger could concentrate on all of it because the Grandmaster had Topaz drop the volume of his party playlist until it was just a low pulse of background noise. Seemingly amused by his awe, the Grandmaster allowed him a peek at the controls before gently herding him into a chamber with seating arranged for socializing. A pneumatic hiss sealed them safely inside and away from the woman’s scowl.

“I really just wanna sit here and, uh, just look atcha, but that look on your face tells me you’ve got about a million questions.”

The Grandmaster settled back into the bench seating, resting his long arms along the top of the seat. Across from him, Roger fidgeted, experiencing sensory overload. Soulmate. Spaceship. Alien planet. He found it hard to decide what to ask first. Was that even polite? Was the Grandmaster just saying that Roger could ask questions when he really wanted Roger to say or do something else? There was an awfully flirtatious look in his eye, the likes of which Roger hadn’t seen directed towards himself in several years.

“What is this place?” Roger asked before he could stop himself. “Where am I?”

“Oh! This is Sakaar! Are you saying you didn’t come here on purpose? I figured you weren’t aiming for a pile of trash, but you really didn’t know where you were going at all?”

Roger shook his head so hard that he had to nudge his slipping glasses back up his nose.

“It was an accident. I fell through a wizard’s—uh, I mean, a sorcerer’s—magic portal. That kind of clumsiness must sound pretty farfetched to someone who’s so obviously…” Roger motioned spastically towards his soulmate, the dictator, with both hands. “…in control of their life.”

The Grandmaster laughed, transparently pleased and preening.

“Oh, Roger, you flatter me.”

He stretched out his leg to playfully tap his shoe (gold) against Roger’s (plain, brown, frayed shoelace). Roger jumped, giddy from an alteration in sea level, possibly, plus life-changing events.

“But it really isn’t so uncommon for people, beings, things… to end up here without meaning to,” the Grandmaster went on. “A lot of junk passes through the Anus. Not that you’re junk, obviously.”

With a winning smile, Roger’s soulmate leaned forward and patted him on the knee. He was a touchy-feely guy, it seemed, and it made Roger cognizant of how very lonely he’d been in his marriage, in the last year especially. How skittish around strangers, how unaffectionate with his friends. This was what he needed, and the universe had understood that.

It took his brain a few seconds to catch up with what his soulmate had said, distracted by the comfort he was taking in his easy warmth.

“The Anus?” Roger asked in a choked voice.

“The Devil’s Anus, to be exact. That enormous, horrifying wormhole out there in the sky!” the Grandmaster explained, gleeful. “Best I can guess, it acts as a funnel for accidental travelers, like yourself. And boy, are we ever grateful for that thing. I’ve never had to post any ‘Help Wanted’ flyers, I’ll tell ya that. We need more people serving drinks? Boom. More entertainers? Boom. More lubricators for the orgies? Boom, the Anus provides, baby.”

Roger didn’t inquire what the duties of a person with the job title ‘orgy lubricator’ entailed; it seemed sleazily self-explanatory. He just nodded.

“And now,” his perfect, golden match continued, “the portal brings me my soulmate. I love that thing. It’s really somethin’, huh?”

“It’s really something,” Roger agreed. “Really, really something.”

“You’re looking just a little stunned there, Rodge. Can I offer you something to eat? A drink? I promise, I’m usually a much better host. I feel like I’m positively, uh, bumbling right now.” He beamed.

This man was so many things at once—possibly too many—but bumbling was so far from being one of them that Roger actually laughed weaky in his state of happy, semi-delirium. He accepted the cold glass that was pressed into his hand, the brush of the Grandmaster’s warm palm across his forehead. He had moved to sit right next to Roger.

“You can get used to this place at your own pace, within reason.” His soulmate chuckled. “Heck, we can stay right here a day or two. My plans are cancelled, and when I stop, the world stops. That’s how it is, being the Grandmaster, and that’s how it’s gonna be for you too. You can give all your worries a big, wet kiss goodbye, my love. You’re living a life of luxury now. A court of sycophants, fights to the death in the evening, orgies on a lazy afternoon. I’m talkin’ a life of pure class—”

“Class!”

“Yeah, baby, that’s what I said.” The Grandmaster was wearing a languid smile as he traced the back of his fingers along Roger’s jaw.

But Roger was suddenly too alert to be lulled by welcome caresses and delicious, exotic beverages.

“I was teaching a class before I fell through the portal,” he said. “I’m a teacher. My students are probably terrified. Some of them might be messed up for life after watching me disappear right in front of them. What have I done…”

“So you gave them a cool story to tell their friends! You don’t need to think about that anymore. Now that you’re living here—”

“I can’t live here!” Roger said, seizing the Grandmaster’s hands in his as he tried desperately to explain. “I have responsibilities as an educator! Jesus Christ, I’m married!”

“Roger. Rodge. Rodge. Hey,” his soulmate said, finally disrupting Roger’s spiral of panic. “That’s all in the past. Do you know how many creatures from just, uh, every darn corner of the universe I’ve made slaughter each other for my entertainment? Thousands, Roger, ok? Thousands. And it’s taught me oodles about life. What I’ve learned is that love is the only thing that matters. What all of those poor bastards scream for in the end is their mom, their partner, their best friend. Now, that doesn’t help them, but it helps us. It helps us understand that we’ve done it—we’ve achieved the one thing in our lives that was worth a damn to achieve. I’m not gonna, gonna now be parted from you, sweetheart. You are the point of me.”

Roger felt himself growing teary at the speech. Yes, this had been a whirlwind—they’d met no more than 15 minutes ago—but he was feeling something just as deep as the love the Grandmaster described. It was a fantasy in the best way, the life his soulmate pictured for them (most of it… maybe not the part about slaughter). But it was a fantasy in the worst way too, something so impossible that Roger felt sick for getting as attached to this man as he already had.

“I can’t,” he said softly. He let his head hang down, solaced when the Grandmaster guided it onto his shoulder and wrapped a protective arm around him.

“Can’t you? For me? Roger, if I put you on a ship and send you back through the Anus, we may never meet again.”

Roger squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to be selfish, but there were people he couldn’t leave in the lurch. People who maybe didn’t care about him in a way that was equal to how he cared about them, but that was how any kind of relationship was, apart from soulmates. There were imbalances. He knew he might not be the most brilliant scientist, the most inspirational teacher, the husband a woman would prefer over the outdoorsy hunk in her hiking group, but he knew who he was: he was someone who couldn’t just walk away.

“We’ll be together again,” Roger said, clutching the Grandmaster’s robes. “After.”

Though he didn’t yet know what ‘after’ would mean.

—

It wasn’t as unexpected as it could have been—Roger had always had a feeling he’d die on a school bus.

The difference between his fears and reality was that he wasn’t departing this world in a fiery crash or zooming out of control between the steel trusses and into the East River. There was confusion, there was chaos, there were screams and the violent honking of horns, but there were elements he couldn’t have predicted. Primarily, the giant alien spacecraft hovering over the city. The ship immediately moved into first place of the most ominous rings in his life (he and his wife were not in a good place). Since its sighting, things had quickly spiraled out of control. Julius had radioed Roger from the other bus of students they were chaperoning to MoMA to report that Ned Leeds had ‘flipped his shit’ and Peter Parker was currently missing. Roger had nearly passed out. The only thing that had kept him conscious was his jittery concern for the rest of his students.

At Midtown Tech, they had drills for almost every eventuality. As of 2012, hostile outer space invasion was actually part of their repertoire, but it had always been assumed they would be at school when it happened, not out on a field trip. The most Roger had been able to think to do was get the kids to a secure location. Which meant getting the buses to a secure location. But the buses were on the bridge, and all over the bridge drivers were panicking, mindlessly stomping on the gas and attempting to swerve around the rest of the vehicles. Above the blood rushing in his ears, he’d heard crash after crash, until their bus was hemmed in and, through the smoking, crumpled hoods of their fellow commuters, the alien ship hung stationary in the sky. Disturbingly tranquil as New York City went to pieces to the tune of apocalyptic dissonance just below.

In the end, the spaceship hadn’t stayed put, but Roger had. The lanes around them were crowded with smashed cars. Glass from shattered windshields glittered on the pavement. Still, more vehicles surged forward as drivers attempted to use the bridge to flee the city; this wasn’t NYC’s first alien rodeo. He hadn’t attempted to force any of his students to remain on the bus—they were some of the smartest and the best of their generation, and he trusted their survival instincts far more than his own—but he did direct the ones who fled to first climb up onto the roof of the bus instead of dropping directly down onto the street and risking injury. Yes, he worried about minor cuts and bruises. Even now.

He thought that Flash was staying with him, and was touched. But then he realized Flash was just gripping his shoulder for leverage as he jumped and grabbed for the emergency roof hatch with his free hand. Roger knew the boy was somewhat neglected by his parents, and so, for the first time, he was happy go hear ‘Hotline Bling.’ It was Flash’s ringtone and it played incessantly as his phone rang and rang until the song, and the sound of Flash running, faded into the distance. Somebody wanted to see that he was safe. Somebody cared about him.

Alone, Roger hunkered down between the seats, knees bent in front of him. He scraped one hand anxiously through his hair and gripped his phone in the other.

He should call his wife. He knew he should. Only, he was afraid that she either wouldn’t pick up or she’d answer and be with the guy from her hiking group. Roger wasn’t even upset; he was glad she had someone, if this was it.

Ever since he’d returned from Sakaar, he’d been different, he was aware that he had. In the past, his wife had been largely responsible for the sundering of their marriage, but Roger knew that he was now pulling away too. It had begun inside him—the tear. He wanted to be with two people for two different reasons. In two places, on two worlds. Commitment clashed with longing. Logical rightness fought emotional rightness. He’d been weak, persuading himself daily to tough it out with his wife (even as he slept on the couch every night because lying beside her made him unhappy), when, for once in his damn life, he wanted to be fulfilled. Somewhere out in the stars, there was a man with blue eyeliner and an entire planet at his capricious command and he was the person for Roger.

If only, he thought, picturing the face he shouldn’t have been able to recall so clearly for the brevity of their encounter months ago. Roger shut his eyes to better remember the Grandmaster, and so he wouldn’t have to see his phone clatter to the bus’s dirty floor when the hand that held it turned to dust.

—

As with his life on regular, non-apocalypse days, not much happened to Roger. Despite his paralyzing breakdown on a school bus, he wasn’t among the billions scattered to the wind like sentient dandruff. He picked himself up and went home. Sure, he was shivering almost out of his skin from the shock, but he didn’t collapse into wracking, snotty sobs until he was safely in his living room, listening to his neighbours’ wails through the condo’s walls.

Roger’s wife wasn’t there, didn’t answer when he called her, and, three weeks later, still hadn’t made contact. It took another two months to hold her wake; the funeral business was booming. Never had so many words been spoken over so many vacant graves. Some members of his wife’s hiking group attended, some had even helped him select the right music and flowers beforehand. They knew her preferences. It felt surreal to be burying a person he couldn’t prove—in any meaningful way—that he’d really known.

With a queasy sense of being very lucky, he accepted that, apart from his marital status, his life hadn’t been upended. His windows weren’t broken, his car wasn’t stolen, the few family members he was out of touch with anyway had also survived. He went back to work before anybody called him in. There weren’t any students at first, just the echo of Roger’s clumsy footsteps tripping over the rug in the staffroom, half-solved equations on the whiteboards in the math classrooms, and the unholy stench of unwashed pinnies when he poked his head into the gym storage room to see if Coach Wilson was around. One day, Roger tipped back in the chair at the front of his own empty classroom and spotted a gigantic cobweb in the corner of the ceiling. It made him think of Spider-Man. He guessed that guy was gone too.

The most important thing for keeping sane was establishing a regimen. Work was a big part of that, but Roger also traveled daily into Manhattan to visit the Sorcerer’s place. It became a kind of pilgrimage. Early on, Wong would come out to say hello, but it was eventually less about commiseration and more of a perfunctory thing. Roger knew (assumed, hoped) that if the Sorcerer ever did return, Wong would let him know and welcome him inside. And then… a portal? And then the Grandmaster? He tried not to think about it too hard. Yearning took up a lot of energy and, when his students began to come back to school in distressingly low numbers, Roger needed to reserve that energy for teaching.

Everything was the same, every day, until it wasn’t.

For a reason he couldn’t rationally explain, Roger knocked on the Sorcerer’s door. While he was waiting—just a few seconds, he planned—a man materialized on the sidewalk right next to him. He tottered and Roger reflexively said, “Whoa!” and grabbed his shoulder to keep him on his feet. Before Roger could hypothesize or ask the man any questions, a teenage girl returned to existence a few feet away. Then a woman holding a toddler tightly in her arms. A little boy. A man with a dog. A bicycle-less bike cop, still wearing his helmet. Releasing the man, Roger spun and pounded against the door with his fist.

Still, no one answered.

Fighting the urge to show up at Midtown Tech, Roger made himself stay put, right there on the Sorcerer’s doorstep.

He waited a long time. As the sun set, New York City rose around him. He watched people hugging, running home down the middle of the street. He fielded unfinished questions as the newly returned began to ask him what had happened, what time it was, what year, before jogging away, more purposeful with every step they took. Roger’s foot began to bounce on the sidewalk and his clammy hands twisted fretfully. It was still another 12 hours before the door opened.

