#i would say i’m shocked but i’m really not

[depresssant]

Shades of Cool

NEGLECTFUL!PLATONIC!YAN!batfam x GN!reader

synopsis : growing up with a shit mom and constant step-dads and mom's boyfriends, your view on life has grown pretty bleak. you just want to die, since it doesn't seem to get better than this. things can't get any worse, can they?

wsp guys. it's been pretty long, huh?... OK IM SORRY FOR NOT POSTING IT QUICKLY. here, damn 🙄. anyways, i hope yall enjoy n im glad u guys liked the first chapter. lets just hope this one lives up to yalls expectations 😭. follow me and repost this if u want a chapter three. also I NEED SOMEONE TO EDUCATE ME ABOUT SUNDAY FROM HSR BC I WANNA WRITE FICS ABOUT HIM SO BAD SO PLS SOMEONE EDUCATE ME N ALSO IF U KNOW LOVE AND DEEP SPACE??? PLS HIT ME UP AND EXPLAIN THIS LORE BC I WANNA WRITE YANDERE FICS FOR THEM SO BAD

“Why are balls called balls when testicles sounds hella fancier?”

At your friend’s bizarre question, the face of your other friend, Zarian, twinges in disgust. “Jayelene… why do you feel the need to put that out there?”

You huff in amusement, focusing on your pizza before what Jaylene says ruins your entire mood.

“I’m just saying! Testicles just seems more appropriate⏤the type of fancy shit drake and his family would say.”

Tim Drake Wayne…

Dinner with him and his freak-a-zoid family was like trying to make it past no-man’s land without any help to shield you from the straight up chilling vibes they gave off with their constant comments about bat facts. Bats. The atmosphere during the entire time you spent there was dreadful and quite literally heavy since Tim's youngest little brother wanted to sneak stares at you as if you wouldn’t notice his bug-looking eyes creeping into your soul.

Rich people really are weird, huh?

The Wayne family is nothing like how you expected them to be. They’re supposed to be cold, mysterious, and irresistibly enchanting, but all you’ve got are creepy vibes and a strong urge to stay away from them as much as possible. From the way Mr. Wayne made that weird comment about your father in the limo to how forcibly happy Richard or “Dick” was with you, you’ve come to an understanding that rich people are complete lunatics.

The Wayne family is full of a bunch of lunatics.

And you’re not afraid to voice that.

“There you go again,” Jaylene sighs when she notices the irritated expression on your face. “It’s never that serious, [Name]. You just hate everyone.”

“No, you don't get it! They were creepy as hell! Like… Like bats in dark caves coming at you all at once. They talk funny, they look funny⏤they act funny! What normal man name drops your mother’s name after knowing each other for about thirty minutes?”

Zarian huffs in amusement. “That’s the creepy part. How does Mr. Wayne know your name?”

“I dont know.” You run your fingers through your hair and lean back against the booth seat. “I don't want anything to do with them. Billionaire or not, how the hell does he know my mother’s name.”

It was perhaps towards the end of your stay at the Wayne’s manor for dinner, and you knew you had to go home, so you had largely hinted at leaving to Drake. Everything had gotten wrapped up, but when you were just about to leave, Mr. Wayne had told you, “make sure to tell [M/n] I said hi.”

You could only stare at him in shock as your body carried along, because how does a man as famous and wealthy as bruce wayne know your mother⏤your mother? He’s the chief executive officer of Wayne Enterprises yet mentions your mother?

That moment alone is enough to wave every red flag in your brain that screams at you, telling you something is up with these shady people. The only question is what? What can a billionaire possibly want from you? Out of everything the world has to offer, the most influential billionaire in America wants to target some meager high school kid?

What do these people want from you? Is it a rich people thing to play around with those below you? Well, you guess it probably is. Like, is Mr. Wayne gonna pop out with his soulless eyes and say, ‘you’re my long lost child?’ or something?

You still don’t know why you’re being a goat stuffed before slaughtering. These people want something from you, but you? You’ve got nothing to offer that they could want. Why the hell do they even bother? If there's one thing you really hate, it’s being left in the dark like this. Not knowing is terrifying. It's dangerous. Not knowing means not being prepared, and if you’re not prepared, you won’t make it out. Damn it, you should’ve booked it the moment Mr. Wayne mentioned your father in the limo. Movies and shows always display rich people as eccentric and psychopathic weirdos, and now you’re finally believing it.

Damn it.

You’re in danger. Okay.

Maybe that’s an exaggeration. But maybe it’s not.

You’ve watched enough true crime and have enough intuition and trust in your gut to know when something is wrong.

It’s not adding up.

You’re not dumb. You see all the warnings there, but what if you're exaggerating. What if this is just the nature of the Waynes, and you think you’re special enough to be noticed by them? Mr. Wayne is a damn billionaire! He’s got the money to do whatever he wants, so it’s only natural for him to do a background check on everybody that interacts with his sons, right?

It’s all in your head… It’s all in your head.

Sighing, you stare at the plate of food in front of you, appetite long gone. Still, you grab a fork and continue to eat as Zarian and Jaylene scream back and forth next to you. Drake, who had accompanied the three of you to the diner after practice, has left, thankfully. He left as soon as his food arrived while talking about some family emergency, and honestly, you’re pretty damn grateful for that.

Ever since dinner at his house, he’s surrounded you like a pillow smothering you, and you can’t do anything about it. He’s a billionaire’s son, for fuck’s sake.

It doesn’t take long for you and your friends to finish up, and you all part ways at the door of the diner before you clutch the straps of your backpack and walk around the city endlessly. This is a habit for you now⏤a way to put off going home as much as possible ever since you found out your mother’s boyfriend doesn’t come home until one or two in the morning.

That balding, ugly, sleazy piece of shit.

He’s as gross as every other man your mother’s brought home under the terribly veiled illusion that he’ll provide her a good life and treat her right. No matter how many times you try to tell that blind bitc… No. It's wrong. It’s not your mother’s fault.

But it sometimes feels like that, though.

Most mother’s destroy their own lives for their children, yet yours cannot even think about leaving the man that beats her child on a daily. Those types of mothers leave their spouses the second they see something wrong, while your mother treats those finger-print bruises around your neck like a necklace instead of abuse.

You’ve given up on her. You gave up on her back when you were eleven years old locked in a room with her boyfriend, and she didn’t listen. Or when you were twelve. Or thirteen. Or fourteen. Or fifteen. Or sixteen. Or seventeen. And now eighteen.

And each day feels like a repetition of the same. Wake up, go to school, practice, walk around, go home, get beat, and sleep like none of it all happens. It’s a routine you despise with every fiber of your being⏤makes you wanna jump over Gotham City Bridge before thinking about returning home because who would want to? Who wants this average life?

A life where you’re not happy enough, not sad enough. Not good enough, not bad enough. Not energized enough, not tired enough. You feel like a survivor of a plane crash floating on a raft at the center of the endless ocean with no way out. Everything just seems so vast, wide, and unreachable. How can you find the shore on a simple raft? How can you find a way out of inescapable misery if it’s not by drowning?

You’ve been waiting to find the shore, but it’s been a whole eighteen years since you’ve found yourself floating along the ocean.

That whole “it’ll get better” shit is a tragic lie.

Whatever.

It doesn’t matter⏤not anymore, at least. You’re going to get far away from this place and never look back. Never have to relieve this wretched city. Never have to be confined by chains again. You’ve only a few months left before you’re free.

Until then, you’ll have to be patient and go home because the sun has fully disappeared.

Nothing but satellites twinkle in the disgustingly polluted sky of Gotham City, and the streets have come to a staggering halt as you stroll about the sidewalks, trying to find the longest path to get home. One in the morning is always the perfect time in Gotham because it’s too late and too early to be outside, so it’s generally safe for a walk.

Of course, the universe likes to prove you wrong at every point.

The sound of a thud followed by a pained groan behind you has your legs locked and ready to run with your brain screaming alerts, but you take a deep breath and turn around. How bad can it get, anyways? The sight before you surprised you nonetheless. It’s… Nightwing, a Bludhaven hero, here in Gotham, just randomly popping up behind you?

With clear bleeding cuts and sprouting bruises across his body.

In the random alley you just happen to be in?

No. You’re looking into it too much.

His eyes lock onto and they make you freeze right then and there like he’s cast some spell upon you. But that’s for a cold, brief second before you’re hooking your thumbs under the straps of your backpacks and turning around hot on your heels, refusing to spare him a single second. 

You even hear him murmur a strained, “wait,” but you don't care. 

It’s rude, mean, cruel, and it’s also none of your business. All you simply do is walk ahead to your approaching doom with an pit of unease and bitter understanding of your helplessness in your stomach. You can already feel the soon-to-be new bruises blooming along your back.

You’re not a good person.

But, really, who is?

Smoking really does skill.

But now you know why people do it.

Each drag is more out of necessity than it is a choice ever since you’ve met your friend’s plug at the dumb age of sixteen, but it's a way to dull the harsh truth of reality. The world just fades into nothing but muted and mixed colors like the loud city underneath your balcony it blurs into a faint hum the longer you stare at the spiral puffs of smoke that disappear into the air. 

Everything’s bitter⏤the joint and you.

Really bitter at the blood semi-dried on your face and the dull ache along your back.

You’ve got about an hour and a half until you have to head out to school, so what other way is there to spend it than smoking away your brain? The joint’s a temporary escape, but it helps you stall whatever new feeling of despair you’ll feel for the day. Until you’re interrupted by your phone buzzing⏤the sound still a dull hum in your ears

“... Hello?”

“[Name]!”

Zarian’s voice?

“Where the hell are you? Hurry up and get to school or else you’re gonna get in trouble for not helping to set up the club fair, and coach will be on our ass! And don't forget to bring money for the tickets!”

Coach?... Club fair?... Club fair! Holy shit!

Your eyes shoot open, and you frantically scramble up, tossing the joint over the balcony railing before hectically staggering through the living room like a drunk man. Damn it, how could you be so clueless and forget such an important event? Especially one you need money for! Damn it⏤damnit! What do you do?

… Mom! She’s got a box of money somewhere in her closet, right? You’ve seen it before! It's just twenty dollars, and she wont notice. Okay… Okay. You’re quick to get ready. You wash away all the blood that’s dried on your face, brush your teeth, and change into baggy jeans and a clean shirt before storming into your mother’s bedroom and rummaging through her things. 

She’s off at work. Her bastard boyfriend doesn't come home until late at night, which means he’s probably already taken money for the day. Okay. That's fine. They won't notice.

But you can't find anything! What the hell? Where is that fucking box? You could’ve sworn it was there on the top shelf last night, but as you swipe your hands across everything on the shelf, you can’t find it. All of a sudden, something made of wood hits the top of your head and falls to the ground with a crack. You hiss, palm moving to cover where you got hit, but your eyes land on the box that now has money strewn all across the floor and a broken… false bottom?

What the fuck.

You pull away at the rest of the false bottom to only be met with countless photos of you as a child with your mother. Mom’s shit boyfriend had all the family photos taken down for some weird reason, so they’ve been here this entire time? All of these photos are full of you throughout every stage of your life, but some have different people in them as well. Their faces are either scratched out or they’re ripped out of the photo entirely.

From what you can gather, the figures are a man and what seems to be a teenage boy. The absurdity and even slight creepiness of the scratched out faces has you laughing, yet even with your now dulled senses, your eyes land on a photo you failed to notice earlier. Maybe you’re hallucinating. There must be something wrong with your brain. Or your eyes. The universe must be playing with you because is that a photo of you and a teenage-looking dick grayson?

Your eyes widen because it looks just like the strange man you had the unfortunate opportunity of having a conversation with during dinner with the Waynes. It’s him! More importantly, why the hell is he holding a ‘three year old’ you’s hand? You probably should be screaming. Yelling. Maybe panicking? But all you can do is shuffle through the rest of the box before your fingers graze against something metal that has your heart jumping.

It’s a small camera.

With a bat engraved on its side.

Ears ringing so loudly in your head you can't even think, you wipe your teary and red eyes hastily before grabbing a twenty dollar bill, putting everything except for the photo and camera in the box, set it back on the closet shelf, and hastily grab your backpack before making way to school.

The second you reach the damned place, you seek out your now three friends and drop into a seat with a heavy thud, sighing and meeting Tim's eyes with a burning gaze.

“You mean to tell me [Name] found the camera? And you decided to tell me after school?”

Time Drake Wayne sighs and runs his fingers through his black hair, shrugging apathetically while scrolling through every photo in his phone that he’s taken of you during the club fair. His brother, Richard, is pacing throughout his room anxiously as he rambles off about their latest fuckup. 

“Look, Bruce doesn't let any slip ups happen,” Tim murmurs in exasperation. “He wouldn't let this happen because [Name]’s mom and him talked this morning. Relax, he probably knows.”

It's not a lot, but it’s enough to calm Richard down. The man takes a deep breath but finds himself sitting down next to Tim, trying to get a good look at the pictures. “How mad was [Name]?”

“High, for starters, but clearly pissed off. Very observant, too.”

“Don’t tell anyone else. Not until Bruce gives us the okay.”

TAGLIST :

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so follow me n repost if u want part lll. and somebody pls explain hsr and love and deepspace lore to me. making a taglistttttt. if this post doesnt get as many likes as the first one, im deleting this series 😭. if u see a grammatical mistake, no u didnt 😃🔪

if anybody’s got requests about this series or in general, feel free to ask!!!

WAIT!! FOLLOW MY WATTPAD ACCOUNT : @depresssant. I JUS PUBLISHED A HISTORICAL YANDERE X READER STORY

[thelastsequence]

My helpful sister

Sub M!Reader x tripleS Xinyu

Tags: Incest (oops), Pegging (oops), Fluff? (I tried my best)

3k words

“Noona… can I come in? I hope you’re not busy or anything.” I waited outside my older sister’s room, nervously pacing about. Without warning, the door opened and my sister’s tall frame came into view.

“What’s the matter? Xinyu-noona is here to help!” She placed a hand on my shoulder, her slender fingers gently gripping my shoulder.

“Noona, it’s kinda… embarrassing. I don’t want anyone else to hear, so…”

“Ah, come in then. I wonder what troubles my baby brother is facing this time.” She giggled which made me smile sheepishly. Xinyu was three years older than me and it showed, as she was taller than me too. As our parents were usually overseas for work, she was the one who had taken care of me during our teenage years and our bond was closer than that of other siblings.

“Before I say anything, promise me you won’t laugh okay? I’m serious…”

“Yah, when have I ever laughed at you when you needed my help? Do you really think I’d do that to you?” She pouted her lips and pretended to act hurt, which made me chuckle a little.

“C’mon noona, I know you won’t but… it’s really REALLY embarrassing, and I don’t know who else to ask.”

She sat on her bed and motioned for me to sit next to her, which I obliged. She put her shoulder around me and turned to face me.

“You know you can tell me anything right? Spill the beans!”

“Here goes nothing… Noona, you know me and my girlfriend have been dating for a while now and… we’re starting to do stuff in the bedroom…”

“WOAHHH! My baby brother is getting laid?!”

I playfully shoved her, feeling my face getting hotter as a result of having to tell my sister about my sex life.

“Shut up! We’ve… done the normal stuff so far… but the other day she asked me if I wanted to try… pegging.”

“Pegging?! Damn, your girlfriend sure is freaky.”

“The thing is, she seems really into it, but obviously, I don’t have any experience with this kinda stuff, so… I was wondering if you could, y’know, help me out here.”

Xinyu’s eyes widened in shock. “Huh?!”

“Look, I don’t trust the internet with this because it’s really subjective for everyone, and I also don’t wanna get caught researching on how to get pegged y’know. And besides… I thought that you understand me the best, so… you’d be able to help me out.”

My sister stared at me with a smirk, gears spinning in her head. I wouldn’t know it yet, but she was forming a plan in her head.

“Noona, I don’t wanna disappoint my girlfriend, okay? I don’t wanna look like a fool in front of her. Can you help me, pleaseee?” Even though it was super cringey, I put on my Puss in Boots face which was my secret weapon and my sister’s weakness. I could see her gaze soften and her grip on my shoulder loosened a little.

“Okay, okay, of course I’ll help my baby brother. So… what do you know about pegging?”

“I don’t really understand what this article is saying…” I showed her an article about pegging on my phone.

She shook her head in mock disappointment. “Tsk tsk, that’s not how you wanna do it. How about… some hands-on experience?”

I looked at her quizzically, not sure what she meant. She got up and walked over to her white bedside table, and from a drawer she pulled out something I had never seen before: a long, pink plastic dildo with a harness and a small transparent bottle of what I assumed was lube.

“This is gonna be so fun, baby brother.” She closed the distance between us, towering over me as I sat on her bed with my tail between my legs.

“Noona, is that…”

She nodded with a smile on her face and tossed the items over to me. 

“I’m gonna peg you, baby brother.”

“Noona, what do you mean?”

“You know what I mean, don’t play dumb.” She playfully poked my shoulder. I looked at her confused, not knowing where she was headed with this.

Huh?!

All sorts of thoughts raced through my head. My own sister wanted to peg me?! No way I had heard that correctly, Xinyu would never say something like that to me… right?

“W-what? Are you crazy?” I protested incredulously.

“Look, hear me out,” she sat next to me on her bed. “It’s better for me to show you how it really is, rather than just some articles or videos. After all, some practical experience is definitely better right?” Her hand reached onto my thigh, fingers tracing circles near my crotch. My mind told me to get up and run away, that this was all sorts of wrong, that I shouldn’t be doing this with my own older sister. But the growing hardness in my pants convinced me otherwise, egged on by Xinyu’s fingers creeping closer and closer towards it.

“Noona, a-are you sure? This seems kinda wrong… We’re siblings after all.”

Hearing that, her other hand gently caressed my cheek and she turned my head to face her. There was a glint of lust in her eyes masked by the usual caring demeanour that she carried around me.

“Baby boy… don’t worry, don’t you trust your noona? I’m gonna take good care of you, okay? And besides, we’re not having real sex, so it’s not anything weird.”

Without me realising, her hand had inched its way onto my cock, rubbing my tip at an agonising pace. My breath quickened and I leaned into her, my face meeting her collarbone. Her scent intoxicated me, the whole situation driving me wild.

“Noona, are you sure?” I looked up at her, not knowing what to do.

Her piercing grey eyes met my wavering gaze and she nodded assuringly. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

“Baby boy… Noona loves you so much. I wouldn’t let you get hurt, okay?”

I nodded and hesitantly wrapped my arms around her, softly whispering, “O-okay, let’s do it noona. I… I love you too.”

She ruffled my hair lovingly, with her other hand still gently palming my cock. “Good boy… I’ll need you to listen to noona, okay?”

I nodded shyly, placing all my trust in her. My mind was racing as the boundaries between my sister and I started to disappear.

“Holy fuck, I didn’t know my baby brother was packing a monster. Your girlfriend’s so lucky.”

“Pull down your pants for me.”

Turning red, I obediently reached down and unbuttoned my cargo pants, pulling them down. My stiff erection was now straining against the waistband of my Calvin Klein boxers. I looked up to see Xinyu staring hungrily at my crotch which only made me more embarrassed.

I blushed at her praise, feeling a twisted sense of happiness that my sister was complimenting my cock. Her fingers crept into my boxers, slowly pulling the waistband down and freeing my raging boner.

“Fuck!” she exclaimed at the sight of my cock standing proudly for her. She immediately latched onto it and started to stroke me gently.

“Noona… that feels so good…”

She smiled at me while quickening her pace, her fingers deftly working my cock. Unable to hold it in any longer, I let out a soft moan and rested my head on her collarbone again.

“Mmm, someone’s getting worked up. Time for the real deal…” Her fingers left my crotch and instead went to the toys that were sitting on her bed.

“So, the first thing is to make sure that you use a lot of lube, otherwise it’s gonna hurt.” Her long, deft fingers unscrewed the bottlecap and slathered the pink toy with lube. I gawked at her actions, feeling the heat rise inside my body. Xinyu’s fingers expertly coated the dildo with the lube until it was glistening.

“Next, you need to relax and take deep breaths. If you don’t relax, it’s not gonna feel good, understand?” She moved closer towards me and placed a hand on my chest, feeling my quickening heartbeat. Relax, she whispered, and I felt a strange feeling bubbling inside me.

“Noona, I can’t… I’m nervous…”

“It’s okay, noona will take care of you. Just breathe in, breathe out… that’s it…”

Xinyu leaned forward and gave me a sudden peck on my cheek in an attempt to soothe me. How was I supposed to calm down now? 

I nodded, my cheeks a faint shade of red, and tried my best to calm down for her. I trusted my sister to take care of me throughout this whole process, just like she’d done for basically my entire life.

“Here comes the fun part. I want you to get on all fours for noona.” She said with a devious smirk.

My body was now moving on its own; I felt like I was an outsider watching from above. Obediently, I lay down on Xinyu’s bed, waiting with bated breath. She got up behind me, her gentle hands holding my waist firmly.

“Fuck, I never knew you had such a cute ass.” She said with a giggle. Even though she couldn’t see it, I blushed hard and muttered out a solitary thanks.

“Now just relax. Noona’s in control now.”

I gulped hearing that, but I knew Xinyu would be gentle with me. Deep down, I also knew our relationship as brother and sister would never be the same again. There was no going back now.

She pulled my boxers all the way down and poured more lube on my now-exposed hole, which me made gasp in shock. The cold liquid combined with her finger probing at my sensitive spot was a completely new sensation. I could hear her breaths grow quicker in anticipation.

The dildo strained a little more against me, before the head pushed into my hole. My mind went blank with both pain and pleasure and I moaned out loud. My sister patted my head as she pushed further into me, the plastic toy carving its way into my butt causing all sorts of new sensations. I moaned louder again, all thoughts escaping from my head except that of my sister and how she was completely in control of me right now.

“Here it comes, baby brother.”

I felt the pressure of the toy at my entrance, straining against it. I gasped at this new feeling, pleasurable but also slightly uncomfortable. Xinyu’s hand gripped my waist harder. Her soft lips brushed against my cheek, a comforting gesture from the sister that I loved dearly.

“Good boy… You took it so well.”

I could only let out a timid mmph, the fullness of her strap turning my brain to mush. She remained in the same position, hands on my back and waist, her strap still lodged snugly inside me.

“I’m gonna leave it in you for a bit, let you get used to it, okay?”

It felt like an eternity, with Xinyu buried inside me, but in reality only about twenty seconds had passed.

“Gonna pull out now…”

Her nails dug into my skin and I whimpered, as she slowly pulled herself out of me. My knees buckled with the intensity of this new sensation and I couldn’t control my moans again. With a pop, Xinyu pulled the toy out and gave my butt a light spank.

“Good boy… that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“N-no, noona…” I muttered weakly. I felt the coldness of more lube on my now-loosened hole, my sister’s warm hands holding me in place. Once again, her strap probed my entrance before sliding in, this time with less resistance than before.

I let out a guttural moan as Xinyu penetrated me again. My knees grew weak and my body sank to the bed, with my hands clinging onto her bedsheet for dear life.

“Noonaaaa… nghhh…”

It felt as if Xinyu’s strap was rearranging my insides with every thrust of her hips. Her hands tightened their grip on my waist, holding me steady as she started to gain a rhythm.

I started feeling lightheaded and overwhelmed with the pleasure my sister was giving me, even drooling a bit onto her pillow. A sudden harsh spank jolted me back to life as Xinyu pounded me with greater intensity.

“Mmm, you look so cute on all fours for noona.”

I gasped as she picked up the pace, thrusting back and forth with more speed and less grace. Her room was filled with the slap-slap sounds of skin-on-skin and my needy, uncontrollable moans.

“Your girlfriend’s so lucky to have you, you know that? I’m so jealous of her, if only I could have you all for myself…” My lust-filled fuzzy mind struggled to comprehend that last sentence, although it made me do a double take at my sister’s words.

“Noona… I… I’m close…” I moaned out weakly.

“Don’t touch yourself okay, just let it come naturally. Good boy…”

Hearing that I was reaching my climax, Xinyu picked up the pace and started pounding me faster and faster, driving me to the edge of my orgasm. I could feel her nails dig into my skin and I knew it was gonna leave a mark later. Not that I minded, of course.

It was a weird feeling, my first time that I would cum hands-free. I didn’t even know if I could do it, but as Xinyu repeatedly found my prostate, I knew it was inevitable.

“Noona… I’m gonna… gonna…” I couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Yes, cum for me, baby… show noona how much you love her…” Xinyu whispered sultrily in my ear.

A sharp spank sent me over the edge, and I shot streak after streak of cum onto her bedsheet. My knees slumped forward, all my energy spent. I could hear Xinyu gasp, followed by a cute giggle and another sudden spank.

“Oh my god… noona… that was so good.”

She gently ruffled my hair and slowly pulled her strap out of my ass, which sent me squirming once again. I turned around around to face her, panting, before leaning in for a hug. She wrapped me in her warm, loving embrace; it was as if we hadn’t just engaged in borderline incest. 

“I know, baby brother, noona loved it too.” she said with a giggle. “Let’s do it again sometime.”

I blushed as this was just supposed to be “practice” for me with my girlfriend, but a part of me wanted this to be a more regular thing.

I shyly nodded in agreement, hugging her tighter in a mixture of embarrassment and forbidden desire.

Her fingers lifted my chin up and I met her piercing gaze. She spoke in a low tone, “Baby brother, can you promise noona one thing? If you wanna do this more, you’ve gotta…”

I gulped nervously, not knowing what rule or condition she was going to make.

“You’ve gotta break up with your girlfriend.”

My jaw dropped in shock. Why would my loving sister want me to break up with my girlfriend, just for this? My mind was a blur of emotions, I struggled to form a cohesive thought.

“Noona… why? I lo-” I was about to say “love”, but I realised deep down that my feelings for my girlfriend were nothing compared to what I felt for Xinyu.

“Look, which girl is going to want a guy that fucks his sister? And besides…” she traced my thigh with a solitary finger, “You’re mine now. You’re noona’s baby boy forever, and no girl is gonna take you away from me. I love you more than any other girl will, do you understand that?”

