#i need to go study somewhere and coffee shops are closed

[thesearethingsetcetera]

libraries closed on the weekend bum me out so hard core

[hairmetal666]

Closing shifts at Scoops Ahoy are always boring, but Robin took off early to study and nobody is coming in for ice cream at 8pm on a school night in mid-winter. Steve's alone and has been for the last forty-five minutes, with no end in sight.

He's doing tricks with his scooper, counting how many times he can twist it through his fingers without dropping it (57 so far), when the most beautiful man Steve has ever seen, walks in. He's got long dark hair that falls in perfect curls around his shoulders; wide eyes the same deep brown of fresh, dark coffee; and the most perfect plump mouth.

Steve can't move, his head going fuzzy. His eyes catch on the man's chest--visible through the black mesh tank top he's wearing-- revealing tantalizing swirls of black ink and the glint of silver bars through each nipple. The guy also has on leather pants that cling to the line of his legs like a second skin.

Jesus. Steve just realized he's bi and the physical embodiment of his wet dreams walks into the store like it's nothing. He's going to die.

The man rushes to the counter, his eyes finally falling on Steve, and it's like his feet get caught on each other for a second before he struts forward. His face melts into this heart-stopping smile, bringing out the cutest set of dimples Steve has ever seen. This is it, Steve is done for, time of death, 8:06pm.

"Ahoy, sailor," the man says with a mischievous glint in those dark eyes.

He returns the smile and somewhere, somehow, finds the words to reply, "I think that's my line."

Steve leans towards the counter, but in doing so, drops the scooper hanging from his fingers. The metallic clatter is harsh against the tile, and blood rushes to his cheek. "Whoops," he mumbles. He ducks down to retrieve it, mentally kicking himself for his clumsiness.

The man's smile only grows, and now there's a faint flush across his pale cheeks. And fuck if Steve can't help but smile right back, to let their eye contact linger.

"What can I get you?" He asks. His voice is way too low for regular customer service, and if he flutters his eyelashes too--well, that's between him and the USS Butterscotch.

"I know this is ridiculous. It's late and it's starting to snow," the man says. He leans over the counter. "But I need a strawberry shake to go."

"Strawberry shake, good choice," Steve nods. "Coming right up."

They don't stop looking at each other or smiling as he blends up the drink, and when he hands the cup over, their fingers brush, linger, both their faces staining red.

"How much do I owe you?" he asks.

Steve shakes his head. "On the house."

"You really know how to charm a guy, sailor-boy."

"Maybe I'm hoping to see you again."

"Depends," the man says. His smile widening, his dimples getting somehow deeper.

"On?"

"How good this shake is." He winks.

Steve thinks he might burst into flame before the man can taste the drink, but then the guy glances at his watch and curses. "Sorry, sweetheart, I gotta run. Been a pleasure, sailor."

And with that, he runs from the store, strawberry shake clutched in his long-fingered grasp.

Steve collapses against the counter, burying his face in his hands. He's not ever gonna recover from that.

---

Eddie's guitar is in his lap, his melted strawberry shake at his side. He can't get the guy from the ice cream shop out of his head.

Fuck, he had all that perfect hair under that silly little hat; his face dotted with cute little moles and freckles; eyes that flashed from honey to gold to green flecked hazel; and the poutiest, most perfect lips ever had Eddie seen. Not to mention how he looked bent over in those itty bitty shorts. Shit, if he isn't totally done for.

He can't stop smiling.

That is until a guitar pick hits him right in the forehead, dragging his attention back to his surroundings.

"Earth to Eddie," their manager, Chrissy, says. "You go on in ten minutes."

"Don't tell me you didn't get the stupid shake." Gareth shakes his head.

"No, I got it. Not to worry."

"Then what's up with you?" Jeff asks.

Eddie can't help the huge, stupid smile that illuminates his face.

"There was a guy," Eddie sighs.

Chrissy and his bandmates share a look. "Let me guess," Gareth says. "You walked in and he was like 'Oh, Mr. Munson. Let me get you ice cream, let me suck your dick. Oooh, you're so hot. Corroded Coffin is my favorite band.'"

"C'mon, no. I don't even think he knew who I was."

At one point, that would've bothered him. But now, after five years of hooking up with dudes who were only interested in famous Eddie Munson, he likes that the guy from the ice cream parlor seemed totally oblivious. That, when his eyes lit up with interest, it was for genuine attraction and not name recognition.

"Did you get his number?" Chrissy asks.

He slumps. "No."

His friends all groan. Another guitar pick flies at him, getting caught up in his curls.

"Well, you'll go back tomorrow. Now get your head in the game, Munson! You have a sold out stadium to play!"

---

"I'm not kidding you, Robs, he was the hottest guy I've ever seen. I didn't even know dudes could be that beautiful."

"Uh-huh," she says.

"You're not even listening." He jabs her in the ribs, making her squeak.

"Sorry, sorry," she bats his hands away. "Describe him again?"

And he does, leaving nothing out. Once he's done, Robin is gaping at him, gum about to fall out of her open mouth.

"What?"

She grabs his wrist, dragging him out of the store.

"Robin, what are you doing? We're supposed to be working!"

She doesn't answer, just hauls him to the record store down the hall.

"Was it this guy?" She asks. She's out of breath.

"What?"

"Steve! Was it him?" She gestures to a new release display and it's Steve's turn for speechlessness.

He's surrounded of images of the man from last night; on magazines, CDs, cassettes, on a couple posters hanging on display. He's with a couple of other guys, they're in a band called Corroded Coffin, but all Steve can see is deep brown eyes and plush lips, the bright dimples.

"Well?" Robin demands.

"Yeah," he nods. "That's him."

"Oh my god!" Robin screams. She grabs his arm and squeezes. "You flirted with Eddie Munson! Steve! You minx!"

"It was nothing," he blushes. "He's probably got someone already, anyway. I mean, look at him."

Robin makes a little face. "There are some rumors, but nothing serious."

"It was a nice dream," he says. He gives her a little smile. "Now, let's get back to work."

She loops her arm through his. "Whatever you say, dingus."

---

It's been a long day of slinging ice cream. Maybe Robin's revelation that the cute guy from the night before was an insanely famous rockstar is to blame, but Steve is exhausted.

"Hey, dingus!" Robin calls from the front.

"Yeah?" he mumbles.

"Some guy is here for you. He looks a lot like Eddie Munson."

She's not even finished with her sentence before Steve is vaulting back behind the counter, coming face-to-face with the man of his dreams.

Eddie's gorgeous, his face already flushed a faint pink. And just like the night before, Steve can't help but smile at the man before him, who dimples up immediately in return.

He forgets that Robin is there until she says, "Go get 'em, tiger," and snaps him in the chest with a towel.

With Robin gone, they still don't say anything for a second, both smiling and blushing and staring at each other.

"So, uh, I guess you're wondering why I'm back today."

"That's easy," Steve says. "It was the best strawberry milkshake you ever had."

Eddie laughs with his head back and Steve is stuck staring at the long lines of his throat.

"Well, it was the best, no question. Made me realize I was a fool not to ask for your number."

Somehow Steve's smile grows. He jots his name and number on a Scoops napkin, passing it to Eddie who does the same, before carefully ripping the paper in half.

"We're still on tour for the next three months, but I'll call you when I can?"

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Talk soon, sweetheart," Eddie leans into Steve's space, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Steve still has a hand resting on the spot when Robin re-emerges.

"Oooh, you've got it sooo bad," she sing-songs.

He's so happy, he can't even bother to shush her.

---

Corroded Coffin has a new album out. It's a huge hit, number ones across the board, a fixture on MTV. It's full of heavy metal love songs, sales bolstered by the rumors that Eddie's been in a secret relationship for years.

They're at the Grammys, nominated for Best Metal Performance. The band has moved on down the red carpet, but Eddie's still answering questions, their assistant waiting with him. The interviewer asks Eddie, "There's a lot of speculation about your romantic life because of this album. There are rumors that the song 'Sailor Boy' is in reference to how you met your lover. Will you tell fans about the person you're dating, the one who inspired the album?"

"No," Eddie smiles for the camera. "But oh, do I love the way he moans," he sings a lyric of the song in question before giving the interviewer a lascivious wink, and continuing on down the carpet.

Years later, after Eddie and Steve are comfortably out and married and Corroded Coffin has cemented themselves in metal history, the video of that interview will be uploaded to YouTube.

It's obvious, now, the way Eddie and Steve, the "assistant", gravitate towards each other. How Steve flushes a pretty crimson that spreads below the collar of his shirt as Eddie sings. The way Eddie smirks at him with a raised eyebrow. The way his hand cradles the small of Steve's back as they walk away together.

It causes a frenzy online, fans compiling blog posts and videos of moments of Steve and Eddie being totally obvious about being in love before the world knew that they were.

Eventually, Steve posts a photo to the band's webpage. It's of him and Eddie at Scoops Ahoy. He's wearing his uniform, and Eddie is in a faded Metallica t-shirt and ripped jeans. They stand at the counter with their arms around each other, smiling hard, eyes locked. He captions it with, "putting the sailor boy allegations to rest."

[mrsbarnesblog]

Do you want me to help you?

masterlist ko-fi ao3

Summary: As you and Bucky spend time at your place, things get hot pretty fast.

Word count: 2k

Warnings: +18❗️smut, subby Bucky, he's jetting his first blow job, come eating.

Author's note: enjoy<3

It was another Friday night when you invited Bucky to your place so you could order some food, watch movies, and cuddle under the blankets.

You and Bucky met almost six months ago at the coffee shop. You were walking in when someone suddenly bumped into you, and you ended up lying on the ground with a large coffee stain on your pink blouse. The man who caused this mess ended up being an Avenger. Sergeant Barnes, a former Winter Soldier, was really cute when he got all nervous and couldn’t stop apologizing for the situation. He said that he really needed to be somewhere else, so he took your number with a promise to pay you for everything and ran away, leaving you with shock and excitement bubbling in your body.

You were too stunned to speak, because not only was it an Avenger, but it was Bucky fucking Barnes—the person whose whole biography you willingly studied in school. He was much taller than you imagined and definitely more attractive. His apologies seemed to be really sincere, so you were just stupidly nodding while he was speaking. Bucky asked for your phone so he could call himself and have your number until he would have time to properly make amends.

Then you didn’t know that you had just met your future boyfriend.

Soon he called you and asked you to meet him at the cafe, and you agreed without any hesitation. He was too sweet for his own good, and that minidate was one of the best experiences that you’ve ever had.

Now, you don’t know how you ended up in this situation, but you were sitting on Bucky’s lap on your couch while the two of you were too lost in the kiss.

Of course, you have already kissed, but most of the time it wasn’t too rough or desperate. You knew that Bucky had hard times trusting people, so you didn’t push him with anything. You were happy just to be with him, and if he needed time to start touching you or have sex, it was okay.

But right now, something has changed. His hands were gripping your thighs, pushing you harder on his erection in the jeans. Bucky kissed you like a starving man; his tongue was in your mouth, and he had already bit your lower lip several times. You were so lost in the pleasure that you didn’t even notice that you started moving your body against his.

At that moment, he came to his senses, stopped your hips with his hands, and pulled out of the kiss, breathing heavily.

"What happened?" You asked while trying to catch your breath. "Was it too much?"

"I don’t know." He looked you in the eyes, and you saw that his own were much darker than usual. "It was too long ago, and I'm not sure that I’m ready right now." He looked down as if he were ashamed to say this.

"That’s okay, baby, I promise. We can go at your own pace. I didn’t have sex for some time too, so that’s okay." You smiled at him while your hand found a place on his stubbled cheeks.

"It’s not just a few years." He mumbled. 

"What?" 

"I haven’t had sex since I went to war." Silence fell on you while you were trying to process his words.

"Wait… really?" He nodded. 

"You know, while I was with HYDRA, I was busy with different… things. And after that, I was just trying to get back to a normal life."

"I see, but I really thought that you at least were with someone in Bucharest or in Wakanda."

"No. In Bucharest, it was unsafe to even go out in the streets, and in Wakanda, every woman was for me like a sister, you know? You are the first one who I wanted to know as more than a fri-Oh, shit!" He suddenly gasped. You just wanted to move a little bit, but instead, you accidentally touched his erection.

"Oh my God, I’m sorry!"

"T-that’s okay, just don’t move, please. It will disappear." Bucky threw his head back on the couch and closed his eyes tightly.

"Do… do you want me to help you?" You asked almost innocently. "I mean, we don’t have to have sex, but I can do other things to help your problem."

There was another awkward silence when Bucky opened his eyes and looked at you with an unreadable expression on his face.

"You don’t have to do that. Really."

"What if I want to?" You moved closer to his face, almost touching his lips. "Would you let me take care of you?"

Bucky’s eyes were dark again, full of need and lust. Finally, he nodded slightly. You gave him another sweet kiss on the corner of his lips, and not wanting to waste any more time, you slipped from his lap onto the floor.

"Wait! You want to—you don’t have to—I mean– fuck." Bucky hid his face behind his hand from embarrassment. You act like a fucking child.

"Hey, baby. Talk to me. It’s okay." You put your hands on top of his, pulling them away. "What happened, James? You thought I meant to help you with my hands?"

"Mhm. I’ve never done this before." He mumbled something that you almost didn’t understand. Bucky's face was pink, so you put your hands on his burning cheeks to calm him down. "I’m sorry that I’m such a mess."

"You’re not a mess, Bucky. So you’ve never got a blowjob? Even before the war? I thought you were a ladies’ man." You asked gently.

"I was, but back in the day, it was hard to find a girl that would do it just because, you know? Sex was more available because blowjobs were more intimate, I guess. And I’ve never had real relationships, sooo." He just shrugged, feeling even more embarrassed.

"I understand. And that’s okay if you don't have experience in something. You don’t have to be ashamed, at least not with me. I still want to do this, if you don’t mind." Bucky nodded again before leaning closer to your face and kissing you with passion.

While you were kissing, your hands slipped from his face, running across his chest and abs, right to the bottom of his jeans. You pulled away from the kiss and pushed Bucky back onto the sofa. As soon as the pants were unbuttoned, he helped you pull his clothes lower, and you gasped.

His beautiful dick was standing right in front of your face. Hard, thick, with a vein from one side and pre-cum leacking from the tip. Honestly, you’ve never found them attractive, but it seemed like Bucky was perfect everywhere, so the sight before your eyes made your mouth water.

"Holy shit." You breathed out as your hand wrapped around him, and the fingers barely even touched each other. Your boyfriend’s body instantly tensed; he was not used to this kind of touch. You gave him a few strokes, seeing how his eyes rolled back in pleasure and a tiny moan escaped his mouth. "You know, that’s a shame that no one put this pretty cock in their mouth." You smiled as Bucky’s ears got pink from your praise. "Look at me."

As soon as he did as you told him, you looked directly into his eyes and licked him from the bottom to the top, swirling your tongue around the tip. The taste instantly filled you, and you slightly moaned, sending vibrations down Bucky’s body.

He tried to hold himself together. He really did. But the sight of you on your knees, looking him in the eyes with his cock in your mouth, He completely lost it and let out the loudest moan that he had ever made. Both metal and flesh gripped the sides of the couch, but the pleasure was too intense, and he was overwhelmed.

You started moving your head up and down, still looking Bucky in the eyes. The tip of his dick met your throat, but there were still a few inches left.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! Y/N, holy shit!" He whined and threw his head back.

You let him slip out of your mouth with a loud ‘pop’ and started stroking him with a hand, using the mixture of your saliva and Bucky’s pre-cum to make it easier.

"Put your hand on my head, baby. Do whatever you want." Bucky hesitated for a few seconds, but then his right hand fell on top of your head and made a messy ponytail. You smiled and put your lips back on his dick, gently licking and sucking the tip. The hand on your head slightly pushed you down, and you allowed Bucky to control you.

He slipped back into your mouth until his head touched the back of your throat. You started moving on your own, but Bucky’s hand was still tightly holding your hair as he was showing you the pace that he liked. Your eyes were watering, and saliva was dripping down your chin, but you didn’t care about it when your boyfriend was such a mess.

Bucky’s eyes were partly closed as he was trying to look at the beautiful view before him. Your pretty lips were wrapped around his cock, and it was probably the hottest thing that he had ever seen. He couldn’t hold back the small moans escaping his mouth because it was too good—feeling your warm and wet mouth around him. He tried not to push you too hard, but from time to time his grip tightened and his hips moved by themselves, making you choke.

"Doll." Bucky moaned. "Please, baby, I’m so close, oh my– fuck." He instantly pushed you lower, but you didn’t seem to mind. Instead, you moaned around his cock, lifting your free hand on his torso under the shirt. You felt that his body was tense, and the muscles under your fingers were trembling. You knew that Bucky was close, so you ran your nails over the hot and soft skin. "Doll– doll, you should move. I’ll cum– fuck, please." Bucky whined and tried to take you off of him, but you didn’t let him and instead swirled your tongue around him.

You felt it before it happened: Bucky’s body tensed, his cock twitched, and a loud moan filled the room. In a second, your mouth was filled with a warm, a little bit salty, and a little bit sweet seed. You moaned at the taste, still sucking his dick until you knew that he had completely finished, and only then swallowed every single drop.

Bucky’s hand fell out of your hair on the sofa near him, and he was sitting there almost senseless with heavy breathing and closed eyes. You helped Bucky put himself back into pants and then sat on his lap again.

"James?" You gently put your hand on his face.

"Mm." Bucky finally opened his eyes, and you have never seen him in this condition: sleepy, relaxed, with a tiny, lazy smile on his face. "Can’t believe that you just did it, doll. It was better than any sex that I’ve had in my life." He leaned into your touch. Bucky grabbed your face and dragged you closer until you two connected in a kiss, and he could taste himself on your tongue.

"I’m glad you liked it."

