#i think they should become friends. listen
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majinbangus · 17 hours ago
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》 18+ very loosely based off a call I had with a guy (also wanna say, guy did NOT do what is written here)
Cw: dubcon voyuerism?? I think this counts as that
Video chatting with your friend Soap over your laptop. He's helping you work on a project that involves his demolitions expertise when he excuses himself to go to the bathroom. That's fine, you'll wait for him to come back...
.... except you quickly realize he's wearing bluetooth earbuds, and you can hear every sound coming from his end. You think he forgot to take them out, so you're wondering if you should say something. Let him know you can hear him going to the bathroom.
But just as you're about to open your mouth, you hear him moan. A deep, guttural, raspy moan. You think you misheard and listen a little more closely. Another moan. Neither one sounded like he was in pain. It actually sounds more like he's-
You hear a suspicious wet shlick. And then another one. And another. And it continues over and over in a rhythmic pattern. You start to hear his breathing become a little more stilted. A little more uneven. It doesn't take you long to figure out what he's doing, but it takes you even longer to decide what to do.
Should you say something? Should you take off your headphones so you can't listen in? What should you do? The longer you debate with yourself, the longer you hear him. You should do something, yet you remain frozen, eavesdropping on Soap, feeling a shameful burning desire grow within you the longer you hesitate.
When he comes back, you're hot in the face and just now realizing he's only wearing grey sweatpants and nothing else. Was he wearing that before? Did he change? You don't remember. You're trying your best to look natural, like you hadn't listened to him jerk off to completion. In contrast, he looks more relaxed now, and he's manspreading wider than he usually does.
You do your best to avoid a stealing a glance, focusing yourself to continue talking about chemical reactions or whatever you were discussing before he took his 'break', but then he says something that has you whipping your head at him in realization.
"Did you like listening in, hen?"
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heechwe · 2 days ago
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the start of time | 𝐩𝐣𝐬
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୨୧ pairing: park (jay) jongseong x reader ୨୧ word count: 8.6k ୨୧ genre: angst, semi-fluff, smut ୨୧ tags: friends to strangers to lovers, childhood friends, miscommunication, pet names (baby, love, etc.), unprotected sex, TRIGGERS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PARENTAL ABUSE IN THE LATTER HALF OF FIC. ୨୧ synopsis: You've lost your creative spark for the first time since moving away from Jeju Island, leaving behind your best friend in the process without an explanation. But when a work assignment sends you back to your hometown, truths come to light and perhaps lost love can come back with a little time and effort. ➸ bless @pars-ley for following this fic to the very beginning and being one of the best betas ever! this story is for you, ley, and thank you ♡ 💿Listen to the story's playlist here!
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Over the thin railing that separates Jay from the cliffs below, the waves crash violently together. The weather mirrors the feelings circulating through his veins. The ripples of the seabed meeting the sand make him long for what his life could be instead of its current state. The wind whips his trenchcoat in angry thrashes against his back. His hands grip the lighthouse’s iron bars to keep his body steady. The upcoming storm was forecast last night to be one of the biggest downpours of the summer.
As the second in command of the lighthouse keeper, his father, it’s standard practice to be prepared for what’s to come. As the sea continues its visceral reaction to the weather, Jay thinks about her and what her life has become since she’s left. Is she happy? Is Seoul everything she dreamed of? Was running from Jeju without saying goodbye worth it? Or is she closer than he believes, her heart’s desire turning out to be not far from the fishing town they grew up in?
His father calls for him inside, interrupting his spiraling thoughts. Probably for the better, anyway. Thinking about those chapters of his life, the book separated cleanly and harshly with a before and after, does him no good. So, like he should, he runs inside to do the next task that keeps one of the last lighthouses in Jeju working properly. Even if his heart has to be sacrificed in the process.
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The subject of your next photograph takes no interest in the lens standing three feet away. Her tail wiggles rapidly as she inspects the bush in front of her with her perky, wet nose. You giggle quietly behind your camera, trying not to disturb her inspection of the roses.
Rule #1 of photography, according to your department head Sunghoon, is to make yourself nonexistent. To get the perfect shot, conceal yourself as much as possible. It’s taken many practice sessions since your first magazine catalog, the original photos coming out less than perfect. Thankfully, you’re now lead photographer thanks to Sunghoon’s tutelage and tips. After five years, you feel like you’re on stable ground.
It reminds you of Jay, the sudden memory of him being the focus of your lens many times before a punch to the gut. Your oldest friend in the world probably wonders what the reason was for your sudden departure. You couldn’t even leave him a letter to provide some semblance of an explanation, one that he definitely deserved more than anyone else.
If only you had a reason that made sense or could salvage the bond you once shared. You know now it’s been eaten away by silence, so what could be said anyhow to repair it? 
Your guilt gnaws at your empty stomach the entire way back to the headquarters of Otherworldly, the magazine you interned at and subsequently were hired to take pictures for. You greet the rest of your team when you make your way upstairs.
”Finally found some inspiration?” Sunwoo asks. Your friend tries to balance a pencil on the top of his nose.
”I’m working on it. In the meantime, I got the copies you wanted.” You give him the folder that holds your pictures for the month’s spread.
”Barely made the deadline this time, kid.” Sunghoon tuts his head at you.
“Leave her be,” Chaewon chides him, thwacking her notebook on the back of his head. It’s nice to know the writer’s room has your back when the boys decide to tease, especially in the form of Chaewon. She may be a stern leader, but she also happens to have a soft spot for you, the only female photographer.
You hear your boss, Kim Taehyung, call your name and ask you to come to his office. Your body bristles at the command, but Chaewon pats you on the shoulder. “Probably just a timesheet thing.”
Tip-toeing into Taehyung’s office, you smile at his back. Your boss is focused on a box of files on the windowsill, the outline of his button up shirt highlighted by the sun. “Please sit,” he says.
You do as he asks, putting your hands on your knees to pinch the skin, an old habit you couldn't kick. You tuck your hands under your legs to stop when Taehyung turns to you. He presses his glasses higher to the bridge of his nose, a soft smile emerging on his lips. “I wanted to say your photos from the last column were very impressive.”
”Oh!” You respond instinctively. Expecting reprimands that turned out to be compliments, you mentally take a deep breath of relief. “Thank you, sir.”
"Also," he says, "I was wondering how you’d feel being sent out on an assignment. Well, you and Sunwoo, actually. Sunghoon was discussing a location-focused piece, and he recommended you for it since you may need a change of scenery for some fresh inspiration.”
You nod your head immediately. “Of course!”
Taehyung claps his hands together, clearly pleased. “Perfect. I’ve already booked you two for the next flight to Aewol in two days. It’ll probably be easy to find a place to stay, right?”
The pit in your stomach that faded immediately widens into a chasm. The sound of your hometown’s name on Taehyung’s lips could have been a figment of your imagination. A sick joke your guilt materialized to punish you further. But as you look longer at your boss, his glee transforming into hesitant confusion, you know the reality is far worse.
”The location piece is for Jeju,” you say, the realization on your lips hitting your ears like a cannon.
”Is that an issue? I can always send Jungwon with Sunwoo instead."
”No sir! Not a problem at all.” The words tumble out before you can stop them.
Jungwon, the little prick, wouldn’t get in the way of your success if you could help it. It’s bad enough that he reminds you of your creative block whenever he gets the chance. No way would he steal a cover piece from you. Particularly the one Sunghoon recommended you for and your boss expected you to complete without problems.
Despite the implications creating intense dread in every fiber of your being.
”Perfect. Get some sleep for the flight! I’ll send the piece details in an email first thing tomorrow morning.”
You walk back to your desk in a daze, unsure what to say when Sunghoon, Sunwoo, and Chaewon ask about the meeting. All your thoughts can center on is Jay, his smiling face continuously playing in your mind’s eye.
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“This town is cute! A bit barren, but cute,” Sunwoo says as he exits the car parked in front of your childhood home. Your mother’s rose bushes stand tall near the mailbox, the only color in the dry grasslands surrounding your house. Aewol pales in comparison to the colors of Seoul, the city’s vibrant hues suddenly replaced with sepia tones. The only color that seems to shine through the landscape is the sea a five-minute walk away.
”Say that again, Woo, and your face won’t look so cute.” You roll your eyes and grab your luggage from the trunk.
Two weeks, only two weeks, you can survive two weeks. Your mantra on the flight to Jeju Island has been giving you some relief at the thought of going back home in half a decade. Standing in front of the brick and mortar that encapsulates your old house, you find the words to be extremely hollow.
With her uncanny senses, your mother is already out the door and greeting you and Sunwoo with hugs and kisses on the cheeks. How she could tell the two of you were barely out of the car without spying out the window, you’re unsure.
Sunwoo melts under your mother’s attention, his gummy smile and polite aura on full display. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
”Ah, my prayers were answered. Glad to see my daughter returned with a boyfriend!”
Yours and Sunwoo’s eyes grow to saucers. Your tongues are erupting with explanations at an absurdly fast speed. “No, Mom,” you shush her as Sunwoo’s blush creeps across his neck. “Woo’s my coworker. He’s here with me on an assignment.”
”Oh! Apologies.” She laughs behind one hand and pats Sunwoo on the back with the other. “Doesn’t mean one day you can’t be more than coworkers! That’s how your father and I met, remember?”
You give her a close-lipped smile and nod, the muscles in your jaw tightening.
You hadn’t thought about your father or your parents’ relationship once since you had flown out to the mainland. Admittedly, your life was all the better for it.
Feeling the air of his presence surrounding yours again twists the veins in your neck to tense knots. The ends of your hair prickle in anticipation. You make it to the front of your doorstep, wondering where he is and why he didn’t barge outside to greet you.
Like she can read your mind, your mother says, “I forgot to call and tell you, honey. Your father had an accident at the factory a month ago.” You see a tear in the corner of her eye, but you don’t address it. “So…he’s been bedridden for the past few months now.”
Sunwoo expresses his deepest sympathies. Unbeknownst to him, they deserve to go to the next beggar before him.
Like any other child, you should worry about your father’s sudden health change with a heavy heart and a frazzled mind. You should feel guilty for being away for so long, wondering how to make up for the lost time.
But you feel nothing. Not an ounce of what you should feel.
Even when you sit by your parents’ bed, his eyes lazily gazing out the window while your mother tells him in a loving voice that you’re home, your emotions are devoid of anything negative or positive. Sunwoo smiles and greets him politely. Your father says nothing. The seizure that overtook him stole his ability to enunciate coherent words.
Some moments later, when it’s just the two of you in the room together, you itch to leave. It should be a pleasure to see him. But you’re unsure to see it any other way but objectively: he’s just a body in a bed, doing nothing every day.
You hear your mother shouting in the living room. Her voice is at an abnormally high pitch to exemplify her happiness. You forgot she could achieve such a decibel when she wanted to.
”You won’t believe who’s here, Seongie!”
Seongie.
The childhood nickname Jay was blessed with by his parents, and the name stuck like a second skin. Now, it bounces off your ears and exacerbates your already conflicting emotions. Your body goes into overdrive from the sudden overstimulation, at ease from knowing Jay is close by but petrified you're seeing him after so long.
You fix your hair and take tentative steps out of your parents' room and into the hallway, hearing your mother call your name to beckon you to welcome your old friend.
When you see him, his frame filling the doorway of your childhood house, you’re transported back in time. You see yourself and Jay on a day when he could barely stand at half the wall height. You were etching pencil markings into the doorframe, the wood concealing the handwriting perfectly when the door was fully closed. A time when there were no worries or anxieties placed on you, the two of you against the world.
Looking over his face now, you realize the years have not shown physically. He still has the same angled jaw and smooth cheeks. His bottom lip remains puffy, especially when he pouts. The only thing that has changed with time is his eyes, most likely from the image before him, one he hasn’t seen in so long.
He has every right to be confused. One second, you stopped being a staple in his life. Now, you’re back in it without a warning.
You can’t deny your heart clenching. The muscle seizes when he looks over your figure, his jaw ticking when he finally meets your eyes with his own.
”You’re back,” he says finally. His first words to you in five years hold an air of uncertainty, laced with unspoken pain. He’s unsure what to do with his body, his arms pressed to his sides and his hands stuffed tightly into his pockets.
Knowing you’re the cause of it makes you want to run to Seoul all over again with your tail between your legs, hoping you can forget the misery you’ve caused. How can one apology hold enough weight to make up for what you did to one of the only people you’ve ever loved?
Sunwoo, aware of the sudden tension flooding the room, holds out a hand to your best friend. “Hi, I’m Sunwoo.”
Jay breaks eye contact with you to take Sunwoo’s palm, shaking it with a gentle but present grip. Jay gestures to your mom when he discusses yours and Sunwoo’s job at the magazine. “She’s very proud of her daughter, you know."
”Of course!” Your mother exclaims. “‘S not everyday that your child becomes some hip photographer.”
Jay inhales a heavy breath and looks down at his watch. “I have to go back to the lighthouse, but—“
”I thought your dad still ran that thing,” you cut Jay off. Aewol’s lighthouse was one of the last on the island, and the last love Jay’s father had left after his wife passed away twelve years ago. You expected it to stay in the family, but not in this way. Not when Jay has so many dreams to fulfill. Or, at least, you hope so.
Jay releases a humorless laugh, eyes falling at the corners. “Pop’s getting old. Can’t do it forever.”
He hugs your mother and gives a soft wave to Sunwoo. You feel the pit in your chest from a few days ago re-erupt when Jay looks in your direction before he departs. All you’re left with is the grim line of his mouth to haunt you for the rest of your afternoon.
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The shutter of your camera makes Jay turn his head to you with a shy grin, his hair blowing in all directions from the wind. Your spot on the cliffside overlooking the sea is close enough to the lighthouse for you to see Jay’s father going in and out of the structure with supplies shipped from the mainland. Jay only runs over when his father calls for him to help, but his father hasn’t bothered to in the last hour or so.
In the downtime, the two of you have been alternating between science homework and enjoying the cool, cloudy weather. You’ve taken a number of shots of the water’s current and weeds surrounding your picnic blanket, but the majority of them were of your best friend. He pretends he’s going to smack your lens away, but he never does.
“Are you done taking candid shots of me?” Jay asks, his pencil scratching against his notebook.
“Depends. Maybe once you tell me what you’re writing,” you tease. “Because it’s definitely not a chemical equation.”
Jay chuckles and puts his notebook between the two of you. The words are jumbled in front of you until you recognize them as a recipe. “I was testing out this version of hoedeopbap last night, but I used white fish instead of salmon. It turned out really good, even Jaeyun liked it.”