Roger fell backwards into Wong’s shins, delirious from the sickening seesaw between urgency and exhaustion. Everywhere, people were reconnecting. He scrambled to his feet because he wanted to be one of them.

“Is he here?” Roger demanded.

Wong narrowed his eyes slightly, holding the door so it couldn’t be pushed open further.

“Might I remind you that it’s me you’ve been seeing here the last five years.”

“Yeah,” Roger agreed, trying to see past.

“I thought we had developed a rapport.”

Finally, Roger met Wong’s eyes, his own pleading.

“No, yes, you’re right, we have,” he babbled.

“We’re friends.”

“Yes, of course, we are friends. Definitely.”

“So when is my birthday?”

Roger’s mouth hung open as he searched his brain for a piece of information he knew wasn’t in there. A few seconds later, Wong turned mirthful.

“Did you spend the Blip hiding under a rock where there are no jokes? Come inside. We just got back.”

None of the thousands of times he’d come to the door mattered—Roger hadn’t been inside the Sanctum since that first time. He hoped the Sorcerer remembered him.

When he saw the man, Roger’s steps stuttered. The Sorcerer appeared grim and wiped out. He was dirty and he looked older, though Wong whispered to Roger that the Sorcerer had been among the Snapped. Roger understood that, for something to go right and bring everyone back to life, something else had gone wrong. He could dwell on that and awkwardly bow his way back out of there, or he could convince himself that things had gone wrong for him too, and that he’d like them to be righted. He remembered that his soulmate was a dictator and tried to channel that sense of entitlement.

“What do you know about the Anus?”

The Sorcerer blinked.

“What.” The word came out perfectly flat.

“The Anus.”

“I wasn’t that kind of doctor.”

Roger strode eagerly towards him, hands gesturing before his words caught up.

“When I was here about, um, five and a half years ago, I fell through your magic portal—”

The Sorcerer snapped his fingers in recognition and turned to Wong.

“Oh, that’s who this is. I always wondered what happened to that guy.” He looked at Roger again. “How did you get back to Earth?”

Roger hadn’t been prepared to answer this question, just make his demands, and he began to explain what had happened to him, all out of order. The words ‘orgy ship’ had barely left his mouth when the Sorcerer was waving him into silence. His expression told Roger he was sorry he’d asked.

“So you went through the portal…” he prompted instead.

“That’s right! And for a while, I was just falling. I don’t know where I was.”

The Sorcerer stroked his chin.

“The connection must’ve been unstable. I know—one of your students distracted me.”

“That’d be Flash,” Roger said.

“Jesus. This is why I prefer not to be a field trip destination. Normally, the portal would allow you to pass cleanly through one place and into another.”

“And instead he passed cleanly through the Anus,” Wong summarized.

“…Yeah.”

Roger glanced from one man to the other.

“So,” he said, “could you do it again?”

The Sorcerer stared at him.

“The short answer is no. The long answer is also no, but it contains a great deal of vernacular to do with the Mystic Arts, so I’ll save us both some time.”

The last time Roger had defended his intellect and qualifications had been years ago, and he was out of practice. Anyway, he didn’t want a lengthy debate.

“Can’t you just open a portal and shove me through?”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’ve got a lot going on today. I’ve only entertained you this long because you and Wong seem to be friends. I’m not just going to mess around to humour you.”

“What if you had to do it?” Roger asked quickly, beginning to feel desperate and preparing to metaphorically jam one of his clumsy feet into the closing window of opportunity.

“Uh, let me think about that,” the Sorcerer droned disinterestedly. “No.”

“What if I attacked you and you opened a portal in self-defence?”

The Sorcerer squinted at him in disbelief and befuddlement.

“What?”

But Roger was already gracelessly throwing his weight into a wild, uncoordinated punch.

For once, he didn’t think critically of himself; he told himself that the Sorcerer’s portal sparked up between them because he was intimidated by Roger’s tenacity. And that it didn’t show a clear destination because the Sorcerer’s reaction speed was no match for Roger using the element of surprise. And that he dove purposely through the portal—on a mission for love and science and the unknown—instead of tumbling into it sideways because the momentum of his unpracticed punch had gotten the better of his balance. It didn’t matter. His feet went out from under him and he was on his way.

Roger had forgotten how intense the trip was, but he completely recalled the rough landing, bouncing down through a stack of the universe’s lost garbage. He shut his eyes to the whooshing and the brightness and braced himself (probably too early, but he didn’t think he could be too careful on this reckless endeavor).

He felt his body hit open air and gasped as he fell, trying to keep his limbs tucked in. The hat he’d been wearing was torn from his head. Didn’t matter; it wouldn’t have offered much protection anyway. At any moment, his poor elbows and knees would be battered by space junk. Between his velocity and his fear of the coming impact, Roger could hardly breathe.

Music. A familiar voice singing, It’s my soulmate! made his eyes fly open. Right in time to land on his back. Whatever was beneath Roger was soft, but he’d still had the wind knocked out of him and was struggling to fill his lungs. His eyes clamped shut as he began to cough.

“I have no idea how you survived that thing twice, but I sure am glad I caught ya.”

Finally sucking in a stronger breath, Roger opened his eyes and looked up. His glasses were askew. Above him was the opening in the ceiling of a hovering spacecraft, but closer than that, leaning over him, was the face of the Grandmaster. He was beaming.

“Any trouble with the Anus?” he asked.

Roger grabbed for the hand his soulmate had rested on his shoulder and moved it to his chest, right over his heart.

“The asshole who got me here will probably be thrilled to never see me again, but the Anus treated me just fine.”

“Ha!” the Grandmaster barked. His free hand lovingly patted Roger’s windblown hair back into place. “Welcome home.”

[cressasdbfanfics]

Missed too Many

Paring: GoChi

Words: 1656

Summary: In which Goku makes up for lost time on a special day of the year-his first after being gone for years.

Prompt: None. Just Valentine’s Day. 

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13820511/1/Missed-Too-Many

Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478639

"Thanks for breakfast, babe! It was great!" I said as I rubbed my very full stomach.

Chichi's cooking was always amazing.

She smiled over her shoulder at me as she scrubbed our dishes. "You're welcome, Goku."

I stood from my seat at our kitchen table. "I'm going to go train! I'll back later today."

Chichi spun to face me, her eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute! Don't tell me you forgot about today!"

"Uh. Today?"

Chichi sighed as her shoulders slumped. "Never-mind," she said as she turned her back on me.

Gohan stared at me, his eyebrows raised. I glanced at Chichi to make sure she wasn't looking, and winked at Gohan. He smiled.

"What's today?" asked Goten.

I looked at him and shook my head.

I knew full well what the day was. Chichi's little sighs and the slump in her shoulders made me question my plan. Truth be told, I had far more than that little bit of upset to make up to her—missed anniversaries, missed birthdays, and missed Valentine's Days.

I had to make this one the best Valentine's Day ever for her and I knew exactly what to get her.

I went upstairs, grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a tan sweater Chichi knitted for me. Chichi liked me better in street clothes but I didn't want to mess them up while I set everything up for the evening.

"Now, I need some zenni," I murmured.

I grabbed the envelope containing money from our farm's first vegetable harvest. Chichi didn't know about that money yet. I promised Chichi I'd get a job when I got better from the heart virus and make us some money. Took me a while to keep that promise but I did. I stuck the envelope in my gi pocket.

I heard a creak outside our closed bedroom door and ran to our open window, wide-eyed. I dove out of it and landed on my feet on the grass as I heard our bedroom door open. I grimaced before I realized that was my chance to run into the kitchen and grab what I needed there.

Thankfully, the back door was unlocked.

"I thought you left already," said Gohan with an eyebrow raised.

I threw a look at Gohan I pressed a finger to my lips as I glanced at the hallway.

Gohan chuckled.

"I wont tell mom."

I had no idea when she would come back into the kitchen so I worked as fast and as carefully as I could. I grabbed our picnic basket and carefully stacked several dishes and a couple sets of silverware in it.

Gohan approached with the neatly folded family picnic blanket in hand. He handed it to me. "Thanks, son."

Goten watched us from where he sat at the kitchen table, drawing a picture.

"Don't tell your mom I was here, okay?" I said.

Goten nodded. "Okay. But why? Where are you going?"

I chuckled and said in a quiet voice, "You'll understand when you're older."

I heard the bedroom door open.

"Uh oh," I murmured.

I slipped out the way I came in with one last wink at the boys. I kicked into the sky and took off toward Satan City to find my first gift to her. While out on a recent family shopping trip for new clothes, Chichi stopped to admire a ruby necklace with a delicate silver chain in a jewelry store's window display, a small smile on her lips.

The shop was easy to find again, the same necklace still on display. Good thing I had enough zenni for it. The clerk placed it in a red velvet box the same shade as the ruby and put the box in a silver gift bag with a red bow matching the box. He bowed as he handed the bag to me.

Then it was off to Bulma's. I needed to ask her if Goten could stay at her place with Trunks, anyway.

+++

The dragon ball radar beeped in my hand, showing me the location of the last dragon ball right under my feet. I was somewhere deep in a hot, sandy desert wasteland. Something glittered in the ground right in front of my clothes. I pulled the last dragon ball out of the sand, put it in the chest Bulma had given me to carry the dragon balls in, and took off toward home.

I landed in front of the giant apple tree. In addition to the radar and a nice chest for the dragon balls, Bulma had even given me lanterns for the sunset picnic. I smoothed the blanket over the grass and set the chest on a corner. I set the lanterns around our picnic blanket and lit them with tiny sparks of ki.

Once that was done, I changed out of my dirty gi and put on the sweater and jeans I grabbed earlier.

I nodded at my handiwork. "Now, we all we need is food."

I flew back to Satan City and got some takeout from one of our favorite restaurants. Our food was still nice and hot when I got to our apple tree with it. Instant Transmission really came in handy sometimes. I set out the meal and placed the lanterns around the picnic blanket, lighting them with tiny sparks of ki.

I flew home and climbed in through our open bedroom window. In the hallway, I knocked on Goten's door.

He opened it

"Hey, buddy. You want to go spend the night with Trunks tonight?"

Goten grinned. "Yeah!"

I chuckled. "Pack a bag. We'll leave as soon as you're ready."

"'Kay!"

Goten hurried around his room, stuffing clothes and toys into his backpack. He pulled on his shoes. "Ready!"

"Where do you think you're going, young man?" asked Chichi.

I winced and so did Goten.

"Oh. Ch-Chichi," I stammered. "Ah. Heh. Goten's going to go spend the night with Trunks. I already cleared it with Bulma."

Chichi put her hands on her hips. "Is your homework finished?"

Goten nodded as he turned big, pleading eyes on his mother. "Yep! Can I go, Mommy?"

Chichi's stern frown softened. "Oh, I suppose."

"Yay!"

Goten dashed past Chichi and me and into the living room.

"Where's Gohan?" I asked.

Chichi sighed. "He left to go take Videl out tonight."

I nodded. "Good."

I walked past her and then winked over my shoulder at her. "Oh. And don't worry about dinner tonight. I want you to relax."

Her narrowed eyes softened.

"Let's go, daddy!" called Goten.

"I'm comin'."

+++

"Thanks again, Bulma," I said.

Bulma smiled. "No problem, Goku."

I locked onto Chichi's energy and found her putting away chopped up meats and vegetables. I snuck up behind her, reached out—

Chichi spun around, a shoved slender a finger into my chest, and glared up at me. "You haven't been training. You're not even wearing that gi you always do."

"Heh, babe, I'll never understand how you do that."

Her finger dropped away from my chest. "Huh? Do what?"

"Know when I'm sneakin' up on ya."

Chichi's lips twitched up. "Oh, a woman has her ways." Her eyes narrowed again. "Now, what have you been up to?"

I took her hands in mine. "Why don't you come with me and find out?"

I led her outside and scooped her up. Chichi yelped and giggled when I kicked into the air. The flight to the apple tree only took a few seconds. I set her on her feet just off the blanket.

"Oh, Goku," said Chichi as she folded her hands at her chest. "This is what you've been doing?"

I nodded. "You do so much for us. I wanted to do something for you."

Her eyes welled up and my heart raced. I always panicked a little when she cried—even if she was happy. Chichi threw her arms around me before I could decide what to do or say. My arms settled around her and she turned her face up to me. Chichi pushed herself up on her tiptoes and pressed her soft lips on the corner of mine. My heart flip-flopped in my chest.

A growl echoed around the mountains and it took me a moment to realize the growl came from me.

Chichi laughed. "We better not keep that stomach of yours waiting."

I scratched the back of my head and chuckled.

After our meal, I handed Chichi the gift bag. She untied the bow with great care and opened the bag. With a glance at me, she held up the red velvet box and opened it.

Chichi gasped. "Oh, Sweetheart!"

She lifted the necklace out of the box and cradled the ruby pendant in her hand, letting the delicate chain dangle from her fingers. She undid the tiny clasp and put it on. Chichi asked me to put a necklace on her once when we were newlyweds and I broke it. I didn't dare try to help her now.

"It's beautiful!" said Chichi.