She gently stroked my cheek with her other hand, now speaking in a softer tone. “Noona loves you so much. I wanna take care of you forever. Please?”

My heart was overwhelmed with emotions, but my instinct told me to say yes, to give in to my sister that had loved me tenderly her whole life. No matter how wrong or forbidden it was, it was right to the two of us. I reached up to grasp her hand, nodding with a tentative smile on my face.

“O-okay, I’ll break up with her noona. I… I only want you too.”

Time seemed to slow down as Xinyu’s angelic face moved closer towards me. Leaning in for a kiss. My breath caught in my throat as I didn’t know what to do. I just closed my eyes, letting my body react on its own. Her soft lips met mine, hitting me with the taste of strawberry lip gloss. Her tongue made its way into my mouth, dominating mine as our tongues slid over each others’. I moaned softly as she continued to kiss me passionately, and I submitted to her. I sunk down into her bed and relaxed, as I let her take charge of the kiss. She gave my lower lip a gentle nibble, the sensation of it making me want her even more.

After a while, Xinyu backed away from the kiss, a wide smile on her lips. Seeing how happy she was, I couldn’t help but feel the same way.

“So… baby brother, ready for round 2?”

----

Hi everyone! So sorry for disappearing, my work has taken up almost all of my time for the past few months. I really appreciate everyone who’s enjoyed my first two fics (part three will come soon, I promise). It still feels surreal that there are people out there who are looking forward to my work, I won’t disappoint you all! I really hope you enjoyed this piece :3 see you around!!

[sexlapis]

Actor!Toji has my heart and soul.

Imagine while they’re still trying to hide their relationship something gets out that it’s a real relationship and now the internet is going crazy. They’re still trying to deny it, but sadly there’s a paparazzi photo of them in a very.. interesting position, and they really can’t deny it. One of them on live or in an interview and all they are being asked is about the relationship and the photo. How far is either one willing to go before they crack and confirm their relationship?.. I’m going crazy

UHM…ARE YOU GUYS DATING?

ʚɞ actor!toji x gn!reader

s4w, one shot, short fic, fluff, crack, unintentional relationship reveal (toji’s fault ofc…)

a/n: these asks have been in my inbox since november 2023 so…sorry about that.

actor!toji masterlist

general masterlist

*

What you and Toji were doing was just a complete joke at this point.

The blatant glances in interviews, the paparazzi pictures of you two together in cafes, museums, on set, at parties, the shocking innuendo replies under each others posts, the way you were always caught wearing a clothing item of Toji’s at least once a month…

…Just who did you think you were fooling?

Because it definitely was not the internet.

Every so often, after a questionable photo of the two of you or a clip of you both being overly physical in an interview, your names would be trending or your ship name.

Parasocial relationships on social media have no bounds.

People were assuming, guessing, planning, solving and just plain trying to figure out what on earth was going on between the two of you.

Some thought you were just close friends, others believed you two were so obviously dating.

But everyone agreed on one thing: there was no way that the relationship you and Toji had was platonic.

No way.

Of course, when asked about the nature of your relationship, which was very often, you both denied it.

“We’re both just friends”, you’d say.

“We’re just really close”, Toji would say.

“I couldn’t ask for a better person to be friends with”, you’d say.

“Well, yeah, I like her a lot…doesn’t mean anything’s going on!” Toji would claim

But all of these lies come to an end when a picture comes to a light.

You and Toji, at the park, sitting on the grass and…you’re stradding his lap, facing him and cupping his cheeks and Toji’s smiling, no, not one of his sleazy smirks, he’s really smiling like he’s looking at the love of his life.

There was nothing either of you could say - no like you could utter, no truth you could tell - that would stop everyone from stating the very obvious.

You and Toji are a couple.

And the internet is going crazy.

The top three hashtags that were trending on the day the photo was leaked were: #TOJIYN, #THEY’RE DATING?, and #I KNEW IT.

So it is safe to say that…everyone knew.

And nobody is shocked. Not really.

A week after that compromising photo was leaked, Toji is invited to speak on a popular podcast.

It barely even takes ten minutes before it is mentioned.

“Toji, thank you for coming! It’s really great to have you here!” The host praises, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Yeah, of course, thanks for-“”

“Are you and y/n dating?”

Toji stops mid sentence, his mouth open and seemingly surprised by the hosts’ straightforwardness.

“Uh-“”

“Because there’s a photo of the two of you.” The host presses on. “You know that, right?”

“I-“”

“Let’s a take a look.”

The podcast host picks up a remote, one that controls the computer monitor, clicks a button snd there it is…the leaked picture of you an Toji.

“See? Look at that.” The podcaster says, shaking his head. “What do you have to say about that, Toji?”

“Uhhh…” Toji bites his lip. “…I had something on my face. She wanted to take look at it.”

“Look at it or sit on it?”

“LOOK at it.” Toji confirms, a soft blush rising on the apples of his cheeks. “Just wanted to…you know, see what his was.” He shrugs, scratching the stubble on his face.

Toji and the podcaster are silent for a few moments, staring at each other.

“You guys are dating.”

“Yeahh, we’re dating.”

*

໒꒰ྀིᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ꒱ྀི১

[gwens-love]

Haunted

Summary: When ghost Agatha Harkness starts haunting you, fear turns to fascination. As her playful charm captivates you, the line between life and death blurs, igniting an unexpected connection.

Warnings: romance and fluff (even though they’re not really warnings)

Word count: 3.4k

~ghost!Agatha Harkness x reader~

Please don’t copy/steal or translate this work thanks.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~

It all starts one night as you’re falling asleep. You’ve barely closed your eyes when you feel a presence cold and lingering, like someone’s standing at the foot of your bed, just… watching. You sit up, scanning the room, your heart pounding.

There’s no one there.

With a shaky breath, you settle back under the covers, convincing yourself it was just your imagination. But then, just as you’re drifting off again, you hear it. A voice, low and amused.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing?”

You sit up again, heart racing. “Who… who’s there?”

Silence. You can almost hear your own pulse pounding in your ears as you look around. Shadows stretch across the walls, and the room feels colder, but nothing’s out of place. You let out a long, shaky breath. Maybe you’re just hearing things.

“Not going to say hello?” The voice is closer now, low and rich, with a teasing edge. You whip around, looking everywhere, but there’s no one.

“I..I don’t know who you are or how you got in here, but this isn’t funny,” you stammer, trying to sound braver than you feel.

A soft chuckle floats through the room, followed by a faint shimmer of purple light in the corner. It takes form a woman with light, wavy hair, a wicked smile playing on her lips. She’s… floating, her body flickering faintly like a candle flame.

“What?” You scramble back, pressing yourself against the headboard. “Who are you? What are you?”

She sighs, a little mockingly, as if she’s disappointed. “Well I’m Agatha Harkness dear, don’t you know me? I was quite famous in some places.” She tilts her head, looking you over slowly. “And you, darling, are in my new favorite one to haunt.”

Your breath catches, panic rising. “Haunt? So… you’re a ghost?”

She grins, clearly entertained by your reaction. “Sharp, aren’t you?” She leans in closer, eyes gleaming. “Most people would be thrilled to have my attention, you know.”

You swallow, trying to keep your voice steady. “Well, I’m not most people. So, if you’re done scaring me half to death… could you leave?”

She places a hand on her chest, feigning offense. “Scaring you? Darling, if I wanted to scare you, I’d be doing a lot more than this.”

“Why are you even here?” you demand, gripping the blanket tightly as if it’ll somehow protect you.

“Why?” she echoes, arching an eyebrow. Her smile is playful, and she crosses her arms, taking her time before answering. “Because, my dear, it’s entertaining.” Her gaze trails over you, and you feel your skin prickle under her stare. “And you’re far too cute when you’re flustered.”

You open your mouth to protest, but she just laughs, her form fading until all that’s left is her laughter, echoing softly in the room.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

The next night, you’re hoping that yesterday was a one time thing. You even go to bed early, thinking if you fall asleep fast, she might leave you alone. But, just as you’re slipping into a dream, you feel that cold presence again. You crack an eye open, and there she is, perched on the edge of your bed, studying you like you’re the most interesting thing in the world.

You jolt up, almost bumping into her. “You’re back?”

She smirks, propping her chin up on her hand. “Oh, did you miss me?”

“No! I was hoping you’d be gone!” you exclaim, exasperated.

She laughs, as if this is the most amusing thing she’s heard all night. “Oh, darling, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future. But don’t worry.” She leans in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I’ll try to make it worth your while.”

You stare at her, half in shock, half in frustration. “Look, I don’t know what you want, but I have work in the morning, and I need to sleep, so if you could just…”

She holds up a finger, silencing you. “Work? Oh, you poor thing. Haunted and working the nine-to-five grind.” She lets out a dramatic sigh. “Fine, fine. I promise I’ll leave you alone… for now.”

With a wink, she vanishes, leaving you feeling both relieved and somehow… disappointed.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

She doesn’t make good on her promise for long.

The following evening, just as you’re settling onto the couch with a book, she appears again, sitting on the arm of the couch, her eyes fixed on you.

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” she remarks, glancing at the book in your hands. “You look like the type to be nose deep in a novel.”

You sigh, closing the book and looking up at her. “Can you stop doing that?”

She raises an eyebrow. “Doing what?”

“Appearing out of nowhere! And making fun of me!” you snap, though it’s hard to keep your voice steady.

She laughs, a rich, low sound that sends a shiver down your spine. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m not here to make fun of you. I’m here because you’re… fascinating.” She watches your reaction closely, clearly amused by how flustered you’re getting. “And the way you get all worked up over my visits? Adorable.”

You bury your face in your hands. “Please, just… go haunt someone else. I’m begging you.”

She smirks, leaning closer until you can feel the chill radiating from her. “Now, why would I want to do that? You’re so much more fun.”

The nights pass, and Agatha’s visits become a routine. No matter how you try to ignore her or ask her to leave, she always reappears, finding new ways to tease you.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

One evening, as you’re brushing your teeth, you glance in the mirror and nearly jump out of your skin. Agatha is standing behind you, her face inches from yours.

“Really?” you exclaim, spitting out toothpaste in surprise. “You couldn’t give me a moment of privacy?”

She shrugs, completely unfazed. “I just wanted to see you again.” Her gaze lingers a little too long, and you feel a blush rising to your cheeks. “I must say, you get lovelier every night.”

You roll your eyes, trying not to let her see how flustered you are. “Great. So you’re haunting me because you think I’m… cute?”

“Adorable,” she corrects, smirking. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

You stare at her, unsure whether to be angry or embarrassed. “Well… could you haunt someone else?”

She chuckles, her fingers grazing your arm, sending a chill through your skin. “Oh, but darling, that wouldn’t be half as fun.” She leans closer, her voice a low purr. “Besides, I think you’re starting to enjoy my company.”

You sputter, nearly dropping your toothbrush. “I-what? No!”

She grins, clearly satisfied with your reaction. “We’ll see about that.”

And, like every night, she vanishes just as quickly as she came, leaving you alone with your racing heart and the unmistakable feeling that, despite yourself, part of you is actually looking forward to her next visit.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

You thought the hauntings would stay confined to the nights, but it turns out Agatha has other plans.

The next day, you’re at work, trying to focus on an email, when your computer screen flickers. You frown, wiggling your mouse and glancing around to see if anyone else’s computer is acting up. Just as you’re about to get back to typing, you catch a glimpse of her reflection in the monitor.

“Miss me?” her voice murmurs, smooth and amused.

You jump in your seat, glancing around the empty office, panic rising in your chest. “What… how did you even get here?”

Agatha leans in closer, her reflection on the screen looking far too smug for your liking. “Ghost, darling. We tend to ignore things like… ‘boundaries.’”

You swallow hard, your face heating up. “I’m at work. I have, you know… things to do.”

Her chuckle echoes softly, and you realize with growing dread that it’s coming from inside your computer. “Oh, I can see that. Fascinating stuff.” She sounds genuinely bored, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “And here I was, thinking you’d have a little more excitement in your life.”

“Excitement? Because a ghost decided to haunt me?” you hiss, keeping your voice low so no one passing by overhears.

Her voice is playful, a low murmur just for you. “Come now, I thought you might enjoy a little company.”

You glance around, hoping no one notices you speaking to what looks like an empty monitor. “I didn’t exactly ask for company.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she coos, “you’re fun to haunt, and I don’t haunt just anyone.” Her eyes flash with a mischievous gleam. “There’s something about you… something irresistibly adorable.”

You stammer, face turning bright red. “I—please, just… can we not do this here?”

But she only laughs softly, her image flickering on the screen until she’s gone, leaving you embarrassed and flustered. You glance around, hoping no one saw your conversation with, well, thin air.

The rest of the day, you’re jumpy, glancing over your shoulder every few minutes, but Agatha doesn’t show up again. By the time you’re heading home, you’re convinced she’s done… at least for now.

But she’s not done. Not even close.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

Later that afternoon, as you’re sorting through laundry in your bedroom, you feel that chill again. You freeze, already bracing yourself for what’s coming.

Sure enough, she appears, lounging on top of your dresser, her gaze fixed on you with a gleam of amusement. “Laundry day, is it? Thrilling.”

You roll your eyes, tossing a shirt onto the pile. “Do you just have to comment on everything I do?”

“Oh, but darling, where’s the fun in keeping quiet?” She crosses her legs, watching you with a catlike curiosity. “Besides, I don’t see you telling me to leave this time.”

You throw a sock into the laundry basket with a little too much force. “If I thought you’d listen, I would.”

Agatha laughs, hopping down from the dresser to stand in front of you. “Maybe you don’t want me to leave.” She reaches out, her cold fingers brushing your cheek in an almost affectionate gesture. “Maybe you’re enjoying this little game more than you’d admit.”

Your face heats up instantly. “I—no. That’s… I don’t want to be haunted!”

“Hmm.” She taps a finger to her lips, smirking. “Could’ve fooled me.”

You take a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. “Can you please just give me a break?”

She tilts her head, studying you with that unreadable expression. “Fine. I’ll give you the rest of the day. But don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily, darling.”

And with that, she vanishes, leaving you flustered and very much rattled.

But that “break” lasts exactly one afternoon.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

The next day, while you’re getting coffee at a little shop near your office, you reach for a cup only to feel a chill sweep over you, accompanied by her familiar voice.

“Careful, darling,” she murmurs, as if she’s standing right beside you. “That coffee looks hot.”

You nearly jump, sloshing a bit of coffee onto your hand in surprise. You glance around, your pulse quickening as you realize she’s somehow made herself visible in the reflective surface of the coffee machine.

“Seriously?” you whisper, trying to sound angry but only managing to look utterly bewildered.

She grins at you through the reflection, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. “Well, I couldn’t just stay away all day. I’ve missed you.” She sounds almost sincere, but her eyes are glinting with mischief.

You roll your eyes, stepping away from the coffee machine in the hopes that moving might make her go away. “This is getting out of hand. People are going to think I’m talking to myself!”

“Maybe,” she says, her voice echoing just beside your ear as if she’s standing right behind you. “But maybe they’ll just think you’re a little eccentric.” She leans in, her voice a low purr. “And I like that about you.”

You grit your teeth, your cheeks heating up. “Well, I don’t.”

She chuckles, clearly amused. “You’ll get used to it, darling. Just you wait.” And with that, her voice fades, leaving you standing there with your coffee, trying to ignore the weird looks from the barista behind the counter.

By the time you get back to your desk, you’re convinced she’s gone again, and maybe just maybe you’ll get a moment of peace.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

That evening, as you’re finally relaxing on your couch, watching a movie and trying to unwind, there’s a familiar cold chill. You don’t even need to look to know she’s there.

Sure enough, Agatha materializes beside you, draping herself across the back of the couch, her head propped up on her hand as she watches you with that sly, knowing smile. “Watching a movie, are we?”

You groan, pressing your hands over your face. “Oh my god, you don’t have to comment on everything I do!”

She laughs, unabashed, and leans closer. “But where’s the fun in that?” She glances at the screen, raising an eyebrow. “Romantic comedy? How… sweet.”

You groan again, throwing a pillow at her, but it goes right through her and lands on the floor.

She smirks, clearly pleased with herself. “Nice try, darling. But I don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily.”

You sigh, flopping back against the couch in resignation. “Are you ever going to stop?”

Her expression softens, just a little, as she tilts her head, studying you. “Why would I, when you’re so… entertaining?”

Despite yourself, you feel your cheeks warm again. “I’m not here to be your entertainment.”

She chuckles, leaning close enough that you can feel the faint chill of her presence. “Oh, darling, you’re so much more than that. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll try to be… gentler.”

You stare at her, unsure if she’s joking or if this is her version of an apology. Before you can ask, she smirks and vanishes once more, leaving you alone on the couch with a racing heart and an undeniable anticipation that, like it or not, you’ll see her again tomorrow.

And, even more confusingly… you don’t exactly mind.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

The nightly visits continue, and despite your best efforts, you find yourself… adapting. At first, you still jump whenever she appears, but over time, your reactions soften. Agatha’s hauntings, once intrusive and nerve wracking, start to feel almost like part of your routine.

One night, you’re curled up with a book, trying to ignore the flickering of the overhead light that signals her arrival. Sure enough, Agatha materializes beside you, leaning back against your headboard with that familiar, teasing smirk.

“Back in bed with another book?” she asks, eyebrow quirked. Her gaze slides to the cover, and she feigns a shocked expression. “Romance? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

You roll your eyes, a smile tugging at your lips. “I like it, okay? And it’s… relaxing.”

She laughs, the sound rich and surprisingly warm. “I’m sure it is. Though I’d think you’d have all the excitement you need, with your very own ghost lover dropping in.”

Your face heats up instantly. “You’re not my… ghost lover!”

“Oh?” She’s amused, but there’s something softer in her expression as she tilts her head, studying you. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to haunt my way into your heart then.”

You try to act exasperated, but her playful flirting has started to get to you. There’s something intoxicating about the way she hovers just close enough for you to feel her presence, but far enough that you can only imagine what it would be like to reach out, to touch her.

Each night, her teasing becomes gentler, more thoughtful. Sometimes, she doesn’t even try to scare you. She’ll sit on the edge of your bed while you talk about your day, or she’ll hover nearby as you work, making little comments that keep you entertained. It’s… oddly comforting.

And somewhere along the way, the lines blur. You find yourself looking forward to her appearances, to that flutter of excitement that fills you whenever you sense she’s near. You start to notice things about her, too—the way her laughter has a warmth to it, or how, sometimes, she looks at you with a strange softness in her eyes, like she’s truly seeing you for the first time.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

One evening, she shows up while you’re cooking, and you’re no longer startled by her arrival. Instead, you simply smile, lifting an eyebrow.

“Hungry?” you tease.

She grins, crossing her arms as she watches you move about the kitchen. “You do realize I can’t eat, right?”

You shrug. “Doesn’t mean you can’t keep me company.”

Her smirk softens, and for a moment, her gaze lingers on you in a way that makes your heart flutter. She steps closer, just near enough that the air around you cools.

“Well, if you insist,” she murmurs, her voice low and warm. “You might be the first living person who wants me around.”

You laugh, stirring the pot on the stove. “Maybe you’re just growing on me.”

She falls silent, and when you glance over, there’s a vulnerability in her expression you haven’t seen before. “You know,” she begins, her voice uncharacteristically soft, “most people would have banished me by now. Or called a priest.”

You look at her, really look at her, and suddenly you realize just how lonely she must be stuck between worlds, visiting people who never wanted her there. The thought tugs at your heart.

“Well, I guess I’m not most people,” you say softly.

She smiles, a real smile, and it’s enough to make your heart skip a beat.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

As the weeks go by, you notice the way Agatha lingers a little longer each night. She becomes less of a ghostly presence and more… familiar, almost comforting. You find yourself drawn to her, to her quick wit and the way she seems to know exactly how to make you laugh. You wonder if maybe she feels it too—the strange pull between you, like an invisible thread connecting you both.

One evening, as you’re getting ready for bed, she appears by your side, watching you with a softer, almost hesitant expression.

“What?” you ask, feeling oddly self-conscious under her gaze.

She shrugs, looking away as if she’s embarrassed. “Nothing. Just… you look nice.”

Your face warms, and you duck your head. “Thank you.”

There’s a silence, and you sense she wants to say something else. When you look up, her eyes are fixed on you, serious in a way that makes your breath catch.

“Why aren’t you afraid of me anymore?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

You pause, searching for the right words. “Because… I know you now. You’re not just some ghost haunting me. You’re… you’re Agatha.” The words come out more tenderly than you intended, and you see something shift in her eyes, a softness that makes your heart race.

Slowly, she steps closer, her hand lifting as if she wants to reach for you. But she stops, hovering inches away, her gaze locked on yours. “You… shouldn’t look at me like that,” she murmurs, almost to herself.

You swallow hard, the air between you electric. “Why not?”

“Because,” she says, her voice trembling slightly, “if I were still alive, I’d kiss you right now.”

The words hang in the air, and for a moment, all you can do is stare at her, your heart pounding. Part of you knows it’s impossible, knows she’s a ghost and that you’re separated by a barrier that can’t be crossed. But another part of you—a braver, more reckless part—leans in, letting the cold of her presence wash over you, wishing for just a moment that you could close the distance.

“I think…” you whisper, barely able to get the words out, “I’d let you.”

Agatha’s eyes widen, surprise flickering across her face. For a second, you see a glimmer of regret there, of longing for something she knows she can never have. And in that moment, you realize you’re falling in love with her despite everything, despite the impossible chasm between you, you’ve fallen for her.

She draws back, her face sad but softened with a gentleness you’ve never seen before. “You really are one of a kind,” she murmurs, more to herself than to you.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

The next few days, she visits you less frequently, almost as if she’s afraid of getting too close. You miss her, that electric energy that always filled the air when she was near. But then, just as you’re starting to wonder if she’s gone for good, she appears again, standing by your bed in the middle of the night, her expression determined.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she says, her voice laced with her usual bravado, though her eyes hold a vulnerability you hadn’t seen before.

You sit up, your heart pounding. “I wouldn’t want to.”

She sighs, taking a shaky step toward you. “You’re not making this easy, you know that?”

You smile, feeling that familiar warmth spreading through your chest. “Maybe I don’t want to make it easy.”

A ghost of a smile touches her lips as she gazes at you. “Then I guess we’ll just have to find a way to make this work, won’t we?”

And with that, she reaches out, her hand hovering just inches from yours, as if she’s daring herself to bridge the impossible divide. And though you can’t touch, you both feel it the unmistakable connection, the shared longing.

Somehow, it’s enough.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~

Fin <3

[alwaysthefool]

[Requested] Naïve MC/Reader x LADS (Xavier, Sylus, Zayne, Rafayel)

They realise you’re a little too sheltered when it comes to sexual/romantic stuff

Warnings: Discussions of purity, sex education (not NSFW), OOC MC. This wasn’t meant as suggestive!

Tags: Gender neutral reader, fluff?

This was the request, but I changed it up to exclude the mention of a club since the premise of short fics can’t address my feelings about the issue seriously… everyone has unique scenarios->

Xavier

As the work day ended, instead of waiting for Xavier as you usually would, you walked out with the new hunter you’d met recently, chatting merrily about your day. “So where we going?” You smiled, walking out the Association HQ.

“Your place or mine?” They replied, smiling back, looking down at you.

You didn’t think much of it before replying. “Mine, I guess!” It was just chilling while watching Netflix after all. You really wanted to check out this new horror series, but didn’t get the chance to ask Xavier since he was always busy, and you certainly weren’t going to watch it alone.

He laughed at that for some reason, so you laughed back, although a little confused.

You felt a hand on your shoulder right as you were about to leave the premises. “Ahem.” The two of you turned around to see Xavier behind you, a stern look on his face. You frowned at his expression, and also the fact that you didn’t even hear him follow you. “You gotta stop creeping up on people like this, man.” Your colleague sighed. At this point, everyone was aware of Xavier’s antics when it came to you (which is also what made it shocking to them that you’d agree to hook up with someone else).

“What did you mean you’re taking them to your house?” Xavier completely ignored the person next to you.

“Uh…”. You weren’t sure how to respond. Wasn’t this a normal thing? When you were younger, your friends would come over to your house all the time. Although oddly, they’d have to be approved by Caleb first. He never really told you why, though.

“What do you think, buddy? We’re Netflix and Chilling.” Your companion responded for you. You smiled at that, nodding. “Mhm!”

Xavier’s expression turned hurt immediately, and he bore his puppy dog eyes into yours. “Really, [Name]? You’re… doing that with them?”

For some reason, looking at him, you felt such guilt, you held his hand. “I’m sorry Xavier, if I’d known you wanted to watch that new show too, I’d have asked you instead!”

“Wait, what?” The two spoke in unison. The person beside you rolled their eyes. “Seriously, you’re saying you’d rather be with him in front of me?” Before they could continue, Xavier’s death stare made them throw their hands up in defeat and walk away, too scared to even murmur profanities within his vicinity.

“Hey, where-“ Before you could finish, Xavier turned your attention back to him, holding your hands in his.

“[Name].” His tone was serious, and his eyes concerned. “What do you think Netflix and Chill means?”

“Watching Netflix with chilled coke, of course!”

Xavier sighed, half in relief, half in tension. “I think there’s a lot we need to talk about. But for now, please just ask me if you want to watch a show, try out new Ramen, or ‘hang out casually’.”

Rafayel

“Care to tell me what exactly you’re doing, cutie?” That last word to come out of Rafayel’s mouth was laced with venom, and that irritated expression you’d become so familiar with was splayed on his face once again.

You looked down at your phone. “Uh, someone at work asked for pictures my feet so I’m sending them pictures of my feet.”

“Is this another one of your pranks?” Rafayel crossed his arms.

“No?” Right as you were about to hit send, he took your phone from you, deleting the pictures before you could stop him. “Hey!” You exclaimed.

“You might not…” Rafayel sighed, giving your phone back to you as he sat beside you, tired. “…not love me anymore, but doing this while you’re in my house is cruel.”

You threw your phone away, and turned to face Rafayel, holding his face. He turned away from you, driving daggers into your chest. “Hey, why are you mad? It’s just feet…”

Rafayel, slightly taken aback, let go of his anger and looked at you. “Cutie, do you know why they’re asking for pictures of your feet?”