You rest your head on your hand, sprawling out on the blanket to look at Jay. He always appears so animated when discussing food. You wonder when he’ll take the initiative and do something with his passion.
“What?” He asks when he catches you staring.
You grin and turn your eyes away. “You’re just a dork for food, is all.”
“Says the nerd with her camera always around her neck.”
You click your tongue at him. “I consider myself an opportunist. How else will I get good shots if I don’t have my baby with me?” You rub your camera’s body lovingly, and Jay releases a hearty laugh.
The booming sound of your father’s voice calling your name makes your entire body flinch. You swear his figure is as tall as the lighthouse as he comes towards your picnic blanket, stopping short when he sees Jay next to you.
“It’s almost dinner time. Let’s go home.” Your father says the words with a false ease; they hide his warning to follow him back to your house. Your anxiety rumbles low in your stomach, but you play it off like it’s nothing as you pack up your stuff.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jay says, his eyes hopeful for the next morning. As it is your routine for him to bike with you to school, you’re also counting the minutes until you see him again.
“See you tomorrow,” you say, your eyes soft but your stomach wrapped in knots. When you’re out of sight, and your father wraps his hand around your upper arm on your way to the car, you calculate the next seconds until you’re away from him and back in the safety of your best friend’s presence.
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You and Sunwoo have been around the town square of Aewol all morning and afternoon. The crisp hour of 4 PM hits you sharply with the sound of cows and other livestock sounding off somewhere nearby. The pictures you’ve both taken of the local townspeople, random animals passing through the pale greenery, and subtle landscape have been average at best. They don’t hit you with awe or fuel any further inspiration. It’s the same cycle you’ve repeated for the past three months, trying to strike some sort of match of creativity only to come up empty.
“Let’s be honest,” Sunwoo says, looking over his own camera’s reel. “These kinda blow.”
“You don’t say?” You kick a free cobblestone off the road in front of you, lips downturned.
“The assignment is ‘Hidden Treasures’ right? Maybe we’re just looking in the wrong place.”
“Where do you think we’ll find something like that here?”
“You’re a local,” Sunwoo says in his defense. “Where did you go all the time in this backwater town?”
The beginning of your sarcastic remark dies on your lips the second you see Jay walking out of the laundromat with Heeseung, one of your old high school friends. He looks the same as Jay, still youthful but showing maturity around the edges.
Jay catches your eyes as they continue walking, his face contorting in surprise but unsure how to address it. Heeseung is the one to run towards you and pick you up in a tight hug, practically squeezing the remaining energy out of you.
“Holy shit, Jong wasn’t lying! You’re really back!” Heeseung laughs, his eyes becoming crescent moons from his happiness. You match his reaction, genuinely glad to see another familiar face.
You introduce Sunwoo to Heeseung, and Sunwoo exchanges pleasantries with Jay. Jay remains tense, the two of you conflicted about how to bridge the awkwardness that lingers.
Heeseung, like Sunwoo, is a great detective, sniffing out tension and immediately directing the conversation to your cameras. “So, Jong was saying you’re here for an assignment?”
“Yes!” Sunwoo says before you can. “We’re trying to find hidden treasures, actually. Our boss’s words, not mine.” Heeseung laughs at Sunwoo and then flicks his fingers.
“Jong could show you guys the inside of the lighthouse! Or even the view from that damn balcony would be a treasure in its own right. You can practically see the whole town from up there. Right, Jong?”
Jay rolls his eyes and rolls the cuffs of his sleeves up to his elbows. “Yeah, that would be fine.”
“Perfect! We were dying here without any good material. No offense to you small town folk,” Sunwoo apologizes, but neither of your old friends mind. They welcome Sunwoo’s city perspective with laughter and an open hand, just like they always have with newcomers.
On your walk to the lighthouse, Heeseung and Sunwoo taking the lead, you’re left to walk alongside Jay. The tension is a tad looser than it was before, but it still pervades the space between you both.
Finally, Jay says, “I can’t believe you’re actually home, y’know.” He says the sentence more like a question, his voice unable to mask the traces of hurt that linger.
It makes your heart rip, but you avoid the workings inside your chest to keep the conversation light. "It took a long time, didn't it?”
”Yeah. It’s like you dropped off the planet.” Jay’s voice turns a degree lighter. He smiles, the crack in his solid facade giving you a way back in.
“I basically did. All I had was my camera and some clothes in my bag.”
Jay's eyes widen, startled by the thought. “You’ve never traveled light once in your entire life.”
”I know! I barely had time to grab the necessities.”
His eyes are filled with humor. “And by that, you mean…”
“Obviously my Pokémon collection, for starters. I had to start from scratch,” you joke. “Good thing I saved all of the old cards under my bed.”
”Even the one of Charmander that I dropped in Jaeyun’s homemade soju?”
You nod, laughing. “It still smells like watermelon.”
”Bullshit!”
You both fall into an easy rhythm of witty banter and taunting, recalling old memories and brushing shoulders in a mocking fashion.
By the time you’re taking photographs on the highest floor of the lighthouse, the tension has dissipated by a large portion. Your relationship with Jay may not be completely back to where it was before, but the first lighthearted smile he throws in your direction proves it’s a start.
And a start is just enough to make your heart feel a million pounds lighter.
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“So Jongseong is flailing this card around, not realizing that the bowl of my signature soju punch is right there behind him…” Jake tells the story of the Charmander card with animated expressions. Heeseung and Jay roll their eyes, but Sunwoo laughs the entire time, his buzz bumping his energy to a level you had never seen before.
The bonfire Jake and Heeseung set up a walk away from the lighthouse is big enough for all five of you to sit comfortably around it. It seemed to be the only way your old friends could hang out together at this point in their adult lives. The bar that still stood in town filled with too many old people to feel like an acceptable hangout location.
“And he completely dropped not only her precious Pokémon card, but his whole fist into the punch bowl! I had to make a whole new batch without my parents knowing about it!” Jake laughs incredulously.
The memory still holds a level of insanity for him, clearly—not just at the situation but the level of teasing that you and Jay would devolve to when you were in your own little world together. You couldn’t help that you wanted to take your card from Jay’s hands, even if that meant soaking him in alcohol to get him to give it up.
You lift your beer to your lips, blushing. Jay sits beside you and notices the humor in your expression, smiling to himself too. You didn’t expect to reach this level of closeness again so soon. Who knew it would take a work project to find your way back to each other? With the week coming to a close and a good catalog of photos under your belt thanks to him, you could say the glass was looking half full.
“You guys got any more stories? This shit’s hilarious!” Sunwoo says, still laughing.
“Loads, man,” Jake responds.
“He’s got the best memory of all of us. Probably remembers all of our first naps in elementary,” Heeseung adds.
“How about we focus on the present, please? Otherwise we’ll be here until the sun comes up, Dee and Dum,” Jay says, pointing to the prime suspects with their all-knowing smirks.
“What else is there to say, Jay? Jake and I have been toiling on the dredging boats. You keep guarding that white tower and saying no to your uncle every time he asks you to work at his restaurant. Same old, same old.”
You turn your head to stare at Jay, perplexed. “Why didn’t you say anything?” 
It’s always been Jay’s dream to make something of himself with his recipes. Bookmarks, sticky notes, anything with free space held an ingredient here or a step for a recipe there. It was like it was second nature, as were photographs for you.
How could he deny himself from what he wanted?
“I already have responsibilities here. I can’t drive up and down the highway to Park & Co. every day.”
“Start small, idiot.” You chide him, half-serious in your pestering. “Who said you couldn't do both? You can be a good son and still have your own dream.”
“Careful,” Jake says to you. “He might listen to you.”
“You’re the only one who gets through that cold heart of his,” Heeseung teases.
Jay gives the older boys a stern look, and they back off immediately.
On the walk back to your house, Jay’s jacket nestled around your shoulders, you grill him further on the prospect of him cooking seriously. “You should do it.”
Jay shakes his head, running his fingers through his hair. “And what’ll happen to the lighthouse? My dad will go back every morning on his cane and keep it working himself? No way.”
“Come on, who says you can’t do both?” You flaunt your arms in the air, emphasizing your point. “It’s not like it rains every day here.”
He looks at you with humored eyes, their shape becoming extremely thin when he smiles. “You’re even more stubborn as an adult, you know?
You poke your tongue out at him. “I could say the same about you, Seongie.”
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The rain soaks your clothes when you run through Jay’s door. You shake off the droplets in your hair, most of the strands needing to be wrung out in your fist. Jay gets you a towel to dry off with, laughing at your current state of affairs.
”Don’t make fun of me. Be glad I still came, asshole,” you warn, warming yourself with the dryness of the cotton towel.
Jay raises his hands in mercy. “I told you to come earlier! Forecasts are no joke.”
”Sometimes they’re wrong,” you say. 
”Ninety-five percent of the time, they’re not. Trust the lighthouse keeper next time, maybe? I’ve been watching those skies for three years. I know if and when the weathermen are full of shit.”
You roll your eyes and shuck your shoes off, “Whatever. Any chance you have a spare pair of warm socks for me? I may get frostbite.”
”One, that involves snow,” Jay says as he walks into his small bedroom, leaving you alone for a second before coming out with what you requested. “And two, promise to bring them back. I only have so many pairs before I have to go to the city for more.”
”Scout’s honor,” you promise. You switch out your soaked socks for Jay’s, the feeling of the fabric making you immediately warmer. It could also be the fireplace that Jay put kindling in before you got there, but it’s mostly the socks. “Thank you. I feel better already.”
“I’d offer you a set of clothes too, but I’m moving a lot of my stuff from my dad’s.”
“It’s not that far away, though. You really want to live in this tiny shack?”
Jay laughs and returns to his food on the stove. “Do you think I could bring a girl home living with him? I love him, but I’m getting too old to be his roommate.”
You smile and press your arms into the kitchen counter, but you know it’s false. The thought of Jay being with someone else sprouts a gargantuan knot of jealousy in your stomach. He’s never belonged to you, not by any means. Not only that, but your illogical departure gives you no right to claim him now. And yet…
“Hey, where’d you go?” He waves a dish towel in front of your face, a smile on his lips.
“Sorry, just lost in thought,” you play off your prying thoughts.
“Obviously.” He sticks his tongue out at you and continues to stir the concoction on the stove.
“What are you making anyway?”
“Seaweed soup. I haven’t been able to make you any since…the last birthday we spent together.”
Your body warms deep down to the soles of your feet at this surprise. “My birthday was three months ago.”
He chuckles and turns his head to you, smirking. “Consider it a belated birthday gift then.” He carries on stirring, but continues talking. “Besides, you always liked my soup compared to your mom’s. Too watery, if I remember right.”
You blush and step away from the counter. “Let’s not talk about her or her food.”
Jay’s face turns puzzled. “You’ve always been so bristly when we talk about your family. Your mom is one of the sweetest ladies in town." 
“You don’t get it. You didn’t grow up with her.”
“Hey, at least you have both parents around.”
You slam your hand down on another laminate countertop, growing more frustrated the longer the topic is broached. “Jongseong, please drop it.”
“Why are you getting so upset?” He asks, puzzled and growing alarmingly quiet at your outburst.
“Because you don’t get it! And you never will, okay? So let it go!”
The kitchen suddenly feels too suffocating, the memories of the past and your argument melding together in a way that makes any hunger that you had become a full stomach stuffed with nothing but anger and fear. You run out of the house and back into the rain, knowing if you say anything more, your secrets will fall around you like pellets soaking your skin.
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The lanterns fill the sky like a thousand stars, close enough for you to touch before they’re whisked away into the dark clouds above you. Even for your small town, every adult and child knows the end of summer festival is a time to make the last set of wishes and affirmations before autumn comes. If Jay’s father yearned for an easy season, he would buy a lantern to release on a night light tonight, as would your friends’ families who hoped for good health and fortune.
You smile when you manage to catch one, holding on tight despite knowing it’s against tradition. Once one is meant to float away, it was considered rude to stop it from continuing on its path upward.
Jay chuckles and grabs it from you, matching your pout in jest. “Next year, I’ll buy you your own, alright? Don’t be greedy!”
You roll your eyes and watch the lantern rise up and away from your spot on the beach. It shimmers in an amber glow until it slips away into the black sky overhead.
You turn to him, eyes lit up not just from the lantern flames. “Did you wish for anything this year?”
Jay shrugs. “I can’t really wish for anything ‘cause I didn’t get—“
“Don’t give me that! It’s symbolic, anyway. Just tell me,” you whine.
Jay only side-eyes you, a smirk playing on his lips.
You attempt to throw a bundle of sand in his direction, but he sees your upcoming attack the second you raise your arm. He takes your wrist in his hand, the clump disintegrating between your fingers. The two of you laugh as you try to wiggle free from his grasp.
You’re both a tangle of limbs until he finally pins you down on the ground. He hovers above you, panting hard. “I win,” Jay replies, his breathing ragged but eyes still sparkling from a successful takedown.
“You wish.”
In the flicker of lantern lights and midnight stars overhead, Jay can’t help himself from leaning down closer until there’s barely a breath between your lips. He lets every doubt that has lingered over the past fourteen years dissipate and surrenders to the moment, feeling the softness of your mouth as he kisses you.
You could be glowing as bright as the lights still being sent off into the sky. You feel like you are, anyway.
He doesn’t go faster or push you further, the simplicity of the act making you sparkle from within with every ebb and flow of your conjoined lips. The crackle of a firework is what makes the two of you come up for air, unaware of how much time has passed.
 You let the moment hang between you the entire walk home. He holds your hand, squeezing it every now and then, the action more valuable than any words he could say right now. He holds himself back from giving you another kiss to say goodnight, knowing there’s always tomorrow.
Minutes after you make it inside, the scene in front of you turns whatever joy was left from Jay’s presence into acid.
“Can you not do anything right around here? I ask for the simplest things and even that’s too much.” Your father points to the food in his hands with an air of disgust directed at your mother.
He spits his vitriol in her face, the pattern commonplace. The behavior is nothing new, but his eyes show something worse than normal brewing beneath the surface.
“I can fix it,” your mother assures him, trying to take the bowl from him. “I’ll throw out the old batch and—“
“So now you think wasting food is the better choice? Are you stupid?”
The two of them are unaware of your presence, but even if they were, you doubt that would change the downward spiral they were heading towards.
She tries to walk away from him like she always has, diffusing the situation in the only way she knows how, but he drops the bowl on the counter and takes her by the arm.