"You're prettier," I said.

Chichi giggled.

"One more thing," I said.

I picked up the wooden chest and set it in front of her.

One of Chichi's hands went to her chest. "What in the world?"

"Open it up."

Chichi opened the latch with a quiet click and lifted the lid. Her mouth fell open. The dragon balls' glow danced in her eyes. Her eyes welled up again, a hand going up to cover her open mouth as her gaze darted to meet mine.

I reached over the chest and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I want you to wish for whatever you want, Chi. Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry I missed so many."

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

I moved the chest aside and scooted up to her. I wiped her tears away.

Chichi wrapped her arms around me. "Just having you home is enough."

Yeah. I definitely missed too many.

[notes-from-sarah]

Take My Hand (Take My Whole Life Too)

Link on Archive of Our Own

Link on Fanfiction.net

Rating: G/K

Summary: “Never let somebody pin you down.” this is Kanan’s personal philosophy, but sometimes someone comes along and you realize being grounded isn’t that bad after all. Kanan/Hera. Set pre-Star Wars: Rebels. One-shot. Canon compliant. A Valentine’s Day fic. 

:          

Kanan paced back and forth in the cargo bay, Chopper bumping along at his heels. He stroked the small patch of hair on his chin thoughtfully and tried to suppress a curse each time he turned around and almost tripped over Chop. The droid didn't try to suppress its curses and let Kanan know what it thought every time he accidentally kicked the robot. It aggravated Kanan because he was here trying to figure out a solution to his problem, and Chopper was constantly distracting him.

It had taken him a lot longer to figure out than it probably should have, but he didn't have a lot of experience in this area. He'd known he liked Hera from the get-go, after all she was smart, confident and brave. It was when it went from just liking her to feeling a lot more that things started to get complicated. He didn't know what to do.

A person with a more conventional background might just talk to her, make his feelings known and let the chips fall where they may. Kanan was absolutely not going to do that. Actually, he didn't want to feel this way at all – for a lot of reasons.

If he admitted that he was in love with Hera it could jeopardize their friendship and their work relationship. He could imagine how awkward it would be if she didn't feel similarly, and he wasn't sure that she did.

If he admitted that he was in love with Hera she might say that she loved him too. And what then? He'd made it a habit in his life to not stay one place for too long. To not get stuck anywhere. To keep free and keep moving. Being in love kept you tied down and he couldn't afford to be trapped.

If he admitted that he was in love with Hera that would mean that he really had abandoned the Order. He really was no longer a Jedi if he loved her. Love was an attachment, and attachments were dangerous, wasn't that what he was always taught? Jedi didn't have attachments, but loving Hera meant he did. Meant he wasn't really a Jedi anymore. He didn't know if he was ready for that.

Maybe it would be better if he just pretended everything was normal. He could do that.

Hera appeared at the top of the ladder to the cargo bay. "Kanan, can you help me out in the cockpit for a second?"

"Sure," said Kanan as he tripped over Chopper for what seemed like the tenth time. Giving the droid a glare he climbed the ladder and followed Hera into the cockpit.

Hera pointed to the panels behind the second row of seats. These covered Ghost's computers and shield array. "I need to get into those panels, our shields took a beating in our last adventure and I'm pretty sure there's been some carbon scoring in there. I want to get it cleaned up, but I need you to climb up there," she pointed to the top of the panel where a variety of switches and levers were displayed, "and disconnect the power supply."

Kanan nodded. "Got it." Clambering up the back of the second seat he balanced there awkwardly and popped open the panel. Glancing around he found the fuse that controlled the power supply to the array Hera wanted to clean and unhooked it. "There you go." He held the fuse between his fingers, he might as well stay up here since he was going to have to put it back in just a minute.

Hera looked up at him and smiled appreciatively. "You're much better at this than Chop. Last time he pulled out half the wrong fuses and I ended up rewiring everything for the next week." Hera leaned forward and began unscrewing various plates so she could access the array and its related parts.

"You know me," said Kanan, "way more helpful than a droid." The moment he said it he regretted it. It sounded so dumb.

"Sure are," said Hera as she found what she was looking for. Taking a small wire brush she attacked the scoring with some special cleaning fluid.

Kanan grimaced. At least she didn't seem to mind his incredibly stupid remark. It wasn't even funny.

"You know, sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you," Hera continued, still focused on her task. "You've really made a big difference."

Kanan looked down at her, his face unexpectedly burning. "I have?"

"Of course." Hera looked up at him. Her fantastic green eyes sending a jolt of warmth through him. "We do a lot of good work together, it wouldn't be possible without you."

"Yeah, of course, our work." Kanan was trying to ignore the fluttering sensation in his chest.

Hera gave him a swift smile then went back to her scrubbing. "We've done so much more together then we ever could have apart."

"Yeah, it's been great." Kanan nodded. She was only talking about what they did, not them. He needed to stop being so silly.

"I'm glad you like it," said Hera as she pocketed her wire brush and pulled a cleaning cloth from her jumpsuit. Wiping the cloth over the scrubbed areas she removed all the excess cleaning fluid. "When we first met I wasn't so sure about you. I didn't know if you'd stick around."

When they'd first met, Kanan hadn't known if he'd stick around either. There were times that he still didn't know. Sometimes he'd think to himself I can leave any time I want. "Really?" was all he said.

Hera folded the cloth so the dirty part was on the inside and tucked it back into her pocket. Picking up her screwdriver again she went about refastening the panel. "Really. You seemed like a drifter, I didn't know how long you'd want to drift in my direction."

Trying to sound casual he said, "Well I like your direction." Another stupid remark. Apparently his tongue was intent on sabotaging him today.

Hera looked up at him, seemingly immune to his idiotic comments. "Do you?"

Kanan tried to make it better. "I mean, your direction is a nice one to drift in." He internally cringed. "It's got a nice view," he added. That was even worse. Maybe he should just shut up.

Hera raised an eyebrow. "And what does the view look like?"

He tried he best to salvage the situation. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Hera sounded somewhere between slightly insulted and amused.

"Well, not nothing," Kanan rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "I suppose it's really nice," Kanan said before rushing to add, "not that I'm looking." This was going from bad to worse faster than he could keep track of. "What I really mean to say is-"

Hera suppressed a smile. "Kanan," she said as she reached out and put a hand on his leg, "I-"

Her words were cut short. Kanan had not been expecting physical contact like that and had panicked. In an attempt to move back from her touch he jerked his leg off the seat altogether and lost his balance. Vainly, he grabbed hold of the panel underneath the one he'd just opened, but it gave way instantly. Kanan, still holding tight to the fuse he'd just detached, tumbled down from his perch in an undignified heap. Electricity sparked and the smell of burning plastic filled the room.

Hera had managed to jump clear of the small disaster. "Kanan!" she said, clambering over the seat Kanan had just fallen from. "Are you alright?"

Kanan sat up rubbing his head. If he'd thought he was embarrassed before it was nothing compared to how he felt now. "I'm okay." Looking over the damage he'd caused he sucked in a breath. "Sorry about that."

Hera looked at the mess herself. Half of another panel had been dislodged and a spill of wires were protruding. "We'll just have to spend tomorrow fixing it." Looking back to Kanan she held out a hand. "That fall did a number on your head, we should get you cleaned up." Just then the panel let out another spark and a small fire began in the midst of the wires.

Shouting something about saving the day, Chopper rushed forward to spray the broken wires with its fire extinguisher, rolling over Kanan's hand in the process.

Kanan shot the droid a dirty look and shook his crushed fingers. Gingerly dabbed his forehead and temple area, he felt the familiar trickle of blood from a laceration. Great. Why was he such an idiot. Taking Hera's hand she pulled him to his feet.

Hera took him to sit at the table and sent Chopper for the medical kit. "I didn't mean to scare you like that." Taking a clean, damp cloth she washed the blood and dirt from his forehead.

"Scare me? You didn't scare me," Kanan said without thinking.

"Then why did you jump like that?" Hera stood back from him, a quizzical expression on her face. Chopper returned with the medical kit and waved it around as if he'd done something heroic. Hera accepted the med kit from Chopper and opened it on the table.

"Oh, uh," Kanan's mind raced to come up with something less stupid than I didn't expect you to touch me and I panicked. "There was a spark of static electricity and it took me off guard." He knew it was a lame excuse, if there'd been static electricity wouldn't she have felt it as well? Shouldn't he have just said it was a spark from the wire he was holding?

Hera looked up from the med kit. "Oh, okay, I guess I just didn't feel it then." Hera leaned back over him and began dabbing a bacta paste on his wound.

Kanan breathed a sigh of relief, then gave a small yelp as the paste started to go to work. It had a warm stinging sensation that he hadn't been entirely prepared for. He had been completely preoccupied by Hera's proximity and forgot what she was doing.

"Sorry," said Hera as she finished patching up his head. "There, good as new."

"Thanks," said Kanan. He felt like the biggest fool in the galaxy right now.

Hera stood back again and put a hand under his chin and tilted his head to observe her work under the lights. "You can hardly tell there's a hole in your head."

Kanan laughed but he could feel himself blushing from her touch. He put a hand to his head as if to run it through his hair, except he couldn't because his hair was tied back. It was an unconscious gesture of discomfort he'd done since his padwan days. "I appreciate you patching me up."

Hera smiled at him, dropping his chin and putting away the bacta cream. "I need you in good shape if you're going to help me repair all that wiring tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, that." Another rush of embarrassment flooded him. "Just call me when you need me."

"I will," she promised.

*****

The wiring took longer to put together than it had to accidentally take apart, but fortunately Kanan managed to help Hera get it working again without inciting another small disaster. In fact, it had been almost three days since he'd made an obvious fool of himself in front of Hera and he hoped it was the beginning of a streak.

Except, there was a new problem. Over the last few days since he'd really started admitting to himself that he had feelings for Hera he'd begun to wonder if she just might have feelings for him too. The thought made him surprisingly nervous.

Feelings or no, however, Kanan was in a bit of a situation. He knew he'd been acting really weird over the last few days and Hera had definitely noticed. He had to do something and he didn't like the prospect. He really didn't want to humiliate himself in front of Hera. Again.

Laying on his bunk, trying and failing to get to sleep, he went around and around in his head about his feelings, the possibility of her feelings, and what that might mean for him as a fugitive. He didn't want to ruin their friendship. He really didn't want to limit his freedom. Most of all he didn't want to sever one of the last connections he had with the life he had before. He had a lot to loose.

He wondered what his master would have told him to do in this situation. Somehow he just couldn't imagine her having any advice for him. Should he continue in the way he'd been raised? It didn't really matter anymore. He wasn't a Jedi anymore. The Code didn't mean anything to anyone anymore. It shouldn't be this complicated.

Still, the thought of abandoning that one secret aspect of his life, of severing that one secret link he had to his old life, was painful in a way he didn't fully anticipate.

He shook his head vigorously to rid himself of those haunted thoughts. Kanan, he told himself, you are getting way ahead of yourself. You don't even know if she likes you yet and you're getting all dramatic about leaving the Code behind. He took in deep breath. He knew what he had to do.

Rising, he left his room.

Crossing the hall he tapped on the door. He hoped it wasn't too late. Hera didn't particularly like having her sleep interrupted unless there was an emergency, and while this felt kind of like an emergency to him he doubted Hera would see it that way. He thought about going back to his room but it was too late, he'd already knocked on the door. He had to face the music. Chopper opened the door, fussing at Kanan with its usual foul temper.

"I know, I know, but I want to speak to Hera." Kanan held up his hands in a placating gesture.

Chop jabbed one of its little hands at Kanan and scolded him.

"Chop? What is it?" Hera's voice came from her bunk, she definitely sounded like she'd been all the way asleep. Kanan felt a little bad about waking her.

"It's me Hera," said Kanan. "Sorry to wake you up, I just needed to talk to you about something."

Hera got up and came to the door, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Is everything okay? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Kanan suddenly felt very stupid again. His hand found the back of his neck as he tried to spit out his thought before he chickened out. "I wanted to talk to you about us."

Chopper came over to the doorway and complained to Hera noisily.

Hera shot the droid a frown. "Chop, I need to talk to Kanan right now, why don't you go check the cockpit and make sure everything is okay."

Chop fussed.

"Go." Hera pointed out the door. Chopper left the room sulkily.

Hera looked back at Kanan, then she motioned him to come into her room. She didn't say anything as she sat on her bunk and invited him to do likewise. She sat down cross legged so she could face him and Kanan did the same.

Kanan took a deep breath, his face burning again. The dim light from the hallway was the only thing illuminating them, he hoped it was dim enough that Hera couldn't see his blush. He could feel her eyes on him and a large part of him wished he could go back in time about ten minutes and not do this. He squashed those feelings down. He'd faced armies of Separatist droids when he was little more than a kid, why was it so much harder to face one woman he was in love with and tell her how he felt?

Hera reached a hand out and touched his arm. "What is it Kanan, what do you need to say?"

A rush of warmth flushed through Kanan at her touch. He took another breath and looked at her. "Hera, I've got something to tell you. I've been thinking about it for a few days now and, well, I think I need to just get it out in the open."

Hera looked a little alarmed. "I know something's been on your mind."

