#i have another big project due tomorrow

[sluttyten]

🥶

[nyx-is-missing]

hello! Can you write a Clarisse La Rue x reader where they met before Clarisse got sent to camp halfblood when they were little and were best friends then Clarisse left for camp with no explanation then years later reader goes to camp and sees Clarisse for the first time in years and it’s kinda awkward but cute

thanks :)

This is kinda long sooorrry, to help, the part where she gets to camp (kinda) will be in green

Girls on film 📷

Clarrise la rue x fem!reader

Warnings and explanations: bad words (take the kids out of the living room she swears) gender is specified cause it was written as wlw, but it doenst actually makes a diference, fluff, like two sentences, there is a kiss in the picture but they dont actually kiss sorry.

Unspecified parent gender for both sides so yall can pick wichever

Trying not to kill myself.

That was what i was doing 15 hours ago, just as any normal teenagers living (or as i prefer saying fighting for the soul to stay on the body) during finals week.

In my room there was nothing but piles and piles of normal work, piles for extra credit, piles of old quizzes to try to get me prepared for the new ones and a dumb incomplete project for photography class that was due tomorrow.

Okay ill admit, i had a month to make that, and all i needed to do was shoot pictures, but that was the problem, i prefer taking pictures of people, their emotions, whatever they might be, just never ceases to amaze me.

And my dumb project made take pictures of....landscapes.

Not too bad, if i had any actual real talent for that type of photography, but i dont, every picture gets ruined somehow, its the lightning, the lack of it, my camera falls, gets full of dirt and i get so mad that i just give up.

That whole speach was necessary for me to explain what i was doing 14 hours ago, and that would explain what i was doing 5 minutes ago.

14 hours ago i decided to shoot the photos, i could try many times before it got dark, and if o was lucky enough i wouldnt go insane before the golden hour, and could actually get some nice pictures.

I grabbed my totte bag taking with me only the necessary, camera stuff, the camera, some snacks and my notebook to upload the pictures before i went mad.

13 hours ago i was running to save my life.

And do you know that moment went you go through so much your mind decides to erase it?

That happened, now, what i do remember, i was sitting in a bench by a calm road not too far from the town, i had got some actually good pictures, some of me, some of the trees, some of a butterfly, maybe three cars had passed by since i was there, driving slowly, always saying hi and doing a thumbs up, normal, friendly people from the town.

And then i heard a noise that shook the trees.

I remember seeing something, but never what, i remember running to home as fast as i could, feeling my heartbeats in my neck, i remember the noise, but the people in the streets looked at me like there was nothing behind me and i went crazy

I remember getting home, having a desperate talk with my parent while they got my suiticase ready, and i dont remember a single word.

I remember a funny looking guy my age that got to my house, with goat legs and a more desperate look, and i remember one last hug before i left.

And thats all, aside from a hell of a lot of running nobody cares.

Aparently i passed out from shock or exaustion because i woke up in a unknown place, at night, in a hospital bed, with no actual doctors other than 15 year olds teenagers.

And a horseman standing in the corner, with quite a intelectual look actually.

And let me tell you guys that after the talk we had, if somebody told me i would marry queen Elizabeth within 4 days, i would just belived it.

Because nothing ever in my life would ACTUALLY beat up the level of crazyness of finding out i DO have another parent, they are just, A FUCKING GOD. GREEK. GODS. AH.

Then, after telling me my whole life was in fact, a big fat lie, the horseman... left.

Telling me i should sleep in the infirmary this night for precaution and that he was going to get me to a cabin tomorrow.

Like that was the most normal thing to ever happen to a human, he said goodnight and left.

While i sat there just trying to...basically form a sentence that wasnt "for fucks sake what the fuck was that"

I would have loved to say that i did slept that night, dreaming about glory and greek myths but that did not happened, at all.

I walked around the infirmary for hours, opening every cabinet and trying to make my mind to something, i searched for my stuff, and thankfully found my camera, with some pictures i hadnt noticed i had taken, one specific had a blurred thing in the forest.

When the first rays of sunlight appeared i got dressed, and decided that, in order to prove to myself (and probably to the mental hospital afterwards) i was not insane, i needed proof that i was actually living, actually there, being a demigodess, thats what they called.

Very few people were up already, and i did received some weird looks, it was clear nobody knew me, that was fine, i didnt knew anybody either.

I walked around taking some pictures, sometimes getting lost, but everything amazed me, the forest, the cabins, the stables, i found the entrance to a beach too, and then i got to the training area, aparently, i stayed far away, god forbid i woke up from this nightmare with a spear in my head, oh no, that would be bad.

Openning my camera i zoomed in the people, my speciality, it was sweet, seeing them trully smile, and not pretend for the picture, it was a genuine feeling the camera would keep forever, i zoomed around other peoples faces, but my camera focused on a face i could never forget, and she looked back at me, and realized i was there, but not that i was me, because she came towards me with a angry look.

Ill admit, the look scared me as hell, so much i tried to pretend i was never taking pictures of her, i slightly changed the angle and kept my face hidden behind the camera.

Do i need to say that did not fucking worked? No? Thank you.

"Who the fuck do you think you are taking random pictures of pe-"

She yanked my camera off of me mid sentence and stopped completely, looking like she had seen a ghost for some seconds.

"(Y/n)?"

"Clari?"

"How- what are you doing here!?"

She asked, with a worried look, still kind of confused, she did this look since we were little girls, and for a moment i had a big deja vu.

Two little girls running around, playing all day, telling each other secrets and stories, running to hug each other eveytime they were close, i still saw that girl in her eyes, but by her previous look, she did not.

"What am i doing here? What are YOU doing here? One day you dissapear without a trace, and your family said you went to a new school even though it was the summer, and now i find you sparring with a spear? You are that too? A demigoddes, i mean?"

I spoke fast, nervous, as if my time in the world with her would end just as it did once.

Instead of responding me right away, clarisse did something that maybe would scare every single soul she knew in the past years.

She hugged me. Hard.

Breathing me in, and not letting me go exactly as you would expect of someone who hasnt seen me in years.

"I couldnt tell you anything... it wouldnt be safe...im sorry, i missed my friend... i missed you."

I just looked at her for some seconds, and then hugged her again, this time i was the one making it extra tight, i was the one going insane by the reconforting smell of her shampoo, praying that she couldnt feel my heartbeats against her chest, and how strong they were.

"Just.. dont leave me again okay? And ill forgive you, i promisse"

[lyvhie]

after last night | dong sicheng

actor!sicheng x actress!reader (+18 mdni)

summary: acting alongside your rival was supposed to be just another one of the competitions you play out in your mind, but after a brief heated moment between the two of you, you began to question your true feelings toward him.

a/n: @winwintea..... i'm finally here, pookie.... im like, so so so so so sorry it took sooooo long for me to finally finish this. but i put a lot of love care blood sweat and tears on it, i hope you like it, if you dont, then ill disappear from earth and no one will ever see me again 😫

cw: smut, fluff, more of one-sided rivals to situationship, alcohol mention and consumption, fingering, edging, unprotected sex.

with a frustrated huff, you sank into the chair, allowing the makeup artist to work their magic. the studio was filled with an almost tangible tension, as everyone seemed to expect a blow-out fight between you and sicheng at any moment.

it’s been a constant issue since the start of filming this drama. working on the same project as your long-time rival sicheng has made every day stressful, the constant tension and friction have made filming the drama a more difficult and uncomfortable experience for everyone involved.

the undeniable chemistry between you and sicheng on camera despite the constant tension backstage has led to the difficulty of finding another pair to match your on-screen chemistry. as the main characters of the drama, the romantic aspect of the show requires a certain level of connection and synchronization that only you two seem to possess, as ironic as it may sound.

but today, the prolonged shoot further strained everyone on the set, not only due to the physical exhaustion, but also the weight of the tense atmosphere that loomed over everyone. the frustration and fatigue were palpable, and the constant back and forth between you and sicheng only added to the mounting pressure.

the problem was the dreaded kissing scene. despite everyone’s expectations, you and sicheng can’t do it — and unfortunately, you’re the only one to blame. every time the distance between your faces closes, you instinctively pull away, much to everyone’s frustration.

“um, excuse me,” the staff member poked her head into the dressing room and announced, "the director said it's getting late, and it would be best to continue tomorrow, so… everyone is dismissed for today,” she gave a small, apologetic smile before closing the door gently.

"of course this would happen," you mutter under your breath, trying to contain your frustration. you dismiss the makeup artist with a polite nod, then tilt your head back in irritation as you let out a heavy sigh.

“can you please calm down a little, boss?” your assistant, haneul, places a cup of hot chocolate in front of you and steps into your view, her voice gentle as she pleads with you.

you glare at her and snap, "don't ask me to calm down when i’m perfectly calm, haneul,” grabbing the drink, you take a big sip before continuing. "dong sicheng is such an idiot.”

haneul lets out a deep sigh, rolling her eyes at your response. "he might be an idiot, but you're not much better when you act like this all the time," she says, crossing her arms. "just suck it up, get the scene done, and then you can go back to hating each other."

her firm words cause you to flinch, and you allow your shoulders to drop, acknowledging her point. you're aware that you've been more irritating than usual lately, and her straightforward approach hits home.

you sigh, slumping into the chair and admit, "i know, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just in a really bad mood today. everything is going wrong, and sicheng... i just want to punch that annoying face of his so bad.”

haneul couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes crinkling in amusement as they watched you scrunch your face like you had just tasted something sour.

"you two should get a room," her tone was playful, yet there was an underlying suggestion in her voice that betrayed her mischievous thoughts.

"what?!" you exclaimed, your voice tinged with disbelief and shock, you were offended even. the mere thought of having something like that with sicheng gave you the creeps.

haneul continued with a sly smile on her face, her tone now tinged with a hint of amusement, "i’m just saying," she began, "that we can all see the tension between you two. it's like you're just waiting for the moment to pounce on each other."

"is that your way of asking to be fired, huh?" your eyebrows raising slightly out of disbelief. "cut the nonsense – where the hell did you even get that idea?" you shook your head, dismissing the absurd thought, clearly annoyed by your friend's outlandish assumption.

haneul just laughed even more, enjoying the reaction from you. she had always assumed that deep down, you were only pretending to hate sicheng, because she could sense that there was secretly something more than just dislike. the imaginary game you played in your mind, of trying to outshine each other, was something she thought had made the actual attraction to him more intense.

"yeah, you can keep telling yourself that, boss," she placed her hands on your shoulders, giving them a slight squeeze. "but your bad mood would improve a lot if you just let him hit it.”

haneul was caught off guard as you suddenly grabbed the pillow from your lap, not having enough time to react. she grunted as the pillow hit her face with a soft thud. she stumbled back, rubbing her face where the pillow made contact, failing to hide her giggle and act offended.

she was about to continue with her tease when the sound of the door opening interrupted her, as if a greater force was saving her from provoking your wrath even further.

"sorry to interrupt," sicheng's deep voice reached your ears, his gaze fixing on you with a small raise of his eyebrows. he was the last person you wanted to see. "are you free right now?"

“for you?”

“mhm.”

“then no.”

sicheng let out a deep sigh in response, already expecting this reply from you. your name came out of his lips with a different, pleading tone compared to the annoyed one he had used for you all day.

"i’m serious," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of sincerity. "we need to talk, please?"

you were usually a stubborn person, but perhaps today you were simply too drained and the memory of haneul's words from before suddenly echoed in your mind, reminding you that maybe making things difficult wasn't always the right way to go, you knew you had already caused enough trouble.

so with a reluctant sigh, you relented, “fine,” your tone slightly annoyed. “what is it?” you gestured for haneul to give you some space alone with him and she immediately made her way to the door, despite her curiosity about what you would talk.

sicheng moved closer, taking a seat in front of you. you expected him to bring up the topic of the messed-up records and give you his usual sweet and annoying words of reassurance, mentally prepared to roll your eyes and respond with snark.

"i've noticed how stressful it was for you today," he started, his tone sympathetic. "and since this is your first romantic role, i've been thinking about what i could do to make this process easier for you. then, i realized the solution was right in front of us.”

you raised an eyebrow skeptically, not liking where this was going.

“we just need to practice,” he smiled.

"you're saying we should practice... kissing?"

“exactly!”

“absolutely not.”

his smile faded away instantly.

he let out a slight whine, trying to persuade you to comply. "oh, come on," he pleaded, "don't be like that now.”

“i said no. this is so stupid, sicheng,” you crossed your arms, looking away from him.

“why are you making such a big deal out of this?" even though he already knew that acting like this was part of your nature, he still asked.

you felt overwhelmed at the thought of having to kiss him on set even more, let alone practicing it multiple times. it was already a challenge for you, and you were unsure if you could handle it.

you responded with a nonchalant shrug, trying to downplay it. "i’m not making a big deal out of it," you said dismissively. "i just think this idea is stupid. that’s all."

"have you thought about something better then?" he asked, his tone tinged with a slight annoyance. “there's no way we can keep going with the show if you don't overcome this problem." his eyebrows furrowed as he continued, "you know we'll have to perform even more 'spicy' scenes in the future, right?”

ugh... of course you know. you were already starting to regret your stupid decision to accept a show for a mature audience just to compete with sicheng.

“and i fear they might replace you for this scene," he continued, his tone serious. "not that it's a problem per se, but i know you don't like stunts.”

his words made you flinch a little. it’s not that you dislike stunts themselves, you actually think they are pretty cool and that their work is impressive. you just don't like the idea of not seeming capable of doing your own work, and feeling inadequate when you know you're so skilled in it. it leaves you feeling disconcerting.

overwhelmed? unsure if you could handle it? regretting your role choice? replaced by a stunt double? bullshit! you were a top-notch actress, and a simple kiss wouldn't change that. you had the skills and confidence to tackle any role thrown your way.

sicheng knew he had struck a chord as he observed your expression. he knew well that bringing out your competitive side would effectively motivate you. the slight frown that appeared on your face, coupled with the defeated sigh and the rolled eyes, only confirmed his assumption that he had achieved his goal.

“okay, let's do that.”

hah.

he got you.

haneul couldn't resist making suggestive remarks toward you upon hearing that she could leave first because you had things to do with sicheng. it wasn't until you played the "threaten-her-paycheck" card that she finally decided it was time to head home.

now it was just you and sicheng in the studio. as you stood leaning against the table set for the scene, your eyes briefly skimmed over the script once more. you knew that it wasn't to ensure you did it right, but rather to prolong the inevitable moment of kissing him.

“are you done?” sicheng's voice cut through your thoughts, prompting you to lift your head and meet his gaze. he stood a short distance away, his arms crossed in a manner that signaled his patient but slightly impatient attitude.

as you cleared your throat, a subtle attempt to buy a little more time, you glanced back down at the script. "almost," you replied, keeping your gaze fixed on the paper. "i just need to read through it one more time."

but contrary to what you insisted on saying, sicheng wasn’t an idiot.

a flicker of surprise crossed your face as sicheng abruptly grabbed the papers from your hands and tossed them aside. the unexpected move caught you off guard, and before you could react, he had placed his hands on either side of the table, effectively cornering you.

“what are you doing?” your frown deepened as he leaned closer, his body nearly touching yours. the proximity making it difficult to ignore the rapid thuds of your heart and keep your feigned annoyance.

“you needed time," he said, "and i think i've given you enough."

"don't be an idiot," you scoffed. “we need to re—”

“we're not here to rehearse the lines," he interrupted you quickly. "we both know you can recite this backward by now."

you couldn't argue with sicheng's words, he was right; there wasn't a need to play the entire scene when you could easily jump straight to the main part.

you had been attempting to buy time, and sicheng had allowed you some grace in doing so. but he had finally reached a point where enough was enough. there was no escape now.

"alright," you responded with a confident gaze, your expression indicating a readiness to proceed. sicheng's brow twitched slightly at your response, a subtle sign that he was either surprised or intrigued by your sudden change.

his agreement followed swiftly:

"great."

“great.”

with those simple lines, the stage was set.

you were in the correct position, just as the script dictated. in this moment, the male lead had devised a plan to kiss the girl, saying that her wishes would only come true if she kissed him, and he had locked her in the exact position where sicheng was holding you now.

all it needed was the pivotal moment — the kiss.

sicheng's hand cupped your face once more, replicating the same intimate gesture as before. the familiar sensation of his thumb on your cheek triggered the erratic beating of your heart.

you reassured yourself, attributing the sudden rush to the invested nature of your role. easy now, easy, you thought, repeating the mantra in your mind. it was only natural for your heart to race in this moment due to the intimacy required by the character you were portraying — that’s all.

as he leaned even closer, your instinct to push him away resurfaced once more. yet, you resisted the urge, your hands tightly grasping the edge of the table instead.

sicheng's eyes roamed over your lips, and you caught yourself replicating the action unknowingly. those plump lips of his were undeniably inviting, and it was challenging to deny the magnetic attraction you felt.

his lips caressed yours gently and softly, their subtle touch sending a shiver down your spine. the script called for a quick, chaste kiss, and that's precisely what you received as his lips pressed against yours. it was a brief moment, but it was enough to make your legs tremble in response.

ok, first part done. now comes the rest.

with a swift, fluid motion, sicheng leaned in for a second kiss, his hands cupping your face as his thumb subtly guided your chin downwards. you felt your lips part instinctively, granting him access to explore the depths of your mouth with his warm, skilled tongue.

you know, there's no such thing as a "technical kiss" in acting.

you either kiss, or you kiss.

it has to be real.

that's why you were so reluctant before because, right now, only god knows how much you are enjoying this. and no matter how much you triy to deny it, the way your tongue move against his is proof enough.

you found your hands reaching out to grasp his shirt, pulling him closer as you responded to the kiss with a new sense of eagerness.

sicheng was surprised. this wasn't in the script at all. now it seemed like you were just... making out.

not that he's complaining. he likes it.

he very, very much likes it.

as if they had a life of their own, his hands found the hem of your shirt, playing with the cloth for a few moments before sliding them under your clothes. his fingers came into contact with your skin, caressing it gently and making you shiver slightly.

and then, walking a little further, his hand trailed down to the waistband of your pants, sneaking into your panties. the gasp that escaped your lips served as a jolt to your consciousness. quickly, you broke the kiss and grasped his wrist, preventing any further advancements from him.

you locked eyes with sicheng, both of you panting. his hooded eyes, slightly flushed face, and his swollen, reddened lips were a sight to behold.

sicheng's voice, soft and low, echoed softly, asking, "what?" just as he leaned in for another kiss. you almost, almost gave in, your lips yearning to meet his, but you fought the urge, tilting your head back to avoid it.

you pushed him away quickly, fixing your slightly disheveled clothing while attempting to regain composure. your voice trembled a little as you speak.

"i think we did pretty good already. it's getting late too." you hastily handed him the studio keys before adding, "um, thank you for the practice. you can close up. see you tomorrow!" with those words, you hurriedly made your way towards the exit.

things happened so fast that sicheng barely seemed to process what was going on.

"hold on, wait!" his voice rushed after you, trying to catch up. "calm down," he called out, his words coming out quickly. "you didn't come by car today, did you? let me drive you home, i just need to—”

"no! it's fine,” you shook your head adamantly, cutting him off. "i can catch a taxi. thanks anyway.”

and just like that, you left, running away like a cat while closing the door in sicheng's face. the man let his shoulders fall and sighed loudly as he looked at the closed door in front of him, a small smile appearing on his face.

“cute”.

you haven't slept a wink all night.

the scene from the previous night replaying in your mind along with haenul's damned words like a broken record.

no. you do not want to fuck dong sicheng.

this is what you've been repeating in your mind since the moment you got up from your bed until the entire drive to the studio.

he's a bad kisser.

he's terrible.

that was the worst kiss you've ever had.

learning how to kiss with an orange would be better than this.

that's what you repeated in your mind as he kissed you again, but this time in front of the cameras. and you still had to tell yourself that it was your character who was enjoying it, not you. you definitely don't want to take him to a secluded place and make out until your mouth are sore. no.

"and... cut!" the director's voice rang out, followed by a chorus of applause. everyone on set was thrilled with how effortlessly the scene had come together, a stark contrast to the tension-filled atmosphere that had enveloped it lately. the air was charged with positivity, making it clear that this was the best mood the set had experienced since the project's inception.

despite the apparent positive change in the atmosphere, it was clear that there was something... different going on, for lack of a better word, between you and sicheng.

suddenly, you weren't bickering anymore and were even being uncharacteristically polite, thanking and apologizing for the smallest minor matters, which wasn't like your usual self at all.

everyone noticed this, but decided to just accept it as a positive development in the co-workers' feelings between you. at least, it was better than all that tension from before.

as haenul handed you a bottle of water, her words echoed with admiration. "wow," she exclaimed, "that was like, the best kiss scene i’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

“oh, really?” you laughed a little awkwardly, your eyes briefly darted towards sicheng, who stood on the opposite side of the room. as your gaze met his, you hastily averted your eyes, taking a sip of water.

"of course! this episode will be an absolute banger; everyone has been waiting for this!" she nodded fiercely and continued. "i've been checking the social media, and..." her words were met with your inattentiveness, as if your mind was preoccupied elsewhere. "and you're not listening to me!" she furrowed.

"oh, sorry about that," you shook your head, snapping back to attention. "i got distracted for a moment. you were saying…?”

haenul's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized you momentarily, following your gaze to where sicheng stood on the other side of the room.

"did you and sicheng finally hook up last night?"

you nearly choked on your water, coughing as you fumbled with the bottle in your hand. your assistant quickly patted your back, trying to help you recover.

once you were fine again, you glanced around nervously to check if anyone had overheard, then turned back to haenul with a sharp glare.

“can you stop blurting stuff like that?!” you hissed at her.

haenul gasped dramatically. “oh my god! you totally did it!”

“i did not!” you snapped, lightly smacking her arm.

“but something happened between you two!” she insisted, her voice dropping to a whisper, just loud enough for you to hear after the scolding. “you’re acting all weird around him. if it wasn’t sex, then what was it?”

“is that seriously the only reason you can think of?” you replied, your tone edged with disbelief. “when did you turn into such a pervert?”

“i mean, you were obviously kissing for real earlier, and now we’re finishing the day without your usual sulking. after spending the night alone with him, what else am i supposed to think?”

you frowned at her explanation. “well, maybe that we’ve become, i don’t know… friends?” haneul looked at you as if you’d just told her the funniest joke she’d ever heard. “pff. yeah, right. friends. sure,” she said, shaking her head.

before you could even attempt to explain that she was partially wrong, everyone’s attention shifted to the director as she clapped her hands to speak.

“since we’ve successfully wrapped up the first part of our series — thanks to everyone here in the studio who made it happen, especially our two stars,” she gestured toward you and sicheng, “doesn’t this call for a celebration? drinks on me for everyone!”

her words were met with cheers from the crew, and even you felt a sense of relief. a good dose of alcohol might help clear your mind, especially since you knew sicheng wasn’t exactly a fan of these kinds of social gatherings.

“we’re going, right, boss?” haneul asked, clasping her hands together in mock prayer. “please, please, it’s the weekend!”

“yes, haneul, we are,” you said, rolling your eyes with a chuckle. “but don’t overdo it, okay? i’m not in the mood to hear you sobbing your heart out while singing sad songs on karaoke again.”

“yes, boss! I’ll treat it like a work meeting,” she replied with a playful salute. “i’ll grab your things so we can head out!” she added enthusiastically before dashing out of sight.

you took a deep breath, relishing the brief moment of solitude. sometimes, it felt hard to breathe with haneul’s constant energy. she could be... intense. but the peace didn’t last long.

