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lilianne-tarot · 13 hours ago

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PICK A CARD: How Do People Describe You When You're Not Around? ⋆. 𐙚 ˚

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How to Pick Your Pile: Take a deep breath, clear your mind, and look at the images below. Which one pulls you in the most? Trust your gut! Once you choose the image, The number below your chosen image is your pile. If more than one catches your eye, that just means there’s extra tea for you—go ahead and read both!

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Get your own personalized paid reading HERE! it would really help me out!😊🦋

My KO-FI link: HERE🫶🏻

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✮⋆˙Pile I

Cards pulled: The Hierophant, Three of Swords, The Empress, and Three of Wands Reversed.

So first off, people definitely talk about you. And not in a “meh, they exist” kind of way, but in a you leave an impression kind of way. The Hierophant and The Empress together? That’s Big Presence Energy. People see you as someone who either knows their sht* or at least acts like they do. You might be the one that friends or coworkers refer to when they’re like, “So-and-so always has their life together, why can’t I be like them?” Meanwhile, you’re probably spiralling over what to eat for dinner, but hey, it’s the ✨aura✨ that counts.😂

But listen, the Three of Swords tells me there’s a little drama when it comes to how people talk about you. Some people have this perception that you’ve been through heartbreak, betrayals, but instead of falling apart, you channeled it into an untouchable Empress-level glow-up. The Hierophant also tells me that you have this kind of moral authority vibe. Not in a preachy way (hopefully), but in a “They always know what’s right” kind of way. So, people either admire that or get hella intimidated by it. But then—plot twist—the Three of Wands reversed enters the chat, and this is where the gossip gets interesting. Some people describe you as the person with big potential who’s holding themselves back. It’s like, they see you as someone who could do literally anything, but maybe you second-guess yourself, or you have too many “what ifs” running around your head. Some might even get frustrated for you. It’s that “I wish they’d just GO FOR IT” energy. Are people hyping you up behind your back more than they do to your face? Absolutely. And for some of you, this card combo screams unfinished business. Some folks might be talking about what could have been—with you, with a project, with a friendship, with a relationship. It’s giving ex-friends still lurking on your Instagram stories. The energy here says, “They’re doing so well, but I wonder if they ever think about the past.” Someone out there is still narrating a personal rom-com in their head with you as the lost love interest.

Now, listen. If people are talking about you like this, it means you are memorable as hell. And not in a "Yeah, they were nice, I guess" way, but in a “That person changed my perspective” way. You have a natural presence that sticks with people, but because of that, you attract opinions And let’s be real, the people with the Three of Swords drama? Some of them kinda want to be you. Not saying they hate you, but they definitely resent the way you just keep growing Meanwhile, the Three of Wands reversed folks? They’re the ones saying “Ugh, I wish they’d believe in themselves as much as I do.” They are basically your personal unpaid hype squad (and yet, they won’t say it to your face because the universe loves irony).

People describe you as someone who’s got wisdom, presence, and a little bit of mystery. Some admire you, some feel a way about you, and some are still watching you like you’re the season finale of a show they can’t quit. You live rent-free in people’s minds—sometimes inspiring them, sometimes haunting them, but never being forgotten.

Moral of the story? Keep thriving. Keep proving the hype squad right and the haters miserable.

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✮⋆˙Pile II

Cards Pulled: Three of Cups Reversed, Justice, Three of Pentacles Reversed, and The Hermit Reversed

The energy is so specific I feel like I just eavesdropped on a conversation about you. SO FIRST OF ALL, people DO have opinions about you. And I don’t mean the generic, “Oh yeah, they’re nice” type of opinions. Nah, you spark discussions. You live in people’s minds in a way that makes them randomly remember you while they’re washing dishes like “Ugh, why are they like that?” OR “Damn, I kinda admire them”. It’s that kind of vibe. We also have Justice, meaning that when people talk about you, they often frame it around fairness, consequences, or karma, maybe some of you even have a career in those fields or studying them. Some see you as someone who always gets what they deserve. Others feel like you have a habit of calling people out—even if you don’t say a word, your existence alone makes people feel like they need to hold themselves accountable.

And then, The Three of Cups Reversed and The Three of Pentacles Reversed? Oof. Some people describe you as someone who doesn’t fully “fit in”—not because you’re not social or likable, but because you either choose to keep a distance or people feel like they don’t really get you. There’s an undertone of “they keep to themselves,” You might be in the group but not of the group, if that makes sense. your vibes are giving mysterious, possibly intimidating, but weirdly magnetic. And The Hermit Reversed? This tells me that people don’t actually know what’s going on in your head—but boy, do they try to figure it out. It’s like you have this aura that makes people wonder, “Do they secretly hate us? Are they judging us? Or are they just really introverted and tired?” And listen, this combination SCREAMS that people project onto you. Some folks describe you as someone who’s too detached or too independent, but the ones who say this? They’re usually the ones who struggle with self-sufficiency themselves. Others describe you as too serious, too deep, too different—but those same people probably lowkey admire that you don’t need to be liked by everyone. Look, babe. You give off main character energy but in a cult classic, not a blockbuster. You know those characters people debate about in online forums? The ones that some people worship and others find frustratingly complex? That’s you. You are not someone who fades into the background. People describe you with a mix of intrigue, respect, and mild frustration because you’re not an easy person to label. Some people think you’re too serious, others think you’re too mysterious, but nobody thinks you’re irrelevant.If you ever feel like people don’t understand you, it’s not because you’re unlikeable—it’s because you don’t shrink yourself down to fit into their comfort zone. And honestly? Good. Let them talk. You’ll still be out here thriving in your own lane.

This was just the free reading. get you own personalized, super detailed reading HERE!

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✮⋆˙Pile III

Cards Pulled: 7 of Pentacles, The Lovers Reversed, 7 of Cups Reversed, and 4 of Cups Reversed.

First things first: people think you’re a hard person to read. It’s like they know you’ve got depth, they know a lot is going on in that brain of yours, but they can’t always tell where your head is at. Some might even say you come off as detached, hard to impress, or selective about who you truly engage with. They think you’re the type of person who doesn’t waste time on meaningless connections- that drives some people crazy. With The Lovers Reversed it’s like its “complicated relationships.” Some people describe you as someone who used to be close with them, but isn’t anymore, or they feel like they almost got to know the real you but never quite cracked the code. It’s like you go through these phases where you’re all in with certain people, and then one day? Poof. You’re just... not as available. You change. You grow. And some people are pressed about it. And let’s talk about the 7 of Cups Reversed, because this is hilarious. You know those people who overanalyze everything? The ones who create entire narratives in their heads about situations that probably weren’t that deep? Yeah, those people love to talk about you. They describe you as someone who has “so many options” in life—whether that’s in friendships, career, or even relationships. People assume you have more going on than you actually do because you don’t overshare. They confuse your privacy for secrecy—which is so funny because half the time, you’re probably just chilling in bed rewatching your comfort show. Now, 4 of Cups Reversed This tells me that people see you as someone who used to hesitate, used to second-guess, but is now moving differently. Maybe you went through a phase where you were unsure of yourself, or people remember you from a time when you weren’t as confident, and now they’re shook by your growth. They describe you as someone who figured out what they want. It’s giving “you snooze, you lose” energy. Some people are even salty that you don’t give them the same access you used to.

Look, dear. You are the one who got away—even platonically. They’re lowkey haunted by their last interaction with you, whether it was a convo that didn’t go as expected or just the fact that you outgrew them while they stayed the same.i can see that You’re just not easily impressed by shallow things. You are not an open book, and that frustrates people. The funniest part? Some of the people who describe you in a weirdly intense way are people you barely think about. People describe you as someone who is hard to pin down, constantly evolving, and deeply introspective. Some admire it. Some are shook by it. A few might even wish they still had access to you the way they once did. You’re not the type of person people forget—even the ones who act like they don’t care? They care. You make an impact without even trying. And that? That’s power.

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Thank you so much for reading all the way through! I hope my reading resonated with you and that you had a lovely time going through it. If you enjoyed it, please like and reblog—it really means a lot! Let me know which pile you chose; I absolutely love hearing your thoughts and feedback on my readings! If my reading resonated you, you may consider buying my paid reading as it would really help me out financially♡

Note: tarot cards provide guidance and possible insights into what could happen based on current energies, thoughts, and actions. the cards can highlight potential paths or outcomes, but they do not fixedly predict the future. this is a general reading so take what resonates!

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alluramiura · 3 days ago

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“𝒾𝓃 ℴ𝓉𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝓌ℴ𝓇𝒹𝓈, 𝒶 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ℯ𝓇 𝓉ℴ 𝓅𝓇ℴ𝓉ℯ𝒸𝓉 𝓎ℴ𝓊” ｜se-mi x reader

summary: you save se-mi during lights out.

word count: 1.6k words

warnings: lowercase intended, death description, 124 dies, se-mi lives, mentions of youngmi’s death (💔), reader is an implied foreigner

authors note: i was going to post something abt hyunju but i remembered how se-mi died and i got mad all over again. minsu you’re a fucking coward. enjoy.

you met se-mi after the first game, before six-legged pentathlon. you talked a few times, the first time being when you two agreed to team up. after the agreement, she proposed the idea to split up and search for more teammates.

a few minutes later, you found two players willing to join you; hyunju and youngmi. when you found her again, she had found four other players.

before you could say anything, one of the men behind her spoke up.

“who’s this, se-mi? the limit is five. we have all of our members.” he says, so quietly you almost can’t hear him. he was standing the closest to se-mi, and you notice his number is 125.

your eyes flicker to his for a second before flickering back to se-mi, who looks like she was about to give you an apology before another one of the men speaks, quite loudly.

“who’s this chick?” a man with purple hair—“thanos“— steps forward to address you directly.

“oooh, i see what’s happening. you want to join the amazing thanos’ team, huh? we are sadly out of room, señorita. but come to me next round, yeah?”

you stare at him blankly before turning back to se-mi. “it’s okay. i found a few people. you can stay with your group.”

she nods hesitantly, and you give her a faint smile before turning to return to the two players you found, who have now found two more players.

after the second game, you spoke again, a little before voting.

you opened up about your situation, how you were still relatively new to life in seoul, and how it’s been rougher than you imagined it would be, especially with the whole death game thing.

she sat and listened, nodding softly as you explained the last few months of your life to her.

she spoke about her situation a little as well. she didn’t say much, just that going back to her life was as good as staying here would be.

hearing that, you shouldn’t have felt as shocked, almost betrayed as you did when you saw her with the small “O” patched onto her jacket.

you knew you really had no right to be upset—everyone was here for a reason, some reasons being worse than the others, and her singular vote would have changed nothing regardless—but you couldn’t help but think of how the majority of players would choose money over fellow human life, her being one of them.

you try not to let her see how much the thought bothers you, but she seems to catch on almost immediately.

“are you upset that i chose to continue?” she asked, a bit suddenly, after noticing you’ve barely said anything and had been avoiding her gaze.

“…i’m not upset at you directly. i just…wanted to go home really bad.” you mutter softly, fidgeting with your necklace.

she hums in acknowledgement, and what seems like understanding.

“i wish i felt the same way.”

the next time you talk to her after that was during the third game.

mingle was probably the most stressful for you. you stayed with youngmi and the rest of your designated group for the most part.

that is, until youngmi died.

seeing her lifeless body covered in blood changed something within you.

when the farris wheel stopped spinning once more, you almost didn’t move. however, you suddenly felt the strong urge to make it out of here alive, if not for yourself, then for the friends, family you found here that might not make it along the way.

when you saw se-mi again, she was alone, looking around frantically for another person after the number two was called out.

you first noticed that she wasn’t with her team, but you pushed that thought away as you rushed towards her, grabbing her arm and sprinting to an empty room.

once you were in the room with the door shut, you pressed your back against the wall, catching your breath.

after a few seconds of silence and heavy breathing, se-mi speaks up, her voice hoarse and breathy.

“thank you.”

hearing that, you look up at her before nodding, closing your eyes and leaning your head against the wall.

“you’re welcome.”

when you left the room, you noticed she stayed near you and your group instead of with the people she was with before.

you didn’t mind.

the final time you talked to her before lights out was after the second vote.

when you saw she voted “X”, you were almost as shocked as you were seeing her vote the first time.

you didn’t ask what changed her mind, however. instead, you asked her what happened with her team.

“they…they’re assholes. i should’ve known from the start.” she mumbles, sighing softly.

you two spoke a little more, and you told her about your newfound motivation to make it out no matter what, after witnessing the death of your friend.

you shed a few tears thinking of youngmi. you didn’t know her for long, but like many other people you met here, you formed a bond you knew you’d never have with anyone else you’d ever meet.

se-mi gently put a hand on your shoulder as you cried silently, her expression grim.

you stayed with her for the remainder of the time before lights out.

now, as everyone’s killing one another and the scent of copper fills the air, you run around frantically looking for a place to hide.

you were climbing to the top of one of the bunk beds when you heard a familiar voice.

a shriek.

you look behind you, and a few feet away stood player 124, standing over se-mi with a bloodied fork in hand, looking like he was ready to attack.

that same feeling you got seeing youngmi die suddenly came back full force, and before you even realized it, you had hopped off the latter and began running towards the two.

as you approached, you locked eyes with se-mi as she struggled to fight him off.

suddenly, a glass bottle shatters, causing you to step back, and namgyu to pause his murderous actions, looking up to find the person who threw it.

while he’s distracted, you grab a shard of the glass and jab it into his his shoulder from behind.

namgyu lets out a pained cry as the glass pierces his shoulder. in an instant, he swivels around, backhanding you in the face.

you hit the ground pretty hard, feeling blood trickle down your nose. your vision was slightly blurred and you were disarrayed, your hand pressing against your temple where you initially hit the ground.

se-mi’s eyes widen, a strangled gasp leaving her lips as she watches you fall to the ground. adrenaline fuels her as she takes the opportunity to scramble to her feet, kicking namgyu in his side.

he doubles over slightly, but quickly recovers as he takes another step towards se-mi.

to her surprise, you get back on your feet, gripping the shard of glass so hard that blood runs down your wrist as you charge at namgyu again.

her heart racing, she joins fray in a flurry of limbs and desperation, punching and kicking wherever she could. namgyu was strong, however, and he managed to dodge all of your messily aimed attempts at stabbing him, his own adrenaline surging.

he suddenly grabs se-mi’s wrist forcefully, slamming her against the wall and raising his fork over his head, preparing to stab se-mi in the neck.

“no!” you shriek, balancing yourself and locking your blurry vision onto namgyu before charging at him a final time, stabbing him in the back harshly.

you don’t stop after the first stab, continuing to drill the glass into his back repeatedly, his blood splattering all over your shirt and skin.

he screams out in pain, staggering as his strength slowly leaves his body.

it’s only when he hits the ground, choking on his own blood as it pools around him when you realize what you’ve done, your hands shaking as you look down at the blood covering your hands.

you almost feel sick knowing it’s not just your own.

if someone told you a week ago that you’d become a murderer trying to protect yourself and your loved ones in a death game you’d blindly signed up for, you’d call a psychiatrist.

you drop the glass, trembling as you slowly look up at se-mi, tears beginning to stream down your face.

se-mi quickly runs over to you, her heart pounding in her chest. she grabs your face, holding it in her hands as she checks for any fatal injuries.

when she sees that you don’t have any major wounds, she pulls you into a tight hug.

you wrap your arms around se-mi as you bury your face into her neck, sobbing as the reality sinks in of what you’ve just done.

she kept her arms caged around you protectively, as she looks around to make sure no one else tries to attack you two.

“it’s okay. you’re okay. i got you.” she whispers, her own voice wavering as she rubs your back, attempting to comfort you for the second time that day, only under completely different circumstances.

“i-it all happened so fast…” you cry out, clinging onto se-mi like a lifeline. “h-he was trying to kill you, se-mi…i had to…i had to.”

“shhh…it’s alright. you saved me.” she murmurs, slowly guiding you to a nearby corner, hidden in the shadows from the chaos. she doesn’t once let you go, her eyes scanning the room for any immediate danger as the lights flicker.

after a while, she pulls back, gently tilting your head up so you could look at her. her thumb brushes away the tears streaming down your face, her touch tender.

"you're safe now. it's over."

#se mi x reader #se mi squid game #player 380 x reader #squid game x reader #player 380 #alluramiura #se-mi x reader

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seitmai · 17 hours ago

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Many thoughts

“Yes! Tell me he’s spoiling you the way he’s spoiling us today.” You shrank back in your seat a bit. It wasn’t that it was the first time you were the center of attention with your friends, but it overwhelmed you specifically since it concerned Bucky. “Well, he bought me this outfit. And he has bought me a ton of books since I love to read,” you answered. You weren’t about to say that he transferred a ton of money into your account. “And on our first date he gave me a diamond necklace.”