“You’re not leaving,” he warns. The next moments pass in a blur, each one that plays out making you hover outside of your body, looking down in disbelief. Your mother’s temple hits the wood with a terrible thud. The next second, your body is pressed against your father’s to pull him away, begging, “Daddy, please stop!” 
His upper arm has enough force to jam into your chest and knock you onto the kitchen tile below. Pain reverberates up your tailbone from hitting the floor in a violent bang.
Your mother comes from the daze of her assault to cover your body with her own. It’s a pointless defense, your father’s feet slamming hard on the floor as he walks away and into the bedroom without looking back once.
She apologizes profusely, holding your head in her hands as tears stream down her face without an endpoint. You can barely form a tear yourself, still unsure the past ten minutes happened at all. An hour ago, you had your first kiss, and now…
“Your aunt lives on a coast off the mainland. I can’t let you stay here anymore, my love.”
That moment is when you feel the water form in your eyes. You couldn’t leave now, not with so much left uncertain.
“Promise me you’ll leave this place. Don’t think about this night again and find something better, please.”
That entire night, the waves knocking into each other with the same force as you had encountered hours ago, you feel your heart shatter into a multitude of pieces, each fragment tinier and more painful than the last. The thought of Jay waking up to see you in the morning only to find you erased from his life, robs any chance of you sleeping on the boat ride to Wando.
He’ll try to call and text, for sure. But what could be said that would explain the last twenty four hours without breaking your promise to your mother? How could you live with sharing such intimate details of your household, even with someone as sacred to you as Jay is?
How could you make him believe it wasn’t his fault that you fled without revealing your most vulnerable and harsh reality? After coming so close to the future you always dreamed of with him, what would he think? What would he do?
So, like any coward does, you let the phone ring until your battery dies, not bothering to charge it again until you make it to your aunt’s. You tell yourself he’ll move on and life will be better with you safe and out of the picture. Every beat of your breaking heart may call you a liar, but you’ll learn to twist it into the truth one day.
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The next afternoon, sun slowly setting to meet the waves below, you walk towards the lighthouse with the courage your younger self didn’t have the night you ran away. Your heart tosses around in your mouth when you take the first step through the threshold, but now is the last time you fear the truth. If you couldn’t explain the circumstances back then, the least you could do was explain them now.
You take the trek up the steps to the top floor of the lighthouse, every step heavier than the last. Jay stands inside the lantern room cleaning the large bulb at the center of the space. He immediately tenses when you walk through the open door, but he says nothing. He only holds the same somber expression he had the first day you arrived back in Aewol. Only now, so much more rests behind his face that you cannot decipher.
“I’m sorry,” you say finally. The words release something you believed couldn’t be separated from your being. Your guilt remains present, but the apology provides a long-held breath of fresh air.
He looks up to meet your gaze, eyebrows furrowing just a touch. The setting sun casts amber shadows across his face, making his confusion breathtaking. Clearly, he’s unsure what exactly you’re apologizing for.
The next words already taste like lead in your mouth, but you can’t hold the weight of them for another second.
Speaking them out loud is what will set you free.
“The night I left, my dad pushed my mom into a cabinet,” you confess. The eight words you just uttered create a well of tears in your eyes, but you keep your voice level and solid. “He had always been…harsh before, not just with her, but that was the first night I ever saw him hurt her with his hands instead of his words.
“I tried to stop it from getting worse, and I fell down—no,” you take a breath, “h-he threw—he threw me down on the floor.” You feel foolish for trying to minimize his actions, knowing there’s no reason to protect him anymore. You lower your head, ashamed. “That was when my mom called my aunt in Wando. She begged me not to say anything, so I kept it a secret. You’re the first person I’ve ever told about it… and about how much of an asshole my father really is.”
You can’t help the way your words crumble on your tongue or the low whimper that erupts from your lips. You had accepted in silence the harsh reality of your father being a violent and cruel human being, but speaking the words aloud is another beast entirely.
You go cold, your figure limp until you feel Jay’s gentle fingers under your chin. They pull your face up to meet his, catching his glassy and red eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me then?”
You sniffle. “What would you have done? We were seventeen—“
“Fuck that,” Jay seethes, his face a mixture of anger and heartbreak. “I would’ve killed him then, just like I want to right now.”
You laugh and take his fingers in yours. “I made a promise.” You lock onto his gaze harder, trying to convey every ounce of regret you still feel. “I thought about calling you every day. I’d pick up the phone and didn’t know how to come up with the right words, especially after…”
Jay laughs, passing over the curve of your cheek with his thumb. It’s the rhythmic pattern of his touch that makes you come down from such heightened emotions. It’s always been his superpower, grounding you like this. “If I had known I wouldn’t see you again, I would’ve kissed you until the sun came up.”
You blush, your body flushing with heat. “Nothing’s stopping you now, Jongseong. And I’m not going anywhere.”
He steps forward, the shy boy you grew to love appearing in front of you. The last time you were this close, you both were unsure about most things in life, but not about how much you meant to him, and vice versa.
Now, the feelings he had put on hold for so long take hold of him, his heart a kaleidoscope of pent-up sensations when he finally presses his lips to yours. His mouth is ravenous, his tongue finding yours as his arms clutches onto your body with fervor.
You’re encased in him, all the lost time suddenly found in the spaces of his mouth on yours, your hands on his body, and the moans that leave your mouth. He undoes the buttons of your cardigan with quick ease, taking it off of your shoulders and somewhere in the room you don’t care to remember. You help him pull the sweater over his head to kiss the column of his throat and top of his chest, making him shudder.
You both pause to hurry down to the drawing room below, not wanting to continue on the iron floor next to the bright bulb of the lighthouse. Yes, the cot off to the side of the room is not incredibly comfortable, but you care little about its lack of comfort when Jay lays you down on your back and smothers your body in kisses. He makes a map of your skin until he meets the apex of your thighs, your body highly strung by the time he kisses the center of your legs.
You clutch his hair with both hands and hold tight in the midst of his ministrations, his whispered words of affirmation and the figure-eight patterns of his tongue saying just enough to push you closer to the edge of ecstasy.
He lifts his head from your body to crawl over you, his heart in his mouth as he says the words that have always been in his mind and heart from the second he saw you. “I love you.”
You’re unsure if it’s normal to cry at such a confession or in the midst of your current situation, but regardless, there are no tears of fear or pain. They’re ones that fill the silence between you with what he already knows to be true. But you say the words he needs to hear anyway. “I love you, too, Seongie.”
This is what it feels like to be at home. His body against yours, him sliding so easily inside of you without a word needed for the immense amounts of pleasure that already exists. It could be a handful of minutes or a span of time that carries over into the next morning. All that matters is his lips on your own and his hips meeting yours with every thrust.
And in between every movement, he has to remind you how much he loves you. His words and feelings are already embossed into your heart, but it’s nice to hear the breathless cadence of his voice. “I love you so much,” he groans, his end close with the sudden stutters of his body.
You fall off the cliffside together, your bodies in sync in the best possible way as your eyes see the stars from the very first night you kissed in the back of your eyelids. And when he has his hands in your hair, his touch lulling you to sleep, you wonder why it took you this long to come back to the one person who has always been the safest space in your world.
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The two of you stay nestled in the thin blanket, Jay’s body your source of warmth in the small drawing room of the lighthouse. The cot barely holds your bodies, but with you both squeezing together and not wanting to let go, you make it work.
Jay takes stray hairs from your face to tuck behind your ears. “I can’t believe you didn’t know how bad my crush was until the festival.”
You giggle into his chest. “I wasn’t paying attention to boys back then! How would I have known?” You hold his gaze, suddenly vulnerable.
He chuckles. “I think I was pretty obvious.”
“To everyone but me, I guess,” you joke. “Besides, I think I always knew I’d end up with you, strangely.”
“That’s not strange, not at all.” He kisses you tenderly, nipping your lips until you laugh into his mouth. “Perfect. At least to me.”
“Same,” you agree. “I’ve never felt more at home than when I’m with you.”
Jay responds by holding you tighter between his arms. He kisses the top of your head before whispering, “So where do we go from here?”
The answer is simple, but that doesn’t make it any easier to face.
Jay looks deeply into your eyes and senses the words you cannot say, and the strength of his stare and his arms as your protective walls from all the harm that still exists in this world gives you the power to confront what you need to.
That afternoon, leaving Jay in the lighthouse with your heart fully in his possession, you know you have to face the demons that wait for you in your childhood home. If you are to have a future together, the first thing you have to do is make peace with the past.
A handwritten note on the fridge tells you your mother went out for groceries, giving you the perfect excuse to release the words that would end your terror once and for all.
You enter your parents’ room to see your father, unmoved from the spot you saw him in on the first day you were back home. Your mother pleaded for you to check in every now and then now that you were back, but you couldn’t bring yourself to. Not until now.
You move the chair by his bedside out to sit down. When you finally face him again, you take note of the details you were too blinded by indifference to notice before. You observe the wrinkles on his forehead, the sunken divots under his eyes, the age lines surrounding his mouth, the frailness of his body.
The weight he’s lost since his accident makes all his features stand out more. All that he’s lost, but has also always been, is on full display now: this husk of a man without the venomous words and bravado to hide behind is truly nothing to be scared of anymore.
 “You’re so much smaller than I realized.” You say it with a breath of relief, any fear or anger that was left behind for him in your soul replaced with pity. You can walk away without regrets or words you wish you could’ve said, because you know now it’s a waste of your peace. Maybe one day, you’ll find it in your heart to forgive, even. Not today, but someday.
You walk away with no grievances left, back in the direction of the lighthouse with a new purpose and ready to take the path you were always meant to. Back to the home you’ve always had resting inside of the one you love.
Jay stands with his back facing you, staring off into the expanse of sea in front of him. His shoulders ease as you step closer.
“You’re back,” he says with saccharine happiness. He takes your hand in his and presses your fingers to his lips.
“I am,” you respond. You kiss him with your whole soul, incredibly in love and unafraid of what will come next.
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“Babe! The new issue is here!”
You open your eyes to the sound of Jay’s words. You could barely doze off when he was so excited to grab the mail this morning. It was only delivered a few minutes ago, but of course he has to check for the newest spread of Otherworldly in your mailbox. To his happiness and your shy pride, your name’s plastered in almost every section of the photography credits.
Convincing your boss to let you work for the magazine from your hometown turned out to be easier than expected. With his happiness from your newfound inspiration, it seemed like you could take pictures of algae for all he cared and it would be a hit in the magazine’s eyes.
You weren’t the only one who could take credit, though. Jay’s name was also included in some of the photos, his insight into Aewol’s cuisine and new sous chef position at Park & Co providing more than enough influence for your photography. The lighthouse would always be his priority (aside from you), but his second love of food could not be kept at bay any longer.
He opens the magazine to the first page that features your photos, the centerfold being of Jay’s original recipe for hoedeopbap. “It looks even better in print,” Jay says, his face three shades brighter staring at the meal.
You giggle and wrap your arms around his middle, peeking your head out from the side of his shoulder to look at the pages. “It’s really good, isn’t it?”
“Some of the best you’ve ever done.” He turns in your hold to press your chest to his, kissing your forehead in the process. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“Actually, getting lucky is how we got this.” You take his hand and rest it on the curve of your stomach, fifteen weeks peaking out from under the midriff of your tank top.
He laughs and presses his lips to your cheek. “I love you.”
To your surprise, peace was easier to find than you had expected. Confronting what you ran away from all those years ago feels like a distant memory, the pain of the past a part of another reality. There are no monsters that creep in the shadows or secrets to keep locked behind closed doors.
All that remains is the ease that comes from a life filled with nothing but love and happiness, as weightless and freeing as a lantern floating through the sky.
“I love you too, Park Jongseong.”
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@junekissed (thank for beta-ing also june!! ilysm) @yvnempire @sjylouvre @mini-mews @jayparked @heesuncore @yoursjaeyun @sungbeams @jenoslutie @loserlvrss
𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 ౨ৎ˚₊
@kvanity-main @sweetvenomnet @onedoornet @sayxonet @violetanet @svthub @whipped-kpop-creators
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padfootagain · 22 hours ago
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Love in Verses (XXV)
Chapter 25: ‘They will think of ways to make you smile so you can be happy for a while’
Hi! Here is a new chapter! Some embarrassing scenes for both our babies… it’s pretty cute! Also, Siobhán is back, hence the poem!
I hope you like this chapter! Tell me what you think!
****
Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader (professor!AU)
Warnings: slow burn, angst, hurt, hurt/comfort, tooth-rotting fluff in later chapters, some scenes in later chapters will have heavy sexual themes even if it’s not explicit nsfw description, so no minors here
Summary: Your life seems perfect. You're engaged, your career is thriving as you become an assistant professor at Trinity College, and this Andrew Hozier-Byrne you're sharing an office with seems to be a nice guy you hope to call a friend soon. Life seems to be smiling at you... until everything goes sour. When your fiancé breaks up with you, your perfect world shatters. And when your colleague also gets his heart broken soon after, your shared office seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. But Andrew seems determined to mend your broken hearts... Will things finally go according to plan?
Word Count: 2247
Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s masterlist – Main masterlist
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A Friend
A person who will listen and not condemn Someone on whom you can depend They will not flee when bad times are here Instead they will be there to lend an ear They will think of ways to make you smile So you can be happy for a while When times are good and happy there after They will be there to share the laughter Do not forget your friends at all For they pick you up when you fall Do not expect to just take and hold Give friendship back, it is pure gold.
Gillian Jones
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You were kissing him.
Hands in his hair, gently pulling, not enough to hurt, but enough to tug and make his brain short-circuit altogether.
Your lips left his for a moment, he blinked his eyes open, bending further to keep you close. You were in his arms, he was holding you against him, and you were bringing your lips to his ear, and it was divine, really, the feeling of you so close, your warm breath fanning over his cheek as you whispered.
“Andy, I want you…”
He held your face then, to bring your lips back to his, and you let him… and not only did you let him kiss you, you let him deepen that kiss, you kissed him back, you moaned into his mouth…
“I want you,” he whispered against your lips, breathing heavily, panting even. “God, you have no idea how much I want you, Y/N…”
You kissed again, both of you breathless while you struggled to walk across your living room, and all the way across your flat. You stumbled a little on the bed, both of you struggling to take your clothes off.
And suddenly there was so much skin to touch, to kiss, to gently bite on…
The way you sighed his name…
“Andy…”
He was kissing the skin of your thighs when you spoke his name again, louder this time.
“Andy.”