You shrugged. “Maybe they like my pedicure!”

He put his hands in his head, letting out a laugh. Before you could respond, he squished your cheeks, giving your left one a kiss. You returned the gesture, kissing his right cheek instead.

“You really are the most precious pearl in the ocean. As much as I’d like to continue seeing this pure side of you, I don’t want you to get taken advantage of again.” He stood up, reaching his hand out for you. “Let’s go, you have a lot to learn.”

Zayne

Realistically he’d make you study medical and ordinary romance books LOL

Zayne wasn’t sure how to go about it, how to confront the person who he thought was the love of his life, on why he saw them dressed to the nines having dinner with someone else inside a fancy restaurant on his car ride home. Zayne swore it didn’t upset him much, and that he had bigger things to worry about, but the thought did not leave his mind until he heard a knock on the door.

You looked tired. You didn’t know why you went to Zayne’s house, but you didn’t know who else to talk to. When he opened the door, you almost thought he looked surprised for a moment before his professional face returned. He left the door open for you, and without a word, went to his couch, reading a magazine.

You were already upset, and felt like leaving upon seeing his behaviour, but you were also extremely tired. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.” You spoke sarcastically. Zayne looked up at you, and you expected a snide remark from him, but concern etched his face. He put his magazine down and walked over to you.

“Why are you crying?”

You didn’t realise it until you felt wetness on your cheek. Zayne helped you get out of your shoes and helped you sit on the couch, bringing you a glass of water. He was way nicer than the guy you met today.

“I…” You took a sip. “I went out with a friend to celebrate his promotion, but he was being weird.”

You cried and explained how uncomfortable you felt with him asking questions about you, holding your hand, and then paying for the bill even though you didn’t want him to. It felt wrong and disgusted you.

“[Name],” Zayne was serious all of a sudden. “Did you… go on a date without realising it?”

Your tears stopped. “What? No, I mean, I just met him as a friend.”

He took off his glasses, keeping them in the pocket of his pajama shirt. “You said he wanted to meet you alone, for dinner, at a fancy restaurant, because he wanted you to be the one he celebrated his achievement with. You, and not his friends or family.”

“So?”

Zayne sighed. “You may not know it but he took you out on a date.”

You sniffled, and Zayne handed you a tissue, keeping his gentlemanly distance while patting your head. “I did not want the first date of my life to be this way.”

“It’s alright. I’ll make sure your next one is better.”

Sylus

Honestly he’d take this very seriously, sit you down, and explain this stuff without hesitation, because it’s super important to know.

It was just one meme at first. Then two. Then the whole discussion was about things you had no clue on, making you feel left out from your friend group. You groaned, throwing your phone away on the bed.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Sylus speaks, looking up from what he was reading on his chair. You had nothing to do on your day off and no energy to go outside, but Sylus still wanted to be near you, so you came over and lounged in his house.

“I…” You sat up on his bed, and he put his book on the table, focusing his attention on you. “I was very sheltered as a kid.”

“I can tell.” He quipped.

You rolled your eyes. “Well, anyway, it means I don’t understand what a ‘one night stand’ or a ‘hook up’ is, and I’m too scared to look it up.”

Sylus, as you expected, didn’t judge you. “Why are you scared?”

“Because I think it’s too late, and Caleb would be disappointed…” You knew Sylus didn’t like it when you brought Caleb up, but this time, his gentle expression stayed, as he took off his glasses, placing them inside his pocket.

“It’s never too late to learn about anything, especially things like these.” You gave him a polite smile. That was nice to hear. You shifted, sitting with your feet off the bed, to be a little closer to where he was on his chair.

“Not to mention, you have the best teacher in front of you.”

Bonus:

A while later, Sylus put on his glasses, frowning while going through your group chat, unsure of how to explain what they were discussing to you. “Maybe your brother was right, you have some crazy friends.” He joked.

-x-

[musings-of-miss-j]

wings of jade, eyes of amber

a xiao x reader fic

notes: enough fluff to fill every mattress on earth, gn reader, is it a meet-cute or a meet-awkward? who knows

author's notes: i need everyone to know that i titled this fic 'the newly documented effects of adeptus temptation' in my files and i think im absolutely hilarious for it. again in bafflement about how to write romance. oh and im totally a fake fan i forgot his karmic debt existed and by the time i remembered i was 7k words in so uh. excuse my skill issue

word count: 10179 (everyone pretend to be shocked please)

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘

If Xiao had been asked about his plans for that day, he probably would’ve driven whoever had the gall to address him in the first place away with a stony glare. If the question had come from someone of more important status, say, Rex Lapis, he would’ve truthfully answered that his evenings often consisted of loitering on the balcony of Wangshu Inn and staring unseeingly at Liyue’s beautiful scenery, lost in thought. 

He wouldn’t have imagined in any timeline or universe that an angel would topple from the sky onto the wooden floor and startle the wits out of him.

In your defence, how were you supposed to know that the wind currents would be particularly tempestuous that day? Everything else had been perfect; your glider was in top shape, as usual, being one of your prized possessions, the slowly darkening sky was free of birds that may have interfered with your path, stars just barely starting to glimmer amongst the bold streaks of the sunset… 

All in all, a perfect night for gliding, and when you strapped on your wings and leaped off the edge of Wuwang Hill the familiar rush of exhilaration spread through your fingers and toes. The view never failed to amaze you. You revelled in the cool breeze and gentle ambience of the night’s sounds; rustling leaves, a distant bird’s call, and as you flew across Bishui Plains where there were more people you caught snatches of their chatter in the air. Wangshu Inn came into view, and you adjusted your angle to carry out a slow, spiral descent that you’d been working to perfect for the past few days. It seemed like you’d score another perfect landing; the radius of the circle you made was just wide enough to slow you down, you could taste success on the tip of your tongue- 

The gust of wind was sudden and strong, completely throwing you off your path and sending you hurtling down, the wings of your glider snapping and the straps tugging at your arms. Weightlessness lasted only a second before you tumbled down, picking up speed and struggling to readjust the wings against the wind’s resistance, and oh Archons the ground is getting closer shit shit shit-

You landed with a crash on a wooden floor, your legs giving out and causing you to trip blindly forward and collide with something that felt significantly less hard than a wall. A muffled ‘oof’ sound came from above you, and when your ears stopped ringing you opened your eyes and saw the most beautiful golden gaze peering down at you, and registered the feeling of hands on your shoulders. You stammered out an apology, stumbling backwards and unstrapping your glider with shaking hands. 

“I’m so sorry, really, I didn’t mean to crash into you like that, it- it was an accident please forgive me-”

“You fell from the sky,” the stranger interrupted, watching you fold away your slightly battered glider with his arms crossed. You laughed awkwardly, rubbing a sore spot on your neck that would no doubt develop into a bruise later along with a tapestry of bumps across your back and ribs. Not the worst accident you’d ever experienced, but not exactly the best, either.

“Y-yes, I did,” you agreed sheepishly, prodding your jaw. Last time you took a fall from this height, you’d managed to dislocate it. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. “Sorry for bumping into you.”

The stranger huffed, frowning and staring down at you. You were clearly one reckless human, barrelling around in a glider without a single precaution and crash-landing on balconies. Still, Xiao was rather intrigued, though he couldn’t for the life of him decide why. Maybe it was your bravado, or your off-handed attitude, or your mesmerising eyes- 

He shook his head to dispel the thought. 

“You should be more careful.”

“You’re absolutely right, I should,” you agreed with a slight laugh, running a hand through your hair in a mostly futile attempt to tamp down the permanently windswept locks. “Is there any way I can make it up to you for disturbing you? What’s your name?” You asked as an afterthought, tugging off the leather gloves that connected to the wooden joints of your glider. You were met with a long silence and a scrutinising gaze that left you a little flustered from its intensity. You cleared your throat and glanced away. “Not that you’re obligated to introduce yourself, of course, I just-”

“My name is Xiao.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Xiao,” you replied with a brief, relieved grin, bowing your head slightly as you’d seen citizens of Liyue do when greeting one another and reciprocating with your own name. It was a nice name, he thought. He gestured vaguely towards the folded glider in your arms. 

“Is it ruined?”

You glanced down at the tear in the leather and a splintered joint, hiding a wince. 

“Well. Hopefully not, I’ve had worse falls than this…”

“You do this often, then?” He prompted, tilting his head curiously. 

You chuckled, scratching the back of your neck. “Gliding or getting into accidents?”

“The frequency of one implies the other is also a common occurrence.”

“Right you are,” you agreed with a lopsided grin, glad that this strange young man didn’t seem too pressed by the accident you’d caused. “I do glide a lot. And get into accidents equally as often.”

“I’ve never met a human with such a penchant for flying,” he remarked, curious about you and confused at his own interest. He’d never been so willing to hold such a long, relatively useless conversation with a mortal before. You stared at him, perplexed by his wording. Clearly he wasn’t a human himself; everything from his golden eyes to his pointed teeth and unnervingly graceful movements indicated supernaturality, but his confirmation was surprising nonetheless. 

“It’s a more popular sport in Mondstadt,” you conceded. 

“So you’ve been there, too?” He didn’t think you lived in Liyue; years upon years of protecting the land meant he could quite distinctly recognise its people, and you didn’t elicit any familiarity whatsoever. 

“Yes, I have,” you confirmed with a nod. A yell of your name from below snapped you from your thoughtful reverie, and you twisted and leaned over the railing to see who called. Xiao had to restrain himself from yanking you back from the edge; just a natural instinct born from centuries of upholding his contract to protect humans, he reasoned. You peered down below, catching sight of Aether’s golden hair, Paimon waving her tiny hands up at you frantically. 

“Ah, I have to leave,” you said, turning to face Xiao again. “My travelling companions are calling for me. It was nice meeting you!”

He nodded, moving aside to let you pass through the entrance to the inn and watching you bound down the stairs with reckless abandon, leaping across the last flight. He marvelled at your energy even after falling from the sky. 

“Who was that you were talking with?” Paimon demanded the moment you descended the stairs, hovering around your head. Aether took one look at the battered glider in your arms and the bruise purpling on your jaw and figured out what had happened, tugging you along with a sigh. You’d been travelling with him for some time now; since before he entered Mondstadt’s gates and saved the entire nation, and now you’d arrived in Liyue barely a few days ago. Paimon, indignant at being ignored, began to poke your cheeks and tug your hair, demanding a satisfactory answer while Aether dragged the two of you back to camp. 

“His name is Xiao,” you told Paimon. 

“And why were you talking to him?” She pestered.

“I, um… I crash landed into him,” you admitted sheepishly, dodging a child running across the docks. Paimon shrieked with laughter, and even Aether cracked a smile. 

“That’s so embarrassing!” Paimon gasped between fits of giggling, turning somersaults in mid-air above your head. 

“We got here barely a week ago and you already managed to make a scene,” Aether agreed. You huffed indignantly, swatting Paimon away.

“At least I didn’t lose six thousand mora betting on jade,” you shot playfully back. Aether dug his elbow into your ribs. 

“That’s a damn low blow and you know it.”

You took to visiting Wangshu Inn every few days to chat with Verr Goldet and sort through the paperwork you tended to accumulate when accepting odd jobs around the city. That’s how you and Aether got by, for the most part; commissions from the Adventurer’s Guild and strangers in the wild, and the occasional monetary reward from winning a gliding contest or something of the sort. Usually the two of you went your separate ways throughout the day and met up in the evening to review what you’d earned and how you’d spend it, and today was no different; you’d settled on Wangshu Inn’s balcony, cross-legged on the floor with an array of letters in front of you that you were sorting into stacks so you could efficiently deliver them to various corners in Liyue and a textbook about ley lines propped open in your lap. You were an odd case of an Akademiya student; having passed the entrance exam you decided on a whim to take, you became one of the ‘far-flung fledglings’, as the faculty called you; students who learned through their travels and reported findings back to their supervisors every month, named as such to reference the rather lacklustre grades many of them got. Such a degree took several years longer to complete than a traditional one, but you didn’t mind. On the contrary, you wanted to travel as much as possible, and if you just so happened to get a certificate for it too then that was just another added benefit. 

A breeze ruffled your hair and paperwork, sending several pages spiralling off the balcony and down to the ground before you could snatch them back. You stared at the fluttering sheets in dismay, resolving to never sit there again, when Xiao appeared in front of you out of thin air with some paper in his hands. He gave them to you without meeting your eyes. 

“You dropped these.”

You jumped to your feet, accepting them and thanking him profusely. “Oh, Xiao! Thank you ever so much, you saved me a boatload of trouble.”

“It’s nothing,” he muttered, crossing his arms. You wondered if you’d disturbed him somehow, given his short replies, and quickly gathered up your things. 

“Thanks anyway,” you repeated with a smile. “I’ll leave now to give you some peace. Verr Goldet said you like to spend some of your time up here…” you trailed off. Xiao glimpsed one of the bruises you’d sustained from your rocky landing on the balcony just above your collarbone, and realised with an odd clarity that he wasn’t particularly eager to see you leave.

“You can stay,” he said shortly. “It makes no difference to me.”

Your smile could’ve replaced the sun, he thought. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to disturb you.”

“It’s no disturbance.”

“Alright,” you replied cheerfully, resetting your things and plopping back down onto the floor. For a moment you were silent, poring over the documents in front of you until you reached the end of the proposal you’d been editing.

“You’re not a human, are you?” You asked absent-mindedly while shuffling through the paperwork. “...No,” Xiao confirmed after a pause. After a moment of intense deliberation, he sat down across from you. “I am an adeptus.” 

You abandoned your pen, staring at him in surprise. “Oh. Are… are you the Conqueror of Demons, by any chance?”

He stared at your writing on the page. “I am.”

This was the part where he warned you to keep your distance from him, he dimly realised. Now was the time to push you behind the wall that separated humans from his inevitably harmful presence. His tongue felt heavier than any weapon he’d ever wielded.

You hummed thoughtfully, the sound distracting him for a moment, and rummaged through the basket at your side for a handful of berries before pushing it towards him in a silent offering. “I’ve heard the adepti have a contract with Rex Lapis that binds them to Liyue. Is that true?” 

He relaxed slightly at the genuine curiosity in your voice. He’d drive you off later, he reasoned. It’d be easier if your curiosity was sated and you didn’t have any more questions to bother him with.

“What you’ve heard is correct. You don’t hail from Liyue, do you?”

“No,” you said. “It’s my first time visiting. The mountains here are lovely, perfect for gliding.”

“Did your glider recover from the less-than-subpar landing you performed the last time we met?”

“H-hey!” You laughed, caught off-guard by his casual dig. It was supposed to be a harsh rebuke, not that you noticed. “That was a rare moment of shame, okay? It was an easy fix!”

Xiao said nothing, marvelling at how differently you seemed to view the world from him. You all but exuded passion and excitement, as though you were glad to be alive, while Xiao’s every action had become a product of his sense of duty. The concept of doing anything for his own enjoyment was a long-dead one; what pleasure did a sinner like him deserve? Even then, your enthusiasm was… not quite infectious, not to him, but it was almost calming. If there were people out there who had the luxury of delighting in such frivolous activities as gliding then his endless battle to purge the land of evil must have bore fruit; for the idea of having wings being to take joy in the act of flying rather than to gain an advantage over one’s enemies had to be some sort of indication. Still, you were a strange human. A good sort of strange, he thought, unbidden.

You’d fallen almost silent, weaving a soft tune into the symphony of rustling leaves and birdsong as you hummed under your breath. He stared intently at you. Yes; a good sort of strange for sure.

The next few days brought about a similar encounters. After bidding Aether and Paimon goodbye, you headed to the inn, embarrassed  at first when you realised you were hoping to see the strange yet handsome adeptus again. You’d gone around the harbour, Qingce Village and even the mountains of Jueyun Karst in search of a proper house to stay in; you resolutely refused to keep camping outside, especially considering the Rite of Descension was months away and therefore you’d be in Liyue for some time to come. After a long morning of knocking on doors and asking around, you’d accumulated a list of possible residences and their locations; some in the harbour, some in the further villages and even one or two places nestled deep within the mountains. If it were up to you, you would’ve gone to assess the latter option within a heartbeat, but you had to take your traveling companions’ wishes into consideration too. So you unrolled your trusty map on the floor of Wangshu Inn’s balcony, hunched over the aging parchment as you marked out the exact locations. Xiao soundlessly teleported behind you, crouching and leaning over until his chest nearly brushed your back. You were startled out of your skin when you heard him mumble a “what are you doing?”, whirling around to face him and letting out a surprised laugh.

“Xiao, you can’t just sneak up on me like that,” you berated, shuffling to the side to give him space to sit next to you. A perplexed expression crossed his face.

“It was not my intention to sneak up at all.”

You raised your eyebrows with a teasing smile. “Is this an adeptus thing?”

He huffed, bristling at your teasing. “Have some respect, mortal.”

His voice wasn’t quite as stern as he would’ve liked, though. He briefly pondered why he wasn’t admonishing you or giving you the cold shoulder for your overly friendly attitude; he repeatedly shunned attempts at friendship in the past and refused offerings from humans. What made you so different? He hoped you wouldn’t notice.

“Well, I’d appreciate some sort of indicator that the Vigilant Yaksha, Conqueror of Demons and adeptus of Liyue found it fit to grace this foolish mortal with his presence,” you replied, bending over the map to straighten one of the corners.

“Fine,” he conceded after a pause. You offered him a zaytun peach from the basket at your side, and he wondered how you got your hands on fresh fruit that wasn’t native to Liyue. “What are these markings?” He asked, gesturing towards your map.

“Well, you see,” you started, reclining back on your palms and giving him your full attention, tucking your pen behind your ear. “I’ve been looking for suitable lodgings for my travel companions and I. We could be here in Liyue for months, maybe even a whole year, since he’s waiting for the Rite of Descension. Usually we just camp outside, but since we’re going to be here for so long I’d rather not spend all my time in a tent, not to mention the fact that Liyue’s countryside isn’t as empty as Mondstadt’s. There’s a lot more monsters out here at night.”

Xiao nodded. Your reluctance to expose yourself to the elements day in and day out fit his knowledge of humans being rather fragile; it made sense that you’d want some shelter.

“Reasonable,” he remarked, taking a bite of the peach.

“Say, Xiao. Would you mind coming with me to a few of these places?” You asked with forced nonchalance.

“Why?” He countered, blunt as ever.

You toyed with your Vision, a sheepish smile pulling up the corners of your lips. “I’m not very familiar with the mountains yet,” you explained hesitantly, avoiding his gaze. “And I know Aether’s busy with commissions… but I’d rather not go alone, I heard there’s lots of monsters in the area,” you finished hurriedly. You already regretted asking. He definitely had better things to do than escort a tourist, for Celestia’s sake, why would you ask that-

“What time would you like to go?”

You looked up at him, your shocked expression quickly morphing into an elated one as you beamed up at him. Xiao wondered why his face felt so hot all of a sudden.

“How about right now?” You suggested, deftly rolling up your map. “If you’re free, of course.”

He nodded, rising from the floor. “Yes, that is suitable.”

“We’ll have to stop by the camp so I can grab my glider, though”- you were abruptly cut off when Xiao lifted you up, one arm hooked around your legs and the other looped around your shoulders. A surprised yelp left your lips, immediately swallowed by the wind as Xiao teleported away from the balcony in a cloud of wispy black and turquoise smoke. You squeezed your eyes shu until you could feel the sun’s warmth again. You’d emerged between the two peaks of Mt Tianheng. After a moment of admiring the view of the harbour below, you realised you’re still very much in Xiao’s arms; with a flustered cough, you disentangled your limbs from his and stumbled into the grassy garden of the cabin.

“This place is nice,” you said, mostly to distract yourself from the situation you’d been in moments prior. “Although it does look rather old…” you added, trailing off as you made your way to the front door, gesturing vaguely for him to follow you. The door squeaked on its hinges and one of the windows was cracked, but the owner had seemed rather eager to get rid of it, hence the ridiculously cheap price he was willing to rent it for. You relayed this absent-mindedly to Xiao, who nodded, peering around the perimeter of the cabin and attempting to see it from a human’s perspective. He wondered what factors you would take into consideration. You stuck your head through the doorway, and immediately reeled back with an alarmed shout; Xiao’s head snapped in your direction, his spear already materialising as he rushed towards you.

You slammed the door shut.

“Forget this one,” you announced, turning to face a very battle-ready Xiao with his spear in hand and the Vision at his wrist glowing faintly. He marched towards the door.

“What is it?”

“A revolting number of spiders,” you replied with a shudder, grabbing his sleeve and dragging him away. He stopped dead, shooting you an incredulous look and ignoring the way you tugged him.

“You shouted loud enough for Morax himself to hear your voice because of a few insects?”

 “Spiders are arachnids, not insects.”  

He let out a disbelieving sigh, finally relenting and letting you drag him away.

“You are all but cowardly, (Name),” His words were sharp, but you took them in stride.

“Why, how dare you!” With an indignant laugh, you let go of his sleeve and shoved him playfully away. He didn’t even falter from your push. Not fair. “And you have the nerve to preach to me about respect!”

Xiao turned his face to hide a tiny smile.

The next house was crossed off the list because the view wasn’t nice enough for your liking. Xiao marvelled at the specificity of your requirements, and then  proclaimed the cottage at the edge of Mingyun Village unfit because he could sense a demonic spirit lurking within.

“A demonic spirit?” You repeated, brows furrowed. He glared at the seemingly innocent cottage, resolving to return and deal with the issue once he finished escorting you.

“Yes. Living here is out of the question, you’ll find yourself with a slit throat before Morax can declare the end of the night.”

You blinked, then laughed. “Alright then, Mingyun Village is a miss,” you said, crossing it off your list. “Hmm… only two more options,” you remarked, folding away your list and looking back up at Xiao.

“Then let’s make haste,” he replied, moving to pick you up and no doubt teleport.

“Why don’t we walk?” You suggested. He paused mid-motion, contemplating the idea.

“Sal Terrae is close enough,” he agreed, then to your surprise, advanced towards you again and went through with scooping you into his grasp. He began walking away from the village and the haunted cottage.

“Xiao, you don’t have to carry me,” you pointed out after a moment of silent, warm-faced embarrassment.

“I thought humans were known for their deplorable stamina,” he said without pausing his stride. “Who’s to say whether you’ll be able to make the trek or collapse from exhaustion halfway through?”

“You’ve got a pretty bad impression of humans in general, don’t you?”

“It’s merely a statement of fact, not an insult.”

You poked his chest. “Hey, it’s not fair of you to be irritated because we can’t keep up with adepti.”

He gently pulled at a strand of your hair in retaliation, an act you were prone to when he was a little more dismissive than the situation called for and one he’d been copying from you as of late. “I’m merely following your pre-established example and complaining even when it’s fruitless.”

You laughed long and hard at that.

“You win this battle of wits,” you said with an exaggerated sigh, draping the back of your hand across your forehead in a gesture of dramatic surrender. “Now put me down.”

“That would significantly reduce our speed.”

“It’s not like I’m slow,” you huffed, poking his chest again to regain his attention. “Besides, it’d prevent you from tiring out too quickly.” Xiao scoffed at that, gripping you a little tighter as he hopped across a lake from one stone to another.

“You insult me by assuming my body would be as weak as a mortal’s,” he replied, wishing he could properly harden his voice and actually sound offended rather than this adopt wretchedly soft tone.

“Well you insult me by assuming I can’t walk on my own two feet!”  

“And just like that, we’ve become sworn enemies,” Xiao deadpanned.

With a half-hearted grumble, you let him carry you the rest of the way. At some point, to annoy him into putting you down, you asked him to lift you a little higher so you can reach the sunsettia you glimpsed in the uppermost branches of a tree. He didn’t even bat an eye, shifting his hands to your waist and lifting you above his head so you could grab the fruit; you were left thoroughly baffled with his patience. At least you had a snack for the way.

You decided that Sal Terrae was lovely, if a little cold due to its proximity from Dragonspine. You hadn’t expected to like the little shack by the waterside as much as you did, but the cool breeze, swaying grass and rippling water made for a charming scene. You could even glimpse the glittering of a crimson agate on the ridge of the nearby mountaintop; no doubt Aether would be kept busy collecting all the ones he’d missed. You spun around in the grassy outcrop, admiring it all.

“It’s a little far from the harbour…” you lamented, planting your hands on your hips as you contemplated the matter. “Maybe I’ll take it for myself, even if Aether isn’t interested,” you remarked. “What do you think, Xiao?”

“I don’t know what circumstances mortals may have to consider when choosing a place of residence.”

You huffed amusedly. “So you have no opinion on the matter whatsoever?”

Xiao had several opinions on the matter. The place was free of monsters, for one, and he’d be able to see the shack from the top of Wangshu Inn and it was close enough for him to visit without having to explain himself.

“It is not unpleasant,” he allowed.

“That’s significant praise coming from you. Hm…” You circled the building, assessing it for any potential flaws. “I’ll talk to the owner,” you decided. “If I can strike a good bargain then I’ll take it.”

Xiao hummed in acknowledgement. “It is a safer place to live than the mountains.”

“Why would I worry about safety when the ever-diligent adeptus Xiao is guarding the lands?” You teased, skipping back to the edge of the lake. He blushed to the tips of his ears, clearing his throat and looking away as you tugged off your shoes to dip your feet into the cool water.

“Foolish mortal. You shouldn’t rely so heavily on my protection.”

You just laughed, unapologetic and unrepentant. Xiao willed himself to be annoyed by your carelessness; he couldn’t. He liked that you thought he was so reliable and strong. He wanted you to think positively of him. Utterly ridiculous.

You loitered on the plains of Sal Terrae for the day, relishing the sunlight and crisp wind from the mountains. Xiao stayed with you, ‘to make sure you didn’t encounter any trouble,’ and you shared berries and apples plucked from around the island with him, chattering absent-mindedly until stars appeared in the sky.