"Liked? Doll, you almost sucked my soul out." He chuckled. "Now I have to pay back." Suddenly, one warm and one cold hand were under your pajama shorts.

"Not today, baby. You’re tired. Would you stay for a night?" You bumped your nose with his, leaving light and short kisses on his lips.

"Of course, doll."

[ilovemilestellersmoustache]

I’ll Be Yours For The Weekend

WC: 2K

Summary: Highschool sweethearts Connor and Y/n reunite in their hometown for thanksgiving where their breakup after graduation happened and their reaction to seeing each other was to call each other babe for the weekend inevitably creating two different f reactions when returning to their separate lives across the country.

Warnings: None but ANGSTY ANGST ANGST

Connor Bedard stepped off the plane, the cold autumn air of Canada wrapping around him like an old, familiar blanket. It felt surreal to be back in the hometown that had shaped so much of who he was, yet everything felt heavier than he remembered. Months had passed since he was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, and now he stood on the cusp of a new life—one filled with expectations, pressure, and a dream he had long chased. But despite the excitement, an emptiness gnawed at him.

His thoughts drifted to Y/N, the girl he had loved for three years. The one who had stood by him through countless late-night practices, who had cheered him on from the stands, and whose laughter had filled his world with joy. Breaking up before the draft had been a decision they both had agonized over, but the weight of their separate futures had felt insurmountable. Now, as he drove through familiar streets, he couldn’t escape the memories. The school they attended together, the coffee shop where they spent endless afternoons, the park where they shared secrets, her parents house—it all felt achingly close yet impossibly distant.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Y/N stared out the window of her Los Angeles dorm. The palm trees swayed lazily in the warm breeze, but she felt frozen in time. She had thrown herself into her studies, trying to push the aside the remaining gaping void Connor had left behind. She followed his journey from afar through screens, proud yet heartbroken, knowing their love was now just a bittersweet memory. Thanksgiving was approaching, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to go home, despite the ache that came with it.

When she arrived back in their hometown, Y/N felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia wash over her. Every corner of the town whispered Connor’s name, from the diner they had frequented to the bench where they’d carved their initials. It felt like a time capsule, preserving their shared moments, while the reality of their separation weighed heavily on her heart.

The day before Thanksgiving, she found herself at the local grocery store, running errands her mother sent her to do before the feast. The store buzzed with activity, filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter, but Y/N felt isolated, her mind still wandering back to Connor. Suddenly, as she turned a corner, she collided with someone. The familiar voice broke through her thoughts.

“Y/N?”

Time stood still as she looked up into Connor’s eyes. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring them back together. They both wore expressions of shock, disbelief washing over them like a tidal wave.

“Connor-” she managed to breathe, a mix of surprise and warmth flooding her heart.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here,” he said, a smile breaking through the initial surprise.

They stood in the aisle, surrounded by shelves filled with holiday treats, but all they could see was each other. After a brief moment of hesitation, they fell into an easy conversation, sharing updates about their lives. The chemistry between them felt electric, as if no time had passed since their last encounter.

“Do you remember that time we got lost on our way to the lake?” Connor asked, laughter bubbling up from somewhere deep inside her.

“Of course! We ended up at that diner and ordered way too many fries,” Y/N replied, her smile genuine, igniting memories that warmed her heart.

As they continued to talk, the hurt of their breakup began to fade, replaced by a sense of comfort and familiarity. It was as if the months apart had been nothing more than a fleeting dream. They spent nearly an hour wandering the aisles, the grocery store fading into the background as they rediscovered each other.

“Hey,” Y/N said softly, the words barely escaping her lips. “What if we drove around town this weekend? Like old times?”

“Like old times?” Connor replied, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Yeah,” she said, her heart racing at the prospect of reclaiming a piece of their past.

The next day, they met again, the air crisp and fresh as they set off in Connor’s car. As they drove through familiar roads, every turn brought a rush of memories—each place was a snapshot of their past, a reminder of the love they had shared. Connor played their favorite songs, and they sang along, the laughter spilling out of the windows and into the crisp autumn air.

The first stop was the park where they had spent countless afternoons. They parked and stepped out, taking a moment to breathe in the nostalgia. The leaves crunched under their feet as they walked along the path, the same path they had walked as teenagers, hand in hand.

“Remember when we used to come here every weekend after school and just sat on that swing set?” Y/N asked, pointing to the rusting swings in the distance.

Connor chuckled, “And that day you pushed me so hard I flew off!”

“Hey there was in no way that was my fault! You leaned over!” she teased, nudging him playfully.

They made their way to the swings, their laughter echoing through the park. Y/N settled onto one swing while Connor took the one beside her. They began to swing gently, the rhythmic motion stirring memories of simpler times.

“Do you ever think about us?” Y/N asked, her voice softening.

“Every day,” Connor admitted, his gaze fixed on the ground. “It’s hard not to. You were such a huge part of my life.”

“I miss you,” she confessed, the weight of her words hanging between them.

“I miss you too,” he replied, the honesty in his voice wrapping around her like a warm hug. “But what do we do about it?”

The question lingered in the air, unanswered. They swung in silence for a moment, each lost in their thoughts. The connection they shared felt as real as ever, yet the reality of their separate lives loomed large.

After leaving the park, they drove past their old high school. Connor slowed down, memories flooding back. “Can you believe we actually graduated?” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Yeah, and now look at us,” Y/N said with a hint of irony. “You’re an NHL player, and I’m… well, trying to figure out college.”

“Hey, you’re doing amazing,” he reassured her. “You’ve always been the smart one.”

As they reminisced, the hurt from their breakup felt like a distant memory. They were just two teenagers again, laughing and teasing one another. The conversation flowed easily, the comfort of their shared history creating a safe space to explore the unspoken tension.

Eventually, they found themselves at the local diner, a spot they had frequented during their high school years after discovering it instead of the lake. They settled into a booth, and as they browsed the menu, Connor glanced around, taking in the familiar sights.

“I can’t believe this place hasn’t changed at all,” he said, grinning. “Still serving the best milkshakes in town.”

Y/N laughed. “And the greasiest fries! Some things never change.”

They placed their orders and continued to chat, the conversation flowing seamlessly. With every laugh and shared memory, the walls they had built around themselves began to crumble. It felt natural, as if they were slipping back into their old rhythm.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said before,” Connor said suddenly, his tone shifting. “About driving around town. I mean, we’re here now. Why not make the most of it?”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s do everything we used to do,” he proposed, excitement sparking in his eyes. “Let’s revisit all our favorite spots.”

“Haven’t we been basically doing that?” she asked, her heart racing at the thought.

“I guess, but I mean for the whole weekend. Let’s call this weekend ours… Please?” he said, a pleading grin spreading across his face.

She couldn’t help but smile back. “Okay, but I’m in charge of the playlist!”

They left the diner, laughter bubbling between them as they jumped back into the car. Connor cranked up the music, the familiar tunes flooding their senses, and for a moment, everything felt right.

They visited the arcade where they had spent many Friday nights, laughing over games and sharing fries. They drove down the streets where they had cruised in Connor’s old car, the wind whipping through their hair as they sang along to their favorite songs. Each stop brought a rush of emotions, a mix of happiness and melancholy that only deepened their connection.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, they found themselves back at the park. The air was cooler now, but the warmth between them was undeniable. They wandered to the same bench where they had spent countless afternoons, lost in conversation.

“I can’t believe how easy this feels,” Y/N said, leaning back against the bench, looking up at the sky.

“Yeah, it’s like no time has passed,” Connor agreed, his gaze drifting to her. “It’s just us again.”

“Do you think we could… I don’t know, make this work?” she asked cautiously, the vulnerability in her voice palpable.

“I don’t know, Y/N,” he replied, the seriousness in his tone cutting through the lightness of the moment. “I want to. But everything is different now. You’re in L.A., I’m in Chicago…”

“But what if we tried?” she urged, her heart racing at the thought of losing him again.

Connor took a deep breath, the weight of her words pressing down on him. “I don’t want to hurt you again. We’ve come so far.”

“I know,” she said softly, her heart aching.

“But we’re happy now. Can’t we just enjoy this?”

She looked at him, and for a moment, it felt like the world faded away. “Yeah, let’s just enjoy this.”

As the weekend unfolded, their connection deepened

As the weekend drew to a close, the once bright spark of excitement began to dim, leaving behind a lingering sense of melancholy. Y/N and Connor spent their final hours together in quiet reflection, driving through the small town that had witnessed their shared history. It had been a weekend filled with laughter and warmth, but the uncertainty about their future remained.

The day they had to say goodbye arrived too soon. Connor was scheduled to fly back to Chicago, and Y/N had a flight back to Los Angeles the next morning. They stood in the driveway of her house, the chill of the autumn air pressing in on them.

“This feels harder than I thought it would be,” Connor said, his voice low as he looked down at Y/N.

“I know,” she replied softly, wrapping her arms around herself, as if the cold wasn’t just from the air, but from the inevitable goodbye.

Connor reached out and took her hand. “We’ve always had something special. But with you in L.A. and me in Chicago… I don’t know if I can handle the distance. I don’t want to keep dragging this out just to end up hurting each other.”

Y/N nodded, though her heart twisted painfully. She knew what he was saying was logical, but the emotions they had shared over the weekend had reignited something in her she wasn’t ready to let go of.

“I get it, Connor. But I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “I wish we could try.”

His hand tightened around hers, his eyes softening with regret. “I do too. But we agreed to just enjoy the moment, right? And that’s what we did.”

She looked up at him, eyes shining with unshed tears, but she forced a smile. “Yeah, let’s leave it at that.”

They hugged for a long moment, neither one wanting to let go. But eventually, Connor pulled away, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Take care of yourself, Y/N.”

“You too, Connor.”

And just like that, he was gone.

Back in Los Angeles, Y/N threw herself into her studies again. The first few days were tough—she found herself replaying every conversation, every moment she and Connor had shared. She kept telling herself that she had made peace with their goodbye, but the quiet moments between her busy schedule reminded her otherwise.

But as time passed, she started to heal. University life picked up pace, and she found herself surrounded by friends and new experiences. Slowly, the ache of their goodbye lessened.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Connor felt the opposite. Life in the NHL had been his dream for as long as he could remember, and playing for the Blackhawks was everything he had worked for. But the high of being in the league didn’t fill the emptiness inside him. He found himself thinking about Y/N constantly—about how she had looked at him with such hope in her eyes that weekend, and how he had let her go. He had told himself it was the right thing to do, but each day, the weight of that decision felt heavier.

Despite the distance, they hadn’t completely severed their connection. A few weeks after their goodbye, Connor followed Y/N on social media again, and she followed him back. It was a small gesture, but one that kept them tethered. Small texts started to trickle in—wishing each other good luck during games, asking how school was going, commenting on random things they saw online. It was casual, almost like two old friends who had drifted apart but still cared about each other.

For Y/N, these texts became easier as the months passed. She no longer felt the pang of loss every time she saw Connor’s name pop up on her screen. She had started dating again, nothing serious, but enough to remind her that life went on. She was healing, slowly but surely.

But for Connor, each message was a reminder of what he had walked away from. His teammates noticed he wasn’t quite himself—he was playing well, but there was a distance in his demeanor. Every time he texted Y/N, a part of him wished he could say more. He missed her, missed the way she understood him, missed the way she made him laugh. The loneliness gnawed at him, growing more unbearable with each passing day.

One night, after a particularly tough game, Connor found himself scrolling through his messages with Y/N, rereading their short exchanges. He stared at the screen, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He wanted to reach out, to tell her he’d made a mistake. That he was willing to try long distance, that he didn’t care about the miles between them, that he’d wait for her—however long it took.

With a deep breath, Connor typed out a message: Hey, can we talk? I’ve been thinking a lot, and I miss you. I want us to try again, and I’m okay with long distance if you are. I just need you to know that I’ll wait for you.

Just as he was about to hit send, he hesitated. His thumb hovered over the send button, but something stopped him. Instead, he opened her Instagram, a habit he had picked up over the last few weeks. He scrolled through her recent posts, his heart aching as he saw her smiling, surrounded by friends, seemingly happy. And then he froze.

There was a new post—a picture of Y/N and a guy. They were sitting close together on a bench, the sun setting behind them, casting a warm glow over their faces. The guy had his arm around her, and though it wasn’t an overly intimate photo, the look in Y/N’s eyes as she smiled up at him said everything.

Connor’s stomach dropped. His hand clenched around his phone, his heart pounding in his chest. The words he had just typed out seemed suddenly foolish, pointless. She was moving on. She was happy. And he had no right to disrupt that, not after he had been the one to let her go.

Without another thought, he deleted the message, staring at the blank screen as the reality of his decision came crashing down on him.

Connor shut his phone off and leaned back on his couch, closing his eyes as regret washed over him. He had made a choice, and now he had to live with it. But in the back of his mind, the thought that maybe—just maybe—he had lost the one person who truly understood him, refused to go away.

[enchantedlov3r]

Coffee crush An Ellie Williams fic College Barista au CHAPTER TWO!

Summary: Young love, always the cutest thing, especially when it's on your very hot barista at your local coffee shop on campus.

Pairings: Barista!Ellie Williams x puppy!reader

Word Count: 4.5k (WOAH! never done that before<33)

Warnings: fluff, first time meeting, flustered reader, bold ellie, lots of sexual tension, shameless flirting, ellie being really hot, brief mentions of alcohol, slight debating/arguing but playful, eventual smut in later chapters, a brief kiss, lmk if I missed anything loves💓

A/N: funny story, there was this fic I read about streamer ellie by @r3starttt and she linked her pinterest below so I just wanted to give creds to her for allowing me to use these pics from her saved pinterest. Also some of it will be via text message style so ellie will be bold and reader will not. lowercase intended..

You were honestly just a girl, who happened to like other girls, no big deal. but when your parents denied it, denied you, you moved out.

you weren’t going to deal with unsupportive family members judging you at every family function.

and you sure as hell weren’t going to stand with your parents treating you completely different from everyone else.

so you moved away from that toxic life but not just because of your parents but for college as well.

you wanted to move to this small town and get to know people new and study at your dream college.

once you finally found out you got in, you made your motives known to the family that you were leaving and never coming back.

you made it to your dorm and met this awesome girl named Kansas. You guys really hit it off your first semester and ever since, you guys have been the best of friends.

constantly hanging out and going to bookstores and party’s and going on vacations and so much more.

So, now to the present day, you’re currently in your dorm studying for finals.

Kansas walks in and greets you, you greet her back and she plops on the bed with a sigh.

“what’s wrong Kansas? I know that sigh. What’s up?” you ask her while keeping your focus on your notes

“I wanna go somewhere, to meet some hot people. get screwed and fucked up” Kansas replies. You bark out a laugh while shaking your head

“I’m getting kinda tired kans, we can go to a coffee shop? Keep me awake cause I need to study for these finals. Wanna go with me?” You ask her

she shakes her head letting out a hum of disapproval, “mm-mm I’m good, I’ll probably just sleep it out. Night.” She says lying down.

“night kans.” you say closing your notebook and grabbing your red converse. They were a little beat up but they were your favorites.

you walked off campus, greeting people as they passed, some people you know, some you’ve met once, and even the strangers that were polite.

you saw the bistro and smiled walking in. There was someone in front of you, a tall blonde-haired boy.

you patiently waited while he ordered his beverage, mindlessly scrolling on your phone.

you heard someone yell next and you lifted your head walking forward. The lady was turned around so you waited until her focus was on you

once she turned around your eyes widened and you stared in awe.

she was the hottest girl you’ve ever seen. Pretty auburn hair framing her face in a cute half up half down style.

freckles littered her perfect face, beautiful green eyes staring back at you.

her lips pretty and pink, bottomed lip tucked between her teeth as she smiles at you checking you out.

“What can I get for you pretty girl?” The lady in front of you asks.

it feels as if everything has stopped and you are the only ones able to move, talk and it was amazing.

“uh-uhm sorry, hi my names y/n and w-what’s yours? I’m pretty sure it’s a sexy- I mean spectacular name.” You stutter before face planting at how embarrassing you’re being.

“Ha, uh Ellie, my names Ellie. You’re funny but, what would you like to drink? Anything that makes you tick?” She says with a smile on her face as she tilts her head scratching her neck.

'you' the only word coming to your mind.

it’s only then you notice how long and slender her fingers are and the wonderful tattoo that litters her forearm.

“I would like a cappuccino please and nice tattoo, it’s beautiful, just like you. Uhm sorry I mean it’s uhm- a-a beautiful…" you sigh. "I’m gonna stop talking now.” You stutter out nervously.

“it’s fine sweetheart, thanks for the compliments.” Ellie responds with a wink. “ your cappuccino will be ready shortly. Your total is $5.95.” Ellie says smiling.

you pull out your card and pay. You look around noticing the beauty on the inside of the bistro and smile.

Ellie watches you with intent because she would be lying if she didn’t think you were extremely hot.

she wanted so badly to talk to you for longer but she had customers and a job to do. So she came up with the idea when you weren’t looking to write her number on your receipt.

“here you go. Maybe we’ll meet again sometime.” She said with a smile handing you your receipt.

“yea, maybe we will.” You say knowing damn well your coming back to this bistro everyday until you graduate college.

You walk off to go to the waiting area to wait for your name to be called for your drink. Your playing with the receipt when you catch something in the corner of your eye.

you look over and see Ellie mouthing something and making hand gestures.

you see her pointing to your hand so you look down and see numbers written down on the back of the receipt.

you look at her and smile and she smiles back before tending to the next customer that walked in.

you notice it’s a phone number, her phone number. You smile and heat rushes to your face. She also left a little note.

“text me, your cute btw, anyone ever tell you that? It was nice meeting you;)”

you smile at the note and fold the receipt and put it in your back pocket to keep for later.

you hear your name get called and grab your drink. You smile and wink at Ellie as you leave and walk out the door.