Oh no being the center of attention is bad, but because of Bucky, the person that she wants to not really think or talk about? Arguably worse

“We all know you aren’t going to flaunt any gift he gets you, but you should’ve seen the way he looked at you. He had hearts in his eyes,” Gina smiled. You tried to smile back. There were hearts alright, along with some darkness that they weren’t aware of. “I’m surprised he even looked at us.” “Yeah, he’s… kind of intense like that,” you said. That was the word you’d go with. “Intense isn’t necessarily bad.” Addison scooted closer to you. “And you’re happy, right? He treats you well?”

Intense is one way to describe it...

If being treated like a doll, having you followed, and showering you with affection while messing with your head was meant to make you happy… “He thinks we’re soulmates. That we were meant to find each other and be together. It’s… a lot,” you said carefully. “I haven’t had anyone who seems to need me the way he does, especially so quickly.” “Soulmates? Wow,” Addison said. “I can see why you’d say it’s a lot.”

And with a lot she really means A LOT

“Ahh! You beautiful slut! Thigh riding is so hot!” If anyone ever needed a hype girl or enabler, Dana was the one to call. “And what are you waiting for?! Let him fuck you and eat your kitty. Do it for us.”

Do it for us lmao

“Hey. There’s nothing wrong with waiting,” Addison promised. Of all of your friends, she’d snap if Bucky ever hurt you. “You wait as long as you want.”

Period

“I’m texting my man and telling him you got a diamond necklace.” Dana quickly typed something on her phone. “He needs to step up his game.”

Fair hahha this is the only way to use Buckys affection for good 😅

You were on the verge of tears. They were happy for you, but didn't seem to notice your discomfort. You didn’t blame them. Not at all. It was your fault for not being truthful about the true nature of your relationship. That wedge you imagined Bucky was trying to drive between you and your friends felt real and they didn't even know.

💔💔💔

“Wow. If you’re considering that it’s either because you’re going along with what he wants or you really care about him. I hope it’s the latter,” she said, her brows pinching in concern. “But, listen, if you aren’t ready for that, he has to understand you haven’t dated in some time and you should go at the pace that makes you feel comfortable. I’m sure he’ll understand and it shouldn’t change how he feels.”

She's a good friend 🫶🏻

Your words caught in your throat. The pace wasn’t yours to control, even if Natasha said you had power. There was no choice in moving in and you wish you could blurt out every single thing that transpired, but the words refused to come out. Because all you could think about was what would happen to Addison, and she didn’t deserve any kind of pain.

This just breaks my heart 💔

You blinked tears away before you hugged her. You were lucky to have a friend like her. “A frying pan? What happened to a shovel?” you teased. “Frying pan is more accessible,” she teased back, giving you a squeeze. “Now let’s go. We have some wine to try.”

Fair 😅

You inhaled. Bucky, Bucky, Bucky. Everything went back to him, and you had to say something. “You know what I should tell her?” You smiled as they listened expectantly. “I should tell her that even though Bucky is rich and handsome and could have anyone he wants, he stalked me and coerced me into being his girlfriend. You think her head will still explode, or will she just laugh?” The table went silent as you sipped your wine before they burst out laughing. A few heads turned your way from the sound, and you didn’t crack a smile when Ray made eye contact with you. Had he heard what you said?

Iconic!! Let it out!!

“What?” Bucky growled. He could be angry all he wanted. You didn’t care. “This isn’t something to argue about or negotiate, I need you safe and-” “Safe? You need me to be safe?” you asked, trying to stay calm amidst the storm inside you. “Has it occurred to you that the entire reason I’m not safe is because of you? That the only reason Zemo even cares about following me is because I’m your girl?”

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

“But you didn’t, Bucky. You didn’t let me know what I was getting into. One look at me and you made the decision for me and sealed my fate,” you continued, looking sadly at Ray. “So while I’m thinking of you today like you wanted, I want you to think of me and that target you painted on my back and my loved ones. And think about if you really love me the way you say you do.”

I love that she makes him rethink his choices! Not sure how useful it is but still!

“I’m finishing the day with my friends. Ray will stay here with me. I also need to go to my place before I go to the penthouse,” you said. If he wanted you there so badly, he could bend a bit since you were in no direct danger at the moment. “And don’t expect a happy conversation like we had this morning.”

Good for her!

You stared at your own glass, dread filling your stomach. You felt perfectly fine, but they looked tired. Was it possible that someone slipped something in their drinks or food? Did Ray do something or did Bucky set something up in order to make you leave? Or were you just being paranoid?

Oh no 🙈

You read the message twice. A flat tire? You were about to type back to Bucky that you already left the limo when you heard a familiar voice by the elevator. “It’s about time you got back.”

Not good😬

Hold You Tight: Part 19

Pairing: Club Owner!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Fic Summary: The owner of The 107th wants you to be his girl whether you like it or not.

Part 18 | Series Masterlist | Part 20

Chapter Word Count: Over 4.2k

Chapter Summary: Your day out with your friends isn't as relaxing as you want it to be.

Chapter Warnings: DARK AU, drinking, suspected drugging, reference to stalking and violence, your friends are cheering you on, inner turmoil, stubborn reader, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?), more warnings to come.

A/N: More Hold You Tight! Thank you again for sticking with me! Bucky edit by the beautiful @nixakimbo . ❤️ Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby but any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @firefly-in-darkness . Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

You wished you could say you breathed easier as the limo pulled away, but you didn’t. You felt Bucky’s piercing eyes on you, watching until you were completely out of sight. He still wasn’t “out of sight, out of mind.” He made sure you’d think about him, and Ray was following in his vehicle. Even glancing quickly at the limo partition you could see that it was cracked. Was the driver one of Bucky’s men?

“Okay, so your new boyfriend is stupidly hot and loaded,” Dana said, her eyes darting around the limo. “You should be proud of yourself. Holy shit.”

“I should be proud of somehow snagging a hot and loaded guy?” you laughed a little. You always told yourself money wasn’t a factor as long as the love was there.

“Yes! Tell me he’s spoiling you the way he’s spoiling us today.”

You shrank back in your seat a bit. It wasn’t that it was the first time you were the center of attention with your friends, but it overwhelmed you specifically since it concerned Bucky. “Well, he bought me this outfit. And he has bought me a ton of books since I love to read,” you answered. You weren’t about to say that he transferred a ton of money into your account. “And on our first date he gave me a diamond necklace.”

The girls gasped. “Clothes, books, and a diamond necklace?! Yeah, be proud and fucking flaunt it,” Dana encouraged. She had to be half teasing since she knew that wasn’t your style. “Gina, Addison, back me up here.”

“Yeah, he’s… kind of intense like that,” you said. That was the word you’d go with.

“Intense isn’t necessarily bad.” Addison scooted closer to you. “And you’re happy, right? He treats you well?”

“Soulmates? Wow,” Addison said. “I can see why you’d say it’s a lot.”

You could’ve hugged her. Maybe she saw through some of the charade. If she did, that could also put her in danger if she spoke out.

“Or maybe he just knows what he wants and he’s an all in kind of guy,” Dana commented. She had no idea. “Wait! Have you two had sex?!”

“No, we haven’t had sex yet,” you answered. Just him jerking off over the phone and some heavy petting and jerking off again with you nearby. “But he really wants to sleep with me and I did ride his thigh,” you mumbled.

It was still clear as day in your head, how he encouraged you to get off, his lips against yours. You didn’t want to think about it, but Bucky got his way and invaded your thoughts. It was inevitable.

“Hey. There’s nothing wrong with waiting,” Addison promised. Of all of your friends, she’d snap if Bucky ever hurt you. “You wait as long as you want.”

You were trying to wait, but it was only a matter of time before you had to sleep with him. “It’s just…”

“Are you worried that his feelings will fade once you two have sex?” Gina asked.

“I’m not worried about his feelings diminishing,” you said with complete sincerity. His feelings wouldn’t waver, even if his actions screamed love-bombing. “I just… I guess I never pictured myself dating someone who owns a nightclub. He just seems out of my league.”

And he was someone who had very dangerous ties.

“No, we don’t put ourselves down here. Every league is your league, and he should be honored to be your guy.” Dana clapped her hands together. “Ooh! What if we do a big date night at his club? We bring our guys, and we can all hang out?”

Your eyes widened. “I… Maybe,” you replied. It would just be another chance for Bucky to charm them, and it felt like you’d be asking him for a favor by letting your friends in. He’d probably love it.

“I’m texting my man and telling him you got a diamond necklace.” Dana quickly typed something on her phone. “He needs to step up his game.”

“As fun as it is talking about Bucky, maybe we can talk about something else?” you smiled, nudging Addison. You didn’t want this whole day to be about Bucky and your relationship. “Your big day is getting closer.”

“Yes, it is,” she smiled.

You relaxed in the seat when the conversation shifted to the wedding and found yourself smiling and laughing through the rest of the ride. Bucky still lingered in your mind since he’d be at the wedding. The nice part was that since you were in the bridal party, he couldn’t spend the entire day with you.

“We’re here!” Addison smiled as the limo eventually came to a stop.

You were the last to get out and you took a deep breath. The winery was the perfect mix of relaxation, beauty, and good vibes. The lush vineyard stretched across the hills, and you wished for a moment you could run through them and disappear. The sun on your face brought you back to the present and made you smile, and you couldn't wait to sample some wine with the girls. You had a right to enjoy your time.

“You coming?” Dana asked.

“You two go ahead. We’ll be right in,” Addison said, linking her arm with yours and leading you away from the limo. You tensed up only for a moment when you saw Ray’s vehicle in the distance. It didn’t look completely out of place though since there were other cars and people around. “Okay, what’s up? You seem on edge.”

“I do?” you asked. You thought she didn’t notice, and you should’ve known better.

“Yeah. Is it work? Or is it about Bucky?” You tensed up again. “Did you think we wouldn’t like him?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s just a lot really fast, that’s all,” you said, leaning in to whisper, “I didn’t want to say it in the limo, but he wants me to move in with him.”

She stopped walking. “Whoa. Okay, that is fast, but some couples do move quickly in whirlwind romances, so I wouldn’t say it’s completely out of the ordinary. Brady and I knew right away that we wanted to be together,” she said. What she had with Brady was pure, and you could’ve possibly had that with Bucky in another life. “Maybe Dana’s right that he just knows what he wants and he wants to go all in.”

“He’s very much all in,” you agreed.

“Are you considering moving in with him?”

“Maybe,” you said. Bucky was going to force his hand either way.

“And if I do care about him and want to move in?” you asked.

“You know we’ll support whatever you do, but think about it carefully because that’s a big step. And if things go south, you tell us right away so we can help,” she said, giving you a small smile. “He may be your boyfriend, but you’re still my best friend and I was here first. I’ll smack him with a frying pan if he messes up.”

You blinked tears away before you hugged her. You were lucky to have a friend like her. “A frying pan? What happened to a shovel?” you teased.

“Frying pan is more accessible,” she teased back, giving you a squeeze. “Now let’s go. We have some wine to try.”

Ray kept a respectable distance from your table and didn’t make eye contact as he pretended to read while sipping his drink. You were glad for that since your friends didn’t seem to take notice of him as you all ate and sampled various wines. Though you were having a great time, you hardly drank a drop. You wanted to stay on guard in case Bucky decided to crash the outing.

“Oh, we need to take a bottle of this home,” Dana said, pointing at her empty glass. “And where the hell is your cousin?!”

“She bailed.” Addison rolled her eyes. “That's exactly why she’s not in the wedding party. I can’t rely on her.”

“That and she’s a bitch,” Dana said unapologetically while pointing at you. “We know she would’ve said something shitty about you and Bucky, and we don’t need that bad energy.”

You scoffed. Addison’s cousin was the type who always had to one-up someone or try to tear them down so she felt better about herself. You tried to see the best in others, but you were admittedly glad she wasn’t there today. “I’m sure she’ll have something to say at the wedding.”

“If she does say anything, don’t listen to her,” Addison urged. “Or say something back to shut her down.”

“Rub it in her face how hot and rich Bucky is,” Dana grinned, nudging you with her elbow. “Her head will explode.”

The table went silent as you sipped your wine before they burst out laughing. A few heads turned your way from the sound, and you didn’t crack a smile when Ray made eye contact with you. Had he heard what you said?

Dana laughed so hard she wheezed. “You don’t understand. I need you to tell her that just to see the look on her face. Please. I beg of you.”

“And make sure Bucky’s in on the joke, too,” Gina giggled.

Your heart sank. Their safety came first, but the reaction was another reason you didn’t say anything. Who would possibly believe you? He was a rich and powerful man and you were merely a florist. “Maybe I can say something that’s not quite so dark,” you smiled.

Addison stared at you curiously before she shook her head. “You and your sense of humor,” she teased, drinking the rest of her glass. “But if you could shut her up, I’ll be thankful.”

Your phone dinged before you could respond, and you almost spit up the little wine you had when you saw a message from Bucky.

“Call me. Now.”

Direct. No sweet words. Oh, no.

“Is that your loverboy?” Dana wiggled her eyebrows.

“As a matter of fact it is and he’s asking for me to call him. Do you mind if…”

“Go. We’ll be right here,” Addison smiled.

Your legs felt a bit rubbery as you walked outside and took a look around to make sure no one was nearby. What if he had a bug in your phone and he heard what you said? Oh, God. You were so stupid.

Pressing his name on your phone, you let out a shaky breath when he immediately picked up. “Kotyonok, I need you to come back,” he replied, his tone stern. Upset.

You swallowed. God, he did hear you. You could convince him it was a joke, right? No one had to get hurt. “Why, what’s wrong?” you asked, your tone remarkably calm. “We aren’t done with our samples.”

“You were followed to Addison’s this morning by one of Zemo’s men. Ray and I both spotted him.” There were muffled noises in the background. “I just finished… talking to him.”

“I was followed?” you whispered, your heart sinking for a completely different reason now. The day you went out with your friends someone followed you? “What did he want?”

“I can explain more later, but he had a ‘look, but don’t touch’ order. I broke his fingers anyway.” You closed your eyes. He sounded proud of himself. “I have some business to attend to for the rest of the day and I have to go to the club after, which is why I need you back at home.”

Ray appearing behind you almost made you drop your phone. “Jesus, Ray,” you gasped, your heart nearly beating out of your chest.

“I’m sorry,” he said, briefly resting a hand on your shoulder. “Boss messaged me to bring you home.”

“Yeah, I’m talking to him right now,” you said, narrowing your eyes. “And I’m not going home right now. I'm not leaving.”

“What?” Bucky growled. He could be angry all he wanted. You didn’t care. “This isn’t something to argue about or negotiate, I need you safe and-”

“Safe? You need me to be safe?” you asked, trying to stay calm amidst the storm inside you. “Has it occurred to you that the entire reason I’m not safe is because of you? That the only reason Zemo even cares about following me is because I’m your girl?”

“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know I painted the very target on your back by falling for you? I’m well aware of that fact, but I’m also the one who can keep you safe.” He sounded almost as vulnerable as he did when he talked about his mom. “So just… come home.”

You chewed the inside of your cheek. Home. “You know, there are a lot of dangerous people out there who have families and loved ones. And I’m sure some of them are blissfully unaware of what goes on behind the scenes, but not all of them are. Some are very well aware of what their partners do for a living because they were told what they were getting into.”

“Kotyonok-”

“I do love you,” he breathed. It would be nice to believe that. “Come home, please, and we’ll talk when I get back from the club.”

One step forward, two steps back.

“I’ll just be happy that you’re safe,” he said, which only infuriated you more. You couldn’t make out what he ordered to someone else, but the muffled noises picked up again. “Leave in thirty minutes. The driver will drop your friends off and he’ll take you to the apartment. Ray will take you home from there.”

“Two hours,” you stated just to be stubborn.

“One hour,” he countered. “Or I’ll drive there myself.”

You huffed, but didn’t want to test him. “Fine. I’ll leave in one hour.” The girls would understand if you made some excuse.

“Thank you,” he exhaled. He really did sound relieved. “I love you. I’ll see you later this evening.”

You waited a beat. “Think about what I said.” Ray waited patiently as you hung up. “Have I told you that your boss is a pain in the ass?”

“He certainly is, but he is correct that your safety is important,” he agreed, gently stopping you before you went back inside. “If you aren’t in the limo in one hour, he will come after you.”

“I know,” you sighed. Bucky would be dramatic like that. And protective. “Someone was really following me?” you asked in a small voice. Bucky had no reason to lie unless he was trying to get you away from your friends.

Ray nodded solemnly. “It could’ve been to report your movements back to Zemo, but I’d have to ask the boss for more details since I didn’t get to interrogate him myself.”

“I do appreciate you both spotting him,” you complimented, even if Bucky violently handled it. You shouldn’t have expected anything less.

“Of course.” There was a ghost of a smile on his face. “You were wrong, you know.”

Your brows pinched. “About what?”

“Your strength. You handled that well all things considered,” he answered.

