#i unfortunately can't make any promises on when the next part will come out but hopefully soon!!
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goldendoodlerlockerlove · 11 months ago
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Woohoo!! I finally have the next part of my comic ready (finally).
I can't even remember how long it's been since my last update (too long, I think).
I changed up Gene and Alexis' designs because I think it was high time for an update in their look. I'll always kind of be nostalgic for the original, digital designs, but I feel as if I've improved a lot as an artist since then.
Tumblr didn't feel like cooperating with me today, so I had to use a Google Drive link to show this off.
[ID]: Paper fanart of Gene from Bob's Burgers and Alexis, an OC. Alexis wears large, curved glasses, and has a tall and skinny frame with a skittish demeanor. A comic can be seen, with the first page consisting entirely of Alexis. They are sitting sideways in a chair with a concerned expression and thinking God, I hope Gene never finds out I wrote that note... I could never live down the embarrassment... Can you imagine what his reaction would be?
On Page Two, an imagine spot of Gene can be seen with an angry expression. He's saying, "Us? Together? Pfffft, maybe in an Alternate Universe. No way, Alexis." Then, in the next panel, the actual Gene can be seen trying to get Alexis' attention. He asks, "Alexis? Do you want to come over after school?" Alexis has a shocked expression on their face on the next panel, and says, "You actually want me to come over? Me? Are you sure?" Gene responds off-page, "Yes, silly!"
On Page Three, the last page, Gene can be seen again, a grin on his face and sporting a casual pose. He says, "My sisters really want to figure out who's been sending me random, secret, sweet notes in my locker. When we got back from lunch, we found another one. They think you're a good mystery solver." The next panel shows a note to back up Gene's claim, and it says: I hope you keep playing your music more than anything. ~Your Secret Admirer. The note is also adorned with music notes, and there's a heart after the words Your Secret Admirer. The next panel shows Gene and Alexis together in a side view, and Alexis says while blushing, "Wow, it could really be anyone." They are thinking at the same time: Oh my God. We're so close right now. Gene responds, "I know, right? That's why we need your help. Are you in?" The next panel shows just Alexis, still in a side view, and looking very nervous. They're thinking: Don't say yes, oh God, I can't go to his house yet. But at the same time, they say, "I... uh... I'd love to." Then they think: Dang it.
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osarina · 10 months ago
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ᥣ𐭩 OFFICE ESCAPADES
FEATURING: dazai osamu
SUMMARY: dazai decides to take advantage of everyone leaving the office for lunch to get some much needed time with you. you know it's a mistake, and that you're going to get caught, but you can't bring yourself to deny him—you never can. (wordcount: 1kish; nsfw)
AUTHOR'S NOTES: i was going to give you guys a long one shot today but i got cold feet unfortunately </3 maybe next week i'll have the balls to post it. for now, take a lil drabble i wrote
GENERAL WARNINGS: fem!reader, public ??? not sex but it was getting heated
“They’ll all be back any minute,” you whisper, voice breathless as you feel Dazai’s lips drag down your neck, soft and wet as he sucks and nips at your skin. 
He only responds with a hum, and you know your words probably aren't even even registering through his head. You think that you should be more insistent—push him back and get off of his lap, because Kunikida will be livid if he comes back to the office to find the two of you in a compromising position, and Yosano and Ranpo will never let you hear the end of it. But it’s hard to focus with Dazai’s tongue tracing patterns on your neck, with his fingers digging into your hips as he grinds you down on his cock.
His touch is dizzying, fogging your mind of all common sense, and he’s been testing your limits all morning so really, how can you blame yourself for finally giving in to a little release?
It started with subtle brushes and lingering touches that set your skin aflame, then came the lidded stares as he watched you instead of doing his work, and finally, just before lunch break, when you went into the kitchen to grab some water, he followed you right in under the guise of grabbing a snack from one of the upper cabinets. He caged you against the counter and pressed his body against yours as he reached above you, the outline of his cock pressing into your ass for a few seconds too long before Kunikida started yelling for Dazai to hurry up. 
“It’s fine, bella,” he finally murmurs against your skin, acknowledging your words. “Relax.”
“It’s not-“ You try to say, but Dazai doesn’t even give you the chance to finish the sentence, lifting his head from your neck to capture your lips with his. 
And if his touches are dizzying, his kisses are addicting. Your eyes flutter shut when you feel his lips moving against yours, painfully slow but you feel like you can’t even breathe, tongue brushing along your lower lip to get you to part them for him. You think you could kiss him forever and never get enough of it. 
His hands slip beneath your shirt, warm palms sliding up and down your sides as if to try to calm you down.  
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, breath hot against your lips as his eyes trace yours, lidded and hazy. “Heaven-sent.”
“Osamu,” you protest, a bit flustered. Dazai is always poetic and flowery with his compliments but heaven-sent?
Dazai lets out a soft noise, you can’t tell if it’s a moan or a shaky breath as his hips jerk up enough to make your body shudder. God, this is so bad, you know it and you know he knows it even if he won't admit it. This needs to stop before anyone walks in but neither of you can drag yourself away from the other.
“It’s the truth,” he replies, reverence dripping from his tone as he stares up at you, dark eyes wide with an emotion so intense that it has your breath catching. “You’re divine, utterly angelic. You’re not meant to be with someone like me. I’ll ruin you.”
You can’t tell if it’s a warning, a threat or a promise—maybe a combination of all three. Your fingers trace his cheekbones as you cup his face, eyes searching his as you ask with a teasing smile, “What if I want you to?”
The reaction is instantaneous—Dazai’s eyes darken, pupils dilating as he stares up at you. His grip on your hips tightens just a bit. 
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Dazai rasps, his voice is a bit lower, a far cry from the loud dramatic tone he usually took—heat pools in your lower stomach as you let out a soft puff of air.
“I do,” you reply, leaning down to nip his jaw, relishing in the way he instinctively lets his head fall back, baring his throat for you. You kiss down to where his bandages peek out from under his shirt, before trailing back up to the spot behind his ear that makes him writhe, smiling against his skin when you hear the soft, pitched moan that spills from his lips. “I want you to ruin me, Osamu. In every possible way you can.” 
Dazai’s lips part to respond, but he doesn’t get the chance. The office doors slam open and Kunikida is shouting: “You two have no decency!”
You throw yourself off of Dazai’s lap, flustered and hot as you fix your shirt and make your way back over to your own desk, ignoring Yosano’s cat calls and Ranpo’s snickering.
Your fingers tremble as you log back into your computer, but it’s hard to concentrate when you can feel Dazai’s gaze on you even as Kunikida shouts at him. 
You peek over one last time—he’s resting his head on on his hand as he stares in your direction, gaze lidded and so intense that you can barely bring yourself to imagine the thoughts that might be running through his head. 
When he catches you looking, the corner of his lip quirks up into a smirk, and you think, balefully, that there’s no way you’re going to last another six hours of work with him looking at you like this.
And more importantly, there’s no way you’re going to survive the night with him now that he's being given six hours to come up with countless ways to ruin you. 
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broke-art · 11 months ago
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Macaque x Fangirl reader
"You must be my biggest fan." The hooded storyteller leaned down next to your seat. "I hope that journal isn't to steal my stories." He gestures to the open notebook in your lap.
"What?! No! No of course not." You promised hurriedly. "Your stories are so good but, they're yours. I couldn't tell them half as well. No I'm-" paused trying to collect your thoughts. You certainly had been taking notes but not to steal anything. It's just the story reminded you so much of someone.
The hooded figure smiled indulgently.
"And who is that?" He asked clearly meaning the sketches next to your notes.
Some heat flared to life in your cheeks.
"Oh that is my depiction of the six earred Macaque." You explained ensuring to keep your eyes glued to the journal. "He was the brother of the monkey king? Played a super important role." You rambled. "Actually your story reminds me of-" the words died in your throat as you saw his grin slowly turn into a slight frown.
"You.....you know about the six earred Macaque?" He said slowly.
You nodded slightly.
"He's my favorite. It's really unfortunate how he died." You mumbled with a shrug.
The figure seemed to flinch a bit but when you looked at him he pasted on a grin that felt a touch forced.
"Sooo....you're a fangirl?"
A blushed burned at your cheeks and you tensed.
"I wouldn't call it that!" You shook your head adamantly.
The figure chuckled.
"Hey it's nothing to be ashamed about. Although-" He sat next to you thoughtfully touching a hand to his chin. "Why does my story remind you of him?"
You blinked.
"Uhm well it's pretty well known that when Sun wukong and Macaque parted ways it wasn't under the most...ahem....amiable conditions."
For a moment you thought you heard the man mutter under his breath, 'No kidding' But you couldn't be sure.
"But Macaque was still pretty renowned in his own way and when they did work together they were virtually unstoppable!" You slipped into explanations and gushed about how cool you believed the monkey brothers were.
That was until your own brother ran into the theater.
"Y/n! I can't find Mei or the others any-" He stopped short suddenly and summoned his staff.
"Macaque. I should have known."
"Wha-"
"Get away from my sister. Now." M.k growled twirling the staff.
A low chuckle sounded behind you making you stiffen and slowly turn.
The man pulled back the hood to reveal a black monkey with purple eyes and a wicked grin.
"Ohohoho sister huh?" He looked at you with a risen brown and you felt your gut twist in knots.
"So... Fangirl." He addressed you stepping towards you. "Ready to meet the real deal?"
"I said-" Gold flared around M.k just before he launched at Macaque. "Get back!"
You screamed and raised your arms as purple and gold magic clashed and the resulting sonic blast threw you back into the bleachers.
"Careful there, bud." Macaque's mockery reached you just as your shadow morphed under you. "Wouldn't want someone to get hurt !"
At the last word the shadow opened a portal in the floor.
With a gasp you reached for M.k as you fell only to see him lunge for you.
"Y/N!" He shouted only for his fingertips to just brush your own before the world vanished into a void of black.
You came to with a groan touching a hand to your head.
"M.k you've got some explaining to do." Pigsy groused somewhere in the background as you got your bearings. Slowly, as the world righted yourself you spotted your journal.
You picked it up carefully as M.k dashed out the doors for some unknown reason. You flicked through the pages and froze on your latest page.
'To my biggest fan. Thanks for coming to the show. Was nice to hear someone remembers me. ' - Macaque.
You blinked and despite yourself you smiled slowly. Perhaps you really were a fangirl.
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golden-cherry · 2 years ago
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deal - cl16 (9/?)
Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader
Series Summary: Your whole life has gone to shit. Your boyfriend broke up with you, you just lost your job and the Monegasque, who suddenly stands in your doorway, claims that it’s his apartment.
Chapter Summary: Finding an outfit is harder that it seams. Especially when your roommate can't really help you, because he's at his other apartment.
Warnings: fluff, angst (whoops), mentions of cheating (not Charles), mentions of smut (oral, fingering, p in v), angry Charles, text messages
Word Count: 3.6k
series masterlist
previous part
A/N: here it is friends. did my absolute best and honestly, I'm sweating so hard. I chose the name for Charles ex bc it’s the name of the girl my best friend absolutely despises. and this is not a Charlotte hate acc. hope you like it still. feedback is appreciated!
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The weather app on your phone is of relatively little help. 
Charles had said that you were going out to dinner around eight o'clock in the evening, and according to the app, it should still be fifteen degrees then, even though it's December. While he had said that "it doesn't matter what you wear," but if you were going to be spending more time with him soon, and by extension his friends, you would want to make a good first impression. 
Not that your first impression on Charles was particularly good. 
Since you promised Charles that he could sleep in his bed tonight, you try to keep the mess of clothes to a minimum. Instead of pulling each piece of clothing out of the closet and then tossing it into the nearest corner because it doesn't match what you had in mind, you put things neatly folded back in their place. 
After your roommate left the apartment, you started cleaning up your room so it wouldn't be too embarrassing if Charles stayed there tonight. After all, he doesn't need to see your underwear or the little stuffed animal turtle that sleeps in bed with you. Generally things that maybe old friends know about you, but definitely not the roommate you've been living with for two days.
The roommate who is no help to you when it comes to choosing clothes for tonight. Since he hasn't told you which restaurant it is, you don't know exactly what the dress code looks like, which is why you're now standing in front of the closet at a loss. 
In Monaco, when it comes to restaurant choice, anything is possible. You could dine at Le Louis XV, the most expensive restaurant in Monte-Carlo, or Jack Monaco, which is significantly cheaper, but you have a direct view of the harbor with the oversized and expensive yachts.
Secretly, you hope it won't be too expensive tonight. Joris would pay you back the rent soon, but you're still unemployed and unfortunately can't live quite as carefree Charles, who apparently has enough money at his disposal to have not one, but two apartments in Monaco. 
A fact that you would never blame him for. 
When you can't find anything that would theoretically go with any restaurant visit, you drop onto the bed, annoyed. It can't be that hard to find something, right? You fish your cell phone out of the pocket of your sweater and start typing. 
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Briefly, you consider actually sending the message, but alas, you're so desperate that you feel you have no choice. You hit send and are about to throw the phone across the room as if you've just confessed to your school crush that you like him. 
But Charles isn't your school crush. He's your roommate and first and foremost your friend, which is why you just drop the phone on the bed next to you. 
You sit up and narrow your eyes as you go through the clothes in the open closet. Somewhere in there is a pair of dark gray, straight-cut jeans that match the white blouse you carefully hung back on the hanger a few minutes ago. 
And sure enough. After a few minutes of rummaging around in the clothes, you find the jeans and as you hold them up next to the blouse, you're relatively pleased with the choice. There should also be shoes floating around somewhere that should go with them. But at least this is a good start. 
Satisfied, you clean up the rest of the room. Since Charles has not invited you to dinner, but also to a club, you will certainly be home late, so you decide to make up Charles' bed. Your bedding disappears into the hall closet after you take Charles' things out. As you bring them into the bedroom and spread them out on the bed, you find yourself briefly considering pressing your face into the pillow. For sure, Charles smells attached to it. 
But before you can do that, your cell phone vibrates. It's a message from Charles. 
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Your heart skips a beat. Do friends give each other compliments like that? You glance from your phone to Charles' pillow, then to your outfit for tonight. You bite the inside of your cheek and start typing. 
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You plug your phone into the charging cord as you head toward the bathroom to shower and get ready for the evening, so you don't see the two messages Charles sends you.
-
The Ferrari feels different somehow. After Charles sat in your old Renault yesterday, the expensive Ferrari feels strange under him. Not wrong, but different. Like something is missing. 
He feels the stares on him as he steers the car through the streets of Monaco. The gray Ferrari attracts attention, with its red and white stripes and the number 16 on the side. But not just because the 488 Pista Spider is a beautiful car. 
But because people know who owns the car.
The fact that you don't know that Charles is the Charles Leclerc is refreshing for him, but the guilty conscience gnaws at him. He should tell you that he drives in Formula 1, because after all, you would be dragged into the limelight by him, should people find out that you are friends and, above all, that you live together. Before that happens, he should at least give you the opportunity to get out of it. 
But Charles is too selfish for that. 
Even though you've only known each other for a short time, Charles enjoys your company too much to mess it up. You're so normal, so kind, without asking for anything in return like most want him to do. You're just you. And by God, he's never felt better than in his short time with you. 
He expertly steers the Ferrari into a parking garage entrance, where he has to type a pin into the designated keypad next to him before the barrier. The barrier opens so that he can drive a few meters further, where a metal gate awaits him, where he also has to enter a pin - a different one. Only then does he reach the parking lot that rightfully belongs to him. 
It has been some time since he has been here. After driving the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi about three weeks ago and becoming vice world champion, he had stayed on site for a short time to soak up some sun and recover from the stress before flying back to Maranello with his team for a final briefing and to discuss the upcoming season. But even that only lasted a few days. He could have been back in Monaco by now. 
But he didn't want to. 
He knew exactly what was waiting for him here. A conversation he wanted to delay as long as possible. He didn't stay away from Monaco for so long for no reason, and he wondered if he hadn't returned too soon. But he can't, first, avoid this conversation, and second, stay away from his home. He loves it here too much for that. Just like other things he'd rather not think about right now. 
In the elevator, he puts his key in the designated hole and then presses the button with the number of the floor where his apartment is located. Just a few weeks ago, he thought that if he entered this building again, his heart would be beating wildly in his chest or his palms would be sweaty, but he is not even nervous. 
He knows what's waiting for him behind the elevator door. And he's ready to wrap things up.
Charles enters the apartment as he has thousands of times before. And just like hundreds of times before, he hears the sound of footsteps on the floor moving quickly in his direction. But never before has he felt this indifference to those footsteps. 
"Charles?" A woman comes out of the room where the living room is located and rushes toward him with her arms outstretched. When she reaches him, she wraps her arms around his torso to hold him close, but Charles puts his hands on her shoulders and gently but firmly pushes her away. "Charles, I'm so sorry. What I did is inexcusable and I will-"
"'You won't do anything,'" he interrupts her, wishing he could jump in the shower to wash her touch off him. "I'm just here to get some things. And to ask you to stop calling." He walks past her down the hall and into the room where his clothes are. 
"And I told you I would do everything I could to make this right between us," the woman says as she follows him. She places herself in the doorway with her arms crossed as he packs some of his clothes into a large gym bag. "I'm not ready to give up on us yet, Charles. I love you."
Charles can't stop the laughter that escapes him. After stuffing several pairs of socks into his side pocket, he turns to her and puts a hand on his hip. "You gave us up when you fucked that guy, Annika. And dare you to talk about love. You don't even know what that is."
As his phone vibrates in his pocket, he fishes it out. A message from Y/N. He doesn't even notice that a small smile creeps onto his face at that. 
But she does. "Who's that? Do you have a new one already?" 
Charles quickly types a reply and presses send before turning back to his clothes. "No," he says coldly. "And even if it were, it wouldn't be any of your business."
"Of course it's my business!" Annika almost screeches as she takes a few steps toward him. "I'm your girlfriend, after all!"
"You," Charles zips up the bag and stands in front of her, "are the absolute last person I want anything to do with." He pushes past her into the hallway, where he drops the bag on the floor to go into the bedroom, where some odds and ends are waiting for him to take as well.
Annika follows him like a dog follows its master. "And why do you let me stay here then?"
"Because I'm nice."
"You're not that nice. We both know that."
Charles looks at the picture frames sitting on the windowsill. Among them is a picture of him and his father when Charles was little and went karting. It's a fond memory that he certainly doesn't want to leave here with her. "I've changed."
In disbelief, Annika laughs. "Never. In the two years we were together, I asked you so many times for things that should have been natural for a relationship, but what came from you? Nothing." Now it's her turn to put her hands on her hips. "You're so focused on your job that you don't notice what's going on around you! If you had paid more attention to me, then-"
"Then what? Then you wouldn't have slept with that idiot? Then we would have been happy forever? Peace and happiness?" Charles takes some pictures out of the frames and carefully lays them on top of each other so they don't scratch. He would leave the frames here, after all, they were gifts from Annika. And he definitely doesn't want to keep them. "Grow up, Annika. You knew what you were getting into from the start."
"But not that I have to share you with the whole world." Slowly, she walks toward him and as she stands in front of him, she places her perfectly manicured hands against his chest. "You're all I've ever wanted, Charles. But you were never there. And even when you were there, your mind was always at work or somewhere else, but never with me."