Your taste on his lips when you shouted, but it didn’t sound like a pleasurable cry…
“Andy!”
Andrew jumped up, startled, opening his eyes and falling onto the floor as the chair under him was pushed away by his rushed movements.
“Christ! Andy, you’re alright?”
He blinked, facing wooden tiles, a floor he recognised instantly…
“Andy?”
He looked up, following your voice. You were crouching by his side, fully dressed, in your black jeans and blue jumper, staring at him with worry in your eyes.
His eyes grew round.
He was at work. He had fallen asleep, he was in your office, in the same room as you while he dreamt of…
He sat up in a hurry, blushing to an extreme, looking anywhere but in your direction. Jesus… how could he ever look at you again…
His breathing was a mess, you stared at him with worried eyes, he knew you did, he could feel your gaze on him and the intention behind it.
“You’re okay? You look like you’re panicking…”
“I’m alright, sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry, you just… you were dozing off. I should have been more… gentle, I guess, to wake you up.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost 10 p.m.”
“Christ, we should go home anyway. Thank you for waking me.”
He was still doing his best to look away, to not make eye-contact with you…
… for now, he could see your eyes looking down on him while his tongue was…
“Well, if it makes you fall off your chair, that must have been some dream you were having,” you joked, unaware of how true your words were.
“Yeah,” he joked. “I don’t know, can’t remember to be fair.”
He was finally back on his feet, and you were standing too. You gave him a smile, again, he wasn’t looking at you but he could feel it. He could hear it in your voice too.
“You look flustered, Andy,” you chuckled.
He nervously rubbed at the back of his neck.
A lie, a lie, a lie… he needed to find a lie. He couldn’t tell you the truth, obviously, how he had dreamt of kissing you, of doing much more than simply kissing you…
He rested his hand on his desk for support, but when he looked as his own fingers, he could see them again touching your bare skin, picture them pleasuring you…
He cleared his throat, reached for his jacket.
“Yeah, well… I did fall asleep on the job and then made an arse of myself so…”
“Oh, Andy…”
Your voice was so soft, so filled with fondness that he had to look up at you.
“You truly are adorable when you blush, you know?” you said, and even though he guessed that there was teasing in your words, your voice sounded too genuine to feel this way.
You chuckled, embarrassed at your confession, it seemed. You pushed a strand of hair behind your ear.
And then you started laughing, trying to hide it behind your hand at first, but then you were gone in a fit of laughter.
“You…” you choked on your own words, brushing tears away, and your laugh was so infectious, Andrew started to chuckle as well. “You falling from your chair… was hilarious though… you just…”
You dramatically imitated his fall, making him explode with laughter too. You couldn’t stop laughing for a good five minutes, both of you holding your painful stomachs.
“You’re right though, let’s go home. It’s late, I’m exhausted… and we do have to do this all over again tomorrow.”
“My God… don’t mention that…” Andrew smiled, waiting for you to turn off your computer and put on your coat.
For once, he would have preferred to make a quick escape, so he could curse at himself all he wanted and let himself fully feel the unbearable weight of embarrassment that came with his fantasies; but it would have seemed strange, completely out of character and habits, and he didn’t want you to ask more questions.
He walked with you out of the empty building and all the way to your cars. You chatted about the classes you had the next day, the book he had just begun reading. It was so easy, talking with you, Andrew almost forgot his dream. He was only hit with the memory again when you turned to him to bid him good night, all grin and shiny smile, looking unbearably beautiful in the orange streetlights. He wanted to kiss you again then, and that’s when the images came back, how he imagined you lying in bed under him, moaning his name…
He cleared his throat, bid you good night and hurried to disappear into his car while he fiercely blushed again.
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“Y/N!”
“SIOBHÁN!”
People looked at the two of you as you ran across the train station, falling into each other’s arms, but none of you cared. Your best friend was back for a week, you had so many things to say and do together!
You helped her with her luggage while you crossed the station, then the parking lot all the way to your car. Before going to your flat, you needed to drop by Trinity for a meeting with Lydia you couldn’t move around in your schedule. There would be a conference organised later this year, hosted by Trinity, and she needed to start planning some details with you. Lydia wanted you for a conference, even if she hadn’t asked you officially yet, it was obviously the reason behind that meeting. You were grateful already that she would include you as one of the main speakers.
So, you took Siobhán to Trinity, showed her your building, got a coffee with her before heading to your office. She had brought her laptop, wanted to get some work done while waiting for you. After all, no one was truly on vacation when doing an academic job…
You spent some time talking with Colm in the corridor leading to your office, and he greeted your friend with a joyous tone. You were surprised to learn that he knew about Siobhán’s work, and you were almost ready to leave them alone for the rest of the afternoon as they were enthralled in a discussion about their work, when the door to your office opened. You saw Andrew walking out, bending down to avoid the doorframe. He greeted you with a warm smile, one that turned shyer when he noticed your friend.
Meanwhile, you saw the way Siobhán was raising a surprised eyebrow at your colleague, the way she blinked a couple of times and let her eyes trail along his frame for a couple of seconds, before catching herself.
“Hi, Andy!”
Siobhán sent you a questioning look that silently asked ‘THIS is Andy?!’
“Hi,” he answered with a tender smile.
“I’m glad to bump into you! I wanted to introduce you to my good friend, Siobhán! She’s staying in Dublin for a week. This is Andrew,” you added as you turned to Siobhán, without any other explanation. After all, you talked about Andrew often… or maybe, all the time.
“That’s very nice to meet you,” Andrew spoke in his softest, quietest voice, the one he used when he was feeling particularly shy, or when he wanted to soothe people around him.
He offered your friend his open palm, and she shook his hand with a grin.
“It’s nice to meet you too! Y/N can’t stop yapping about you, you know?”
You nudged her in the ribs, but she barely noticed. Andrew raised a surprised eyebrow, and yet you witnessed his expression turning into a smug one, almost cheeky.
“Does she now?” he asked, his tone teasing, and you hated your stupid heart for skipping a few beats at the light in his eyes, at how low and deep his voice sounded, at the hint of flirt in his tone…
“All the time. It’s exhausting!”
“Siobhán!” you complained, but your friend merely shrugged.
“Just telling the truth!”
“I only hope Y/N doesn’t tell too many bad things about me.”
“Nah, don’t worry! On the contrary!”
“Alright, we’ve got to go now, sorry! Weren’t you heading for a class, Andy?”
“I was, yeah…”
“Good…”
“But I can stay five more minutes if your friend can provide us with some terribly humiliating stories about you…”
“Ha, I’m afraid I can’t disclose such information to you, Andrew,” Siobhán replied.
“Really? Why not?”
“I have a feeling she would prefer to be more… attractive, to you.”
He raised a surprised eyebrow again, while your eyes were going as round as saucers.
“Bye, Andy,” you mumbled under your breath, grabbing Siobhán by the arm and dragging her inside your office while she waved at Andrew. You didn’t turn around to see his reaction, didn’t want to bear witness to your own humiliation…
You shut the door and locked it before turning to your friend, aghast.
“What the fuck was that?!”
“Are you banging him?!”
“What?! Of course not! He’s a colleague! He’s a friend!”
“He’s so bloody hot, though, Y/N…”
“Siobhán!”
“I am only speaking the truth. You’re single. He’s single. You’re hot. He’s hot. It all comes together beautifully. And such a nice voice he has… so damn sexy…”
“I am not sleeping with Andy nor will I sleep with him in the future.”
“He likes you.”
You snorted.
“Yeah, sure,” you replied sarcastically.
“He does! Did you see the way he beamed at you? He’s into you.”
“He’s not.”
“He is!”
“He’s not!”
“But you are into him.”
You blinked, opened and closed your mouth a couple of times trying to think of something to say, of an argument to find… but there was nothing that could come out of your mouth for a long time. Too long for your next words to be believed by this woman who knew you better than yourself.
“I… am not! I’m not! Not at all!”
“Oh, yes… you are…”
“I am not! I… I’m trying to get Frank back!”
She raised an unimpressed eyebrow, but you merely heaved a sigh.
“Sorry, I really do have to go to my meeting now, I’ll be back later.”
You left for your meeting, which turned into exactly what you had expected. You obviously accepted to be one of the speakers at the conference, and started planning a subject for your lecture.
Over an hour later, when you came back to your office, Andrew was chatting with Siobhán. You recognised his nervous laughter, the way he bent his shoulders a little to seem smaller and less intimidating. He was shy, but he seemed to genuinely get along fine with your friend, and for some reason, you felt a great feeling of pride run through you at the sight.
They both turned to you as you entered the room.
“So?” Andy asked, and you merely grinned at him. “Ha! I knew she would ask you to be one of the speakers!”
“Has she asked you yet?”
Andrew shook his head.
“I’ll apply, once we can officially do so.”
“Fingers crossed!”
He heaved a painful sigh.
“Christ, I hate those things…”
The three of you kept on chatting for a little while, but then Andrew was heading to another class, and you and Siobhán were going home. You had barely walked out of the building that your friend held onto your arm and leaned closer to whisper in your ear.
“Christ, Andrew is so much better than Frank. I give the two of you my blessing!”
You rolled your eyes.
“There’s nothing between us!”
“There should be! You deserve someone better than Frank. Someone like Andrew. Someone who looks at you the way Andrew does.”
“What do you mean?” you frowned at her words.
She gave you a knowing look.
“Y/N… his eyes lit up every time I mentioned you. He was looking at you like you hung the stars and the moon… the lad is a goner. Don’t waste your chance.”
You laughed at her, brushed it all off, told her she was mad and should stop talking nonsense. Andrew didn’t even like you. He couldn’t have…
… could he?
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m4rv3l-girl · 2 days ago
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Tactical
Bucky x Y/n
Y/n and Bucky aren’t friends. At all. But sometimes adrenaline pulls people together…
Requests are open!
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Warnings: A pinch of paprika- I mean, angst.
The hum of the Quinjet was just loud enough to mask the weighty silence between the two of you. Bucky sat across from you, arms crossed, blue eyes set in a hard glare that had become his signature look—at least when he looked at you.
“Anything you wanna share, Doll?” he drawled, leaning back and tapping one gloved finger against the armrest.
You huffed, fixing your eyes on the tactical map in front of you. “I think I covered it twice already. We infiltrate the west side, look for anything that resembles a command room, and get out before we’re spotted.”
Bucky’s eyebrow arched. “Because it’s really that simple, isn’t it?”
“Look, Barnes,” you snapped, turning to face him fully. “Not every mission needs the Winter Soldier’s grim paranoia. Some of us operate just fine without all the brooding and sneaking around.”
“Oh, really?” His smirk was infuriating. “Is that why you almost got taken out by a HYDRA goon last month?”
The reminder stung, and you clenched your jaw, not willing to give him the satisfaction of seeing it affect you. “I took him down just fine, thank you very much.”
“Only after he had you pinned,” he shot back, his tone dark. “If I hadn’t been there—”
“You’d have missed the chance to play hero, right?” You crossed your arms and forced a half-smile. “Does it hurt your pride that I can handle things on my own, Kitten?”
His expression shifted, and you could have sworn he looked taken aback for a split second before he rolled his eyes. “You know, I’ve met a lot of reckless people. But you? You’re in a league of your own.”
Before you could shoot back, the pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Five minutes out from target.”
You felt the adrenaline start to pump, the tension with Bucky simmering under the surface. But there was no time for bickering now. You both had a job to do.
The two of you slipped out of the jet, making your way down the dusty hillside that overlooked the HYDRA base. The place was deserted on the surface, a cluster of low buildings with faded insignias and the eerie quiet of a ghost town.
“Looks clear,” you muttered, scanning the area through the binoculars. “There should be an entrance at the west end, right behind that main building.”
Bucky nodded, keeping his gaze trained ahead, but his posture was stiff. “This whole thing feels off. I don’t like it.”
“Noted,” you replied tersely. “But we have a job to do, remember?”
A muscle twitched in his jaw, and he shot you a glare. “If you’re gonna keep talking, maybe aim that mouth at the target.”
You bit back a retort, inhaling sharply. Despite the irritation bubbling up inside, you reminded yourself to stay focused. “Fine. I’ll lead.”
“Over my dead body.” Bucky’s words came out harsh, yet there was a glint of something you couldn’t place in his eyes—concern? It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by his usual guarded glare.
“Look,” you said, exasperated, “we’ve been through this before. I know what I’m doing.”
“Then prove it.” He gestured forward. “I’ll cover you.”
You were thrown by the sudden relent but didn’t waste time questioning it. Keeping low, you crept forward, Bucky right behind, your heart hammering in your chest as you approached the entrance.
The base was darker than expected, the air heavy with dust and the stale scent of metal and chemicals. A feeling of unease settled over you as you moved silently through the corridors, listening for any sign of movement.
“I’ll check the left side,” you whispered.
“No. Stick together,” Bucky replied, voice low and firm. “Can’t afford to lose sight of you.”
You bit back another snappy response, pushing down the slight warmth his words stirred up. “Fine,” you muttered, focusing on the task at hand. But as you reached a fork in the hallway, something metal clicked underfoot.
“Y/N—”
The floor dropped out before you had a chance to react. You barely registered Bucky’s hand reaching for you as you were plunged into darkness, a shock of cold air and the weightlessness of the fall hitting you all at once.
You landed hard, feeling a sharp sting in your ankle as Bucky’s form landed beside you with a thud. He was quick to his feet, helping you up even as you grimaced.
“Seriously?” he muttered, scanning the dark room with narrowed eyes. “A pit trap? They’ve really thought of everything.”
“Stop gloating and help me out of here, Barnes,” you said through gritted teeth, trying to test your injured foot. But the pain was blinding, and you leaned into him instinctively.
His grip tightened, his face softening ever so slightly. “Not gloating, Doll. Just pissed that we’re in this mess.” He looked down at your ankle, his jaw clenching. “You’re not walking on that. I’ll carry you out.”
You shook your head, wincing. “I can manage. Just give me a second.”
“Not gonna happen,” he replied, an unusual tenderness coloring his tone. Without waiting for you to argue, he scooped you up, one arm around your back and the other under your knees.
You let out a huff, but somewhere in the back of your mind, a part of you softened. The world looked different from this angle, cradled in his arms, his intense gaze focused ahead. You hadn’t realized how strong he was—not just physically but in how he held himself, unwavering even when things seemed grim.
And somehow, the closeness didn’t feel quite as irritating as you would have imagined.