“i didn’t know you drink,” sicheng’s voice came from behind, making you turn to face him. “you used to hate the taste of alcohol.”

honestly, you were tired of seeing his face and hearing his voice more than usual. you didn’t like the way it made you feel, not after what happened. it was as if you were suddenly too aware of the strange, tangled emotions brewing inside you.

“well, a lot has changed since our younger days,” you shrugged, your voice casual. you didn’t feel like diving into it any further. “now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to socialize,” you said, turning on your heels, eager to escape the uncomfortable moment.

“i agree. let’s not keep them waiting,” he replied, his footsteps closing in behind you. you froze in your tracks, his sudden presence unsettling.

“you’re coming too?” you asked, confused.

“of course,” he said with a soft chuckle. “you heard the director, can't have the stars missing out."

“but… you don’t like social events,” you said, your tone almost questioning, as if you were trying to figure him out.

“well,” he said with a small smile, “a lot has changed since our younger days.”

it was awful.

you had been hoping for some space from sicheng, but it seemed like life had other plans. you tried to find a seat as far away from him as possible, but he followed, completely at ease, as if he had no intention of leaving your side. and of course, the table quickly filled up, leaving you both sitting side by side, while you anxiously awaited the drinks.

the mood at the table was light, everyone chatting away. haneul took a seat on the other side, eager to be closer to the staff she was interested in, which meant you wouldn’t be on her radar for a while.

you turned your attention to sicheng as he exchanged a few words with the director, and suddenly, it hit you: why were you freaking out about him? it was just a kiss. a brief, heated moment between two adults that didn’t mean a thing. there was no reason for you to keep acting so weird about it all day. after all, he was still sicheng, your rival. you just happened to kiss him.

sure, a few other things almost happened, too, but... it didn’t mean anything. you were just practicing, after all. yeah. you weren’t affected by it. not even a little. mhm.

you couldn’t help but smile to yourself as you made these sharp observations, feeling a bit more at ease.

“why are you looking at me like that?” sicheng raised an eyebrow, noticing the way you were smiling at him, as if you were staring at someone who’d just failed a basic math test.

“nothing, it’s just too much for your mind to handle,” you waved your hand dismissively, taking a sip of your drink that had just arrived. your words, along with the casual shrug, made him smile and shake his head.

“oh, i’m actually curious about something,” one of the co-actors began, snapping his fingers at you and the man beside you. “do you two really know each other from high school?"

sicheng’s face lit up at the question, clearly happy. then he looked at you, who wasn’t exactly sharing his enthusiasm, and his smile grew even wider. “yes! yes, we do. we were inseparable back then.”

you furrowed your brows at his words. “you mean you followed me around.”

“isn’t that basically the same thing?”

“it’s not."

“anyways,” he shrugged, “it was because of her that I started to get into theater.”

“and i’ve been regretting that ever since,” you added with a smirk.

a few giggles spread through the table at your playful banter, the lighthearted atmosphere catching everyone off guard. it was clear they were starting to see you both in a new light.

“so, all this time you were actually friends? and here we thought you didn’t get along when it’s just your way of showing friendship,” one colleague commented, raising a curious eyebrow.

“no, that’s not—”

“right? that explains why they have such great chemistry!” another colleague cut you off. “i mean, the kiss scene? that must’ve been awkward with a friend, but it probably makes it easier too, doesn’t it?”

“oh, it’s not that,” sicheng began. “it’s because last night we—”

a loud thud echoed as sicheng’s knee slammed into the table, his words cut off mid-sentence. he turned to you, confused, after you had stomped on his foot under the table.

“oops, how clumsy of me,” you said with a saccharine smile, your voice light but your eyes burning into his. “sorry about that.”

he blinked, clearly perplexed, but nodded slowly and turned back to the group. “anyway, as i was saying, we had a—”

this time, you pressed your heel down on his foot with deliberate force. he hissed in pain, snapping his head back toward you. but you didn’t even flinch, your gaze fixed ahead as if you were entirely innocent.

he narrowed his eyes slightly, then leaned closer, sliding a hand onto your thigh. His grip was firm, not enough to hurt, but enough to stop you from trying anything else. the sudden contact made you tense, and your head snapped toward him, your wide, confused eyes locking with his.

“we just had a little talk and came to an agreement,” he said smoothly, his voice calm and convincing.

“oh, that makes sense,” one of your colleagues hummed, nodding as if it all clicked. “that’s why everything worked out so well in the end. you should have done it since the beginning tho!”

sicheng’s words were deliberate, as if he’d sensed your discomfort from the start and had chosen his lie to protect the fragile truth you wanted to hide. but you couldn’t even focus on what he was saying anymore.

your mind was too preoccupied with his hand placement. his thumb was now tracing slow, deliberate circles on your thigh, hidden under the table. your stomach tightened at the warmth spreading through you, that annoying, fluttery feeling you wished you could suppress.

without a word, you picked up your drink and took a long, steady sip, as if the alcohol could somehow cool the heat in your chest.

god, this was going to be a long night.

oh, you were right.

after managing to wrangle sicheng into the passenger seat of your car, you slammed the door shut and made your way to the driver’s side.

sliding into your seat, you shot him an annoyed look, letting out a long, exasperated sigh.

driving a drunk sicheng home was definitely not part of your plans for the night. but somehow, the crew had unanimously decided to throw him at you because, apparently, the two of you were now best friends. all because you shared some ancient history, and probably because he’d grown unusually clingy after a few too many drinks.

you tried to refuse, insisted that you didn’t want to be responsible for him, but they’d waved you off with the ultimate argument: you were the only one who knew his address.

fantastic.

“you stupid idiot,” you hissed, leaning over to fasten his seatbelt. “if you can’t handle alcohol, why did you even come?”

his eyes, half-closed and heavy with sleep, fluttered open as he turned his head toward you. “because you were coming too,” he slurred, his voice barely above a whisper. “i wanted to be with you.”

you froze, his words catching you completely off guard. your surprised gaze met his drunken one, and you hated how fast your heart was racing. this was absurd.

a small, lazy smile tugged at his lips as he murmured your name, so soft it almost sounded tender.

“you’re so pretty,” he mumbled, his head lolling slightly as he leaned closer. “i want to kiss you.”

to say you were malfunctioning from all this sudden talk was an understatement. the way he said it — soft, unguarded — made it far too tempting to close the small gap between you. for a split second, you almost gave in again. almost.

but with a sharp shake of your head, you snapped yourself out of it. instead of letting your lips meet his, you shoved your hand against his mouth and pushed him back firmly.

“as if i’d do something like that,” you scoffed, leaning back into your seat and starting the car.

from the corner of your eye, you caught the way he pouted, looking like a sulky child.

“you’re always so mean to me,” he mumbled, his voice muffled but unmistakably petulant.

“it’s your fault for being like that,” you shot back, your eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead. “now shut up. i can’t focus on driving with your annoying voice in my head.”

“yes, ma’am,” he murmured softly, his tone almost obedient. he didn’t even try to argue, instead leaning back against the seat and drifting off to sleep. the car fell into silence, broken only by the steady rhythm of his breathing and the erratic pounding of your heart.

“god, i must be crazy,” you muttered under your breath, gripping the steering wheel tighter as if it could steady your own thoughts.

the peaceful silence during the drive to his house was doing wonders to calm your racing thoughts and your heart. you kept repeating to yourself that he was just drunk, that his words didn’t mean anything. even you, who hadn’t had much to drink, were clearly feeling the effects of the alcohol.

that was the only explanation you could cling to, the only thing that brought you any comfort in the moment.

a relieved sigh escaped your lips as you parked in front of his apartment. the street was quiet, the dim glow of the streetlights casting soft shadows over the building. turning to him, you called out in a firm, loud voice.

“we’re here. wake up.”

no reaction. not even a flinch.

“sicheng,” you tried again, leaning over to tap his shoulder. still nothing.

“come on,” you grumbled, grabbing his shoulder and giving him a light shake. “wake up!”

absolutely no response.

with a growing sense of irritation, you grabbed both of his shoulders and shook him with all the frustration of someone at the end of their rope. “WAKE UP!”

but it was pointless. he remained blissfully asleep, the alcohol rendering him completely oblivious. you let out a defeated sigh, releasing him as he slumped back into his seat, and pinched the bridge of your nose.

this night just kept getting better.

you couldn’t just leave him passed out on the street — though you seriously considered the idea for a good few seconds. but, in the end, you had no choice but to do something you absolutely didn’t want to do.

“dong sicheng, you better be ready for your death sentence tomorrow,” you muttered through gritted teeth, adjusting his limp body onto your back. he was surprisingly heavy, and you were giving it everything you had to carry him while he, of course, enjoyed the sleep of his life, his soft breaths tickling the back of your neck.

staggering inside the building as quickly as you could, you headed straight for the elevator. you only knew exactly where he lived because, back when you were hunting for a new apartment, you’d toured this building. of course, you’d had the misfortune of running into him that day. sicheng had happily joined your tour, turning it into his personal showcase of his apartment. at least it made it easy to cross this building off your list.

reaching the elevator, you pressed the button, only to stop cold when you noticed the maintenance notice taped to the door.

“you’ve got to be kidding me,” you groaned, staring at the sign like it might change its mind.

sicheng lived on the 11th floor.

this was going to be a nightmare.

to sum up the nigh, believe it or not, you actually climbed the stairs to the 11th floor with sicheng slumped over your back. every step felt like a herculean effort, but you kept telling yourself this was the fastest way to be rid of him.

when you finally reached his door, breathless and drenched in sweat, life decided to have one last laugh at your expense. a keypad lock blinked back at you mockingly.

you stared at it, utterly defeated.

after a moment of recovery, you tried every password you could think of: his birthday, his acting debut date, his mom’s birthday, even your birthday. nothing worked. each failed attempt pushed you closer to a breakdown.

which is how you ended up here: sicheng sprawled out comfortably on your bed, snoring softly, while you stood there, glaring at him with the fury of someone who had well and truly hit their limit.

getting mad wouldn’t do you any good right now. it wasn’t like you could argue with someone who was completely knocked out. all you could do was accept the situation and leave it for the morning, when he’d hopefully be conscious enough to face the consequences.

taking a deep, calming breath, you laid down beside him. there was no way you were sleeping on the couch. too uncomfortable. and besides, the only reason he was in your bed to begin with was because the living room felt like it was miles away, and you absolutely refused to carry him any farther than you already had.

so here you were, stuck sharing a bed with dong sicheng.

“unbelievable,” you muttered, turning your back to him as if that would help you ignore the fact that he was there at all.

but it didn't take long for you to turn to look him, letting your eyes linger on his sleeping face. his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, and his hair fell messily across his forehead, brushing against his soft features. you had to admit, he was ridiculously handsome. there was a princely air about him, something in the elegance of his delicate features that always seemed to catch your attention no matter how hard you tried to look away.

your gaze wandered, tracing the curve of his nose, the sharp line of his jaw, the faint lashes resting against his cheek. and then your eyes stopped on his lips, plump, rosy, and slightly parted.

you swallowed hard.

okay. maybe you wanted to kiss him again.

and maybe, just maybe, you could finally admit that the kiss had affected you far more than you’d been willing to let yourself believe.

your gaze drifted lower, trailing down the curve of his neck. the first few buttons of his crisp white shirt were undone, teasing you with a glimpse of his collarbone and the faint rise and fall of his chest. your eyes wandered further, catching on his hands, broad and elegant, resting lazily by his side.

your brows furrowed slightly as your mind betrayed you, flashing back to the feeling of those hands on your skin.

okay. maybe you wanted to fuck him too.

you quickly looked away, dragging a hand over your face before resting your arm across your eyes, as if that would block out the whirlwind of thoughts spiraling in your mind.

“god,” you muttered under your breath, “i must really be losing it.”

the shrill sound of your phone alarm jolted you awake, your face twisting in irritation as you blindly slapped around the bed. after a few failed attempts, your hand finally found the device buried under your pillow, and you silenced it with a hiss.

groaning, you kept your eyes shut and your head buried in the mattress, hoping to reclaim the comfort of sleep, but it was useless. letting out a defeated sigh, you blinked your eyes open and... froze.

the bed was empty.

you shot upright, the sudden absence snapping you fully awake. your eyes darted around the room, searching for any sign of life. nothing. quickly, you got up and began pacing through your house.

sicheng was gone.

“you stupid bastard,” you hissed, gritting your teeth as a wave of disbelief hit you. “i even carried his dead weight all night for him to leave without so much as a thank you?!” your fists clenched as you let out an incredulous scoff. “dong sicheng, you are so damned.”

a small, frustrated scream left your lips as you stomped toward the bathroom. a nice, scalding shower, it was the only thing that could save both your sanity and sicheng's life at this point.

but, contrary to what you imagined, the bath only cleared your mind enough to make you even more irritated with the situation. it was an affront, an insult! you were going to make sicheng pay for this humiliation! a great outrage! you could already see your hands wrapped around his neck and—

a knock on the door cut through your murderous thoughts. taking a deep breath, you walked over to open it, only for your eyes to widen at the sight of the man you’d been cursing standing there with that infuriating smile.

freshly dressed and looking nothing like the disaster he’d been before, sicheng radiated ease. but you couldn’t care less about his annoyingly perfect face right now.

“i’m gonna kill you with my own two hands, so get ready,” you growled, stalking closer with your fingers curled as if ready to strangle him.

“hey, hey, calm down,” he said, laughing softly as he caught your wrists in his hands, his touch warm and steady. his smile grew wider, completely unfazed by your murderous intent.

"are you seriously asking me to calm down?" you snapped, attempting to push forward again, but he held your wrists tighter, his grip firm yet gentle.

"i know you're mad," he said softly, leaning down to press a kiss to your wrist. the warmth of his lips brushing your skin sent a jolt through you, your resolve faltering. disoriented, you found yourself staring at him, momentarily forgetting why you were even angry. "and i'm here to apologize, of course," he added, his tone dripping with sincerity, though that playful glint in his eyes made you suspicious.

"i climbed up and down eleven floors with you on my back," you managed to say, your voice carrying a hint of annoyance despite your disoriented state. his surprised expression told you everything: he didn’t remember half of what happened last night. "an 'i'm sorry' isn't enough to save your ass."

"i know," he nodded, resisting the urge to ask for a full recap. "which is why i already reserved a table for us at your favorite restaurant."

"what?" you blinked, confused. "how do you even know what my favorite restaurant is?"

"because i’m interested in you," he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "any other reason would just be an excuse, don’t you think?"

your jaw nearly dropped. this was exactly what you liked and hated about him: he was always unapologetically sincere.

you stood there, at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. but he, of course, didn't miss a beat and took your silence as an answer.

“then it’s settled!” he said with that all-too-confident smile. “let’s go.”

and once again, your silly heart betrayed you, too caught up in the moment to resist.

the place was near your house. it wasn’t anything extravagant, but it had its own charm. cozy, inviting, warm, it felt almost like a safe haven for you. a perfect find for your new place, tucked away from prying eyes.

“and that’s everything you put me through,” you finished recounting the events of last night to him, carefully omitting a few details, like the part where he said he wanted to kiss you or when you accidentally knocked his head on the door frame while trying to get him into your bedroom.

sicheng’s face turned a deep shade of red as he fanned himself with one hand, the other clutching his glass of water. he avoided your gaze for a moment, clearly embarrassed, before stealing a quick sip.

he only remembered bits and pieces of last night, but from what you described, it was worse than he had imagined. guilt settled heavily on his shoulders as he listened.

“i’m really so sorry,” he said, his voice soft and genuine, his wide, puppy-like eyes locking onto yours. “i’m not usually like this. i overdid it yesterday, and i caused you so much trouble. i’m sorry.”

you finished your meal, casually listening to his concerned words. honestly, seeing that guilty, almost childlike expression on his face was oddly satisfying. if you were being fair, dealing with him drunk wasn’t that bad, he was mostly well-behaved. but it was part of your nature to make a big deal out of things, especially when it came to him. besides, a free lunch at your favorite spot had done wonders to smooth over your irritation.

“you’re lucky i’m a very nice person,” you said, shrugging with a mock air of superiority. “i’ll accept all that and forgive you… this time.”

his shoulders relaxed, the tension visibly draining from his body. since the moment he woke up and found you sleeping soundly against his chest, he knew he had messed up. the guilt had weighed heavily on him, and he’d spent the entire morning running through a million different ways to make it up to you. seeing you willing to forgive him so easily was a relief he hadn’t expected.

“thank you,” he said softly, his gaze warm and sincere. “i promise i’ll be more careful next time.”

you raised an eyebrow, your tone teasing. “next time? you think there’s gonna be a next time?”

he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “okay, bad choice of words.”

you chuckled at his words, resting your chin on your palm as you leaned closer, a curious glint in your eyes.

“by the way,” you began casually, “you said a couple of funny things last night too.”

“hmm, really?” he raised his brows slightly, feigning ignorance while signaling the waiter for a dessert. “like what?”

“like going to the meeting just because i was going,” you replied, narrowing your eyes slightly, testing if his drunk words held any truth.

“oh, yeah,” he nodded nonchalantly, turning his attention back to you. “i heard you mention it, so i thought it’d be fun to tag along.”

“saying you're interested in me all of a sudden, still following me around like a lost puppy…” you trailed off, lips curling into a faint smirk. “do you have a crush on me or something?”

“what do you think?” he shot back, mimicking your posture as he leaned in, resting his chin on his palm, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

“you know it’s stupid to answer a question with another question, right?” you gave him a bored look, but your tone was far from serious. “but if you do like me, i can only assume you’re a masochist.”

his laughter bubbled up before he could stop it, bright and genuine “what? i’m not a masochist! where is that coming from?”

“well, I’m not exactly nice to you,” you shrugged, feigning indifference. “like, I kinda hate you, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“you do not hate me.”

“yes, i do?”

“no, you don’t.”

“yes, i do.”

“do you kiss everyone you hate?”

your smugness evaporated in an instant, replaced by embarrassment. “shut up,” you muttered, leaning back in your chair, refusing to meet his eyes as he grinned victoriously.

“now that this came up,” he tilted his head, studying you intently, “we never really talked about that, did we? you’ve been avoiding it all day, then i had that little… drunken incident, and we just never addressed it.”

“well, that’s because there’s nothing to talk about,” you shrugged, doing your best to sound casual and unaffected, even as your grip tightened slightly on your glass.

“hmm, is that so?” he clicked his tongue, a mischievous glint in his eyes as his tone turned teasing. “going through all that trouble to get me home safe, kissing me, sleeping all cuddled up on me… you know, i’m starting to think you’re the one who likes me.”

your head snapped toward him, eyes wide. “excuse me?”

“oh, don’t look so shocked,” he chuckled, leaning forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand again. “i mean, actions speak louder than words, don’t they? and your actions…” he trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air as his grin widened.

“first of all, and most importantly, i did not sleep cuddling you,” you said, your tone sharp as if he’d just told you the worst joke of the century.

“oh? but you did,” he replied smoothly, nodding with absolute confidence. “when i woke up, you were hugging me like i was your favorite teddy bear or something.”

“i would never—”

“oh, our dessert, finally!” he interrupted, his face lighting up as the waiter placed the sweet tart on the table. “it looks delicious,” he added, completely shifting gears, as if your denial wasn’t the least bit convincing.

“are you seriously gonna end things like that?” you asked, disbelief heavy in your voice.

“here, say ‘aah,’” he said, raising a spoonful of pie toward your mouth like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“i'm not doing it.”

“say aah.”

“i said i'm not.”

he didn’t budge, just kept looking at you with that infuriatingly cute and bright smile that you couldn’t seem to resist. with an exasperated sigh, you crossed your arms and rolled your eyes, turning your head away. but, of course, you leaned in slightly, opening your mouth just enough for him to slide the spoon past your lips.

your frown quickly softened into an expression of pure delight as the flavors burst on your tongue. the bittersweet tang of the strawberry, the velvety richness of the custard, and the flaky crust of the tart all mingled perfectly. you couldn’t help but sigh and hum in satisfaction. it was that good.

“now that’s a great reaction,” sicheng said, amusement dancing in his voice.

you raised a brow at him, narrowing your eyes slightly.

“besides the faces you make when you’re acting, this has to be one of the most charming expressions i’ve ever seen you make. and those little sounds you’re making? delightful,” he added with a teasing grin.

you nearly choked. “what is wrong with you?”

“i’m just being honest,” he chuckled, clearly enjoying your reaction. “i want to see it again,” he said, holding out the spoon toward you. “open your mouth for me.”

“…no.”

“oh, really?” he raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. “do you really not want to?”

you couldn’t help but think that maybe you were the one with something wrong, because before you even realized it, you silently opened your mouth again, earning a satisfied smirk from him.

“hmm, so greedy.”

“by the way,” you glanced at him, who was walking beside you as you both made your way to your place. “why did you go home so early?”

“why? were you upset that my face wasn’t the first thing you saw in the morning?”

“forget i ever asked anything and just die for all i care.”

sicheng laughed at your annoyed expression. “it’s nothing much,” he shrugged. “i just couldn’t take you on a date smelling like alcohol, right? i wanted to apologize in nice clothes, at least.”

“this was not a date,” you said quickly, hoping to shut him down.

“yes, it was.”

“don’t even start,” you lifted a hand to stop him from going any further, making him laugh once again.

“here we are, safe and sound,” he said as you both stopped in front of your door.

you cursed yourself when you suddenly felt a pang of disappointment at the thought of the moment with him coming to an end. you wouldn’t mind spending a little more time with him, to be honest…

“finally, this infernal time beside you is over,” your words were at odds with your feelings as you looked at him.

“whatever you say, sweetie,” he responded with a fond smile.

it should be illegal for someone to look at you like that, your chest tightening at the soft, affectionate smile he gave you. you hated it. hated how his gaze made everything inside you stir, how it made your heart skip a beat against your will. you wanted to be angry, to push him away, but all you could do was stand there, feeling something you didn’t want to feel.

“you’ll burn a hole into me if you keep staring like that,” he teased, tilting his chin slightly as if silently telling you to come inside, and only then would he head home.

you couldn’t quite understand what had gotten into you when you cupped his face and pulled him in for a kiss. you just wanted to feel his lips again, even if just for a moment, just one more time, that would be enough.

sicheng was caught off guard, but didn’t pull away, letting you lead. you froze, eyes wide, your gaze meeting his.

“i-i’m sorry,” you muttered, suddenly feeling foolish. why had you kissed him just like that?

as you tried to step back, his hands locked around you, holding you steady. he gripped your waist, his eyes burning with desire.

“if you cling to me like this, all i can do is kiss you,” his voice was low, soft. “and that’s fine… if all you want is kisses,” he gave you a meaningful look.

if only kisses were enough to throw your mind and body into disarray… maybe you were greedy, as he’d said, but you weren’t satisfied.

“i want more…” you whispered, barely audible.

that was all he needed to hear before pulling you into another kiss, his tongue urgently invading your mouth as you responded with equal intensity.

you fumbled with the door handle, trying to opem it, while sicheng pushed you inside, never breaking the kiss. he closed the door behind you, his hands guiding you toward your room without hesitation, already knowing the way.

you both nearly stumbled as you hurriedly kicked off your shoes, chuckling against each other's lips. With a quick movement, sicheng laid you down on your bed, his lips trailing kisses from your jaw down to your collarbone. his hands slipped under your shirt, gently caressing your skin.

"i can't believe we're doing this," you murmured, a soft whimper escaping you.