“You’re only saying that because you can’t read my mind,” you said. It was a mess. But you hadn’t broken down or cried, so that was a plus.

For a moment you thought he’d laugh, but he merely nodded to the building. “Better go join your friends before they miss you.”

“Thanks, Ray,” you whispered, putting a smile back on your face as you walked back inside and headed back to the table.

Addison held up two fingers. “You missed two more rounds of samples.”

“I guess I'll have to catch up,” you teased. “And would anyone object to leaving in an hour? Bucky’s planning a romantic evening for the two of us, and I need to stop by my apartment before I head over to his place,” you said. It was partially true. “If you all want to stay, I’ll get an uber and you can take the limo.”

“An hour’s fine.” Dana blinked a few times. “Anyone else tired? I’m a little tired.”

Gina covered her mouth when she yawned. “Yeah, I am, too.”

“I feel fine,” you said, frowning when Addison yawned, too. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, but a nap sounds good right about now,” she said, pushing her now empty glass away and checking the time. “It is kind of late. It’ll be night time when we get back.”

“Is everyone okay?” you asked. It felt like too much of a coincidence that they all felt tired after you came back to the table. “Should we just leave right now?”

“I’m fine. I was just up really late last night,” Addison answered. Dana and Gina nodded in agreement.

“Maybe we should cut back on the samples and stick with water,” you suggested.

“You’ve always been the sensible one,” Dana said, resting her chin in her hand. “But can we still buy some bottles?”

“Yeah. As many as we want,” you promised. Bucky did say he’d spoil you, so why not?

Exactly one hour later, you were back in the limo with the girls and plenty of bottles. Unlike the ride over, the ride back was much quieter. You thought Addison would fall asleep on your shoulder at one point and Dana actually did fall asleep at one point for a few minutes. They somehow didn’t stumble on the way to the limo, and it would’ve impressed you if you weren’t so worried.

“Are you sure you girls are okay? Should we go to the hospital?” you asked.

“Why would we do that? We drank more at my bachelorette party than we did today. We’re fine,” Addison assured you. “You worry too much.”

You had good reason to worry. “This sounds crazy, but did you drug my friends? I need to know if I should take them to the hospital.” you messaged Bucky. If he did something to them…

He typed something back right away. “How could I possibly drug your friends when I wasn’t there? Is everyone okay?”

Did he actually care? “I’m fine, but they’re very drowsy and I’m worried.”

“Ray kept me updated and he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. None of Zemo’s men were there. I didn't do anything either. Did any of them complain that they were dizzy? Nauseous? Did anyone pass out?”

“No, but it could've been something like Benadryl to make them drowsy and get me to possibly leave faster.” Or punish you by mentioning the stalking thing, if he knew, and show you that his reach expanded beyond the city.

“That’s a very creative method to get you to leave, but lots of wine can make anyone drowsy and I have no reason to do that to your friends. I think our conversation may have scared you a bit since Zemo had someone watching you and you’re understandably worried for your friends.”

You looked around at your friends. They did drink a lot more wine than you, and drugging people didn’t seem to be Bucky’s style. Zemo’s men weren’t there. Maybe you were being paranoid and the girls really were just tired. Being part of Bucky’s circle just made you question everything.

“Okay. I’m trusting you.” You had to.

“Thank you. Your worry aside, it sounds like you girls had fun though from what I heard. Maybe the next day out can be at my club. Could be fun.”

You gasped. Did he know what Dana suggested? No, no, no. You weren’t falling down that rabbit hole, and didn’t send any texts back for the rest of the drive.

Brady and the other guys were waiting on the curb when the limo stopped at Addison’s. You were the only one who didn’t get out, but you gave each of them hugs and helped hand out the wine to their significant others. They seemed a bit more awake, so maybe they were just fine. “Love you girls. And, guys, keep an eye on them. They had quite a few samples,” you said. You’d have to text each of them later to check on them.

“Love you,” the girls echoed before the door shut.

The driver headed in the direction of your place after a minute. What were you going to say to Bucky when you saw him? Would you scream at him for putting you in danger, or would you just accept that this was your life? It was a continuous losing battle the more you fought.

The morning you had with Bucky, minus the groping, had been somewhat nice. Could it be like that all the time if you tried? Could it be better if he loosened the reins?

“Thank you,” you said when the limo stopped and the partition rolled down a few inches. “How much do I owe you?”

“Mr. Barnes took care of that, miss, but if you’ll allow me-”

“Oh, no. Please don’t get out. I got it,” you smiled, letting yourself out. You scanned the street for Ray’s car, but didn’t see it. He was likely waiting for the limo to pull away.

Two steps into your building, your phone dinged. “What now?” you muttered when you opened a text from Bucky.

“Ray got a flat tire. Stay in the limo.”

You read the message twice. A flat tire? You were about to type back to Bucky that you already left the limo when you heard a familiar voice by the elevator. “It’s about time you got back.”

You couldn’t breathe when you found a pair of blue eyes staring at you. “Clark… what are you doing here?”

Oh, I hope you lovelies are prepared for the next part. And what do we think of your friends? And were they just drowsy or did something happen? Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

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grandline-fics · 1 day ago

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Hey, hey, hey. I'd love a love potion with katakuri if that inspires you and you have time for it 💕💕

DESCRIPTION: Love Potion- You were both only pretending to date. The feelings aren't real...right?

WARNINGS: none come to mind.

CHARACTERS: Katakuri

WORDS: 1,598

A/N: Thank you for this request @strawberry-000 this one got away with me and I hadn't intended it to get as long as it did. This is my second time writing Katakuri but I hope it was to your liking ♥️

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

DIRECTORY | PROMPT LIST | KO-FI | VALENTINES EVENT MASTERLIST

———————

The smell of baking filled the streets of Hakuriki Town. Intoxicating smells perfectly blending together to create the constantly sweet and indulgent atmosphere that kept all the residents in a warm and happy mood. Well maybe not all. Sadly you couldn't exactly join the others around you in their positivity and cheer when you were trying to keep yourself restrained and polite. All you wanted was to just work but instead you had to suffer the annoyance of a coworker standing a little too close and being far too persistent.

“So we both finish our shifts at the same time today.” He began while you glared down at the dough you were kneading expertly. Quickly you forced your expression into one of false calm. You were newer to this bakery and the one trying-and failing- to charm you was the Boss’ favourite. The last thing you wanted was to cause problems and make waves this early. “What do you say you and I go for a well-deserved drink?”

“Oh that'd be fun!” You said with false enthusiasm. You’d refused him so many times already by feigning tiredness or pretending to feel unwell that you needed to try something different. Today’s tactic: ignorance of his intentions. You turned to face him with as sweet a smile you could muster as you put the tray of dough into the oven. “I’ll let the others know and we can make a night out of it. I think we could all do with a work outing after how busy this week has been, don’t you?”

“It’d be kinda awkward bringing the others on a date though.” He laughed, completely sidestepping your plan with ease. “The last thing I'd want is to make them uncomfortable, y’know?” You held back the urge to punch the man in the face. He didn't want to make the rest of your coworkers uncomfortable but had no problem doing it to you if it meant you went on a date with him? Taking things up a gear you blinked at him in surprise.

“Date?" you repeated innocently. “Oh…I thought you were only asking me out as a friend. I'm sorry but I'm not single.”

Oh you wished you could have fully savoured the bewildered and disappointed look on his face but you were too busy training your expression, appearing apologetic for the misunderstanding. You wished it hadn’t come to this; having to lie about your love life in order to get him to back off but if it meant he stopped asking you out it would be worth it. Then your eye twitched minutely to see your coworker’s confidence slip back into his features. Even that statement wouldn’t deter him from his pursuit. “You're seeing someone? Is it serious?”

“It’s still new but I’m very happy with them.” You explained while moving to grab ingredients to start work on the next batch of pastries. Your boss hadn’t spotted you and your coworker’s idle chatter but if they did, you’d be the only one to be lectured. Not giving them the chance you set about work while gnashing your teeth in frustration, feeling your coworker follow close behind you. You could feel the questions brewing on his tongue and tried to get ahead of it, in the hopes of finally killing the conversation you never wanted to be a part of in the first place. "So happy in fact I don't think he'd take kindly to hear someone else wants to date me.”

"Who is he? I think I could win a fight against him for your affections.” The bold declaration brought a sharp laugh from your lips before you could stop it. Everything already pointed to this guy thinking he was amazing at everything but you knew to look at him he was certainly not a fighter. Quickly you cleared your throat and decided you may as well commit to the lie fully. You needed to think of someone not even his ego would compete with while also being someone who he wouldn't directly have any involvement with. You couldn’t work out why it was the first name your mind conjured but it was out of your mouth before you could come up with anyone else. "It's Katakuri.”

For the rest of the day your coworker left you alone, creating as much distance between you both as possible. Your plan had worked too well. He didn’t question you at all because only someone with a death wish would falsely claim to be seeing a member of the Charlotte Family. When your shift ended you stepped out onto the street and let out a sigh of relief only to freeze at the sight of the Minister of Flour himself leaning against the wall of the building opposite your work. From the look in his eyes you saw that he knew. Was it some sort of sadism that he let you work for hours and finish your shift before ending your life? Somehow you felt enough strength return to your legs to carry you forward the last few steps until you were in front of Katakuri. “So…public execution or imprisonment?”

“Both seem like a harsh punishment.” Katakuri began as he stepped away from the wall and you couldn't help but grow still at how calm his deep, powerful voice was. You then became confused when his eyes slid from your face to look at something behind you. “All he did was ask you out but you set him straight.” Your eyes widened and you heard a panicked squeak behind you but you couldn’t bring yourself to look away from the man in front of you. “Had he touched you however, that would be a different conversation.”

You held back a gasp when Katakuri put his arm around you and pulled you into step to walk with him down the street. As light as the action was you could feel the immense power in his hand but you didn’t feel any fear. You felt reassured and protected but your mind was racing. Were you dreaming? What was happening? There was no point in asking how he knew about your lie because the Charlotte family ruled Totto Land, they were powerful enough to learn anything they wished. When you were far enough away from your work you managed to form enough thought to speak the one question you could ask. Nervously you glanced down at his hand still against your body. “Why did you play along?”

“It’s not really important is it?” Katakuri asked, you glanced up and saw that of what you could see of his face his expression was unreadable. “I could ask why you said my name but it wouldn’t really change things. The results are the same. Your coworker won’t bother you again.”

“That may be but that only works out in my benefit.” You stated with a small tilt of your head your curiosity only growing. “What could you possibly be getting out of this little charade?”

“Who knows?” Katakuri mused, watching your lips fall into a small scowl in dissatisfaction at the answer. “You work in a bakery right? Make me some doughnuts and we can say that’s my motivation to keep up your lie for as long as you need to.”

You blinked and let out a soft laugh. Katakuri had his own personal chefs and bakers that could make him anything he desired. Why he’d want your baking baffled you but if it meant he would continue to let you use him to get out of be asked out by people you had no interest in, it was a good trade. “Are you going to break up with me if they don’t taste as good as what you’re used to?”

“Only if they’re completely inedible.” Katakuri let out a small chuckle, amused that you felt so at ease around him to joke that way. He was already aware of how good a baker you were but he said nothing. The truth of the whole situation was that when he used Brûlée’s mirro-world to enjoy his merienda in peace, she kept the mirrors connected to Hakuriki activated so he could still ensure there were no dangers to the island he was in charge of. In that time one conversation caught his attention in particular because of how persistent and grating one voice sounded. He was subjected to hearing your get asked out again and again. Every time you patiently came up with something to end the conversation, your coworker pressed again and again to the point Katakuri became irritated on your behalf but that was just civilian problems. One of many minor grievances people had to deal with, hardly something that required his involvement. Then you conjured up his name as your boyfriend. He wasn’t going to lie, he had been impressed at that and to finally hear your coworker immediately shut his mouth Katakuri decided for that blessing you deserved a reward by legitimising your lie.

“This is me.” You spoke up, spotting your home come into view. “Stop by my work tomorrow and I’ll have your doughnuts ready for you.”

“I look forward to it.” Katakuri told you sincerely, watching you step out from his relaxed hold and walk towards your home to turn in for the evening. When you were inside, Katakuri couldn’t help but smirk underneath his scarf. He hadn’t fully known what to expect when he waited for you outside the bakery but now he was certainly interested in what was going to happen next.

——————————————-

TAG LIST (If I’ve missed anyone or if you want to be added just let me know) @3v37773, @tsaaps , @i-am-all-love-puns-and-lazy , @sanemisnonexistenteyebrow , @fiery-captain-spider-santa, @kabloswrld , @atanukileaf , @ane5e , @stuckinthewrongworld , @deathsmajestysworld , @cloudysunset04 , @chillerkiller , @extremely-ashtridic , @decayingpizza , @liesatemyocean , @ace-for-ace , @nerium-lil , @destynelseclipsa , @dreamcastgirl99 , @my-name-is-heartache , @iamn1ya , @yunho-leeknow , @hinata7346 , @h0oouwlss , @missrandomdreamer , @sleepykittycx , @ddawn111 , @jaygrl22 , @sylum , @acehyacinth , @resident-cryptid , @treelogirl , @maellem , @its-a-dam-blue-brick , @thulhu , @appalost , @dindjarins1ut , @irumawife , @laidenbreecatchall , @redwolfxx , @jevoislesbrasdemer , @schanwow , @pao198391 , @glitchtricks94 , @nina-ya , @48daisies , @rosemary-lungs , @sagyunaro , @artemis162534

#one piece #one piece fic #one piece imagines #one piece scenario #one piece fanfiction #grandline fics valentines event #one piece x reader #one piece x you #katakuri x you #katakuri x reader #charlotte katakuri #katakuri charlotte #katakuri one piece #one piece katakuri #katakuri #katakuri op #op katakuri #one piece katakuri charlotte

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schluttforschlatt · 2 days ago

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I come to you with another silly lil idea

Young Single Mom Reader x Tee-Ball coach Schlatt

(I’m leaving the child’s gender gn bc I played on a co-ed little league team 🤷🏻‍♀️ could also be gn reader, but it will have gendered language)

You’d had your child when you were young (like 18/19) and when your child turned 5, you decided it was time to get them involved in extracurriculars

You were not super knowledgeable about the rules and positions of baseball but figured you would learn along with your child

The first two “practices” were essentially just meetings, going over what gear you should buy and the ins and outs of how the team would work

On the first real day of practice, you sat in the stands of a local sports park, anxiously watching as your child walked up to home plate and took a few swings

After adjusting to holding the bat, one of the coaches gives them a high five, and sends them to the bench for the next kid to go to bat

This continued until all of the kids had gone and the process started over

The other parents had been completely engrossed in conversations with one another except for you

You feared this might have been because of how young you looked. Feeling slightly embarrassed, you got up from your spot on the bench and decided to stand by the dugout, asking your child what they wanted for dinner as a distraction. You’d stand there until practice was over

Just as you were getting ready for the walk back to your car, one of the coaches, the one you recognized helping the kids with their swings, introduced himself to you

You exchanged pleasantries, taking advantage of the moment to ask any questions you had in regard to both the team and the sport

The conversation flowed smoothly and you felt relieved that if you were being ostracized by the parents, at least you could talk to this coach, Mr. Schlatt

You said your goodbyes and headed back to the car, your child excitedly chanting about dinner and telling you about the new friends they made

The next week had started about the same, comfortably sticking to yourself once the kids had made it on the diamond, playing in the grass while waiting for the coaches

You decided to pull out your phone, quickly checking social media and clearing notifications as you waited

“You came back! Happy to see you, Ms (L/N),” the voice of Mr. Schlatt pulled you back to reality

“Oh! Sorry. Of course we’re back, (C/N) really enjoyed it and we plan on sticking this through!” You smiled, the gesture being reciprocated by the young coach. The longer you held eye contact, you couldn’t help but think that he was fairly attractive, causing a slight blush to crawl up your cheeks and ears

“Well, if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask away,” he replied, making his way onto the diamond

This practice ran a little longer than the last, you believed it to be because the kids were actually starting to play the sport. You watched your child at bat, then successfully run to first base

The next few practices were roughly the same, a handful of parents withdrawing from the program over time. Not enough to make a difference, though

Over time, the kids slowly worked on their skills and knowledge of the game. However, as the kids were improving, the situation parents was not. They would gossip and laugh with each other while you would attempt to block it out, focusing on the game

The scene before you brought a smile to your face, hoping that this would be a memorable experience for your child, something that might help define their childhood and your parenting

You starting daydreaming about their future, how well they would do in school, the kind of friends they’d make, while also pondering what you could do as their parent to do better for them. You wanted nothing more than for them to flourish where you had not been able to. You wanted to be the mother you wished to have had

“…or am I just that sexy?” A voice brought you out of your trance. “What?!?” You choked. Mr. Schlatt let out a light chuckle, before repeating his previous sentence

“I said, ‘Are y’ having a nice daydream, or am I just that sexy?’