She's not exactly wrong about that. The season had cost him quite a few nerves and he definitely hadn't been a good boyfriend, and maybe none of this would have happened if he had paid more attention to her. But that's definitely not a justification for what she did. Charles knows his worth. And that's exactly why he clasps Annika's wrists with his thumbs and forefingers to take her hands off him. 
"For not being a good boyfriend, I am truly sorry." He drops her hands. "But that's no reason to cheat. You and I are done." Charles leaves the bedroom and grabs his bag in the hallway before heading for the elevator door. 
"You're leaving? Just like that? Throwing away two years like they never happened?"
Again, his phone vibrates in his pocket. Another message from Y/N, making his heart skip a beat. He grins to himself and types a response that, under different circumstances, he might have thought twice about. But the quicker he replies, the quicker he's out of this place and back to you. 
"I'm not throwing it away, you already did." Charles puts his phone back in his pocket and presses the button to make the elevator come. "I'm letting you stay here because I know how bad I've been to you and that this year hasn't been so easy for you either. But if I need this place one day, for whatever reason, you're out of here. And I don't care where you end up. Find someplace to live. Move back in with your parents. But this," he points to the space between you, "is over. Forever."
Annika runs a hand through her hair, then crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Then I hope for your sake that you treat them better than you treat me."
The elevator door opens, but Charles doesn't move a bit. Instead, he looks at his ex-girlfriend, who stands before him with raised eyebrows. "Who do you mean?" 
"Do you think I'm that stupid? Or blind?" She points her finger at his pants pocket. "The person you just answered immediately."
"And what's so special about that?" he asks, confused. 
Annika takes a step toward him. "You always make everyone wait for you. You make your fans wait for good results, your friends wait for calls. You even make your mother wait for you, because I'm pretty sure she doesn't know you're home yet." Annika stops in front of him. "But whoever that is - that person has all your attention. She doesn't have to wait for you. Let me give you a hint along the way, Charlie."
"Don't call me that. And I don't need your help."
"And even if you did." Annika stretches her arm out, past him, so the elevator door doesn't close. "The fact that she doesn't have to wait for you is good. Don't make her wait for you, too. It's not fair to her. And not to you, either."
As he sits back in the Ferrari - the sports bag and pictures safely stowed in the trunk - he doesn't know what to do with himself. 
Charles made it clear to Annika that their relationship was over, and it had been overdue for at least a month. But what she said at the end stuck. 
He actually keeps everyone waiting, which is why he keeps blaming himself. He could have told his mother he was back in Monaco a long time ago, but somehow he didn't. He could have told you that he's not just Charles, but he didn't, and so he keeps you waiting for the truth that you know nothing about. 
Would you even want to be friends with him anymore if you knew who he was? Or would you want to be friends with him all the more? 
Never, he thinks to himself. That's not who you are. And he can say that even though you've only known each other for a short time. 
And even though you've only known each other for two days, you're all he can think about. He thinks about how you sat together on the grass and talked about his father. He thinks about how you cried at Cars. He thinks about how you flirted with him even though, in your opinion, it wasn't flirting (it was to him, of course; he wanted to know how to win you over for a reason). He thinks about how you told him about your ex-boyfriend and how he would love to beat him up. He thinks of you standing next to each other in the kitchen washing the dishes. 
He thinks of you standing in front of him dressed only in a towel. With bare shoulders and bare legs and that - if he would get the opportunity again - he would not hesitate to pull you into the bedroom and fuck you with his tongue, his fingers or his cock in such a way that he would ruin all other men for you.
Charles closes his eyes briefly to get the image of you on his mind, and then drives off. He would love to drive to the lookout and talk to his father about the situation, but somehow it doesn't feel right without you there. 
But he can't talk to you about it either, because it involves you, and although it would certainly be best, he doesn't have the heart to tell you the truth. Not because he doesn't trust you, but because he's afraid of losing you. 
He slaps his hand against his forehead. "Get a grip, damn it," he says to himself. The two of you haven't even touched, and he's thinking about how he'd take you on every surface in the small apartment. That's just not normal. 
And most of all, it's not fair. You confided in him about your ex-boyfriend because Charles is your friend. And your roommate. And that's what he needs to be to you. 
It wouldn't be fair for him to get into a relationship with you because one, you don't know who exactly he is, and two, he can never be what you need him to be. You need someone who is there for you, who takes time for you. Someone you can laugh and cry with. Not someone who is away most weeks of the year and can't even manage to call his own mother. 
You would always be waiting for him. And even though he doesn't want to agree with Annika, he has to. The whole thing is not fair to you. 
And so he deletes the last two messages he sent you, which you apparently haven't read yet, as he parks his Ferrari in an underground garage and walks the last few meters to your apartment. 
He decides that he is your friend. Only your friend. Because he has to be, and because he can't be anything else. Because you need a real friend, and not a relationship. 
Charles unlocks the apartment door and drops the gym bag to the floor beside him. 
"Charles?" Unlike Annika's voice, his heart starts to beat faster at yours and his palms start to sweat, so he quickly wipes them on his jeans. You come out of the bathroom dressed in dark gray jeans and a white blouse that accentuates your curves. As you stand in front of him, you turn once so he can check you out from all sides. In all his life, he's never seen anyone look so divine. "I'm sorry, I wasn't sure what to wear. I hope that's all right."
His smile is gentle and he hopes you don't notice how hard he has to swallow, and he would have loved to wrap you in his arms and never let you go. But his ex-girlfriend is still clinging to him, and before you touch each other properly for the first time, he wants her washed off.
It's not fair.
"It's okay," he says with a smile and goes to the fridge for a glass of orange juice. You stop by the apartment door next to the gym bag, but don't ask where the stuff is from. And for that, he's very grateful. "I'm just going to jump in the shower and then we can go, okay?"
He doesn't wait for your answer as he pulls new clothes out of his suitcase, walks into the bathroom, undresses, and stands under the hot stream of water. Even now, he keeps you waiting, which further solidifies his decision to keep your relationship purely platonic. While he's shampooing his hair, he makes a deal with himself that he'll do whatever it takes to make this friendship work. Even if that means suppressing his feelings. 
As he leaves the bathroom freshly showered and ready to go, you sit on the couch. He's looking at you, thinking about what Annika said, what he'd like to do with you, and all the things he could lose. And all of that just isn't fair. 
"I'm sorry you had to wait for me," he says softly, reaching for your car key that's on the dining room table. It feels better in his hand than the one from the Ferrari. So familiar. Like the key will fulfill everything he's ever wanted. 
"It's okay," you reply, getting up from the couch. You take a few steps toward him and smile at him, and his heart melts. "I'm fine with waiting."
the messages Charles deleted -
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imaginecolby · 1 year ago
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prove it || c.b.
summary: after an argument between you, colby promises you that he'll do whatever it takes to get you to forgive him. requested by anonymous.
"i'm so tired of having this conversation with you! if you can't trust me, then we shouldn't even be in this relationship anymore!" you shouted, storming upstairs.
"you don't get to storm away from me in my house!" colby said, following closely behind you.
"well, maybe you should actually listen to me for once, and i won't have to storm off. i don't know how many more times i need to tell you that i don't want you for your clout, or your money. the faster you understand that, then the faster this fight can be over." you took a deep breath before speaking again. "colby, we have been going at this all day. i'm tired of fighting. until you get can get it through your head that i want to be with you, then i can't do this anymore."
you finished packing your things up, and made your way to your car to leave. you half expected colby to come running after you, but when he didn't, you finally let yourself cry. you drove back to your house in silence, letting the tears fall. this was the only thing that you and colby ever fought over, but after the fourth time having this fight, you didn't have it in you to continue to argue over it.
after a quick stop for food, you finally made it home. you sat on the couch, crying as you ate. you really were worried this was gonna be the end of your relationship, but you knew that you couldn't be part of a relationship where someone didn't trust you. you deserved better than that, and you weren't going to continue to put yourself through that.
a few hours passed with no word from colby. you figured you wouldn't hear from him tonight, and forced yourself to try to sleep. unfortunately, that proved to be easier said than done. you tossed and turned all night, mind racing with images of your night replaying in your head.
"god, this sucks." you sighed. you slept for a total of about two hours, and it hit you bad the next day. you moped your way through work, barely talking to anyone, or getting any work done. everyone was trying to get you to open up, and offer some comfort, but you weren't in the mood. you were just trying to get through the next few days, in case this was really the end. once you were finally off of work, you made your way home, and stepped straight into the shower. you sat in the bottom of the tub, letting the warm water massage your muscles, and washing away the stress from the day.
after your shower, you put on some pajamas and moved to the couch, turning on a movie. you rolled your eyes as all of your recommendations were romantic comedies that you were not in the mood for. you ended up turning on an action film that you ended up not paying much attention to. you spaced out as you ate your leftovers, feeling numb. you were all cried out, and now longer knew what to feel.
"god this has been the worst few days." you sighed, turning the tv off. you sat in silence for a while before there was knock on the door. you got up to the answer door, colby standing on your porch.
"hey." he said quietly. you stood there, your arms crossed across your chest, saying nothing. "can we talk?" you turned to move back into your house, colby following closely behind you. you say back on the couch, and he sat on the chair across the living room for you.
"talk about what? just so you can talk down on me some more? you've made it abundantly clear that i don't come from the same world as you and that i don't understand how the industry works." you spat, mimicking his voice. "news flash, i knew that when we met, and i knew that when we got together. you don't need to continue to make me feel bad about it."
"i know, i'm sorry. sometimes i just get too into my head about all this. you're the first real girlfriend ive had since i've been in LA, and im still having trouble figuring this out." he said softly.
"you can't continue using that as an excuse whenever you blow up at me. i understand you're having a hard time figuring this out, but sometimes it feels like you don't understand how badly it hurts when you say things like that to me. it makes me feel like you don't trust me and that you don't want to be with me."
"god, i'm such an idiot. i never want you to feel that way. i love you, and i love everything about us. i never want to make you feel like that i don't care about you, or i don't trust you. i regret that i ever did that to you, and i want to do everything i can to fix this."
"well, an apology is a start. but i need you to prove that you actually believe that and you do trust me."
"i do, and i will. i am so so sorry that i ever made you feel like i didn't want to be with you or that i didn't trsut that you were with me for the right reasons. i love you. i love you more than anything, and i want to be with you." he said, moving to sit next to you.
"i love you too." you said, pulling him into your arms. you hugged him tight and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
"i'm sorry." he said again, looking up at you. "so so sorry."
"i know. and i accept your apology. and all the future ones i expect from you." you teased.
you and colby spent the rest of the night together, finally feeling better after the last couple of days. you hoped that things would continue to be good for you and colby, and you would stay in a good place for a while. maybe forever.
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show-your-fangs · 2 years ago
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omg omg omg can I pls request hotch genuinely being the most clueless, dumb-and-in-love individual?
Basically the team has to point it out to him for him to see how soft he is for reader and how differently he treats them đŸ’—đŸ˜© he’s in love, your honour đŸ€­
i love our stupid man in love, he's so cute i can't.
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this is part two of this blurb from my moments au
Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x f!Reader
Words: 1.7k
CW: nothing, just fluff.
Disclaimer: YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO REPOST MY WRITING ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY CONSENT. REBLOGS ARE ENCOURAGED THOUGH. YOU MAY NOT FEED MY WORK TO ANY AI DATABASES OF ANY KIND OR TO USE MY WORKS TO TRAIN AI. FUCK AI.
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He didn’t ask you out that night. Neither Morgan or Rossi won the bet, the unfortunate draw making them only want to try harder to win over the other.
That had been a week ago, the pool only growing as more agents got in on it and it had somehow gotten out of hand really quickly. Penelope had been tasked with keeping track of the bets, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her mouth shut about it, especially when she was around you. 
The team had left for a case earlier in the week which meant you were spending a lot of time with her. From helping with research, running point from the office, making calls and setting up permits, warrants, everything and anything they needed, you were practically tied at the hip as per usual when the team was away. The only problem? Penelope Garcia could not keep a secret to save her life, and the more time she spent with you, the more she almost slipped and told you what was going on.
You had closed the case earlier that night after five days of grueling work. You were exhausted, more so emotionally than physically, so you’d invited Penelope to dinner as way to celebrate the little victory. But what had started as a simple night out had quickly turned wild as the waiter had taken a liking to her and kept the cocktails coming throughout your entire meal. You were on dessert, a forgettable chocolate lava cake with ice cream when she finally slipped.
“I just think it’s so silly,” she giggled in between sips of her drink and scoops of dessert. 
“What’s silly?” you egged her on, whatever this secret was had eluded you for the entire week and you just needed to know. 
“How much Hotch likes you,” her cheeks flushed pink but her brain didn’t realize what’d she’d admitted to yet, allowing her to continue. “The team has a bet going on when he’s going to ask you out and everything.” 
“Huh,” you mused. “That is silly.”
That’s when her brain snapped, dread and realization washing over her all at once. Her eyes widened, her spoon fell from her hand and onto the plate. 
“Oh my gosh, do you not like Hotch back? I could’ve sworn— I am mortified! Forget I told you, please I am begging you—”
You reached over and placed your hand over hers, gently soothing her out of her panic as a mischievous smile curled on your lips. 
“Can you get me on the board, Pen?”
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Apparently they were all convinced it wasn’t happening for a while. They had decided to overcorrect their previous assumptions, placing bets that were days if not weeks in the future. Penelope had added you to the bet list that same night, promising to keep the secret until the next morning. 
You knew the clock was ticking, knew that once you started the countdown, you had no business losing your courage. It was now or never, and the reminder that soon the rest of the team would be shuffling into the bullpen to start their day, that they’d know someone else had made a risky bet — it only got your adrenaline pumping even more. 
You poured his coffee as you watched him enter the office, gaze on his phone, powerful and confident strides leading him towards his office. He turned and waved from the top of the stairs once he finally noticed you, a small smile on his lips. You smiled back, your cheeks reddening slightly as you finished getting your own coffee in order, the pale tan a contrast to his straight black. 
You made your way to his office a minute after he’d settled, placing his cup on his desk and taking a seat across from him. This had been your routine for months now, you’d bring him his coffee in the morning and the two of you would fill each other in on your lives. 
Aaron had been dealing with his divorce, the guilt of having to split Jack’s time between him and his mom, the added stress of finding a new place and moving, of finding himself alone when he’d been used to always having someone to come home to after a tough case. And you? You had just started going to therapy after he’d encouraged you to. It had been a rocky adjustment to the job, and you were glad that you could confide in him as your boss but also as your friend. 
“Thank you,” he mumbled, pulling out the case files he’d taken back home the night before. 
You shot him a look, the look, and he couldn’t help but sigh deeply. You weren’t angry, you were simply disappointed, and he knew that. It had been hard, harder now that he had to force himself back out there if he wanted to actually have a life. But even after months of this new normal, the idea of dating made him even more exhausted than he’d like to admit. 
Because while Morgan or Emily thrived meeting new people, Aaron had met Haley in high school. He’d been with one woman his entire life, one woman for more than twenty years. He was rusty to say the least, the insecurity of it only growing the more he refused to take the leap, the more he refused to feel his feelings, the more he fell in love with you. 
“Haley had Jack last night—” he started but you were quick to interrupt him. 
“That’s a terrible excuse,” you chided. “There’s a million things you could’ve done instead.”
“Oh yeah?” the mischief was back in his eyes, making you gulp visibly. “What did you do last night?”
Your mouth opened in mock annoyance, he couldn’t possibly know—
“For your information, sir,” you mocked. “I went out with Penelope last night.” 
Whatever glimmer of hope Aaron had cultivated to tease you about taking work back home was extinguished in a second. He sat back in his chair, inaudibly admitting defeat. 
“Maybe that’s what you need too,” you started, your heart racing once more. His eyebrows shot up and you could tell his blood had also gotten to his head. “Ask someone out, go on a date, get laid.”
That caught him off guard completely. If he had been sipping on his coffee he would’ve choked, made an even bigger fool of himself. But instead his cheeks just reddened, his ears quickly following suit, a detail he knew you knew about him as you’d pointed it out many times in the past.
But you didn’t today, you didn’t say anything about his reaction but he was too hot to notice it right away.
“It’s what I have to do too, honestly,” you shrugged, faux confidence somehow allowing you to not combust right then and there. 
“Do you now?” he managed through gritted teeth, the idea of you dating something that he made sure never to think about because it always led him down a dark path of rage and an ungodly desire to ravage you to the point where you belonged to him and no one else. 
“Yeah,” you drawled on, almost sighing dramatically. That’s when he caught on, when his brain finally reconnected to his body and his heart only sped up even more. “But I don’t know
I’m not really into any of the guys Penelope or Emily have tried to set me up with, they’re not really my type.”
God, this was not actually happening. “What is your type?”
“Crime fighting single dads who adore their kids and participate in triathlons for fun,” there was no misinterpreting it now. 
“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” the words flew out of his mouth before either of you could register them. 
A bright smile took over your lips, your eyes sparkling with happiness. A shy smile slowly started to turn adorably embarrassed on his, his gaze tentatively raising to meet yours, eyebrows raised almost pleading, his eyes round and hopeful. 
“I would love to,” you said and he graced you with the most beautiful full smile you’d ever seen from him. It was unrestricted, genuine, life giving. 
“Great,” he cleared his throat as the clock struck eight, the reality of the world outside of your little office bubble a reminder of where you were. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Can’t wait,” you reassured him, standing up with your own untouched coffee mug and making your way downstairs. “Oh, and it’s my treat. Trust me.”
You were gone before he could argue, but you knew that he couldn’t stop smiling, the warmth radiating from him was enough for you know it deep in your bones.
“Babygirl,” Morgan asked aloud, holding up the list of bets that Penelope had left on his desk earlier as the blonde returned to the bullpen from her office. “What’s this?”
He tapped on the bet you’d written down, the other agents gathering to inspect the new addition.  
“Proof of my victory, Derek,” you said cockily as Penelope handed you the envelope full of cash. 
The entire team turned to you, eyes wide and anger slowly boiling. But none of them let it out, instead they all looked impressed, they respected the move, the hustle, the boldness. Morgan scoffed in proud defeat as he held out his fist for you to bump, and you did, excitedly.  
It had finally happened, the start of something that had been brewing for months, and you couldn’t be happier. While the girls walked up to you to get all the details you shot Aaron a cheeky glance as Penelope filled Emily and JJ in on your conversation the night before, and for the first time ever, Aaron allowed himself to meet your glance, unashamed to be caught staring at you. 
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i've been smiling like an idiot all day
taglist: @ssamorganhotchner, @canuck-eh, @cr1minalskies, @xladyxdreamer, @mrs-ssa-hotch
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caffedrine · 4 months ago
Text
Matias Asbrink - Fake Lovers for a Day - Event Summary
This is mostly a summary for me - I make no promises on the accuracy of what’s happening. I’m not nearly fluent enough to get half the jokes/innuendo much less accurate plot points.
As a warning - this event goes into some dark things with Matias. Beware.