“i told you," he mumbled back, his lips sucking lightly on your skin, peppering the area with soft kisses to soothe you. “you like me.”

well, it's not like you're in any position to argue right now.

he wasted no time in pulling your shirt over your head, exposing your bare torso. “fuck, you're so hot,” he hissed, sucking on his bottom lip as he couldn't help but admire the sight of your hardened nipples, feeling his cock twitch inside his pants.

“stop staring and do something,” your needy voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he was quick to obey your words.

sicheng leaned down to wrap his lips around your breast, his warm, wet tongue swirling around your nipples and sucking hard. your toes curled at the sensation and you moaned softly as you closed your eyes, your fingers tangling in his hair.

as he continued his ministrations on your breasts, his hands found the waistband of your pants. you lifted your hips a little to help him pull them down along your lacy panties, kicking them to somewhere else.

you opened your eyes to look at him, feeling even wetter as you watched him sucking on your tits like he was having a feast. you held his face and made him release your breast, a soft 'pop' sound was heard as he pulled away, looking at you with half lidded eyes.

you shiver slightly as you feel the cool breeze hit your wet breasts, already missing the feeling of his warm tongue on you, but you really wanted to kiss him even more and that's exactly what you did as you pulled him up to attack his lips.

“you taste so good,” he groaned into your mouth, his hand caressing your inner thigh and squeezing it lightly to emphasize his words. his fingers moved up to find yoyr dripping pussy, sliding along your slit and coating his fingers with your juices. “so wet already, you were really waiting for this, huh?” he buried his face in your neck, smoothing your skin with kisses.

it was too embarrassing to admit it and it wasn't like you needed to since your body had been betraying you enough for quite some time now, so all you could do was move your hips down, trying to get his fingers inside you.

“oh, eager, aren’t we?” he teased, lifting his head to meet your gaze, his smirk growing as he noticed the way you bit your lip, your brows furrowed, and your breath coming in short, uneven gasps.

“please, don’t start teasing now,” you murmured, your voice soft but edged with a hint of urgency. you held back from saying anything too daring, not wanting to give him more fuel to prolong his playful torment.

he only chuckled softly, pressing a warm kiss to your cheek before capturing your lips again. this time, he didn’t hold back, finally giving you what you wanted.

a sharp intake of breath escaped your lips as he slid two fingers inside you, thrusting them steadily. he could feel your tight, warm heat clasping around his digits, letting him even more anxious to bury his cock deep inside you.

he began to rub soft circles on your clit with his thumb as he took your breast into his mouth again, the combined actions making you squirm beneath him and moan louder.

he curled and scissored his fingers inside you, soon feeling the way you clenched around them. "close already?" he asked as he raised his eyebrows, and your response was just a fierce nod followed by soft whimpers.

your confirmation made him withdraw his fingers and you whined almost in despair, feeling empty and unsatisfied as he wouldn't let you finish.

"calm down, princess," he lightly slapped your thigh. "i want you to cum on my cock, hm?" he kissed the tip of your nose as he finally got rid of his own clothes and quickly positioned himself between your legs. he collected some of your fluids to spread along his shaft, hard as a rock, twitching with need. "i'm gonna fill this pussy up so good,” he was as impatient as you, so he only teased your entrace with his tip and entered you slowly, grinding against your sensitive clit.

your hands gripped the sheets tightly as you felt him stretching you, filling up any remaining space in your pussy, while he groaned and closed his eyes, enjoying the way your pussy gripped him tightly as if it never wanted to let him go.

"god, you feel so good," he began to thrust his hips against your pelvis slowly, he could feel your tight heat enveloping him, pulling him deeper. one of his hands gripped your hip, holding you in place as he fucked you. "that's it, taking me so well," he encouraged, his pace slow and steady, letting you feel every inch of him.

he’s played with you a lot already, so it didn’t take long for you to feel your climax building again, and he seemed to notice it as he picked up the pace, leaning down to bury his face in your neck.

“cum for me, baby,” he bites you gently and pull away from your neck to watch your face, using his fingers to pinch your clit and bring you to the edge. wrapping your legs around his waist, your breath hitched in your throat as you clenched around him, feeling the knot in your stomach unravel as you creamed his cock.

he wasn’t that far behind you, the whole intense moment was enough to bring him to the edge too, he kept pounding into you and pulled out just in time to empty himself, covering your stomach with his release.

you looked so hot like that that he had to hold back the urge to bury himself inside you again immediately. he let a bit more of his weight press against you, his lips finding yours once more in a lingering kiss.

"okay," you murmured against his lips, slightly breathless, making him chuckle softly. "maybe I like you... just a little bit now."

"just a little?" he teased, nibbling your lower lip with a playful smirk. "didn't seem like 'just a little' to me."

you tilted your head, a mischievous glint in your eyes. "i think we need to try it all over again so i can decide for sure.”

[michaellangdonswhore]

Ethan Landry x bratty reader 🫶🏻🫶🏻

warnings: smut. i need serious help.

word count: 1.8k

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"Ethan, we've been working on this for hours," You yawn, leaning back into the chair you pulled up next to him earlier. Ethan's gaze never leaves his laptop and his fingers don't stop typing for a second.

You shrug off not getting a response and play with the pages of your textbook. You've stopped helping him at this point; you'd rather do a portion of the work at your dorm in bed.

You're a procrastinator, but you get the work done.

Ethan's the opposite.

You were assigned a project in your economics class. Since the two of you knew each other the best out of anyone else in the class, you decided to pair up. You didn't know your working and time management skills would be so different.

You and Ethan were somewhat friends, but you argued a lot a little. It would always be about something small. They never went too far, though. It would end with Tara shifting the conversation and leave Ethan frustrated and gritting his teeth. You get annoyed with each other easily, but you were kind of still friends.

The thing that really bonded you two together was your economics class. You'd make small talk about your professor or what someone did in class. Sometimes you found yourself laughing with him, but you usually bickered.

However, you kind of liked arguing with him. It was exciting.

"Ethan," You whine.

He sighs and breaks eye contact with his computer, looking down at you.

"Maybe if you just agreed to meet up earlier in the week we would've gotten this done a lot quicker," He says in a condescending tone. "And you have no concept of time. We've only been working for a little over an hour."

"An hour too long," You roll your eyes and lean back in your chair again. "Look, I have a really short attention span."

"Clearly." He rolls his eyes, shifting his gaze back to the computer. You go back to playing with the pages. He gets annoyed by this. "Are you going to help me at all or just sit there?"

You shoot him a glare.

He scoffs and then finds himself smirking.

He always had fun pushing her buttons, but was particularly enjoying doing it in that moment; them alone in a tense room.

He hadn't really thought about her like this till a little before she came over. Not until Chad finally brought up the very obvious chemistry between them.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on," Chad groans. "You two fight like an old married couple."

"There's nothing sexual about it-"

"Dude, are you serious?" Chad scoffs. "You're just a virgin who doesn't know how to handle an attractive woman."

"Oh, screw you." Ethan glares at Chad who has a proud grin on his face.

"Think about it." Chad says before taking off.

Oh, and he thought about it.

"I want to take a break." You say.

"You've had days to work on this and it's due tomorrow night," Ethan rolls his eyes. "You've had your break."

You inhale deeply, full of frustration.

"You're a dick."

"Sorry that I want a good grade in the class."

You get angry by this comment. He knows that you're a hard worker; so what if you wait till the last minute? At least you get the things you have to do done.

He takes notice of the offended expression on your face and can't help but think that you're cute when you're angry with him.

"I have the same grade as you, you asshole."

"I'm actually a point above you."

"Oh, big difference."

"It's still a difference."

"Fuck off," You get up from the chair, picking up your laptop off of the desk.

"What are you doing?" Ethan asks.

"I'm gonna work on the rest of this in my dorm." You say, abandoning the situation.

You didn't really know else to do. Usually when you were arguing there was always someone to put an end to it; to resolve an unresolvable situation.

"I don't believe that for a second."

"Yeah, well." You paused for a moment. He had caught your bluff. You put a hand to your hip. "There's still another day to work on it. And we did get a lot done."

"Why don't we just finish it?" Ethan turns to looks at you. "You know? Let's just bang it out."

His word choice makes him tense. He knew the way the sentence came out.

"Okay, yeah," Y/N nods, sitting back down. "Let's just bang it out."

"Yeah?" He says in a breath. He doesn't know why he's continuing to speak without thinking about his words. He also doesn't know why he's kind of getting hard.

"There's nothing sexual about it-"

His words from earlier replay in his head.

'Fuck you, Chad.' He thinks to himself.

You nod and take out your laptop.

"You gonna stop your bitching and complaining?" He asks, him sitting a little closer to you than before. He was finding himself to be having fun with this. You give him an annoyed look and he lets out a chuckle while tilting his head.

"Only if you stop acting like a dick," You reply. "You're pissing me off."

"Am I?" He asks, no longer focusing on his work.

"Yeah," You nod. "Come on, let's bang this out."

"Yeah, okay."

In a second his lips are on yours, his hands pulling you in closer to him. You kiss him back, for a moment, before you realize what's literally going on.

"Woah, woah, woah..." You break away, staying in the position you're in. His hands are gripping your wrists and you're kind of straddling him.

He looks up at you and then lets go of your wrists. He didn't even realize he was holding onto them in the first place. He's breathing heavily and his face is red from embarrassment. Now, he's looking away from you.

"Fuck, I'm sorry, Y/N." Ethan's looking at the ground now. "I-I misread the situation. I don't know what I was thinking..."

He's trying to be rational and he's clearly embarrassed, but he doesn't even notice that his hips are digging into you.

"No... it's okay," You stammer.

"Really?" He looks back up at you.

"Yeah..." You say. He's still thrusting against you. You realize it. He doesn't until your face gets even more flushed.

"What?" He asks, growing cocky. He assumes, since you said it was okay and you're still on his lap, that he was good to do this. "I thought you wanted a break?"

"Shit," You say as his hands grab your wrists again. You lean your forehead against his and he chuckles. "Yeah, I do want a break."

"Should I even let you have one?" He questions, kissing your jaw.

You roll your eyes and let out a shaky breath.

"Screw you," You say. "Don't tease me."

"Screw you, Y/N," He hisses. "I'll do whatever I want."

You press down further into his lap and he groans, his head falling back.

"I've never seen you this confident," You chuckle. You kiss his exposed neck, kissing up to his jaw. He's pressing into you more. "What's got you this cocky? Aren't you a virgin?"

"Fuck, I let you have a break and you throw that in my face?" He rolls his eyes. "You're such a brat."

He moves his hands to your hips and forces you to grind against him.

"You never fail to frustrate me." He continues. "Fuck, I just want to fuck the living shit out of you."

You're weak from his words, wincing over them. He stands up, carrying you with him. He throws you onto his bed and attacks immediately, pulling down your loose sweatpants frantically.

He's painfully hard. It's fucking hurting him.

He flips you over on your stomach and forces your hips up. Your face is buried in his pillows and you're wondering about what he's going to do before his warm mouth is devouring you. Your legs shake.

"Fuck, Ethan..." You hum. "I-"

"You what?" He stops.

He's dying to be inside of you. He's jerking himself as he eats you out. He feels so hot and desperate.

"Fuck..."

"Spit it out." He says in between licks. "You never have a problem with speaking your mind."

"Just keep going," You say, reaching for his hair behind you.

"Fuck, you're a slut." He goes back down on you for a moment, but he has to be inside of you.

When the contact breaks you whine, but are instantly met with him shoving his aching cock inside you. He's digging into your hips and he's balls deep. He doesn't waste a second before he's pounding into you, moving your hips to meet his thrusts.

"Yes, fuck," He whines, forcing you up by your hair to lean against him. "I never thought you'd feel this good."

He holds you in place and kisses your neck, fucking deep into you.

"Who knew all I had to do to shut you up was fuck you?" He laughs and you get mad, looking away from him but continuing to let him fuck you. "Aw, did I make you upset?"

"You're an asshole," You say, but then he pounds you harder, forcing a cry out of your mouth. "Fuck, Ethan, keep going! You feel so good..."

"Fucking whore." He grabs your jaw with one of his hands and sloppily kisses you. "God, I love fucking fighting with you."

You lean your head in the crook of is neck, but then he pushes you down and leans on top of you.

His brows are furrowed and he's whimpering in your ear.

"Feels so good," He says breathlessly, his nails digging deep into your skin. He's speeding up at this point, chasing his high. He's gonna cum soon. After all, he is a virgin.

His face is becoming red and he's getting lost in you.

And you're almost there too before he quickly pulls out. You turn your head to face him.

"Why'd you stop?"

"I-" He takes a deep breath and shakily responds, "I don't want to cum yet."

"It's okay," You look up with him with a glow in your eye. "Cum on my face."

"What?"

He's standing above you, and you switch your position, kneeling in front of him. You gently grab his already sensitive cock in your hands and begin pumping him, and he's a whining mess.

"Oh fuck-"

Without warning, he replaces your hand with his and jerks himself off until everything is out and a mess on your face. Loud grunts and swears escape his mouth as you wait with your tongue out.

He's left a sweaty mess, looking at you with his mess on your face. You look up at him and taste a little bit, and he breathes heavily.

"Fuck, you look good." He says. He then grabs a napkin from his desk and walks back over to you, wiping the cum off of your face. Once it's all gone, he kisses your cheek.

"I'll help you out with the work, now." You say, blushing at him. He tilts his head, looking at you confused.

"Why do it now?" He asks. "We have all day tomorrow for that."

[platonicmoonwater00]

I see these everywhere. and i mean EVERYWHERE. and also i need motivation so lets go ig

10 notes- i'll drink on weekends too(i forget cos on weekends im just at home and not at school lugging around my frank green in my tote bag)

20 notes- i will(try to) pay attention in class

30 notes- i'll watch my whole watch later playlist on yt

50 notes- i'll actually do the techniques im learning in ✨therapy✨ to help with my anxiety and shitty social skills

75 notes- i'll take my iron tablets every day

100 notes- i'll start my assessments when i get them(i have one due tomorrow which i was gonna finish now but i'm doing this apparently)

125 notes- i'll ask my crush to hangout alone during spring holidays

150 notes- i'll try to go for a run or at least a walk every day

500 notes- i'll write another chapter of my fanfiction

1k notes- i will actually make an effort to get clean

2k notes- if i see someone pretty that i want to go out w in public i'll ask for their number cos holy fuck i need to put myself out there. even if we js end up being friends cos holy shit im lonely

3k notes- i will actually finished the dress i started making

4k notes- i will try to get over my crush cos its ✨never gonna happen✨(she so pretty and masc tho its gonna be hard)

5k notes- (this is so far up here cos idk how to do this so im gonnna need a lot of time to figure out how) im gonna try to demolish the rumour that im gay thats going around a bit.**

6k notes- i will finish all my crochet projects and not start any new ones until im done.

**context. i go to an all girls school and theres a lot of people so its not like everyone knows everyone, even in my year(theres approx. 174 in my year alone, and theres 6 year groups at my school cos high school is 7-12 where i live) but some people know me ig cos i know a few girl who are more notable, im in the top class and i recdntly started sitting with a group that the popular girls call furries.

(theyre a pretty big group and popular girls hate them cos one or two of them are trans - ftm, ftnb etc, no mtf cos my lovely/s catholic school wouldnt let trans girls in- several of them are gay, a few of them are emo, most of them are poc's and a few of them dont have english as their first language. overall they are seen as the "weird kids" in my year)

so this rumour apparently is going around that i like a girl in my class(i absolutely do but if you havent noticed my school is hella hoomophobic and i could very well get beat) which js isnt ideal and is gonna lead to a lot of issues, especially if a lot of people start believing it so if you guys have any advice pls lmk. and its not like i can js get a fake bf and show him off cos its a GIRLS SCHOOL. if i reconnect with a friend from primary school tho we could pretend to be dating and like make a post on social media. but then kids at his school would find out and hed either have to tell them its fake(which would eventually find its way back to my school, and when i say eventually i mean immediately) or he couldnt get a girlfriend so that probs wouldnt work.

i know it sounds like im making a mountain out of a molehill but ive got years to go here and i dont want to spend all my high school years getting bullied bc even if i went to a teacher about it or smthing id have to like analyse them first and try to figure out which ones are homophobic or not.

like learning about why "being gay is a sin"(pretend im saying that really mockingly) is literally in our curriculum.

holy shit that was longer than expected.

no pressure tags: @wishiwereheather13 @loserboyfriendrjl @fracturedsunsets @chasingthemoony @stars-and-leather @starsofleo

thats all im doing idk how you guys can stand js copy and pasting moots over and over i cant do this i did the first six that came up and that seems like enough 🤷‍♀️

begun doing

going to do

finished

[guess-my-next-obsession]

Hii there love <3 I hope you’re doing well!

Would you mind please writing a drabble in the Elementary-verse where Reader surprises Joel and Sarah (and even Tommy as well, if you’d like!) with a homemade meal for dinner one night? Now that Reader was assured by Joel that it was more than okay for her to do something like this, I feel like she definitely would and it’d be super sweet 🥺💞 Thank you for being so amazing <3

Winter Break

pairing: pre-outbreak!joel x f!reader (Elementary-verse)

rating: F (just more fluff, alcohol consumption i guess, maybe some suggestive stuff but nothing explicit at all) as always, not proofread and written on an edible :)

wc: 2k (this got away from me)

series masterlist | joel masterlist

The winter had gotten to all of you, the school year wearing you down along with Sarah as she finished her first semester as a high schooler. Joel and Tommy had it just as bad—having to work outside in the wettest Texas winter you’d ever seen since moving here. More often than not, Joel would come hobbling into the house after he got off work well past dark, only having the energy to call in some take-out for the three of you. He usually ended up falling asleep on the sofa before the food ever arrived.

But tonight marked the start of winter break, and the start of Joel’s vacation days he was in desperate need of. You wanted to celebrate getting through such a rough month with a home cooked meal—not the first you ever made, but certainly the first in a while.

When Sarah got out of school, the two of you drove over to the supermarket to do some shopping. You didn’t want any of you to have to leave the house this winter break, so on top of the usual snacks and frozen junk food Joel kept his fridge stocked with, you also carefully planned dinner for tonight.

“Ooo, vegetables. Been a while since I had those,” Sarah joked, forcing a laugh out of you as you knew it was sadly true.

“Gonna make a roast tonight,” you informed with a smile. “Figured we should probably eat something other than takeout and frozen pizza.”

“Dad’s gonna be excited…long as he can manage to stay awake through dinner. Dad fell asleep on the way to school this morning.” You gasped and watched her nod. “Yeah, good thing Uncle Tommy was driving. Otherwise—“

“Jesus,” you sighed and shook your head. “I’m gonna lock your father up and force him to sleep for like two days straight starting tomorrow.”

“I don’t need sleep like y’all,” Sarah impersonated her father, pulling another laugh out of you. “I’m a big, strong, man. I don’t need sleep or water or vegetables or anythin’ else most humans need to survive. All I need’s a cup of black coffee and I’ll be alright.”

“That was so good, I got chills.”

Back at home, you got to work on dinner. Sarah attempted to help you out, but you lovingly forced her to relax, instructing her to turn on the TV, kick her feet up and just chill while you handled things. But, the fifteen-year old was stubborn like her father and refused, instead choosing to sit at the kitchen table and finish her upcoming project due the week after school recommenced. As a teacher, you wanted to applaud her for her work ethic, but as her future step-mother, you wanted to pluck her pen from her hand and break it, forcing her to do what every other teenager in the world was doing tonight—nothing.

When it was clear she was going to spend her break her own way, you left her to it, focusing on chopping the potatoes, onions, and carrots—omitting celery as Sarah hated it and reminded you of that fact as you reached for a stalk at the grocery store. As you slid the potatoes in a pot to parboil, your cellphone started to ring on the counter.

“It’s dad,” Sarah announced, peeking at the caller ID.

“Can you get it?”

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded and flipped open the phone. “Hey dad.”

You continued on with dinner as they spoke, the phone call not lasting more than a couple minutes.

“Dad said Uncle Tommy is coming over tonight,” she relayed before getting back to her work.

“Good thing I bought the fattest roast in the store,” you spoke through strain as you lifted the roast from it’s packaging to sit in the middle of a metal roasting pan.

“God,” she chuckled at the size. “And you know what? I bet even with all of that, there’ll still be no leftovers by the time dad and Uncle Tommy get through with it.”

The boys entered the house the way the always did, bickering and graceless, their mud and cement covered work books kicked off by the door as they walked in through the garage.

“I’m just sayin’,” Tommy continued whatever conversation they had going on as they walked into the kitchen. Joel sidled up next to you at the stove, his hand rubbing the small of your back as he pressed a kiss to your temple.

“Yeah, but I’m tellin’ you,” Joel spoke to his brother but physically remained focused on you and your cooking. “If we can’t get the electrical guys to show up on time, we’re gonna be in some shit. And I know they’re your buddies and all, but this is my goddamn business, Tommy. I can’t keep hand in’ out favors only to get shitty, half-assed work in return.”

“I know,” he sighed and nodded. “I’ll talk to ‘em tomorrow.”

“What’s all this?” Joel mumbled against your temple as he gave you another kiss there, finally greeting you with his voice.

“Thought we were due for a real dinner,” you mumbled back, melting into his side even though he smelled of hard labor and dirt. “There’s a roast in the oven. Should be ready in about twenty minutes. Oh, and there’s beer in the fridge.”

“My god,” Joel gave your hip a squeeze and kissed your cheek. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Damn right you don’t,” Tommy agreed as he appeared on your other side to peek at the food. “How long do I gotta sit in torture?”

“20 minutes,” you replied through a chuckle. “There’s beer in the fridge to distract yourself with in the meantime.”

“Joel, if you don’t marry her, I will.”

“Shut up and go sit down,” Joel ordered, tightening his hold on you. “Gotta keep my eye on him, might try stealin’ you away.”

“I promise you, there’s no chance of that,” you assured. “I’m happy where I’m at.”

“Yeah?” he asked, smiling at you. You turned your head to nod at him, your eyes naturally falling to his lips. “Me too.”

Dinner was alright. The meat could have been a bit more tender and the carrots needed longer, but you seemed to be the only one who noticed. All three Millers tore into dinner until, as Sarah predicted, there were no leftovers.

Now, Tommy laid sprawled out on the couch, his jeans unbuttoned, one hand over his full stomach, the other wrapped around a beer. Sarah sat with him on the other end of the sofa, kicking his feet away any time he tried to rest them near her. Joel looked to be in a similar condition as his brother, sitting back in a dining chair with both hands rubbing over his stomach, his eyes on you as you scraped your plate clean over the trash can.

“Don’t do the dishes,” he commanded, knowing you much too well. You shot him a smile and shook your head.

“It’ll just take fifteen minutes,” you promised, but it didn’t satisfy him. He stood, bones cracking as he walked to stand behind you at the sink. His hands moved from your hips to your hold your wrist. Slowly, he pulled up the sleeves of your sweater one arm at a time, his warmth pressing into you from behind.

“You wash, I’ll dry,” he whispered into your ear, pressing a kiss there before backing away to stand beside you. “How was your last day before break?”

“Surprisingly very calm,” you replied, as you started on the pile of dishes in the sink. “Think everyone’s just excited to get a break. Speaking of, Sarah told me about your nap on the way to school this morning.”

“Oh, hell—just dozed off, it’s nothin. Not everybody needs ten hours of sleep a night to function—“ Your laughter cut him off. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” He shot you a persistent look. “Sarah thought you’d say something like that.”