The moment you get out you jump up and down and giggle before running back to your dorm to study.

you pull out the receipt and smile at the note again. you type the number into your phone and you hesitate to text her. contemplating for an hour before finally texting her.

you: heyy:) it's me! you off work yet? (10:47pm)

ellie🤭: heyy pretty, yea I get off in 5 minutes so I'm clocking out. (10:50pm)

you: ohh ok, so how was it, your shift that is? (10:50pm)

ellie🤭: it was stressful but it got better about an hour ago when this really hot girl walked in and I gave her my number on a receipt. (10:51pm)

you: stoppp your making me nervous, thanks for the compliment btw:) (10:53pm)

ellie: ofc sweetheart, now wanna play a game? (10:53pm)

you: sure what do you have in mind els, can I call u els? (10:54pm)

ellie🤭: you can call me whatever you want love. (10:54pm)

ellie🤭: maybe 21 questions? only if your up for it? (10:55pm)

you: yea sure so do i go first or you? (10:56pm)

ellie🤭: you go ahead. (10:57pm)

you: ok, how old are you? (10:59pm)

ellie🤭: 19. same question for you. (11:00pm)

you: im 18. (11:00pm)

ellie🤭: ok, nice. (11:01pm)

you: my turn again right? ok uhm, what's your fav color? (11:03pm)

ellie🤭: I would have to say green, like my eyes.

ellie🤭: what about you? (11:04pm)

you: so far this is what 4 questions, lol ok! (11:04pm)

you: I would say my fav color is {your fav color inserted} (11:05pm)

ellie🤭: dope! that's a nice one. (11:06pm)

you: thanks! ok, i'm going to ask, what's your fav movie or show? (11:08pm)

ellie🤭: i mean i don't think I have one, there's so many to choose from yk? (11:08pm)

you: yea no I totally understand! (11:09pm)

ellie🤭: ok, my turn. how about we quit this game huh? kinda wanna hear your voice. wanna call? (11:09pm)

your eyes widened at that. ellie, wanted to call y-you. this was insane you were so lost in thought that the buzz of you phone broke you out of your trance.

ellie🤭: ? you wanna or nah, it's totally fine if not. (11:10pm)

you: no no, I wanna. you call me, go ahead!

(11:10pm)

ellie🤭: alright!

ellie🤭: btw it 11:11 make a wish! (11:11pm)

you: oh stop it ellie! (i'm so making a wish right now!) (11:11pm)

you hear the ringing and immediately pick up after the first ring. at first it's quiet and then ellie finally speaks up.

"hey." she says in a raspy voice that makes your skin tingle. you smile at the sound of her voice.

"hey ellie." you say, her name rolling of your tongue like honey. fuck she loved the way you sounded. so sweet and sexy. she just wanted you all to herself already.

"say my name again, sounds hot when you say it." ellie demands with a chuckle at your little squeak of surprise.

"w-what ellie?" you ask totally confused on what ellie was asking. you lied, you weren't entirely confused but ellie did make you very flustered and very nervous.

sure you could dominate women and be bold at times but something about ellies demeanor and the way she carried herself it made you want to be submissive.

you were a very bold and playful person, you could tease and be funny too but around ellie, nuh uh, you were silenced by her words that made down there tingle.

was it also way to late to mention that you've never "done it" with a girl before. yea sure you've had a kiss here and there but you've never done it.

you were close but then the girls parents walked in and you were utterly embarrassed. the girl ghosted you the next day.

so now you hope that same fate won't happen with ellie.

"god you were so gorgeous in the shop today, couldn't keep my fucking eyes off you." ellie admits breathlessly.

"your so kind, thank you and trust me, I was a mess talking to you." you say with a chuckle.

"I know other ways I can turn you into a mess." she says with a giggle. you giggle nervously and bite your lip.

"mmm yeah? that's something i'm looking forward to in the future." you say, ellie not even knowing how hard your gushing right now.

you guys have been on the phone for over and hour or two now and you were loving it.

she chuckled on the other end of the line. "so, are you more of a coffee girl or an alcohol girl?" you ask ellie.

theres a sigh on the line before you hear a snort, "I mean I prefer alcohol rather than coffee." ellie says.

"ellie. cmon, you literally work in a coffee shop, where you have to deal with coffee grounds and the smell, everyday." you say playfully rolling your eyes.

"woah! just cuz I work at a coffee shop doesn't mean I like coffee babe, I just needed the job, plus it was close by campus." ellie argues back playfully.

"oh yea sure because ellie loves working in a place where she doesn't even love the products in the store. If you adore alcohol, why not be a bartender?" you rebuttal.

this playful banter made ellie laugh and you laughed too. "because I don't wanna sit here and toss vodka in a cup, I wanna drink it, not serve it to others." ellie says as she turns off her room light.

"I'm working in a coffee shop cuz I wanted the money and because I don't get tempted with alcohol all around me, just caffeine." ellie says causing you to burst out laughing.

"ok, 1, that was hilarious and 2. nice point els." you say biting your lip as you kick your feet around on your bed and giggle.

you were sure as hell lucky that this campus was big enough to have two separate rooms. you didn't wanna wake up kansas.

its silent for a little before you just randomly blurt out, "you wanna meet again sometime? maybe like a date? just to hang out and talk more?" you ask.

it's silent on ellies side of the phone for a bit before you hear shuffling. "hey my roomates back but yea totally! Meet me at the water fountain in front of the campus at 7:30pm tomorrow, we can talk in the bistro if you want?" ellie asks.

"yea yea, that's perfect." you say smiling as you bite your fingernails out of excitement.

"alright great it's a date, see you tomorrow pup." she says before the line disconects.

you put your phone down, grab you pillow and scream into it. your going on a date with the ellie williams, the hottest girl you know and you couldn't wait.

it's the next day. your walking to your class with kansas. you were telling her about ellie, every single detail.

the details from last night and the bistro. "she was just like so unreal kans, she called me babe, and pretty girl and so much more but eeee! I'm meeting her tonight!" you say with excitement.

"good for you girl! glad one of us is getting excitement." kansas says rolling her eyes playfull with a dramatic sigh to which you shove her and laugh.

"what do you even mean by that kans?" you say chuckling. she stops, looks at you and lifts her hand.

she lays her palm flat right side up and sticks up her middle and ring finger and makes a fingering motion with her fingers.

you gasp and push her quickly walking away while kansas laughs and runs to catch up to you.

"your sick kansas!" you exclaim.

"it's the truth, I can tell ellie knows how to please too. especially since you described her fingers as-what was it?- long and slender?" she says before snorting and laughing.

you laugh with her but roll your eyes at her mocking. "yea yea, keep it up and i'll find a new roommate." you say before walking into class with kansas.

*tap tap tap* is the sound your feet make as you stare at the clock, counting the seconds waiting until the clock strikes 5pm.

you were in your last class for the day and you just had two hours to get ready for your date with ellie.

you were super excited and also kinda surprised you didn't like see her at all in the halls.

she did say she goes here but maybe she was in a different section. You watched as the clock stuck exactly 5:00 and you began packing your notebooks and textbooks in your bag.

"Make sure to read through pages 25 to 37, there will be some paragraphs to study for your exams." your teacher exclaims.

you nod and walk out the door meeting with kansas. "hey girl." you say as you rub your face.

"what's wrong?" she asks as she shoves the last bit of books in her bag.

"I just feel so drained right now, Professor Popovich's class was so draining. I just don't wanna be a buzzkill for my date with ellie tonight." you express with a frown on your face.

"well I mean he is like 60 years old, what'd you expect his class to be like? Energizing? Just get to the dorm, shower and clear your mind and I'll pick an outfit for you and then you'll be good to go, ok?" kansas offers with a smile.

"ha, your right there, thanks kans I really would like that I appreciate you so much!" you say smiling wrapping your arm around her shoulder as you walk to your shared dorm room.

As you guys finally make it towards the dorm, you immediate hit the shower, clicking your phones vibe playlist as you sing and dance in the shower.

you hear a ding from your phone indicating a message notification has come in. you finish rinsing off your body and making sure your nice and fresh and then turn off the water to get out.

You wrap your towel around your self and grab your phone. you look at the time it's 7:15.

You look at your notifications and see that it's ellie that texted you, you open messages and read her message.

ellie🤭: I probably will get there a little early so, see you soon! (7:13pm)

you: ok, i'm getting ready now so i'll be leaving soon! (7:16pm)

ellie🤭: 👍🏻

you smile and do your routine, you don't put any makeup on just some mascara and lipgloss.

you step out and put on the clothes that kansas picked out for you.

it was very cold outside so kansas wanted you to prepared for when your meeting her outside but still wanted you to look a little skimpy and sexy.

"hmm sexy but cute, thanks kans." you say smiling and hugging her. "but I think i'm gonna wear sneakers instead babes, heels are. a bit much." you express grabbing your red high top converse and putting them on.

"Bye Kansas! thank you again for the help babes!" you say hugging her one last time before walking towards the door.

"anytime. I'll do anything for you. also i'll be out at a party so if you and ellie need the dorm to you know..." she smirks and makes two peace signs and rub them together.

"Oh piss off kans!" you say shutting the door as you hear her laugh. you quickly make your way to the front of the campus and see the water fountain.

you see someone sitting there, a girl in a greenish flannel with a black shirt on and jeans.

you notice that the sleeves of the flannel are rolled up and you see those familiar slender fingers and that sexy tattoo.

"ellie?" you say with a smirk on your face.

the girl looks up and smiles at you. "Hey beautiful, missed me?" she exclaims opening her arms for a hug.

"I may have missed you." you say with a smirk as you hug her. you wrap your arms around her neck and she wraps her arms around your waist.

"let's go to the bistro shall we?" she says with a smile. you nod and let go of her. you both make the short walk to the bistro and ellie unlocks the door with the key.

"so what do you wanna do?" ellie asks as she hops on the counter staring at you as you walk around.

"you know, yesterday was my first time in here. I've always passed this place but kansas tired her hardest to avoid it. you wanna know why?" you say with a smile on your face as you glance at her.

she nods, "Yea sure, why?" ellie asks.

"cuz some dude named Michael that apparently works here, he cheated on her and then made her look like a total fool, so she never steps foot in here again. she said that if she does, she might just toss boiling hot coffee in his face and down his pants too." you say with a chuckle.

"I never judged her for it because she was right. she had every right too but I didn't want her getting in trouble so I just avoided this place out of love for her." you finish as you make your way next to ellie on the counter.

"kansas sounds badass and I hate to break it to you but Michael actually quit 4 weeks ago." ellie announces as she crosses her arms over her chest drawing your eyes attention.

you look back at her and bite your bottom lip, "are you serious?" you ask. she nods with a slight smirk and scrunch of her nose.

"your telling me I could have met you a long time ago?" you ask with your eyes slightly widened.

"yep, I'm always here." she says rubbing her neck. your eyes drift to the movement, to her tattooed arm.

her forearm muscle flexing at her movement's. "What's a crazy story you have els? anything that makes you tick with embarrassment?" you say with a smile.

"hey, that's my saying!" she exclaims with a laugh but answers your question.

"I do actually. I have a few but those are for another date, if you earn it." she teases leaning closer to your face.

"Test me, I bet i'll win your heart over." you say with a smirk challenging her as you lean closer.

"Ok. well..." she says as she leans away from you to fix her position. " I have this one memory in the back of my mind but uhm. you see this tattoo. so this is not an embarrassing story more of a backstory into my life ok?"

you nod with understanding and she smiles.

"Ok so when I was 14, I uhm was playing around in this abandoned like lab. I didn't know what I was doing cause I was being foolish and having fun. I was with my girlfr- my uhm friend and she dared me to climb this ladder that led to all the tall chemical tubes or containers. So uhm me being the daredevil that I am." she says pointing at herself and smiling.

you laugh at her silliness and bite your lip as you look at her lovingly and intently listening to the story.

"yea total daredevil ladies and gentlemen. don't get your panties and boxers in a bunch because don't you fear, ellie the daredevil is here!" you say welcoming her with jazz hands.

you hear her laugh and you want to record it so badly so you can have on repeat for the rest of your life.

"yea yea, I'm so cool I know. back to my story though. I climbed the ladder. now what I didn't know was that there were pipes above me filled with this chemical liquid. So one of the pipes had a hole in them and the liquid gushed on my arm, luckily I stepped back in time but half my arm got like burned or something. so, when I got outta there, my friend, she wrapped it up so I could hide it from my dad. and then when I turned 17 I got the tattoo to hide it. and that's the backstory behind my tattoo." she says with a tightlipped smile.

"wow, well a beautiful tattoo for a beautiful girl." you say scooting a bit closer to her.

she inches her hand closer to yours as she stares at your side profile. she thought you couldn't get any more beautiful, well right now, in this lighting you just did.

you inch your hand closer to her until you place your pinky on her hand. she looks down at your hands and fully grabs your hand to lift it to intertwine it with hers.

you both make eye contact with each other and smile at each other. "I really wanna kiss you right now." you admit to her.

"Then kiss me princess." she says leaning closer to your lips before looking down at your lips, smile fading as she grabs your face and kisses you.

it's sweet and light at first but slowly turns into a needy and passionate kiss. you both pawing at each other. whimpers and whines coming from your lips.

a sweet breathy whisper of her name rings in her ears that makes her skin tingle with goosebumps.

no one has ever made her feel the way you make her feel, so euphoric and so happy.

she wanted all of you and more, she never wanted to let you go from the moment she made eye contact with you yesterday.

you both break the kiss of your lives, a glistening string of saliva connecting the kiss of love that you two just shared.

"wow that was-" you start. before she kisses you again. "Please stop talking for a second and enjoy it." she says before her lips are right back on yours.

you lean back as ellie leans more into you until your laying on the counter and ellie is kind of on top of you never braking the kiss.

"els wait. wait." you say lightly pushing her off you and getting up. "As badly as I wanna do this, I feel like we should take it just a little bit slowly. maybe 3 dates in? I wanna do this just as badly as you it's just i've never done it before with a girl or in general. I want it to be special, not at your job no offense." you say shyly as you bite your lip.

she's silent for a bit before she speaks up. "I'm sorry, just eager to be your first. I completely understand though. I guess this means until next time?" she says as she hops down and stands between your thighs rubbing them.

"yea sure, I guess i'll go then, let you get back to your dorm." you say with a smile.

"hmm or I could walk you to your dorm so I know where I can find you next time." she says with an eyebrow raised with her bottom lip between her teeth.

"no... it's ok seriously I don't want you to go through all that trouble els." you say waving your hand at her.

"mama, lemme walk you to your dorm. as a mater of fact, I am walking you to your dorm. c'mon let's go." she says as she pecks a kiss at your lips before walking towards the door.

"c'mere, let's go." she says motioning her head towards the exit of the shop so she can close up.

you roll your eyes playfully and walk out the door thanking her for opening it for you.

you grab her hand and you look at her with a smile as you see a slight pink tint on her cheeks.

you finally make it to your dorm and check the time. It's currently almost 10pm.

"thank you for this ellie, I loved tonight and I want to do this again." you say with a genuine smile on your face.

"anytime, I definitely will have something better planned then just sitting in a coffee shop and talking.

"ha! ok els, get back to your dorm safe yea?" you say with a concerned look on your face.

"I will princess. goodnight." she says smiling at you. you smile back and bite your lip.

"goodnight ellie." you respond. both of you just stand there none of you moving.

you both are startled by a door opening and a voice. "oh sorry, I just heard voices and didn't know what was going on." a girl from the dorm across you said.

"no no tess your totally fine. sorry to wake you, goodnight." you say with a smile.

"night!" she smiles back at the both of you guys and then shuts her door.

"ok seriously, bye ellie, goodnight," you say before leaning over to kiss her one last time.

she kisses you back with the same passion and smiles into it. "I'll text you when I get back." ellie says before breaking the kiss and walking away with a wave.

"Goodnight beautiful, until next time." she says as she walks backwards leaving you.

you walk into your dorm room and sigh with joy as you lean against the door.

until next time ellie...

Taglist: @ribbonprincess @r3starttt @dollyfl1rt @raynesbandaids @quiet-villian + anyone else who wants to join!

[dat1angel]

DP x DC

So we've all seen aus where Danny gets adopted by the Batfam because, let's be honest, he's a textbook case of a Bruce Wayne adoptee. But what if we took that, just slightly to the left? Instead of Batman adopting Danny, the Batkids do. Now, the reason why Danny is in Gotham can be whatever you want(I'm partial to reveal gone wrong or an accident happens so he leaves as to not become Dan) but one by one and completely coincidentally(or so they think, maybe Gotham helps push them together) Danny befriends each of the Batkids.

He meets Tim at a coffee shop(maybe he works there) and they bond over the insane amount of caffeine they like in their coffee.

He meets Daimian at some vegan place that Sam would just love if she were there and tho Damian refuses to say it there's something he finds endearing about this street kid who seems to have no clue who Damian is but smiles at him regardless and engages in some surprisingly pleasant conversation about places that serve vegan food or vegan options.

He and Duke have a class together in school and he meets Barbara while studying at the library. Or maybe Duke invites Danny to join a study group and that's how he meets Babs and maybe Cass and Steph too.

Maybe he meets Dick as Nightwing and they bond over their love of puns.

Jason can be met as either a civilian or as Red Hood, but the second they get within a certain range of each other, they get this feeling tugging them towards each other. Some 'I don't know why but I need to go this way' type feels. Jason calls it instincts, Danny can tell this feeling is coming directly from his core. They literally run into each other and immediately get this overwhelming feeling of 'same same like me'.

He ends up growing close with them all individually so when they eventually realize that 'hey, this new friend we've all been talking about is the same dude', well of course they have to keep him. So they all work together to sneak him into the manor(read: kidnap) and get him set up in one of the many unused rooms. And the fact the Bruce was off on a business trip when they did it made it wonders easier, they would definitively have got caught if he was around.