Matias, the First Prince of Achroite, the Land of Snow and Laws was a serious man who deeply respects the laws. Yes, he has some rather eccentric aspects to his personality, but deep down, he was honest and good. However, when he appears in court as a Judge, he only embodies the face of the cold impartial justice of the law. 
After finishing her role as Belle with no romantic entanglements, Emma went to Achroite with Akatsuki. Akatsuki, too young to be her father, travels around various countries to their bookstores, buying and selling rare and valuable books. 
Since coming to Achroite, Emma has grown accustomed to the sight of snow falling like flower petals, but the sight still makes her heart jump with joy. Snow was rare in her home country of Rhodolite, so she has never had a chance to get used to the fairytale scenery. Then again, the person who truly looks like he stepped out of a fairytale illustration is walking next to her.
Up close, Matias looks even more fantastical, with hair the color of fading twilight and eyes the color of snow in the shadows. His aura is as pure and beautiful as the white snow falling around them.
Matias notes that Emma has been exploring parts of the city and asks if she has some favorite places yet. 
While marveling over how approachable and personable he is, Emma tells him about a bookstore in the center of town. She’s been visiting almost every day and can’t stop. Matias recognizes the place; he’s been visiting it since he was a schoolboy. They both agree that the owner is what makes it so welcoming, with his cheerful, friendly, and all-around decent persona. 
Emma heard recently from the bookstore owner about a museum that specializes in romantic exhibits. She asks if Matias has ever been there.
Unfortunately, no. It’s a relatively new museum, but the owner is an eccentric with particular requirements for people to even enter. For one, all his customers must be in a romantic relationship, and come as a couple. 
Since Matias is single, and unless he misunderstood, Emma is too, they are both out of luck. 
That’s a shame, Emma heard that one of the limited exhibits would be centered around her newest favorite novel (set in Achroite). It’s a shame she’ll probably never get a chance to see it.
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(Now she knows what it’s like in Keith’s route when you want to read a romantic book/see a romantic scene but can't)
Matias pauses, deep in consideration. They both want to go visit the museum, but they’re both woefully single. Maybe . . . Maybe they could work something out?
Matias quickly assures her that he doesn’t intend to break any rules. But, if they become a couple for the express purpose of visiting the museum, and then break up right after, that wouldn’t be technically breaking any laws. Right?
Also, Matias isn’t the type to normally rush things, he knows the social etiquette rules around becoming lovers, and he doesn’t intend to have a whirlwind romance. 
After a fateful encounter, they would slowly grow closer over an appropriate amount of time. As they fall deeply and helplessly in love, they finally confess and soon, are united as one . . . 
Emma gives him a good shake, calling his name. This brings Matias back to reality, and he coughs uncomfortably, centering himself. Anyway - before he got distracted - he was saying that he’s not the type of person to push boundaries and rush into relationships. 
However, the exhibit they’re both interested in is on display for a limited time. Without wishing to offend, perhaps they can be lovers for a short amount of time, just to visit the museum?
Honestly, Emma is the only one he can depend on in this situation. As a friend, does she agree?
Emma understands completely. Matias is very popular with the women, and if he were to propose being temporary lovers, she has no doubt it will end with the other person in tears. Honestly, this arrangement works out for both of them. 
Emma agrees to Matias’ proposal. Even though they’ve been friends for such a short time, she knows that deep down he’s a good man. Besides, there is nothing weird about friends being fake lovers. Right?
Matias beams at her, his expression suddenly switching from friendly to sexy. He assures her that he will take good care of her.
Emma thought the princes of Rhodolite had prepared her on how to handle attractive men. However, their collective attractiveness could not hold a candle to the radiant sun of Matias’ charms. Emma has to take a deep breath to steel herself and then bows politely to Matias. She is in his (temporary) care as his lover.
Suddenly Matias holds out his hand to her. At her confused expression, Matias explains that he wants her to hold hands with him.
Wait a minute. Are they starting right now?
Yes, Matias doesn’t think he can escort her adequately on the day of their museum trip without some time to get used to thinking of her as his (temporary) lover.
From this moment until after they visit the museum, he intends to be lovers with her. That should give them enough time to go on at least one outing as lovers too. 
Wow, Matias does not do things by halves. Looking into his earnest eyes, Emma can tell that he is absolutely serious. 
Well then, they’ll be lovers for only a short while, but she will give it her all too. She timidly accepts Matias’s hand, and he grasps her fingers, rubbing them. As her lover, he noticed that her hands were cold, even though she was wearing gloves. He grows worried, Achroite is famously much colder than Rhodolite - is she having any trouble adjusting?
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(Now he cares)
Emma assures him that she is fine - it’s cold but she doesn’t mind. The country of Achroite is very beautiful, so to her, the positives far outweigh the negatives. 
Matias is relieved, Achroite is the land of snow, it would be difficult to stay here without enjoying it. So that she can enjoy the scenery even more, he grasps her other hand to warm it in his.
Matias is truly doting on her. Emma looks away bashfully as he brings her hands to his face to blow hot air on them. 
He touches her hands like they are precious treasures. The edges of his mouth lift in the beginnings of a smile as he exhales over them.
Forget her hands, the rest of Emma is growing uncomfortably warm. Maybe it was a mistake, to agree to be his temporary lover. 
They make plans for a date later in the week, and part ways to return to their respective duties. 
On the day of their date, Emma arrives at their prearranged meeting place a little early. She is still surprised by the events of the last few days; she has received a letter from Matias every day since she agreed to be his (temporary) lover. Andrea what Matias wrote . . . Her face grows red remembering. She knew that he was a romantic at heart, but those letters . . . 
Emma is taken out of her reverie by the sound of the people talking next to her. They’re discussing the bookstore in the center of town, and how it is running a fraudulent business. Their book prices are outrageous, and the owner has a nasty temper just because one of the two was a bit rough with his books. They agree to warn their friends to stay away from the bookstore.
Emma recognizes that store as one of her favorites. Yes, the prices are high, but the owner sells rare books. Also, as a fellow book lover, her heart sinks at the thought of a book being handled roughly.
Emma starts to interject gently, telling the two men that there must be a misunderstanding.
The two men immediately accuse her of being an agent of the bookstore owner. They ask if she’s in on the fraud and close in around her, threateningly.
Matias asks if the two men are prepared to make that statement in a court of law. He reminds them that perjury and defamation are very heavy crimes in Achroite, and they will need to be prepared to pay for any crimes. 
The two men fall silent, only now noticing Matias. He continues, that if the bookstore owner wanted to, he had two witnesses to them making false statements. He warns them that while they are free citizens of Achroite, they are still responsible for behaving in accordance with the law.
Emma rarely gets to see Matias like this, as the impartial arbiter of justice. 
Matias ends by adding that he personally will not tolerate continued disrespect to his girlfriend. Who totally loves him, as much as he loves her. Which is a lot.
Smiling beatifically at her, Matias drapes his arm around her shoulders and leads her away from the two thugs.
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(Step one of dating - make sure the local thugs spread the news)
After they leave the area, Emma thanks Matias for protecting her back there. Matias assures her that it was fine, besides, she did the right thing back then. Emma is confused and Matias elaborates. Like he said, those men were slandering the store owner. Granted, it’s not a crime if the victim, the store owner, doesn’t report it, but those men were still behaving criminally. He is proud that his ‘girlfriend’ can recognize and call out criminals so quickly. 
Oh, how awkward. Emma wasn’t calling out those men to uphold the law, she just wanted to clear up any misunderstandings about the store owner. She’s not a champion of justice or anything, and probably wouldn’t have intervened if those men weren’t talking about someone she personally knew.
But Matias seems happy with it, and it’s such a small matter that Emma decides to leave it be. She promises Matias that she will do her best to be a woman worthy of him.
After that, they went to the various places Matias had planned out on their date, and Emma’s appreciation for the country of Achroite grew. She tried candy with frozen fruit, admired the intricate woodwork, and freaked out when Matias seemed to look at her too closely. Matias immediately backed down from the last bit, explaining that he’d never had a girlfriend before and that this was a new experience for him as well.
Matias was also able to explain Achroite culture to Emma, which helped her gain a deeper understanding of a scene in one of her favorite romance books. Matias admires the fictional couple, as he too wants to find a love that he would risk his own life for. 
He adds though, that he thinks the male lead is entirely unreasonable, letting the main character get into all these dangerous situations. If he could switch places, he would keep his princess in a safe cage place free from all danger where he could keep her pure.
Matias notices the side eye Emma is giving him and apologizes for saying all that in front of her. His girlfriend. 
No - that’s not the part Emma was worried about. What’s this about a Princess? Is Matias cheating on his real lover with Emma?
Oh, no, not at all. Matias is talking about his future wife whom he has yet to find. 
Matias begins to describe his ideal future wife: a woman full of noble dignity, a warm heart, and an honest appreciation for things. 
As he continues, Emma is amazed at how specific Matias’ ideals for his future wife are. It’s almost as if he’s describing someone he knows.
Eventually, Matias winds down his explanation, finishing up that his future wife would be a lot like Emma herself. 
Emma gives him a puzzled look and Matias coughs uncomfortably. 
Wow, he is really looking forward to seeing the couple’s museum. Isn’t Emma?
They continue their date long into the day as the sun begins to set, dying the town red. 
Suddenly the air around Matias seems to change, and he pulls them both to a stop, staring at the crowd of people. Looking at him, Emma thinks he has gone as cold as ice.
Just as she starts to ask him what is wrong, Matias apologizes and asks her to wait just a moment. Before she can respond, he sprints out into the crowd. He jumps a man walking through the crowd, pulling him to the ground and pinning his arm behind him. Matias has recognized this man as a criminal who intends to break into Ultima Thule, free some of the prisoners, and escape the country. Matias knows everything, and this man will pay for his crimes.
This man has enacted illegal means to acquire restricted information, bribed some of the guards, and, worst of all, had made contact with an individual in Obsidian for his escape route.
The man is shocked at how much Matias knows. Matias tells him not to underestimate the National Guard, they haven’t apprehended him yet only because they were looking for his hideout. Thanks to this man, this criminal, walking through town, the investigation can be brought to an end. 
The man wails that ‘her’ body is failing and that she can’t take it anymore.
Matias nods, the man was waiting for the right time to strike but became impatient and moved ahead. 
Of course, even if Matias hadn’t just found him, the man would have failed. Ultima Thule’s security would have stopped him, no one can escape. 
The man screams that it’s not ‘her’ fault. She was just trying to help someone; she didn’t realize that person was connected to Obsidian. 
In a monotone voice, Matias pronounces that anyone who breaks the law is a criminal.
Matias notices Emma watching and a small thaw in his demeanor appears. He assures Emma this will all be over shortly. 
The man on the ground has heard that Matias has a lover. Matias tells him that his relationship status is none of the man’s business. 
The man shouts that if Matias has a lover, he must know exactly how he feels. The wish to do anything for your lover, even at the expense of yourself.
Yes, the man has committed grave sins, and he will commit them again and again for ‘her’ sake. He will bear any punishment, even if it costs him his life, just please show his lover mercy. 
Matias tells the man not to lump in his girlfriend with criminals. Unlike them, Emma is a pure and righteous woman. 
By this time the city guard has come, and Matias hands the man over to them. Then, as if nothing out of the ordinary happened, he comes back to where Emma is standing.
He immediately notices that she’s shaking and smiling gently and asks if she’s okay.
Emma assures him she is and asks about Ultima Thule.
Ultima Thule is Achroite’s forced labor prison. Criminals who’s crimes are not so bad that they’re executed are sent there to work off their debts to society. It’s in the coldest, most remote, and most desolate place in Achroite. 
Matias apologizes for the scene that Emma just saw. He understands that she isn’t one for violence. Would she mind continuing the date with him and giving him the chance to apologize?
Matias is trying to cheer her up, but Emma can’t shake the realization that Matias is being so kind to her because he thinks she is someone that she is not. Emma isn’t a crusader for justice, if anything, she’s sympathetic to that criminal’s plight. She couldn’t say for sure that she wouldn’t break the law if she and that man’s places were switched. 
Emma is one misstep from being hauled away to prison under Matias’ cold, unforgiving gaze. 
She realizes that Matias is dangerous.
Matias gently strokes her back as if trying to soothe her. He tells her that he made reservations at a nearby restaurant and suggests they head there for a break.
The food, which Emma had no doubt tasted delicious, tasted like nothing at all.
Sweet End 
On the day of the museum date, Emma looks at the exhibits with Matias, but she is still trembling with fear. The joy of the exhibits fails her as she focuses on the man next to her.
Matias stops her from going to the next one - he’s noticed her state and wants to apologize. He understands that what she saw during their date frightened her, and he wants to apologize for subjecting her to that scene. 
Emma thinks that it must be difficult for Matias, who is just doing his job, to have everyone afraid of him. She apologizes too.
Matias shakes his head and assures her that her feelings are natural. It must be a blow to realize how far into the country criminals connected to Obsidian can infiltrate. As a member of the criminal justice system, the fact that the criminal got so far in his nefarious plot is a stain upon his honor. It’s not only her whom he should apologize to but to all the good citizens in the square that day. He came so close to failing to protect everyone.
Er . . . Matias doesn’t quite get how she feels after all. Those words the man had flung at Matias, about having to understand him since he knows what it’s like to have a lover, ring in Emma’s ears. She wonders if Matias was unable to understand that man at all. Matias is nice and fun, but she truly has no idea what is going on in his head.
And that is what she’s afraid of.
In reality, Matias apologizes to Emma for failing to protect her. Emma shakes her head, reminding Matias that she wasn’t hurt at all. In fact, no one at the square was hurt. 
Matias disagrees, as her lover, it’s his job to protect her physically and mentally. And right now, she is full of anxiety and fear. 
Matias wants her to feel safe and have a fun time. He wants her to only feel happiness.
For that goal, he will put everything he has, everything that makes him Matias on the line. He tells Emma to relax and enjoy herself and reminds her of that exhibit she wanted to see. 
Matias wishes she would smile.
Emma is still afraid, but Matias’ passionate speech has touched her heart. She looks at him, trying to shake off the fear, and smiles. He smiles back at her, relief on his face.
And, oh, that smile. Emma can feel her face heat up.
Oh no. Emma can’t take her eyes off Matias. Not just her face but her whole body is heating up. She’s about to explode from the heat boiling up in her.
Suddenly Matias grabs her by her shoulders, and Emma realizes she was listing to the side. He asks if she’s okay, supporting her.
Emma snaps back to herself and shakes her head, trying to return to normal. She assures him that she’s fine and lets Matias lead her through the museum. 
That charm of his is something else.
Emma has seen a few ladies her age standing in a daze next to Matias, but she never thought she would be one of them. Ugh, how humiliating - Emma wishes she could just crawl off into a hole somewhere. As she considers cutting the date short to save whatever is left of her dignity, Matias catches her attention and directs her gaze at a painting.
Oh. That painting. The one Emma wanted to see more than anything else.
Matias had said that this painting was supposed to evoke the feelings of spring love, but that description falls flat. Emma’s heart leaps at the sight of it, entranced in the beauty before her.
Matias nods, this isn’t that far from how he imagined the scene. The man was fine, but he thought the woman should be smaller, like Emma, with long brown hair, like Emma. Hmmm . . . Oh, he gets it now.
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(Does Emma have a single/available sister by chance?)
The woman in the book was described as the most beautiful woman in the world, which is why he thought of Emma. 
In Matias’ imagination, her hair would sway in the southern wind, and her eyes would sparkle in the sunlight. She would turn towards him, smiling as if the whole world was celebrating. 
Emma cuts him short - he is praising her too much. Matias disagrees, as his girlfriend, it is no exaggeration to say she is the most beautiful woman in the world. 
Well, Matias sure has a strong imagination of his girlfriend. 
Matias suggests they move on to the next painting. He has created an itemized list and flowchart to look at the paintings he thought Emma would like the best. Emma agrees that this sounds like fun.
You know, Matias was looking forward to the paintings, but he thinks the best part will be seeing them together with Emma.
They walk through the paintings, admiring the exhibits. Before long, they find themselves at the exit.
Emma peers at the exit - it appears there are rules to leave the building. They must demonstrate how their love has deepened before they leave.
Matias muses that the rule leaves it open for interpretation but wonders about the various ways people can demonstrate their love. Emma thinks words or declarations of affirmation would probably be the most popular, though she grows flushed at the idea of saying such things to Matias.
Well, rules are rules. And Matias, who researched this in advance, is prepared.
He wraps a cute, fluffy pastel scarf around Emma’s neck. He explains that even with her gloves on, sometimes Emma looks so cold. 
He also has gloves for her, which match his own. They go past the wrist and are waterproof so should keep her warm longer. 
Matias’ idea to prove his love for her is to protect her, in this case, from the elements. Emma thanks him, now, not only is her body but her heart warm. 
And now it’s Emma’s turn. Her heart is fuzzy and warm, she takes a deep breath and begins.
When they leave the museum, the city is red with the sunset. Matias thanks her for being his temporary lover, he had a lot more fun than he expected.
So much fun that he doesn’t quite want their time together to end just yet. Didn’t they agree that they’d be lovers until the end of the day today? He asks if she wouldn’t mind grabbing dinner together. 
Emma’s heart pounds in her chest as she looks into Matias’ snow-colored eyes. They were endlessly kind when they looked at her, but she has seen them become frozen at a moment's notice. She’s curious about Matias, about the way he thinks. Maybe if she spends more time with him, she’ll find something that will satisfy her and wipe away the fear that lingers in her heart. Feeling hopeful, Emma agrees to spend the rest of the day together.
Premium End
On the day of their museum date, Matias arrived early at their prearranged meeting place and had been waiting for Emma. She apologizes for keeping him waiting and he waives her off - she was waiting for him last time and he hadn’t wanted to make her wait for him a second time.
Emma thinks that Matias really is a nice person. That time at the town square, he had just been fulfilling his duties as a guardian of the law. If anything, Emma should be relieved that he was truly impartial and egalitarian in dispensing justice.
But she is still afraid.
Emma tries to stuff the fear somewhere down in her stomach and smiles at Matias. 
Matias pulls out a notebook from his pocket and proffers it to Emma. He explains that he was researching the exhibits, and thought there were a few that depended on a deep cultural understanding of Achroite. He thought she would like to look up and understand those points at her leisure. 
Emma accepts the notebook and opens it, realizing that it is all in Matias’ own handwriting. Matias explains that while he hoped that it would be useful to her both as a reference for the museum and as something to aid her grow accustomed to Achroite.
Just as Emma begins to open her mouth to thank him, Matias beckons her closer, he wants to give her a souvenir from their last date. He takes out a package and starts touching her earlobes. Afterwards, she looks at her reflection in the window of a nearby shop and admires the wooden earrings. He also gives her a package of sweets from the coffee shop they visited.
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(This man is the reason why women's clothes should come with more pockets)
These gifts remind her of the good times they had yesterday and show his care towards her. Really, she had been having a great time until that scene at the end. 
But she’s still afraid.
Emma resolves herself to face Matias without being trapped by fear. The gratefully thanks him.
Matias’ snow-blue eyes narrow slightly and he reminds her that they’re lovers. These gifts should be as natural as breathing. Emma shakes her head, a lover wouldn’t take their partner for granted, and she can feel the time and effort he put into these gifts. She might not have experience with a lover before, but she is certain Matias would make his partner the happiest woman in the world. 