#jschlatt fanfic #jschlatt x reader #schlatt fanfic #schlatt x reader #jschlatt fic #jschlatt fluff #jschlatt headcanons #schlatt fic #schlatt fluff #schlatt headcanons #jschlatt x y/n #jschlatt x you #schlatt x you #schlatt x y/n

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centaurianthropology · 1 day ago

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'EXU: Divergence' is the Series I Didn't Know I Needed Right Now

I’ve now watched ‘Exandria Unlimited: Divergence’ fully through twice, plus the cooldown multiple times, and from the beginning to the end of the first episode it hit me like a sledgehammer. It's probably the most brutal EXU to date, and it is also somehow the most uplifting.

It's such a departure from the other Calamity-era EXU series in the best possible way, and I wish we could have an entire longform campaign with this cast in this time and place.

Spoilers for episode 1 of EXU: Divergence below the cut.

‘Calamity’ was a tragedy in the most classic sense: powerful people at the height of their strength who damn the world in their hubris. ‘Downfall’ was also a tragedy in a different way, a family of gods coming together briefly to save themselves, but at what cost?

But ‘Divergence’ is a story about ordinary people. As the gods play their family games, and the powerful vie for even more power than they could ever use, and hoard wealth and resources beyond what they would ever need, these are just five people trying to get enough food and water and rest. Trying to survive in a world that acts first as an oppressive prison and then in indifferent chaos as the gods fight above them.

They're not even Level 1 adventurers. These are level 0 nobodies. NPC stat blocks. They don’t have classes; they have jobs. And in each of these people, we see the true heart of what good people can do in desperate and damning times.

I want to talk about all these characters, because I love them so much. I love the story they and their rolls are telling.

Nia isn’t a cleric with magical healing; she’s a nurse with some herbs and bandages and a little knowledge. Hell, in a world where misery is endlessly and pointlessly perpetuated by the games of the powerful, she’s not even a healer. She’s a repairer of bodies. She keeps feeding them back as grist in the mill, because what else can she do?

She can hope. She can believe that change is coming. But more than believing in it, she can act toward it. She can enact tiny acts of rebellion and kindness. Because maybe she is just repairing bodies, but she will desperately overreach and overplay her hand to try to buy them a little more time, a little more comfort, a little more light in the darkness.

She's young and naive, but her hope is still chosen at every terrible moment. Even when she falls into exhaustion, having prayed over her sister's locket and received nothing in return, Nia still chooses to act. She chooses to get up and, if water isn't coming to her, to go looking for it instead. She is doing better than the others, even if she's not doing well. And so she goes. She looks. She sees a friend die, wishing with his dying breath to see the rain.

And it rains. Not, to her mind, because a god walks across the world before her. Even if she sees the god, she's not looking there. She knows that Starmian made the rain. She sees the acts of people good and bad. She sees the power in hope.

Garen isn’t a fighter or a druid; he’s a stonemason with one arm and a hammer. And he’s a man who has spent so long under the boot of oppression, so long being ground down into nothing that he’s learned never to hope except when exhaustion takes him so fully that he forgets not to hope. That's when he can still see the faces of his family, instead of the prison he's lived in for so long he built most of it.

He is a character we meet in complete despair, but he's also the first to move past it. As soon as the opportunity for action arises, as soon as there are people in need, Garen takes his old and tired body and makes it work for people he’s never met, simply because an injustice is being done to them. Because he’s been waiting for longer than he can remember to stand back up after being beaten down. When he brings his hammer down on a guard’s head, when he breaks through a wall to save a bunch of dragonborn he’s never met, when he insists that they will not leave children to die. This is a man remembering what it is to stand up.

He wants to save everyone, well beyond what he's currently capable of, because once hope is rekindled he clings to it. He believes firmly that if people who can help others don’t do so, then what is the point?

Fiedra isn’t a rogue; she’s a gang leader with the ability to talk her way out of trouble. She also isn’t nearly the altruist that Garen and Nia are. She acts out of self-interest because that was how she’s survived as long as she has. She has a roach tattooed on her arm. She is a survivor, someone who can worm her way into a position of slight privilege even in the worst prison imaginable. And when she’s starting to feel the effects of exhaustion from their march north, she sneaks a meal from their dwindling food stocks that no one else gets. Because that is what a survivor does, even if it hurts others.

But she's also not so simple. She only eats the cheese after she checks to make sure her friend isn’t becoming exhausted as well. Because as much as she knows how dangerous it is, Fiedra cares. She shows it again and again in her interactions with Crokas, how she drops everything including her position of privilege and relative comfort in the prison to try to break him free.

Crokas is her family; her gang was her community, and she cared for them fiercely. And now all she has is Crokas (because the dice tell an amazing story, and those terrible rolls were incredible for her character development). So she looks after him. She jumps to his defense when it’s revealed that his breath weapon doesn’t work. She talks him up, tells everyone how great he is, explains things to him when he doesn't understand.

She’s not to the point where she’s capable of expanding that compassion out beyond the two of them (“The best I can do, kid” was a hell of a line). But she’s making steps in that direction. She survived a hellish march with these people. When she and Crokas found Starmian’s body she was the one who immediately asked where Nia and Erro were. Sometimes, when the shit hits the fan, all you can do is care for yourself and those you love. Learning to care for more than that tiny sphere is part of part of reclaiming the best of one’s personhood in the worst of times, and part of finally building a future instead of just surviving now.

Crokas isn’t a barbarian; he’s a massive bodyguard in way over his head. He has no idea what’s going on most of the time. He has an intelligence stat of 6, and he’s stuck in a world that keeps upending itself on him. Maybe he understood how life worked in a city with his gang and with Fiedra guiding him. Even in Rybad Kol, the worst prison imaginable, a man as massive and imposing as Crokas probably did all right, especially with Fiedra talking the Roaches’ way into running the Slop.

And then every dragonborn in the prison was taken to be carted off to die for a goddess he’d never heard of, purely because they were dragonborn. He can barely even understand that he’s part of a singled-out minority group, and certainly can't grasp the machinations of gods.

But he can see that, in the cart with him, there are children. And when they escape he might not understand how this happened. But he understands that this long march toward some hope for a future is currently killing them. They don't have food or water. Their feet are damaged for the rest of their lives by this endless walk north. It is SO BAD.

But he notices when those children start to become exhausted, so he walks like a monitor lizard with them riding on his back.

Because that's what strength is for.

Not to rule. Not to hurt. To lift up those who can’t stand, and carry them. Crokas may not understand what’s going on, but he understands what needs to be done, and what he can do. And the fact that he starts carrying those children, taking penalties against his constitution saving throws at the end of every bad day on the road, right after Fiedra ate that cheese in secret? The look on her face says it all.

Erro is not a ranger or a druid; he's a mapmaker who has survived for far too many years seeing far too many horrors. He is clearly almost as old as Garen, and is far more stubbornly jaded. Their lives have both been destroyed, but all of Erro’s travels, everything he’s done has ground him down to basic survival. He is practical, but still not cruel. Liam said in the cooldown that he’s been on a teeter-totter between simply surviving to live another day, and the thought he could even hope for a better world.

He’s not there yet. He’s more like Fiedra in his fatalism, even if he's not as openly cynical. And yet he still follows Nia when she goes out with Starmian to find water. He still looks after her, just like Fiedra looks after Crokas. And like Fiedra, he sees in Nia the hope he tries to smother in himself. Starmian dies, as Erro knew he would, because he’s seen dozens of Starmians.

But then the rains come. The gods give and take and take and take and give and take. The world is a cruel place, but he still watches a younger, more hopeful person fall to her knees with the rain in her hands as she cries in thanks.

I am immediately and completely enamored with these ordinary people living through extraordinary times. I can’t wait to see what becomes of them, how the world shapes them and breaks them and how they might lift one another and a community up out of the rubble.

I didn’t know how much I needed this right now. Because it’s SO BAD, but the very first word in the very first episode is hope. And more than hope, these people are embodying acting in tiny ways to build a better future. I know that myself and a lot of people have been watching the enshittification of the world around us and feel like ants under the feet of uncaring, cruel tyrants and gods. Like their games always lead to suffering, and they either don’t care or actively enjoy that part of it. And it's so easy to give in to despair, to become convinced that there is absolutely nothing that can be done.

But we are all level 0 ordinary people too. And we can still hope. We can still take acts of defiance and kindness, great and small. We can stand up again when we’re knocked down, even when it hurts. We can help those we love to live day to day, even while we can take what steps we can to build and lift up a larger community. We can live through hell, because even in that hell there will be moments of exquisite beauty and joy.

Because maybe all of us can find the rain.

#critical role #exu divergence #exandria unlimited: divergence #brennan lee mulligan #matthew mercer #liam obrien #celia rose gooding #alex ward #jasmine don #rei'nia saph #garen #fiedra marrow #crokas #erro mordaurum

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alwaysobsessed777 · 2 days ago

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After that absolutely masterclass by the one and only Azzi Fudd, I think this means we should get an Azzi fic 👀

Keeping it simple and just her and her gf celebrating her domination in that game and her gf being so freaking proud of her

ALL MY GHOST - A.F.

yet again guys....if it's not good let me know

For our princess, Azzi, cause she cooked today

"UCONN UPSETS SOUTH CAROLINA IN A BLOWOUT GAME," I couldn't believe my ears. UConn really just played like their lives depended on it, and it gain them a win. The shouting, the upsetting groans, it was a thrilling experience I didn't think I was gonna experience...ever.

"Oh my God! We did it!" Azzi pulled me into a hug over the bench she had been sitting. Laughing aloud, I hugged the girl back. The energy radiating off the girl and the team.

"Baby, you need to go celebrate with the team...not me."

She shakes her head, nuzzling it further into my neck, "but I wanna celebrate with you."

I sigh, "Azzi...."

"Yes, my love?" Her eyes meeting mine, playing innocent.

"You know what."

"Fineee...but I wish we could go back to the hotel....cuddle...maybe throw in a movie while I read my book," I laugh as her eyes light up.

"And we'll do that...after you spend some time with Paige," I noticed the blonde making her way towards us, "speaking of the devil."

Paige scrunches her face up in disgust, wrapping an arm around Azzi. Pulling the girl away from me a bit. "First of all, I am an angel...not a devil. Second, why are you holdin' the people's princess back from her team, y/n/n? Like, girl, come on!"

Rolling my eyes, I snap back, "sorry your best friend would rather hang with me....guess I'm just better."

Paige's turn to roll her eyes, Azzi's never leaving mine, "whatever, bruh...can I steal your girlfriend for like two minutes?"

Azzi's eyes plead for me to say no, but that didn't matter to Paige. She would've taken the girl anyway.

"Sure...just don't keep her too long...I wanna have my fun with her too."

The blonde's eyes widened, "aye yo....chill out there."

Blushing, Azzi laughed, "P....get your mind out the gutter. We're just gonna have a movie night."

"Sure....almost 30 point game and watching movies is all you're gonna do....right," The curly haired girl shoved Paige playfully. Sending the blonde back, her raising her hands in surrender before walking back with the team.

"Yeah....I wouldn't wanna wear you out of course," she slapped my shoulder, "ow!"

"I need you to stop being a flirt," she took a quick look before leaning in to place a soft peck to my lips, "You might make Paige jealous."

"Good," a smirk played on my lips, "cause she's missing out."

She rolled her eyes, "wait for me by the exit, okay? Oh, we should totally grab something to eat on the way to the hotel too."

I snicker, "you got it, princess."

She leaned in for another quick kiss, running off into the locker room with the rest of the Huskies.

After about 20 minutes, I get a message, Azzi was on her way out. Waiting by the doors, I watched as the girl made her way through the hallway. Her smile was bright, her laughter was warm, she made me forget about everything else in the world. Everything bad or good. The only thing I knew was Azzi.

"Hey babe," kissing my cheek, I intertwined our hands.

"Hey baby," Paige let out a loud gag before sprinting off, "I don't even have to flirt to make her jealous."

"Whatever...I was thinking...."

"What were you thinking?"

"What if we stopped and got a pizza," I nod, "then, we run to Barnes and Noble."

"And why do we need to go there, Az?" I tilted my head, knowing what the answer was going to be.

"Since I had such an amazing game....maybe you could buy me a book?"

I laughed, "you got it, but that's totally a princess move."

"And I'm proud of it," she held her head up high, soft chuckles falling from both of us.

The car ride was nice. We listened to whatever she wanted to play, we stopped by Barnes and Noble to buy the book she was wanting,.we grabbed drinks from Dunkin, and finally stopped to get pizza before heading back to the hotel. I sat down the box before throwing myself on the bed. A small laugh fell from Azzi's lips.

"I'm so tired," I whined.

"You're tired? Baby, I'm the one who literally played a game," a teasing tone dripped from her voice.

"I get your tiredness... we're just connected or something," a laugh escaped her again.

"What happened to movie and cuddles though," I could hear the pout in her voice, my head snapped to look at her. Her lips out in a pout, her eyes wide.

I jump up, pulling Azzi into me, before falling back in the bed, "then come lay with me!"

"Y/n!"

Without fighting, she just let me hold her. Her arms tighten around me, her head resting on my chest. I knew I loved her, I always had, but something about this moment felt different. It was so easy yet so charged with emotions. I didn't know what to feel.

"I love you, princess," mumbling the words against her hair, placing a soft kiss afterwards.

"I love you too, y/n/n."

#wbb #wcbb #wnba #uconn wbb #womens basketball #wbb x reader #azzi fudd #azzi fudd x reader

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politicalunicorn · 1 day ago

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Thoughts on Captain America: Brave New World

It wasn't that bad. Lots of people are saying that it sucked, and yes, I was hoping they would do something more interesting with the adamantium but c'est la vie.

The villain was definitely really scary. I think the direction choice of showing us individual people that The Leader was killing is arguably one of the best choices. I found several moments where I genuinely looked at the screen and gawked.

That being said, the villain felt almost cartoonish. Like? C'mon. that phone call with Ross was just... it felt like a my little pony villain, bsfr

JOAQUINNNN MY BABY!!!! We have been LACKING for Peter Parker-coded characters, and he is definitely one of them. I love the way people are calling him baby falcon, bc yes, but also the mentor-mentee relationship between him and Sam???

On that relationship, Sam and Joaquin have the relationship of siblings with a massive age difference. Like eight years at least. Joaquin idolizes Sam and Sam is fond of him, but teases him as well. It's just so cute.

SamBucky nation is winning. Enough said. The I love you was one thing but the "He's also 102 years old" like, ok??? gatekeeping your man?? ok, I see you Sam <3

I did not empathize with Thaddeus Ross. Maybe, if they made him a shittier father, yes I would get the whole new leaf thing. But making his entire arc of bs in the last fifteen years be about Betty was just...not it. Make him have more to prove.

Also the writing of the phone call? Please. I know Marvel writers can do better than that.

this is just a problem with film-making in general, but marinate in the silence. a lot of life is silence, real-life exists in the margins of conversations. like that conversation between Bucky and sam could've definitely had that silence to really pull that impact.

the fight scenes tho??? that was so good, that was acc such good choreography, OBSESSED.

Bucky as a congressman is something that I really like, but was unexpected. I can totally imagine him trying to make the world a better place, but we're probably going to get that guilt-complex justification that marvel always pulls with Bucky.

The Isiah arc?? that line of "Don't Come Back" was SO good. Also, his face when he was shoved into the ground and his cries about his suit, was HEARTBREAKING. just absolutely gorgeous. arguably the best acting performance.

Sabra??? Kind of unnecessary??? like, the black woman (I don't remember her name, sorry) that was Sam's friend in the White House would've had a better role. It would've also been an interesting way to analyze what it meant to be a black woman in the Red Room.

also, if we WERE going to analyze sabra as a character, what does it mean to be Israeli in the red room? I am not a huge fan of boycotting someone based on their identity, because you can't really change where you come from, but we could analyze the status of the ethno-state in the larger marvel universe if we could.

I really wish they had pushed the political intrigue storyline, so much harder.

we do want bruce banner back tho. specifically the insanely lovable version of him in Avengers 1.

I wish they'd make the dialogue more natural

the avengers plot line could've been tied in better?

TLDR: It was a really good movie, with some writing issues and some brilliant performances and some beautiful relationships.

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berfgrimm · 1 day ago

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CRΣΣKS | choi seunghyun (t.o.p) x reader

pairing: choi seunghyun (t.o.p) x reader

warning: angst, minor blood/injury, some fluff, mentions of addiction & depression, mentions of character death within the context of acting (idk how to explain it i’m so sorry)

note: i had this idea about being an actor and starring in squid game while I was listening to my sad playlist so this is what came of that. please enjoy, i love you all.

———————

Emotional scenes were never your favorite to film, especially in front of so many people. You hated having to cry or scream, because, even though you were acting, forcing your body to experience those emotions could exhaust you under normal circumstances. Knowing that this would be your final scene on Squid Game added to the emotion, sure, but there was something that complicated things even more. Seunghyun.