You ended up buying the shack after the owner hastily told you to take it for a price so cheap it was almost theft; he’d seemed nervous and jumpy the day you spoke to him, constantly looking over his shoulder and practically begging you to buy the place. You wondered what had gotten into him as you signed the contract to transfer ownership; Aether had shrugged and more or less stated it didn’t matter as long as you got a bargain, an opinion that Paimon eagerly seconded. Xiao had muttered something unintelligible, looking away and dismissing the topic. Odd.

A hesitant sort of friendship formed between the two of you; you enjoyed each other’s company and Xiao would listen to you chatter over the basket of fresh fruit you never failed to bring, occasionally contributing to the conversation and silently encouraging you to keep it afloat. You sometimes worried that you were bothering him; he sometimes worried you’d grow tired of his lacklustre responses and stop visiting the inn altogether. Even now, on the odd days you couldn’t stop at the balcony for even a moment, he felt strangely annoyed by your absence. How dare you wriggle into his daily routine and then ruin it by not showing up when you were supposed to? The audacity of humans…

Sometimes you invited him to Sal Terrae. He rarely accepted; that would be too great of an indulgence for an adeptus like him. At least when you were the one coming to see him he could chalk up his tolerance for you to a desire to uphold his contract, nothing more (never mind the fact he’d never given humans the time of day before). On the rare days you did manage to coax him out of Wangshu Inn, you taught him card games and let him win when you discovered just how terrible he was at them, and swam in the cool waters of Sal Terrae while rambling absent-mindedly about whatever happened to be the subject of your thoughts at that time. Xiao secretly liked these instances best; when you completely let your guard down and allowed him a glimpse into the intricacies of your thoughts and your routine. Aether and Paimon teased you relentlessly for spending so much time in his company, while Xiao found himself plagued by similar treatment from Madame Ping and other adepti. He consoled himself with the knowledge that Morax, his master, wouldn’t concern himself with such matters. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Morax chuckled over his interactions with you from Celestia.

You sometimes brought your glider to the inn if it was in need of repairs, other times you appeared with stacks of paperwork in your arms that he’d ridicule (“Incorrigible, mortals’ insistence of writing every damned thing down as if it’ll make a difference when all becomes ash.” You just laughed as you so often did, and the sound dispelled any ideas of cinders and fire, bringing images of an end bathed in sunlight and birdsong instead) and always with an enormous book or two about your studies tucked beneath your arm. You rambled, long-winded and with no clear link between your sentences as you carried out whatever task you’d dragged along with you that day; sorting through  your commissions, writing drafts for your academic papers or polishing the wooden frame of your glider and plucking out any bent feathers. You once gifted him one of the feathers, perfectly straight and intact, and tied it to the jade ring on the sleeve of his left arm.

“A charm for good luck,” you told him with a smile. He wanted to tell you that such things were impossible for a human to procure, that true good fortune could only be in the form of a divine blessing, but he found he didn’t believe his own words enough to speak them aloud.

You wrote a lot of letters, he noticed, envelopes filled to bursting with sheets and sheets of parchment that you explained were the reports required of you by the Akademiya, which you’d send to your mentor with a feather of the latest pattern you’d taken to using. He felt an odd stab of bitterness somewhere in his chest the first time he saw you sealing a feather into an envelope with such care, even as you went on about your genius mentor whose supervision you were lucky to have, considering how they were currently at the other side of the world in Snezhnaya continuing their studies at the Fatui’s Zapolnary Palace. Xiao couldn’t care less about this mysterious teacher who was privy to so much of your praise, though the uncanny sting was easily pacified whenever you’d bring him a platter of the almond tofu he so fancied, or invited him to go on a long, meandering walk through the Liyuen countryside.

Regardless, this teacher of yours found themselves on the receiving end of his ire when you arrived at the inn well into the afternoon rather than late morning as customary for you, and looking a little less lively than usual. Like a flower drooping on a hot day, he found himself thinking as he took in your more-dishevelled-than-normal hair and the dark shadows beneath your eyes. You weren’t making an effort to fill the silence, either, instead methodically and sluggishly working through a stack of paper covered in lines of your handwriting, crossing out sentences and scribbling things in the margins before copying the whole thing onto another sheet.

“You look sickly,” he stated matter-of-factly, watching you frown at something you’d written and vehemently black it out with your pen.

“I feel sickly,” you grumbled back, sticking then pen behind your ear as you skimmed through the index of the book open by your side for a reference you needed. He frowned. Even a simple bout of tiredness could so quickly deteriorate into something life-threatening when it came to humans, and the thought of you, boundless and free, becoming the prisoner of a grave because of some measly ailment didn’t sit right with him.

“Then rest.” It came out as more of a command than a plea, and you sent him a pointed look.

“My mentor’s requesting an article on the elemental anomalies within Dunyu Ruins and how they affected the standard model of a society’s evolution.” You stifled a yawn, stretching your back. “I’ve been working on it all night, if I don’t finish it now I’ll be too worried to sleep.”

He fell silent at that, pondering how to convince you with a frown as your pen scratched away.

“But what if you get sick?”

“From what, Xiao? Studying?”

He grumbled under his breath. “From overexertion, mortal.”

You waved him off with a non-committal sound, and Xiao sat down next to you on the balcony floor, helping himself to bulle fruit from you wicker basket and continuing to deliberate on how best to make you take a break.

In the end he didn’t have to do anything at all; less than an hour into working you dozed off while leaning over a detailed diagram of some ruins. Xiao quickly caught you before your head hit the floor, tentatively holding you upright and expecting you to jolt awake at any moment. When you didn’t, he carefully set you down against the balcony railing, then grabbed you again when your body slumped to the side. At this point he was rather mystified; what did one do with a sleeping human unable to support their own weight? While mulling over the perplexing question, his eyes wandered over your face, upturned and relaxed, a far cry from the usual ear-to-ear grin you so often sported. You were pleasant to look at regardless of your expression, he decided, then shook his head as if to dispel the thought. The motion nudged you slightly off his shoulder, and he froze at your quiet murmur of protest. Maybe a bed would be a more apt resting place, he realised belatedly, and after a moment of intense deliberation lifted you from the floor and carried you awkwardly down the stairs to where Verr Goldet was manning the counter as always. Upon seeing him standing at the landing of the stairs looking so thoroughly confused, holding you so gingerly as though afraid you’d shatter or slip from his grasp, she had to stifle a laugh that would no doubt wake you and cause him to prickle with embarrassment. Still, though, she felt as though at least a little teasing was in order.

“Prince Charming has found himself a sleeping beauty, I see.”

Predictably, Xiao bristled like an irritable cat, heat crawling up the back of his neck.

“Do not mock me, human.”

“Not even a little?” She persisted, then chuckled to herself at his glare, relenting. “The upstairs bedrooms are empty.”

You woke up in an unfamiliar bed, the light of the sun well on its way to disappearing beneath the horizon and a jar of just-blooming glaze lilies on the windowsill that looked as though they’d been picked by a rather heavy hand. You blinked up at the ceiling, then rolled out of bed. A quick glance at the window revealed the view from the top of Wangshu Inn you’d come to recognise so easily; put at ease by your familiar surroundings, you made your way towards the door and upon opening it, came face to face with Xiao. His fist had been held aloft, as though about to knock on the door (you taught him that after he almost walked in on you changing) and his look of surprise morphed into one of embarrassment, which then deteriorated into a frown.

“I told you. You needed to rest after all.”

“What happened to ‘good evening’? ‘How are you?’ ‘Did you sleep well?’”

He clicked his tongue in a show of impatience at your teasing, but nonetheless he relaxed and offered you the barest hint of a smile. You swiftly beat down the butterflies taking flight in your stomach.

“Fine. Did you sleep well?”

“Like a log,” you confirmed with a grin, patting his shoulder appreciatively as you walked past him. “All thanks to you.”

He said nothing in response, turning to follow you down the stairs.

“Are my things still on the balcony?” You asked him over your shoulder as you leapt down the last flight of stairs and gave him a fraction of a heart attack in the process. He could never seem to get used to your penchant for getting into some form of danger.  “No,” he replied when your safe landing calmed his nerves. “I took them back to your home while you were sleeping.”

You beamed up at him as he descended the stairs, and his heart hammered anew, though for completely different reasons than a few seconds prior.

“You didn’t have to.”

“There’s very little I’m obligated to do.”

“You can just say that you wanted to do something nice for me, you know,” you teased.

He rolled his eyes at that, then conceded: “Alright. I just wanted to.”

“Well, I offer my most sincere thanks to you, oh mighty Alatus,” you replied with a laugh, picking up your glider that he’d left on the table Verr Goldet usually manned. He took your playful jab in silence, watching you with a tiny smile. You paused in the process of tying the glider to your wrist, your face abruptly falling as you remembered the paper you hadn’t finished.

“Damn it,” you muttered to yourself, straightening a few ruffled feathers and experimentally flapping one of the wings. Xiao waited until you’d gone through your usual routine of getting the glider on before addressing the matter he knew was worrying you.

“That… article you’d been so fussed over,” he began as he followed you to the balcony. “I sent it to an acquaintance of mine who’s well-versed in Liyuen history. She was quite impressed by it, and left a few – what did she call them – ‘alternate resources’ for your perusal.”

You paused at the railing of the balcony, no doubt about to launch yourself off it, to shoot him a surprised look, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. The longer you didn’t say anything, the more self-conscious he felt under the weight of your gaze.

“You- Xiao, that’s so sweet!” Your surprise turned into elation, and you bounded over and threw your arms around him. He could withstand blows from deities and immortals, but a hug from you left him a little winded, and it was a long moment before he awkwardly patted your back in reciprocation. You pulled away, your smile now tinged with embarrassment and your cheeks tinged with pink, and cleared your throat.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” he all but choked out, avoiding your eyes. Even after you waved goodbye and dove off the edge of the balcony and headfirst into a wind current that carried you up and out of sight, Xiao stood there, red and frozen in place, struggling to get the memory of the way your hair brushed his cheek and the press of your arms around him out of his mind.

He insisted on accompanying you to domains and ruins whenever Aether was unavailable, claiming you’d ‘made yourself his responsibility’ and ‘such are the terms of his contract.’ You were unnerved by his sheer strength at first. It seemed no enemy could best him, and he cleared ruins and domains without breaking a sweat leaving you to solve mechanisms, rootle through treasure chests and search for Geoculi. The day you headed to Lingju Pass to investigate the debilitated structures without telling him, he was livid.

“You could’ve been hurt, you fool,” he snarled, kicking the remains of a mitachurl off his jade spear. You buried the point of your sword into the ground, leaning on its hilt and breathing heavily.

“I had it under control,” you snapped back, wiping the sweat off your brow with the hem of your shirt. Xiao scoffed.

“Lies,” he hissed, stalking closer until he towered over you. “Next time you decide to explore a place infested with filth, tell me.”

“Or what, oh mighty Alatus?” You bit out, shooting him a glare. It wasn’t your intention to feed the fire, but Archons, it had been a long day and the last thing you wanted to deal with was his fickle temper. These spats the two of you were so fond of having really could be emotionally laborious at times; his unwavering discipline and your carefree, adventurous outlook were bound to clash every now and then.

“Or I’ll make a point of following you everywhere from the shadows.”

His utter lack of hesitation caught you off guard. You tugged your sword out of the dirt and sheathed it with a sigh. The spike of anger had completely left your body, leaving nothing but the ashes of exhaustion.

“Let’s go back to the inn,” you grumbled, unfolding your glider. “Damn these ruins. Aether can bloody well explore them himself instead of chatting up the perfume lady.”

“No,” he interjected bluntly, grabbing your wrist before you could strap on the glider. “Walk with me. Clearly I can’t let you out of my sight for a moment, what with you barrelling into dangerous situations without a second thought.” He didn’t leave you much of a choice, slotting your hand in his and pulling you along. They fit quite nicely together, he thought. Perhaps he should do that more often.

“Why walk when we can fly?” You protested, stumbling after him.

“The complaints of a mortal unconcerned with their own safety mean nothing to me,” he snapped without any real bite. He couldn’t stay angry at you. It puzzled and infuriated him no end; theoretically speaking, everything from your carelessness to your unwaveringly beautiful eyes should get on his nerves, but it never did.

You decided to take the opportunity to tease him. It wasn’t as if you were upset at him, anyway; you took the liberty of dragging him places he had no business visiting all the time. “But you’re concerned with my safety, even if I’m not. Were you worried, Xiao?”

“Yes.”

You blinked. Stumbled.

“O-oh.”

You didn’t say much else until he stopped at a mountaintop dotted with qingxin flowers and motioned stiffly for you to sit down. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling your hair and sending the qingxin swaying back and forth. Too flighty a wind for take-off, but gliding off the mountain would be fun. Quarrel forgotten, you rummaged through the pouch at your hip and procured a lavender melon, offering it to Xiao. He stared at it for a moment before accepting.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten the idiotic stunt you pulled today.”

You chuckled, laying back on the grass to admire the sky. “Well, I haven’t forgotten your unnecessarily overbearing attitude, so we’re even.”

He huffed, staring resolutely at the cluster of qingxin to avoid your teasing smile.

“I am upholding a contract. I have reason to behave the way I do.”

“Oh, of course. I forgot about your eternally noble intentions.”

“How can you be so irresponsible?” He demanded, finally looking at you. “Humans are fragile. Breakable. You shouldn’t be so lax when it comes to your own life.”

You shifted, propping yourself up on your elbows. “Not this again,” you complained with a bemused smile. “I already told you, if I’m going to die anyway I might as well do it style.” You giggled. “Go out with a bang, y’know?”

“Your reasoning is absurd,” he grumbled, irritated by the idea of you dying at all. Incomprehensible; human mortality was hardly something that he could afford to be shocked by anymore, and yet… “I won’t let you die in some senseless way.” You’d made yourself his problem, as far as he was concerned, and the statement was more of a vow than a chastisement.

“I won’t,” you replied, far too cheerfully for such a morbid topic. “There’s still so much of the world to see, and it’d be a shame to miss it. I’ll be around for a good long while yet.”

 “You’d better be,” he muttered under his breath, watching the slight flutter of your lashes as the sun emerged from behind a cloud and shone into your eyes, lighting them ablaze. He tore his gaze away, chest strangely tight.

The day you arrived at the balcony in a flurry of feathers and enough confidence to overflow a giant’s teacup, announcing that you were going to make it the Qingyun Peak or die trying, Xiao was less than pleased.

“Too dangerous,” he said with a shake of his head, knowing his dismissal wouldn’t be enough to discourage you.

“Aether descends into the Spiral Abyss every month and comes back non-fatal injuries every time, a bit of hiking can’t be that dangerous!” You countered with a grin, knowing that you’d get him to crack eventually and come with you.

“The Traveller isn’t human,” he replied with a pointed look in your direction.

“So I even have an advantage over him!”

Xiao sighed, already half-resigned to accompanying you to the towering mountain range. “Only you would think mortality is an advantage,” he mused, pushing himself off the balcony’s railing and walking towards you. “I don’t suppose I’ll be able to dissuade you in any case.”

Your grin only widened triumphantly. “Nope! Are you coming or not?” 

“I don’t trust you not to come back with a broken leg,” he deadpanned, stopping in front of you and staring you down in a last-ditch effort to convince you to spend your day doing something a little less hazardous. When you didn’t relent, meeting his stare head-on with a victorious twinkle in your eyes, he gave in with a sharp exhale. “Yes, alright, fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll come with you.”

You headed out not a moment later, and almost immediately began bickering over the best route to take.

“The Jueyun Karst route is faster.”

“But I want to go through Tianqiu Valley and Nantianmen,” you protested, tracing the road on your map as you walked.

“And waste all that time? Don’t be absurd.”

You shot him a playful grin. “The day is young. What do we lose other than a few hours?”

He levelled you with an unimpressed look, grabbing you by the hood of your cape to steer you around a puddle you’d failed to notice. “Only our limbs, if the Geovishap that lives in the valley is feeling generous.” Recovering from the stumble that came with Xiao’s dragging, you replied with a maddeningly sunny tone, “As if some dragon could be a match for you anyway.”

“So that’s your strategy? Your ulterior motive for bringing me along?” His sternness quickly devolved into reluctant, subtle amusement. “To have me act as a glorified bodyguard?”

“No, of course not!” You cried, clutching your chest in a show of  exaggerated horror and teetering to lean against him as if on the verge of fainting. “You’re so much more than that, Xiao! I need someone with an Anemo vision to activate the wind current mechanisms up in the mountains, too.”

He pushed you off him gently - more gently than you deserved - with a roll of his eyes, your laughter carrying across the plains while he grumbled about “the disrespect of mortals” and “foolish reliance on others’ strength.” It didn’t aggravate him as much as it used to, though. It was nice, being someone you relied on.

In the end, after much squabbling, you and Xiao ended up taking the long, meandering path through Jueyun Karst, on your condition of exploring the Stone Forest as well. You couldn’t even pretend to be miffed that he’d won the argument; each step you took revealed a view of the towering mountains more picturesque than the last, the grassy slopes on either side were scattered with wildflowers and every now and then you caught sight of a white crane circling the sky.

“Look, Xiao! There’s that crane again,” you said, tipping your neck back and shielding your eyes from the sun to watch it cleave through the air with slow, methodical flaps of its wings. Xiao made a noncommittal sound of acknowledgement, and with his trademark lack of subtlety attempted to drag you onwards.

“Oh my Gods it did a flip,” you declared, completely unconcerned by his strange behaviour even as you stumbled on an uneven patch in the road.

“I’ve seen even you do a flip before. It can’t possibly warrant that much amazement.”

You twisted in his grip to land a punch on his shoulder. “What do you mean, ‘can’t warrant that much amazement’? Are my talents in the flipping mid-air department not good enough for you?”

“Passable at best,” he replied, shooting a strangely apprehensive glance up at the sky. You followed his gaze to the crane still circling above you.

“What, don’t tell me you’re scared of the bird?”

Xiao bristled, looking very much like bird himself, all indignant and puffed-up. “I am not scared of the bird.”

“No?” You grinned, falling back into step beside him. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“Anything could fool a mortal mind,” he huffed, still smarting from your jokes at his expense.

Slinging a placating arm around his shoulder, you resolutely ignored his immediate protests and pulled him into your side, sending you both stumbling along the road. “Don’t be all grumpy, Xiao,” you cajoled. “It’s alright, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I was afraid of dogs for most of my childhood.”

“I’m not- you-” Spluttering indignantly, he wrestled your arm off him.  “For the last time, the damn bird doesn’t scare me!”

“Hey, look! It’s back!” You exclaimed, pointing upwards.

“Where?” He demanded, whipping his head around and quickly realising he’d been played at the sight of an empty, bird-less sky. You dissolved into a fit of laughter, the sound carrying across the mountains and echoing in his head for the rest of the walk.

By the time you’d reached the Statue of the Seven, the heat of the afternoon had firmly established itself, the sun hovering directly in the middle of the sky as though suspended from a thread and casting a layer of warm, golden light over the mountains like silk thrown over a table. The Stone Forest towered around you, their peaks wreathed with clouds and the river below a winding blue ribbon, glinting in the late sunshine from where it weaved throughout the landscape of the valley. Contentment settled in your veins, warm and reassuring, even as a gust of wind swayed you precariously close to the lip of the jade platform and Xiao instinctively seized your arm and dragged you back. You sent him an amused look, pulling him down to sit next to you at the edge.

“Relax,” you told him, bumping his shoulder with yours and letting your legs swing. “I can fly, remember?”

He made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, with a tone that you’d learnt to distinguish as the doubtful, ‘yeah right’ one. You ignored it, leaning your weight against him and sighing as you took in the view. He grumbled, but made space for you regardless.

“Tell me the story of these mountains,” you said, breaking the silence.

Xiao shifted to raise an eyebrow at you. “Not everything has a story.”

“The epic tales you’re always telling say otherwise,” you replied with a laugh.

“You never cease with your ridiculous demands,” he complained, failing to sound anything other than slightly bemused and just a little fond, his usual curtness softened with the warmth of the afternoon, the tranquillity of the moment. He hoped you didn’t notice. “First I’m a bodyguard, then a wind current activator, and now a storyteller. Make up your mind, you fickle human.”

“You forgot ‘personal jester’.”

That drew a rare laugh out of him, and your chest warmed with the satisfaction of it.

“Disrespectful little mortal.”

“Aloof, haughty, holier-than-thou adeptus,” you countered without missing a beat.

“The adepti of yesteryear would never tolerate such insolence.”

“Lucky for me, you tolerate it just fine,” you remarked with a grin, pushing yourself away from him. Xiao watched you stretch, silhouetted against the sun, rimmed in gold, caught in the world’s embrace as if it, too, knew how precious, how radiant you were. He’s staring, unable to tear his gaze away, unable to stop a pang of envy from twisting his stomach; did the sun’s rays know how fortunate they were to caress you so lovingly, to paint your skin aglow?

Seemingly unaware of his scrutiny, you shield your eyes with your hand, squinting up at a Waypoint just above the two of you.

“I’m going up there,” you announced, shucking your bag and preparing to jump. Resigned to your constant need for adrenaline, Xiao simply looked on as you snapped open the wings of your glider in preparation.

“And then what?” He asked instead of trying to fruitlessly convince you otherwise. He already knew you’d never stop chasing the next thrill, the next most dangerous thing. You flashed him a grin over your shoulder, devilish and laden with  challenge.

“You’ll head over to Mount Aocang and catch me,” you said, as if it were a simple matter, a walk through the park. Xiao felt his heart rate spike.

“You’re going to jump from up there, towards me, and I’m supposed to catch you,” he repeated, deadpan.

“Unless it’s too difficult for you,” you replied with a raise of your eyebrows. He exhaled sharply through his nose. You were going to be the death of him.

It took you a disturbingly short amount of time to scale the enormous rock upon which the Waypoint rested, scrabbling quickly up to the top despite the lack of footholds, graceless yet undeniably efficient. Xiao could see you from his place at the peak of Mount Aocang, a you in miniature, your glider a burst of colour against the sky. He’s jittery, from the apprehension of you being in such a precarious position and the knowledge that you’re both in Cloud Retainer’s territory; the memory of seeing a snow-white crane follow you up the mountain trail only worsened the feeling. And yet, every thought was pushed from his mind as he watched you step towards the edge, waving energetically at him before leaping off with a holler of excitement and a flurry of feathers. Heart in his throat, his eyes tracked your rapid descent, arms tucked in and wings flattened against your sides as you performed what you called a nosedive; he hated it, the way he couldn’t tell whether you were falling deliberately or had simply fallen victim to something as inescapable as gravity, moments away from proving the inevitability of death. But as always, you never did fall without intention, without control; within moments of you disappearing below his line of vision, he heard the swoosh of your glider unfurling and you shot upwards with the suddenness of the air filling your wings, a flock birds taking flight as your shout of delight pierced through the silence. Xiao relaxed despite himself, your joy so unmistakable, so obvious, that he couldn’t help but be put at ease by it. You were back above him, and he could tell you were preparing to descend from the way you angled your body to the side, tucking one of the wings into your side to make wide, lazy turn in his direction, and then you were hurtling towards him, maniacal grin flashing, hair streaming out behind you. Just as quickly as the tension left his muscles, it returned, and he braced himself; when it became clear you’d overshot the landing he took off running until you were directly in front of him, eyes shining and hair wild and mouth pulled into a grin-

You tumbled into him with a whoop, and his arms immediately tightened around you, sending you both spinning with the momentum of the collision though he didn’t fall. Your cheeks stung from the wind, pulse dizzyingly fast as you laughed breathlessly into Xiao’s ear, the sound making him a little giddy and the brush of your feathers tickling his cheeks as you pulled back to look him in the face, stun him with the full force of your delight.

“Did you see that?” You panted, exhilarated, as though he could’ve done anything except watch you raptly in those few minutes.

“I did,” he confirmed instead of saying so, feeling his own lips pull into a smile entirely against his will. You were safe now, no longer subject to the whims of the sky, but his heartbeat still hadn’t calmed in the slightest; if anything, he felt even more agitated than before, finding himself suddenly hyperaware of all the places you were touching, the perfect way you fit against him, the weight of your arms around his neck, the brightness in your eyes, your parted lips as you gasped for breath… What in Teyvat is this feeling?

He murmured your name, helpless, enamoured by your joy.

You blinked up at him. “What’s wrong, Xiao?”

It was the way you said his name that tipped him over the edge; sweetly concerned and whispered like a secret only you were privy to. All of a sudden seeing you, hearing you, touching you wasn’t enough; overwhelmed by the need to find out what you tasted like, Xiao tipped your face upwards and kissed you.

You tensed, let out a little noise of surprise. He panicked, already formulating an apology, appalled at himself-

Then you slowly relaxed back into his hold, bringing one hand up to the nape of his neck, and Xiao thought that this was probably what you felt like whenever you flew;  weightless and floaty, everything a blissful haze. He could feel your pulse, fluttering against his hand where it cradled your jaw, and he was painfully certain that this was the slice of heaven, the sliver of ecstasy sinners like him were allowed; more than he deserved but too wonderful to even consider letting go. He could’ve stayed there forever, until the mountains around you flattened and every stream ran dry; even then, when you resurfaced to breathe, the lingering delight and the creeping shyness you shared was just as magnificent. He would’ve slaughtered thousands for the coy little smile on your face, if only you’d asked-

“One is rather shocked by your scandalous display, Conqueror of Demons.”

The bubble shattered.

Startled, you whipped around; impossible though it seemed, the voice came from a crane, an elegant thing of white and blue and a sloping arc of a neck, beautiful and familiar.

“W- what- ”

“Fret not,” the crane continued with a startlingly human-like wave of its wing. “I shall not impart any punishment upon either of you. Despite the rather indecent nature of your offense,” it- she?- added.

You wondered if you were dreaming. Or hallucinating. But stranger yet, Xiao seemed to know her; he bowed his head in a show of deference.

“Yes, Cloud Retainer. You have my thanks.”

The bird nodded, then disappeared with a flap of her wings. You stared at the place where she’d stood, dumbfounded.

“A fellow adeptus,” Xiao told you, still fiercely mortified at being caught. “We… This is her territory. Mount Aocang.”