Kanan ran his hand into his hair, this time successfully as he wore it loose for sleeping, and forged on with his confession. "You and me, we've been together on Ghost for a while now." He cleared his throat. Why was he stating the obvious?

Hera nodded. "Yes we have, we're a great team." She seemed to be a little more concerned than Kanan thought she would be.

"Yeah," said Kanan, suddenly conscious of how close Hera was to him. "We've been working together for some time, but I think maybe things have changed a little, maybe we should do something different."

Hera's eyes grew big and the hand on Kanan's arm tightened. "What are you saying, Kanan?"

Kanan was surprised by her reaction. Did she want him to not say what he had planned on saying? Was this a mistake? Had she known about his feelings and was just ignoring them as a sign that she wasn't interested? He swallowed. "Well, I guess what I'm saying is that I-" Kanan rethought what he'd been about to say. Maybe saying he loved her right off the bat was a bad idea. He'd definitely heard somewhere that you shouldn't say I love you too soon.

Hera looked worried. "Kanan, are you trying to tell me you're leaving?"

Kanan was taken off guard. "What? No. I'm trying to tell you I love you." There it was, he'd gone and said it anyway.

"You love me?" It was Hera's turn for a question. She seemed completely unprepared for that statement.

Kanan gulped. He must have said the wrong thing. He couldn't backpedal now. "Yeah," he said, lamely.

Hera's eyes were big for a long second before a smile started to break across her face. "So, you're not leaving? You want to stay?"

Kanan was lost. "Why did you think I was leaving?"

Hera squeezed him arm. "You've been acting kind of weird ever since we were working on the wiring in the cockpit. I was afraid that something I said reminded you that you'd been here a while and you had started thinking about moving on."

Kanan looked away from her. "Well, I do think about that sometimes, but it wasn't anything you said in that conversation."

"You want to leave?" Hera leaned closer, looking at him intensely.

"No," said Kanan, "well, not most of the time," he amended. He looked back at her. "I've been adrift in the galaxy since I was fourteen years old, I don't really know what else to do with my life besides keep moving."

Hera sat back a little, thinking. "I understand," she said at last. She rubbed her hand up and down his arm in a comforting way. "But I want you to know that you have a home here. No matter what, you are part of the crew of Ghost and you will always belong with us."

That strange fluttering sensation filled Kanan again. Her words were at once some of the most beautiful and most terrifying words he'd ever heard. "You really think that?"

"I do, that's why I was so worried you wanted to leave." Hera gave his arm another gentle squeeze.

Kanan sighed. "I guess that's part of the problem." He searched for the words that had so easily been flying around his head just moments ago when he was laying on his bunk. "If I stay here, make this place my home, then I'm stuck here. I can't leave. I'm not safe." The last three words sort of fell out of his mouth before he could stop them. His eyes darted away from Hera's face. Along with the burning embarrassment he was feeling, a rush of shame was added. He was afraid. He wasn't supposed to be afraid.

Hera scooted closer to him, their knees practically touching. "Kanan, I want you to look me in the eye."

Kanan looked back at her. Her green eyes beautiful and almost luminous in the shadowy room.

Hera put her hand to Kanan's face, it was gentle and comforting, but there was a strength behind it. "You are safe here. You always will be. This is your home. I won't let anything happen to you, not on my watch."

Kanan gave her a small smile. He actually believed her. He knew, deep down, that he could trust her like he hadn't trusted anyone in years. The thought of being stuck here was seeming less and less bad every second.

"And me loving you isn't going to ruin us, ruin our friendship? It won't ruin what we've already got?"

Hera shook her head. "Not a chance."

Some of the tension that had been gripping Kanan dissipated. He wanted to lean into Hera's hand. To be held in her arms, but something was holding him back. There was that other thing that was bothering him. "There's something else," he said, he had to get it all out now. There was no turning back.

"Tell me," said Hera. Her thumb brushed over his cheek affectionately.

Kanan chose his next words carefully. He didn't want to give away too much, not yet. "I was raised different than most people." That was an understatement. "I was raised thinking that I'd never have a relationship with anyone. I was told that falling in love, was something I should avoid." When he said it without the context of the Order it really did sound weird.

"And do you still think that?" Hera's voice contained a hint of worry again.

"Not really." Kanan studied Hera's face. He couldn't imagine anyone being more beautiful than she was right now. "I don't live like I was raised anymore, I haven't in a long time. But a part of me still feels like I'm betraying my past by falling in love with you." It felt a little odd how many times he'd used the word love in this conversation. So much for playing it cool.

"Kanan, I'm not going to push you to do something you're not comfortable with." Hera dropped her hand from his face to take one of his hands and give it a little squeeze. "And if you think the best way you can honor your past is by not acting on your feelings, then I will accept that." Hera took her own deep breath and for the first time Kanan realized that she was also nervous about this conversation. It was Hera's turn to look away. "But if you want to give this a try – give us a try – then you should know that," here she stopped she didn't seem quite prepared to continue. "Kanan, I wouldn't normally say this so soon, but," she took another breath, "I love you, too."

Kanan had never had anyone say those words to him before. He was simultaneously filled with elation and uncertainty. He had no road map to navigate this.

"I want you to stay with me," Hera continued, looking back at him. "No matter what you choose you're a part of my life and I want you to stay in it. You, me and Chopper, we're a little family now."

Feeling silly, but earnest at the same time, Kanan put his other hand on Hera's and held it. "I don't know what I'm doing with any of this. It's all new to me. I'm still worried that I'm doing something wrong. That this will all go sideways. But," Kanan leaned forward so that he could see Hera better. He had an overwhelming desire to be as close to her as possible. "I want to give it a try." Kanan's eyes traced over the features of her face, the embarrassment he'd felt earlier was starting to recede into a warm glow. "My past is complicated," another massive understatement, "I'm never sure how much I should ignore what I was taught or how much I should follow it. The path forward from my childhood has been hard to find and I've made a lot of mistakes. I don't know if I'll be any good for you."

Hera put her other hand on top of Kanan's. She rubbed the back of his hand and leaned close. "You are a good man, Kanan Jarrus. If we keep talking like we are now, then we can solve any problem. We can figure this out together. We can do this."

"You really think so?" It had been a long time since Kanan had hoped as much as he did right now. For the first time since he was very young he had hope for a future. Loving Hera meant a whole new beginning, a new way of life he never could have imagined before. This was a first step of a journey into an undiscovered country where he didn't know how to live. But, somewhere along the way in this conversation, he'd stopped being afraid of what that meant. He was excited by the prospect of this new adventure.

Hera beamed. Her smile warmed him all over. "I really do." Then, leaning even closer, she pressed her lips to his. Their hands still tangled together, their futures intertwined.

[melancholicillusions]

How You Two Meet./How you Get Together.

______________________________

It was Friday when you decided to tell him, to tell him about your feelings, the feelings you've felt for him since you guys were kids. The feelings that only got stronger as you two got older. You'd be lying if you told yourself you weren't a bit nervous.

"Hey!"

You smiled, approaching Asher from behind.

"Hey y/n!"

"So.. Guess what today is."

Asher looked up at you playfully making an overtly obvious face. Furrowing his brows and bringing his hand up to his face, rubbing his chin as if he was thinking about something deeply.

"If I recall correctly.. It should be Friday. Why?"

You giggled as you took your seat next to him.

"No.. Well yes, it is Friday. But its also Valentine's Day."

"Oh, right. Happy Valentine's y/n." Asher exclaimed.

You bit the inside of your mouth.

'He doesn't seem too excited about it.' You thought.

Though you were hesitant, you made the decision to voice your opinion.

"You don't seem too happy..."

"I mean it's whatever, I guess. Just not my thing."

"Oh.." You sighed. "Well can I talk to you? For a second. It wont take long."

"I guess."

You grabbed his hand gently and together you two walked to the gym, taking your seats on the bleachers.

"So, this is something I've been wanting to tell you for awhile.. But I've had these feelings for you an-"

"Umm, no. Listen I'm sorry y/n but i just don't find tall black girls attractive.. Besides I see you as a friend and only a friend."

It was hard to believe and accept that he didn't sugar coat it. It kinda hurt.

"O-oh.. I'm sorry I just thought. I just thought-" your vision blurred with tears. With one last sorry you walked away.

____________________________

Later that night.

staring at your ceiling you began to reflect on your life, on the fact that you've never had a boyfriend because of the simple fact that they don't date back girls or tall girls or tall black girls.

"Y/n! Your cute little friend is her- ah oh sorry sweetie.. Uh Woozi oh no Jihoon right? Right. Jihoon's here for you!" Your mother yelled up the stairs.

Not long after a knock was heard at your door.

"Hey Jihoon.."

"You don't sound too happy. What's wrong?" He questioned opening your door.

"You wouldn't understand.. It's a girl thing.." You begin biting your cheek.

"Tch, your lying y/n."

You rolled your eyes.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

Jihoon cleared his throat, shocked and confused by the sudden and direct question.

"Um, n-no. No I haven't.. Why?"

"Have you ever asked yourself or wondered why?"

"Well, no. Not necessarily, but I always just assumed it was because I was short."

"Oh." You nodded your head slowly.

"..and you asked this because?"

Feeling something fall down your cheek, you flinched at the feeling quickly wiping it away. Jihoon shuffled his way to your bed side.

"Whats wrong?"

"It's nothing wooz..."

"Wooz? That's new." He chuckled putting a hand on your thigh. A failed attempt at lighting the mood.

"Heh. Funny."

Woozi removed his hand from your thigh and awkwardly shifted. "Anyways.. What's wrong?"

"I don't know how to talk about it.."

"Just say it.. Im here."

"You wouldn't understand." I muttered.

"Oh come on y/n... I can try."

"No! You can't! You don't understand what its like to be told you too black to date, what its like to be told you too tall to date then... Add all that into one thing now I'm too tall and black to date!"

Jihoon just stared completely dumbfounded. "Well I actually can relate.." Wiping a tear away you looked up at him.

"H-how?"

"Well... I'm short and asian so I'll let you put two-and-two together."

Jihoon stood up from my bed I followed.

"Jihoon.. I-"

"No it's fine because I don't understand right? Because I don't understand what it's like to want to hold someone tight but also fear I'm not fit enough because I'm too short for girls or the fear that I might hear some one I so desperately love tell me 'I don't date asian guys..' Or even worse.. Loving you so fucking much but being afraid to tell you because at this point im scared of what you'll say. Constantly pondering on your potential response. Will I be too short or too asian for you. But I forgot I couldn't possibly understand right?"

I stood there not knowing what to say holding on to his wrist for dear life afraid that if I let go he'll walk out on me. I hadn't even realized that I was on my knees until he lowered himself to my current hight. Gently putting his hand on my tear stained cheek, I looked at him he had tears running down his face as he wiped his away as well as mine. Though my vision was clouded with tears I could tell he was moving closer, slowly but surely his lips engaged in contact with mine.

Moving closer to you keeping one hand on your cheek and the other on your hip.

"I love you so much.. Too much to lose you.. Over something as stupid as height and race." Jihoon whispered.

____________________________

A/n: first chapter done. Great. What'd you think? Request are open.

[florenceandthemachine]

(my @911giftexchange contribution for @brcttshvghes!!) Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Howie "Chimney" Han, Bobby Nash, Athena Grant Additional Tags: First Kiss, Christmas, Secret Santa, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining

Last Christmas, Eddie had—as Hen would put it—his ‘oh’ moment.

No, it wasn’t when Buck had thrown himself into action to help some random dad see his daughter sing for Christmas.

No, it wasn’t when Eddie caught Buck trying to sneak extra presents (for he and Christopher both) under the Diaz tree.

No, it wasn’t even when some random elf had complimented Buck on his “beautiful family”.

Eddie’s ‘oh’ moment came when Athena announced that she was saving them all from themselves, when he walked into the firehouse loft and saw his kid standing there, beaming like a megawatt spotlight, smiling not only up at his dad but at Buck; and suddenly things clicked into place. Buck had set all of this up, and sure, it was for the whole house... but it was also for him. Buck had done this all, for him. He had Chris in his arms, he had Buck by his side, and Eddie realized—not for the first time, but for the first time with this level of severity—that this was exactly what he wanted, for the rest of his life.

Forever.

Hence the ‘oh’ moment.

(Hen had suggested calling it his ‘no fucking shit, you clueless moron’ moment instead. Eddie had politely declined.)

--

The ‘oh’ moment was one thing. The ‘oh’ moment was great.

Afterward, though, afterward everything was kind of sucky.

Valentine’s Day was rough. Watching Athena lock up a newlywed couple together, that was fun, sure, but seeing Buck with Ali? That was... literal torture.

--

The tsunami sucked. The bomb sucked.

The lawsuit, that really fucking sucked.

But pulling Buck into his arms underneath some shitty Halloween decorations, being back together again, that... that was almost worth it.

Even if he had to watch Buck bat his eyes at Taylor Kelly a few days later.

--

“Why don’t you just tell him?” Hen had asked the next month, sprawled out over the couch in the loft, idly kicking Eddie’s thigh as he groaned, full of Bobby’s turkey and homemade cranberry sauce.

“And risk it all?” Eddie had asked, long since beyond the point where he wanted to even pretend that he didn’t know what Hen was talking about.