Matias assures Emma that she has been the perfect lover, the time he has spent daydreaming about her has been too perfect for words. 
Uhh, what?
Matias quickly assures her that he wasn’t skipping work to daydream about her, just when he had a quiet moment to take a break. He would picture the smile she would give him, and every moment basking in her radiant prescience.
Oh, that’s what he meant. Yeah, that’s okay then.
The feeling of fear hasn’t left Emma completely, but she thinks that she can enjoy their museum date. Seeing her smile, Matias smiles back. They haven’t even started their date, but Matias is having a great time already. That said, they probably should start making their way over. 
Matias courteously holds out his hand and Emma accepts it without hesitation.
After the museum date, Matias brought them to the dance hall in Achroite Castle. It was completely different from the one in Rhodolite, with soft wood tones and candles illuminating the national crest carved into the wooden floor. 
Matias admits that he hasn’t had many good experiences in this place, but he has always fantasized about dancing here with his lover. He thanks Emma for coming with him and asks if she would like to dance with him. Emma agrees and accepts Matias’ hand. 
Matias is impressed, Emma is a much better dancer than he was anticipating. Emma admits to practicing hard in the past. She is happy it worked out for them, after all, if she couldn’t dance then she wouldn’t be able to be his lover, right? After all, Matias is a member of the royalty, and his beloved would need to be a noble.
Actually, not necessarily. It would be better if his queen could dance, but it would be fine if she learned how to between their engagement and the actual wedding. Achroite is less class-conscious than other countries, so his wife could come from any class. 
Besides, the Asbrink family rules are very vague on the qualification for their wives. The only real rule is that she be worthy of the distinguished Asbrink family. Which is why Matias wants someone he can love and cherish and make happy. Emma notes that Matias looks so happy when he talks about his future wife. 
Choosing his wife is technically one of the few personal choices Matias can make in his life. He wouldn’t be constrained as a keeper of the law, or as the scion of the Asbrink family. He would be able to just be Matias and choose and love someone just for himself.
Emma understands that as both the keeper of the law and the first prince of Achroite, Matias has many responsibilities and rules he must follow. The time spent with his lover is probably the only time he gets to be himself.
Matias begins describing his ideal lover to Emma. Emma nods, she understands why he speaks so enthusiastically about his future lover. Matias adds that since his lover would be marrying a guardian of the law and the first prince of Achroite, the most important thing is that she is righteous and pure.
Emma thinks that his definition of the last bit would be that Matias’ wife would never violate the law no matter the circumstances. Emma doesn’t have it in her to live up to those standards. But she is his lover until the end of the day, so she should enjoy it while it lasts. She asks if they could dance a little longer, and Matias mutters that he wishes he could dance with her forever. She hopes that at least until the end of the day, Matias feels a little bit of freedom.
Suddenly Matias grabs her waist and spins her around. Emma is surprised and impressed, she never thought she’d be able to spin like that. Matias admits to trying it with her for the first time, he’s only read and fantasized about it.
Surprised, Emma asks about all the dance parties he’s been expected to attend as a royal. Matias reveals that he has always tried to keep a certain distance between himself and the ladies. If he gets too close, he will suddenly find it difficult to get away.
While Emma would normally think it’s nice to be liked, she can see the downsides. But with Matias’ seductive aura, she’ll need to be careful too. Subtly, Emma tries to move away from him, at least so she feels less of his body heat.
Oh no! Matias has noticed and asks why she’s pulling away. The hand on her waist tightens, pulling her closer to him. 
His snow-colored eyes exuded such sensuality that it made chills run down Emma’s spine. The shock of his face so close makes Emma lose her breath and forget how to breathe. A heat stirs in her body, and she suddenly can’t look away from his face. 
Her head was full of Matias, just Matias, and she climbed onto him and his heat. She wants nothing more than to cling to him.
A sudden image of a young woman dazed and confused next to Matias flashes through Emma’s head. She remembers that Matias doesn’t like women like that and awkwardly tries to push him away. Emma explains that she’s trying to put a little distance between them. She pushes at his chest again, but the arm around her waist only tightens. 
Matias reminds Emma that she’s his lover, so he needs her close to him. Emma refuses, if this continues, she’ll get in trouble.
With the saddest eyes, Matias asks what kind of trouble she is talking about.
Oh, that did it. The last of Emma’s strength leaves her body as Matias calls her name.
Epilogue
During the last night as Matias’s lover, she and he attended a dance party. Unfortunately, the prolonged exposure to Matias’ seductive aura overwhelmed Emma, and she came close to fainting. Thankfully Matias was able to steady her, and she was able to pretend that she simply missed a dance step and injured her ankle. Which did happen.
Suddenly she is in Matias’ arms as he lifts her. He tells her that they’re done dancing, instead, he’ll bring her to her room. And, since it’s late, he’ll arrange for her to stay in a guest room tonight.
Matias bridal carries Emma into a room and places her on the bed. He fetches a small box of medical supplies and begins tending to her ankle.
Emma apologizes for the trouble, but Matias assures her that he’s used to doing this in the National Guard. Weirdly impersonally, Matias rolls up Emma’s skirt, so her leg is exposed up to her thigh before he starts manipulating her ankle. Emma wants to preserve some modesty and lower her hemline, but she doesn’t want to get in his way.
Looking at Matias, it is clear that he has barely even noticed her state, and instead is focused on her ankle. She reminds herself that this is just a medical treatment, something that Matias is used to and has done to his fellow soldiers before. She tries to think of something else, but her thoughts just keep on returning to Matias bent over her ankle.
After what seemed like a small eternity has passed, Matias pronounces his field treatment as complete. He instructs Emma to keep her ankle elevated so the swelling will go down by tomorrow-
Matias suddenly freezes, as if realizing the position he and Emma are in. He immediately apologizes, explaining that he moved by instinct and had no ulterior intentions toward her. 
Oh, even though she’s his lover, he has gone too far to pin her down to a bed, and even touched her bare skin with his ungloved hands- 
Matias’ panic is making Emma feel embarrassed all over again. She quickly assures him that she understands he had nothing but the best of intentions and concerns over her injury. Honestly, she’s grateful that he was so quick and efficient in his medical treatment. Emma bows her head and Matias snatches his hands away from her leg.
Well, okay then. Matias nods to himself, regains his composure, and sits next to Emma on the bed. Once again, he is close enough for her to feel his body heat.
Well, there’s only one last thing for a couple to do on a night like this. Suddenly, Matias’ face draws closer to Emma’s. She begins to protest.
But why? They’ve just finished their second date, so shouldn’t they do the proper thing? Sit close to each other and talk about the parts they enjoyed and what they want to do next. And, as they talk, the bond between them grows and the feelings they have are reflected in their softening gazes and then-
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(Besides, according to the Asbrink family rules, no sex before the third date)
Oh, okay, Emma gets it now. She feels embarrassed - Matias apologized for touching her just to treat her injury, of course, he wouldn’t expect to go further physically. Emma sighs in relief and tries to objectively look at Matias. He seems to really enjoy being a ‘temporary’ lover, to the point that he’s forgotten that there will be no ‘next’ for them. 
Matias asks Emma to tell him more about herself - for future reference.
At Emma’s puzzled look, Matias explains that while they won’t be lovers, they’ll still be friends. Besides, now that he knows her a little better, he thinks they could be great friends. So, he wants to know more about her.
Emma understands that Matias’ words are saying that he wants a deeper friendship, but something about his sensual gaze makes her feel like what he really wants is something else.
Still, Emma agrees, and Matias smiles like the sun reflecting off of ice crystals. Maybe he’s still in the headspace that they’re lovers since the night isn’t yet over.
94 notes · View notes
vtoriacore · 2 years ago
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✧ the flirtiest one of all! [2]
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note: part two of this, fun fact it was actually 6.9k words on the original doc and i’m not telling you this for any particular reason haha i am the epitome of maturity i promise <3 (lying)
characters: azul, jade, floyd, kalim, jamil, vil, rook, epel
synopsis: pretty simple, you confess by out-flirting just about every human being, merman, beastman and fae on planet earth. because you’re suave babe, go for it!
heartslabyul & savanaclaw | ignihyde & diasomnia
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♡ OCTAVINELLE
✯; azul ashengrotto
azul quirked an eyebrow when you entered mostro longue with that mischievous smile of yours but what caught his attention next is the purple rectangular box you were carrying, addressed as 'Ashengrotto'
"My, my. Got something for me, prefect?" 
"Depending on the answer you'll give me, maybe."
the little spark of excitement in his azure blue eyes which perfectly reflected the light definitely confirmed your suspicions on whether he knew or not
"Hm~ Well then it seems I'm inclined to ask for the question."
"That was a statement."
"Is that relevant?"
"No I just wanted a reason to talk to you longer~" 
the slightest surprise on his face quickly vanished as he tried to control his rapidly increasing heartbeat
"Well, don't keep me waiting [Name]. I'm a very busy merman after all. "
"Haha, okay I'll spare you the embarrassment."
"So, will you accept my feelings or are you just going to continue blushing?"
"Me, blushing? N-never."
"I have eyes, Ashengrotto. You'll have to do better than that!"  
"There is no winning against you . . . Regarding your first question though, it would seem a waste if I said no."
"Yeah, a waste of the countless affection I'd be willing to give~" 
"Affection doesn't produce a profit dear."
"No, it produces mutual feelings instead. And happiness, with the right person!" 
as always, your witty remarks never failed to make him gain those adorable red hues across his cheeks 
"If I ever die of exhaustion, it will be because of your antics."
"Correction, my cute antics :)"
"Well my dear angelfish, the exit is that way if you're done tormenting me."
"But the entrance to your heart is this way."
"Whatever will I do with you?"
"Dunno, but you got time to figure it out cause I'm not leaving." 
.
✯; jade leech
his cryptic smile stayed on the minute he saw you at mostro lounge, discussing something with azul as the merman gave this huge sigh of exasperation and nodded his head at whatever you had asked
he (naturally) came up to you once azul decided to walk away from you 
"Oya, oya~ What are you doing here my pearl?"
"Good question~ I'm sure you're smart enough to figure it out."
and figure it out he does once he catches a glimpse of the heart shaped turquoise box in your hand addressed to him in beautiful handwriting
"Hm, it would appear I'm totally clueless. If only you would be so kind as to explain the meaning of this." 
"Oh what a true shame, Leech."
"Yes, very unfortunate indeed."
"Need I make it more obvious?"
"I might have to request a verbal explanation, fufu~"
"How about I give you the physical one instead~?"
undoubtedly, the wink and statement you gave him managed to make even the jade leech's heart itself skip a beat as he gulped slightly
"I wouldn't be entirely opposed to that."
"I'll take that as a yes for the feelings I'm confessing to you, then."
"And who am I to decline such proposal?"
"Just about the most charming man in existence~"
"Ah, you never do fail with coming up with pick-up lines it seems."
"Of course not, deem yourself lucky for being my test subject in that aspect Leech."
oh jade would definitely consider himself a winner if this is what he gets to hear after today
"Well I cannot say they're not entertaining~" 
"And completely genuine, by the way."
if there was a world record for the most times someone manages to make the merman even slightly flustered, you'd definitely take the title with ease
"At this rate, I'll have to start coming up with my own quips. I can't be the only one getting swept of my feet like this."
"Hmph, that was smooth I'll give you that one!"
.
✯; floyd leech
has this stupid grin the second you step foot into his dorm room when jade is out, and it only widens once he realises what you're carrying with you 
"Heya Koebi-chan~"
"In high spirits are we?"
"Hmmmm? Have I ever not been?" 
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. And are you not going to ask why I'm here Leech?"
"No, why would I~ You're obviously here for me!"
"What if I was here for Jade?"
"Then I would make you stay here for me instead!"
even with his playful response, you could definitely tell that if you brought jade into this once more, floyd wouldn't spare you any mercy and have you be a victim of his infamous squeeze
"No need~ I actually did come here for you."
"Ehehe~ Of course you did!"
"Tsk, confident one aren't you?"
"Mhm~ Confident enough to say that the chocolates you're carrying are for me Koebi-chan!"
"Won't you look at that~ You guessed it right!"
the beat that floyd's heart skipped amplified the excitement he felt when you handed him the box of goods
"They smell really good! Are you sure you don't wanna work as a chef for the lounge"
"I'm good. And they look good too, I spent around an hour making them for you." 
"No fair! I was going to confess first on white day. Spoiling my plans like this, the nerve~"
"I didn't confess yet Leech! But now that you reminded me, you better accept my feelings." 
"Threatened with a confession? Didn't think that was your style haha!" 
the merman definitely felt nothing but pure joy as he unwrapped the first chocolate and popped it into his mouth 
"Hm~ So what if I did? As far as I know, the law doesn't prevent me from wanting to be with my crush." 
"Ah, ah~! One more word and I'll give you a lil' squeeze." 
"Did I ever say I would mind that?"
"Then I guess you won't Koebi-chan! But just so you know, I don't plan on letting go!"
___
♡ SCARABIA
✯; kalim al-asim
pleasantly surprised to find out that you're visiting scarabia and is immediately beaming at you when you enter with a cute looking box of what appeared to be spice laced chocolates (the smell made his mouth water!)
"Good morning [Name]! What a nice sight to see so early on!"
"Morning Asim, you're in a good mood~"
"That's because Jamil let me host a banquet for Valentine's day! Isn't he the best?"
"Let me guess, he made you promise to not cook with him after you insisted you wanted to help, right?"
"Woah are you sure you don't have magic yourself? That was so accurate!"
"You're too sweet sunshine, unfortunately that's still a no."
kalim grinned at the nickname as his heart palpitations grew, amplifying when he looked at the crimson box of chocolates with golden trimmings again
"So, is there a reason as to why you're visiting Scarabia?"
"Yeah, you're actually the whole reason." 
"Ahhhh that's cute! Would you like to stay for the night?"
"Depending on your answer, maybe~" 
"My answer to what?"
"To whether you'll accept my feelings or not."
the pearly white haired boy swears he felt his heart leap out his chest as his ruby red eyes widened 
"Oh my- I'm so happy you feel the same way! I absolutely do accept yes!"
"You should also be happy about the fact I spent an hour making these!"
when you handed him the chocolates his perpetual grin only became bigger if that's even possible
"Awe thank you so much [Name]! You're the best!"
"Mhm no problem~ I made it a point to ask Viper for your favourite kind of chocolate."
"You're so sweet, how about we go on a magic carpet ride?? Like the one of that very old tale where princess Jasmin and-"
"Ah spare the details Asim, I know exactly which one you're talking about."
"Great! I heard it's very romantic. Ooh! Maybe we can do a cute duet too!"
"Whatever you want, just make sure you'll focus on the steering."
"But how would I focus on anything but you?"
"You asking me this so genuinely is actually surreal."
.
✯; jamil viper
the moment his smoky grey eyes landed on your form and the maroon heart shaped box you were carrying with you, he immediately knew what was up, or hoped he knew what it was
"Oh prefect. Good morning."
"As formal as always I see?"
"Were you expecting anything but?"
"I don't set unrealistic expectations, Viper."
"Was that an insult?"
"Are you taking it as one?"
"Do you ever give straight answers?"
"No but I will be needing a very straight answer from you though."
the teasing smile you gave jamil never ceased to make his heart skip a beat, no matter how much denial he was in at the present moment
"Depends on the question you ask, [Last name]."
"Hm rude~ I should be asking Kalim if he would accept my feelings instead . . . Too bad I'm already super invested in you, no?"
just the mention of kalim alone made a scowl appear on jamil's face as he gazed straight in your eyes
"Yes, and too bad I'm already accepting your feelings so you can't back out. What a shame."
"Woah Viper~ Possessive much! Not that I don't like it, ehe." 
"Tsk, you're really irritating when you want to be."
"But it's only because I love your reactions. They simply get cuter as they go."
jamil looked at the ground as a red hue crept over his face, he feared that if you said anything else he might just lose every bit of self restraint he has
"And . . . you're sure you want to be with me? You know what it means . . ."
"Absolutely, 100% positive that you're the one and I am not budging on this no matter what you say."
"Tsk, you're not making this easy for me at all."
"Easy wouldn't be fun, just accept that we're totally fated already."
"Because you're madly in love with me ;)"
"Why do I even bother. . ." 
"There you go, being delusional again."
♡ POMEFIORE
"Wouldn't have to be delusional if you didn't make me darlin'!"
___
✯; vil schoenheit
notices when you walk in right away, and is very quick to spot the velvety box you're carrying, definitely surprised when the tag reads 'Schoenheit'
"Afternoon prefect, do you need anything from me specifically?"
"Yeah your attention on me for a second or two."
"Well in that case, make it quick."
"Wow being this rude should be illegal~" 
"So should taking up someone's time. Someone who has a scheduled shoot in approximately 4 hours."
"Are you saying I'm wasting your time?"
"Did you take my statement as such?"
"Guess I'll go confess to LeBlanche then~ I'm sure he'll like what I made." 
vil's eyes narrowed in the slightest as a light scoff left his lips, he didn't expect such a reply but your fiery nature was one of the things as to why he fell for you in the first place so he didn't have a place to complain
"You're really something else entirely."
"Always have been, love~" 
the nickname itself made the blonde shiver, but combined with your killer smile, he couldn't help but avert his eyes for a few seconds
"So I'm guessing you're here to confess after all?"
"Yeah, so if you would be as kind as to accept my feelings please~" 
"You were already aware of what my answer would be, weren't you?"
"Oh definitely~ Now before you deny the gift, it's dark chocolate. And won't affect your daily calorie intake too much."
"Good, I do admire the thought behind that."
vil couldn't help but smile at the notion of you caring enough as to take care of the small details, but may have become even more smitten with you when he opened the box to see the beautiful designs which were clearly inspired by him
"You better appreciate them, took over an hour to make~"
"Would you really spend that much time and effort into making something so superficial?"
"Duh~ Only for you though!"
"In that case, thank you dear. Please do expect something in return on white day." 
"Positively can't wait. Anything you do is bound to turn out great!"
.
✯; rook hunt
chances are he already knew you were making something, but didn't know for who so when you came into the pomefiore dorm and requested to see him, boy was he mildly amused (not to mentioned excited)
"Bonjour mon amour~ I've heard from Roi du Poison that you inquired about my whereabouts?"
"Well then your hearing must be excellent because that's exactly what I needed!"
"My, my you seem to be in a bonne humeur~"
"That's because my hard efforts to make the greatest chocolates ever paid off!"
"Oh? Tu as fait du chocolat? How intriguing, for who~?"
"For the person who stole my heart~"
rook glanced at the velvety red box in your hand yet to his dismay, couldn't see what was on the tag. however, that didn't stop him from wishing it was reserved for him
"As always, tu es trĂšs Ă©nigmatique, my dear."
"Hehe~ I saw you glancing at the tag. You must be curious~"
"Naturally, anyone would be, non?"
"Well, you better appreciate the effort I put into this because it's for you~"
the blonde haired hunter couldn't help but smile at the sweet gesture as he anticipated the confession which was sure to follow with a hitched breath
"Well I'd love to accept them." 