Understanding dawned on your face. “So that’s why you were so nervous about the bird!” You exclaimed, turning back towards him with a grin. “Because you were planning this the whole trip and you didn’t want to get caught, like a scoundrel-”

“I don’t appreciate your implication,”  he interrupted in what should’ve been a warning tone but instead came off teasing and light-hearted.

Your grin sharpened. “Seems like you do appreciate some other things of mine, though.” Xiao hummed in agreement, pressing a thumb to the corner of your mouth and watching in unabashed fascination as your lips parted under his touch.

“Perhaps I should convey my appreciation once more,” he mused, leaning in closer. “With as much… enthusiasm as I can muster.”

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘

[motorsportbarbie13]

What's A Soulmate? Part 3

In which your best friend comes back to you. But is it too late?

Warnings: oof the angst. swearing. that's it. Pairing: Lando Norris X SainzSister!Reader Word Count: 2.5k words

(a/n: this is how i cope after that hot mess of a race today. i hate everything and everyone except for my pookie bear lando norris)

- What's A Soulmate? - Part 1 - What's A Soulmate? - Part 2 - What's A Soulmate? - Part 2.5 - Master List

2021 You keep your promises. 

2022  And then he started dating her. 

2023 Silence.

March, 2024Australia 

“We are so excited to have you join the team.” Your new boss beams back at you as you follow her through the corridor. “Thank you for making the flight at such short notice. Had we known Summer was going to quit so abruptly, we would have had you come out with the team earlier in the week.” 

You nod, adjusting the collar of your new papaya and black polo. “Of course, I’m just happy it all worked out.” 

The heat of the Australian sun beats down outside the McLaren hospitality building, but inside the air is cool and dry. You’d landed in the country last night after what felt like the longest flight you’ve ever taken from New York into Melbourne but were so happy to be back in the paddock after what felt like ages. 

“Like we discussed earlier in the month, you’ll be working with Oscar as his primary press officer. I’m sure you know what that entails and everything, not much has changed since Carlos was with the team, but if you have any questions you have my number.” Brenda smiles down at you as she hands you your new McLaren issued iPhone.  

Three weeks ago, you had graduated from NYU with a double degree in public relations and business management. One week later, you had accepted a job offer from McLaren to join the communications team working with Oscar. Between your dual degree and experience working in the paddock with your brother, the job had been a slam dunk for you.

“The boys are just finishing up some filming up stairs. Let’s go up and introduce you to Oscar. You already know Lando.” She says, with a bit of a smile. Your friendship with the Brit was well known back during the years you were still working with Carlos. No one knew how much it had changed since though. 

Nerves fluttered around in your stomach as you follow Brenda up to the second floor where you could hear Oscar and Lando loudly laughing at something. As far as you knew, Lando was unaware that you had taken a job with McLaren. You had asked Carlos and Charles to keep your new job quiet around the paddock, not wanting to create drama before it was necessary. This was certainly going to be a shock, you knew that. 

The last time you saw him flashes through your memory, quick and painful, as Brenda approaches where Oscar and Lando stand each holding dry erase boards. 

Early 2022

“What do you mean she doesn’t want me around?” You nearly laugh, the absurdity of what your best friend is telling you not fully computing. 

Lando grips the back of his neck, eyes looking everywhere but at you. “Our friendship makes her uncomfortable.” 

Now you really do laugh. “What friendship, Lan? I’ve barely seen you this year!” 

It was the truth. Ever since you had started classes in New York last year, your time to see your best friend had dwindled down into nearly nothing. You went to as many races as you could but going from spending nearly 24/7 with your brother and Lando to barely seeing them once every few months was more painful than you had anticipated. It hurt so much to watch him continue on, seemingly so unbothered by losing you, but this? This was the last straw. 

He had been dating the Portuguese model for a bit now and you had to admit, she was pretty and wonderfully nice. You truly had no issue with her, having met her once at a Grand Prix you had attended before classes had started this year. She was quiet, sweet, and obviously adored Lando so her being with him was fine with you. You wanted to see your best friend happy. But now? Now she was threatened by someone who wasn’t even a second thought in Lando’s head? 

You had spent the last few months desperately trying to believe that Lando wasn’t pulling away, that he wasn’t purposefully putting distance between you and him. Texts would go unanswered, calls went unreturned. You had chalked it up to him being busy and adjusting to having a new teammate but now you guess you had the truth: he was avoiding you. 

“If that’s what you want, I’ll respect your wishes.” You murmur, taking a step away, suddenly wanting nothing more than to retreat back into the Ferrari motorhome where you could nurse your embarrassment in peace. 

“It’s not…” Lando fumbles, but you know what he’s about to say isn’t true. This is exactly what he wants. 

“No, I get it Lan. She’s threatened by me. I respect that and I’ll make myself scarce this weekend. You and her won’t have to worry about me anymore.” 

The pain of your words slices through Lando. He hadn’t wanted to do this, far from it. But the fight that she had started last night when she had seen you in the pit lane laughing with Carlos and Charles had put him in a tight spot. You were his best friend, but she was his girlfriend. He owed her the respect, right? Even if he knew that nothing was going on, nothing could happen. It wasn’t in the cards for the two of you. 

“I’m sorry.” He says. 

“Me too, Lan.

You blink rapidly, erasing the painful memory from your brain as your boss steps towards Oscar and Lando, who are watching you approach. The look on Lando’s face sends your pulse skyrocketing. It’s a look that’s somewhere between surprise, confusion, and maybe even a bit of betrayal and you hate every bit of it. 

“Oscar, I wanted to introduce you to your new press officer. She just landed last night so I’m sure she’s a bit jet lagged but she insisted on getting to work straight away. She’ll be taking you around for media duties after FP2 today so be nice, okay?” 

“I’m always nice.” The Aussie says, soft smile on his lips. “It’s nice to meet you. Lando talks about you all the time.” 

Your eyes dart towards Lando, who is still somewhat glaring at you like he can’t believe you’re in front of him. He talks about you? Still? Your stomach does an involuntary somersault at this bit of information, blush creeping its way high up on your cheek bones. 

The phone in your hand chimes with a reminder. Oscar is due to an Australian media outlet in ten minutes for an interview. “Well, that’s my cue.” You turn to the girl that had been filming the segment with a friendly smile. “Is he good to go?” 

“He’s all yours!” 

With permission to leave, you turn on your heel and walk towards the staircase, Oscar in tow. Lando watches after you, still struggling to process what just happened. You worked for McLaren now? As Oscar’s press officer? He had just played padel with Carlos this fucking morning and he hadn’t said a single word about this. Surly Carlos had known about your taking the job so why hadn’t he told him? Did you not want him to know? Did you hate him so much that you didn’t even care if he knew or not? How had the most important person in his life become someone he just used to know once? 

That last fight before he…said some of the the most shameful thing he’s ever said flashes through his mind as he wanders down to his drivers room, suddenly needing a break. 

“You literally never shut up about her. ‘She does this.’ And ‘she does that’. Jesus Christ, Lando you could not be more obvious about it.” The anger in her voice had set his teeth on edge. “And now I have to sit and watch the, what did they call you guys? The Chaos Gremlins? Now I have to sit and watch The Chaos Gremlins be reunited for the entire fucking weekend and just sit back and take it?” 

“There is nothing going on between us.” Lando insists, running his hands through his curls. “I haven’t seen her in months. Months!” 

“But there would be if she was here, right?” 

He had no answer for her. Because she was probably right in her assumption. If you had stayed, Lando had no idea what would’ve happened. 

“It’s her or me, Lando.” 

The rest of the day passes in what feels like the blink of an eye. By the time Oscar is done with all of his interviews at the end of the evening, you feel dead on your feet. You’ve lost all sense of time, feeling like you’ve been hit with a truck and you want nothing more than to get back to your hotel room and sleep for the next 5 to 10 business days. Or the last free practice tomorrow afternoon. 

The Uber to the hotel takes far too long but just as your eyes are about to shutter closed in the back seat, you arrive and drag your near lifeless body up to your room. A quick shower is all you have the energy for, desperately needing to get the germs of the day off and then, you’re in bed, blissfully tucked between soft white cotton sheets watching some weird Australian soap opera. 

Your eyes are heavy when the alert dings and you nearly ignore it, assuming it’s Carlos checking in. He could wait until you saw him tomorrow. But a quick glance shows you it isn’t Carlos. 

You don’t fully understand why you gave him your room number. Not when the only thing on your mind is going to sleep. This is probably a really bad time to have such an important conversation too but a part of you, that part of you that never stopped hoping that maybe one day your best friend would come back to you, that part of you wanted to get this out of the way so you could move on, with or without him. 

Ten minutes later, there’s a soft knock on the door and you haul yourself out of bed, still bone numbingly tired but also strangely keyed up with nervous energy. This would be the first time you had really spoken to Lando since that night two years ago. Sure, you two had exchanged pleasantries when you found yourself in the paddock for a race weekend but most of the time you kept to yourself in the Ferrari garage and motorhome, making sure your presence wasn’t noticed by anyone outside of your brother and Charles. 

Tugging on your favorite NYU crewneck, you pad towards the door while willing your racing heart beat to slow. This is fine. This is going to be okay. You two needed to talk if you were going to be working closely this year so this had to happen sooner or later. 

The door swings open and Lando stands in front of you looking just as exhausted and devastated as you feel. 

“Hi.” He breathes, hands wringing together. 

“Hi Lan.” You sigh. 

His smile widens at the nickname and you open the door a bit wider to allow him in. You cross the room, settling on the king size bed before staring up at him. “You wanted to talk?” 

The pain in his eyes cuts such a deep slice through you, it’s a wonder you don’t start bleeding out on the bedspread. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” He crosses the room towards you, setting every nerve ending in your body firing. He’s too close and you can’t control yourself when he’s like this. 

You shrug, wondering how you’re still able to hold yourself together at this point. “I didn’t think you’d care.” 

Lando drops his gaze away from you then, shame and anger surging across his handsome features. “Of course I’d care.” 

“You didn’t when you chose her over me.” 

He drags a hand over his face, the look of misery that sits on his face is reminiscent of the night you told him you were moving to New York City all those years ago. The memory brings a surge of white hot pain that cuts you so deeply it steals the breath from your lungs. If you had known that this was where you’d end up, you didn’t know if you would have made the same decision. 

“And listen, that was fine, I guess. You had to respect your relationship with her but the most confusing thing was afterwards. Why the radio silence after?” You fold your hands into your lap, unable to meet the gaze that you feel so heavy on your skin. He’s practically begging you to look at him but you simply can’t. 

“I was ashamed.” He admits and you feel the tears prick at the back of your eyes, a hot and painful sting that reminds you of how much you’ve lost. “I was ashamed at how I treated you and couldn’t face it.” 

“Rightfully so.” You mutter, rolling your eyes.

“I’m sorry.” He murmurs while reaching for your hand. “I’m so sorry for how I treated you. I should have told her to fuck off for making me choose between her and you. I should have chosen my best friend and I’ve regretted that decision every day of my life since.” 

The fact that you’re finally hearing the words you’ve been dreaming of hearing for nearly two years hits you like a ton of bricks. Here he was, your best friend, finally apologizing and owning up to his mistakes and for some reason, it felt like it was all just too little too late. How many nights had you stayed up, sobbing on your living room couch with your roommates over the stupid boy who was mean to you? Wondering what you had done to make him treat you like this? Hadn’t your friendship meant more than what it had ended up being? 

And now, here you were, back in his orbit again and it just…didn’t matter. You had spent so many nights wishing this would come and now that he was finally taking responsibility and owning up to his actions, it just didn’t feel like it was enough. 

“I think you should go.” 

“What?” He stutters, fingers gripping yours almost desperately. 

“I am exhausted and need some time to process this Lando. And you have quali tomorrow, you need to be focusing on racing, not on our issues.” 

“I don’t give a fuck about racing.” He bites out, blue eyes turning stormy gray with anger. “I want to fix this.” 

“This isn’t something that can be fixed with a single conversation.” 

You didn’t even know if it could be fixed at all, if you were being honest with yourself. 

“Then I’ll keep going until it is fixed, I promise.” 

“Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep, Lando.” You warn, rising from the bed. “I need to get some sleep, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Lando feels like his heart is being ripped from his chest. He had never intended for your friendship to end up like this. It just…slipped away from him and he was so swept away by his lifestyle the last year that he convinced himself you were both better off where you were instead of together like the universe intended. He had been so scared to admit how wrong he had been, choosing her over you that night that he had allowed it to spiral so out of control it might never come back to him. You might never come back to him. 

Tag List: @anilovessadbooks, @shelbyteller, @formulaal, @martygraciesversion381, @longhairkoo, @samantha-chicago, @stelena-klayley @dark-night-sky-99 @luckylampzonkland, @chlmtfilms , @inarabee @aykxz98 @forensicheart @cheer-bear-go-vroom @charlesgirl16 @lieutenantchaos @willowsnook @sltwins @linnygirl09 @powerfulmess @technicallypleasanttree @meglouise00

[ladykailitha]

The Au Pair Boy Part 3

I'm living for the love for this story!! Thank you everyone!

I'm sorry to say that any requests to be added to the tag list will be ignored. It's all full up! But! You can follow me and put on notifications. That seems to work for most people!

In this we have a lot of growing pains and the girls try everything they can think of to keep Eddie home.

Part 1 Part 2

~

The next couple of days were spent ironing out of the kinks and setting expectations. Like when Steve scolded Janice for pulling on Joan’s braids and she yelled back that she wasn’t the boss of her.

Both girls went running to their dad.

Eddie looked down at his two little sun spots. “I don’t know why you’re coming to me about this, if Steve saw Jannie pulling Joanie’s hair, then he had every right to call it out. Just like Chrissy, just your uncles. He is in charge while I’m gone, so you better get used to his authority. Both of you girls go sit on your time out chairs for five minutes.”

Both girls gasped in shock, but after an intense showdown, they did as they were told.

“Thanks for that,” Steve said with a huff. “There’s always a little bit of give and take for first couple of weeks, and you laying down the law will really help that.”

Eddie smiled up at him. “It’s just been a tough year for them both. They’re old enough to remember Ethan, but young enough that it’s all the good and none of the bad. So they don’t understand why he left. I’ve been talking to a couple of therapists that think once they’re a little older, they want to start seeing both girls.”

“Nothing quite as traumatic as abandonment issues from an early age,” Steve said with a nod.

Eddie huffed out a laugh. “Sounds like you’re talking from experience.”

Steve sat down on the sofa with a sigh. “Unfortunately, yes. Only my parents did just enough to make sure I wasn’t taken away from them. Making sure their trips would only last long enough that it would be considered child abandonment and endangerment. Sending me gifts for my birthday and Christmas, but not being there.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“Then as I got into high school, sending me money for groceries and gas. As well as a hefty allowance to make sure that I wouldn’t talk. ‘Let’ me throw lavish parties and then ground me when they found out. Only they would pack up and leave, knowing I’d ignore the grounding because they were gone. Just a bunch of stupid shit like that.”

Eddie’s expression softened. “In the Hall of Fame of shitty parents, that’s really up there, man.”

Steve let out a huff of bitter laughter. “I got the last laugh though. The second I turned eighteen and finished school, I told them I was running away with my best friend and joining the circus. Then I told them I was bisexual and never looked back.”

“So how was the circus?” Eddie asked with a grin.

“Not as fun as you’d expect,” Steve conceded. “Robin and I didn’t have anything like skills to be a performer, and wasn’t experienced in running the booths and rides, so we were part of the put up and take down crew.”

“So how did the nanny thing come about?” Eddie asked, crossing his legs and leaning his elbow on the arm of the chair.

“I used to babysit these kids when I was younger,” Steve said, putting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together, “and when the one’s dad died and left a hefty life insurance to his mom. She suddenly was overwhelmed and hired me to nanny for her.”

Eddie thought back to the resumé the agency had sent over. “Mrs. Henderson, right?”

“That’s the one,” Steve leaned back on the sofa. “Dustin was a good kid. Too smart and arrogant for his own good.”

“Then of course, Mrs. Henderson recommended me to her friends,” Steve said. “One of them said they would only hire me through an agency. My ex-girlfriend happened to work at a nanny agency while she was going to school and offered to put in a good word for me.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows. “That was nice of an ex. I don’t know if I have any exes that would do the same for me.”

Steve just shrugged. “We didn’t exactly part on the best of terms either, but I used to babysit her younger siblings and knew how good I was. Nancy Wheeler is nothing but logical. She knew I would be good at it.”

“I spoke to a Nancy earlier,” Eddie said thoughtfully. “She really went to bat for you.”

“That’s Nance for ya,” Steve huffed. “Tenacious to a fault. This is her last semester at college and then she’s going to go to Emerson to get her journalism degree. She wanted to get her generals out of the way so she wasn’t paying out the ass for them.”

Eddie smiled. “Looks like I really lucked out then.”

“I guess you did,” Steve said softly. “I did too. Having you here these last couple of days have really helped out. They are still going to have the worst meltdowns during that first week you’re gone, but knowing you’ve already set the boundary they’ll only butt against it instead crossing it.”

Eddie smirked. “They’ve chased off nannies before. It’s why I have a very specific list of do’s and don’t’s with anyone I hire.”

“Oh I don’t doubt it,” Steve chuckled. “Normally, I’d put them to bed, but because it’s your last night with them, I’d suggest you do it.”

“Of course,” Eddie said softly. “Thank you for taking good care of them, Steve. I’m really grateful to be leaving them in such capable hands. I don’t want to go on this tour, not really. But I need a break. I love my girls, but with Ethan leaving it feels like he took away my right to chose how to live my life.”

Steve got up and moved to the desk and sat down on it half way. “But at least you have the money and the wherewithal to make sure they are taken care of. Every parent needs a break once in awhile. You’ll go out there make your fans happy and then when you come back, you’ll appreciate them all the more for leaving.”

Eddie looked up at him, then his eyes fluttered shut. He pursed his lips together and leaned his head back. He opened his eyes to look at him again. “You don’t think I’m being a bad parent?”

“It does you no good to burn yourself out,” Steve soothed. “It would do them more harm if you burned out and couldn’t take care of them anymore.”

“I love them so much,” Eddie said, his lower lip quivering. “But not having any help except Chrissy occasionally made it hard.” Tears trickled down his cheeks.

Steve pulled out a tissue and handed it to him. Eddie let out a watery chuckle. “You didn’t have anyone close that could help you?”

Eddie wiped his eyes and shook his head. “My former bandmates kinda scattered all over the globe. Gareth in Wales where his family is from, Jeff in New York, and Brian in LA. My uncle, Wayne broke his leg just after Ethan left and he’s just barely moving around without a cane. I couldn’t make him watch two rambunctious four year olds.”

He let out a shuddering breath and then another. “A lot of the nannies we had kept trying to be their mother. One was even caught trying to teach Joanie to call her Mama.”

“That’s rough,” Steve murmured. “But I’m here to help you. I’m not going to try and replace you as their dad. Or even Ethan, really. I’m just an extra person you can rely on.”

“You don’t mind setting up the household staff do you?” Eddie asked, his voice still rough from the crying. He blew his nose and then threw the tissue away in a nearby garbage. “It’s just that I want people that will work well with you and not try to fight you on every little thing.”

Steve shook his head. “No I get it. Plus getting help for a place as big as this one, I’d need the help otherwise I’d wear myself out before you got home.”

Eddie chuckled. “Do you like the house? Some of the other nannies thought it was creepy.”

“Mr. Muns–” Steve began but Eddie cut him off.

“Call me Eddie,” he said softly. “Mr. Munson makes me feel old and I’m not ready for that yet.”

“All right, Eddie,” Steve murmured back, “I think it’s spooky in a fun way. It’s not creepy. It’s beautifully decorated. I’ve seen creepy. Like tiger and elephant heads mounted on the walls with fully stuffed birds and in one horrifying case a Tasmanian wolf.”

“Aren’t those extinct?” Eddie asked with a grimace.

“Oh yeah,” Steve said, moving to sit on on the desk all the way, to put some distance between them. Before he did something stupid like kiss his boss. “I made sure to report his taxidermy to the Feds on the way out.”

“Brutal.”

“Dude was creep and his wife wasn’t much better,” Steve said with a shrug. “I felt sorry for their kids. They didn’t deserve having parents like those.”

“What made you leave?” Eddie asked, honestly curious on how Steve could have gone through so many clients considering he didn’t seem very old.

Steve kicked his feet a little, careful not to kick Eddie. “They aged out of needing one. They were already pre-teens when I got hired. They basically only needed someone to pick them up from school and make them dinner before their parents came home.”

“How long were you with them?” Eddie asked, more to keep Steve there then any real curiosity he had. Yeah, he had been curious about what made him leave, but this was blatant flirting at this point.

Steve laughed. “What’s this, more interview?” he teased. “No, in all seriousness, it was about a year. Most of my clients only need me temporarily anyway. I’m pretty sure that for at least three of them, their friends or family got to them about me being a guy, because they hired a female nanny soon after.”

“That’s bullshit,” Eddie huffed. “I’m sorry that they kept doing that to you. If anyone says anything to you, send them my direction. I’ll set them straight.”

“Thanks,” Steve murmured. He checked his watch. “It’s about time for me to make dinner.”

Eddie nodded and watched him leave. Once Steve had closed the door to his office behind him, Eddie put his head in his hands. It was so hard to keep his hands to himself when Steve was that close.

He just hoped that the three months he was going to be gone would be enough to put out the fire in his gut for his new nanny for fuck’s sake. He needed to get laid, Jesus fucking Christ!

The rest of the night passed with relative ease. Steve made meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes with corn on the side.

Night time went well, too. Both girls drifting off to sleep quickly.

Morning, though? That was what was fraught with difficulties and tantrums.

Joan refused to get dressed, flopping on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably. Janice dumped her cereal on the floor, kicking and screaming like a toddler. Joan threw herself at the door while Janice tried to hide Eddie’s shoes.

Eddie stared Janice right in the eye as he pulled out another pair of shoes out of his carry-on. And then another out of his suitcase. He put the shoes back in the suitcase, but pulled on the shoes from his carry-on. All while Janice stood there with her jaw on the floor.

Steve pulled Joan away from the door so Eddie could open it and both girls started crying. Eddie hugged and kissed each girl goodbye.

Steve picked up both girls and held them up to the window so they could wave goodbye as Eddie drove off.

He set them down and they both flopped on the floor like ragdolls. He let them lay there for awhile, even taking advantage of Joan not moving to get her dressed. He put his hands on his hips it was going to be a long week. A very long week.

~

Tag List: CLOSED

1-@mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @cryptid-system

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @justforthedead89 @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

9- @sadisticaltarts @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @dolphincliffs @steddie-as-they-go @steddieislife

10- @kultiras @morallyundefined @ollieolive @themoonagainstmers @tartarusknight

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Sum of All 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, mentions of crime, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: mob!Steve Rogers

Part of the mob drabbles au

Summary: you are given an unexpected assignment.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

You sit in silence next to the large, brooding man. You’ve heard of Steve Rogers before. Who hasn’t around these parts. You’re not a local, you moved here for the work. The job description didn’t exactly mention the state of the neighbourhood. 

You see the men in their tailored-suits, puffing on cigars, laughing, even cat-calling you as you pass. That’s just the city, you assumed. That was until you really started to notice the men. When you saw the tinted windows tailing the erratically driven beater cars or the shadows creeping around in the early hours outside your building. 

You keep to yourself. You’re just a visitor to this world. You have no plans to stay in it. 

He doesn’t say a word as he drives. You stare out the window. It’s like that awkward first date you went on as a teen with your stepfather’s co-op volunteer. Except worse. You have no idea what exactly this is. You try not to think about it or you might hyperventilate. 

He slows at a sign and you keep your gaze out the window. The city streets are clear and sunny despite the gloom in the car. You think back on the brief conversation between him and Brenner. He seemed irked by more than your upstart boss. ‘Engagement’... something happened there but you learn from the mistakes of others. Don’t ask. 

As Rogers taps the gas, a man in a hoodie dodges out in front of the car. The brakes lock and the man in the driver seat mutters. The jaywalker looks over and laughs, stopping to make a show as he taunts the driver. He sucks in and horks a wad of phlegm onto the windshield. 

Oh shit. 

You stare in shock. What the heck? You’ve met your fair share of wildcards in this city but you simply keep your head down and keep going. Not Rogers. 

He shifts into park. He’s still silent. He calmly undoes his seat belt and checks the traffic behind him. He gets out as the walk-by spitter continues across the street. The man doesn’t make it as he’s caught from behind and thrown onto the tarmac. 

Without hesitation, Rogers kicks the man’s side, then his stomach as the force of the first rolls him over. He continues his assault with a stony look on his face. His eyes are determined and his chin is set, but no furrow and scowl breaks his veneer. 

You watch as a swirling sensation stirs in your stomach and quickly invades your head. You don’t like violence and this is such an overreaction, you can hardly believe it’s real. It very much is. 

You can’t help the squeak that escapes you as Rogers bends over the man and grabs his skull between his hands. He smashes his face down into the street and you close your eyes. Oh god. This can’t be real. 

Your open your eyes to the ripple of reality. Others watch in a similar awe from the pavement. Drivers idle nearby. A police officer walks by and simply ignore the scene as Rogers stomps the man one last time. 

Fear courses through you. What did Brenner get you into? Why did you just go along with this? Your passivity was always bound to get you in trouble. 

You feel your body slacken as he stands straight and smooths his jacket. You slump in the seat and your eyes roll back as a wave of black specks invades your vision. Your chest feels ready to burst, your head too as you sink into oblivion. 

When you come to, the car is moving again. You lurch forward as the motion flips your stomach. You grunt and try to shake of the disorientation. You put your hand on the dash and gulp in air. 

“You fainted,” Rogers says dully. 

You blink and turn to look at him. You slowly sit back, “yeah, I did. Sorry.” 

He doesn’t offer any other comment. You don’t know what to say or do. You’re embarrassed at how you just passed out but you didn’t really have a choice. You’ve never seen anything like that. And now this man, who can light up like a match, 

“What kinda person...” you begin and flinch at your own voice, “just spits on someone’s car like that?” 