And when Abby reappeared in Buck’s life with a fiancée and two stepchildren, Eddie knew staying quiet was the right idea. He wouldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk it.

--

“Hey, Eds, hand me another nail?”

So now here he was, almost a year later (“A full year of pining, Eddie, seriously, if you don’t say something by New Year’s—“ “I hate you, Hen.”), staring at Buck’s ass as he struggled to hang another loop of garland haphazardly throughout the station.

After a moment of hesitation, he did as he was asked, sighing as he held up another couple of tacks that Buck could push into the wall. “Why are you even doing all of this, Buck? I don’t know if you noticed, but the station was already decorated.” Eddie said with a hum, leaning back against the wall as he looked up to Buck, not-so-subtly admiring the way Buck’s entire body reacted as he laughed.

“Please, it looked like Pottery Barn threw up in here. We needed something other than stark white garland and red ornaments, Eds.” Buck descended down the step ladder and stepped back to admire his handiwork as Eddie looked around the station—as much as he hated to admit it, Buck was absolutely right. The station had been decorated by what looked like the night crew after one too many cups of coffee; too clean, too pristine, all glittering white garland neatly tacked up to every corner with a giant red bauble tacked at every intersection.

Needless to say, once Buck had gotten through with things, it was... definitely far from a professional looking decor job. Buck had rigged up huge wreaths made of fake garland and bows made out of giant, floppy, silver and gold ribbon, and hung them all over the station.

He had all but stapled his hand to the wall hanging up Christmas lights—the old, slowly blinking type, on the thick green cord, the type where if one light went out they all went out. There were twinkling, colorful lights all over the walls, mounds of fake snow around the staircase, big, fake poinsettias all over the kitchen.

At some point in time, while Hen and Chim were passing time upstairs in the loft and Bobby was stuck in his office doing paperwork, Buck had even rigged up his iPhone to play Christmas carols over the entirety of the station PA system (“Don’t worry, Eddie, calls will still come through and cut out over the alarm,” Buck had assured him, and Eddie was struck, not for the first time, with pride as he realized how much planning Buck really put into things like this).

The station was a mess, honestly. It was a jumbled, disorganized, chaotic explosion of Christmas. The station had gone from Pottery Barn to looking like a Yuletide grenade had gone off.

Eddie loved it.

“There! All finished. Back up, Eddie, I’m coming down.” Eddie blinked as he was jerked back into the present, standing back to admire the latest (and apparently the last) wreath that Buck had woven on the wall, acutely aware of the closeness that he and Buck shared as Buck beamed up at his handiwork.

He managed to look away from Buck’s smile—glowing didn’t even begin to cover it—right as Buck turned to look at him, clearing his throat. “Alright, Buck, what gives? Not that I’m mad about the extra decor you’ve doused the place with, but this is even bigger than what we did last year. There another surprise party that I’m supposed to be aware of?” Eddie asked, smiling as Buck threw his head back and laughed.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Buck started, looking over his shoulder as he folded up the ladder, heading back through the gym to the utility closet. “We’re still on for Christmas dinner at the station with everyone’s family, and unless Hen or Bobby has something else planned—because let’s face it, Chim would forget it was Christmas all in all if Maddie didn’t remind him—that’s all that we’re doing as a station. I just figured we needed as much holly-jolly as we could this year.”

His words were innocent enough, but Eddie had known Buck for years now, and the last year had been spent watching Buck a little more… closely than usual. So he knew that Buck’s innocent smile was just a shade on the wrong side of sneaky, how his words were carefully chosen so he wouldn’t be technically lying. Buck was smart—seriously, Eddie didn’t understand how people always forgot that—and they were the kind of things that Eddie would have missed if he wasn’t so… invested.

Sure. Invested. That was the right way to think about it.

“Hey, Eds,” and damn, a nickname shouldn’t bring him that much joy, “can you open the closet up for me?” Buck asked, the smile on his face seemingly innocent as Eddie rose a brow, stepping around him and just taking the ladder from his hands, pushing the door open behind him, not missing the look of surprise on Buck’s face.

“Wait, Eddie—no, I can—“

“Buck, it’s a step ladder, it’s no big deal. Did you take anything else out of the closet, or was it just this?”

“Well no, but it’s just that—“

Before Buck could continue his protest, the Christmas carols died out throughout the station, the siren blaring in its place, and for a split second, Buck looked absolutely crushed, which was weirder than anything else Eddie had witnessed that morning, because Buck loved going out on calls.

The moment was gone in a heartbeat, but it still made Eddie’s mind reel as they darted off to their lockers to suit up, mind racing with questions as Buck was all laughs with Hen as Chim got behind the wheel.

Something was up, and Eddie was going to find out what… even if the day had other plans.

--

There were two ways that shifts around the holidays were destined to go. Either the 118 would be dead quiet, or the crew would be completely dead on their feet.

Unfortunately, today seemed like it would be the latter.

No sooner than they had been cleared from their first call of the day did another roll in, and then another, and then another, to the point where the only time that Eddie had to text his kid was between calls, and the 118 was probably trapped in their turnout gear for a good five hours without a single break.

Buck, to the surprise of absolutely no one, only grew more and more alive with every save—he had an absolute knack for riding the rush that came with the job, and by the time they finally pulled back into the 118, Buck and Eddie couldn’t have been in a more different place in their lives.

“Alright, six calls in five hours. I think I’ve earned a fucking nap.” Eddie grumbled as he slid out of his designated spot next to Buck in the ladder truck, barely even waiting to get to the rack on the wall before he started pulling his turnout gear off, impatiently tugging at his sleeves and kicking his boots off before he bothered to even loosen anything.

While the sound of Buck’s laugh behind him certainly raised his spirit, he still pouted as Buck sauntered up beside him, easily removing his own jacket and boots and hanging them up with a certain sense of maturity that Eddie couldn’t muster at the moment. “Come on Eddie, a nap? Did you turn fifty while I wasn’t looking?” Buck asked, the teasing tone of his voice bringing a smile to Eddie’s face as he shoved Buck’s shoulder playfully.

“Just because you can keep up with Chris’ special blend of all night holiday nonsense doesn’t mean we all can, Buck.” Eddie started, rolling his shoulder as he hung his turnout coat back up. “Right now, he’s probably running Carla through literally every last strip mall in the state, trying to find a perfect present for our Buck, and… uh.” Eddie cut himself off, far too late, cheeks pinking up as he clamped his jaw shut.

He feared the worst for a moment when Buck looked at him with stars in his eyes, thinking that his slip hadn’t gone unnoticed, and he had to work to hide his sigh of relief when Buck grinned. “He’s getting me a gift? I mean, I know he doesn’t have to, and you know he doesn’t have to, but… fuck, Eds, I’m all excited now. Okay. Forget it. Anyway, come on. I want to completely obliterate you in Mario Kart.”

Eddie sighed softly, his smile big and dopey on his face as Buck got himself all excited, shaking his head as he kicked off his boots, finally leaving his gear behind. “Buck, if you think I’m going to add insult to injury and let you completely wipe the floor with me, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Fine, then you don’t have to play. You can just hang around and bask in my awesome.” Buck said, his effort at being nonchalant almost going over Eddie’s head, just barely catching the sidelong glance that Buck shot him while he was re-lacing his work boots.

He narrowed his eyes for a moment as he watched Buck’s shoulders tighten, sighing as he shook his head. “Fine, but you better fucking dazzle me, Buckley.” he said as he started walking to the tiny corner of the bay they had set up as a miniature rec area (a fancy word for three couches and a big-ass television, courtesy of Chim’s baby brother), but not before he saw the abject joy that bloomed over Buck’s face.

As much as he wanted to believe that that much joy could simply come from Buck getting to spend time on a couch with Eddie, he had a sneaking suspicion, much as he did earlier, that something else was up.

“Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something by osmosis, and actually stand a chance against your kid the next time he—“

Buck was cut off by a bang as the firehouse door hit the wall, a panicked cry pulling Buck and Eddie’s attention as they both automatically started to move.

“Help! Please, please I need help, I don’t think she’s breathing!”

Eddie and Buck were both immediately moving, Chim and Bobby close on their trail as they came down the stairs from the loft, Hen already opening the back of the ambulance and yanking out one of her bags.

Eddie slowed himself down as he reached forward to take the body of a young girl from her clearly distraught mother, Buck already a step ahead of him as he put a braceboard down on the ground, placing her too-small body down on it.

(Eddie still hated situations that involved kids.)

The little girl was conscious, but only barely, wheezing along as Eddie laid her down, taking her pulse instinctively as he gave her a simple once over. “Signs of angioedema, breathing is shallow, pupils are tight, plenty of hives across the neck and chest. Ma’am, does she have any allergies, any—”

“No! I mean, I don’t think so, we tried a new recipe for our christmas cookies this year… uh, almond, maybe? I don’t know!”

“Okay, we’re gonna give her some epinephrine, you need to look into an epi-pen, Buck?”

Buck nodded, grabbing a pen from the ambulance, pressing it against the thickest part of her thigh (she was so tiny, Jesus) and plunging the needle into her skin. “Alright, now, we’re going to take her to the hospital, so hop in the ambulance—” Bobby started, nodding to the vehicle as Hen and Chim jumped into the drivers cab, “—and you can ride with or follow along, whatever you want.”

Eddie and Buck had the gurney popped up in a heartbeat, wheeling it in the back of the rig as mother and daughter were loaded up, doors slamming behind the pair of them as Hen practically burned rubber.

Eddie felt his heart rate start to slow back down to a regular, human level as the ambulance tore out of the bay, and even he couldn’t keep the small smile on his face as he turned back to Buck, expecting the expression to be mirrored on his partner’s face.

So, you could imagine his surprise when Buck just looked… tired.

“Buck? You good? You still wanna get a round of the… uh… whatever?”

He rose a brow as Buck hitched his smile back on, giving a half shrug as he shook his head. “Nah, Eddie, it’s good. I’m gonna get started on Bobby’s chore list.”

With that, he started up the stairs to the kitchen, and Eddie was left in the metaphorical dust, staring up to Buck’s retreating backside as he was left alone on the main floor of the 118.

The fuck was going on?

--

buck fifty: why do i have to clean the kitchen if bobby and athena are just going to be cooking in an hour anyway

sent: Because, Buck, normal people clean the areas where they’re going to be preparing food.

buck fifty: miss me with that logic i havent had food poisoning in weeks dont @ me bro

Eddie let out a breathy bark of a laugh as he pushed up on the leg press again, his back drenched in sweat as he read over Buck’s reply. As much as he hated doing anything even remotely close to leg day, he figured that now was the time to work it out—a workout did better than a nap to help him wind down from back-to-back calls (and a near poisoning, Hen and Chim weren’t even back from the hospital yet), but it was a great way to keep his hands free so he could text Buck.

It was kind of sad, honestly, how many decisions that he made in his day to day life that were focused on Buck.

Today, though, the mission was a little more ‘what the fuck is up with Buck’ than it was anything else—Buck was a weird dude, sure, but he was acting jumpy and weird all fucking day today. Even in the moments when they were out on call, and Buck was in the zone, he still felt a little… off.

It was like there was a fucking satellite delay between them, and there had been all day. Eddie usually prided himself on being able to read a room, but today, it was like Buck was intentionally throwing walls his way.

Not that he was that attuned to Buck’s everyday emotions and mood, anyway. Nope. Definitely not.

…

fuck.

sent: Why don’t you come down here and do a few reps with me? Burn off some of that energy.

sent: Oh, wait, that isn’t an option for you yet. How sad.

buck fifty: look its not my fault that you happened to finish your chores earlier and i didnt

sent: …Buck, that is 100% your own fault. Are you good today? You’re weirding me out.

“Hello, 118! Did someone order a chef?” Eddie looked up as he heard Athena’s voice echo throughout the station, a smile on his face as he waved over to her. He loved the way that she had fit together with the station so well, and how she and Bobby got along as well as they did (even if he felt like he had to pay for it whenever Hen shot him a knowing look, less and less subtle with each passing day… okay, month), but he loved even more that she usually brought food, especially now, in what Eddie sincerely hoped would be a new tradition — Christmas dinner with his work family.

Make no mistake, Bobby’s cooking was phenomenal, but there was something about Athena’s family style everything that settled right in Eddie’s soul.

Maybe it was because she had the uncanny knack at seeing through his bullshit and calling him on anything and everything that he tried to pull when she was around, in a way that was both kind and hilariously firm.

Or maybe it was because she actually understood how to make a decent tex-mex meal.

Either way.

“Eddie, where’s our boys?”

Eddie looked up as Athena closed the distance to his machine in the gym, smiling as he did another rep. “Hey Athena. Buck’s cleaning up the kitchen, getting ready for you and Bobby.” he said easily, his legs giving a little wobble as he realized what he had said, eyes snapping to her easily. “Uh, I mean—“

“Diaz, please, we both know that was who I was talking about.” Athena said, cutting him off before he could answer, the knowing smile on her face making Eddie wish the ground would open him up and swallow him whole, but apparently LA was fresh out of earthquakes for the moment. Thankfully, Athena took some pity on him, keeping the conversation moving easily as she looked around the station. “I see he got a hold of the decorations. Good, the place looked too… clean before.” she said, and Eddie laughed even as his face flushed red, swinging his legs off the machine, the familiar burn in his thighs anchoring him in the moment. “Yeah, it really did. Buck said it looked like a Pottery Barn threw up.”