The pit trap had deposited you both into some kind of hidden maintenance tunnel, its dim lighting casting everything in a cool, blue hue. Bucky’s footsteps were steady beneath you as he carried you through the narrow corridor, his grip unwavering even as you wiggled, trying to insist that you could walk.
“Would you stop squirming?” he muttered, his face half-lit in shadow.
You crossed your arms, huffing. “I told you I don’t need to be carried, Barnes. I’m fine.”
Bucky’s grip tightened as he shifted you slightly in his arms, his gaze never wavering from the path ahead. “Sure, you’re fine, Kitten. That’s why you nearly collapsed when you tried to put weight on that ankle.”
“I didn’t—” you started, but the way his eyes flicked down to you, that borderline-smirk on his lips, had you swallowing your words.
You kept your gaze forward, refusing to meet his eyes, and let the silence settle, if only because you didn’t trust yourself to say anything else. You tried to ignore the way his arms felt around you, sturdy and strangely comforting. There was a warmth radiating from him that made you feel oddly safe, a feeling you hadn’t anticipated finding with him. The “Winter Soldier” was the last person you would have expected to feel this around.
“We’ll be out of here soon,” he muttered as if sensing your unease, his tone softer than usual. “Then you can get back to calling the shots.”
The words, laced with his usual edge of sarcasm, had an undercurrent you couldn’t quite place. He shifted his hold on you just enough for you to feel the protective firmness in his grip, and somehow, it had you biting back a smile.
“Doesn’t look like there’s an easy way back up,” he added. “We’ll have to find another way around.”
“So,” you muttered, giving in just slightly to the warmth pooling in your chest, “you admit we’re a little stuck?”
He raised an eyebrow. “We? No, Doll. You’re the one who had to go left instead of sticking together.”
You scoffed. “Oh, so now it’s my fault?”
“Didn’t say that.” He gave you a slight smirk, his face close enough for you to notice a softness in his features that was usually hidden behind his intense stare. “I’m just saying, maybe you could try listening every once in a while.”
You rolled your eyes. “Oh, sure. Because you’re just so much fun to listen to.”
But the edge in your words had softened, and you felt your heartbeat quicken when his expression shifted, something warmer flickering behind the teasing smirk. The silence returned, charged and lingering.
Part 5: A Moment of Vulnerability
After what felt like an eternity, Bucky set you down gently on a raised portion of the tunnel floor. The pain in your ankle flared up when you shifted, and you winced, grabbing onto his arm before you could catch yourself.
His face was unreadable, but his hand remained firm on your shoulder. “Let me look at it.”
You hesitated, still feeling that simmering irritation. But there was something in his eyes—an unspoken plea for you to trust him—that made you relent. You nodded, and he crouched down, his fingers gentle as he pushed your pant leg up enough to examine the ankle. His touch was warm against your skin, a surprisingly careful caress as he probed the area.
“This is going to bruise,” he murmured. “But it doesn’t feel broken.”
“Good to know, Doctor Barnes,” you replied, a hint of sarcasm slipping into your tone. But his eyes flicked up to yours, that softness returning, and you felt your breath hitch.
“Why do you always do that?” he asked, voice quiet.
You frowned. “Do what?”
“Make everything a fight.” He shook his head, smirking faintly. “Even now, you’d rather act like you’re fine than just admit that you’re hurt.”
His words struck a nerve, and you shifted uncomfortably. “It’s called self-sufficiency, Barnes. Not all of us need a team to hold our hand.”
The faint smile on his lips faltered, and his gaze grew serious. “You don’t have to prove anything, you know.”
The weight of his words surprised you, their sincerity cutting through your defenses like a knife. You opened your mouth to retort, but found yourself at a loss. It was rare to see him like this—unguarded, almost vulnerable—and the realization that he cared, even a little, stirred something unfamiliar in you.
“Why do you care?” The question came out softer than you intended, barely more than a whisper.
He held your gaze, his voice equally soft. “Because I know what it’s like to try to do everything on your own. It doesn’t end well, Doll.”
The air between you felt charged, and for once, you didn’t have a comeback ready. His hand lingered on your shoulder a moment longer, and you thought you saw him lean in, ever so slightly, before he cleared his throat and looked away.
“We should keep moving,” he muttered, pulling his hand back. He helped you to your feet, carefully supporting you as you tested your weight on the injured ankle. It wasn’t perfect, but with his steady grip around your waist, it was manageable.
As you continued down the tunnel, the silence was different—no longer tense, but comfortable in a way you hadn’t thought possible. There was a newfound understanding between you, fragile yet undeniable, that settled over the usual friction. It was like you’d seen a glimpse of each other without the walls up, and somehow, that was scarier than any HYDRA base you’d ever encountered.
The tunnel eventually led to a service door that opened into the heart of the HYDRA base. You both fell into a natural rhythm, Bucky keeping one hand steady on your arm as you limped beside him. The adrenaline from your mission kept the pain manageable, though you found yourself more aware of the way his shoulder brushed against yours, his steady presence beside you grounding and reassuring.
The corridor opened into a spacious, dimly lit room—likely a command center, judging by the rows of consoles and monitors lining the walls. It was empty now, with only the faint hum of machinery disturbing the silence.
Bucky pulled you back, his voice low. “This looks like what we need. You watch the entrance; I’ll search the terminals.”
You nodded, positioning yourself by the door as Bucky moved silently to the consoles. He slid a flash drive from his pocket, inserting it into one of the main systems and working quickly to upload whatever information SHIELD needed. For the first time, you found yourself watching him with a mixture of curiosity and admiration, surprised by his focus and ease in the enemy stronghold.
A loud clang echoed from down the hall, snapping you back to attention. Your heart leapt as you spotted shadows moving, HYDRA agents closing in.
“Bucky—”
“I know,” he muttered, eyes darting to the flash drive’s slow-loading progress bar. “We need a few more seconds.”
The footsteps grew louder, voices murmuring just outside the door. You moved instinctively, pressing your back against the wall, one hand on your gun as Bucky finally retrieved the drive.
“Got it,” he said, turning to you. His eyes flicked between you and the door, his expression hardening. “Get behind me. I’ll clear a path.”
Despite everything in you that screamed to resist, you felt a surge of trust and nodded. You took your place at his back, leaning slightly on your good leg as he readied his gun, his stance calm and sure.
The agents burst through the door, and Bucky moved like lightning. He took down the first two with precise, calculated strikes, his metal arm glinting in the dim light as he blocked blows and countered with swift punches. The tension and focus between the two of you was perfect, synchronized—he was a constant, unwavering force, covering you as you fired at the agents attempting to flank him.
But as the last agent fell, one final man staggered to his feet, pulling a weapon from his belt—a grenade, small but deadly.
You reacted without thinking, grabbing Bucky’s shoulder and shoving him to the side as you dove away. The explosion rocked the room, and debris rained down around you. Pain bloomed along your shoulder as you hit the ground, hard, but you were alive. Bucky scrambled over to you, his face pale, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fury.
“Are you insane?” he hissed, his hands shaking as he helped you sit up. “You could have—”
His words cut off as he saw your grimace, and his anger melted into something raw, a kind of vulnerability that left you momentarily speechless.
“I—I’m fine,” you managed, your voice weak but steady. “Just wanted to save your sorry ass, is all.”
Bucky let out a choked laugh, but the way his gaze lingered on you was anything but casual. “Doll, if you were trying to kill me with worry, mission accomplished.”
You gave a wry smile, trying to shift to a sitting position, but he stopped you, one hand bracing your back as he helped you up. His fingers lingered just a second too long, and he seemed to realize it, pulling back with a sheepish look.
“C’mon,” he murmured. “Let’s get out of here before either of us does anything else stupid.”
The tunnel eventually led to a service door that opened into the heart of the HYDRA base. You both fell into a natural rhythm, Bucky keeping one hand steady on your arm as you limped beside him. The adrenaline from your mission kept the pain manageable, though you found yourself more aware of the way his shoulder brushed against yours, his steady presence beside you grounding and reassuring.
The corridor opened into a spacious, dimly lit room—likely a command center, judging by the rows of consoles and monitors lining the walls. It was empty now, with only the faint hum of machinery disturbing the silence.
Bucky pulled you back, his voice low. “This looks like what we need. You watch the entrance; I’ll search the terminals.”
You nodded, positioning yourself by the door as Bucky moved silently to the consoles. He slid a flash drive from his pocket, inserting it into one of the main systems and working quickly to upload whatever information SHIELD needed. For the first time, you found yourself watching him with a mixture of curiosity and admiration, surprised by his focus and ease in the enemy stronghold.
A loud clang echoed from down the hall, snapping you back to attention. Your heart leapt as you spotted shadows moving, HYDRA agents closing in.
“Bucky—”
“I know,” he muttered, eyes darting to the flash drive’s slow-loading progress bar. “We need a few more seconds.”
The footsteps grew louder, voices murmuring just outside the door. You moved instinctively, pressing your back against the wall, one hand on your gun as Bucky finally retrieved the drive.
“Got it,” he said, turning to you. His eyes flicked between you and the door, his expression hardening. “Get behind me. I’ll clear a path.”
Despite everything in you that screamed to resist, you felt a surge of trust and nodded. You took your place at his back, leaning slightly on your good leg as he readied his gun, his stance calm and sure.
The agents burst through the door, and Bucky moved like lightning. He took down the first two with precise, calculated strikes, his metal arm glinting in the dim light as he blocked blows and countered with swift punches. The tension and focus between the two of you was perfect, synchronized—he was a constant, unwavering force, covering you as you fired at the agents attempting to flank him.
But as the last agent fell, one final man staggered to his feet, pulling a weapon from his belt—a grenade, small but deadly.
You reacted without thinking, grabbing Bucky’s shoulder and shoving him to the side as you dove away. The explosion rocked the room, and debris rained down around you. Pain bloomed along your shoulder as you hit the ground, hard, but you were alive. Bucky scrambled over to you, his face pale, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fury.
“Are you insane?” he hissed, his hands shaking as he helped you sit up. “You could have—”
His words cut off as he saw your grimace, and his anger melted into something raw, a kind of vulnerability that left you momentarily speechless.
“I—I’m fine,” you managed, your voice weak but steady. “Just wanted to save your sorry ass, is all.”
Bucky let out a choked laugh, but the way his gaze lingered on you was anything but casual. “Doll, if you were trying to kill me with worry, mission accomplished.”
You gave a wry smile, trying to shift to a sitting position, but he stopped you, one hand bracing your back as he helped you up. His fingers lingered just a second too long, and he seemed to realize it, pulling back with a sheepish look.
“C’mon,” he murmured. “Let’s get out of here before either of us does anything else stupid.
🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
Back at SHIELD headquarters, you sat on the edge of a cot in the medical wing, absently fiddling with the fresh bandage on your shoulder. The mission debrief had gone by in a blur, details passing over your head as the exhaustion settled into your bones. You’d barely processed the events of the night, especially what had happened with Bucky—how he’d been right there, steady as a rock when you’d needed him most.
You glanced up, and there he was, lingering in the doorway, looking as hesitant as you’d ever seen him. Bucky rarely seemed unsure of anything, let alone of himself, and yet here he was, standing like he didn’t quite know if he should come in or leave.
“Need something?” you asked, your tone light but genuine curiosity edging through.
He shifted his weight, rubbing the back of his neck—a rare gesture of uncertainty. His gaze was trained on the floor as if the sterile tile held answers to questions he didn’t want to ask out loud. Finally, he cleared his throat, looking at you with a seriousness that softened around the edges.
“I just…wanted to check in,” he said, voice quiet and strangely vulnerable. “You did good out there, you know.”
You raised an eyebrow, unsure if you’d heard him correctly. “Was that a compliment?”
A faint smirk lifted the corner of his mouth, though his eyes were softer than usual. “Don’t get used to it, Darling.”
You let out a small laugh, the tension loosening between you, but the lightness faded as you noticed the way he kept looking at you, like he was still holding back.
There was a charged silence, thick and filled with words unsaid, and it took all your strength not to look away from him. You didn’t want to be the one to break the moment, afraid that if you spoke too soon, whatever this was between you might shatter.
“Look, I…” he started, his voice barely a murmur as he took a tentative step forward. “I don’t know what we are, or what this is supposed to be.” He stopped, swallowing hard, his gaze never leaving yours. “But I know that seeing you go after that grenade… I thought—” He broke off, his jaw tensing, the words catching as he struggled to get them out. “It scared me, Doll. A lot more than it should have.”
The confession hung in the air, raw and weighty. Your heartbeat quickened, the vulnerability in his words hitting you like a tidal wave. Bucky was not someone who confessed easily, who bared his heart openly—and yet, here he was, doing just that. His expression was a careful mixture of hope and apprehension, like he was bracing for impact, expecting to be turned away.
Your lips curled into a teasing smile, but there was no mistaking the tenderness in your voice. “So…you care about me?”
He rolled his eyes, but the smirk on his lips was genuine, soft. “Yeah, Kitten. Guess I do.”
You felt a laugh bubble up, disbelief and relief mingling in equal measure, and for a second you forgot everything else—the mission, your injuries, the pain. The weight of his confession settled in, comforting and thrilling all at once. It felt like stepping into uncharted territory with him, a place you’d never thought you’d end up but were inexplicably drawn toward.
“Guess I care about you too,” you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper as you took a cautious step closer, your fingers brushing against his. His warmth radiated through the thin fabric of his sleeve, grounding you in this surreal moment.
He reached up slowly, his hand grazing your cheek as he cupped it gently, his touch hesitant, almost reverent. You held your breath as he leaned in, his gaze flickering from your eyes to your lips, as if asking for permission. And when you nodded, just the smallest of nods, his lips finally met yours, soft and warm.
The kiss was tentative, almost shy, but you felt the depth of it—the weight of every unspoken word and suppressed feeling finally laid bare. Bucky’s hands slid around your waist, pulling you closer, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as the kiss deepened. It was a mixture of relief, longing, and something stronger, something you hadn’t dared to name until now.
When you finally pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, his breath warm against your skin. The world felt quieter, smaller somehow, like it was just the two of you in that little medical room, safe from everything else.
He looked down at you, that familiar smirk creeping back onto his face. “So, Doll, do we go back to hating each other tomorrow? Because I think I’ll miss the arguments.”
You let out a laugh, rolling your eyes. “Hate to break it to you, Barnes, but I think we’re past the ‘hating’ part.”
“Oh, really?” He raised an eyebrow, his hand still resting on your waist as he leaned in, his voice a low murmur. “What part are we at, then?”