“She tried to do my voice, didn’t she?” he asked, making you laugh. “It ain’t a great impersonation.”

“I thought it was pretty good.” Joel smiled and accepted the freshly scrubbed plate from your hand with a playful tug.

“You look good tonight, baby,” he spoke quieter, just for you to hear. You felt your stomach tingle with affection at the sound of his low voice—the voice only you got to hear.

“Yeah?” you questioned with a smirk. Joel grinned and nodded in eager confirmation. “You’re just happy because you’ve got a full belly.”

“Dinner was delicious, by the way,” he continued, not detailed by your inability to receive a compliment. “Think one look at Tommy will prove it.”

Your heard turned to the other side to watch as Tommy snored on the sofa.

“Guess he’s staying the night,” you turned to Joel. “I should go get the air mattress—“

“Uh-uh,” he protested with a soft shake of his head. “He’s fine like that. You’re so worried about us relaxin’, you’ve forgotten you’re the most wound up outta all of us. Relax, baby. You are allowed to do that, ya know?”

You chuckled and nodded, looking away from his eyes and back to the dishes.

“How about you go get a fire going in the backyard and I’ll come and sit with you for a while,” you suggested, bringing a fresh smile to Joel’s face.

“I think that sounds like a slice of heaven,” he hummed against your cheek as he kissed you there. “Maybe I’ll even bring out the guitar.”

“That would be nice,” you beamed. Joel’s playing was so pretty, but also so rare. He never had the time for it, always either working or sleeping, but tonight, he had all the time in the world.

Tommy was asleep on the sofa, Sarah up in her bed doing the same thing. You and Joel remained cozied up together in the backyard, a blanket over your laps, your head leaning onto his shoulder as Joel strummed away at his guitar. It was cold out, but the fire raging in front of you did a sufficient job at keeping you toasty, not that you needed it. Joel made you feel plenty warm just by existing.

“You feelin’ sleepy?” he asked over the music. He must’ve caught your heavy eyelids attempting to close. You decided it would be best not to lie, the appeal of the bed and mountain of blankets to keep you warm responsible for keeping you honest.

“Yeah,” you croaked, nodding your head against his shoulder. Joel flattened his palm over the strings to quiet the music before standing up and walking it back into the house. You stood too, wrapping the blanket around your shoulder as you watched him return to put the fire out.

“You don’t have to wait for me,” he reminded.

“I want to,” you argued. He smiled at the dying embers, mumbling an okay.

You waited with him until the fire was completely ashed out, his arms wrapping around your waist to walk you inside. You carefully tiptoed through the house as to not wake Tommy and Sarah. The only sound in the entire house was the creak of the stairs beneath your feet as you padded up the stairs with Joel following at your heels.

“You gonna be grossed out if I don’t shower until the mornin’? I’m so tired—“

“As long as you’re okay with me being too tired for anything sexy tonight,” you replied from your side of the bed as you climbed in.

“We’ll do both in the mornin’ instead, how ‘bout that?” You smiled and nodded at him as he stripped down to his briefs and climbed into bed beside you. You guided him to turn his back to you so that you could hold him for a while, your hands rubbing and kneading at the tension in his back. “Mm, love you baby.”

“I love you,” you whispered back, continuing your massaging right up until you drifted asleep behind him, your hands hugged tight to his chest.

This was rest. This was peace.

•

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[hydrngea]

ʀᴏᴄᴋꜱ ᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ

a/n : first jj fic! this is mostly unedited, so sorry in advance. this fic was totally not inspired by a nostalgic bridget mendler song hope you enjoy <3 requests are open

notes/summary : you’re grounded and stuck reading romeo and julliet when a certain visitor tries to get your attention from your window. | jj x f!reader, fluff, no spoilers for obx3

word count : 833

masterlist

being grounded was not supposed to be a part of your weekend plans.

well, to be fair, it wasn’t the most prudent decision-making on your part either; sneaking in late from a party at the beach, drunk. especially on a school night too.

not your proudest moment, being caught red-handed by your parents as you tried and miserably failed to sneak into your bedroom window.

which is why you are here now- confined to the comfort of your home for the next two weeks. oh, and no electronics either.

phone? gone. laptop? also gone. hell, they even found your spare ipod from middle school in one of your drawers, so even your last resort is poof-gone.

so instead of being out with the rest of the pogues on another great adventure, you’re stuck, sitting at your bed catching up on reading romeo and juliet of all books for your english project due on monday.

you have to admit, it’s not the worst play your english teacher could’ve assigned. even with all the odd old-timey lingo, you’re still somewhat interested; likely because of the fact you hardly have anything else to entertain you, but still.

halfway through romeo’s sappy romantic monologue, you hear a loud clunk against your window. your gaze shoots up from the book up to the glass, contemplating whether to let it slide or get up to investigate.

you choose the former, too comfortable on top of your freshly made bed to set the book down and drag yourself over just to find nothing.

with a sigh, you restart the sentence you left on just to be interrupted once again by another thump coming from your window.

probably the gutter you think, until you see a pebble make contact with the aperture.

you push yourself up and trudge across the room.

your forehead presses against the cool glass whilst you try to find the source of the stones before you recognize the vague outline of someone standing in your front yard.

sliding the latch open, you lean against the ledge and stick your head out.

“hey! what do you think you’re-“

your sentence fades as your eyes meet jj’s, a big grin spread across his face.

another pebble lands on top of your roof and ricochets back onto your driveway.

“you weren’t answering our texts!” he shrugs, “someone had to make sure you didn’t die.”

you roll your eyes, combing your fingers through your hair. “jeezus j! wait there.”

you quickly paddle down the stairs, simultaneously thanking all the gods that your parents were fast asleep at this time of night. you open the back door and gesture for jj to come in, bringing a finger up to your lips.

 “you could’ve woken my parents up,” you chastize while half whispering-half yelling at him as he strides in, chuckling.

“you had me worried, sweetheart.”

the use of your pet name makes your frustration dim slightly. you let out a small sigh-and even though you find it impulsive of him to be throwing literal rocks at your window in the middle of the night- you can’t help but be relieved to see him here.

you shut and lock the door to your bedroom  as jj collapses onto your mattress, landing right on top of your open copy of the play.

“ow fuck,” he exclaims, jumping into a sitting position. he rubs at his hip where there's surely to be a bruise tomorrow from the point of the book. “what was that?”

you roll your eyes again, relaxing back onto your bed  beside him with your cheek resting on your hand.

“shakespeare.”

jj snorts, picking up the book and placing it on your side table, “since when do you read shakespeare of all things.”

“since i got grounded and i have nothing else to do.”

“you could do-“ 

your palm shoves into his chest before he can finish his sentence. “nu, uh. what were you doing out there at two in the morning?” you question.

“i’m sorry, my lady.” he over-exaggerates an apology, grasping your hands in his. “ will thou ever forgive thee?” he enunciates with the emulation of a shitty british accent. 

you arch your brow, “for tossing rocks at my window or for that horrible accent?”

“both?”

“hmm…”

“please?” jj juts his bottom lip out, feigning a pout, looking at you with his beautiful blue orbs.

you let out a giggle, scooting towards him until your front is pressed up by his. you throw your leg over his torso- straddling him- and place your hands on the back of his neck, playing with some stray strands of his blonde locks.

“hmm…well considering it’s what romeo did to get julliets attention, i guess I can’t blame you for trying to be a romantic,” you respond, lips meeting the skin underneath his jawline.

jj’s hands run over your back, sliding up your flimsy pajama top suggestively.

“i thought that was just a thing gnomeo did in gnomeo and julliet, if i’m being honest.” 

you chuckle against his neck, pulling back slightly to lock your eyes with his, “you’re fucking insufferable, jj.”

he tilts his chin up, bringing his lips to brush under yours, “love you too, babe.”

-----

pls tell me you guys have watched gnomeo and juliet. hc- jj was obsessed both gnomeo and juliet and sherlock gnomes. 

taglist (lmk if you’d like to be added!) : @mrsstarkey1 @maybankslover 

check out my newest fic !!!

follow and reblog and i'll do the same for you! 

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Don't panic!! Everyone please calm the fuck down and stop spreading blatant misinformation. Please.

Project 2025 is not even close to be enacted yet (if it will be enacted at all) and a lot of people are spreading blatant misinformation about what will happen if it goes into effect.

Your fanfiction is not in danger. AO3 is not being shut down just because the cheeto man is back in office. Smut is not legally porn, and even if there was a porn ban, it would be supremely difficult to enforce - as we have seen with Tumblr's porn ban, where porn blogs are still quite common.

Yes, in the era of streaming services, it is a great idea to buy a DVD player and collect your favourite movies and shows in physical form - but more because of economic sense in not paying for digital copies that you might not get to keep (due to the stupidity of streaming rights), not because the American government is going to somehow make all copies of that media disappear overnight.

Book bans are always about schools and government institutions (like public libraries) far more than they are about taking certain books out of the hands out of consumers. A lot of people making these posts seem to blatantly misunderstand this part. And it is sad that certain books might be taken away from those institutions, but it doesn't mean that those books will be made illegal entirely.

America loves capitalism, they love money, and they will always do whatever is in the best interest of making more money. They won't push tyrannical religious book bans onto independent book stores and corporations because it is bad business. Especially when the material being banned then just becomes a hot commodity that they could be making money off of via tax instead of seeing that money gone from them in a black market. (Because if a large list of books were banned, there would be a black market for those books.)

(Weed and alcohol legalization is deeply against a lot of people's religion and morals, but the government keeps it legal anyway because they make money off taxing it. It makes good business sense.)

Also, a book ban that aims to get rid of all queer and NSFW content would not effect AO3 because AO3 is not a commercial company or a government entity. They are a non-profit. And if - big IF - for some reason, AO3 was forced to ban all queer and NSFW material (which is the last thing the OTW wants and the exact opposite of their primary founding goal) someone would have to go through each of the millions of posts one at a time to read through them and determine if they have content in them that needs to be "banned". This still leaves a lot of room for posts to slip through the cracks - as we have seen with the Tumblr NSFW ban.

But AO3 won't even be affected, so it's completely theoretical.

If something sounds too illogical and horrible to be true - it probably is. As I said on another post: change doesn't happen overnight, negative or positive. AO3 isn't going to disappear tomorrow. The world isn't going to end and take away all your favourite things with it.

[lucajayms]

i sincerely apologize for the rant

pre bullets gerard plsplsplspls!!!! they have an office crush at cartoon network then she moves away without telling anyone and they replace her (CUBICLES BEST SONG EVER) so then he just keeps wondering what may have happened, until mcr are playing like in another city during revenge era then mikey sees her in the crowd before a show and he goes to gerard right before going onstage and its like hey gerard remember that girl you talked about 24/7 in 2001, shes here tonight. and gee just freaks out while trying to play down the whole performance becase hes scared she wont like the whole fake blood/gay/screaming thing. then they finish the performance and he goes to find her and shes like all happy bc she knew he was gonna do much better things than to work at a shitty office. and shes a big comic book artist and does really weid like blood and vampire stuff so shes so happy that gerard also does weird blood vampire stuff. and then theyre happy and then the umbrella academy happens and yea

yea youre free to ignore this, i just have too much free time to imagine shit like this 👍

HELP I LOVE THIS SO SO MUCH!

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CUBICLES

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gerard way x reader she/her used use of y/n

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masterlist

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warnings: swearing!

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"Maybe you could draw her more like this to bring out the background more so she's not just stiff," I instructed him. Gerard is a very talented artist, he just has a little bit of trouble deciding what to put where.

"But I feel like if she was a little different, due to her design, she'd go flat," Gerard argues, putting his pencil where he was describing.

I sigh as I place my hand delicately to my chin, trying to see what he's talking about. The deadline is soon and he's not done pitching these characters. "Honestly, Gerard? Whatever feels right. You'll get her."

"You sure?" He asks, seeking confirmation in my words.

I smile, nodding my head, "Yeah. Deadline is tomorrow, just do whatever feels right!" I say before I'm off to my cubicle to continue my project.

I knew he was looking at me. For weeks now, it had become a pattern—one I could almost draw if I could figure out how to capture that lingering gaze in ink. He thought he was subtle, keeping his distance and asking me barely relevant questions about some “project” or “character design” he’d been working on. Gerard was charming, though; there was no denying that. Quiet, a little too good at staring at his desk, and adorably oblivious to how easy it was to read him.

“Hey, uh, (Y/N)?” I looked up from my sketchbook, where I’d been mindlessly drawing a graveyard scene—something I had an odd fascination with lately. Gerard was standing there, hands stuffed in his pockets, wearing that awkward half-smile that looked better on him than it should.

“Gerard,” I said, glancing up with a smirk. “To what do I owe the honor?”

He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. “I…uh…just wanted to see what you were working on.”

I flipped my sketchbook shut, even though I knew he was dying to see what I’d been drawing. “Just some stuff. You’d probably think it’s too creepy.”

“Try me.”

Maybe it was because I wanted to test him, see how he’d react to what was under the surface, but I opened the book back up and turned it to face him. His eyes widened as he took in the vampires, blood, and dark cemeteries I’d sprawled across the pages.

“You…actually drew all of this?”

I shrugged, trying to keep my cool. “It’s not much. Just whatever’s in my head.”

He laughed, this soft, surprised sound. “Whatever’s in your head is amazing.” He paused, his eyes lingering a second too long.

I grinned, leaning back in my chair. “Well maybe not everything, Way.” I tossed my pen onto my desk, feigning nonchalance. “Can’t have too many weirdos like me around. Bad for the office’s reputation.”

And that's why I left.

Maybe I should’ve told him I was leaving. I hated the idea of going without a goodbye, but part of me figured I’d see him again. He’d get over it. Life had a way of carrying people in different directions, and honestly? I couldn’t stand the thought of another month behind that desk. I needed to be somewhere I could let these ideas out, somewhere that didn’t expect me to keep my weirdness behind a closed sketchbook.

The day I left, I watched the office fade from my rearview mirror, fingers tapping the steering wheel as a familiar guilt crept in. I didn’t leave him my number or my address or even a hint of where I’d gone. Some part of me hoped he’d figure it out. But after that, there was just silence.

Gerard

She left without a word. Just…gone. I tried to keep going like I didn’t notice, told myself it wasn’t a big deal. But the absence gnawed at me, creeping into every sketch and unfinished character. (Y/N) was gone, and I had no clue where she’d gone or why. I stopped asking questions after a while, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her. The thought became like an echo in my mind, constant and inescapable, pushing me to drown it out with anything I could find.

And I did.

One show after another, one drink, one line, whatever I could find to keep the silence at bay. The stage helped a little—at least there, I had the lights in my eyes and the noise blocking out the mess in my head. I’d stand in front of the crowd, hands dripping with fake blood, trying to exorcise whatever pieces of myself felt missing. But then the high would fade, and I’d be left in a dark room, trying to ignore the question that refused to die.

Where did she go?

I kept the band going, kept pretending it didn’t matter, kept letting the weight build. It wasn’t like I had any choice. The shows were packed, and the screams of the crowd felt like both a relief and a punishment. They had no idea. No idea that some days, it felt like I’d never get off this damn ride, that maybe I’d crash and burn right here. But something shifted in 2004. I couldn’t explain it—maybe it was seeing my friends’ faces or feeling the burn of another empty night. But I knew that if I kept going like this, I’d lose everything. I’d lose myself.

I finally made the decision to clean up, and in August 2004, I was clean. Free. My body hated me for it, and my brain wasn’t much friendlier, but I had to get clean. I couldn’t keep living on the edge of destruction. Every day after that, it felt like I was shedding pieces of the person I’d become just to survive. By the time I left, I was…well, I was alive. And that had to be enough.

It had been nearly a year since I’d gotten clean, and for the first time, it felt like I could really breathe on stage again. I could look out at the faces in the crowd and see them. Really see them, not just the blur of movement and lights I’d been numbing myself to. This was what I’d always wanted. This was where I wanted to be.

"MANHATTAN!" I scream into the mic and the crowd before more goes wild. "We are going to FUCK SOME SHIT UP TONIGH!"

And as I say that, Mikey plays the beginning of Give Em' Hell Kid. The set goes without hiccups, the crowd is perfect, and the most I've seen in a few weeks. Right as we leave the stage before the encore, Frank grabs me by my collar.

"Holy shit, Gee," He starts, and concern bubbles in my stomach. Did I do something wrong?

"What? What is it?"

He shakes his head vigorously, "I don't know if I'm tripping, but I swear to God I saw the girl you keep drawing in the crowd."

Fuck.

"What?!" I exclaim.

"Thirty seconds to encore!" One of the stagehands yells.

"Frank, where did you see her?" I ask, frantic. There's no possible way she could be here tonight. Why would she be here tonight.

"Our left, by the barricade. I think?" He explains, looking up to recount exactly where he saw her. My heart thuds against my ribcage as Frank’s words sink in, and I feel my throat tighten. (Y/N)? Here? After all these years?

"Ten seconds!" the stagehand yells, clapping his hands. Mikey shoots me a quick look, and Frank gives me a small, reassuring nod. There’s no time to think or even process—I’m barely holding onto the last traces of composure as we rush back on stage. I grab the mic, trying to get my focus back on the crowd, but every nerve in me is lit up, wondering if (Y/N) is really here tonight.

“MANHATTAN!” I shout again, forcing energy into my voice, hoping it’s enough to cover the wild surge of emotions that’s slamming through me. “YOU READY FOR ONE LAST ROUND?”

The crowd screams, and the band jumps into Helena, the encore I should be ready to pour my soul into. But all I can think about is her—her face, the way she used to sketch, her laugh. The lights are blinding, and I try to keep my focus on the crowd, but my eyes keep searching, desperate to find a glimpse of her. I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but by the end of the song, I swear I see her—a flash of her hair, bright eyes, her face half-turned away in the crush of people, but unmistakably her.

The song ends, and we give a final shout before exiting the stage. As soon as we’re out of sight of the crowd, I turn to Frank, breathless.

“You’re absolutely sure it was her?” I ask, gripping his shoulder.

“Fuck, I don't know how accurate your drawings are,” he says, his voice serious. “Bit it was her, Gee. I’m sure of it.”

“Holy shit,” I breathe, running a hand through my hair as the adrenaline surges through me again. "Where do I even start looking?"

Frank raises an eyebrow. “I’d start by getting your ass back out there before she disappears again. You just finished the show. You’ve got maybe five minutes before the crowd starts spilling out.”

I don’t waste another second. I dart down the steps, half-running, half-pushing past crew members as I head toward the audience exit. It feels like the longest, most insane few minutes of my life, weaving through the backstage area until finally, I’m in the thick of the crowd, scanning every face I can. And then—I see her.

She’s lingering by the side of the barricade, glancing around, half-smiling to herself like she might leave at any moment. She’s a little older, a little different, but I’d know her anywhere. I take a deep breath, feeling my hands start to shake, and then I call out, loud enough to cut through the noise.

“(Y/N)!”

She turns, her eyes finding mine, and for a moment, it’s like everything around us goes still. Her face lights up, and I swear I feel that same electricity that ran between us in the office all those years ago.

"Oh my god, you guys did so good!" She laughed, too, shaking her head. “Gee, look at you! Rockstar Gerard. I always knew you’d end up doing something wild, but I never expected…” She gestured at my blood-stained shirt and smeared makeup. “This.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, heat creeping up my face. “Yeah, well, it’s, uh, a little different from Cartoon Network, that’s for sure. But I never thought I’d see you at a show.”

“Oh, please,” she grinned, giving me a playful nudge. “I knew you’d be doing something big. You were always too talented to be stuck behind a desk, remember?”

I laughed, surprised by the surge of relief that came with her words. “Guess it’s been a while since anyone told me that.”

She softened, and something flickered across her face. “I'm sorry I disappeared. I had to move, and things got in the way, and…” Her voice trailed off, and she shrugged, a little awkwardly. “I never thought we’d run into each other again.”

“Same here,” I admitted, looking down. “But I’m glad we did. Even if it’s, uh…” I glanced at my blood-streaked hands, shaking my head. “Like this.”

She laughed, a bright, genuine sound, and I felt my nerves ease a little. “Honestly, I kind of love it. I’m doing comics, Gee. Lots of, you know…gory, bloody, vampire stuff. Seems like we’re both into weird stuff now.”

“Every time I go into a comicbook store, I look for your name.” I say, feeling a familiar spark of admiration light up in my chest.

“Yeah, well,” she shrugged, but her smile told me she was proud. “I kept drawing, kept pushing for it, and here we are. I got some stuff out that's been somewhat successful, but you—you’re the one really living the dream.”

It felt surreal, standing there with her, years and miles from where we’d left off. She was still (Y/N)—the girl who got me, who somehow saw through everything. But she was different, too. Confident, sharp, like she’d grown in ways I never got to see. And she was right here.

We fell into silence, the crowd thinning around us. Finally, I took a deep breath. “You know, after you left…I wasn’t great, to be honest.”

Her brow furrowed, and she gave me a sympathetic look. “I figured,” she said quietly. “It was a pretty messed-up time for both of us.”

I nodded, knowing she got it. “Yeah, I got pretty lost for a while. It took me…a lot to get back on track, but I’m good now. Clean, you know? And I’m just trying to keep my head on straight, one show at a time.”

She smiled, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder. “Good,” she said, her voice full of warmth. “That’s what you deserve, Gerard. You don’t need anything dragging you down.”

I felt something click into place then—a kind of peace I hadn’t felt in years. “Thanks, (Y/N). Really.”

She grinned, glancing around like she was taking in the whole scene again. “Hey, I think we’re due for a major coffee catch-up. I want to hear everything.”

I chuckled, feeling that old sense of ease wash over me. “Deal,” I said, grinning back. “But only if you show me your sketchbooks. I wanna see all the vampire blood and gore.”

She laughed, rolling her eyes. “You got it. Only fair, since I’ve got a feeling you’ve been drawing me for years anyway.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, and together, we walked out into the night, talking like no time had passed at all. And this time, I knew she wasn’t going anywhere.

(Y/N)

What a fucking life. Leaving Gerard like that in 2001 did something to me, you know? Fucked me up. I felt really fucking bad.

But it's okay. We're good. And by good? I mean my boyfriend is the fucking lead singer of My Chemical Romance. Like, who gets to say that?!

After their final tour ended, Gerard was bugging me more and more about his comic that he was writing and that he desperately wanted me to illustrate for it. Apparently, he had been working on it for around three years, and he wasn't getting anywhere by himself.

"I don't know, baby. I got deadlines," I always say, but God, who could say know to that pretty face of his.

And so I finally agreed to illustrate The Umbrella Academy.

And boy, did that change my life.

[mrs-santoss]

Are you jealous, Ney? - Neymar Imagine

Summary:

Heyy i saw that ur requests were open and i really liked ur other imagines so could u please write something with jealous ney like the reader and kylian(or anyone)got close since they started dating and one day they were just hanging out and kylian gets too close so ney gets jelous or smth plssss

It was a big change for me to move to Paris with Neymar and change my lifestyle completely. But since my job is mostly remote, I decided to move with the love of my life and support him on his journey. I knew a long-distance relationship wouldn't last for me, so I didn't want to risk breaking up with Neymar. We are an extremely happy and understanding couple; that's what makes us special.

Before Neymar and I moved to Paris, we looked for apartments or houses to rent or purchase. We found a perfect big apartment with enough rooms for me to create my own office. Neymar made sure everything was perfect, so I wouldn't miss anything at work. He felt some sort of responsibility to make me comfortable since I'm the one moving to a different country for him, even though I wouldn't want him to feel this way at all.