You swallow dryly at your redirection. Sometimes, your thoughts bubble through too quickly but you caught yourself. You think. 

He glances over at you then back to the road. 

“Yeah, like,” you ramble, your nerves bouncing off each other, “if I had a nice car, or a car at all, I’d be mad too. That’s not... cool.” 

You cross your arms as if you’re holding yourself together. You lean back and stare at the road. You’re too afraid to look at Rogers. He can probably hear your fear in your voice. 

“Right, that guy deserved it.” He says. “Got no idea what I’m dealing with. Don’t need that.” 

You nod and meter out a breath, “totally.” 

He grunts. You think he bought it. At least, he knows you’re too scared to tell him your real thoughts if he doesn’t. 

He drives on wordlessly. He’s tense, you’re tense. Everything is tense. 

You glance over at his knuckles as he grips the wheel tight. They’re bruised and there’s a bit of blood on the middle one. Your mind is racing. You see his fists flashing. This man is a maniac. 

“That must hurt,” you say. 

“Huh?” He utters. 

“Your hands.” You don’t know why you’re talking but if you sit there in silence any longer, you’re going to lose your mind.  

He shrugs, “don’t feel it right away.” 

“Right, right, of course, makes sense,” you accept, “I wouldn’t know. I never... whatever. Sorry, I’m going to be quiet.” 

You look out the window and focus on the buildings instead. Just don’t look at him. If you don’t, he can’t hurt you. Like the boogeyman. 

“I’m fine,” he says after a moment. “You don’t need to worry about me.” 

You nod and keep your eyes aimed out at the sidewalk. You’re not really worried about him. You’re worried about you. Well, you’ll just be sure to stay on his good side. 

[buckets-and-trees]

Red, White & True: Las Vegas & Cleveland (2/?)

Characters/Pairings: Steve Rogers x curvy Millennial Female!Reader, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes Word Count: 4k Summary: Three months has raced by since you agreed to join the campaign team of Rogers for America as Steve runs for President of the United States of America. You've settled in and are starting to hit your stride campaigning, but what the state of affairs for your marriage?

Content/Warnings: marriage of political convenience, slow burn

Notes: This takes place in a post-Endgame scenario where Steve stays and generally most of TFATWS happened.

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[SEPTEMBER 2 - Las Vegas, Nevada]

“Mrs. Rogers!” “Mrs. Rogers!”

You exchange a brief look with your assistant Sophia. She nods to wordlessly confirm that you have a few moments and should engage with the press. Taking a deep breath, you turn and approach the bank of reporters waiting and eager to regale you with questions.

There are a few familiar faces who’ve been consistently covering the Rogers for America campaign, some of them even assigned specifically to report on you - mostly friends, but some that could be categorized in the foe column.

“Mrs. Rogers, you and your husband are in the same city for the first time in eighteen days.” This is one of the faces you aren’t familiar with in the gaggle of press. “Are you looking forward to being reunited as you support him in the first presidential debate tonight?”

Eighteen days… You hadn’t realized it had been that long, but you’ve become a trained professional when appearing in public now, and you don’t let your face betray any shock or unease.

“Yes, we’re eager to spend time together.” Consummate professional that you’ve become, you do play into showing a little bit of surprise. “Has it been eighteen days? Who’s been tracking this? Clearly we need you on our campaign team!”

It garners some good-natured laughs from the group.

“Mrs. Rogers, you and Steve had to cancel the traditional honeymoon, has it put a strain on your marriage, and will you be taking a honeymoon any time soon?”

“Oh, Ben, are you saying this isn’t a honeymoon? I thought all newlyweds took a five-month long zig-zagging trek all across America to kick off their marriage!”

A few more laughs.

“Steve is serious about this campaign, and we both knew the sacrifices we would be making along the way. Our time together is very limited, but I can tell you, without question, that Steve will be as dedicated to his roles and responsibilities as President as you have seen him be to this campaign. One thing we speak about frequently when we do have time together are the incredible people we’re meeting as we travel from state to state and get to talk with you, see what your life looks like in each new place.” This is true. It’s become one of the unspoken safe topics you can bring up at the drop of a hat with each other. “We’re getting the opportunity to experience first-hand that although we’re all so different, there’s so much that unites us as Americans, shoulder to shoulder, regardless of the part of the country we live in.”

“Thank you, everyone,” Sophia steps up and cuts in. “I’m sure we’ll see you all tonight at the debate. A reminder that the Rogers for America campaign will hold a brief press conference ten minutes after the debate concludes. For now, you have to let me get Mrs. Rogers in the car and on the way to the university or we’re not going to beat traffic - and neither will any of you.”

Then Sophia ushers you away, and you slip into the vehicle waiting for you both.

“Good answers,” she says, as the driver pulls away. “You’re really becoming comfortable fielding their questions and directing their energy where we want to see it go.”

You smile at Sophia's praise. She’s genuine but very no-nonsense, so she doesn’t throw out compliments to placate you or anyone else. It’s one of the reasons you promoted her to your assistant. "Thanks. I do feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it. Though I have to admit, I was a bit thrown by that '18 days' comment."

Sophia nods sympathetically. "I know. It's been a whirlwind, but you're doing great. The public loves you, and your approval ratings are holding steady."

You lean back in your seat, letting out a small sigh. "Approval ratings. Sometimes I still can't believe this is my life now."

As the car weaves through traffic, your mind drifts back to the past few months. The whirlwind wedding, the campaign launch, the endless string of rallies, interviews, and public appearances. You've barely had a moment to catch your breath, let alone get to know your husband.

Steve. Your husband.

In name and public persona only, it seems. The campaign trails that are being charted and continually adjusted for you, Steve, the VP nominee, and his wife, have all four of you covering as much ground as possible, and there’s rarely any overlap, but it does seem like you’re rarely with the Mr. to your Mrs. It makes things simultaneously more and less complicated. More complicated because the lack of time together means it’s more awkward that you’re still basically acquaintances but have to look the part of happy newlyweds. Less complicated because at least you’re not messing with any deep or complex feelings.

"Mrs. Rogers?" Sophia's voice pulls you from your thoughts. "We're almost there. Are you ready?"

You straighten up, smoothing down the front of your outfit. "As ready as I'm going to be. What's on the agenda before the debate?"

Sophia consults her tablet. "You have a meet and greet with the VP and a group of the local campaign volunteers. Steve should be arriving about forty-five minutes before the debate starts. Twenty minutes before the debate, you all have a brief prep session with the communications team - updates on the developments over the day and reviewing the message for tonight."

You nod, trying to ignore the small flutter in your stomach at the mention of Steve's name. It's ridiculous, you tell yourself. You're married to the man, for goodness sake. And you both know it’s a marriage for the stability of this campaign and the future presidency.

The car pulls up to the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, and you take a deep breath, steeling yourself for the chaos that awaits. As you step out, you're immediately greeted by flashing cameras and shouts from the crowd. You smile and wave, but don't stop to answer any questions as you make your way inside, following someone from the debate logistics team to get to the staging and holding area.

Backstage is a flurry of activity. Campaign staffers rush back and forth, last-minute preparations are being made, and there's an electric tension in the air. Your eyes scan the room, looking for one person in particular.

And then you see him. Steve is standing off to the side, deep in conversation with one of the communications strategists. Even after all these months, the sight of him still takes your breath away. He's tall, broad-shouldered, and undeniably handsome in his perfectly tailored navy suit. His brow is furrowed in concentration as he listens intently to the woman in front of him.

As if sensing your presence, Steve looks up, his eyes meeting yours across the room. His face softens slightly, and he excuses himself from the conversation, making his way over to you.

"Hey," he says softly as he approaches, leaning in to give you a quick kiss on the cheek. It's for show, you know, it’s important that even your own campaign staff thinks this marriage is more than surface level, and you stifle the small thrill that runs through you at the gesture. It’s only a gesture.

"Hi," you reply, managing to offer up an encouraging smile. "How are you feeling? Ready for tonight?"

Steve nods, his expression determined. "As ready as I'll ever be. We still have a long weeks ahead, but I think we're in a good position - and that’s what they keep saying across the team at this point."

You nod, studying his face. Despite his confident words, you can see the tension in his jaw, the slight crease between his brows. You've learned to read these subtle signs over the past few months, even with your limited time together.

"You've got this, Steve," you say softly, placing a hand on his arm. The gesture feels both natural and strange - you're still navigating the boundaries of your unique relationship. "Just remember why you're doing this. Speak from the heart, like you always do."

Steve's eyes meet yours, and for a moment, you see a flash of vulnerability there. "Thank you," he says, his voice low. "I -”

But before he can say the rest of what he was going to, Sophia approaches, tablet in hand. "Mrs. Rogers, we need to go to the reception with the volunteers from the local campaign team."

[SEPTEMBER 7 - Cleveland, Ohio]

The campaign strategy meeting is in full swing, the air thick with tension and the buzz of caffeine-fueled ideas. You're seated at a long table in a nondescript hotel conference room, surrounded by a sea of laptops, notepads, and half-empty coffee cups. The walls are covered with maps, poll numbers, and hastily scribbled strategies.

Steve sits at the head of the table, his brow furrowed in concentration as he listens to the latest polling data. You're positioned a few seats away, close enough to appear united, but not his most trusted. Sam, Bucky, the VP nominee Young and his assistant, the campaign press secretary, the communications director, all sit closer to or directly across from Steve, at the heart of the table. But you are closer than the finance director, legal advisor, speech writers, and the policy directors.

You're seated next Sam on your left with Sophia on your right, taking notes and pulling up memos on her laptop.

Steve is leaning forward, his brow furrowed in concentration as he listens to the campaign manager, Jake Thompson, deliver his latest assessment.

Jake, a seasoned political operative with salt-and-pepper hair and a no-nonsense attitude, stands at the head of the table, remote control in hand as he flips through a report on polling and focus groups that have been conducted over the past two weeks with Gen Z in urban, suburban, and rural pockets of the country.

"As you can see," Jake says, his voice carrying a mix of concern and determination, "this is where we’re making progress. Enough of them are tired of the rhetoric that’s been recycled all their lives, problems that never seem to be resolved because they’re too useful as campaign issues. That’s why an independent candidate is beginning to look a lot more appealing.”

Jake clicks to the next slide, which shows a breakdown of key issues that resonated most with young voters. "Climate change, affordable education, and social justice are their top priorities. They appreciate your strong stance on these issues, Steve, but they're still skeptical about whether you can actually deliver real change."

Steve nods, his expression thoughtful. "So how do we bridge that gap? How do we convince them that we're not just another set of empty promises?"

You lean forward slightly, your mind racing with ideas. This is an area where you feel you can contribute significantly, given your background in non-profit work and your ability to connect with younger generations.

"If I may," you begin, and all eyes turn to you. You feel a flutter of nervousness but push through it. "I think we need to focus on concrete, actionable plans. Not just broad strokes, but specific steps we'll take in the first 100 days. I think it would speak to Millennials as well.”

Jake nods appreciatively at your suggestion. "Mrs. Rogers, did you hack into my laptop sometime in the last 24 hours?” He’s not smiling - he never outright smiles - but he has a proud glint in his eyes as he looks at you. “What you’re suggesting is exactly in line with what I wanted to bring to the table today. We need to show them we're not just talking the talk, we’re ready to his the ground running when they put us in the White House."

Steve nods, his eyes meeting yours with interest. "Go on," he encourages.

You take a deep breath, feeling more confident. "We should consider hosting a series of town halls specifically targeting young voters. Not just to talk at them, but to listen. Let them voice their concerns directly and then demonstrate how our policies address those issues. We could even live-stream these events, make them interactive."

Jake looks intrigued. "That should work. It plays into our strengths - Steve's authenticity and your ability to connect with younger demographics."

"We could also leverage social media more effectively," you continue, warming to your topic. "Not just posting sound bites, but creating engaging content that breaks down complex issues in accessible ways. Maybe even collaborate with some respected influencers who align with our values."

Steve leans back in his chair, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I like it. What else?”

Elsa, communications director jumps in, "These are excellent strategies we can absolutely put into play, but we're still facing challenges with this demographic. Many of them feel disconnected from the political process entirely. They see you, Steve, as part of an older generation that doesn't understand their issues."

You watch Steve's reaction carefully. His jaw tightens slightly, but he nods, absorbing the information.

"What do you suggest?" Steve asks, his voice calm but tinged with frustration.

Elsa hesitates for a moment before responding. "We need to make you more relatable to younger voters. Show them that despite your... unique background, you understand and care about the issues that matter to them."

"And how do we do that?" Steve presses.

Jake glances your way before answering. "We think Mrs. Rogers could play a key role here."

You straighten in your seat, suddenly very alert. "Me?" you ask, trying to keep the surprise out of your voice.

“Yes,” he confirms. “We have a problem and an opportunity that’s developing. That 18 days comment last week heated things up again with the public perception and scrutiny of your marriage. You handled it exactly as you should have, Mrs. Rogers,” he assures you, “that’s not our concern. But now that someone has brought up numbers for days apart, it’s becoming part of the narrative, and we already had to tame concerns over your sudden nuptials, we don’t want the state of your marriage to be the focus again.”

You chew on the inside of your cheek, and you can see out of the corner of your eye that Steve isn’t thrilled about this either.

“But the opportunity here,” Elsa jumps back in, “is that we can put that to rest and capitalize on what we’re beginning to see as the Mrs. Rogers effect on the campaign trail. Her approval ratings were never bad, but they keep climbing. The public still wonders if Steve is a politician, if he’s ready to be the next President, but they already see a politician’s wife in you, Mrs. Rogers.”

You feel a mix of pride and unease at Elsa's words. On one hand, it's gratifying to know your efforts are making a positive impact. On the other, you can't help but feel like you're being used as a prop.

Even though that is what you are at the most elementary level.

"What exactly are you proposing?" Steve asks, his tone careful but with an edge to it.

Jake leans forward, his expression earnest. "We want to increase the number of joint appearances you two make. Show the public that you're a united front, a team. Town halls, rallies, even some more casual, candid moments. Show the public that you're a team, that you support each other. It'll help soften Steve's image and make him more relatable to younger voters."

You glance at Steve, trying to gauge his reaction. His face is impassive, but there is a slight tension in his jaw.

You can see Steve is uncomfortable with the idea, but he's considering it carefully. You decide to speak up.

"I appreciate the strategy, but I have some concerns," you say. "We don't want to come across as inauthentic or like we're using our relationship as a political tool. That could backfire, especially with younger voters who are already skeptical of politicians and doing things for clout."

Jake nods, "You're right to be cautious. We're not suggesting anything overly staged or fake. Just more opportunities for the public to see you two together, interacting naturally."

Steve finally speaks up. "I agree with my wife," he says, and you feel a small, unexpected thrill at hearing him refer to you that way, even though you know it's just part of this gig. "We need to be careful about how we approach this. I don't want to exploit our relationship. But let’s make it work."

Jake wraps up the meeting quickly at that point, instructing his staff to update each candidate’s logistics team over the updated schedule that will play to the ‘Rogers & Rogers Strategy,’ and putting the policy advisors and communications team to work on implementing your suggestions into the direction they were going to propose. As every minute of the campaign season is instrumental, nearly everyone clears out of the room at that point.

You’re at the elevator in the lobby when you realize you left your jacket in the hotel conference room. Sophia says they can have an aide bring it up to your room, but you insist you’d like to stretch your legs a little more before heading up to sleep. As you head back down the hall, you’re relieved to see the door is still open, and you pick up your step. But then you come to an abrupt halt when you hear voices and your name drifts out into the hallway in a conversation between Steve, Sam, and Bucky.

“I don’t like it.”

“What a surprise! The anit-social, bionic man with a staring problem doesn’t like the idea of pal-ing around with the new Mrs. Rogers! Man, I know you only recently started to like me, but can you get on board with her.”

“Who says I like you?” he counters.

“Ha ha,” Sam retorts dryly. “You should be so lucky that next time we put you up for president so we could canvas the country for a girl who could put up with you and all your bullshit.”

Steve chuckles - something you realize you’ve rarely heard him do.

“But it’s you I’m surprised by, Steve,” Sam continues. “Why are you still holding this girl at arms’ length?”

Steve heaves a heavy sigh, and you can just imagine him putting his hands on his hips.

“You don’t even know, do you?” Sam presses him, his tone incredulous.

You hold your breath, straining to hear Steve's response. There's a long pause before he speaks.

"It's not that simple, Sam," Steve says, his voice low and weary. "This whole situation... it's complicated."

"Complicated how?" Sam presses. "She's smart, she's kind, she's dedicated to the cause. And let's be real, she's not hard on the eyes either. What's holding you back?"

You feel your cheeks flush at Sam's words, a mix of embarrassment and curiosity coursing through you.

"It's not about her," Steve says firmly. "She's... she's great. Better than I could have hoped for, honestly. But this whole arrangement, it just feels..."

"Fake?" Bucky offers, his voice gruff.

"No," Steve says quickly. "Not fake. Just... I don't know. Forced. This whole situation - it's not the same as the tour for war bonds back in ‘43, but it’s still a production. I never imagined being in a situation like this again."

"None of us imagined this, Steve," Bucky chimes in, his tone softer than before.

Steve sighs again. “And I know it’s another thing I’ve chosen that neither of you signed up for, and I appreciate you being here by my side.”

"And she's here now, too,” Sam circles back to you, “and she's trying. You can't keep pushing her away."

"I'm not pushing her away," Steve protests, but it sounds weak even to your ears.

"Really?" Sam challenges. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're doing enough to conveniently keep your distance. She's your wife, Steve. On paper, sure, but she's also becoming a real partner in this campaign. You've seen how she handles herself out there."

You lean against the wall, your heart racing as you listen to the conversation. You know you shouldn't be eavesdropping, but you can't bring yourself to walk away, not when - even if you’re not involved - someone is finally talking about the state of your marriage.

"I know," Steve says, his voice tinged with frustration. "I see it. She's incredible out there. The way she connects with people, the way she articulates our message, she’s all in and she's a natural."

"So what's the problem?" Sam presses.

"If I let her in and this doesn't work out..."

"You mean the campaign?" Sam asks.

"No," Steve says.

And then - because of course it’s that exact moment - a door just a bit further down the opens, and you have to pretend you were not just standing in the hallway eavesdropping on anyone, and you abandon jacket retrieval and pretend you were on your way to the hotel bar to catch a quick nightcap with some of the staffers.

[SEPTEMBER 8 - Airspace over Ohio]

The next morning, it’s wheels up at 7am for the presidential candidate campaign plane, and you’re on it. You’re being sent with Steve to Wisconsin.

As the plane climbs to cruising altitude, you stifle a yawn and make your way to the "war room" - a section of the campaign plane that serves as a mobile strategy center and occasional dining area. The smell of coffee and pastries wafts through the air, a tempting lure after the early morning rush.

Sophia’s intern had already supplied you with your go-to morning drink, but you grab a plate and fill it with some fruit, cheese, bacon, and a surprisingly and delightfully warm croissant. The plane's engines hum steadily as you settle into one of the seats at the table. The early morning sunlight streams through the small windows, casting a warm glow over the polished wood table. You've barely slept, your mind still reeling from the conversation you overheard last night.

You pull out your tablet, intending to review the day's revised schedule, but your thoughts keep drifting back to Steve's words. The weight of them sits heavy in your chest, a mix of disappointment and something else you can't quite name.

You're so lost in your thoughts that you don't notice someone approaching until they clear their throat. You look up, expecting to see Sophia or maybe one of the campaign staffers. Instead, you find yourself faced with Bucky Barnes.

"Morning," he says, his voice gruff but not unfriendly. "Mind if I join you?"

You blink, momentarily thrown off balance. In all the months of campaigning, you've barely exchanged more than a few pleasantries.

"Of course," you say, gesturing to the seat across from you.

Bucky nods and takes a seat, setting down his own plate of food. There's an awkward silence as he settles in, and you can't help but study him. His hair is short again - the style he’d adopted when he was pardoned not long after the Snap. He's dressed casually in jeans and a dark henley. Despite his relaxed appearance, there's an undeniable intensity about him, a coiled energy that seems barely contained.

"So," Bucky says, breaking the silence. "Wisconsin."

You nod, grateful for the opening. "Yes, big day ahead. Are you joining us for the rally?"

Bucky shakes his head. "I’ll be backstage, but no."

Another silence falls between you, but it feels almost companionable, and the two of you enjoy your breakfast. Usually people try to fill any potentially silent moment around you these days, and so the reprieve itself is nice, but it doesn’t last long. Soon you’re joined by some of the staff - some seeking breakfast, some looking for you or for Bucky. And so the next wave of action for the day begins.

next part: coming 11/8...

I KNOW! WE JUMPED FROM THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING TO THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER! But that's by design.

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[vinvantae]

✧⋄⋆ 𝐑𝐌 𝟏𝟏𝟔 - 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐜 ⋆⋄✧

Charles Leclerc x Reader

Summary: The last thing you were expecting when you opened up the door to your motel room was a beautiful stranger. Was Charles perfect timing? Or simply a distraction from the weight of the engagement ring lurking in the pocket of your jeans.

Warnings: cheating, angst, build up to smut but no smut - sexy nonetheless.

Word count: 6.7k

──── •✧• ────

The rain pattered against your windshield, the flickering warm light from the broken vacancy sign bouncing off of the droplets - your hands gripping the steering wheel as the engine purred softly, as you tried to decide your next move. It wouldn’t be long before someone, everyone, started looking for you, but you simply couldn’t drive any longer. So when you saw the sign Heartbreak Motel in the distance, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

But now you were in the parking lot, you just couldn’t get out of the car. Getting out meant that you were committing to leaving, committing to running away. It would be so much simpler to turn around, to go home. But the smart, sensible part of you was left behind, as soon as you had snuck out of your home in the middle of the night.

So, instead you finally climbed out of the car - pulling your hood over your head, and hauling your bag out of the back seat before dashing to the reception desk. You pushed through the door, the rain had soaked you through in the moments you were outside - and now you were desperate for a nice warm shower. The clerk behind the desk gave you a once over, clearly displeased that you’d got the floor wet - you gave him an apologetic smile before approaching.

“Room for one, please?” You smiled awkwardly, shivering where you stood. “I’ll take any size.”

For a second, you didn’t think he registered what you said - but before you could say another word he turned his back to you to grab a key. You took a moment to glance around the room, eyes settling on the framed photos of mountains - wondering to yourself if they were nearby. “Room 116. King-size bed, it's your lucky night.”

You gratefully accepted the key, before paying for the room and stepping across the space to treat yourself to a bag of M&Ms from the vending machine before venturing out to find your room, desperate to get out of your rain-logged socks.

You turned the key over in your hand a few times before heading out to find your room. “114… 115…ah!”

You wiggled your key in the lock, and pushed open the door - practically yelping in shock when a very tired looking man emerged from the bathroom. His eyes wide, dark hair still damp from what you assumed was a shower as the rest of his clothes looked dry. The corner of his mouth tugged up into a playful yet confused smile as you clutched your hand over your chest. “Uh, hi?”

“This is 116, right?” You frowned, looking at the number on the door. “You’re in my room.”

The stranger laughed playfully, grabbing a key from the side table. “No, you’re in my room.”

He cautiously held the key out to you so you could read the 116 engraved into the metal. You huffed and shot a glance over your shoulder at the rain still hammering down outside - you really didn’t want to go back to the reception desk. “Can you go find out if there’s another room spare?”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I was here first. So if anyone is getting a different room… it’s gonna be you.” He teased, gesturing to his belongings strewn around the room. “You can wait it out until the rain eases off, though.”

“Wow, so kind.” You grumbled, slumping into a chair. “...would you be offended if I took my shoes off? I think I’m gonna get trench foot if I stay in these wet socks for another second.”

The stranger shook his head. “Go for it.”

He watched as you fiddled with the laces of your shoes, the water making them harder to get off - you only had a small suitcase with you, unlike his large one currently resting on the floor at the foot of the bed. Your nail polish was chipped and your clothes were positively soaked through. “I’m Charles by the way… do you need a towel?”

You told him your name as you nodded for a towel, finally getting your socks and shoes off. It felt like you’d been standing in a puddle for days as you patted the bottom of your feet dry. The room was awkwardly silent, why wouldn’t it be? You and Charles were strangers, he didn’t owe you a small stay in the room let alone a conv-

“So, how long are you at the motel for?” His voice brought you out of your head, he was now perched on the edge of the bed. You couldn’t quite make out the shade of his eyes from the dim lights of the lamp he had on instead of the large one overhead but he looked at you intently.

“Not sure, it was kind of a last minute thing.” You shrugged, still shivering.

Charles studied you for a moment. “Please, feel free to reject my offer, but do you want a warm shower..?”

“...All my instincts are telling me not to, but I’m fucking freezing.” You laughed dryly. “Is there somewhere I can put my wet clothes?”

“Uhm, the closet has some hangers in it?”

You gave him an awkward thanks before fishing out something dry from the top of your suitcase and hiding yourself in the bathroom - head falling back against the door as you closed the door behind you. What the fuck are you doing? Are you seriously about to get naked and shower with a random man in the next room? But the feeling of your wet clothes clinging to your body was too much - so you bit the bullet and peeled your shirt over your head before turning to fight with the button of your jeans.

Before you took them off, you wiggled your fingers into the now too tight pocket and fished out a ring from your pocket, turning it in your palm for a second - it was beautiful, but it wasn’t you. Maybe that should’ve been your first sign; it was the wrong size, the metal was a colour you never wore and the gemstones were ones you would never choose for yourself, a representation of just how little he knew you. Of how little he paid attention. You honestly weren’t sure why it had taken you so long to click in your head that maybe this just wasn’t who you were supposed to be with.

But that didn’t stop how carefully you placed the ring on the side of the sink before yanking your jeans down your legs - the denim clinging uncomfortably to your skin. As you turned on the stream of water, you were pleasantly surprised to discover that the water was still warm, so after stripping off the last of your undergarments, you stepped under the stream - letting the water fall over your face.