You felt your cheeks heat up, but you held his gaze, refusing to back down. “I think we’re at the part where you finally admit I’m the better agent.”
He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a thrill through you. “Not a chance, Kitten. But keep trying—I like seeing you all fired up.”
You shook your head, grinning, unable to stop the smile that seemed to come so easily around him now. “Guess I’ll just have to keep proving it, then.”
The two of you fell into a comfortable silence, the teasing banter dying down but leaving behind a new kind of warmth that you hadn’t felt before. You leaned against him, your head resting on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around you, holding you close.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight, you know,” he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper. The words held a quiet promise, one that felt surprisingly natural coming from him.
And for the first time in a long time, you felt truly safe—like you’d found a partner, an ally, someone who would stand by you no matter what. Whatever happened from here, you knew you weren’t facing it alone.
And somehow, that made all the difference.
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So, something a bit angsty for you guys - did we enjoy it? 🤔 Comments are really, really appreciated, they let me know what you want!
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genderqueerdykes · 2 hours ago
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i just wanted to take some time to let americans know that while it's okay to be bummed about the results of the presidential election, the entire reason elections are so publicized and televised like this is to try to keep you wrapped up in this bullshit so you will ignore and forget about reality. yes trump being elected sucks but the entire point of this is to keep your attention off of real issues that are happening in the real world
they WANT you to get sad and defeated whenever a bad candidate wins so that you become complacent. they want you to lose hope and give up and accept what is happening. they want you to get wrapped up in debates and other he-said-she-said nonsense that's all conjecture and spitballing so you'll ignore what's actually happening in the real world. trump can say he wants to do this, and say he wants to do that, but the real world is way more complicated than that. our government sucks but he's going to have to fight with the senate and house just like he did the last time he was elected. he's going to have to fight tooth and nail to try to get his unrealistic plans set into action, and it's not going to be any easier for him this time around than it was last time.
we don't know what will happen until we get there. the best we can do is continue to survive, and thrive, until we see change. all we can do is continue to care for and love each other until we see things in our environment genuinely changing. don't listen to what this man says he wants to do. he wants to scare you and make you think that he's almighty and unstoppable, but he's not. he's a human who is subject to the rules of the government machine he willingly walked into. you can't give up hope right now and abandon your friends and family and assume you should move or die to escape it.
most people's first reaction is to move when the candidate they don't like wins. which is fair, but it's also really important to stick with your friends and family. abandoning the people you love during a hard time will not make it any easier for you or them. sticking together during adversity is what makes it easier to overcome. and if and when it comes down to a revolution, we need your help to set that in motion. we can't start a revolution to make a change if there's no one left to try. we have to stay in order to be the change we want to see. stick by your friends and family. stick together. don't abandon each other- now more than ever we need to stick together.
this wasn't the "most important election of our lifetime." all of the ones before that were framed exactly that way, too. what this IS is the most important time to stick together and stand up for one another. there will never be a more important time like the present to stand together, stick up for each other, defend each other, and to be there for one another. marginalized groups will only get weaker if we abandon each other. we have to stick together to fight like hell for each other.
it's not all doom and gloom. nothing is over. we survived a prior 4 years under this man's presidency and we will survive another 4. it sucked before, and it'll suck again, but we will persist through this. the world will keep turning. the sun will keep rising. please remember that we are stronger together, and that a revolution cannot happen unless there are people to partake in it. if we want to make change, we can't run- we have to stand and face the adversity we wish to overcome.
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piccoloswifers · 2 days ago
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Piccolo X Reader
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Different ways you disturb Piccolo's meditation
TW: A little steamy at the end, some touching and kissing
Before you two become friends, you would often accidentally interrupt his mediation sessions
Multiple times you would accidentally stumble across Piccolo sitting quietly with his eyes closed, a slight twitch in his facial expression giving away the fact that you were noticed
You would apologize and try to make a graceful exit while he continued to try and ignore you, for the longest time you probably thought he didn't like you
Or you would end up having to purposefully go find him and interrupt him for one reason or another
"Sorry to bother you but..."
"..."
You would start bringing the kids with you to make things less awkward when you two had to interact, something that unintentionally brought you two closer
But once you two start to become closer and consider each other friends, then you start to seek him out without the social protection of the kids with you
You would often find an excuse to go see him, bringing him water and just sitting with him. Piccolo would make a big show of being annoyed but on the inside he was happy
On days he wasn't in the mood to talk, then he would just sit there and listen to you ramble, or you two would just sit together in comfortable silence
Otherwise, you two would talk all day, which was something he wasn't really used to but enjoyed it and looked forward to it the more he got comfortable with you
You two would talk until the sun went down and the night turned cold, your body calling it quits as you started to shiver. Something that made you upset because you wanted to spend more time with him
Reluctantly, you would call it a night and he would insist on walking you back, offering you his cape before realizing you probably couldn't handle the weight of it
If you can't handle it, then Piccolo will get flustered and extend his arm to you to try and keep you close to his body, keeping you warm while complaining that you should bring a jacket next time
You never do bring a jacket, and he never really insists on it
If you're able to handle the weight, then Piccolo will offer it to you every time, never saying anything about your lingering scent on the fabric and his scent on your body
He will sniff it once you're gone and feel embarrassed by his actions, but you're doing the same thing soooo-
Your budding feelings for each other start to build up even more during these little visits, the two of you aching for more but also super embarrassed with each interaction
Once you even brought an old school boombox and played music, singing and dancing along to it until Piccolo was forced to stop ignoring you
"Do you mind!?"
His brain stops for a moment as he watches your body move to the music, a smile on your face as you turn to look at him
"Not at all! Keep being a sour puss!"
He had gotten so annoyed that one moment he was sitting and the next he was suddenly right in your space, grabbing your wrist to get you to stop and using his other hand to grip your chin firmly
You both had froze in that moment, gazing at each other before eyes began to wander to full lips that parted sweetly at the attention...
...only for the music to break the moment, your favorite song playing and making you start to dance again, this time moving Piccolo with you
"Dance with me, Piccolo~!"
"I don't know how!!"
"I'll teach you!"
After you two become a couple, you still go and interrupt him while he meditates but he enjoys it openly and even gets pouty/grumpy if you don't do it
You'll need to come by and kiss his cheek while handing him a bottle of water at least once a day, or else he'll think you're upset with him
Some days, you'll walk up behind him and hug him, leaning all your weight on him and making him grunt softly as he reaches back to touch you
He'll guide you into his lap and wrap his arms around you, letting your hands wander up his chest, ghosting over his neck and cupping his cheeks
It's an act that soothes and grounds him more than any meditation, it makes his heart swell when he looks down and sees your blissful expression
Piccolo is content to keep you in his lap all day, your legs wrapped around him and your face buried in his chest, a clawed hand scratching soothingly down your back
If you try to leave, then his arms will tighten around you, and he'll grunt unhappily before reluctantly setting you down
On certain occasions, when you're in a heated mood, you'll seek him out, pressing your chest into his muscled arm and nipping playfully at his ear
A hot hand will stroke at his chest while you start to kiss at his neck before he catches your wrist, panting softly and visibly flustered
"Right now..?"
His voice already sounds rough with arousal, and you're suddenly pulled flushed against him, both of you already knowing the answer
You lean to accept a greedy kiss from him, his hands guiding themselves down your body and squeezing the plumper parts of it
You run a teasing finger along his jaw as you go in for another kiss, stopping just before your lips touch
"I'll show you a different type of training to meditate on...~"
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errorryx · 4 hours ago
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melodrama
read on ao3 | wild life, grumbo, 1.1k words
“I don’t like that one bit!” Mumbo tells him. “I’m all the friend that you need.”
And that’s when Grian gets an idea. A horrible, wonderful idea.
So maybe he had goals in mind. Maybe he had plans. Maybe he wanted this season to be something completely different from what it’s becoming. None of that matters anymore, because Grian’s self-control is shot to hell the second he hears those words. He should know better by now than to have faith in himself.
Here’s what matters now: Mumbo is Grian’s and Grian’s is his, to an extent that makes it hard to care about anything else. And Grian desperately wants to see how far Mumbo will go to keep it that way.
The wildcard ending early is the best excuse he could have hoped for. He goes back home with Mumbo and Skizz for the night, then sneaks out as loudly and obviously as he dares. Skizz could sleep through a hurricane, but Grian knows Mumbo will hear him. He doesn’t have to look back to know that Mumbo is watching as he slips out the front door.
Mumbo follows him up the cherry stairs. He’s making an effort to be quiet, but Grian can still hear soft footsteps behind him.
On top of the mountain, a red Scar awaits him. He’s sound asleep, but he’s still so very Scar, snoring softly, eyelids fluttering, one arm curled protectively around Jimmy beside him. There’s a part of Grian that wants to be in Jimmy’s place, or even Scar’s, but it’s not enough to lose sight of his objective. It’s not enough to forget the furious tension from the man standing behind him.
“I knew it,” Mumbo hisses, his voice barely above a whisper. “You are trying to leave us.”
He seems to be trying not to disturb the sleeping trio in front of Grian. But as always, Mumbo is careful but not careful enough. Lizzie twitches immediately, and Scar shifts in his sleep only moments after.
Grian turns around, not even bothering to feign surprise. “Shh,” he whispers back. “You’ll wake them up.”
“Fine,” Mumbo says, and stomps closer to grab Grian by the hem of his shirt. All the blood rushes to Grian’s head as Mumbo drags him away, past the giant parrots and halfway down the mountain. “There. Now explain yourself.”
He keeps a tight grip on Grian’s sweater, as if that’s enough to keep Grian somewhere he doesn’t want to be. It’s a good thing for Mumbo that Grian’s exactly where he wants to be right now.
“I just wanted to talk to Scar about something,” Grian says innocently. He doesn’t try to shake Mumbo off or push him away, just lets him do what he wants. “I don’t see why you’re making such a fuss about it.”
“You had plenty of time to talk to Scar all day,” Mumbo huffs. “The only reason to wait until the middle of the night is if you’re trying to ditch us.”
“So you really meant it, then.”
“Meant what?”
“You told me you didn’t want me to have other friends, remember?”
“And clearly I was right,” Mumbo says, “because apparently, your definition of ‘having friends’ means sneaking off in the middle of the night behind my back. Who knows what you would have done if I hadn’t caught you.”
“Who knows,” Grian echoes. “Certainly not me.” He’s not even lying; he didn’t plan on saying anything to Scar. He correctly assumed that Mumbo would stop him before that point.
Mumbo’s eyes narrow. “Don’t lie. You’re up to something, I know it.”
“Up to something? That doesn’t sound like me at all.”
“Just tell me the truth,” Mumbo says. “We’re supposed to be a team, Grian!”
Grian shrugs, unimpressed. “You want to know the real reason I went to visit Scar?”
“Yes, obviously.”
“It was just to get your attention. I wanted to see you freak out on me.”
Mumbo’s expression goes from anger to complete bafflement. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Really? You don’t get it?” Grian sighs at Mumbo’s blank stare. “Let go of me already and I’ll tell you.”
To his surprise, Mumbo listens. Now free to do as he pleases, Grian explains himself in the easiest way he can think of—he takes a few steps back and lunges, latching onto Mumbo with all four limbs.
It’s a close thing; Mumbo very nearly topples over. Grian folds his legs around Mumbo’s waist and rests his head on Mumbo’s shoulder, speaking softly in his ear. “It’s because I like when you’re being awful, you spoon.”
“You do?”
“Of course! I do it all the time, don’t I? I wouldn’t dish it out if I couldn’t take it.”
“Yes you would,” Mumbo says. “Repeatedly. Habitually, even.”
Grian sticks out his tongue at him, even though he knows Mumbo won’t be able to see it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You really like it, though?” Mumbo asks him. “I thought for sure you were getting sick of me.”
“Then why keep doing it?”
This question stumps him for a bit. Finally, Mumbo splutters out, “I suppose once I got started, I didn’t know how to stop.”
Grian can’t do anything but laugh at this answer. “See? Now you know how it feels!”
“It felt so natural,” Mumbo says. He’s starting to sound ashamed, and Grian can’t have that. “I didn’t even question it. Something must be wrong with me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Grian insists, leaning back to look Mumbo in the eyes. He has to wrap both hands around the back of Mumbo’s neck to do it, so he tries not to squeeze very hard. “In fact, I think you should get worse.”
“Well, I think you’re a terrible influence on me.”
“I think you like it.”
“I do,” Mumbo says, clearly distressed by this fact. “It’s horrible. This is not how we win a death game, Grian!”
Part of Grian wants to tell him that he’ll try his best to help Mumbo win, but he isn’t in the business of giving out false hope. Another part of him wants to try and convince Mumbo that winning isn’t worth the effort, but that approach could easily backfire. He’s left with only one option in the end, the same option as always.
Deny, deflect, distract. Keep the game-within-a-game going. Never leave time to stop and rethink.
“We could burn down the parrots tomorrow,” Grian suggests. “Kill some dark greens. Kick Skizz out of the group. Whatever you want.”
“I like the sound of all those things,” Mumbo says. “But I really only want one thing.”
Grian laughs. “Don’t worry,” he tells Mumbo. “It’s already yours.”
if you read this all the way through and enjoyed, please consider reblogging!
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hypernova-writes · 8 hours ago
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Im on my knees as i typing this, I NEED REQUEST THIS TO SOMEONE https://www.tiktok.com/@alecio.sun/photo/7432648182913355014?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7417049009333863944 fic where one day reader mischievously dailing random numbers on phone planning to be prankcall and it connected to blu sniper, they started off small talk and it turned become daily activites calling eachother talking random stuff, how their days been and turned into friends and more idk? I NEED HIM -🐈‍⬛
a/n: PLEASE I'VE SEEN THIS I WAS IN SHAMBLES MY POOR BABY- So yes I will write this because oh my god ;-;
I Just Called to Say, I love you. (BLU! Sniper x Reader)
based on this song (I used to play it all the time in my music class on piano-)
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It all started with a random number.
You were bored, and decided to start randomly calling numbers, dialing them just for fun.
You got a lot of no answers, a few people wanting to hold a conversation, pranking a few, a few angry people, but never more than that.
That was until one day, you called him.
At first you were just going prank him and tell him some shitty ass joke, until you heard him actually speak.
“Hey..can ya..maybe stay on the line wit me?”
You were confused at first, but you shrugged, what’s the harm in talking to the fellow? You could tell he had an accent, it was kinda cute. He sounded shy almost, surprised that someone else actually answered him.
“You know, I didn’t expect someone to ever call me.” “Huh? What do you mean?” You asked him, and he went silent for a bit before finally answering.