I'm working on my latest project at work when I get a call from Ney saying he's bringing a few guys from the team over to hang out. I ask if he wants me to prepare some food or anything, but he's got it all covered.

I'm not in my best-looking state, but I'm not too bad either. I'm wearing a sweater and shorts, dark blue set with some light makeup and my hair up in a bun. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I go to open the door, greeting Neymar first.

"Hi, bebê. How was training?" I ask him and give him a quick kiss on the lips, he squeezes my waist lightly.

"Hi, meu amor. It was good. Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Kylian and Thiago. I invited a few more guys, but they couldn't make it." he says to me as the guys come inside and remove their shoes. We have a shoes-off policy because of me, I hate the idea of dirty shoes on the couch.

Everyone greets me and says hi. Kylian gives me a quick hug, and follows the other guys to the living room as I shut the door. I follow Neymar and I grab his food bags from his hands.

"I will prepare everything, anjo. You sit with the guys." I say to him, he hesitates first but gives in and kisses my forehead.

I'm in the kitchen making some drinks for the guys and one for myself because why not, and put the ordered food on the plates. I go to the living room where the guys were taking turns playing Fifa. Kylian and Thiago were sitting on the big couch, Neymar was sitting on an arm chair, I place the food on the table and sit next to Neymar on the arm of the arm chair. He gives me a side hug and kisses my shoulder. Kylian and Thiago were playing against each other, while Neymar is waiting his turn.

"How's work going, bebê? Are you done for today? he asks me, while snacking on some chips.

"Yeah, Ney. I have a few things let unfinished but I will deal with them tomorrow." I say back to him.

"Okay, amor. Don't get too stressed out about work." he says to me giving me another quick kiss on my shoulder since he can't reach my face since I'm sitting on a higher level.

Thiago beats Kylian on the game, and now is Neymar's turn with Thiago. Kylian offers Neymar his seat so he has a better view of the TV, and Kylian sits on his place next to me.

Neymar's POV:

I switched seats with Kylian so I can focus on the game more. After a few minutes of playing, I hears laughs coming from Y/N's and Kylian's direction, they were chatting together about different stuff. Usually, I'm not the jealous type, but I hate it when someone else makes my girlfriend laugh. I don't want to make it a big deal, I mean they're having fun as friends. I feel some sort of responsibility that she had to leave her friends behind to move to Paris with me.

Kylian reaches out to grab some food, and the arm chair almost drops on Y/N's side due to the unbalanced weight. He quickly grabs her by the waist and pulls her so she doesn't fall.

"Oh, my god, I'm sorry. Are you okay? he says to her. Y/N confirms she is okay, and they both start laughing finding it funny.

I decide to ditch the game and let Thiago beat me. I feel this rush of jealousy over my body. I quickly stand up.

"Kylian, you can continue playing, I lost the game." I say to him coldly.

"Okay, bro. In a second! I want to finish this food first." he says casually to me not even looking at me, still making jokes with Y/N, my girlfriend.

"Sure! No rush." I say to him and I sit back next to Thiago, I pull out my phone pretending to scroll through different apps, but still looking at them through my peripheral vision.

Y/N is telling him an embarrasing story from her high school days, and Kylian laughs, touching her shoulder slightly.

"Hahaha, oh, god, I didn't realize you were also funny and not just pretty." he says to her as if he forgot she's my girlfriend, MINE.

That was it for me. I wanted to make that stop. So I stood up quickly. And walked over to them.

"Hey, amor. Can I have a word with you in the kitchen?" I say to her coldly.

"Yeah, sure, bebê." she stands up quickly and follows me to the kitchen."What's up, Ney?"

"Why are you not working right now?" I ask her blankly, I can tell she's taken back from my words.

"Um... What do you mean, bebê? she asks me confused. "Do you not want me to hang out with you guys?"

"Of course, I want you to hang out with us, but I want you to sit next to me." I say to her, and I feel a little weird saying it out loud. We never had these conversations about jealousy before.

She pauses for a moment, processing my words. And suddenly, she starts smiling. I don't know why she's smiling, I certainly don't find it funny AT ALL.

"Bebê... are you jealous?" she asks, as if she's reading my mind.

"What?! No, I'm not? Why would you think that?" I ask, not sure what to say next.

"Hahaha, yes you are, Ney." she says to me and grabs my, cheeks pinching them, and kisses my lips softly. Oh, god, how does she manage to make me smile through everything?

"Okay... maybe a little. I don't like this feeling. You are MINE." I say, as i grap her by the waist and pull her close to me crashing my lips into her.

"You don't have to be jealous, meu amor. I'm only trying to make new friends. I don't think Kylian there is flirting with me either." she says to me.

"Maybe, but, I still don't like it. I'm the only one who can make you laugh like that." I say to her, she starts grinning. "You're the only one who can also make me scream." she says while winking at me. I kiss her passionately, and run my hands down to her butt, squeezing it slightly.

"That's for sure, bebê." I can't wait for those idiots to leave so I can make her scream my name.

[rip-quizilla]

Impossible to Hate You ~ Part 3

Pairing: Eddie Munson x fem!Reader

Summary: For some reason, when Eddie's around you, he doesn't feel like a piece of shit- he's really starting to like that about you. Your feelings for Eddie are growing past 'friendship' feelings, but you sure as hell aren't telling Eddie that. Robin is perceptive as hell.

Word Count: 4.9k

Tags for Entire Fic (from AO3): Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Inspired by When Harry Met Sally (1989), Slow Burn, Romantic Fluff, Good Friend Robin Buckley, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Eddie Munson Lives, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, no one dies, Reader-Insert, Eventual Smut

Divider was created by the lovely and talented @hellfire--cult❤️

Part 1 | Part 2

Part 3

Spring, 1983

“How on earth are you failing shop?”

Your voice landed in the thick quiet of Eddie’s van halfway between a question and a laugh, and Eddie could feel a blush creeping up his neck as he tried to laugh it off. 

“Eh, I failed a project way back where I was supposed to make this birdhouse or something and I never turned it in…”

He didn’t miss the concern in your voice when you replied, “And you never thought to just ask for an extension? Did you at least start it?”

Eddie’s silence spoke volumes.

“Eddie!” you shoved him lightly on the shoulder, and he winced. Not from pain, you’d barely shoved at all- he winced out of embarrassment. 

You were smart. He didn’t need to look at your report card to know someone like you had never failed a class as simple as shop before. By all means, it should have been an easy A; Mr. McCarthy didn’t grade based on skill, his projects were easy to ace as long as you followed the rubric. The hard part was that Eddie was a serial procrastinator, especially when it came to projects. He’d kept telling himself that he would start the project later, start it tomorrow, start it this weekend, etc. Now here he was, a month after it was due, and a month before the school year ended- still no project, and no amount of minor assignments would help him to regain a passing grade in that class.

“It’s no big deal, they can’t make me repeat the year just because I failed an elective class. I’ll just take another elective credit next year instead of a study hall-”

“Eddie!”

The tone of your voice surprised him, firm and all-business, almost like a reprimand. He glanced at you sheepishly. “What?”

He wasn’t sure why he’d expected you to be angry with him. Perhaps Eddie had grown so used to getting lectured by those that mattered to him that the idea of you doing the same wasn’t that much of a stretch. But when Eddie saw your expression, it wasn’t one of anger, but confusion.

“Do you hear yourself?” You asked. Your voice was firm, leaving no room for any argument. “It’s like you’ve already given up and you still have a whole month before junior year ends.”

Eddie shook his head. “The project was due in March, there’s no way McCarthy would let me turn it in this late-”

“Have you asked?”

Another silence, equally telling as the last. 

You turned your attention to the street ahead, arms crossed over your chest and a satisfied look on your face. “Well, you’re going to ask him Monday if he’d accept your birdhouse late.”

Eddie barked out a laugh. “Oh that’s what I’m gonna do, huh?” 

You nodded, smiling smugly. “Mm-hm!”

“And then I’m going to build a birdhouse?” 

“You are, and I’m going to help you.”

That, Eddie hadn’t expected. “You’re gonna… what?” 

You smiled at him, pulling your backpack up into your lap and hugging it to your middle. Eddie remembered you doing that last week too; he wondered if that was something you did subconsciously, always needing something to hug against yourself to feel comfort in some way. “I’m going to help you. My dad has some tools and scrap wood in the shed out behind our house, so we can go there if you want. Either way, I am not letting you fail shop class unless you did every possible thing you could have to pass.”

Eddie didn’t know what to say. His friends were always happy to help him with homework, even let him copy off of them from time to time- but this? He felt a bit overwhelmed at your eagerness, borderline pushiness, to help him.

“You really don’t need to go through the trouble-”

You gave him a stern look that sent his eyes straight back to the road ahead. “Munson, if you try to get out of building a damn birdhouse I swear I’m changing the radio station to whatever popular girly crap is playing right now.” 

Eddie shut his mouth, button eyes blown wide. “Understood, yes ma’am.” 

He pretended that the thumping of his overzealous heart was just the heavy bass from the radio.

To Eddie’s surprise- and your satisfaction- Mr. McCarthy agreed to grant Eddie an extension. If he was able to present a finished birdhouse by the end of the school year, Eddie could receive credit for it with an automatic ten point deduction for being tardy. You thought ten points was generous of him, and while Eddie secretly agreed, he wasn’t about to criticize the hand that fed him. 

So, per your request (which Eddie could tell was non-negotiable, so not much of a request, really) Eddie stayed with you after school while you tutored some freshman in preparation for their English Lit final and drove you back to your house when you were done. This time, however, he went inside with you to begin construction on the birdhouse that would (hopefully) save his grade.

Your dad had been more than happy to help Eddie with figuring out how big to cut each of the wood pieces, teaching him to measure twice, cut once, blah blah blah. All of that adorable fatherly stuff. It was very cute for you to watch- your dad, who had initially been less smiley, a bit more taciturn than usual because his daughter was bringing a boy by the house to work on a project and he’d been intent on snuffing out any ill-intentions towards you, instantly falling back into his everyday, effortlessly smiley exterior the moment Eddie told him that his woodworking hobby was “actually really cool”. 

Something about Eddie seemed to do that to people- he melted away the person you projected, leaving behind the person you were at your core. You could see it so clearly on your dad’s face as the two of them sketched out lines on a piece of scrap wood. Eddie marked one piece with a little cartoonish-looking skull, and when your dad saw it he asked Eddie if he likes to draw- and then the conversation simply flowed from there easily. You couldn’t wipe the sappy smile from your face. 

Your dad stayed to advise until he could tell that Eddie had a good grasp on how to use the tools at his disposal, and jokingly made sure Eddie knew you were the one in charge whenever the two of you were left to your own devices. Eddie had responded with a mockingly serious salute, which only made your dad smile wider. 

“He likes you.” you’d said once you were sure your dad was out of earshot. 

Eddie huffed out an embarrassed chuckle, eyes staying focused on his work while the corner of his mouth quirked up in a sardonic smile. “Yeah, well, he probably just hasn’t heard much about me then.”

You studied him, half amused and half pained that he was once again refusing to take a compliment of his character. Turning your attention to the tiny wooden dowel you intended to turn into a perch for the birdhouse, you continued. “Oh he’s heard about you. Just, everything he’s heard, he heard from me. So no, no bad things.”

That got Eddie’s attention. “Really?” he asked incredulously, looking at you with one eyebrow raised. “No bad things? Not a single one?”

“Nope, no bad things. He’s heard annoying things, though. Infuriating things. I told him to warn the HOA about you.”

“Oh, did you now?”

“Scouts’ honor, we have a certain standard to uphold around here, you know.”                                                                                                                  

Twin smiles played on your lips, evidence for the joy it brought both of you to be around each other. You both worked wordlessly, letting the sounds of sandpaper and sharp tools on wood fill the pleasantly warm air in the shed. 

“What about you?”

His vague question earned a glance from your direction. “What about me?” you asked.

“Well, if I’m so infuriating and annoying, why do you care so much about whether or not I pass this class?” Eddie’s sentence trailed off into a breathy, nearly imperceptible tremor that told you he cared about your answer. 

“You might be infuriating and annoying,” you said, matter-of-fact, “but you’re smart. Way too smart to fail shop because of something as stupid as a missing grade.”

Eddie was quick to brush off your compliment. “You know some might say that missing a due date is something only a stupid person would do,” he looked up at you with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. “so I would argue that that alone makes me-”

“Eddie, stop.”

His lips clamped shut. 

You placed the wooden pieces in your hands down on the floor before walking up to him and stopping about a foot from where he sat. Your eyebrows were drawn together menacingly, your arms were crossed over your chest, and your tone reminded Eddie of what it must be like to be in trouble with Mom.

“Look Munson,” you began sharply, “You are a very intelligent person. I am not saying that to flatter you because I couldn’t care less about giving you empty compliments or not. I’m just stating a fact: you are smart.” 

His gaze was trained on the floor, unsure what to do with himself. Brown eyes flicked up to yours through his dark chocolate curls and back down again.

“And I don’t know who made you think you’re so much of a lost cause that you give up before asking for help, but I’ve never been one to watch smart people let themselves down and be okay with it.” You held out your hand palm facing upwards between your chests. “So hand me the wood glue so I can give the lucky birds who get to live in this fancy joint a little perch to stand on.”

He did what you asked, quiet and hiding behind the curtain of his mane. It wasn’t until you were back in your seat that he finally spoke up.

“You know-” 

You looked up at him, a soft smile teasing the corner of your lips, and you had to take a deep breath to calm yourself as you processed the fondness that shone in his eyes. 

“-you’re a little scary when you’re angry.” 

You snorted. “Good. Maybe I can scare you into fulfilling your potential.” 

Eddie wasn’t sure what that potential was, exactly. His life was doomed from the start to complete its natural cycle within the same hundred square miles, so he figured his potential was to… work at the power plant with Wayne? Be a bartender at The Hideout? Drink himself to death when his life got too depressing to deal with anymore? 

Okay, maybe that last one was a little too dark. But realistically, he knew that would probably cross his mind after enough time spent in this hell-hole of a town. 

Now there was a smart girl telling him he was capable of more than that, and his first instinct was to wonder if Wayne had put you up to giving him a pep talk or something… but that was way too sneaky for Wayne, who had only heard about you in passing at this point, so there was no way he’d asked you... which meant that you, a smart girl, truly believed that he- Eddie Munson- was a smart guy. 

Huh. 

Well how about that.

True to his word, Mr. McCarthy accepted Eddie’s birdhouse when he brought it to class that Friday. He chuckled when he saw the little horned devil symbol painted in the corner on the back. He peered questioningly at Eddie when he caught sight of the pentagram that had been drawn on the floor of the inside, to which Eddie had replied, “In case they want to perform any ritualistic sacrifices in there.” 

When he’d handed Eddie his graded rubric, there were minimal notes written in red, but when Eddie looked at the little blank labeled ‘total’, nothing else mattered. 

90/100

Which meant that without the ten point deduction, Eddie would have made a 100%. His work- sans tardiness- was worth a 100%. Eddie was baffled, stunned- he couldn’t remember the last time his work had been deemed worthy of a ‘100’ circled in red pen at the top of his paper since elementary school.

“I got a 90%!” 

He was practically giddy when he told you. Shop was his last class of the day, after which he had run straight to your locker to show you the rubric. You were excited for him, of course, but you hadn’t been surprised in the slightest. 

“And that brings your average in the class up to…?” You asked with a knowing smile. 

Eddie clutched the precious page to his chest, swooning as he threw his back against the locker beside yours. “72.” He sighed, content and over the moon. “You’re a miracle worker, you know that? You took this sad, pathetic, stupid little boy-” He splayed a dramatic hand over his heart. “-and you wanna know what you did?” 

You smiled wryly, closing your locker door. “Uh huh?”

His face contorted in the most joyful way possible- a smile showing every tooth, crinkling the corners of his eyes, brow scrunching from the passion with which he gripped that flimsy piece of paper and shook it in your face.

“You got him a fucking A, you genius!”

You couldn’t help but laugh, shaking your head as the two of you walked through the halls to the theater department for Hellfire. “You did all the work! You got yourself  that A.”

“Ah-ah-ah,” Eddie wagged his pointer finger back and forth. “No, that’s not what I said, I said it was a fucking A.”

You looked at him, confusion evident in your eyes. “Yes, that’s what I said, you got yourself that A! I barely did a thing.”

He was quiet, grinning ear to ear as he narrowed his eyes on you. “Oh… oh you sweet, sweet thing…” 

Whoa now, that gave you butterflies. 

You casually turned your eyes in the opposite direction of where Eddie walked by your side, hoping he couldn’t sense your reaction. “What?”

Eddie chuckled, positioning himself directly in your line of sight. “Don’t hide from me, come on-” You looked up begrudgingly, taking in his amused expression. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say fuck.” 

“What? That’s ridiculous, I’ve said it.”

“Not in front of me!”

“Yeah, okay, I don’t say it often.” you shrugged, eyes darting literally anywhere but his face- again. “So what? There are so many other better words I could use-”

“But can you say it?” 

At that, your eyes met his, and you made sure to sprinkle a little venom into that eye contact. “Of course I can say it, I’m just choosing not to.” 

Eddie was undeterred. “Then choose to say it just this once, I want to know what the word ‘fuck’ sounds like in your sweet little innocent voice.” His puppy dog eyes glistened as he pouted. 

You glared, smacking your hand against a door that threatened to close before you could pass through it, and angrily shoving it aside. “I am not innocent or little, thank you very much.” 

“Awwww, come on, Ace,  just one little f-bomb?” 

“No.” 

“Not even for me?”

“No!”

“Uuugghhhh,” Eddie sighed, throwing up his hands exasperatedly as the two of you approached the twin set of doors that led to the auditorium. “Fine.” He hopped ahead of you, opening one of the doors for you. “After you.” 

You should have seen it coming, but you still yelped when Eddie jabbed his fingers into a tickle spot in the curve of your waist as you walked past him. 

“FUCK! Eddie!” you practically squealed. 

You shook your head in disbelief as he skipped down the narrow aisle of seats toward the stage, throwing a fist victoriously up in the air. 

“Hahaaa, there it is!” He cackled. 

You may have acted annoyed with him, but nothing could deny the brightness in your smile seeing him overtaken with so much joy. That joy translated so easily into his storytelling during D&D that when you had finished your work on the set for the play- which was only two weeks away now- you didn’t even pretend to be busy with anything else this time. You grabbed a wooden stool from backstage, tugged it close enough to the table to see the story playing out before you, and simply watched Eddie do one of the things in his life that truly made him come alive. 

What you didn’t realize was that there was now another thing that seemed to bring out the best parts of him the same way that D&D did, the same way that music did, the same way that curling up and rereading The Hobbit did. And when Eddie heard the drag of your wooden stool across the black surface of the floor, glanced over his shoulder and saw your eager, shining eyes glowing brightly at him, drinking in every word that left his lips- that was when he realized it.

 He realized that you were quickly becoming one of the things that made him love waking up in the morning.

Eddie had, admittedly, never been to a play before. He’d been in a play, but that was back in the fifth grade, and it was more of a Christmas pageant than an actual play. He had played one of the three wise men, and all he could remember from it was his teacher chewing him out for his improvised line- “Myrrh-y Christmas, Jesus”- when he’d placed his prop-gift into baby Jesus’ manger. That had been the prompt end of his acting career.

Now, as he tried his best to look nonchalant with his hands in his pockets, he couldn’t help but feel particularly out of place while his eyes frantically searched for a place to sit in the auditorium that would give him the perfect balance of empty seats and proximity to people he knew wouldn’t recognize him. The last thing he needed was another reason for his usual bullies to mess with him. 

“Munson! Hey, Eddie! Over here!”

Eddie’s attention flicked over to a seat toward the back, occupied by none other than Robin Buckley, who was absolutely ruining his efforts to act cool. He rushed to where she sat while trying his best to wordlessly communicate SHUT. UP. with only his eyes. Oblivious to Eddie’s plea, Robin patted the empty seat beside her.

“I didn’t know you would be here!” her voice was loud- that was something he already knew- but it still rang uncomfortably in his ears. 

“I’m right here, Buckley, no need to yell.” Eddie hissed, crouching in his seat as if he could make himself smaller just by trying. “Yeah, well I didn’t exactly have other plans, and I knew this was going on and…yeah.” 

Robin watched Eddie stumble through his poor attempt at nonchalance, a knowing grin taking up residence on her mouth. When he clumsily arrived at the end of his sentence, she simply kept smiling at him, which unnerved him greatly. He averted his eyes, leaning back in his chair and throwing an arm over the rest an elbow atop its back. “What?” he scoffed, once again trying to appear indifferent- it didn’t work well, at which Robin snorted. 

She shook her head, chuckling silently. “She’s going to be so happy you showed up.” 

Well if that didn’t make his chest feel as though it was about to inflate and fly away, nothing did.

Regardless, Eddie still acted cool- or tried to, at least. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.” but the red crawling up his neck and the sappy grin that he just couldn’t fend off gave him away. Robin groaned, pretending to be fed up even though she actually thought the way he reacted when you were simply mentioned was the cutest thing she’d ever seen in her life. Even though she knew he didn’t need reminding, she still said your name just to see if his blush would grow even deeper when he heard it. She was rewarded. 

Eddie nodded in recognition, sticking to his bit. “Oh yeah, I forgot she was helping out with this thing. That’s uh… that’s cool-”

“Oh shove it, Munson, quit playing the indifferent cool guy.” she shoved a finger in his face. “You like her.” 

He scoffed- again- and rolled his eyes a little too hard. “Lay off it, Buckley, we’re just friends.” 

Robin raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying it. “Really? That’s it?”

Eddie remained neutral in his tone, shrugging as if the whole situation were just that cut-and-dry. “Yup. That’s it.”

She looked at him for a long time- a long time, with a gaze so intense it made Eddie a bit uncomfortable. It felt like letting go of a breath he’d been holding when Eddie finally heard Robin’s “If you say so.” 

Eddie nodded. “I do say so.”

Judging by Robin’s facial expression, she still didn’t buy it, but she seemed willing to drop the topic. “Okay then.”

“Okay.” Eddie mumbled, just in time for the lights on the stage to go down. 

It only took about ten minutes of the play to go by for Eddie to start wondering if seeing you at the end of the production was going to be worth sitting here for an hour and a half. However, when the curtain had finally closed and he saw the look on your face upon seeing him standing there with Robin at the end of the arts hallway- that long hour and a half melted away. 

You were dressed all in black just like a few other crew members that Eddie saw scuttling about, carrying certain props and costume pieces. Pulling away from a hug that you’d bestowed upon Robin immediately after seeing her, your eyes focused on him and he couldn’t help but smile at you.

“Eddie Munson, did you actually sit through an entire theater production of your own free will?” you asked through a toothy smile. 

Hands in his pockets, Eddie shrugged and hid his smirk behind long stray curls. “Yeah, maybe.”

He was quiet. You were quiet. You were both just… smiling at each other. Like idiots. Robin shook her head in disbelief. 

“You’re both idiots.” she mumbled, dumbfounded.

You blinked. “What?”

“I said ‘Let’s go get burgers!’ I’m starving.” Robin began walking with you down the hall toward the exit. “Coming, Munson?”

You looked at him, wide-eyed. He struggled to read your expression- were you expecting Buckley to invite him? Were you hoping he would say yes? Say no? Eddie stuttered, clearing his throat. 