"Since you're accepting the chocolates, you have to accept my feelings too Hunt~"
"With pleasure, [Name]. Or mon cƓur. Whichever you prefer!"
"Are you trying to woo me with the way you say my name? Because it's working."
"That wasn't my intention, but I'm glad to hear this."
despite the cool facade rook maintained, he would definitely be lying if he said he didn't feel his heart drum faster throughout his chest at your endearing words
"If that's the case, then I should politely ask for you to stop charming me like that, it just isn't fair~"
"You're as equally charming mon amour, does that not equal out?"
"Unfair! You're doing it again."
"Je n'ai rien fait, je promets~" 
.
✯; epel felmier
the way you came into his dorm with an apple pie laced with cinnamon, he definitely tried to suppress a smile that was threatening to break out on his face
" Hey prefect, what brings you here?"
"Oh you know, my legs."
"Hey- you know what I meant!"
"Okay, okay~ I'm here for a very important reason."
"That would be?"
"You're very impatient, read what's on the tag~"
"Uh, 'Felmier'. My last name?"
by this point, the lilac haired boy began to suspect what was up but nonetheless waited for what you'd say next with a hitched breath
"Congrats, you can read~ Now guess why I'm here."
"W-wait . . . Don't tell me you're . . . confessing?"
"That's exactly what I was about to do but I guess I won't tell you."
"Ah- wait that's not what I was sayin'- uh saying!"
"You should stop hiding your accent around me, it's so adorable~"
"Gh- whatever ya say just spill it!"
"Okay, okay~ Well I'm here to ask if you'd be willing to accept my feelings?"
"I- yeah . . . Yeah I do-"
"You're making it sound like we're getting married~ You should ask for my hand first!"
the red hues decorating epel's face along with the loud beating of his heart did not make it easier for him to look you straight in the eyes
"Oh just hand over the pie . . . I'm puttin' your efforts to the test."
"Hehe~ Okay, okay but you better appreciate it or else."
"I do . . .. And don't make a comment on that!"
"Okay I won't haha! For now."
"Hah- tsk I'll never carve apples for you again . . ."
"Hey Felmier! You take that back this instant!"
"Maybe if you beg for forgiveness."
"Is this how you treat your future spouse?"
"[N-name]!"
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tinybeetiny · 4 months ago
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7 Thousand Miles: S.M
MingiXafab!Reader
fluff
If you would like to be a part of the taglist please fill out this form
CW: some explicit language (nothing major), Yunho and Wooyoung mentioned
masterlist | Ateez Masterlist
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"I miss you lots babe. I can't for our next break, ready to see you" Mingi pouts as he stares at the screen, it's not the same. He'd much rather have you here with him than via video chat. The feeling was mutual though. You missed his touch, his presence, his morning voice, his smell, the cuddles, everything. The screen time wasn't enough, you NEEDED to see him. Mingi unwillingly hung up after being summoned by Hongjoong leaving you to ponder on how you were going to plan this and who you'd turn to for help.
"No no no it's going to be perfect I promise, I'll be there in a few minutes, Terminal B right?" Yunho asked over the phone "Yeah, I'm at baggage claim right now so it should be another 10ish minutes” you sigh feeling your foot tapping in impatience. It’s been too long since you’ve seen Mingi and each ticking second felt like decades. Once you FINALLY retrieve your bags you raced to the exit to find Yunho standing with an obnoxious sign waiting for you. You debated if you wanted to just act like you didn’t know but unfortunately he didn’t give you that option “HEY (Y/N) OVER HERE! HEY I’M RIGHT HERE. LOOK” Yunho yelled basically loud enough for all of LAX to hear. You mentally facepalmed hoping no one recognized him. Luckily you were able to get to the car without a mob swarming. “So, it’s been 3 months since you’ve seen him. Are you excited?” Yunho questioned, stupidly. You turned to give him a look that screamed ‘duh’ to which he chuckled and threw his hands up in defense.
It took about 15 minutes to get to your hotel and the whole time Yunho went on and on about how whiney Mingi’s been recently. “The sound check is in a couple hours, I’ll send a car to come get you. Text me when you get to the arena and we’ll go from there.” He said before you exit the car, you thank him, bidding your goodbyes and walking to check into your room. For the next two hours you spent getting ready, fortunately, as soon as you were done you got a text saying that the car was waiting for you, grabbing your things you raced down not bothering to use the elevator. The car ride over was excruciatingly long. Your anticipation making it harder and harder for you to wait. It’s been way too long since you’ve been able to hold your lover and now you were only mere miles away. When you finally arrive to the arena, you throw the door open, quickly thanking the driver, rushing to the doors. Yunho seemed to be already waiting for your arrival "It's okay, she's with me" He told security as you passed through the many halls. There were so many people moving around trying to get ready for tonight's show it was hard to make anyone out. Your thoughts are interrupted when you feel someone grabbing you from behind and spinning around "OH MY GOSH (Y/N) I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ACTUALLY HERE, MINGI IS GOING TO FRREEAAAK" "Wooyoung put her down. You're going to make her sick" Yunho laughed as he tried to get the excited boy to put you down. Wooyoung reluctantly put you back on the ground, steading yourself on Yunho "Where is Mingi?" You asked looking around at the many people "Hongjoong is making him go over his parts again, he's been a little out of it lately, his dressing room is this way though" Wooyoung says as he leads you through "It's okay if I wait in here right?" You ask nervous that someone will say something "PSH of course it is, he shouldn't be long" He winks, walking out.
It's been 10 minutes already and you can't stop your leg from shaking in anticipation. Any minute he's going to walk through that door, any minute you're going to see your beautiful boyfriend. You nearly jump out of your seat when you hear voices outside of the door "I don't need to go in my dressing room for anything, I want to go pee" You hear Mingi whine "Oh.... well yeah do that first but then change after, you smell gross" Yunho replies their voices getting smaller and smaller as they walk away. You sigh sitting back down, feeling slightly disappointed but you don't really want Mingi to pee himself when he sees you. But the longer you have to wait the more your anxiety goes, you nearly shit yourself when you hear the doorknob turn "Okay Yunho I'm going in, see! Happy" Mingi says dramatically "No, but you're about to be" Mingi gives him a confused look as he pushes open the door. You stand when you finally see him, it's been 3 months since you last saw him, his hair was longer and maaan did it suit him. He didn't notice you when he first walked in, immediately taking his shirt off, your eyes widen as you clear your throat to make your presence known. Mingi jumps and turns with a little scream clutching his heart. The fear instantly dissipates when he realizes it's you "Am I hallucinating?" He asks. You shake your head as you step closer to him. Mingi, with zero hesitation, takes you in his arms and you're not sure if he can squeeze you any harder but you squeeze him back with just as much enthusiasm. "I can't believe you're actually here! How did you even- wow I just- wow" you laugh at how he stutters. He suddenly stops looking you so deeply in the eyes you feel as though he can see your soul "I've missed you so much" he says before FINALLY pressing his lips to yours, your hands find his hair pushing him impossibly closer. He pulls away breathless "I've waited way too long to do that" You say laughing out of breath.
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onceuponastory · 11 months ago
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twelve minutes - bucky barnes x reader
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But for now we stay so far 'Til our lonely limbs collide I can't keep you in these arms So I'll keep you in my mind - you and i by PVRIS
Plot: Almost a year after their breakup, Y/N sees Bucky Barnes again. Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader (past) Warnings: Mentions of a breakup and heartbreak, angst without a happy ending. Bucky being a shitty boyfriend. As always, if I miss any triggers, please let me know! Notes: So You and I by PVRIS, one of my favourite songs ever, turned 8 on Friday, and I had to write another fic for it to celebrate (please ignore I'm a few days late) so here we are!
Not beta'd, so any mistakes are my own.
One night, Y/N stands outside the Avengers tower in the cold New York air. A chilly wind blows, and she shivers. She can still hear the party inside, the muffled music and laughter. Maybe she should just go inside? Isn't that better than being out here, alone and in the cold? 
But just as she’s about to turn back, she shakes her head. She didn’t even want to come tonight. Although the Avengers are still her friends, a party attended by her ex, Bucky Barnes, was not the ideal way to spend her night. But Natasha whined and begged for her to come, promising her she’d have a good time and it wouldn’t be that awkward. Unfortunately, it was just as awkward as Y/N expected. In fact, it was worse.
Sure, people still spoke to her, but she could tell they all had one question on their lips, one she was not willing to answer: "So, when are you and Bucky getting back together?"
And so, Y/N left. She types on her phone, ordering an Uber to take her home. Sighing, she wraps her jacket around herself as another chilly wind blows. Soon, she’ll be home and can eat her sorrows in ice cream. 
“Leaving so soon?” A familiar voice asks. One that Y/N was hoping not to hear tonight. 
“Hey Bucky.” He looks different from the last time she saw him, almost a year ago, now. Just over ten months, in fact. Not that she’s counting or anything. He’s bulkier, no doubt an effect of Steve’s constant early morning runs. Each time he left their bed, he promised to come back, kissing her cheek softly. Even now, her skin tingles just thinking about it. Bucky smiles, brushing some of his longer hair out of his face. 
He looks good. 
He looks great, actually. She can’t deny it - he still looks as attractive ever. Deep down, something registers in her gut. It’s a strong, passionate longing feeling, the same one she used to have whenever she thought of Bucky. One that she thought disappeared a long time ago. But seeing him now is reigniting that feeling. Desperately, she tries to bury it.
“Good to see you again.” He murmurs, a sign that he’s feeling just as awkward as she is. After all, how often do you run into your ex at a party you didn’t even want to go to? “Nat never said you were coming.” He looks around, a brow raised. “Where’s that boyfriend of yours? She said he’s a lawyer.” Of course she fucking did. She’s going to kill her next time she sees her. “Can’t imagine he’d pass up a moment to spend time with you.”
“We um. We broke up. Well, he dumped me for his secretary, actually. So
 yeah.” She’s immediately embarrassed, not meaning to spill her heartbreak to anyone, let alone Bucky fucking Barnes, her ex of all people. Honestly, part of her reasoning for coming tonight and hopefully dragging Harry along with her was to make Bucky jealous, show him that their breakup wasn’t affecting her that badly. 
And look how well that turned out. 
But her wounds are still raw. Perhaps, after suppressing her feelings for so long, she simply needed to release and express her frustration and pain to someone. And Bucky just happens to be the one she’s letting it out to, the welcome respite she’s needed for so long. That's how things used to be between them. Whenever something was wrong, Y/N and Bucky relied on each other for comfort. They would spend hours in each other’s arms, talking about their problems until they felt better. Y/N still aches for that comforting grasp, even now.
But now, things are different. Including her and Bucky.
Especially her and Bucky.
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” He sighs. “I’ve fucked up, haven’t I?” 
“It’s okay.” She lies, but knows that if she dwells on it too long, she’ll start sobbing in front of him. Her chest tightens in an all too familiar way. This is what people like Bucky Barnes do. They come into your life and leave a mark. Once they’re gone, you work so hard to heal yourself and make a new life, and then they come back in and destroy everything all over again. And she won’t put herself through that again.
“Looking back on it now, we just weren’t a good fit. Or at least, he didn’t like me as much as I liked him.” The heat on her cheeks deepens, as if she’s embarrassed to admit falling in love with and getting her heart broken by someone like her ex. To admit that she subjected herself to so much pain and heartbreak yet again. But thankfully, Bucky doesn’t mention it. 
“Honestly, it’s his loss. You deserve better.”
“Thanks.” And again, silence envelops them. She wonders if he’ll start talking about their breakup, or continue ignoring the enormous elephant in the room. And honestly
. she doesn’t know which she’d rather have. To lay everything out in the open, or just ignore it all again, pretending everything is fine. When her eyes drift back to him, he’s not looking at her anymore, and despite how angry she was at Bucky for what happened, and how much she likes to kid herself that she doesn’t care about Bucky anymore, it still stings.
Deep down, she wants him to want her, like she wants him. To still want her, even now.
“Can we talk?” He asks suddenly. She already hates the idea of being forced to spend time with another ex so soon after losing another relationship, but there’s not much else she can do. And honestly
. She misses Bucky a lot.
“Sure. You have
.” she peers down at her phone screen, the light illuminating the space. “Twelve minutes.” Bucky raises a brow.
“Twelve? That’s very
 specific.” He chuckles awkwardly. Y/N doesn’t laugh. 
“It’s how long until my Uber arrives.” 
“Oh.” There’s disappointment lacing his tone, which Y/N picks up on. She stares at him, waiting for his response. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what happened between us.” 
“Okay. Me too.” She nods. Bucky raises a brow. 
“...That’s it? Y-You’re not going to say anything?”
“What can I say? You said that you’re sorry for how it ended, and so am I.” She shrugs. “There’s no point in beating ourselves up, Bucky. We just never worked out. You were always too busy, and after a while I just stopped waiting for you. The fights got too much, and we just stopped loving one another.” Honestly, she never stopped loving him. But it’s better to lie and tell him that the feeling is mutual than waste all her tears on someone who actually stopped loving her. She stopped being important to him and was no longer the key priority in his life. Missions were his priority, followed by dinners, drinks, and world trips with teammates - things she stopped being invited to. As an Avenger, he can't refuse to save the world, but she thought she mattered to him. Realising she didn't hurt her deeply.
So one day, she decided enough was enough, and
 it was over. And she’s missed him terribly since then.
“You really think I stopped loving you?” Bucky frowns. There’s a strange mix of guilt and accusation in his tone. Y/N nods. “Well, I didn’t. I never stopped.”
Y/N gasps, and his revelation makes her heart pound. What if this is a good sign? A chance for them to make things right? “I thought you did. I thought you stopped caring.” For a moment, she wonders how he’ll react, if he’ll take her into his arms again, and whisper sweet nothings. Maybe they’ll finally make things right.
Instead, he turns defensive. “I didn’t. And it’s not all my fault, you know. I did try to make it home to you, but you didn’t understand how busy I was sometimes.” He snaps, sending a fresh strike of pain through her already damaged heart and destroying all hope she ever had of them rekindling their relationship.. 
“You had a funny way of showing it.” She retorts, rolling her eyes. Anger flows through her veins, overtaking her last shred of guilt. Why is it her who has to fix things first? To be the villain, the one who has to admit that they’re in the wrong? Angry and bitter tears sting at her eyes. “But yeah, whatever. It’s my fault our relationship fell apart.”
Immediately, Bucky regrets his words. “Look, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry.” He hates that this is what they’ve come to now, unable to speak to one another without anger, bitterness and hurt feelings. But maybe this is a chance to make things right? A whole twelve
well, probably ten minutes, now. “And I’m sorry if it seemed I wasn’t trying hard enough. I loved you a lot.” He sighs. “I still do.”
“I never stopped either.” She admits, and Bucky’s eyes widen.
“Really?” He gasps. “W-Well, do you wanna get a drink somewhere? Or some dinner?”
“Wait.” She raises a hand, cutting him off. She sighs. “Not tonight.”
“Tomorrow? I’ll wait. We can go whenever you want.” He urges. But Y/N just can’t ignore the feeling deep inside her, of guilt and apprehension. What if she lets him back in and it happens all over again? If she gives him all of her heart and gets it back broken, yet again? She’s already been through two heartbreaks in this lifetime, and she can’t go through that pain again.
Especially not one caused by Bucky. 
“I’m sorry. I can’t.” She whispers, biting her bottom lip. Bucky frowns, confused.
“What do you mean? W-Why not?”
“Because I can’t do this again.” She whimpers, her voice cracking. “Our break up destroyed me, and I’ve just been through another one. Another break up between us would actually finish me off.” She shakes her head. “Maybe one day we can talk
but not now.”
Bucky opens his mouth, ready to speak. But he nods. “I understand.” He sighs. He keeps his gaze on her, his blue eyes imploring and hopeful. Suddenly, the sound of an engine approaches. Y/N sighs. “Guess my twelve minutes are up.” Bucky chuckles nervously.
“Goodnight Bucky.” She says, getting into the car and closing the door. He watches her go, looking crestfallen. She looks out of the window, locking eyes with him.
“You okay?” The driver asks. “Need a minute?” Y/N’s heart aches, and her chest aches. 
“No.” she murmurs. “You can keep driving.” And then they pull away, and Bucky fades into the distance.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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cinnamonbear22 · 2 months ago
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Oblivious love (c.s x reader)
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Chapter five
First four parts are up <3
HIIII omg im so sorry i didn’t write for so long i was so down but im back and i want to update as frequently as I possibly can <3 thank you all for your support :,) also if there’s any suggestions or any type of request i am soooo down to do lil one shots or headcannons im feelin creative 😛😛
Tw: Fem reader
the rest of my vacation with the triplets flew by. despite me and chris finally admitting our feelings to each other, it didn't make things any different between me and the rest of his brothers. i still spent extreme quality time with nick and matt, as well as having special evenings with just chris. but unfortunately it all came to an end, where now we were all walking through the airport with mopey, sad looks on each of our faces.
matt and chris carried all of my bags through the airport, not even allowing me to take my small carryon. my hand anxiously was gripping onto nicks arm around as we went to take a seat in the waiting area, listening carefully for my flight to be called. "i'm so sad" nick pouted, looking down at me as matt and chris sat across from us. "it felt just like old times when we were constantly together"
"i know" i sighed and leaned my head on his shoulder, both chris and matt were equally upset. "but it's not like we're never going to see each other again" i tried smiling and nudged both chris and matt with my foot.
"why don't you just move in with us?" matt looked at me with full seriousness, causing me to actually laugh at his wide eyes.
"my mom is all by herself at home, i couldn't do that to her, you know that" my eyes looked between chris and matt's since they were both awaiting an answer. "and i have a job that is most likely pissed at me for taking two weeks off"
"just quit your job" chris shrugged and we both exchanged weary smiles.
"you know i also can't do that" i kept eye contact with him, the same comforting eyes I’ve know since birth still sending butterflies right to my stomach.
"we'll come visit super super soon" nick reassured everyone, mostly his sad brothers. "we'll have a fun day with you and nathan and everyone else, soon, i promise" he looked down at me with a smile.
"i'm looking forward to it" i smiled back at nick, and looked back over at the other two. chris was definitely the most devastated out of all of them. It’s making my heart sink.
after about fifteen minutes of light conversation, they announced my flight over the p.a. system. all of their eyes widened as if it were an shocking surprise, making me slightly giggle. "i don't want you to go" nick pulled me into a big hug as i stood up. tears were threatening my eyes as i was in his tight embrace.
"stop it im going to start bawling" i shakily laughed in his tight hold.
“I’m so sorry we haven’t been around much, or the fact we haven’t flown you out sooner” he rubbed my back before pulling away from each other.
"don't be sorry, i know you guys are busy" i used the back of my hand to wipe the tears.
i went to matt next, hugging him just as tight as he rested his head on top of my own. "thank you so much for everything" he held me close and i could hear in his voice he was getting choked up as well.
"no, no, no" i pulled away from him and looked at his damp eyes, similar to nicks. "thank you for everything" i smiled gently and gave him one last hug before they called my flight once again. "i love you guys so much" i looked over at nick and matt, both of them looking as if they’re trying their hardest not to let any tears slip.