“Sometimes..I stand at the phone, waiting for hours, for someone to call..and you were the first to ever do so.”
You could feel your heart twist. You didn’t know why, but you felt drawn to this guy, feeling awful. Everyone should have someone to call home to.
And you wanted to be that person for him.
“Hey..What’s your name?” “Me?” “Yea you. You’re the only person on the other side of the line.” You joked, and that pulled a short chuckle from him.
“Mundy.” “Mundy? Well…I’ll be here whenever you need to call, I’m Y/n.”
He goes silent on the other side for a bit.
“Same time tomorrow?” “Of course.”
This started a steady routine between the two of you, like clockwork you would call, and it didn’t take him that long to pick up.
You learned he was a mercenary, a Sniper to be exact. You would sometimes hear his teammates in the background, asking him who he was talking to, trying to be nosey and interrupt to which he’d yell at them for.
You explained what you did for work to him, and you sighed. “It’s not as fun compared to your job, I bet you get to travel all the time.”
He chuckles at you, “Maybe, I do have my own camper, I drive alot. Tend to be sent on longer assignments. Thats why i’m late sometimes..”
“Oh no it’s okay! I can understand, sniping must be an interesting job though!” “Hmm. I guess so.”
He would ask you about your day all the time, excited to hear from you, even if you did something so mundane like laundry.
In reality, he just loved to hear your voice.
It felt so nice to actually have someone on the other end to listen to. He could listen to you read the most boring book in the world and he’d still be there, eagerly waiting for your call.
That’s when he realized, you were no longer just a friend that he would call everyday.
He was falling in love with you. And he didn’t know how in the world to say it. Hell he was just a stranger that you so happened to call one day! The two of you had just figured out how each other looked after sending letters when he couldn’t call one day.
You were beautiful, and he still felt like he didn’t deserve you at all.
“Mundy? You still there?”
Fuck. He didn’t realize he had zoned out, “Y-yea..I-’m still ‘ere sheila..Just thinking.” “Thinking about what?” You asked and he didn’t process his words before they just came spilling out of his mouth.
“How lucky I am..to get to hear your voice everyday.”
The phone went silent for a while and Sniper got worried as he tried to fumble to find the words to try and reign back the conversation when he heard you begin to giggle.
“Well..I’m glad to know..you feel the same way I feel about you..”
Sniper could feel the blush trail up on his face and he just knew his ears were bright pink, he hid his face as he leaned closer to the phone as if that would put him closer to you.
“Wa-wait? Really?..” he managed to get out. His heart felt like it was doing several backflips at once. He gripped his chest as he waited with bated breath for you next words.
“Mhm..I love talking to you…Just like..I love you.”
Sniper feels a grin slowly creeps on his face, he starts chuckling as he blushes. You said it. You said it..You loved him. Just as he did you.
“I hope you know, That i have to see you now.” “Well, You have the letter i sent right?” “Yea.” “Ill be waiting then.”
The call dropped and Sniper felt his lanky body move faster that it ever had before, he quickly went out to his camper and grabbed the letter, he then pulled out his map, seeing that you truly did not live that far, a 2 hour drive was nothing, he’d driven farther for missions. He could use the next cease fire day to go and see-
“YO SNIPES! PHONE!”
Sniper was confused, as he quickly ran back to the phone, snatching it from Scout who only rolled his eyes at him.
“..’ello?” “Just calling back to say, I love you~”
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I LOVED WRITING THIS SO MUCH MY HEART-
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rey-jake-therapist · 1 day ago
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Very interesting conversation...
You know what, it never ocurred to me that Gil-Galad looked suspiscious... I thought it was his normal face after a long day, and he often looks constipated so it didn't occur me that there could be something else... Okay also, I admit I despise this scene with all its forced fluff that smells like cheap patchouli, so I watched it only twice lol
But watching it now, it's true that Gil-Galad looks weird here... They're in a protected space, Galadriel is fine and has acted heroically, everybody's relaxed, I mean... Why the frowning face ? If I'm being objective, I say that he could look serious and worried because Sauron's got an army now, and as he explains, he could choose to attack Lindon. When Arondir asks Galadriel what they should do, Gil-Galad gently helps Galadriel to get up, and he still has that frown when he listens to her. But then, it seems to me that he looks at everybody like that, so I don't know if there's anything more to it, tbh. That said, he could have good reasons to fear that something's wrong with her : she has been stabbed by this thing ! And even if Nenya healed her, Gil-Galad would probably know that it's not a meaningless wound.
Before I develop my thoughts on the rest of this post, I need to specify something : when I said that Sauron wanted to punish Galadriel for previously rejecting and humiliating him (that kick in the face...), I didn't mean that punishment was the only purpose of the stabbing. I don't think that Sauron chose to fight carrying Morgoth's crown for kicks and giggles, or because he believed he'd need two weapons to beat Galadriel : he very clearly underestimated her, so stabbing Galadriel with this thing was his design since the beginning of the figh, imho. I'd say he knew that it would bind her to him, because he's the one who started talking mentally to her, and he didn't look surprised that he could do it.
What I take as a form of domination and of punishment, however, is the way he repeatedly turned the crown into the wound. To me it is very obvious, from he act itself and from his face when he was doing it, that he wanted Galadriel to feel powerless, and to suffer.
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It was to me a very literal interpretation of the line "turn the knife into the wound" : "look at what you've done ! See how you're powerless against me now, while you could have had so much power if you had taken my offer, just like I know you wanted.
There's also, I think to hurt her as much as she hurt him; because Galadriel DID hurt him, when she rejeted him twice.
It also echoes what he told Celebrimbor earlier : that when Morgoth tortured him, pain became a reward. He probably believes that her pain is a reward to her as well. He wants to play a battle of will with her.
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Another reward would have probably been her healing, once Galadriel would have given him Nenya. If it's admitted that his intention wasn't to make her a slave, I don't think it's a reach to assume he would have healed her body. Someone told me once that it was "romanticizing Sauron too much" to say that he would have healed her, but I don't think so, because he would have healed her as a reward, and it would have become something he could have psychologically used on her, later : "remember I healed you while I could have made it worse to you". Healing her would have been just another demonstration of the power he would have over her.
I remember someone noticed that Sauron also wanted her to look at him in the eyes while twisting the Crown into the wound. And for me it's one of the things that makes this scene not a parallel, but a mirror to the 1x08 proposal, during which he begged Galadriel to give him attention :
"Galadriel, come back to me ! Look at me !! Galadriel, look at me. You know who I am. I am your friend."
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It was basically Sauron's version of "I know I screwed up babe and you're mad at me now, but don't leave me please we can't make things right, just listen to me".
In 2x08 he's no longer asking, let alone begging. Now he decides she WILL look at him while he's taking possession of her (I said what I said). And him delivering this hearfelt speech to her, talking about "what you could have had" in the past tense is part of the punishment as well, imho.
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Also it aligns with what Charlie revealed about the fight even before the finals aired : that Sauron was petty that she rejected him, and that he would taunt her with what could have been. I believed he was referring to this scene, as well as his demonstration of power (he was literally peacocking during most of the fight).
I don't believe that Sauron wanted to make Galadriel his slave, because if it was his goal he would have just snatched Nenya like he did with the Nine, and waited for her soul to be drawn into the Shadow realm. After she fell, all he had to do was go down the cliff (which he could do very easily, being an ancient sorcerer, something that many seem to forget even though we saw him do incredible stuff in the S2), take Nenya away from her to make sure she wouldn't heal, and waited for the same result.
Did he want to share his powers with her ? I'm not sure that he even knew it would do that, tbh, so I can't say. He probably made a blood oath with Morgoth, but did he get some of Morgoth's powers too ? Or is what we see what he always had ? I'm fairly certain that he had no intention of making her a queen anymore, to rule Middle-Earth, or the Unseen world, or anything else, so we'll have to agree to disagree about that ;) Not when he so ostensibly wants her to submit.
I mean, everything in that scene expresses how he dominates her, which once again mirrors the finals of 1x08 where they were arguing on an equal footing.
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I think, however, that he wanted to be her Morgoth, which would make her his Mairon. This would explain why he wanted her to join him, still. Mairon joined Morgoth because he wanted to, he wasn't forced. He may have felt forced to stay after a long while (because as you said, he was bound to him and couldn't break a blood oath), but at the beginning, he was an enthusiast follower.
Mairon was made to be a follower, but at this moment he's deceiving himself into believing that he broke free of Morgoth, that he can be a leader in his own rights, and that everyone should bow to him and do what he says because only he can do what it takes to heal Middle-Earth. And this vision includes Galadriel as his enthusiast follower, imho.
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I'm convinced that Galadriel didn't "play him", by the way, when she took off her ring and handed it to him. I think for a short time, he indeed convinced her that she wanted to join him, because she believed in his goal to heal all Middle-Earth. But she finally snapped out of it (by her own will, imho, not because of Nenya) because 1) she doesn't want to be his follower ! Being queen was tempting, but his secretary who brings him coffee and newspaper every morning, no thanks man 2) and most importantly, his methods are awful and she doesn't want to play any part in this.
Regarding the question asked by @ghostinthetumbchine,
The blood oath, to be binding, requires the actual oath being spoken by the person making it. Based on Tolkien general ideas presented in the notes and letters I would assume that it would need to be done of free will to work. Whereas what happens after being stabbed with a morgul blade is different to a blood oath - its pulling incarnates fea into unseen and trapping them so that you can command them. So, i think it is viable that he - more or less purposefully - put some of his powers/spirit/essence into her there but i think it will work differently to a blood oath, if they want to keep the spirit of "your free will matters and no one can bind you against your will" Tolkien seemed to value
I'd agree with that, I must say. We keep talking about a "blood oath", but Galadriel didn't agree to it. She refused it once in 1x08, and by let herself fall off the cliff in 2x08, I think she also clearly expressed her disapproval. There were no words spoken before Sauron stabbed her with Morgoth's crown, he just... did it.
Every time I rewatch this scene, it reminds me of all the Vampire scenes I watched, because there's something quite vampiric about Sauron, when he stabs her and looks at her the way he does... But mostly, it reminds me of this scene of Interview with the Vampire, where Lestat bites Louis, almost bleeds him out, and only then tells him, "I'm going to give you the choice I never had". It's very fucked up, because this choice is hardly a choice : it's "become whatever I propose you to be, or die".
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For Lestat, it's an honest choice. But Louis has no clue what's this life Lestat proposes him to lead. He has no idea he will become a monster. There's a blood oath that happens here too, which will bond Louis and Lestat forever. Follows a very unhealthy albeit fascinating dynamics, rhymed with regular battles of will, very similar to what Galadriel would have had with Sauron if she had joined him in in 1x08 and even more after 2x08, imho. Because Sauron knows nothing else than this dynamic (that's what he knew with Morgoth, as he told Celebrimbor), it couldn't have been any other way.
I'm bringing up this comparison, because it can be said that Louis gave his consent, when he told Lestat he wanted to live, and drank Lestat's blood. But it was a dubious consent at best, because Louis wouldn't have found himself in this situation if Lestat hadn't jumped at his throat and bled him out. To me, it's a similar situation with Galadriel : I don't think it can be said that she consented to a blood oath only because a part of her wanted what Sauron had to offer.
So I'm also very curious to see how it will play out in season 3. If Sauron's surprised to see Galadriel become so powerful and if they realize it's because of what he did to her, or if he expected it, what hold can he have on her now that she's bound to him, but also, will she have an hold on him somehow ? They have many possibilities ahead of them... I hope they won't fuck this up.
Blood binding and Sauron’s intentions
My pal @rey-jake-therapist and I were in one of our usual friendly discussions about this topic in one of her posts, but since the theme digresses so much from her original intent and I’m pretty much spamming her OG post by now, we decided to move the debate to here, and invite the fandom to join in.
As customary, Rey always presents good and challenging counter-arguments to mine. Because it's possible to disagree and keep it civil and friendly. This is good fandom etiquette, and this is the point of debates, after all: sharing different ideas and perspectives on the same topic. We usually end up agreeing on disagreeing and it’s all good in the end.
What were Sauron’s intentions and goals in stabbing Galadriel with Morgoth’s crown in 2x08? 
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2x01 / 2x08 parallels: “Only blood can bind.” (Adar; 1x05)
1) Binding/Enslaving Galadriel to his Will
Rey made the case for Sauron’s intention of possessing and dominating Galadriel using Morgoth’s crown. And that we should focus on present intentions, and not lose yourselves in “what if” scenarios (with this I totally agree, so, let's focus on the present time).
This theory states that Sauron wanted to enslave Galadriel to his will, by having her handing over Nenya, in submission. This would explain why Galadriel seemed “bewitched” while removing Nenya from her finger, and almost surrendering it to him.  
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This means Sauron has “outgrown” his intentions from 1x08, when he wanted to serve Galadriel (due to his Maia nature; he was created to be a servant to a Vala). Now, he wants full power, and he’s not willing to share it with anyone else (Galadriel included):
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Sauron only wants to dominate/possess Galadriel now: she humiliated him when she refused him in 1x08, he developed an obsession for her, so he punished her with physical pain (the stabbing), and attempted to possess her so she would follow him.
And so, if blood binding theory is true, this would work like the Nine and the Nazgûl, with Galadriel not only being a servant, but a slave to Sauron. This theory can also imply she would have, indeed, become a Ringwraith herself, as her soul was entering the Unseen world (“Shadow realm”) when Gil-galad and Arondir found her.
This is a very strong theory, and I think many fellow fans share this view, as well. Would it pass Sauron to do something like this? Absolutely not, and it would not be OCC for him to have this intention, at all.
So what’s my problem, you might ask?
This facial expression right here:
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Unless Charlie was having a case of fatigue eyes due to extensive use of contact lenses (speaking from personal experience), there’s no explanation for Sauron getting all teared up when he believed Galadriel was about to join him, if his intention was to enslave her to his will, and that’s what he was doing here.
And no, Galadriel can’t deceive him. This is underestimating Sauron’s power: he’s the “great deceiver”, and only he can deceive himself, really. And if they are, indeed, blood bound, Galadriel couldn’t possibly hide anything from him. And I already made the case for how Galadriel was about to join him, freely, in another post.
2) “You bind me to the light, I bind you to power”
Speaking of Sauron’s intentions, we need to remember the creator of this character and what he says about him. Tolkien tells us (in Letters 131, 153 and 183) that “Annatar” still has “fair motives”: he’s a reformer who, truly, wants to rebuild/heal Middle-earth, and he’s genuine in this endeavor (nevermind his methods, that’s why he’s a villain). Rey counter-argumented this does not translate in a desire to serve Galadriel, and she’s correct.