Eddie shook his head as Athena laughed, that same smile on her face again, but it was different now—easy, familiar, like she was seeing the answer to a puzzle that Eddie only had half the pieces to. “He’s a good man, Eddie. Both of you are. It’s just such a shame neither of you would know what healthy communication was if it bit you in the ass.” She said, shaking her head dramatically as she started up the stairs, leaving a completely baffled Eddie to grab his phone off of the machine as it buzzed again.

What the hell was she talking about? He and Buck communicated all the time.

buck fifty: ok now you have to help me

buck fifty: if athena and bobby are going to be in the kitchen together im going to wind up drowning in mushy

sent: How is that my problem? And don’t think you got by avoiding my other question.

buck fifty: eddie plz

sent: Use your words, Buck.

buck fifty: u gotta get up here and save me

sent: Have you cleaned out the oven yet?

buck fifty: ………

buck fifty: save me by helping me clean the oven

Okay, Eddie may have already lost the fight, but—

buck fifty: pleeeeeeeeeease

—but that didn’t mean he had to admit how wrapped around Buck’s pinky he was. He could still whine about it, he could still complain about it, he could still bring this up the next time he and Buck argued about who’s turn it was to go and answer the door when they ordered takeout. Cleaning the oven, that was absolutely something he could hold over Buck forever.

He made a quick detour to the locker room to change out of his gym clothes as he heard Athena greet the boys upstairs, his own smile begrudgingly pasted on as he remembered what Athena had said.

His boy. She had called Buck his boy.

It was… well, it was nice to dream.

He was basically floating on air as he made his way up the stairs, to the point where he almost walked straight until Bobby’s chest from where he stood at the top of the stairs. He let out a very masculine noise as he jumped back, nearly dropping his phone as Bobby clucked his tongue.

“Nope, Eddie, you know the rules. You and your black thumb need to stay far from the kitchen while we’re cooking.”

Eddie tried to sputter out a protest even as Athena laughed from her position near the fridge, unloading what looked like an actual mountain of groceries. “Come on Bobby, I’m sure he can’t be that bad—“

“He’s burned pasta, Athena.”

“That was one time!”

Eddie felt his face heat up as Buck immediately came to his defense, equal parts pleased and perturbed, as Bobby shook his head. “Not taking that chance, kid. Especially not while Athena is armed with two whole hams. Come on, go downstairs, shower up, and then we can find a way for you to help get ready for dinner that keeps you far away from the kitchen.”

“Cmon, Bobby—“

“Buck, you can clean the oven on your own. Now let’s go, we all got work to do.”

Eddie felt his mouth snap shut as Bobby dismissed him—not unkindly, nothing that Eddie hadn’t heard before, but the way that Buck was looking over at them was nothing short of tragic. He hadn’t seen Buck look that defeated since their run in at the grocery store in the midst of the lawsuit-that-they-didn’t-talk-about-seriously-Buck-we-both-apologized-it’s-fine.

Eddie’s brain continued to churn as he showered, nearly drowning himself beneath the scalding hot water as he tried to understand what the fuck was going on.

Buck had been acting weird. Which, honestly, wasn’t that unusual for Buck. Buck was a good man. He had his heart on his sleeve, like, constantly. He was happy when he was happy, he was sad when he was sad, and there was no hiding it when he was down.

And now, somehow, Eddie was bringing him down.

Or… when Eddie really thought about it, the lack of Eddie was bringing him down…

Eddie didn’t get to spend time with Buck, and Buck looked like someone had just stamped out his dreams.

And that… that was interesting.

The last piece of the puzzle finally sank into place as he toweled off his hair and stepped out of the locker room, right in time to hear Athena’s laugh ring through the station. He looked up to the loft in time to see Bobby dipping her into a kiss, but that wasn’t where his eyes focused—no, they were instead focusing on something red and green. Something red and green and small and something that was definitely not there before Buck started his redecorations this morning, hanging in front of the oven.

The oven that he was supposed to help Buck clean.

Eddie felt his eyes narrow as he looked around the station, trying to retrace his steps throughout the station from the moment he walked in that morning. The utility closet… the recreation area… and back to the kitchen again.

He felt a small smile, in spite of himself, spread across his face, something dangerously close to hope blooming in his chest. Fate seemed to smile on him as Hen and Chim pulled back into the firehouse bay, and he took the opportunity to smack Hen’s arm as she walked past him.

“Ow, Eddie, what the f—“

“I’m gonna risk it, Hen.” Eddie said, effectively cutting her off, knowing that she would pick up on what he meant immediately. “But I need some help. You got a minute?”

--

“Buckaroo, will you take these plates down to the table? Here, bring Eddie some silverware.”

“Yeah, no problem Chim.”

Eddie elbowed Hen away from him as Buck started down the stairs, trying his best to act like he was doing anything but listening up the stairs. He and Hen had been busy setting up the table (and a few other things) while Chim was assigned on running interference upstairs, which turned out to be the easiest job of all while Buck… well, while Buck moped.

Eddie hated Buck moping. Almost as much as he hated how cute he thought it was, now that he knew what Buck was up to.

Or, at least, he thought he knew what Buck was up to. He was still painfully aware of how wrong this could all go—maybe it was the magic of the season, maybe it was a year in the making, maybe it was Hen egging him on, but Eddie…

Eddie actually felt like he could do this.

Even if it meant that he had to play completely oblivious in the meantime.

“Alright, Buck,” Eddie started, taking the stack of plates out of Buck’s hand, somehow fighting the smile as Buck handed them over, “what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird all day.”

Buck grumbled as he tugged at the corner of the table cloth, straightening out a few placemats as he shrugged. “Nothing, Eds, I’m fine. Just a weird day, I guess. Dinner should be good, though!” Buck said, hiking a smile up onto his face. Eddie did his best to hide a little laugh as he nodded to Hen, who had slipped into the cab of the ladder truck.

“Buck, come on. I’ve known you for years, you’re not fine. Weird, yes. Fine, no.”

Buck stuck out his tongue as he started to dole out forks and knives, the little lighthearted gesture doing something to ease the worry that Eddie felt at the base of his spine, but he could still see the tension coiled through his best friends shoulders.

“Seriously, Buck, I—“

“It’s fine, Eddie! I just…” Buck’s shoulder slumped as he started to deflate, the harsh tone of his voice giving way as his face flushed. Setting the last fork down, he started to pace in earnest, speaking with his hands as much as he was with his voice. “I just had a certain thought about how things might go this year, and fate, or destiny, or whatever, has made it very clear that’s not going to be how it goes. I dunno, I thought I could make things… different, or special or whatever?” he started, and Eddie seriously had to swallow the words that were threatening to spill over his lips.

Buck wanted to make things special. Buck wanted to make things special. For him. Like Buck didn’t do that kind of thing every day simply by existing.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter, you don’t have to worry about it.” Buck sighed as he put the last fork down and started pacing at the head of the table, and Eddie had to make sure his voice wasn’t going to waver when he spoke again.

“It still can be special, Buck—“

“Eds, it’s whatever. It was stupid anyway.”

“Buck.”

“No, Eddie, it’s okay, I shouldn’t have—“

“Buck. Stop. Breathe.”

Eddie grabbed both of Buck’s shoulders to stop him from pacing, raising his eyebrows as Buck finally made eye contact with him.

“Are you breathing? Okay. Great. Good. Now look up.”

“Eds, what are you talking about?”

“Buck, for the love of God, listen to me for once in your life and just look up.”

Eddie took a moment to savor the complete confusion written on Buck’s face as he finally comprehended what Eddie was asking (with a murmured complaint of “I always listen to you”), and Eddie let his eyes lock on to Buck’s face. Mostly because he wanted to see Buck’s reaction, but partially because he was afraid of what said reaction would be. Even if Buck was seeing the mistletoe above them for the first time, that Eddie had painstakingly tied to the top rung of the ladder that Hen had extended over the table from the truck, this was the moment of truth—and Eddie already knew what was up there.

Besides, Buck was a much better view than some green garnish.

“That’s, uhm.” Buck started, and Eddie finally gave up trying to keep the smile off his face. “That’s mistletoe.”

Eddie hummed thoughtfully as Buck looked back to him, “It is. I pulled some from the kitchen, found a sprig near the rec room, one from the utility closet…”

Buck actually had the decency to look surprised as he looked back to Eddie, literal stars in his eyes. “And you… put them together. And tied them to the ladder, and… got me to stand under it with you.” Buck continued, slowly, and Eddie gave a little chuckle as he nodded his head, taking a step closer. “I did. I mean, unless I’m misreading this entire situation, in which case I have no idea what you’re talking about, and if that’s the case, I’m going to go dig a hole out back and throw myself—mmhph.”

Eddie was more thankful than anything when Buck took the step forward to close the distance between them before he could start rambling, one hand on Eddie’s jaw to tilt it up (god he loved that Buck was taller than he was), the other warm and heavy on his hip (god, he loved Buck’s strong hands), lips slotting together with an ease that Eddie had never experienced with a first kiss before (god, he loved kissing Buck).

He also loved Hen and Chim, because no sooner did Chim hit the switch near the bay doors to dim the lights around the ladder truck did Hen manage to restart Buck’s Christmas playlist, Irving Berlin’s voice crooning about a white Christmas over the station speakers as Eddie’s arms wrapped around Buck’s neck.

When they finally pulled back to breathe, Eddie found himself tiptoeing up to chase Buck’s lips, his face flushing bright red afterward when he realized what he had done. They both started laughing as Buck’s hands dropped down to Eddie’s waist, Eddie following suit and letting his hands rest on Buck’s shoulders, fitting together in a way that Eddie had only imagined.

“So… I guess the mistletoe worked out for you in the end.” Eddie said with a smile, and Buck laughed, shaking his head, that beautiful ruddy color staining his cheeks again. “Eds, I, uh… I’ve kind of been working up the courage to do something like this for weeks.” He said sheepishly, and Eddie couldn’t help but laugh, smacking Buck’s shoulder.

“Weeks? To think, you still had months to go before you were anywhere close to my level.” Eddie said as he pulled away, sighing as he smoothed over Buck’s collar, a smile on his face as he turned and left a stunned Buck in his wake.

“Wait, Eddie, what?”

Eddie shook his head as he walked back into the locker room, Buck following suit shortly after.

“Eds, no, wait! How long did I pine without needing to?? Eddie!!”

[keichanz]

Working Hard

NOTE: TITLE CHANGE. previously titled Workin’ Hot

anyway, i totally meant to post this in the morning but when i finished it last night i forgot to send it to myself so i could post it at work. oops lol. and hey lookie that, just in time for Valentine’s day too! it’s not at all Valentine’s related, but it’s inukag and that’s all that matters amiright ahahha.

moving on tagging my ladies because if i don’t they’ll maul me in my sleep: @clearwillow @sssuperbartola @lemonlushff @tsukinohimeusagi @dangerouspompadour @meggz0rz @cammysansstuff @britonell @eternalnight8806-3 @bearpluscat @morikothehalfangel @hinezumi @ideasthatbuildcities @thunderpot @fantastiqueparfait @umacaking​ 

sorry if i forgot anybody <3

also please note this is entirely unedited so beware the typos and other errors haha.

lol totally forgot to add this but here is a layout of Kagome’s office to get a better perspective. 

“Damn dog’s working you to the bone today, eh, missy? When’s the last time you had a break?”

Kagome smiled, however she didn’t look up from the huge printer as she continued to feed invoices and purchase orders into the tray to be copied. The stupid thing kept jamming on her whenever she looked away for even a second and she was already behind schedule as it is. As it was, she’d have to stay at least until seven now instead of five like she’d originally planned, but that was because the maintenance guy had failed to show up at the allotted time of two pm to fix the malfunctioning air conditioner. He’d called and said he would be late, but hadn’t mentioned how late, and now Kagome was stuck after hours in a stifling hot office with no AC and with a million and one things she still needed to do. She was tired, and hot, and hungry, and she just wanted to go home, but she couldn’t leave until the damn AC guy showed up and she had no idea when that would be.

Her job sucked sometimes, but at least the people she worked with made up for that.

“Hi, Bob,” Kagome greeted one of their driver’s and only looked up once the last PO had gone through the copier. She sighed and collected the copies, stacking the purchase orders in a neat pile on the desk to be received later before taking the originals and filing back where they belong. She left the invoices on Sango’s desk to be done first thing in the morning; she knew her friend would appreciate the help, little as it may be.

“You know as well as I do that Tai has nothing to do with me still being here,” she said, walking barefoot to the filing cabinets; she’d kicked off her heels long before since it was just her in the office and Tai always locked the front door after he and Sesshomaru left for the day.

“I volunteered, and there’s too much to do to take a break. With Kagura on maternity leave and Ayame out sick, it’s only me, Sango, and Shiori to pick up the slack, but because Shiori’s still in training there’s only so much she can do.”