"text us once you land" nick grabbed my hand and held it gently, giving it a squeeze before i turned around and looked at chris.
his eyes were already bloodshot as his lashes were wet with a constant flow of tears. seeing him like this finally broke me and tears began to leak steadily from my eyes. "walk me to the gate?" i asked him softly, and all he could do is nod. "bye guys" i turned around and waved at them, and they both said goodbye back. i held onto chris's hand as we started to walk towards my assigned gate. we were both silent, the energy was very different from how he normally is. "can you say something?"
"i'm sorry" he swallowed hard as the gate came into vision. "i feel so devastated" he sighed and sniffled a little, breaking my heart more and more by the second. this reminded me of the time they visited boston awhile back, but i was the only one who was available to drive them to the airport (which i hate saying my goodbye's to them) and he was just as emotional leaving as he is now. he's always been so emotional with me.
"it's okay" i pushed out a smile and we both stopped a few feet in front of the gate. "it's not like we're never going to see each other again" i scoffed trying to cheer him up, but his entire face was becoming red and blotchy. "awe, chris" i stood on my tiptoes, throwing my arms around his neck and pulling him to me.
he didn't hesitate to bend down to my level and snatch my waist quickly into his strong arms, holding me the tightest he's ever have in his life. "i know i'll see you soon but," he took a shaky breath into the side of my neck, his tears wetting his hoodie i was currently wearing. "damn i feel like we finally just started life together" he emphasized the ending, pulling me in closer. "it was such a small taste of everything i wanted, and now it's already gone"
"we have always been in this life together" i comforted him as best as i could, lacing my fingers through his soft hair as his head sunk more onto my shoulder. "it's not gone, it'll always be here, i'll always be here" i pulled away from him, holding his face as he stilled gripped strongly on my waist. "i hate seeing you cry" my breath hitched in my throat as i let out a small laugh. my thumbs swiped across his cheekbones as he stared intently down at me watching my every move.
"i love you" he faintly said trying to choke back tears, making my heart flutter.
"i love you too" i stood on my tiptoes once again and reached myself up to his lips. i held his face as our lips connected gently, kissing each other slow and soft yet so passionate as if we were going to be separated for eternity. his lips tasted a bit salty from his constant flow of tears as he held me even tighter. this wasn’t like him either, he hates public display of affection.
the p.a. system announced their third, and final call. we both pulled away from each other, holding each others eyes with our own. "i'll be back soon, i promise" he bit his bottom lip most likely to prevent it from trembling. his eyes still streamed with tears.
"i know you will" i gently brushed his hair to the side so i could see his eyes more.
"ill text you every second of the day" he swallowed and nodded harshly. "and call you everyday, no matter how busy i am" he brought his hands up to my face now, cupping it as we looked intensely in my eyes. "ill send you presents and letters and i'll always be available to you okay? one call away, one text away, one flight away, no matter what time of day, do you understand?" i nodded as tears weld greatly in my eyes at how caring and loving he is. i quickly kissed him once again, my time is now running up with him. "my sweet princess," he pulled me into another hug, gently kissing the top of my head with his hand holding the back of it. "i love you so much"
"i love you so much" i took a deep breath trying to prevent myself from sobbing.
"call me when you land" as we pulled away from each other, my heart instantly felt empty. i grabbed my carryon bag from his shoulder, to which he instantly kissed my cheek and put on a small smile. "i love you (y/n)"
"i love you" my throat felt like it was completely closed up, my heart felt slightly broken. i pushed my own self to start stepping towards the entrance, my feet feeling like cement and wanting to stay here with chris. i wiped my nose with the hoodies sleeve, his scent instantly filling my senses causing more tears to fall. i wanted to look back behind me at him again before i was on, but i couldn't bring myself to it. if i had, i would've probably ran right back to him.
i boarded the plane with a sniffly nose and wet eyes. i kept my eyes down at the floor trying to avoid all the stares and looks from concerned passengers. as i sat in my seat the flight attendant was going over safety instructions and material, but it was hard for me to even focus on the information. this was definitely the hardest goodbye i've said in awhile.
~
once the plane landed, my phone came back into service and already tons of messages were piled up all from chris.
chris<3
i miss u already
plz i hope the plane turns around im manifesting it
did it turn around
r u back in la ?! plz say yes
i hope u have a safe flight
u looked super cute in my clothes the lil sweatpants hoodie combo is sooo cute
but only my sweatpants and hoodies...
I CANT WAIT TO TALK TO UUUU
did u land yet??????
r u safe?? did the plane crash????
MY PILLOW STILL SMELLS LIKE UR CONDITIONER IM GONNA CRYYY
I MISS U
I LUV U
i'm scared what if the plane did crash i think id die
na id come find it and save u the moment it happens
nicks editing the car video now that u we're in u look so gorgeous i miss u
ur always so gorgeous yoyhe always been
**youve
text me when you can
i smiled at the plethora of messages, but i was only able to text back a little since i had to board off.
chris<3
i just landed, ill txt u when i can !!
i love u sm
as soon as i sent those text my phone instantly pinged with a message from him as if he'd been lingering on the message screen. unfortunately i couldn't open it right away considering i was already being nudged and pushed from the large crowd.
once i was off the plane i grabbed my luggage that was being put through on a conveyor belt. after i grabbed all of my belongings, my eyes started to scan the busy airport. "(y/n)!" i heard my name being shouted from behind me. "we're over here sweetie"
i turned around to see my mom, mr. and mrs. sturniolo, and nathan standing near my mother. they all waved me over and as much as this day was heartbreaking, this brought a large smile to my face. i quickly jogged over to them as my mom held her arms open for me and i had no hesitation running right onto them.
"i missed you" i hugged her tightly as she hugged me back.
"i missed you too (y/n)" she said warmly as we hugged each other for a long, long time. i was more of a homebody, being back in boston with my mother felt amazing. "did you have fun?" she asked while smiling down at me.
"i really did" i smiled back at her and quickly began greeting mr. and mrs. sturniolo with massive hugs as well. after all, they were like my second parents. especially mr. sturniolo, considering i never had a father figure in the house.
"did they behave?" mrs. sturniolo asked with a little grin.
"of course they did" i giggled a bit before giving nathan a big hug as well. "thank you guys all for coming" i looked around at the small group that came to greet me from my long trip.
"awe, of course sweetheart" mrs. sturniolo gave me a big smile of gratitude, lifting my spirits completely.
we all started to head out now, mr. sturniolo grabbed one of my suitcases and nathan grabbed the other one and my carryon bag. i repeatedly tried to tell him that i could carry my own stuff, but they refused to let me.
the adults walked a little ahead of us while discussing dinner plans with each other. "so" nathan began, looking over at me with mocking eyes as we trailed behind the rest of them. "you and chris finally came to your senses?"
"shut up" i glanced up at him, my face immediately burned up at the mention of chris. "how do you even know?"
"how do i know?" he scoffed teasingly down at me to which I hit the side of his arm. "hm, how would i know (y/n)?" he continued the teasing and talked to me as if i were a caveman. "it's not like i've been best friends with them for a just little while now" he looked down at me while making a goofy face to which i only rolled my eyes. "it's not like he told me the second it happened"
"did he really?" a smile now broke across my embarrassed face.
"i swear" nate nodded, dropping the sarcasm. "man, i've been hyping him up to do that since we were like, fourteen i think?"
"seriously?" i giggled a little, now trying to regain my composure. since i grew up with the triplets, it was inevitable that nate would also become a huge part in my life as well. i remember me and him didn't get along well at first, but as the years passed he became one of my best friends. we still consistently hangout with each other even when the triplets aren't around. "thank you for coming" i smiled up at him, earning a small grin back.
"of course" he slightly chuckled as we entered the busy parking lot. "i sort of missed you"
"awe..!" i dramatically cooed at him making him embarrassed now. "you missed me?" i jokingly pouted my lips and covered my heart.
"i take it back" he shook his head slightly as we finally approached mr. sturniolo's car. as much as i missed the triplets, i was extremely happy to be back in boston.
~
"what did you do tonight?" chris's voice hummed through my phone as i had him on speaker. i was putting away all my luggage and clothing from the trip as we finally got a chance to talk.
"well," i began to fold some of my pants and put them neatly back in my drawer. "your mom had me, my mom, and nate over for dinner tonight" i paced around my room putting each item back in their respective drawer. "and then after nate took me out for ice cream"
"he took you out?" chris's voice sounded extremely guarded.
"not like that you jerk" i shook my head as if he could see me. "you know what i mean, cmon it's nathan"
"i know, im just teasing you"
"right" i replied in a slightly sarcastic manner.
"did anyone talk about like... us? did our parents say anything?"
"of course they did" i giggled and sat down on the edge of my bed. "it was the hot topic of the dinner table"
"well what did they say?" his voice became shy with that question.
"my mom was mad that i didn't tell her, but honestly they were all pretty happy with it. your mom is also mad you didn't say anything to her"
"i'll have to call her later and catch her up then"
me and chris ended up talking for another three hours on the phone before finally hanging up and going to bed. we both agreed it was weird not sleeping next to each other since we had gotten so used to it, but until i see him again, his hoodie is going to have to do.
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green-tea-in-absinthe-bottle · 5 months ago
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Hell's comin' with me
Aventurine and Boothill are on a mission to send Oswaldo Schneider to hell. You have your own reasons to team up with them. Implied Aventurine x reader.
GENERAL MASTERLIST
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It was getting harder to breathe. At this point you weren't sure if you should blame your tight dress chosen by Aventurine for this evening, crowd of powerful people surrounding you or expensive wine you indulged in for this strange heaviness in your chest.
Everything about your appearence from expensive jewelry matching golden attire to artistic but elegant make up you spent hours doing had one purpose - getting people's attention off your partner in crime and his attempts to get more informations about Marketing Development Departament's head, Oswaldo Schneider from his assistant's private devices.
Your eyes scanned the room impatiently while you desperately tried to keep up your conversation with one of the most important IPC workers hoping he won't realise somebody is tinkering with his phone, foolishly left inside his bag by the table. Not an easy task if you don't speak the business language of numbers and statistics.
Old man paraded his knowledge and experience in finance, seemingly hoping to come off as a professional and wealthy man to impress you. You smiled at him politely and did your best to ignore the way he stared at your body.
Wave of relief washed over you when you saw Aventurine giving you a discreet sign that he downloaded all of the needed information already. Next thing you know gambler was right by your side.
- My dear, I hope you didn't get bored already... - he interrupted assistant's monologue, taking you by the hand. - I know very few people able to stand my lovely coworker once he gets a chance to talk about his job.
- Sir, we were in the middle of conversation... - old man looked at Aventurine with irritation, inhaling sharply.
- Unfortunately, this needs to end right here. - Sigonian gave him a fake smile. - You see, I still need to introduce my partner to my colleagues from Ten Stonehearts. - he guided you away from other male, towards the exit.
***
- Do you have everything we promised to that guy? - you spoke up to break the uncomfortable silence.
- Not really, Oswaldo's assistant isn't stupid enough to keep such personal information about his boss in his phone, even if he looks like a complete idiot. - Aventurine smirked maliciously, opening the door of his car for you.
- Do we have enough to make sure Schneider won't be able to hurt what's left of my planet or any other inhabitet place in this universe? - you glanced at Aventurine. He carefully drove past the wall littered with IPC recruitment posters before responding.
- Yes, it's enough to make sure Oswaldo can't do anything like that in the future, but it doesn't really matter. Once he's gone somebody else will take his place and do exactly the same things.
- If you think so then why are you doing that? - you argued. - I didn't expect you to be optimistic about the outcome of our mission, but come on. What's the point of this in that case.
- I have two reasons. First of all I work for Ten Stonehearts, my departament and the one ruled my Oswaldo are competing with each other. - he stated calmly. You rolled your eyes at his words in disbelief. - My second reason is much more important. Schneider is responsible for IPC's reaction to humanitarian crisis on Sigonia.
His gaze turned cold and sharp. You gulped nervously, knowing history of that planet. Conflict on Sigonia in it's last stage resulted in wiping out almost whole clan of Avgins, with only one survivor left. The man sitting by your side. You were more than eager to help him get his revenge for broken promises of safety.
- And you? - he turned his gaze to you. - Why do you want to take part in this mission?
- My family lives on one of the planets terribly indebted to IPC. In exchange for quick advancement IPC took over our independent government and made sure our debt could only grow. - you sighed, rubbing your temples. - They control our politics with threat of punishment for all the money we own them. My sister is one of the brave people who work towards setting us free, she hopes to get some of the debt forgiven by legal means. Somebody ordered to get her eliminated, with all evidence suggesting it has a lot to do with Oswaldo. She made it this time but as long as he's alive I won't be able to stop worrying about her.
- I understand. I know how it feels to lose your family and the whole world you used to know. - Aventurine squeezed your hand soothingly. - I will make sure you won't know this feeling.
***
- Is this all you have? ! Mudlefudger! Weren't you supposed to give me his full data and everything about his past as Nameless? - tall man with metal body and cowboy attire growled at the two of you.
- Hey, why not concentrate on what we have, Boothill? - Aventurine suggested. - Oswaldo's complete, detailed harmonogram for the next three days.
- Why would I give a love about how he spends his time?! I need to know his weaknesses, not what he eats for his fudging breakfast. - Boothill lashed out at gambler.
- No need to argue, guys. - you interrupted their friendly banter. - I noticed interesting break between bussines meetings and usual off-duty activities in our target's plans...
- That's exactly what I wanted to point out. - Aventurine glared at cowboy. - I checked his closest coworkers and their schedules in our system. It seems that for about an hour none of his official bodyguards will be guarding him. I don't know why is that so, but it might have something to do with his past. He might want to keep some secret from everybody, including his own subordinates. If we spy on him and make sure he's completely isolated at this time...
- I will finally be able to avenge my little daughter. - Boothill completed the sentence through gritted teeth. His fingers clenched around his gun.
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batsbirdsandspeedstersohmy · 9 months ago
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Some thoughts I have on cute story line/au
Wally and dick are dating took them forever to actually admit they got feeling for each other even if everyone else alrighty knew.
Wally is the flash berry is still alive and the flash. They kind of both are at the same time. No it's not confusing unless your arent from key stone or central city. If your from bludhaven you are to scared to ask due to seeing Nightwing and flash kissing. If your from anywhere else then you are probably confused.
Bruce gets lost in the time line
Dick unfortunately has to take up the mantle of Batman
Wally doesn't like that but support his boyfriend in any and everyway he can.
Dick moved back into the manner makes Damian Robin and works closely with him. Wally just about spends every night there even if he isn't living there technically. Since his name is on their old apartment and they don't fully want to lose it yet.
Dick and Damian become close. And thus Wally and Damian become close.
Damian starts seeing them as his parents. Calling them dad in different languages they don't know
Dick has an idea of what's Damian is doing. He knows his Damian even if they don't say it. Dick and wally refers to Damian as their kid.
Wally and Dick go to all meet the parents and Damian art shows and just every and anything they can. Damian will not say it but he is glad to have them there. He gets so upset if anything wrong happens cause he doesn't want them to think he not good enough anymore.
Wally and Dick get engaged Damian knew it was happening. He when with Dick to help pick out the rings. Well he when with Dick to help look at rings and get an idea of style. then waited as Wayne enterprises made something that would work for a speedster. He also inspected the ring very closely to make sure the people who made it didn't mess up.
Bruce comes back
Damian thinks he has to go back with Bruce and Wally and Dick won't want him anymore. Bruce of course thinks he is entitled to Damian. Wally and Dick are heart broken but think its best if Damian stays with Bruce.
Everyone but Bruce cry
Bruce is a bad parent and doesn't see Damian as anything but the killing machine he was trian to be and how he was right when he was dropping off at Bruce door step a few years ago.
Damian is the ring bearer for the wedding of course and hoes with them on wedding planning.
Alfred hates how Bruce is not showing love and how excited Damian is when Dick and wally come over. And how sad he gets as soon as they leave.
Alfred prints out adoption paperwork for what feels like the millionth time and instead of giving to Bruce puts in Dick pile of papers.
Wally and Dick almost cry when they find it and fill out what is their part. They take Damian out for ice cream. And ask Damian if he wants to be with them. Damian of course says yes and how their his dads and please don't leave him again.
They go back and start packing up stuff and go to the bat cave to get Bruce to sign the papers.
Bruce says no he will not and that they baby Damian and he needs to be watched carefully. Dick and Wally are going to get killed if they trust Damian so easily. And he will not let them take him.
Dick and wally are so upset dick gets mad. And yells at Bruce about how he been gone and Damian been hurt so much by him. Wally ends up being like Bruce you have 3 days otherwise we are taking this to court and taking our child back the hard way.
Damian doesnt understand why he can't go with them now. Wally unfortunately understands that it looks worse if they kidnap Damian by taking him now. They promised it only going to be a little bit and they get him very soon.
Damian spends the next three days packing up everything when he not busy. Alfred brings him boxes. Bruce tried to unpack things saying he not going anywhere. Alfred starts moving the boxes to a safe space that Bruce can't get to. But isn't Dick and Wally's place.
Bruce doesn't sign the papers
They go to court Dick and Wally get a lawyer for themselves and one for Damian. Bruce says it stupid for Damian to have his own one. And it's actually Dick and wally having two.
The judge ends up picking Damian a new lawyer and whoever wins have to pay for Damian's.
A lot of Damian's teachers are called in. Damian art teacher is one of the ones who help a lot. She brings up a project about their family tree and how Bruce and Talia are on there. But also Wally and Dick are on it. And Damian has put himself under them but arrows to Bruce and Talia with blood parents.
Talia ends up showing up. Which no one really knows how she knew what was happening. She says wants her son with Bruce that's why she drop him off at his place. (To train with the Batman)
I need to go to bed about 40 minute ago I'll come back and finish my thoughts
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selfloverrrrrr · 8 months ago
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You're alone...? (Part-4)
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Warnings : Noncon, kissing, Kidnapping, biting, size difference, Yandere Gojo, protective, jealous, Mafia Au....
Summary: Gojo and Sukuna are rivals. Sukuna pulled Gojo's trigger without any reason now Gojo came to take revenge....
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( All characters are aged up/18+)
Masterlist
Minors Do Not Interact
Read the warnings carefully....if you don't like my stories block me not report
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Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3
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A day passed. It was the next morning. I was sitting on Gojo's lap in Gojo's office. Gojo was sitting on his chair. We were giggling and laughing at each other's talk. We were alone in his office.
"Your cheeks are soft... I heard that men's cheeks aren't this soft they are kinda hard....my brother's cheeks aren't this soft too" I said pulling his cheeks. He looked at me and smirked. "Oh.. really? My another mussel is soft too wanna make it hard?" He asked with a smirk. I blushed so hard. "Can you stop?!" I said looking away from him and he laughed.
Suddenly the door of his office opened. Maki entered. "Mr.Gojo Yuta called me to tell you go to the 2nd floor...he said someone attacked here" Maki said. "Did he said who attacked?" Gojo asked. "No he didn't " Maki replied and Gojo nodded. Gojo started walking towards the door.
I grabbed his hand. " Why are you going without your gun....are you mad or something?" I said. "I don't need gun tho... they all are there with me " Gojo said. "Shut up ..... I won't let you go without a fucking gun!" I said. "Okey Madam I'm taking the gun" he said and took the gun. "And...." I spoke. He looked at me. ".....be safe " I said. He smirked. " I've to be safe for you, darling " he said and I smiled. The he went out.