“I mean, if you want me to-”

You nodded, a little too quickly. “Yeah! I mean, if you want to-”

“I don’t want to impose-”

“Don’t feel like you have to-”

“Oh my god!” Robin stomped over to Eddie, grabbing him by his upper arm and dragging you in the same spot with her upper hand. “You both want food! Let’s go get food!” Eddie had to suppress a chuckle upon hearing Robin’s muttered ‘God, you two are fucking children’ under her breath. Your gazes connected behind Robin’s head, both of your faces sporting a small, crinkled grin- shy and sharing. 

Thank god for Robin. 

Eddie was happy to throw Robin’s bike in the back of his van; happy to drive the two of you to the diner downtown in lieu of meeting you there. Happy- and relieved- to discover that even though he had only ever spent time with you alone or with his friends, he was able to fall into comfortable conversation with you and your friend the same way that you had nestled your way into his friends’ routine so easily. It had been ages since one of the Hellfire members had glanced your way during a session, nervous to throw themselves into the game while an outsider was in the room waiting to judge them. They learned- Eddie learned- pretty quickly that you would never judge them. Pretty soon, you weren’t an outsider- you were just a part of their Friday plans. 

Eddie’s mind began to wonder, as he drove the two of you down the main road, now that the play was over, and you had no reason to keep showing up to Hellfire, what excuse would Eddie have to see you? Summer was fast approaching, so you wouldn’t be seeing each other at school each day either. Suddenly, Eddie wasn’t just wondering, he was worrying. Without an excuse to see you, would this burgeoning little friendship just…fall? Just stop? 

“Hey, Eddie? You awake over there?” you snapped your fingers by Eddie’s ear, and he flinched away slightly as a nervous laugh bubbled up his throat. 

“Sorry,” Eddie said, his voice light. “Just got lost in thought I guess.”

If the two of you were alone, you would have asked him what he was thinking about. However, Robin was here- it was a strange sort of limbo you felt you were in, your childhood best friend and your newly-discovered… friend. Crush. Maybe-crush? The way you felt about Eddie was becoming increasingly difficult for you to pinpoint. You knew you loved being around him. You knew that your heart had done a complete backflip when you’d seen him waiting with Robin after the play. Eddie Munson did not attend school functions. When you’d seen him at the winter formal years ago, you hadn’t even seen him inside- as far as you’d known, he hadn’t gone with a date… maybe he’d gone with friends? Or he was someone’s ride? Either way, the fact that he would go to a play simply because you were involved in it was certainly enough to give you heart palpitations.

When the three of you arrived at the diner, the energy was a little odd between the three of you. Robin watched as you and Eddie had gone from comfortably chatty to eerily quiet. It seemed that you both were caught up in your own spiraling thoughts, and the awkwardness that it was causing was going to make Robin scream if it didn’t stop soon.

“So Eddie,” Robin said as you all sat down in one of the plasticky blue booths in the diner, “what are your summer plans?”

It seemed to take a second for Eddie to register what Robin was asking; he tilted his head to the side, taking a second to consider. “Haven’t thought about it…honestly, I figured I might be busy with summer school or something if I wasn’t passing all my classes-”

“-Which, you are.” you interrupted, a soft, proud smile on your lips.

Eddie laughed, and Robin couldn’t help but notice that his biggest smiles always happened when he was looking at you.

“Yeah, thanks to you.” Eddie replied, quickly turning to the waitress as she walked up to your table, closing the window of time you had to deny the credit he was hell-bent on giving you. The three of you each ordered a burger and a milkshake before Robin took it upon herself to carry on the conversation. 

“Think you’ll get a summer job?” she asked Eddie with a nefarious grin. “You could work at Scoops with us, you get a pretty sweet outfit out of the gig.”

Eddie barked out a laugh, “Hah! I’ll pass on the shorts, thanks.” 

You cursed your brain for conjuring up the image of Eddie in shorts, then proceeded to burn that image in your brain.

“You bring up a good point, though,” he mused, “Wayne and I could use the money. I pick up odd jobs around the neighborhood, but most of the old farts around the park just throw me whatever they find between their couch cushions.” 

The waitress set your shake in front of you, which you eagerly grabbed and took a sip. “I can keep an eye out for places that are hiring, if you want.” You smiled at Eddie, bright red straw lightly resting against your lips. 

“Yeah?” he asked hopefully, “Just don’t go asking at any places where I’ll have to wear some stupid outfit.”

“Hey!” you narrowed your eyes on him, a teasing glint in your gaze. “I happen to think I look cute in that stupid outfit.”

Eddie had no doubt that you did, but he wasn’t about to tell you that. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Mr. Smee.” 

Robin snorted, shaking her head at the two of you. She was astounded at your combined talents for ignoring the undeniable chemistry that the two of you had whenever you shared each others’ spaces. She saw it all- the way he seemed so completely unaffected by everything except for you. The way that whenever he was around, you couldn’t peel your eyes away from him. The way that you both refused to admit that your friendship had an expiration date- you both wanted to be more than friends, and that much was clear as day to Robin. It was only a matter of time before one of you cracked. A ticking time bomb.

Robin resolved to confront you about it at some point. Not tonight; tonight, she was content to watch the two of you idiots tripping over yourselves while you pretended not to be absolutely besotted with each other- it was free entertainment. But she’d ask you about it soon. 

For now, she settled for laughing at the way you pretended to be mad at Eddie as he spent the whole meal trying to sneak fries from your plate. 

Part 4

[kiitchensiink]

see now what we're not gonna do is start a stupid joshler ship war on tumblr again, because people are misinformed and refuse to actually do any research into the subject and project onto Josh and Tyler's feelings to push their own expectations of them.

Tyler and Josh consistently like joshler fan art on twitter, consistently have been chill with joshler shippers and have encouraged making joshler fan art (i.e the vessel livestream), make jokes ab the whole thing and are generally good natured and supportive of it.

they're for the most part in on the joke, and as long as people don't go up to them and force it down their throats like a weirdo, it's really a non issue.

I will not allow tumblr to become a hostile place towards joshler shippers expecially because your discomfort on the subject is NOT reflective of Josh and Tyler's feelings.

It's honestly worse to use the language of progressivism as a battering ram to treat others as subhuman when Josh and Tyler are secure in their sexuality.

Your emotional reaction and disgust do NOT give you moral superiority, nor necessarily make you correct in assuming Josh and Tyler feel the same way you do.

You are perfectly capable of using tumblr's tag and word blocking features, and I take the time and do the due diligence of tagging EVERYTHING so that people who dislike stuff are able to properly block those words.

If a community wants to flourish, we have to be respectful and kind to one another and put in the work to be considerate of one another, and that INCLUDES not putting joshler hate in the tags because you had a knee-jerk disgust reaction to it.

And this post even comes from someone with experience!!!!

When I was semi big on the internet, I had people shipping me with my underage friends, and I put my foot down and said publically "No I'm not comfortable with that". I spoke up and expressed my boundaries with that content and stood firm with it.

People made an effort to support me, and I very much appreciated it.

I understand how it feels to be shipped, and I believe as long as a person clearly communicates their boundaries on it, all is totally kosher. Consistently, Josh and Tyler have embraced joshler fan art, and if they spoke up against it tomorrow, of course I'd reconsider my stance on it.

But the world we live in is one where Tyler constantly talks about kissing Josh so if you're still choosing to be willfully ignorant on that, I can't help you, sorry.

[justmeinadaze]

We're A Family Part 10 (Steddie X You)

A/N: I had many feels with this one. From this point forward I may start aging everyone up a bit just because I have some ideas with Steddie being girl dads and then Dylan needing them for advice all growing boys need. Im also drooling to get to teacher Steve... We also may throw another kid in there. Idk. Definitely not 6 @sidthedollface2 !!!

Warnings: ANGST and SMUT with a dash of fluff. Reader interacts with her mother which is always fun (I may also be dealing with things personal in this regard that flowed into my writing...), Reader and boys fight! I know! Its a small one though. She mentions feelings from her previous marriage and feeling like she isn't enough. Um...I think that it.

Word count: 4085

“Dada…da…da…”

“I know, sweetheart. I miss them to.”

You and Aurora were sitting on the floor of your bedroom while Dylan laid a few feet away patting the floor. 

“Come on, Ro. You can do it.” She giggled at her brother as she tried to take a step forward before falling back on her butt.

This was the fourth day in a row that the guys hadn’t been home in time for dinner. Eddie had been working late at the shop while Steve had stayed behind at school to work on a project he had due. You missed them terribly but you would never bring it up. They were both working so hard to take care of you and the kids but you’d be lying if you said there weren’t a few times you had some flashbacks to your previous marriage. 

You reminded yourself constantly that this was different. Charlie had always been out on the town with his friends or fucking other women behind your back. Eddie and Steve were both at work. You weren’t allowed to be angry…right? It’s ok though. The guys said tomorrow everything would go back to normal…right?

The sound of your phone ringing startled you back to reality. 

“Hello?”

“Hey! Is my son there?”

“Lynette? No, he isn’t and if he was I wouldn’t let you talk to him.”

She aggressively sighs. “Just like Wayne. So fucking self-righteous. I need to know if he’s going to the hearing.”

“Oh, well, I can answer that. No. Now leave him alone.”

Dylan laughed as you hung up the phone. “You’re so spicy, mom.”

“Yeah, it comes with old age.” He laughs harder as you laugh with him. “You want to watch a movie, weirdo?”

##################

Steve sighed as he quietly opened the front door to a relatively dark house. Like you had been doing all week, the kitchen light remained on illuminating the entryway enough for him so he could see. 

“Hey, Munson.”

“Harrington. You’re just walking in to I see?”

He nodded as he reached for the fridge door, softly smiling at the food you left behind for them. 

“We don’t deserve her.” As he turns back around, he notices Eddie reading the note you left behind. Even though you could text them, you always left a note on the counter giving them a play by play of the evening. The metalhead hands it to Steve as he retrieves a beer and leans against the counter. 

“Eddie and Steve,

Dylan insisted on Chinese food so I ordered you both something and left it in the fridge. He had a good day and even told me about a new girl in his class :P. I think he likes her.

Ro still hasn’t got walking down. Our son keeps calling to her like she’s a dog and all she does is laugh lol She has definitely mastered crawling for sure. I saved the lives of one of your guitars, Ed!

She asks for you guys a lot. At night while we’re watching tv, she’ll point or look around and call out for ‘dada’. She misses you two…we all do…

Eddie, baby, your mom called my phone tonight looking for you asking about the hearing. I told her you didn’t want to go. I wanted to give you a heads up just in case she tries calling you to.

I love you both so much,

Y/N <3 “

“Steve, one of us should at least be here.”

“I know… I don’t know what to fucking do, Eddie. This is a big project for the semester and then I have to still go to work and make money. What about you?”

“I’m working to, man. I have more responsibility now and not just here. I…”, he exhales as he heads for the stairs. “I’m too fucking tired.”

Their hearts break when they enter the bedroom, finding all three of you asleep on the bed. Steve carefully picks up Aurora from your chest as Eddie pries Dylan from your hip, carrying them to their respective areas. 

Without even changing, they threw themselves into bed next to you, pulling you into their embrace as they fell asleep. 

#############

When you woke up, they were both already gone for work. The only reason you knew they even came home was because you could still smell their scent lingering in the sheets. 

For the rest of the Saturday, you busied yourself around the house to make the time go by faster. Eddie and Steve were supposed to come home by 6 but the anger didn’t start to rise until 7 when neither of them had come back yet. Stomping to your phone you noticed a few texts you had missed. Steve said that the group he was working with in his class had some free time so he was going to run to one of their houses to finish up their project and Eddie said he had to work late again but promised he’d be home by 8 at the latest. 

You fumed as you paced in the kitchen. They promised today everything would go back to normal. They told you things were going to go back to how they were so they could at least see the kids before they went to bed. Without thinking it through you grabbed your phone and texted them a response.

“Fuck you both.”

Thirty minutes later, both boys angrily barreled into the house, shocked to find not you but Kierra in the living room. 

“I don’t know what you two did but my sister is pissed.”

“Where is she?”

“She said she needed to let off some steam.”

“Kierra, come on, we know you know where she is.”

Your sister glared in their direction, rising to her feet with Aurora on her hip. 

“Dada. Dada.”, she clapped reaching for Steve.

“I’m taking them to my house to spend the night. Talk to her, gentlemen. Y/N can handle a lot but she won’t put up with another Charlie.” It was their turn to glare, hating being compared to your douchebag ex. “She’s at The Hideout. Bring your shield and swords. My sister isn’t exactly a happy drunk.”

##############

I’m not supposed to be angry. I’m not supposed to be angry. I’m not—” 

You chugged back the liquid in your glass as you lit another one of Eddie’s cigarettes. You imagined you looked pretty pathetic in a dark bar, smoking a cigarette in a shirt and jacket that were two sizes too big but you needed them close to you. Eddie’s jacket and one of Steve’s button up shirts were blanketed in their smells that had you hugging yourself as you tried to push back the tears that tried to run down your face. 

“Man trouble?” Your eyes shoot up to meet your moms as she sits diagonal from you at the bar, ordering a drink of her own as she lights up the cigarette in her mouth. “I swear me being here is a coincidence. It seems Mrs. Harrington and I don’t have a lot to talk about these days. Plus, she spends less time at that country club now that she’s at your house more.”

“Can I just drink alone, please?”, you whine. 

Your mother nods as she takes a sip of the martini that was handed to her. “How’s, um, how’s Dylan?”

“You would know if you bothered to come by or even call.” She looks down as you snap at her, immediately feeling guilty. “He’s doing ok. He plays baseball now and is dead set on teaching Aurora how to walk.”

“Is that the baby’s name?”

“My daughter, your granddaughter? Yes, it is.”

Your mother sighs as she turns to fully face you. “I don’t have a problem with her. I hope you know that. Janet showed me some pictures of her. She’s really beautiful.”

“No, you just have a problem with her mother being together with her fathers.”

“That’s what I’m talking about, Y/N! She has ONE father. ONE parent. How are you going to explain that to her when she gets older. Hell, how are you going to explain it to her now?! I imagine for a toddler that will be extremely confusing. And have you even considered what school will be like for her?! You’re so selfish, Y/N.”

You chugged down the rest of the liquor in your glass as you began to subtly cry. You already felt selfish for being angry with the boys…this is the last thing you needed. 

“Y/N, let me call Eddie to pick you up!”

“I’m not driving, Nick!”, you shouted as you exited the bar.

As you began your trek into the parking lot, your mother’s voice floated from behind you. 

“Y/N, come on. Let me drive you home.”

“Don’t!”, you snap as you turn on her. “Don’t pretend like you fucking care about me now. Don’t patronize me and pretend like you give a fuck about me or my kids! You told Charlie all about my life and things he didn’t need to fucking know which kick started a brand-new custody filing which fucking back fired because even a court so far seems to think my home is better than his! He felt so cornered he took him from school without telling me and got arrested. Did you know that?”

“Did you know that no one makes fun of Dylan at school and most of his friends think it’s ‘cool’ he has three parents? Of course, my son doesn’t care about that. All he cares about is the fact that he finally has men in his life who are there and actually make him feel wanted!”

This was a long time coming. Everything you been holding in was finally spilling out of you and you couldn’t reel it back in. A hand suddenly touched your arm but you didn’t bother turning around. At that moment, it didn’t matter. 

“Y/N, baby, come on.”, Steve murmured before you yanked out of his grasp.

“Aurora may only be one but believe it or not she understands that these two are her father. Biologically, yes, one helped make her but it takes more than that to be a parent but you wouldn’t understand anything about that, would you? I haven’t seen you in almost 2 years and why?! Because I found two good people I love and love me back? Jesus, you’re right. I am fucking selfish! I’m not perfect!”

As you spoke, Eddie and Steve tried to pull you towards the car but you kept fighting to get out of their grasp. 

“Why am I not enough for you?”

Eddie finally stepped in front of you, blocking your mom from your view as he grabbed your biceps forcing you to look at him. 

“Stop! Stop... Get in the car, sweetheart.”

Steve opened the back door, guiding you in before facing your mom. “You know, for someone who cares about how people perceive her, you give off a really shitty image. Maybe it’s time to consider if you’re trying to impress the right people.”

#############

You barge into the house and head straight for the liquor cabinet in the kitchen.

“Fucking child proof...garbage…ugh!”, you whine as you aggressively pull on the child lock attached to the door.

“You don’t need anymore alcohol, Y/N.” Both men were leaning against opposite counters watching you. 

“I’m sorry, Steven, but you don’t get to tell me what to do. I’m an adult—”

“Whose acting like a child.”, Eddie cut you off.

“Said the man who acts like a kid 24/7.” You glare at them as you exhale. “Fuck this. I’m going to bed.” As you tried to head towards the stairs, they both cut you off. “Move.”

“Or what?”, Steve challenged. 

It had been awhile since you saw this version them; the angry version that didn’t mind playing into your attitude with a fury of their own. 

Turning on your heels, you planned to go around the counter through the living room but Eddie cut you off. 

“What was that text about? ‘Fuck you both.’”

“You BOTH promised me you would be home today?!”

“Sorry, honey. Shit came up. It’s not like we’re out on the town or having any fucking fun! Eddie and I are working our asses off!”

“So do I! I work an 8hr shift AND come home to take care of TWO kids alone!”

“We talked about this, Y/N. You knew when Steve started school and I took that promotion our schedules would be tight. You said you were fine with it.”

“Well maybe I’m not! And tight is completely different that not seeing you at all.”

“What do we do then, huh? You want me to quit my job so we can scrape by for the next year and a half? Maybe, Ed can go back to his old position that he hated. At least everyone would be fucking happy!”

You marched outside, slamming the backdoor as you lit a fresh cigarette. 

“Hey! Don’t walk away! We aren’t done.”

“I DON’T KNOW!”, you screamed. Your hands beginning to shake as the tears started to flow again. “I don’t know, Eddie. I-I know I’m not allowed to be angry and I know that you guys aren’t doing anything wrong or anything like that. But I hear Dylan talk and see Aurora search for you…then I go to bed alone and I just…I feel like I did when I was married to Charlie.”

“That’s…”, Steve aggressively sighs as he tries to control his temper. “That’s not fair, Y/N.”

“I know but, fuck. Maybe I am selfish.”

“If there’s one thing you’re not, sweetheart, it’s selfish. Don’t bring your mom’s ignorance into this because what she thinks about you and us doesn’t matter. What I do want to focus on is you’re the second person today to compare us to your ex and I don’t fucking like it.”

“Me either.”, Steve chimed in.

“Y/N, we know you went through a lot with him and still are but we aren’t him. How would you feel if we said something you did reminded us of Emily.” You cringed at the thought. “Exactly. We would never fucking hurt you the way Charlie did and we would never fucking give up on you either.” You made a funny face in his direction so Eddie continued. 

“Baby, he stopped fighting for you the moment he cheated on you. Fucking asshole was so petty he wouldn’t even let the mother of his child and son stay in their home.”

“If he hadn’t done that though, I never would have met you two.” You flashed them a slanted smile as you wiped your eyes. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking when I sent that text earlier. You know me, I saw red and… I was just so excited you guys were going to be home.”

Your gaze shifted between theirs as something quickly passed through their eyes, something you hadn’t seen directed towards you since living across from them...

 “I’m going to go get ready for bed.” You grin again, tossing the cigarette into the ashtray before swishing past them into the house. 

A hand abruptly grabs your shoulder, spinning you around as lips crash to yours. The many rings on his fingers tells you its Eddie as he pushes you against the living room wall. There’s a neediness to both your energies as he hastily unbuttons your pants and slides his hand under the waistband of your panties, making you moan as he roughly inserts two of his fingers into your cunt. 

You cling to his neck as he sucks on yours, thrusting into you at an aggressive pace. 

“E-Eddie… slow…oh my god…slow down.”

Without a word, he does as you ask, choosing to curl his fingers deep inside of you. Your legs began to shake as you reached down to grip his wrist. You tried to pull at his hair to look at his face but his lips remained attached to your neck. Instead, you searched for Steve, finding him leaning beside you both, his eyes overshadowed with that determination you saw before. 

Tonight, it was just you three and it had been so long since you had been together not just sexually but intimately. You were hurting and so were they. They missed you as much as you missed them and tonight they were going to show you how much. Tonight, the house belonged to you guys and they were going to make you scream their names so all of Hawkins understood you were theirs, no matter what.

You moan his name repeatedly as you cum, yanking Steve’s shirt to bring his lips to yours. As soon as Eddie removed his hand, the other man lifted you into his arms, bringing you into the kitchen and placing you on the island in the middle. The metalhead came around to grip your waist as Steve aggressively tugged off your jeans and panties. 

After pulling you closer to the edge, he threw off his shirt before kneeling, opening your legs wider, and wrapping his mouth around your clit. His motions were just as fast as Eddie, not allowing you much time to catch your breath. Lips and teeth warmed your breast as Eddie switched between the two. 

“I…guys…please…fuck…” You were struggling to form words as they both overwhelmed your senses. The sharp, cold temperature of the granite hit your back as you laid flat against it, thrusting your hips against the man’s face till you felt the coil snap and you came again. Eddie lifted you, placing you on your feet, and turning you so your back was to his chest. 

He fumbled with his belt as he walked you towards the stairs, kicking them and his boxers to the side as you fall forward onto the steps. The man licks his hand, pumping himself a few times before pushing into you as you moan. His fingers clung to your hips as he thrust into you, the obscene sound of skin hitting skin filling the area. 

Footsteps echoed beside you as Steve pushed off his own attire tossing it to the ground. After sliding himself in front of you, your hands grip his thighs for support as you encase his cock with your lips. 

He grunts at the feeling as you moan and bob your head, pulling your hair into a ponytail so he can watch you take him. Eddie falls forward, grinding into your pussy hard as his hands roam your now sweaty body. 

You lift your head, continuing to jerk him as fast as you can, shouting Eddie’s name as you hurtle quickly over that ledge again. He groans as you flutter around him, pulling out before taking you in his arms as he heads for the bedroom. 

Throwing you onto your back on the mattress, he lifts one of your legs over his shoulder and breaches your entrance again as he chases his high. Steve climbs up beside you, licking his fingers and reaching between you to rub your swollen clit. 

“Please…I can’t…again…too much…” They both silently continue what they were doing, lost in you and the moment. Eddie grunts as he cums, thrusting his hips till he empties inside of you. 

Steve takes over as the other boy pulls out and backs away, sliding himself into you before pushing your legs together and turning you on your side. This position had him deeper inside of you then you had ever felt as you gripped the sheets for support, needing to hold on to something as he smacked his hips against yours. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw his hand reaching for yours, quickly reaching over to take it as he gripped you tightly. The sound of your whimpers and moans escalated until you couldn’t hold back anymore, crying and shouting Steve’s name into the darkness. His body folded over your own slightly as his rhythm sputtered and he came, rope after rope filling you up. 

The room feel quiet except for your sniffles into the blankets. Someone gently lifted you into their arms and carried you to the bathroom before placing you on your feet by the tub. Looking up, you met Eddie’s soft brown eyes as he smiled, brushing your hair behind your ear. A loud grunt left him as you practically tackled him, wrapping your arms around his waist as you cried into his chest. Steve came up behind you, hugging you as he rested his cheek on your head. 

They waited for the bathtub to fill before releasing you, holding your hand as you stepped inside and immediately tugged your knees under your chin as they joined you. After Steve delicately pulled up your hair, he tenderly ran his palms along your shoulders and down your arms as Eddie cleaned your body. 