Sliding the last PO into the appropriate folder, Kagome shut the drawer with another sigh and finally turned to face her friend and favorite driver of Taisho Metal Finishing. Rotund, bearded, and with a perpetual flush on his face, Bob treated her like his own daughter and she in turn saw him as a sort of father. Though he constantly harassed and teased her, always stealing her keys and pretending to hide them somewhere in the plant, he also always asked how she was doing and made sure she wasn’t overworking herself. She adored him for it, and usually she would take the time to sit down and chat for a few minutes if she ended up staying late, but right now she simply didn’t have the time.

“It’s hot as balls in here,” he grunted and whipped a hand over his sweaty brow. “Drinking enough, at least?”

Smiling, Kagome ambled over to her desk and lifted up her cold water bottle in answer before taking a swig.

Bob nodded, satisfied, and finally allowed a grin to stretch his tanned face. “That damned AC guy still not here?”

Kagome wrinkled her nose and shook her head, taking another sip of her water before setting it back down and ambling over to the back table to grab the incoming PO’s. Back over to the printer, she fed them into the copy tray and poked around on the screen to get the settings she wanted.

“No,” she muttered and the annoyance was obvious in her tone. “He hasn’t called since the first time when he said he was going to be late, I don’t even know if he’s on his way, and—”

The printer whirred, beeped obnoxiously at her for several seconds, then flashed an error message at her on the screen.

“—and this stupid thing keeps jamming on me!”

Scowling, Kagome refrained from kicking it in sheer frustration – her bare and unprotected toes would not appreciate that act – and huffed out a harsh exhale before angrily jabbing her finger onto the screen to clear the message and start over.

Unable to keep from chuckling despite her obvious frustration, Bob shuffled over and patted her shoulder, squeezing once.

“Take a break, missy,” he told her gently and guided her over to her desk chair. Kagome gave in easily, thinking that perhaps he was right and it was time she took a break. “You’ve earned it. Now, if I leave to go unload my truck, will the printer still be in once piece tomorrow?”

“Oh, shut up,” Kagome laughed and swatted his arm. Bob released a hearty laugh, patted her back, ruffled her hair, and retreated back to the even hotter floor where his truck sat at the dock waiting to be unloaded.

Kagome watched him go with a fond smile. Bob had always been able to lift her spirits and make her day a little brighter and she was grateful to him.

Sitting back in her chair, Kagome grimaced when her clothes stuck to her sweaty skin uncomfortably and she sat back up, fanning her flushed face with her hand and blowing out her cheeks in another sigh. Of course the AC just had to go on one of the hottest days of the summer; it had to be at least eighty in the office, and it was probably reaching one hundred out on the floor where all the hot water tanks, ovens, and machinery were. She couldn’t imagine how the floor employees had faired today. The drivers at least had the reprieve of leaving to pick up and drop off orders in their nice air-conditioned trucks.

Wrinkling her nose, Kagome glared down at her blouse, bit her lip, and gave a mental “to hell with it” before unbuttoning it and shrugging it off. It was only her in the office anyway and she didn’t care if any of the drivers saw her in just a skirt and her camisole. Hell, they were probably walking around without shirts out there since the bosses were gone. No one to yell at them for it.

Feeling better already without her blouse sticking to her skin, Kagome splashed some cool water into her hands via water bottle and dabbed at her face and neck, sighing as the chilly water cooled her heated skin. It was a brief reprieve, but welcomed none the less. It was hot, dammit. She fished around in her desk for a hair tie and bundled her hair up into a loose bun, wondering why she hadn’t had the smarts to do this in the first place.

“Much better,” she sighed, feeling better already. “Alright, now back to—”

The door that led out into the plant opened up and an unfamiliar male voice called out, “Hello? I was called to fix a faulty air conditioner unit. Someone sent me up here to talk to a…Kagome?”

“Oh, thank god,” Kagome muttered to herself and then said louder, “Yes, hello! Just a moment please, wait right there and I’ll come show you where it is.”

Using her feet to drag heels out from under her desk, Kagome slipped them back on and stood from her chair, taking a moment to smooth out her skirt and make sure her hair wasn’t a complete mess. Hoping she looked at least halfway presentable, Kagome stepped out from behind her desk and—

“Oh!”

Either impatient or he simply hadn’t heard her, the repair man had followed her voice from the lobby into the office where only employees were permitted. Wearing stained coveralls with the repair company’s logo on the left breast, the man had black, greasy looking air that fell down his back in unkempt waves and leering red eyes that sent not so pleasant shivers crawling along the length of her spin. He grinned at her and Kagome took an involuntary step back, feeling a chill course through her entire body despite the stifling heat. The man set a heavy looking toolbox on the ground and advanced toward her, his scarlet gaze unabashedly dropping to ogle the cleavage bared by her clingy camisole.

“Um, s-sir,” Kagome stuttered and took another step back. “Y-you’re not allowed back here. Please, the—the AC is upstairs…if you’ll follow me—”

“Kagome,” the man murmured and his smirk had a sinister lilt to it. “Was it you I spoke on the phone with earlier? It was, wasn’t it,” he continued without waiting for an answer. “You’re even lovelier than you sound.”

Kagome paled. Oh god.

“Ah, sir, p-please,” she squeaked and hated how her voice wavered, “This isn’t—the…the air conditioner—”

“Can wait a few more minutes,” he murmured, his voice like a serrated knife cloaked in velvet; malice hidden behind purring tones and slick words. “I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Naraku. Pleasure to meet you, Kagome.”

The way he said her name had a sick, heavy feeling settling in her stomach and she swallowed several times through a throat tight with sudden anxiety. She offered a strained smile and backed up again. He followed her, seemingly either uncaring he was making her so uncomfortable, and completely oblivious.

Kagome suspected it was the former and it made her heart race.

“W-well, Naraku,” she said and licked her dry lips. His eyes followed the movement and she shivered in a mix of fear and disgust. “It’s…nice to meet you, too.” Lie. LIE. “I, uh, I can’t leave until you’re gone, so…if you could…go upstairs, down the hall, and to your left, you’ll find the room where the AC is.”

There was no way in hell she was going to be alone with this man for any length of time now. He can go find the damn AC by his own creepy self. And maybe she’d run out and grab Bob to keep her company in case he came back downstairs for whatever reason. She knew he’d keep her safe. Or maybe even Sha—

“Really?” he drawled and the grin he gave her stretched his mouth, ruby eyes glinting with fiendish delight.

Oooh shit. Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned that.

“I-I mean—th-the drivers, they—one of them could come in any minute and I won’t be alone and—”

Oh god, she was rambling and not making any sense and he was getting closer and Kagome felt the first tendrils of panic skitter across her skin like thousands of needles—

“Hey, asshole. The fuck you think you’re doing?”

While Kagome gasped and caught herself on the back table behind her as relief surged through her entire body, Naraku paused inches before her and looked over his shoulder to level a carefully neutral look at whoever interrupted them.

Standing behind the reception desk, a six foot wall of solid muscle donned in ripped jeans and a black ball cap, Kagome’s inadvertent savior only spared her a brief glance to assure she was alright before pinning her tormentor under the weight of his unwavering amber gaze. To his credit Naraku seemed unaffected and merely stared back, not moving away from her, but not getting any closer either.

When still the asshat didn’t move away from the clearly uncomfortable woman, dark brows snapped low over his eyes and a deep growl echoed in his throat. Fucker apparently had more balls than brains, but at least he had enough sense to not ignore his presence. A wise decision; if he hadn’t, Inuyasha would have been forced t use a much more physical means to intervene, and he was positive neither his dad nor Sesshomaru would appreciate that.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me,” he started, voice low, gaze narrowing just the slightest. “Or maybe you’re just stupid, but I asked you what the fuck you think you’re doing. This area is off limits to anyone but employees, asshole. Beat it.”

He gestured behind him with a jerk of his head, indicating the lobby where he should get the hell out of his sight, and fast.

Once more Naraku proved that he was below average intelligence when he again refused to move away from Kagome and instead merely half-turned and pegged the half-demon with a narrow-eyed stare.

“The lady and I,” he began, either not noticing or ignore as the lady in question subtly inched away from him, “are having a conversation. One you quite rudely interrupted, I might add.”

“Conversation’s over,” Inuyasha told him firmly and his tone brooked no room for argument. “Now I suggest you leave the lady alone, get the fuck outta my sight, and go do what you were specifically hired to do. And in case your sense of direction is as shitty as your hearing, that would be up the stairs, down the hall, and to your left. Door’s labeled ‘Employees Only.’ Can’t miss it.”

Naraku pegged him with a sinister glare that time and Inuyasha didn’t miss the way his hands clenched into tight fists. His gaze sharpened and he tensed, but didn’t move.

“Kagome was just about to show me herself,” the repair man claimed and swung twin pools of unnerving ruby red said woman’s way. Kagome froze in her gradual bid to escape and Naraku smiled. It was not a nice smile.

“Weren’t you, Kagome?”

Wide brown eyes cut to his and beneath his ballcap Inuyasha’s ears pinned against his head as another growl welled in his throat.

“Tough shit,” Inuyasha snapped and watched as the asshole visibly tensed before once more turning his head to level him with a murderous glare. “I don’t give a rat’s ass if she promised to give you a goddamn tour of France, dickhead. Kagome is busy, I have shit to do other than waste my time standing here talking to someone who clearly forgot his helmet at home and licks windows in his spare time, so do us both a favor, grab your shit, and go do your fucking job.”

Maybe it was the low, ominous growl that even Kagome could hear now, the sudden ring of the company phone that shattered the tense silence that followed, or perhaps it was Kagome driving to go answer it, but whatever it was evidently Naraku finally decided to heed the hanyou’s request. He pursed his lips, glowered balefully at the silver-haired figure for several charged seconds, then wordlessly picked up his tools and stomped by him toward the stairs.

Kagome hunt up the phone, looked over her shoulder, then gratefully sank down into her chair with a loud, relieved sigh. She pressed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes, taking a moment to breathe as she willed her tense muscles to relaxed. She heard him approach and when she opened her eyes again, her water bottle was being held before her by a clawed hand.

“I can’t thank you enough, Sha,” Kagome said and grabbed her drink with a grateful smile. “You have some pretty incredible timing.”

Leaning back against the printer and crossing his arms again, Inuyasha studied her quietly for a moment as she took several deep gulps of the cool liquid before replying.

“Bob asked me to check in on you,” he revealed and Kagome blinked in surprise. “Said he looked pretty sketchy and got a weird feeling about him when he asked where to go.” He cocked a brow. “Suppose he was right.”

Kagome sighed. “And how,” she muttered, setting her drink on her desk. God, if Sha hadn’t intervened when he did…

“Any idea how long it’s gonna take?” he asked and nodded his head toward the ceiling.

“No,” she answered, wrinkling her nose. “And I can’t leave until he’s gone.” She didn’t sound very happy about that and he couldn’t blame her.

Inuyasha frowned. “Are you staying late because of him?”

Kagome shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. You weren’t exactly lying earlier; I really am busy. I still have quotes to send, tags to make—oh! Those are yours, by the way,” she said and pointed to a colorful stack of papers – the aforementioned product tags – on the table. “Then I need to file invoices, finish some receiving, update pricing…the list goes on.”

Inuyasha whistled low, mentally wincing in sympathy. “Damn. Sounds like you’ll be just as busy as me. That idiot Houjo dropped an entire fucking skid of Horschel – an entire skid – from the forklift earlier and it’s giant goddamn mess.”

Kagome’s eyebrows rose and despite herself her lips twitched. “Was that what I heard a few hours ago? That huge crash?”

He grunted and Kagome took that as her answer.

“Oh, man,” she said and her smile was sympathetic. “I hope it wasn’t expedited.”

Inuyasha winced.

Kagome’s mouth dropped. “No.”

He groaned that time and Kagome had to bite her lip to stop from giggling. She really did feel bad; the Horschel brothers were not going to be happy when they hear their entire order had been destroyed.

“Oh…I am so sorry,” she said sincerely. “That’s just…damn.”

“Yeah,” he rumbled, dragging a hand down his face. “Looks like neither of us will be leaving any time before seven, I’d wager.”

“Well,” Kagome piped up, ever the optimist. “At least it’s Friday?”

Inuyasha’s ear flicked beneath his cap and the corner of his lips flickered with the beginnings of a grin.

“Good night for pizza and Netflix.”

“And breadsticks. And—oh! Chicken wings. Hot chicken wings.”

“You absolute mad woman.”

“I know.”

Inuyasha snickered while Kagome dissolved into giggles and as he watched her laughing, face flushed, dark eyes bright and raven hair piled up into a messy bun, the urge slammed into him so hard he didn’t even think to resist. And if he was being honest with himself, it was something he’d been wanting to do for quite some time, and well…no time like the present, right?

“Listen,” Inuyasha began and Kagome cocked her head, curious, but before he could continue, the phone on his belt chose that moment to ring and he released a muttered curse. Sighing, he rolled his eyes, gave Kagome an apologetic look, and when all she did was smile and wave a dismissive hand, he unhooked the annoying device and pressed the call button.

“The hell do you want, I’m busy.”

While Inuyasha talked on the phone with who was probably one of his drivers, Kagome’s smile lingered on her face as she watched him, unabashed taking the opportunity to really get a good look at him while he was distracted.