Me and Maki were alone in the room. There was silence after Gojo left us there. "So.... you fell in love with him?" Maki broke the silence. I looked at her. "You mean Gojo?" I asked. She nodded. "Yuppp.... Fortunately or unfortunately.... I did" I replied and we both giggled. "What about you?" I asked. "Hmm?" She responds. "Do you like anyone?" I asked. "Yupp I do.... actually he's my boyfriend" she replied. "Oh really? Who's it?" I asked. "It's Yuta " she replied with a blush. "OMG I KNEW IT! DON'T TELL HIM THAT I'M TELLING YOU THIS. I HEARD HIM TAKING WITH MEGUMI ABOUT HIS GIRLFRIEND AND HE'S WAS SAYING ABOUT BUYING A RING" I Replied excitedly. "OMG.... really?!" Maki asked and I nodded.
The door opened again. Nobara entered. "Maki saan come quickly! Mr.Gojo is injured and he's not even letting anyone help him!" Nobara said. My heart skipped a beat. "Wait! Can you please tell me who attacked???" I asked. "It's..... your brother.... Sukuna" she replied. "Oh fuck! I've to go! Or else Sukuna's gonna kill Satoru!" I said and run towards the door.
Gojo's POV
When I enter the second floor. I saw blood and my bodyguards fighting with opponent's bodyguard. I saw Megumi running towards me. "Gojo! It's Sukuna" he said. "Where's he?" I asked and Megumi pointed . I went towards the direction. I saw. He saw me too. He started walking towards me and smacked me directly on my face. "What kind of -" before I could finish my sentence he smacked me again. "Where's my sister???!!!" He asked. 'I can't hurt Sukuna! I promised her!' I told myself. He smacked me again. "Gonna make your death so much painful" he said. I saw my guards coming to beat him "don't come here... don't touch him!" I warned them. Sukuna started smacking me continuously.
Y/n's POV
I run to the second floor. I saw blood everywhere. My heart started beating so fast. Fear got me. Then I saw sukuna. And I saw Gojo infront of him on the floor. There was blood on his face and Sukuna was continuously. "Sukuna! " I called while going towards them. Gojo and Sukuna both looked at me. Sukuna got up and hugged me. "Oh my God!!!!! Fuck I was so scared! Are you okey? Did he hurt you? I know what he did with you! Fuck I'm gonna kill that dick...he won't touch you Again!" Sukuna said. "Sukuna I'm okey...but listen to me! Don't hurt him... please " I pleaded. Sukuna paused. "What?...why?" He asked in a cold tone. "... I.... I love him... please don't hurt him " I said. "ARE. YOU.OUT.OF.YOUR.MIND???" He said. "I... i-i really l-love him " I said. He slapped me hard. He grabbed my face and said "you should fucking DIE!!". His nails digging into my cheeks. I saw Gojo went up and smacked Sukuna. Sukuna fell on the floor. Gojo smacked him again. "Guys...kill his guards " gojo orders. Gojo looked at me "I told you darling... not if he hurts you!" He said and shoot Sukuna's leg 5 times. "Listen motherfucker! If I see your face again... I'm gonna kill you myself" he said and again shoot on Sukuna's leg. But I didn't stop him.
Gojo took me in bridal style and carried me towards our room. I don't wanna see sukuna again. Cause if he can slap for this he's can kill me too and I don't want Gojo to get hurt who kept my promise when he was almost dying... I know Gojo love's me... and he's gonna protect me in any cost!
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Give me your requests guys....
I love when you give me your requests 💕
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greenandsorrow · 1 year ago
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"Boytoy"
WARNINGS; sexual references, ken x fem!reader, reader uses she/her pronouns, ken finding out about periods, fluff & happy ending, plot doesn't connect with the movie, probably grammar mistakes
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Bonus Part
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After their rather intense night, they just got comfy under the covers, this time with Ken being the big spoon. Y/n laying her head on his chest, just where his plastic heart is, his heartbeat lulling her into a peaceful slumber. Our lucky Ken had his arms wrapped around Y/n's frame, nuzzling the top of her head and inhaling the flowery scent of her shampoo, while feeling his eyelids getting heavier.
~~
Since that day, they've been inseparable. Ken figured out how to control his waking up in the real world or in Barbieland. He was also informed that there's a portal to Y/n's world at his favourite beach. Y/n's house has become his own and she was happy and patient to get him used to human activities such as going out for a snack, walking her home after her classes and so on.
Currently, Ken is waiting for Y/n at her apartment because she had exams to take. He is so proud of her for the silliest of accomplishments, so Y/n can hardly imagine the excitement he feels for her determination and wit at studying. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the mood for celebrating, or making out, or having a tickling session, or watching horse documentaries. Ken was devastated.
Life is good, it's sublime!
Y/n is looking forward to Ken's surprise for her birthday... She was able to figure out what it was but she'd never reveal that to her giddy man. Ken is planning to take her to Barbieland for a day and that means she can meet her childhood friends -the Barbies.
Y/n went straight to her bedroom to change into the fluffiest pyjamas possible before curling up next to Ken and letting out a deep sigh.
"Why did it have to happen today out of all days?!"
Ken is puzzled by her statement. His expression is rather adorable as he tries to understand what is going on in her head. He finally speaks in a sheepish but also curious manner.
"What did happen today that shouldn't have, Y/n?"
She huffs and buries her face in his arm. She is already tired from all the studying, frustrated with her headaches and exasperated from the all too familiar cramps.
"It's nothing Ken..." she murmurs.
Under any other circumstances, she would've been delighted to share this part of her human experience with Ken... However, the thought of having to break down what periods are to her blonde partner has Y/n riled up now.
Ken is of course too dramatic in his reaction to her dismissive answer. He takes an expression of pure heartbreak.
"Are you bored of me?! Oh no, Y/n!"
Y/n can't help but chuckle a bit and her mood lightens up. He can't be so pure, it's infuriatingly cute.
Ken's confusion is comically obvious and she decides to explain what needs to be explained.
"It's my period Ken, it's not your fault I act so grim..."
~~
By the end of her primary school teaching moment, Ken is looking at her with a new kind of awe. If women weren't fabulous enough before in his blue eyes, they definitely are now.
And so, another monthly ritual is added to Ken's list of being Y/n's hype man. He makes a huge, too bright and silly looking calendar and writes down his human's days of the month. She always has a bag of chocolates and plush toys waiting for her -and maybe a flower or a cowboy accessory. Y/n has a whole collection at this point. The best part, though, is what comes after the marked days on the calendar end....
Let's just say Ken's libido is that of a teenager's and how could she complain when she's ovulating?
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notes~~
Well, that's it... the little happy ending I had promised. Boytoy was the first thing I ever posted on here and the first thing I wrote in general for the public eyeđŸ„ș Looking back, I know I could have done it better, but I don't want to be ungrateful because Boytoy made my blog gain an audience. I want to expand my writing for other fandoms so stay tuned! Thanks for all the support <33
my masterlist
Dividers by; @cafekitsune
TIPS; CLICK HERE (PayPal link)
Tags; @notleclerc @moonmaiden1996 @vilovedr @goldenvespa @hope4rain19 @l8nightreads
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devilfic · 1 year ago
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❝small favor❞
IV. another white guy from new york.
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parts: previously / next plot: it's uncanny, but it can't be. right? because that would be stupid. and spider-man isn't stupid. right? pairing: mcu!peter parker x gn!reader. cw: violence, guns, knives, blood mention, alcohol consumption, peter parker isn't beating the average white guy allegations, well. when he smiles like that he might. words: 6.7k.
You almost expect them to turn you away at the door when you hand over your badge, some paranoid part of you thinking they’ll take one look at you and know you don’t belong here, but the man at the check-in hands it back to you with a pleasant, “Enjoy your evening.”
That was half an hour ago, and Parker was nowhere in sight.
He was going to “meet you there” as Jameson promised, though without a clue what to look for, you found yourself aimlessly floating through perfume clouds of high society. You didn’t want to hit the bar this close to eight, but if you didn’t find an anchor quick, you’d vibrate right through the floor. Worst of all, you didn’t even have the guy’s number. What would you do if he was a no-show?
Your job, you suppose, sullen and already dreading the evening to come.
There’s no sign of Wilson Fisk either. In your usual setting, you might’ve already flagged down a guest or two to ask what they thought about the rumors, but your usual settings were messy, bloody, and out in the real world. Here, you had a list of questions to ask that didn’t even scratch your curiosity.
What’s your name? Are you excited to be here this evening? How does the Stark Charity Ball reflect the New York City you know and love? Were you attacked? Can you confirm Wilson Fisk was on the scene?
You hadn’t even made it to the fourth question before you’d given up. How would you last a night like this?
Slithering through the crowd, you make your way to the snack table with hopes to eat your way through the night. At least you could count on rich people to shell out on good cheese.
There’s a band playing in the corner, a gentle stringed melody that you appreciate over the chatter of the guests. You make your way over and let yourself get carried away in the tune, only glancing every so often at your watch to gauge the time. It was nine minutes to eight, nine minutes until Pepper Potts took the stage to start the night, and you still had no idea where your partner was.
It’s almost natural the way your hand finds your phone, swiping over the familiar contact name and pressing out a quick message.
The party can’t start without you.
Towering windows make up most of the ballroom, fading sunlight overpowering the chandeliers above, and you take advantage in hopes it might reveal your webbed friend hanging off the roof.
Almost immediately, you get a text back.
Aww, you really do like me :) No kidding. Are you already in place? Just about. Doing a quick perimeter check. You enjoying the party? I would be if my partner was here on time. Hey, cut Parker some slack! His train’s probably late and I don’t see any signs of Kingpin yet. I'm just glad you've stopped trying to fight me on this. If you can’t beat ‘em... And maybe look up every once in a while, you’re gonna run into somebody.
Just as your eyes scan the very last word, your senses go haywire. There’s cold liquid running down your hand and you've just run into something. When you finally tear your eyes away from your phone, you unfortunately realize that something is now wearing the remainder of your drink.
People nearby have formed a clearing around you, but it feels less out of courtesy and more to point and laugh at you. Regardless, you’ve got to fix this, “I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you okay?”
Your victim stands in a small puddle of sangria, the front of their tux dripping in it still, and you could see how red stains crawled up crisp white. You could only imagine how much every bit of their suit cost (and the Daily Bugle definitely didn’t have the budget to cover it).
They lift their copper head and you’re at first struck by the smile on their face, then the peppering of freckles across the bridge of their nose, and finally... their name.
He carefully removes his suit jacket to assess the damage to his shirt, “Nah, don’t worry. I was looking for a reason to leave early anyway.”
You’re breathless, certain you should be rushing to grab towels or begging him not to sue you into oblivion, but you don’t really get that far, “I’m... really sorry.”
He laughs, so genuine that you feel the tension in your shoulders deflate just at the sound. Just then, a waiter rushes over with a hand towel, insisting he lead him to the men’s room to clean up, but he’s waved off with little more than a “thank you” and “I’ll survive, I promise.”
He steps out of the puddle to allow someone to clean it up, bringing him that much closer to you. When he's done with the towel, he hands it off to you. His eyes trail to your chest and his eyes widen some, “The Daily Bugle. You a reporter?”
You realize he’s spotted your press badge and rush to introduce yourself, wiping absentmindedly at your sticky hand, “Uh... yes. Actually. Crime beat reporter.” You set your empty cup on a passing waiter’s tray and hold out your clean hand to shake.
His hand is warm, if not a little sticky like yours, though you have no grounds to complain, “Nice to meet you. I’m Harry.”
“Oh, I know.”
He quirks an eyebrow, still smiling, “Then... was that drink a calculated assault?”
“No! God, no. I genuinely wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“Not very safe for a crime beat reporter, don’t you think?”
You’ve got to be on fire. You feel like it, struggling between a laugh and a whine, “I’m sorry you had to be the one to teach me that lesson.”
“No worries. Like I said, you did me a favor.” Harry glances around, “So
 you're reporting on what, exactly? You betting on a robbery or something?”
The humor of that isn't lost on you, “Actually, I’m filling in tonight. Our usual reporter definitely wouldn’t have ruined your nice shirt.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I find this stain rather charming.”
You can’t help it. You giggle and he smiles even wider, “May I ask why you want to escape so soon?”
“Not if you’re gonna write it down.”
“Off the record? In exchange for the stain.”
Harry Osborn has a boyish look to him even though he’s steadily approaching 26, some baby fat still clinging to his cheekbones when he smiles wide enough, “Well, this was my first stop since hopping off a nine hour flight from Oxford and I’m, as the English say, absolutely knackered. I was gonna leave in half an hour after photos but
” He laughs, casting a look over his shoulder at the stage, “I’ve made my donation. I won’t be missed.”
Perking up with an idea, you reach into your bag and pull out a recorder, “In that case, how about I get you down for a comment on your generous donation of
”
“Five million.”
You blink, swallowing hard, “Five million
 to make up for it? I'll even throw in a few questions about your study at Oxford. I hear you're working on a revolutionary breakthrough with lab-grown bacteria that breaks down plastic.”
Harry's eyes light up. For a moment, the image of Harry Osborn is just Harry, “You sure Jameson would let you publish something nice about an Osborn?”
The Daily Bugle was no friend to Spider-Man, but neither was it a friend to Norman Osborn. You recall some of the more scalding headlines about Oscorp’s president that you’d published in the past. It was the one thing you and Jameson could agree on. “You know Jameson well?”
“Of course. I’ve got a buddy who works there too, actually. You might know him. His name’s-”
Harry’s voice is drowned out by the collective oohing and awing of the crowd when the lights dim, shrouding the grand ballroom in the fading glow of the sun. The stage, once empty, is now illuminated with the presence of Pepper Potts. Uproarious applause fills the room. Harry smiles politely at you. His buddy would be a conversation for later.
You want to focus on Pepper, you really do, but it’s like you’ve broken out of a spell the second Harry’s eyes leave yours, and you find yourself once again scanning the crowd for Parker. There was no good reason for him to be this late and you couldn’t even give him a piece of your mind about it.
You shoot off an indignant text to Peter.
Your guy better have been hit by a cyclist on the way here or he’s getting an earful when I see him. Pepper looks amazing :(
But no instant reply. In fact, three minutes pass and there’s nothing. You glance up to the windows for any sign of him watching and find none. Was... he here?
You glance at Harry. If Jillian were here, she’d punch you in the face for what you’re about to do, for the opportunity you're about to squander. Okay, maybe not a punch, but it’d be violent.
But then you’re thinking about Peter, about that night that changed everything, about his blood and bruises and the men with guns for hands. You think about how Peter worried for you. You think about Harry, who has just donated five million dollars to charity, and how there are over a hundred more of him packed in this ballroom right now. You think about Wilson Fisk, and how much havoc he could wreak if he put Spider-Man out for good.
And then you're elbowing yourself through the crowd, searching for the nearest emergency stairwell, hoping that if Peter’s still watching he might meet you halfway. Parker and those questions be damned. You'd find a way to make it up to Jameson somehow.
You’re about ten feet away from the nearest exit when someone takes a hold of your wrist, a few seconds away from the end of Pepper’s speech, and whoever is holding you back has a grip so iron it stings. You can’t clearly see the face of who’s grabbed you but it doesn’t feel familiar. Your heart jumps into your throat. Had Fisk's men infiltrated the room already? Had they gotten to Spidey? Did they know you? Were you next?
You’ve got no pocket knife on you, but you have a fist.
You curl your fingers inward and aim right for your captor’s head. Your fist makes contact with skin. The room erupts into thunderous applause. The lights go up.
You never actually land the punch, but your captor looks a little too wide-eyed to be one of Fisk’s men, too soft in the face. His own hand has completely stopped yours in its tracks, just a hair away from breaking his nose, and he’s staring at you like a deer in headlights. A big, brown doe-eyed deer. “Uh, hi,” your eyes flicker down to the camera hanging from his neck, almost blocking the badge beneath it that reads "P. B. Parker", and then you meet his eyes with the same bewilderment, “sorry I’m late.”
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Parker is about average height with a build you can't quantify when his shirt is draping off him. It's a ridiculously huge plaid thing, the kind of thing someone would wear to hide themselves, but all he does is stand out in the sea of Armani and Givenchy. Old jeans, old shirt, high-tops, and a muddy-grey beanie to top it all off. It was a wonder they let him in the door at all.
What you can feel is the strength behind his hand as it holds your fist in place. Some people are looking—you realize, after the tremors of your punch reverberate back up your arm—and so you yank your hand back before any security can take notice.
Your partner waits a full second before holding out his own, offering a subtle, wobbly smile, "I would've been here sooner but... traffic, ya know?"
His voice is low, you notice this next. Practically a mumble. You kind of realize why your coworkers said you weren't missing much; outside of his awkward mannerisms and sweet, unassuming baby face, he looked like any other white guy from New York. He also seemed like he didn't want to be seen or heard, and you imagined that Jameson had no problem with that.
But his mumbling forces you to take notice of his lips so you can read them, and their thin, blushy quality is only marred by a little dryness. Broken by biting or... or something. "You're late." Is all you manage to say.
His lips part, turning downward, "Yeah, I know," he stutters, the pitch of his voice going up a hair, "I said- um, I caught the last half of Mrs. Potts’ speech." And then he turns his camera to you, flicking through images that are too small on the screen for you to assess the quality of. You actually have no doubt they're good, but you're upset he's late and you're certain there's nothing remarkable about this guy—nothing at all—and yet you can't stop staring.
"You know Spidey?" You blurt out next, and his eyes widen and zero in on you. You don't know why he's surprised. "He's mentioned me, hasn't he?"
Parker blinks, "Oh! Yeah. Yeah. All the time. You're very... good. At your job."
"Thank you. So are you."
And wouldn't you know it, he actually blushes. It's sweet and alarming how quickly red blooms across the apples of his cheeks, how his hands wobble around his camera a bit, how it disarms you for a moment. It'd be cute if you could just figure out what about him was throwing you off.
In fact, you're so enthralled in figuring out that something that you see his lips moving but just miss his question, barely hearing the tail-end of it. You watch his lips again as you ask him to repeat it, but the musicians have started up a jaunty tune with trumpets and high white keys, so you duck closer to him and ask him to repeat it once more.
"I asked-" And as you get closer, you have an excuse to look at him more deeply.
Your eyes follow the curve of his mouth to his chin (and all its little hairs that he hadn't caught shaving), down to his neck where you see, just peeking out beneath the lip of his beanie, a curl. You've abandoned his question now. You just feel, as strange as it is, that you need a closer look...
Your hand is moving before your mind can catch up with it, until it's caught in Parker's halfway to his throat. You're so close to him that you can see the way the skin of his chin rolls with the effort to lean away from you, or the honey speckles in his eyes that are all but eclipsed by his blown-wide pupils.
His fingers are latched around yours. He's not using the same strength he was before, doesn't need to, but you can sort of feel it beneath the callouses. Even then, it's so gentle. You don't know why you react with just as mush wonder. The world might as well be at half-speed. You almost wish him to speak again because you've got nothing to say for yourself here.