“I don’t like this…the silence…” The only reason you knew they heard you was because their movements paused for a moment before they continued. “Please say something.”

“You’re more than enough.” Your eyes met Eddie’s in total confusion. “You asked your mom why you weren’t enough and I know part of the reason you feel the way you’ve been feeling is because Charlie made you believe that to. You’re MORE than enough. You are everything.”

“You’re not selfish for feeling the way you’ve been feeling, Y/N.”, Steve continued after. “We miss you to and the kids. When you said Dylan has been trying to show Ro how to walk more, I panicked like what if we weren’t here when she finally did?”

You sighed as you leaned against his chest.

“We finished our project so I’m done there and, of course, the semester ends next week so I’ll be home more. Maybe next semester, I can cut back on some of my hours at work. Things might be a bit tight but…”

“Maybe not.”

“What do you mean, Ed?”

“The owner of the shop, Scott? He’s retiring after the new year. Part of the reason I’ve been staying late is because… he’s been talking about giving the garage to me.”

“Eddie, oh my god. That’s amazing!” You lean forward wrapping your arms around his neck. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up including my own if he decided against it. But, baby, this would mean I could be home more and we would have more money. Steve could even solely focus on school but knowing him he would insist on continuing to work.”

“You’re not wrong.”, Steve chuckles. 

“But what about music? Corroded Coffin?”

“I can practice more with them to. Sweetheart, I’m not going to become a rockstar in the next year.”, he laughs. 

“You’re already a rockstar to me.”, you smile as you kiss his lips.

################

“Oh hey, look. The entire Munson-Harrington clan came to get you guys AND they seem happy.”, Kierra grins as she opens her door wider to allow you three into her home. “Did you fall on your knees and beg for forgiveness?”

“Eh something like that.”, Eddie laughs. 

“Your mother was at the bar to last night. I’m not sure if she told you that.”

Your sister sighed at Steve’s comment. “I swear to God, that woman can be so…ugh! What did she say, Y/N?” When you didn’t answer, she turned to face you, noticing your eyes focusing on the kids. 

Dylan was holding Aurora’s hand allow her to balance before letting her go. She took one wobbly step forward before falling on her butt and smiling up at him. You sunk to your knees placing yourself a small distance away from her. Your son lifted her up again, holding her hand as he guided her towards you before letting her go. She stood still just for a moment as she looked your way. 

“Come here, baby. I missed you. Give mama a hug?”

You reached out your arms as she giggled before slowly taking two steps forward. She almost fell catching herself on her hands before pushing back to a standing position. 

“Ma…mama!”

She took two more determined steps by herself before falling into your lap. 

“Oh, Wayne’s going to hate that.”, Eddie grinned. 

“God job, Ro.” Steve kissed her forehead as she keened into your neck. 

“Get ready, boys. Here comes the fun part. Running after a toddler around a two story house with sticky fingers.”, Kierra laughed as she wrapped her arms around you leaning her head on the Aurora’s back. 

###############

@adequate-superstar @kalinaselennespeaks

@alienthings @steddieloverrr @manda-panda-monium

@decadentwombatmiracle @katie-tibo @marsupiooo

@local-stoner-bitch @steamystrangerfics @lunatictardis

@adaydreamaway08 @hazydespair @actuallyspencerreid

@moviefreak1205 @waylandmorgernsternherondal-blog

@kik51199 @strngrlytn @idkidknemore @damon-loves-pie

@k-k0129 @micheledawn1975 @eddie86baby

@justmeandmymeanderingthoughts @3rriberri

@sashaphantomhive @chelebelletx @big-ope-vibes

@munsonzzgf @munsonmoonshine86

[willalove75]

Oooh how about a Rebecca x reader fic where they have a sugar mommy/sugar baby arrangement, like maybe Rebecca agrees to help Reader out financially in exchange for their companionship (like going to dinners and richmond games since rebecca doesn't get to see keeley much anymore and she wants a buddy) but they fall for each other somewhere along the way?? Your fics are a godsend btw 😇

I love this!!!! This is actually the first of many sugar mommy requests I've gotten and I'm here for them😂 Thank you for the request!! 💕

And thank you SO much 🥺 I keep saying this but I really mean it, I neverrrr expected people to read, no less really enjoy my fics and it makes me so happy that everyone has been enjoying them so much! 💕

You walk into the café you spend most of your mornings in and order your usual drink from the barista. While your drink is being made you set up your laptop in your usual spot and start working on your school work. You hear your name called and you grab your drink and head back towards your seat. As you're walking across the café you notice a beautiful and very tall blond woman walk in, you make eye contact with her, you exchange smiles and you sit back down. You pop in your headphones and continue on your paper. The café is usually pretty crowded in the mornings, but its still one of your favorite places to come and get some work done. You hear someone say something and you take out one of your headphones and look over, you see the pretty blond woman standing next to you.

"Is this seat taken?" She politely asks.

"Oh, no, go ahead." You say with a smile.

She smiles back at you and you put your headphone back in and keep working. You see her scrolling on her phone out of the corner of your eye as she waits for her drink. You're distracted from your paper when you get a call on your computer from one of your classmates you're doing a project with.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hey, I'm sorry but I'm not gonna be able to make our project meeting tonight."

"Come on dude you're killing me."

"I know I'm sorry, I'll send you my half by tomorrow morning, I promise."

"Please don't fuck me on this I need to do well on this project, I need a good grade in this class so I can keep my scholarship."

"I won't! I promise!"

They hang up and you pull your headphones out and rub your face with your palms.

"For fucks sake." You grumble to yourself.

You notice the woman looking over at you and you look at her.

"Sorry," you say, a little embarrassed. "Group projects are the worst."

"No apologies necessary." She says with a smile and returns her attention back to her phone.

You put your headphones back in and continue your paper. The woman gets up and gets her drink and leaves. You keep working on your paper for another hour and then head off to class.

The next morning you're back in your usual spot in the café, you're sipping on your drink when you see the same blond woman walk in again. You accidentally make eye contact with her again and you both exchange smiles once more. She orders her drink and you get a call from your classmate.

"Please for the love of all things holy tell me you're calling me because you're sending me your half this very second."

"I am I am I'm sorry."

"It's due in an hour!"

"I know check your email you should have it."

You check your email and see the woman walk up next to you again, you make eye contact with her and she points to the seat, you nod letting her know it's not taken and she sits down next to you as she waits for her order.

"You are so lucky I don't hate you." You say to your classmate.

"I know I owe you big time, it shouldn't be too much to put together, I sectioned it all out so it's easier for you."

"Oh thank god, thank you. Okay I'll finish this, see you in class, bye."

You breathe a sigh of relief and you take your headphones out. The woman looks over at you and you look over at her and smile.

"I'm guessing your group project worked out?" She asks.

"Yes, barely, but it worked out." You say with a smile.

"Well good, I'm glad."

"Me too."

You hear the barista call an order for Rebecca and the woman gets up and turns to you.

"Well good luck with it."

"Thank you."

For the next few weeks most of your mornings in the café go the same way, you order your drink, set up in your usual spot, the blond woman, Rebecca, sits next to you, you both exchange a few words, she gets her drink and leaves. Slowly you two start chatting more and more, mostly just small talk, what your usual morning orders are, you tell her you're a student at the local university, she tells you she works at a football club. Eventually you begin to talk more about your personal lives, you tell her you're paying your way through school, you work nights and go to school during the day. She eventually tells you that she's the owner of AFC Richmond, you try to keep your cool, but not only has your family been diehard Richmond fans your whole life, you've been talking to the owner of a football club for over a month every morning?!

One morning she comes into the café and seems sad, you can tell something is going on and you ask her if everything is okay, she sighs and tells you that she found out her ex-husband is having a baby with his new wife, she doesn't go into detail, but you can tell by the way she's talking about it that she wanted a family, you're not sure if she wasn't able to have kids, or if they just never did, but you feel bad. The more you two talk, the longer you both stay at the café and chat. You begin to really look forward to seeing her each morning, you even began leaving your bag or jacket on the seat next to you so you can save the seat from being taken until she shows up.

You walk into the café one morning feeling totally defeated, you got laid off from your job last night and your world seems to be crumbling around you. You order your drink and claim your usual spot, you don't have the energy to even take out your laptop, no less do any school work right now. You get your drink and sit back down, staring into space, consumed by your thoughts. Rent is due soon, you have to pay your loans, a new semester is starting in a few weeks and you need to figure out how you're going to pay for your books, you feel like you're drowning, you didn't even notice Rebecca came in and claimed her usual seat next to you.

"Good morning." Rebecca says.

You don't hear her, the thoughts in your head are so loud they almost drown out the entire café. You're pulled out of your spiral when you feel a hand on your arm.

"Hey, are you okay?"

You look over and see Rebecca, a concerned look drawn across her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even realize you were here. I'm fine, I'm just-" you feel your voice crack, a few tears roll down your cheeks and you quickly try to wipe them away.

"Oh honey what's wrong?" She asks, putting her hands over yours.

"I got laid off last night, and I have all of these bills due and I have to pay for school and for books for the next semester and-" you shake your head and wipe your eyes again.

"Oh honey." Rebecca says, you're surprised when she pulls you in for a hug, but it's definitely something you needed. You wrap your arms around her and lay your head on her shoulder. You feel a calm wash over you as she gently rubs your back, her other hand cradling your head.

"It's gonna be okay." She says softly.

You try and hold back your tears, you don't want to cry all over her designer jacket, it probably costs more than your rent.

"Is there anything I can do? Do you need a job?" She asks.

"Oh god I couldn't let you do that," you say pulling away. "Thank you though. Plus, I go to school during the day, the job I had was perfect because I was able to work nights."

She nods her head. "I get it, there has to be something I can do to help. How much is your rent?"

"Everything for the month is about £2,300." You say defeatedly.

Rebecca goes into her bag and opens her wallet, she pulls out £2,500 and hands it to you.

"Here, this should take care of it."

"Oh my god Rebecca I can't take this," you say, shocked that she not only just had that much in cash on her, but just offered it to you like it was nothing.

"Yes you can, take it." She puts the cash in your hand.

"I can't- I can't pay you back for this, thank you, really, but that's way too much." You say, handing it back to her.

She puts her wallet away and pushes your hand back towards you.

"You don't have to, really. It's my money and I want you to have it." She says with a smile.

You stare at the cash in your hand for a moment and look back up at her.

"Are you sure? I have to do something to try and repay you, I can't just take it."

She smiles and looks at you.

"You know what you can do? Come to the game with me this weekend. My friend Keeley isn't able to make it and they're terribly boring when I have to be there alone. It'll be nice to have company."

"Uh, are you sure? I mean I'd love to go but are you sure that's enough? How much are the tickets?"

Rebecca lets out a little laugh.

"Tickets? You don't need tickets, you'll be up in the owners box with me."

You sit there in shock for a second.

"Rebecca, I can't let you give me all of this money for rent and let you take me to a football game, that's insane."

"Trust me, you'll be doing me a huge favor by coming with me. I can't stand being at the games alone." She says with a smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, absolutely."

The barista calls Rebecca's order and she turns and looks back at you.

"I have to run, are you okay?" She asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you, seriously. I really owe you."

"Please, don't worry about it. Meet me at Richmond Saturday afternoon before the match, okay?"

"Okay, thank you."

She gives you a hug and heads to get her drink.

"See you on Saturday!" She says as she leaves.

You put the money in your wallet and zone out again for a moment, you can't believe that any of that actually happened. You open your laptop and try to get some work done but you still can't really focus. After about an hour you head out and go to class.

Saturday morning rolls around and you get out of bed and get ready for the day. You do some more homework as you eat breakfast, after a few hours you decide to give yourself a break and go get ready for the match. You leave your flat and head over to AFC Richmond, excitement and nerves flood through your veins as you walk up to the building. You head in through the doors and ask someone to point you in the direction of Rebecca's office. You head up the stairs and walk up to the half-open door. You gently knock and hear a voice on the other side.

"Come in."

You open the door the rest of the way and see Rebecca sitting at her desk.

"Oh, y/n, how are you? Welcome!" She says as she gets up and walks towards you.

"Hi, I'm good, I hope I'm not too early."

"Oh not at all." She says and gives you a hug. "Please, take a seat," she gestures towards her couch and walks over to the table across the room. "Would you like anything? Tea? Water?"

"Uh, sure, tea is fine, thank you."

Rebecca walks over with two cups of tea and sits down next to you.

"So, are you excited for the game?" She asks.

"Yes, very. Thank you so much, again. It really meant a lot-"

"Oh don't mention it, it was the least I could do." She says with a smile.

You two chat for a little bit, you tell her more about your major, she talks about running the club, you enjoying talking to Rebecca. You would think that given the age difference and the differences between the two of you in general the two of you wouldn't have much in common, but to your surprise, and to hers, you actually do.

"So are you a big football fan?" She asks.

"I mean, I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan, but I grew up watching the games. My dad is actually a huge Richmond fan."

"Well, we'll have to get him here for a match one day."

"He would love that, he actually doesn't know I'm here today. He would freak the hell out if he found out I was going to be in the owners box for today's match."

She smiles at you and starts to stand up.

"Come on, let me show you around."

"Oh, okay sure!"

She leads you out of the office and down the stairs. She brings you down to the locker room and knocks on the door as she walks in.

"I pray you're all decent." She says walking into the room.

A little in shock, you follow in behind her, you're trying to keep your mouth from hitting the ground, you can't believe that she just waltzed into the locker room, you know she's the owner, but you can't believe that you're here right now, this close to all of the players you've been watching for years.

"Team, this is y/n, y/n, this is the team!"

"Hi y/n!" The team says in unison.

You feel your cheeks get warm as you wave at everyone.

"Hi." You quietly say.

You follow Rebecca to the back office where coach Lasso, coach Beard, and Roy Kent are gathered.

You freeze when you see Roy, you grew up watching him, your dad wore his jersey for every match he's watched since Roy joined the team. Even after his retirement your dad wore his jersey every match for good luck.

"Coaches, this is my friend y/n, y/n, this is coach Lasso, coach Beard, and Roy Kent." She says with a smile.

"Holy shit." You quietly say, staring at Roy. "You're Roy fucking Kent."

"So I've been told." He says.

You snap out of being star struck and reach out your hand.

"Hi, I'm so sorry, I'm y/n, I just can't believe I'm here right now, this is insane. I've been watching you since I was a little girl. My dad loves you, he wears your jersey every match, even still." You ramble as you shake his hand.

Roy grunts and nods his head and you turn to coach Lasso and coach Beard.

"This is crazy, hi, it's so amazing to meet you guys." You say, shaking their hands.

"Great to meet ya y/n, so how'd you end up meetin' the boss over here?" Ted asks.

"Uh," you look over at Rebecca. "We go to the same café every morning and we started talking and kind of became friends."

Rebecca smiles at you and turns her head to the coaches.

"So, how are we looking for tonight's match?" She asks.

"So far so good!" Ted says.

There's a knock on the door behind you, you turn around to see Sam and Jamie standing there. You feel yourself frozen in place, you can't believe you're really here right now. They ask coach Lasso a question and Rebecca introduces you to them. You do your best to keep your cool but you can't quite hide all of your excitement. They head back into the locker room and Rebecca turns to you.

"Alright, we should start heading out to the box." She looks over at the coaches. "Good luck!"

"Thanks boss! It was great meeting you y/n." Ted says.

"It was great meeting you too coach Lasso."

You follow Rebecca back out of the locker room and back into her office.

"That was insane holy shit." You say as you grab your jacket. "Sorry if I freaked out a little, I've never met a football player before."

Rebecca smiles at you. "Oh no, don't worry at all, it was sweet."

The two of you head to the owners box the excitement in the crowd begins to build along with your own. You feel like a kid watching the game, cheering and groaning with the rest of the crowd, you're having the time of your life. Halftime comes and Rebecca looks over at you.

"Are you having a good time?"

"Yes! This is amazing! I still can't believe I'm here. I never would have thought that I would be experiencing my first football match in the owners box."

Rebecca looks at you with a look of surprise on her face.

"You've never been to a football match before?"

"No, not a professional one. My parents were never able to afford tickets for all of us to go, my dad has gone to a few, but I never got the chance before."

Rebecca smiles at you.

"Well, I'm glad you're having a good time!"

The second half starts and the excitement builds up again. Before you know it, the match is over. Richmond lost, but you still had the best time of your life. You follow Rebecca back to her office and she pours two glasses of wine, you both sit on her couch and hang out for a bit.

"I'm sorry your first game was a losing one." Rebecca says.

"Oh it's fine, even though we lost I still had an amazing time."

"Well I'm very glad to hear that. I can't believe I didn't know you've never been to a game before, I would have had you come weeks ago if I knew that!"

"That's okay, I'm glad I was able to come tonight, I mean it was the least I can do. Are you sure there's no other way I can repay you?"

"Please, don't worry about it. Have you been able to find a new job yet?"

"I was offered a waitressing job, but the pay is shit, I'd have to work almost double the hours I did at my old job to come close to what I made there. I'll probably take it, but I'm worried it's going to be too much. I'm on scholarship so if I let my grades slip I won't be able to afford to go at all."

"Oh god you can't work a waitressing job, those jobs are horrendous. I would know, I was a waitress once a long time ago." She says with a comforting smile.

"I know, I really don't want to, but I don't think I have any other options."

Rebecca looks down into her glass and back up at you.

"May I make a proposal?" She asks.

You look over at her, a little confused, you have no idea where she's going with this.

"Sure?"

"Well, what if I were to give you the money you needed for school, books, rent, all of that, and you accompany me to games, boring dinner events, things I would normally have to suffer through alone, and we'll call it even?"

"What?" You ask, surprised at what she just proposed to you.

"You don't have to give me an answer right away, just, think about it."

"Wait, so you would pay me to keep going to games with you, to go out to dinner and stuff like that?"

"Yeah, think of it more as a trade." She says with a smile.

"That doesn't sound very fair to you, I mean, it sounds like I'm getting the better end of this deal."

"Trust me, it's more than fair. Plus, I like having you around, I think it could be fun."

"Are you sure? Rebecca, that's a lot of money, I don't think I could-"

"Listen," she says, putting her hand over yours. "I know it sounds like a lot of money, and to most people, it is. I am in a very fortunate position where that isn't much to me, at all, so it really is not a problem. Plus, I'd hate to see you waiting tables at a shitty diner at 3am, you deserve better than that. So yes, I am sure."

You pause and think for a second, it almost sounds too good to be true, but then again, with the position you're in right now, you'd be stupid to pass up an opportunity like this.

"Okay, I'm in."

"Wonderful." She says with a smile.

You both finish your wine and head out. You say your goodbyes and walk towards your flat with hundreds of thoughts spinning in your head. You can't believe everything that happened tonight, Rebecca inviting you to the game, you got to meet the whole team, the coaches, Roy fucking Kent. To top it all off, Rebecca offered to pay your bills to hang out with her? You feel like you're living in some weird dream. You get back to your flat and start getting ready for bed. Your phone dings and you check the notification, you see a text from Rebecca.

I had a wonderful time tonight, I hope you had fun too. Looking forward to seeing you again.

You catch yourself smiling at her text, you reply back

I had a great time, thank you so much, for everything. Let me know the time & place for next time, I'm looking forward to it too.

You wake up the next morning to another text from Rebecca

Dinner Friday night at 7?

You reply

I'll be there.

The week passes rather quickly, you spend most of your time studying for finals since the semester is almost over. Hoping to finish your degree as quickly as possible, you've been taking courses during every break, your new classes start in a few weeks and you're looking forward to them. You get a text from Rebecca on Friday telling you where to meet her, you look up the restaurant and realize it's a very fancy restaurant, you dig through your closet hoping to find something appropriate to wear. You find an old dress that should work and you try it on, by some miracle it still fits and looks decent so you decide to stick with that for the night. You finish getting ready and go to the restaurant, you see Rebecca pulling up as you arrive and you wave when you see her.

"Y/n, you look beautiful!" She says, giving you a hug.

"Aw thank you, you look amazing too."

"Are you hungry?" She asks.

"Yes, starving."

"Me too, lets eat."

You both walk into the restaurant and are seated at a table. The waiter brings over waters and the menus.

"So we were supposed to be meeting some share owners, but they called and canceled right as I was leaving so it's just the two of us tonight." She says with a smile.

"Oh, okay,"

"But don't worry, a promise is a promise."

"Oh, I wasn't-"

"I know, but I wanted it to be known anyway, even if someone cancels on us, I will still hold up my end of the deal."

"Okay, thank you." You say with a smile.

"By the way, are you able to come to the match tomorrow night?"

"Oh, yeah, absolutely!"

"Good, it should be better than the first one. I hope it is anyway." She says with a laugh.

You both order dinner and drinks, you both laugh and chat as the waiter brings your drinks over.

"To our arrangement." Rebecca says, lifting her glass.

You lift your glass and they clink together and you both take a sip. As the night goes on the conversation seems to flow effortlessly, you don't feel like you're being paid to keep Rebecca company, you feel like you're out to a very nice dinner with your friend. It only becomes quiet while you both eat, even then you're still chatting between bites. After a few rounds of drinks, a wonderful dinner, and delicious dessert, you both are stuffed and happy. Rebecca pays the bill and you both leave the restaurant.

"That was amazing." You say as you rub your full belly.

"I love coming here, everything is so delicious." Rebecca says. "Thank you so much for coming. I mean, I know we have this whole arrangement, but I had a great time with you."

"I had a great time with you too." You say with a smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow for the match?"

"Yes, absolutely, same time as last time?"

"That would be perfect."

Rebecca's driver pulls up and you hug her goodbye. She waves as her car pulls away and you head back to your flat, very full and very happy. The following day you meet Rebecca in her office again, the two of you hang out and chat before the match.

"Oh, before I forget." She says, getting up and grabbing her purse.

She pulls out a check and hands it to you, you look at it, it's enough to not only cover your books for the semester, but practically covers the entire semester.

"Oh my god." You say, shocked at the number on the check, you look up at her, your eyes wide.

"Well I figured that might be easier than giving you piece by piece every time I see you. I think that should cover dinner, tonight, and one or two more," she pauses to think of the right word. "events." She says with a smile.

"One or two? Rebecca this is like ten!"

"Oh don't be silly."

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" You ask, you feel a little guilty, you don't want her to give you all of this money out of pity.

"Absolutely, stop asking me that." She says with a laugh. "If I ever think it's become too much or something I promise I will let you know, okay?"

"Okay."

You put the check away and the two of you head off to your seats. The game is just as exhilarating as the last, even more so because in the final minute, Richmond scores and they win the match. Both you and Rebecca jump and cheer, you're having the time of your life with her.

The weeks go on and you both continue to go to games, you accompany her to some business dinners, and some non-business dinners. You begin to get the feeling that she just wants someone to hang out with, you're not sure if she's just doing this because she's paying you, or because she genuinely enjoys spending time with you, but you think it's the latter. You genuinely enjoy spending time with her, you two become very close quickly, talking almost every day, you meet her friends, Keeley and Sassy, she meets yours, although neither of you speak of your arrangement to anyone. You've grown to really care for Rebecca, she's grown to really care for you too. You almost feel bad that she's still paying you, although every time you bring it up she waves you off and tells you she doesn't mind.