So now Danny is a stow away in this mansion that all his new friends apparently live in and he just kinda goes along with it cuz 'hey, they're nice and he gets somewhere to sleep rent free and the food is to die(again) for'. And yeah, they're the kids of the best detective in the world, they're gonna be good at hiding their tracks(they have to be or they would never get away with anything) but Alfred knows everything that goes on in the manor. He takes one look at this child and just accepts it. He allows the children to believe they are deceiving him but helps them out subtly by accidentally making extra food at meal times.

And if sometimes they want to hang out with Danny in the house they do his clothes and hair like whichever kid he resembles the most and so long as he doesn't talk nobody can tell the difference.

And maybe when Bruce comes back from his trip he figures it out immediately but he doesn't say anything because like hell he's gonna turn away a child in need. Instead he just silently fills out the adoption papers so he's ready when the kids eventually decide to reveal Danny's presence to him.

[nightlyrequiem]

Challenger Deep

You're a marine biologist sent down to a newly build base in the Marianna's Trench. You and a few other selected scientists have the opportunity to be the first to study the creatures up close. However, something malevolent stalks the open abyss around you, watching. Waiting.

Masterlist AO3

A/N- I'm sorry if this feels rushed. Some stuff happened and I didn't have much time to give this as much attention as I wanted to. I also didn't proofread this...

Tags/Warnings: Deep Sea Monster Valeria, Blood and Gore, Inaccurate Marine Biology, Kidnapping, Death, WLW

You struggled to get work after completing your bachelor's. No one was hiring. Or rather, no one was hiring you it felt like. You jealously followed the progress of the completion of a new marine base in the Mariana's Trench. A deep-rooted desperation and need to be among the team of scientists sent down to the deep blue. It should be you. It was your discovery of the Mariana's Trench that sparked your curiosity and love of life in the sea. While other kids liked wolves and cats, your favourite animal was the Mariana Snailfish. It's devastating that after investing all that time and money into your education, that you can't even find work.

You greet your coworker Rob as you enter the little coffee shop you work at.

"Hey," He says. "Do you think you could cover my shift next week?" 

You check over the machines to make sure they're on the correct settings. "Sure, what for?"

"It's my mom's birthday and she wants to take the family to Italy." Rob grins. You try to push down the resentment. It must nice be wealthy enough to take trips out of the country. To be able to afford vacation time. Rob isn't here because he needs to be, he just wants some extra pocket money.

"That sounds fun." You force a smile, not wanting to rain on his parade. Everyone just seems to be having a better time then you. You struggled through school, struggled with money, can't find work, and your girlfriend had recently dumped you for a man. Realising a year and a half into your relationship that she actually didn't like women. You are a dead horse and life won't stop beating you.

The bell above the door rings as a customer walks in. You put on your customer service face and turn to face the man.

"Good morning, what can I-"

"Black coffee and a croissant."

You type in his order and tell him his total. Tempted to charge him an extra dollar. Once done, he grabs his coffee and croissant from your hands without much gratitude and hurries out. Having better places to be then some lowly coffee shop.

You spend your shift daydreaming. Thinking about how nice it would be to study whales on a base by the ocean. tagging and tracking fish. Spending three months seven miles below sea level. How unlucky you are to be around when technology strong enough to withstand the crushing pressures of the Mariana's Trench exists when you may never get the chance to experience it. Your shift can't go by fast enough. It feels like the hours are just crawling by. Luckily for you, you get to leave a few hours before closing. The sun is beginning to set. Las Almas is alight with a golden glow. Not even the sun's glory is enough to cheer you, for you are determined to remain bitter over the opportunities you feel you were cheated out of.

You reach your home and tiredly unlock the door. Taking off your shoes and dropping them somewhere nearby. You shut the door behind you and move through your apartment. It's a shitty, cramped space but it's cheap enough. Posters of marine life clutter the walls. Past symbols of your hopeful future now turned into just that: posters. You think about taking them down at least three times a week. You're not sure you're ever going to be a marine biologist. The heavy dread that you'll be stuck behind a counter for the rest of your life threatens to break you and you shove those thoughts away. Better to not think of them.

You set your keys down and look over the mail you picked up this morning. Phone bill, gas bill, rent, student loans. How encouraging. Your hands still as they reach a different envelope. Challenger Deep Project. Your heart pounds. That's the company behind the construction and scientific team of the new deep-sea lab in the Mariana's Trench. You make quick work in tearing open the envelope and pulling out the letter. Skimming over the name and address details.

'We hope this letter has reached you. The minds behind the Challenger Deep Project have come together and have laid down the path for the next steps in science. Never before has humanity been able to properly or extensively study the astounding depths of the Mariana's Trench. Our team of physicists have come up with technology strong enough to withstand the crushing pressures of Challenger Deep. Construction of Lab-07887 has been completed after thirteen years.

We are recruiting only the most qualified scientists to be the first to step foot down in Lab-07887. We were wary to consider you for this position as you have had zero previous experience as a marine biologist but after careful consideration and review of your university transcripts, we have decided to proceed. If you wish to join the team of scientists to be sent down to Lab-07887, contact us at our email to begin the preparation process. The team is to be sent down to Lab-07887 by October 31st, 2024. You will be accompanied by biologists in the marine and microbiology field, as well as two technicians, one nurse, and three soldiers.

challengerdeepgmail.com

-Mathew Connigin, Challenger Deep Project'

You read the letter. Then re-read it to make sure you're not misunderstanding. You squeal. Clapping your hands with glee. You've been selected as one of the most qualified scientists to join the expedition down to the Mariana's Trench. You knew all those grueling hours you put into your studies would pay off.

The month couldn't go by any slower. You had contacted the email and got all of the details set. Your bags have already been packed. Waiting beside your front door. Even your coworkers have noticed your exceptionally joyful mood. October 31st finally rolled around, and you set off for the airport at 4PM on the dot. Arriving thirty minutes earlier then you needed to be. What an opportunity this is. Not only will you get to study the Mariana's Trench, but this is surely going to kickstart your career.

You've never been inside of a submarine before. You always imagined what it would be like but it's not as fun as you thought. It's claustrophobic and dark. The bright white light in the ceiling seems to be swallowed by the jet-black abyss outside. It took two hours to fly to the meetup point and seven to make it to Lab-07887. You're feeling exhausted and drained. Ready to settle down into your quarters for the night. Your exhaustion is momentarily forgotten once you finally enter the lab. The walls are light blue with yellow strips running along the top. White linoleum floors shining beneath bright fluorescent lights. The real show stealer is the observation room. A room jutting out from the lab made of heavy-duty, fortified glass. spotlights strong enough to pierce through the darkness shine into the empty waters. Polychaete worms wriggle by.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Heath, an American microbiologist murmurs, Coming up beside you.

"It's incredible. I can't believe we're really several thousand feet down below sea level." You reply. In awe. The black expanse is infinite.  Hiding all sorts of mysteries. 

"I know. And we're the first to uncover it's secrets." He smiles. You smile back before catching sight of something on the glass. 

"Is that a handprint?" You ask, furrowing your brows. Heath follows your gaze.

"Looks like it, probably one of the others." He shrugs.

"It looks like it's on the other side." You frown. Walking up to the glass. You peer at the marking. "It looks webbed." You swipe your fingers over it. A little alarmed to find the print is on the other side of the glass.

"It was probably one of the people who built it." Heath dismisses. Leaning down to inspect it. "Did you see our diving suits? They have webbed gloves."

"Oh." You say. Feeling foolish. That makes sense. You need to get a grip, you're here to learn and discover, not spook yourself with childish fears.

The intelligent endeavors are put off for the rest of the night. Right now, everyone is focused and getting familiar with the various passageways and equipment and settling in. Everyone is sat at a round table in the commons. Sharing meals and small tidbits about themselves. The three soldiers brought along have decided to go into a self-imposed exile. Sitting themselves down at a different table and not joining in with the chattering. One of the only other girls, Brie, turns to you.

"Why do we even need soldiers here?" She asks you quietly. Thin brows pulled down into a soft frown.

"Not sure." You shrug. You had wondered that yourself. "Maybe to fight off the deep-sea monsters lurking just out of sight." You grin. "I found a handprint on the other side of the glass in the observation room."

That hooks Brie's attention. She leans towards you with wide, excited eyes. "Really?"

You nod. "Yeah, it looked like the fingers were webbed, but it was probably from the people building this place." You say. "Our dive suits have webbed fingers."

Brie nods, looking disappointed at the logical explanation.

On the examination table lies a very large, very dead fish. You and the other biologists stare at it with confusion and excitement. It's something that has never been discovered before. It's got a similar body and internal system as an angler fish, but it's fins are elongated and jointed. The only thing you feel... weird about, is the fact that it has fingers. Well, apendages that look very close to fingers. Five thick thin bones sprout out from the ends. Slightly webbed and even growing nails. If you look closely enough it even looks like it has knuckles.

"Do you think this could have been what left that handprint?" You ask Heath. "Not a diver?"

"No." He shakes his head. "The fingers were slimmer and longer."

You all stare at this discovery in silence. This wasn't as magical as you thought. Sure, you knew the creatures in Challenger Deep were bound to be ugly, but you weren't expecting them to look so... human.

Heath backs up and takes off his gloves.

"I'm going to go out and see if I can find anything else." He says.

"Oh, can I come? I haven't had a chance to see the outside yet." You speak. Excited at the prospect of getting to actually explore the trench.

"Sure." He nods, standing from the table and taking his tray to the collection cart. You follow suit, setting your down on top of his and following him out into the hallway.

"Was that hand-fish the only thing you saw out there?" You ask curiously. Imaging what kind of things could be living undiscovered. Heath pauses and begins to speak but stammers a little, like he's changed his answer. 

"Not really."

The dive room is separate to the rest of the base. Closed off by mechanically sealed doors to prevent flooding. The suits are big and bulky and hard to move in. Made to withstand the pressures of the deep. The flippers are thick and webbed, the gloves are made of a thinner material but still webbed in a way that's hard to get used to. On your backs are two, full oxygen tanks. Attached to a utility belt is a special GPS and light. Heath types in a code and the lights flash before the exit slowly opens. Water rushes in, making you anxious despite the suit.

You and heath wade into the emptiness outside. Few things can survive down here.

"It would be so cool if we could see a whalefall." You say, voice lost to the sea. If it weren't for the built-in radio, nobody would be able to communicate.

"It would." Heath agrees, his words muffled and staticky. You and Heath part ways. Wandering off on your own. It's unnervingly quiet and dark. You can feel the heavy pressure pressing against your limbs and ribs. Even through the suit designed to withstand it. You come up to a large cliff face. Shining your light, you see that it must go on for miles. High enough for your light to disappear into the darkness.

You walk alongside it, hand gliding against the rocky surface when you come across an opening. You aren't supposed to enter underwater caves. Not alone and not without markers. It's easy to get turned around and the oxygen only lasts for so long. Your curiosity wins out over your rationality, and you slowly wade inside. You'll just be very cautious. You're amazed to see some kind of biofluorescent algae growing on the walls. The slim tunnel opens up into a very large cavern. Several other tunnels opening up. You gasp as something darts back into one. Disappearing into the darkness. All kinds of thinks lurk in the abyss. Getting only more predatory the deeper you get. You reassure yourself that it's probably not a threat to you if it's trying to get away. Most things won't pass up on a meal down here. Not with how scarce they are.

You still feel... weird about it. You want to follow after it but this time your fears win and you retrace your steps. Just as you're about to exit the cave, something wraps around your leg. You scream as you're dragged back into the narrow tunnel. You turn over and shine your bright light over the creature. Heart stopping at the short glimpse you get of it. It hisses and darts away but for a split second you got a good look at it. A nose with cartilage attached to a narrow, huma face. Instead of round, large bulbous eyes that are the common feature among deep sea creatures, it had smaller, almond shaped eyes. You hurry away. Paranoid that you'll be grabbed again. You make it back to the base and hate how long it takes for the doors to open.

Nobody believed you. It was dark and you were already on edge. you didn't see anything humanoid down here. Knowing what's out there, only fifty feet away, sucks any excitement out of you. That experience is all it took for you to begin reconsidering things. Maybe it's better to leave these things undiscovered. Some things aren't meant to be comprehended by the human mind. You're unable to sleep. Feeling homesick and the effects of the lack of vitamin d. You sit crisscrossed in the observation room. It's the only room inside the lab that always has it's lights off. After a few minutes you see thin, ghostly tentacles gliding along the floor. It takes you a few moments to place the name. Magnapinna. Bigfin squid. Not much passes by. A few, small slug like creatures drag themselves by. The few that rub against the tentacles getting snatched up for a quick, easy meal.

Your eyes finally grow heavy, and you get up. Walking back to your quarters and missing the other creature. The one staring in at you with interest.

The loud, frightening blaring of the alarm is what wakes you. Ominous red lights flash thorough the building. Everyone stumbles from their rooms. Confused and stressed.

"What's going on?" Brie asks. Panic lacing her tired voice. One of the technicians pushes past you. Running down the hall. Something wet touches your feet and you look down. A thin layer of water is soaking into your socks.

"Oh God." You say. "I think the lab is flooding." 

Everyone was panicking. Running around like chickens with their heads cut off. One of the soldiers rounded everyone up and got them into the diving suits.

"Stay calm." He commands. Giving everyone a look. "The glass in the observation room shattered, we're taking care of it. The building has a drain function in event of a flood. It shouldn't take longer than forty-five minutes. Forty-five minutes. "The control room is free of-" His voice is cut off by the scream echoing through the radio. Raw and primal. The sound only an animal facing it's death could make. That too is cut short. Not even the soldiers move.

"What happened?" Brie whispers. "What the fuck happened?"

Nobody responds to her. 

"...Stay here." One of the soldiers says. He gestures at the other two to follow him.

"Where are you going?" Heath asks.

"We're going to check things out. Stay here."

The scientists are left alone. In the flooded dive room, red lights still flashing.

An hour passes with no sign from the soldiers or technicities. Heath attempts to speak to them through the radio but no reply comes through. Heavy dread slowly builds within you.

"...We should go look for them." Heath says seriously.

"What?" Brie snaps. Swiveling to look at him. "He told us to stay here. We don't know what's out there." 

You find yourself agreeing. Something made that technician scream, something happened to the soldiers.

"If we don't, we'll just be stuck down here." Heath says grimly. "We need to get to the control room. They have a backup radio that connects to the surface."

The halls are completely flooded. The red lights cutting through the water are disorienting. You, Brie, and Heath slowly move through the water. It's dead silence in Lab-07887.

"What's that?" You ask, squinting and trying to see what that dark lump at the end of the hallway is. You fumble for your flashlight and shine it. It's still too far to see so you inch closer. Jerking back in surprise at what you find. "Oh fuck."

"What?"

"Fuck!" You turn back and hurry back. It's one of the soldiers with his throat ripped out.

"What did you see? Fucking tell us already!" Brie snaps, vibrating with fear.

"He's dead." You say shakily.

"Shit." Heath curses. "Hurry. We need to get to the control room now."

"What killed him?"

"Let's go." Heath br5rushes past you and turns down the hall. You and Brie follow.

"What killed him?" Brie repeats harshly.

"How the hell would I know?" You snap at her. "I was with you two."

The three of you make it to the control room door. Heath reaches out his hand to open the door when something slams into him. You and Brie are helpless to do anything but watch as something tears him apart. A long, scaled tail slams into the walls, leaving dents. The spine of the creature is sharp and protruding. Jutting out from under the skin. markings that almost look like tattoos cover it's back and shoulders. All you're able to focus on though, is the pained screaming from Heath.

Almost as fast as it began it stops. Heath goes quiet and still and the creature releases him from it's grasp. The creature tuns to face you and Brie. Those human eyes staring into yours. It blinks, the eyelids clear. It has hair. And breasts. Mammalian traits. Her eyes narrow and she swims towards you. Everything happens too quickly for you to react. A strong body collides with yours. Brie is screaming. Or maybe it's you. You expect to have your throat bitten out. To feel those sharp claws pierce through your lungs but it never comes. You're instead dragged along the ground. Carried away. You try to struggle only to accidently slam your head into the wall, knocking yourself out.

When you come to, you realise you're somewhere dry. You're not wearing your suit, and you are freezing. You sit up, seeing stone and rock. The cavern is alight with more glowing algae. In the corner is the monster. Long tail curled around it's body. She stares blankly. The sight is almost enough to kill you right then and there.

"Valeria." She says.

You furrow your brows. Wondering if you really just heard it speak. "... What?"

"My name." She replies.

"Valeria?"

Valeria nods. She abruptly crawls over to you, startling you into backing up. Valeria grabs ahold of your ankle and yanks you closer with a surprising strength. Scraping your back along the stone. "You smell good." She remarks. "I'm going to be keeping you."

[the-guilty-writer]

Pick Your Poison

Request: from @doctorsteeb OH YOU SAY YOU NEED MORE ROSSI!DAUGHTER REQUEST?? I AM HERE I HAVE ARRIVED

Rossi!daughter being a barista and unknowingly serving BAU their coffee all the time? Then eventually learning she’s rossi’s daughter?

(Tell me if this is Too Specific I can be more vague)

David Rossi x daughter!reader, Criminal minds x platonic!reader

Summary: You've been serving coffee to the BAU team for months... imagine their shock when they learn that you're David Rossi's daughter.

A/N: Thank you so much for this request! I love writing rossi daughter. The sass, the italian nicknames, the banter- it's so much fun! I hope you enjoy this! (this does include the request of reader having studied abroad but I'm doing a seprate fic for that one as well)

CW: an absurd amount of talk about types of coffee, if you look up the meaning of rossi's nickname for reader you might cry

---

It was 4:00 AM when your shift at the coffee shop began. It didn’t open until 5:00, but you were in charge of opening the place yourself. You didn’t mind, though; it gave you time to think about how you might mess with your dad’s co-workers that day.