The two of you met for the first time during the casting announcement for the new season. You’d heard of him before, and though you didn’t know much about him, you found him to be very kind, and reserved. When you noticed that he tended to keep to himself, you made every effort to include him, and after a while, you saw him begin to come out of his shell.

Over the course of filming, you grew closer to Seunghyun as the majority of your scenes were together. You both worked hard to craft two characters that compliment one another, letting your blossoming real life friendship bleed through on screen.

You created a rich history that these two characters experienced together, stretching back to their childhood — two people that were driven apart by military service and arranged marriages that fell through. You invented school trips to museums, and vacations to experience live music. You created two characters who didn’t see a future that wasn’t plagued with addiction and depression, but still hustled every day to keep their head above water. You drew from your own experiences with love and heartbreak to create two characters that would never find peace with one another. You fell in love with Thanos and his muse.

After filming wrapped each day, you would often get dinner together and discuss your interests or workshop ideas for your characters. You ended up staying over at his place more often than not, falling asleep on the floor while watching a movie together. You spent more time with Seunghyun than you did by yourself, but it never once felt like it was too much.

When you explained your relationship to a friend, they were certain there was more going on between the two of you than just a platonic bond. The thought hadn’t occurred to you before; even though you knew Seunghyun was attractive, you never looked at him through that lense before. You assured your other friend that you didn’t see Seunghyun that way and you were sure he felt the same. You didn’t allow the thought to fester in your mind, too afraid of it ruining your friendship.

So, here you are. Preparing for your final scene before you wrap. You’ve created a character that you’re infinitely proud of and now you have to say goodbye. But it’s more than that. You know that you’ll be saying goodbye to Seunghyun as well. He still has a few scenes to film, and though you wish you could stay to watch, you have to catch a flight later to start production on your next project. So when you spot him standing quietly behind the crew, watching you set up, you find it hard to fight back the tears.

You’d never found yourself in a situation like this. You got along with many of your co-stars on other productions, and made friendships that would last a lifetime, but this was different. Seunghyun was different from all of them. You’d never spent all day and night with a co-star before. You’d never studied art and poetry with a co-star and discussed it at length until your mouth went dry. You’d never created a shared playlist with a co-star, so of course you never fell asleep with your head on their shoulder while you listened to it. You’d never felt this hollow when you envisioned your life after wrap.

You sit on the edge of the bunk, resting your elbows on your knees so you can clasp your hands together. You breathe in and out as slowly as you can, preparing yourself to film this next scene. When the tears sting at your eyes, you sit up straight, rolling your shoulders.

“Shut up,” you whisper to yourself. “Don’t cry yet. Just hang on.” Your actor mentality kicks; you don’t want to waste tears when you have to film a crying scene. “Pull it together,” you mutter under your breath. “Come on.”

It could have been any other scene, and maybe it wouldn’t have felt like this. You are forced to end your time on Squid Game with the demise of Thanos. In some ways, it’s fitting; sending off both of your characters at the same time. You’d already filmed your remaining scenes but you dreaded this one the most. You think that the production team sensed it, and arranged it like this intentionally; you hope they’ll forgive you if you don’t thank them for it.

Filming feels like pulling your heart out of your chest and holding it out in front of you for everyone to see. The sound of your cries echoing in the silent dormitory is surreal, tears streaming down your face with no signs of slowing. When you fall to your knees on the floor, lamenting the loss of your partner, you feel it — the lines start to blur between the characters and yourself, and your cries become real.

It’s the absence of Seunghyun that scares you. Having been so dependent on one another for months like this makes you fear the loss of him. Of course you’ll be able to call or text or even visit, but you fear it won’t be the same. Does your connection only exist in the confines of your characters? Was this born of longing in the art you created together? Fuck, your head feels like it’s going to collapse on itself.

You don’t realize that you’ve gone on autopilot, lost in your mind to your thoughts but still present in the scene. You also don’t notice that you’ve repeatedly slammed your fist against the floor as you deliver your lines, not until you feel someone wrap their arm around your back and grasp your hand to stop you. Ha-neul. He cradles you against his chest, something that you hadn’t rehearsed but something that fits the scene nonetheless.

When the take ends, you prepare to tell the director that you’d need a break to compose yourself before trying again, because somewhere in your mind you felt that it wasn’t what he needed. Maybe it was too much.

“It was perfect.”

The director was certain, along with your castmates who make sure to check on you as Ha-neul helps you to your feet. You feel like you are outside of your own body, watching from above as you are handed a rag to stop the bleeding on your hand. You try to find Seunghyun but you get lost in the crowd, being pulled in different directions as people praise your performance. You say your quick goodbyes, needing to get away from everyone as you become overwhelmed.

Your hands tremble on the walk to your trailer, your breath coming out in shudders as you try to regain your composure. When you step into the trailer and pull the door shut behind you, the silent tears start to fall.

“Do you need me to bandage your hand?”

Seunghyun is sitting on the sofa of your trailer, holding a first aid kit in his hands, a gentle smile on his face. You nod, stifling your tears and replacing them with what you hope reads like relief because you’re so glad it’s him.

Seunghyun stands, crossing to you and taking your uninjured hand to lead you back to the sofa. He makes sure you sit comfortably before he kneels on the ground in front of you, setting up the first aid kit so he can begin to clean your wound.

You can only watch him in silence at first, your eyes darting back and forth between his hands and his face, watching how he concentrates on his work. The tears start to return, quiet again but you struggle to hide the way you start to tremble.

“I don’t want to leave,” you admit, looking down at your hands as he presses a large bandage to your skin. He sighs softly, his hands now still as he stares at the bandage.

“I know,” Seunghyun whispers after a moment of silence. “I don’t want you to leave either.” He shifts his grip on your hand so he now holds it with both of his, fingers gently stroking the top of your hand.

“I think everything is going to be different now,” you say, quietly. Seunghyun pulls in a deep breath and lets it out in a soft sigh, as if he’s trying to find the words. You feel a pang of worry in your chest that he doesn’t feel this same ache in his chest as you do at the thought of leaving.

“I’ll still be here,” he says, finally making eye contact with you. “I won’t keep you out.” You stare into his eyes, an ache in your jaw from struggling to hold back your sobs.

Seunghyun wipes the tears from your cheeks with his thumb before he takes hold of your chin with the gentlest grip. When his lips touch yours, you feel as though you drift away, floating above the trees out of your body. You’d never felt something so tender and meaningful. It’s over as soon as it begins, and your eyes stay closed, too afraid that you’d imagined it.

“When do you leave?” Seunghyun’s voice rumbles through your bones, settling heavy in your chest. You open your eyes slowly to meet his gaze again.

“Soon,” you reply, your voice sounding unlike your own: weak and forlorn.

“Okay,” he nods. “We can stay here until then.”

Seunghyun sits beside you on the sofa, wrapping an arm around your shoulders to keep you close to his chest. He offers you headphones to share, to enjoy your playlist together one more time. Relaxing into his arms, you toil over your emotions; what happens now? Is this the end or is there something else? You can’t bring yourself to even think of it yet, because right now, the world doesn’t exist beyond the walls of your trailer.

#choi seunghyun x reader #x reader #t.o.p x reader #choi subong x reader #x reader angst

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odileeclipse · 2 days ago

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https://www.tumblr.com/odileeclipse/775661126176391168/choosing-her-pure-vanilla-x-reader-angst-i-wanted?source=share

This is amazing! Also now I can't stop thinking about an alternate version...sorta an angst to comfort version...

Imagine y/n just wanting to see him happy and sees that he is happier with white lily than with themselves so y/n breaks their own heart and watches him go off with white lily...then, after whatever events you wanna guess this happens after, pure vanilla realizes y/n loved him but had done something out of love for him...let him go...because of that old saying 'if you love something, let it go.'

And for the comfort part...can go bitter sweet or sweet. Bitter sweet is where he thanks y/n and hugs them...Still friend zone but now appreciates them more. Sweet would be...him finally choosing y/n, recognizing their sacrifices and how much they loved him!

Has it always been you?

pt 1 is linked here

Pure Vanilla x Reader Part 2 (Angst to comfort) (A/N at the end)

How could you say no to the one you loved. If he needed you on the sideline for moral support, then that’s exactly where you’d be. “White lily cookie, I know we’ve been friends for so long, and we’ve shared so many secrets” Pure Vanilla started off, with nothing but sincerity a raw emotion you wanted to keep for yourself. “If you would make me the happiest cookie alive, it would mean the world to me, White lily, I selfishly ask you to be mine, for now and for as long as forever lasts” You felt tears stream down your face watching helplessly feeling, wishing maybe that in another universe those words would be meant for you. White lily stared back into his eyes. Her eyes also welled up with tears but unlike you they truly were out of happiness. “Pure Vanilla…I feel the same way. Nobody has ever believed in me the way you have, and whether you had asked me now or years from now the answer would always be yes.” She was so soft spoken, and eloquent perhaps that’s what you were missing. You questioned Pure Vanilla’s kindness why would he have you witness something that would break your heart a thousand times over. Perhaps your patient nature disguised your true feelings and intentions. “I-I’m so happy for you guys, I’m so glad I was here to witness my greatest and dearest friends that I” You paused for a moment to wipe your tears and to calm your bated breath. “That I truly love” You watched them smile pure vanilla being the first to speak up. “(y/n) cookie, I couldn’t have done this without you, white lily, I hope you know no matter what happens, from now on you won’t have to walk alone.”

As much as you hated to admit it, they were perfect for each other. You felt resignation was better, after all what was there to fight for. The prize has been claimed and your heart has had enough of this. Whatever this is. “Pure Vanilla cookie, White lily cookie, I’ll be taking my leave, a kingdom doesn’t rule itself” You said laughing off the hurt, of course you knew your kingdom would be fine but any excuse to leave was necessary. You looked at him longingly but left with a smile before any more words could be exchanged. You spent the day walking through the vanilla kingdom but the kingdom only served as a reminder of who you were missing. You sat in front of a garden of orchids, they were always your favorite flower. At first it was just because, but once pure vanilla entered the picture the smell of orchids followed him. It was an even bigger reason to love them. As you touched the yellow petals you let yourself smile. “He’s happy, that’s enough for me…I do wonder as an orchid do you wish you could see the world in its limitless glory?” you said to the orchids, not rushing to do anything else but enjoy them. If any cookie saw you they’d think you crazy. “It’s time for me…I'm a ruler, a successful one, and I did it all without him.” Though hurt you knew that what’s meant for you would find you, and anything that didn’t belong to you wouldn’t be yours. You could live with that. “Goodbye orchids, grow big and tall because you don’t know what comes tomorrow” Feeling that bittersweet feeling, love for your friends at your own expense. But if they had found each other there’s hope for you too. You returned to your kingdom by carriage, it was a bumpy road.

But no road is without its challenges, and with every day you began to embrace yourself more and more. Healing from a love you wanted was hard. But the kindness of your people helped you through it. Patience really was a virtue, your soul jam was the only proof of it. In the shape of an hourglass. The passage of time was the only thing you needed. As the days went by, weeks turned into months. Nightfall came on fast as you were getting ready to rest, when frantic knocking on your personal chambers doors alarmed you. “(y/n) cookie! Let me in I need your help” the familiar voice, usually soft spoken, was now pleading for your help. You opened the door carefully and were enveloped in the smell of lilies. A scent you would never grow tired of. You did have to pry her arms away after all the matter seemed urgent. “Well what can I do for you? I didn’t get a letter concerning your arrival?” You said skeptically wondering if perhaps you missed it. “No, there was no letter. I needed this to be as private as possible.”

“Is this why you show up in the middle of the night? Your plan already sounds defective, what if I had been asleep or worse what if someone thought you an intruder. You need to be careful, take your time” Pure lily sighed out. “Patience is the only thing I can’t afford right now, it’s why I came seeking you. You're the only one who ever has enough of it.” You looked at her quizzically. “You’re starting to scare me you sound awfully-” you stopped yourself mid sentence sensing the atmosphere had no space for jokes. “Well what’s wrong, how can I help?” You said urging her to share her troubles. “Pure Vanilla and I…I love him I do, but I want answers. He has a kingdom to rule, people to heal and care for. It won’t work out.” White lily looked at you for answers searching through your features for clues. “(y/n) cookie, I know you loved him too. So I ask of you, as a friend, as someone dear to your heart. Take care of him in my place won’t you?” You stared wide-eyed. “No…No! I can’t do this how could I- you, you both belong together freedom always follows the truth” It wasn't that you didn’t want this, you did but to get it handed in this way wasn’t something you wanted. “Truth seeks structure and clarity, but freedom, freedom thrives on limitlessness and change. I can’t stay, I need to know our purpose.” You saw her face contort into one of pain. “S-so if you love me and Pure Vanilla, take care of him” She embraced me seeking comfort, that’s something you would never deny to a friend. “If you won’t do it for me do it for him” she said through sobs as you rubbed her back in circular motions, a feeble attempt to tend to her broken heart. “Does he know?” you said in a hushed tone. “No, that's your job” your job? She couldn’t be serious could she? You gave it all up, a future with him and it was all for nothing? Your emotions stirred starting off as a soft dance, becoming a battlefield. “My job? White lily, you can’t be serious. You can’t just run off, that's not how this works, you can't be unfair to me. Not like you’ve always been unfair to me, you had him first and I let you because I was the ‘bigger person’ I resigned my feelings all for nothing? You’re both so unfair” you said in disbelief, your words came out sharper than intended but you weren’t upset with anyone because it isn't anyone’s fault things turned out this way. “I’ll do it” your voice with the smallest tinge of regret. Regret because you didn’t want to be the one that broke his heart. It just wasn't your burden to bear. But White lily was your friend, someone you also held dear and for her you were doing this. You could put your sentiments aside for her. It was the least you could do, after all she was a stellar scholar back then always helping you, in a morbid way the academy being in ruins served to help you, your grades were never stellar and you actually stayed in the class. “I can’t stay any longer, he’ll come looking for your help I know it. I wasn’t here okay?” You nodded sighing out. “Okay hurry on out I’ll ask a guard to accompany you at least till you’re out of my kingdom…it’s the least you could do.” She nodded as you asked a guard to accompany her. You watched from afar as her figure only got smaller. Until she was nothing. Quickly you lit up sugar candles to conceal the penetrating scent of white lilies that could give your lie away.

It wasn’t long before you got a letter informing you Pure Vanilla cookie was on his way. You wondered how long it had been since you last saw him. Months of course but you didn’t wish to see him now. You loved him but you would be the one to hurt him, maybe you could put it off for some time. Not worry about him. So you headed towards your garden, a large greenhouse full of orchids and white lilies, representing the friends you held dear in your heart. It wasn’t long before a guard knocked on the door “Virtue of Patience, you have a visitor” it’s what everyone in the kingdom called you, you were hard to anger in the beginning the kingdom had a rough start building itself but you never once got angry. Insisting time would run its passage. “Who? If it’s not Pure Vanilla please turn them away I’m in no shape for visitors” You said firmly after all you wouldn’t want anyone to see you when you’re worried sick. “(y/n) cookie, I’ve come needing your help, forgive me. I wish we would meet in better circumstances but as you know, White lily has gone missing. She just disappeared one day. I came in hopes you’d know something” That melodious voice greeted your ears, even when frantic it made your heart skip a beat. You turned to see that familiar serene face. “You should breathe, I wouldn’t want you to pass out on me” your heart stirred conflicted. Knowing the words you’d have to utter. Could you lie to him? “(y/n) cookie, have you seen her?” confronted with the question made you freeze. “I’m sorry I haven’t. I’ll send out search parties if it would make you feel better” You said hoping your nerves wouldn’t give away the truth. But knowing he held the light of truth made you question how you’d fool the truth. Pure Vanilla cupped your face hoping to find answers knowing something was awry. However this only made uncomfortable heat rise to your cheeks. “H-Hey you can’t just do that to me you know” you said nervously prying his hands off gently turning your back to him. “Pure Vanilla you shouldn’t do that for other reasons too, someone might see and call you unloyal.” Silence. That was odd you turned to him, tears leaking from his closed eyes. Frantically you wiped away his tears. “Hey don’t cry, it’s okay I’m here for you, always” You whispered as you embraced him. “Don’t lie to me about what you know (y/n) cookie. I’ve known you so long I can tell when you lie.” He said sniffling. “What gave it away?” You whispered. “You always furrow your brow and if you’re feeling especially guilty” he grabbed our hand and opened up the hand curled into a fist. “You’ll curl your fists” he said softly. “I didn’t think you’d pay attention to me” you said with an ounce of disbelief. “You’re my beloved friend, first friend who illuminated my path and taught me to be kind to myself” he said in that soft voice the one reserved for you.