Charles sat in the next room, perched on the edge of the bed - tapping his foot against the floor. He’d always considered himself a kind person, but not so kind he’d let a random stranger use his motel shower. But there was something about you, an instant magnetism - at first he thought it was just pity from the way the rain had soaked you through but he couldn’t deny how attracted he felt to you despite the awkwardness. His eyes flickered briefly to your suitcase, it was small, and now it was opened it looked very hastily packed - clothes bundled in without much of a care and loose toiletries had fallen a little out of the inside pockets.

He didn’t mean to be nosy, but he couldn’t help but ponder if you were just not great at packing or if there was something you’d run away from. Before he could muse any further, he heard the shower stop running - so he decided to try and be helpful and clear some of the hangers in the wardrobe for you to hang your wet clothes from - carefully folding away his clothes. He sat at the top of the bed and switched on the TV, so it didn’t look like he was just waiting for you to be done.

It was a few more minutes before you emerged in fresh clothes, towel in hand to dry your hair. “Is the hairdryer broken or am I just being stupid?”

Charles chuckled. “It’s broken. I asked at reception and they’d said they’d get it sorted out but… that was two days ago.”

“Okay, so you’ve already been here two days but they still somehow thought this room was free?” You laughed, hanging up your wet clothes in the wardrobe - your ring nestled in the pocket of your dry trousers. “That’s some serious fuck up.”

Both of you looked to the window as lightning cracked and thunder rumbled - the rain seemingly getting even heavier than before. “Doesn’t look like it’s getting any better… I’m not gonna make you go out in that.”

You gave him a grateful smile. “I really appreciate it, especially because I could be a serial killer for all you know.”

“So could I, and you have stumbled right into my trap.” He wiggled his brows playfully and you giggled - there was something about him that made you feel so at ease. “You don’t have to just stand there y’know, the bed's nice and comfy.”

Charles was pleasantly surprised when you didn’t hesitate to join him, making yourself comfy propped up against the headboard. “What are we watching?”

The conversation flowed easily between the two of you - you learnt that Charles owned his own vintage jewellery company and was en route to meet a potential buyer but due to the storm that had rolled in that night - their flight had got cancelled but instead of heading all the way home, he decided to hang around until they showed up. His excuse being he liked the area but with nothing but a bar and a diner within walking distance, you weren’t sure you believed him. But with the secret you were hiding, you knew you were in no place to judge.

He was a good distraction, and when your head eventually hit the pillow - both of you finding your way beneath the covers, you could barely feel the press of the ring against your leg as you felt yourself get lost in the multitudes of colours in his eyes, his voice soft in comparison to the ever harshing sound of the rain battering against the window. You were waiting for him to kick you out, but as he rolled over just enough to flick off the light, you snuggled further under the sheets.

You could just about make out his features in the dark room, occasionally lit by the lighting flashing behind the curtain. He stretched his arms above his head before settling in, pulling the duvet up so he was practically tucked all the way in - you had to fight the urge to work your way into his arms, he just looked so cosy.

“Don’t kill me while I sleep?” You whispered.

“Only if you promise not to kill me.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal.”

──── •✧• ────

You never slept well in new places - the bed was always too hard or too soft, it was too bright or too dark…. But this? You couldn’t recall a single night in your life where you’d woken up feeling so well rested, that every joint in your body felt like it actually worked. Charles still slept gently beside you, sheet shoved half way down his body - arm flung over the edge of the bed.

“Hey…” you whispered, giving him a gentle shake. “Charles… wake up.”

He groaned and rubbed his eyes before stretching his arms above his head. “My god, I slept like a baby… is everything okay?”

“Uhm, it stopped raining… I was gonna get up and leave but I didn’t want to just disappear without saying anything.” You smiled softly, eyes following Charles as he moved to sit up a little.

He watched as you shifted to get out of bed, padding softly over to the wardrobe to grab your formerly wet clothes. Part of him contemplated reaching out and pulling you back into bed with him - wrapping you up in his arms, but that was definitely too forward. So he decided to go a different route.

“Breakfast?”

“Sorry?”

His cheeks flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “There’s Uhm, a diner just down the road… they do pancakes and such. So, do you wanna go get some breakfast with me first? Y’know before…”

You watched as he gestured to your bags. “I’d really like that.”

The way his eyes lit up made your chest all warm and fuzzy - something you’d not felt in a long while. So you fished a fresh change of clothes from your suitcase and dipped back into the bathroom to change. Charles felt practically giddy with glee as he got up to change, he couldn’t believe his luck that the universe had seemingly dropped this beautiful, funny, smart person into his lap. You felt too good to be true.

And you were. You were currently looking around the bathroom for somewhere, anywhere to stash your engagement ring whilst you went to breakfast with the beautiful stranger waiting in the other room. In a moment of panic you end up just shoving it straight into your bra, you don't need to hide it for much longer - you’d have your own room by the end of the day. All that mattered right now was enjoying the fleeting time you knew you had left with Charles before your real life caught up to you.

You were being more selfish than you’d ever been, not only were you actively hiding from the man you promised to marry - but you were definitely giving Charles the wrong impression. You had noticed the way he looked at you, the way his eyes had traced over your exposed skin in your pyjamas.

“Ready to go?” You smiled at him as you emerged from the bathroom, Charles was sitting on the edge of the bed tying up his laces. “We can swing via reception on the way back.”

Charles pressed his lips into a line and nodded, standing up and grabbing his coat. He couldn’t blame you for wanting to get your own space, but part of him wanted to keep you in his company - and as the small of his hand ghosted the small of your back as the two of you left the room, he could practically feel the sparks. And the way your eyes sparkled as you looked up to thank him, he felt his heart skip a beat.

Who were you and why had the universe put you in his path? He hadn’t had a difficult life, in fact - he knew for a fact that he’d been beyond lucky. So what had he done to deserve this? He decided to just enjoy the moment and cautiously offer you his hand after locking the motel door behind him, unable to contain his smile when you didn’t even hesitate to wrap your hand around his - your skin warm against his. “...This is nice.”

“It is. There’s something about you that I can’t quite put my finger on” You admitted. “But I just feel so…”

“Comfortable?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“I feel the same, y’know.” Charles’s voice was soft as the two of you walked down towards the diner, the old 50s style building tucked away just behind the motel. “Ever since you opened your mouth there’s just something about you where I feel like I’ve known you for years. Are we a little crazy?”

You laughed. “Definitely. But right now all I want is a stack of pancakes.”

Charles pushed the door open for you, your ears being greeted by the sound of Elvis humming over the speakers of the jukebox. There weren't too many people here but enough where you didn’t feel like the two of you would be the centre of the staff’s attention. Charles led you into a booth by the window, surprising you by opting to slide onto the same side of the booth as you, his strong thigh pressed up against yours. You could feel the heat creeping up your neck.

As the two of you browsed the menu, his arm draped across the back of the bench - fingertips tracing lightly against your shoulder as he commented about how weird some of the pancake toppings were. You allowed yourself to peek out of the corner of your eye to look up at him - but it was just his luck that he caught you, the corner of his mouth tugging into a playful smirk. “Like something you see, cheri?”

“I might, what about it?” You teased, propping your chin up on your hand - challenging him. The worst part? You didn’t even feel slightly guilty about it. The man you left behind not even crossing your mind as Charles’s warm hand came to rest on your thigh, brushing across the surface.

“You’re truly something else.” He purred, leaning in a little.

You should’ve made a move to stop him, but having him so close felt like the most normal thing in the world. Your breath caught in your throat as his nose brushed against yours - a warm woodsy scent resonated from his cologne, draping over you like a blanket. He tilted his head slightly, the corner of his mouth tugged up into a smirk, all of the colours of his eyes seemed brighter and just as you let yours flutter to a close, ready to feel the press of his lips against your own-

“Hi guys! Welcome, what can I get you started on today?”

The two of you jumped back, cheeks heating up at the lady who was seemingly unaware she’d interrupted a moment. You practically stuttered out your order, Charles a little more smug that he’d had such an impact on you - his hand still comfortably in its position on your thigh, perhaps a little higher than before.

You shifted away a little after she left the table to go get your food, trying to slow your heartbeat but you hadn’t taken into account Charles’s determination. He took your chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting your gaze up to meet his. “I think we were in the middle of something.”

The smile on your face as he leant in was anything but innocent - and as his lips finally meant yours, any reservations you had about crossing that with him were gone. The harmless flirting had turned into full on cheating on your fiancé, but the way his mouth moved against yours as he deepened the kiss? You just didn’t care.

His hand curved around your jaw when he finally pulled back, just enough to meet your eyes. “…it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if you didn’t get your own room, y’know.”

“You sure? I don’t want to impose.” You couldn’t look away from him even if you tried, his eyes drew you in.

“Positive. I’m really enjoying getting to know you.” He admitted. “I don’t know what will happen when we leave this place but-“

You kissed him again to cut him off. “Let’s not think about that right now.”

His smile was sweet, not knowing your reason for why you didn’t want to think about it. About how once you leave you’d have to decide whether to break off your engagement or get married. Your fiancé wasn’t a bad man, and you did love him once upon a time… but the way Charles had made you feel in the last few hours was more exciting than anything he’d made you feel in months. But you’d gotten into this mess by being selfish - you should’ve left a long time ago, and you think he knew that hence why he proposed.

No one made you say yes.

And now, instead of being a single woman who was well within her right to make out with attractive strangers - you were betrothed. But you were too busy enjoying your time with Charles to care.

You didn’t deserve either of them.

The breakfast ended up being way nicer than you expected - and you loved listening to Charles talk about his life. Where he came from, how he’d lost his Dad, and how travelling across the country to find beautiful and unique jewellery pieces for clients was something that he loved to do - you weren’t sure if he noticed you were keeping a bit of a wall up when talking about your life, but if he did he didn’t say anything.

You laughed harder than you had in a long time when he told you his stories - a fond feeling in your chest when his eyes crinkled as he smiled. He listened to you intently when you spoke and you felt heard. Maybe he wouldn’t judge you if you told him the truth..?

No, it wasn’t worth the risk.

Instead you continued to let yourself indulge in Charles, swooning when he lent in to kiss you like it was the most normal thing in the world. The two of you talked for hours, making your way through several dishes the diner had to offer throughout the day - choking on a mouthful of milkshake when Charles made a filthy joke about the whipped cream on top. You stole his fries after claiming you didn’t want any on the side of your burger so he responded by dunking some directly in your shake.

The outside world was completely forgotten to you - people filtered in and out as the hours passed but it felt like there was no one but you, Charles and the poor waitress who kept having to come see if you wanted anything else from the menu. And after a final coffee, it was time to head back to the motel.

You knew sharing a room would be risky, you definitely needed to find a good spot to stash your ring - but as Charles gripped your hips and pushed you back against the now closed door of the motel room, his eyes darkened with lust - you knew that was a problem for later, right now - you just had to get the ring out of your bra before it fell on the floor and whatever filthy things Charles had planned for the two of you would be abruptly cut short.

“I’m just gonna freshen up first, okay? I’ve got burger breath.”

“Mhmm, sexy” he teased, kissing you again. “But whatever you need to get comfortable. I’ll wait.”

You giggled before dipping into the bathroom, with still no good place to hide your ring - you decided to go for the bold move and strip all of your clothes off, leaving you only in your underwear and hiding the ring back in your jeans pocket, no chance of it falling out unexpectedly now. You gave yourself a quick refresh before slowly emerging from the bathroom, leaning against the wall.

“…so, where were we?”

Charles growled from deep within his chest, reaching out as he sat up against the headboard. “Get yourself over here, right now.”

You sashayed across the room, making sure to exaggerate the swish of your hips before crawling up the bed until you were between his legs. You bit your lip and ran a hand up his chest. His eyes were blown with lust as they scanned your figure, before he reached out and gripped your hips - pulling you onto his lap.

“You’re insane…” He purred, nudging his nose against your jaw to tilt up your head - giving him access to the slope of your neck so he could press kisses into the soft expanse of your skin. His hand ghosted across your back. “May I?”

With a swift nod, he undid your bra - letting you reach forward to unbutton his shirt in turn. You ran your hands up his bare chest again before pressing a deep kiss to his lips, his large hands on your waist as you worked on the button of his jeans.

“You’re going to be the death of me.” He moaned, his hands shifting to your ass so he could haul you as close as possible. “Tell me what you need, cheri.”

As his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of your underwear - you realised what a truly horrible person you were, and you hesitated. Charles’s brow furrowed, his hands quickly moving away.

“Hey, what’s going on?” His voice was soft, he grabbed his discarded shirt and draped it across your shoulders to cover you. “We don’t have to do this.”

You sighed softly, taking his jaw in your hand - brushing your thumb across his skin as his eyes flickered across your face, still thick with concern. “I want you, Charles… But, I’m not… I don’t deserve you.”

He frowned. “Why wouldn’t you deserve me? Listen, I don’t care what you’ve done in the past… All I care about is us, right here, right now. Whatever it is you’re running from, take a break with me.”

Fuck.

You kissed him hard, holding his face in both hands - within an instant his hands were back on you, he shifted you both so you were beneath him. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling back just enough to nudge your nose against his, your voice a low whisper. “Make me forget?”

The corner of his mouth tugged up into a devilish grin. “By the time I’m done with you..?”

He leant down until his lips were brushing the shell of your ear.

“All you’ll remember is my name.”

──── •✧• ────

The next few days were a blur of sex, laughter and deep conversations - studying every inch of Charles, memorising every detail before you knew it was all going to crash down. You weren’t naive, you knew Charles had started to notice how often you ignored phone calls - he never brought it up. But then he got a phone call of his own - his client was finally able to get his flight and the next day, he’d be on the move.

He hadn’t been able to tell you just yet - you’d dipped out of the room to grab some snacks for you both, so Charles decided to start packing up his things - your clothes and his had at some point merged into a pile. He grabbed a pair of trousers off of the floor, shaking your jeans out that had got tangled up with them before hearing a gentle thud. His brow furrowed as he glanced around the floor before he felt his heart stop.

A ring.

The lump in his throat was immovable as he reached down for it, the metal cold against his palm as he turned it in his palm. It was beautiful, expensive but it didn’t really seem like something you’d wear - fuck, that didn’t fucking matter - you had an engagement ring. You’d been promised to someone else before you even stepped into the room you now shared with Charles, before you’d spent time wrapped up in the sheets - crying out his name.

He knew you were running away from something, maybe even someone but not a man you’d said yes to spending the rest of your life with. He sat on the edge of the bed, just staring blankly at the wall - he had no one to blame but himself really. You were a stranger.

Except you weren’t - he’d poured his life and soul out for you, laid himself bare physically and emotionally for you… and you were engaged. The fantasy he’d created within the four walls of the motel room was exactly that, a fantasy. A lie.

You weren’t real.

“Hey, so they didn’t have the flavour crisps you wanted so I just got-”

“What’s his name?”

You frowned, placing the snacks on the nearby table. “I’m sorry?”

“Your fiancé. What’s his name?” He asked again, clenching his jaw - he couldn’t bring himself to look at you as you stood across the room.

You opened your mouth to speak but no sound came out - he let out a frustrated huff, finally standing from his spot on the bed. He took your wrist in his hand and pulled you towards him, pressing your ring into the palm of your hand - his eyes not leaving yours. “What. Is. His. Name?”

“Charl…”

“No.” His voice was sharp, nothing like anything you’d ever heard from him before. “Don’t… you don’t fucking get to do that.”

The tears were burning in your eyes, you placed the ring on the table - before placing your hands against his chest, bunching his shirt up in your fists. “Charles, please… I… I never meant-”

“You never meant to what? Get caught? Use me to cheat on your fiancé? What?” He hissed, but made no move to remove your hands from his shirt. “This is fucked up.”

You let your forehead fall against his chest, Charles’s jaw clenched - he wanted to push you off but he wasn’t a violent person. So he took a deep breath and gently untangled your fingers from his clothes and took a step back.

“I…” You groaned and rubbed your eyes. “I know it was selfish to not tell you I was engaged, I was going to… there was just never a good time.”

“Never a good time?” He laughed dryly. “How about in the hours we stayed up talking? How about instead of letting me fuck your brains out on every surface in this hotel room? Oh wait, that’s what you meant when you said you didn’t deserve me, isn't it?”

“I don’t fucking deserve either of you, I’m a piece of shit.”

“You’ve got that right.” You shot him a look. “What? You think I’m gonna fucking fall for your little pity party? I told you things about me that I’ve never told anyone… And do you know what the worst part of all this is? I blame myself… I blame myself for believing that I deserved a fucking chance of happiness. Isn’t that sad?”

You stepped closer to him again, forcing him to look at you. “You do deserve happiness, Charles.”

“That’s not even the worst part… I got a call from my client, I was going to ask you to come with me.” He frowned. “There’s a beautiful 5 star hotel, overlooking the beach… all the cocktails you could want. Was going to spoil you… make love to you on the high thread count sheets, on the loungers by our private pool… in the hot tub…”

“Charl...” You felt breathless, but as you reached up to take his jaw, he caught your wrist in his hand - you swallowed deeply. The once bright colours of his eyes seemed dull as he looked at you now. “We could still-”

This time he didn’t look angry, just disappointed. “No we can’t. You need to pack your bags and go home… your family is worried about you, I’m sure he’s worried about you too.”

“I-I could call… clear everything up and then we-”

“There is no we anymore, I’m not even sure there ever was.” He sighed, moving away from you to start packing his bags up. “I think it’s best for us to be strangers again.”

You choked back a sob. “You don’t mean that, Charles… please.”

Your pleas fell on deaf ears as Charles continued to move around the room, gathering his things - after one more feeble attempt to take his hand, he looked to you. The heartbreak on your face was almost enough for him to cave, to wrap you up in his arms and tell you it was all going to be okay…. But it wasn’t.

“You never told me his name.” His voice was soft, like there was no anger left for him to give.

“…Nathan.”

Charles nodded, zipping up his suitcase. “How come you ran?”

“Charles-“

“No, I want to know about the man who you cheated on… indulge me, won’t you?” He huffed. “I’m leaving either way, so you may as well just lay it all out on the table.”

A soft sigh left your lips as you sat on the edge of the bed, instead of sitting beside you - Charles opted to sit in one of the empty chairs. It almost felt like an interrogation.

You jumped as lightning cracked outside the window, thunder rumbling through the building - the weather mirroring that of the night you’d met but the circumstances were much different now. He was no longer a beautiful, kind stranger who’d let you shelter away from the storm - he was the man who you’d used for your own gain, who now looked at you with an unreadable expression.

“...I met Nathan through a friend.” You explained, playing with your fingers. “It wasn’t love at first sight, not for me anyway. He was always good to me, easy… safe. But, it never really felt like he knew me. Like, the ring is a prime example, none of it is anything I’d choose for myself… so, sorry, but I can’t ease your conscience, Nathan isn’t some nasty abusive man.”

“So, you ran away because you’re… bored? Do you know what you could’ve done? Broken up with him. Sounds like he deserves far better than you.”

His words were like a knife to the chest - each word twisted it deeper but he was absolutely right. “I know I should’ve… but… If I knew I was going to meet you then-“

“Oh don’t.” He scoffed, grabbing his jacket and standing up - hauling it over his shoulders. “You need to go home, tell Nathan what you did and let that man go find someone who actually fucking cares about him.”

You frowned. “I can’t make that decision for him.”

That stopped Charles in his tracks. “So you’re saying, if you tell him the truth and he forgives you… you’re gonna stay with him? After you were ready to leave him to travel with me?”

He watched as you shrugged so nonchalantly- he really didn’t know you at all. The woman he knew was sweet, funny… you were selfish, mean. Every word that left your mouth buried the woman he thought he knew deeper and deeper into the earth. You were willing to stay with a man you didn’t really love, for what? So you weren’t alone?

“What would happen when you inevitably got bored of me?” He questioned. “Would you run again? Would you go back to him?”

“I don’t think I’d get bored of you.”

Charles snorted. “Reassuring. Love isn’t supposed to be all excitement and fireworks 24/7… you can be in love but not have your heart racing. And I’m not saying what you have with Nathan is love, it very clearly isn’t - but if you’re always looking for the next exciting thing, you’re never going to stop and enjoy the moment you’re actually living in.”

“…I just don’t like the idea of being alone.”

He had to fight every urge he had to roll his eyes, even being in the same room with you was starting to exhaust him. “Well, you deserve to be.”

You finally snapped, there was only so much scolding you could take. “You know what? Fuck you. You don’t know shit about me…”

“So all of the stuff you told me was a lie, huh?” Charles taunted you, his words like venom. “Like all the stories about your family, your friends… Those were all lies too? Has anything that’s happened these last few days been real?!”

Your jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. “Do you honestly think that this was something, Charles? It’s not even been a week.”

He took a step back, swallowing heavily - this time it was you who had the fire in them.

“You are delusional. Yes we had fun, yes we had a couple little chats but that doesn’t mean that any of this was real.” You spoke, voice thick with disgust.

Charles almost couldn’t believe the woman standing before him was the same woman who he’d spent the last few days with - you didn’t even look the same. Your kind eyes were full of hatred and every muscle seemed tense.

“You’re vicious.” His heart was pounding in his chest as he stared you down.

The laugh that escaped you had no humour in it. “Well, that’s what you get for putting your faith in someone you met less than a week ago. No one is ever going to be able to live up to your fantasies… you need to get down from whatever cloud you’re on and join us in the real world.”

“Get the fuck out.” He spat. “You can come get your shit when I’m gone.”

“Where the hell am I supposed to go until then?”

“Anywhere but here.” He swung the door open, the rain crashing down - raindrops splashed into the room as lighting cracked once again.

You scoffed. “Ironic you’re trying to send me out into the weather that brought us together in the first place.”

“Let’s just say I’m fixing my mistake then and fuck off… I don’t care where you go but I’ll be gone when you get back.”

The two of you were in a stand-off, not a single part of you wanted to go out in that weather and there wasn’t a single part of him that wanted you to stay in here. You folded your arms across your chest and quirked a brow, challenging him to do something - you knew he was never going to physically throw you out. “Get out.”

“I’m not going out in that!” You snapped. “And close the fucking door, you’re getting wet.”

You felt smug as he huffed, closing the door. But before you could get another word in, he turned his back and started grabbing the last of his belongings - shoving them carelessly into his suitcase, his shoulders slumped in defeat. The look on your face slowly fell as he dipped into the bathroom - you’d call him out on his shit so why did you feel guilty? You were right. He didn't know shit about you - he was a stranger. But when his eyes finally met yours, for what felt like the final time, you couldn’t help but feel a tug in your chest- telling you to wrap your arms around him and swear you could fix this.

“...So this is it?”

He nodded solemnly. “Yep. And I know you don’t give a single shit about what I think, but I really do hope you turn your life around and get better - because I know there’s a good person somewhere in there.”

You pressed your lips into a tight line. “And I hope you find someone who treats you how you deserve… because I know you’re a good man.”

There wasn’t any particular response you were hoping for, but him leaving the room without another word definitely wasn’t it - not even slamming the door behind him, just shutting it with a simple click. Leaving you to stand alone in the middle of the room that once felt like a safe haven. As you glanced around, it truly felt like he had never been here - it was just a mess of your belongings strewn across the furniture and floor.

Feeling sorry for yourself, you decided there was nothing more you wanted right now than a stiff drink - and you remembered seeing a bar across the street. You scoured the room for something to throw over your head to protect you from the rain before spotting an umbrella in the corner - definitely not yours but clearly not important enough to Charles for him to take so you snagged it.

As the rain attempted to smack the umbrella from your hands, you jogged across the street and stepped into the bar. It was dimly lit, the light from the flickering hotel sign still visible as you slumped down onto a bar stool - ordering your usual. You fiddled with your ring, flipping it between your fingertips - maybe Charles was right, maybe going back and finally leaving Natahan would be good for you. You didn't love him, and maybe he deserved to find someone who could.

“Definitely not just a drizzle out there, huh?”

Your eyes flickered up from your drink at the sound of a spanish accent, a handsome man smiled softly at you. “Yeah, the wind nearly stole my umbrella from me.”

He chuckled softly. “Can I buy you another drink? I’m Carlos.”

After telling him your name and drink choice, you took a second to look back at your engagement ring - the good person Charles thought was in you was yet to rear her head, so with no shame at all - your ring once again disappeared into the pocket of your jeans and you turned back to Carlos with a smile.

Whilst Charles was model handsome, Carlos was like a Disney prince with thick dark hair, his deep brown eyes scanning over you as his lips curved into a playful smile. You propped your elbow up on the bar, resting your chin on your hand - practically fluttering your eyelashes at him.

“So, Carlos…” you purred, testing his name on your lips, and enjoying how it tasted. “You staying nearby?”

──── •✧• ────

If you saw me post this already but with Jenson… I decided I wanted to change it so no you didn’t

So whilst this collab ended up falling through I really liked what I wrote and wanted to share it with people so here you go! Thank you to @formulaforza and @silverstonesainz/ @singaporesainz for the idea and extra smooches to you Dani for beta reading it for me x

[inmyheaddd]

✦ certified clutz- percy jackson x reader

a/n: ahh thank u sm for the req anon! this is so silly hahaha clumsy girls i love u parings: clumsy!reader x percy jackson wc: 700

the infirmary at camp half-blood was quiet that afternoon, a few dusty sunbeams peaking through the shelves of neatly stacked supplies and half-open cupboards. you’d been sent to restock, but it wasn’t long until someone came along.

“ow—ow,” came a voice from behind you, and you turned to see percy, his left arm wrapped in what looked like a messy attempt at a bandage, dried blood staining through.

“percy?” you blinked, half-surprised, half-amused. “what the hell did you do?”

he shrugged, attempting to be casual but wincing instead. “archery training got a little… intense,” he muttered, looking down at his arm. “turns out i’m not as good at dodging arrows as i am at, you know… sea stuff...“

you sighed and shook your head as you set down a pile of gauze that nearly slid out of your hands. 

“you know, maybe next time try dodging with your reflexes, not your arm.” 