Rossi went back to work at the BAU just before you entered high school. With his busy work schedule, you both agreed that a boarding school close to home would be best. When it came time for college, you applied to a few schools in the States, but you had an itch to see the world. It was an incredible, well-earned surprise when you were accepted into the University of Bologna in Italy. Your dad had been incredibly supportive, and even though your extended family was dysfunctional at best, he was happy you’d be going somewhere there were relatives nearby.

You loved Italy, but after graduation you had wanted to move home and take a gap year. A friend from high school had opened a coffee shop not far from the Quantico office, and having been a barista at a local shop through college to help pay for your student costs (not that you needed it when your dad could easily afford your tuition) it was the perfect situation.

The fact that your dad’s co-workers were your most frequent customers didn’t hurt either. Not that they knew you were David Rossi’s daughter - your tag only displayed your given name - but it was interesting to have such casual interactions with the people your father spent most of his time with. And having been raised by a profiler, you had a little too much fun knowing something that the best minds in the nation didn’t.

---

It was 4:56 AM when Aaron Hotchner pushed open the door to the shop. Had it been any other customer, you would have told them that it didn’t actually open for another four minutes, but the man was there frequently enough that you really didn’t care. Plus, his order was about as simple as possible to make: a robusta medium roast from Columbia with a single shot of espresso. After only a few weeks, you noticed that he ordered an extra shot in his morning coffee about three days after a case, when the paperwork was the most heavy. This happened to be one of those days.

“Good morning, Mr. Hotchner,” you greeted him. “I’m already working on your usual this morning, unless of course you would like to try something new.” You knew he wouldn’t.

“Thank you,” he said, looking down at his watch. “Could I get an extra shot of espresso?”

You put a lid on the cup and handed it to him, moving to the register to ring him up. “Already done,” you told him.

He chuckled a bit- the smallest smile escaping his lips. “Do I really look that bad?” He handed you cash as he always did so he could leave the change in the tip jar. This morning he was either so tired he hadn’t thought about the bill he pulled out of his wallet, or he was feeling generous. By what you had heard about him from your dad, it was probably the latter.

“Not at all,” you handed him his change. “We all need the extra boost some days.”

“Thank you,” he said, putting all his change in the jar before leaving the shop.

He hurried out so quickly he didn’t even notice that you had written out his order on the board of specials for the day, calling it “The Unit Chief”.

---

As always, Spencer Reid was the first customer you served once the shop had officially opened. The doctor, unlike his boss, enjoyed exploring the different brews - always asking what region the beans had come from and giving you facts or statistics about his drink choice for that day. You listened to him ramble as you prepared him an arabica light roast grown in Asia; a bean the shop had just received.

“About a third of the world's coffee comes from Asia, but when asked the average American usually assumes that their coffee has been grown in Latin America or Africa,” he explained. “It’s also widely agreed upon by coffee enthusiasts that Asia produces the sweetest coffee.”

“Well then you won’t be needing as much sweetener as normal, Doctor,” you said as you handed him his order. “But I refilled the jar of sugar just for you.”

“Oh, thanks,” he said, grabbing three packs of sugar- two less than normal- and stuffing them into his jacket pocket. “Have a nice day!” He smiled awkwardly before turning and leaving out the door.

As soon as he left you wrote down his order on the specials board, deeming it “The Genius”. He wouldn’t notice you wrote the same words on his cup until he sat down at Quantico.

---

You weren’t quite sure who would be in to get their coffee next, but you smiled when it was Agent Jerau. There was something about the petite blonde and how easily she made conversation that brought a sense of serenity to your day. The rest of the team were very distinct- the kind of people you could look at and simply believe that they worked for the BAU- but other than being absurdly pretty, Jennifer was normal.

Even her arabica “bean of the day” cappuccino was the most common order out of all of them, with the exception that she always bought a single iced cookie to go with it.

“In all the time I’ve worked here I haven’t actually tried these cookies,” you told her as you pulled one out of the pastry display and put it in a bag.

“Neither have I,” she said. “But my son loves them.”

You thought of the little blonde boy that sometimes accompanied her and her fiance to the shop on the weekends. He always got a cup of steamed milk to look like his parents, but he always ended up dunking his cookie in it when they sat down at a table.

“I’ll have to try one then.”

The agent left before she could notice the board, which had her order paired with an iced cookie named “The Mother” written among the rest.

---

Per usual, Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia came into the shop together. You knew their flirtatious behavior was actually a demonstration of a platonic friendship, but that was only because Rossi had told you so.

“Baby Girl,” Morgan said to Garcia as you handed him his normal robusta medium roast red eye with just enough hazelnut creamer that the coffee wasn’t ridiculously bitter, “I’ve got the payment for today.”

“Derek, you know very well that I can and will hack into the system and change the credit card number to mine,” she told him, quickly glancing at you to say. “I promise I’m not stealing money from the shop. I love local businesses. If anything I would give you more money so this place stays open.”

You smiled, preparing her extremely complex order that changed slightly from day-to-day but always stayed as sweet as possible. Today it was an arabica medium roast from Ethiopia with all the fixings to complete the order into a chocolate caramel mocha.

“I’m sure my boss would appreciate that,” you told her. The idea of your father having to deal with a woman as sweet and eccentric as Penelope never failed to make you laugh.

She dug a handful of coins out of her purse to put in the tip jar before her and Morgan bid you a good day and left to go to work. You adjusted the order labeled “The Techie” to fit her drink for that day, but left Derek’s alone - “The Door Destroyer.”

---

Emily Prentiss was the last of the team to grab her coffee that morning. You were aware that she was the most observant in everyday situations, but that morning she was behind schedule by around ten minutes. Her boots clicked against the floor of the shop - lower pitched than the sound of heels but higher than those of men’s shoes. She moved fast towards the counter.

“I have your order ready,” you told her. “Robusta african dark roast latte with a double shot of espresso.”

“Thank you so much.” She paid quickly, leaving a handsome tip.

In all her rush her observation skills had faltered. Not only had she missed that she had a milk mustache, but she also didn’t see that her order on the board was labeled “The Modern Femme Fatale”.

---

“So,” Rossi said casually. “The best coffee near Quantico?”

With all the extra paperwork, the team had decided they needed extra caffeine, a short break, and some fresh air. Even Hotch thought it was a good idea, which is how David Rossi ended up walking towards the Pick Your Poison coffee shop with the rest of the BAU.

“It’s great,” Reid started. “They let you pick everything from the location, the bean type, the roast. There was this one time they got in a robusta from Brazil that-”

“Or you can just pick from their menu,” JJ told Rossi, interrupting Reid before he could go on any further. “It doesn’t have to be complicated.”

“If you say so,” Rossi replied nonchalantly.

The team filed into the cafe and he saw you working behind the counter, your hair pulled away from your face as you checked the machinery. You looked up at them as they entered, all still oblivious to the small daily specials board that had their orders on it.

They greeted you and ordered one at a time, the same thing each of them had gotten that morning, leaving Rossi for last. He smiled when he stepped up to the counter and pulled you into a hug. “Mio passerotta.”

You returned his hug, a wide smile spreading across your face. “Ciao, Papa.”

“Wait-” Emily, being the only other person in the room who spoke Italian, picked up on it first. “You’re Rossi’s daughter?”

You laughed. “Have been all my life.”

The team looked around at one another, all slightly confused.

“How did you not know that we work with your dad?” JJ asked.

You shook your head. “Oh, no. I knew. I just wanted to see how long it would take you all to figure it out.”

Morgan looked stunned, Garcia’s jaw couldn’t drop any further, and Reid was tilting his head, probably trying to pick out the similarities between you and your dad.

Hotch turned to Rossi. “Dave, care to explain?”

“It was her idea, not mine.” He held up his hands defensively.

"You've been working here for five months, three weeks, and six days," Reid said.

"That is an excellent observation, doctor," you replied. "In my dad's defense, he said I had to confess before the six month mark."

"I'm suprised it took a confession in the first place," Rossi, then turned to you. “Now, I’ll speak in English so the nerds can understand. What specials do you have today?”

“Well,” You glanced at the special’s board, “If you’re going for the most caffeine I would choose “The Unit Chief” or “The Modern Femme Fatale”. “The Door Destroyer” has the strongest flavor on the bitter side and both “The Genius” and “The Techie” lean towards sweet. I’d recommend “The Mother”, but it’s past 11 AM and we all know how la mia bisnonna feels about cappuccinos past the morning.”

The team looked around at one another in complete shock over the specials order board you had put together. A smirk crossed your face as they gawked at you ever so slightly.

Your dad chuckled. “I’ll just go with a good old fashioned un caffe, then.”

“Presto in arrivo,” you said, and got to work on everyone’s order’s, but not before adding a single shot of espresso to the board called “Mia Papa.”

[ov105]

Short: Hush

After refusing to upload this for a day, Tumblr finally budged! This took a lot longer than I wished to write. Well, who can blame a lazy student right? I can only keep the industrious facade for so long. Some irl experience *wink wink* helped crank this one. (This is not a retelling.)

This is the prequel to Noise.

3,360 words of Park Sieun

Enjoy!

University. The four years of your life where you can make or break the rest of it. At least, that's how I saw it. The high pressure, an unfortunate side effect of such a perfectionistic pursuit, required sacrificing many things that I saw as necessary at one point. I was enrolled in a program that took all the time. Studying most nights, usually holed up beside my bed or in the library, tonight felt just like any other. It was a routine I'd gotten used to, but sleep's siren song called with so few people at this hour. The custodian wasn't even around, just a single librarian at the first-floor desk. It was a weekday, the last where we needed to be on campus, and there was a holiday tomorrow and the weekend after that. I didn't feel like going to my dorm, but I didn't want to be lazy.

I study alone. Group study never appealed to me, though a friend here or there would come. People I know knew my routine well.

A message lit up my phone screen. It was Sieun.

[Hey, you're in the library?]

[Yeah] I replied.

[What floor?]

[5th]

Sieun didn't respond after that. There was no elevator, so I only assumed she was on her way up the stairs. Seeing the door open and her come through, laptop and textbook in hand as she waved at me. She asked me the cliched question as she laid down her stuff.

"You read that other chapter yet?"

"Nope, barely halfway with this-," pointing to my screen, the pdf opened.

"-Aish, quit studying; you have the whole weekend anyways!" Sieun jokingly exclaimed.

I wasn't. I was just reading other things.

"Oh well, you're right, bye-bye!" I replied, pretending to close my laptop.

"Yah! Don't leave me here," she replied, shutting me down, "I don't want to go home yet, so do whatever you want."

I knew Sieun had a lot of friends, I didn't have much, but they were just as introverted as me. I was probably overthinking it to have a girl from class join me; she was a coffee shop kind of girl. Even more confusing, she was known to be nice to everyone, everybody's friend, but she was smart about it, not becoming a stereotypical caricature of the more socially well-endowed. Typical of an overthinker like myself, I didn't question her company if it didn't make me uncomfortable.

"Oh, you too, huh," I said as I opened my phone.

"What?" Sieun asked, confused.

"When you don't feel like going home, you just hang around somewhere."

"Oh," she seemed to relax, "Yeah, when I don't feel like greeting too many people."

“Besides, I’m an introvert anyway, just happens that I’m just an attention-seeker as well.”

“I can tell,” I replied.

She grabbed her headphones from her bag, holding it in my direction, "Wanna watch?"

"What you watching?" I asked, hoping to myself it wasn't some blood-boiling thriller drama.

It was a rom-com—nothing I find stressful. I agreed, then Sieun told me to scoot over beside her.

I didn't know how long or what time it was, but we were still waiting for someone to come up to tell us to go home. It wasn't that late. Before I knew it, we were six and a half episodes in. We sat comfortably and moved now and then, not to lock our muscles up. I had my right leg up, with my left hand dangling in the space between the chairs. Keeping my focus on her laptop, I didn't mind, nor did I want to overthink her gesture; it was a cold hall.

That was until I felt her right hand slowly gliding over my thighs, barely feeling her fingers over my pant leg. But she wasn't doing well if she attempted to be discreet. Sure, I knew what to do, but I was just too unsure, so I whispered.

"Sieun."

"What?"

I simply pointed down where her hand was. A smirk appeared on her face.

"Oh," she whispered, a blush joining her smirk as she looked up at me. At least, she tried to.

"I've heard some things about you lately."

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath. I knew what Sieun meant. I always let my lips loose whenever I was inebriated, though I knew secrets were always off-limits. Unfortunately, that meant my arrogance stuck out, perhaps a little too much to disregard myself. She let out a chuckle.

"Don't regret it now," Sieun said, looking at the door before matching my gaze, having a different look in her eyes, mere inches away, even in the dark. She wanted something from me.

"Don't worry, I'm the right person to hear about it," she slowly said, noticing her left hand already tugging at my arm, pulling me in.

Sieun's eyes then darted for a split second to my lips. She then shut her eyes—a soft smooch—and the next thing I knew, I was opening mine. We were much closer now. I was probably red because she was too. I was, however, sober; her words echoed; why would she be the right person? It was impossible to think straight; I just swallowed my pride.

"Just give me a chance," she said, almost in a whisper, taunting, "I know you'd want me too."

Wait. Did Sieun just ask me if she could do me? Was I being gaslit? Didn't this scenario only exist in movies? I swore I panicked for a second.

I just smirked, then gave a peck on the lip as an answer. Almost throwing herself on me, returning more than just a peck, it had collapsed into a full-on make-out before I could even count to ten. My hands were on Sieun's thighs and neck, with hers on mine—a handsy affair. It was a side of her I hadn't seen before or one I only expected to happen in printed fiction. I knew everyone had their own pervert, and mine was a tomcat on the prowl. Though now, even the wildest I've heard of seemed tame. All because this was reality.

"I never thought you were naughty," I quipped.

"So did I."

Wanting to see how true that was, we kept pushing and pulling with our lips, not noticing how handsy we were becoming. Sieun was softly groping the bulge between my legs and, with my right hand, moved down from her neck, mirroring hers, three fingers pressing where it was the warmest.

"Wait, wait, wait," she pulled away as I tried to move up her sweater.

Standing up, Sieun closed her laptop, the drama having run away from us becoming steamy, straddling me into an embrace, pressing herself right up to my face before using her fingers to point me upward and back to her lips. It felt electrifying, the room becoming colder and warmer as our lips approached each other. She was going somewhat slower now, and noticing my hands were idly gripped to her thighs, she grabbed my wrist and put it on her waist. I wasn't planning just staying there, going down and slipping upwards under her sweater; the problem was that it was in the way.

Giving me one loud, suckling kiss, she moved back, almost forcing herself to. She hurriedly pulled her sweater off herself and dumped it where she sat. Grabbing my left wrist again, but now putting on her right tit, squeezing the moment my palm landed on it.

It was small, little by anybody's standards. After all, Sieun was petite. To make myself clear, I laid my lips where I felt it, even with the shirt on. Being so exposed where we sat, anything beyond the sweater was off-limits, but she already had untucked her shirt when she took it off.

Though as we continued to make out, I slid my hand into it, and firmly grabbed her tit, feeling the soft mound held in place by her bra, cursing that fact in my head, only to be distracted by Sieun suddenly darting her tongue out when I did. If that was so, then so should I, softly squeezing with my left hand, my right moving back to her ass and copying it. A slight jolt came from her as she grabbed my wrist from under her and pulled away.

"Let's not do this here," Sieun said.

"Couldn't you have said that earlier?" I replied, annoyed.

"I just got carried away," she sounded sad.

She was thinking of something.

"Alright, let's go to my place after this," Sieun said. I just agreed with her.

Giving me one more kiss, she got off of me. Looking at where she was gazing, it was on the large old shelves of the archives room. Filled to the brim with cardboard boxes, some empty, others half-full, and more empty, yellowed-out periodicals, and some published medical and law reports. But as an imaginative kid with too much access to the internet, I always thought it was the ideal place for a quickie.

Looking back, she knew I had checked out the same place.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked as she tied her hair.

I just nodded. I had no idea.

Before I knew it, she flashed me a smile and darted off. I stood up and followed her into the room as she turned into a shelf with a higher shadow, having long forgotten, hard-bound folders stacked above it, creating a shade. I stopped. For a second, the old legends my grandmother told me flashed back, one of the pretty fairies that lured young men into the hills, just for them never to come back down.

But now isn't the time for tall tales, even if it felt like one.

Following where I last saw Sieun, she dragged me to the window sill. Gently pushing me against the wall as she planted her lips on me again, much more tender this time, with her hands on my chest. I was running on instinct, driven by the perpetual motion of her lips. All sorts of images popped up in my head, the least of which involved carrying her and fucking her raw then and there.

A storyboard straight out of a manhwa—that was stretching it—but I was already in her pages anyway.

After making out for a bit, and now with me up against the shelf, Sieun looked around before dropping down to my crotch. Her squat turned into kneeling as she grabbed and undid my belt, putting her left hand under my crotch and massaging my balls through my boxers. The feeling of butterflies in my gut quickly left as blood pooled on my cock, sparing her at least a quarter of the work as she pulled my boxers down and took it in her hand.

Sieun was not shy. Looking up at me as she opened her mouth and pointed her dick at it. Her tongue made a swift flick on the tip before wrapping her lips around it, tugging at it as she went to work. It was a quickie, after all, and there'd be no excuses if somebody came past and caught us. Thankfully for her, the past few minutes gave me plenty of images to be erect quicker, the best of which was the feeling of her mouth doing me.  