“Pure Vanilla promise me you wont be mad?” You didn’t know when his tears stopped but the only sign of them were the soggy streaks on his cheeks. “I promise I could never be angry with you. You’re my soothing light.” You shook your head. “You shouldn’t say things like that, people will get the wrong idea. And okay I’ll tell you what really happened but please don’t blame her. I promise you she, she’s just I don't even know anymore. White lily came to me frantic, she said something about seeking the truth.” You sighed out. “Pure Vanilla I plead to you and this time please listen to me, don’t go. Stop where you are, you're a king, a beacon of hope. A-And someone I love and hold dear to my heart. White lily told me it’s not working out, and that she can’t settle down.” In the flurry of emotions you rambled off the burden sharing it with him like you’d always done. Pure Vanilla sighed. “I felt this would happen, but you my dear light would never leave me right?” He was looking to you for comfort even if the logical part of your brain felt this was wrong, you were basically taking her beloved. And for the first time you were impatient as you embraced him. “Never would I leave you, you’re my sanctuary” You said in the hopes you could selfishly convince him to stay. “(y/n) cookie, during the 12 trials of the sugar free road, I feel ashamed but I continued in the hopes to see you again.” You looked at him confused. “Why me?”

“Because you left abruptly I thought you had found another. I love white lily. She's a dear friend to me, but how could I forget my light. When you left I had thought perhaps there was no more room for me. I mean how could I ask you for myself, I thought it selfish.” He looked at you the same way he looked at you before white lily, back then when it was just you and him. You are the light and him your sanctuary. “I’m sorry, I know you sacrificed your love and happiness for mine, I’ll spend the rest of my days repaying you.” He said his voice was compassionate, full of that love. Those eyes that knew everything about you, what made you cry or laugh. He was a vault full of your secrets. To be loved is to be known. “How could you do that to yourself?” He said, cupping your face. “My dearest light, if you love fight for it, I would have fought for a chance with you a million times over. Throw away rationality for you, why didn’t you fight?” His voice was earnest and searching. You whimpered attempting to hold back the tears, perhaps it was because of how sudden White lily’s disappearance was or because you had what you always wanted. It was in the palm of your hand for you to keep or destroy. Isn’t this what you wanted? “I wanted you to be happy, shouldn’t I let things go if I love them? And I loved you so much.” You said, biting back tears. He embraced your entire being the hug felt like your souls were connected on the same wavelength.

You broke down in tears. “I always loved you” you said and he only pulled you closer. “My dearest, I’d give up my soul jam for you.” parting from you he pushed back the strands of hair that adorned your face and kissed your temple. “I have spent my days bringing warmth and healing to others, but in your presence, I have found a warmth of my own…a light I never knew I needed. You are my solace and my quiet joy. If you would have me, I would walk beside you always” You couldn’t express anything into words, grabbed him by the collar, your lips meeting in a slow lingering embrace, kissing like a whispered confession, slow and deliberate. Taking him by surprise as he opened those beautiful heterochromic eyes. Your lips hovered a breath apart, the air charged with longing and words left unspoken.

A/N This is my apology for breaking everyone's heart <3 The long-awaited sequel due to popular demand I got to this request first but trust I am working on my other requests!!! If you have any requests, send them my way!!! ALSO NOT PROOF READ ANY GRAMMAR ERRORS PLS IGNORE <3 I hope you guys enjoyed!!!

*feeds you writing meal*

#cookie run #cookie run kingdom #cr kingdom #crk #pure vanilla cookie #pure vanilla crk #pure vanilla x reader #cookierun kingdom #crk fanfic

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uracutieraka · 1 day ago

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literally cannot get over the idea of you and Denki Kaminari being 'go with the flow' types of people! like you're both super into each other but neither of you have put a label on it, so it just results in super shameless flirting that has the rest of your class rolling their eyes.

"Kami?" You sweet voice rings out from across the mostly empty common area of the dorm. The boys eyes quickly tearing from his friend over to you, face lighting up with a toothy grin.

"N/n!" He calls back, watching as you skip over to him. Your head nuzzles between his arm, effectively pulling his hand from his pocket as you do. His arm wraps around your shoulders and pulls you into his side.

"Ugh, you guys are so gross." Mineta says and you roll your eyes, sticking your tongue out at him.

"Whatever, you're just jealous." You say after, thus launching a full on back in forth verbal attack between you two.

"Woah, woah, there's enough of me for the both of you!" Denki chimes in, fake cockiness seeping off him.

You pull out of his grip and swat the back of the blond's head.

"Absolutely not!"

He pouts and rubs the spot you just hit. You giggle and shake your head at him.

"Whatever, I'm out of here!" Mineta grumbles and storms off.

You lean over to the boy, head resting on his shoulder as you look up at him to whisper.

"Stay in my dorm for the night?"

He looks down at you, brow raising in thought.

"Hmm, what's in it for me?"

You roll your eyes and lean back up and off of him, giving him a blank stare and crossing your arms.

"Kaminari."

He just watches you, small smile on his face. Obviously he was going to stay I your dorm, but he loved messing with you.

"Alright, alright, of course I'll stay."

You squeal and grab his wrist quickly, turning and bolting towards the stairs to go to your dorm.

"Uh-uh!," Iida steps in front of the two of you, stopping you both. "Boys and girls being alone in a dorm is strictly forbidden!"

You pout and look up at the class representative with big puppy dog eyes.

"Iidaaaaaa, pleaseeeeee? Who's going to know if you don't tell?"

Iida's face falters in defeat. He always tried to, but he could never win in an argument with you.

"Fine! But just this once." You jump up and wrap your arms around his neck, giving him a tight squeeze.

"Thank you!" You turn around and giggle when you grab the Blond's hand, shooting him a wink.

He watches as you two run off, shaking his head.

"Wow, class rep." Iida turns around to met with the judging glare of Sero and a few other boys.

"Wha-" He's quickly cut off by Kirishima.

"That's not very manly of you."

"Yeah! What the heck dude!" Mineta chimes in, but he's ignored.

Iida tries to speak but words fail him.

"They're not even boyfriend and girlfriend yet!" Sero whines.

"Are you guys talking about Denki and Y/n?" Mina now chirps from behind the group. Jirou, Tsu, and Momo behind her.

Sero nods, not breaking the hard glare he's giving the blue haired boy in front of him.

"I wish those two would just put a label on it already!" Momo says.

A few nods and hum of agreement follow.

"It's gross seeing Kaminari so..." Jirou starts but fails to find the words she needs to describe it.

"Whipped?" For once the group agrees with Mineta.

"Gossiping is very rude!" Iida finally says.

"You know what else is rude? Them shoving their gross love stuff down our throats, and you letting them get away with it!" Sero points an accusatory finger at Iida.

"I think we need to have an intervention with them." Midoriya now joins the conversation. Arms crossed over his chest as he has a serious look on his face.

"Midoriya! You really think that?" Iida is shocked at the unsuspecting input.

The green haired boy just nods up and down.

"Seriously, they're disgusting." Bakugo adds as he passes by towards the kitchen.

"I think they're cute!" Ochaco adds.

"Of course you do!" Mina whines, throwing herself back onto the chair behind her.

Ochaco pouts at the girls words and mumbles something under her breath.

"Okay, okay, tomorrow I'll call a meeting before dinner. I expect you all to be there."

#x reader #fanfic #mha x reader #mha #mha smut #denki kaminari x reader #denki x reader #bnha denki #denki x y/n #kaminari #denki kaminari #mha denki #shoto todoroki #my hero academia #todoroki #bnha

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florathewriter · 2 days ago

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cowgirl tease || choi seunghyun (TOP) x reader

Ok, I'm having the worst time writing (and being creative) lately, so instead I keep reading and editing my drafts. Here is a scene I'm not sure I like, so I transformed it into a short TOP x reader piece or whatever. I had to change some details, since I don't want it to spoil the main thing I write, so forgive me for any nonsense. Enjoy.

Warning: Things I publish here may be out of context, since often they are little pieces of a bigger thing.

Summary: The colleague!reader watched too many videos of TOP performing Bang Bang Bang.

The familiar beat echoed through the club, making people shout with excitement and make their way to the dance floor. The song, which I had played one too many times lately — and whose live performance videos I had been watching almost obsessively on YouTube — came to my mind. The last two shots must have been pure confidence boosters, because I didn't think twice before getting to the center of the dance floor, holding Alex and Sae-ho, and jumping to the beat.

BANG BANG BANG was known, sung, and danced to by everyone here. The quiet voices of embarrassment — also known as sober elements — that had been holding me back until now were silenced by TOP's voice when his verse came in. Some of the words I sang were made up on the spot, most of them nonsense, but who cared? My mind kept replaying his lasso movements, which — oh Lord — I copied, feeling extra freaky in that cowboy hat. Images of TOP I had studied lately retraced themselves in my mind as I moved my hips to the beat.

You know that feeling when you're having all the fun in the world, dancing and singing with your friends, and then you… come down from that high, your head pounding, feeling dizzy? Yeah, usually that happens in the morning and is called a hangover. For me, it was locking eyes with Seunghyun, who was sitting at our booth with an excellent view of the dance floor. He was smiling at me, clearly amused by the performance I had just given him.

If I had one wish at that moment, it would be for the Earth to part and swallow me whole. What a disaster. How am I ever going to look him in the face and not think about this moment?

Without thinking much, I turned around and pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the ladies' room. I sighed in relief as I closed the door behind me, as if I could escape my fate. Leaning on the sink, I analyzed my reflection in the mirror.

I decided to talk myself through the situation, to get things straight and at least try to save my dignity before facing what was about to happen when I left this room.

What's the big deal? I just enjoyed myself on the dance floor to my colleague's ten-year-old song, wearing a cowboy hat and doing cowboy moves — probably thinking I looked sexy but actually being ridiculous, imitating his moves. Which clearly indicates I’ve watched all those videos recently… after admitting to him that I didn’t know him or his career history only two months ago. Well, that was two months ago. Maybe I had to dig deeper since I'm set to work with him. It was for research purposes, right?

The key is to keep my cool. Running to the bathroom isn’t exactly keeping my cool.

I splashed some water on my neck, hoping to look more composed. Shooting myself one last disappointed glance in the mirror, I stepped out of the bathroom.

The first thing I saw was Seunghyun’s figure leaning against the wall.

“Oh,” I gasped. Not exactly how I planned to play it cool. I’d preferred to meet him back at the booth — or, better yet, on Monday morning. Or even better, never at all. Instead, here he was, having followed me and waited outside the ladies' room.

"I’d be thirsty after a performance like this." he teased, handing me a bottle of water.

This fucker.

I felt my cheeks burn but couldn’t help smiling back at his smirk.

#choi seunghyun #t.o.p #t.o.p x reader #choi seunghyun x reader #bigbang

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dazaih · 2 days ago

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wingman - luke skywalker x reader

chapter one, chapter two, chapter three

chapter four -> cloud city ii

your university roommate han solo finds a rival (and love interest) in student council president leia skywalker, but both of them are too stubborn to admit that they have feelings for each other. luckily, you and her twin brother, luke, devise a plan to get the two of them to spend more time together. challenges arise, however, when you start to develop a crush on him.

chapter warnings: drug and alcohol usage, violence, blood, injuries. if you wish to skip the fight scene, scroll down to the text divider and begin with the line “You were going to be fine.” i personally don’t think there’s anything incredibly graphic (especially considering the nature of star wars lol) but i never want my stories to cause stress or discomfort for anyone. please take care of yourself!

a/n: incorporating a lil bit of canon content into this au and introducing some plot! i’ve been really nervous to post this chapter because of the slight tonal shift but hopefully you don’t hate it lol <3

By the time the band ended their set, you were sweating, feeling parched and slightly sore with a small headache from enthusiastically moving your body to the songs. Han must have felt similarly, because he pointed to his breast pocket and flashed you a grin.

“Cigarette?” he asked, gesturing to the door.

“I’ll go with you since you’re so drunk,” you slurred, only slightly better off.

“Chewie?”

Chewie shook his head, pointing to the bar. He wanted another drink, probably so he could match the level you and Han were at. With that, the two of you made your way outside, Lando eyeing you as you left. Something about the look he gave you made you feel a little on edge, but you chalked it up to the tensions you’d experienced earlier in the night. Han led you to the alley on the side of the building, lighting his cigarette and exhaling the smoke with a sigh of relief.

“Lando pours ‘em strong,” he remarked, closing his eyes, “Always has, but man. I’m a little fucked up.”

“Well, that’s what we came here for,” you said, sitting down on the sidewalk next to where he was standing.

The two of you stayed there for a bit, a comfortable silence playing out as Han smoked. All things considered, you’d had a good time so far. It had been a while since you’d gone to a nice venue like this. You leaned your head against his leg, closing your eyes and sighing as you soaked in the city’s soundscape. Being here still felt surreal sometimes, but you were thankful to have friends who made you feel so grounded.

“Han Solo,” a voice rang out, piercing the tranquility the two of you had created out in the alleyway.

You didn’t know who the voice belonged to, but Han sure did. He immediately tensed, but didn’t put his cigarette out.

“What a surprise,” your roommate replied, though you caught an ounce of distress in his drunken words, “Good to see you, Fett.”

“Wish I could say the same,” the man said, finally close enough to see. The streetlight illuminated his features only slightly, but he was strong, with a stern expression that made you feel uneasy.

“Can we help you?” you asked, standing up from your spot on the sidewalk. When Han gently nudged your hand, however, you shrank back against the wall slightly.

“You probably can’t,” the man—Fett, Han had called him—replied coldly, meeting your eyes. This guy had to be at least thirty, and you tried to sort through your scrambled thoughts to figure out what he could want with Han.

“He’s right,” Han agreed, surprising you, “You should go inside. Find Chewie.”

“No,” Fett said sternly, grabbing your wrist as you turned to leave, “I won’t hurt you, but I can’t let you do that. You just stand there and watch.”

“Watch what?” you asked, stomach starting to churn. You didn’t like this.

“That all depends on him.”

“Listen, Boba. I told the Hutts that I’d pay them back once I graduated. I’ll pay them double, even. I just have to take another semester.”

“Jabba doesn’t think you’ll graduate at all,” the man replied, inching closer to Han, “And he doesn’t give a shit about your education, anyway. He’s been generous enough to offer you your old job back, though. He’d take the money you owe him out of your paycheck, and you’d have to work for him until it was all paid off.”

“We’ve been through this before,” Han said, taking another drag of his cigarette and blowing it in Fett’s face, “I don’t deal anymore, and he knows that. You know that.”

“I’m here to give you another chance to make the reasonable choice,” he warned, his fierce tone contradicting his words. This was a threat, you realized.

“No,” he said, putting his cigarette out against the wall and letting it drop to the ground, “I can’t. They’ll kick me out of here if I get caught smuggling drugs, Boba. Just tell him that I’m graduating soon, and I’ll be able to land a pretty nice job with an engineering degree, so he doesn’t need to—“

Boba didn’t let him finish before he punched him square in the jaw, Han falling back against the wall from the force of it. Immediately, you turned to run inside, but you were quickly grabbed and restrained by another man. You watched in horror as a few more people emerged from the other side of the alleyway, walking towards your group. Reinforcements, you supposed. If you weren’t so frightened, you’d find humor in the fact that Han was apparently enough trouble to warrant such a sizable crowd.

Han braced himself against the cool brick, managing to muster enough energy and coordination in his drunken state to land a hit on his opponent. Boba faltered slightly, but the attack only served to piss him off even more.

“Hold him still,” he ordered, and two of the men he was with each grabbed one of Han’s arms, forcing him to stand upright. Your stomach sank when Boba pulled out something shiny from his pocket, and when he fitted the metal onto his hand, you lurched forward, trying to come to your friend’s rescue. When the men pulled you back, you continued to struggle, resulting in a harsh blow being delivered to your ribs.

“Kid, ‘s alright. Don’t get yourself into any trouble,” Han mumbled, his speech slightly obscured by the blood pouring from his upper lip.

“You’re gonna kill him,” you cried as Boba admired the brass knuckles on his hand.

“Last chance, Solo,” he said, ignoring you, “You can either repay your debt by coming back to work for Jabba, or you can repay it with your life right now.”

“You don’t understand,” Han hissed, almost collapsing but being jerked back upwards by the men restraining him, “I can’t transport that shit anymore. I’ve worked too hard to get here. But I can still pay him. Hell, I’ll even do triple. Don’t be a fool—“

That was the wrong answer, it seemed. You screamed as Boba delivered the first punch with the brass knuckles to Han’s ribs, helplessly thrashing against your captors.

“Lando will come looking for us,” you yelled, still trying to fight back against the men holding you, “He saw us walk out here.”

“I paid Lando a hundred bucks to stay inside and mind his business,” Boba replied coolly, hitting Han again, “Don’t you worry about a thing.”

Realizing the direness of your situation, you shoved your heel as hard as you could into the foot of the man to your right, his grip loosening on you just enough to allow you to break free for a moment. Without thinking twice, you pushed your finger into the eye of the man on your left, causing him to reel back in pain.