Good lord, but the man was…mmm. Donned in the light blue company uniform shirt paired with dark jeans and scuffed up shitkickers, Kagome would be lying if she said he didn’t look utterly delicious. Most likely in deference to the heat, he had the top half of the shirt’s buttons unfastened and the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweat since it was much hotter out on the floor than in the office, and the white ribbed tank top be wore beneath his shirt clung to his chest very enticingly. His long hair was tied into a low ponytail and he had a five o’clock shadow that attractively darkened a strong jaw.

Inuyasha Taisho – or Sha, as most people called him – was the shipping manager and in charge of the drivers that worked for the company. The son of the CEO and half-brother to the president, he didn’t let his relation to the big bosses make him any different from the other employees. He didn’t receive any special treatment either, which was fine with him anyway. He was a hard worker, and though Kagome didn’t work with him much and saw him even less, she knew he was also a valued part of the company and made sure his drivers were on time with both deliveries and pick-ups.

He spent most of his time out on the floor if not in a truck himself, but when she did see him in the office, he always treated the office ladies with respect and was never rude or impatient if he came to them with an issue with the paperwork. Kagome genuinely liked him and had to admit she was a little disappointed she couldn’t work with him more often, but knew his presences was required out on the floor so she didn’t complain.

…Much.

Oh, who was she kidding? For a while now Kagome had been wanting to know far more about him and not just the surface knowledge a coworker was privileged to.  She wanted to know his favorite food or if he was a coffee drinker. Was he an early bird or a night owl? Cats or dogs? McDonald’s or Burger King? She wanted to know his quirks, the little details, and okay fine, yes she was crushing. Big time.

But while Kagome was over her with moon eyes and a dopey smile, he hadn’t so much as spared her a second glance so she’d never approached him like she truly wanted.

“Keep your dick in your pants, I’ll be there in a minute,” Inuyasha drawled and promptly stopped the insistent whining in his ear by hanging up the phone. He grumbled and shook his head, clipping the device back on his belt. Christ, he leaves for ten goddamn minutes and the entire floor is having a fucking conniption because he’s not there.

“Do your people need you?” Kagome asked with a teasing smile.

Inuyasha snorted. “My people are idiots and can’t do a damn thing for themselves apparently.”

Shaking his head, he sighed, studied her thoughtfully for a moment, and decided he’d ask her later, after McCreepy Fuck was gone. She had work to do anyway and he didn’t want to distract her more than he already had.

“I’ll stick around,” he said and flicked a brief glance toward the ceiling in explanation. She beamed at him and his heart skipped a beat. Christ he was done for. “Anything happens, you call me. I’ll hear it. I promise.”

He could see it as she visibly relaxed and he was obvious it meant a great deal to her that he was willing to hang around so she wouldn’t have to be alone with him.

“Thank you, Sha,” she breathed, truly grateful. “It…means a lot to me. Really.”

Inuyasha nodded, expression softening. “No problem,” he murmured just as his phone rang again. Kagome giggled as he tipped his head back with an exaggerated sigh, rolling his eyes heavenward.

He quirked a grin, tipped his hat at her – relishing in her quiet laugh – then grabbed the tags she’d already created before turning around to head back toward the floor, unclipping his phone and answering it with a barked, “What, Miroku? I told you I’d—no, dammit, don’t let him on the forklift again—!”

The door to the plant slammed shut and Kagome was once again left alone. Or as alone as she could be given the circumstances, but she decided not to dwell on that, standing up and getting back to work to distract herself. Let’s see, first she’d finish filing the invoices, then the receiving, and after that get those quotes sent she wasn’t able to send earlier…  

It was perhaps two or so hours later that Kagome had just hit send on the last quote when she heard the AC unit kick on with a stuttered whirr, some clicking sounds, and then smooth out into its usual background buzzing noise.

“Finally,” she muttered and closed out of Gmail before shutting down her computer. She was honesty a little surprised that Naraku had actually stayed upstairs, but then again, he probably didn’t want to get on a certain half-demon’s bad side if he bothered her. Inuyasha had indeed popped in several times to give updates on the goings on of his drivers and to also just see how she was doing. She liked that he took her discomfort about the repair man seriously and loved that he seemed so protective of her. It gave her all the nice warm and fuzzies.

Warm and fuzzies that had abruptly traveled southward at an embarrassingly fast rate when Inuyasha, sans his uniform shirt, had at one point during a brief chat unconsciously grabbed the hem of his tank top and pulled it up to wipe the sweat from his face. Kagome had gotten a very nice view of his toned abdomen and the line of silver hair that disappeared into his jeans which in turn pointed out the enticing V of his hips. Kagome’s face had gone very red, and when she’d finally managed to life her gaze, she was met with the sight of a cocked brow and a knowing smirk.

Needless to say, she hadn’t been able to look at him again after that without turning five shades of red and she could still hear his little chuckle as he all but swaggered away.

Cocky bastard. Damned if she didn’t absolutely love it.

Standing from her chair and glancing at the clock on the wall that read 6:32 pm, Kagome sighed, stretched, and went about tidying up the workspace to be ready for Monday morning. The plant had gone quiet about forty-five minutes ago, signaling that most of the warehouse workers had gone home and it was just the drivers now unloading their trucks and putting away product in its required bay. She knew Inuyasha was still here, though Bob was gone, having left about half an hour ago.

Kagome wiped clean the day’s notes and messages from the dry erase board on the back wall and tided up the table, humming under her breath as she placed pens and markers in their appropriate place. She shut down Shiori’s computer because she forgot to again, turned around—

And screamed.

Naraku raised his brows as scarlet eyes glinted in amusement.

“My apologies,” he murmured, a smirk curling his lips. “I did not mean to startle you, Kagome.”

Hand pressed against her rapidly beating heart, Kagome recovered quickly and put more distance between them with a few steps backward. Jeez, he was quiet; she hadn’t even heard him come down the stairs! She also highly doubted he hadn’t meant to startle her because if that were true, why hadn’t he said anything and just stood there like a creeper?

“It’s, uh, fine.” It wasn’t. “All finished?” As discreetly as she could she inched toward her desk. It wasn’t much, but if she could just get to the pepper spray in her purse…

“It’s running,” he murmured, his eyes half-lidded as he blatantly stared at her chest. “Replaced some wires. Took longer than expected…”

He trailed off and Kagome frowned, deliberately crossing her arms over her chest, her back to her desk now. His gaze flashed back to hers and he adopted a look of nonchalance as if she hadn’t just caught him ogling her and Kagome had to bite back a snort. God, this guy was all kinds of sleaze and she couldn’t wait to get rid of him.

“Good,” she said with a nod. “You can put the invoice on the reception desk on your way out. Thank you for your service. Have a good weekend.”

An obvious dismissal delivered in a clipped, firm tone that suggested he’d do well to heed it.

Imagine her surprise when he didn’t and instead reached out too fast for her to react and snatched her wrist.

“I think I’d rather stay a while,” Naraku purred and his smile dripped with ill-intent.

Kagome gasped and yanked at her hand, her neutral expression falling to be replaced by an outraged scowl.

“Don’t touch me,” she hissed, gritting her teeth as she struggled to escape his grip, but he was surprisingly strong, tightening his fingers around her wrist to the point of pain. Kagome winced at clawed at his hand with the nails of her free hand, digging into his skin, but he barely noticed, his smile broadening as a chuckle escaped his lips.

“My dear,” he chuckled, tugging her closer and ignoring her attempts to free herself. “You don’t have to pretend anymore. I know you didn’t want that half-breed to interrupt us earlier.”

Kagome gaped at him. He couldn’t be serious.

“Don’t be shy, now,” he purred and oh good god, he was serious. “It’s only you and I here, after all. Your eyes were begging me to touch you, to bring you the pleasure that no vile half-breed could ever—”

Before he could finish his disgusting monologue that was making Kagome want to hurl in his face – or punch him in his face, which ever came first – Naraku was suddenly yanked away from her and the grip around her wrist vanished. Kagome stumbled backward, rubbing the abused flesh and watching with great satisfaction as the creep was bodily slammed face-first against the filing cabinets.

Roughly cranking the fucker’s arm behind his back and shoving his weight against it to put strain on the shoulder, Inuyasha reveled in the hiss of pain that reached his ears as Naraku struggled against his hold. He only tightened his grip, claws digging into his arm, and when Naraku tried to headbutt him by throwing his head back, Inuyasha retaliated by slamming his face into the cold metal of the cabinets in front of him.

“Alright, you demented fuck, listen up,” Inuyasha growled in the bastard’s ear, unwilling to let him get away with the stunt he’d just pulled. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re on that makes you think it’s okay to touch her, but my fist is begging to make nice with your face, so unless you wanna be nothing but a bloody fucking smear on the wall, you have three seconds to get the fuck outta my sight after I let you go. We clear?”

Naraku grumbled something and Inuyasha pulled on his arm. The fucker paled, gasped, and then nodded, and satisfied Inuyasha gave him one last shove against the cabinets before releasing him and stepping back. He purposely placed himself in front of Kagome and crossed his arms, fierce scowl on his face and fangs bared as a steady growl echoed in his throat.

To his credit, though he looked mightily pissed, Naraku didn’t even spare the two of them a glance as he grabbed his toolbox and hightailed it out of there. Seconds later the door slammed closed and Kagome was able to breathe easily again.

“Ugh,” Kagome muttered and leaned back against her desk, her knees feeling weak. “If I never see him again, it’ll be too soon.”

Inuyasha only relaxed fully when he heard the sound of a motor starting up and then fading away as the asshole left the premises and he turned to face her, eyes immediately zeroing in on the reddened skin of her wrist. He frowned and gestured toward it with a nod of his head.

“You alright?” he asked, wanting to take her delicate wrist and massage away the soreness while at the same time removing the fucker’s stench from her skin. God, he hated that he touched her.

Kagome smiled at him and he was happy to note that it was genuine, her eyes soft as she regarded him fondly and with something else that made his heart rate kick up a notch. Did she…?

“I’m fine,” she answered, rubbing the skin for a moment before bracing both of her hands on the desk, fingers curling around the edge. “Thank you, Sha. Once again you proved to have some pretty impeccable timing. Any later and you probably would have witnessed me decking him in his stupid face.”

He snorted. “What I wouldn’t give to see that,” Inuyasha remarked and moved so he was leaning against Sango’s desk, arms and ankles crossed as he faced her. “You’re welcome, but this time I actually had an ulterior motive for showing up. I wanted to ask you before, but it didn’t feel like the right time.”

Kagome’s eyes lit up and her smile was hopeful. “Oh? Ask me what?”

Inuyasha studied her for a moment, golden eyes heavy-lidded and intense as they searched her face. Kagome held her breath, biting down on her bottom lip as her heart raced in her chest, butterflies rioting in her belly.

“Sha?” she breathed when still all he did was stare at her.

Something in his expression shifted as his gaze locked with hers and Kagome felt goosebumps ignite on her skin that had nothing to do with the significantly cooler air in the office courtesy of the now working AC.

“Call me Inuyasha,” he rumbled as he pushed away from the desk and closed the scant distance between them. Kagome didn’t move, didn’t stop him as he grabbed her hips and lifted her into the desk, nudging himself between her thighs as hands first slid along the solid muscles of his arms before slipping her own around his neck.

Kagome sighed and closed her eyes as he blazed a trail of soft kisses along her neck.

“Inuyasha,” she murmured and was rewarded by a gentle nip to her ear.  “What did you…”

“Do I really need to ask?” he whispered in her ear and kissed along the line of her jaw.

“Mmm.” Kagome turned her head, nuzzled his temple, and breathed, “So, Netflix and chill?”

Inuyasha laughed, Kagome giggled, but then the sound was promptly silenced by his mouth as he kissed her with a slow but passionate thoroughness that left Kagome whimpering and pressing herself against him. She eagerly returned his kiss and she felt his pleased growl in some very nice places. Her blood heated, her stomach fluttered as arousal sparked a flame deep in the pit of her belly, and when his hand dropped to nudge her forward into the cradle of his hips, she gasped at the feel of him, thick and ready for a long night of hard—

“Fuck,” Inuyasha cursed against her mouth and he felt her lips curl into an impish smile. Despite himself he chuckled and nipped her lip before soothing the brief sting with a swipe of his tongue.

“My place?” he groaned and closed his eyes, tilting his head and letting his little vixen lavish his neck with nips and kisses of her own as her hands slid beneath his shirt to run her fingers over his stomach. He shuddered and moved his hand to grab her thigh, shoving her skirt up to feel the soft flesh beneath his palm.

“On one condition,” Kagome purred and curled her hand around his neck to tug him back down for another hot kiss. He indulged her with a heated growl, slicking his tongue along hers, fangs nipping soft flesh, relishing in her sweet taste.

“Name it,” he growled, willing to give her anything she wanted as long as she kept kissing him like that because fuck.

“Pizza and wings afterwards. You’re buying.”

Inuyasha laughed. God, he was already half-way in fucking love with this wonderful woman.

“Deal,” he rumbled and with a wicked grin, he stole her mouth in another kiss that Kagome happily returned, hands diving into his hair while he pushed her back and then she let him do some very unprofessional things to her on the surface of her desk.

Hardly Working