Parker looks on at you, still holding onto your hand. He smells... like the city.
"Do you-" He starts, chokes on his spit, and then swallows, "are you always this friendly when you're tipsy?"
You blanch. "What? I'm not-" You yank your hand back, cup it to your mouth and nose, and breathe in the sangria. Could he smell it on your breath? "I'm not tipsy. I barely even had a drink before I spilled it all over..."
You catch Parker's eye to find him looking interested. "Spilled it all over...?"
"Someone. Whatever. It was an accident."
"You spilled your drink on someone?"
"It was an accident."
"You know, I was feeling real bad about showing up late, but Jameson's gonna have a field day with this." You're mortified. He wasn't interested, he was amused. "Are we gonna get sued?"
"No!" Your voice draws the attention of a couple nearby, making you shrink even closer to Parker, "I told you it was an accident and I apologized. And you're still not off the hook for being late."
He folds his arms across his chest, smiles steadily this time, and agrees. The action is so unmistakable that it saps all the lightheartedness right out of you. Parker notices the change.
The only thing that breaks the moment is Harry Osborn finding you both.
Your head whips at the first "Peter!", thinking you'll see red and blue somewhere nearby, but Harry is gunning straight for Parker with the widest smile on his face. You break away just in time for him to envelop Parker in a big, friendly hug that would've knocked Parker off his feet if not for how solid he was. A few onlookers take in the scene, some amused, others not so much.
It takes you a moment to digest that Harry meant Parker, had called him Peter with such love and affection that there was no way he was mistaken, and Parker had returned the hug a beat later without correcting him.
There were probably a million Peters in New York alone. And yet...
They stay intertwined a minute longer, only breaking away so that Harry could hold... Peter's face in his hands. "Peter Parker! What the hell are you doing here?" Harry seems to remember you're there. He releases Peter and points to you, "So, you two know each other after all. Pete's the buddy at the Bugle I told you about. We've been best friends for years."
As if this Peter business wasn't enough for you to wrap your head around, you struggle to imagine these two being best friends. One of New York City's richest heirs and a contractor for the Daily Bugle. Your disbelief is evident as you ask, "How did you two meet...?"
"College. We went to ESU together. We were even roommates before I went off to Oxford." Harry smiles proudly, patting Peter on the back. It's then that you notice Peter is looking very, very uncomfortable. You wonder for a moment if this is all some elaborate joke Harry's playing, but it hadn't struck you as his type of humor.
This is, in fact, a man named Peter Parker. He works for the Daily Bugle, he's best friends with Harry Osborn, he works with Spider-Man, and they both share a name. Unremarkable Peter Parker. Nothing you were missing, they'd said.
Peter must see that you're focused hard on him, so he turns to Harry, "Yeah, Oxford. Why aren't you... there? Again?"
Harry laughs, unbothered, "Don't tell me you didn't miss me?"
"No, it's just... last I remember, your dad wanted you there until your project got approved."
The very mention of Norman Osborn kills the mood entirely. Harry's smile falls quick, though he tries to hide it, and shuffles a bit uncomfortably. "That was the deal. But you know dad: the world revolves around his every whim." Harry's eyes cut to you so fast that you tense up, recovering quickly. "Off the record."
Jillian would not accept that. You, on the other hand, swallow it down and tuck it away for another day, "Anything for a friend of a friend."
That gets Harry smiling again, however terse. The conversation quickly changes course as Harry pulls at the stained white of his shirt to show Peter, "Speaking of: you like? Our new mutual friend gave it to me."
Peter glances at you, chuckling with a nervous edge, and grabs at the fabric to examine for himself, "Something tells me you deserved it."
Harry immediately resorts to banter that Peter melts into. It was no doubt now that they were friends, that Peter's awkwardness had only been on account of you being here.
You can only smile and nod, smile and nod, while you watch Peter's every move. You couldn't say anything even though you were bursting, but now your heart was beginning to pound in your ears, making it hard for you to do what you were trying to pretend you weren't doing.
Spider-Man was smart. Beneath the quips, he was extremely smart. He wouldn't tell you his real name and then show up here as a civilian, so brazen, knowing that you'd instantly figure out it was him. That'd be too easy. He trusted you, sure, but he wasn't stupid. He'd been uncomfortable at the very thought of unmasking when you'd mentioned it last night. If Peter was... Peter, he wouldn't have come at all. Because that would be stupid.
And he wouldn't have bothered to pretend, up until the last second, that he wasn't Peter, if he was just going to flay himself before you like this. Because you would've figured it out eventually.
So, surely, there were a million Peters in New York and you happened to know two of them. And they knew each other. And one of them was a superhero. Of course.
You slip your phone out, checking your recent messages with your heart in your throat. If Peter wasn't Peter, he'd have texted you back by now. Because Peter—fuck—Spidey wouldn't miss a chance to make that joke.
There's one new message. You barely get to see what it says before broken glass sprays from above.
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There’s a cacophony of sound all at once. Glass breaking, screaming amongst the crowd, and the sound of gunfire letting off into the ceiling. One minute, the room had been in peaceful bliss, and the next, a tidal wave of terrified guests were rushing at you.
You’re lucky that Peter’s arm is like iron, strong enough to rip you back and away from the crowd that converges on the exits, because if you had stayed in your spot for a second longer you would have been trampled underfoot. Like your phone, which is in pieces the second it slips out of your hand.
Harry is there too, huddled against the two of you in the corner, but that doesn’t stop you three from all being pressed upon by the panicking crowds. There’s no rhyme or reason, no order in the chaos. Beautiful clutches embedded with Swarovski crystals lay abandoned at your feet. Everyone in the room can see, whatever it might be, that their life is worth more than a single thing in this room. Even worth more than the lives of the other guests they shove to get out first.
You try your best to see over the heads of the swarm to get a glimpse of what had set the entire party off, and immediately two things are visible. One: Pepper Potts is center stage, the bright white stage lights beating down on her. If it weren’t for the sweat beading at her brow, you’d think her bored. The second thing was that there was a man standing beside her who wasn’t standing there before, a microphone in one hand and a gun in the other.
Even from all the way at the back of the room, you could see the gun trembling in his grip as the barrel kissed Pepper’s temple.
The next thing is his voice. It’s loud, feedback screeching off the walls so high that you think they might shatter the windows. The crowd is loud and he’s louder. You can hear him saying something about how everyone shouldn’t leave just yet, that they’d want to see this front row and not on the 10 o’clock news. You do not see Kingpin. This man is utterly alone.
Harry is shouting something at you, you can feel his breath and the spit that flies out in the hurry of his words, but you can barely make out what he’s saying over the guests. Peter clutches you both even closer.
“We
 we have to
” You start, glancing up at the windows for any sign of Spider-Man, but you see nothing. Your eyes drop to Peter’s to find him already staring right at you. You’ve no idea what’s going through his head, and the adrenaline rushing behind your eyes makes it hard to speculate. You only know what you need to say, “
we need to find Spider-Man.”
“We need to leave!” Harry argues. He wriggles out of Peter’s grip and starts pulling you both toward the nearest exit, but he only makes progress with pulling you forward.
You were about to argue back until you felt Peter’s hand at the base of your spine, pushing you into Harry with ease and right toward one of the exit doors. You turn, clutching onto Harry as to not lose him in the crowd, only to find Peter isn’t following you. “You both need to get out of here.”
“Both? Wh- Peter! We’re not leaving without you!” Your attempt to grab at him is futile. He shrugs away from your touch, keeps pushing you and Harry through the stampede as if he really intended on staying behind. “Peter!”
He finally looks you in the eyes that second time, the desperation with which you’d said his name snapping him out of some dissociative spell, “I’ll be right behind you! I’m gonna help get people out. Some got trampled, I-I’ve got to-”
Harry is next to admonish him, “Pete, come on. This isn’t the time to play fucking hero!”
But Peter’s not listening again—eyes faraway, slipping over the crowd as if searching for something—he’s heading back into the fray, calling to you some half-hearted promise that he’d follow soon, and then his head disappears into the whirlwind of bodies. You were able to follow him up until the moment his hat got pulled off, and then
 nothing.
The current pushes and pulls at you and Harry, dragging you down the hallway. You feel your ankle twist awkwardly and are thankful that Harry is still clinging to you because had he not been, you would’ve been dragged down and trampled for sure. He holds you upright, pressing you to his side, assuring you over the noise that you’d go back in to get Peter in a minute.
You think that Harry Osborn is much kinder than his father seemed to be, and that you really do owe him a good soundbite in the Bugle after this.
You feel a draft coming from outside, promising you were close to being free from the confines of the hallway. You grab Harry’s hands and peel them off of you, pushing him forward into the crowd without a second thought, just as you see the light of the city come up ahead. His head whips to you. He calls your name as he’s swept away, but you press yourself hard against the wall and let the crowd lead him out to safety.
The crawl back to the ballroom is awful.
There are fewer people escaping, thankfully, and so it’s less like an undertow, but there are so many people and all of them are perfectly fine with throwing their bodies forward with caution thrown to the wind.
It takes you longer than a minute to get back to the door you’d come out of, even longer to squeeze through with elbows hitting you square in the chest and heels digging into your feet.
The room is less than a third of what it had been when the gunman had arrived. You frantically search for Peter in the remaining, scattered crowd; people are frozen in awe, in horror. Some people in the crowd were begging the gunman to reconsider, and others were praying. Your heart sank. A woman was about to die and there was virtually nothing you could do.
You look up to the windows one more time. You couldn’t see him, couldn’t call him, but you close your eyes and pray too. Whoever he was. Wherever he was.
And then you hear it. The familiar thwip! cuts through the air. You open your eyes and a second later, the clatter of the gunman’s pistol hitting the floor follows. You’re blessed with a whole five seconds of glee before the gunman surges forward and pulls a knife on Pepper, holding it to her throat in a panic.
“Easy there, buddy.” Your head snaps up to the rafters. From a single thread of spider silk, Spidey descends from the ceiling with a hand outstretched. He’s a ways away from the two of them, offering some sense of space. “You don’t wanna do this.”
The gunman has since abandoned his microphone, but his voice reverberates in the near empty room just fine, “Get out of here, Spider-Man! You’re next!”
“Why don’t you and I hash it out, then? Just you and me. Leave Mrs. Potts out of it.”
“No, no,” the man mutters; you can hear sirens growing closer to the building, “she’s part of it. You’re all part of it.”
Pepper speaks up for the first time, “Whatever you want, I can get it. This doesn’t have to end badly.”
That must’ve been the wrong thing to say. The man jerks his knife closer to her skin and you can see, after a moment, a thin bead of red dribbles down her collarbone.
Spidey holds out both his hands, “Whoa, whoa, whoa-”
And it happens in a flash. One second, Pepper is being held at knifepoint, and the next, she’s being pushed off the stage.
Spider-Man immediately swoops in and catches her, swinging her to safety on the other side of the room, but you’re too mesmerized by the new body on stage pinning the attacker down by the throat. How you’d missed him, you’ve no clue, but he’s wrestling the man onto his stomach and restraining his arms behind his back just as the doors to the ballroom are thrown wide open.
Cops stream in, rushing the stage to take the gunman into custody. Some head straight for Spider-Man and Pepper, but it’s the guests that catch your attention. There are maybe fifty of them in the room altogether, but applause catches on like wildfire. All of them, and the musicians and the cops at the door, erupt into applause.
Because the man on stage, the man who’d thrown himself at the gunman and disarmed him, the man who had just saved Pepper Potts’ life
 was Wilson Fisk.
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You can’t find Harry anywhere. Most of the guests had stayed behind out of sheer curiosity, but Harry was nowhere in sight.
You stand out on the sidewalk with the rest of the crowd as the police escort the gunman into a cop car, murmurs flitting from ear to ear on who he’d been, what he’d wanted, and whether they should stay behind for interviews. Pepper was still inside getting questioned. But Wilson Fisk was out here.
You’d been in the same room as Fisk only once before, the night of his infamous press conference three years ago when you were still an intern trailing after the likes of Jillian. He’d struck you as a measured man, one who carried himself with impenetrable humility, and even in the face of his detractors kept a cool head.
Back then, he’d been accused of money laundering, something to do with all his companies not adding up. In and out of trouble, he was. Jameson had likened him to a cockroach: never quite dead, even when he really ought to be by now.
And now he stands before reporters, guests, onlookers, and the like, giving a statement about his “harrowing” rescue of Mrs. Potts. He hadn’t even been invited.
You know you should be right up there with the rest of them, fiending for a soundbite, but you’re gnawing your bottom lip from afar trying to catch him in a lie. Something about this was refusing to add up, and thankful as you were that Pepper was safe, the whole thing was off. Convenient, even.
You watch him smile and nod, none of the charm ever reaching his dead eyes, but everyone eats it up anyway.
Just as you’re about to force yourself to head over, knowing Jameson would have your head otherwise, you’re flying.
“Jesus!” You screech, scrambling to cling onto Spidey as the crowd below watches the two of you swing away. Your stomach drops as he carries you to a nearby rooftop, and you all but collapse when you meet solid ground. “Oh my God, don’t ever do that again.” You expect a quip in return, but when you look behind you, Spider-Man is sitting with his head on his knees, utterly silent. Your stomach drops again, “Spidey?”
That gets him to look at you, big white eyes narrowing, “We’re not on a first name basis anymore?”
You’re stunned, and then you scowl, “Peter Parker.” When he says nothing, you repeat it, “Peter Parker.”
“That’s his name.”
“His? Or yours?”
His eyes stay narrowed at you, only now his head is lifted upright, “I’m not the only Peter in New York.”
“I’m sorry if I find it a little suspicious there’s a Peter Parker who works at the Daily Bugle selling the only decent photos of you in the city, who just so happens to share your name and- and your lips.” That last part awkwardly tumbles out of you and his eyes are no longer narrowed.
“My lips?”
Peter’s lips flash in your mind. You don’t know how to say it without sounding more suspicious than him, “You’re
 you both
 your mouths are very similar.”
A beat passes. The silence isn’t enough to convince you you’re wrong, but it is enough to make you fidget.
But then Peter bursts into laughter, and, well, it’s not funny to you at all. “Quit it.” You demand, meek.
“I’m sorry, I just- I stick to walls and you think it’s crazy that we’re both named Peter?”
“You can’t convince me I’m off with this one.”
“There were like
 four Peters in my graduating class!”
“He even kind of sounded like you! When I could hear him clearly.”
“He sounds nothing like me!”
“He sounds a lot like you.” You say, and wish that there had been a moment when you’d caught him speaking at an octave higher than his, frankly, forced baritone and an octave below shouting. Peter—this Peter—has a voice you know well enough. You’ve memorized his vocal fry when his voice gets a little too high, that nervous ramble-y pitch of his. It’s so distinct. If you had just
 heard him use it just once, “You can’t make me feel crazy about this.”
“’m not trying to make you feel crazy, I swear. You’re one of the smartest people I know. I’d be skeptical too.” You wait patiently for a confirmation or a denial, but he gives you none. He takes a deep breath and stares out over the edge of the building where Fisk is being escorted to his car. You crawl over to sit beside him.
Part of you wants to ask him to prove it, to peel his mask off and show you, but you can’t make yourself do it. He’d only just given you his name. He trusted you with that. You’re wary about pushing it.
Because the pieces fit so well, but he’d never make that kind of mistake. Would he?
Would he think it was a mistake?
Peter sighs. “Hey, you alright?” You ask.
He doesn’t really look at you, though his voice answers at a lower volume than before, "This was too convenient.” You hum in agreement. “That guy
 he said we were all ‘part of it’. Like it was planned.”
“You think Fisk planned it.”
“I think he’s a little too eager to be in the spotlight about it.” But getting that off his chest doesn’t seem to change the solemnness in his tone.
“Pepper was never in danger.” Your hand presses against the scratchy concrete, itching to touch him. To comfort him. “If this was Fisk’s plan, it was all for publicity. Pepper was never gonna get hurt.”
“She got hurt.” Peter whips his head to you.
You knew Iron Man was his mentor, had plucked him off the streets and thrust him into a world of gods and aliens before his untimely death. And maybe with Tony gone, he thought it was his job to keep her safe.
“Peter, you can’t
 you can’t think like that. You can punch your way through a lot of things, but that? That back there? You did what you could.”
“I could do more.”
You get that urge to touch him again, only this time, you let yourself do it.
Your hand touches the side of his mask, cupping below his ear. He watches you the entire time but doesn’t move to stop you. Your thumb rests on his cheek and your pinky- it brushes the overlap between his mask and the rest of his suit, “It’s not just that you’re Peter, too.”
You feel the muscles in his neck twitch, “What?”
“It’s that
 in all that chaos, you chose to stay behind. To help people. You made sure me and Harry got out, but you stayed behind. Everyone was so busy trying to save their own lives and you were thinking about them. I don’t know Peter Parker very well. Maybe he’s just that kind of guy. But I know you. I know if anyone in that room was you, he’d be it.” Peter doesn’t say anything. You feel the tension in his jaw, feel the way his throat bobs with a hard swallow, but he doesn’t say anything. He just watches you. You stare hard into those white eyes and imagine a someone staring back at you. “Or maybe that’s just the kind of people Spider-Man hangs out with.”
He huffs humorously, “Yeah, that checks out. We’re friends, after all.”
Your heart swells to hear it, “friends”. “Don’t make this about me when I’m trying to expose your secret identity.”
“I think Peter Parker would be flattered you think so highly of him. He was kind of worried he made the wrong impression
 after you tried to punch him in the face.”
Your jaw drops, having nearly forgotten in the mess of the night. “Well, maybe Peter Parker shouldn’t go around grabbing people in the dark.”
“You were walking so fast. How else would Peter Parker get your attention?”
“Are you just saying Peter Parker over and over to convince me that you’re both completely different people?”
“I just think it’s funny that you don’t believe more than two Peters can live in the same city.”
“There are other factors!”
“Can’t believe you’re the type of reporter who flies by the seat of their assumptions. But you do work for Jameson, after all.” When Peter stands, you naturally follow.
You decide to switch tactics, bruising the alter ego, “You- you know what? You’re right. You couldn’t be Peter Parker. Peter Parker would be shaking and crying if I so much as raised my voice at him.”
“Wow. I’m gonna tell him you said that—wrap your arms around me?” And he snakes an arm around your waist, sending your heart into overdrive again, “he’s never gonna talk to you again. He’s probably gonna issue a copyright claim every time you put his pics on the Web-Blog, now. Legs too.”
“Wait, no. We are not swinging again. We are taking the stairs.”
“How else am I gonna get you off the roof? Legs, please.”
“We can take the stairs!”
“Door’s probably locked and Kingpin’s already on his way back to his super-secret evil lair. Legs or I’m webbing you up in a baby wrap.”
You grumble. It’s enough to make you grab onto his shoulders and jump, locking your ankles across his back with the fear of gravity instilled in you. You reckoned he’d be fast enough to catch you if you did fall. The very possibility makes you sick to your stomach, though. “Please don’t drop me.”
Peter dips his chin into the crevice where your neck meets your shoulder. "Don't worry," and it's not even that you hear his voice, you just feel it, "I've only dropped someone once."
And you're plummeting off the ledge before you get the chance to run away.
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