You ran as far as you could to the end of the alleyway, trying to at least make sure your cry for help was heard before your captors inevitably caught up to you. You almost made it, and when your escape attempt was thwarted by one of the men pulling you backwards, you screamed as loudly as you could. The consequence of this was that a piece of cloth was shoved into your mouth, effectively gagging you. Tears streamed down your face as you struggled again, trying to resist being dragged back to the scene of your closest friend being beaten within an inch of his life. The man whose eye you’d injured welcomed you back into the group by throwing you onto the concrete harshly, and you let out a deep wheeze of pain.

“Not worth it, kid,” Han pleaded, his voice strained, “It’ll be okay. ‘S okay—“

He was cut off by Boba gripping his hair harshly and delivering a knee to his stomach, causing him to gasp and cough up a small amount of blood.

“What a fitting end for you, Han Solo. Getting the shit beat out of you in the back of an alley while those rich brats you’ve tried so hard to fit in with don’t even care enough to come see what all the commotion is about. You were better off as one of us.”

Han said nothing—he couldn’t speak anymore, you realized. Between the copious amounts of alcohol he’d consumed and the violence he’d endured, it was a miracle that he was even still conscious. You watched helplessly as Boba continued to hit him, only using the brass knuckles on occasion, making you realize that he was intentionally dragging it out. It was audacious to believe that no one would catch him, but Boba had convinced even you that no one was coming to your rescue at this point. The weight of the realization was suffocating, and you weren’t sure if the gag choking you or the deep despair you felt was what caused more tears to escape you.

You couldn’t watch any longer. You looked off into the distance, trying to focus on something else as you were forced to listen to Han’s pained grunts and gasps. Your vision was slightly blurred from crying, but when a familiar silhouette appeared at the end of the alleyway, you felt relief wash over you. It was Chewie. He’d come to look for you.

You briefly fretted over him meeting a fate similar to your own, but you realized quickly that he wasn’t alone. None other than Luke Skywalker was in tow, his teammates still following him.

“Hey!” he shouted, racing towards you all. You tried to warn him about the ferocity of your opponents, tried to tell him that this was no normal bar squabble—but it was too late. As soon as he had breached the group, Boba turned sharply, punching him in the face with his bare hand. Luke hissed in pain, but to your surprise, swung back with enough force to make Boba stumble. The other man grunted and raised his other fist—the one with the brass knuckles—and you tried to scream out a warning, your cries muffled by the rag in your mouth. Surprising you further, however, Luke dodged his attack, throwing him off balance enough to shove him to the side harshly and rush towards you. In his tracks, his teammates picked up his slack, and there, in the alley of Cloud City, a true fight broke out. The men who had been keeping watch over you ran to defend their leader, and Luke made his way to you.

“Call the police!” Luke shouted, kneeling down in front of you. Blood was pouring from his nose and his lip, but he didn’t seem to mind as he pulled the rag from your mouth. You coughed, choking slightly at the sudden change in pressure. His hand cupped your cheek immediately, thumb gently wiping away stray tears from your face. You weren’t sure if it was the adrenaline getting to your head, but in that moment, you felt incredibly cared about in a way that was all too genuine for the type of relationship you and Luke had.

“It’s okay,” he told you, seemingly much more sober than he’d been inside, “I’m gonna take care of everything. Gonna get help.”

You looked past him to see Chewie and his teammates fighting off Fett’s group, Han having collapsed onto the ground without the support of his captors holding him up.

“Tell Lando to get out here now!” Luke yelled again, and one of his teammates raced towards the bar.

“They paid Lando a hundred bucks to stay inside,” you recited, your head pounding.

“Okay? I’ll pay him two hundred to get outside,” Luke scoffed, trying to help you sit up.

“Police are on their way!” you heard someone yell. You looked down the alley to see Lando himself, two bouncers standing next to him. You could have hit him at the moment, but because of your current injuries, you stayed put.

You watched as Boba delivered a few more heavy blows to Luke’s teammates, only two of his own men still standing, stumbling to catch up with him.

“You’re gonna regret this, Calrissian. You should’ve kept your ass inside like I told you to,” Fett shouted, backing up to exit the other end of the alley.

“I didn’t realize you were trying to kill Han outside of my bar,” Lando retaliated, watching Boba carefully as he walked backwards to his escape route.

“It didn’t concern you.”

When he stumbled in your direction, he couldn’t resist the urge to pull Luke up by his hair, the other man surprised by the sudden attack.

“And you,” Fett hissed, Lando and Luke’s remaining teammates now sprinting towards you, “I’ll teach you to interrupt a man’s business.”

“Do your worst. We’ll see where it gets you,” Luke replied, voice strained by the tugging on his hair. You watched as Luke took the opportunity to carefully study Boba’s face rather than fight back, and you were once again seized by an emotion that you couldn’t quite place.

Fett glared at him, pulling him higher up and then throwing him to the ground as hard as he could, the sound of Luke’s body smacking against the concrete making you wince. He groaned beside of you, and you weren’t sure if the blood pouring from his face was new or from the first altercation he’d had with him. With that, Fett escaped the alleyway, Lando and his men chasing after him.

“Luke!” Biggs shouted, running to where you all were.

“Leia,” Luke choked out, gasping for air as most of it had been knocked out of him, “Call Leia.”

Biggs nodded, and you heard sirens wailing in the distance, the red flashing lights of what you assumed was an ambulance illuminating the surrounding buildings. One of Luke’s other teammates stumbled over to check on him, and you knew instantly that he’d never seen such violence firsthand. It was Elias.

“Elevate his head,” you told him, struggling to pull yourself to your feet, “Find out where he’s bleeding.”

Elias nodded, shaky hands lifting Luke’s head and placing his coat underneath it. You stumbled towards Han, mustering all of your strength. Chewie was already at his side, having leaned him up against the wall so he was sitting upright.

“Han,” you gasped, falling to your knees next to him, “Can you hear me?”

When he didn’t say anything, you began to panic slightly, lifting his head to try to make him meet your eyes.

“Han,” you said again, and his eyes opened slightly as he tried to take in your appearance.

“Bleeding,” he managed to sputter out, “You’re bleeding. Your face.”

“You’re a whole lot worse, man,” you tried to joke, but you couldn’t stop your eyes from watering.

“I need a cigarette,” he slurred, and you leaned his head to the side slightly.

“Spit,” you told him, and when he did, you couldn’t even see any saliva—only blood. His eyes fluttered closed again, and you brushed his hair from his forehead gently.

“You have to stay awake, Han,” you told him sternly, keeping his head upright. Chewie gave you a concerned look. This was bad.

Luckily, the ambulance arrived then, parking at the end of the alley. A few paramedics rushed out and immediately identified Han as being in the most critical condition, lifting him onto a stretcher and taking him to the ambulance. Two more arrived soon after, and a few police cars were there as well. You watched as Lando reappeared, explaining the situation to the cops.

“You should go with Han,” you told Chewie. He frowned, looking you over and shaking his head.

“They probably won’t let me do it because they need to check me out first, but you’re fine. You should go. I’ll be okay.”

Reluctantly, Chewie nodded, pulling you into a gentle embrace before departing, running towards the ambulance Han was in. You let out a sigh of relief, feeling better knowing that your roommates would be there for each other. You saw Elias, Biggs, and some more paramedics help Luke into the back of an ambulance, and when he murmured something you couldn’t quite make out from this distance, Biggs came over to where you were standing, some paramedics behind him.

“They wanna look you over,” he explained, offering you his arm. You nodded, allowing yourself to be escorted away from the blood stained alleyway.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You were going to be fine. You had broken your wrist from how you’d landed when you were thrown, and you had some serious bruising on your ribs, but overall, you were going to be fine. When you were cleared, you exited the back of the ambulance, only to find Luke sitting on a bench across from you.

“Shouldn’t you be in one of those ambulances?” you asked, taking in his appearance.

He had a black eye and a busted lip that had been stitched up, but he smiled at you regardless.

“Already got cleared. Got a concussion, a black eye, stitches, and my ribs are all bruised up, but nothing that requires going to the emergency room. How about you?”

You sat down next to him, sighing from the ache in your body, “My ribs are bruised too. And I broke my wrist. Wanna sign my cast later?”

“Of course,” he said happily, leaning back and looking at you, “But really, are you okay?”

“No,” you whispered, frowning as you stared at the sidewalk, “I thought I was about to watch him die.”

Luke sat up, taking your good hand into his own.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t get out here sooner. Chewie came to see if you were with me, and then we went outside to look for you. Then we heard you scream. I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” you assured him, squeezing his hand, “Glad I didn’t mess my throat up for no reason, I guess.”

He didn’t laugh, and instead he pulled you into a hug, his hand resting securely on the back of your neck. The safety of his embrace made your eyes water, and you melted into his touch.

“I was scared,” you whispered into his shoulder, allowing a man you hardly knew to hold you on a park bench in the middle of the city.

“Me too,” he told you, gently carding his fingers through your hair, “But it’s over, and we’ll have more answers tomorrow.“

You nodded, the words causing your mind to drift to Han. You pulled back and checked your phone.

4 new notifications

Chewie: he’s stable. in and out of consciousness, but he’ll be okay. doing x-rays soon.

Chewie: r u ok?? did u get ur injuries checked out?

Chewie: ok he has some broken ribs and a broken nose. pretty bad concussion too. they want to keep him overnight at least.

Chewie: i’m gonna stay tn. you should go home and get some sleep. you’ve been thru a lot. pls txt when u can to lmk ur ok

Texting a quick message back, you sighed, relieved that Han was going to be okay but still nervous about his injuries. The stress must have shown on your face, because Luke placed an arm around you, letting you lean your head on his shoulder.

“How is he?” he asked, rubbing your arm.

“At the hospital. Broken bones, but he’ll be okay, according to Chewie,” you said, allowing him to console you, “Thank you, by the way. I owe you one.”

“Don’t thank me,” he told you, “Setting my sister up with Han doesn’t really work if he gets killed in the back of an alleyway.”

You chuckled a little at that, glad for Luke’s ability to lighten the mood.

“But really,” he said seriously, “You don’t owe me anything. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Just then, a sleek, black car pulled into the parking lot, and none other than Leia crawled out of the passenger seat. Of course they had a personal driver.

“What the fuck,” she muttered, taking in the crime scene tape and Luke’s battered appearance before rushing over to you, “What happened?”

“Some guys tried to kill Han during his cigarette break,” you explained simply, the weight of your exhaustion setting in, making it impossible for you to offer more context.

“Han?” she asked, concern written all over her features, “Where is he?”

“Hospital. They’re keeping him overnight.”

“Shit,” she huffed, taking Luke’s face into her hands and evaluating the damage, “How did you get involved?”

“He and Chewie and his friends stepped in,” you told her, watching as she eyed the stitches on his lip, “Probably would’ve died if he didn’t.”

She sighed, stepping back and putting her hands on her hips, seemingly unsure of what to do. She stared at you for a second, and then back at Luke, clearly distressed by his injuries. Her concern for him was sweet.

“Local news headlines are gonna pick this up,” she said, frowning, “I think Lando’s gonna talk to the press to make it clear that it was an attack and you came to the rescue, but I don’t know.”

“I don’t care,” Luke told her, waving his hand dismissively, “I don’t wanna worry about stuff like that right now.”

“I know,” she replied, sighing again, “Mom and Dad are gonna lose their shit—“

“I don’t care.”

“You should call them,” she urged, looking at his injuries again, “Someone else probably has by now. Have you checked your phone?”

“No,” he said, looking annoyed, “Have you?”

“No. I’ve been afraid of what they’ll say.”

“Will they be angry with you?” you asked, not sure what kind of reaction you should be anticipating from the Skywalker family.

“Probably with me for not filling them in,” Leia admitted, her voice weary.

“Probably with me for getting hurt,” Luke added.

“I bet they’ll want us to come home for the rest of the weekend.”

“Absolutely not,” Luke grimaced, rubbing his temple with his free hand.

“Or they’ll send someone to check on you.”

“That’s such a waste of time,” he scoffed.

“Dad’s press tour is soon. The last thing you need while you’re recovering is for a bunch of delusional kids online to speculate about how you got hurt. They’ll probably find a way to romanticize it. You know how they are.”

“Leia,” Luke said sternly, though his tone was still gentle, “You know I don’t care about that stuff. They’ve been writing weird shit about me since I was sixteen. And if they publish something about me getting in a fight, that’s okay. It’s for me to worry about.”

“You’re right. Sorry,” she replied, sighing, “I don’t know where my head is at right now. I was so worried about you.”

Luke sighed too, standing from the bench to hug his sister.

“I’m fine, Leia,” he told her, and seeing how soft he was with her made your heart beat a little faster. He was a good brother.

“You should stay at our place,” Luke offered suddenly, meeting your eyes, “Since Han and Chewie won’t be home. I don’t want you to be there by yourself after tonight.”

You almost protested, feeling awkward invading their space like that, but then Leia spoke too.

“I think that’s a good idea. Especially with those men still on the loose,” she added.

“I don’t wanna intrude—“

“You won’t be. Please,” Luke interjected, looking at you with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Only if you’re sure it’s okay,” you reluctantly agreed.

“Of course,” he insisted, helping you stand, “It’s just me and Leia, so there’s nothing to stress about.”

You guys are basically aristocrats. How is that not stressful? you wanted to say, but you held your tongue, following them to the car where their driver was holding the door for you. The high quality leather seats felt alien to you when you sat down in the back with Luke. He must have noticed your discomfort, because he reached for your hand soon after. With little hesitation, you accepted, and he immediately tangled your fingers together, giving you one of his signature soft smiles. Even in the mostly dark vehicle, his eyes still shone brightly, and something about that fact made your cheeks flush.

You briefly wondered if you were getting too personally involved with the Skywalkers, but with Leia in the front seat telling the driver to take you all home and Luke in the back with his hand in yours, you knew that there was little you could do about it now.

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dark-lord-of-awesomeness · 2 days ago

Note

I was inspired to write this scene in dialogue script format. The Sea Grunk Twins maybe feel a bit too open and being able to communicate, especially Stan. But let's assume it's been several months since Weirdmageddon and they've actually been working with therapists.

Plus being faced with their counterparts struggling over several days maybe got them talking and reflecting some more. Witnessing the obvious emotional constipation from the outside is painful. The obvious differences about their lifes help, too. And it's not like they talk much about their own issues.

Carla: Please tell me it won't take these two knuckleheads almost 30 years being able to ask for hugs!

Sea Grunk Stanley: Carla, we're one of the worst versions you could ask for help about this.

Sea Grunk Stanford: If only because an accident led me to 30 years being lost in the multiverse until Lee saved me. Not to mention the extreme circumstances that led to our reconciliation.

SG Stanley: Your Standford and Stanley are way ahead us in several ways compared to when us old coots met again. Both times.

SG Stanford: I assume that our histories were identical until a certain point, that being when- A witch you said? When the witch cursed the younger Stanley. But even if you discount that detail-

SG Stanley: Moses, I wish I could.

SG Stanford: Hush, we all know you're not really bothered by that. Um, going back. Our respective lifes have diverged immensely from each other. We just don't know what will happen or what they need because we can't compare the two situations.

We're still playing catch-up with dealing with our own trauma, lacking communication, and having been separated for that long without almost anybody else supporting us.

SG Stanley: And you know some of the fucked up stuff around the history that probably's the same.

Carla: I made some guesses about the things the twins let slip about their childhood and adolescence. And their twenties.

SG Stanley: It was... probably even worse than you already heard. It makes that sappy intimacy and being vulnerable stuff even more terrifying. The two need to relearn each other. Need to unlearn some deep-rooted shit rotting away in their minds.

SG Stanford: A lot of it was planted there by other people. Which doesn't change that it's unfortunately tangled with their bond and feelings about each other on top of everything else. We would know.

SG Stanley: But! Not all of it is bad!

SG Stanford: Lee's right. You said that they're way ahead of us in some ways, compared to us when we were their age.

SG Stanley: Actually talking with and listening to each other. *beat* Well, some listening, and some telling each other important things.

SG Stanford: Having an actual support system outside of their immediate family, with healthy relationships. More than one person who can comfort them or call them out on their shit. Who they can rely on, and who can rely on them.

SG Stanley: I repeat, I'll deny having said any of this sappy stuff later if asked.

Carla + SG Stanford: But we won't let you forget! :)

SG Stanley: Shut up, I'm denying. So. Having real friends and family-who-are-also-friends has helped us the most. There, I said it. And now I'm denying I said it.

SG Stanford: That, and therapy. But yes. Not being on our own anymore has made it possible even getting to this point.

Carla: So you're saying that they need time to figure it out, but that they will eventually. *sigh*

SG Stanford: Well, not only that. I'm actually worried about a trend you've mentioned. They're the most comfortable hugging each other and showing affectionate behavior when the other was hurt or in danger?