“i’ll keep that in mind,” he quipped as he sat on one of the beds, watching as you looked for antiseptic in the middle shelf. 

you were lifting multiple different things and putting them down to find it— ambrosia, bandages, tweezers, and finally, after some crouching, you saw the antiseptic hidden deep in the back. 

but when you reached for it, you somehow managed to knock half the supplies onto the floor. 

wonderful. 

you heard percy chuckle from behind you, “oh, so i’m in great hands, huh?”

you rolled your eyes, “very funny.” as you bent down to pick everything you dropped, you muttered. “i just… miscalculated my arm reach.” 

you looked up to see percy grinning at you, “oh, right. of course.”

you glared at him. “you see, i would offer a helping hand, but i can’t really—“

“—i will literally let your arm get infected.” 

“you wouldn’t dare,” he took your offense as a joke, gasping in fake shock as he put his free hand over his arm protectively.

you stood up, the supplies in your hand, ready to put them back. “oh yes i— ow!”

of course. the cupboard door was half open, so when you tried to stand up, you hit your head against it. 

“shit,” you hissed, stumbling back slightly. 

this time percy was up by your side immediately, and you were wary not to drop everything again. 

one hand steadied your waist, the other one on your head. “you see, this is why i worry about you.” you met his eyes, and he tilting his head to give you this annoyingly soft, ridiculously fond look that almost made you forget you’d just bruised your head in front of him. 

“we gotta start getting you covered in bubble wrap.”

“stop it,” you managed, laughing slightly, “you’re supposed to be the injured one.”

“maybe you should start wearing a helmet 24/7” he suggested, not even acknowledging his arm anymore.

“yeah, and before you say it, wrapped in bubble wrap too.” you mumbled, putting the infirmary supplies back in their place before turning back to percy. 

once he was seated again, you were so precise with what you were doing and treating the wound, and you cleaned it up perfectly.

before you knew it, you were done, and his arm was all good again. percy looked at it suspiciously and turned his forearm, as if you’d performed witchcraft on it. “are you only clumsy when you want to be?” he asked, raising a brow teasingly. 

you laughed despite yourself, “i am not clumsy”

“you literally tripped over air yesterday in the dining pavilion,” he reminded you with that stupid grin of his. “pretty sure the gods are up there placing bets on how many things you’ll break each week for entertainment.”

your cheeks flushed, “there was literally a rock! i did not trip over nothing.” you exclaimed exasperatedly, and percy just laughed, so you continued. “in fact, i didn’t even trip. i barely stumbled.” you added, but it didn’t look like he believed you. 

you opened your mouth to shoot back another comment about how the gods had better things to do, but you realised he was closer, his hand on your arm, his expression a little too soft, it made you nervous. 

“what?” you asked, trying to play it cool.

he shrugged, not breaking eye contact. “nothing. i’m just thinking i might have to keep an eye on you a little more often.”

your heartbeat stuttered as you tried to keep it together. “i can handle myself.”

he grinned, letting go of your arm but still standing way too close. “i know you can,” he said, his grin spreading and his expression shifting to one of mischief. “but it would be hilarious to watch you destroy basically everything in your path.”

“you are so not funny percy!”

taglist: @lovethornes @littlemissmentallyunstable @midiosaamor @maybxlle @imaseabear 

@sheisntyou @off-to-the-r4ces @anintellectualintellectual @wish-i-were-heather @hxress23

@hermesenthusiast

[zolass]

ㅤㅤㅤ𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆

ㅤㅤㅤ···─REDAMANCY with NEPHITE

ㅤㅤㅤㅤCharacter from @yanderefarm

Summary: Maybe you weren't so innocent as you always believed yourself, but you would burn the world, before someone would try to take your mate away from you. wc: 1.7k

tags: darker themes, sexual mentions, a bit gore, ooc Nephite, turned reader, fluff at the end

REDAMANCY (n.) the act of loving the one who loves you; a love returned in full.

Note: Yay turned reader a bit darker this time, just thinking about what all can hide deep inside people.. yea also it's always fun to write either sad or dark themes while up-beat songs are playing TvT (that's what I had during this one and Silvan)

I wanted to say smt else but I forgot- anyways enjoy peepol <3

It took some time to get Nephite to move in with you, a bit further away from the church. Well basically in the middle of the city, you wanted to be as far away from these people as possible, even though Nephite was one of them, he was born into this cult.

So it wasn’t his fault that they altered his mind and believes, the life you two shared outside of the church was peaceful, if you ignored the fact that you fucked your mate every where in your home, in any position Nephite was flexible enough to get fucked in.

You loved your life, having a cozy home with a beautiful mate who loves you to bits, just as much as you loved him. So when he came back, with tears and snot running down his pretty face, his eyes bloodshot as he looked up at you. “They want me to– to m-mate with someone e-else,” he cried as he threw himself into your awaiting embrace. 

It was shocking to hear something like that, as it’s not something people do normally once you have a mate it was basically frowned upon if you dare to even think about mating with someone else.

Anger flared up inside of you, as you glared at the ground, tightening your arms around your mate, “Why?” You simply asked, and Nephite couldn’t help but bury his head in the crook of your neck, “Because I’m not carrying kids yet,” he mumbled ashamed. 

It was after your first time with Nephite, where he didn’t get pregnant which was rather a miracle, you had to speak with him about some things. You never really wanted kids as you didn’t have a partner whom you could see yourself with building a family. On that day Nephite was scared you would say that you didn’t see such a future with him, but it wasn’t like that.

Both of you were young, in your early twenties, and you didn’t want to be a father at such an early age. If the two of you delayed it just a bit, you two would still be able to see your kids grow up, seeing them find a partner and build their own family, so for you there was no rush. So the two of you had daily sex, a lot of it as well, but you played it rather safe, Nephite understanding as you slowly explained to him that you didn’t want to throw the young years the two of you had ahead of you, instantly away.

Yet apparently it wasn’t the same for the cult, which wasn’t surprising. It was like burning acid in your mouth, at the sheer ignorance of letting a young man, your mate, throw away the young years of his life only to breed for the rest of his life, so they gain profit from it? 

Definitely not with your mate.

You took in the pheromones of blackberries and honey from your mate that wafted into your nose, calming your anger down, even if it continued to linger like a small flame inside of you. “I love you, Sweetheart,” you whispered and for a moment there was fear in Nephite’s heart, “but I have to say sorry to you, we’re leaving this place.” Your voice was firm as you said that.

Nephite pulled his head from the crook of your neck, his eyes wide as he looked into your eyes, “What..?” He asked with a slightly wobbly voice, this place was all he knew and now he had to leave this place? 

Didn’t you like it here as much as he did?

You gently placed your hands on his cheeks, caressing the soft skin under his eyes with your thumbs, “I won’t let them destroy what we have, and I won’t let them ruin you even more,” he was confused to say the least, ruin him? 

But before he could ask you let out a soft chuckle, your eyes holding the same affection as always, “You don’t see it, but I do. It’s not your fault you grew up in– such a place.” The last part came with an undertone of bitter disgust. 

He opened his mouth again, but you placed a finger on his plump lips, “You can scream at me after we left the city, you can hit me, curse at me, but I won’t let you stay here,” you said, pressing your lips to his forehead. “Pack your clothes, Love. I still have something to do,” you told him, giving him a short yet not any less passionate kiss, before you left.

That day your once clean hands were dripping with blood. A weapon heavy in your hand as you stared at the dead bodies around you. The pastor’s decapitated head laid there while his own cut-off dick was shoved in his mouth, “Dickface,” you muttered as a scoff left your throat. 

You killed one of the roots of the cult, with the pastor there were a few other ones that had higher positions, as they had a conference only a while ago. Under them were the parents from Nephite, who shamelessly said that if you couldn’t give your mate kids, someone else simply would. 

As your eyes stared at each one of them, one would think you felt remorse for what you did, but your mind and heart never felt lighter. A sudden gasp from behind you sounded, turning around swiftly you came face to face with the shocked face of your mate.

With shaking hands, Nephite lifted his hands up to his mouth. His entire body was shaking, while unshed tears were in his eyes. You didn’t know what to say, your body frozen in place, you didn’t want to see this. It was so clear that he wanted to ask why– why did you do this? “I can’t possibly let them take you away from me– I just– fuck, they would try over and over again, simply leaving this place wouldn’t be enough, Nephi.” 

Maybe it was the reason that Nephite was messed up in his head from the beginning, you really thought he would leave you, snitch on you to the police. But rather all your mate did was swallow before he walked towards you, a sudden pain rippled on your cheek and your head swiftly turning to the side. 

He slapped you, yet you didn’t do anything. “You killed my family,” he whispered in pain, it was a fact. You stripped his family from him, you clench your jaw, “and I don’t regret it.” You bit out, your eyes not focusing on your mate. 

Nephite didn’t know what to do, he loved you so much. Yes it upsetted him that his family simply wanted to throw away what the two of you have, but he didn’t think when you said you had something to do, it would be this.

In a way he can’t help but be angry at you, but there were also butterflies in his stomach. You went this far, for your relationship with him, you did this for him. Biting his lip he glanced at your bloodied form, and god it turned him on.

Quickly he pulled you down by the top of your shirt, you turned your head just in time, making his lips land on yours. He pulled away, as lust basically took over his being, “Fuck me,” he demanded it from you in this moment. You were surprised that this is what he wants after he just found out you killed his family, but you couldn’t even give in, “Not without a condom, love.” 

With quick fingers, he pulled from a small pocket in his dress an unused condom. You raised your eyebrows at the situation, why did your mate have a condom just there with him.

Nephite saw your questioning look and couldn’t contain the giggle that spilled out, “Well, I wanted to use it later. I first wanted you to make love to me in the car but..” Nephite batted his eyelashes at you, you quickly grabbed the condom from his hand, “We still have some, so I can make both of these come true, darling.” 

This night you took your mate on the altar that was in the middle of the church, the moon’s silver light casting down on your figures, as you fucked your mate in the middle of bodies.

You heard a huff from Nephite, as he waddled around in the kitchen, while you sat at the kitchen island like a kicked puppy, you wanted to help your mate with the cooking, but he soon banned you from the stoves, ending with you sitting in your current place, while your eyes followed your mate.

Since the night you killed the leader of the cult and burned the church down after you fucked your mate, you found yourself in your late twenties- early thirties, in a cozy house. Somehow did nobody figure out who the murdered of the local church.

It took a while and a lot of sex for Nephite to kinda forgive you, in the years you showed him that the outside world isn’t as scary and impure as he was told for all these years, making him rather thankful that you stumbled into his life. But even with the dark past and your stained hands, he loved you dearly and while it took a few years, you gave him what both of you wanted. 

Nephite was pregnant and currently in the fifth month, his belly rather huge which made the both of you question if it was really one kid that he was carrying, and well it was also the reason why you sat like a kicked puppy. You tried to cook for your mate, but he soon couldn’t continue to watch you struggle with it. 

Slowly you stood up, before you sneaked behind your mate and snaked your hands around his big stomach, before kissing his nape, “No. Go back to your seat, can't you distract me,” Nephite said in a firm voice, you couldn’t help but groan, “Now I’m not even allowed to hold my loving wife?” You asked with faux sadness, Nephite noticing it quickly, yet he couldn’t help the way his chest swelled with love as you called him your wife, that’s what he was after all.

A ring on both of your fingers, sitting snug and secure. Showing how far your love brought you. “I love you, dumbass,” Nephite said with a blush adorning his cheeks, you leaned over his shoulder and kissed his cheek, “I love you more, my beautiful wife.”

[sh4wty18]

based off the “driving with chris sturniolo” video Larray did with chris expect he talks about reader in a part of it; reader is dating chris and Larray does “driving with y/n” and they talk about stuff and Chris’s and hers relationship (shes also a YouTuber and lives with chris, Nick, and Matt). And then in the comments everyone is freaking out about how they both talked about each other.

in the car.

pairing: chris sturniolo x reader.

summary: same as request.

cw: fluff, nothing else.

word count: 985, not edited.

“So when did you and Y/n get together, huh?” Larray asks slyly, a smirk creeping its way onto his face.

Chris blushes and chews on his bottom lip, “Fuck you, dude,” he giggles, swatting playfully at Larray’s arm.

Larray laughs as he flicks on the turn signal, “Tell the camera, Chris. All the girls wanna know.”

“Well…” Chris starts with a giggle. “Um, we sorta just ran into each other one day a few years ago–she’s obviously a youtuber too. And so we started talking… and became friends, she moved in, and eventually, I guess it just turned into something more? I don’t know. I really like her.”

“Yeah you guys are too cute,” Larray says. “Do you guys like being PDA or no? I think everyone’s seen that video of you two making out at Tara’s party…” he says in a sing-songy voice, grinning again.

Chris covers his face with his hands, “Fuck, I know,” he groans. “That was a wild night, for sure. But um, no, usually we’re pretty private. I love being near her, you know? Like we don’t have to be doing anything to have fun, we can literally just sit on the couch on our phones and it’s enough.”

Larray’s eyebrows furrow and he forces a fake gag noise, “Ewwww, happy straight couple!”

Chris laughs, before Larray is already off to the next topic of conversation.

—

“Alright, so today I’m driving with…” Larray points at you with both hands, awaiting your introduction.

“Y/n!” you say gleefully, waving to the camera with both hands.

“So last week, I drove around with someone who I think means a lot to you. Do you know who that was?” Larray asks with a smile.

“I do!” you respond, “I watched the video as soon as I saw it, Larray. You know I’m your biggest fan.”

“Of course, of course,” Larray says with a hint of playful sarcasm. “So yes, I was with Christopher. And I asked him a few questions about your guys’ relationship.”

You giggle, “I saw, it was so cute.”

“So I figured, it’s only fair if I ask you the same.”

“Sounds fair enough,” you nod.

“So how is it living with the triplets?” Larray asks as he turns onto a busy street lined with shops.

“Hmm,” you think of how to answer his question. “They’re gonna clock me for hesitating,” you laugh. “Um, it’s really great. I’ve been friends with them all for years, so like, it wasn’t hard to live with them. It really makes paying rent a lot easier. It got a little awkward when Chris and I first started hooking up because Matt and Nick could definitely tell and didn’t wanna make it weird.”

“Hooking up?! Wait so you two started off as friends with benefits? In your own house is crazy,” Larray laughs, but the shock is written all over his face. No one would expect you or Chris to be the hookup type.

“Well, it was more like… we both knew there were feelings there, right? Like we knew we wanted to be a couple, but I think we were worried, you know, about living together and with his brothers. We didn’t want to ruin the friendship we had. But eventually we got tired of pretending there was nothing there. So kind of, in a way, we started as friends with benefits. But that only lasted like a week before we made things official. Just ‘cause one day, Matt and Nick sat us down and were like ‘you guys know it’s okay if you want to be together, right? we both know you guys like each other, it’s obvious.’ And so, after that we made things official.” You nod, remembering the conversation with your three best friends so clearly.

“Wow, that’s the first I’ve heard of this,” Larray says in even more shock.

“Well, we are pretty private. But anything for you, Larray.” You stare directly into the camera for a moment, “Sorry baby, I know you’re gonna watch this and be embarrassed.”

“Not the pet name,” Larray rolls his eyes jokingly. “Okay, so how is the relationship going? Do you feel like you can balance your romantic relationship with your friendship?”

“Yeah, definitely. He’s been my best friend for longer than we’ve been dating, so in a way, he’ll always be my best friend. It’s just now there’s more to it. I like it better this way, though. I liked him for so long before we got together, it was so embarrassing.”

“Oh, well Christopher was down horrifically for you too, by the way.”

You giggle, “I know he was. He made that very clear when we had the conversation.”

“What’s your favorite thing about him?” Larray asks.

“His kindness. He’s genuinely the sweetest person I’ve ever met. He never judges. He’s caring. He’ll drop everything to be there for his loved ones. He’s the most loving brother and friend anyone could ever ask for, and he’s the most considerate boyfriend I’ve ever had. I just love him so much, I love everything about him. It’s hard to choose just one thing. He’s perfect to me,” you smile, and a slight pink hue covers your face.

Larray moves on to another topic after that, and leaves you thinking about how much you love your boyfriend as he does. Later, when the video is posted, all of the comments are freaking out about how cute you two are.

user1: OMG THEY BOTH TALKED ABOUT EACH OTHER😭😭

user2: they’re actually my fav couple of all time

user3: the way they talk about each other is so genuine and sweet. it’s so hard to come by a love like theirs these days :)

user4: i love them (even tho ill always be a little jealous of y/n lol)

user5: BRO WHEN IS IT MY TURN TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP LIKE CHRIS AND Y/N😔

hope you enjoyed <3

dividers from @plutism

pics from pinterest

[yuyusuyu]

bloody hell — the rain

synopsis. oh, if only, if only she hadn't crossed paths with him. then maybe, just maybe, all of this could've been avoided... except, it was bound to happen by fate. there was no escaping the fate that was given to you at birth.

pairing. ot8! vampire! ateez x fem! reader (not poly! everyone will have their own ending!)

genres/aus. vampire au, suspense, romance, angst, slow burn

warnings. wooyoung being a little rough ??, cursing. but other than that, none that i'm aware ! please lmk if there's anything i should add !

rating. pg-13

wc. 1.1k

a/n. me when i don't upload because uni had me busy last week and i went to a halloween party yesterday HELP anyways happy late halloween to those who celebrate ! also, this was nawt proofread

send an ask in my inbox or leave a comment to be added to the taglist! reblogs and comments are appreciated! helps with not getting shadowbanned!

YOU HATE THE WAY YOUR CLOTHES STICK TO YOUR SKIN MORE THAN YOU HATE THE WAY EYES FOLLOW YOUR EVERY MOVE, whispering amongst themselves about how much of a mess you look. and you do look like a mess, you admit. your hair sticks down to your head, equally as drenched as your clothes. your shoes fare no better and squelch against the pavement with each step you take towards the psychology building, eager to get your change of clothes from your best friend.

you push the doors open, sighing in relief when warm air greets you, kissing your skin tenderly. a hooded figure leans against a wall, tufts of purple and black hair peeking out. at the sound of footsteps approaching, he looks up: his once blank face brightening before morphing into a look of shock. “holy shit,” he says, “you look horrible.”

“ha-ha,” you laugh dryly, a grimace gracing your features, “very funny, jongho.”

jongho flashes what you assume is a reassuring smile, and thrusts a plastic bag towards you. “here.” you take it and rummage through it while he rocks back-and-forth on his feet, continuing, “that’s all i can offer.”

a sweatshirt, a pair of sweats and socks.

“thank you so much,” you say, looking up at him, “i really appreciate it. i’ll give these back to you tomorrow.”

the male shakes his head and waves a hand, “there’s no need. i have more.”

“oh, so you hate me don’t you? you don’t want these back because i dirtied them with my poorness, is that right?”

“what?” jongho seems taken aback from your words, his eyes widening in panic as your shoulders slump and you turn your gaze towards the ground. “no! i didn’t mean—”

“just joking,” you grin, looking at him and punching his arm lightly. “seriously though, thank you.”

he returns your smile with one of his own, and takes a few steps back. “you’re very welcome, yn. i have to get going now… is there anything else you need?”

you shake your head and shoo him away, laughing as he salutes and turns around, disappearing into a hallway and leaving you all alone.

much to your surprise, the lecture hall is empty by the time you arrive and settle down. students slowly trickle inside the room after a few minutes, everyone looking as if they had stayed up working on a paper due at midnight . your professor walks in, and you immediately sit down, silently hoping that your items for that class are all dry. slowly unzipping your backpack, you peek inside with an eye and sigh in relief, happily taking out your things and setting them on the desk.

the lecture today is fairly easy compared to other days where it would be so content heavy that you’d feel your fingers grow numb from all the notes you’d take despite typing it into a document for your sociology class. as the clock nears ten, marking the end of your three hour class, you silently start putting your things away when your professor speaks up.

“in these last few minutes of class today, i’d like to talk about your final project you will be submitting in december, almost three whole month from now.” a chorus of groans ring throughout the room, and your professor deadpans. “i’m well aware that most people who major in sociology do so in order to get accepted into law school. if you’re all complaining over some measly final project, i suggest you all to not even think about applying to law school.”

everyone immediately quiets down and you have to bite your tongue to prevent yourself from laughing as your professor clears their throat to continue to speak. “the final report is quite simple, really. write a report on a topic of your choosing. you guys remember how long i like reports to be, right? minimum twelve pages.” again, everyone remains quiet. your professor raises their eyebrow. “wow, okay. i guess i can whip up a midterm exam to keep you guys entertained while you also work on the final—”

instantly everyone begins to shout praise, saying how the report is going to be so simple. your professor laughs, dismissing everyone. you carefully put your things away and lean down to grab the bag holding your wet clothes, grimacing afterwards at the sound the bag makes as you walk towards the door only to bump into a sturdy chest. not bothering to look at the person, you sidestep and apologize to them quietly. however, the person grabs your wrist before you could even set a foot outside the door. you huff in annoyance as you’re forced to turn around by the hand gripping onto your wrist. frowning, you look up to find two men in front of you. one has a mole by his cheek and short, red hair. the other one…

the one with red hair speaks up, his eyes narrowing down at you. “aren’t you forgetting something?”

you look away from your respected senior to meet the redhead’s gaze with squinted eyes. “no?” you scoff. “if you’re done doing whatever,” you wave your free hand in between the two of you, “this is, then can you please let go of my wrist? i have places to be.”

you assume that he didn’t expect that sort of answer from you because then he’s fuming, his grip tightening. you hiss and are about to yank your hand away when your senior speaks up, reaching out to pry the other guy’s hand off you. “enough, wooyoung.”

wooyoung seems startled at his friend’s words, blinking stupidly at him. your senior turns towards you and lowers his head, his dark hair covering his eyes. “i’m so sorry about my friend, yn. he can be… a nuisance.”

you bow your head in response. “you have nothing to apologize for, yunho.” you glance at him through your eyelashes, “now if you may excuse me…”

yunho gives you a small smile and nods, watching as you leave quietly. he huffs through his nose, amused at what just went down. wooyoung snaps his head towards him. “what’s so funny, huh?” wooyoung asks, pushing yunho away.

the ravenette shrugs. “nothing, nothing,” he coughs, trying to mask his chuckling. “that was just… interesting.”

“interesting my ass,” wooyoung says, clicking his tongue before poking the inside of his cheek with it. “that girl should pray she never sees me again… how dare she! who does she think she is to just—”

as wooyoung rambles about his immediate dislike towards the girl that had just left, yunho merely snorts and walks off to talk to the professor. as they talk, he can’t help but let his mind wander back to you.

he’s never seen anyone treat wooyoung like that.

yunho hums in thought, zoning out mid conversation. more than that… what piqued his interest the most is that…

you smell like jongho.

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BLOODY HELL | yuyusuyu 2024

[mattsbiggestslut]

‘ YOU BELONG TO ME ’

sum. when your ex boyfriend gets jealous of his brother touching you and says you belong to me.

warnings. none.

wc. idk.

a/n. Probably short, i’ll add more.

@mattsbiggestslut

Me and Chris broke up years ago. He was toxic as hell, he wouldn’t leave me alone, he made me cry, he hit me, there would be bruises all over my body, scars, hell, even cut marks, he was abusive and childish.

Me and his brothers, Matt and Nick Sturniolo were still friends, it was just me and Chris who didn’t like each other. My friends told me before that Chris was always a bitch, my friend Ana told me that Chris was an asshole. I should’ve believed her before I dated him.

Chris, now that we broke up, has been getting more mature, now that he’s not a teenager anymore. He’s getting more muscular, growing a beard— a stubble, and focusing on himself. “He’s changing now,” I said to my friends as they looked at me in shock well— Ana looked at me in shock while the rest of my friends nodded. Until my friend, Naomi piped up. “What? Ya like him again?” She raised her eyebrow. Ana interrupted me before I even got to speak.

“Don’t tell me you do! He’s not what you think!” Ana said as she shook me by my shoulders. “He’s a bitch, remember?” She added. “He probably changed, ana, you don’t know that..” I mumble as I glance away. “I’m seeing him and his brothers tonight. So I'll see if he changes, okay?” I added as I thought about this damn boy named Christopher Sturniolo. Over and over in my head. ‘He’s cute. But I'm not gonna fall for him again.’ I thought as I drove to my house before I had to meet the triplets.

I got to my house as I put my red dress on and my red heels on. I did my makeup as I was on the phone with nick. Chris in the background in a suit and tie, his hair wet, and the suit in the same color as my dress. “Ah. You two are matching.” Nick said excitedly as he gave the phone to Chris. Nick knew Chris still liked me. But he never got the chance to ask me if I still liked him.

“Uhh— hey,” Chris said, as he looked at the camera. “Hey,” I said as I looked at the camera at his blue eyes, they looked like the ocean, pretty and blue. “Uh— look, I'm sorry about what happened when we were younger.” Chris said as he placed the phone down and ran his fingers through his wet hair. “It’s okay, I forgive you. Everybody changes, right?” I said as his eyes softened and he had a little pout on his face. This was the first time I saw him vulnerable like that. It was adorable. “Right.” He mumbled, smiling a bit. “So.. you’re coming soon?” He said, trying to change the subject and he placed his hand on his tie and fixed it. “Yeah, I'll be there, five minutes or so.” I say as I smile. We say our goodbyes and we hang up.

The whole time I’m driving to their house I think about what Chris said, how his eyes soften and that cute little pout on his face, he’s hot, but sometimes adorable. I drove to their house and knocked on the door. Chris opened the door, with a little smile on his face. “ ‘Thought you said five minutes?” He joked and I walked inside, chuckling. “Came earlier than i thought.” I teased as i turned to him. He laughed a little bit, I could see his muscles in his arms and his stubble on his chin, ‘he grew up that’s for sure,’ I said in my head. Chris smiled and closed the door behind me as I walked upstairs, my heels making a ‘click’ sound every time I walked.

“Hey, you look pretty today.” Matt said as he got up and took my hand, Nick glanced at Chris as Chris looked jealous. Really jealous. “She belongs to me.” Chris said with a scoff as he put on a fake smile and pulled me away, his hands on my waist as he glared at Matt, Matt smirked. “Someone’s jealous.” Matt teased, as put his hands on his hips. “I’ll shove my foot up your ass matt, fuck off.” He replied, before looking at me. Damn. Maybe I do belong to him.