I felt my breath begin to shorten, maybe even shake, as my tip got harder and, thus, more sensitive. Taking a hand off and hearing a slight gulp as my cock enlarged in Sieun's mouth, a slowly rising pace to come along with it, maybe even a hushed moan as the world seemed quiet at that minute. Looking down to see my cock firmly wrapped in her lips as her tongue glided up and down slowly, needily, and readily. The tip brushed against the top of her mouth as every vein on my shaft was pressed by her tongue. She gave herself a few dips as she tried to settle in a pace; the last of them went too far as her lips hit my crotch. Gagging, her face turned sour as she pulled away, suddenly catching her throat.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Sieun said as she swallowed, reassuringly saying, "I-I'm fine, it’s just been a while."

Regaining her composure, she puckered, then wrapped her lips around the tip, starting slowly at half length before going all the way in. This time being more careful not to make herself gag again. So she went, continuing where she had tripped earlier, the whole hiccup not even being counted to ten. Setting a speed that left me holding on to the shelf as she closed her eyes and reveled in her work. Seeing her head twist slightly to the left as she wasn't using her hand, I could hear a low humming as she sucked on my shaft. Almost going down the same way and hitting the back of her mouth, though this time she wasn't going that far and enjoying herself.

Thinking that was the end of me, she reluctantly pulled her lips away and licked my cock upward.

"I'm not going to say this any other way," she followed, "You got a good one too."

An ego boost. I would even think it was an unnecessary one.

"You're not lying, aren't you?"

"Hmm?" Sieun said with half my shaft in her mouth, giving it a few tugs with her lips and only stopping when she felt the slightest twitch of my cock on her tongue, asking back as she kissed it.

"Am I lying now?"

I didn't answer. It was enough an answer either way. Sieun eased her head back down on it as she continued. Thinking I was to be carried away easily, she suddenly sped up, even catching me off guard as I felt myself shudder when my tip hit the back of her mouth. What made her stop wasn't a gag this time, but rather the loud suckling that her lips made, once, twice, three. She stopped, then suddenly looked up and saw the surprise in both our eyes.

Realizing her error, she had no way to go but slow, which meant teasing me much more. I just hoped she was the type to swallow.

Closing her eyes, Sieun then formed a ring with her index finger and thumb; she kept her lips tightly sealed while her tongue circled my tip. Catching me off guard when she slipped it over her tongue and dove down, feeling the tightness of her lips and the pressure of her tongue as she slowly got deeper close to where her fingers were at. She just had to top it off, looking up at me—as if waiting for a compliment—while she passed every vein and let the pressure slowly build up.

Keeping at that for a good minute, she ensured I lost track of time. By that point, she knew that she was just dragging me along by that point any faster, and I'd explode down her throat. I became more sensitive as she tasted the precum, seeing her eyes react as the secretion came onto her tongue. So, she enjoyed herself, tilting her head and probably moaning quietly. On my end, my breath was already shaking, and I was biting my lip.

I was always shy with dirty talk. Though if there was anything like a "romantic blowjob," this was it.

I've yet to hear of one-night stands that get too attached. But Sieun was in the same class; this would either end awkwardly or something was up. Then I remembered what she said earlier, but before my brain could fly away, thinking itself to death. I was brought back down with one swift swipe of her lip.

Looking down to see Sieun picking up the pace as my knees began to buckle under the sensual barrage from her front; she was anticipating me to break any moment now. I just knew that it was a thin line for her to cross, but whatever confidence she had now, she was not misplaced. Going deep and only deep, save for a few tugs at the tip, as keeping my mouth shut became much more challenging.

Pulling away with a loud pop, she kept it going with a handjob.

"You like it?" she asked.

This was the worst time to ask. It's like Sieun paused the porno.

I just nodded like an addled boy. She licked her lips and smiled.

I took a big gulp as her lips engulfed my shaft again, knowing I was at my last straw. Just one tight slurp after the other, and I was just about done for.

A thunderbolt. A single swipe of Sieun's tongue sent me shaking, curling, drowning. Her lips barely held the saliva in a while, and my twitching became quicker, using everything she could to try and make me cum. Just barely crossing the threshold, though this time, it was her making the noise. Leaving any sense of awareness as she moaned and hummed to herself as she tried to rein my shaft in her mouth. Feeling her mouth tightening, it was the death knell of me, whether it was me imagining it or it was her intent, but I just knew this was it.

When I went quiet, I knew my end was up. My jaw dropped in silence as my knuckles began to turn white, holding onto the shelf. Sieun's eyes, the only way I could tell anything from her, shot up in surprise as my cock, her lips midway, hardened and began bursting in her mouth. Perhaps, a little too early, the second spurt, a warm, gooey one that made even me jump, as it hit the back of her mouth. Feeling an instinctive gulp and watching her react as the rest followed. Slowly moving while her eyebrows furrowed, probably surprised by the sheer volume or taste, trying to keep it in her mouth, fighting the urge to swallow, while her tongue stayed where it was. As my orgasm died down, and having done her bidding, she slowly eased back.

It was perhaps an unintended consequence on her end that I'd let out that much cum. I just hoped she wouldn't be too mad. Slowly taking her lips off, my cock was covered in drool but looked clean, except for the tip, which had expended itself.  

Sieun put her hand under her face, probably to spit it out. Looking up at me before she drew her hand away and swallowed it all, but not without some discomfort in her expression, then licked her lips before stating the obvious.

"That's a lot," she said as she stood up, "and hotter than I thought."

"What?" I asked, a little confused, while I pulled my boxers up.

"Everything, the blowjob, where we are, um," Sieun stopped.

"What is it?" I asked again.

"No," she hesitated, "I'll just tell you on the way down."

Not wanting to ruin the mood by prying, I just scoffed, letting her go. We then left the shelves like nothing had happened. It might have been witness to other couples doing more daring things than a tame, silent blowjob. Sheepishly walked back to our table, and while thankfully nobody came, it seemed like a ghost town with how late it was. Just two bags and personal belongings strewn on the table, forgotten by their owners. I had lost track of time from when she kissed me, but I knew that was a lifetime ago.

There was a sense of silent urgency among us as we packed, flashing a shy smile or two as we knew we'd be doing a lot more once we got to her place. Leaving the room, what she did next surprised me and made me feel warmer than whatever we just did. She put her arm around my elbow. As we made our way to the staircase, we decided to go the route that prevented us from seeing the librarian's desk. Sieun then put herself beside my ear and spoke up almost in a whisper.

I turned red, shy even, but with a tug, there seemed no need to run.

[kaunis-sielu]

Dangerous Places: End

It’s been almost a year. You’d moved to a new building, in a safer part of town once you’d been able to get your hands on your grandparents trust fund. One you hadn’t known existed. The money had changed your life. You were going to college, getting your business degree while you worked as an administration assistant at Nelson and Murdock.

Sometimes you swear you see Steve in a crowd. Just a quick glance and it always makes you miss him a little bit. He’d been good to you, he’d kept his promises and he’d freed you.

He gave you your life back.

Sometimes you even think about calling him but then you remember that he’s a mob boss.

You hurry into work and after getting everything ready for the day you start on a small project that Matt had given you yesterday.

“Hi Bunny.” Your gaze snaps up and you blink in astonishment. Steve is standing, hands in his pockets, in front of you with a small smile on his face.

“S-Steve?” You breathe, “what are you doing here?”

“Matt is my lawyer. I usually make him come to me but then I heard he’d gotten this pretty new administration assistant and I needed to see that she was okay.”

“I’m really good.” You tell him with a smile and he studies you.

“You look good. Healthy.”

“I am. It helps being able to have insurance and somewhere safe to live.”

“I’m glad to hear it. When Thor told me you’d quit I’d worried you were trying to avoid me.” He says moving slightly closer to your desk.

“No, no I just was finally able to make some changes and I’m really happy.” You almost tell him that you’ve missed him.

“Good.”

“Steve! Thanks for coming by.” Matt says coming out of his office. “You need any coffee or anything?”

“Coffee would be great. Black.” You stand and start to leave when Steve stops you with a gentle hand. “Get yourself something too. Then join us.” You glance at Matt who’s looking curiously at Steve.

“Mr. Murdock?”

“If Mr. Rogers wants you to join us you can.” He says so you nod then head down to the little coffee shop downstairs. When you go to order you stop and glance over your shoulder,

“Bucky? What do you want?”

“Nothin’ Doll.” He says, “Still observant as ever.” He joins you at the counter as you order a black coffee for Steve and a chai latte for Matt. When you don’t order yourself anything Bucky frowns before saying,

“And a sugar free hot chocolate.” You look up at him in confusion.

“What?” You ask, why would he order sugar free hot chocolate.

“Steve told you to get something.” He says with a little shrug.

“I don’t need it.”

“Okay.” You use your work card to pay and Bucky checks the card. When you give him a weird look he smiles, “just making sure they gave you a business card for this.”

“He’s been checking up on me hasn’t he?” You ask as the two of you step aside to wait for your drinks.

“Yes.” Bucky doesn’t bother lying. “You broke his heart, he’s still in love with you.”

“I didn’t want to hurt him but I didn’t even know who I was.”

“And you do now?”

“More than I did. I’ve been doing therapy and that’s helped.” You’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss him. You’d missed him like you’d miss a missing limb. You grab the drink caddy with the three drinks in it and then you and Bucky go back upstairs.

When you deliver the drinks you can feel Steve’s eyes on you. You go to sit in a chair away from him and Matt when he turns and looks at you.

“Bunny? Will you come sit with me?”

“Oh, okay.” You sit down next to him on the couch and he and Matt continue their conversation.

You’re not listening. How could you possibly be listening? You can feel the heat of him, you can smell his cologne, you’re quickly falling back into love with him.

“Thanks Matt. Can I borrow your admin assistant for a minute?”

“Of course.”

“And your office.” He doesn’t ask the question, Matt nods then stands and leaves the room. It’s not until the door closes that Steve turns and looks at you.

“Hi Bunny.” He says softly, your heart races, and not in a bad way.

“Hi.” He studies you before slowly reaching out and touching your hand.

“How have you been?”

“Good. But you already know that don’t you? You’ve been watching.” Steve has the good sense to look sheepish,

“I told you that you were mine to protect. Just because you didn’t want to be with me doesn’t mean that just ended.”

“I’m sorry.” He looks confused so you barrel on, “I know I hurt you. I didn’t mean to. I just needed to figure who I was without the threat of Hydra and Crossbones and away from you.”

“Why away from me?”

“Because I was falling in love with you and I needed to know it was real and not just survival.” You tell him not daring to look at him. As you expect the hand he isn’t holding yours with gently tilts your chin so he can see your eyes.

“Was it real?”

“Yea.”

“Fuck.” He breathes before colliding his mouth into yours in a desperate kiss. You melt into him, you can feel the strength in him, but you can feel the restraint too. You card your fingers through his hair, curling your hands around the back of his head and Steve groans into your mouth.

The sound is sinful.

One of his hands is wrapped around the back of your neck and the other is on the small of your back. You can’t get close enough to him and it seems that he can’t get close enough to you as he pulls you into his lap. Your skirt hikes up as you straddle his legs, Steve’s hand ghosts up your thigh. How are his hands everywhere? You can’t find it in yourself to care as long as he keeps kissing you like this. Steve pulls away and rests his forehead on yours.

“Please, please don’t make me let you go again.” He says quietly, “it almost broke me last time.”

“Steve.” You breathe, you don’t know what else to say.

“Tell me you’re mine. Please Bunny. Tell me.”

“I’m yours.”

“Thank fuck.” He says before kissing you again, “come home with me? Move in?”

“That’s awful fast Steve.” He hums softly,

“Actions right?” He asks and it warms your heart that he’s remembered that request from you all of those months ago.

“Yea.”

“Can I take you out then Bunny?” You nod and he smiles up at you. “Any requests?”

“Something with amazing dessert.” Steve laughs before kissing you again.

“Deal. 7pm?”

“Okay.” You agree and he gently eases you off of his lap then stands.

“I’ll pick you up at your apartment.” You almost ask if he needs your address before you remember. “One more kiss before I go?” He asks and you nod, tilting your chin up so he can press a soft kiss to your lips.

It’s the longest workday of your life. When you go home you shower then get ready for your date with Steve.

He knocks on your door at exactly 7pm. You’re not sure how he got into a secure building but you’re also not surprised that he did. When you pull it open you’re stunned for a moment, he’s dressed up for you. Steve is in a crisp white shirt, dark blue pants and a dark blue suit coat. You glance down at your outfit and he laughs.

“You look good.”

“I don’t though.” You laugh, “Should I go change?” You’d just thrown on a cute top and a pair of jeans. “Let me change.”

“You sure Bunny?”

“Yes. Come in.” You tell him. Steve follows you in and you go change into a cream cocktail dress. You slide on some heels and hurry back out to where Steve is waiting.

“Fucking hell Bunny.” He says reaching for you, “you look stunning.” He presses a kiss to your cheekbone.

Steve takes you to dinner and then out for a play. You don’t know how he managed to get tickets for Broadway on such short notice but you have an amazing time.

He moves at your pace, showing up for you when you need him, when you need sugar he gives it to you, he even asks if you want to get a medical alert dog.

After a year you finally agree to move in with him. He hasn’t pressured you at all but you know that the second you agree to move in with him it puts him at ease. Even if Hydra is gone that doesn’t mean it’s safe being in love with a mob boss.

And you are, so completely in love with him. The Captain, the leader of the Howlies, Mobster, and his Bunny.

Tag list:

@andahugaroundtheneck @connie326 @also-fangirlinsweden @lumar014 @loving-life-my-way @pagina16ps @emdying @dumblani @valsworldofcreativity @blackwidownat2814 @vicmc624 @abschaffer2 @patzammit @inkedaztec @sophham

[mydearlybeloathed]

Can we get a pert 3 of hindsight/foresight? They were just too perfect to not ask

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐒

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: finals approach at new rome university, but the restful break turns out to be the opposite after a little... realization.

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: leo valdez x erischild!fem!reader

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1.3k

𝐚/𝐧: ask and ye shall recieve! someday im def going to go back and edit the first two parts, maybe add onto the first one, but for right now here's what comes after foresight!

The baristas at the local coffeeshop had grown used your presence, and took to ignoring your frantic study sessions spent in the corner of the little shop. You hadn’t had to stand to order more coffee in weeks—they felt your stare and happily brought you more, leaving you to your notes.

You were so grateful for their encouragement as finals closed in, although Reyna couldn’t say the same.

She closed in like a hawk on a studious little mouse, disapproval written all over her face as she came up to your table and pushed your mug away from your reaching hand. You straightened up and shot her a glare, already knowing exactly who dared to disturb you. 

“Reyna,” you grunted, as if you were facing some long-term enemy. She rolled her eyes and sat down acrosf from you.

“Y/N.” She parted the sea of notes to better face you. “You know I respect you.”

“Ah, yes, here’s the but.”

Reyna emphasized, “But you’re worrying several of your friends—me included.”

You attempted to avert your eyes by fiddling with your pencil. “I need to keep studying.”

“Then change your scenery. Drink some water. Or, dare I say it, take a break.” In all her coolness, Reyna was pleading with you now, genuinely concerned with how exhausted you were.

“You know I can’t,” you murmured as you met her gaze head on. “I need to pass, or this was all for nothing.”

If you couldn’t pass finals, then all the grit and bearing would be for nothing. All your doubts would be right. You couldn’t let that happen, no matter how much sleep it cost. New Rome University was your last chance at making something of yourself, and by the gods you would not let it slip through.

“Thank you for your concern,” you said sincerely. “But I’ll be fine. Just need to get through next week.”

She pressed her tongue to her cheek whilst you proceeded to ignore her and go back to studying. Reyna was never one to give up so easily, especially not with your health on the line. Luckily, she had one more card up her sleeve.

“Leo said the same thing, you know.” Your eyes darted up from your notes, and Reyna knew she had you in her trap. “Honestly, he looked worse off than you. I didn’t know somebody could have eyebags as bad as his. Of course, he was chugging energy drinks, not coffee.”

Your hands stilled at your sides, thoughtful now. A few more moments passed like that, with Reyna fighting off a smirk and you rolling the image of a suffering Leo around your mind. “Where is he?”

“Somewhere in his dorm,” she replied, standing. “I’m sure he wouldn’t be opposed to a distraction. Not if its you.”

Somewhere between realizing her trick and wodnering just what she meant by that, you started packing up your things, much to the baristas’ shock. Reyna shock them a smirk as she slipped outside.

Minutes later you were trudging through New Rome, eyes on the ground as you took the practices route to the University, right up to the familiar boys dormitory built up on the far side of campus. You shoved open the doors and came face to face with a few students hanging around the lobby. Venus kids, if you remembered right.

“You seen Leo?” you asked, noting how your tone was deeper than usual. Maybe you did need sleep.

One of the girls among them hummed. “I think I saw him out on the patio.”

Thanking them quickly, you beelined back out the door, rounding the building and laying eyes on the marble octagon situated in the distance, surrounded by cool green grass. And on the picnic table at its center was a boy hunched over a series of books, just as you had been in the coffeeshop.

You slung your backpack to one shoulder as you approached, hopping up onto the marble and grinning when Leo startled. He blinked up at you, trying so very hard to seem awake, but you saw right through it. 

“You look like shit,” you teased as you slid into the seat across from him, tossing your bag aside.

He scoffed with a roll of his eyes even as he forced down a yawn. “Yeah, yeah. Back at you.”

You tilted your head, still smiling, and lazily reached to tug his books away. Leo huffed and tried to claw them back, letting them slip in the end. You caught his eye then. “Wanna head inside? We can watch a movie.”

Leo sat back and passed a hand over his curls. “Did Reyna send you?”

“She all but kicked me out of the coffeeshop,” you mused. 

“Out of Ambrosas?” he exclaimed, brows vaulted. “How will you ever survive?”

You took a moment to examine the many red bull cans scattered around. “Says the man who’s heart is bound to explode.”