SG Stanley: I swear, if they start any bad habits over that, I'm going to tie them together and sit on them until they've talked things out. Properly!

Carla:

SG Stanley:

SG Stanford:

SG Stanley:

Carla:

SG Stanford: Carla.

SG Stanley: I'm getting the rope-

Carla: Don't you dare!

[It's about the Cat Stan Twins having the same desire (protect their brother) and same issue (if I can't even protect him, what worth am I? / he's more important than me / self-worth) putting them into conflict.]

This is so good. And Carla's the perfect person for them to talk to about it.

Because their lives are so different, they can't know for sure how the cat Stan's will turn out. We know they'll figure out how to talk communicate with each other, but at this point in time that's hard to see. Especially since their friends have to help them along and watch all their painful attempts.

I love this. Acknowledging how they can't know for sure, but pointing out how well the younger twins are doing compared to where they were at at that age. Then SG Stan wanting to hurry the process along lol.

#gravity falls #how to cat burglar a family #gravity falls au #cat stan #stan pines #ford pines #carla mccorkle

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bratbarzal · 32 minutes ago

Note

for ur valentines blurb pretty please these prompts with quinn hughes ☺️😘

¹⁾ “you really planned this?! remind me how you’re single, again?”

⁴⁾ “c’mon, like i need an excuse to spend time with you.”

⁵⁾ “i can’t help but think that this is a little more effort than someone would normally put in for their friend.”

✩‧₊˚ bratbarzal's valentines event!˚₊‧✩

idk why I give prompts and then continue to go off script but I honestly think I have a problem with being told what to do lmao. something about scripted sentence cuts a creative wire in my brain. THE SENTIMENT OF WHAT I WROTE IS THE SAME!!!!! I promise. also I like this one lmao!! I hope you like it too thanks for requesting!! and stacking the prompts is very cool gave me a nice little story to follow I love it!!! I wrote this whole thing and realised I didn't mention valentines once, but it's belated, so..... we're going to pretend it's okay I've decided on your behalf thanks love you

this ended up at 3.4k words lol - warnings for fade to black type smut, slightly angsty

Quinn: you coming over tonight?

A text from him has never filled you with anxiety like this.

But then again, for as long as the two of you have been friends, you've never actively avoided Quinn until now.

Monday had been one word answers, Tuesday had been emojis, Wednesday had been reactions, and Thursday had been radio silence, because he hadn't texted you, anyway.

It's not that you're mad at him. You wish you could be mad - wish you had any reason other than your own shame to be turning down all attempts at contact. But instead, all you can think when you see his name is how much you had fucked everything up the last time you saw him.

You: idk

And only because you feel instantly bad about how short that is, you immediately follow up with:

You: work has kicked my ass this week

You see the little dots keep popping up, and you're only torturing yourself to watch them come and go as he figures out what to say - how to salvage what you'd so carelessly made a gigantic mess of only last weekend.

You should really just say yes, you think - be the bigger person. Fridays have been your thing, all season. The day of the week he most frequently has the night off, and an end to your usually-hectic work-week, it has just made sense for the two of you to hang out, to make a routine of doing so.

Bailing on him is harsh, you know that. And with such a weak excuse too - you've had much worse times in your job, and it's never come between the two of you before.

And you know that he knows what you're doing. It's obvious. It's just whether he's in any mood to try and recover whatever scraps of your friendship still remain. Whether he even cares, anymore.

Quinn: please?

The two minutes it took for him to type just one word dragged longer than they ever have in your life, and you blink at your phone screen as you see the dots jump up again.

You chew nervously at your lip and wait, tapping your foot against the side of your desk and watching this time as it stays.

Quinn: I've already bought enough to cook for us both

He's such a guilt tripper.

You sigh, typing back and sending an immediate response, figuring a week of the bare minimum is punishment enough without blanking him or making him wait.

You: okay

A heart pops up below your message almost immediately, the reaction only worsening your anxiety at the thought of how hard keeping your distance is.

You: I'm finishing later than usual, should be there around 8

Quinn: ok I'll have dinner ready for then!

You knock on Quinn's door a little after 8pm - still in your work clothes, although that is usually how you come over, in your defence. Quinn loans you something comfy, and you usually change, but changing means staying over, and you're kind of trying to avoid all that again.

So when he welcomes you in, you awkwardly pat at his back as he tries to embrace you, before hovering around the kitchen instead of making your way back to his room.

He frowns a little as he watches you - he's in a hoodie and sweats, settled in now for the night with no intentions of getting back up once the two of you have eventually sunk down into the couch together - and waits a second to see if you're just on a delay, if you're just beat from work, like you said.

"I left a change of clothes for you on my bed," he says once he realises you aren't shifting, glancing quickly at you before he starts to busy himself with dishing up dinner.

"I'm good," you tell him, short, with a tight lipped smile sent his way when his eyes meet yours, narrowed in curiosity.

You're wearing a skirt and heels, for Christ's sake, and a blouse that's a little too restrictive around your shoulders. You've been in them all day, too. Of course you aren't good, and of course he knows that, but he drops it, a resigned nod and an awkward shift of his gaze back to the task at hand, spooning an assortment of green vegetables beside the rice on your plate.

You chance a good look at him while he's distracted - his hair soft, pushed back messily in a way that makes it flop straight back into place, and he looks a little tired, but he's had a long week, too. Back in training, pushing himself, dealing with a best friend who isn't reciprocating his energy. He's probably exhausted.

His jaw is clenched as he finishes the meal off, clattering utensils a little louder the longer you're quiet, and letting out heavy sighs when he's clearly growing more frustrated with how little you're giving back.

"How was work?" he tries, reaching into the draw and retrieving a knife and fork for the two of you.

"Long," you sigh, offering a small smile when he looks over to let him know that this particular instance of a short response isn't personal. You are genuinely exhausted - you'd worked an extra long day, just to get a major project finished, and, if you're honest, you're just ready for bed. "Glad it's the weekend, I'm probably gonna hit my pillow tonight and not see tomorrow."

The initial spark that lit up in his eyes when you started speaking a full sentence to him dulled immediately when he realised that you had all intentions of going home.

"You're not staying over?"

"I can hardly sleep here until Sunday, Quinn, that would be insane." Like you haven't spent consecutive days around his apartment, before. Like you haven't spent weeks with him back at his lake house in Michigan in the summer. Like the two of you didn't isolate together when you both got covid, probably from each other.

He nods, brief and sharp, jaw tensing again as he mutters out a bitter, "Right."

God, this is hard.

"Do you want me to carry anything?" You ask, trying to be helpful, just to make yourself feel better.

He wordlessly hands over the cutlery before turning to grab both plates on his own, nodding for you to make your way out of the kitchen for him to follow.

You do as he asks, holding the door for him so he doesn't struggle, stepping nervously behind him as he guides you through to where he's set the dining table up.

His curtains are drawn, a picturesque view of the nightlife of downtown Vancouver, twinkling city lights and the distant flash of vehicles passing by below stands as the most perfect backdrop to his set-up - the table candle-lit, a vase of fresh flowers in the middle, wine glasses and a salad bowl situated around the nice placemats you'd made him buy the last time the two of you went shopping together.

You hesitate when you get a little closer, eyeing up the setting reluctantly as Quinn places the plates in your retrospective places.

He's usually neat when it comes to his dinner table - usually likes to set things up so that they look nice, placemats, coasters. cutlery and napkins - but it's never like this.

"What's all this?" You ask, meeting his eye as he leans across the table to place down the knives and forks you hand to him.

"You said you had a bad week," he shrugs, "Wanted to do something nice."

He shuffles around you, the light placement of his hand on your hip as he does so jolting you toward the table, head swivelling to watch him disappear back toward the kitchen.

"You planned this?" you call after him, turning to look down at everything - a meal that he cooked, something nutritious and filling, knowing you wouldn't have the energy to make as much yourself, pretty flowers, and a calm, ambient atmosphere flooding the room. Your fingers poke softly at the petals on the flowers, lifting them a little to get a better look, mindful of the roses in the arrangement, careful not to be pricked by their thorns. "And you said you didn't think you'd be a good boyfriend,"

The latter sentence is muttered to yourself more than anything, a remembrance of something he'd said a while ago now - something that had always been in the back of your mind when you considered anything more - but your heart drops when you hear him chuckle from not too far behind, spinning on your heels to look at him, wide-eyed and apologetic. "I didnt-,"

“It’s fine,” he assures you, dipping his head but still keeping his gaze on yours, “Wine?”

He holds the bottle up in one hand, and your mouth goes a little dry at the sight of the label, mind going straight back to this time last week, when you had shared a few glasses with him. When things had gone too far.

Quinn's hands were holding you in place on his lap, soft fingers slipping under the hem of his sweatshirt that you wore, sliding up to press into the warm skin of your back, rocking you on his lap as his tongue swiped languidly against your own.

You couldn't quite tell whose mouth the taste of plummy Malbec sat within, but at that point, you didn't care - you'd both drunk enough of it to find yourselves in such a situation, you were at equal fault.

Not that any of it felt wrong in the moment, his hips bucking up as you straddled his thighs, your fingers clutching where his hair grew thick at the back of his neck. Quinn was humming soft, delicious groans straight between your lips, his own closing around your tongue as he sucked on it - all other bodily movements frantic and stuttered until he was repositioning the two of you, laying you back on the couch and gripping the elastic waist of your sweatpants.

It can't have been wrong - not with how easy it all unfolded, your hips lifting until he slid your bottoms off, his fingertips sneaking their beneath the hem of your panties - too drunk to care how sexy they might have been, never expecting to have to even consider such a thing around Quinn - all the while his mouth pressing firm, bruising kisses to your own.

"I shouldn't, I'm driving," you mumble, a soft shake of your head supposed to let him down easy, and to bring your senses back to the present, but his frown just deepens, the crease between his eyebrows now almost a fold.

"You can stay, you know," he tells you, pouring his own glass. "I don't care if you sleep until Sunday, it's not like you haven't spent the weekend before."

"I don't know," You sit cautiously in your seat, watching as he lowers into his own, face morphing into a hard scowl before he lets out a heavy sigh. "What?"

"It's like you've been making excuses not to hang out."

"Or maybe you've been making excuses to hang out," you retort, cringing yourself at how stupid it sounds, looking down into your lap as you place your napkin there so that he can't see the visible curl of your features.

"That doesn't even make sense," you know that, obviously, but you've been avoiding him for a reason - you don't want to have this conversation. You're not ready. "I don't need an excuse, we're friends, it's what friends do."

And God, you wish he'd just stop saying it. It's getting annoying now, your jaw tensing as you huff a short breath out, still keeping your head down to avoid him reading you like an open book - a book that may as well be pictures, at this point, or written for children with the most basic reading comprehension, one sentence per page and clear as day.

"What friends do," you mutter, in disbelief. He's one to talk about what friends do.

Friends don't do what you did last week.

Quinn's body had pretty much completely flopped onto yours, his chest rising and falling in heavy pants, but still careful enough not to bare all his weight on you so that yours could do the same.

Your skin felt clammy all over, baby hairs sticking to the back of your neck and your forehead, your neck slick from where his lips had been pressing all into it, sucking and nipping and you swear you'd even felt the glorious scratch of teeth at one point, and the heat of him above you was doing little to remedy the feeling.

You brought a hand up, almost absent-mindedly, to scratch softly at the back of his head as he came down, an overwhelming dizziness gripping at your eyelids, pulling you down as you felt him follow.

"You're making me feel like I'm going crazy," you sigh, "You can't seriously set all this up and not realise that it's way more effort than anyone would normally put in for someone that's just a friend,"

"You're not just anything," he counters, "When did I say you were just anything?"

He looks annoyed, that much is obvious - and yeah, you've technically been avoiding him, just like he assumes, but he was the one who made you feel like you had to.

A soft, sleepy groan was the first sound that brought you into consciousness the next morning - raspy and thick, and so close to your ear that the feeling of it buzzed the whole way down to your toes.

Then came unassuming movements, a twist of his torso, a shuffle of his hips, the stretch of his legs, all of which had been pressed right against all the same parts of your body - the sticky warmth of him catching your skin and rousing you fully from your sleep.

His arms tightened their hold around you before you really thought he knew what he was doing - a lethargic sigh huffing from his nostrils as he got comfortable again - and you had maybe a solid minute in his embrace until he fully came to.

The two of you were naked, one of the throws from the back of the couch draped lazily over your modesty, but that didn't really matter when you could feel the heavy press of him all over - your chest, your stomach, your hips, your thighs.

His fingers tightened, pressing a little into your waist before his touch disappeared completely. Before he was retreating, untangling himself from your body and sitting up. You felt the couch move as he shuffled around doing God-knows-what - felt the soft drape of the throw back over your body, and the whoosh of cold that followed and refused to leave.

When you dared to open your eyes, he was sat on the other side, leaning over, head in his hands after shrugging his boxers back on.

"Quinn?" you asked, your own voice thick with sleep, straightening to face him properly and rubbing at your eyes until they focused. "What's going on?"

"How much did we have to drink last night?"

Your heart dropped at the question, but your eyes floated over to the coffee table, two empty bottles standing on the other side. "A lot, I guess."

"Shit," he cursed, pushing himself up and pacing in front of the couch, refusing to look at you. "Fuck."

"Q, you're making me dizzy."

"I just," he stopped in place and scratched at the back of his neck, eyes lowering down your body in a way that made heat creep back up your neck, and your shoulders practically fold in on themselves consciously. "I didn't mean for it to go that far."

Your lips parted, although you didn't really know what to say to that. All you could do was nod, stuttered and slow, your gaze shifting too until it landed on the carpeted rug in front of him, focusing too hard on the pattern. "It's fine."

You could feel the weight of his stormy stare, but you couldn't look up - too afraid of rejection, too afraid of regret.

"We're friends, you know, you're-,"

"I know," you confirmed, not needing to hear how he didn't ever intend to be anything more. "We were drunk, Q, it's fine."

Your attempt at a reassuring smile probably looked a little more like a grimace, but you were saved probably by the fact that the two of you had had a lot to drink, and you were honestly a little queasy.

And maybe it had been the cold hard slap of rejection you woke up to that made you feel that way - after years of wanting more with Quinn - but he didn't need to know that. Not if he was already 10 toes deep into a regret spiral so soon after opening his eyes.

"We're friends."

"You said it last Saturday," you frown, "Saturday morning."

"No, you said we were drunk. I said we were friends, but you cut me off-,"

"Yeah, 'cause I didn't really want the first thing you said to me that morning to be that you made a mistake!"

"And here you are again, cutting me off!" his voice is a little raised now - so unlike the soft-spoken Quinn you're used to - easy going and well natured. "I can't win with you, you're either avoiding me like the plague, or you're not letting me speak, either way, I can't clear all this up!"

"What's there to clear up?" you scoff, "I don't need you to hold my hand and give me the full speech, okay, I get it, you don't want to be anything more than-," your body is jolted quickly by the sudden scrape of your chair across the floor, Quinn's grip firm on the leg as he pulls, "Hey, what are you-,"

And he's at the perfect height, then, to meet your lips once you're close enough, his hand leaving the chair to grip at your face - hold you in place so that you can't protest, can't cut him off in this, too, like you have been doing with every other way he's tried to communicate his feelings for you.

His kiss feels familiar, achingly so, the swipe of his tongue soft at the parting of your lips, his own mouth closing in a soft pressure against yours, over and over at a disorienting intensity - all thoughts melting away at his endeavour.

When he pulls away, he keeps his hands in place, watching intently as your eyes flutter open, and you slowly sink back into consciousness, pupils blown when they meet his, intense in their focus on you.

"You're really important to me."

You frown, because your brain will only allow you to process that as the start of rejection - followed by, which is why we can't go further - but that's not the direction Quinn is taking this.

"I wanted to do all of this right. That's why I freaked out last week. I didn't want you to think it was a drunken mistake."

Oh.

You're still a little dazed from the kiss, if you're honest, and so you find yourself blinking slowly back at him, mouth bopping open and closed while you figure out what to say.

"What?" Is all that comes out when you find your voice, watching as he rolls his eyes - part exasperated, part amused.

"Now you have nothing to say?" He scoffs, thumb swiping gently at your cheek as if to show you he's kidding. "I like you. I have for a while, and I want to be more than friends. I want you to stay at my place whenever you come over, and wear my clothes, and eat my food, and drink my wine," he lists, dipping his head closer and closer until you're face to face, a mere inch or two from him kissing you again. "And I want you to sleep here until Sunday. Maybe even after."

"Okay." you respond - the kind of one word answer you've been throwing his way to avoid getting hurt all week. And because you feel guilty, you add, "I want all that, too."

He breathes out a sigh of relief, closing his eyes and smiling slowly - an infectious kind of smile, that has you doing it right back, noses just brushing before you kiss him, again.

Stone cold sober, no longer looking to avoid your feelings, with the intention of being so much more than his friend.

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