However, what was his intention in 1x08?  
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And if Sauron still has a genuine concern in healing Middle-earth, what if his intention with Morgoth’s crown was giving Galadriel his power, while harvesting her light for himself, just like he wanted in 1x08? And if this was his intention, why would he keep her soul “trapped” in the Unseen world? What if he wanted to make her queen of the Seen and Unseen world? Not a mere queen of Middle-earth, but as nearly as possible to a literal Goddess he could serve?
Because Sauron/Mairon can’t escape his nature, he was created to be a servant, a Maia to a Vala. And, right now, he doesn’t want to serve Morgoth. Even though he does it, unconsciously, and perhaps he recognized this after he killed Celebrimbor in a rage fit (something that’s completely OCC for him, because that’s not who he is; Sauron is a control freak, a mastermind).
This scene with Galadriel happened after that; and Sauron cried because, when he looked up at Celebrimbor, all he could see was Morgoth’s bounds on him reaching the surface. And that chaotic destruction is Morgoth, not Sauron. And he doesn't want that at this point on his character arc in Tolkien lore. I think this is when Sauron makes the decision to bind himself to Galadriel, one way or the other.
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I absolutely disagree with the idea that Sauron stabbed Galadriel to punish her or kill her: if that was his true intention he would have used Morgoth sword (he was already using it in his duel with Galadriel the entire time), not a powerful dark magic object infused with own blood (because Adar used it to destroy his previous physical form), nor he would have carried that thing around the entire time while mentioning "binding" twice (“I never believed I could be... Until today. Fighting at your side, I... I felt... If I could just hold on to that feeling, keep it with me always, bind it to my very being, then I...” (1x06); “The door is still open”).
“Binding” (usually connected with “blood oaths”) and “enslaving” are two different kinds of blood magic. Because the Nine rings of power are pieces of jewelry meant to be worn by ring-bearers, with a small dosage of Sauron’s blood (along with other specific spells). Morgoth’s crown not only has a lot of Sauron’s blood on it, but we also don’t know what kind of dark magic it actually contains: we only know it was made to hold the Silmarils and it can destroy Sauron’s physical form (implying that, maybe, Sauron doesn’t have much control over this object?).
Sauron accidentally sharing his power with Galadriel is nonsense to me, as well. He's ancient, has been around since before the world existed (he helped create that very world), has been a master in blood magic and every sort of sorcery for thousands of years, and he’s one of the most powerful Maia in existence, but isn’t aware he would be giving Galadriel some of his power by binding himself to her? When he clearly mentions this in 1x08? "I bind you to power". Because Galadriel appears to be seeing the world in a whole new way in 2x08 epilogue (and even her eyes look off):
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Besides, Galadriel is suppose to be a powerful sorceress of her own right in Tolkien lore, mastering several powers. In the legendarium Galadriel own power was amplified by Nenya, yes, but this isn’t the case in “Rings of Power”, because we haven’t seen her displaying any magical powers in Season 1. She won’t have any other powers in the show (besides healing and foresight/visions), completely cutting off with Tolkien legendarium? If the show keeps it true to the lore on that bit, where did her powers (look into others’ hearts and minds, and communicate telepathically) come from? Will they “magically” appear out of nowhere? When and how? But, if these powers came from Sauron it’s because he wanted it to happen, and that was his intention. And if that was his intention, what was his purpose with this if not to serve her?
And Sauron does share power: he does share his power with those he wants to enslave; via the rings of power. That’s why Celebrimbor tells him he’s their prisoner, and not their master. However, these are two very different kinds and degrees of magic. Because with the rings ("enslave") he can control how he wants it to go; while sharing his actual power with another living being ("blood oath") is uncontrollable. He can’t possible know the end result of it.
I know there’s a popular theory that Adar was blood bound to Sauron, but I don’t think so. Adar not only doesn't have any magical powers, but he wouldn’t be able to kill Sauron himself, if that was true. Blood binding is a blood oath, and it’s forever, unbreakable, and it prevents beings from harming or acting against one another (physically) in any direct way. That’s why “Rings of Power” introduced the clue that Sauron might be blood bound to Morgoth in 1x03; and that’s the reason he could never leave nor forsake his master even when he came to resent him.
This means, that, in "Rings of Power", Sauron, most likely, only has Morgoth as a reference to blood oaths. And he probably thinks this will go the same way with Galadriel, and he’ll keep her light to himself, allowing him to keep Morgoth at bay. Only her “light” is merely aesthetic, really. The light that shines on her hair and eyes is the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, and it shines on every Elf that was born during the Years of the Trees (and not only her). Because Galadriel is a complex and nuanced character, and ticking bomb that can turn dark at any minute.  
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the-one-with-spider-brainrot · 10 months ago
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Something about acceptance and moving forward idk
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rassebers · 2 years ago
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So, who's paying?
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carnivalcarriondiscarded · 1 year ago
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What was Lights out! Frank's reaction to crazy ass Lights out! Wally?
ah i wouldn't call him crazy, Wally's just desensitized to the Horrors and acts accordingly. which is occasionally a little unhinged. but no yeah Frank has a proper freakout <3 he has a hard time adjusting to certain aspects of.... everything. including Wally yeah
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(don't bother trying to read this i know its terrible handwriting lmao, it's p much just to show Frank's spiral <3)
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possamble · 7 months ago
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realizing im kind of a weirdo about laios and marcille
#possramble#ignore this im just babbling but#the thing is that like. i don't ship laios and marcille together. their relationship is so so important to me in that laios comphets himsel#and THINKS that he might be in love with her but he isn't and that's my insane obsession#platonic soulmates for real but they're so sweet together that i fully expect them to be shipped together#like i get it. that's almost the appeal for me. if dungeon meshi were any other series there'd be an epilogue where they get married#convention dictates that they're meant to be together as the male protagonist and his beloved female deuteragonist#but dungeon meshi DOESNT do that and i love it so fucking much they're the comphet besties ever for my strange little brain#like if i ever did an arranged marriage au it would absolutely be laios and marcille having a platonic political marriage and then just#the most insane mutual pining with marcille and falin while laios and marcille struggle their way into becoming best friends#the imagery of the king and his beautiful court mage being tender to each other and everyone thinking they're in love is like catnip to me#like yeah they'd be like that and have no idea people think they should be together and the subversion makes me so obsessed#the more people ship them romantically. the more i enjoy their platonic dynamic it's like some sort of weird comphet fetishism idk#people think they're in love and im outside the window like YES... YES!!!#but also the second i see stuff of them kissing on the mouth or fucking im like oh god no i went too deep in here i gotta get out#don't wanna see that. i'll go feral over the idea of laios and marcille being arm-in-arm like king and queen but they would not fuck.#i want marcille to be his default comphet beard and dance partner/plus one at official royal events but they're not kissing.#she's there on his arm because he's scared of the other noble women tryna get him and being a baby about it#and people see them muttering to each other and laughing and generally being very sweet and think that they're dating but they're not.#she's actually covered in hickies from falin underneath her dress and is gonna get dragon dicked right after the party is over#like she's in her bedroom and falin's helping her take her ridiculous dress off while listening to her complain about politics#and falin is the person she goes home to the person she falls asleep to and wakes up with#they're a triad of utter devotion to each other but only farcille's side of the triangle is romantic#it's almost like an open secret because they're not trying to hide it at all but people assume and are surprised to find out#like people are so right about her relationship with the toudens but with the siblings' roles switched#love of her life & irreplaceable life companion. does anyone get it#anyway. i don't know what's wrong with me#it bothers me that they're not the undisputed most popular het ship for marcille on ao3#it's unnatural. marcille being paired with any other man should be a fringe case.
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felignis · 1 month ago
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i think chappell roan enforcing her boundaries to creepo parasocial fans is so fucking awesome and based and she should be allowed to do whatever she wants forever
#seriously i never see artists (regardless of what type of art) enforcing these boundaries and making people listen#also ive just become aware people are mad at her for not getting involved in political stuff???#hey i think perhaps people should form their own opinions and not base their life choices on what a celebrity they dont even know says?#its not like celebrities are your trusted royal advisors man go think about it yourself.#i was going to say “if taylor swift told you to vote for a specific person would you listen” but thats a bad example isnt it#i think swifties just do whatever she says man#i think a lot of people really need to perhaps consider looking into what THEY THEMSELVES think of political candidates#and form their OWN opinions through research if theyre not sure on who to vote for#and not just immediately look to a random celebrity or public figure for what to do#has anybody considered like this isnt celebrities' business????#youre not at fucking daycare or highschool its not their responsibility to show you how to use critical thinking or form opinions#these arent your family members. these arent your friends. theyre just people a lot of people know about.#seriously man...i plan on attaining some fame from my projects eventually. its not gonna be my job to do that anymore than any other artist#my job is to draw furries not kiss the fans and tell them what to think. thats not my business.#even if i disagree with someone's views its still not my business my business is drawing furries.#theres a difference between using your platform to talk about issues and literally fucking telling people how to vote.#basing all your life choices on what celebrities think is gonna get you in a deep fuckin hole and do you no good. look at things 4 yourself#Sorry im kind of ranting here. am i sorry actually? no i think this needs to be said and im sayign it#and im not basing that on what popular figures think either! im basing that on what i think! which is what more people should do!#why dont we look at this from the perspective of like...streamers instead. cause people are weird towards streamers too#if i were to go up to a streamer or youtuber and ask them who to vote for#if i went up to fucking markiplier or vinny vinesauce and asked one of them who to vote for you'd all think i was deranged.#celebrities can also be wrong about shit!!! or be shit people!!! this is not me attacking anyone here!!#please consider the fact they are literally just people and theyre not some all seeing omnipotent god figures#you could go and ask nicki minaj who to vote for. or doja cat. you could just as well go and ask your boss who to vote for. or a neighbor!#and either way you dont need to base your life choices based on what that person says!#you still need to think for yourself!#but i think if youre gonna ask someone who to vote for it should be someone you know personally. not a pop star. not a gamer. not an artist#if youre gonna base your opinions on that of other people base it on the opinions of people you trust. people who know you.#people who are really there for you.
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another weekend, another job rejection!
#and now no more positions are open to apply to! for now at least. some more will probably drop soon. fuck i hope so.#love just. being fucking unable to even make it into the interview phase for my extraordinarily lofty career goal#Of Working In A Fucking Library#just. so thrilled.#kazoo noises#anyway tomorrow morning i have to find a time to talk to my rabbis bc if i dont figure shit out i have to pick between becoming jewish or#graduating on time and i have fucking NO ONE i can talk to this about and ive used up like all of my good will in all of my personal#relationships already and i am So Fucking Sick of feeling mean and petty and evil all the time but my options are either fucking smile and#be noticeably fake optimistic when i get called on my bullshit or burn like all three of my last remaining bridges#i just dont see why i cant even make it to interviews. like i can accept not being the right fit or whatever. but like. it really kinda is#everyone but me whos employed by now.#man. like listen. its not my professors fault. i get that i've got her in a bad position.#but she said ''sometimes we have to pick between sources of joy'' like MAN--#do NOT speak to me about that. absolutely the FUCK not.#you! are employed and have been in this field for over a decade and i work in a grocery store with no sign of luck changing.#i need to be in this section bc 1) im not fucking doing academia with a gun pulled on me#2) i need to actually get some kind of professional experience since its clear i can't actually get a job on merit so i guess i will pay to#go further into debt#anyway no one is around to talk to me about this and i hate bitching to my friends about how fucking hopeless i feel all the fucking time s#everyone please look away from my diary posting and think of me as sexy and fun and bubbly <3333#like. its literally no ones fault so i should not be this fucking resentful.#and yet.#yeah im probably not getting classed as a good person for another several years. shame. ive always wanted to be good.#library travails
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anastacialy · 5 months ago
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y'know, i keep making a habit of swinging my bat at hornets nests, but i have to say i'm getting so, so tired of people complaining about shows not making perfect sense when they aren't even close to done. we're four episodes into this season of doctor who. we're four episodes into this season of bridgerton. and yet in both fandoms i keep seeing people whine that such and such didn't make sense or it wasn't explained all the way and by god you guys i think maybe explanations might come later in the season. this is something most viewers will recognize as being called a 'plot.'
#like maybe a tiny bit of media literacy... might save you#and if you think i'm being mean like. its okay if you don't get it at first. it's okay if you don't understand the themes. but maybe#instead of stamping your feet and saying this makes no sense and i hate what they're doing and and and#maybe you could try listening to other people's interpretations of things and you'll find that what the show is trying to tell you becomes#more clear! would you look at that. wild how that happens#like im sorry you're entitled to your opinions but calling things bad writing just because you don't quite get it or it doesn't resonate#with you personally... i don't think you should just say this was shitty and worthless#the examples im using are because both resonate with me btw. 73 yards was existential horror it was hill house and bly manor#(im going to write about this in another post btw bc it compels me so)#it was about the way fear of abandonment can haunt you how mental illness can haunt you how you feel like you can drive people away#just by being yourself (the Woman was Herself what caused ruby to be abandoned was Her it's about her feeling as though she was the cause#of everyone who left her even as a baby even the people who loved her most could decide to not love her at the drop of a hat)#colin bridgerton is masking and faking a personality because it has been proven that time and time again#being Himself is Wrong that he annoys people he makes himself into what people expect of him because he's tired of being abandoned too#his family ignores and does not reply to his letters this season PEN stopped replying to his letters#his brother was cruel to him for being a romantic his friends LAUGHED AT HIM for saying sex is meaningful to him and don't they feel lonely#his Fake Rake persona makes viewers cringe because! its!! fake!!! he's faking it! HE GETS CALLED OUT ON IT TWICE IN EP ONE#if you don't understand he's faking it then that's on you at that point! i don't know! maybe take a minute to sit in the discomfort and ask#why did this show make me react this way and do you think maybe it was on purpose#''73 yards was confusing'' do you think confusion may be one of the ways ruby feels about her abandonment?#there is a theme in all of her episodes so far is it ''badly written'' unclear to you or do you just refuse to think critically about it#txtly#and im sorry for tagging this its just for my blog i kinda wish they still didnt show up in tags if i tag them all the way at the bottom#[old lady ruby voice] ''i used to be able to tag things just for myself once upon a time''#bridgerton#bridgerton spoilers#doctor who#doctor who spoilers
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