One Saturday night you go out to dinner with Rebecca, Keeley and Sassy. The four of you dressed for the occasion, another fancy restaurant. You've gotten to know Keeley pretty well, but this is only the second time you've met Sassy, you even got to meet her daughter, Rebecca's goddaughter, Nora briefly. The four of you order drinks and entrees, laughing and talking all night. The conversation flows as easily as the drinks do, by the end of the night everyone has a good amount of alcohol in their system. As you leave, Keeley and Sassy hold onto each other for stabilization and Rebecca holds onto you, you hold onto her, neither of you able to balance on your own. Roy picks up Keeley and Sassy gets a ride home, Rebecca looks at you

"How are you getting home?"

"Uh" you realize you walked from your flat, something you are not able to do in your current condition. "I don't know" you say and laugh.

Rebecca laughs as she holds onto you.

"Come on, you're coming home with me." She says, guiding you to her car.

Usually you would protest in fear of being an inconvenience, but tonight you just go with the flow. You both get into her car and her driver takes you to her house. As you're on your way to her house a realization hits you, the beautiful blond woman you met in the café was sitting right next to you, she became a friend of yours, she's been paying you to hang out with her. It's a strange feeling for a moment, but you look at her and for the first time, maybe ever, you realize just how beautiful she is, how her eyes sparkle when she laughs, how kind and caring she is. You realize that you've fallen for her, you're not sure if it happened so slowly you didn't realize it, or if it just hit you all at once, but you feel a warmth in your chest you didn't notice before.

You get into the house and she gives you a tour, even in your drunken state you're taken back at how beautiful her home is. She shows you the kitchen and your jaw feels like it's on the floor.

"Rebecca, your house is stunning."

"Aw thank you, I do love it." She says, admiring her home. "Come on, let me show you upstairs."

She leads you up the stairs and shows you the second floor, she brings you into her bedroom, you see a fireplace on the wall opposite the bed with a big flat screen tv sitting above it.

"Holy shit you have a fireplace in your bedroom?!"

Rebecca laughs and you look and see the pathway to her closet leading to a gorgeous master bathroom.

"Holy shit Rebecca, this is gorgeous."

You walk back into the bedroom and sit next to Rebecca on the side of her bed.

"I'm glad you like it." She says with a smile.

"Dude, this is crazy. Your bedroom is like the size of my entire flat." You laugh.

Rebecca laughs and looks at you, you smile back at her.

"Thank you." She says.

"For what?"

"For being such a good friend."

"Of course, I really like spending time with you. Even if you didn't pay me, I'd still really enjoy it." You laugh.

Rebecca laughs and puts her hand on your leg, you put your hand over hers. She looks into your eyes, without even realizing what was happening your lips meet hers, you have no idea who made the move, or if you both did, but you feel sparks igniting as you kiss. You feel electricity running through you as your tongues meet, you feel her gently hold onto the back of your hair as your hand moves up to her face.

Her hand travels down your neck to your zipper on your back, you move your hair out of the way and she pulls the zipper down. You pull your arms out of your dress and it falls around your waist, exposing your lacey bra. She guides you to stand and she pulls your dress to the ground, you pull her in and passionately kiss her again, her hands firmly grasping your hips. You fumble with the zipper on her dress and she breaks the kiss and stands up, turning her back towards you so you can unzip her.

You pull down her zipper and she lets her dress fall to the floor, she crawls onto the bed and motions for you to follow her. She pulls you on top of her and pulls you into her, your lips meeting once again. You put your hands underneath her and unclip her bra and pull it off, you grab each one of her breasts and massage them as you continue to kiss her. She lets out a small moan into your mouth and you smile, you feel her reach around your back and unclip your bra, you pull it off and she holds you tight against her. Her leg slides between yours and you grind against her, small moans escaping into her mouth, she grinds against your leg, you feel her wet thong against your skin.

She rolls on top of you and kisses down your jaw to your neck, you grab a fistful of hair at the back of her head as she sucks and kisses your neck. She moves to the other side and does the same, she sucks on your pulse point and you let out a small moan, you feel her smile as she kisses back up your jaw, her lips finding yours again. The kiss slows as she slides her hands up your waist and grabs hold of your breasts, your fingers still tangled in the back of her hair.

A tiredness begins to wash over the both of you as you slowly kiss. Rebecca slides off of you and you both lay facing each other, your legs tangled together, your hand holding the back of her head, her hand resting on your cheek. She looks at you with tired eyes and a smile on her face, she kisses you once more and pulls you into her. You nuzzle into her, never feeling more safe in your life, and you both doze off.

You wake up the next morning, still in Rebecca's arms. Last night seems foggy, as you come to consciousness you remember what happened and you realize you're in Rebecca's bed, the both of you topless in your underwear. Your shifting wakes Rebecca up, she seems to go through the same process of remembering what happened last night.

"Oh shit." You say as you sit up.

"Oh my god." Rebecca sits up and looks over at you in shock. "I am so sorry, I- I don't- I didn't-"

You can tell she's starting to panic a little, she starts to get up and you hold onto her hand, she turns back and looks at you.

"Rebecca, it's okay." You motion for her to sit back next to you.

She slides her legs back under the duvet and sits next to you, holding the covers up over her chest.

You adjust in bed to face her more and you look into her eyes, you can tell she's afraid, worried that she ruined your friendship. You place your hand on her face and gently stoke her cheek with your thumb. She closes her eyes and relaxes a little into your hand, when her eyes open again they meet yours and you smile at her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking last night." She says.

"You don't have to apologize, I honestly don't know which one of us started it, but I'm glad it happened."

Rebecca looks at you with a little confusion and surprise on her face.

"Rebecca, I like you, I really like you. And I know this could complicate what we already have going, but, I realized last night that I-" you pause and look away for a moment, you look back into her eyes, she's anxious to hear what you're going to say next. "I really started falling for you, I don't know when it started happening, but it hit me like a ton of bricks last night. And I'm happy about what happened last night, even if we didn't have sex. I don't regret it."

She looks at you for a moment with wonder in her eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes."

She leans in and kisses you, you feel the same sparks from last night when your lips meet. She pulls away and gently bites her lip, looking into your eyes.

"Is this insane?" She asks.

"Probably," you say with a smile. "But I'm willing to give it a shot. You're worth it."

"You're worth it too."

You pull her into you and kiss her again, your hand slides to the back of her neck and she wraps her arms around your waist and pulls you onto her. Your tongues swirl around each other as she holds onto you. The kiss slows and your lips gently meet, both of you smiling into the kisses. You bury your face into her neck as you hold each other.

"This is definitely going to complicate things." She says with a laugh.

You laugh and pick your head up and look into her eyes.

"But we'll figure it out." She says and kisses your nose.

You gently kiss her again and you both hold each other close.

"Wanna jump in the shower?" She asks.

"Yes, definitely." You giggle.

You both get out of bed and walk into the bathroom, Rebecca turns on the shower and she wraps her arms around you from behind. You both look into the mirror as steam fills the room. You look up at her and she looks down at you, you close the distance between your lips and kiss her again.

You never would have imagined that you would be here, kissing the beautiful blond woman from the café in her bathroom, but here you are.

"Maybe getting laid off wasn't such a bad thing after all." You say with a giggle.

Rebecca laughs and kisses you again.

"Maybe it wasn't, I think it worked out pretty well."

[oceanofsinners]

Mind reader yan x maladaptive day dreamer darling [with a twist:3]

[mdni, or do, i don't care enough to block y'all tbh. tw/cw: thoughts/ideas/daydreams of violence, manipulation, etc. lmk if i have to add smth else too! and uhh, sometimes text with go small to big, it's on purpose!! a bit shorter mainly cause I got tired lmao]

Ezra Martinez. He was a student council member, and a smart one at that. He never abused his abilities, nor was he cocky.

He was actually pretty, humble, quiet, and only used his abilities when absolutely needed. Ezra didn't speak unless he wanted to or needed to.

Little did anyone know, he had a secret. He could read people's minds. It wasn't 24/7 or he's sure he would've gone insane by now, but he has to be concentrated for it to work.

The first time you and Ezra met, it was due to a group project. You had lower grades while he had perfect grades, so the teacher paired you up.

You seemed distracted from the moment you two met. Or, more like the moment your eyes landed on him.

He was confused, but didn't question it.

“Hey—Hey! Are you even listening to me?” Ezra frowned at you, realizing that, no, you obviously weren't when you tilted your head in confusion.

Ezra sighs, and asks the question once again. “Can I come over to your house for the project? I'd prefer it to my house.”

You seemed to talk even less then Ezra, only responding with a nod, grabbing your backpack and walking off with the council member following you.

He didn't really use his secret ability for no reason, but he really wanted to understand and know what was going on in that pretty head of yours.

The entire way to your house, you had your headphones on and were ignoring him, although he doesn't think it was on purpose.

You even almost got ran over, had he not yanked you back as the car sped past the two of you.

“What are you thinking?! You almost just got yourself killed!” And...there you go again, nodding, before glancing up and walking across the street with that dazed look.

Once at your house, you fiddled with your keys and opened it. Ezra glanced at the driveway, noticing no cars.

Did you live with your parents? Did you live alone? If so, then why? Many questions filled his head, and he decided on one.

“Are your parents home?” Ezra questions with a tilt of his head, you actually glance over at him. You shake your head once again, before pausing, and opening your mouth.

“No. Live alone.” You don't offer any more information up, but you don't need to. Your voice alone sends pleasured chills down his spine, and he nods, glancing away with flushed cheeks.

You seem to watch him as the two of you walk inside, as if observing him closely like he's a newly found animal and your the scientist.

The two set their bags and such down in your room, and pull out what they'll need.

An hour passes, and the entire time, you're either in a daze or observing Ezra. It's slightly unsettling when he glances up and sees you staring at him, but he...doesn't mind. Not if it's you.

Another hour passes. You've written about four words, while Ezra's already finished most of the assignment. He frowns, glancing at the words you had wrote absentmindedly.

“he looks so pretty.”

His eyebrows furrow, and he sucks in a breath, shaking his head as he glances up at you.

Eventually, Ezra stands up, stating that he'll be going home and he'll be back tomorrow. You don't even so much as acknowledge him as he leaves.

The next day at school is like every other day, you're not paying attention, instead glancing outside the window in that hazy state of yours.

Ezra’s nails scratch against his table, and he concentrates on using his ability. The first things he hears makes his blood churn.

“god, I should've killed that blonde bitch who hangs around Ezra all the time. I should've stabbed my pencil into that pretty little throat of hers, forcing her to choke on her own blood. Red is her favorite color, after all.”

Despite the gruesome words, and despite his best efforts, Ezra feels himself flush at your thoughts, his breath getting heavier.

You avert your gaze from the window, eyes tracing the class, your mind muttering things like “bastard” “liar” “bully” “slut” the entire time, til your eyes land on him.

The first thing that comes to your mind is unnerving, and slightly terrifying.

“I wonder how Ezra’d react if I slammed his pretty little head into his desk. Ezra would look so pretty with blood pouring from his head. Blood is definitely something I want to see on him...”

There's a certain emotion in your eyes that Ezra can't quite place. But he thinks he understands when he hears your next thoughts.

He understands far better then any therapist ever would, he understands the word far better then any assignment. Because he feels the same way.

“Mine.”

[notgonnaedit]

Given to Fly

Masters and Students

Summary: Martha "Marty" Thorne was a basic teenager, a little antisocial maybe. But her life changed the day she met the Autobots and joined them in their fight.

Pairing: Optimius x Teen!OFC (Platonic)

Chapter summary: Optimius and Bee fight an old enemy.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, Ratchet being a control freak, Cybertronian death, Optimius is trying his best, (If I miss a tag LMK)

Updates are sporadic. If you want to be tagged LMK

Master list

Optimius stood looking at the ground bridge. The metal formed around the drilled stone in an arc, filled with unseen circuitry. But that was not was he was focused on. Rather the events of the battle in Earth's atmosphere played in his mind. "Optimus, why so glum?" Asked Ratchet from behind him. "This planet –all planets– are finally free from Megatron's tyranny." "I do not disagree, Ratchet," Optimius said, his voice carrying more sorrow than he would have liked.  "It's just... A small part of me hoped to change Megatron's mind, not exstinguish his spark."

"Optimius," Ratchet said. "his vileness was not slain by your hand, but by his own twisted arrogance."

"Hmm," the Prime hummed in thought. He knew Ratchet was right, but he still felt an uneasiness about the whole ordeal.

"I'm sorry," Ratchet apologized. "I know the two of you had quite a history," he referred to the time when Optimius had considered Megatron to be a mentor, an older brother.

"But the Megatron whom I once fought beside perished eons ago," Optimius said, pushing away his impractical grief. "the day he chose to become a Decepticon," he turned, now facing his friend. "The Decepticons may be in disarray, but they aren't without leadership. And while Starscream is no Megatron, he is far from predictable."

Suddenly, there was an explosion on the other side of the base, rattling the metal lined walls.

"Decepticons!" Ratchet warned. "We're under attack!"

Optimius' first instinct was to find Martha and the other kids, and get them out of there. However, as he and Ratchet ran to the site of the explosion, it became apparent that there were no Deceptions, but rather a coughing Raf who was waving away the smoke with Bumblebee.

"It's no attack, Ratchet," the boy said through coughs. "It's my volcano," he gestured to the brown cone with red paint mimicking lava. It's form gave way, and the model flattened out. Raf's shoulder's slumped. "Or was." "Hold still, Bulkhead," said Miko. Optimius turned to see her with a paint brush while her guardian held up what looked like a model of Earth's solar system. "Jupiter needs its red spot. Whoopsie!" She said when a drip of red paint hit the floor.

A sharp twang sounded through the base, making everyone wince. "That's not right," came Martha's dry voice.

Optimius looked over to see her sitting on the floor, her guitar in her lap and her laptop by her side, a cord ran between the two items, with another connecting the guitar to a small amp. Ratchet was barely able to contain his anger. "What...ln the Allspark...is going on in here?" "Our projects are due tomorrow," Jack said from where him and Arcee seemed to be assembling a motorcycle. "Maybe it needs one of these doohickeys," Arcee suggested, holding a part. "You're a motorcycle, Arcee," Jack said with a smirk and a hand on his hip. "Shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine?" "You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?" She sassed back.

Optimius couldn't help but notice that all the kids had the help of their guardians except Martha. She sat alone working on her project. Optimius felt a twinge of guilt. Had she asked him for help he he didn't notice? "Well, you can't work on these projects in here," Ratchet decided. "You're...Making a mess." "But the science fair's a big part of our grade," Raf said. "Yeah," Miko agreed. "If Bulkhead doesn't help me finish this model of our solar system–" "Oh?" Ratchet interrupted. "And what does Bulkhead know of your solar system? Or Bumblebee of your volcanos, or–"  "Arcee of our motorcycles?" Martha asked with a raised eyebrow, lips quirked up in a smirk. "Yes," Ratchet said, either not catching on or ignoring her comment. "we're not earthlings. And they're not scientists." "But we Autobots are their guardians, Ratchet," Optimius reminded the medic.  "Would it hurt to learn more of Earth by helping our young friends with their schoolwork?" Ratchet shifted slightly. "Well, maybe our young friends should try learning more of Cybertron." "We try, Ratch, but you never answer my questions," Martha said.

"Ridiculous," The medic retorted.

Martha raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? You don't even give me a chance. I go, 'Hey, Rachet.' and then you yell that you're busy." 

Optimius stifled a smile at her words, especially since Ratchet didn't know what to say after that and walked off. His charge had a way of humbling people with only her words. He wondered if she even knew of her gift.

He made his way over to her, looking down at her project. There didn't seem to be anything physical like the other kids, but it was clear she was working on something. "What are you working on, Little One?"

Martha glanced up at him before turning back to her work. "I'm trying to calculate sound waves without doing all the math."

"Have you been successful?"

"Kinda. I plugged my guitar into my computer and have been trying to get my chords to directly translate into graphs, and it's working, but the sound come out funny when I play the audio file on my computer."

"Is there any way I could be of assistance?" Optimius asked. He wanted to help her, even if he didn't quite understand Earth technology.

Martha furrowed her brow. "I'm honestly not sure. I've done all the configuring, and I don't wanna take you away from your duties."

The twinge of guilt expanded to a blow. Martha was wise beyond her years, and until now Optimius thought that would benefit her in life. He knew he was busier due to his authority, and so did she, but he never wanted Martha to feel like she wasn't allowed to ask him for anything.

"You're not taking me from anything," Optimius assured her. "I am your guardian, and I would be glad to help you with your school work."

Martha looked up at him, a small smile gracing her face. She didn't do that often. Her eyes always seemed to be dampened, but when she smiled they gleamed with light. She turned back to her work as Optimius sat on a crate. "Could you listen to see if it hit the wrong notes?"

"Of course, Little One," Optimius obliged, even though he knew she would only hit the intended notes.

Martha leaned against his foot as she played, filling the air with the soft sound of her strings.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

 Marty stretched her arms, letting out a soft yawn before closing her laptop. "There. Finished," she said as she pushed up her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "I am ready for  million year nap," she stood up, slinging her guitar over her back and picking up her laptop and amp.

Optimius held his hand down for her. She stepped in it, holding to his finger as he lifted her to the platform. Marty nodded her thanks before putting her things away in their respective cases and flopping onto the couch. Her eyes were sore from staring at so many screen, and her body was not happy with her for sitting in a hunch position for so long.

The other kids still hadn't finished their projects, but it didn't seem like their guardians minded. In fact, Bumblebee seemed to be in the middle of telling an enthralling story, waving his hands around in an animated fashion.

Raf nodded along as he made another paper mache volcano. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Really, Bumblebee? Then how do you make warrior class?"

Bumblebee buzzed his answer.

"But I've seen you in action," Raf said with a grin. "You're awesome!" I"second your opinion, Raf," Optimius said placing a hand on Bee's shoulder. "But Autobot's life cycles are much longer than those of humans. And though it may be hard to believe, our young scout still has much to experience."

Suddenly, the computer beeped, causing Marty to sit up and look over. "Exposed Energon," Ratchet said. "and it's on the move."

"And since we ain't moving it, guess who must be," said Bulkhead. "Decepticons," Arcee growled.

"Without Megatron?" Miko asked. "Unfortunately, Megatron's legacy will live on as others rise to take his place," Optimius said. "Autobots, you have projects to complete. Ratchet, I may require aid."

Ratchet got a look in his eyes that Marty didn't like at all. "The science fair is a big part of their grade," he murmured before turning back to Optimius. "Perhaps I'm better suited to remain behind and supervise."

Optimius nodded. "Very well. Bumblebee, let us see about this Energon in transit."

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

With Bumblebee watching from a distance, Optimius walked up to Starscream and the other Deception. He was big and green with bright red eyes. Skyquake. He was towering over Starscream intimidatingly, but his attention was jerked away once Optimius spoke up.

"It has been awhile, Skyquake," Optimius greeted.

"Optimius Prime," Skyquake stood up straight. "I haven't seen you since the battle of Technar. Megatron ordered me to annihilate you."

"That was a long time ago," Optimius said.

"That may be, Prime, but my orders still stand."

"Is this ancient war still worth fighting when so many comrades have been lost and worlds destroyed?" Optimius asked before turning to the smaller Deception. "If you want to be a true leader, Starscream, then stray from Megatron's path and lead the Decepticons toward peace."

Starscream narrowed his eyes and smirked, tapping a long finger to his chin. "I would be willing to consider a truce...if you would be willing to bow before me, Optimius Prime."

Optimius knew nothing of what was said before he arrived, but it must have been heated. Skyquake reeled on Starscream. "Again?! Bow to this!" He punched the new leader, causing him to slam into the canyon wall before transforming and flying away.

"Skyquake," Optimius said, taking a tentative step forward. "this is a new era on another world. Side with the Autobots, and help me end this conflict forever."

Skyquake glared at him. "I will never side with a Prime!" He roared as he charged Optimius, ramming him into the canyon wall. He recovered quickly, activating his cannon and blasting at Skyquake.

Unfortunately, the Decepticon had his own mini gun strapped to his back. He took it out and fired at Optimius, hitting the Prime.

Bumblebee rushed out from his hiding and shot Skyquake in the back.

"Bumblebee, no!" Optimius said.

The young scout hopped from wall to wall, blasting at the Decepticon until he was thrown into the rock. Before Skyquake could shoot him, Optimius ran forward and pushed the gun away from it's target, allowing Bumblebee to attack.

When both of them were thrown back, Bumblebee buzzed a question.

"Skyquake has not yet aquired a vehicle mode," Optimius said, his eyes never leaving the Decepticon.

Skyquake roared and charged them.

"Fall back!" Optimius ordered, transforming and driving away with Bumblebee.

"So, time has made you a coward, Prime?!" Skyquake roared as he shot into their dust.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

Marty watched with concern from the platform as Ratchet welded pieces of metal together in the vague shape of a volcano. Raf stood next to him, equally as concerned.

"Um... What is it?" He asked.

"You'll find out," Ratchet said.

"But, Ratchet, shouldn't I be doing the work?" The boy asked, reaching a hand out.

"Eh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't touch!" Ratchet's words were short and clipped. "Just watch and learn."

Bulkhead shifted from where he stood next to Arcee. "So, we're just gonna go help Jack and Miko finish their–"

"Without my supervison?!" Ratchet snapped up. "You want them to be right, don't you?"

Arcee and Bulkhead shared a look, neither of them knowing what to do in this situation.

Ratchet took their silence as a 'yes'. "Then watch a master at work!" He said with a wild look in his eyes.

"Control freak," Miko said.

Marty exhaled and opened her laptop, deciding to go over her project one last time.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Asked Ratchet.

Marty looked at him. "Double checking my project," she narrowed her eyes. "I already finished mine, so don't even think about messing with it."

"Then how will you know you've calculated the sound properly?" Ratchet argued.

Marty opened her mouth in an retort, but she sighed instead. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

Ratchet went back to working of Raf's project, giving her all the answer she needed. She wished Optimius was here to reign in the medic. Unhinged was not a good look on him.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

Optimius watched from the ground as Bumblebee rode one Skyquake's newly acquired jet form, ripping him apart. Agent Fowler flew by in his own jet, somehow it was functional after Skyquake scanned it. 

Bumblebee jumped from the dying Decepticon onto Fowler's jet just before Skyquake crashed. He hopped onto the ground, running up to Optimius as he examined Skyquake's mangled body. All the fighting, and for what? To what end?

"Had Skyquake chosen to stray from his master's path, we might not be burying him today," Optimius said with a twinge of sadness in his voice.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

Marty sat in the backseat with Raf as Bulkhead drove them back to the base. She couldn't stop replaying the science fair in her mind, and how upset her aunt and uncle would be when they got the phone call from the school. 

Once Bulkhead parked, Raf, Miko, and Marty stepped out. Optimius and Bumblebee were there, making Marty feel slightly better. But that diminished as soon as Ratchet leaned down with a wide grin.

"Ahahaha! There you are," he greeted. "Well? How were my– Uh, our projects received?"

Marty glared up at him as the other kids explained the catastrophes. "And you're sound wave thing," she added with folded arms. "emmited a sonic blast that shattered all the windows."

"Well, on our planet, you would have been awarded the highest honors," Ratchet huffed and walked away. "Absolutely no gratitude. See if I help them...."

Bumblebee buzzed something to Optimius that earned him a slight smile.

"Indeed, Bumblebee," said the Prime. "Our human friends would have been wise to stray from Ratchet's path."

Marty let out a huff. "Would've been nice to know he was could go mad with power in a snap."

Optimius looked down at her. "I'm sure Ratchet meant well."

"Mmm hmm," Marty hummed with a raised brow. "Sure."

Optimius felt a slight smile come over him. His charge was something else.​​​​​​​

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