“Touche.” Leo tried to return to his books, but he took a look around and felt his eyes crossing from overuse. “What movie?”

“The Hobbit?” you offered. Leo lit up slightly, his hands itching to toss all his things in his bag. 

“... Okay, but just the first one.”

As expected, you didn’t stop at just the first one, and as the credits rolled on the third movie, you glanced over at the window of Leo’s dorm to find the moon strung up in the sky. The pair of you were alone, wrapped up in blankets atop Leo’s bed. His roommate, some Apollo legacy called Sam, ahd taken one stpe inside before he scoffed and headed right back out. It was very weird.

It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that you and Leo were not only bundled in blankets, but also wrapped around one another, his head rested on your collarbone as his arms hugged your middle. 

On that thought…

You peered down at him, swiping away some of his curls to find his eyes fallen shut, soft breathes leaving him. A smile graced your lips as you settled further down under the covers. His roommate’s behavior really was odd, but at least it left you and Leo alone.

In his room.

In his bed.

Together.

The thought left you all warm and you found yourself curling around him as the threat of sleep grew larger by the second. Sam was just being weird, you dismissed.

Just a minute had gone by when Leo rustled slightly, his hand grazing your skin as your shirt rode up and—oh.

Oh.

That’s probably why Sam left in a hurry. Heat creeped up your face and it had nothing to do with the human heater at your side. But why would Sam ever think that? You and Leo were only just friends, nothing more, nothing less than good ol’ buddies—

Your face was flaming at this point. Oh. Oh no no no. 

Leo sleeped soundly and awoke pleasantly, ready to begin a day of studying hopefully by your side, only to find you ducking your head into the covers of his bed with a prolonged groan. You flopped around a bit longer, avoiding his eye and touch, and mumbled something about getting breakfast. He followed you out of bed, watching as you stumbled for his bathroom where you kept a spare toothbrush handy.

“Weird,” he murmured, not noticing how you squeaked when he shut the bathroom door behind him and joined you at the sink.

You were clinging to sanity. This was just what you needed. Finals just a week away, and you still had feelings for Leo Valdez! Running hand over your face, you glanced up to find him offering you your toothbrush, his own stuck out of his mouth. You took it wordlessly, ignoring how wonderfully cute he was.

You needed to make some calls, preferably before you combusted into flames.

[blooming-violets]

How does their conversation go 👁️__👁️. Would she be completely closed off? Would she be understanding but tell him off for how he treated her?

It might be hard because we (aka me) don't really know too much about this girl since it was all from Peter's POV so her character and her motives aren't as fully fleshed out as I would like but I will give it my best go!

He walked into the coffee shop early. He hadn't slept the night before. He'd spent his night getting stoned then tossing and turning until he finally gave up and got ready. For the first time in a few days, he actually showered, though, he had no clean clothes to change into afterwards which felt like it defeated the purpose.

He ordered them each their own coffee. Some how, through the fog in his mind, he still remembered her favorite drink.

Peter took a seat outside under the shaded umbrella of a table set in the back. He tapped his fingers anxiously against the cool metal. What was he supposed to say when he saw her? Did he jump straight into his rehearsed speech or let things unravel slowly? Did he offer to hug her as a greeting when she arrived?

No, no. That was too much.

Did he stand up? That seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do. Did he try to pull out her chair for her for was that a step too far?

Shit. She was here.

His heart rate spiked and his breath caught in his throat.

Peter jumped to his feet. It just felt like the natural thing to do. He felt like he needed to stand in her presence.

"Hi!" Too enthusiastic. Tone it down. "...Hi. Hey."

She gave him a stiff smile, eying the second drink at the table, "For me?"

He nodded, "Of course."

Peter slid the drink across the table, afraid to pick it up and hand it to her in case their fingers touched. He didn't want to cross any boundaries with her. He half expected for it to be thrown back in his face but, instead, she took it and sat down opposite him. He quickly scrambled into his chair after her.

Awkward silence settled around them.

He watched her sip her drink and desperately wished he had a cigarette to busy himself with. He didn't actually want the coffee sitting in front him. It was just something for him to fidget with.

"Your-"

"I'm-"

They both tried to break the silence at the same time.

Peter gave a half hearted laugh and shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "You go first."

"You're hair looks like shit," she spoke.

He let her comment sink in before a smile grew across his lips.

She wasn't wrong.

At least it was washed.

"Yeah, well, I said some really shitty things to my favorite hair dresser and treated her like shit so she rightfully left me to rot in my own filth."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "You never thought to find another hair dresser to deal with your hair problem?"

Peter shook his head, his voice softened, "There would never be anyone as good as her."

Now it was her turn to crack a smile.

She leaned back in her chair and he felt a sense of ease wash over him.

"You're an asshole, you know," she quipped.

Peter gave a sad grin and nodded, "I know. Trust me. I know."

She studied him carefully, watching his every micro expression, and finally licked her lips, coming up with a silent conclusion to her thoughts, "Come on." She stood up and started to walk away, turning over her shoulder to shout. "Hurry up! Follow me, dickhead."

He quickly did as he was told and hurried after her, abandoning his coffee on the table, "Where are we going? Are you bringing me somewhere to kill me? Because I'd let you if that's what you want."

He fell in step beside her, keeping her in his peripheral. She looked determined but calm.

"I'm going to cut that horrid mop on top of your head. I'll decide if I want to Sweeny Todd you when I'm through. You'll have to wait and see."

Peter looked down at his feet with a smile.

He was forgiven. Sort of. Almost. True forgiveness takes time but this was a start. She understood him better than anyone. She could read him with just a look. He had no doubt that she got everything she needed from him the moment she sat down and looked him over. She knew he was sorry. She knew he felt bad. She knew he regretted everything. She knew he was broken and hurting and grieving and lost.

She didn't need words to know the real him.

He wore his sorrow on his sleeve.

I wasn't really sure where I was going to take this when I started so I just let the vibes take over. I think this is more realistic between friends than some big speeches or giant confessions of apologies tbh. When I think back to fights I've had with my friends in past, we always "make up" by just being like "eh forget it i love you anyway even if youre a dick wanna come over and eat pizza with me??" and let things go. Esp with this particular story, it's not like he did anything too crazy besides take her for granted and publicly yell at her. I've screamed at a friend in middle of my high school parking lot before and we were besties again like the next week. I think that's just how real friendships go.

"You're an asshole." "I know." "Great, let's go hang out."

Sometimes it can just be that simple! Insult each other, laugh about it, and then move on. If you're close enough with someone, you should be able to read them without words and know exactly what they're thinking just from a look. If someone is sorry, they show it through body language and how they act. Sometimes words are just extra fluff.

[manheimsmuse]

Hi Ivory 😊👋

So uhm, I don’t know, can I request something for ben plunkett, fluff please 😊

Maybe with a very shy reader. Well it takes place after the movie, if it's okay. Uhm the reader is at the same university as him and is smart and helped him in the lessons and he adores her because he thinks that she is cute. So he tries to talk to her more and then after some weeks they are getting friends very soon but they fell in love in each other but neither of them knows each other’s feelings.

One day he wanted to kiss the reder but got interrupted to kiss them 3 times. And one time he has finally the opportunity to do it.

So I just realized that I got carried away, I'm so sorry. But I thought it's cute 🙈

Thank you so much 😊

THIRD TIMES A CHARM ; BEN PLUNKETT

a/n ; i love that little dork ben so so much he means the world to me actually

warnings ; afab!reader, fem pronouns, fluff, no smut just cut because i go on too much, not edited or proofread yikes.

world history being an elective confused you, as a history major you couldn’t help but wonder why someone would subject themselves to this class by choice. it was mandatory for you, but there was about ten students from other majors that shared the class with you.

ben plunkett was one of these students, you actually don’t know why he took the elective, you assumed it was just to get extra credits on his degree because there was no way he was enjoying the class. you could tell in the way he zoned out in lectures, or worked on homework for other classes at the back of the room.

you weren’t all that surprised when he came to you for tutoring, your professor posted your grades on the class board to encourage ‘healthy competition’ and your name frequented the top of the list while ben’s floated somewhere along the middle.

tutoring ben was easy, he was smart enough to catch up on his own, that much was clear every time you asked him a question and he answered correctly without hesitation. why he needed the help was beyond you, but you did it anyway, you were enjoying it surprisingly.

the longer the two of you spent together the more obvious it became that you liked each other. you were quiet, not stupid, it didn’t need to be pointed out to you that ben liked you, whether or not he knew how obvious it was was another thing. you weren’t all that discreet either, though you’d never actually tell ben how you felt, unless of course he told you first.

meeting in the library quickly evolved into meeting at coffee shops, his usual ‘hey!’ replaced with a ‘you look really pretty today’ or ‘there’s my good luck charm’. coffee shops then evolved into dorm rooms the closer you got, half studying half just spending time together with the excuse of tutoring to mask any feelings that could slip through.

eventually ben asked you to come over to watch a movie, no mention of textbooks or homework, just you, him and his old macbook thrown on his bed to watch some movie he’d probably seen a million times before.

that was the first time he tried to kiss you.

his arm was lazily draped over your shoulders as you lay back together, eyes focused on the small screen and trying to ignore the way your stomach lurched every time his hand brushed against your arm. he’d leant in when you turned to ask him about the movie, and you were more than willing to let it happen, only for his roommate barging in unannounced to ask about leftover pizza in the kitchen.

the second time was in the library.

this time you were actually studying for a test, it wasn’t one of the big ones, just a mid semester exam to see how everyone was doing with the syllabus so far. usually you sat across from each other, but more recently you would occupy the seat next to ben, just to share a textbook of course.

“you look really pretty right now,” ben mumbles, face close to yours as you both lean over the same textbook, the two of you close enough that your foreheads could touch “oh, god, i didn’t mean to say that out loud. i mean - you do look pretty right now, you always look really pretty but-“

“ben, relax..” you giggle, already feeling the blush creeping across your face as you interrupted his anxious rambling “you look really pretty too.”

there’s a brief silence where you both find yourself leaning in again, only for bens phone to ring out loudly leaving him to scramble to silence the call from his best friend mandy.

the third time was at the campus bar.

your friends had invited you out to celebrate the end of finals, ben’s friend mandy had come up to visit him. instead of blowing one off for the other, ben simply merged the two and brought mandy along to meet the group.

the two of you didn’t get to talk much, between mandy talking his ear off as they caught up and your own conversations with you friends, you were both too preoccupied to fawn over each other.

“hey, come help?”

ben placed his hand on your shoulder to grab your attention as he passed, taking one for the team and offering to grab the next round.

he refused to let you pay for your own drink no matter how much you insisted, the pair of you shamelessly flirting now that you had a moment to yourselves.

it was a horrible sense of deja vu as you both leaned in, getting so close only to be stopped by mandy’s voice calling out to him from the table. something about someone wanting a different drink.

you shut your eyes to hide the eyeroll, missing how ben completely ignored mandy to bring his hand to the back of your neck and pull you into a kiss. an actual kiss.

“finally”

you accidentally mutter aloud when you separate, ignoring the jaw dropped stares coming from your table as you remain in each others personal space.

“you know what they say, third times a charm.”

[doahaesunshine]

Chapter 16

Chapter WC: 2665

Tags

None

Master List | Prev | Next

August 1st

Seungcheol had compiled a list of questions that he wanted to ask Minghao. It wasn’t a lot but it was enough. Six questions in the span of sixteen days, it didn’t seem like much but Seungcheol was content. He may end up asking more in the moment, Minghao did say he would have more time. Apparently a full moon gave him the ability to speak longer, Seungcheol didn’t understand.

What he did understand was that there were very real forces at play like his friend’s father had mentioned. Seungcheol did not want to admit it, he honestly wanted to laugh at himself for believing anything that he had seen or heard in the past sixteen days.

Working at his own father’s hardware shop had turned into him idling behind the counter and occasionally going on his laptop in search for any record of a Minghao on the internet. There were various social media profiles, none of the people on the screen looked like him though. All the profiles were too normal to be him. 

He was told Minghao wasn’t a ghost, which meant he had to be a real person, he had to exist somewhere. Everywhere he searched resulted in a dead end, Facebook, Insta profiles, public databases, nothing, it didn’t help that he didn’t have a surname to aid in his search. The rest of his shift was spent figuratively – and literally – smashing his head against the counter until his father told him to go home.

After work he drove to the plaza near the bridge. He wanted to buy some coffee before talking to Minghao again. Since he was going to be here for a while, he ordered the coffee and took it outside with him. He decided to sit and relax at the plaza fountain for a while, as he still had an hour to wait. Pulling his notebook out from his bag, he turned to the page that had all of his questions written down. With a stern look he reviewed the pages, thinking of every possible answer to each one as he read down the list.

“These sound ridiculous…” Seungcheol muttered to himself.

“I think they’re fine.”

Seungcheol snapped his head to the source of the voice. Right next to him was Minghao, but he looked solid, not see through at all, and he was wearing street clothes. He looked casual with a pair black skinny jeans and a loose band t-shirt that he french tucked into his belt. Even the shoes he wore were pedestrian, a pair of red converse. He looked completely different from the ethereal, white-cloaked persona Seungcheol first saw.

Seungcheol’s eyes went wide. “You’re actually here?” He lit up the screen of his phone: 11:15 . “There’s still forty five minutes til’ midnight.”

Minghao tilted his head upward to gaze at the moon. Seungcheol looked up as well, the moon was full and nearly at its maximum height. 

“It’s close enough… Besides, I’m not actually here.” Minghao was speaking out loud now, lips moving and all. 

“What do you mean?”

“Give me your hand.”

Seungcheol held out his hand, palm facing upward. Minghao gingerly placed his right hand on top of Seungcheol’s. The round-eyed man watched as Minghao’s tattooed hand was on top of his, but the embellished sun tattoo disappeared as his hand went through him. 

“The moon’s energy just makes it easier to blend in.” Minghao relaxed and sighed as he enjoyed the night air.

“And your clothes?”

Minghao giggled. “What about them?”

“They’re… normal.”

Another small giggle sang out from Minghao. “I’ve appeared here many times for a long time. A change in wardrobe is needed if I don’t want another internet article about me.”

Seungcheol smirked as he addressed his company. “It’s a little late for that… I was on that bridge because I read a forum post.”

The two shared a laugh as they took a moment to enjoy themselves rather than go straight to business. When the laughter died down, Seungcheol took another look at his notepad. Minghao noticed this and studied the other man with an inquisitive eye.

“Which one do you want to start with?” 

Seungcheol pointed to the first one.

“Where are you from?” Minghao read the question out loud and smiled. “I’m from the Seventeenth Realm within the Great Wheel.”

Seungcheol blinked in confusion. “I’m sorry?” 

“Next question?”

“Uh-” Seungcheol stuttered as he looked back at the list. “Do you know Y/N?”

“Yes.”

Seungcheol’s eyes widened as hope filled them. “What- Are they alive? Are they safe?”

Minghao smiled softly. “Yes to both. The last time I saw them, they had recovered very well.”

“This is going to be weird.” Pausing, Seungcheol took a deep breath. “Do you know Seokmin Lee?”

“Yes. And before you ask, he is also doing great. He misses you…” 

There was a long moment of silence, Seungcheol struggled to control his breathing. This was everything that he ever dreamed of. Both of his friends, alive and well but not with him.

“Will they be able to return?” He asked expectantly.

Minghao sighed, thinking of the least painful answer. “If they decide to.”

“Can I go to them?”

Another pause. Minghao made eye contact with Seungcheol as he tried to place a comforting hand on him. “Maybe- Hm…” 

Seungcheol watched the Diviner with big eyes, hoping to hear the answer he wanted.

“You’re not going to like this…” Minghao sighed. “Every two years, there is an event that my people call The Joining . You would have to wait until next Christmas Eve before you could travel to my realm and even then, it’s not a guarantee.”

“No, that makes sense…” During Seungcheol’s research he connected some of the dots.

The pattern was there, he remembered the names Joshua and Vernon, two people from Earth that went missing on the same day two years apart. There were more too, the missing persons reports dated back to 1990 and that’s not including the cases before they were made public.

“What do I have to do?” Seungcheol asked, determined.

Minghao smiled and chuckled softly. “Don’t you have more questions for me?” 

Seungcheol returned the laugh. “I do-” He was confused about the situation, but sure of himself. “But I’ll do anything to see my friends again.”

Something light filled Minghao’s eyes, the deep blue sparkling as he admired the human’s enthusiasm. “You do sound just like them, Cheolie.”

Seungcheol smiled to himself, it had been so long since someone used his nickname and the endearment filled him with joy. Happiness had become a stranger over the last six months and Minghao had given him so much hope that he was almost scared of how he would feel if this plan failed.

“Don’t worry, Cheolie, I won’t lead you astray. Just meet me here on Christmas Eve 2025 and I’ll be here.”

Smiling bright, Seungcheol laughed in relief. “I don’t know how to thank you. You’ve done so much just by talking with me. Thank you, Minghao.”

“You’re welcome. If I couldn’t do this, what kind of Diviner would I be-”

Minghao stood from the fountain, his expression frazzled. Seungcheol matched his movement, he reached out to grab Minghao’s wrist for support but his hand went through.

“Is everything alright?” Seungcheol asked, clearly worried.

“I-” Minghao stuttered while looking around aimlessly. “I have to go- If you need anything, come to the bridge!”

Before Seungcheol could respond, Minghao's form disappeared. He was left alone at the plaza, confused once again. At least he could say that he had answers now and something to look forward to, even if it was nearly two years away.

Minghao gasped as he rose from his divining table, startling his snowy owl familiar. The smell of Frankincense filling his nostrils from this incense. He groaned as a ringing headache shot through him, struggling to focus as he searched for his salts.

Recklessly he opened the door to his component cabinet and dug around for anything to help with the premonition that was trying to reach him. He found purchase on a small vial of crystal blue salts, he popped the cork and inhaled the fumes.

With a strangled shout of pain he slouched over, grabbing his face. A surge of electric pain shot through him, sending him recoiling backward. His neck snapped back as his eyes transformed into a pure white.

Water filled his lungs. Brackish and burning. 

He struggled to breath as he was held beneath the dark water. 

There was a face staring down at him, smiling, sadistic. It frightened him…

He searched for a name, a face, anything.

Suddenly the water entering his lungs ceased and instead the aroma of fresh sage filled his nose. 

“Sage!” Minghao yelled as he was torn from his vision.

Swiftly he scrambled back to the cabinet, grabbing ingredients left and right. He retrieved a vial of yarrow, star-anise, and a polished disc of obsidian. Using his chalks, he hastily drew a ritual circle on the ground and placed the components in their respective positions.

“Praevideo. Monitus.”

As he spoke the incantation, the flowers started to wilt and the obsidian mirror began to swirl. The entirety of Minghao’s eyes turned inky black as the spell took hold.

“I have foreseen. Sage is the subject and they are in danger. The vision showed them drowning. Please, I implore you, find Sage. Ensure their safety.”

Minghao reached out to every Arcanist in the area, alarming them to the danger to come. He could feel that he had reached Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Dokyeom, as well as Sage’s roommates. Minghao exited his room, rushing down the tower to help in the search. It had been so long since his visions had hit him with such force, he had to prevent this.

As he ran down the road that led to the lake, he ran into Mingyu and Dokyeom. The two Vitaes looked concerned and wrecked with anxiety. Minghao gave a nod and the three of them sprinted to the lake together.

“Which lake are we going to?” Dokyeom asked with a slight shake to his voice.

“The Songweaver.” Minghao answered, calm and even. “It’s the only salt water lake.”

The lake was not particularly far but there was so much area to search. It was the largest body of water on land and the evergreen forest that surrounded it was thick. The three Arcanists searched while Ophelia, Minghao’s owl, searched from above to get a better view and Muse, a yellow songbird, wove through the trees. Mingyu and Yucca stuck close together, searching the shore.

“Hey!” A loud voice called out, Soonyoung.

The ash haired man jumped and waved his arms to signal that he had found something. Minghao, Mingyu, and Dokyeom, along with their familiars, rushed over. Wonwoo and Jihoon were crouched over something and as the three got closer, gray fur and a long tail came into vision.

It was Eris, lying on the sandy shore, unconscious. She was breathing, but it was labored. Wonwoo gently examined her with an analytical eye.

“A Sopor spell. A strong one too. I can’t break it now. I need Black Tourmaline to dispel the charm.” Wonwoo explained. “Joshua would be able to dispel it… Where is he?”

Dokyeom knelt down beside Eris and placed his hand over her heart. He focused on her breathing and the strength of her pulse.

“She’s getting weaker. That means Sage is fading.” He said, trying to remain level headed.

“Fuck it-” Mingyu exclaimed as he threw off his shoes and ran into the lake.

Minghao walked up to the lake and submerged his hand into the cool water. “Requaero Sage.” His eyes flashed white and a beam of light shot from the tips of his fingers.

Mingyu understood the spell and followed the glowing trail. He dove under the surface, the water was clear enough to see through and the spell acted as a torch in the darkness. Following the light, he saw something floating deep within the water. Strength surged through him as he swam toward the object, upon closer inspection it was his friend, Sage. 

They were still as a few bubbles of air escaped their lungs. Mingyu hurried and grabbed Sage around the waist, using the rest of his strength to reach the surface. 

Jihoon was pacing along the shore, Vernon was sitting in the sand with Shadow trying his best to soothe his Arcanist. Soonyoung watched the water, hopeful as Minghao concentrated on his spell, and Dokyeom monitored Eris’s condition. Wonwoo searched the water looking for any sign of Mingyu’s return. 

A ripple rose from below the surface as Mingyu breached and inhaled a deep breath. Wonwoo sighed in relief and with an outstretched arm he made a pulling motion. Mingyu held onto Sage as he was pulled forward by Wonwoo’s telekinesis. 

The two reached the shore and Mingyu immediately placed Sage down to focus on their core. With a steady hand, Mingyu held his palm over Sage’s sternum, concentrating on the water in their lungs. Using his Hydromancy, he controlled the water out of them, the water was no longer inside, but they remained unresponsive.

“Jihoon, heat- I need heat.” Mingyu called out.

The Evoker immediately joined Mingyu on the ground. The taller man guided Jihoon’s scarred hands to Sage’s torso.

“Keep them warm. I’ll try to heal them-” 

“-No.” Wonwoo interrupted. “You’re still mending from last time. Dokyeom, revive them.”

Mingyu retreated with his head hung low and Dokyeom took his place. The orange haired man glared at the Archivist as he placed one hand on Sage’s crown and the other over their heart. A golden glow emanated from his palms and using his energy, he focused on Sage’s Psyche. It was weak, trying to repair itself, but failing. Dokyeom took a deep breath and used his magic to heal the younger mage.

Sage startled awake, coughing loudly. “Get away from me!” They screamed, voice hoarse as they tried to shuffle away.

“Sage- Calm down.” Dokyeom said as he reached out to comfort them.

They slapped his hand away. “Don’t fucking touch me!” 

“Sage-” Mingyu tried to calm them.

“No- Stay away!” With a weak burst of energy, Sage scrambled to their feet and started to run back toward the lake.

Wonwoo sprinted forward and grabbed Sage by their arm. Sage whipped their head back in response, trying and failing to pull their arm free. 

The Archivist held his hand to their forehead. “Quies .” As the spell was casted, Sage’s eyes rolled back as they fell unconscious.

“Wonwoo-”

“Do not worry.” He said as he caught Sage’s limp form. “It is not the same as the charm on their familiar. They will return to consciousness in the morning.” Wonwoo lifted Sage’s legs, carrying them in his arms. “Everyone here did splendid work, please, go home and rest.”

“Where are you taking them?” Dokyeom asked weakly.

“To my office.” Wonwoo addressed the fatigued Vitae. “Sage can recover in the safety of Diamond Hall Proper. I will contact Dino in the morning.”

Dokyeom stood slowly, Mingyu helping him to his feet. “Why not let them recover in the water of the Vitae Springs?” 

“I understand your concern, Dokyeom, but you know the magic of those waters will have no effect on them.” Wonwoo sighed. “I know you wish to take care of them, but keeping your distance is the only thing I ask of you. Prolonged exposure could harm them.”

“Prolonged exposure?” Dokyeom spat. “What am I? Some kind of disease?”

“Considering what happens to their Psyche when they think for too long while staring at your face? Yes, I’d say that is an accurate assumption.” Wonwoo did not stick around to listen to anyone else.

“You son of a bitch!” Dokyeom yelled behind him.

His voice carried as Wonwoo walked away, but the Archivist continued to disregard the group. He wasn’t going to stop until Sage was safe and far away from the lake.

To join a tag list, please comment on the Fallin' Flower Master List!

@reiofsuns2001 @shinwonderful @starstrawb

[autisticlenaluthor]

Lena

a continuation of 'music'

-

Lacy, oh Lacy, skin like puff pastry Aren't you the sweetest thing on this side of Hell? Dear angel Lacy, eyes white as daisies Did I ever tell you that I’m not doin' well?

-

Lena’s existence is split into a series of moments. Like clips of a film, cut up and taped together— the footnotes of her life. 

There’s before Lex. There’s during him. But at fifteen years old, when the entire world knows and despises his name, she isn’t sure if there will ever be an after.  

All she knows is she wants to be more than who she is. More than this subpar, doormat of a girl. 

And when the mental cuts start to run too deep and it feels like the walls are closing in; like her brother has stolen all the oxygen in the world and the only way to breathe again would be in his absence, Lena tries to imagine what that might look like. Tries to picture a world where she’s on her own— without any of the Luthors. She’d be somewhere in the city — in an apartment, a brownstone, a hotel, on the street, it doesn’t matter where. So long as she’s by herself. 

But as Lillian never fails to remind her, her dreams are just dreams. And while Lena’s used to the cracks in the sidewalks– she’s getting pretty sick and tired of waiting for flowers to grow between them. 

Some days, it feels like Lena's the one splitting into two. 

She isn’t crass enough, isn’t smart enough, isn’t confident enough to properly carry the Luthor name. She isn’t fast enough, isn’t savvy enough, isn’t sharp enough. She’s a prodigy, sure, but where does that get you once you’re no longer a child? Intellect is impressive at seven but at twenty, expected.

At fifteen, Lena’s a circus animal who’s been paraded a year past their prime. 

But in the real world– the world that isn’t run by her parents (although, it’s debatable that anything isn’t) Lena is all too much a Luthor. She has their dark hair and stoic, statue-like stares. She has the education, the upbringing, and the double L name to prove it. It doesn’t matter that she’s adopted, it doesn’t matter that she’ll never be enough– she’s already too much. 

So maybe she shouldn’t be surprised when Kara leaves her alone in Glacier Park to finish picking up trash. She shouldn’t be surprised that Kara finds her just as repulsive as the rest of the world and just as disappointing as her parents do. That part should’ve been predictable. 

But the part where Kara didn’t recognize her name… where she seemed excited, almost, to work with her– that was where Lena should’ve known it was too good to be true. 

She’s a Luthor after all. Poisonous and weak. 

So Lena does what she’s supposed to (just as she always does) and cleans the park on her own. She finishes the paper which she submits with Karas’s name ahead of hers and tells herself at least she never has to see her again. They’ll both get the extra credit that Lena doesn’t need and maybe when Kara sees those five points tacked onto her midterm, she’ll hate her 5% less than she does now. 

But of course, things never go as planned.

Only a week goes by before they see each other again. 

It happens at a coffee shop three blocks from Lena’s school. She’s walking through the doors, arms overstuffed with textbooks and as she focuses her thoughts on how she’s going to balance the AP World History DBQ with studying for her AP chemistry final, Kara crashes into her. 

In a second, the books topple out of Lena’s arms and a whir of blonde hair whips down in front of her as the culprit scrambles to pick them all up. 

“Golly– I’m so sorry, I–” she stammers. Arms move faster than should be humanly possible to grab them.  “That was all my fault.”

Frozen, Lena watches as the girl pops back up. And when she does– the apologetic expression Kara’s wearing goes from concerned to confused.

“Lena…” 

Lena’s lips purse into a line. It’s a fake. An uncomfortable, half-smile as Lena carefully takes the first book from Kara’s hand. She nods slightly but doesn’t say anything.

The sight of her– the glasses and ponytail and her ridiculous Superman symbol necklace, is just too much. The paper is done, the project is done, which means they were never supposed to see each other again. This isn’t in the rules– this isn’t any part of it. 

“I…” Kara stops and starts. Her mouth hangs open ever so slightly. Like she’s waiting for words that won’t come. 

After a second, she adjusts her backpack straps and shifts her weight between her heels, slowly looking Lena up and down. It doesn’t seem judgemental but then again, Lena can never tell.

In her Spence crewneck and skirt, she’s never felt so exposed. 

So she reaches out, takes the rest of the books, and walks right back out the door. It might be rude but she doesn’t care. She’ll get coffee someplace else. She’ll find a new spot and this time, when she says she’ll never see this girl again, it’ll be for real. 

But they find each other again at a museum five days later. 

It’s for a school trip. Toward the middle of October, they all shut down to the public, allowing Metropolis’ various high schools to occupy them for the day. Spence takes all the sophomores to the history museum where they’re split into groups of five- each assigned different sections of the museum to visit and exhibits to take notes on. They’re supposed to connect it back to what they’ve been learning in class and maybe prove that ‘advanced placement’ courses serve a real purpose other than the prestigious name. 

Lena’s group is given various historical leaders to study. The other girls joke about how she better not get any ideas, then conveniently forget to tell her when they’re moving from the exhibit on the Zhou Dynasty to the Egyptian wing.

That’s where Kara finds her half an hour later. 

Lena’s sitting on one of the benches towards the center of the room, bent over her notebook, lazily scribbling onto her worksheet. The room is dark and quiet, with dim lights gently illuminating the art and artifacts. Other than a few students from other schools scattered about, they’re completely alone. 

At first, Lena doesn’t notice her presence. 

She’s too focused. She’s caught back up in her runaway fantasy, wondering, if she didn’t leave with the rest of the kids– would anyone notice she’d disappeared? She knows that kind of thinking isn’t productive. She shouldn’t be fantasizing when she has work to do, but the city’s so packed she’d be just another drop in the ocean. And oh how tempting it is– to feel what it would be like to finally blend in with the crowd. 

After a moment, Lena lifts her head. 

Kara is sitting on the other end of the bench, leaning all her weight into her hands as she stares ahead of her. 

Lena can’t help but look at her. Even though she knows she shouldn’t, even though she knows Kara doesn’t want to see her. In the warm-lit room, surrounded by artifacts from hundreds of years ago, it’s the only thing Lena knows how to do. 

She doesn’t pull herself back to her notebook until Kara notices returns her gaze.

Lena pretends to be fascinated with her work, only dropping the act when she runs out of space on her paper to write. She sighs, defeated, and sets her pen down beside her.

That’s when Kara finally speaks.

“Why aren’t you with your school?” she asks, her voice so much quieter than Lena expects. 

She looks up again, away from her paper and straight ahead, then shrugs. 

“Why aren’t you with yours?” 

“We just… got separated.” 

Lena nods. 

“Yeah. Me too.” 

“Oh.” Kara pauses, glancing over at Lena’s worksheet. “What are you working on?”

“AP World notes.” 

She tilts her paper so Kara can see– the page entirely filled with bulleted annotations. 

“Your handwriting is so pretty.” 

Lena smiles. “Thank you.” 

After that, she stays quiet. She needs to see where Kara’s going to take this– even if inside, she’s whirring with things to say.

“I um… I’m sorry for leaving you.” 

The statement seem to come out of nowhere. Confused, Lena furrows her brow. 

“What?” She asks. 

“At the park,” Kara clarifies. “That was just– it wasn’t a nice thing to do. I- I mean, I know you said I could… but still.” 

“Oh… right.” 

Ducking her head, Lena picks at the skin around her nails. 

“And thank you for finishing the paper,” Kara adds. “It was really good.”

Lena doesn’t know what to say to that. She doesn’t know what to do with any of it, really. 

When it comes to her and her family– the rest of the world tends to be incredibly black and white. There are the people who call Lex a terrorist and her mother a vicious traitor. The ones who say her father was so corrupt with capitalist greed that his untimley death could evoke no symptahy because someone like him deserved nothing more.

There are the girls who hide the dead animals kept in the science lab for disection in Lenas locker. The ones who say she deserves it– after all, she’s just like the rest of them. 

And then there are the people who’d follow her brother off the ends of the Earth if they could. The people who really did die in their attempts to help him on his tirade across so called ‘Earth traitors’. 

Those were the ones who hid behind bushes to take photos of her as she left school because they couldn’t wait to brag about how they’d seen the Lex Luthor’s sister in the flesh. 

But Kara seems to fall somewhere between those two groups. And while Lena can handle the two extremes, she doesn’t have any real experience with someone in the middle. 

“Yeah…” she breathes. “Of course.” 

Before she can say anything else, or even gather her thoughts, Kara has stood up. 

“I um, I should get back to my class,” she says. “It was nice to see you again.”

"Yeah... nice to see you too."

[writingquestionsanswered]

Any advice on finding a good routine to write while in school. I can't seem to catch a break and even when I do I want to melt into the floor and never leave. Not the ideal time to write. But I really do want to finish my writing goals for these next few months. Any ideas?

Struggling with Writing Goals During School

Here are some things you can try:

1 - Write First Thing - Try to go to bed an hour or so early, then you can get up an hour early and write first thing. This is something that works really well for some people, so it's definitely worth a try. It can actually become a really peaceful, quite, fulfilling moment of time to yourself, which turns it as much into a moment of self-care as a time to reach your writing goals.

2 - Go to School Early or Stay Late - If you're able to, try going to school early and do your writing in the school library or academic center. You could also stay late to do this if it's possible. Sometimes, having a special place to go and write, where you won't be disturbed, is all you need to make that time to write.

3 - Write Between Classes - If you're in college and have a long enough gap between classes, go to the library or find a quiet table somewhere and write. If you're in middle school or high school, while this won't help for this semester, talk to a teacher or adviser about whether or not there's a class period you could utilize next semester for writing. When I was in high school, we had an actual class you could take for credit that was essentially a study hall, so it's possible your school might offer something like that. Another option we had was teacher's aide, so it's possible a teacher would work with you and let you be their teacher aide, but really let you work on your writing during that time.

4 - Write After School, Before Going Home - If you're able to, find someplace to go after school where you can write for an hour or so before going home. This could be the library, a coffee shop, a supportive friend's house, or a nearby park. This way, you don't have the option of melting into the floor. It becomes part of your day, but you have to be good about not just spending your time scrolling through Instagram.

5 - Make It "Working from Home" - One last option to try is to treat it like working from home for an hour or two. Schedule your hours each day according to your reasonable availability, but also as close to when you get home from school as possible. Choose someplace quiet in your home where you can write free from distraction. Ask your family/housemates not to disturb you during that time. Put your cell phone on silent, keep the TV off, etc. Stay in whatever outfit you wore to school. You can take off your shoes, but keep your socks on. Treat it with the same seriousness you would if you were working remotely for a little while and expected to be on meetings at some point during the session. This can potentially prevent your brain from turning into goo and saying "okay, time to check out."

You may have to try a bunch of different things to see what works, and different things may work at different times. The key is to make sure you try, every day, even if only for a few minutes. That will help to build up the habit.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

LEARN MORE about WQA

SEE MY ask policies

VISIT MY Master List of Top Posts

COFFEE & COMMISSIONS ko-fi.com/wqa